misclassified/meps_speeches_with_translation.csv huggingface dataset:
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-09-13
Debate: The new European Bauhaus (debate)

  Christian Ehler,  rapporteur. – Mr President, I think my colleagues and I, we listened carefully to the other committees, to the Members and I think a lot has been said. But I would like to appeal yet again and to reiterate, the idea of the Bauhaus. In these harsh times it might be a little bit like something nice to have – to flourish up public space, integrate artists, something like that.
For me, the European Bauhaus is the core question of whether the Green Deal is going to work. Because we have to understand – and that’s bitter for the EPP, for example, and our voters – that we might have to change our life to some extent in order to pave the way for the next generation and leave them liveable earth.
But so far we have addressed people, citizens, the young generations with regulation, we have said, ‘Don’t do. Don’t consume. Don’t trouble. Do not behave like you had been behaving’. This is not an option. We are living in a complex society and everything we know about psychology – and politics is foremost psychology – is that the acceptance of regulation, not that we press on people, the acceptance of people is related to creativity. That’s the transformative force in our society. And we desperately need the Bauhaus because we regulate but we are lacking a lot of innovation, technology, ideas on the way we live. The figures based on the idea are simple: the creative industry has been filing more patents on innovation than any other sector in Europe – not IT, not cars, not the old industry, it has been the creative industry – so we need that potential. it is not flourishing up something. It has the ability to transform innovation, innovative ideas, regulation, the Green Deal, into something liveable, acceptable and positive for citizens.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-09-12
Debate: Energy efficiency (recast) (debate)

  Christian Ehler (PPE).   – Herr Präsident, Frau Kommissarin! Gute Gesetzgebung ist nicht nur Ambition, und ich glaube, der EVP war es wichtig, bei den Verhandlungen ein wirklich ehrgeiziges, aber auch realistisches und umsetzbares Gesamtenergieeffizienzziel zu etablieren. Ich glaube, dass die Richtlinie jetzt den Mitgliedstaaten die Möglichkeit lässt, den Verwaltungsaufwand zu minimieren. Ich glaube, dass wir wichtigerweise auch andere Grundsätze wie Kosteneffizienz, Systemeffizienz und Versorgungssicherheit integrieren konnten. Es war sinnlos, die Speicher in die Energieeffizienzrichtlinie einzubauen. Es benötigt den Hochlauf von Elektrifizierung, und ich glaube, wir haben in dieser Richtlinie einfach vieles geradegerückt.
Wichtig ist, dass wir sichergestellt haben, dass die Mitgliedstaaten bei der Anwendung des Grundsatzes der Energieeffizienz den gesamten Lebenszyklus und die absehbaren Entwicklungen, die Systeme und Kosteneffizienz und die Versorgungssicherheit berücksichtigt haben. Mit dem Kompromiss zu einer verpflichtenden 3—%—Sanierungsquote für öffentliche Gebäude sind wir nicht ganz glücklich, da wir damit der Gebäuderichtlinie vorgreifen. Wir dürfen hier den aktuellen Kostendruck auf die Kommunen nicht aus den Augen verlieren. Aber wir unterstützen diesen ambitionierten Schritt.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-07-05
Debate: Objection pursuant to Rule 111(3): Amending the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act and the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act (debate)

  Christian Ehler (PPE).   – Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Green Minister of Economics and Energy, Robert Habeck, placed on Saturday a press release on the taxonomy, and he was deliberately quiet on gas. And I do not use that triumphantly. It’s simply ‘welcome to reality’. We know that for a transitional time we need gas and nuclear in order not to destabilise the grid, to lead the pathway to renewable energy in 2030 and 2050. And the taxonomy simply reflects the fact that this is used as a transitional pathway, a sustainable energy source.
It is therefore right that the complementary delegated act and the taxonomy presented by the Commission defines electricity and heat generation with gas as energy sources as a sustainable transition technology. It’s based on extremely strict cumulative criteria, which must be also verified by an independent third party. And in reality it will address a very few investments to stabilise the grid, reserve plants. But this is not a renewal of gas. Any prospection of gas is not the future, we all know. But we know that we need these transition pathways, and we all know that we need investment in transition pathways. And for that reason, I think it was a wise decision to stay with the delegated act.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-06-07
Debate: Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Social Climate Fund - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation - Notification under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (joint debate – Fit for 55 (part 1))

