please colleagues we are going to start
so
I would like please it’s amazing it’s
crazy
so please I’m going to start please
sorry
come on let’s be a bit disciplined so we
are going to start this hearing welcome
to you mr. t moments to the hearings
before the and V committee associated
with the ETA committee the Trent
committee and also the I agree and
account committee as invited committees
I will switch to French for a second who
can you say you are familiar with the
rules of the game there will be 25
questions one minute 15 seconds per
question for the first question and then
45 seconds for a follow-up question if
you deem such necessary these questions
will come after a 15-minute opening
statement from mr. timmermans
now let me just say a few words to recap
on the portfolio of the executive
vice-president designate he will be in
charge of the climate of course he will
also deal with transport environment
oceans energy health agriculture and
cohesion as part of the European Green
Deal so mr. Timmons as part of the Green
Deal you are responsible for two-thirds
of the EU budget the env committee
largely welcomed this restructuring of
the European Commission in the written
replies that you sent to our written
questions there were a number of points
that I would like to flag before you
take the floor you talked about targeted
adjustments to the multi-annual
financial framework
you of course refer to the Common
Agricultural Policy for the first time
ever this is linked to the European
Green Deal you were also very proactive
in New York on the issue of
deforestation the env committee has
taken initiatives on this front and I’m
sure that will have an opportunity to
come back to this in our discussions I
will wind up my introductory statement
by reminding you of something that
spider-man’s uncle once said I don’t
know if you have any heroes in film and
in any case the quote is that with great
power comes great responsibility you
hold great power so you need to shoulder
great responsibility over to you for 15
minutes thank you very much chairman but
I’m not going to end up like Uncle Ben
did get him killed off at the start of
the film but thank you very much for
that introduction I have very little to
add but I’ll do my best I’ve been really
looking forward to our meeting tonight
we have a lot to discuss and I’ve come
here seeking your support and also your
your guidance all of us here ran as
candidates in the European elections in
May we went to our citizens with plans
for the future and now you as they’re
directly elected representatives will
get five years to turn these plans into
reality and I’m here today hoping you
will give me your support to do my bit
in the von der Leyen commission to make
sure we deliver what we promised that
this is not going to be easy is the
mother of all understatements we are
faced with a challenge that is truly
existential and what we need to do will
be truly transformational this is about
rebooting our society so that what we
hold dearest is preserved and improved
for our children grandchildren and
future generations
we cannot afford the luxury of screwing
this up I will keep
the diagnosis of the challenges we face
to a minimum because frankly to repeat
the science to you is a waste of
everybody’s time you all know and we all
know the problems we know the possible
dire consequences for our habitat health
and our future we all know that our
citizens want us to do something about
it and fast what we must do now is act
citizens want the EU to take action that
corresponds to the magnitude of the
challenge they also want action that
caters for the practical challenges they
experience every day putting food on the
table heating their homes getting a job
finding a good school for the kids
decent care for their elderly parents
and in general just making ends meet the
world and their world are one and the
same we can only succeed if both prosper
neglect one and both will suffer that is
why if you decide to confirm the von der
Leyen commission we will ensure that the
profound transformation required is a
just transition we need to put fairness
at the center of our policies and base
all of our future work on a set of just
transition principles and we need a
dedicated just transition fund to
support the people and communities most
affected including those in the
industrial coal and energy intensive
regions it is our task to demonstrate
clearly and concretely that our citizens
to our citizens that the Green Deal can
help solve problems and improve life for
them now not just 20 or 30 years down
the road clean air in our cities and
clean water in our rivers and oceans
that is what we need so that we can lead
healthier lives on a planet that can
sustain all of humanity where the
economy grows to the benefit of the many
not the few with jobs for everyone
in short the European clean deal must
put Europe on the right track to a
sustainable future and ensure that every
European is on board and no one is left
behind our ambition is to make Europe
the world’s first climate neutral
continent we can achieve this by
twenty-fifty if we plan well and start
straightaway the next five years will be
crucial I will propose a climate law
within 100 days of taking office to
enshrine in legislation the –use 2050
climate neutrality objective this law
will set the long-term direction of
travel for all our policies
I will also start work immediately to
deliver a higher level of ambition for
2030 and as soon as possible I will put
forward legends that will help us to
reduce emissions by at least 50%
or even better by 55 percent we will
review and update our existing climate
and energy legislation it is also clear
we have to consider additional measures
to achieve our goals cleaner transport
less energy hungry buildings a more
sustainable food system we cannot afford
the luxury of complacency but on the
other hand there is no reason to despair
either compared to 1990 the EU has
achieved a reduction of greenhouse gases
of 22 percent while our economy has
grown by 58 percent we’ve shown that
tackling climate change does not harm
the European economy now we need to
raise the bar and aim for higher
ambitions this is something we can do we
have the skills we have the brains the
people we should also muster the
political will in every single Member
State I could go on giving you targets
and percentages I could elaborate on the
broadening of the ETS and I’m sure we’ll
come back to that in your questions but
first I would like to talk about what
the Green Deal could do for Europe
citizens for instance for social housing
tenants or homeowners especially those
already struggling to pay their energy
bills now we’re talking about more than
50 million Europeans which to me is a
completely unacceptable figure we should
not raise their energy bill we should
lower it and that’s entirely possible by
being more energy efficient together
with member states and regional and
local authorities we should consider
large renovation projects for social
housing tenants and private homeowners
to pay for installation or double
glazing or the fitting of solar panels
we should set up fair financing schemes
in cooperation with E I B and invest EU
to ensure residents don’t have to find
tens of thousands of euros upfront which
you simply don’t have but rather we
support this investment or they are
given a credit line and use the energy
savings to gradually pay off the costs
with initiatives like this the Green
Deal could mean lower energy bills for
better and more comfortable houses
everybody wins public buildings like
schools and hospitals should also be
eligible for support improving energy
efficiency could free up more money for
education and healthcare and by the way
all of this renovation work would create
stable and local jobs you can’t
delocalized network national initiatives
local jobs
backed by public and private financing
and European support programs to share
knowledge and capacity that’s in my view
how a European Green Deal can work
directly for people dear friends our
citizens might live increasingly in
towns and cities but they also like to
enjoy nature in their free time and they
are worried about what’s happening
around them and in ecosystems far away
and I think all of us are very worried
very worried whether it’s the birds and
the bees in our towns and countryside
the fish an incredibly fragile coral in
our oceans our rich forests or the wild
and wonderful animals in remote corners
of our planet we are killing it all off
and at an alarming rate
we must stop this that is why we will
present a robust and ambitious
biodiversity strategy for 2030 and why
the EU must champion the most ambitious
commitments possible at the next UN
conference of the parties on
biodiversity in China in October next
year like on climate we should lead on
this as well worldwide one way we can
lead this work at home is in the food
sector this will be set out in the
Commission sustainable farm to fork
initiative but there’s more we need to
do the burning of the amazon and other
primal forests in central Africa and
Southeast Asia has recently confronted
us with the urgency of protecting our
forests
nobody has the right to say that’s not
your business
to their international partners these
are global common goods but we should
not simply point at others while doing
too little ourselves so here’s an idea
we’d like to put you trees clean the air
cool the city sequester co2 shelter
animal life and generally have the
capacity to make us feel better let us
embark on a massive project of
reforestation across Europe let us
restore our forests and create new green
spaces in our cities let’s make it a
European plan so that we do it right all
across the continent and so that so that
every city every region is given the
benefit of sharing the best and most
successful practices from all across the
European Union the Green Deal should not
only be about international biodiversity
conferences far away but also about life
around us the beauty of this is that
everyone can be part of this in a very
tangible way and you can see the results
straight away and the Green Deal should
benefit the health of our citizens
that’s why Europe needs to move for
towards a zero pollution environment to
tackle environmental degradation
pollution address air and water quality
hazardous chemicals industrial emissions
pesticides and the crime disruptors and
microplastics air pollution is still one
of the biggest killers in Europe do you
know that more than 400,000 premature
deaths a year
our consequence of bad air quality how
can we accept this to protect mother
earth we also need to stop extracting
her limited resources we need to take
our work on the circular economy to a
new level focusing on sustainable
products and waste prevention we must
reduce reuse and recycle to unlock all
its potential for a low-carbon economy
we will propose a new circular economy
action plan focusing on sustainable
products and resource use especially in
resource intensive and high impact
sectors such as textiles and
construction honourable members
transport is one of the most polluting
sectors of our economy and we need to
tackle this head-on all over Europe
people depend on their cars
for the quality of their daily lies not
seldom even for their livelihood I know
that and I don’t want a car free Europe
I want emissions free cars in Europe and
I want people to use clean public
transport we need to cut emissions in
the aviation and maritime sectors in
particular if we are to meet our climate
goals this requires a careful mix of
tools we need to invest for example in
our railways why is it that people
choose to spend more time sitting in an
airport waiting for a flight than
sitting on a train getting to their
destination in part because it’s cheaper
because we’re not paying for the
externalities we’re running up a debt or
mother earth’s credit card she cannot
afford to pay that debt this should not
be seen as a threat to the transport
sector it’s actually an offer it’s an
offer because I want to empower the
sector to roll out new clean efficient
and affordable vehicles and
infrastructure
I want Europe to have the best transport
systems in the world the Green Deal will
only be successful if all Europeans are
part of it if you really bring the Green
Deal close to home
in fact in to our homes to take this
project to the people we will make the
European climate pact a cornerstone of
the green New Deal the climate pact will
bring together initiatives and pledges
from communities companies
neighbourhoods sharing knowledge and
data helping and inspiring each other
with best practices and concrete results
look at what you as European Parliament
have achieved in mobilizing citizens in
the this time I’m voting campaign look
at what the Committee of the regions are
set up look at the initiatives of Mayors
all over the world look at how the NGO
community is mobilizing people and
putting concrete solutions on the table
but most of all look at what our kids
are doing creating a global movement
with the momentum to change the world
for the good everyone can lead by
example good choices breed inspiration
and imitation there is nothing greater I
find than to be inspired by your kids
dear friends I have mostly spoken to you
about what we need to do in Europe but
of course
there is a huge international dimension
we have to work to convince others to
step up their ambition as well I’m fully
committed to strengthening our
international climate diplomacy and
implementing the sustainable development
goals with the Green Deal Europe can
lead by example but we should also be
prepared to consider other instruments
for instance a carbon border tax to
level the playing field for European
products if other countries do not go as
far as us or refuse to go in the right
direction as an economic giant we have
tremendous leverage in our trade
relations we can set global standards we
should use that leverage as best we can
combined with convincing arguments to
show that at the end of the day we can
all be better off
honourable chair honourable members we
have a long-term goal but we need to
deliver short-term incentives it is all
very well trying to stop the end of the
world but we also need to take along the
people who worry about getting to the
end of the month the transformations
required are unprecedented and call for
cooperation determination and Genuity
I’m certainly not saying this is going
to be easy I’ve never seen anything in
Europe
that’s easy at least nothing that’s
worthwhile everything that’s worthwhile
is complicated but that’s the challenge
that’s why we’re here if it were easy we
didn’t need a parliament or we didn’t
need a commission it’s because it’s
complicated that we need to do it but
also because it’s the right thing to do
I want to sit here today before you as a
as a partner and a friend ready to
answer your questions and to work with
you to build a brighter future we do it
for the people who have put us here for
the European citizens thank you very
much
[Applause]
so we are going to start with the first
round questions with coordinators or
their representatives let’s start with
the EPP Estelle de’longhi yeah many
reporter and thank you very much
chairman and welcome Franz Timmerman’s
we affect a little bit of your
impressive linguistic repertoire I’m
sure we’re going to hear a bit more and
I’m going to ask my question in Dutch to
give you a chance early on in your
written replies you said that via your
the generation of your parents and
grandparents she’d already had an energy
transition with the close of closing of
the coal mines in South Limburg mine my
own forebears what in Princeton and the
closing of those mines in that region
has really rumbled on in its and its
impact and people are worried people
want to make a contribution but they
have to pay their energy bills and they
need industry for the jobs as well for
the EPP and the ambitious policy policy
and an industry policy industrial policy
which looks after European European
industry we’ve got to look after our own
sectors industry has to be compatible
with in climate policy how are you going
to work together with vice president
Vesta and vice president Dombrowski’s
responsible for industry policy so that
we can get those synergies thank you
faint illegal Canadian sir well I’m very
happy to be able to reply in Dutch as
well yes I come from a mining region and
my forebears were miners and I’m from
here and this was one of the big my
Lincoln places and it was 50 years ago
and of the five purists times three here
my calculator and brinson are exactly
there and even in a wealthy country as
Netherlands sometimes
very difficult for that transition to be
a smooth process look at Galicia look at
Silesia look at regions in Germany and
in Greece where they depend on coal and
on lake night I think of my own
backstory and I recognize the
difficulties it’s very very difficult
indeed and I know that people will see a
transition as such a challenge that off
mill will not be prepared to go the
extra mile and I think we’ve got a duty
to help those regions to a new economy
now I think that new economies are there
to be created but and it’s got to be
those regions they have got to get the
jobs which there’s loss and mr. mrs.
