Speeches

Dear Commissioner, we should remain committed to our climate goals and also to the principles of the free market and competition. This past year and a half, when we have been living under extraordinary circumstances – with high prices of energy because of the pandemic, and then, of course, because of the market manipulation by Russia, and then because of the aggression of Russia against Ukraine – show us that we need to have instruments to intervene when there is clearly market manipulation and or high volatility. I welcome the proposal that will be released today on EMD, and therefore some measures will have to be considered to better manage vulnerabilities and price volatilities. In your opinion, will EMD strike a balance between building a market, incentivising investments and low carbon solutions on one hand, and reducing volatility on the other hand?

Madam President, dear Mr Timmermans, dear colleagues, we should remain strongly committed to Green Deal and Fit for 55 strategic goals, but we need to find the best solutions to implement these objectives in the new economic and geopolitical context. We need to take care of our industries, our companies. They should remain competitive worldwide, and the cost of energy for our citizens should remain decent. The overall compromise on ETS and other associated files is better than the original proposal, and I would like to thank, once again, Mr Liese for that. On MSR in particular, the file that I followed, 12% was good at the beginning, but assessments showed it was not enough and that 24% worked better. Therefore, when negotiating the file with my colleagues in ENVI this time, we reached the agreement that MSR should be maintained at 24% as to avoid shocks and to ensure complementarity, coherence and effectiveness in achieving the 2030 and 2050 climate ambition. That’s why I would like to thank also Mr Engerer, the rapporteur, for his work on keeping the mandate of the Parliament clear during negotiations and assuring that the intake of 24% is maintained and not increased beyond 2023 and until the end of Phase IV. This will ensure market predictability and serve as a bridge in the next years and also will contribute to achieve our goals without putting in danger the competitiveness of our industries and our companies.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, blocking Romania and Bulgaria's access to the Schengen area was an unfair act. Austria's vote against Romania, following the decisions of Austria's current prime minister and interior minister, was a strange, unfair, unjustified act. The pretexts presented publicly by Chancellor Nehammer are based on false assumptions and figures and represent not only an unexpected and incorrect act towards Romania, but also a defiance towards the other Member States, a defiance towards the European Commission, which has brought solid technical arguments, and a defiance towards the European Parliament. This unfair decision must be remedied as soon as possible, perhaps even by the end of the year or at the latest in the first part of next year. We also need to reflect together on how we can manage in the future situations where, totally unjustified, against the general will of all others, against any evidence and logic, a Member State blocks such an important decision.

Madam President, since the signing of the Versailles Declaration, we have stepped up work in the European Parliament, and in particular in the ITRE Committee, to enable the Union to act as quickly as possible in implementing the REPOWER EU plan and adapting the Fit for 55 proposals to that plan. The Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources has already been amended twice. As Chair of the ITRE Committee, I would like to thank and congratulate my colleague Markus Piper and the colleagues responsible from the political groups for their rapid reaction and team spirit over the past months. We will therefore support the acceleration of permitting procedures for renewable energy projects, a better definition of access areas, criteria for determining public interest locations. In parallel to our legislative work, the European Commission has proposed a new Temporary Emergency Council Regulation to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy production under Article 122. And even though we have serious reservations about the use of Article 122 all too often, the European Parliament has considered and is coordinated in its position and with this Commission initiative. Dear colleagues, Mr Executive Vice-President, Parliament has shown that it can react quickly and in full solidarity with the other institutions. We firmly assure European citizens that we will work effectively with Member States, with the support of the Commission, to have the best legislation, to find solutions to the current price crisis and to achieve our ambitious climate targets.

Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Executive Vice—President, I would like to start by thanking and congratulating our rapporteur and our whole team for the ability to negotiate this file since adoption in the ITRE Committee some time ago, and to thank the European Commission for the good initiative. Yes, a common level of cybersecurity in the EU is crucial for the functioning of the internal market, and yes, NIS2 needed to widen its scope significantly to include sectors that previously were not considered essential or important due to the mostly increased challenges of cybercrime, espionage or sabotage. And we need to implement this without fragmentation. We need to strengthen the security requirements, address the security of supply chain administrations, streamline reporting obligations, and introduce more stringent supervisory measures and stricter enforcement requirements. Of course, all this means investments, and the Commission needs to accept that investment in infrastructure is needed and Member States need to be supported with that. That’s why the ITRE Committee will stand for more funds for the implementation of the directive and for the EU Cybersecurity Agency, ENISA.

