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Peter Liese: "This decision saves lives" / European Parliament adopts amendments to the Medical Devices Regulation under urgent procedure / Transition periods to be significantly extended / "The emergency operation has been successfully performed, now the patient must go to rehab" / Long-term solutions required


"This decision saves human lives," the health-policy spokesperson of the Christian Democratic Group in the European Parliament, Peter Liese, commented on a decision of the European Parliament on the Medical Devices Regulation on Thursday of this week. MEPs approved an extension of the transitional periods by a large majority. Doctors and patient representatives across the European Union had previously lobbied for this. The Medical Devices Regulation was passed in 2017 in response to scandals such as the PIP scandal involving defective breast implants. "This remains right at its core. We need unannounced inspections and Notified Bodies, some of which have done sloppy work must be controlled better.

However, unexpected difficulties have arisen due to Brexit and Corona. In some issues, the majority in Parliament and the Council of Ministers have also negotiated too many bureaucratic requirements into the text," Liese said.
"In an emergency procedure, we have therefore decided to extend the deadlines for high-risk products until the end of 2027 and for low and medium-risk products until the end of 2028. This helps in a very concrete way, because products that have an existing certificate and where manufacturers are trying to get recertified are at the moment nevertheless at risk of disappearing from the market or have already disappeared from the market due to a complete overload of Notified Bodies. This acutely endangers medical care. That is why an 'emergency operation' was necessary." The corresponding proposal of the European Commission from January 6th was adopted with a vast majority in the European Parliament.

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Europe is much more climate-friendly than United States / Now we also need a good deal for industry / Inclusion of Maritime historic step / ETS 2 for heating and road transport important part


“I am very happy that the biggest climate law ever has received such broad support in the European Parliament’s Environment Committee”, said Peter Liese, rapporteur on the revision of the European emissions trading system. A huge majority (75%, 57 +, 13 -, 6 o) supported the proposal that has been negotiated before Christmas between the European Parliament represented by the Rapporteur Peter Liese, the European Council represented by the Czech Presidency and the European Commission represented by Vice-President Frans Timmermans. “We will save 1.500 million tonnes CO2 what is why the ETS is the cornerstone of our climate policy until 2030. With this legislation alongside with the other parts of the Fit for 55 package we will over-achieve our 55% target. We are much more climate-friendly than the United States even with the IRA. That is a good step for the climate. The United States will not achieve their own 50% target which is because of the per capita emissions much less ambitious than the European target. The United States will emit at least 2.5 times more per capita in 2030 than the European Union,” said Peter Liese.

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European Parliament votes with large majority in favour of REPowerEU


“By a large majority on Tuesday, the European Parliament voted in favour of the agreement on REPowerEU which includes a first time intervention in the EU’s emissions trading system that will mean that prices will not rise too sharply in the short term,” announced Dr. Peter Liese, environmental policy spokesman of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats). Last spring, the European Commission had presented a proposal called REPowerEU, which aims at mobilising financial resources so that the Member States become less dependent on Russian gas and oil. For example, installations for renewable energies, electricity grids, energy efficiency measures but also LNG infrastructure are to be financed. Existing financial resources will be used for this purpose, topped up by 20 billion € of additional funds from EU emissions trading. 8 billion EUR will be made available from the ETS through so-called frontloading, an earlier auctioning of allowances. In addition, 12 billion EUR will be re-allocated from the European Innovation Fund. The withdrawal of the required amount of allowances will be compensated by the transfer of 27 million CO2 allowances from the market stability reserve (between 2.2 and 2.7 billion EUR at a CO2 reserve of 80 or 100 EUR).

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Good for the climate, good for the people and good for jobs

On Wednesday, the Committee of the Permanent Representatives approved the reform of European emissions trading system with a very clear majority. 23 states agreed. Belgium and Bulgaria abstained. Only two Member States reserve their final political decision for the final vote in the Council (Poland and Hungary). "I am very happy about this clear result and I assume that the vote in the Environment Committee tomorrow, Thursday, will be just as clear. The negotiators of all pro-European parties (EPP, Social Democrats, Renew and Greens) as well as the Left and the conservative ECR supported the compromise. Even if the parliamentary groups are not all completely united, I expect a clear majority," explained Peter Liese, rapporteur for the reform of the EU ETS. "It is the biggest climate protection law of all time and by 2030 we will save 25 times as much CO2 as with the controversial regulation on CO2 cars (ban on the internal combustion engine). Anyone who has a good idea and saves CO2 or brings corresponding products to the market, will benefit. We cannot and should not decide all the details in Brussels, but rather set no limits to the creativity of the 440 million Europeans," said Liese, who is also spokesperson for environmental policy of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats).

  1. Medical Device Regulation enters via urgent procedure
  2. Commission proposes an amendment to Medical Device Regulation
  3. Peter Liese after historical agreement in ETS: ETS II price will be less than half the ETS I price
  4. Parliament, Council and Commission agree on a deal for the biggest climate law ever