BETA

10 Written explanations of Grace O'SULLIVAN

Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (A9-0234/2022 - Petar Vitanov)

I was pleased to vote in favour of the revision to this law, which will put binding targets on Member States for the deployment of electric recharging points. While there are some elements we are less happy about, we are also happy that the Parliament secured requirements on the rail sector in order to move away from diesel-powered trains.
2023/07/11
Nature restoration (A9-0220/2023 - César Luena)

I voted against the rejection amendment and in favour of the Nature Restoration Law. While it was extremely disappointing to see some severe weakening of the Commission’s proposal, I am nonetheless very glad that a majority of MEPs voted to adopt a position of the Parliament after severe attacks on the law and a real possibility of it not being adopted. At a time when 81% of the EU’s eco-systems are in either a ‘poor’ or ‘bad’ state, a new EU Nature Restoration Law will be a vital tool to help us reverse this trend and reach our international obligations, in particular the UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
2023/07/12
Relations with the Palestinian Authority (A9-0226/2023 - Evin Incir)

I supported this important resolution, which is the European Parliament’s first report on EU relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA). It addresses the PA’s deficiencies in the field of democracy, governance, human rights and the rule of law, while contextualising the PA’s role and competences in the reality of Israel’s occupation and de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). Despite attempts to undermine the negotiated text, the final report acknowledges that Israel’s occupation deprives the PA of key competences that are at the core of statehood, and that this is not only a flagrant violation of international law, but also a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution.
2023/07/12
Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2022 (A9-0210/2023 - Stefan Berger)

I welcomed this annual report from the ECON Committee assessing the performance of the European Investment Bank for 2022, as well as the CONT Committee report on the same subject.Both reports contained a lot of positive wording, including strong language on the EIB’s role in financing for climate change measures and social infrastructure, support for Ukraine and development finance outside the EU, as well as reiterating long-standing calls for improvements to the Bank’s governance and accountability.However, I am not in favour of calls for mobilising the EIB to invest in the defence industry. Despite this wording, I decided to vote in favour of the final text of both reports. As the report states, the annual investment gap to reach the EU’s climate goals is €1 trillion. It’s crucial the EIB retains its role as the EU’s ‘climate bank’.
2023/07/12
The need for EU action on search and rescue in the Mediterranean (B9-0339/2023, B9-0340/2023, B9-0342/2023)

I co-signed and voted in favour of this important resolution following the recent Pylos shipwreck, which led to the loss of several hundred lives in the Mediterranean, the world’s deadliest migration route. Our Greens/EFA Group has long called for an EU-led search and rescue mission in the Med, and for an end to the criminalisation of those who provide assistance to people in need.EU Member states need to urgently assume their responsibilities to prevent people dying in the Mediterranean. The EU has a humanitarian responsibility and a moral duty to rescue people in danger, and needs to urgently establish, coordinate and fund a state-led EU Search and Rescue mission to ensure that lives are no longer lost at sea. The criminalisation of NGOs saving lives must also end.
2023/07/13
Protection of workers from asbestos (A9-0160/2023 - Véronique Trillet-Lenoir)

. – I voted in favour of this important law that concerns the protection of workers from asbestos in the EU. This recast would lower the occupational exposure limit value to better protect workers – this determines how much asbestos per cubic metre is allowed in a workplace without dedicated protection measures. The current occupational exposure limit is very high and outdated and leaves workers at risk of health complications due to asbestos exposure. I voted in favour of this recast to introduce better protection for workers’ health, and I am pleased to have seen it pass in Parliament.
2023/10/03
Ensuring European transportation works for women (A9-0239/2023 - Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska)

. – I voted in favour of this report that calls for the introduction of more concrete measures to ensure the safety, availability, accessibility, and affordability of transport services, as well as employment opportunities and working conditions, for women and for people facing intersectional discrimination in the transport sector.This report is a crucial step in ensuring gender parity in the EU and equal opportunities for employment, along with equal treatment for all in the transport sector. This report passed in Parliament.
2023/10/03
Harmonising the rights of autistic persons (B9-0390/2023)

. – I voted in favour of this resolution on harmonising the rights of autistic persons in the EU. This resolution calls for including people with autism under the benefits of the new European Disability Card, and ensuring that autistic persons enjoy equal access to both physical and psychological healthcare throughout the EU.The text also outlines ways to make employment more accessible and inclusive for people with autism, and highlights problems with diagnosis in some Member States. I am pleased to have seen this resolution pass in the European Parliament.
2023/10/04
European green bonds (A9-0156/2022 - Paul Tang)

. – I abstained in the vote on the European Green Bond Regulation, along with my colleagues from the Greens/EFA Group. The regulation seeks to set out the minimum requirements a bond must meet in order to be considered green. This regulation should create strict rules on how companies and governments could use European green bonds to finance large scale investments while following strict sustainability requirements. However, this regulation would only introduce a voluntary standard, and so bonds could be marketed as ‘green’ without complying with the provisions of the regulation. I regret that this final outcome does not seek to scale up the environmental ambition of the EU green bond market sufficiently, and that the transparency requirements were watered down from Parliament’s position. For these reasons, I chose to abstain.
2023/10/05
Urban wastewater treatment (A9-0276/2023 - Nils Torvalds)

. – I voted in favour of the recast of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, which introduces a new requirement to remove micro-pollutants from water. This revision introduces a polluter pays principle for the pharma and cosmetics industry, who are responsible for 92% of the micro-pollutants found in water. While Greens/EFA wanted industry to fully cover the costs of removing micro-pollutants, a majority of groups unfortunately voted to reduce this obligation to 80% of the cost, with Member States obliged to cover the rest. I welcome provisions on the right to sanitation and the requirement for wastewater treatment plants to be climate neutral by 2040, while also acknowledging that the latter provision is weaker than it could have been. Overall, the text adopted by the Parliament is a big improvement to the status quo and will ensure stronger protection of the health of citizens and the environment.
2023/10/05