Vesta mr. Dombrowski’s all of us have to
have consistent coherent plans
market-driven close to the market with
access to investor you and to investment
but we need to finance things also where
there is not the market whether or no
market forces which will do that and we
need to step in on behalf of our
taxpayers we have got to be able to do
those different things and that whole
thing has got to be has got to hang
together in a consistent and coherent
way this is the first time that we have
had this opportunity and we will get
forward movement if we push this in
Direction industry agriculture cool and
other sectors other industries which are
in the process of adjustment I cannot do
that by myself and that’s why I’ve got
colleagues thank you very much you
talked about Poland Silesia and but with
closures in the next 10 years nearly but
perhaps 15,000 jobs are going to be on
the line are going to be lost and in
Spain as well central Eastern Europe
those are the areas we’re talking about
and I can understand why they worried
about those jobs and are they are the
jobs future-proof is their rescaling
taking place I hear people talking about
and yourself talking about a just
transition fund but it’s never enough
I think to set people’s minds at rest
and to allay their fears I think that we
if we had less activism in Western
Europe and more bridge-building let’s
try to look at five years the transition
fund is is not just a question of us
preaching to those who are to be
converted all in Slovakia well in Poland
in Slovakia in Greece in Germany there’s
a whole series of countries where they
are going to be exiting from coal and
for those regions to have a prospect and
a perspective it’s necessary to explain
how they can go step by step into the
new industry and there are opportunities
that are reservoirs or jobs things are
there is a favorable wind in Poland and
elsewhere in the economy and it’s not
destroying jobs and creating jobs
elsewhere it is the exact same regions
losing jobs and needing new jobs and I
think that the new circular economy is
going to provide and the prospects and
openings investor you has been a vehicle
for garnering experience and all the
different funds must be part of a
so-called political a transition
mechanism to coin a phrase so that the
assistance can be provided in a
concerted way in a targeted direction
and that’s private monies public money
European EU level funding as well and
there will be a debate about the MFF I
think both sides of that equation have
to be persuaded convinced that the
Parliament and can Commission what
they’re asking for is necessary to usher
in this new industrial era Thank You mr.
chairman stick to your response so for s
ng you turkey turned like Stalin Davis
executive vice president designate I’m
gonna speak Swedish are just curious to
know if I’m going to get an answer in
Swedish actually I’ve always wanted to
try the coming five years we’ll put you
in the driving seat for this Green Deal
it’s one of the most important
transitions that the European Union has
faced in that work I want you to be
greta tun berg visa v the rest of the
commission researchers citizens and
above all young people who are striking
for the climate demand that the EU shows
more resolute actions specific immediate
actions need to be implemented to keep
to the one point five degree challenge
to be successful the EU has to accept
the objective of becoming completely
climate neutral by 2050 but also we have
to raise our level of ambition by 2030
if we’re going to stand a chance at all
in the political objectives the
Commission is suggesting a two-stage
approach when it comes to 2030 goals and
this raises serious concerns both in
political terms but also in practical
terms so I’d like to know if you are
going to accept the challenge of within
the hundred days in the Commission put
forward a bill to raise the 2030
objectives for the EU to 55% microphone
please
arguments will be more convincing if we
can back them up with science and
research some facts so that’s what we’re
in the middle of doing right now to get
all the information we need I personally
would be extremely surprised if that
information would lead to any other
conclusion then we need at least 55%
reduction in 2030 but I think my
position will be stronger if I can back
it up with the analysis we are doing
right now so that’s why we said as
commission 50 preferably 55 but let’s do
the research on that but again let me be
very clear I would be extremely
surprised if the outcome of this we
be anything else and at least 55%
reduction by 2030 and and this is how we
need to do this mapping start in 2050
and then look back to today and have you
know so like with a with a TomTom or
with with you know finding directions
you know when you need to take this turn
and then that turn and then we need to
map that out until 2050 just having a
target in 2050 is too easy it won’t get
us there we need to know exactly what
are we going to do tomorrow what are we
going to do after 100 days what are we
going to do next year etc etc thank you
thank you for that answer
well obvious I’d like obviously I’d like
to put a supplementary question when are
we going to see that research to support
that decision which you believe is
necessary together with the Commission
but that’s another follow-up question
like to put which also concerns our
consumers they want to make informed
sustainable choices they’re very aware
of the climate impact of their choices
this concerns products within the EU but
also things we import from outside the
EU recently we’ve seen how consumers
demands have made sure that global
producers in retail sector have tried to
make sure that they’re producing with
less harm to the environment do you
think that the EU should also try to
make sure it reduces the impact of its
products those that are being imported
from outside the EU not only those
produced within the EU to make sure that
we see responsibilities taken throughout
the whole chain this question I would
say if we really want to make an
impression and lead in the world we need
to have our ducks in a row our facts
together before the cop in Glasgow that
that would give us a position to really
lead and not have to go to Glasgow and
say we don’t know yet we still do
research so so that’s that’s my ambition
I hope we can get there on the second
part of your question yes consumers need
to be better informed the only reason
that we use we got a successful plastic
strategy approved at lightning speed was
because the consumers were better
informed and they wanted us to do
something about this
and I’m absolutely sure that consumers
want to know that the stuff they put on
their table when they eat was not
created through deforestation our
citizens don’t want that I want to be
able to tell them at some point this is
not this is deforestation free we can’t
say that today so we need to work with
our international partners to make that
happen in the future
because now D for 80% of deforestation
is a consequence of the search for new
arable land to create new foodstuffs and
sometimes it’s the food we import
directly sometimes it’s even the
foodstuff we give our animals that are
produced in Europe so we have a lot to
do to inform our consumers and we will
have to regulate in that sphere as well
or renew new stores
Thank You chair and welcome to something
which tomorrow’s newspaper probably will
headline welcome to France Timmerman
show and then you had the drums in the
background in the discussions discussion
last year on that lean planet for all
the information we got from the
Commission indicated that all
substantial changes should be made from
2030 afterwards since then we almost
probably entered into a new situation
how do you see the paths forward
would you rather tear up the old
decisions concerning ETS climate action
Lulu CF read to an older rest of start a
new trajectory towards Paris goes
immediately after an impact assessment
or do you think that the flexibilities
in the legislation is enough would you
therefore rather wait for a 2030 window
and start the trajectory with a
necessary 10% linear reduction factor
corresponding to changes in and
corresponding changes in the other
legislations in the first case you would
probably break criticised for producing
incoherent legislation and not helping
companies to plant the plan
assessments and in the second case you
would be criticized for not being able
to read what’s written with very big
letters on the wall so which would you
take
thank you I think it’s not a digital
choice it’s not a choice between one or
the other I think we will have need a
mix of both I think we need to extend
ETS to other sectors such as aviation
and the maritime sector but I also
believe we have in is existing
legislation the possibility to look for
tougher norms if that is necessary
emission norms or in other areas we will
also have to review our energy
directives and other directives many
directors will have two directives will
have to be reviewed but I don’t think
it’s a choice between one or the other I
think it will always be a policy mix
between the two but we we can’t waste
any time and in some areas by the way I
think industry is woken up to this I
think we have a broad understanding and
an increasing understanding in industry
worldwide that we will have to toughen
up and we will have to come up with even
stricter norms IPCC report clearly
points in that direction if you want to
prevent the heating of the world to go
beyond 1.5 degrees we still have to do a
lot more than we’re doing now and
sometimes it will be amending existing
legislation sometimes it will be
creating new legislation but that a lot
needs to be done with your help that’s
my clear and I have seen the European
Parliament and even the council in a
position to move very fast if the public
wants us to do that and if the sense of
urgency is there so I’m not that worried
about that Thank You certainly have a
budgetary yes
can you speak closer to your mind please
we need about 200 billion yearly to meet
what we should be doing and the member
states are almost as niggardly as the
Dutch so you have something to do to
make them pay because without those
monies we want to be able to meet the
goals
thank you absolutely but I’ve also seen
a letter signed also by the Dutch
minister saying that we we need to reach
minus fifty five percent by 2030 and
seven other ministers as well so there
is a sense of urgency also in the
Netherlands the country that really
watches very carefully about spending
and I would hold before you that we have
the possibility I think to put a
proposal on the table for the MFF that
says ok it’s perhaps a bit more than you
wanted to spend a bit more than 1.00 but
with that extra money we’re going to
help Europe make this transition to a
sustainable economy much faster and in a
way that will offer a proposition to
citizens and people in industries that
need to change that is attractive and I
think there’s a deal possible there
between different countries in Europe
including including mine I hope thank
you sir another dirty perspective with
Bess a quote for the Greens thank you
very much in the back of you mr.
