The environment spokesperson for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Dr Peter Liese calls the agreement at the EU summit on an ambitious climate target for 2030 a “huge success” for the German Presidency and also a personal success for Angela Merkel. "At the beginning of the week, hardly anyone believed that the EU summit would decide upon both the dispute over finances and the rule of law mechanism as well as the dispute over the climate target. Nonetheless, for both issues, an agreement was found. This is really good news and I am very happy about it. Europe must raise its ambitions with regards to climate so that our children and grandchildren do not live in a world where they can no longer control climate change. The adopted target is ambitious and in line with the Paris Agreement.
The Commission has convincingly demonstrated this in its impact assessment. That is why I welcome it very much that the Council has agreed to the Commission's proposal. I believe that the Council has been more responsible than the European Parliament. I hope that we can now quickly agree on a common legislative text. From the point of view of the EU Parliament, it will be particularly important that indeed every member state is climate neutral. This is, however, not what the heads of state and government have decided," said MEP.
Liese disagreed that a net 55% target is not ambitious and not in line with the Paris climate agreement. "We have been working on climate protection policy in the EU since 1990. Since then, we have cut 25% emissions which was often a huge challenge," Liese said.
"We should not look to the UK but to Ireland when considering how best to deal with the pandemic," said MEP and health policy spokesman of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Peter Liese, in view of the start of corona vaccination in the UK.
“Vaccination starts today in Great Britain, but that does not mean that the country will ultimately come through the pandemic better than the EU countries. So far, pandemic management in the UK has been very poor and I have my doubts about the very fast emergency authorisation of the vaccine. Although the UK has a very good national authority, the requirements for approval by the European Medicines Agency are higher than for emergency authorisation in the UK. Therefore, it is good that EU countries, although they could in principle, do not go down the emergency route, but the route of an orderly procedure. I do not expect dramatic side effects, but I still believe that we have a higher standard and that it is worth waiting three weeks. Especially since BioNTech has given a written assurance that starting vaccination earlier in the UK does not mean that the country will end up with more vaccine than other countries. The vaccine intended for other EU countries is already partly produced and stored and will not go to Great Britain," Liese says (see Sean Marett's statement at the end).
“Despite many problems, an agreement on an ambitious 2030 climate target for the European Union is both desirable and possible during the EU summit on Thursday and Friday," said Dr Peter Liese, environmental spokesperson of the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), in the run-up to the EU summit. The summit will surely be dominated by the dispute over the budget of the recovery plan and the related rule of law mechanism as well as Brexit. Nevertheless, the German Presidency is determined to also address the issue of climate protection and, if possible, to find a conclusion. "The German Presidency and also Chancellor Angela Merkel are very determined and if there is a chance for an agreement, they will surely try to finalize it. I explicitly support this approach," said the MEP.
On behalf of his group, Peter Liese called for the potential of sinks to be addressed quickly. "The EU Commission has proposed that the climate target should no longer be adopted as a mere reduction target, but as a net target. This means that the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, e.g. through sustainable forest management, humus creation in agriculture, or modern technologies for removing CO2 from the atmosphere, will be rewarded on a large scale for the first time.
Read more: Agreement on EU climate target at summit desirable and possible despite problems
"More careful testing of the BioNTech vaccine will not result in fewer people being vaccinated in the other European countries compared to the UK by spring. The vaccine that is supposed to be supplied to the EU will not be delivered to the UK. The UK will receive vaccine for 400,000 people (800,000 vaccine doses) in a first batch and as soon as the vaccine receives conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency, delivery will begin for the other EU countries", says the MEP and health spokesperson of the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Dr med Peter Liese after talks with the company BioNTech.
Sean Marett, the CCO and CBO of BioNTech, had assured Liese that the vaccine intended for the countries of the European Union had already been partially produced and stored. “When EMA gives approval, vaccination can start immediately. The emergency approval in the UK does not affect number doses delivered over the next months for other regions like the European Union. We expect millions of citizens in the EU will be vaccinated in the first quarter of 2021 if we receive regulatory approval this year”, Marett told Peter Liese in a written statement.
Read more: Careful testing in the EU does not lead to less vaccine available