What Ciarán spoke about.

Madam President, High Representative Borrell, a genocide is unfolding in Gaza and EU hypocrisy is on full display. We’re increasing sanctions against Iran for its attack on Israel, but when will Israel be sanctioned? Bombing civilians, killing journalists and aid workers, using starvation as a weapon – these are war crimes! Illegal and expanding settlements. A policy of apartheid. Enough is enough. When will you, as foreign policy chief, support efforts to recognise the State of Palestine? When will you convince countries to resume UNRWA funding? When will you suspend the EU-Israel agreement and ban arms exports? As long as the EU fails to act, it is complicit in the Gaza genocide. It makes a mockery of the values that we preach to the world and exposes us as hypocrites. History will not be kind.

Mr President, I would like to thank Commissioner Simson for her words. But I also want to thank my co-negotiators in the European Council and the European Commission, as well as the Parliament negotiating team, and in particular thanks to Thomas Baynes and Kelly McGlynn from my team and Heike Leberle from the Greens. Commissioner, you said this is a critical part of our joint efforts to combat climate change. I agree, it is a critical part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package. To Seán Kelly: A Sheáin, a chara, ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leat le haghaidh an méid oibre atá déanta agat leis an treoir seo. You mentioned energy security, a crucial issue. You also mentioned the flexibility that the directive will provide and the focus on cost effectiveness and affordability. To Tsvetelina Penkova, you said we need long-term solutions, I agree. You focused on energy poverty – that’s at the heart of this legislation. This law will lift people out of energy poverty. To Morten, you said this will help us stop Russia’s war of aggression. It’s very clear the best way to combat Russia, and the best way to isolate Putin is to insulate homes. To Ladislav, you know that vulnerable householders will be protected as per the requirements of this directive, and that law clearly does not put renovation obligations on people’s homes. Those requirements are only applied to the most wasteful non-residential buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Your colleagues say that it will make people poor and be bad for our children – the contrary is true. This directive will protect renters. It will make sure that they live in less wasteful buildings. It will lower their energy bills, and financial support and social protection have to be put in place. To my colleagues in The Left, I want to reassure you that any renovations that cause hardship for citizens will not go ahead, and it will make sure that funds are prioritised for vulnerable families, and particularly to Marina Mesure from The Left, you made the link between healthy homes and positive health care outcomes. That’s so important. And then finally, to Isabella, you mentioned the diversity on this great continent in climate, but it’s also there in people in opinions and were so much the better for it. You mentioned questions, we are offering answers. And that to me is why I am here to show the political leadership on the law that provides social, economic and environmental benefits for all.

Mr President, Commissioner Simson, colleagues, tomorrow you will have the opportunity to support lower energy bills, tackling energy poverty and creating thousands of high-quality local jobs across Europe by voting for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This law sets a fair and ambitious pathway to a climate-neutral building stock by guaranteeing priority funding for renovations for the people who need it most. Placing those living in Europe’s coldest, dampest homes at the top of the queue and including protections for renters against evictions. This is the just transition in action. No one is left behind. In fact, we are bringing everyone with us and delivering better buildings and a high quality of life for all. This is the European Green Deal. The EPPD places the final piece in the Fit for 55 package of climate laws. Buildings contribute 36 % of Europe’s CO2 emissions and nearly three in four buildings are energy inefficient, so tackling buildings is an essential step to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. This law introduces new measures to deliver a climate-neutral building stock by 2050. So what will it do? Firstly, it will modernise Europe’s building stock by setting so-called ‘minimum energy performance standards – MEPS’, requiring the buildings that waste the most energy to be gradually improved. This is the most cost-effective approach with the greatest potential to reduce energy bills and emissions, and MEPS will apply to buildings in the non-residential sector like office buildings and hospitals. And while there are no obligations on individual homeowners, Member States can apply MEPS to the residential sector, amongst other measures, to deliver reductions in average energy use. Secondly, to support building owners and vulnerable households, financing measures, information services like one-stop shops and social safeguards are included. We are directing money to renovations with a clear policy framework to help scale up and direct public and private money to renovations. Member States must ensure that their national building renovation plans are sufficiently financed and they must draw from EU funds to do this. That financial support must prioritise vulnerable households. And Member States must also protect tenants by addressing disproportionate rent increases that may cause eviction through renovations. And buildings can also be made exempt from MEPS in case of serious hardship or where renovations are not cost effective. Finally, thousands of local jobs in construction, renovation and renewable industries will be created. We are supporting SMEs and the economy as a whole. Some Member States will also introduce training schemes to increase the availability of skilled workers. Considerable emission reductions are expected, helping us to protect current and future generations of Europeans from the worst impacts of climate change. Colleagues, it is clear we are at the start of a demanding journey towards climate neutrality by 2050. However, we cannot shy away from the task because it is difficult. Citizens in every Member State represented in this Parliament are struggling with high energy bills and poor-quality homes. This law will improve people’s lives. For them and for future generations, let’s vote in favour of the EPPD tomorrow.