  Christian Ehler (PPE).   – Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Ich glaube, wir müssen uns jetzt mal ein bisschen aus diesen ideologischen Positionen herausbewegen. Die europäische Industrie ist längst auf dem Weg der Dekarbonisierung.
Es hat auch gar keinen Sinn, hier so einen Mythos zu erwecken, dass es Bürger oder eine junge Generation gibt, die gegen die Industrie, gegen die Wirtschaft sind. Unsere Bürger wollen beides. Sie wollen sozusagen den Wandel, aber sie sind auch Arbeitnehmer. Sie wollen sozialen Wohlstand. Sie haben ein Haus, überlegen sich, wie sie eine Wärmepumpe finanzieren, die Herr Timmermanns erwähnt hat. 
Und auf der anderen Seite müssen wir uns darüber im Klaren sein, dass die nächsten Jahre 22/23 die entscheidenden Jahre für die Investitionen sind. Das passiert nicht über acht Jahre, sondern in den nächsten zwei Jahren. Und wir tun das unter Konditionen, es herrscht Krieg in Europa. Wir haben erschwerte Bedingungen. Wir haben immer noch keinen vertieften europäischen Binnenmarkt, was Energie betrifft. Wir müssen uns darüber im Klaren sein, dass Brückentechnologien und technologische Flexibilität die Antworten sind.
Und wir sollten uns auch nicht schlechter machen, als wir sind. Die Kommission hat einen Vorschlag vorgelegt. Ich glaube, es ist ein guter Vorschlag, wir teilen die Ambitionen. Aber wir müssen uns natürlich darüber im Klaren sein, dass wir auch Möglichkeiten finden müssen, wie. Und insofern ist, glaube ich, das, was vorgeschlagen worden ist und was im Industrieausschuss diskutiert worden ist und was parteiübergreifend interessanterweise dort Mehrheiten gefunden hat, der richtige Weg. Flexibilität, Technologieoffenheit, diejenigen belohnen, sozusagen, die die first runner sind, sich überlegen, ob die außenhandelspolitischen Instrumente funktionieren, und wenn sie nicht funktionieren, auch Antworten zu haben und sich nicht einfach in etwas zu stürzen, was dann sozusagen keine Lösung für die Industrie findet.
Und insofern brauchen wir die Kompromisse. Wir sind auf dem richtigen Weg. Aber wir müssen eine realistische Betrachtung haben und dürfen uns nicht in ideologische Auseinandersetzungen bewegen.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-04-06
Debate: Global approach to research and innovation: Europe’s strategy for international cooperation in a changing world (debate) (debate)

  Christian Ehler,  on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, I think we all welcome the dedication of the Commissioner for global research cooperation, in particular, her realistic approach to it. And we should all understand, if we have two strengths in Europe’s it’s the economy and its innovation, our innovation capacity, and that is an issue we have to work on and we have to use for our global ambitions. 
But I would like to address two issues in this context. First of all, academic freedom. In the communications, you say that to promote academic freedom is our issue globally. However, how can we promote our academic global freedom globally if the EU is not capable of protecting it at home? Europe does not have the legal means to protect academic freedom effectively. The European Court had to rely on WTO regulations to declare Hungary’s law against the Central European University illegal. That’s not enough. If we take academic freedom serious, we need to do more. However, our services seem to be under the impression that European legal protection is impossible. 
However, I think that if we want to keep our plausibility in our international agenda, we have to have more competences on that issue. And the reason that we wouldn’t have competences under education is just an excuse clause. However, academic freedom is also a research policy issue, and there we can act. So my question is, would you, if the Parliament would bring forward a proposal to protect academic freedom in Europe, support it by tabling or taking up a legislative proposal during your term in office? 
The second issue, just briefly, is the question of control. I mean, the science collaboration, particularly the Horizon association, is deeply political and we have seen this in relation to the UK and Swiss participation of Horizon. And my question is what and how do you and the Council react to our ambitions and pleas that Parliament be more integrated in these negotiations? Our request has been met with silence and rejection so far and in the resolution tabled in this debate we again invite the Commission and the Council to table to find the right way forward. 
My second question is thus, will you accept our invitation?
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-04-05
Debate: Trans-European energy infrastructure (debate)

