Speeches

Mr President, when factories in old and polluting industries close, the workers are the first victims. In the past, this was downright chaotic. Workers were ignored and communities were destroyed, as was the case with the coal mines in Belgium. But now it has to be different so that employees become the winners of the transition. There are many new jobs in our market. For example, installers of charging stations or maintenance technicians of wind turbines. Give those employees security through good wages and good working conditions. This is possible, because today's factories are begging for workers with the right skills. But we see that employees are not sufficiently prepared for the work of tomorrow. This puts pressure on our prosperity. That is why I am putting on the table a directive for a fair transition. Enshrine the right to training during working hours and bring employers and workers together to manage that transition.

Madam President, dear colleagues, last month in this Parliament, we debated about the thousands of European workers at risk of losing their jobs in the car manufacturing industry. Today we're talking about the job cuts hitting the steel workers, for instance, in the Czech Republic, in Poland, in Hungary, all over Europe. So that's why we ask for a clean industrial deal that really unleashes an investment agenda in green technologies of the future; an act that solves the bottlenecks for affordable renewable energy; an act that creates demand for green products made in Europe; an act that ensures a level playing field for our European manufacturers; and all of this while ensuring social conditions for every euro of subsidies that will be spent. Because colleagues, workers need always be at the heart of our transition.

Mr President, our market is flooded with cheap junk from Chinese webshops, such as Temu, such as Shein, such as AliExpress. There are millions of packages: T-shirts for two euros, a football for half a euro. These are not durable and anything but safe. As a mother of a toddler, that scares me. After all, a sample shows that eighteen of the nineteen toys on Temu are downright unsafe. These Chinese webshops make a profit at the expense of the health of our children. In the meantime, our European companies that do follow the rules can no longer compete against dumped prices and unfair competition. It's time to protect consumers and our businesses from the cheap junk that Chinese web shops keep dumping on our market. Durability and good working conditions: It has to become the standard. And that is possible, with better and more targeted controls, with a stricter approach to infringements and with a tightening of the current rules. Dear Commission, work on that.

Mr President, colleagues, I am addressing you at a time when thousands of European workers are at risk of losing their jobs, and let me tell you, workers should not be the victims of the poor management decisions that some of our European car producers made, nor should the taxpayers or should the citizens. But here we are. And that's actually exactly what's happening right now in Europe – because for years they have fought tooth and nail to slow down the shift to electrical vehicles – to maximise on profits, to keep out competition, to keep Europe addicted to fossil fuels. Well, finally, it's time for a different approach. First, we urgently need to support the workers with social safety nets, with training programmes. Secondly, we need to prevent this failure from happening again by guaranteeing workers' participation and obliging companies to set up transition plans. And that's actually why we really need a just transition directive as soon as possible in the EU. Thirdly, it's not too late. We can still catch up with the Chinese on EVs, but we need to get serious. We need to double down on electrification, and that also means making EVs affordable through social leasing, that means corporate fleet targets, that means big investments as well in charging infrastructure. And fourthly, colleagues, let's stay strong on those tariffs on unfairly subsidised Chinese EVs. But that protection only makes sense if we keep our targets for cars on CO2 – because that's actually the best industrial policy we have for our car manufacturers. It's the only guarantee we have for the car manufacturing industry in the EU to survive. So, colleagues, let's stay the course and let's ensure that workers in the car industry still have a future in Europe.

Madam President, I would like to raise a point of order. Tomorrow we are going to have the debate on the current problems in the automotive industry, including the plant closures, and the need to enhance our competitiveness and, of course, maintain jobs in Europe. So we, as the Greens/EFA Group, have requested to add the following words to the title: 'and the tariffs on Chinese EVs'. I think it's clear to everyone that those tariffs and our response to China actually constitute a key component in alleviating the current dire situation of the automotive sector by creating a level playing field. But while you have declared this request inadmissible, I would strongly disagree. I think it's last week only that the Council gave the green light to the Commission to actually activate the anti-subsidy import duties on the EVs originating from China. It's an event that actually took place after the CoP meeting, and I would say it's very actual and recent developments. So I would urge you to reconsider adding the tariffs to the title.

