Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today in Italy, 25 April, the day of liberation from Nazi-fascism, is celebrated in all the squares. Those who lived and died to redeem freedom and dignity also sowed the seed of our Europe, a bulwark against every tyranny, a temple of rights and democracy. I would also like to mention this on behalf of the entire Italian delegation of Socialists and Democrats in this Chamber today, the last session of the legislature, when unfortunately new clouds are gathering on the horizon of our world, even with the return to European soil of censorship of power against intellectuals, journalists, artists, as shown in Italy by the recent case of Scurati, writer and journalist, who was prevented from reciting his anti-fascist monologue on Italian public television. The word should never be taken away. So, President, long live freedom, long live the Resistance, long live democracy!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there are currently more than 200 green claims at EU level and more than 450 worldwide. It is essential that these statements are based on clear and scientifically sound criteria, we must avoid the risk of the so-called greenwashing. Consumers need to be able to trust these statements! The directive we are about to adopt aims to set strict standards to ensure that environmental claims are verifiable, science-based and in line with the Union's environmental objectives. To date, in fact, the standards relating to all the issues that revolve around sustainability are lacking, even more so when it comes to agriculture and food processing. Tomorrow's vote is therefore an important step forward in protecting European consumers.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today, with the new regulation on geographical indications, Parliament is putting forward a series of decisive innovations to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of our quality chains, contributing to the development of Europe's rural communities. That is why I want to thank the rapporteur, Mr De Castro, in particular for strengthening the protection of PDOs and PGIs not only internationally and online, but also within the single market, where there were still gaps that allowed, for example, the use of tools such as traditional terms to evoke distinctive protected names instead of entire European territories and envied throughout the world, such as Prosecco. The text we are about to vote on will further evolve the quality policy that in recent decades has strongly supported the great driving force of the supply chains of geographical indication products, which has always been an expression of an economic heritage for its non-relocatable nature, the result of the cohesive work of a complex and organized system that in Italy involves 200,000 operators and 300 and more protection consortia.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the report on the revision of the Driving Licences Directive aims to further harmonise the requirements for driving licences at EU level, with some novelties, such as measures for new drivers or the new digital licence. We are well aware that the main point of discussion is that of compulsory medical checks: I consider this to be one of the key points in ensuring a high level of road safety. In this way, in fact, the physical integrity of a driver is objectively assessed by a qualified professional. I know that in some Member States this is not the case and the medical examination is replaced with a self-certification. However, I think that, as legislators, we must always uphold the precautionary principle and ensure the highest levels of security. I am thinking, for example, of vision control, which is an essential element for a driver, whose loss of diopters is difficult to detect with a personal assessment. That is why I hope that tomorrow the plenary will confirm the position of the Committee on Transport and give a clear, I would say historic, signal in favour of greater road safety.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, critical raw materials are the essential components of many technologies needed by the green industry and require careful and conscious management. Our dependence on these resources must be balanced by a clear understanding of the environmental and social impacts linked to their extraction and production, both on our continent and especially in the non-EU countries, which are the main producers. In this context, the trilogue agreement sets out measures that aim to ensure both sustainable management of these resources and the promotion of new sustainable extraction and production practices. The increase in recycling and reuse is also the fundamental pillar of national circularity plans, which aim to combine economic growth with the defense of our planet. This agreement, therefore, gives us the opportunity to strengthen the strategic autonomy of our continent and continue the transition to a net-zero economy by 2050, while trying, Commissioner, to counteract real environmental and social disasters in non-EU mining.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I agree with the Commission's basic approach, which places prevention, the first step in the waste hierarchy, as the main objective of the entire proposal. However, I believe that the Commission's proposal raises problems as to how these objectives should be achieved, in particular for those sectors, such as food, which have very specific characteristics. I remember how the current directives in force have indicated the need for Member States to significantly increase their recycling targets and some countries, such as mine, have done so with high intensity and heavy investment. The current proposal, on the other hand, indicates a completely different approach, pushing for mandatory reuse standards that are not yet certain, however, that they are always the best environmental option, in particular for the large use of water, which is an increasingly valuable asset. I therefore consider it necessary to correct this point in order to take into account the efforts already made by the different Member States in recycling and to ensure the full safety of food for European citizens.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, critical raw materials play a key role in accelerating the decarbonisation of our continent. Europe is a continent poor in raw materials. For this reason, recycling should become increasingly important. Currently, however, recycling rates of critical raw materials are too low and infrastructure is not suitable for the specificity of these materials. A significant example is lithium, which today is recovered with very low percentages but whose use will be the basis of the electrification of transport through the increasing diffusion of electric vehicles. A step forward has been made with the adoption of the Batteries Regulation and now, with this regulation, we want to extend the approach to all strategic raw materials, so that we can make the most of the economic and environmental benefits offered by circularity. It is only with a full sustainable and circular approach that we can achieve strategic autonomy while maintaining high environmental and social protection.