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Priorités législatives 2027 de l’UE : deux eurodéputés s’affrontent dans « The Ring »

Dans cette édition de notre émission de débat, les députés européens Benedetta Scuderi (Verts, Italie) et Markus Ferber (PPE, Allemagne) s'affrontent sur la question centrale au sein de l'Union européenne.

LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/11/12/priorites-legislatives-2027-de-lue-deux-eurodeputes-saffrontent-dans-the-ring

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00:08Hello and welcome to The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show broadcasting from the European Parliament in Brussels.
00:15I'm Stefan Grobe.
00:16On The Ring, debaters go face-to-face on some of the biggest political issues facing the EU.
00:23Today, we want to talk about the right priorities for Europe's future.
00:27Politically speaking, what should the EU focus on delivering before the end of its mandate?
00:34Luis Albertos has more.
00:39Europe wants to be greener, richer, safer and more competitive.
00:43But can it realistically deliver on all these ambitions at once?
00:48The challenges are enormous.
00:50An increasingly volatile geopolitical situation is forcing Europe to rethink its security and economic model.
00:55At the same time, European industries are struggling with high energy costs, excessive regulation and fierce global competition.
01:04Is it time for Brussels to put competitiveness first, even if that means slowing down the green transition?
01:10But there's another dilemma.
01:11Money.
01:12Should Europe spend less, cut red tape and rain in its ambitions?
01:16Or should Europe have a bigger EU budget, more common investment and stronger social and climate policies?
01:22And does it have the political will to shape its own future?
01:29A lot to unpack here for our contenders.
01:33And here they are.
01:35Benedetta Scuderi, an Italian MEP from the Greens.
01:38She's a member of the Committees on Industry, Research and Energy and Women's Rights and Gender Equality.
01:43She says,
01:45One of the priorities is definitely to achieve European autonomy, not in terms of military spending, but in our energy,
01:50digital and industrial clean tech capacity.
01:53The goal is to phase out fossil fuels and re-industrialize our regions in a socially just way, thinking of
01:59our people and territories.
02:01And let's make polluters pay for this.
02:04Markus Ferber, a German MEP from the Central Right European People's Party.
02:08A long-serving member of the European Parliament, he's the Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Tax Matters and a
02:13member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.
02:16He says,
02:17The EU must prioritize competitiveness, economic growth and simplification, not deregulation.
02:23We need to achieve the same ambitious goals with less bureaucracy and paperwork, because only a strong economy can finance
02:30our climate ambitions, security and social model.
02:35So let me welcome to the ring Benedetta Scuderi and Markus Ferber.
02:39Great to have you here. Good to see you.
02:42Speaking of legislative priorities for 2027, is Brussels addressing the issues that really matter to European citizens, or is it
02:52still setting its agenda from inside the Brussels bubble?
02:56What is the strategy, if there is any?
02:59The strategy is, in comparison to the last period where the Green Deal was the headline for five years, competitiveness
03:05is the headline of this five years period.
03:07And that means we have to get rid of bureaucracy. We have to take care on competitiveness of our industry
03:13and our SMEs as well.
03:16And if we have a growth on GDP, we have a growth on the European budget as well. That is
03:21the easiest thing to understand.
03:23And therefore, growth and competitiveness is number one, of course, to have sustainable growth, to, of course, to have social
03:30economy driven growth.
03:31Growth, but growth is the key answer.
03:34Benedetta, are you subscribing to this?
03:37Growth doesn't happen because we want it to happen.
03:40And Europe is a proof of it. With all the political powers that are investing in today's capacities, and Europe
03:47that is not investing in its capacity, is not investing in energy transition enough, is not investing in adaptation enough,
03:52is not investing in digital transition, is not investing in a social justice, because the investments we do are well
03:58below what we need, then we're never going to thrive as a continent, as a European Union, as a political
04:05union.
04:06If we are not a political union, first thing, then we're never going to thrive.
04:10So, Markus, is Europe investing in an old model rather than into digital economy, cyber technology?
04:18I think we have firstly to discuss who has to invest.
04:21If everything should be invested by the public, sorry, we will never be able to deliver.
04:26What we have to create is an environment where private investment takes place.
