Brussels, my love? Relive the best bits of the season with our summer special
Brussels, my love? Watch or rewatch the best bits of the season including the fights over the nature restoration law and the French baguette making global news.
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00:00 Hello and welcome to Brussels, je t'aime, Euronews' weekly talk show about European
00:18 affairs. On Brussels, my love, we take a look at some of the stories making news across
00:24 the continent. Find out what's in store for you and for Europe. My name is Maeve McMahon
00:29 and this week we have some disappointing news for you. We're going on a well-deserved summer
00:35 break and in the meantime we're playing some of the best bits especially for you. So coming
00:39 up in this edition, we take you back to Strasbourg where MEPs met back in July for the last session
00:47 before the summer recess. On the table was the much debated restoration law, the nature
00:53 restoration law, a binding proposal from the European Commission that saw a major spat
00:58 break out between the Conservatives and the Socialists in the European Parliament who
01:02 normally go in lockstep together to make sure bills get across the line. So here you can
01:07 take a look back at a discussion between the German Conservative MEP Peter Liese, Mohamed
01:13 Shaheen, the Dutch Socialist and the Finnish Left MEP Sylvia Modig.
01:18 Lovely to see you all. How are you? How was your week?
01:22 Peter, you can start.
01:24 How are you feeling, Peter?
01:27 I have mixed emotions. You know, this nature restoration law, I really thought it's good
01:34 to stop it and ask the Commission to do something better because people feel, especially in
01:41 rural areas, we are asking too much from them and it would be good to have a clear symbol
01:48 that we listen to them. But on the other hand, the outcome of the vote is not so bad. It
01:55 has nothing to do with the proposal of Franz Timmermans.
01:58 Peter Liese, let's elaborate in just a minute. But I want to explain to our viewers why you
02:02 had that nervous laughter right now and how dramatic that big vote was. There were so
02:06 many votes and so many amendments on that nature restoration law. But before we hear
02:10 more from you, let's just get our viewers up to speed, shall we? Ellie Laliberté has
02:14 more.
02:17 After a long year of political wrangling, the nature restoration law survived a major
02:21 hurdle this week. The law that aims to rehabilitate damaged nature across the EU passed with 336
02:27 votes in favor, 300 against and 13 abstinations. The right-wing party had long opposed the
02:33 law, claiming it's unrealistic. They say stakes are high for farmers who would lose land and
02:38 industry which fears economic shock. But the clock is running out. Over 6,000 scientists
02:44 are begging politicians to act. In the EU, 80 percent of habitats and 60 percent of species
02:49 are in poor conditions. This week's vote marks another lap for this long-awaited decision.
02:55 But the question is, how strong is the text now?
02:59 Ellie Laliberté reporting for us there. So you both voted in favor after those 136 amendments
03:06 in favor of the text. Are you pleased with the final weakened text? Mohamed, let's start
03:10 with you.
03:12 I am pleased because I think at the end of the day, it's also about the signal. I mean,
03:16 from the beginning of this whole charade, I didn't understand why the EPP walked away
03:22 from the negotiation table, because I think they could have gotten what we voted for yesterday,
03:28 and then they would be part of the negotiation team. Because at the end of the day, the most
03:33 important thing, knowing that 80 percent of the habitats in the EU are not that good,
03:38 the Netherlands is even 90 percent, to commit yourself to a target where you say, somewhere
03:43 in the future, we will take restoration of nature seriously. I mean, that's, I think
03:49 it's a very important statement, and I think a well-needed statement. And now we have a
03:54 text because we did listen to the farmers, we did listen to industry. Already, I mean,
04:00 many of those, I think, fair comments were included in the compromises. And what I think
04:08 is really cynical, I was listening to some colleagues of Peter Liese, were saying on
04:11 camera that they liked, they even liked the text, and then they still voted against. That's
04:15 something that's a bit strange for them.
04:16 Well, Peter Liese just said that as well earlier in the programme, but before you elaborate
04:19 on that, Peter Liese, let's just hear from the left.
04:21 I am pleased that we got the text out, because the other option would have been that EPP
04:26 would have succeeded in rejecting the whole law, which is a necessity for us if we want
04:31 to achieve the Green Deal, because this is one of the foundations of the Green Deal.