timmermans good evening and thank you
very much for your introduction and your
your inspiring presentation on the Green
Deal but but still I would really like
to focus a bit more on the climate law
what we can expect next year because
next year is the year where we need to
deliver because it’s the last year
before we can get into the official
start of Paris and you already said that
it’s you would not be surprised if it
will be from the analysis coming out of
– 55 % but can you down at least now
make very clear that we are not going to
do a two-track approach because that’s
still in your written answers a bit
unclear where
you say well we might do first 50% and
later on 55% which will never fit in
that year you say well we need analysis
but to be very honest there’s a lot of
analysis out there done by the
Commission saying that Europe is on
track already 4 – 46% if we look at all
the coal phase-out that are in plants we
are already at minus 50% so all the
analysis that is there already tells you
that 50% is business as usual so that
means you can already say here that it
will be minus 55% when you come out
forward with your climate law proposal
next year can we just seal that off so
that we have that clarity buses bus
great really great question look my
position is this I would agree with you
when you say we wouldn’t have the time
to have do different approaches but I
also hold before you that going from 45
to 50 to 55 especially from 50 to 55
that is then you will be asking some
really tough extra measures to be taken
and you can’t fault the Commission for
wanting to analyze that and to analyze
the feasibility of that that’s what
we’re going to do and that’s also what
aasif on the line said before this
Parliament and in that context I
reiterate for me what is important is
that as EU we have a position that has a
meaning internationally and that makes
us the leaders in this and for that I
would say we need to be ready before the
Glasgow cop meeting the latter part of
next year so that would be my trajectory
but I think I’ve been very clear and I
repeat that that I would find it
extremely surprising if we would come to
any other conclusion than that we need
this – 55% but I think this will be more
convincing if we can show what this
actually means
by analyzing that and we have the time
to do that and we will do that
thoroughly thank you for that now will
not push it on further on
30 but I will push you further on the
climate law because she will come
forward with that in the first hundred
days until now I only heard an explicit
one on climate neutrality but to be very
honest the current Commission already
has agreed to that so what I what can we
expect further into the climate law in
the first hundred days and I’ll give you
a couple of proposals because that’s
already analyzed by the Commission in
its long-term strategy all new cars put
on the EU market are zero emissions by
2040 at the laces comes from the
Commission analysis itself emissions
from international shipping will be
reduced by at least 88 percent by 2050
an emissions from aviation must be cut
by 55 percent by 2050 are these kind of
proposals that we can expect in the
climate law so that we are also ensuring
that the transport sector is now finally
going to make a move and can we also see
hopefully that the responsibility
remains with DG climate for that because
it makes a lot of ETS efforts needed
first of all let me be very clear we
will have to take additional measures in
many sectors including the maritime
sector and the aviation sector but we
might I don’t know might come back to
that later secondly it is something I
will have to study how much can you put
into the climate law I want to take a
bit of time because on the one hand you
don’t want it to be an empty shell just
saying 2050 climate neutral that’s it on
the other hand it’s also a question how
much room to maneuver you give to
different member states to choose the
right mix on the basis of their national
plans to attain that goal and how much
you want to put into the law and that is
the process we’re going to get into
right now and and the signals you’re
giving are very clear and that helps us
also in this process but I want to come
before the Parliament’s with a draft
climate law that goes as far as we can
in terms of stipulating exactly not just
where we need to be in 2050 but also
what we need to do in intermediate steps
to get there by 2050 thank you
buona sera signore team Irma thank you
good evening with the timmermans this
commission really has been marked by the
glitter toon Berg really experience and
you have said that the climate is going
to be the top priority and also health
and food safety but of course there is a
cost to attaining the 2050 objectives
considering that there are people around
who don’t have a roof over their heads
to get zero emissions we’re talking
about a Megaton equivalent of oil and
lost in fossil fuels and we are going to
be talking about 1.6 mega tonnes and
what does this mean in practical terms
it means three nuclear power stations
being built every couple of days for
years on end and we’re talking about 30
years where the replacement energy
generation capacity is going to have to
be built
China India in about 20 years have
almost doubled their co2 emissions 200%
and there are countries in Europe and
outside in the Balkans for example where
we’ve got to recognize it’s not Europe’s
fault we are not alone this is I think a
huge marketing exercise which is taking
place a huge marketing exercise and
let’s look at the consequences of the
green new deal because the objectives
are unattainable and they’re completely
ideological thank you very much granted
Ava they know yesterday they bully yeah
how weak to your arguments have to be if
people have to resort to attacking a 16
year old girl
yeah we’re going aqua what a disgrace if
you read the tweets from some of the
richest people their wealthiest and most
powerful people in the world someone
who’s doing going it alone
and who’s saying act do something do it
now I’m Greta is quite right I am very
proud of our kids who are doing these
things and this is the time for action
we’ve got to do something now let me say
something else they told us to be saying
that the years it’s too difficult
nothing we can do
what’s the point but Luke renewable
energy where exactly we’ve got to there
it’s let it’s cheaper than traditional
forms of energy and we’ve demonstrated
we’re able to change society go to Italy
go back to Italy and explain that the
beaches are going to stay the way they
are now the beaches are going to stay
the same I don’t think there’s going to
be an easy message to take back go and
tell people you’re going to die young
people you you’re going to die because
of atmospheric pollution because of the
air you breathe and even I think that we
have got an absolute obligation a duty
in the name on behalf of our children
the coming generations to keep the to
clean up the environment their
environment and that’s what we mean by
change
Graziella superable Tata
thank you very much well students of
course usually answer questions and you
haven’t answered the question which I
was asking how weak does the Commission
have to be when you talk about climate
and you have to hide behind the skirts
of a 16 year old girl let me repeat the
question most of the plastic pollution
comes from Asia Asia countries in Asia
and it seems to be that we are moving
the attention to really fanatic
positions does the Commission intend to
take us back is it trying to uninvent
the Queen and nevermind reinvent the
wheel so that we wander around on
horseback again Caleb
do you really think that the Italian the
bottles on the Italian beaches float in
from the far east I don’t think so
these are that comes from Europe and
we’ve got a duty to clean up our own
environment which we can do and I will
take this message to Italy to your
constituents and we’ll discuss this we
want do we want a clean environment if
we do we’ve got to make the changes and
industries got to change cars are going
to have to be different zero emissions
cars are actually possible come on let’s
let’s do it together
[Applause]
okay so for the easier aleksander of
andhra well welcome in the revolution
it’s heated atmosphere and the dynamics
in fact is incredible just less than a
year ago or the early days here the
outgoing Commission has declared that is
neither necessary nor possible to boost
the 2030 targets then in July will show
up on the Leiden has pledged to submit a
plan to increase the 2030 targets to 55%
with some conditions if the others below
now you are exposed to a mounting
pressure by status letter of eight
countries to commit 55% unconditionally
you know let me express my deepest
concerns here with that kind of a
dynamic I’m concerned that European
Green Deal will cost us more than our
societies are able to sustain it will
raise prices of all elementary human
needs like housing heating lighting
eating and transporting it will have a
negative effect on the middle-income
families not speaking about the Buddhist
people they will have to take the burden
of the high prices and high taxes as a
social democrat
this is what you want you want the
yellow West all across Europe what is
your response and concrete you know you
gave us nice words but we need to count
first before constructing a house first
of all let me let me just say mr. vonner
and I know each other for a long long
time and I just want to express my
respect for what he did when his country
was to the dictatorship and he took huge
personal risk
fighting against that and I have deep
admiration for that on this we disagree
and also because we spoke earlier about
this and that’s why in my introduction I
mentioned the issue of housing and
social housing if if we help people
isolate their houses perhaps even put
solar panel on the roofs where it is
possible where we could help them take
other measures that they cannot pay for
themselves but we could help them with
that if we do that their energy bills
will go down
substantially down and the emissions
will also go down I will not hide that
if we you are absolutely right if we
only take extra measures for the
environment without looking for instance
at tax systems there will be an increase
in taxation for ordinary people but the
whole idea is that we also need to look
at our taxation system we’re taxing the
wrong things I think I think we need to
take a convincing argument to our member
states that they should also green their
taxation system that could have a huge
alleviating effect for ordinary people
for middle incomes and lower incomes
these are the things we will need to
talk about but but you know on the other
hand and this I want to hold before you
on the other hand if we do nothing look
what’s happening to our climate if we do
nothing look what’s happening to the
expression of nice and natural resources
look how that is going to create
conflicts and who is going to die first
if our cities become unlivable the
poorest because they cannot move to
somewhere else so that’s why yes as a
social democrat I strongly believe in
this way forward yeah nice words but I
would expect you know enumeration before
pledging and beyond those neighbors
there is no enumeration and we do
something but the others like India
China Russia United States Brazil if
they even join us you know leading by
example is the nice idealist approach
but it’s this out any ground so what is
our leverage to push them in into into
flowing us are you willing to declare
today I’m if they would not these same
arguments were used when the European
Union created the single market exactly
the same arguments were high standards
we will be too expensive the rest of the
world will not follow us
etc like with the single market internal
market the rest of the world wants to be
in our market they want to be able to
sell here and to trade here to be active
here
our highest norms will become world
norms if we play it right but at the
same time of course there is a weakness
in our reasoning if we cannot convince
other big players in the world to go in
the same direction but I’m rather more
optimistic than you are yes Europe only
has nine percent of the world’s
emissions but we have a strong policy
mix that can be convincing that will
also have to be adopted the Chinese
don’t want to suffocate the Chinese
don’t want to run out of water the
Chinese want to change an and perhaps we
could have a partnership with them in
the United States yes the federal
government is not on our side but talk
to the cities talk to the states they
have a completely different attitude so
we have friends out there we could build
coalitions we could convince others I
strongly believe that it is our moral
and political duty to do so not just for
the reasons I mentioned but also for
international stability the lack of
policies in this area will create
conflict we will have walls over water
if we don’t change the way we organize
our societies thank you for the great
Silvia Modi Thank You chairman mr.
Timmons I think it’s quite surprising if
you’re still waiting for scientific data
for setting the the objective of 55% if
we want these flows of funding a
targeted correctly we want to have an
idea of what we want the environment to
look in 2030 we can’t invest a penny in
the wrong direction I bleed
for the 55% target and a second issue I
want to raise is biodiversity well I
have heard sev several candidates for
the Commission and I see that my concern
for biodiversity has not been yeast at
all how can we cope with client global
warming we have to remember that we if
our if we have a biodiversity which is
on a good level it helps us cope with
climate change we have we we are still
going toward catastrophe in in terms of
loss of species what are you going to do
and the end and what can we do to turn
the course first point the the
indication you give is very clear on the
55% and I’d take careful note of that
and the clear of this indication is the
clear it also resounds with the European
Commission on the issue biodiversity you
know we’re at the risk of losing 1
million out of 8 million species that
form part of our natural environment 1
million if you look at coral reefs half
of them are dead or dying if you look at
the ravages of deforestation what that’s
doing if you look at the the consequence
of pesticides and other we have a huge
emergency and I have the feeling that we
are on the verge of a same international
awakening to the risks of the loss of
biodiversity as we had a couple of years
ago surrounding in Paris on on climate
change and and the two phenomena are
completely interlinked we are killing
off carbon sink at an incredible rate
through deforestation and that has an
effect on loss of biodiversity as well
so I want the European Union to be
extremely well prepared in a intensive
dialogue with this Parliament for the
next conference in China in October next
year so that we have concrete proposals
on the table to try and convince the
rest of the world that we now need to
take
action on safeguarding our biodiversity
and I also believe that the
communication the Younger Commission
still came out with on fighting
deforestation can be an integral part of
that because to do this we truly need
international partnerships we need those
countries where this phenomenon is worth
to be part of the solution and no longer
part of the problem and for that we need
to take our responsibility including in
the way we consume so that the way we
consume does not have a negative impact
on biodiversity qiyam thank you this if
this if the system continues the way it
it’s going been going on this will if we
look at for instance subsidies to
companies and state subsidies who still
which are still targeted towards fossil
fuels they don’t only prevent us from
reaching the goal they they they work
against this objective how can we work
towards a situation where all flows of
funding would be targeted to this this
common objective ah are you willing to
challenge the the requirement of
unanimity in these decisions in some
areas especially in taxation and
especially in the energy field we would
need to use the possibilities the treaty
offers for what we call in English a
passive L in terms of moving from
unanimity to qualified majority voting I
think that will be necessary but the
more fundamental point in reaction to
what you say is this I will have a
responsibility to make sure that the
Commission as a whole doesn’t do
contradictory things anymore and that
arguably is going to be my my toughest
toughest task internally to make sure
that everything we do is compatible with
our goal to be climate neutral by 2050
and to safeguard biodiversity and all
the other goals we have and I could not
say in
conscious today that we have routed out
all contradictory policies of the
Commission and of the European Union we
haven’t done that yet and that’s you
know in that sense we both have a task
because also in the European pop
different committees sometimes have
different orientations and we both have
a responsibility as institutions to make
sure that from now on everything we do
is geared towards this goal of creating
a sustainable society with everyone on
board and for that I think we need to
revisit quite a number of our policies
thank you so we’re going to move to the
second round of questions starting again
with the EPP and Roberto meta sola thank
you so the reduction of plastic in our
oceans is one of our citizens the top
priorities we made the first step by
legislating on a band for single-use
plastics but now we have to go deeper
and further and I fully agree with the
point you made earlier about plastic
bottles on beaches but ultimately
currents have the the potential of
putting of pushing plastic waste
especially in seas of countries which
bother those of third countries we have
also seen that the global trade in
plastic waste which is supposedly
earmarked for recycling is not
necessarily sustainable and it is at
most times unfairly designed and
ultimately it does nothing for the
environment except increase co2
emissions to ship it halfway across the
world only for it to be returned
incinerated or ran fields so would you
agree with us that it is time for a
global ban on the most damaging
single-use plastics and will you give us
your commitment that the EU will push
this through Member States and
international fora the short answer to
your question is yes but I want to
elaborate we will have to come up with
new measures because we are learning all
the time
how dangerous for instance micro
plastics are I think I think every time
you know there’s a new research it
points to greater danger to our health
and to our natural environment so we
need to do something about we need to do