(Start of speech off mic) ... victims and indeed help them. But we need to look at the long term as well. For me, sometimes dams can be the solution, but we also need to look at those natural solutions because that is actually the way to do it more cost‑efficiently and it's a win-win both for the climate and for adaptation. So I don't know the specific case of Poland and the dam there, but I think we need to look at those long‑term solutions and we need to make sure that nature protection, the climate and, indeed, adaptation goes together.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, houses are flooded, the power goes out and our roads turn into wild rivers. Will this extreme weather due to global warming become the new normal for our citizens? We must never accept the increasing number of deaths and displaced persons. The economic damage is also in the billions. After the deadly floods we have seen in Belgium, it is now Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania's turn. The hard truth is that Europe is not sufficiently prepared for this. The extreme rains, the heat and the drought will only increase. Fortunately, we can do something about it. Nature restoration is one of the best solutions to protect us against extreme weather. Unfortunately, however, there are still colleagues in this House who are not prepared to opt for the most logical and inexpensive solution. How do they explain this to the people who now literally have the water on their lips? Strong climate targets, an update of the current European Climate Law and a binding climate adaptation framework are urgently needed. Unfortunately, the people who are in misery today have little to do with that. Our hearts go out to all those victims. The European Union must therefore make every effort to support the affected Member States and citizens, both in the evacuation and assistance and in the reconstruction.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, these days there is a very strong focus on competitiveness. And that is important, because it is about our prosperity and about our jobs. But at the same time, let me warn you: You don't build a competitive economy in a social cemetery. In the La Hulpe Declaration, Europe promises social progress to all its citizens and that is urgently needed, because one in five Europeans lives in poverty today and struggles to pay the bills. However, everyone has the right to have a decent income to live on, to eat from, to pay for your home, to raise your children. This week our social agenda has been hit hard. The new fiscal rules risk being cut. In our education, in our care, in our childcare. Saving blindly is only going to make it harder for people who are already struggling to make ends meet today. So let me be very clear: Without enforceable laws, without sufficient resources, our beautiful social statement risks only being on paper. So, let us continue to fight together for a truly social Europe.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow the consumer will have an incredible victory, because we are finally introducing the right to repair. This is a breakthrough, because it makes the recovery of our smartphones, our washing machines, affordable for everyone. And with that, we are also putting an end to the monopoly of large multinationals such as Samsung, as iPhone. Because they are now forcing us to keep buying new devices when the old ones go. And that is completely absurd, because it unnecessarily costs people and that is of course also a disaster for our waste mountain. But now we reverse that perverse logic. We require the manufacturers to offer those repairs within a reasonable time and at a reasonable price. And you also get an extra year's warranty if you have your device repaired. In short, we are going to save bins of money, we are going to reduce our waste mountain, we are going to reduce our climate emissions. So I say: Live the right to repair.

