Speeches

Madam President, only 5 % of people in low—income countries have received a first dose of the vaccine, not because they do not want to have the vaccine, but because there are not enough vaccines available to them. This is a shame. It has been more than a year since South Africa and India put forward the proposals for TRIPS waiver. A lot of colleagues have mentioned it already. They called for this in order to protect their citizens from the virus, and this is quite a legitimate reason. And yet, the Commission continues to oppose this lifesaving proposals, despite a clear demand from this Parliament. We need to keep in mind the waiver would be only temporary. There has already been so much money put into the vaccine. Charity approaches like COVAX alone are not enough. The pandemic really requires exceptional and brave decisions if we really want to fight it. I urge you to support the TRIPS waiver next week.

Mr President, I think it is really good that we are debating today the Trade and Technology Council because this important body needs parliamentary oversight – a lot of colleagues have mentioned this already. As the whistleblower Frances Haugen told us this week in the European Parliament, we cannot face the huge power of Facebook, Google and co. on our own, so cooperation with the US is crucial. I think the EU is really on the right track in fighting the harmful business models of big platforms that always choose profit over safety of effects. And of course, I think some things still need to be strengthened, for example, in the USA, when it comes to transparency of algorithms and tackling problems caused by targeted advertisement or strengthening the consumer angle – some of the things Frances Haugen also mentioned, and I hope this Parliament will do so. But we are going in the right direction and this is good. And I want this positive tech agenda based on privacy, fundamental rights, consumer protections and values, to be the guiding principles when discussing and dialoguing with the US while keeping our regulatory autonomy.

Mr President, dear President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen! We are discussing the State of the Union today, and frankly I am concerned about the state of our Union in the climate field. The fact that cities in Greece have to be burned and evacuated or that people in Germany have to flee from the masses of water shows: We are already in the midst of the climate crisis. Madam President, you have promised citizens to make Europe climate neutral as soon as possible, and you yourself have compared this to the human task of landing on the moon. And, Mrs. von der Leyen, that's all right, but with the handbrake on, we can't make it to the moon. The leading climate scientists warn that we are tearing the 1.5-degree mark even faster than expected. And so we simply cannot afford that the key proposed measures of yours will only take effect after 2030. Climate protection cannot be postponed, because this deprives future generations of their freedom. Climate protection also requires us to assume global responsibility. But even though the Amazon is on the verge of collapse, your commission continues to hold on to the trade deal with the Mercosur states, pushing ahead with the destruction of the rainforest. A green deal that avoids trade policy is more than just a tightened handbrake. And I say very clearly here: We can no longer afford these contradictions and these tripple steps. The EU can do more, it must do more. We have successfully built a peace union, we have created the single market. And now it is a question of rethinking precisely this single market and consistently aligning it with climate protection, with a quick farewell of coal and gas and a true circular economy. And the counterpart to our internal market is our external economic relations. We must finally build our supply chains free of climate destruction and human rights violations. And in this context, I am really pleased that you have today proposed our green call for a ban on imports of products derived from forced labour. This is truly revolutionary. And this will give the EU an instrument to finally fight slave labour effectively worldwide.