Mr President, Commissioner Vălean, dear colleagues, I would like to thank the European Commission for the initiative and Mr Pieper and his team of rapporteurs for their work. We’ll be voting tomorrow on an essential part of the future of our energy sector and I know that the majority of this House will back the outcome we reached in the ITRE Committee, a very balanced one. We can all agree that the Renewable Energy Directive sets the necessary goals to have a sustainable aim for a secure future as a response to the current crisis, ensure the security of supply, but also reach the Green Deal targets. The cornerstones of the amended RED Directive provide important impetus for the acceptance of renewable energies in Europe, for the renewable energy sources, as well as for the expansion of its infrastructure and ultimately boost investments. The new renewable target of 45% that we will be voting on tomorrow is ambitious but also necessary in the current context.

Mr President, once again, I would like to thank President Jerzy Buzek and the whole negotiating team and also the coordinators for their extraordinary mobilisation and dedicated work to conclude fast and efficiently this very important legislation in the context of the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. I would like to thank also all colleagues contributing to the debate today. The debate reaffirmed the strong commitment of all colleagues from the European Parliament to protect European citizens and our industries from any major disruption and pressure from Russia. We showed our will and readiness to act together in solidarity to strengthen the EU’s resilience and preparedness against external threats. With minimum 80% capacity this year and minimum 90% from next year, with solidarity agreements between Member States – and Vice-President Timmermans expressed some of the excellent examples in the near past, with the need for gas storage operators to pass the certification, and with the mechanism of joint gas purchases, Member States have now clear legislation to respect and the tools to act to ensure the protection of citizens and households. I would like to stress that continuous support and guidance from the Commission’s side is still needed along the process and Commissioner Kadri Simson, during many discussions with the ITRE Committee, and today Executive Vice-President Timmermans entrusted us with this. We showed our will and readiness to act together and with the gas and hydrogen package and the rest of the Fit for 55 package, and with the implementation of the REPowerEU plan, investing in renewables and energy efficiency and hydrogen will achieve: firstly, security of supply and energy independence; will avoid, secondly, in the future the volatility of prices and the high prices of energy; and thirdly, and the most important for future generations, will reach our climate goals and ambitions.

Mr President, Executive Vice—President of the European Commission, distinguished colleagues, at the 24 March European Summit, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, told the Heads of State and Government that Parliament was ready to deliver the necessary political deal to ensure that our gas storage was filled next winter. I’m very glad to be here today in front of you on behalf of the ITRE Committee to tell you that indeed we have. On 7 April, this Chamber entrusted the ITRE Committee to negotiate this crucial piece of legislation, and on 19 May we reached a political agreement between co-legislators after long hours of negotiations in what was a second trilogue. The legislation, if adopted, will enter into force in July. It gives Member States the possibility to take numerous measures to achieve their target, but also wants to ensure that non-market—based measures are only used when the market cannot do it alone. It will ensure that our gas storages are filled at a minimum 80% capacity by November this year, aiming for 85% and, from next year, a minimum 90%. Above all, this agreement shows the will of the EU institutions and Member States to act together in solidarity to strengthen the EU’s resilience and preparedness against external threats and in protection of European citizens. In addition, understanding the gravity of the situation generated by the Russian war against Ukraine, we have introduced a certification procedure by which every storage operator will have to demonstrate they are not a danger to our security of supply or our national security if they wish to retain ownership of the storage. We will not allow those wanting to influence and threaten our way of life to access our critical infrastructure. We also introduced a voluntary mechanism for joint procurement of gas, and I congratulate the European Commission for moving very fast to nominate the Deputy Director-General and to set up this platform and the regional platforms, because we need that in order to offset possible price increases derived from the storage—filling obligations. The House made it clear that the measures to fulfil our filling targets will be taken with a clear idea that we have to protect our security of supply and diversify our sources. Sadly, the war is still going on and the political games played by Russia with our gas supplies only have confirmed that our actions are justified and that sooner rather than later we have to cut ourselves off our toxic dependency on Russian fuels, fossil fuels. Our work will continue in that direction and through the December gas and hydrogen package, the REPowerEU plan and the speedy implementation of the Fit for 55 measures we will, I am sure, deliver once again. Allow me to finish by quickly underlining the outstanding job done by the Parliament’s negotiating team, led by former President Buzek and composed of Patricia Toia, Kleman Grošelj, Marie Toussaint, Paolo Borchia, Professor Krasnodębski and Sandra Pereira. They have worked under a lot of pressure, but in a consensual manner, representing their groups faithfully and constructively. Therefore, Mr President, Executive Vice—President of the European Commission, dear colleagues, I conclude my statement today by congratulating my colleagues and showing them my full gratitude and appreciation, thanking the European Commission for the initiative and the very good cooperation during the negotiations, and also thanking the Member States, the European Council and the Council of the European Union for the very constructive attitude.

