Speeches

Mr President, I came to this House to be a voice for all the butterflies, the bees, the dragonflies that pollinate on food and fuel our imaginations. I came to this House to speak for the dolphins, the whales and the entire marine ecosystem. The sea not only provides us with food, but also deepens our sense of belonging. I came to this House to advocate for the trees and forest whose roots anchor us in the soil of existence. The branches reach towards the sky of possibilities, offering us air, water and life unconditionally. I’m neither naive nor romantic. I understand that our communities and social cohesion are built using these resources. We depend on fishing, forestry, farming, mining, industry and transportation for our goods, for our homes, for mobility, for energy, for communication. I am aware that the deep transformation of society and the great turning will not happen overnight. But I still held hope for the European Green Deal. With the Net Zero Industry Act, we had the opportunity to prioritise industries that could make us more resilient, more nature-compatible and more competitive in the long-run. Taking into account that the transport of goods and people is the most consuming in terms of energy, emissions and natural space, transport should have been considered in this act. However, I see no investment or prioritising in enhancing the competitiveness of railway systems, despite our train manufacturers being real big champions. Accelerating environmental assessment for the deployment of wind and solar energy is obvious. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to destroy a small piece of nature somewhere to combat climate change, which threatens our planetary ecosystem. However, now that I see carbon capture pipelines and nuclear power plants also prioritised for rapid development, I cannot support this act anymore. I came to this House to be a voice for the dragonflies, for the dolphins and the trees, and here or wherever else, I will not lower my voice.

Madam President, honourable Prime Minister Mr Orpo, dear colleagues, last October, Mr Orpo sent a letter to our President von der Leyen raising concerns about the pressure on forest and forestry due to EU legislation. You asked to take more time. Already today, three quarters of Finland’s forest habitats are threatened. Already today, Finnish forests became a net emitter of carbon dioxide instead of a sink. And it’s not EU legislation that is responsible for the bad state of Finnish forests. We cannot afford to take more time. To use your own words, we need a Union that acts, fighting the climate and biodiversity crisis together, and our European forests are our strongest allies in this fight. So I ask you today, what is your plan to improve the state of Finnish forests? How can Finland contribute to a successful monitoring law that is upcoming now? And when will the big clear cuts in Finland that are still practice in 80 % of the forest finally be stopped?

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a scandal to see so many colleagues calling to lower the protection status of wolves. Have you actually read the Commission’s in-depth analysis? Because it lacks any scientific basis to your claim. The study highlights the vital role of wolves to our local ecosystem. They regulate wild populations, promote tree growth in our forests and reduce the spread of diseases. The study highlights that killing wolves is neither a long-term solution for farmers nor for livestock, and it highlights the use of preventive herd protection, with fences and dogs as the most effective method for safeguarding sheep and cattle. This attack on wolves, on the Bern Convention and on the Habitats Directive, is another conservative election campaign at the expense of nature. Together we must find solutions for a coexistence of humans and wolves, rather than repeating the old mistakes of the past. We must defend nature.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, dear Karima! Europe is growing together and we are making the European driving licence fit for the future. Our vision is, of course, zero road deaths in Europe by 2050. In order to increase safety on our roads, we have looked at the best experiences of the Member States and are now making them the rule in some parts of Europe. In Germany, for example, accompanied driving, which I was allowed to practice with my children at the moment, contributes greatly to the fact that we see better driving among beginners. The health checks known from Spain and just mentioned in the administrative extension of the driving licence also contribute to increased safety. We are in favour that this driving suitability should now be tested every 15 years. We are looking forward to this EU-wide digital driving licence. It is clear: Many details are still left to the countries, but we are looking forward to the negotiations in the trilogue. We need to keep our 2050 vision zero target in mind. It's about safety on the road and fewer deaths in the future.

