Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Today we are discussing the key parts of the Fit for 55 package: reform of the ETS, a social climate fund to help those who are particularly vulnerable to energy exclusion, and finally the introduction of a border and carbon mechanism. I would like to thank Mohammed Chahim and the other shadow rapporteurs very much, as we have been able to address to a large extent the shortcomings of the report presented by the committee and to close the loopholes that have allowed this mechanism to be circumvented. We believe that it must be centralised, otherwise importers will look for the weakest link in the customs system of the Union and import most of the goods covered by the mechanism there. However, I cannot agree with Mohammed Chahim on one point. The mechanism we propose is new and no one knows whether, despite our work in securing it, it will work as it should. What's more, we know that it will not protect exporters. Therefore, in the EPP, we believe that we cannot prematurely withdraw free ETS allowances for companies covered by the CBAM. We are talking about the decarbonisation of industry, not the deindustrialisation of Europe. We had to vote against the regulation in the ENVI committee for this reason, but I believe that, as in the vote on the own-initiative report, there will be a majority in tomorrow's vote for a sensible solution, which, moreover, was supported by the majority of the political groups in the ITRE committee.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. In the European Parliament elections in 2019, as candidates of the Polish People's Party / European People's Party, we started with the postulate of the European Union's involvement in the fight against cancer, so that soon no one in Europe would die of cancer, so that from a fatal disease it would become at most a chronic disease. Last year's strategy of the European Commission and the fight against cancer, which this report is reviewing today, outlining the way forward, are concrete steps to deliver on this promise made to Europeans in 2019. I am pleased that during the year and a half of the Commission's work, we have benefited from the expertise of experts from all over Europe, including Poland, thanks to the participation of Prof. Artur Kowalik from the Świętokrzyski Oncology Centre, developing the more accessible CAR-T gene therapy, which is four times cheaper. We have supplemented the recommendations on the availability of early diagnosis, such as genetic or screening tests – e.g. blood marker tests before cancer development being developed at the Institute of Genetics in Poznań. It is very important to use modern digital tools, Big Data, artificial intelligence in the research itself, but also in more effective management of oncology, which increases the availability of help. However, a clear position in the report is crucial in order to close the gap in access to the European standard of oncology with European funding, not only between the countries of the European Union, but also between agglomerations and towns and villages. Cancer inevitably depends on the DNA code, but it cannot depend on the zip code.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Madam Vice-President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Digital Market Act aims to restore fair rules and competition in the European digital market. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union obliges us to do so, and the violations committed by internet giants to the detriment of citizens and European companies oblige us to do so. The new obligations for the largest so-called gatekeepers, which are inalienable in the company-customer relationship online, are based on court cases. We replace individual lawsuits after showing violations by law enforced on an ongoing basis and affecting everyone. For DMA to be effective, not just ambitious on paper, it needs to focus on the biggest ones. It is also good that the majority in the Commissions supported the exclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises that I have called for. It is worth supporting the extension of interoperability, i.e. the interoperability of the same services of different companies for social network messengers, as today we have it in telephone conversations, SMS or e-mails. But we need secure interoperability, so the border must be cybersecurity or personal data protection. The ability to interact with users from different platforms will reduce costs and time, and at the same time will encourage guards to go beyond competition with the network effect or the number of users, to compete, for example, with lower prices, functionality, confidentiality or reliability. As EPP shadow rapporteur, regardless of the outcome of the vote, I congratulate Mr Schwab on his good compromise. When we vote on the amendments, let us ensure that European companies and platforms open to European companies are treated equally.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. For some time now, we have been dealing with soaring energy prices throughout the European Union. This directly affects both our citizens and businesses, especially energy-intensive ones, which also determine our security and prosperity. There are several reasons, but among the main ones we can mention the rising prices of energy raw materials, primarily gas, and the increase in the price of CO2 emission allowances. We can only address these challenges together. In Europe, it is necessary to return to the idea of an Energy Union aimed at diversification, joint purchasing of natural gas as a transitional fuel in the transition and maintaining gas stocks at an appropriate level. It is, among other things, the low level of stocks, in particular in warehouses controlled by one of the companies, that is the reason for the increase in the price of this raw material. The crisis on the gas market is also the rising high prices of fertilizers, which translates into prices and food availability. We should also look at the ETS market – is the increase in the price of allowances dictated by the activity of only companies obliged to buy allowances on this market, or is it not caused by the activity of financial institutions and speculation? As a long-term measure, I would like to call on the Commission to include gas as a transitional fuel and atom in the taxonomy as soon as possible. If we do not do this, if we do not make it easier for companies to raise funds for stable low- and zero-emission sources of electricity, we may face similar crises every year. It can also undermine our climate goals and cause energy poverty and corporate bankruptcy.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Today we are discussing a very ambitious package of solutions that will lead the European Union to achieve climate neutrality and significant emission reductions by 2030. As Europeans, we can be proud of what we have already done to protect the climate, as well as of the plans we have. We do not have much choice and we need to rebuild the economy of the European Union in order to protect the climate and to restore the competitiveness of our economy after the crisis caused by the pandemic. Together with the EPP, we warned that a 55% reduction would require a lot of effort and sacrifice. This can be seen from the legislative proposals. Let me be clear: There are many economic and social factors that can lead to the derailment of this project. From the potential price increases caused by the ETS in construction and transport to the lack of building materials and skilled installers that will be needed to complete the renovation wave. I agree with the Commissioner that it is not too late that we can build a low-carbon, competitive economy. But I also agree that it will be very difficult. It is therefore crucial that we adopt solutions that protect our citizens. Sufficiently high levels of support funds and mechanisms are needed to pave the way for our economy in key areas for the Green Deal. The alternative is to give up some ambitions, because only then can we achieve success.