Mr President, the objective of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 is a very ambitious one, but also feasible, and I believe that most of us have committed to that objective, and I, as a Romanian MEP and Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, have promoted it as an essential objective and will continue to promote it. But this goal can only be achieved if we encourage and implement innovative technologies in the fields of energy, environment, industry and agriculture. What we legislate with this package will have an impact on the economy and on citizens, and we must be careful to avoid putting even more pressure on the already damaged economy following the energy price crisis, the pandemic and recently the illegal Russian aggression against Ukraine. We need balance, we need to take into account the different starting points and the scale of the efforts and reforms that each Member State will have to undertake. That is why I continue to support the addition of the modernization fund. We support the financing of natural gas projects as well as investments in nuclear energy.

Mr President, I would like to thank the European Commission, on behalf of the EPP Group and as ITRE President, for launching the REPowerEU package. The state of emergency requires emergency measures, as Commissioner Kadri Simson also mentioned. This morning we concluded negotiations between the institutions on gas storage and the European Parliament has honoured its promise to act very quickly when the urgency is imminent. By acting together and following the REPowerEU plan, we will be able to get rid of our energy dependence on Russia, while ensuring that energy prices, which are already putting economic pressure on European people and businesses, do not rise even further. As a representative of the EPP, I want to underline that the instruments and policies in REPowerEU also represent great opportunities for economic development through massive investments in renewable energies, hydrogen, energy efficiency. The money for REPowerEU will largely come from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility; €20 billion in grants from the sale of CO2 allowances and also from the right of Member States to transfer from cohesion policy and agricultural policy funds. It is an ambitious but achievable plan that will ensure our energy independence from Russia, will also make a major contribution to achieving our climate targets, we will have a cleaner, more efficient energy system, independent from geopolitical games and with more stable and decent prices for citizens and the European economy.

