Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Members, The engine driving the green transition is the new technologies that are now being developed in Europe and not least in northern Sweden. If this engine is to work, the key is access to strategic and critical raw materials. These must be extracted in a sustainable way, for the environment, for people and not least the people who work in production. We must also have the best dialogue with local communities and European indigenous peoples in order to create sustainable and positive regional development. For this engine to work, a sustainable supply of raw materials is required. This is the key to the green transition.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear Members, Many thanks to the rapporteur and my shadow rapporteurs, the Commission and the Council and not least our colleagues for a very constructive process. Now we are giving wings to the green transition. Let's change the flight. We will need flights now and we will probably need more in the future, not least in regions with large distances. For us Social Democrats, it has been important to speed up this process, this transition – to raise the standards. It has also been important that all airports can be included, so now even the smaller airports will be allowed to participate in the green transition from the start. And not least my own home airport and many other airports in northern Sweden and in many regions. We also saw early on that we need to include as many reasonable fuels as possible if this is to be realistic. So now we can also use biofuels from forests and from agriculture, long-term sustainable fuels, e-fuels and batteries. Now we are giving wings to the green transition. Let's take off!

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Members, Ecodesign will give us great opportunities to create sustainable products and energy-efficient products for our internal market. It will create the conditions for companies and industries to create sustainable processes and be able to work circularly in a way that they have not worked before. It will allow us to remove bad products. To create sustainable, repairable, long-term products where we look at the entire life cycle. For us social democrats, it has also been very important that we actually look at the whole. To do that, you have to see all the links in the chain, and also include the social aspects of those who actually produce our sustainable products. Then when you do, when you see all these parts, then we have created sustainability for real.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear Members, For several years now, we have been working on transforming our transport systems to make them green. The road to the destination is still bumpy, and many dangerous junctions remain. Some important problems that need to be addressed include the large shortage of drivers for heavy-duty vehicles. We also need to accelerate green fuels and a more efficient use of the fuels we have today. The costs of new infrastructure and maintenance of the current one are very high. Large and long-distance transport can be very useful here and contribute to efficiency improvements and harmonisation throughout the transport system. If we can find a good balance here, we will take important steps in the green transition. The road to the goal is no longer as bumpy and the number of dangerous crossings is not as high.

Madam President, Members of Parliament, we are in the middle of our biggest and most important transition, the transition to a green society. Batteries have played a crucial role and will play an even more crucial role in this transition. In the transport sector, we can see how batteries are now powering electric cars, e-bikes, e-scooters, hybrid ferries, and soon also commercial aviation. But we are not self-sufficient enough on these minerals and in the Critical Raw Materials Act, we will look at how we can recycle more as we do in this act. And we will also see how we can extract these minerals as careful as possible and also together with the local population, extract these minerals and create the largest possible regional development. Batteries are truly powering the green transition.

Madam President, thank you very much. In recent years, the world has experienced bigger, more unexpected and more unwanted crises than in a very, very long time. Cohesion policy has proved to be a very powerful tool for bringing great benefit to the citizens of Europe. Flexibility from this house and from the Commission has enabled us to use cohesion policy in many unexpected – sometimes unwanted – ways. But the result has been that it has worked, and we have discovered new ways to get the most out of this money. For the next programming period, it is now important that we evaluate this: What has been good, what has been bad? But we have to carry with us perhaps the most important experience: There must be flexibility. There must be a thought, but there must also be flexibility. Then we will be able to make the most of this important resource and ensure that we can create an even better and more cohesive Europe and European Union for the benefit of our citizens, but also for the benefit of the global family.

Madam President, thank you very much. The green transition will require a lot of green electric energy and green hydrogen. If we are to do that, I am very optimistic about the production of wind power, solar power and also other renewable forms of energy, but here the major additions will take place. What we then also need to complement this with – whatever we think about nuclear power, some new nuclear power plants will not be ready on time, but we need to be able to turn energy on and off whenever we want – and for this we need to be able to store. Here too, I am an optimist, because we now know that we can store gas in tanks and we can store electricity in batteries, and recently there were new findings showing that we can make batteries even from wood, which is of course extremely interesting. I also received very good news on Swedish radio this morning that Sweden's largest producer of hydropower will streamline the current hydropower and possibly be able to produce 720 new megawatts, many of which will be pumped, that is, a new way of storing larger amounts of energy. I am optimistic about the future. We need new green energy. We need to be able to store green energy and we definitely need to save energy.