04:35 You cannot build a house without building a foundation for it. So that's how important
04:39 this law is. So I'm very happy that the rejection failed, and we have a text, which we will
04:43 try to improve in the trialogues. But the text became a lot weaker, significantly a
04:50 lot weaker. The biggest problems there I see is that agriculture and peatlands are out
04:55 from the Parliament's position. And this is extremely important. If we look at the peatlands,
05:00 that's 3% of our agricultural land in Europe, but 25% of the emissions of our agriculture.
05:06 So come on, it's common sense to try to tackle those parts where we can get the most for
05:11 the less investment. So I'm very disappointed with that. But I have no clue on what the
05:16 EPP position is, because they did not want to negotiate. They went out from the negotiations.
05:21 Then they say afterwards that we wanted rejection all along, so you were not negotiating in
05:25 good faith, you just wasted everybody's time.
05:28 We don't have Manfred Weber, your leader, around the table, but we have you, so we're
05:31 delighted to have you. There was 21 rebels, I think, as well in your group that voted
05:34 against the political line. You stuck with the line of the group and you voted against,
05:40 but yet on our programme here today you're saying that actually it was so weak you might
05:43 have voted another way?
05:44 No. I think it's very important, really, also for the audience. I have never, never in my
05:53 many years here in Parliament experienced such a difference between the perception at
05:59 home in my constituency, I come from a rural area, and the perception in the Brussels bubble.
06:06 You know, in Brussels 90% of the people think this is a good thing, it sounds good and we
06:11 need to do it. At home, 90% of my people, not only farmers, mayors, forest owners, people
06:19 that have hydropower, they say, what are you doing here? You know, 80% of our nature is
06:26 in bad circumstances. When I go with people in my constituency, they don't see this. And
06:34 it's also a very shaky definition. What is a good circumstance and what is not? So I
06:38 think we have a problem here, we have a problem with different perception, and we have in
06:44 fact the problem that people rightly say, you are doing so much, you are asking so much
06:50 from us, but you don't give us support.
06:52 But it's interesting because we saw mayors from Euro cities were in favour of it, we
06:56 saw as well 6,000 scientists were writing in favour of it, and we also saw big companies
07:01 like Nestle.
07:02 Do you know why the perception is so different? Because EPP has been spreading disinformation.
07:07 You have to go against science, you say that this is a threat for our food security, when
07:13 all the scientists say that the nature...
07:16 Sylvia, all of the scientists...
07:18 Not all.
07:19 The vast majority of scientists, you know Peter very well that you are talking against
07:25 science, against the scientific advice.
07:27 No, no, that's not true, that's not true, and I hope I have the opportunity to clarify
07:32 this.
07:33 So food security is not relying on biodiversity, oh come on Peter.
07:36 It is of course.
07:37 That is taught in schools in the first grade.
07:39 But you cannot deny, when you force farmers to do...
07:43 You don't force these obligations out of the member states, not on the farmers. This is
07:46 another disinformation that you are spreading.
07:48 No, I just wanted to say something.
07:50 But it's worth Peter Lise pointing out that the member states will also have to draft
07:53 up their own plans.
07:54 And I'd like to just bring in the young voices, because I mentioned earlier the climate activists
07:58 of course from all across the continent.
08:00 They travel by train here to Strasbourg to put pressure on you all and tell us what was
08:04 at stake for the environment.
08:05 And we had the opportunity to speak to one Belgian activist and also to the Swedish activist
08:09 Greta Thunberg, who of course started the Friday for Future strikes back in 2018 and
08:14 mobilised thousands of people all across the world.
08:18 One of our slogans is "No nature, no future".
08:20 And I think that tells it all pretty much.
08:22 All of our climate, all of our environmental ambition are not going to be achievable if
08:26 we don't have a nature restoration law.
08:28 But it's beyond that.
08:29 It's actually food security that's at stake as well.
08:31 It's Europe's resilience to massive climate events.
08:34 And it's also farmers' livelihoods at the end of the day.
08:36 So it affects us all.
08:37 They keep asking for postponement for every environmental regulation.
08:40 Let's do it later.
08:41 Let's do it later.
08:42 We have time.
08:43 Clearly the weather here today shows that we don't have time.
08:44 We need to act now.
08:45 But they're not willing to listen.
08:47 Our message to the politicians is to choose nature and choose people over profit and greed.
08:51 If we don't protect nature, if we don't protect people, it's that countless of people are
08:56 going to lose their lives and livelihoods.