04:29And what we see at the moment is that the big investors of the world are moving away from Europe,
04:36from Germany as well, but from Europe total as well.
04:39And so we have a lack of foreign investments, but we have a lot of investments from European companies outside
04:45the European Union.
04:46And that is our main threat we are confronted with.
04:48And if you ask industry why is that happening, number one, high energy prices, number two, high bureaucracy costs, number
04:56three, the level of skills of the employees.
05:01And I think that are things we have to address.
05:04The point is that my country argument is his argument, because he said two of the three things that are
05:09stopping our companies to be able to invest in Europe are energy.
05:12And we need to invest in energy. Energy prices are super high because we are extremely dependent on gas and
05:18gas imports.
05:20And that's what is making our energy prices high. And that's what we need to invest. That's what we're saying.
05:24And I'm sorry, on these investments, they need to come from public. They need to be publicly driven.
05:30It cannot be only public, but they need to be publicly driven because we know where the market is going.
05:34They don't care about energy prices like the big fossil companies.
05:39They're making huge profits from our crisis. They're not going to invest in what will make us better.
05:45And we need to drive that. And the second thing, skills. Who can make the skills?
05:49We have the union of skills and we need to implement that, invest in that and make it right.
05:56So that means that we really need to be sure that the skills that we need are everywhere in every
06:03angle of Europe.
06:04So investing in skills, that sounds good to me, Marcus.
06:07Yeah, but the problem is who is responsible for what. And we cannot say every problem in Europe has to
06:12be addressed by the European Union.
06:14We need member states who really engage because education, social welfare, all this stuff is national competence.
06:20And according to the treaties, it's their obligation. On the other hand of energy.
06:24Sorry, you come from a member state who is a net consumer on energy.
06:28Italy was never able even to deliver the own energy for its own industry.
06:32I come from a member state who could in the past, but now we are net consumers as well.
06:37If we have only net consumers in the European Union, we have a problem.
06:40So where are the possibilities to produce energy for the industry?
06:45And that will not be done only by photovoltaics and windmills.
06:48Sorry, we need other sources as well.
06:50And that is what we are not equipping for the moment because we have a high bureaucratic burden for this
06:55investment, even for a windmill.
06:57In Germany, it takes one year only to get the allowance to construct a windmill.
07:01Sorry, we are far away from achieving our goals.
07:04Okay, Benedetta, your answer.
07:06Absolutely, that we need to fasten up our permitting procedures.
07:09Absolutely, our bureaucracy.
07:10But why are you against the omnibuses then?
07:13Because they are not simplification, they are deregulation.
07:15Omnibus, by the way, is not about cars, right?
07:20If you think that to make a windmill, we need to take away the due diligence of multinational companies, I
07:26don't think so.
07:27I don't think due diligence of multinational companies, that's where Omnibus that you bought it for.
07:32That's what you made into Omnibus.
07:34Well, as you made it into Omnibus, deeper a station, you made it into an Omnibus.
07:37I never heard an Omnibus about fastening up permitting of windmills, in my opinion.
07:43Now we have a permitting fasting that is coming in the next commission program, and I'm really willing to work
07:50on it, and us Greens are really willing to work on it.
07:52We had the red that was about fastening up permitting, and the Greens were in it.
07:57But the point is, fastening up permitting doesn't need to be for data centers, doesn't need to be for big
08:02companies.
08:02It needs to be for what we actually need, like windmills, like solar energy and solar support.
08:09We don't need data centers, or what is your opinion?
08:12I see.
08:12You will not create growth without data centers.
08:16How do you think we can achieve growth?
08:17Look to the United States.
08:19The only driving force is AI.
08:21What is happening with data centers?
08:22AI needs data centers.
08:23We don't have growth, we don't have competitiveness.
08:26I see, we're just getting warmed up here, which is really good.
08:29But now it's time for gloves off.
08:36Now we want viewers to get a real flavor of the European Parliament.
08:40We've already got this a little bit, where members ask each other questions.
08:45And Benedetta, I'd like you to ask the first question to Markus.
08:49So as we were getting into it, we have a huge need to achieve our digital autonomy and our digital
08:57strategy.