Madam President, the European Parliament welcomes the Commission Communication on a global approach to research and innovation: Europe’s strategy for international cooperation in a changing world. We recognise that this strategy enables the Union to take a leading role in supporting international research, while facilitating global responses to global challenges. We also recognise here today that science and innovation are part of the same system and that global cooperation needs to account for all aspects of the knowledge value chain. Furthermore, we should work to align our global approach to research with the Union’s industrial strategy and the European Green Deal. Research and innovation are drivers for prosperity and economic and sustainable growth. While international cooperation in research and innovation was already taking place in a transformed global landscape underlined by geopolitical tensions, at the time of negotiating this oral question and motion for a resolution, the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation had not yet taken place. I am well aware that we are presenting this oral question and later on voting on a motion for a resolution during a very challenging point in time. Recent events in Ukraine have amplified these geopolitical tensions further. We strongly condemn the Russian aggression and stress that a stronger research and innovation cooperation with Ukraine should be established, while stopping relations with the Russian Federation and its entities. It is all the more important to ensure that association agreements to Horizon Europe that are signed with non-EU countries and territories should be with those entities that are committed to a rules—based open market economy backed by properly functioning democratic institutions and guaranteeing respect for human rights, while upholding appropriate standards of intellectual property rights. The preservation of academic freedom and the autonomy of institutions in Europe and third countries has become more important than ever in the past and, of course, it is extremely important for good cooperation in research and innovation. The proposed strategy aims to promote rules based on multilateralism, reciprocal openness and shared fundamental values with third countries in order to deliver innovative solutions to green, digital, health and innovation challenges. As previously mentioned, it is essential that these partnerships are based on a level playing field and respect for academic freedom, while conforming to human rights and international law. In view of the above, we invite the Commission kindly to answer the following questions. Does the Commission recognise that academic freedom and institutional autonomy are under pressure both within the EU and globally? Does the Commission agree that academic freedom and institutional autonomy must be fully respected for the EU to credibly advocate for these principles worldwide? Will the Commission issue a proposal for the legal protection of academic freedom in the European Union? How will the Commission address academic freedom in new association agreements and promote respect for academic freedom in countries already associated to Horizon Europe? Does the Commission agree that options should be explored to set up a European fellowship programme for researchers at risk? And, finally, how will the Commission ensure reciprocity and a level playing field to accelerate sustainable and inclusive development and the transition to resilient knowledge—based societies and economies in low and middle income countries? Thank you so much, colleagues. I am looking forward to the debate today and I would of course like to thank the European Commission and Commissioner Mariya Gabriel once again for the very good cooperation in the field of research and innovation.

Madam President, I would like to thank and congratulate Commissioner Thierry Breton for the initiative and congratulate and thank Angelika Niebler and Parliament's negotiating team for the excellent result and the successful closure of these negotiations. I had the honour, as ITRE President, to lead some of these trilogues and the final agreement we are voting on today is extremely valuable and is a crucial step in the European Data Strategy. The new rules on data sharing will lay the foundations for fair data sharing to promote a fair and efficient data economy in Europe that people and companies can trust, marking the first step towards a European Data Union. We needed a clear legislative framework to harness some of the potential of sharing more data, while protecting and respecting fundamental values. A large proportion of data was not used in the European Union and this new framework also introduces the concept of intermediation services, in which companies will have to comply with a set of neutrality obligations in order to prevent abuses or breaches of confidentiality obligations. Last but not least, the use and re-use of data will also have significant value in terms of creating new technologies, new business models and social innovation, which have the potential to provide answers to the major societal challenges we face, such as climate change, public health, and can all boost the European Union’s path towards digital sovereignty.

Mr President, I will be brief. The situation in energy has changed drastically and we need to address this with the urgency it requires. Energy has been used for geopolitical purposes by Russia for a long time. The Russian aggression against Ukraine has shown us that what looked like a distant possibility was instead a true immediate danger for all of us. It is now time to take decisive measures. Against the background of this crisis and after the Versailles decisions, the Commission proposed, on 23 March, a targeted amendment to both regulations with the aim to urgently ensure a sufficient level of gas storage ahead of next winter and be better prepared for unexpected and potentially longer lasting supply difficulties. The proposal sets a minimum gas storage, filled by 1 November each year, and already we need to start in August 2022, this year, which requires that the regulation enters into force as soon as possible. This is a race against time. Parliament is ready to react. We need to engage with the Council in negotiations urgently, and that’s why, on this basis, the ITRE coordinators unanimously decided, on 23 March, that the proposal should be treated as urgent, and appointed a negotiating team, coordinated by President Buzek, ensuring the full involvement by all political groups throughout the negotiations with the Council. So the ITRE Committee is kindly requesting the application of the urgent procedure under Rule 163 to the Commission proposal for a regulation on gas storage. Should our request be approved by Parliament today, then on Thursday we would ask that the matter be referred back to the ITRE Committee for interinstitutional negotiations with the aim to conclude swiftly and in a fully transparent manner.