Madam President, This is Europe – this is Europe. And yes, we have no choice but to stand together, ladies and gentlemen, for our climate stability and biodiversity. We need Romania and its treasuries of primary and primeval forests. I call on you, President Iohannis, to work for the protection of these forests. I've been to Romania several times. Făgăraș Mountains and in many beautiful places, and I have seen the beauty of your unique forests. I have seen countless species of animals and plants – endemic ones. But I have also seen the progressive deforestation, clear-cutting to the horizon, unfortunately also illegal deforestation in Natura 2000 areas, huge furrows in the earth and bad erosion, because no roots hold the slope anymore. Four years ago, the EU launched an infringement procedure. The Romanian government promised improvements and measures. Corruption and illegal deforestation are still commonplace. That is why I am asking you today, President Iohannis: How are you progressing with the agreed reforms of the training of foresters, the tracing of logging? And what do you do for environmentalists? The EU is looking at you; We need your help.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! On the reversal of the burden of proof: More than half of the birds in our fields, meadows and fields are silent. Pesticides are the number one driver of this bird death. Pesticides don't stay in the field. The rain washes them from vines and fat meadows, they land in the streams and are washed over the river systems into our drinking water. Pesticides also migrate through the food chain, through contaminated insects eaten by birds. Amsel, Drossel, Fink and Star – will they soon be gone? We must not allow the birds to fall silent and this song is of no importance to future generations. We need to think preventively and see chemical pesticides as a last resort. Today's system, which destroys our common agriculture so much, must be changeable together. And we have no choice. We need to radically reduce the use of pesticides. I ask you to vote here for a strong SUR, for a planet where it continues to hum, chirp and hum. Let's take responsibility together!

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Yesterday, Parliament once again made headlines with one detail: A train full of EU workers erroneously drove to Disneyland instead of Strasbourg. Actually, it's quite funny. Unfortunately, the incident also fits in some ways with the Commission's work programme, the last work programme before the 2024 European elections. Wrong because of course. For a long time, the Commission has promised a legislative proposal to facilitate rail travel in Europe. With the multimodal ticket, millions of travelers were able to hope for an end to the confusion of tariffs. They were allowed to dream of continuous tickets even for complicated connections and of arriving safely at their destination with the best fare across several borders. Now the European booking platform is completely out of the program. The interest in climate-friendly travel is huge. A missed penalty for the Commission. Mr Šefčovič, a little more serious: How are we supposed to achieve our climate goals in transport if you don't even manage to get this law across the gate line? Welcome to Disneyland!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, EU-Switzerland relationship status: . That's what we heard. Switzerland has not been an issue in the EU plenum for a long time. Finally, today we are talking again about the fact that we as the EU want and must finally work more closely with Switzerland again. With this EU-Switzerland report, we have worked out some of the fundamental concerns of our European Parliament and made them clear: Switzerland is and will remain an important partner of the EU. It belongs in Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, in the various climate protection and other programmes, so that cross-border living and working, also with us in Baden-Württemberg, between the EU and Switzerland becomes and remains simple and unbureaucratic. Based on this, we need to revive EU-Switzerland relations. We cannot afford to drift further apart politically, as has happened in recent years. Some bilateral agreements are now coming to an end. It is the people who are incredibly connected in everyday life: More than 320,000 people commute across the border every day. We need a Europe that has an invisible and open border at this point. Our economies are infinitely networked, companies thrive in the border region and operate in both countries. You need security as it goes on. And our ecosystems are interconnected: Climate change affects us all. Forest fires do not stop at borders. We will always work together. It is not a question of surrendering sovereignty, but of standing up together for our values, for peace, freedom, prosperity and climate protection.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Once again, the Conservatives are trying to use fake news to undermine nature conservation. Today: The Wolf chapter. And you too, Mrs von der Leyen – even if you praised the infinite value of biodiversity here this morning – are unfortunately helping to incite fear of the evil wolf. The fact is: It is a success that the almost extinct animal wolf is spreading again – our nature conservation works. The fact is also: Over 95% of the wolf's food is made up of wild animals. In this way, the wolf regulates the forest ecosystem. Especially where wild animals eat the shoots of young trees, it can also become an ally for a climate-friendly forest of the future. It is also a fact: The wolf is not a threat to humans. There hasn't been a single fatal wolf attack in Europe since 2000. We don't need a fairy tale lesson. Last fact: Killing individual wolves has not been proven to regulate wolf populations, nor to protect herds reasonably. In the midst of this biodiversity crisis we are experiencing, we must not allow the Habitats Directive to be weakened. Let's use our strengths and energy together to innovate so that we can effectively protect farmers and grazing animals.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Today we celebrate a victory for nature conservation. We have a European majority in favour of the Nature Restoration Law. Dear Mr Timmermans, let us use this momentum to address planned legislative projects before 2024. An example: I urge you to make a proposal to the promised Forest monitoring law. We need this law. Forests are our biggest allies against climate change. Uniform monitoring is used to compare the state of forests across Europe. We would then know reliably how old, how high, how wide, how healthy or sick the trees and the stocks in certain forests are, how much deadwood CO2 is stored and how much moisture there is, and thus how we could protect them together with the foresters and forest owners. I have seen illegal deforestation and clear-cutting in Europe in recent months. Protecting our forests and forest soils, which at least cover 40% of our continent, are fundamental to saving our climate.

