Speeches

Mr President, Madam Vice-President of the European Commission, when I made this proposal in 2009 – which was not really taken seriously by my colleagues at the time – I could not have imagined that it would open all radio stations in the European Union in 2022. Apparently, it is one of the most important achievements of the European Union in the last 50 years, because I cannot imagine radio stations opening up differently. It will finally be the universal charger in 2022, at least the decision for it, and it will only be introduced in a few years' time. Why does everything have to take so long? Why is it taking so long? Then I ask myself a number of questions, actually two. Legislation is one. Enforcement is two, control. Do the multinationals have too much influence, too much power, or does the European Commission have too little power? Because this should have been a long-established fact in 2011, when it was unanimously adopted in the context of the trilogue. But a second important lesson I draw from this is: we as Europe need to be much more concerned with issues that concern citizens, that they recognise, that they understand. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been open on all radio stations this morning. Keeping raw materials in Europe is important. And, for you. Commissioner, on the battery regulation, I introduce a raw material loop – a ban on the export of waste batteries – but that’s rejected by the ENVI Committee. I cannot understand that. So let's have a debate.

Mr President, I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and especially the rapporteurs for their very constructive attitude and the openness in which we have dealt with this dossier. This concerns sustainability, energy-neutral homes but also homes in a sufficiently green environment. It acts here for beauty, not only because of its low cost but it must also be future-proof to the eye. And then the social dimension, which can live both young and old in a decent home, preferably life-proof. We as the European Union can follow in the footsteps of Walter Gropius and he will be proud of it if it is realised. A healthy environment and lifestyle can ensure that people can live longer, stay involved in society for longer, and that is actually what one of Europe's values means. This project can contribute to a new emotion, a new identity of the European Union. This is an example of which we as Europeans can be proud.

Mr President, Commissioner, and also Mr Tiemo Wölken, we naturally support this report. I would like to add one word to the title ‘Better legislation’. It should be: “Less but better legislation”. I also propose to stop directives, and to base legislation only on regulations, in order to have harmonised legislation within the European Union. We'd need fewer lawyers, and that would be good. It is extremely good to involve as many parties as possible in an advisory capacity in the drafting of new legislation. Let me give you one example that I recently found out. We have an EN standard for smoke detectors, 14064. These are mandatory in every home in the Netherlands from 1 July, and that is fine to give people safety. But what turns out? Elderly people were not heard when the legislation was drafted. The height of these tones is not heard by 40% of the elderly. I call on the Commission to investigate as soon as possible in order to prevent casualties.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to thank the authors of this resolution for the call for attention to the right to recovery. For too long – for decades – we have had the revenue model of discarding and repurchasing. Throw away, buy, throw away, buy. But that time has to end and I think we need to think about a new revenue model. Throwing it away blind, that's all. And we will continue to make products that we can repair, that last longer. And if a product becomes 10 % more expensive and lasts 30 % longer, then there is no one who complains and everyone deserves: citizens, industry and the environment. The closed material cycle must be the big goal. We must try to keep the raw materials within the European Union and reuse them for the production of new devices. We must ensure that products are produced in Europe, because this creates jobs and reduces dependence on third countries. I look forward to the Commission's proposal with confidence, and I hope that it will lead to less waste and more consumer satisfaction and that we will indeed be able to use our phones for a little longer than two years.

Mr President, competition on taxation is always a wrong incentive. We have to compete on quality. So it is good that the European Commission comes forward with a minimum tax rate at European level. It is good that European companies that do pay taxes as they should can compete fairly with other companies. We must ensure that Europe is one when it comes to industry and business, that the internal market can be used as a lever in the global economy and that Europe comes out strong. We can even use tax rates to promote a healthy lifestyle, as the Commission, the Council and Parliament have done with 0% VAT on fresh fruit and vegetables. We can go much further, because we need a healthy population in order to survive in a global economy.

Mr President, Commissioner, it is bizarre that we are talking about safety in the workplace, while in a neighbouring country nothing is safe anymore and civilians are being bombed. But we are talking about the future now and the future must be good for workers. It is good that there is a new framework for health and safety in the workplace. Cancer still causes most work-related deaths. Dangerous substances must therefore be eliminated. Digitalization is, of course, very efficient, but it also often causes stress, especially among older employees. It is important that older workers are given time to adapt to these new techniques. Employers will have to take care of that. Stress causes a lot of mental problems. That is why it would be good if there is a balance between the work situation and the home situation, because very often you see that older workers in particular have a informal care function in addition to their work, at home. It would be a good idea for employers to take this into account more often. In Belgium we already have the right to disconnect and this is also discussed. Perhaps it would be an idea to introduce it at European level. Rotation can also be a problem. In this Parliament, for example, officials have to rotate every five years. That's actually discriminatory, especially for older workers, because once you have your rhythm and knowledge, you have to go to a new workplace. And then you actually have to start as a junior again in a new department. This often causes mental stress. We advocate for prevention in the workplace and for a healthy workplace. We advocate that employers invest more in preventive healthcare, because that is an investment in future savings. After all, we need these workers, now and in the future.

