Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. Members! Today I stand here because my predecessor is no longer with us. In many ways, it is an honor. Erik Bergkvist was the transport committee's negotiator for this legislation, which is finally being implemented. On his behalf, I would like to thank all the shadow rapporteurs in the Transport Committee for their work. Persons with disabilities should be able to rely on being able to benefit from assistance and adaptations. In addition, information should be available along the way. Therefore, we are now also launching a website with all the information collected. Those who need it should be able to bring their assistant, get help at the airport or access available aids without encountering a lot of unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles in the country they are visiting. Whether you are travelling for work or study, or for holidays and discovering new parts of our beautiful Europe, it should be accessible to all European citizens. Today, Erik would have been an extra proud European.

Mr President, thank you very much. We are in a serious security situation. Russia’s vile war of aggression in Ukraine continues. We need to break Europe's dependence on Russian gas and strangle Putin's war chest. The fact that people down here on the continent are still heating their houses with Russian gas is a fact. This proposal means higher demands on the continent but lower demands on us in Sweden who have already done the work. It's good for our security, but it's also good for Swedish households' wallets. Less draughty houses on the continent means cheaper electricity prices in Sweden. No single household should be left behind and forced to pay for expensive renovations. Those who want to additionally insulate their house, replace windows or install an air-to-air heat pump but cannot afford it – these are the ones that European governments should now support. There are no proposals for forced renovations in the bill. It is good for Sweden and for the Swedish households' electricity bills and something we Social Democrats have fought hard for in the negotiations.