What Jeannette spoke about.

17

Jun

2026

EN Speech

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Electrification Action Plan (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner McGrath, thank you for being here for this debate on the Electrification Action Plan. I say Action Plan, and that is what we need. We need more action for consumers and industry. Let me look specifically at industry, because when we see industry, and especially the chemical industry, they are very important to the competitiveness of Europe. The chemical industry makes…

17

Jun

2026

NL Question

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Preparation of the European Council (joint debate)

21

May

2026

EN Speech

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Need for an adaptation of the EU legal framework on sustainable biofuels (debate)

Mr President, sustainable biofuels are an important part of our European energy mix, and we should make it a lasting competitive advantage. Across Europe, significant investments are being made in scaling up sustainable biofuels for maritime transport and aviation alike. For our energy independence, it is very important that we make sure that we continue on that. But our first movers are facing he…

10

Mar

2026

NL Speech

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Cutting red tape to enable a competitive and clean transition – the urgent need to shorten and simplify permitting (debate)

Mr President, when I visit our industry in the Netherlands, I hear the same thing every time: the ambition and the technology are there to make it more sustainable, but the business community is suffocated in paperwork. Europe wants to become faster, cleaner and stronger. Then we cannot afford that projects that make that possible have to wait years for a building permit. In the Netherlands we see…

27

Nov

2025

NL Speech

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Development of an industry for sustainable aviation and maritime fuel in Europe (debate)

Mr President, Europe is taking the first steps towards its own sustainable aviation and maritime fuel industry. The Sustainable Transport Investment Plan mobilises €2.9 billion until 2027. This is a good start, but far from the €100 billion needed by 2035. When scaling up synthetic fuels, we should not forget biofuels: they remain indispensable in the mix to make it more sustainable and meet the i…

7

Oct

2025

NL Speech

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Time to complete a fully integrated Single Market: Europe’s key to growth and future prosperity (debate)

Mr President, Europe is losing billions in growth. And why? Not because our entrepreneurs are failing. No, because we do. We make rules, barriers, but above all we do national box thinking. As a result, we have 27 Member States, while we want to exploit one market. Recently I was looking for a company that specializes in products for hobby painters. A different label for each tube and a different …

8

Sep

2025

NL Speech

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Public procurement (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I am here on behalf of Dutch SMEs and the many entrepreneurs across Europe who struggle with overly complex tendering frameworks on a daily basis. Existing regulations are inscrutable and discouraging, especially for small businesses. With our own-initiative report, we advocate simplification and clear and flexible rules that give room for innovati…

6

May

2025

NL Speech

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The European Water Resilience Strategy (debate)

Mr President, water is not only vital for people and the environment, it is also a strategic resource. We can't live without enough clean water. Then we cannot guarantee food security, achieve climate goals and support innovative industries. Most of you probably think that the Netherlands has enough water, but we also have persistent drought. This makes us realize that we are not immune to water d…

10

Mar

2025

NL Speech

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Cutting red tape and simplifying business in the EU: the first Omnibus proposals (debate)

Mr President, Europe must become more entrepreneurial, not more bureaucratic. Entrepreneurs want to innovate and grow. Don't forget: the majority of entrepreneurs in Europe are small and medium-sized enterprises. They become entangled in a forest of reporting obligations. As far as I am concerned, we must take SMEs as a starting point. So that's why I asked this question: Can the Commission commit…

12

Feb

2025

NL Speech

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Competitiveness Compass (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, a strong internal market is the foundation for growth and progress and the means to survive the upcoming trade war. Because only if we really operate as one block, one internal market, do we stand strong. The recently presented Competitiveness Compass should contribute to this. It provides a clear roadmap, but the urgency is great and speed is needed for our industry. Y…

18

Dec

2024

NL Speech

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Restoring the EU’s competitive edge – the need for an impact assessment on the Green Deal policies (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner. I am hearing more and more reports about reducing investment in our European industry. In many places, it is feared that sustainability will slow down. Also in the cluster Rotterdam, Antwerp and the Ruhr area. The Green Deal is a necessary step towards a clean economy and I want to stick to that. But stability is needed for a strong business environment. We must not ign…

27

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Topical debate (Rule 169) - Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Deal - A future for the farming and manufacturing sectors in the EU (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, in light of our goal to make the EU a competitive and sustainable powerhouse, I welcome the commitments of the Budapest declaration. Firstly, I cannot stress enough the need for a collective effort to unlock the full potential of our single market which is a driver for innovation, growth and resilience. This is especially vital for our manufacturing sectors which are ce…

21

Oct

2024

NL Speech

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A stronger Europe for safer products to better protect consumers and tackle unfair competition: boosting EU oversight in e-commerce and imports (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Europeans place countless orders on foreign e-commerce platforms every day. Customs in the Netherlands alone processes 3.5 million parcels per day, forty per second. Let's be clear about it: Most of these packages come from China. Chinese companies are flooding our market with products, such as toys, that do not meet our European standards and safety regulations. Recent…

19

Sep

2024

NL Speech

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Droughts and extreme weather events as a threat to local communities and EU agriculture in times of climate change (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the effects of climate change are being felt across Europe. We are seeing this again with the tragic events in Central Europe. European residents are increasingly confronted with droughts, sea level rise and floods. Agriculture is also hit hard. Everywhere, in southern Europe, but also, for example, in the Netherlands, drought results in freshwater…

18

Sep

2024

NL Speech

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The devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, this is a serious subject on which I am giving my maiden speech today. The floods in Central and Eastern Europe have cost lives and destroyed communities. My thoughts go out to the victims, among residents and aid workers, and their families. This disaster, like the floods in the Netherlands in 2021 and the many forest fires in southern Europe, pai…