Mr President, I would like to thank, congratulate the European Parliament's negotiating team led by Professor Krasnodębski, and also thank the Council. As ITRE President, I have led some of the negotiating trilogues and I know that it has not been easy to find a balance. Finally, however, the new legislation strikes a balance between reaching the 2030 climate target and achieving the energy transition for all sectors. It is important to understand the need to continue supporting priority corridors to cover different geographical regions that have been isolated from the rest of the European energy networks, to strengthen existing cross-border interconnections and to ensure security of supply, to support diversification of supply, which is very important in the context of the current Russian war, but also to stabilise energy prices. We look forward to the sixth list of projects of common interest and we want to see in this list modern projects that provide the necessary energy mix for 2030 and 2050.

Madam President, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur. The Market Stability Reserve, in place since 2019, as Executive Vice-President Timmermans has just reminded us, addresses the structural imbalance between the supply of and demand for allowances on the market, with the aim to stabilise the market by removing surplus allowance from it. The reserve functions by triggering adjustments to the annual auctions volumes. Last year, as part of the Fit for 55 package, the Commission proposed also the first review of the ETS and Market Stability Reserve (MSR) following an impact assessment. I would like to reiterate that the assessment showed the MSR should be adapted to avoid shocks and to ensure complementarity, coherence and effectiveness in achieving the 2030 and 2050 climate ambition. It also revealed that the 12% intake rate would not be enough to ensure that the objectives of the MSR in terms of reducing the surplus and ensuring market resilience will still be fulfilled. It is only fair to continue with the doubled intake rate for a few years and ensure that any review and adjustment of the MSR intake rate in the future should aim to minimise regulatory complexity and market speculation, while ensuring a maximum degree of market predictability and that the EU ETS is fit for purpose in line with the Union’s increased climate ambitions for 2030. This is the reason why the EPP has tabled this amendment on this matter. While the overall revision of the MSR decision is part of the ETS revision, this file was due to have a fast-track procedure, that’s why we had a political agreement to proceed in a fast-track procedure with the MSR revision. This was a challenge for most of us, and we had very ambitious colleagues, but we mustn’t forget the realities that the economies of our countries face, that our industry face, especially the heavy ones, and more recently the challenge of the energy supply. So the EPP position is the 24% intake, and we need to ensure the intake rate of 22% is maintained and not increased, until in the future when a broader revision as part of the ETS will come with a solid impact assessment. Thank you so much.

Mr President, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) has been following very closely the evolution of energy prices over the last months. We have dedicated quite some time to receiving expertise and debating the causes and effects of the dramatic rise in energy prices, which is largely due to rising gas prices. It is important to note, first, that energy prices did not rise overnight and there are many factors, some with more impact than others. Whether we are talking about a sudden increase in demand at international level, especially in Asia, the decrease of internal gas production in the EU, the speculation on the EU ETS that might climb the price of carbon allowances and – especially – the game that Gazprom was playing to increase profits and the dependence of some EU countries on its resources, all these causes contribute to rising energy prices and, of course, now there is the unfortunate war started by Russia. Gas prices peaked in December 2021, when they were 4.5 times higher than in January 2021, driven by global supply and demand dynamics, exacerbated by factors linked to the pandemic and geopolitical tensions combined with lower than expected imports of fossil gas in Europe, especially from Russia. This has led to fossil gas storage reaching lower than average levels and increasing inflation rates across the Union. We welcomed the Commission toolbox in October 2021 as a necessary support to assist Member States to find solutions at their hands to palliate the effects of this sharp increase on vulnerable consumers and businesses. I welcome the second toolbox, the communication just launched this afternoon by the Commission, which will be presented in the ITRE Committee next week. At the time of negotiating this oral question in our committee, Russia had not invaded Ukraine. It had not even started its so-called military exercises at its border. If anything, the events of the past two weeks have only confirmed that we are right to have suspicions of deliberate interference in the EU energy markets. What is clear is that we are certainly more vulnerable than we were a year ago. Our citizens are suffering the consequences of these rising prices in their own pockets. Inflation is heavy on our economy and our industries need our support too. Our gas reserves are sufficient for our immediate needs, but lower than average, and we must replenish them for the next winter, too. As the economy is starting to recover from the pandemic, the EU and the Member States must find structural solutions to protect and support households, as well as EU industries and enterprises – especially SMEs and micro—enterprises. We welcome the new communication adopted today by the Commission on Joint European action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy and will give it all our attention in the coming days, together with all our work being carried out in the revision of the Internal Market for Gas Package. Nevertheless, today we focus a little bit on the matter of potential manipulation in the gas market. We understand that the Commission is carrying out an investigation on possible anti-competitive behaviour in the gas market. What are the preliminary findings and when will these conclusions be made public? At the time of negotiating the Third Energy Package, the Gas Directive included the third-country clause in its Article 11, the so-called Gazprom clause, which established the mechanism to award third-country companies certification to become a transmission system operator in the Union. The certification process required said companies to prove their activities did not endanger the security of supply in the Union. Has the Commission started to review the certifications awarded? If not, why not? Has the effectiveness of Article 11 in reducing the risks to security of energy supply in the Member States been assessed? Such an assessment would be very welcome for our work on the revision of the Gas Directive. With regard to strategic levels of storage, do the current levels exacerbate our vulnerability to external pressures in the short term? Are the specific thresholds for storage levels defined? What is the current picture of the liquefied natural gas carrier (LNGC) situation in the Union with regard to third-country operators? Could it also be a source of interference? Which concrete market structural changes at EU level could allow Member States to protect consumers in the future against the volatility of the international gas market? Finally, what concrete actions will the Commission undertake to inform EU citizens better about the causes behind the dramatic increase in energy prices they are suffering from?

