A hearing was held at the European Parliament in Brussels for Jessica Roswall, the nominee for EU Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy. PiS MEP Anna Zalewska spoke during the discussion.
“How will you convince Europeans to support the new climate target for 2040—which calls for a 90 percent reduction in emissions—when reports and studies clearly state that we will not be able to reduce emissions by 55 percent by 2030?” Anna Zalewska asked the Commissioner-designate, in light of announcements regarding the acceleration of the Green Deal. The MEP also wanted to know what role Jessica Roswall would play in the clean industry strategy in light of the crises in the automotive, housing, and steel sectors, as well as the looming crisis in the toy industry. The Polish politician also asked how the commissioner-designate plans to implement the EU Blue Deal water strategy—whether through new directives or by revising existing ones. “What do you mean by the word ‘simplification’?” asked the MEP, noting that this slogan is repeated every term, “yet in reality, we are heading toward ever-greater bureaucratization.” “Don’t you see the contradiction between the financial needs for flood control investments and retention reservoirs and the Nature Restoration Regulation?” the PiS MEP pressed. She added that this contradiction is recognized, among others, by the Spanish, whose government dismantled several hundred dams, resulting in “the river flooding their homes and properties.”
Referring to the implementation of new legal measures, Jessika Roswall stated that she intends to review existing regulations and conduct so-called stress tests in collaboration with stakeholders, as well as monitor the situation with their involvement. The Swedish politician emphasized the role of digitalization, particularly for SMEs. “We have digital solutions, and we can make greater use of artificial intelligence in the future,” she said. The candidate for Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy stated that, should it be necessary to create new legislation, she would approach the matter very rigorously, taking into account the impact of new laws on SMEs. “Funding is crucial for all member states in the context of water management. It is extremely important to make proper use of available financial resources, and the cost of ‘doing nothing’ is also very high,” stated Jessika Roswall.
