Speeches

Madam President, Europe has a single market, but European companies deal with 27 different national laws. This scenario has time, money and opportunity costs. This is why the 28th regime is so necessary. First, because it reduces legal and administrative fragmentation. A harmonised European scheme of the right size gives businesses, especially start-ups, at scale-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, a clear and predictable framework for growing and operating across borders. Less uncertainty is more investment, more scale and more competitiveness. Second, because it simplifies business life. We consume too much resources in red tape and redundant processes. A simpler, highly digital regime based on the ‘report once only’ principle frees up time and capital for what really matters: Innovate, invest and create jobs. The 28th regime does not replace national reforms, it complements them. It is not an end in itself, it is an instrument at the service of the European economy. If we want fewer reports and more results, this is a step that we cannot postpone.

Madam President, I would like to then refer back to committee to enter into interinstitutional negotiations according to Rule 60(4). Thank you.

Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, tomorrow's vote is not just another step in Europe's climate journey. It is the first real test of our commitment to the vision outlined in the Draghi report: a competitive, resilient and climate‑neutral Europe. The 2040 target we set today must be more than a number. It must be a roadmap, one that aligns ambition with economic reality, that drives innovation rather than deindustrialisation, and that ensures no region or citizen is left behind. Mario Draghi reminded us that Europe's competitiveness and climate leadership are not opposing goals. They are two sides of the same coin. If we want to remain a global player, we must invest in clean technologies, scale up green industries and create the right conditions for private investment in Europe, not elsewhere. Our proposal confirms a 90 % net emissions reduction by 2040. It does through a framework that balances ambition with fairness: 85 % domestic reduction, limited use of high‑quality international credits and flexibility for Member States. We also introduced a reinforced review clause because credible policy is adaptable policy. It must respond to scientific progress, energy prices and industrial realities. The Draghi report calls for a new European competitiveness deal. This climate target is part of that deal. It shows that we can lead the green transition without sacrificing growth, that we can protect our planet while strengthening our economy. So, let us be clear: Europe's climate ambition is not about doing more alone, but doing better together. It is about leadership through example, not isolation. So with this vote, we turn the ambition into action. We honour the spirit of this Draghi report and we send a message to the world that Europe will remain the place where economic opportunity meets climate responsibility.

Madam President, on the environment, Roger Scruton said that the natural world now depends on our efforts to conserve it. When we seek consolation in nature, we are looking into a mirror that we have created for that purpose. COP30 is not just another conference, it is a decisive moment, one of those rare moments when humanity looks in the mirror and decides who it wants to be. It is a meeting of wills that rise up in the face of skepticism, immobilism, and that believe — as a Portuguese poet, Fernando Pessoa, put it — that ‘God wants, man dreams, work is born’. Today's resolution is living proof that Europe continues to lead. It leads with ambition, with responsibility and with the courage of those who know that the future is not expected, it is built. Taking care of the environment is not just saving the planet, it is redefining our collective purpose. It is proving that we can grow and decarbonise at the same time, that we can innovate by putting knowledge at the service of people, that we can live in communion with nature, respecting ecosystems, protecting communities, with people at the heart of policies. That is why the resolution we are bringing to COP30 proposes very concrete measures. We want to continue to strengthen the European Union's leadership and secure fair climate finance, and to adopt the 2035 climate commitment now without delay. We want to continue to accelerate the end of fossil fuels and eliminate perverse subsidies by promoting clean and competitive markets. We want to show that it is indeed possible to decarbonise and grow. Because this is already happening. My country, Portugal, is living proof that with records of renewable energy and the end of coal, ambition and action can go hand in hand. COP30 is a test of our determination, it is a test of our ability to combine science and politics, ambition, courage and pragmatism. This is our mission, this is our moment, and together we can give birth to the work.