Madam President, offshore potential is recognised; offshore and ocean-generated wind energy will become increasingly competitive energy sources. I would like to congratulate Commissioner Kadri Simson on the very good strategy and my colleague, Mr Petersen, on the excellent report. As the report that we will vote on tomorrow indicates, the price of energy will also fall as these renewable energy sources are developed and exploited. Wind has doubled its share in the global energy mix in the last five years and the share of offshore capacity will increase in the coming period due to the acceleration in key European markets of some offshore exploitation projects that have recently become operational. But we need to develop new storage solutions, smart grids, as soon as possible. smart grid and to establish a true European market for energy storage to boost investment in new storage capacity. My country, Romania, has an exit to the Black Sea and considerable potential for both bottom-fixed and floating wind installations, and in this context I want to emphasise the untapped potential in the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea or the Mediterranean Sea and remind the Commission that we need, we need financial support from Green Deal, of Fit for 55, from other funds, so that countries bordering these seas can increase their contribution to the energy mix from offshore wind. We need to invest in infrastructure, in modern seaports, to accommodate larger turbines and components, to truly reach the potential we have.

Mr President, COVID-19 has shown us all that we have vulnerabilities, but it has shown us that together we can find answers and solutions and that the solidarity we have shown at European level has been an aid to many Member States, but also to countries outside the European Union. It's been almost two years since we learn lessons and coordinate for an adequate response, but we still face the lack of prevention, of disinformation, which put pressure on the health systems that are struggling to cope with this wave 4 and the new Omicron variant. There are no health systems in the world that have been designed to deal with this crisis effortlessly, but the debate on the ability and effectiveness of our health systems to cope and better prepare for the future is not enough, this debate is not enough, but we must focus on global information campaigns, the fight against disinformation and the increase in vaccination, prevention first and foremost, and good coordination at European and global level to increase vaccination coverage and promote vaccination coverage. boosterwhich are extremely necessary. However, we must also accept that some citizens decide not to get vaccinated or even those vaccinated may be infected with the new strains, and we have seen encouraging news in recent weeks about new oral antivirals, which can prevent patients from ending up in hospital or intensive care units. Bringing these medicines to patients will certainly be a challenge that we need to do together, and I believe that through information campaigns that reach out to citizens, through the fight against disinformation, we will be able to overcome this pandemic.