08:58 And it's the natural world that is at stake.
09:00 Greta Thunberg there.
09:01 She was also in the plenary as the vote came out and she was a little bit disappointed,
09:05 she said, because it was weakened.
09:06 And you had the opportunity as well to speak with these activists.
09:09 How did that go?
09:11 Unfortunately, Greta didn't have the time to speak to EPP.
09:14 I don't know what happened.
09:15 She was announced, but she didn't come.
09:18 I spoke to these young people.
09:20 And for me, it's very important to make a difference between the Green Deal, our climate
09:25 agenda and this law.
09:27 And there's many reasons for that.
09:29 You know, to have renewable energy, to have hydropower, to have also hydrogen, we need
09:36 space.
09:38 And sometimes you have to decide that if we want to be industrialized and I want us to
09:45 be industrialized also in the future, because only then we are a good example.
09:49 And to be climate neutral, sometimes you need to have compromises and not the last bird
09:55 can avoid a wind farm and other important projects.
09:58 And that's why I'm for the climate neutrality.
10:01 And the second point, especially to my two friends, because we were together in the discussion
10:06 on climate, on the ETS and on the social climate fund.
10:11 The ETS only gets such a big majority in the parliament because we also gave the money
10:16 for the poor.
10:17 Here, we ask people to do something, but no answer.
10:21 Where does the money come from to do all this?
10:24 The EPP amendments say that there should not be able to use agricultural funds.
10:29 The cash money will not be used.
10:30 You have made yourself amendments which restrict use.
10:33 I have other ideas.
10:35 I have other ideas.
10:36 And your group is against.
10:37 That's so contradictory, Peter.
10:38 This is crazy.
10:39 Where the money should come from.
10:40 Mohamed.
10:41 I have two comments that I would like to make.
10:42 First of all, I respect Peter Liza.
10:45 And of course, Peter Liza has been a champion in the past, definitely on ETS, on climate,
10:50 fighting for climate.
10:51 I mean, I've been I saw how hard he works.
10:55 The complexity that I have here is that nature is part of the same metal.
10:59 It's the other side.
11:00 We need healthy ecosystems in order to get our Paris agreement.
11:03 And then when you say to me in my rural area, 90 percent are against.
11:07 They say nature is going well.
11:09 You're a physician.
11:10 You know, when you look at me, if people look at me, maybe most of them will say I'm healthy,
11:15 but you're a physician.
11:16 If you look inside, probably you will find all kinds of elements that are not OK.
11:20 I mean, we need to listen to experts and not people looking at grasslands and say how nice
11:25 green they look like.
11:27 Hence, it's going well with biodiversity.
11:29 The last comment that I really want to make, if you go to people and tell them this is
11:33 a bad law over and over again, they, of course, believe that it's a bad law.
11:38 I have seen elements taken out of out of context, put it on Twitter in the campaign of the APP
11:46 that were not on the table anymore.
11:48 We've listened to farmers.
11:49 A 10 percent landscaping of agricultural land was already deleted in the compromises and
11:53 envy and still APP was saying we are going to take away your land.
11:57 I mean, this is not something I would.
11:59 And Mohammed, you were very brave.
12:01 I saw you this week.
12:02 Did you get up on stage and speak in front of the farmers?
12:04 Why not?
12:05 I spoke to hundreds of angry farmers.
12:08 I speak to the activists, he speaks to the farmers.
12:10 I think they were booing you.
12:12 Seriously booing you.
12:13 I think they were booing me at the end because I said nature restoration law.
12:16 Yes.
12:17 Nature restoration.
12:18 Yes.
12:19 But before that, I was making some elements.
12:20 I think people were really thinking, like, is he now for us or against us?
12:24 I'm for farmers.
12:25 We need more farmers in the EU.
12:27 Let's bring in a farmer because we had the opportunity.
12:29 We were also there among the crowds shouting to the farmers and we spoke to one.
12:32 He's a Danish man.
12:33 He's not just a farmer.
12:34 He's also an MEP.
12:35 And he despises this law.
12:36 He tells us why.
12:38 I know a lot about nature.
12:40 I know a lot about biodiversity because I live in that.
12:44 And the proposal from the commission, it's totally crazy because it will bring us back
12:49 to 1952.
12:51 It's the first time in the history of parliament has been so divided in two blocks.