Mr President, if our cables go down, our economy goes down. Undersea cables between Ireland and Europe are increasingly important for our economies and our communications and our energy supplies. Some 90% of Ireland’s territory is underwater. Pipelines, electricity and data cables traverse this space, and offshore wind installations are increasing. We must ensure that all of this critical infrastructure is protected. In 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defence proposed exercises over vital cables off the Irish coast. While this proposal was rescinded, it highlighted a key vulnerability. If our defence forces are to effectively defend the state against new hybrid threats, their budget must be upgraded. This will help plug the gaping holes in our ability to identify who or what traverses our sea and sky. We must work with our neighbours in the future to ensure that this infrastructure, which is critical for Ireland and the European Union, is protected. I welcome the Commission’s recommendations that we should regularly assess and improve the security and resilience of existing and new submarine cables infrastructure. And I believe that Ireland should participate in the PESCO Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection project, in continued alignment with the state’s neutrality position. Bad actors still populate the international stage and, as long as they do, Ireland has a duty to ensure it can defend while also working peacefully to oppose them.

Madam President, Commissioner, Europe has a housing problem. We have under-occupation in some areas; we have overcrowding in others. We need to take action. There are 18 000 entire houses to rent on Airbnb in my country; thousands on another site. But there’s also 13 000 people living in hotel bedrooms who would love to have more permanent occupation. Without regulation, these platforms are a monster. Properly regulated, they can provide accommodation for all who need it. Short-term lettings are making our housing crisis worse by taking homes off the market and they’re driving up prices and rents. Meanwhile, the Commission is delaying the introduction of a registration system in Ireland. Enough is enough! We have to provide solutions, not barriers to progress. The short-term regulation is progress. Sharing data is the future. We now need measures for more oversight of short-term rentals.

Madam President, Commissioner McGuinness. Ireland and Europe are in the middle of a solar revolution. In our own country, tens of thousands of homes had solar panels installed last year. In total, we’re going to get a gigawatt of new solar this year. Commissioner McGuinness, you and I studied the Ardnacrusha scheme back in school. We’re installing three times the power of that hydropower station every year. It’s an extraordinary achievement. Solar and wind will soon be the main source of electricity in the European Union, and with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, we will be mandating that every new building is ready for solar. However, we are reliant on China for a lot of our solar needs. 40% of the world’s PV comes from Xinjiang, where the Uyghur people are systemically persecuted. We need to ensure that we’re not dependent on China and we need to make a choice: will this solar revolution be red or fully green? That is the choice we need to make. The Net Zero Industry Act will help us in that, but we need to make sure that the money is available. Commissioner, you know all about the European taxonomy. We need to make sure in the next mandate that we continue with empowering the finance that is required to make this solar revolution continue to create green jobs on European soil.

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit, in Dublin and across Europe women are struggling to keep themselves and their families warm. Nearly 30% of the households in Ireland are living in energy poverty. Calls for help to the charity Saint Vincent de Paul have soared since the crisis began. Two thirds of those seeking help in Dublin are female. The faces of this crisis are women – saving to put money in the electricity meter, more likely to experience energy poverty and social exclusion, more likely to be working at home and living in cold and damp homes, more likely to lead single-parent households, which are particularly vulnerable. My colleague Alice Kuhnke’s report shines a light on these issues. Thank you to her. We can and must do more to help. A new law, the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, will help ensure that those at risk of energy poverty will receive renovation funds. However, we must also provide an EU-funded renovation loan scheme to prioritise at risk families and we have no time to lose.