Mr President, Commissioner, the current sad situation in the world shows more than ever that for the energy transition, Europe needs to build its own battery cell production in order to stop being dependent on third countries. We need 19 times more batteries to meet our climate goals. I am very pleased with the compliments I have received on the fact that the dossier approved in the IMCO Committee has almost been taken over. I would like to pass on those compliments to Simona Bonafè. A new European strategic industrial policy was in the IMCO file and is also in the file that we are going to vote on tonight and tomorrow. The same applies to the protection of our environment, with a cycle of raw materials from batteries, from design to production and use to recycling. We wanted an export ban on used batteries in order to keep the raw materials within Europe and use them again for the production of new batteries. We also wanted a deposit-refund system for consumer batteries, again in order to be able to reuse the raw materials and use the cash flow to promote the development of new battery cells, made from European raw materials. It is a pity that this has been removed, but it may come later. The ultimate goal is that Europe should not and cannot be dependent on third countries for such an important sector as energy.

Mr President, the fight against cancer is an important battle that Europe must fight not only for today, but also for the future. The protection of workers in the workplace from carcinogens should be a key objective for the European Union. This fight is an investment in future savings. If people get cancer, this is not only disastrous for their families, but also for society, because of the costs this entails for care. Half of the population is now fifty plus and this is a demographic development that continues. The fight against cancer is therefore only part of a healthy lifestyle, to which we need to pay much more attention; Not just in the workplace, but everywhere. Healthy people reduce healthcare costs and can participate actively in society and the labour market for longer, live independently for longer and care for others for longer, leading to a healthy economy. Healthy people are responsible for the future of the European Union. I would therefore ask the Commission to include healthy lifestyles in all future proposals as an investment in future savings for a healthy European future.

Mr President, this is a fantastic political discussion tonight between people – colleagues – who think from and believe in the added value of the European Union and people – colleagues – who do not. We exchange arguments and I belong to the category that believes in the cooperation of the European Union, its added value and the development of the values and norms that we know in Europe. In 2001, I was rapporteur for a regulation on the European company – Societas Europaea. After more than 20 years, there are 3 000 SEs in Europe. That is far too little, because in my country, the Netherlands, 24 000 multinationals are already active. So my call to the Commission is to do more, to encourage more European thinking. With the proposal before us, we are giving civil society the opportunity to establish itself at European level. And in doing so, we strengthen European emotion and identity. We need them to create a strong Europe. I feel Brabander, I feel Dutch and I feel European, and I am proud of all three. And I think anyone who believes in that European cooperation in the future should feel that. I call on you to do more to develop a European identity and emotion, making more people feel truly European and more people continue to defend the European values of the future.

Mr President, the single market is the best that the European Union has produced. It has ensured prosperity and free movement of goods, services and capital. However, almost 30 years after the introduction of the Single Market, it appears that Member States are still adopting protectionist measures, thus hampering the functioning of the Single Market. Moreover, 70% of SMEs make little or no use of the Single Market. This can be explained as follows: when SMEs, who often lack legal assistance, become involved in a dispute with local administrations over the cross-border interpretation of European legislation, they often decide to withdraw and simply return to their home Member State. In light of this, it would be appropriate to provide these SMEs with legal certainty at the beginning of disputes, for example by introducing a provisional provision on legal clarity for SMEs at the beginning of disputes. Indeed, it can quickly take eight to ten years to bring a case before the Court of Justice of the European Union through the [...] in the Member States, which entails significant litigation costs and legal assistance costs. This leads to many SMEs withdrawing and not taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Single Market. We should therefore consider the possibility of introducing a provisional provision on legal clarity for SMEs at the start of disputes.

Mr President, toys have become much more complex since 2009, which is now thirteen years ago. It is therefore a good thing that this directive is being revised. In this context, I would like to ask the Commission to come forward with a proposal for a regulation. After all, all children in Europe deserve safe toys. We have seen in recent years that more and more complex toys are being placed on the market, which, for example, contain chemicals that are harmful to children's health. It is therefore good that the Commission should come forward with proposals to reduce this. In addition, toys can contain complex and loose parts that can be swallowed by children. Safety should also be considered for connected toys in order to prevent cybercrime or unhealthy radiation. We must use the Single Market both within the European Union and beyond as a lever for safe toys, thereby also promoting our values and the safety of children outside Europe. Young people have the future. Safe toys for young people therefore mean a safe future for Europe.