something about packaging as well I
think we should push further on on
banning packaging or
making sure that packaging is no longer
used that has these single-use plastics
in them we also need to make sure that
we take care of our own rubbish I think
it was a good move of China to say we no
longer accept European single-use
plastics but now you know we’re
exporting it to other third countries
and that’s a shame I think we should be
ashamed of doing that we should take
care of our own rubbish and the only
real way of taking care of it is not
having it the best rubbish is rubbish
you don’t have so I’m all for recycling
but it’s not the the optimal solution
the optimal solution is not to have to
recycle because you don’t use it or if
you use it you reuse it without
recycling so for that we will have to so
tighten the policies and I count on your
support when we come with proposals in
this area thank you for that now moving
on to air quality the European
Commission is currently in the final
stages of the fitness check on the
ambient air quality directives ten years
after these were completed in 2019 as
you said in your introduction it was
revealed that air pollution causes
hundreds of thousands of extra deaths
per year in Europe and this is something
that is particularly worrying to the
citizens of my country Malta and Gozo
where air pollution is increasingly
becoming a concern for many families now
of course it’s partly an enforcement
problem on a member state level and the
Commission’s actions to launch
infringement procedure procedures
against non-compliant member states is a
necessary last move however it is of
little consequence to those already
exposed to dangerous levels of air
pollutants so how would you plan on
ensuring a chain of compliance when it
comes to enforcing this ambient air
quality directives and simulated
legislation well the rules are very
clear and I think we should be doing
more to enforce the rules in our member
states of course what the Commission
does is first try and find a solution
through dialogue with a member state but
I believe member states have you know
have signed up to this themselves these
are this is legislation that is urgently
needed but it’s not applied in many
member states so I think the Commission
will have to toughen up in terms of
starting infringement procedures and it
is I feel it as my personal
responsibility to make sure that’s going
to happen
thank you for the S&D; group Miriam daddy
Thank You vice president timmermans
president-elect Ursula von der Leyen
promised that she would steer a
commission that will increase the use
2030 ambition however as things stand
today the current target doesn’t even
include the greenhouse gas emissions of
shipping the sector that is until today
still exempt
now if the emissions from shipping
remain unregulated they will derail
completely any other efforts that can be
done by any other economies or
industries to achieve carbon neutrality
now today you mentioned extending it yes
to maritime and aviation you mentioned
additional measures on maritime and
aviation but in your written on says you
said that you would act on any proposals
coming from European Parliament aiming
to extend it you it has to include
maritime emissions I urge you not to
wait for the position of the European
Parliament are you ready to come forward
with a legislative proposal to extend EU
ETS to maritime emissions as part of any
upcoming ETS review to include increase
the 2030 you greenhouse gas target and a
very important question for us as the
vice president responsible of climate
change how will you ensure that it will
be the G clima the Directorate General
that will have full responsibility and
full leadership on the implementation
and future review of the EU ideas
including the extension of EU ETS to
aviation and shipping let me be very
clear on the last point because that
question was already put to me and I’m
not sure I answered it clearly of course
I will remain responsible for this and
under my under my steer it will be the
Commissioner for transport but DG clima
because that’s where the expertise is so
I wouldn’t worry too much about that and
I take full personal responsibility for
this now on the other issue of shipping
yes the ETS should be extended to
shipping but we need also a broader
policy mix I want us to have green ports
I want us to be able
to force shipping to take the
electricity that’s offered them in ports
rather than burn the most horrible stuff
when they’re in cities you know in some
cities the pollution levels spike when
there’s a when there’s a cruise ship
coming in because they burn the most
horrible fuel and I think our ports
should be in a position to say if you
want to come to our port we will give
you access to green electricity or
electricity and you shut off those
engines that are polluting too much why
not and I think there are a number of
other measures we could take we could
look at the emissions of ships and how
they use it the speed with which they go
all these things the engines they use
all these things will have to be looked
at because it is no longer acceptable
that the maritime sector would be
excluded of these measures because these
engines they use are highly polluting
and it would be unfair to other sectors
where we do ask measures to be taken if
maritime sector would be excluded fair
enough on this point I come from Malta
so I do understand when you have a
cruise liner coming into a port and the
effects of citizens that’s why I’m
asking you not to wait any longer
because we can’t wait any longer and we
require immediate action also from the
Commission in this regard but air
quality was mentioned and there is
another important sector regarding to
transport and that is the Road Transport
and so far co2 standards have proven to
be the most efficient form of regulation
will you be opposing any plans or
suggestions to include Road Transport in
the EU ETS and I would like to know how
are you going to ensure the enforcement
of existing standards by car
manufacturers and part of the equation
in arriving to cleaner mobility is the
use of batteries what are your plans to
secure the use of sustainable batteries
for energy storage and also for
transport number questions I’ll try and
go through them very quickly first of
all let me be very clear we will enforce
the emissions legislation with every
instrument we have and we have to be I
think the car industry has outlived
their
position of being in a comfy position
they need to deliver they have not
delivered in the past they need to
deliver and the Commission will enforce
what they need to deliver on ETS in
transport and in in Road Transport I’m
not in principle against it but I do and
I think it could be part of a policy mix
but I do want to say very clearly that
it cannot be used as an excuse not to
attain the emission targets that could
never be it’s much much more
straightforward and much more successful
in the past just to have emission norms
and have them comply with the emission
norms that doesn’t that doesn’t mean
that ETS could not be part of the mix
but it should never be an alternative to
emission norms or even a way of
weakening emission norms at all that
that would be unacceptable batteries yes
mal chef to reach in the yong-chol
Commission has done tremendous work in
finally finally getting the sense of
urgency in the automobile sector that we
need more batteries and now there is a
huge increase of trying to get Europe to
be part of next-generation batteries
where we don’t use primary products for
that that are very bad for the
environment or we can’t find or lead to
conflict elsewhere that can lead to a
large number of storage etc but at the
end of the day there’s only so much you
could do with a battery the battery is
not the only solution for the storage of
sustainable energy we will need other
forms of storage especially hydrogen
will be probably a very important way of
storing renewable energy in the future
please stick to one follow-up question
and not for follow-up questions
otherwise I can’t ask mr. Zimmerman’s he
won’t say in one minute for renew
Frederick federally Thank You mr. chair
and
- executive vice president designate I
will actually switch to the language you
still not master Swedish but I’m certain
in a few years you’ll get there and mean
floor my question really concerns
balance we have quite a considerable
task in front of us for this legislature
a lot of international and national
challenges if we’re to reach the
ambition set out and parent the Paris
agreement we see what’s happening in the
Amazon forest with horror we don’t have
a good European answer maybe we can move
towards that with certain tools but
obviously the agriculture sector is an
area where we have to work to avoid a
deforestation there are Amazon but we do
see deforestation in Europe’s forests as
well so it does work in the long term in
other countries so how do we find in
legislative terms that golden mean that
balance which will work for us where it
doesn’t work for other continents where
we can maintain biodiversity and
maintain the useful forestry
well if correct me if I’m wrong but as
far as I know there’s more forests in
Europe now than 10 years ago so we’re
getting more for us not less but it’s
not enough we need really a strategy for
reforestation and also in a way that
does not contradict other goals you know
putting forests and peat land is not
helping the environment on the country
so we have to look at at a sensible way
and I think the only way we can do that
is to have a europe-wide strategy that
would help a reforestation and I also
want to make sure that those people are
directly involved in forestry are part
of the solution are incorporated in the
policies we develop and I also believe
that if we do this better in Europe we
have a stronger argument in talking to
people outside of Europe who are faced
with the same challenge if you look how
much forest is disappearing and the
argument is always 80% of that is to
create arable land for agriculture if
you then I was in New York two weeks ago
and I was talking to an actor
is from the Amazon and he was telling me
that not more than about 15 percent of
the land that was deforested is actually
used for agriculture so the incredible
waste that we’re creating in terms of
biodiversity loss in terms of loss and
carbon sink etc it’s it’s it’s
heartbreaking so we will need an
international approach where we also
take on board countries that are
sometimes a bit reluctant because they
see opportunity for economic development
and sometimes this will mean that we
will have to look at the products we
import into the European Union and
convince them to make other products
that do not need deforestation and
perhaps offer them more interesting
trade arrangements on those products I
thought I thought the chair was going to
give me the floor that I’ll carry on now
those parts that concern bioenergy are
very interesting as well to try and find
where the next stage will be in
development so we have to maintain
balance and long term and also when it
comes to biodiversity but also waste
products can go towards energy
production maybe we can use co2
sequestration use that maybe we can take
a further step rather than just talking
about reducing the effect that we make
but we can move to a negative emissions
is there a plan from the commissioner
designate for negative emissions I think
it is entirely possible but just because
it’s bio doesn’t mean it’s good and and
biofuels have done incredible harm over
the last decades so we need third
generation biofuels then they can be a
constructive part of our energy mix
because in some areas look at aviation
you know we will probably need more
biofuels because electric flying I might
be short of imagination I don’t see
happening on a huge scale anytime soon
so if you want these emissions to go
down you will also have to look at
another energy mix and if you want the
dependency on fossil fuels to go etc so
in that context biofuels third
generation biofuels could also play an
interesting role in the mix but let’s be
very careful
not to sort of give a blanket okay just
because it says by oh it’s good thank
you for the EPP married McGuinness Thank
You chair thank you mister timmermans I
want to pull you back to your written
comments which I was interested in your
comments around the agriculture sector
because you haven’t dealt with those
this thus far but you’ve also introduced
a new policy which is this farm to fork
and frankly I’m confused as to why you
need both but perhaps you could in
answer me directly on that point of
these two policies and how they will sit
together I was very interested in your
comments about contradictions in policy
and I think in agriculture and food and
environment and in trade we’ve had huge
contradictions what control have you
over competition law because one of the
views I’ve expressed many times and
others I hope support me competition law
does nothing when it comes to paying for
public goods which are embodied in food
we eat and competition or talks about
cheap for the consumer but it’s cheap at
a price how powerful will you really be
to address these very crucial issues
well the short answer to your last
question is time will tell but the
policies we want to know let me start
differently I I have been simply because
of my professional experience I’ve been
involved in the Common Agricultural
Policy since the mid or second half of
the 1980s that’s how old I am and I’ve
always seen and this goes on and on that
those farmers who are suffering are used
as an argument to protect those the
policies that benefit those that are
making a lot of money and somehow we are
still not good enough in taking care of
that problem and I think the policy
shift that Phil Hogan has started is
leading us in the right direction and I
know full well that we will not have a
sustainable environment without the
farmers they are part not they can be
part of the problem
they don’t need to be part of the
problem they can be part of problem but
they absolutely need to be part of the
solution without them we will not get
there and I think the the very beginning
of the Common Agricultural Policy was
about assuring food security for
Europeans after the Second World War who
was starving now the goal of the Common
Agricultural Policy is to make sure we
have sustainable food supply for our
citizens in this millennium and I think
we will need some policy shifts on that
I think from farm to fork is the ideal
way of looking at this how much
fertilizer do we need can we use
innovations in animal feeds to to
decrease emissions how much a best ally
best decides do we still need can we
reduce that as well what is the impact
of what is happening elsewhere where do
we get our animal feed from and is this
in any link with the other goals we like
to attain for instance stopping
deforestation is the food quality we
want to guarantee for our citizens is
that good enough as it is could we
improve that and the one issue you
mentioned which I find the most
complicated one could argue that the
success of the Common Agricultural
Policy is that the highest quality of
foodstuffs at the lowest prices are now
guaranteed but at some point you have to
ask yourselves are we not paying too
little for food but take that to people
who have little money to spend and you
tell them you need to pay more for food
they will they will chase you out of
their house if you say that but at the
same time the situation as it is now is
not providing for sufficient income for
many of our farmers and this should be a
great concern to us because again I want
to underline this without our farmers we
will not attain our sustainability goals
and we need to find a common
agricultural policy that supports this
and that also leads to fair competition
for our farmers also internationally and
I think the the reforms set in motion by
Phil Hogan lead us a long way in that
direction and let’s check where we can
improve this using the farm to fork
principle I’m not a lot enlightened
fully as to what you’re doing how the
farm to fork links with the Common
Agricultural Policy it seems to
me that there’s a huge overlap and you
didn’t answer my question about
competition law I think it’s a key issue
you’ve nudged in that direction but you
haven’t quite answered it because if I
may I think I have a few seconds left
because fundamentally you are rice
farmers incomes are on the floor some
are making plenty but the most are
making very little and while you said in
your opening that we all love to go to
the countryside I do it as well I live
in a firm I love going back but I have
an income so I can enjoy it but people
are watching this and they know you’re
the person responsible for their farming
future what are you saying to them as
farmers remember they followed European
advice in the eighties I’m old enough to
remember sweet old them to rip out
hedgerows drain the land and latch on
the fertilizer
I made television programs about us what
are we saying to them now and what how
will you help them make a transition I
think we I certainly feel a personal
duty to go out to them and talk to them
and listen to them and and and show what
the plans are with from farm to fork
what we need to do on pesticides what we
need to do on fertilizer what we need to
do to reduce emissions and and you know
like before cycle months halt had to get
out and and convince farmers who were
absolutely unconvinced when he started
McSherry had the same problem when he
started with his plants this is part and
parcel of the history of the European
integration and we will have to do the
same thing right now and I honestly
believe that the goals of as enshrined
in the Treaty of the Common Agricultural
Policy are more valid today than ever
before
we need to make sure that we put
sustainable food on the table we meat
need to make sure that we put farmers in
a position that they can maintain our
rural areas and they can have a
constructive relationship with the road
between the rural areas and the more
metropolitan areas in the European Union
and we cannot do this without the
farmers competition law because I was
not entirely sure what you meant by your
question but what what you’re saying is
that they are competing at food prices
that just doesn’t don’t give them an
income food coming from outside the
European Union I think that’s what you
you’re saying we will have to take a
hard look at that and also talk to our
international partners because they have
a
if much of this foodstuff is also
produced through creating more
deforestation so this will have to be
part and parcel of any trade negotiation
we will have in the future as we have
done I think quite smartly also in the
macro sewer trade negotiations mr.
