Debate contributions by Barbara BONTE

Mr President, the UN climate conference is more dead than alive and that is a good thing. It has only harmed Europe. Thirty years of summits, statements and expensive delegations have led to a destructive platform – a platform where Europe is sacrificing itself while the rest of the world is just laughing at our naivety. Yet the majority of Parliament continues to defend this climate circus as if it were sacred, while everyone sees what is happening. Our companies and our industry are leaving. Citizens are becoming poorer and our energy prices are swinging through the outdated and outdated Green Deal. Europe accounts for only 6% of global CO2 emissions, but we act as if we can save the planet on our own, when in reality we are only harming ourselves. This policy is unworkable, ineffective and completely unrelated to reality. The only rational choice is clear: Stop risking our prosperity, stop the Green Deal.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, China's export restrictions on rare earth materials reveal a painful truth. Europe is vulnerable and by sticking to dogmatic climate policies and green symbolic politics for years, we have ensured that we have become completely dependent on China. Beijing knows this and is now using this dependence as a political tool of power, threatening to bleed our industry even further to death. The Commission is now full of teeth. Yes, we see a lot of plans, a lot of strategies, but all too slow and all too late. Prices have risen up to six times, production lines are at risk of shutting down, and even defence programs are at risk. Europe simply no longer has time. We therefore need quick decisions. First and foremost: take immediate steps towards own mining and refining, enter into binding partnerships with reliable countries and build up strategic stocks that are built up within months and not years. Europe must not delay, Europe must act now.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European Commission is rapidly turning our economy into a planned economy. The sale of cars with internal combustion engines will soon be banned, a technology in which Europe has always been a pioneer and which has brought mobility and prosperity to millions of people. They want to artificially increase the demand for electric cars, against the will of the motorist. Why doesn't the driver want these cars? Because they are too expensive, because the network is not ready and the charging infrastructure is inadequate. Ideological images are sold that are not feasible in practice. Production and jobs are disappearing to countries outside the EU, while the bill is being passed on to our families and businesses. My call is clear: Let the free market do its job and stop the ban on diesel and gasoline cars. Planned economies have never worked, on the contrary. Let different technologies compete with each other and give the consumer back his freedom, because only free choice brings real progress.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission wants us to believe that there will now be a simplification of agricultural policy. In reality, it is only a cosmetic intervention, because in practice our farmers remain entangled in a web of rules, sanctions and performance reports, imposed by people who have rarely, if ever, seen a field or a stable up close. Farmers now have to submit full performance accounts every year as if they were no longer trusted. And as if that were not enough, the European Commission is now opening the door to foreign competition through the Mercosur agreement. Our farmers do not deserve this mistrust. They must once again be given the freedom to do what they are good at: producing, caring for, managing. Less time on paperwork, more time on the field. We want an agricultural policy that rewards entrepreneurship, enables innovation and guarantees Europe's food security. Let the farmer finally be a farmer again.

Mr. President, Lisa was 17 years old. She was brutally murdered by an asylum seeker. Not by chance, not by bad street lights, not by toxic masculinity, but because of something our media and left-wing politicians are terribly silent about: The policy of open borders. The truth is simple: Mass migration makes our society unsafe. How many more Lisas to follow? How many women? How many daughters? I really don't care that asylum seekers feel unsafe in their countries when our women feel unsafe in our countries. It's time to choose: mass migration or remigration. If we women want to feel safe again, there is only one answer: remigration.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the common agricultural policy must put the farmer first, not the bureaucracy. Our farmers demand less dogmatic rules, less unnecessary paperwork and more trust. Let our farmers focus on their core task: provide us with the best products of the highest quality. We call for real support for innovation. Techniques such as renure and especially new genomic techniques, the so-called NGTs, must be fully developed and applied, because they make agriculture more sustainable and efficient. Fair competition is also essential. Products from outside the EU must meet the same standards as those of our farmers. Reciprocity in trade policy is essential. Nor should plant protection products simply be banned without viable and affordable alternatives, because that is unworkable and unfair. Finally, the Green Deal must go. Green ideology must not undermine our agriculture. Farmers deserve legal certainty and a fair future perspective.

