"This document must shake up those responsible worldwide and motivate them to do much more to protect the climate," this was the reaction of the environmental spokesman of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Dr Peter Liese, to the publication of the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The publication of the report had been delayed because China in particular had tried massively to water down the findings. However, the report now forcefully points out the drastic damage that unchecked climate change will cause for future generations. It emphasises that the 1.5 degree limit can still be met, but that this requires technologies that not only limit emissions, but also remove CO2 from the atmosphere. These technologies (Carbon Dioxide Removal - CDR) must be significantly expanded. The report also emphasises that in some regions of the world the decoupling of CO2 emissions and quality of life has begun meaning high quality of life is achievable with low emissions.
Read more: Peter Liese on the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
The Environment Committee of the European Parliament today adopted its position on the revision of the F-Gas Regulation. A broad majority supports the Commission's proposal to reduce F-gas emissions and thus the impact of greenhouse gases on the climate. “This is an important contribution to climate protection. We have even strengthened the Commission proposal in some places.”commented the environmental spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP- Christian Democrats), Peter Liese.
However, a particularly sensitive part of the regulation concerns the heat pump sector. Contrary to the Commission proposal, the position adopted today in Committee provides for a complete ban on F-gases for a large proportion of heat pumps from 2026 onwards (for split heat pumps of less than 3kg from 2027). “The phase-out of F-gases, as voted today by the Environment Committee, is very ambitious. It was therefore important for the EPP to make sure that the much needed heat pump run-up, as announced in the framework of REPowerEU, is not endangered. We have therefore added an emergency break, in case REPowerEU targets cannot be met with F-Gas free technologies.”, MEP Kympouropoulos the EPP Shadow Rapporteur commented.
Next Monday, the highly anticipated latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be published. The scientists are expected to warn in particular about the danger of extreme weather events. “The individual reports on which the so-called synthesis report of the IPCC is based on describe quite clearly that extreme weather events, such as the floods in Germany in July 2021 and extreme drought in many regions of the world are linked to climate change, and that these events will become much more frequent if we do not counteract them vigorously. I expect this to be clearly underlined again on Monday," said the environmental spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Dr Peter Liese.
"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.