Madam President, dear colleagues, for one out of five Europeans, life has become a series of painful choices. As the cost of living pushes people to the edge. They have to be careful using public transport due to the high ticket prices. They have to choose the cheapest food, or they cancel their health insurance for themselves or for their children. Going on holidays, going to a concert, that’s really out of the question, so it’s all about managing everything the cheapest way possible or even going without. And it’s youngsters, it’s women, it’s people with disabilities that run the highest risk of getting trapped in poverty and social exclusion. But the good news is, dear colleagues, we can change that. Poverty is a political choice, it’s not a natural state, and soon we will welcome the Social Summit in La Hulpe. I’ll be there, of course, to take this as an opportunity to embark on the Union’s social ambition, because if we’re serious in the fight against poverty, we need a directive on adequate minimum income, just like the Parliament has demanded. And Commission, of course, we also look forward to your legislative proposals in the next term on the right to disconnect, on mental health at work, on the right for workers for education and training. And we are also eager to find out how you will tackle the housing crisis throughout Europe. People in poverty are counting on us, dear colleagues, we cannot let them down.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, ‘Never again Rana Plaza’, as it was 11 years ago. In the collapse of that textile factory, more than a thousand textile workers lost their lives. And now there is finally a law ready that will ensure that companies can no longer look away from this kind of abuse. But, as we have already heard today, some Member States have doubts, want to undress and even block the directive. That is an absolute disgrace. And that while there are many companies themselves asking for this directive. People want guarantees that what hangs in our store shelves is made with respect for people and the environment. But what is on the table today needs to be even better in the future. Because it cannot be that the financial sector just springs from the dance. We really need stricter rules for risk sectors, such as textiles, and we need to make sure that the entire production chain is covered by that directive. Dear Member States, jump over your shadow. Ensure a strong due diligence directive. Because every day without that directive is a day with poor protection for our employees.

Colleagues, one in ten people in our Europe still suffers from cold weather in winter. An energy renovation is the solution for them, but for 40% of Flemings it is unaffordable today, even with the existing premiums. However, it is just for them that those renovations are so important, because every centimeter of insulation immediately means a lower energy bill. We want to ensure that energy renovations become affordable for everyone, so that people can live warm and comfortable. The people who need it the most should also receive the most support. With this renovation directive, we offer a large-scale investment framework for healthy and warm homes. Neighborhood by district, we will renovate the most energy-consuming houses first. Because a renovation obligation, such as that introduced in Flanders, does not work. Obliging people to do something without providing them with the appropriate support: That's just a renovation fairy tale. What do we want? Renovation advances tailored to each family; extra support for those who really need it; and of course protection procedures for tenants, so that they too see their bills fall. In this way, every Fleming can live in an energy-efficient home by 2050. The energy bill then goes down, because the cheapest energy is still the energy that we do not use. The ecological choice must become the cheapest and the most logical choice for everyone. This is a fair climate policy that leaves no one behind.

Mr President, colleagues, workers with high concentrations of lead in the blood are at risk of miscarriages or premature births. The standard for lead in our bodies has not been revised for far too long. That is why we are now lowering that permitted standard by no less than four times. Due to the increasing production of, for example, electric cars and batteries, more workers will be exposed to lead. I therefore do not understand how the Member States can delay the introduction of this new standard by five years. Because you don't put a pause button on the health of our employees. Moreover, that new standard for women is still too high and that could pose a risk to potential pregnancies. Just as we are short of hands in the climate transition, we are going to exclude women from the green industry. I therefore continue to fight for better and stricter protection for both men and women. Now, in this parliamentary term, we have significantly increased protection against an entire zipper of dangerous substances. But in many factories, those workers are naturally exposed to several hazardous substances at the same time. Today, there is no protection against this combined exposure. That is what the Commission is finally going to do. We're also finally tackling the hormone disruptors. This has been a demand of our trade unions for a long time. I continue to fight for a safe workplace for all our employees in Europe.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today we are stepping up our climate goals. This is good news for our health, for our environment and for our planet. Because we only come with a fair climate policy that supports vulnerable families. Europe must therefore invest more resources in isolating our homes and fully opt for affordable green energy from us. We must now invest in making our economy and agriculture more sustainable, because it is five to twelve. Farmers today see their crops failing due to floods and extreme drought. We must now do what science demands and not push the pause button, like the climate-treasurers. We stand for a fair and ambitious climate policy that takes everyone along. Because tackling the climate crisis is tackling inequality.