08:57So I'm just wondering, but we cannot do this if we are selling out our data, our resources to big
09:04American big tech.
09:06So I'm wondering if the EPP is fine to have a European digital strategy and implementation act,
09:13but most of all to have regulation and a clear authorization process for data center in order to not give
09:20our data and our energy and our water
09:23to big American big techs that will not do anything about digital autonomy.
09:29So do you want to have a strong regulation for data center and a strong strategy for digital autonomy for
09:35having European data centers?
09:37I think that is not the right question.
09:39The question is even for European investors, and I have a few of them in Germany who really want to
09:44invest in data centers
09:45to safeguard, for example, the data protection regulation, which means data from Europe should stay in Europe
09:52and not misused by NSA in the United States.
09:56But they have a problem to get allowance, to have the energy, to get the allowance for the water.
10:02Sorry if you make a strategy only protecting for other investments, but not taking care that the investments are taking
10:08place.
10:08Sorry, that is what you're doing, because you don't grant the energy.
10:13We have only four places in Germany where you have enough energy to run a data center.
10:18Sorry, that is the challenge.
10:19It's not the question who is investing.
10:21No one can invest because the infrastructure is not appropriate.
10:24And you are defending that we can invest in the infrastructure, which is a public demand,
10:29but then private investors will come even from inside the European Union.
10:33That is the wrong approach.
10:34Sorry, but then if we see 90% of the data center that are asking and are doing the data
10:41center is American companies.
10:43It's not European companies.
10:44If you see an island where 20% of electricity is for American companies, 20% of electricity is for
10:49data center.
10:50And most of it is for American companies.
10:52Look at Italy.
10:53Sorry, get out of Germany.
10:54If this is the situation in Germany, look at Europe.
10:56Look at Finland.
10:57Yeah, but Ireland is a very special problem, which we have for years.
11:00So if you don't have regulation against this, then you're not going to have...
11:03Sorry, if you know everything better, we can stop the discussion.
11:05It's now my turn to ask a question to you.
11:07On the contrary, Marcus, I want to ask Benedetta a question now.
11:12Yeah, that's what I wanted to do, but...
11:14Go ahead.
11:14Thanks that I have a chance.
11:16Your group, the Green Group, calls the program for next year, and I quote, an attack against nature.
11:21Are we really sure that you are reading correctly what the Commission has proposed?
11:26Are we really sure if we are reviewing any regulation after five years?
11:31And we have, for example, the habitat regulation, which is older than 35 years, and a lot of things have
11:37changed,
11:37that we have a look on that, and that is not a attack against nature, but really adjusting to a
11:43new situation?
11:45I think that adjusting to a new situation would be extremely great if you look at what is the situation,
11:50but it looks like the EPP is not looking at the climate collapse.
11:54You're not able to do anything about the climate...
11:56Who says that? What is your proof for this phrase?
11:58Sorry, that is unacceptable.
12:01That is unacceptable, really.
12:02Why is EPP...
12:03Because all the omnibus, as you really fried with them, are going against anything that would be a climate collapse.
12:09Which omnibus? Tell me, which omnibus?
12:11I told you, deforestation, the omnibus...
12:15Deforestation is not in an omnibus, sorry.
12:17Don't tell stories which are not the truth.
12:19You are talking...
12:20In which omnibus is deforestation? Tell me.
12:23You are taking away...
12:24It's not right what you are saying.
12:25Due diligence, then.
12:27It was one of the strongest things that we had for the climate...
12:30Thunder Lion said in 2019...
12:31Sir, he said that I'm not making respect, but then...
12:33The race to the moon.
12:34But the race to the moon did not work with bureaucracy, it worked with technology, and that is what...
12:40Yeah, but we don't need a race to the moon, we need to protect these planets.
12:42That's your order.
12:43We need to protect this planet, we don't need a race to the moon.
12:45The moon is unlivable.
12:46And you want to make these planets unlivable as much as the moon, I think.
12:50That's what you want to do.
12:52All right, all right.
12:53If you like the moon, I don't want to make the Earth the moon.
12:55As I said, you supported this part in 2019.
12:58Just a second.
12:59I really regret that.
13:00Benedetta, do you have another question for Marcus?