12:56 So we must find a new road to nature restoration and biodiversity.
13:01 I know what's happened on my ground.
13:03 I know what's happened in my field.
13:04 I know what's happened in my wetlands.
13:06 I know what's happened in my new forest.
13:09 Came out and look.
13:11 Asger Christiansen there, a Danish MEP, inviting us all and activists as well who are on the
13:15 other side protesting to visit his farm.
13:18 He made just a mistake there, which is not in the law.
13:20 The law does not take us back 60, 70 years.
13:23 If you have read the law, you know that it says that documented losses within the 70
13:27 years.
13:28 And it's not the same thing as taking us back in time 70 years.
13:30 That's ridiculous.
13:31 This is one of the disinformation EPPs.
13:35 Even that reference is deleted in the compromise.
13:37 And that's my question.
13:38 Who actually right here has read the whole law?
13:41 Who has read the whole law?
13:42 I did.
13:43 I did.
13:44 And to be honest, it is true that some of the tweets that EPP people made are exaggerated.
13:52 And thank you, Peter.
13:53 I told that I told that internally.
13:55 The worst.
13:56 You're not a climate denier because you're going to ask me.
13:59 But that's still online.
14:00 The S&D group still has online calling me a climate denier.
14:03 And Mohammed knows and he said it here on record.
14:06 That is not true.
14:07 So I think that is also not that is not only exaggerated.
14:11 It's fake news when you call me a climate denier.
14:14 Peter is not the climate denier.
14:16 I know this for a fact.
14:17 We have sat and negotiated the ETS and you personally did a huge effort on that.
14:20 But EPP is the one that started this.
14:23 This is a major.
14:26 The most important question.
14:28 Did we read the law?
14:29 The problem is that there's a big room for interpretation.
14:33 The definition is not precise.
14:35 The reference to the 70 years was in.
14:38 And you know, for example, forest owners tell me 70 years ago we had different forests,
14:45 but now we have a different climate.
14:46 Regrettably, we need a forest also with species that are not originally from Europe, but they
14:54 can cope with the climate.
14:56 And that is one of the problems.
14:58 The biggest problem is that everybody can interpret whatever he likes.
15:02 And we will have problems when we don't have a stable definition.
15:07 And I think that is the biggest weakness.
15:08 We need to be clear what is coming and what is not coming.
15:12 Maybe we can sort that out in the trial.
15:14 But the base was really weak.
15:16 Do you know I could have sorted out all of that if you had negotiated it?
15:20 No, no, no.
15:21 You know, it's a no, it's a no.
15:26 And it's worth reminding...
15:27 We have made all these proposals and the left and the socialists and the Greens said don't
15:32 even talk about these amendments.
15:33 No, that's not true.
15:34 No, no, that's not true.
15:35 You were not in the negotiations.
15:36 It's worth pointing out as well that this is just a step, a hurdle that was jumped.
15:40 Of course, you mentioned trial logs.
15:41 That means negotiations have to start between the member states and of course the European
15:45 Parliament, the co-legislators.
15:46 But I think the concerns as well of farmers is that they are feeling a little bit forced
15:50 into something.
15:51 Because we spoke to the Irish farmer, Pat McCormack, who heads the Irish Creamery Milk
15:55 Suppliers.
15:56 What's your reaction to him?
15:57 Well, the critical word there is voluntary, to go back to it.
16:01 You know, we're not against nature.
16:04 We work with nature on a continuous basis, 24/7.
16:08 And you know, biodiversity, it's great to see it out there on the farmland and in the
16:13 hedgerows.
16:14 So to make that point very, very clear, I suppose the issue is the lack of the word
16:21 voluntary in the script.
16:23 And that's critical because, you know, that's the difference between imposing something
16:26 on somebody and allowing somebody the opportunity to volunteer to enter a scheme.
16:32 So Pat McCormack there, worried I think of that word, the binding word, because of course
16:35 we've plenty of paper on the table already, but it's not being implemented when it comes
16:39 to nature and when it comes to birdlife.
16:40 A reaction to what he had to say there?
16:42 Well, the biggest problem I have, I really sympathise with farmers.
16:47 One of my first jobs when I was 15 years old was at a dairy farm.
16:50 It's a beautiful job, a beautiful job, which is impossible to do on your own because you
16:55 need to go big or you go broke as a farmer.
