During the plenary session (26-29 April 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE) 2021-2027: opening statements by Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur and by Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

environmental protection (T)

TORVALDS, Nils (Renew, FI)

fight against climate change (T)

LIFE (T)

SINKEVIČIUS, Virginijus (LT, EC)

LIFE+ (T)

Programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE) 2021-2027: opening statements by Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur and by Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment

SOUNDBITE (German), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur, President, Commissioner, the programme is the only programme for the environment. It's also different from the the norm in other ways. It's a little bit like an elephant in a china shop, a bull in a china shop that comes in to the china shop with the best possible intentions. But it all gets a bit tight in there. The idea was to have a project which was about nature, environmental policy, information and communication.

SOUNDBITE (German), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur, The good thing about the life programme is that you can scale it up and you can scale it down and you can arrange various organisations around it. It's a programme which brings people together. The life programme is there to contribute to small scale innovation and to fill the niche between research and big scale innovation at EU level. From this year, the programme for Renewable Energy will also fit into life and can be financed within life, but in other ways as well.

SOUNDBITE (German), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur, Life is a different programme. Usually the programme is something which is out with the normal life of the citizen. They see a big sign next to a motorway. They say this is financed by the EU money. And then the citizen says, well, no, actually, this is my taxpayers money. Then the EU comes back and says it's the EU's money. The life programme is slightly different. The citizens can participate. And this is perhaps very important from the point of view of legitimate legitimacy rather than it being us who sent the money.

SOUNDBITE (German), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur, This is something that where the citizens will say, I have helped to bring this about. All citizens can work for the climate, can work for the environment. And in this context, I would like to. Draw the attention, your attention to Mr. Gerbrandy, his. He was very keen on this programme was the first opportunity to also mention Mr. Verilli, who did tireless work in this area. Most of the negotiations were managed under the last term of office of the parliament.

SOUNDBITE (German), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur, I just finished off the trialogues and I took the honour of the work that previous people had done. Unfortunately, we didn't get the budget that we wanted the next time around. Life will nevertheless turn out to be as successful as we get more money. I hope there's two things I want to say, first of all, is that I would like to thank the rapporteur, the shadows, rather, but I would also like to thank the German presidency and I ought to try and say it in German.

SOUNDBITE (German), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), rapporteur, We're not always all that happy with what the Council offers us. But this time around, it was a different situation. The German ambassador came along for the last trialogue and we managed to deal with it in five minutes flat. That is exceptional because usually the idea is why make it simple when you can make the complicated. So I'd like to thank the Council for the excellent work they did.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, President, honourable members, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Torvalds, as well as all shadow rapporteurs for the important work that led to the political agreement on the commission's proposal last year in December. Let me also sincerely thank the previous rapporteurs from the former MEPs, Mr Gerbrandy and Mr Federally, but also my predecessor, Carmen Novela, and his team, as well as all presidencies who have been involved in this file from the very beginning.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, They all have laid the foundations for this important compromise we were able to reach. Discussions between the three institutions and with all actors involved were extremely constructive from the outset, thanks to the strong support for the Life programme from all stakeholders. The agreement we reached is a balanced one, which the Commission is very much welcomes.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Launched in 1992, Life has become a solid brand, with more than 5000 projects now contributing across all member states to the development and implementation of new policies for environment and climate. The new programme is a flexible tool. It will contribute to the European Green Deal and in particular to the biodiversity strategy to 2030, the zero pollution ambition for a toxic free environment, the Circular Economy Action Plan and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, The Life Programme is also part of the EU long term budget and recovery plans, which are committed to spending 30 percent on climate action, a budget that will be a driver of sustainability. The substantial increase in the budget of the life programme is a recognition of its importance over the next programming period.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Three point five billion euro are foreseen for environmental activities and one point nine billion for climate action, which means two billion euro more than during the previous programming period. And it now also includes a clean energy programme which will increase capacity building and reinforce the overall coherence of the programme, and life will continue to act as a catalyst.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, It will stimulate the uptake of research results, support demonstration and assist with scaling up and commercialisation. This includes some support to access to financial instruments. Honourable members. For almost 30 years now, life projects have been inspiration to citizens, public bodies, industry and NGOs.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Each life project means concrete action on the ground for more biodiversity, more chirality, less pollution, more climate action and for cleaner energy. We can all look forward to seeing the continuation of this success story over the next years and to be a part of life. Thank you again for your support and thank you for your attention.