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Proposal in the first 100 days of new Commission expected


The biggest group in the European Parliament (EPP Christian Democrats) demands an urgent review of the Medical Device Regulation. “The Regulation was not only well intended but it was also necessary due to a lot of scandals, including the PIP breast implant scandal. It is good that we have unannounced controls, a better surveillance of the notified bodies, and some other improvements. But, unfortunately, we have to clearly see that the EU institutions exaggerated and that there is a lot of red tape that does not really add safety but hinders the production of very much needed medical devices, like for example cardiac catheters for children,” explained Dr. Peter Liese, spokesperson of the EPP in the Committee for Environment and Health, and Tomislav Sokol, spokesperson in the Subcommittee on Health.

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Peter Liese: Decision is overdue / Grazing livestock farmers are suffering extremely

“I am very happy about this decision. People are worried about the increase of wolves in Europe. It has long ceased to be an endangered species, but threatens grazing livestock in particular. Livestock grazing is a near-natural form of agriculture, and it is being pushed back more and more by the wolf. It is therefore good that we finally see the necessary action,” commented Dr Peter Liese, environmental policy spokesperson for the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), on the decision by the EU Member States to downgrade the protection status of the wolf. The European Parliament had already called for this in 2022. At the end of last year, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen made a corresponding proposal. However, it took Member States very long to finally agree.

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Peter Liese: Entry into force on 30/12/2024 would have caused chaos / Chance for sensible dialogue and avoidance of unnecessary bureaucracy through clarification

The European Commission has proposed postponing the controversial regulation on deforestation by one year. The regulation had been heavily criticised not only by forest owners and farmers, but also by many economic operators and, above all, third countries, as the necessary conditions for an unbureaucratic implementation are not in place. “I very much welcome the proposal and am sure that my group and the entire Parliament will adopt it in the short term. The regulation entering into force on 30 December 2024 would have plunged us into irresponsible chaos. Many of the conditions for application are not clear and many third countries are rightly complaining. Small farmers, e.g. in Latin America, need much more support and we must ensure an unbureaucratic implementation. None of this is possible in the few remaining months. Of course, deforestation is a huge problem. Every minute, forests the size of eleven football pitches disappear. This is a disaster for the global climate as for other things, but we have to do it the right way and get those affected by the law more involved. Many third countries that want to take fundamental action against deforestation have so far been unable to use the instrument. Medium-sized coffee roasters that import fair-trade organic coffee complained, for example, that the rules could only be implemented promptly by large corporations. By rushing it into force, we would have done a disservice to the cause,” explained Peter Liese, environmental policy spokesman for the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats).

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Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health / Extremely important to protect children from passive smoking / Equating tobacco and e-cigarettes is not helpful


On Tuesday, the European Commission presented a draft for Council conclusions on smoke- and aerosol-free environments. The goal is for the Council of Ministers to adopt the recommendations in the coming months and for the member states to then implement them. The aim is to ban smoking in all public buildings, as well as in certain outdoor areas, e.g., at children's playgrounds.

Dr. Peter Liese, the health policy spokesperson for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP-Christian Democrats) and a physician, stated: “It is important that we adopt measures at all levels to protect people from tobacco smoke. Smoking is particularly dangerous for the smokers themselves. There is nothing better one can do for their health than to quit smoking. Other health protection measures such as exercise and healthy eating are also important, but stopping smoking brings the most significant benefits by far. Protecting other people, especially children, from tobacco is also extremely sensible.”

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