Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning!

It is an honour and a privilege to be here with you today. As the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, I believe we have many topics to discuss that are of shared interest.

But before I start, I would like to congratulate with the new president, Mr Nicusor Dan, the new prime minister Mr Ilie Bolojan, the new minister of environment Ms Diana-Anda Buzoianu and the new government.

This is my first visit to Romania as commissioner – so for all of us this the beginning of new things to happen. Im sure this morning meeting will be a good start!

We are living in very challenging times. From armed conflict at our borders to an international economic rollercoaster and the fast rise of climate extremes, we are navigating a period of unprecedented transformation.

We must change with it, and yet must remain a reference of stability and trust.

For global markets and business partners, but most of all for our own citizens.

This adaptability is a strength of the European project. Weve seen this during covid, and we see it with the war in Ukraine. Through unity, ambition and courage can we achieve the unthinkable. Now we need that same spirit to drive the transformation of our economy in a way that benefits the environment and climate, our social fabric and our companies alike. Because they are all part of the same system.

I believe we have already established a solid policy framework—first with the Green Deal and now with the Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal. And in the beginning of this month we got the Water Resilience Strategy that will take Europe out of the current water-stress and create a water-smart economy. However, creating that framework and its actions is only part of the journey. That is the tutorials, but we still have to play the game. Together. And create the change needed for a better future for the coming generation. Together.

This means effective implementation, leading to tangible results on the ground. And to be effective, it needs to be simple. Thats why this Commission is targeting a reduction in reporting burdens by 25% overall and 35% specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Ive said it many times: simplification does not mean deregulation. Our policies exist for good reason.

But we want to make it easier for people and businesses to comply with and benefit from our policies. And I know that our rules sometimes are burdensome for national administrations as well, in particular smaller ones.

Here, we rely a lot on Member States to help us in this process and as National Parliament you also play a key role.

Allow me to spend a few minutes now on the main files that we are currently working on, and for which your involvement will be essential.

Faced with high energy costs and fierce and often unfair global competition, our industries need urgent support. For this, the Commission has presented the Clean Industrial Deal.

The Clean Industrial Deal supports the competitiveness and resilience of our industries within the context of our decarbonisation ambitions. This deal is essential for safeguarding manufacturing in Europe and ensuring our companies thrive in the face of global competition.

We need to act fast and show determination. We cannot be outpaced by other large economies, as this will only increase our dependencies. We need to strengthen our strategic autonomy. And the most effective—perhaps the only—way to do that, is by moving to a truly circular economy.

We always refer to the Letta and especially the Draghi report when talking about the circular economy, but the EU has been working on that already since at least 3 decades. Yet it is not the dominant economic model, despite its benefits.

To make this leap change, we will adopt the Circular Economy Act, end of 2026. It will create market demand for secondary materials and establish a single market for waste, focusing on critical raw materials.

We need to become specialists in mining our waste, reducing dependencies and keeping value within the EU production chain. Bottlenecks like price differences with virgin raw materials will have to be solved. We need to provide a future for the European recycling industry.

This act will also simplify reporting obligations and harmonise rules across the EU, reducing administrative burdens and facilitating the movement of secondary raw materials.

The next big topic is water. Clean freshwater is a strategic natural resource. We need water to live. We need water to grow food. Clean freshwater is important for our industrial and digital competitiveness, too. Every economic sector depends on it, one way or the other. Just think about cooling of power plants or server parks.

However, our waters are not in a good state. Only a third of surface water bodies in the EU have a good ecological status. This is a wake-up call for all of us. We must act decisively to safeguard our water supply and avoid devastating costs.

Just a few weeks ago we adopted our Water Resilience Strategy. With it we want to integrate water efficiency and circularity across EU sectoral policies, enhancing competitive innovation in the water industry. This strategy addresses water scarcity, pollution, and climate change impacts, ensuring sustainable water management and resilience.

Water is too often considered an infinite, and cost-free resource. Climate change is making things worse. Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe. Water scarcity in agriculture, inland navigation and energy are a growing concern. Even here in Romania, the climate risk analysis showed that 9 out of 10 rivers are projected to decrease in flow rate.

But climate change also comes with more frequent and more intense floods. From West to East, no part of Europe is spared. Your beautiful country has suffered widespread damage too, including only recently to the iconic Praid salt mine.

Today I will give a speech to the Regional Water Forum “Danube – Eastern Europe” 2025, I will meet with the Interministerial Water-Sewerage Working Group and also sit in a big and regional round table on water challenges. The signal is clear: Water is a common shared good and responsibility. With the more than 30 actions in the new strategy, I look forward to intensify the cooperation with member states to make Europe truly water resilient.

Another important and growing sector in Europe is the bioeconomy. This refers to traditional sectors like farming and forestry, but also to innovative products like biochemicals, bioplastics and other biomass-based alternatives to our fossil-fuel dependent economy.

To fully exploit its potential, we need a holistic and supportive policy framework. Therefore, we are preparing a new EU Bioeconomy Strategy which will be presented by the end of 2025.

This Strategy will support investments in technologies and sectors that can scale up the bioeconomy, ensuring circularity and reducing environmental pressure. It will promote the use of biomass in sustainable ways, maximising the use of food and farming waste and by-products. It will also support innovation and investment in bio-based materials and industries.

And as I just mentioned food and farming. Agriculture is a strategic sector for the EU. We want to future-proof the sector and create opportunities for farmers, so they can earn a fair income by moving to sustainable farming in a way that rewards them. Farmers are part of the solution!

At the same time, we cannot ignore our planetary boundaries, as doing so would undermine the very future of farming. We have set this out in the Vision for Food and Agriculture. Agriculture and nature go hand in hand.

The Vision recognises that special attention needs to be paid to improving nutrients management at farm level and increasing nutrients circularity. Priority should be given to addressing nutrient pollution hotspots. I am happy to be working with Christophe Hansen on these matters.

We also recognize that the transition from conventional to sustainable farming practices, just like sustainable forestry, is challenged by uncertainty and front-loaded costs. The gains are there, also when it comes to farm productivity and income, but we are working with natural cycles that cannot be sped up. Agricultural subsidies will therefore remain necessary and justified.

Unfortunately, we live in a time with incredible competition for public funding, so we will have to look for private money too. The good news is that many people—businesses, investors—are prepared to support ecosystem services delivered by our farming and forestry sectors. Only theres no clearcut way to value those services, let alone to sell them in a marketable format.

Thats why the Commission is exploring the potential of nature credits. They can help companies achieve their nature-positive goals. They can help reducing risk for businesses that need insurance. And they can generate additional income for those that make measurable contributions to biodiversity.

Your engagement is invaluable.

Together we have the responsibility, but also the power, to ensure that Europe effectively navigates todays challenges while securing a vibrant future.

Thank you for your dedication, your cooperation, and your unwavering commitment to a sustainable Europe.

Our journey continues—with responsibility, with ambition, and with determination.

The meeting this morning is short – I know – but very appreciated and I will be happy to hear your comments and take your questions.