A Uachtaráin, ‘We did what we could. Remember us.’ Those words of the late Doctor Mahmoud Abu Nugaila were repeated by Irish lawyer, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, before the International Court of Justice last week. In Northern Ireland, 3 500 people died over the 30 years of our conflict. In Gaza, that number have died in a little over the last two weeks. So many innocent civilians; most are women and children. Netanyahu must go. He, and his government, must pay the price for breaching international law. The relentless bombing is preventing precious aid and medical supplies from getting into Gaza. Children are being operated on without anaesthesia. It is time for concrete EU actions, including economic sanctions and banning the sale of Israeli settlement goods. Diplomatic pressure to end human rights abuses and redoubling efforts to release the hostages and achieve a ceasefire. We cannot look away.

Mr President, Commissioner Schmit, thank you. There is a locked-out generation in Europe. Young people in Dublin and all around the EU have been at the sharp end of the housing and cost of living crises. They’re struggling with rising rents and lack of rental accommodation. Many are forced to live with their parents, delaying their independent adult life and affecting mental health and wellbeing. As wage increases fail to match inflation, their starting salaries must go further than ever before. There are European solutions out there new laws on transparency in the short-term rental sector, on minimum wages and solidarity taxes on fossil profits will help. Now, though, we must use European funds to increase the provision of social housing and guarantee housing as a right. Expand the windfall tax to target profiteering that is driving rent increases, and deliver an EU renovation fund to reduce energy bills. Let’s provide a healthy, hopeful future for young people all over Europe.

Mr President, High Representative Borrell, Netanyahu’s army is bombing civilians with impunity. Meanwhile, President von der Leyen is silent. Europe has failed to show leadership. However, it’s not too late. The EU must take action to ensure a lasting ceasefire now. The EU-Israel trade agreement must be suspended. Violent West Bank settlers should be sanctioned. Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza unhindered. Europe must attend or host a peace conference with Palestinian statehood on the table. Without question, I condemn the abhorrent actions of Hamas, and of course all hostages must be released immediately. But with tens of thousands of innocent civilians dead – children, academics, journalists – so many injured, so many lives destroyed, there is no time to lose in preparing for peace. The first step must be a ceasefire now.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, the future for trucks and buses is electric, for better air quality in our towns and cities, and lower emissions. Higher CO₂ reduction targets will begin phasing out combustion engines in the market. Every year 70 000 Europeans die prematurely due to pollution from road transport. We cannot delay action any longer. So, electrification must be the priority for trucks, for trailers, for coaches and buses. It’s nonsensical to waste precious e-fuels on road transport. It’s champagne! Use it sparingly, because there’s a more cost-effective and convenient alternative available. E-fuels should only be kept for the trickiest areas to decarbonise: planes and shipping. The fuels and the car industries, they’re attempting to deceive the Parliament by promoting e-fuels for road transport. It’s good for their pockets, good for their profits, but not for people. We must reject it.

Madam President, you know, we know, we’re not on track. We will miss 85% of our sustainable development targets by 2030. So we need a rescue plan for people and the planet. We must speed up our plans for a fairer, greener world. And the United Nations is calling for targeted action in three areas: ending poverty, reducing inequality and stopping the war on nature. These problems are most keenly felt in developing countries, and providing the money to help those countries is paramount. And these problems will be made worse by climate change. So delivering climate finance is essential to address poverty and inequality in the Global South, and the next climate summit, COP 28, is a key opportunity for the European Union to make a positive global impact by securing a loss and damage fund. That is our duty, to keep these crucial Sustainable Development Goals alive.