Madam President, More goods on the rails, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, we want that forever! This package contains several laws with exactly this potential. For example, a law regulates how to coordinate timetables internationally. It also makes it more flexible for logistics operators to book routes. The directive on combined transport, i.e. rail and trucks mixed, also has enormous potential for the climate. I find the proposal on CountEmissions EU really exciting. That's what it says: Logistics companies must disclose how much emissions they cause when transporting goods. Of course, the railroad will be the big winner. The next steps are also clear to us. We need a seal for environmentally friendly freight transport, and we also want more transparency for passenger transport. As a traveler, I already know when booking which means of transport I personally use to influence the climate, and I personally travel more often by train or send my goods by rail as a company. Let's get it ready! I look forward to this work.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, When talking about the combustion engine, almost everyone always thinks directly of the car. In fact, another important step towards decarbonising transport has been taken in recent months. With AFIR, the regulation on alternative fuels infrastructure, we are finally advancing the electrification of freight transport. In the future, there will be a charging point for trucks every 60 kilometres. This enables the logistics industry to quickly switch to battery-powered or alternative fuels for trucks. According to forecasts, more than half of the trucks registered in Germany could be climate-neutral by 2030. That's not enough. The railway is often simply forgotten when it comes to freight transport and the decarbonisation of transport. We Greens have ensured that the entire rail sector is also climate-friendly. So far, only 54% of lines in the EU have been electrified by rail, and far too many trains are still dieseling through the area, especially in rail freight transport. It is a real breakthrough, ladies and gentlemen, that by 2026 Member States must put in place measures to expand alternative rail propulsion. Because in a climate-neutral world, we also need the combustion engine for diesel locomotives at some point.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! You probably know it when a kitchen sponge is so dry that when we try to use it, the water just slips away and nothing goes into that sponge at all. We all know that. It's an everyday phenomenon. What does this have to do with the discussion here? Our landscapes are also drying up, and the problem is that even if it rains a lot – as it does this spring – the increased temperature of climate change means that we also have an immediate effluent and we are no longer able to keep our landscapes full of water. What do we have to do? First, of course, we need to get out of the fossil age. We all make an effort, and our discussions in our home countries show how difficult this is. Second, what do we have to do? We also need to work better with the rooting of our landscapes. We need close-to-nature forest management, deep soils, and mixed forests. We also need to create new agroforestry systems. We also need to restore small-scale landscapes, and we need to renaturalize our waters. We know that. Now that we see the consequences, we should act quickly.

Mr President, dear colleagues, the truth is sometimes really simple and evident: no nature, no food; no nature, no farmers. With our common project to bring back nature in our life in the European Union, with the nature restoration law on which we have to work, with the reduction of use of pesticides, we want to work together with our farmers and foresters. They know, of course, that without nature, without bees and pollinators, without water in the soil, there will be no yield. So it’s our common project to help those who work with soil and with life to produce our daily food. That’s an evidence. It’s our common project to sustain the needed transformation of practices and not to block. Instead of spreading stories of fear and food insecurity, as our colleagues from the conservatives are doing now on a daily basis. Because the truth is sometimes really simple and evident. No nature, no food; no nature, no farmers.

