9
May
2023
Watch
Empowering consumers for the green transition (debate)
Madam President, Commissioner Reynders, dear colleagues, first of all, I congratulate the rapporteur and welcome this report, which is about giving consumers the power of choice to contribute to a green transition. Consumers need, first and foremost, clear, accurate and easily accessible information. We all need products with a longer durability, which we can easily repair when necessary, but we must take into account the fact that most of them have to pay great attention to the price of products. Additional attestations, excessive bureaucracy, additional labelling requirements lead to high costs for manufacturers and this will be reflected in the selling price. Consumers need safe products that do not harm their health and do not contribute massively to pollution, but we must give people, our citizens, the power to choose the right products at the right price, not force them through excessive costs or restrictions imposed by law.