  Christian Ehler (PPE).   – Mr President, to make the energy transition work for people and business in Europe, we need more European cooperation. Sustainability, security of supply and affordability are the main criteria, and we, the EPP Group, believe in these three aspects, and they are necessary.
I think we should highlight that there is a sharpened focus in this regulation on the needed infrastructure to deploy a robust European backbone for the production and transport of renewable and low—carbon hydrogen, that is actually needed to make the shift, the transition, possible.
TEN—E is of utmost importance for creating a hydrogen backbone in Europe. We managed to include electrolysers that have at least 50 MW capacity provided by a single electrolyser or by a set of electrolysers that form a single coordinated project. We don’t sing ideology here, we develop the needed infrastructure for what we want to achieve for the 2030 goals.
This project will enable a cumulative pathway to the larger—scale projects that we all aspire to develop and need in order to decarbonise our economies. In this regard, it’s also important to mention that we allow transitional for dedicated hydrogen assets converted from natural gas to be used to transport or to store a pre—defined blend of hydrogen with natural gas or biomethane. That is what industry asked us to do in order to make it possible to achieve the 2030 goals.
And at last, it’s rather cynical that you are also always referring to the situation in Malta. I think it’s important that Malta is adopted to the grid and it was very impressive that the Caruana Galizia family called on the EU not to fund this gas pipeline project that will link to a power station part—owned by the man on trial for her killing. But it was EPP and us together then lately, asking the Commission to vote for us, before we vote for a statement that no EU funding from CEF will go to this project as long as it is directly or indirectly linked with criminals. They confirmed, and it’s in the text, so that you should acknowledge.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-04-05
Debate: Guidelines for the 2023 budget – Section III (debate)

  Christian Ehler,  Verfasser der Stellungnahme des mitberatenden Ausschusses für Industrie, Forschung und Energie. – Frau Präsidentin, Herr Kommissar, meine Damen und Herren! Der ITRE-Ausschuss ist besorgt. Das ist natürlich die Natur von denjenigen, die für Haushalte innerhalb von Ausschüssen zuständig sind. Aber das Forschungsrahmenprogramm – das ist unsere Befürchtung – verkommt zusehends zum Steinbruch der Ambitionen für alles. Ich glaube, die Bedeutung des Forschungsrahmenprogramms geht weit über das Thema Forschung und Innovation hinaus.
Wir brauchen Technologie, wir brauchen Innovationen, um die Transformationsleistung für die Energiewende zu bewältigen, die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit in Europa zu erhalten. Und mehr und mehr werden neue Projekte – sei es die Mikrochip-Initiative (begrüßenswert) oder das Satelliten-Thema – wichtig: die Themen des Übergangs im Energiebereich. Aber das sind alles Themen, die nicht ausfinanziert sind.
Und unsere Sorge ist, dass wir weiterhin zum Steinbruch der Ambitionen werden. Und ich möchte noch einmal deutlich sagen: Wir werden darauf bestehen, dass wir ohne eine Zusage der Aufhebung von Mittelbindungen und ohne eine Zusage, upfrontloading oder frontloading zu refinanzieren, solchen Projekten nicht zustimmen können. Wir können nicht eine Güterabwägung machen zwischen dem, was wir beschlossen haben, und den Ambitionen unserer Zukunft. Entweder haben wir mehr Geld, oder wir können diese Ambitionen nicht haben.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-03-10
Debate: The need for an ambitious EU Strategy for sustainable textiles (debate)

  Christian Ehler,  on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, Commissioner, to be honest, I don’t believe a word. We have been announcing that for years. It had been this Parliament strengthening the research programme, doubling the challenge for the creative industries, for innovation. We are facing a transitional phase where clothing is not just about sustainability and new textiles. We are going to a world where fibres will change the consistence of textiles. It will be related to health, to information, to the digital world, to a lot of other things. But we hear announcements. We hear announcements. We hear announcements. 
There’s still no transition pathway which had been announced by the Commission as part of the 14 ecosystems, where you described the textile industry as one of the 14. There is no transition pathway. There is no strategy. There are just an announcements. And yet another referred that what we share to sustainability. But it is just another administrative nightmare you’re describing. This industry is hit. We have been losing one million jobs before the pandemic, another 500 million within the pandemic, and the Commission is waiting. For two and half years you could have done calls in the research programme. We have EUR 2.3 billion for the creative industry. We have a new powerhouse and you are announcing, and you’re announcing, and you’re announcing. And this sector, yes, has to change. And this sector is up for potential for the future. That’s one of the European USPs. That is what Europe can do where fashion is leading, where a young generation is interested, but instead, announcement, and another administrative nightmare. 
So go to action, not announce, you would have had two and a half years, tons of money in the research programme to start innovation products. Not a single one.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2022-03-08
Debate: Rising energy prices and market manipulation on the gas market (debate)