Madam President, the Draghi report, which is quoted here on a yes-day, needs fewer references and more consequences. We cannot applaud the proposals and then oppose the decisions that make them happen. We are tired of repeating the diagnosis. I myself, in this Parliament for the last six years, have often been repeating what remains to be done for Europe and for the new generations. We are not lacking in savings in Europe; what is lacking is to turn these savings into productive investment, into companies that grow, innovate and create jobs. There are no magic formulas, but there is something we can do, and it has already been said here several times by several colleagues. First, complete the Capital Markets Union. Fragmentation of our markets costs us competitiveness, productivity and investment. Secondly, to free businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, from the bureaucracy that stifles them. It is not only about simplifying for those who are already in the market – it is also about making life easier for those who want to enter that market to innovate, to undertake. Third, mobilising public investment that complements private investment. And we all know the priorities: energy, clean technologies, defence, research and development. The world in which the Draghi Report was written is not the world in which it has to be applied. Our mission is to face this unpredictable international context, with the awareness that the reforms we repeated a year ago are not being carried out on their own – they are the political will that the Commission has to assume and that we here have to follow. With ambition.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Europe was borne out of the courage to turn conflict into cooperation, to build peace through industry and energy. Today, we need that courage once again. The European Climate Law is more than targets on paper; it is a promise made to the next generation, those people sitting over there. (The speaker gestures to the visitors' gallery) More important than setting a numerical target is making sure we stay on the right course with ambition, with balance, and with real results. What truly defines European leadership is not an obsession with numbers, but the ability to deliver meaningful, sustainable progress without sacrificing the competitiveness that sustains our European social model and democracy. Because this is not just about saving the planet; it is about building a new economic model: green, fair and competitive. But let us be clear: our industries are under pressure like never before. Without investment, without innovation, without affordable energy, this transition will come at the cost of deindustrialisation, and that cannot happen. We need flexibility, we need to reduce energy costs, we need to invest in a new generation of technologies – ones that not only reduce emissions but capture them, that make emissions negative. Establishing a European Industrial Decarbonisation Bank with over EUR 100 billion in funding could be a strong step forward, but private investment will also be essential. And above all, we must ensure no one is left behind. Compensation mechanisms such as the ETS must support Europeans, turning the transition into an opportunity, not a burden. Our goals must be guided by science and by courage – that courage to act, to lead, to believe. Because this law is not just about the climate, it is about us and about what we leave to those who come after us.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is a world power in innovation. clean tech. We lead in patents, research and development and green technologies, but we need to turn that innovation into robust industrial ecosystems. And why? Funding is fragmented, risk-averse and too slow. We have a historic opportunity. The European clean tech sector requires more than €1.5 billion by 2030. And this is not a cost, it is an investment with economic and social return. We need risk-mitigation tools, green loans, production-based finance and, above all, a new way of assessing risk and value in a world in climate transition. The financial sector plays an essential role. It is not enough to preserve value, we must create it. A just transition requires capital to reach out to innovators, entrepreneurs, transforming territories and industries that decarbonise. Our ambition is clear: make the Clean Industrial Deal making Europe a world leader in this transition. Invest in what counts, support those who dare. This is a design of this Parliament, but it must also be of the leaders of the national governments.

Mr President, the digitalisation of our societies and economies has long ceased to be a challenge for the distant future. The digital transition is a reality today and technological innovation has gained a speed that we must keep up with, otherwise we will fall behind again. Of course we need a digital euro; if it means more financial freedom for people. Of course, we need a digital identity; if this facilitates the relationship with public services or processes as simple as opening a bank account or taking out insurance. And of course we need digital markets to increase the range of opportunities for our companies, especially SMEs and SMEs. start up. All this is clear and must be achieved with data protection and privacy. The choice is not between progress and utopia, but between the digital that serves people and the digital that controls them. That is why we must make Europe's digital sovereignty a reality. For this, we need more investment and less regulation, more decision-making agility and less red tape in innovation. It is time to move from being the Old Continent to being the Europe of the future.