Mr President, I am basing myself on Rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure. On March 1st, a disaster was narrowly avoided in my home city of Ghent in Flanders. Not by accident, but by climate activists engaged in life-threatening sabotage: servers destroyed, cables cut and the risk of explosion at ArcelorMittal, among others. According to a report by the Belgian government, there is far-reaching radicalisation in the climate movement that considers the destruction of pipelines as legitimate action tactics. This is no longer activism. This is climate terrorism. When critical infrastructure in Europe is targeted by terrorists, all alarm bells must ring. Meanwhile, the EU continues to subsidise NGOs that support these movements. My call is simple: Stop subsidizing climate extremists and stop giving a forum to such sujetten in this parliament!

Mr President, please propose: Your flight is delayed. You have to wait for hours at the airport. You will no longer be able to catch your connecting flight and all your plans will fall apart. Normally, you can then apply for compensation if your flight is delayed by more than three hours. Now, after twelve years, a proposal is on the table that aims to significantly reduce the right to compensation by increasing the minimum time to four hours. Essential consumer rights are at risk of being undermined under the guise of simplification, and passengers are now in reality going to be given much less protection. Moreover, the current procedure for applying for compensation is also very complicated, so that as many as two out of three travellers who are entitled to compensation do not actually receive it. Instead of defending the rights of citizens, the EU seems to have listened mainly to the wishes of the airlines. The rights of the traveller must be protected, not eroded, because every affected passenger must be given what he or she is entitled to.

Mr President, food prices remain a major concern for many families. A shopping cart is becoming more and more expensive and while multinationals are making record profits, the ordinary citizen is paying for the costs. This is not a coincidence, but the direct result of political failure. The obsolete Green Deal and the compulsive climate rules have squeezed out our farmers. Production costs have skyrocketed, food is becoming scarcer and our farmers are dropping out. And at the same time, the EU allows cheap imports, often produced under conditions that are prohibited here. That is pure unfair competition and a globalist dumping model that is destroying our own market. That is why we urgently need to put an end to this outdated system. The Green Deal must disappear. These ideological and outdated climate rules must be removed. We choose common sense, for our farmers and for affordable food for our people.

Mr President, our industry is on the brink of collapse. The disastrous Green Deal is pushing companies towards closure or relocation abroad. Companies are struggling with skyrocketing energy prices, a speculative CO2market and a carbon border adjustment mechanism that, in its current form, penalises rather than protects. Take, for example, the pharmaceutical sector in Flanders: a global player, but heavily dependent on stable and affordable energy. We cannot allow this production to be moved outside the European Union, purely for the sake of climate dogmas, and to become dependent on others. That is why I am calling for a stable, predictable industrial policy. This includes: revision or abolition of the overdue Green Deal, deregulation and simplification, and recognition of natural gas as an essential part of the energy mix. After all, some processes simply cannot do without them at the moment. Let us not forget that without a strong industry there can be no prosperity.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have all undoubtedly seen the video in which Commissioner Lahbib presented her preparedness strategy a few days ago. Of the threats that have kept citizens awake for years, the Commission seems to have no clue. Citizens are confronted every day with the negative consequences of mass migration, including increasing insecurity and social tensions. Attacks, gunshots and even grenade blasts have been a reality in many European cities for many years. But, according to the Commissioner, preparedness in Brussels means a handbag containing a deck of cards and a radio. The only thing missing is toilet paper. What a strangeness of the world! If I walk down the street as a woman in Brussels or take the metro there and I am attacked and intimidated for the umpteenth time, this is not going to help me. Mrs Lahbib, it is time that you stop looking away from reality and have an eye for the real problems.