. – Mr President, Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, today Belgium has the opportunity to contribute to the agenda of the future Commission. I call on you, Mr De Croo, to be ambitious about this. It is a good thing that you are focusing on the green transition of our industry and you yourself have already said that more European resources are needed for this. I agree with that, because we have to avoid going back at all costs to that cold austerity logic of the past. I hope that we can count on Belgium for this, because that is crucial for the social face of Europe that we put high on the agenda with our presidency. Resources for childcare and care should be increased rather than decreased. And it's time we finally anchor those social investments in Europe. Finally, of course, we expect Belgium to put forward an ambitious climate policy that everyone takes with them. The advisory board shall indicate a rate of at least 90 % to 95 % reduction by 2040. This is absolutely achievable, especially now that even Poland is backing it. For to protect our planet, Prime Minister, is to protect our health and the future of our children and our grandchildren.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we Europeans are hard workers, but after a long day at work, no one really wants to sit next to his boss. However, that is the reality for many people today. Whatsapps and other chats ensure an unrelenting message flow between colleagues and with bosses. That is why, three years ago, Parliament called for a law on the right to disconnect for workers. Today, women still take on the majority of household chores, and they should not be faced with the choice between paying attention to their boss or paying attention to their child. Take a look at our teachers and students: These days, they're all at Smartschool all the time. In this way, distances disappear and our teachers no longer have any peace. Anyone who hasn't noticed: Our labour market is changing rapidly. Digitalization and teleworking increase the risk of burnout. And we really can't miss those good workers in a tight labour market. Every employer will agree. Clear rules about when we are available also increase productivity and that is of course also extremely important for employers. Digitalisation can help us all, but it must be tailored to people and not the other way around. Legal prevention and protection are therefore much needed. Unfortunately, the European social dialogue has stalled and that is why we are now looking to the Commission to take an initiative as soon as possible. Look at the sectoral agreement of the public services where that social dialogue was successful. But above all: come forward with a law on the right to disconnect this legislature. Because prevention is better — and yes, even cheaper — than cure.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the demand for critical raw materials for our windmills, for our electric cars, is exploding. Of course, we desperately need these raw materials for the transition to renewable energy. It is good that Europe is waking up. But let's absolutely avoid a new raw material journey and work smarter. What are we supposed to do? We need to focus on reusing our raw materials with binding recycling targets. We have to opt for bicycles, for public transport and for electric shared cars. For the first time, we are introducing really explicit measures in this text to limit the growing demand for raw materials. For example, we obviously need less energy and less raw materials, and I think the profit from that is really huge. Because we reduce our dependence on dubious regimes, we create more local jobs in the circular industry, our stuff lasts longer and our wallet benefits from that too. That's good for our planet, that's good for our economy, that's good for ourselves.

Madam President, thanks Commissioner for being here tonight, colleagues, imagine a future where we Europeans can actually protect our planet while also creating new economic opportunities and improving the lives of working people. That is exactly what the report that I am presenting you today is about. By investing in green technologies, renewable energy and sustainable industries, we can really generate a wave of new employment opportunities. I call on this Parliament, the Commission and the Member States to turn the transition into an opportunity for working people to have quality jobs with fair pay and decent working conditions. As Members of the European Parliament, we have the power to shape politics and set the agenda for the next term, and that really means integrating sustainability into all aspects of our policymaking process. It means considering the environmental impact of every decision we make, and by putting the ecological transition at the core of our policy agenda, we can lead the way in building a sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come. EU legislation should encourage quality and sustainable job creation and favour investments with positive environmental and social impacts. Public money should be spent on the public good and that is why I call for a review of the directive on public procurement to ensure that those benefiting companies and subcontractors do support collective bargaining and respect workers’ rights, high-quality jobs, high-quality apprenticeships, decent and equal pay and training. The decarbonisation of the European economy will create new jobs in a renewable energy and circular economy. Meanwhile, existing jobs, like the ones in agriculture or construction, will undergo changes, such as working under extreme weather events. And we need to anticipate and reorganise this type of work and adjust the legal rules accordingly. To anticipate in all sectors, we need all companies to adopt just transition plans negotiated by social partners. The social partners in the German metal industry, for instance, already reached an agreement including working time redistribution with partial wage compensation or the Italian social partners, they collectively agreed to reskill the workforce as part of their decarbonisation strategy. I think it is very clear that there cannot be a just transition without worker representation via the trade unions. Workers really have a very good view on the on the skills that they have already acquired and on the ones that are missing. So access to training, to education, that is really key to prepare the workforce for tomorrow’s green economy, and that really benefits the companies too. I think we also need strong safety nets to bridge the temporary gaps for workers that are in between jobs. And I suggest setting up a tool similar to the SURE mechanism that we had during the pandemic, that would really support workers who lose their jobs in those transitional regions. The green transition also requires proper funding. The investment gap right now amounts to an estimated EUR 520 billion a year until 2030. STEP was not an answer to this challenge, colleagues. We need fresh EU money to mobilise large-scale investments in green technology and in strong public social services. Last but not least, I call on the Commission to ensure diligent and comprehensive social impact assessments for all proposed legislation assessing the socioeconomic impact and with consideration to jobs, skills, competencies, working conditions in all different countries, regions, sectors and companies. Colleagues, this report is, of course, the result of many fruitful discussions and exchanges with my colleagues in the EMPL Committee, and I would really like to thank them for their commitment. We have the chance to ensure that working people are at the forefront of this transition. Let’s make it happen.