Mr President, Commissioner Hahn, Vice-President Zīle, regarding the 2024 budget, the decisions we make are crucial ones. Our annual budget of almost EUR 200 billion shapes the lives of almost half a billion citizens, and as lead negotiator for the Transport Committee, I am glad that we will invest in transport solutions that work for all. We are increasing the budget for transport projects by EUR 100 million. This will make rail travel easier for goods and for people. Better train connections to and from our ports will help to make goods travel much more seamlessly between shipping and rail. We now have a sustainable aviation fuels law that starts the slow process of reducing the climate impacts of flying. And I am happy that funding for a greener jet fuel project that I proposed will continue for a second year. I regret that there is no real increase in funding for transport agencies, which are vital for transport safety for roads, rail and sea, and funding for the rail agency should match that of funding for the aviation and maritime agencies. In conclusion, now is the time for action, not delay.

Madam President, Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in Europe. But also in Amsterdam, in Paris, in Prague, we’re hearing similar stories of housing-price affordability, with rents skyrocketing. Europe has a housing problem, a problem of affordability, supply and quality. Yet Europe can help. We have proposed a solution to tackling the huge amount of energy that has been wasted by Europe’s buildings. Wasted energy is money wasted on bills. We have an opportunity to provide warm, safe homes for the people and save millions with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which I am negotiating. Now, the European Union must provide solutions to protect our housing market from exploitation and abuse. From short-term rentals to poor-quality accommodation, we can make a difference at European level and we must guarantee housing as a right, not a privilege.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I will speak in French. This report on the mechanism to remove obstacles in a cross-border context is an important opportunity. Cross-border projects and initiatives in the European Union are currently hampered by numerous legal and administrative obstacles. If we tackle these barriers, we can improve the lives of people living in border regions. We can provide solutions to facilitate cross-border transport projects, such as the Sail & Rail initiative between France and Ireland, access to health, education and other services. The possibilities are enormous. This mechanism can be the key to unlocking the great potential of cross-border regions. I am proud of the work we have done together on this report. Used by the Member States, this instrument will be able to bring great European added value to the lives of citizens. I hope that this report will encourage the Commission to present a new legislative proposal and that the Council will then return to the negotiating table with us.

Madam President, Commissioner Vălean, for decades the aviation industry has quashed any measures that challenge their polluting business model. As a result, airlines have been polluting for free, with no incentives to decarbonise. Emissions will continue growing for years to come. And the challenge of decarbonising and greening aviation is so much harder now. However, we are beginning to introduce laws that challenge the status quo, like ReFuelEU. This law is far from perfect, but there are a number of important steps forward. On e-fuels, we’ve sent the right signal to industry that these are the fuels of the future that aviation needs, not biofuels. And we should ramp up production as soon as possible. We will also start addressing the non-CO2 effects of flying, which form the white contrails that we see stretching across the skyline. These contrails are heating the planet up to three times more than burning kerosene. So I’m calling on the Commission to propose concrete measures to tackle this by early 2025 and not to wait until 2027. The science is clear. This is doable now and we have no time to lose. While I am pleased to support this law, we have a long way to go before flying becomes a more sustainable travel option. We must simultaneously help people to make greener choices by delivering cheap, frequent and reliable alternatives.

Mr President, we don’t expect people to drink dirty brown water. So why do we expect them to breathe dirty air? We have to really seriously rethink our attitude towards air pollution and take responsibility for the power that we have to provide clean air. Air pollution is a major cause of premature death and disease in Europe. Over 300 000 premature deaths every year, yet we are so far failing to write international guidelines into European law. Bringing levels up to the WHO guidelines on the island of Ireland could help prevent almost 1 000 premature deaths every year – and that’s according to a report by TU Dublin and Queen’s University, commissioned by the Irish and the Northern Irish Heart Foundations. These are not anonymous numbers, they’re real people: your parents who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, your children who use asthma inhalers daily, they are your friends and neighbours with long COVID and other illnesses. We must do better by them. We must retain the ENVI text. Clean air is a right, not a privilege.

Madam President, Commissioner, the transport proposals you have released today are very welcome. We need more transparency on emissions so that people and business can make sustainable transport choices. We need to improve our rail services and we need to prepare heavy-duty vehicles for the green transition. However, I am concerned about your final proposal on the weights and dimensions of vehicles. I hear that this proposal could bring more mega trucks or gigaliners onto EU roads by regulating bilateral deals between EU countries on cross-border travel by these vehicles. Commissioner, I do not want to remind you, just like the SUVs, giant vehicles like these are dangerous for other road users. They are damaging to our roads, our bridges and our tunnels. They are more polluting and cancel out any gains made through emission reductions and they undermine the crucial shift to rail. So I hope you do not want to allow more of these dangerous and polluting vehicles on our roads and that you can provide clarity on this proposal.