13:06For sure.
13:07Short one.
13:07For sure.
13:08So, we have need for socially just Europe.
13:12And we have a huge amount of our population that is not able to sustain a living, is not able
13:17to find a house.
13:18That regards young people, people of my age, that regards older people, that regards workers.
13:23Workers in cities are not able to go and work in the city anymore because they cannot afford an apartment.
13:30They cannot even afford a room.
13:32So, I'm wondering if the EPP is able to look at this problem, not saying that we need to build
13:37more because many of our cities have enough empty houses, so probably it's not the number of houses.
13:42But to say that we need to regulate Airbnb and to say that we need to have more public houses
13:50that are actually public and for actually low income people and solutions for middle income people.
13:57Are you able to say that or we just need to build with deregulation?
14:00I'm a little bit surprised that you attacked EPP as we had the rapporteur on the housing committee.
14:05Let him answer.
14:06Let him answer.
14:07I would be very happy even to say one sentence without being disturbed.
14:11That's what you did with me, by the way.
14:14Okay.
14:14We had the rapporteur from EPP and he drafted a report which was adopted by a huge majority by the
14:21European Parliament.
14:22And one of the key quotes of this report is that we need to build more houses.
14:27Sorry, because we have a lack of that.
14:30We asked, and that part was not supported by the Greens, that we need less bureaucracy to build houses.
14:37Sorry, that's the same problem.
14:39In Germany, it takes eight years when a city decides to make an area for construction till you have the
14:45right to construct something on that.
14:47The rest of the world does it in one to two years, even protecting environment and taking care of standards.
14:53Sorry, that is our problem.
14:55And that is the problem of the Green Group because you are refusing that we have an omnibus for the
15:00housing area.
15:01You will not be able to finance all this stuff by public investments.
15:04We need private investments for that.
15:06And therefore, we have to make it cheaper.
15:08And therefore, Europe can play a role.
15:10Okay.
15:10Marcus, one last question to Benedetta.
15:12One last question to Benedetta in this round.
15:14Yeah.
15:15So, if we speak about autonomy and stuff like that, I think we have to speak about trade agreements as
15:20well.
15:20How Europe can create a rule-based world with trade partners around the globe.
15:26And I was wondering why, for example, the Green Group was voting against the Mercosur Agreement,
15:31with the far right, by the way, and brought it to the Court of Justice, without ratifying it.
15:38Sorry.
15:38I was surprised.
15:39That is the wrong answer for the demands we need and the Greens are asking for.
15:43Okay.
15:44It's funny that it's coming from an EPP member.
15:47It's not funny.
15:47That we voted with the far right.
15:49No.
15:49You vote more with the far right than us.
15:50Sorry.
15:51Let her answer.
15:53Let her answer.
15:55They actually made agreement with the far right to vote about migration.
16:01They brought it together.
16:02And now they are claiming to us.
16:03I was talking about trade agreement.
16:05Yeah.
16:05And now they are claiming to us that we voted in our long-standing position that was against
16:12this agreement on Mercosur.
16:15Because it first is damaging our people.
16:1725 years negotiation is fast.
16:20Let her just develop this.
16:21And we were…
16:21On which planet are you living?
16:23Let her just develop this, please.
16:25Sorry.
16:25Sorry.
16:26You calm down.
16:27Because you didn't even hear what I said.
16:28And you're saying, which planet are you living?
16:30So what's your problem?
16:30Because if you hear what I say, if you hear what I say, if you hear what I say, and
16:38then
16:38you say that I live in another planet, then you can say it.
16:41But you don't even hear what I say, then you are in another planet.
16:44Because you don't know what's my argument.
16:46You said we negotiated fast.
16:4825 years is fast for you.
16:49Good luck.
16:50You see, it's just 25 years, 25 years.
16:52We were against all along.
16:53Because you make this deal just for profit.
16:56You don't make this deal for people here.
16:57That's not true.
16:58Come on.
16:58You don't make this deal for people in the Amazon.
17:00You don't make this deal for our farmers.
17:02That will be…
17:03And they're already asking the review of the deal, because they are damaged by unfair
17:09competition.