Madam President, water is a scarce, finite and irreplaceable resource. In Portugal, we know its value well – we often face severe droughts, which is why the government launched the ‘Water that unites’ strategy not so long ago, with very concrete measures such as the construction of dams and the recovery of the supply network. Water knows no boundaries. In a territory as diverse as the European Union, coordinated management, joint vision and common response are required. Extreme events – such as the drought in the Algarve and the floods in Valencia – show that the time to act is now. The creation of a European strategy for water resilience is therefore an unavoidable priority and must also protect this vital asset from threats, such as dangerous chemicals that undermine its security. This strategy is not just a response to the present; It is a commitment to the new generations.

Thank you very much, Honourable Member, for the question. If by internal market you are referring to the European internal market, I could not agree more. We really have to work to remove all the barriers that still exist, all the barriers that still exist to trade within the borders of the European Union. So, yes, only in this way will we be able to respond robustly to what are the aspirations and desires of our companies, not only Portuguese, but European companies, so that they gain scale, so that they can compete internationally. So I think so. These flaws are already identified in several reports, not only in the report by Mario Draghi, but also by Enrico Letta, where we also have homework to do and, therefore, the strategy is, yes, to diversify our markets in international trade, and yes, to remove the barriers that still exist in the European internal market.

Mr President, Donald Trump has made the United States the country of the blinker. Today yes, tomorrow no, and then no one knows what's next. But in the midst of so much instability and uncertainty, there is a given: the world has changed, and the transatlantic relationship will not be the same again. It is up to us, therefore, to react with unity, but also with strategic vision. Let us not forget that we are a trading power. We must act as such. Today, market diversification is not an option; It really is an urgency. But we have to be quick. Let me give you an example: five months have passed since the signature of the Mercosur agreement, which is still under legal revision and translation into the official languages of each Member State. If we want to protect our market, our industry, our jobs, we need to be more effective, because in a world where everyone is competing for the same markets, those who arrive late lose – and Europe cannot lose.

Mr President, I thank you for the question and tell you that what I find really dangerous is that, in a few decades' time, the European social model will be at stake and that it will not be possible to pay pensions to people of my generation, of our generation. And for this, this Union of Savings and Investments is so necessary. We must find alternative ways of financing social security systems and, in order to ensure the sustainability of social security systems, this debate is central to ensuring that the new generations have a future in their retirement.

Mr President, Commissioner, I was just beginning this speech by deploring the Council's failure to appear here in this Chamber to discuss such an important issue as the Capital Markets Union, the Savings and Investments Union. I am sure that, if it were a debate on defence, we would have the necessary representation here and this is also one of the topics that will be central, an essential pillar in the investment that we must make in defence. But the proposal we are discussing today is indeed the Union of Savings and Investments, it is welcome and responds to a scenario that we cannot ignore. Europeans' savings are flowing from Europe to other countries in the world. Our companies – especially the start-ups – They have to look for funding outside the home in order to grow. And capital flight is often accompanied by brain drain. And therefore, it is a priority to stop this flight and attract more investment, with more innovation and more opportunities. And how do we do that? First: complete the banking integration process by ensuring more protection for consumers. Second: harmonise rules to create a true European capital market, a market where it is easy for anyone to save or invest, with transparent and effective European supervision, with less red tape and fewer difficulties in accessing capital. And third: with a decisive focus on financial literacy. People, Europeans, in order to use the capital market have to understand it. For everyone to believe and trust in this market, only with more preparation and with more information will we have more capital available to invest in European companies and more money in the pockets of families. Finally, Commissioner, we support the Union of Savings and Investments and we are prepared to work to make it a reality.