vice-president stick to you 2 minutes
and one minute for sng mr. Javy Lopez be
a menudo
welcome to the European Parliament once
again vice-president Timmerman’s today
on a number of occasions you talked
about fair ecological transition now as
members of the Socialists we have
tackled this issue we want to be
ambitious when it comes to decarbonizing
our economy but we need to ensure that
this very important transition is done
fairly
we need to fairly share out the costs
and indeed the benefits job creation for
example in growth so we are looking at a
just transition fund you will spearhead
that fund and I’d like to talk about
that fund will the aims look at the
social impact of transition not just
technology another question will there
be new funds we won’t just be recycling
existing projects and funds for the
fairest transition can we ensure that
any support provided is linked to
conditions that require compliance with
our goals situation that is already
answered that question also earlier
today so you can hear that the
Commission speaks the incoming
Commission speaks with one voice on this
as well of course there will be new
money in today
Seconal all be reach handling of
existing funds but on top of that we
need to make sure that we create I would
call it a a mechanism so that we make
sure that all the instruments and funds
we have in the European Union work in
the same direction and I I know that if
we do not know let me say it differently
some of the instruments we use in this
transition will be for investment in
things that are pretty close to market
like with a yuka fund and invest EU and
there it will be relatively easy to
mobilize also private funds but in some
areas you know if you have to re school-
to do a job in the fourth Industrial
Revolution it will take some time it
will take some time and I’m not sure
there will be a lot of private money
willing to invest in this so then you’re
not that close to market and then you
will have to find a mix of European
money with national co-financing to look
for that so that is what we want to put
in the just transition funds so it makes
of fresh money
combined with co-financing and
nationally also linking to the different
fronts we already have whether it’s the
agricultural found destructor front
cohesion fund and also making sure that
there is through the help of the eiv
that has been extremely successful in
investing you that there is a huge
access to funds to make this transition
to the green economy and I believe in
this mix we can make sure because I I
think we cannot as I said in my
introduction we cannot achieve this if
we do not convince the people who will
have to change that this change is not a
loss but the gain for them because too
many people in our society today have
the feeling that change means loss we
need to make sure that they understand
that change can also be gained not just
a cleaner environment but also a better
job which is horrible
thank you
for clarifying the resources and the
characteristics of the fund now I’d like
to talk about another resource that’s
currently being discussed the border
adjustment fund or mechanism we want
fair competition between our companies
and others around the world we don’t
want environmental dumping we agree on
that front this will be very complicated
however so will we be able to achieve
this goal will you be able to lead the
way here will we be able to do this in a
short space of time this will be as I
said a very complicated mechanism this
Parliament has already said that we need
this kind of Carbon border adjustment
fund and we would like these resources
to flow into the EU budget is that
something you’d agree with we are making
this transition to a climate neutral
continent 2050 to do that we will take
these measures these measures will have
an impact obviously also on our economy
if you take the same measures or
comparable measures but going in the
same direction okay we will make this
voyage together if you don’t do that
then of course we have no choice but to
protect our society and our economy and
then we will have to have a carbon
boarder tax that would be the reasoning
I would develop and I think this could
be WTO compatible but we’ll have to
analyze that I think it is it is
absolutely necessary that if you look
just imagine we can have our steel
industry produce steel using hydrogen
it’s not impossible anymore it could be
possible but that steel is obviously
going to be also in terms of climate
cost much more costly than steel produce
with coal in China then would we not
have an opportunity to look at the
carbon footprint of a ton of steel we
could not correct that inequality and
that’s why we might need abort a carbon
border tax for the Greens Mary Tucson
thank you very much commissioner you’re
talking about the just transition you
are very good with words but we need
acts as well our country has been taken
to court and condemned for not being
active enough and a number of young
people not least greta tun Berg who has
taken a number of countries to the
International Court because there’s a
violation of Human Rights that’s being
committed you’re promising a green deal
but I don’t hear ambition nor coherence
where’s the coherence if looking at all
the scientific reports and evidence
we’re still turning to gas in Europe to
allow this claim transition where we’re
still stuck in fossil fuels because of
this gas infrastructure
where’s consistency when products coming
from Dorothy forestation that you’ve
mentioned are sold here in Europe on our
territory in the internal market
commissioner when do you intend to put a
stop to direct subsidies and indirect
subsidies to fossil fuels notably to
gasps do you undertake binding measures
to protect the forests around the world
to stop the damage that’s been caused by
our companies well as I’ve already said
I think one of the most complicated
tasks I have to face is to make sure
there is joined up thinking that there
is consistency there and I won’t hide it
from you it will be very difficult you
pointed out yourself some of the
complexity of this particular topic I’m
under no illusions that I’m going to be
able to take a hundred days and sort
everything out but to identify where
there’s a lack of consistency and then
move on to come up with steps and
legislation need to be taken to
eliminate these inconsistencies that I
think would be a very complicated task
and yet one of the most important tasks
I face in my portfolio when you say that
natural gas is a problem well yes it’s
not a sustainable source of energy but
this gas is part of the transition that
we have to undergo towards sustainable
energy you also talk about
infrastructure I know that there are
plans could mention my country there are
plans to re-establish this
infrastructure very easily to transport
hydrogen in a future which I hope is a
very close one we should be able to use
the infrastructure that was set up
originally for natural gas and use it to
transport a form of energy that is
completely sustainable and that is
hydrogen so it’s not all bad news but
yes you’re absolutely right we have to
try and indeed quickly to free ourselves
from this dependence on fossil fuels and
I really understand that it is difficult
and it’s a difficult task that have to
have this consistency but if at least I
can point out where the problems lie I’m
convinced that the citizens will support
the European Commission to get rid of
those hinders to undo those
inconsistencies you’re absolutely right
that they do exist thank you very much
well I think I’ll pick up again on what
I was asking will you and if so when put
a stop to these direct and indirect
subsidies to fossil fuels will you make
sure that our companies will have to
have due diligence but other forms of
obligation when it comes to products
coming from outside the EU as well and
being produced in the in the EU and will
you van and in a preventative mashin
fashion stop the Eco side is that
everything well I will take measures on
subsidies for traditional energies
at this moment I don’t have a specific
answer to you I can give that answer
only once I know what sort of
opportunities are at our disposal
I think we’re fairly limited in terms of
the European Commission I will carry out
that analysis I understand your question
I note the logic but I don’t have the
answer at my fingertips here on the
approach needs to be taken that you
mentioned yes I’m sure the Commission
will be putting proposals to the
European Parliament to take the
necessary measures to protect
biodiversity in Europe when it comes to
companies and the influence they have on
by our biodiversity
I think what we could do is to generate
transparency for the consumers for our
citizens so that they will know whether
a product has been generated to the
detriment of a forest or by to the
detriment of biodiversity that’s an
initial step we can do that through
labeling we can do that with other
measures indeed as well we can entertain
a ban as well but in order to do that it
needs to be a deeper analysis of the
ramifications and if I can put forward
measures on plastics and on waste in the
last of five years that was because I
had an opportunity for a priori to carry
out the analysis that was needed prior
to putting forward legislation that then
went to the European Parliament and that
was being consistent so you know I don’t
want to say now or any specific measures
that we will take but I’ve understood
and heard what you’re saying and the
Commission will be in a position to take
specific steps once it has undertaken
the analysis which will allow us to
understand the consequences thank you
very much mr. timmermans mrs. von der
Leyen wants to present a biodiversity
strategy for 2030 among the objectives
being said microphone please thank you
can I start restart mrs. von der Leyen
wants to present a biodiversity strategy
for 2013 among the objectives which are
envisaged is an end to an end to the
loss of biodiversity and an end to the
destruction of ecosystems but
paradoxically
its EU policy in renewable fuels which
has led to the deforestation in tropical
forests and also three trade agreements
which are always on the agenda and which
are nefarious for the environment
how do you intend to redirect our policy
in to boot award sustainable renewable
energy are you in favor of carbon tax
and if so what would be the modalities
how would you do it
beaucoup de ketosis well well many
questions this evening saying that there
is a lack of consistency among different
policy areas and you’re quite right to
nail that who put your finger on that
because often the intentions are good
but the further down the road the
consequences end up being the exact
opposite I think what is important here
and this is going to be much of my my
job is going to consist in having
consistency across the portfolio and I
don’t think there’s a contradiction
between what you’re saying maintaining
biodiversity on the one hand and
renewable energy I think the two things
are perfectly compatible and if not
where if there are contradictions tell
me where they are point them out and I
Beverly prepared to make a contribution
to solving the problem where they
whether it exists however reducing
greenhouse gases reducing the increase
in temperature global warming attacks on
proceeding with biodiversity are things
which go together and which are now a
matter of urgency thank you
we’re supposed to sell em oh thank you
for that reply there’s a logic of
renewable deployment
what is your timetable for the
progressive elimination of fossil fuels
when are they going to be phased out and
when can we see an end to the subsidies
paid to those industries decarbonisation
was mentioned by mrs. von der Leyen are
not going to create conditions which in
emit co2 which are not good and not
conducive for our companies and leave us
exposed to surges of imports from the
rest of the world thank you very much I
think that it’s inescapable that we’ve
got to reduce and face out subsidies
which are still being directed towards
fossil fuels I acknowledge that we need
a very practical timetable with
milestones step by step which can be
discussed with the member states but
that’s one of the most manifest one of
the most flagrant contradictions we have
got to avoid going forward now you talk
about international trade I think that
during the conference in China on the
biodiversity and in our negotiations
surrounding free trade agreements which
we’ve had with Mercosur for example they
desire to avoid contradictory import is
part and parcel of our negotiating
position for the EU and in the Mercosur
context we have said to Brazil you’ve
got to stand by
you’ve got to uphold the Paris
objectives and that’s an important plank
in our policy hello and good evening I
have some specific questions we say in
Poland that good intentions are not
enough this is why young people who
protests industry
they want to have specific solutions and
specific sources of financing them my
first question is on the announced new
climate law I would like to know more on
the principles of this new climate law
and a few words on how this distance how
is does this compare to the 40% cut from
2014 which hasn’t been arrived at by
most member states and then how would
the new law relate to something else
that you said namely so one in one out
so which existing pieces of legislations
would need to be eliminated from our
legislation you’ve been talking about
just transition but only five billion
are in marked over five years for all
Member States so my question is what
more are you going to do we need
hundreds of billions in Poland to make
this transition just only in Poland how
are you going to talk to the AIB they
want to be green already today but they
say they wouldn’t finance natural gas
projects thank you the the intention of
the climate law is to put in law that
the European Union its member states
will have reached climate neutrality by
2050 and if you put that in law you then
can come back from 2050 to today and
then see which measures will be
necessary to get there and the climate
law should include as much as possible
of clarity on what steps we need to take
to get there by 2050 that is I think a
legal commitment then by member states
to do what is necessary in their member
state to get there on the base of
national plans then I believe this is
something that will be an integral part
of much of the policy mix in the next
decades of the European Union and I also
believe
also in Poland there is massive support
under the population to do something
about climate change there’s a very
strong feeling that we need to do this
and you know I’m really encouraged by
the research done important on this and
I’m also really encouraged by the way
young people in Poland are mobilized and
you mentioned yourself young people in
Poland they’re really mobilizing on this
issue and I see this with with great
great admiration and I honestly believe
that this climate law will give us the
framework which we urgently need to
discipline member states to come up with
plans that are concrete enough so that
we can sort of look at the stages we
will have to go through to get where we
need to be in in 2050 some member states
have done some of that work already but
many member states still need to do that
so in that sense I think it’s the best
framework we can have for our common
future on the issue of one in one out
I believe Merrill chef Trevino’s already
gone into that in his hearing but
perhaps that was not with you it is of
course a global approach to the issue
that we want to do these things as I
said five years ago this is about better
regulation it’s not about deregulation
it’s not about lowering standards we
want the standards to be higher not
lower but we also want to do this with a
minimum of red tape with a minimum of
burden on those people who have to work
with that legislation I think we’ve made
great strides in the last five years but
still also thanks to the European
Parliament helping us with an intro
institutional agreement on better
lawmaking but still there is room for
improvement and I think that’s the way
Margaux sketch of each explained it but
make no mistake in this area we will
need regulation we will need this is not
something the market will take care of
itself here we will need regulation and
we will need European regulation upon
you can’t do that in you unfortunately I
have not received a direct answer I
think you’re avoiding a debate about
money and very specific clauses saying
this climate law what I’m trying to say
what I’m trying to show a certain
absurdity with which we have to deal on
a daily basis for instance Oh
the mobility package has been closed as
a process I will not dwell on the
details how it was done it had nothing
to do with European solidarity and
lawmaking
however what was absolutely key key
dear candidate was that we will be
actually enhancing emissions because we
will lead to a situation where big cars
will have to drive back big big lorries