Mr President, Commissioner, as Greens, we have always fought for sustainable trade with respect for people and the environment. The trade agreement with New Zealand is the most sustainable that Europe has negotiated so far. Sanctions are finally on the table to deal with violations of the climate agreement and fundamental labour rights. For the first time, the rights of indigenous peoples are included in a trade agreement and there is also close cooperation on sustainable agriculture and animal welfare. They are central. These are really important steps forward. Even if we wanted to go even further. For example, with a concrete roadmap to phase out fossil subsidies. Unfortunately, Europe has fallen under the aspirations of New Zealand. This agreement does not affect any other food system, unlike Mercosur, which is destroying the Amazon rainforest. We also talk about much smaller volumes. This represents only 10% of the amount of meat in the Mercosur deal. The destruction of the Amazon forest, the violation of the rights of indigenous peoples, that is not the kind of trade we want. The deal with New Zealand sets a new minimum standard and we want to see it reflected in all new and existing trade agreements. But we are already hearing that this standard is not feasible for future deals. That is nonsense and we cannot accept it. We believe that trade is a powerful lever for enforcing respect for climate, labour rights and indigenous peoples. And we don't go under that bar anymore.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, last year von der Leyen announced the creation of a European Sovereignty Fund. In response, of course, to the US anti-inflation law, which subsidises the greening of American industry. But this platform is little more than an empty box. With EUR 10 billion in new resources, it is really far from enough to green our industry. It also pits Member States against each other, because Flanders, for example, can never match the state aid from Germany or France. This proposal also cannibalises existing funds aimed at increasing social cohesion and ensuring a fair transition. Finally, it does not include any social conditionality. Is Europe really under the bar of America when it comes to fair working conditions and decent wages? I call for a genuine Sovereignty Fund with European solidarity and strong social rules. Because that is the only way that our economy and our social policy will really improve.