Mr President, Commissioners and Mr Schaldemose, thank you for your work, it is very important. The online market is growing and the economy has an interest in trust. That is why it is very brave of the European Commission that we are now going to take the lead and use the leverage of the internal market to export our values in Europe in a global world. We are big enough to be able to determine that for the large platforms that are not even located in Europe, because we can use that internal market for that. And I am glad that it is, of course, contained in a regulation, which means that it takes place in all European countries. I also think it is fantastic that the Commission takes on the controls and can also distribute the fines where necessary, because otherwise large companies could hide in certain Member States that take things a little easier with those controls. The economy is based on trust. What's too much on platforms? There was too much fraud in the online market, too much fake newsMany consumers' trust was shattered. Now illegal situations are treated in the same way online and offline, and that is also possible with this legislation. Sometimes platforms can even help to solve illegal situations offline and for that reason we as CDA support the amendment in which platforms have to provide data if rental takes place in inner cities so that the actual residents no longer have the chance to live there. We as the CDA support that amendment, so that the improper use of housing by the Airbnbs of this world is in any case stopped.

Mr President, Mr Bishop, thank you for the fine report, Commissioner, it is very important to have a say at work. It is a healthy environment for workers and employers that is essential for our economy. Europe is a community of core values in which we must treat workers appropriately. Participation is very important in the workplace, so that an employee is motivated to perform his work properly. Safety is super important for an employee in the workplace, but also health. And that is in everyone's interest. The European population is 50% over 50, and it is important to keep Europeans healthy for longer, allowing them to participate in society for longer. It is also important to have healthy employees who, if they want to, can work flexibly longer. I'm almost 66 myself, could be retired, but working can also be a lot of fun if the right conditions are in place. So I encourage as many people as possible, if they like it, to work longer. I therefore call on you, Commissioner, to pay more attention to preventive health, to active policies to encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, because healthy people can participate in our society for longer, can work longer if they want to, and can live independently for longer. This is good for Europe's economy. Those values and norms that we know in Europe are oh so important. So, Commissioner, I call on you to make a policy of preventive health care and to promote a healthy lifestyle in policy.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to congratulate Dita Charanzová, in particular, for having achieved this after so many years. It is a good compromise and it is good that this is also supported by the Member States. The free movement of persons in the European Union is a very good thing and that can be greatly improved by this directive. It is good that insured persons are protected in case of bankruptcy of the insurer. It is good that there are minimum amounts of coverage, that they have been made up to date, and it is good that it is clear what happens to accidents in a field of work. Once again, congratulations to everyone who worked on it! However, governing is foresight, Commissioner, so I would like to give some things that can be taken into account in a next review. For example, I believe that we should move away from a directive and move towards a regulation. The rapporteur said: “We hope for the common sense of the Member States.” But if it is a regulation, it is fully harmonised legislation. This is particularly important in the case of cross-border traffic, I think. In some cases, a number of vehicles are now not included in the insurance, for example the electric bicycle, but you will be run over by an electric bicycle as a pedestrian and that man or woman is not insured. How do we deal with this in the future? Now I understand that, they are small things, but since we are going to use more and more electric vehicles, even small ones, that is reason for research. An important thing is if there is damage on motorways. Then you see drivers panicking. Who is responsible? This creates huge traffic jams. It would be good – and perhaps you could have that examined, Commissioner – if insurers allowed the reduction of the no-claim for damage on motorways to lapse and also the deductible, allowing vehicles to get off the road more quickly, because the people who are therefore in traffic jams are also consumers. They are also citizens of Europe. And that damage is many times higher. I think insurers can find a solution to this. Then last but not least, in the Netherlands we have a digital app for mobile damage recovery. It would be good to introduce it at European level, which would allow for faster resolution than is currently the case. Because settlement on paper, that time is over.

Mr President, Commissioner, two memorable events took place in the Netherlands today. First, all COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in two weeks because more than 80% of the population has been vaccinated. Second, the Amsterdam District Court decided that Uber drivers should be regarded as employees and not as self-employed. Today we are talking about the social conditions of workers in platform services. Today's economic developments are clearly clashing with European civilization. The standards and values that we have built in Europe are being transformed into modern slavery. Something needs to be done there. It may be a good idea to think about a more modern form of social security, since these workers clearly need flexibility on the one hand and security and insurance on the other. For example, the proposal could focus on a hybrid approach with a basis that provides certainty in the old system and of which the other half or the remaining 25 percent is a flexible system that offers the employee more choices. This problem appears to occur in almost every Member State. So perhaps you can come up with a proposal for a regulation that regulates the protection of workers across Europe and not just per Member State. After all, we are talking about European norms and values.

Mr President, Commissioner, it is good that we have drafted this resolution in order to give the Commissioner some guidance on the implementation of active ageing. I have been elected by older people in particular on the list of an older party and I therefore find it special that this Parliament talks about older people. I am glad that my amendment has been adopted, because it will ensure that we also talk to the elderly. The population of the European Union is made up of young and old. We often talk about people, but I think we should talk to people. I may be one of the few grandfathers in Parliament and therefore know how important it is to be able to use that life experience. I am pleased that the Commissioner has already indicated at an earlier stage that he is in favour of the parallel design of an older parliament alongside the youth parliament in order to use the experience of older people to shape policy and not to determine the retirement age or to shape pension policy. These matters are covered by national policy. We need to come up with smart systems to make pensions affordable.