16:57 The business models of European farmers is failing.
17:01 The ones profiting off the decent hard work of farmers are big multinationals that they
17:06 depend on.
17:07 It's ridiculous that if you look at products like milk or potatoes, that the business case
17:12 is negative for farmers, that we need that.
17:14 They need subsidies to survive.
17:16 And that's something that we really need to fix.
17:19 And then I fully agree that it's not only a burden, you also give a perspective for
17:24 farming.
17:25 That if you go organic and you don't go as big as possible, that you can have a decent
17:30 piece of income for you and your family and you can live balanced with the ecosystem surrounding
17:35 you.
17:36 That's the model I'm fighting for.
17:38 Better income for farmers, but also better balance with the ecosystem.
17:41 And Sylvia, what about you?
17:42 Your message to Pat McCormack and other anxious farmers?
17:44 Well, I think one of the most regrettable things in this EPP's campaign is that they're
17:48 trying to pit us against the farmers.
17:50 Nobody is against the farmers here.
17:52 The farmers' biggest threat is the loss of biodiversity, the depleting soil, which will
17:57 end up in less crops.
18:00 So strong biodiversity is better crops and better livelihood for the farmers.
18:04 And I think Mohammed here spoke well.
18:07 And all of what Mohammed said is that we are supporting by the whole cap system, everything,
18:12 the big agri-business, not the farmers.
18:15 And this, if EPP wants to join forces to find ways to really help the farmers, I'm fully
18:20 up to that because these people do an extremely important job.
18:23 So what about the future of your party, the EPP?
18:25 A little bit divided now?
18:27 I mean, have people still confidence in the leader?
18:29 We have a free mandate here.
18:32 The Renew group, the Liberal group was much more divided.
18:36 I'm not afraid of the future of my party and I'm also not in favour of a cooperation of
18:42 my party with the far right.
18:43 I never talked to the German IFD.
18:46 Of course, I don't cooperate with them.
18:48 We are in the centre, but the problems that people in the centre of the society saw with
18:54 this law made us vote against.
18:58 Such as?
18:59 I'm really curious because I think all concerns are off the table, Peter.
19:04 All the concerns, the agricultural land, the reference to 70 years ago.
19:09 Come on, the non-deterioration.
19:10 Mohamed Chahid, that is all we have time for.
19:14 I'm afraid to indicate that is all we have time for on this topic.
19:17 We will come back to it as the negotiations kick off.
19:20 As you can see there, emotions extremely high over that nature restoration law.
19:27 But just to inform you, so-called trial logs, so negotiations with the 27 EU member states
19:33 are already underway.
19:34 We will keep you posted on how they continue and of course how the final text looks.
19:39 But for now, thank you so much for being with us.
19:41 See you soon here on Euronews.
19:51 Welcome back to Brussels, my love.
19:53 Euronews' weekly show about European affairs.
19:57 I'm Maeve McMahon and as you can see it is summertime here in Brussels and we're taking
20:03 a little holiday.
20:04 In the meantime, we're playing some of our best bits of the season.
20:08 We invite you now to take a look back at a conversation between the Croatian Conservative
20:13 MEP, Ladasav Ilčić.
20:15 He sits down with the social and climate activist, Chloé Mikuláček and the head of the European
20:21 Commission's DG Reform, Mario Nava.
20:24 They're discussing the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Act.
20:27 It would make companies all across the continent accountable for the impact they have on the
20:32 environment.
20:33 And sanctions could even be on the table.
20:35 Take a look.
20:37 The European Parliament has voted to kick-start negotiations on a plan that would call out
20:42 massive companies for their negative social and environmental impacts.
20:46 Known as Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, it could even include sanctions that could
20:50 seriously damage the reputation of these companies.
20:53 From naming and shaming to taking goods off the markets and even fines.
20:57 It looks like this directive could have real teeth.
21:01 Is this a big deal?
21:02 Chloé, do you think it could change the way businesses, outlets do business?
21:05 I think it's massive and I think it's about time that it comes into law because we've
21:10 had so many, so many scandals and so many terrible events such as the Rana Plaza, such
21:15 as oil spills happening elsewhere, which were the responsibility of European companies and
21:19 they were never held accountable.
21:20 So I think it's really great that it's finally on the table.
21:23 I think the position of the Parliament is definitely a great step forward.
21:26 Obviously, there's many loopholes, but that's always the case.