Mr President, the State of the Energy Union shows that we are going in the right direction with the transformation and decarbonisation of our energy systems, and that we have a resilient and competitive system, despite price increases. But we have ahead of us important challenges that could also be great opportunities. The EU’s current policy framework alone would not be sufficient to allow us to reach our 2030 and 2050 goals. This is why the Fit for 55 package – we are debating the first part now and the second part will come soon – is essential. We should now give the right direction for our industries because this should deliver the transformational change needed across our economy, society, industry and, of course, our energy systems. The State of the Energy Union shows us that energy efficiency must be prioritised, together with the widespread application of the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle. An energy sector in the future must be developed largely on renewable sources, complemented by the rapid phasing—out of coal, and also by decarbonising gas. At the same time, the EU’s energy supply needs to be secure and affordable for consumers and businesses. But if Europe only regulates and does not invest, we are going to lose in the global race, so that’s why we need to focus on investments. We need to bring benefits to all, we need to strengthen our competitiveness and we need to create more jobs of tomorrow and to address effectively the costs and impacts of the transition.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have been struggling with a serious health crisis for more than 18 months. We are in the midst of a pandemic wave, which has taken the Member States by storm. We see how, one by one, some European states have to impose lockdown measures or other measures to limit the spread of the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the European Union is capable of effective mobilisation and response. The European Commission has done very well. Vaccines were available to European citizens and not just to European citizens. It was possible to export them to all those who wanted to purchase vaccines produced in the European Union and through the COVAX mechanism we were in solidarity with many countries of this planet. But there is something else we can do, apart from the COVAX mechanism, apart from donations, apart from helping those who may not have the same access and opportunity as European citizens. We can fight disinformation. We can show that disinformation is the most important cause for which we are still fighting this pandemic, on this scale, and it is extremely dangerous, resulting in the loss of human lives. The pandemic has illustrated how easily disinformation can spread online and how easily false narratives can emerge and evolve. We need credible campaigns to promote vaccination, which will obviously also have a positive effect outside the European Union. We need credible figures from the medical world, we need to get the active support of the population, to fight disinformation and to promote the benefits of vaccination. Also, what the Digital COVID Certificate meant can be a very good example, inspiring many of the countries of this planet, to be able to stop the spread of the virus and make the lives of their citizens safer.

Mr President, I personally consider the Glasgow Climate Summit COP26 to be a success if we act in a coordinated and sustained manner. World leaders have made a commitment that needs to be strengthened through concrete action. Our commitment as Europeans has existed for a long time. Our most important ally, the US, has said it wants to go decisively in this direction, to boost international cooperation on climate and has announced massive investments. China and India have also made encouraging statements. We Europeans need to understand that achieving climate goals means huge investments in digitalisation and decarbonisation and, of course, in industry. The challenge before us is not only to save the planet, to give future generations a chance, but also to remain competitive on the world stage. If Europe only regulates and does not invest, we will lose in the global race. No matter how good our rules would be, no matter how good the package would be Fit for 55Our regulations alone cannot compete with the investments announced on the world stage. Any plan for Europe's green transition will only work if European industry is an integral part of the plan. It is very important to treat green, digital and industrial objectives on an equal footing, because they all depend on each other, and we obviously need to understand that innovation, research, digitalisation and decarbonisation are promises for our future. We must enable our industry to develop a world-leading decarbonisation technology in Europe. Saving the planet is an urgent matter, but we want European industry to stay and thrive in Europe. This is the only way we can secure jobs for our citizens and a future for our generations.

Madam President, I would like to thank the rapporteur and congratulate Ms Spyraki on the very good, very balanced, report and for the good cooperation with the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). I also congratulate Commissioner Kadri Simson on the good new strategy to reduce methane emissions. We need to strengthen the business case for capturing methane emissions. The main points for ITRE: highlighting the role of gas in energy transition and also highlighting the work done so far by the gas industry; leak detection and repair (LDAR) and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) as the key priorities to ensure better understanding of methane emissions to better data and more adequate reduction of emissions; compulsory MRV and LDAR framework that also includes imports in order to have an equal playing field for the industry. We welcome the Commission’s consideration of rules banning routine venting. We call for stronger measures and incentives for methane emissions in coalmines in a specific programme to address methane emissions from abandoned and closed coalmines. And finally, recognising the role of infrastructure operators in tackling methane leaks and calling for incentives.