17:10You didn't make a deal with clear rules about what can come in, because now meat that is
17:16made with deforestation can come in, which is damaging our farmers.
17:20So you are against free trade in total.
17:22And you didn't make this deal for the people in the Amazon.
17:23So you are against free trade in total.
17:25Because this is going to damage the Amazon.
17:26So that's my argument.
17:28So you are against free trade in total.
17:29It's you.
17:30All right.
17:30I'm not against fair trade.
17:31Yes, you are.
17:32Because that's a problem.
17:34I'm against trade without fairness.
17:35All right.
17:35We've got to take a break here.
17:36There is a fair trade agreement.
17:38Sorry.
17:38We've got to take a break here.
17:39Thank you very much so far to our guest.
17:42That's it for now on The Ring.
17:45Stay with us here on Euronews.
17:56Welcome to The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show.
17:59I'm Stefan Grobett.
18:00I'm joined by two members of the European Parliament.
18:03Benedetta Scuderi from the Italian Greece and Marcus Ferber, Christian Democrat from Germany.
18:08Today we debated the political and legislative priorities of the EU and we discussed whether
18:14Brussels is addressing the issues that matter to people, to European citizens.
18:19Now, what is important to Europeans?
18:22What are their worries?
18:23What are their demands?
18:25And here we have two recent Eurobarometer surveys that give a pretty good picture of what people are thinking.
18:31When asked, what should the European Parliament prioritize?
18:35Inflation, rising prices and cost of living, 47% say that almost half of the population.
18:43When it comes to the economy and job creation, it's 35% and a little less, 34% say it's
18:50EU defense and security.
18:52And when asked how the EU's budget should be allocated, employment, social affairs and public health comes in on top.
19:0041%, a little less, 38% say security and defense.
19:06And finally, 33% say the money should be allocated for education, training, youth, culture and media, go figure.
19:16So, the issue of inflation and increased cost of living is on top of the list.
19:22Not really surprising.
19:24Is the EU, are European governments doing enough to bring prices down and protect households and businesses?
19:30Marcus, I'm going to start with you.
19:32Yeah, the fight on the inflation is the responsibility of the European Central Bank, to be very honest.
19:37It's not something we can do as politicians.
19:40It has to be, price stability is a mandate of the European Central Bank.
19:44And in my capacity as a member of the Econ Committee, we are in direct exchange with Christine Lagarde.
19:50And I hope, as she has resigned, we will get someone who will really fight against inflation in the years
19:55to come, because that will be a key issue.
19:57And therefore, we have to do, as I said before, some investments to reduce the costs as we have high
20:03demands and low supply that is increasing costs and prices.
20:06Right.
20:08Benelida, we've been hearing these complaints about the high cost of living for quite some time now, but yet nothing
20:16has changed, nothing tangible has changed for European households, families and businesses.
20:22What's wrong here?
20:23I really think Europe should do a step up and should take a big part into this, because I'm a
20:29federalist and I believe that Europe has to have a big role into the well-being of people.
20:34And that's why we are asking for more social investments.
20:37That's why we're asking for investments in housing.
20:39That's why we're asking for investment in energy, because who is what is driving up the prices?
20:44Yeah, it's inflation, can be the central bank.
20:46But what is driving up inflation is the energy prices a lot, is the voice driving up the prices is
20:53the rent prices and so on and so forth.
20:55If we don't do investments into these things, then nothing's going to change for people.
20:59And I really think that the European Parliament should step up and should be clear in what is our direction.
21:07And that's why I was saying at the beginning, this work program is not clearly going into this direction and
21:11the budget of the European Union is not really going into this direction.
21:14The moment of crisis we're living now, we are even thinking about decreasing the current budget that is like pennies
21:23at the moment.
21:24I think we need to step up.
21:25You mentioned the EU budget.
21:27We have these heated talks going on for quite some time, probably until the end of the year.
21:32What should the EU budget focus on, Marcus?
21:36Yeah.
21:37What are the topics?
21:38Of course, it's not only one.
21:39If you would have here colleagues from the agri-committee, from agriculture policy, they would say, yes, it's very important
21:45to be resilient in the food supply and in the production.
21:48If you have people from the poor region, they would say regional policy is key, cohesion policy is key.