Mr President, the World Health Organisation is crystal clear about the health risks of glyphosate: the substance is potentially carcinogenic, causes Parkinson's disease, leads to reduced fertility and is harmful to bees and to our aquatic life. While the producer in the US has to pay billions to cancer patients, the Commission wants to allow this poison on our plates through food for another ten years. Ten more years. That's completely absurd. The public also knows this very well: 1 million Europeans are asking for a ban because they are concerned about their health and about the environment. For private individuals, we have rightly banned glyphosate to protect citizens like you and me. The sickness funds that pay our health insurance, Come up against Cancer, UNICEF, the Parkinson's League, the environmental associations, they all want glyphosate off our plate. Are we going to listen to the citizens and independent researchers or to the pesticide lobby and Monsanto? The European Greens will never accept an extension of glyphosate. To protect our planet is to protect our health.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, after almost 20 years of standstill, workers will finally be better protected against asbestos at work. And that is right, because unfortunately today a lot of people still bear the consequences of using it. Every year 80 000 workers die from unprotected exposure that often occurred more than ten years ago. As a child, I was told that asbestos couldn't hurt as long as you didn't drill holes in it. That's bullshit, of course. Unfortunately, today we know better, because by weathering, by the removal of asbestos, fibers are indeed released and those fibers are life-threatening. In Flanders and throughout Europe, our buildings are full of asbestos and with the renovation wave in full swing, our plumbers, our construction workers, are at enormous risk. We need to improve the protection of our workers, and that is possible with this directive. The exposure limit is going down considerably, as we as a Parliament have demanded. Workers get better training, better equipment, better prevention. I really call on the Member States to introduce this law as soon as possible, because every asbestos death is one too many. There's no time to lose. The renovation wave starts now. And finally, Véronique, dear colleague, thank you for your unwavering support, your commitment to people's health. I would like to dedicate this vote to you.

Mr President, Commissioner, you are making a statement here today about the increase in poverty in Europe. I have to say: That is not a minute too early, because President von der Leyen did not mention it in her State of the Union address. Today, one in five Europeans live in poverty and homelessness is on the rise. This impending poverty brings a great deal of fear and insecurity to millions of people across Europe. Tackling poverty is, however, the top priority for our citizens. dixit the Eurobarometer. A few years ago you came up with the European Pillar of Social Rights yourself, but today it is nothing more than a piece of paper. This Parliament has demanded a living wage above the poverty line in all Member States. You yourself state that some Member States are deteriorating. Where is your binding proposal on this? Because that really helps people in poverty move forward. Commissioner, you spoke of the working poor. Well, a fair transition that leaves no one behind means that we will only support those companies that really work on good working conditions, decent wages and social dialogue. Make that work. This is social climate policy.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are voting tomorrow on a new regulation on critical raw materials that we need, among other things, for the transition to 100% renewable energy. That is important, because the demand for those raw materials is exploding. In addition to China, the US now also wants to invest in batteries, solar panels and windmills. It is good that Europe is waking up, but let us avoid a new race for raw materials. To do this, we need to use these critical raw materials smarter and better. For example, by focusing more on reuse and by opting for bicycles, public transport and electric shared cars, instead of wanting to replace every car with an internal combustion engine with an electric one. This way, colleagues, we simply need less energy and fewer raw materials. The benefits are enormous, because we protect people and the planet. We are reducing our dependence on dubious regimes like China. We get more pleasant and liveable cities. Er komen meer lokale jobs in de circulaire industrie en economie. Our items last longer and the invoice goes down. Colleagues, that is good for the planet, good for the economy and good for ourselves.

Mr President, our products break down way too quickly and that costs us a lot of money. This is also bad for the environment. Smartphones that are broken after a year and a half or a coffee machine that fails immediately after the warranty. And if our stuff breaks down, they're hard to repair. The parts are glued, there are no spare parts available or they are too expensive. There are no repairers around, so what do we do? We buy a new device and the old one goes to landfill or is destroyed in an incinerator. But with this new Ecodesign Regulation, we are swapping our disposable economy for a true circular economy. This means that our clothes, our furniture, our electrical appliances last longer, that they are more repairable, that they are reusable and recyclable. And that means that our jeans will last a minimum number of washes, will be easier to recycle and will consist of more recycled raw materials, that our washing machine or our smartphone will be cheap to repair and guaranteed to last longer, that we will receive mandatory information about the lifespan of our products and how easily we can repair a device, and that we will finally ban the companies today from destroying the unsold goods and the returned packages that we order through webshops. We are finally going to put an end to this kind of scandalous practice, colleagues. And that's good for our portfolio, that's good for the climate and that's good for the environment.