Mr President, the challenge in transitioning to a cleaner future ahead of us was already enormous without the burden of the urgency to react and act. Reaching climate neutrality by 2050 means undertaking an enormous challenge, which requires a far-reaching transformation of our economies and societies, not only of our energy sector or industrial one. The realities we are facing at the moment are diverse. We have to act to reach the 2030 target and climate neutrality by 2050. We have to recover from the economic crisis and we have to face energy price hikes at the moment. It is time to show that the Green Deal is not only an environmental but also a growth strategy aiming to transform the European Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. Meeting the increased production will require not only enhanced generation of renewable energy but also consolidated public and private investment in infrastructure, building storage capacities and a competitive renewables market. Natural gas still plays an important role in the EU mix, and the EU will continue to depend on natural gas for some years to come. That’s why it is essential to recognise the role of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) in our climate mitigation strategy, especially as a solution to carbon emissions from heavy industry, and we have to convince all the other global players to follow our example and act with ambition and determination.

Madam President, it is an extremely important European Council in a context where we have not definitively defeated the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in energy prices is worrying European citizens in all countries. A strong response and coordination of action at European level against COVID 19 is still needed, as there is a possibility of mutations in the future and, unfortunately, there are countries that have not yet achieved the goal of vaccination. Since the beginning of the year, the market price of natural gas and electricity has risen extremely worryingly. The Commission presented last week the set of tools and actions that I find very appropriate, and I had a debate in the ITRE Committee that I chair, in which it was called for the European Commission to have active support for Member States, but also to ensure that these measures are implemented. I believe that Member States must be able to use not only the money resulting from the increase in the price of emission allowances, but also other unspent European funds in the financial year 2014-2020, to mitigate the impact of price increases through capping, partial offsetting of invoices or state aid schemes for SMEs and industry. I believe that the taxonomy for natural gas and nuclear energy needs to be adopted as soon as possible and we need to find those mechanisms in the functioning of the EU ETS that protect us as much as possible from speculative increases in the price of CO2 allowances. We must act now and I am convinced that the European Council will give a very strong message.

Madam President, I will speak in Romanian. – Doamnă președintă, doamnă comisar, creșterea prețurilor la energie afectează toate statele membre ale Uniunii Europene, iar țara mea, România, riscă să fie, în mod substanțial, afectată. Știm care sunt problemele, de unde provin aceste creșteri, s-au amintit și astăzi, fie că vorbim de fluctuațiile prețurilor la gaz, scăderea producției interne, infrastructura învechită, nevoia crescută de importuri și, de aici, jocul pe care Gazprom îl joacă pentru a crește profiturile și pentru a crește dependența unor țări din Uniunea Europeană de resursele sale, speculațiile pe schema de certificate verzi, pe schema de comercializare a emisiilor care a făcut să urce prețul la începutul lunii septembrie. Pe termen mediu, avem soluții pentru că măsurile din „Fit for 55”, eficiența energetică și producția tot mai mare din surse regenerabile vor duce la o stabilitate a pieței, la prețuri mai mici la energie și la independența energetică. Trebuie însă să acționăm imediat pentru această iarnă și salut pachetul de măsuri pe care Comisia îl va prezenta săptămâna viitoare. Sunt sigur că vom avea o discuție foarte interesantă cu doamna comisar Simson în Comisia ITRE. Sper ca acest pachet să aducă soluții concrete, rapid implementabile, o definiție europeană a consumatorului vulnerabil, susținerea din fonduri europene a efortului statelor membre, achiziția centralizată de gaze într-o platformă europeană; în mod evident, putem vorbi de reducerea TVA, taxele și accizele la energie. Cel mai important mesaj este că cetățenii europeni nu sunt singuri în fața acestui tsunami: cu angajament ferm și nu șovăielnic, cu implicarea fiecăruia dintre noi, cu decizii echilibrate la nivel european și național, vom reuși.