empty just you know at the whim of the
European Parliament yes I I stand
corrected you had asked me a question
about the money the 4.8 billion is
actually the money the the amount the
European Parliament I think earmarked
for this if I’m not mistaken so that’s
the amount of money we’ve been are there
you are that that’s the amount of money
that’s been talked about it is
absolutely clear therefore this
transition especially in those countries
still heavily dependent on coal we will
need much much bigger funds than what
even was a just transition front come
muster but it’s also absolutely clear to
me that there is no future in coal so we
will have to find a solution for that
problem
and I think those areas heavily
depending on the coal industry whether
it’s in Poland or in Slovakia or in
Spain or in Greece or in Germany they
have the right of European solidarity
because all of your profits if they make
that transition and I believe we will
have to mobilize the funds and I will
believe we believe we have to also look
at existing funds and retarget them to
that goal what have we not achieved
miracles in Poland
thanks to cohesion funds and structural
funds and agricultural funds in the last
10 years I think we have look at how
Polish society has transformed itself
look at the levels of economic growth at
the member states are jealous of those
levels of economic growth let’s put that
to good use
for the future of young polls as well
and Poland will have to make this
transition out of the coal and it’s
going to be painful but the rest of
Europe should say we are stand by your
side in this and we will help you with
this and we will make sure you have the
funds to make that transition this is
coming straight from the heart as a
grandson of two coal miners I saw I saw
what can happen if it isn’t done right
thank you for a PP Thank You chairman
- Timmerman’s the EU has a strong
industrial sector not just services we
still manufacture goods railways
chemicals car manufacturing cement paper
steel aluminium pharmaceuticals the list
is endless can you ensure that the
European Green Deal does not lead to the
industrialization in Europe how can you
ensure that our European manufacturing
sector and companies are not excessively
hard-hit by the European green teal they
need to be strengthened not weakened
you’ve mentioned this in your written
answers and today you talked about the
carbon border adjustment tax we need to
ensure this works that we don’t have
relocation I hope it doesn’t pan out the
same way the solar panel industry did we
used to lead the field and now we don’t
really have any functioning companies in
this area how can we protect homegrown
industry and jobs here when I talk to
industry representatives they all agree
that we need to maintain this tradition
we are leading the way and I think the
first continent to get this transition
right will benefit so I firmly believe
if we cling to old industrial ways it
would be all the harder to make that
leap to undergo the transition we are
best placed to get this right to
organize things at a level that makes
sense to this end we do sometimes need
to protect our industry sometimes we
also need to encourage our industry our
companies to free themselves from their
reliance on old sources of energy the
European steel industry is proactively
looking to move away from fossil fuels
it is actively looking into hydrogen
using hydrogen in the manufacture of
steel that would have been unthinkable
six or seven years ago now it has seen
as perhaps feasible I firmly believe
that European manufacturing has
understood that this transition is
inevitable to safeguard jobs in to the
future look at the u.s. not a federal
level look at what companies are doing
what is happening at state level there
they have read the signs that same goes
for China huge change is underway at a
very fast pace
what we have lost out on is when it
comes to the end internet we thought it
was all about telecommunications not the
Internet but I think we have not yet
missed the boat when it comes to
sustainable industry Europe really has a
chance to be successful here and to free
ourselves from fossil fuels we need to
look at focusing innovation on 5g for
example ensure that our car
manufacturing industry is no longer
reliant on old engines we need to look
at rapidly improving our infrastructure
look at the railways there is a huge
task at hand there
that’s all good for European industry if
we get this right I am confident that we
can get this right I firmly believe that
there is no alternative anywhere around
the world the quickest off the mark here
will be most successful that’s been
proven in all studies this will lead to
more growth in Europe if we get this
transition through quickly thank you you
are very optimistic that is laudable I
hope we will be successful I’ve heard a
lot about regulation it’s also important
that we invest in new technologies
research development innovation I didn’t
hear anything about that I also have a
follow-up question only 9% of global
investment comes from the EU now USA one
of the largest emitters has withdrawn
for the Mac Lima to agreement the Paris
agreement China is investing massively
in renewables but they’re building up
coal power plants elsewhere so what are
you doing to put pressure on the big
emitters to come on board thank you when
it comes to the Chinese I think we can
strike an agreement they want to move in
the same direction when it comes to the
US there’s a huge difference between
what is happening and what is being said
at federal level on the one hand and on
the other hand what can be done in
conjunction with the states there are
plenty of allies there that understand
the direction of travel when I was in
New York a few weeks ago I really got a
sense
that not enough major manufacturing
countries we’re willing to make that
leap to go along with the EU and so
that’s a real challenge for us but I
firmly believe there is no alternative
we need to move in this direction we
need this translation transition but if
there are delays if we hesitate then we
won’t be able to make those tipping
points we won’t be able to keep the
temperature increases to 1.5 degrees so
this is a huge task and challenge facing
us in the coming months and years we
need to convince our international
partners I’m quite confident when it
comes to China and I think we can get
somewhere that we u.s. – but you’re
right it’s a huge challenge question for
Renu
yeah done well thank you very much
chairman
good evening mr. Timmons we’ve talked a
lot about legislation and budget but
previous speaker was talking about
innovation we haven’t talked about that
it’s extremely important that we come up
with new ideas ideas that maybe don’t
exist at the moment that could provide a
solution for our climate goals and
environment goals and what I see if all
too often in practice is old legislation
maybe 20-30 years old or rules that you
have that aren’t completely clear and
that seemed to be conflictual and what I
think is also necessary in the EU we
need to have a more more margin to
experiment with new ideas in innovation
so my question to you is how are you
going to make sure that the innovation
climate in the European Union is going
to be enhanced above all for startups
and SMEs another question is maybe
you’ve got some taboos on certain
innovations for example nuclear or
nuclear technologies in doubles no I
don’t have any taboos
but to have solid science behind
everything and nuclear energy there’s a
lot of money being plowed into safety
for example still we have a European
undertaking as I’m sure you where I’m
not sure if you are saying there’s a
tension between legislation on the one
side and innovation on the other do you
really believe that in the car industry
but there’s less innovation or there’s
so little innovation over the past years
if legislation was countering that no I
don’t think that’s the case I think we
have given all sorts of boosts to
innovation there and really sped up
something that should have started a
long time ago legislation and
standard-setting can help stimulate
innovation having said that I do
certainly agree with you that as we’ve
done in the past we need to provide
latitude for new initiatives to
stimulate that of course we’ve got the
7th Framework Programme that is pushing
in that direction and I have to say as a
Dutchman this worked very well for the
Dutch as I’m sure you’re aware and their
renewable energies where their fantastic
product projects that have been
forthcoming through that and one we’re
talking about renewable energies well
let’s talk about these various projects
I thought there’s a new innovation
recently using solar energy and you can
make hydrogen with such a solar energy
straight away directly without going
through the water to start with so
people are thinking up these sort of
things and they can come to fruition
myself I would love to know about what
the startups are up to my intention is
to go out reach out to people and maybe
help contacts and increase contacts
because it’s only by doing that we can
actually achieve something in the coming
years and that’s where the power of
Europe comes from renewable energies are
ones that you can’t relocate they have
to be built up locally that solar panels
have to be placed on a roof the
countries the cars are in Europe so we
can have a direct and positive impact on
jobs and a position of SMEs in Europe I
think I look I belong I guess what I
think it’s very important to get support
in the population if they understand
that we’re not going to invest in things
which may prove to be time wasted in the
future or money wasted in the future we
have to make sure that we’re working for
SMEs and startups it’s very difficult
for them to invest in green ideas of
course in agriculture for example there
are issues there we’ve seen a report
that’s just been published in the
Netherlands about the the scale that
needs to be done there but of course the
farm to fork is a massive project a lot
of farmers really want to do things they
want to go organic but quite simply they
don’t have the demand from the market to
cover the extra costs that involved how
can you ensure that agricultural
products is long with any others are
reduced because of world market prices
hidden well as I said earlier to miss
McGuinness on this particular front
there’s a lot of potential hasn’t been
tapped yet also turning to the farm
sector itself farmers are clever people
they know that they have to take on
board change we’ve seen in the levelness
this week for example there’s a great
deal of desperation if that happens they
turn to the streets so there’s a
collective task be it at national level
or at European level to take our
responsibility and say we can do like
this we can do it like this if we do
this when it comes to fertilizers for
example we do this in feed products and
reduce emissions at the same time or if
we’re looking at new plants for example
and crops if we look at extensive
farming rather than intensive farming
where of course there’s more interest
because of the environmental lesser
impact that something is made more
explicit in the coming years that is a
part and parcel of from farm to fork as
far as I’m concerned we have to provide
prospects for people in Europe for
businesses in Europe and the Commission
is trying to do that
for non-ascii non-attached tell another
happy thank you over here good evening
can I come back to the macroscopic idea
surrounding subsidies for fossil fuels
and we know that we’re still giving
billions to subsidies on fossil fuels in
the EU I know that much of the
responsibility the onus for that the
responsibility lies with the Member
States and that is always a problem with
a strategy which is ambitious and vague
when the member states are not really
keeping up or doing their bit I think
you can have Italy among the countries
which come into this category and
clearly much remains to be done can I
ask what are you going to do with member
states in that position to speed up this
move away from fossil fuels which is so
necessary and then secondly given the
major differences between member states
disparities and where there is need for
a lot of investment and sacrifices are
going to be needed how are you going to
provide circumstances which are
conducive to those changes has a time
come to change the budget and fiscal
laws and exclude green and social
investment from the calculations for the
stability and growth pact and is the
hesitate not come to bite that bullet
thank you
you did a gay civil yam thank you very
much if all of us want to get carbon you
tried you say in Italian
naturally diabolical or climatic a
leslie i climate-neutral by 2015 then
all of the member states will need to
come forward with projects to get us
there
if those projects are there they have
got to explain what they’re doing with
traditional energy forms and I think
that’s where we’ve got to keep our eye
on the ball
and avoid investment which heads off
which says goes in the opposite
direction and you need to have a toolbox
there so that we can have a proper
discussion with the Member States going
towards 2015 now there was a second
question which has just escaped me
helped me see exactly thank you it’s
maybe a simple a blind spot for the
Dutch terrible and having forgotten the
one on there stupid anyway Valdez
Dombrowski’s earlier on today gave I
think a steer on the direction there of
travel when we look at economic
development and growth in our different
countries we’ve got to look at
everything heading helping us towards
what is socially sustainable and analyse
the economic lie of the land in
individual countries I’m not suggesting
that we exclude certain investments in
in a blanket way from the the fiscal
rules of the you know not that’s not I
think they were to go well thank you for
that clear answer anyway no on a
separate issue which has been mentioned
the whole farm to fork there is no
scientific evidence suggesting that
intensive
methods and industrial methods have an
impact on biodiversity and the initial
and greenhouse gas emissions now coming
back to the fact the financial side are
we aren’t we going to continue to put
public money into encouraging or funding
intensive farming and there’s a lot
scope for doing something different
particularly in fruit and veg thank you
this is a word of an argument one hears
from day the farmers themselves and from
the growers themselves it’s something
which really has has come from them I
think what we have to do is look at the
carbon agriculture policy against that
backdrop how can we guarantee a future
for European farmers and produce food
which no longer pollutes and what
imagines that so it’s possible to build
a case and that’s already been priced in
to the reforms during the Yonker period
but that’s also going to be front and
center in the form in the farm to
foreign policy as well vice-president
can I take us back to something which
has been touched on but was essential
and this is the link between having a
European Green Deal and the investment
effort which is going to be required if
we want to give ourselves a new Green
Deal at the EU level
it’s got to be cross-cutting as you said
and will involve many different sectors
mobility transport sustainable
infrastructure and also industry with
new productive processes and which are
more sparing in their use of resources
and as we as you said already support
for
what workers who work in very in highly
polluting sectors where they have got to
have new skills and new jobs waiting for
the mats going to require a lot of I
spend a lot of investment in the we’re
talking about one hundred fifty hundred
two hundred billion per annum if we’re
going to follow through on on Paris and
there is going to be a need for a
co-financing with private investment but
there is a need for EU and national
public spending as well but taxpayers
money I my quest Mike my question is
what ideas do you have to have to ensure
that I’ve fixed a mind of the EU budget
money that’s there is going to be put
into achieving the European Green Deal
fund banking we talk in the Commission
internally about the justification fund
and the just transition mechanism in the
sense that everything is pushing in the
same direction I’m talking there about
all of the funds which we have our
disposal and indeed co-financing from
Member States I think that there’s a lot
of still to be done and for the time
being the funds tend to be working away
in their own silos sometimes they have
understood that 25 percent has got to go
into this direction or that however my
ideal solution would be that it should
be a hundred percent the investments in
order to push in the same direction and
we’ve got to think about step one avoid
things which counterproductive and
pushing in their own direction
altogether but you are perfectly right
since Paris we do need two hundred
billion per annum
we’re having to tackle the decline in