Mr President, thank you very much. This week, Parliament is making very important decisions for the climate. The climate threat is global. The EU and China are now dependent on each other to cope with this climate threat. We rely on trade and cooperation to produce important things such as wind turbines, batteries and solar cells. If we are to cope with the climate threat, this cooperation must be developed. At the same time, we are today too dependent on China in many areas, not least for access to critical earth elements, where we need to find other strategic partners and stable partners. If we are to cope with the climate threat, China must be included in climate action, but when we do, we must tighten up our demands and be extremely clear about increased human rights, better working conditions and the right of regions and countries to independence.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear Members, Commissioner, Minister, The engine of the climate transition is the green technologies that are now being developed in Europe and not least in northern Sweden. Critical raw materials must never become a bottleneck in this. We must increase Europe's self-sufficiency in strategic, critical raw materials and we must form strategic alliances with reliable nations. We need to be exemplary in effective permit-granting and consultation processes with local communities. We must set an example in the external environment and internal working environment. In addition, we must set an example in the long-term sustainable development of local communities. If we do this, Europe will be able to continue to lead and drive the climate transition that the world so desperately needs.

Madam President, thank you very much. Members! Mr. Prime Minister! It makes me both proud and happy that the Swedish Presidency was inaugurated in my home region in northern Sweden. It is a region that has much of the technology and development that we need for the green transition: fossil-free steel, battery factories, new battery technology, green energy. However, if we are to achieve our full potential, we need to build societies, and we need to involve all levels. We need better functioning infrastructure, training, skills provision, ports, roads and railways. Municipalities must have more, regions must have more as well as businesses, the state and the EU. Today, there is concern – not just on my part. It's not just from the opposition. Will the state be involved? Will the government deliver? And this applies to many areas. Last night we could hear on Swedish radio how a company manager actually talked about the investment that the prime minister also talked about, in western Sweden between Volvo and Northvolt. Will there be energy? Will there be wind power? he wondered. This is what we can achieve in a few years' time. In 15 years we may have new nuclear power, but then it will be too late. My hope is therefore that the Swedish government will remove the concerns about the green transition, about energy, about building the whole of Sweden and about building the EU together. The role of Sweden in the EU must be developed and strengthened. Small countries need to use beautiful words. There are very few beautiful words in the world today. We need every beautiful word we can find. However, it is not beautiful words that give influence, but it is to set an example in every way, especially for a small country. Good luck to Sweden!

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear Members, Many thanks to the rapporteur for this very important report. A society that takes into account everyone's needs, even those with large functional variations, is a good society. It will be a better society for everyone. This is why this center is so important. Focusing on these issues will help us all do a better job. At the same time, it is extremely important: this must not become an island, this must not become something that ‘takes care of the problem’, but it must be integrated into all the work that we actually do. A society's humanism is ultimately characterized by how we take care of each other and how we take care of those who may have the greatest needs. That is why this is also extremely important. If we are to be successful and succeed quickly, we must also set an example. Therefore, in its own work on accessibility, the European Parliament must take on a great responsibility to always be at the forefront, to always be the most accessible. Then we will succeed.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Members, First, thanks to the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs for constructive and, at times, tough negotiations. I would also like to thank our colleagues who have worked very hard on this report. Air travel is absolutely necessary for a functioning world, and therefore it is also imperative that air travel is environmentally friendly. The Socialist Group has pushed and been heard for higher goals and faster measures. We must also have a working environment for those working in the aviation industry if this is to work. We must also pay particular attention to the remote regions, which are particularly dependent on air travel during this transition. When I look at developments in the aviation industry and when I look at this report, I am convinced that, when we – if not too many years – travel and transport things, we will do so with the most environmentally friendly mode of transport. I look forward to the forthcoming trilogues with the Commission and Commissioner Simson.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Members, Europe is in a deep energy crisis. Many households find it difficult to meet energy and food costs, i.e. the most basic. At the same time, many energy companies are making huge profits. This then creates opportunities. A right – and I mean right – designed tax could make it easier for those companies that want and are already making green investments to transfer resources from those who do not want to be part of the green transition in the same way. However, it needs to be designed correctly, otherwise it risks actually increasing prices even further and harming those companies already in the process of the green transition. If we succeed in this, we will not have to face such a crisis again, because then we have the green energy we need. I think that would be very good.

