A public hearing was held at the European Parliament in Brussels for Teresa Ribera, the nominee for Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Fair, and Competitive Transition. PiS MEP Anna Zalewska took part in the discussion.
Anna Zalewska regretfully informed Teresa Ribera of the feedback she has been receiving from industry regarding the political statements made by the candidate for commissioner. According to Zalewska, the Spanish politician should instead focus on finding solutions, ideas, and sources of funding.
“Europe is not only at a turning point, but is already falling behind,” stated the MEP, urging Teresa Ribera not to “gloss over reality.” The MEP drew attention to Draghi’s report, which indicates that the EU needs 800 billion euros annually, and asked the Spanish politician about her proposals for securing such funds. She also wanted to know how much funding would be needed for the industrial networks that Ribera frequently mentions. “Although you speak of the need to prevent a housing crisis, the Buildings Directive, which introduces new energy efficiency requirements, will cause these expenses to rise even further,” commented the Polish politician.
Teresa Ribera agreed with Anna Zalewska that solutions are important, not just commitments or targets. “Solutions mean investing in apartment renovations and securing the necessary funding for them,” she said. She added that it is necessary to cooperate with local governments and seek ways to implement these solutions effectively.
She argued that, regarding financing, “we should seek the best ways to secure low-risk private financing that can be combined with public funding from European and national funds.” “Projects of European interest rely precisely on linking this public funding and creating incentives for private investors to join in,” the Spanish politician said. She noted that this is not the only way, and that work on capital markets, financial regulation, and the taxonomy developed during the previous term will also be useful.
“I am convinced that if we respond in a united manner and pay attention to the contributions that all stakeholders can make, and if we identify the difficulties and obstacles, we will succeed, because we have already done so under very difficult circumstances, amid an unprecedented energy price crisis and the COVID-19 health crisis,” argued Teresa Ribera, assuring that Europeans are capable of finding appropriate solutions.