21:55If you ask me, coming from Germany, I say research and innovation is key.
22:00So we have to prioritize, of course, if we have limited resources and sorry, the budget, the public budgets have
22:06limited resources on national level and on European level.
22:09But to be very clear, as we have for the moment, 1.1 percent of the GDP.
22:15That's our budget.
22:16If we increase the GDP, we have more resources.
22:19So I think growth, competitiveness is a key element, even to have more resources available to fulfill all the obligations
22:26people are asking from the European Union.
22:28Okay. What about security and defense?
22:30How do we reconcile this with limited resources, as Marcus said, and now we need to spend more on defense?
22:37I first want to say that I'm a bit tired of this fairy tale of the market and the growth
22:42and everything is going to be fine.
22:44And in the meantime, people are going to be dead and starving.
22:47This is what is happening.
22:48If we wait for this growth that will come eventually and will save us all because the GDP is going
22:53to increase and then we're going to increase the budget, then our people are going to starve.
22:57They don't want this.
23:00They can't keep up anymore.
23:03So the point is we have resources.
23:05It's not true that we don't have resources because look at the money.
23:08Money is very much going to very small, very big pockets of very small amount of people.
23:15So the point is, are we strong enough to take resources from who has the resources?
23:21Because billionaires, because huge profits are increasing and increasing and increasing.
23:26These equalities are increasing and increasing.
23:27What we are telling to the people that now cannot afford to pay for the shop, for the grocery, we
23:34are telling them, sorry, let's make them richer, the 1% of the population, the 0.1% of the
23:39population richer.
23:40So maybe at some point with the tickle down, we all be richer.
23:44We say that's this for a century now.
23:46And what is happening is that inequalities are just increasing and people are worse.
23:51So maybe now it's time to say to the people, to 99%, sorry, we were wrong.
23:57We want to take the money from the smallest part of the population that has the billions, from the huge
24:02profits of who is actually damaging our planet.
24:05In that situation that you just described, sorry, in that situation that you just described, it makes it even tougher
24:12to increase defense and military spending.
24:15How do we reconcile this?
24:17I think we need to look at security as a broader thing when we talk about security.
24:24And one of the problems of the politics today in Europe and in many of our member states is that
24:29we look at security only as weapons.
24:31And if we think that we're going to be more secure just buying more weapons, then this is not the
24:37answer.
24:38We need to look at security as resilience.
24:40We need to look at security as digital cybersecurity.
24:43And I think these days are really telling us this.
24:45We need to look at security also as security from climate events.
24:49Like security is really a broader concept.
24:51And we need to increase our budget to be able to spend money on security as a broader content and
24:59on all the other priorities,
25:00because they are also extremely important.
25:02And the survey showed it.
25:03We cannot take from one to give to the other because that will not work.
25:07Okay.
25:08Marcus, I'll give you the floor.
25:09Once we've reached the next round, as it's time to move on and go to round number four.
25:20And this brings us to our quote of the week today from the EU commissioner for economy and productivity, Valdis
25:27Dombrovskis.
25:27He said recently, and I quote, in 2027, we will go further in tackling unnecessary burdens and addressing implementation gaps
25:36in areas such as transport, housing and digital and accelerating permitting.
25:42Our goal is clear, less red tape and complexity for citizens and more scope for businesses to invest, innovate and
25:50grow.
25:51Marcus, you've heard the commissioner.
25:54Do you agree with him?
25:55Yes, it's the right agenda because as we have a lack of investment, as we have a lack of productivity
26:02growth, we have to invest in the new technologies.
26:06And of course, we have to invest in decarbonization.
26:08That's why energy is key.
26:09If you want to decarbonize by electrification and you want to have investments in AI, for example, you need more
26:18electricity than in the past.
26:20And we don't have that at the moment.
26:22And we have to do it sustainable.
26:24So therefore, huge investments are needed and possibilities to do the investments.
26:29And that's why bureaucratic burden are one of the key elements we are confronted with on European level.
26:34And there we have to find a solution, but as well on member states, on regional level, because at the
26:39end for the entrepreneurs, for the local authorities, it's a huge bulk of bureaucracy burdens coming from each political level.