Madam President, First of all, I would like to ask you, as the mistress of this House, to perhaps rebuke Mr Lebreton. He has just used the term ‘green ajatollah’. I mean, if we are just looking at what is happening in Iran, I simply do not find such expressions appropriate in this House, and I think you should really say something about it today as the mistress of the House. On our topic now. Bees are more than honey, they are our livelihood and as social beings they provide pollination, flowering fields and fields, fruits and last but not least our nutrition. No bees mean no agriculture and no food for us humans. It's that simple. Unfortunately, with the death of bees, we are already losing two thirds of our apple harvest today. How much clearer does it actually have to be? Pesticides are bee killers. They harm our environment. Our supply cannot be secured with pesticides, this is a short-term fallacy. On the contrary: Without pollinating insects, there is no food and no farmers. We are working on reducing pesticides. Halving by 2035 must be the least we can achieve here. This is what the Europeans have asked us to do.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Today we celebrate one of the key successes of the European Green Deal: The drive turn is coming. Emissions in the transport sector have not been decreasing for years, and in some cases they have even increased. But with the end of the combustion engine for passenger cars in 2035, an important step has been taken and the transition to e-mobility is certain. And we finally dare to signal technology clarity to the industry. To this end, I am also negotiating at full speed with the Council for a rapid expansion of e-charging stations throughout Europe. But trucks emit almost a third of CO2 emissions and continue to block our roads. It is therefore high time for an incinerator stop as well in freight transport and a drastic shift to rail. We demand an end to the combustion engine for all trucks by 2035, at the latest by 2040. Otherwise – and we know that – our climate protection targets simply cannot be achieved. Thank you for taking this step today. Let's celebrate!

It is also logical, Commissioner, what you have listed, and I believe it is also our role that we really show and also provide data on this dependence on petrochemicals, intensive energy and complex supply chains. That's why organic farming has come through the crises so well. That's why I asked again: What concrete instruments do we have for the next CAP, for the next EU agricultural policy, to really strengthen those that are oriented towards the common good, so that public money can finally be used for public services?

Mr President, Commissioner! The Eurobarometer shows that 93 percent of EU citizens are very concerned about this rising cost of living, and they notice this every day. But what the Eurobarometer also shows us is that 94 percent of people want to live, work, operate and eat in an environment that is sustainable. This undoubtedly includes organic farming. The prices of organic products – which is very exciting – have risen significantly less than those of conventional agricultural products in times of crisis. That is, organic farming, which works in short and local cycles, has ultimately shown its strength. So we do not need a reduction in environmental standards, but an increase. Of course, we now need something in the short term, and my question to you too, to strengthen these cycles – these short ones. And in the long term – how did you, Commissioner, plan to strengthen it in the CAP in the next edition?

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Actually, it borders on a physical miracle that life on our planet became possible at all. The incredible diversity and beauty of the supposed 8.7 million animals, plants, organisms on our planet is not only fascinating, but is also the premise for our lives. One million species are now threatened with extinction. Our way of taking our place, how we operate agriculture and forestry, how we seal the land, but also our emissions and climate change are drivers of this rapid mass extinction. The European Union must also implement its goals and its promises for the return of life. For this, we need effective, available and targeted funding. That is why we have already firmly anchored 10% as a target for biodiversity measures in our EU budget. Now the Commission urgently needs to provide a consistent and biodiversity-oriented methodology to counteract this species extinction and to finally act with Member States to stop species extinction.