Mr President, Commissioner, the agricultural sector is the backbone of our society. Without agriculture we have no food and without food we cannot survive as humans. It is of the utmost importance that we in Europe provide our own food so that we do not run on the leash of other countries. You have rightly referred to this, Commissioner, but I have the impression that you are not fully aware of this. For example, the Green Deal continues to be persistently adhered to. This undermines the agricultural sector with unrealistic rules and costs, with all the consequences that this entails. Farmers stop, production drops and we lose control of our own food production. To top it all off, this European Union also wants to push through the Mercosur agreement, which threatens to completely destroy the sector and make us dependent on foreign production. That is why I ask three things to save the agricultural sector: Abolition of the Green Deal, no Mercosur agreement and more respect for the farmer and his work. Without farmers, there is no food and no future.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, do you know the definition of madness? That is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result. It is exactly what the European Commission is now doing with the Clean Industrial Deal. It is no more than a little patchwork to deal with the disastrous consequences of the Green Deal. It's just more of the same. This plan is not going to save our industry, it's going to destroy it. Brussels claims that this deal should strengthen European industry. But at the same time, companies are obliged to expensive CO2-reductions, additional regulations and skyrocketing energy costs. The solution is not yet a European plan, but the abolition of the Green Deal. We must therefore focus on three things: firstly, affordable energy through nuclear energy, secondly, protecting our industry from unfair competition, and thirdly, less EU interference and less bureaucracy. This is the only way for industry to have a future in Europe.

Mr President, the Mercosur agreement will strike our European farmers straight in the heart. After all that our farmers have already had to collect with the Green Deal, which was implemented under pressure from green NGOs subsidised by the Commission, this is yet another attack on everything farmers have built up over generations. The Green Deal has already forced farms to change their business model. Many farms have been forced to close their doors. This Mercosur agreement threatens to be the death blow for our farmers. Why should our market be flooded with cheap beef, poultry and dairy from South America, while we produce the best food in Europe that meets the highest standards? Why should the future of 9 million farms be put at risk? It is already clear that this agreement will disrupt the market. It will put further pressure on the prices farmers receive for their products. It will definitely wring the necks of the smaller farms. Stop this self-destruction. Stop this Mercosur agreement.

Mr President, Commissioner, in the field of artificial intelligence, Europe is almost entirely dependent on foreign technology, which of course makes us very vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. Why have we become so dependent? One important reason is that companies in the United States and in Asia can set up new factories much faster, while in Europe the construction of chip factories is delayed by overregulation and bureaucracy. The European Commission announced today that it is investing EUR 200 billion in artificial intelligence. That is, of course, a lot of money, but if we do not put an end to the suffocating bureaucracy and overregulation, even with so much money it will never succeed. Let this latest tightening of U.S. export restrictions be an alarm bell for us. We need to be able to produce AI chips ourselves in Europe, especially in a world dominated by artificial intelligence in the coming years. Strategic independence in AI chips and semiconductors is therefore an absolute necessity.

Mr President, this is why the EU is known all over the world: a plastic bottle with a fastened cap. While other countries are investing their time in innovative space, artificial intelligence and the development of semiconductors, this is what the EU is working on. It is the only guarantee the EU can offer: Regulate everything to the smallest detail. As always, the EU wants to be the moral leader in all areas. Meanwhile, our industry is being destroyed and the global waste problem persists. In Europe, the waste mountain has been gradually reduced for some time (before these measures were taken), but elsewhere it is still growing. These countries can pollute at will and also take over our industries. For the European Commission, this is not a problem, as long as the cap remains on the bottle. It is time to rid European industry of this patronage and urgently put a stop to regulation.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, overregulation and green-left dogmas are making many European Member States vulnerable in their energy supply today. That is why Europe must today dare to opt for an independent and sustainable energy infrastructure, an infrastructure based on innovation in nuclear energy and on the accelerated development of nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is a promising but still complex energy source that still requires a lot of research and development before it can actually supply power to families and industry. However, nuclear fusion can make Member States independent from scarce raw materials and geopolitically vulnerable supply chains. Nuclear fusion offers the opportunity to create hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs in technology, science and innovation. The anchoring of our talent is crucial here. It's about our sovereignty, our security and our strategic position in an increasingly competitive world. Fusion energy is therefore not a dream, but a necessary ambition.