  Christian Ehler,  on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, in recent months natural gas prices have experienced historical increases to reach 400% between 2020 and 2021 and represent a considerable cost for industry, companies and households. This is caused by many reasons, obviously, but mainly linked to the geopolitical tensions and lower imports from fossil gas from Russia. With the EU gas storage at historical low levels, we witness a growing gas crisis. We need to decrease Europe’s energy dependency on Russia.
I would like to thank specifically my colleague, Mr Nikka, who has been inflicting this discussion of today. Let’s not be naive. There is growing evidence that Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, has been involved in deliberately withholding significant volumes of gas for the European market, although there has been more than enough natural gas supplies in Russia. Let’s be realistic. Gazprom had been surprisingly reducing gas supplies to Europe, according to Gazprom’s own data, that supplied 185 billion cubic meters of gas to the so-called far abroad, so to Europe, which is notably lower than the annual export of between 2017 and 2019, and only 3%, or 5.8 billion cubic meters higher than in COVID-struck 2020. It’s obvious. 
The decline of gas supplies to Europe in the second half of 2021 is supported by day-to- day EU gas supply statistics provided by Gazprom on it’s own website. So you can see that in 2021 alone, from September to December, the gas supply, run by the Ukrainian Gas Transit Network and via Yamal has been running through Belarus and Poland was reduced by 58% to 51%, respectively, during that period, in a time where the markets and the demand was exploding. So it’s clear that this situation underlines the need for a speedy launch of a full scale investigation into Gazprom’s alleged manipulation of the European natural gas market.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2021-11-24
Debate: State of the Energy Union (debate)

  Christian Ehler,  on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, the European energy union is based on different pillars, as the Commissioner has been highlighting. But currently, policy agendas are primarily based on climate action and decarbonisation. Rightly so – but what about the other pillars? The report points out that Europe is making good progress towards decarbonisation. However, we all know that more is needed. The other four pillars of the energy union need to be in place for Europe to be successful in 2030. So let’s discuss what needs to happen.
One crucial pillar of the energy union is a fully-integrated internal energy market through, among other things, the development of sufficient infrastructure. The market needs to foster the transition as well as being prepared for the decarbonisation future. We need EU instruments and regulation, as well as effective state-aid rules – and the ones we are developing are not effective – to allow for necessary funding to develop our infrastructure.
To assure the gradual transformation of our energy system, Member States have to develop a gas project for the fifth list of projects of common interest (PCI) – the next PCI list – which should be compatible also with hydrogen—proof infrastructure for the future.
And the second pillar I would like to mention is just on the very fact of investment. I’m deeply worried you have been highlighting the comparative advantage we have now – but we are living in a different world since the new American administration. The Americans are not going to go down the regulatory alley – rightly so or not rightly so. But they challenge us, because they’re going to invest: they will put their money on innovation, and it’s a race. And it’s not a race of state aid, a state—driven capitalist system, like China and India, not caring about their citizens. It’s the western democracies now challenging each other.
And innovation, from my point of view, is the driving force for decarbonisation and will be at the core of the decarbonisation of industry. So the bottom line is: innovation cannot be stimulated by regulation only; we have to invest. We have to invest, and the Commission has to come up with an idea of how to do so.
Speaker: Christian EHLER (Germany — Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
Political group: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Date: 2021-10-05
Debate: The future of EU-US relations (debate)

  Christian Ehler (PPE).   – Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, what you can count on if you talk about the European-American lessons in this House is the hypocrisy of the populists in this House. The Left is protecting the European defence industry in the Australian issue and fighting any defence budget, any defence industries in Europe. The Right is giving up any kind of solidarity when French companies and France are losing a contract to which they have a right. It is hypocrisy and anti-Americanism, and it serves just two purposes.
Let’s turn now a little bit to the substance. Especially in regard to the newly established cooperation, the Trade and Technology Council, we see an opportunity that could yield massive benefits for both the EU as well as the US, and we will remove barriers from trade and investment. However, the positive aspects of TTC affect not only our bilateral relations, the TTC will also allow us to set joint standards. 
It’s important to understand that, if we don’t join forces with the Americans, Chinese standards will rule. We won’t see a war, but we will see the domination and the will of the Chinese to establish a rule on that, so we should work together. We have the potential to work together, and that’s an ambition we should all share.