Madam President, this is not the time for doubts that weaken our confidence. This is the time to lead the clean industrial revolution, to regain hope and to believe in the future of Europe. It's time to be proud to be European. O Clean Industrial Deal it is not just an opportunity, it is a commitment to growth and innovation, a commitment to building a Europe that leads in the energy transition, generates wealth and creates quality jobs. A Europe that inspires and excels in the global context. European industry has always been the engine of our progress – now we have a responsibility to decarbonise to grow. This is the time to act, to move faster, with more determination, it is the time to ensure that investing in clean technologies boosts the economy, strengthens energy independence and creates new job opportunities. The Europe of the future starts today with innovation, with vision, with ambition, and starts with us, with all of us.

Thank you very much, Honourable Member, for the question. I can answer you the following: this proposal responds to what has been a necessary balance and leadership of the European Union. And that balance lies in finding capacity and answers, delivering results for the environment and the economy. We can only meet the aims of the environment if we have our economic fabric empowered to do so. And finally, we have a European social model to pay for and it is only possible to pay for that social model with more competitiveness, with more economic growth and by alleviating the bureaucratic burden on our SMEs.

Mr President, over the past few months we have heard about deficits. Investment gap, innovation gap, skills gap, and others. These deficits do exist. But today I want to talk to you about excesses: Europe has overregulation, percentages and inconsequential debate. In recent years, the EPP, the PSD and I have warned of the regulatory overreach that strangles the ability of European companies to invest, create jobs and generate wealth. Finally, we have reports that make us right and a political environment that gives us — all — the opportunity to do something different. On the other hand, there are excessive percentages in political discourse. We are talking about 99.8% of SMEs in Europe, forgetting that this represents 26 million companies. We are talking about 52% of the added value of SMEs, but we forget that there are 90 million workers behind it. We don't have to decide for the percentages, we have to act for the people. Finally, we have too much inconsequential debate. A debate fuelled by a left that accuses the Commission of wanting to kill the Green Deal when it was the same Commission President who launched it and by an extreme right that in Europe only sees the only target to fuel its propaganda. Nós aqui estamos, como sempre estivemos, no espaço da moderação. In that space that approved the Green Deal and wants to free up resources for companies to comply with it. The space you want companies to invest and create jobs and not get lost in bureaucracies. The space that wants to simplify the life of those who generate wealth and facilitate the life of those who work. To conclude, Ms Bischoff and dear Pascal, the EPP is ready to work with everyone – with everyone. We are just not ready to destroy whatever is left of our European competitiveness.

Madam, thank you once again for the question and I shall answer it. It's not much different from the answer I gave our other colleague. There are import quotas in the agricultural sector and there is sanitary control, which must respect all the safeguards and all the European standards that we implement for our farmers. So I think it's time to reflect, to give ourselves time to understand the final text. I wouldn't have so many reservations, but I'd understand one thing: Without this agreement, we will be much more dependent on other geographies of the world that may also decide to close the doors to international trade. And then I would like to know what the Honourable Member would say to her companies to continue to grow and internationalise.

Madam, thank you for the question, even though you have come at the very last minute. As you know, or at least I hope you know, because there is a lot of misinformation coming from your bench, there are quotas for the import of agricultural products, there are health control mechanisms. And, after all, the amount of meat to import corresponds to about one beef steak and one chicken breast for each European. So I would not be so concerned, because we have already spoken to and heard from the Commissioner about the guarantees and safeguards that are provided for in the agreement for the agricultural sector. We have to realise that we are talking about geopolitics, and being completely closed at our borders will have consequences for the economic growth of the European Union.

Madam President, tariffs are the topic of the moment. Fiat, Volkswagen, Renault are among the top ten best-selling brands in Mercosur. They pay rates of 35% as much as our fashion industry, and our world-renowned wines 27%. Reducing or eliminating tariffs will not be good news. The rare earths that these countries have and that we need for the energy transition? You may have noticed that the Baltic electricity system was integrated into the European grid three days ago. Investing in our defence industry? Do we want to launch low-orbit satellites, do we want to use Eurofighter or Super Rafale fighters instead of the American F-35s? Do we want the SAMP/T Mamba defense system to be an alternative to Patriot? Yes, but Brazil processes 89% of the world's niobium and Argentina 11% of lithium. Can we really throw away an agreement with Mercosur? No, we can't.