Mr President, dear colleagues, we are facing a serious problem. At the climate COP 27, the global community failed to make concrete steps to stay within the 1.5 degree pathway. Allowing the climate crisis and the biodiversity loss to continue is not an option. Allowing the climate crisis and biodiversity loss to go further and further is not a solution. Insurance to compensate loss and damages were an important first step at the COP, but it will not be sufficient. Speaking of insurance, saving biodiversity is our best insurance to combat climate change. The greater the biodiversity of our ecosystems, the more options for adaptation are left for our future. In the EU, we already practice ecological forestry methods in only one third of our forests. We must transform our entire forest management towards more biodiversity. Commissioner Sinkevičius, Minister Bek, will you ensure that the EU pushes for the best possible result at the COP15 and at the same time take serious steps for sustainable ecological forestry at home? Let’s keep the birds in forests singing today and tomorrow.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. Gas and oil are from yesterday. They promote war, climate crisis, air pollution. Every single one of these points is reason enough for a change away from the combustion engine and towards alternative drives to be boundlessly cleanly mobile. Anyone who buys an electric car should be able to rely on the existing charging infrastructure. E-charging stations must be available and reliable throughout Europe. User-friendly payment must become standard, according to the motto: Charge as easily as refueling. And even more: We don't just need change on the streets. Only slightly more than half of rail is electrified in Europe today, and rail can do even more. 100% green electricity and 100% electric – Europe-wide. Two obstacles to clean infrastructure will need to be corrected on Wednesday. Firstly: Smaller airports outside the TEN-T corridors have their contribution to make. Especially owners of business and private jets have enough in their pockets to pay for their share and also have to electrify their infrastructure. The rich should not be taken out of responsibility. The second obstacle is the expansion of LNG for trucks and in maritime transport. Clean mobility is different. Let's turn the game around: LNG should not be possible where there is demand, but only where there is no alternative. The drive turn goes hand in hand with the traffic turnaround.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The next generations will turn to our time. They will speak either of the great transformation or of the great failure. Whether we like it or not, we are in the middle of each of our thoughts and actions. And yes, the oil is scarce. It is the end of the fossil age, and it is the end of petrochemical fertilizers. We didn't want to do it so quickly now, but the crisis we're experiencing will make it even faster than we thought. Seriously: What is there to do now? Improve the fertility of the soil in a natural way! The through-declining of the crop rotation and of course not its suspension! What can't be is that we now want to increase the amount of animal fertiliser that we want to put out in the field, to exchange the fear of food shortages for the polluting of our drinking water. Is it this short-term thinking that will help us? No, ladies and gentlemen, together we must encourage ourselves to break new ground and think long-term. We have enough knowledge.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! 150 species of animals and plants worldwide die every day – every day. We are witnessing the largest mass extinction in over 60 million years. And we also know where that comes from. Internationally, the CITES Convention is the only sharp sword we have to curb the unscrupulous trade in endangered species. But, as my colleagues have said: We also protect the ecosystems in which these species occur. Forests, for example, are home to an enormous variety of living organisms worldwide, and at the same time they regulate our global climate. We need them both in the fight against the climate crisis and in the fight against species extinction, because species-rich forests give us life. An ambitious EU position at COP 19 in Panama, as decided by the Environment Committee, must become a true game changer. The aim of banning trade in some endangered species is also to make the exploitative business model of deforestation unprofitable. Let's take the Green Deal at its word and negotiate consistently!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! We are losing valuable forests in the EU every day due to illegal overexploitation, even in highly protected Natura 2000 sites. Criminal networks are particularly brutal. Indiscriminately, acres of forest are shaved; We know the pictures. This is an enormous ecological, but also economic damage. And it not only has a fatal impact on soils, biodiversity or climate, but also shakes local confidence in the rule of law. I have two questions for the Commission: Why has the Commission not taken further action in the case against Romania so far? Why aren't we in court when it is proven that absolutely not enough is being done to finally prevent illegal deforestation? And the second question, perhaps to your AGRI colleague: Isn't it the fact that we in the EU are unable to regulate large-scale clearcuts as a legal timber harvesting method that prevents us, for example, from using satellite technology to clearly detect illegal clearcuts and put the actors in place? If we were to make the principles of sustainable and gentle forestry binding throughout the EU, could we not be much better able to curb illegal clear-cutting?

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! The Fit for 55 package must remain our roadmap for a climate-neutral Europe. We need courage today. We need courage for the end of the internal combustion engine in 2035. But we also need courage for changes in land use and forestry. With the current adjustment, the LULUCF and the increased sink targets, we are indeed reaching a milestone in principle, but we do not have any concrete requirements as to how forest management and timber use are actually implemented in the Member States. This is a paradox. A study I have carried out shows that, in times of climate crisis and species loss, far more than half of the EU Member States still use clearcutting as a normal method of harvesting wood. Whole forest areas are shaved off rabidly, and the forest floor thus becomes a CO2 emitter for decades. The LULUCF sink targets will hopefully lead Member States to start the transition, push through a more resilient forestry of the future and finally stop clear-cutting.