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the hundreds of thousands of premature deaths a year in the EU alone oblige us to take responsibility for actions of great courage, of great courage, in the new legislation. The air we breathe needs stricter standards than today, considering the primary right of European citizens to health. To reach the new target Member States will also have to take structural measures, which they can no longer wait for. And these measures are not against development: I am aware that not all European regions can achieve the same goals. target at the same deadlines. In particular, I am referring to those territories that have specific orographic characteristics, for which it is necessary to provide for short time derogations, accompanied, however, by a strict roadmap, with the aim of achieving the objectives for full health protection.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I have listened with pleasure to the presentation by the Commission of this new package which, with various legislative measures, aims to make the transport sector more sustainable. I welcome the intention to propose measures to manage, coordinate and increase railway capacity. Rail transport is an energy efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport. However, cross-border freight and passenger services continue to face barriers that limit their competitiveness and attractiveness. Similarly, I am in favour of introducing specific methodologies for the allocation of the travel ticket by operators of the amount of CO2 emitted by the means of transport for the routes purchased. I believe that this can be a good measure to raise awareness among travellers. Finally, with regard to harmonising the size of electric trucks, I agree that the evolution of electric batteries should be taken into account, but I believe that road safety must always be put first and therefore, in my opinion, more assessments will be needed on this aspect for harmonising the circulation on European roads of mega trucks with an increased weight of up to four tonnes.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, there have been many constructive interventions. Some colleagues have said that this is a really important step in the circular economy. The reuse of waste batteries such as lithium, precious critical raw materials, in short, an innovative push for a battery industry in Europe. I must say that the Critical Raw Materials Regulation presented by the Commission is based precisely on the need for this regulation and will complement it. So an ambitious but balanced regulation, which addresses consumer rights and does not forget respect for social rights. I really think that for what will be the role of batteries, in the coming years this regulation, of which we must be happy for how we have built it, will represent a really important step to the point that it can even be referred to as a historic step. That is why I think and hope that tomorrow's vote will be a broad vote of this House.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all I would like to thank the various Presidencies of the Council with which we have had the opportunity to work in these almost two and a half years of negotiations, in particular the Czech Presidency with which we have reached a negotiating agreement on this regulation. I would also like to thank Commissioner Sinkevičius and Commissioner Breton and your Directorates-General for their valuable support during the negotiations. A heartfelt thanks, finally, to the whole negotiating team for the always constructive climate on a dossier so crucial for the EU economy. It is enough to look around, in fact, to understand how the use of batteries is already an integral part of the daily life of each of us and will be increasingly so in the coming years to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Mobility will be more and more sustainable, our cities more and more sustainable. smart, and to focus more on renewable energy sources we will increasingly need accumulators. In a word, batteries are the pillar on which to build the new paradigm of sustainable development. The aim of this regulation is to produce the most sustainable batteries globally in Europe. To do this, we have defined measures that for the first time cover the entire life cycle of a product, from production to disposal. It is no coincidence that this holistic approach has been adopted for the first time for a product such as batteries that in the coming years will see a significant increase in its use and application in new sectors. To give some numbers, it is estimated that the use of batteries for electric vehicles alone will increase 15 times between 20 and 35. Not to mention that already today more and more light means of transport are spreading. However, these data show us how the use of so-called critical raw materials, such as lithium, nickel or cobalt, will increase at the same time. We know very well that Europe is poor in these raw materials and today dependent on imports. To be able to guarantee strategic autonomy, this new regulation on batteries wants to exploit the potential of new technologies, creating a regulatory framework to encourage industrialization policies that use the principles of sustainability and circularity. We want to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, when for example solar panels were incentivized in their purchase, but not regulated in the production of disposal, ending up benefiting only the Chinese economy. In more detail, the Regulation under approval sets out requirements for design, labelling or type-approval, end-of-life. The maximum carbon footprint, minimum content of recycled material, performance standards and durability are the main sustainability requirements introduced for the first time for batteries, which must aim to become a benchmark for the entire global market and will have to be applied to every type of battery marketed in the European market, including those imported from non-EU countries. The implications will not only be industrial and commercial. Even for individual users, a lot changes, starting with the possibility of removing batteries on their own, which will become mandatory, passing through clearer labelling, transparent and understandable for the user, and through the creation of a digital passport for batteries. We will also see improvements in recycling, starting with the robust waste collection targets for portable batteries, up to the rightly challenging percentages that the Union sets for the recovery of each of the battery components, in particular for lithium. In addition to the environmental aspect, Parliament insisted on strengthening the social rights dimension of battery production. We made for the first time the due diligence mandatory for a specific product, with all batteries placed on the market covered by these new rules. A real step forward to have more ethical batteries. This is therefore an important regulation and I call on Parliament to vote on it as compactly as the vote in committee was.

