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Peter Liese: The two will make a good team / International climate diplomacy and cooperation with industry for economic growth and climate action must now be priorities / Chemical legislation apparently postponed

After hearing the two candidates on Monday and Tuesday, the European Parliament confirmed Wopke Hoekstra as the new Climate Commissioner and the current Vice-President of the EU Commission Maroš Šefčovič as Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the Green Deal with a large majority.

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The two can be a good team / Written answers provide additional clarity / International climate diplomacy and collaboration with industry for economic growth and climate protection must now be a priority / Chemical legislation apparently postponed.


After the hearing of the two candidates and receiving answering of additional questions, the coordinators in the Committee for Environment, Health, and Food Safety of the European Parliament have supported the new Climate Commissioner Hoekstra and the new Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič, with a two-thirds majority (Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, the liberal RENEW group, and the Greens). The plenary vote will take place tomorrow, Thursday.

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Peter Liese: Heat pumps will be better and more environmentally friendly / Good for the environment and innovative companies / EPP holds up exception for repairs for handicraft businesses

 On Thursday morning, the Parliament reached an agreement with the Commission and Member States on the reduction of so-called F-gases. F-gases are up to 25,000 times more harmful to the climate than CO2. They are used, for example, in heat pumps, refrigerators and electrical switchgear. The agreement now calls for their gradual replacement with climate- and environmentally-friendly alternatives. Commenting on this, the environment policy spokesman for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Dr. Peter Liese, said: “This is a strong result for climate protection. Many alternatives for F-gases are already available on the market and European manufacturers are leading the way, for example, in heat pumps or electrical switchgear using natural refrigerants. This puts the EU in a better position to compete with products from China, for example, which are more harmful to the climate.” 

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Climate diplomacy and partnership with industry are now the key priorities in EU climate policy / Hearing should be fair and should not be misused for national politics

“I think Vice President for the Green Deal Šefčovič and Climate Commissioner Hoekstra can be a very good team,” said the spokesperson for the environment of the biggest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Peter Liese ahead of the hearings of the two new designated commissioners responsible for the Green Deal and the climate. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that the acting Vice President Maroš Šefčovič (Social Democrats) should become Executive Vice President and take over the coordination of the Green Deal from Frans Timmermans who left the European Commission. New Commissioner for the climate should be the former Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra.

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