The biggest political group in the European Parliament (EPP – Christian Democrats) urgently demands more cooperation in the fight against the Coronavirus crisis. "The virus does not respect borders, that is why our response should be much more European", MEP Peter Liese, EPP health spokesperson said. The group agreed on a resolution, even though the Parliament is not having any vote this week, because many members, especially from Italy and members that are at risk to have severe consequences in case of an infection cannot be present in Brussels. "We want to send a clear signal to the public, but also to our friends in the European Commission and in the member states", Liese said. The EPP group expresses its solidarity to all patients and relatives of people that have died and acknowledges respect to the medical staff that does its best to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic.
"The Green Deal, if properly implemented, can provide additional jobs and growth to Europe," MEP Peter Liese, EPP spokesperson for environment. "We are currently spending around one billion euros a day on imports of oil, gas and coal. If we invest this money in efficiency and new technologies within the European Union, it will benefit all of us and of course help the climate. Ursula von der Leyen has found the right framework to combine ambitious climate protection goals with jobs and growth. Also in March, just like the presentation of the climate protection law, an industrial strategy will be presented, which will describe in more detail how we will enable our energy-intensive industry to produce climate neutrally.”
"The European Parliament will establish a special committee on cancer. This makes the fight against cancer a top priority for the whole European Union", said MEP Peter Liese, health spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP).
The group chairs had already agreed to set up a special committee at the initiative of the EPP Group last week. Formal adoption by the plenary and the official establishment of the committee is due in the coming weeks. "The establishment of a special committee on cancer is a strong signal that we want to join forces in the fight against cancer to help patients". On 4 February 2020, International World Cancer Day, the European Commission will officially launch the consultation on Europe´s Beating Cancer Plan to be presented by the end of this year. The European Parliament´s Special Committee will make contribution to the plan and assist in monitoring its implementation.
Read more: European Parliament sets up Special Committee on Cancer
On Thursday (5 December) the European Commission will publish new energy efficiency requirements for 10 different products in the Official Journal. The measures adopted under the Ecodesign-Directive are designed to save energy and thus protect the climate. There will be new requirements for refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, electronic displays (including televisions), light sources and separate control gear, external power supplies, electric motors, direct sales refrigerators (e.g. supermarket refrigerators, cold drink vending machines), transformers and welding equipment. This will save 46 million tonnes of C02. This corresponds to Denmark's annual energy consumption or the CO2 emissions of about 27 million cars.
Read more: Concrete climate action - EU publishes new eco-design efficiency standards