Mr President, Commissioner, the revision of the ETS Directive and the introduction of the CBAM are two of the key pillars for achieving the 55% CO2 reduction target. They want to be a lever to accelerate the decarbonisation and innovation of our industrial system and, at the same time, prevent non-EU production, not subject to emission control and reduction mechanisms, from crowding out domestic competition with lower production costs. The creation of a Social Climate Fund is also an important tool to enable a more just transition. In this positive context, however, some concerns remain about the extension of the ETS to transport and buildings. I understand the need to obtain financial resources for the new Climate Fund, but it will be necessary for the Commission to ensure that these measures do not penalise citizens, the last link in the chain, in particular those of the most vulnerable groups, which the new fund should support.

Mr President, Commissioner, Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, the Eurobarometer data have shown, once again, that the fight against climate change is one of the priorities for European citizens. The European Parliament, with the approval of this additional "Fit for 55" package, which includes the reduction of CO2 emissions in transport, buildings, agriculture, waste management, wants to send a clear message in this direction: In other words, our future and that of the next generations depends on a more sustainable society and economy. Tomorrow we will adopt a set of ambitious texts, in line with the EU's commitments in the Paris Agreement, which at the same time provide flexibility systems for Member States to enable them to achieve the objectives that are set. Indeed, if planned and managed with foresight, the transition to a net-zero system is not only beneficial for the environment, but also for the economic growth of our societies. Sustainable growth, work and the environment can, must be together. That is why I hope that the Council will respect the commitments it has already made, in particular with regard to the dossier on cars, which is a pillar to achieve the goals we are aiming for today. What we are seeing in some states, such as the Italian Government, despite the fact that in my country there is the Po Valley that suffers from air pollution among the worst pollution in the world, represents a serious step backwards and certainly does not represent the will of the majority of European citizens. So I hope that the Council will be forward-looking and that it will deliver on its commitments.

Look, I come from one of the most polluted areas in the world, which is the Po Valley, and therefore everything that can serve to reduce pollution, especially air pollution, I agree. Of course nothing here is obvious, nothing is simple. What you say will certainly produce problems, but beware, we are moving towards a circular economy, an economy of recycling, an economy of reuse, a strong economy that will give work different from the current one, and in moments like these we must have the courage to look ahead.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the regulation we are about to vote on today is a historic step towards sustainable mobility in the EU. Setting the ambition that new cars and light-duty vehicles sold in the EU will no longer emit CO2 by 2035 is an unprecedented challenge. A challenge that will find a major boost in the new battery regulation, which I hope will be adopted by June, where we define sustainability criteria for electric vehicle batteries, which are estimated to be the predominant technology on the market. To conclude, tomorrow the Commission will present the proposal for the revision of the CO2 targets on trucks, which I hope can be adopted within this legislature, so that we can reaffirm the Union's climate neutrality objective by 2050. (The speaker agreed to respond to a "blue card" speech)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the revision of the Waste Shipment Regulation is an important piece of legislation to protect both the environment and human health, but at the same time it has enormous potential to accelerate the Union's transition to a circular economy. The transport of waste is in fact an activity that requires clear rules and adequate controls. Unfortunately, between 15% and 30% of shipments are still carried out illegally. This is completely unacceptable and this regulation seeks to remedy it. We remember well how China's decision to no longer accept plastic waste has had a strong impact on our ability to manage it properly. The text adopted in ENVI, which provides for a gradual limitation on their exports, wants this not to happen again. Instead, it aims to create a driving force both for the design of more sustainable products and for the further development of our recycling capacity. Exporting our waste to Third World countries cannot and must no longer be the solution, but we must focus without delay on the circular economy and this regulation is a decisive step forward.