Madam President, Executive Vice President Vestager, thank you. ‘Too big to fail’, is often the message on large transport projects. However, cost overruns, delays, poor coordination, environmental costs and, at times, corruption bedevil these the implementation of these projects. If we think of a large transport infrastructure project will almost certainly encounter some or all of these problems. Cross-border projects are particularly impacted. The good news is that we can fund and deliver transport infrastructure, but we need a systematic risk based monitoring system. We need better controls and order to tackle fraud and conflicts of interest. We need to focus on outcomes and improve environmental impact assessments. We cannot have billions of euros of taxpayers’ money spent on projects where emissions during production outweigh the benefits. We also need to give citizens a stronger voice. Bottom-up advice can save billions and prevent the waste of public money. They benefit from the connectivity that these projects can deliver and where citizens have been consulted properly, the outcomes are clear and positive. So when we revise the TEN-T regulation, we can make this happen.

Madam President, Commissioner, if you’re drunk and you vomit in a taxi in my home city of Dublin, you pay the price: €160 to the driver as compensation for the damage that you have caused. That is fair and right. However, nitrogen dioxide emissions, largely produced by diesel vehicles, kill 64 000 people every year. So I ask when will car manufacturers pay for the damage of the Dieselgate scandal? The ICCT tells us 16 million cars on European roads still carry pollution—cheating devices, even though they are banned in the EU. While car company profits soar, the health of European citizens suffers. How many recalls and fixes have been carried out? What actions are being taken by the Commission? Do you accept the ICCT’s findings that defeat devices remain widespread? EU rules are clear: corrective action by car manufacturers through recalls and fixes is an obligation, and yet action is minimal, sporadic and ineffective. If taxi customers pay for the damage, why aren’t car manufacturers forced to do the same?

Madam President, Commissioner McGuinness, I think the question is quid custodiet custodes: who guards the guards? And that’s why we need an ethics body. Since Qatargate broke, we’ve seen the consequences of lax transparency and integrity rules, waste of public money, loss of trust in the institutions and undue influence. Recently, we learned from the Qatari Government that they paid for a DG MOVE official’s flights while this official was overseeing negotiations on an air services agreement with Qatar. Was this a one—off? How can the Commission maintain that this case does not represent a conflict of interest? A fortnight ago, we wrote to Commissioner Vălean seeking the rules, the meetings held, the rules in place and any other benefits or gifts provided to Commission officials that might represent conflicts of interest. We await a reply. Lobbying of the institutions by interest groups is a legitimate activity, but our work should always be guided by the public interest. We must establish an independent ethics body with real power to investigate abuses while strengthening transparency and integrity across all these institutions.

Madam President, Commissioner Simson, ‘We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.’ Those were the words of Winston Churchill talking about the bicameral political system in the UK. But actually, those words resonate with the directive that’s in front of us this evening. Yes, it is about shaping buildings, but it is also about shaping the future of our planet and leaving it in a fit and healthy state. The beauty of this directive is that it is not just about buildings. It is about creating jobs. It is about tackling climate change, and it is about achieving a just transition. I absolutely acknowledge the words from my shadow rapporteurs. Seán Kelly, you spoke about the flexibility – that flexibility is implicit in this directive. Tsvetelina Penkova spoke about protecting citizens from energy poverty – this is at the heart of what is being proposed and supporting the vulnerable. Morten Petersen said, ‘Look, we want to reduce our use of gas and we want to tackle climate change’ – that makes absolute sense. Isabella Tovaglieri said… Oh, she’s not here. Well, actually, she wasn’t at the first shadows meeting. She wasn’t at any of the other shadows meetings, ten in all. She wasn’t even at the ITRE vote. And she spoke about dignity and respect. Well, if you want to show dignity and respect to a piece of legislation, at least show up for the meetings. Marisa Matias from The Left talked about aligning social justice and climate justice – this makes absolute sense within this proposal. Can I conclude for a moment in talking about the money? People are concerned about the costs, and yes, costs are high at the moment. But help is there, not just from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, but from many other sources of funding within the European Union. I mean, Deputy Rzońca from Poland spoke about ‘where is the money?’ – there’s 3.5 billion available for Poland from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, for renovating buildings. The European Investment Bank says they will provide money at an interest rate of -1%. So in conclusion, the funds are there and not only there, but we also want to provide more funding from the multiannual financial framework. So I recommend and commend this legislation to the House.