Mr President, the Green Deal policy has destroyed our European agricultural sector and the Mercosur agreement will take our farmers completely to the edge of the abyss. For many years, the European Union has advocated a sustainable agricultural model. Farmers had to be squeezed under strict rules, adjusting their entire business model. Many were forced to stop. This is an destruction of life's works. A few years later, we now have the Mercosur agreement, a free trade agreement that will allow cheap dumping of agricultural products from South America into our European market. Dumping from countries with poor environmental standards where animal welfare does not exist and climate rules are only symbolic. And this while our European farmers produce according to the highest standards in the world. And then the European Commission says it is now concerned about the mental well-being of our farmers. You just have to dare. Dear Commission, European farmers do not need your sympathy. Their message is clear: No Green Deal, no Mercosur.

Mr President, impact assessments can indeed be very useful to know the impact of a given policy. But we needed it five years ago. Now it's too late. Because today, the result of the Green Deal is abundantly clear. Our industry, once a symbol of progress, employment and prosperity, is cracking under unaffordable energy prices, heavy regulation and unrealistic goals. Investment decisions are being postponed and there is a huge risk of redundancies. The Green Deal is completely destroying our industry. What we need is an industrial renaissance. And we can safely set our ambitions high enough. Europe must once again become a leader in technological innovation, high-quality production and economic growth. We really can't go for less. To achieve this, at least three things must be done. First of all, energy. Energy must first and foremost be reliable, affordable and available to our companies. Secondly, entrepreneurs should not be suffocated by all kinds of rules and reporting obligations. The more of these rules are deleted, the better. And Last but not least refocus on job creation and prosperity and not on pursuing green dogmas. Let's build together a Europe that thrives, produces and grows. For us and for the generations that come after us.

Mr President, Commissioner, for me, children's rights policy starts with protecting children's fundamental rights: a solid education, access to excellent education without left-wing indoctrination and a safe and secure home situation. Children must be able to grow up to be strong and free individuals in a warm and stimulating environment. We must therefore nurture and strengthen traditional families and local communities, because that is where the key to the well-being of every child lies. Research shows that children who spend enough time with their parents are emotionally stronger and happier. At the same time, companies with satisfied employees show that they are more productive and successful. Creating a balanced environment in which work and family complement each other instead of working against each other is therefore not a luxury, but a necessity. It does not therefore have to be an ‘or’ story, it can perfectly be an ‘and’ story. A healthy work-life balance benefits everyone. And it is up to us to strive for this. Let children grow up in optimal conditions and enjoy the best possible education. That is the best guarantee of a prosperous future for our people.

Mr President, farmers have an interest in biodiversity, but the European Union's current biodiversity strategy risks seriously affecting our farmers. I would like to reiterate this in the light of the Biodiversity Conference. The compulsory restoration of 20% of Europe's natural areas affects our farmers in particular. They risk losing a large part of their land to new nature projects. For many farmers, this not only means less available agricultural land, it also means stricter rules for the use of their own land. This can lead to significant restrictions in crop production, even the expropriation of land. This entails a lot of costs and great uncertainties and these make it almost impossible for many farmers to continue their business. And this while the agricultural sector is already struggling with rising costs and increasing pressure to produce more sustainably. Farmers feel abandoned by a policy imposed from above, without taking their efforts and knowledge seriously. Farmers are nature's best custodians and keepers. That is why we must not bully farmers with all kinds of ill-considered measures. If we want to protect biodiversity, we need to support it. So do not let farmers pay the price for a strategy that can be better implemented with them instead of against them.

Mr President, the European People's Party is calling for an axe to be taken in the excessive regulation, something I can only support. But who has led the European Union for decades? Right: the European People's Party itself. Mrs von der Leyen argues that reporting obligations should be reduced by a quarter, but who introduced those absurd obligations? Exactly: the Commission led by Ms von der Leyen of the European People's Party. I feel like the arsonist is coming to play fireman now. Overregulation is deeply rooted in the DNA of the European Commission. So we need radical changes to break the power of those bureaucrats and stop the regulatory drive. First: give national parliaments a right of veto over EU law – no more top-down dictates. Secondly: take away the Commission's right of initiative and give it to the Council. Thirdly: Keep the existing regulations clean and, above all, reverse the Green Deal. It is more than time to take back control and eradicate overregulation. “¡Afuera!’