26:48So we have to deliver, but member states and regions as well.
26:51Where do you draw the line between deregulation and sort of less spending, less benefits for, you know, people like
27:02families, the people who benefit from the current?
27:06Deregulation, maybe the wrong word, is simplification.
27:08Make it easier, make it simpler, not make it less burdensome in the sense of misusing nature, misusing water, misusing
27:17animal protection, biodiversity or whatever, even social systems.
27:23So simplification is the right answer.
27:26And that is one of the key problems inside the commission.
27:28You have silos of different general directories who do not know what the other is doing.
27:33But at the end, all this stuff comes to the people, comes to the local authorities, comes to the entrepreneurs
27:39and to get rid of these things to achieve the main goals.
27:44But to simplify it, I think that is a key element.
27:47And the other thing is, of course, to create an environment where foreign investments will take place in the European
27:52Union as well.
27:53There we have really a lack and that is what we have to address.
27:57Okay.
27:57Beneta, simplification, as Marco said, is that a concept you could adhere to?
28:03Absolutely.
28:03When simplification is simplification, we are all in as Greens.
28:08We want to be faster on the transition, but we need to be knowing where we're going.
28:13So not just step backwards into our goals, because it's important also for investments, not just to simplify, but to
28:20give a clear direction, which now is a bit unsure in this European Union.
28:25We need to simplify the bureaucratic processes and we need to simplify more than simplify to make efficient and more
28:33united what the commission is doing and what the territories are doing.
28:36What I'm wondering, though, is that why EPP is not doing this?
28:40Because you're running the European Commission.
28:42I wasn't using EPP.
28:43You're running the parliament.
28:45I mean, the EPP has had the president of the commission for the last seven years and a half now.
28:50And in this parliament, you're the biggest group.
28:53So why is this not happening?
28:55Why the commission has not reformed?
28:56Because actually the commission now is even more divided into silos.
29:00It's even more complicated.
29:01Why are you not talking more with the territories?
29:03Why there's no more efficiencies?
29:05Like, I am wondering why this is not happening already, because we are all agreeing.
29:10The problem is that sometimes, behind the simplification, there's no difference in the bureaucratic process, but there's a lot of
29:17difference in the rules.
29:18And who is paying the price?
29:19It's local communities and nature.
29:21And this is the problem.
29:22Yeah.
29:23Sorry, it's not the EPP problem, to be very clear.
29:25It's a problem of the institution itself.
29:27Even in the parliament, you are sitting in the E3, I'm sitting in the Econ.
29:30When have we negotiated something, although we are dealing with roundabout the same things?
29:35Yeah?
29:36We do macroeconomic tools, you do industry policy, but there's a lot of interlinkage.
29:41We never discuss it.
29:42You make your legislation, the competitiveness fund, for example.
29:45Econ is fully out.
29:46Although there are a lot of things.
29:48State age rules, we are responsible.
29:49Competition rules, we are responsible.
29:51Tax rules, we are responsible.
29:53You don't take care.
29:54So don't blame EPP.
29:56It's a system problem which you are not addressing because you are misusing the system.
30:00How do we get out of this?
30:00That is what the Greens are doing.
30:02You live with this system because you can develop things which are really harming us.
30:07Do no significant harm is harming us, is harming investments.
30:10You invented it and brought it to all committees and to all realities.
30:15That's a problem.
30:16How do we get out of this?
30:17It's not EPP.
30:17It's the Greens who disturb it.
30:18You both describe the same problem maybe from a different perspective.
30:22So my question is how do we get out of this?
30:24How do we get out of the system that you describe as way too cumbersome, too bureaucratic
30:28and to the detriment of the people?
30:33I think Europe should focus on the main issues which really are European issues and not a Christmas
30:39tree with promises to everyone and everything.
30:42because we have local authorities with their responsibility.
30:45I come from a federal state, regional authorities with their competences, the national level and
30:51the European level.
30:52If we focus on the really big things on European level, we will have the support by the citizens
30:57and we will be able to deliver what is really demanded.
31:00So Parliament and Council are co-legislators, right?
31:05What happens if MEPs refuse to dilute legislation that the Commission wants to simplify?
