Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Today we are discussing a very ambitious package of solutions that will lead the European Union to achieve climate neutrality and significant emission reductions by 2030. As Europeans, we can be proud of what we have already done to protect the climate, as well as of the plans we have. We do not have much choice and we need to rebuild the economy of the European Union in order to protect the climate and to restore the competitiveness of our economy after the crisis caused by the pandemic. Together with the EPP, we warned that a 55% reduction would require a lot of effort and sacrifice. This can be seen from the legislative proposals. Let me be clear: There are many economic and social factors that can lead to the derailment of this project. From the potential price increases caused by the ETS in construction and transport to the lack of building materials and skilled installers that will be needed to complete the renovation wave. I agree with the Commissioner that it is not too late that we can build a low-carbon, competitive economy. But I also agree that it will be very difficult. It is therefore crucial that we adopt solutions that protect our citizens. Sufficiently high levels of support funds and mechanisms are needed to pave the way for our economy in key areas for the Green Deal. The alternative is to give up some ambitions, because only then can we achieve success.