Madam President, to choose interests over principles is not only to betray character, it is also to betray history. Our long-standing partners have decided to put a price on cooperation and multilateralism. The European project, no matter how much it costs some in this room, proves to be more necessary, more urgent, more pressing. What answers? With the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, we must strengthen our commitment to the energy transition, we need to decarbonise to grow. Leaving the World Health Organisation, we must remember that together we have managed to beat a pandemic, invest in innovation to save lives, beat HIV and other diseases. Suspension of humanitarian aid opens the door to influence and to countries such as China. This is, therefore, a time of affirmation for Europe. With less United States in the world, we have more Europe in the global context. Donald Trump may speak to the world, but Europe will not fail history.

Mr President, I wanted to clarify to the Honourable Member, and I think I was very clear in my speech, that simplification is not deregulation; They're two different things. What we are asking for is simplification, and I believe there is broad agreement in this House on that. But what I would like to ask the honourable Member, since she is so at odds with the programme that has been presented by the Commission, and in particular with the Compass for Competitiveness, is how do you think Europe can leverage economic growth? Because without economic growth, we cannot have a strong welfare state. We have no way of paying for the European social model. So I'd like to ask you: What is your vision?

Mr President, a compass helps us find our way, but it is the concrete steps that get us where we want to be. The diagnosis is done and remade, and finally we have reached the moment of decisions. We can cut red tape by half for our citizens and businesses whenever they want to innovate, invest or even hire. The 25 % and 35 % minimums for large companies and SMEs must still be seen as minimum targets. There is an urgent need to free up resources to finance new ideas, to create more jobs and to pay better wages. It is within our reach to lead the energy transition with ambitious and realistic goals, demanding but flexible, with a decisive commitment to innovative solutions in the area of clean technologies. It is within our reach to mobilise more private investment, with a business environment more favourable to attracting investors and unfavourable to capital flight from Europe; and more public investment, with the European Competitiveness Fund focusing on the development of strategic technologies. There are national governments committed to these priorities. This is the case of the Portuguese Government, elected less than a year ago, which is not afraid to press ahead with the reforms that have always been announced but never implemented, to launch the investments that have been announced but put in the drawer. There is a new impetus in Europe, perhaps influenced by this good example. Let us not lack the enthusiasm or the will to do.

Thank you, honourable Member, for the question, one of our major concerns, and mine over the last five years, and I have said it repeatedly here in this Chamber, is that we really must ease the bureaucratic burden on small and medium-sized enterprises. And that has been the message that the European People's Party has sent to the Commission and that is embodied in the Commission's programme. I believe there is another angle here, Europe has a demographic crisis, and for that we need economic growth to respond to all the challenges that lie ahead, and they are complex. This is only done with a structured vision and action. That is why we want the Commission, in the coming months, to be diligent in this need to respond to small and medium-sized enterprises.

2024 was a year of reports and elections. 2025 has been a year of announcements, but it also has to be a year of decisions. The Commission's work programme is an accelerated step in a marathon that we must win. Good ideas have to get off the ground. If the word of fashion is competitiveness, then let's be competitive. Let's cut red tape that suffocates businesses, but seriously, with determination. We will seriously invest in technological innovation to move from decarbonisation as a sacrifice to decarbonisation as an opportunity. And we will seriously invest in the Union for savings and investment, to attract innovative projects and to fight capital flight from Europe. It is no small thing, but it is the minimum necessary for us to be able to bring another word to the debate: leadership. In an unstable, uncertain and unpredictable world, Europe needs to lead in trade agreements to increase its business internationalisation opportunities. In a world of conflict, Europe needs to lead in smart defence investment. In a world of disinformation and denialism, Europe needs to lead by example, and everything is done with better and less legislation, with regulation that does not strangle the future. That future does not wait for us, we are still in time to lead it. Let's get to work.