31:13First of all, let me thank Marcus for the esteem he has in the Greens.
31:19Like we are the third smallest group in the Parliament and we are managing to decide the
31:25agenda of the whole European Union.
31:27This is incredible.
31:29It's an incredible result.
31:31I am so amazed to be part of this group.
31:34You know?
31:34Like they are the biggest party in the Parliament.
31:37They have the majority of the government and they have the President of the Commission.
31:41But who is harming Europe is the decision of the Greens that are setting the agenda.
31:45This is an incredible achievement.
31:46But that is what happened in the last period with the majority, with Socialists, Renew and
31:51Communists.
31:51Sorry.
31:52That is what you did.
31:53That is what you did for deforestation with five votes ahead.
31:56Do not significant harm.
31:57It is an incredibly important principle that I thank the Greens.
32:02If it is really because of the Greens, I thank the Greens to excess, not because I am
32:06part of it but because it is an incredibly important principle that I am sorry but was taken
32:11on also from your President of the Commission.
32:13I want to remember it is an EPP from Germany and she wanted it in.
32:17So, and this is actually supporting nature, supporting the people.
32:21Five votes ahead in the plenary.
32:22How can you say, do not significant harm.
32:25It is harming us.
32:26If it is harming, you should not do it and that is the basis of the principle.
32:30You brought it in with five votes majority in this period.
32:33Sorry.
32:34Guys, I think there is disagreement.
32:37Fair enough.
32:38Huge disagreement.
32:38On this point.
32:40And I thank you for that.
32:41On that note, we can close this point as it is time to move on to our fifth and final
32:46round.
32:50As we want to do something different, I am going to ask you a set of questions and you
32:56can only answer with a yes or no.
33:00Okay?
33:01So, has the political centre lost control of the political agenda, of the European agenda
33:08to the far right and the populists?
33:11Yes.
33:13Markus?
33:14No, of course not.
33:15Okay.
33:16Should defence spending take priority over climate spending?
33:21That is not the issue.
33:22Sorry.
33:24Climate spending is a European responsibility.
33:26Defence for the moment is a national one.
33:28Yes, but now we have a defence commissioner and somebody in general.
33:31Yeah, in general it is not so easy to answer as we do not have European projects.
33:34I would love to have European projects to finance, not to finance national budgets.
33:38Okay.
33:40So, in that case, we are responsible for climate, not for defence.
33:43Okay.
33:44Actually, we have the ECF, the majority of it is going into defence and a minority is going
33:49for climate.
33:49So, we have already the answer where the direction is going.
33:52And I would say no, it should not take over the climate.
33:56Okay.
33:57Good.
33:58Next one.
33:59Does Europe need a bigger EU budget?
34:01Absolutely, yes.
34:03No, more focused.
34:05Okay.
34:06Should the EU abandon its 20-40 climate ambitions if they undermine competitiveness?
34:13Absolutely, no.
34:13No.
34:14We have to achieve both, yes.
34:16Should member states be allowed to run bigger deficits to invest in defence?
34:21No.
34:22Defence?
34:22No.
34:23Okay.
34:25Climate protection?
34:26No, as well.
34:27Is common European debt necessary?
34:30Absolutely, yes.
34:32No.
34:32It transfers only the cost to another source which is not able to pay.
34:37Okay.
34:37Should agricultural subsidies be cut to finance European security?
34:41Only a little bit.
34:43I don't think, no.
34:45And last one.
34:47Is the EU doing enough to convince younger Europeans that the European project offers them
34:52a better future?
34:53Unfortunately, no at the moment.
34:56I think the EU is really pro-European and we should help them to continue being so.
35:02Okay.
35:02On that note, thank you very much.
35:05And that brings us to the end of this strong edition of The Ring.
35:09Thanks again to Benedetta Scudelli and Markus Faber for a lively conversation here from the
35:15European Parliament.
35:16Thanks to our audience at home.
35:18If you like, you can continue the conversation by sending us your comments to the ring at
35:24euronews.com.
35:25We'd love to have your feedback.
35:27That's it for today.
35:28I'm Stefan Grobe.
35:29Take care and see you soon here on Euronews.
35:32.
35:42Great employers arearcastic.

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