Debate contributions by Barbara BONTE

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!’

Mr President, Commissioner, the European car industry is going through a very serious storm. The red numbers are piling up and factories like Audi Brussels in my country are on the brink of closure. If we do not intervene, there will be a point of no return and one day we will wake up in an economic cemetery. We can't let this happen. The main culprit for this crisis is the EU itself. Who introduced the Green Deal? Who introduced the regulation that from 2035 only new cars can be sold that are completely emission-free? Many car manufacturers have been caught in speed by these rules, shifting their focus to the production of electric cars, while in fact they were still working hard on improving and changing internal combustion engines. Moreover, the consumer does not follow either. He does not want to be forced to buy an electric car, he wants to be able to choose for himself. It is clear that the transition to zero-emission cars is too short and too brutal. Give the car manufacturer and the consumer back the freedom of choice, scrap the ban on fuel engines immediately and relax the CO2–emissions rules. Because only in this way can we save the European car industry.

Mr President, for ordinary citizens, the energy bill has simply become unaffordable. Our industry suffers from gas prices that are still three to six times higher than in the United States. Our prosperity is at stake. The European Commission is failing to address people's real problems. The mandatory switch to renewable energy is a totally unrealistic and unattainable dream of Brussels bureaucrats who have completely lost sight of reality. In 2022, the EU sourced around 23% of its energy from renewable sources. However, the EU wants this percentage to increase to 42.5% by the end of 2030. This means that it should increase by as much as 8% per year, while only 0.7% per year has been added in the last decade. The European goals are therefore totally unachievable. Even if we fill the entire Flemish coast with windmills and force everyone to install solar panels on their roof, we will not get there. Why is the EU sticking to these unachievable goals? In addition, the Commission's focus is too much on reducing energy consumption. Citizens are not waiting for unaffordable renovation obligations. European companies need not less, but more energy to grow, to keep our economy running and to create prosperity. So let's invest in affordable and reliable energy in the form of innovative technologies. I am thinking first of all of nuclear energy, which can be supplemented, for example, by geothermal energy or, where this is sensible, by wind or solar energy. Our citizens, businesses and industry clearly want affordable energy. We must not allow our citizens to be impoverished and our industry to leave because of the green delusions of the Commission and the climate lobby. Let's choose our people and our companies.

Mr President, yesterday we celebrated Agriculture Day in Flanders. However, there was not much to celebrate. Our agricultural sector is being destroyed. I don't know yet whether this is intentional or the result of boundless naivety. The Green Deal policy has brought the European agricultural sector to the brink of collapse. This innovative sector has been reduced by dogmatic climate rules to a sector that is doomed to disappear. Legal certainty and food security are being undermined and we risk losing our food sovereignty. This is the legacy of the Commission's green policy and there is no evidence of a policy change. This situation should not escalate further. Stop destroying the European agricultural sector and turn it into a strategic sector. Above all, listen to the common sense of the farmers.