Mr President, thank you very much. Members! First, a big thank you to my colleagues, the rapporteur, the shadow rapporteurs, the Commission and the Presidency for a very constructive and at times tough change process that led to a good result. Europe is getting colder. A war, a terrible war, has created a cold that we had hoped we would never have to relive in Europe. The energy crisis has created cold in a different, very concrete way. There are those who say that we now have to burn oil and gas to cope with this, but it is definitely a dead end. Europe needs more green energy, more renewable energy, faster investment in this. Today's decision on Europe's energy infrastructure will facilitate and accelerate this green transition and is imperative. We can already see how Ukraine was connected a few weeks ago to Europe's energy system, and that is good, it creates greater stability and security. No one should have to freeze in Europe. Today's decision will create a greener Europe, a warmer Europe for Europe's citizens and a Europe where more of the lights of hope can be lit.

Mr President, thank you very much. On Saturday I will be home in the north of Sweden. It will be -20 ° cold. My house will be warm. It is well insulated and it is heated with green energy. Everyone in Europe should have it. We are in a hurry and we need to hurry. We need to accelerate green investments. We need to speed up the linking up of Europe's energy networks, which we are currently negotiating. In the report, we see that renewable energy is now the largest type of energy. It's very good. We can also see that nine of Europe's countries have phased out coal. It is also very good. But that is not enough, if we are to meet the climate targets for 2030 and 2050, we must increase the pace. So I would like Commissioner Kadri to give us a hint of how they are working to speed up these processes. The pandemic, we saw, reduced energy consumption, and we know that during crises and when we want, we can change our behaviour. It is important that we do it now with the climate, but that it is done fairly. Northern Sweden is part of the Arctic. It's cold there. My house is warm. This should be the case in every house in Europe.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Members, I come from a border region. It borders both Norway, which is not a member of the EU, and Finland, which has been a member of the EU for as long as Sweden. For us, it has always been natural to socialize across both regional and national boundaries. I remember my first trip abroad, which we didn't really see as abroad, but it was to Finland. We took the ferry from Skellefteå to Jakobstad. As a kid, it was great to get on such a big boat. It was hassle-free, we didn't need a passport, even then, long before we joined the EU. Since then, we have developed cooperation in the north. The Swedish city of Haparanda and the Finnish Tornio, located on either side of the border river Torne River, see themselves as a city and cooperate on everything they can. Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa on the other side of the water in Finland thought it was important to get a new ferry, so they formed a joint ferry company and in August launched the world's most environmentally friendly passenger and freight ferry, financed by the cities, because the cooperation is so important. We have formed an EGTC up there, the Kvarken Council, in order to eliminate all the hassle that can be eliminated. Because we want to hang out. We want to make contacts. We want to exchange both human contacts and goods and services, and we take it as far as possible. I would like to say that we have come a very, very long way. But we still see that borders are an obstacle. They're messing up. They don't make it easier. They make it more difficult for our region to develop and thus for Europe to develop. I appeal to the Council of Ministers: Come to dialogue! Let's solve this. Let's find a framework where we could try to take the next step on a voluntary basis, and then we'll develop this framework. The European project, somewhere, is ultimately about bringing people closer together. When I get home, I look forward to taking the new ferry.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear Members, I've lived in the Arctic my whole life and I've almost never frozen. The times I have frozen have often been when I traveled south. The cold house. High energy prices. Poor heating. No one in Europe should have to freeze today. But it is a complex problem and therefore there is no single easy solution. There are a number of things we need to do to avoid what is happening now. First and foremost, we need to be better at saving energy. A kilowatt saved is much more valuable than a newly produced one. We need to have more energy efficient houses and buildings, among other things. We need to be better at storing energy. The energy that we currently overproduce when it blows, to no avail, must be able to be stored and used when we most need it. We need to be better at transferring energy. Energy must be able to flow freely from where there is surplus to where there is deficit, which will vary over time. We also need to speed up processes, faster investments into a green transition and faster innovations, more resources there. No one in Europe should have to freeze.

Madam President, thank you very much. Members! On Thursday I will go home. 2,000 kilometers, then I'm in the Arctic. Some people view the Arctic as a museum. It should be as it always has been and nothing can be changed. Others see it as a pantry where you can freely take raw materials, battery metals and other things. For me it's home and for millions of others it is. We live our lives. We try to raise our children. We want to develop and we also care about the climate. What we are noticing now is that climate change comes first with us. We also notice that it is in the Arctic that the great powers meet and the security policy situation changes. It'll be more worrying. We see that the Northeast Passage will change, and also be able to contribute to increased interest in, the area. It is good that the EU has started working on Arctic issues, but what is important now is to realize that everything is happening locally. We must intensify the dialogue with the people who actually live in the Arctic, otherwise we will not succeed as well as we could. On Thursday I'm going home and I don't want to land in a museum or a pantry.