Statement by Janez POTOCNIK (Slovenia), Commissioner designate for Environment, during his hearing at the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

POTOČNIK, Janez (SI, EC)

hearing of Commissioners

2010 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Janez POTOCNIK 2010 (T)

Hearing of Janez POTOCNIK (Slovenia), Commissioner-designate for Environment: extracts

Exterior view, arrival in to the meeting room, handshake, press

SOUNDBITE in Slovenian: Janez POTOCNIK, Commissioner designate for Environment: "Let me start with a quote: `Europe will exist as a green continent, or it will not exit at all, the world will exist as a blue planet or it will not exit at all&acute;, this is a quote of one of my speeches back in 2008 and its illustrate a theme which has underpinned my time as Commissioner for science and research and it will continue to underpin my mandate as an environment Commissioner - of course if you confirm me".

SOUNDBITE - in English Janez POTOCNIK: " Honestly when I went to all the staff which is connected with my new portfolio I think it is so much on the table that I think that having a clear vision on the subject it is a minor miracle . When I asked my predecessor Commissioner Dimas, how much is the work on the environment he answered 'as much as you like' ".

SOUNDBITE - in English Janez POTOCNIK : "I think that regulation should be used. For example when we discussed the CO2 car emission I was for the strict regulation but on the other hand I was also in favour of supporting the car industry because, in a way, we are pushing them very far and very fast. So public- private partnerships, than investments; helping them with R&amp;D programmes, which I have actually done very much; going hand-in-hand with the private sector. We are here to help them to overcome the crisis and make that the profits are working for themselves. That does not change the position that we should be strict our regulation. Rules should be strict but predictable".

SOUNDBITE - in English Janez POTOCNIK: "Nobody really wants to work against the business. We want that the business logic would accommodate to the up-coming new 3rd industrial revolution of internalising the cost of environment in to account. If at the beginning of our logic we will internalise the costs of environment on what we are using as consumers and pay - and we should pay - than I think we are going in to a sustainable direction.

SOUNDBITE - in English Janez POTOCNIK: "I will like personally to visit some of the countries like Nederland and Germany were I've learned that most of examples that cause some of the bad fillings are existing. I want to see by myself what the real core of the problem is".

SOUNDBITE - in English Janez POTOCNIK: "My main priorities are: 1st implementing legislation, secondly, fill in the existing gaps - we have gaps invasive species and soil; third is improving the knowledge - we have a weak understanding of biodiversity values. Than the most important is in my view the holistic approach. So we have to implement that logic in to the common agriculture and / fishing policy. If we can work together than we can succeed".

SOUNDBITE - in English Janez POTOCNIK: Talking about the resources - he is giving an example: "if we think that we are having a sustainable future society and a low price of the energy we are dreaming. It's not going like that! We should relay take in to consideration that we are living in market economies, and this has to be our logic.