4
Apr
2022
Watch
Revision of the Market Stability Reserve for the EU Emissions Trading System (debate)
– Ms President, at this unprecedented time for the European Union and the world, our job is to ensure stability - stability for European families and stability for European businesses, because this is how we safeguard the interests of the most vulnerable in our society. Stability was precisely why this instrument, theMarket Stability Reserve originally created - an instrument whose job is to keep all of us focused on our environmental goals to further reduce emissions, ensure that the system is strong enough to cope with the shocks that come on earth from time to time. And what we haven't had in the last few years! A pandemic that set up the whole world, where we saw all our airports shut down, workers working from home, children attending school on their own computers and we are here in Parliament, which stopped our travel and represented the European peoples in this Parliament from our Member States thanks to the technological advances that allowed us to do so. While the environment had a relief from human activity that caused it so much damage, we did not stop working to protect our environment more permanently. We were the first continent that during a pandemic worked and passed a climate law, committed ourselves to be carbon neutral by 2050, and launched an ambitious package, theFit for 55, which will see us go a lot in addition what we have done for ourselves in the past. All this against the backdrop of new tensions between Russia and the rest of the world and Russia’s atrocious invasion of Ukraine in recent weeks. We understood, that in order to maintain stability and to stay on track to meet our environmental and climate targets, we had to work immediately as a Parliament, on the advice of the European Commission, to extend theintake rate and the allowances of the Market Stability Reserve until 2030 - rates that are twice as high as those originally planned but that reflect the realities we are living in today and our strong ambition for a much more environmentally friendly Europe. So in a few months we have managed not only to work on the law that extends what we have today but we have passed it in a speculated way by the Environment Committee and are here today to seal what we have already agreed on. However, this is not the same for the Council of the European Union. It seems that the Council has not even started discussions on whether or not to agree to this extension, and therefore, has allowed me to appeal - a call for the Council of Ministers to move on this important extension to European families and businesses - an extension that ensures stability at a time when it is much needed; an extension ensuring that we stick to our environmental ambition while at the same time protecting the interests of the most vulnerable citizens in the European Union. Because we want a green and environmental transition that is just for all - a transition that leaves no one behind. Let me know before I come to the conclusion that I am thankful for theshadow rapporteurs all for the valuable contribution we have come here and the cooperation I have found from each of them. Ending with an appeal: we must protect this land we live on because no one lives without our world, but in truth the world continues to live without us humans.