biodiversity and it’s clear that we’re
going to need even more money and even
more funding we have to be realistic the
total quantum of a multi annual mff is
not going to be much more than what the
commission has been asking for about the
parliaments wanting it’s going to be
very hard we’ll have to really bring to
bear a purse of persuasion on the member
states and them cancel because we’re
talking here about a course correction
and we’ve got to make a case that we are
proceeding in a concerted fashion in a
particular direction I think that’s has
got some some powers of conviction
itself
mrs. Bonifay thank you very much for
that reply can I also take us back to
private investment when it’s necessary
it’s about a clear economic framework so
that we can see what sustainable
investment at the EU level is listening
to vice president Dabrowski’s and
commissioners a definite gentiloni
working with them how can you ensure
that the Commission does fire on all
cylinders and provide proper funding for
the new Green Deal both at EU level and
national level now if I could just ask
you to elaborate what role falls to the
EIB as a European climate bank in the in
this context particularly with an eye to
the whole question of further investment
in fossil fuels let orgone attencion ik
well look I read closely to what Apollo
gentiloni I was saying here and also
about these top profs keys earlier today
and they’re all heading in the same
direction and we are working hand in
hand there is clearly a desire to get
going and there is forward movement in a
particular direction
and we are going to try to demonstrate
to Parliament that this is this has
mileage in it this is a as possible I’ve
talked to the presence of the AIB and he
is also very committed to that direction
and I believe that after the successes
of the Younger plan the bank the IB is
prepared to spell out what it how it’s
going to process the investment which is
required to go to head off there and to
find ways for member states to wean off
the non future-oriented energy sources
and I think that we can be optimistic in
having a specific program with the EIB
to prove and demonstrate that that
investment effort can start next year
this year with this batch good evening
mr timmermans you’re very welcome I
carefully read your mission litter and
I’ve been listening carefully to you for
over two hours you’ve not yet won me
over but you’ve still got time I’d like
to come back to the just transition fund
you would like a trillion euro to be
invested over a decade we need to face
facts in politics member states are only
willing to pay in 1% so will you be able
to win over the ladies and gentlemen and
counsel get them to invest money now I’m
a member of the Committee on transport
and we tend to look at policies in terms
of taxation taxation on aviation
maritime the excess burden so what about
refinancing if you take money away from
this international sector then where
will the money go can you ensure
investment or will you just take this
money away and beef up your own budget
so when it comes to these sectors I
think it’s very important that we beef
up the innovation potential in maritime
and aviation sectors that’s very
important for the Committee on Transport
when it comes
what happens to the money we’ll have to
talk to the members states will have to
decide whether that flows into the EU
budget or is returned to the Member
States I feel that it would make sense
to use the monies gathered to make
improvements in those sectors I can’t
understand an approach whereby you would
assume that maritime in aviation is
already so heavily burdened that you had
to tread carefully how could you explain
to citizens that when they drive for
their cars or take the train then these
sectors have to stump up money but no
tax is levied on kerosene that is not
acceptable we need to try to be a bit
more honest when it comes to our
taxation approach here this would be in
the interests of society as a whole I
hope that you also noted what I said at
the beginning we are not looking to
wrench people away from their cars but
ensure that they drive clean cars and we
can get there in Europe over the coming
years Singh goes to shipping have you
seen how polluting the maritime sector
is I hope that we can work via the IMO
but if not we need to do something at EU
level have you seen what happens in
Hamburg when a ship docks there it could
be a cruise ship or any other type of
vessel but these really do pollute the
environment there we need to prevent
that happening in future and I hope we
could agree on that I’m sure we can
agree on that certain the same would go
for Amsterdam Hannover we want
innovation but we need to make sure that
the money is there to achieve that now
I’d like to come back to Esther to
Langa’s question in the very beginning
you were a team player you wanted to
work with mrs. Vesta ger but you seem to
be going to
when it comes to transports you know
that Romania is looking for a Transport
Commissioner or do you plan to take on
this sir by yourself are you gonna be a
team player or go it alone here in
recent years I think I’ve shown that I
am a team player perhaps I should remind
you that everything that I am saying
here has been drawn from statements
delivered by misses from the line
perhaps you’ve forgotten that no good
over the last five years I worked very
closely with my commissioner colleagues
as I said at the beginning you can’t go
it alone you can’t achieve all this and
though you need to work as part of a
team under all sort of fun the Lions
leadership we will work together I will
need the commissioners to work with me
we need to pull in the same direction
saying goes for transport farming energy
environment we all need to coordinate
our efforts and that’s part of my job I
will strive to work with my colleagues
in the same way I have done over the
last five years thank you for the great
thank you
mini a theme among mr. timmermans as a
climate commissioner you have to make
sure that the european union will be
emissions free i’ve heard a lot of good
words but i haven’t heard much about
animal husbandry and the fact that
animal husbandry produces more
greenhouse gas emissions than all cars
trains planes and boats together so you
can’t have a mission free europe without
dealing with animal husbandry now Europe
is actually doing the complete
diametrically opposed thing they’re
actually subsidizing intensive farming
by to the tune of billions of euros
which means there there’s more and more
animals suffering more and more
emissions as well but also more
deforestation around the world
hence my question how are you going to
reduce meat production and consumption
are you going to provide a lot of money
for the organic industry is there any
margin in your policy for animal welfare
because over the past five years I’ve
noted that there are certain rules that
for animal welfare that have been
countered and that is suffering and the
environment is suffering so what are you
doing in the coming five years well I
just like to know which rules you’re
referring to that I’ve been against that
would help animal welfare I’m happy to
talk to you about that
but listen intensive farming is part of
the problem that’s something that I
think even the farming sector knows very
well individual farmers are well aware
of that to the farming sector and animal
husbandry see it should be part of the
solution is also true we should see more
opportunities than than just restricting
this to the only possibility being
getting rid of animal husbandry
altogether obviously it’s important when
people thinking about diet and what they
eat and what’s being consumed to provide
that food that’s also good but I also
think that we have to be aware of the
burden that comes false to the
environment because of that but also the
agricultural sector needs to be helped
along the way to make that transition
for example through innovation in animal
feed that’s being used that we want to
have more extensive farming that we
combine that with other forms of farming
to make sure that the pressure on invite
the environment is reduced these are all
things that are very useful that could
be put into the agricultural policy and
I think the changes over the past five
years through mr. Hogan my colleague
have actually been going in the right
direction and I’ve been seeing this with
my own eyes there’s much more attention
for animal welfare than it’s been the
case in the past it’s led to changes in
cultural sect in the farm sector and
farmers want to be part of that change
so I’d be probably less pessimistic than
you appear to be and also I want the
European Union to contribute to what is
often seen as a problem ie
in intensive farming but there’s animal
husbandry that’s developed that will
actually contribute to improving the
environment in Europe and also will
provide a contribution for providing
food that is still extremely necessary
for Europe and that we shouldn’t just be
left to the vicissitudes of the world
market well little disappointed with
your answer because it’s very difficult
to deal with the environment deal with
animal husbandry and and deal with food
provision without coming up with these
subsidies and they’re ten tens of
billions of euros I mean we can’t be
provided cheap food and therefore
deforestation of the Amazon how you’re
going to replant that and then then
investing in nuclear energy as well but
I have a specific question you’re saying
maybe we should think on a smaller scale
I’ve got a small question to you to see
how big your influence might be on the
rest of the Commission Brussels isn’t
just paying for the production of meat
but is also paying millions to promote
meat what a wonderful beef that’s a
slogan from the European PR camp company
to promote European meat in Hong Kong
are you prepared to cut these sort of
subsidies or not not aglet meat really
meant to be honest no my intention is to
make sure that policy is framed to make
sure that animal husbandry can be done
in a manner and is done in a manner that
isn’t more environmentally friendly I’m
prepared to work hard to make sure that
animal welfare is given greater
attention and their improvement in
animal welfare whether it is in animal
husbandry or transporting or
slaughtering of animal
those are measures that I think the
authorities can take and that the
European authorities indeed ought to be
taking and I think that’s something it
needs to be done just commenting on one
thing stop all these subsidies straight
away well there’s a lot of margin to
change the way we do subsidies and I
think reforming agriculture is also an
approach that we need to think about but
just stopping all the subsidies do you
imagine what level of poverty and
destitution you would bring raining down
on parts of the population if we were to
do that it’s really something we have to
factor into the policy mix at European
level and this is also for people like
me who want to push society into a more
progressive and more environmentally
friendly approach but think about the
people we’re unfortunately far too many
people find themselves in the current
days Europe Thank You foreign jisub
dance thank you sorry another question
from behind I want to return to the
Commission’s paper on the SDGs and the
scenarios that were outlined I think
it’s unthinkable that any scenario other
than scenario one would deliver us the
results and get us to the place that we
need to be in what would you say we can
do to get member states to individually
meet their SD G targets will there be
any binding SDG implementation that you
foresee at an EU level how would that
work and thinking in particular you
mentioned the biodiversity conference in
China and s DG 15 on biodiversity
what would a headline ambition look like
for biodiversity at a global level first
of all it’s interesting to see how
quickly the thinking about the STDs has
evolved
I remember the difficulties I had to get
this document done in the Commission and
even to get the three scenarios it but
now nobody seems to be talking about
anything else but the first time
which I welcome very much
concretely on your question I believe
that well there’s so much commitment to
the SDGs in the member state member
states that it’s time that the
Commission would ask what does this mean
concretely what are you going to do
concretely to implement these seventeen
scg’s and how are you going to do it
what is in the different areas your plan
and I believe that if we if we want to
be successful in in the next conferences
whether it’s already in in in Chile and
and in Glasgow and in China and October
next year we have to start becoming more
concrete on these on these issues and
especially the problem with biodiversity
and they’re there you know I’ve asked
some some scientific advice and I said
again two weeks ago in in in New York
the problem is what is your benchmark
how do you quantify with emissions it’s
easy relatively easy but with
biodiversity it’s scientifically far
more complicated and and what I want to
do is to engage with the scientific
community to make sure that we’re able
to find some benchmarks we can then you
know devise our policies upon and and I
think we need to do this before we go to
to Beijing
thank you I’m pleased you said that
because I think one of the reasons we’re
missing current biodiversity targets is
because we don’t have that tangible goal
would you say that in terms of a
domestic agenda in terms of the Union
that giving DG clima more of a say over
the first pillar of the cap would be a
sensible way of ensuring that we in the
EU notwithstanding that we don’t know
what that headline goal will be that we
in the EU mean our diversity targets I
think it will be sensible to as a
commission to discuss the division
between what we put in the first pillar
and the second pillar and I believe if
you look at the at the difference in
numbers if you really want European
agriculture
to move in the direction we wanted to
move the second pillar should have more
room to maneuver
than we have now in the first place so I
would like to have a discussion about
the correspondence between the two
pillars and if we could not create a
situation where we help the agricultural
sector to make these structural changes
through an increased possibility for the
second pillar for the greens Michael
blows thank you and mr. Timmons you said
you want more research but we have to
research already it’s here it’s the IPCC
report for the one point five degree
goal and it’s very very clear it says we
have to act now but we can go to a one
point five degree goal and it
establishes a co2 budget for it and
calculations of today show that we have
around eight years time to reach the one
point five in eight years this co2
budget is gone so I want to ask you will
you follow science will you include in
the climate law a carbon budget approach
and also I wanted to press more on what
is inside the climate law but it seems
that there is not so much I can get from
you but when will the measures that you
propose take effect I think this is what
the people on the street that protest
want to know when do we act and secondly
you were speaking about the
contradictory policies you want to erase
I’m very happy with this and you have a
lot of power now you have a huge
portfolio you are a team player but you
also are the machine will you commit to
completely phase-out of unsustainable
biofuels like palm oil and so and soy so
that our energy policy stops
contributing to global deforestation
will you put forward a legislative
proposal to tax kerosene and maritime
fuels and will you press infringement
procedures or member states that do not
present concrete plans to phase out
fossil fuels as they obliged by by the
governance regulation I think to get
done what we need to do I think
targets
good instruments I don’t think we need I
think that the what your because you
you’ve mentioned this before to me so I
asked for some advice on that I think
what you want to achieve given what
we’ve done in the European Union is
achievable through the targets we have
set and if we make the targets more
specific in a short run it will become
achievable to add another way of
calculating to that with all the
uncertainties that it surrounds in terms
of sort of moving targets
would probably more complicate than help
us achieve what we need to achieve now
the second part of your question is
about what I will enforce in terms of
removing contradictions in the policies
we have already I believe we’ve made a
step in the right direction in terms of
palm oil with the decision taken by the
present Commission but we will have to
look at more of these commodities to
make sure we remove actions that add to
deforestation and we need to create more
transparency to know exactly where that
is headed but to do that we will also
need a dialogue with the countries of
origin because they of course have their
own revenge occations in terms of fair
trade in terms of the relationship with