21:28 And I really hope that in the negotiations between the Commission, the Council and the
21:32 Parliament, we're going to have what was put forward, conserved, but also something that's
21:38 going to be strengthened.
21:39 I just want to give a quick example.
21:40 The inclusion of climate, for instance, in this law was great, but it's only going to
21:45 be applicable to the majority of companies by 2028, which is too late for the EU's climate
21:49 commitment.
21:50 How did you vote on that directive?
21:53 Of course against.
21:54 So I used to live in Yugoslavia.
21:58 And during communist time, they also wanted to impose some of their values like equality,
22:05 brotherhood and so.
22:06 And they imposed that to all markets and to all firms and just firms who were in line
22:13 with these values could prosper.
22:15 At the end, Yugoslav economy bankrupt.
22:18 And that is what is going to happen if European Union continuously will go in this direction
22:26 of socialism, of imposing some values to the economy.
22:32 So we have overregulation first.
22:35 Then this approach decreases the importance of consumers.
22:42 For example, I don't want, I think that, for example, stores shouldn't work on Sundays.
22:48 I don't go to shop on Sundays.
22:50 That's another debate.
22:51 Let's just hear from the European Commission.
22:52 Yeah, it is.
22:53 Because it is importance of consumers.
22:54 I know.
22:55 We'll come back to that.
22:56 But I think that politicians could solve every problem and to impose to economy and actually
23:00 they are destroying companies with this regulation.
23:04 I think there are a number of areas where we have the environment in mind.
23:09 I mean, let's mention, for example, the ESG area, the environmental, social and governance.
23:15 Let's mention the area of the green budgeting.
23:17 Let's mention the general principle that we have had in the RRF of the do no significant
23:22 harm.
23:23 I think the environmental, the general environmental tension and leadership of Europe is not under
23:31 discussion.
23:32 What we are discussing here is, however, to be able to keep that in front of difficulties.
23:38 Let me make a very clear example.
23:40 COVID and the war have shown that our supply side is fragile.
23:47 The COVID broke up the supply side and then the war also put the supply side in danger.
23:53 So circular economy can become very useful in order to restore the supply side.
23:58 And I think it's the link between those issues.
24:01 And in fact, we did want to ask certain companies who would be impacted by this, but they did
24:05 not have anyone available.
24:06 But Oxfam were available to speak to us.
24:08 We can listen to them now.
24:10 This piece of legislation is really very important.
24:13 This law is about making business accountable for what's happening in their supply chain.
24:19 What's on the table is a necessary first step to tackle the very serious violations of human
24:26 rights that are happening, where people produce our food, where people make our clothes.
24:31 We think that what was adopted last week is far from perfect.
24:35 Too many companies are left out.
24:37 What's been adopted is wishy-washy on finance.
24:40 So for a number of reasons, we are worried, but it's a good starting point.
24:44 And this process needs to go forward as soon as possible.
24:47 So Chloe?
24:48 Yeah, I mean, the truth is the market doesn't regulate itself.
24:51 We've seen it over and over again.
24:53 We've seen a lot of voluntary measures, a lot of voluntary commitments from companies,
24:57 from banks, et cetera.
24:58 And we're in the situation that we're in, which is a climate crisis, an environmental
25:02 crisis.
25:03 Human rights abuses are still happening, as was said in your interview.
25:07 So I think it's sort of insane that we have politicians that tell us that we need to put
25:10 the economy above human rights, and that it's bad that we actually want to hold companies
25:15 accountable for the human rights abuses and environmental abuses that are happening in
25:19 the supply chain.
25:20 This should be the basis.
25:21 This should have been a regulation that should have been adopted decades ago.
25:24 If you come to one big firm and tell them, you know, you must have this gender equality
25:30 in your board.
25:31 You have to have so many women, so many homosexuals, bisexuals, this or that or that, you know.
25:39 First, what you do, you ignore the criteria of quality, because every employee should
25:46 improve their career just according to their quality, and not just because he's homosexual
25:51 or woman or whatever.
25:53 So this, what they do now with this, is burdening European economy with burdens which other
26:00 – sorry – which burdens which other countries don't have.
26:05 And we cannot be competitive to all others.
26:08 But it's also about improving the conditions.