Madam President, Commissioner Simson, colleagues, tomorrow this Parliament faces a rare opportunity to make a visible impact in the lives of every person in Europe. This winter, millions of people were trapped in cold, draughty homes. Households and businesses are struggling to pay sky-high energy bills. Property owners are unable to renovate their homes and cannot afford to do so. Renters are stuck with eye-watering fuel bills, with no control over the energy performance of their home. We have the power to tackle this crisis and provide much-needed relief to households and businesses across Europe. The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, or EPBD, is that solution. This directive is at the core. It is a plan for the EU to achieve a climate-neutral building stock by 2050. Why buildings? Well buildings are responsible for 36 % – more than a third – of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. And there is no question that we have to tackle buildings to make a real change. Categorically, the EU will not achieve its climate targets without this directive. However, we have a deal on the EPBD that will not only lower emissions but will also lower energy bills, boost European jobs and industries, and strike a blow to Europe’s dependence on fuel imports from Russia and elsewhere. And after months of negotiations in the ITRE Committee, we have reached an agreement on the Buildings Directive and a strong majority from all of Parliament’s major political groups have backed this agreement. The negotiators support the deal because it’s fair and it’s realistic. It provides flexibility to Member States, property owners and tenants, and it’s the right deal for Europe. It’s a fair and realistic plan because it targets the worst-performing buildings, prioritising people in energy poverty who are most impacted by high bills. And it ensures a fair distribution of responsibility amongst the Member States. While we’ve increased the ambition level for renovation, we’ve also adopted stronger social protections against disproportionate rent increases or eviction. And we will boost renewable installations in buildings, and Member States must adopt plans to phase out fossil fuel use in buildings by 2035. It’s also a flexible plan. Every country develops its own renovation plan that is specific to their needs. Historical and religious buildings are exempt. Residential property owners have more time to abide by the new rules. And it’s crucial, however, that exemptions for residential buildings are limited. Certain groups, like renters, must not be locked into cold, damp buildings and denied the benefits of lower bills and decent housing. It’s the right plan for Europe. The proposed deal will save almost 50 billion m³ of fossil gas per year. That’s the gas consumption of 35 million households, another crucial blow to Europe’s dependence on Putin’s gas. Certain members on the far right of this House would like to see changes to the text that would render this directive almost meaningless. To deny European households and businesses the chance of lower bills and decent housing should be unthinkable. Furthermore, without this directive, we’re in grave danger of missing our climate targets. So I urge my colleagues to reject efforts to water down this crucial legislation. And instead, tomorrow, let’s vote for cheaper bills, warmer homes and climate protection. It’s a good deal for the citizens of Europe, it’s a good deal for the construction industry and creating jobs, and it’s a good deal for the planet. So let’s vote to get this deal done and get this report approved.

Madam President, Executive Vice-President Timmermans, I think it was the German playwright Schiller who said that the future comes slowly, the present flies and the past stands still forever. It seems, in this chamber, the past continues to stand still. But this week we vote on an historic deal that will make the EU the first regional bloc to ban by 2035 the production of the internal combustion engine. This is climate action, but it’s also about cleaner air in our cities and towns. Electricity is the cleanest and the most efficient energy source for road transport: for cars and vans, but also for trucks and buses. I hope we will see the same level of ambition in similar upcoming legislation for these vehicles. E-fuels are a pipe dream in road transport and must be reserved for ships and planes. By promoting electrification in road, the benefits for people in terms of reduced emissions and air pollution are truly enormous. We must accompany this shift with massive investments in public transport and active travel not aimed to simply replace all cars with e-vehicles. So I look forward to approving this law, which is a profound shift for our road transport sector.