European Union and we need to help them
and I’m encouraged by by some of the
movements I see especially in Asia we
need to help them to avoid deforestation
for the production they do as well so we
also have a global global responsibility
but at the end of the day that we would
have to propose forms of legislation to
avoid contributing to further
deforestation I think it is probably
inevitable you also asked one are you
going to act well I’m going to act as
soon as possible and I say this and I
really want to I know that there’s a
huge sense of urgency in society but I
also want to stress one thing if we
shoot from the hip and we get it wrong
we discredit everything we do that is my
experience of the last five years so if
we really want to have this
transformational change and we want
legislation that does that we need to be
well-prepared and do all the preparation
and do all the impact assessment that we
need to do that will give us far more
credibility and far more possibility to
act but when you ask me when I say to
you as soon as I can get it ready the
answer to budget another scientific
approach is taken by the German
environmental agency they calculated
that the cost of one ton co2 for the
whole society is 180 euro so the people
and the environment they paid the price
for the pollution from coal and lignite
and you yourself in the campaign said
that you want to put a price on co2 you
spoke about the uy2 to tax but you know
that this requires unanimity in the
council and you could put a price on co2
by creating a carbon floor price in the
ETS will you put a carbon floor price in
the ETS of at least 40 euros and then I
was not asking when you start acting
I was asking when does the measurements
take effect when will we reduce the
first one of co2 from the measurements
that that you propose and on this also
there is a possibility for instance
through the just transition fund when
you make it conditional to to phasing
out coal that would be a possibility of
going to the coal will you do that first
I don’t see the merits in introducing a
floor in the pricing of carbon I think
the the price as it is developing is
going in the right direction and I am
pretty confident it will continue to do
that
secondly you know when will it take
effect well that’s a question to me but
also to you it depends on when we get
get legislation approved by Parliament
and Council and I know at least that’s
my experience that the chances improve
if you are well prepared and if
you have the facts on your side that’s
why I’m saying let’s not shoot from the
hip but I count on your support and this
Parliament support to be ambitious to
deliver on on what citizens are asking
of us I’m so sorry I know I the last one
slip from my mind it was the
conditionality of the transition funds
money for EM well yes I believe that
that we need to make sure that first of
all nothing we do is contradictory but
secondly that the if we want to convince
European citizens to put taxpayers money
to put their money on the table for
transition we have to be able to prove
to them that that transition goes in the
right direction and makes us less
dependent on fossil fuels and reduces
emissions and I think I think there’s
nothing wrong with introducing that
conditionality in the funds we spend on
transition and on modernizing Europe’s
economy thank you for Renu Andres Rock
- Commissioner vice-president
designate timmermans the ETS is in
excess as it says all sectors being part
of the IDS have been reached their
individual goals the sector’s not being
part of the ETS are struggling at
present there are discussions whether to
extend the ETS or not also the ETS
guarantees a decreasing amount of co2
emissions as the number of certificates
is getting less year by year by the way
this is an advantage we would not have
with the co2 tax a further advantage is
in is the fact that it does not dictate
which technological solution will be
implemented the ETS is a technology open
economical approach to the challenge of
global warming and in my belief if we
really want to have success in fighting
global warming then ecology and economy
have to go hand in hand
but as we have only one climate
worldwide further action is needed in
the you but as well in the rest of the
world we’ve been already
talking about a carbon border text so
but what do you think about the idea of
an expansion of the ETS to third
countries outside of the EU who would
want to take pardoned who could thereby
avoid such a carbon politics and if you
agree to this idea what do you think
which countries would you consider as
suitable to participate Canada
California whatever I think it’s always
a good ideas you know we will be put
before a choice at some point how do we
make sure that we are not punished for
the steps we take in terms of getting
competition at lower prices from
countries where they don’t take the
measures that are necessary and then
basically you have two choices either
you convince the countries to do the
same thing and then tell to them if you
take part in ETS if you put a price on
on carbon if you reduce emissions if you
do all that of course you’ll be our
trading partner and we don’t need to
correct the difference in carbon
footprint with a fiscal measure at the
border if you don’t want to do that then
we’re very sorry we have no other option
but to correct this difference in carbon
footprint at the border with tax I think
this is an interesting proposition and I
do believe this is WTO conform it
doesn’t violate the euro zone WTO but I
think it goes hand-in-hand because the
the positive proposition should be take
part in operations whether it’s ETS the
way we do it other ways of putting a
price on carbon which would allow us to
create a level playing field if there is
no level playing field we will have to
correct that through fiscal measures at
the border I’ve been really happy about
your answer and you have been talking
about technical technology open
solutions already before and you’ve been
talking about hydrogen already before
and indeed hydrogen is a really
interesting point when it comes to
energy storage but is well when it comes
to mobility a combustion engine for
example is neither good or bad it just
depends on what you burn in it still we
have today still we don’t have a
hydrogen straight
cheese so my question is will you work
on a hydrogen strategy and what’s your
time schedule and when do you expect it
to be effective in terms of co2
reduction well certainly work on a
hydrogen strategy because I also believe
Europe can really lead on this because I
think we can we still have an advantage
visa V other parts of the world if we
speed it up I also believe because
hydrogen you have no energy loss when
you store energy in hydrogen you also
know just if in my dreams I would create
a partnership with Africa especially
North Africa and we would help install
huge capacity of solar energy in Africa
and transform that energy into hydrogen
and then transport that hydrogen to
other parts of the world in Europe
through existing means we already have
it is not that difficult to change the
pipelines where you now use for gas into
hydrogen it’s not that difficult to use
LNG terminals for hydrogen this is my
dream of the future energy because let’s
not kid ourselves if we don’t
incorporate perspective for North Africa
or Africa in all of this we will be
weakened from that side as well so
hydrogen I think could be a huge
opportunity for our economy you know if
people in the steel industry already
saying now we could create a situation
where hydrogen could be the fuel to have
a competitive steel industry I think
these are huge opportunities we should
try and use to the maximum possible
thank you the last question for your
hearing sturdy moments from Patel is a
thank you chair Thank You mr. Timmons
and some other colleagues I’m not under
% happy we were anti-semitic culture and
aviation ETS could be better but thank
you very much for your commitments and I
like very much your readiness to work
with bodies from Wolski’s on the
industry issue this is needed and I very
much support your line that you really
follow would love for the line speech on
the target we want at least 50% and we
want to go to 55% but some Commission
some code
ditions has to be met and we speak a lot
about science the science doesn’t
respect borders so your main task will
be to convince other partners in the
world to do more and we spoke a lot
about Greta Greta is not in Europe I
don’t ask you to sail to the United
States but I ask you to spend a lot of
time and to dedicate a lot of staff to
convincing third countries are you ready
to do this and what exactly will you do
to convince the other member states to
do what Europe is doing increasing the
NDC well I believe that as I said in my
introduction that a big chunk of what I
need to do internationally is to
convince others to go in the same
direction now I have to say even those
who declare that they don’t want to or
that they don’t think it should be done
with a speed that is necessary are
making plans who are transforming all
their industries already taking the
measures to to transform so so I’m not
that pessimistic at the thing what is
lacking mostly is political will so if
that is the biggest stumbling block then
political engagement international
negotiations try to convince showing
examples at work also making you know
sort of offers like I said before that
if we have a level playing field trade
can increase if you don’t want a level
playing field it will have consequences
for our relations these things I think
could work and and let’s not forget that
in other parts of the world you know
what is happening is is is coming as a
shock to everyone what is happening in
our climate this erratic weather we’re
seeing what is happening in many of our
inner cities go to China look at the
inner cities just suffocating there if
they don’t take drastic measures what is
happening with our biodiversity I mean
just let it sink in that out of 8
million species on earth 1 million could
disappear I mean this all warrants very
active international action and I know
you’re absolutely right to point to that
necessity but I want a caution for those
who are saying but you’re not saying
this I know where you’re coming from but
others are saying because we’re only
nine percent of the emissions others
should be acting first before us I don’t
think it works like that
I I think it works that if we can show
that it works if we could show that it
helps our industry innovate if we can
show that it creates jobs and better
jobs then it will be the most convincing
arguments to get others to tag along and
I would want to invest a lot in that but
also into those players whether they’re
in industry over in regional local
government in the United States and
elsewhere who do believe in this and do
take measures in this and let me come
back to the pact I want to have also in
our society everyone needs to be part of
this if this is something that is
perceived as imposed from Brussels or
from Berlin or from elsewhere it will
not happen but if people feel they have
a stake in this and to say in this and
they have an influence in this I think
we can make we can make this happen and
that I will never be able to fully
satisfy conservatives I think I see as a
compliment thank you very much
yeah I think you and I think EPP is
ready to work with you on that but you
mentioned also people inside Europe but
I think also people outside Europe we
will be more easy able to be convinced
if we don’t speak only about regulation
and rules so that’s why and also you
were not so clear on one in one out
isn’t it a good idea to identify some
rules that hinder people that want to
invest in clean technologies so we need
maybe more rules for the climate that’s
true but shouldn’t we also identify
rules that are bad for climate friendly
technologies and abolish these months
I’m all for that but in my experience in
the last five years also when I headed
the the Task Force on a better
regulation I challenged national
parliaments I challenged everyone give
us a list what do you want to to have
abolished I challenge everyone the list
was very short I have to say so yes I
believe there is room for better
regulation yes there is I believe
there’s room for more tailor-made
regulation I also believe that by doing
decent impact assessments by having a
regulatory scrutiny board who looks into
this we already have better regulation I
also believe that we need to look at a
lot of existing regulation in a lot of
areas to see whether it’s fit for
purpose let me give you one example our
energy directive there’s nowhere near
where it needs to be we need to revisit
that and I want to have the possibility
to at least have the possibility to
envisage a taxation of kerosene because
I don’t see the logic why that energy
source should be exempt from tax we
perhaps don’t agree on that but there’s
some way the airline industry will have
to contribute to this whether it’s with
stricter ETS or whether it’s with
taxation but they can’t be left out of
this can they so you know I’m all for a
better regulation I’m also all for
scrapping regulation we no longer need
or is obsolete I think we’ve started
doing that so you will find me on your
side with that but then also the onus is
on those who were asking for it to give
us a list what they want us to scrap and
then I’m sure we to do that thank you so
it’s time now for your concluding
remarks for five minutes
thank you very much mr. chairman and and
let me say that I know the hour is late
and you probably have better things to
do than to listen to me for the nother
five minutes but I do want to close with
a message that I believe I should share
and that is you know over the last 10 to
15 years we’ve often had this discussion
the EU what does it good for and it even
led to sometimes a discussion that has
compelled the majority of the citizens
and one member state to vote to leave of
the European Union which i think is is
extremely sad but it puts a burden on
our shoulders to demonstrate to our
citizens what it’s good for and I
believe if there’s one area where we
leave little effort to convince our
citizens it is this area of transforming
our society into a sustainable society I
honestly believe if you look at the
analyses that made more than 90 percent
of Europeans want us to act in the
climate crisis to fight the climate
crisis more than 9 out of 10 Europeans
want us to do something about that so
this gives you and me a unique
opportunity to demonstrate what we’re
good for namely to help this society
regain the self-confidence to transform
itself into a sustainable sites to lead
in the world we can be the leading
continent in the world that takes the
world into a brighter future into them a
sustainable future and I think this is
an opportunity we could actually
actually take
lose now because 2050 seems an awful
long time before we get there
but if we don’t get the legislation in
place in this mandate in the next five
years then we will never ever be able to
attain the goals in 2030 let alone the
goals in 2050 it will be impossible and
if we don’t get this framed within the
first 100 days of the from the line
commissioned we will not be able to get
the legislation ready in the next five
years so in the next 100 days after the
first of November you and I have a
collective responsibility to get this
right if I look at what our kids are
asking of us if I look at sometimes the
level of despair in parts of our society
of this feeling of nobody’s in charge
we’re on a runaway train we don’t know
where we’re going we need to change that
and we can do that at the European level
with European answers to European
challenges and if we do this well in
Europe it will have in effect on the
rest of the world I honestly believe is
in your hands to make this happen
and I came across let’s see if I can
find it quickly I came across something
in in the Gathering Storm witches which
is Nobel prize-worthy a book by Winston
Churchill he he wrote about appeasement
in the 1930s and he found a poem in in
in punch about a runaway train in the
1890s because the train was runaway
because the train driver had fallen
asleep at the wheel and the the poem
ends like this for the pace is hot and
the points are near and sleep hath
deadened the drivers ear and signals
flash through the night in vain death is
in charge of the clattering train we
should never let it come to that
we should show that this train has a
driver and the driver is listening to
the European population the driver knows
where we need to go and the driver
charts a map that will take us there
this is your task I will try and do my
best to make this task possible for all
of us and I believe if we do this
collectively we can chart a refugee for
Europe that our children will be proud
of thank you very much
[Applause]
because there’s always like a shaking
hand
laughs image
Thanks
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