26:09 If you take a look at garment workers, for example, the conditions they're facing in
26:14 countries like Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia, in your country, we were looking at the figures
26:19 and they're being paid like 418 euros, 223 euros below the poverty line.
26:25 That's a threshold of 1.84, and that's where EU can come in.
26:28 I was union representative in my work before for 17 years.
26:32 You don't have to tell me about what is just, but the question is how to achieve that.
26:38 Who will pay the minimum salary?
26:41 Who will pay the equal salary what they want in European immigration government?
26:44 Mario, you're in charge of the recovery funds, the resilient funds, the reforms.
26:47 Who will pay?
26:48 The fact that till now the recovery and resilience fund, whenever, which as you know is made
26:54 by financing on the markets because the European Union issues on the market, until now the
26:58 market responded positively.
27:01 It means that the overall goals that we want to achieve with the recovery and resilience
27:05 funds are appreciated by the market.
27:09 There is no doubt on that.
27:11 And negotiations on that corporate sustainability due diligence act have already commenced with
27:16 the 27 EU member states.
27:18 We'll keep you posted on how they go.
27:20 The hope is that they will be terminated before the European elections take place next June.
27:25 Well, that's all we have for you for this edition.
27:27 Thank you so much for being with us.
27:28 See you soon here on Euronews.
27:31 [Music]
27:38 Welcome back to Brussels, my love.
27:41 I'm Maeve McMahon and you're watching our summer special where we're bringing you some
27:46 of the best bits of the season.
27:48 Now, one story that made us smile was when the French Krusty Baguette made global headlines
27:55 when UNESCO declared it an official item.
27:57 You can take a look now at how our guests reacted to that story.
28:03 One item that made the headlines this week in Europe was this.
28:08 Do you know why?
28:10 I know that Macron tweeted a picture about it and about, I think, the situation in French
28:16 bakeries.
28:17 No.
28:18 Almost.
28:19 Emmanuel Macron did tweet about it.
28:21 I think I know.
28:22 Ahmed?
28:23 Because it was recorded in the UNESCO World Heritage.
28:26 Absolutely, yes.
28:27 This long, crusty loaf that tastes delicious with a bit of butter and jam is not just a
28:31 baguette.
28:32 As of this week, it is now officially recognized as a UNESCO item.
28:35 It's on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
28:38 What do you think of that, Sundus?
28:39 There are even countries where they have festivals to celebrate bread, such as Uzbekistan.
28:46 Take a look at the UNESCO list and see all the other things that managed to get on that
28:49 list.
28:50 There was bell ringing in Spain, beekeeping in Slovenia, modern dance in Germany.
28:55 I mean, is it a little bit funny?
28:57 Iran and Afghanistan, the longest night of the night that they call it the Chilla or
29:02 Yelda night, that was also included similarly in the World Heritage.
29:07 But I think that's good to appreciate our culture, our diversity, our heritages.
29:15 Yeah.
29:16 And, Larry, you mentioned the Emmanuel Macron tweet.
29:19 Well, absolutely, he tweeted a French child holding a baguette.
29:23 It was a tweet that said, "250 grams of magic and perfection in our daily lives.
29:29 A French way of life.
29:30 We've been fighting for years with bakers and the world of gastronomy for its recognition,
29:35 and now we have gotten there."
29:36 And he wasn't the only one celebrating.
29:38 There was also pictures of the UNESCO delegation, French, obviously, holding up the baguette,
29:43 taking selfies, really celebrating this good news story for France.
29:47 So the French have proclaimed the bread in this story?
29:51 Yes.
29:52 Oh.
29:53 And, Seve, is there any product or dish that you think should be on that list?
29:57 Couscous.
29:58 Definitely.
29:59 If bread made it, couscous should be on there.
30:02 Yes.
30:03 Well, other things that are on that list, Belgian beer culture, pizza from Naples, Indian
30:08 yoga, because it's not just about the items, it's also about the knowledge behind the creation
30:12 of them.
30:13 But I guess another debate we're having today is whether we can afford a baguette even,
30:20 and whether we need to start baking at home because the price has shot up so high.
30:23 I really hope we don't go back to that.
30:25 I think we did quite enough baking during lockdown.
30:27 But the reason that I said the situation in French bakeries is that that was what I got
30:32 from this debate yesterday.
30:34 When I looked at the picture, I immediately saw that on Twitter there was widespread debate
30:38 about the situation in French bakeries, the fact that these bakeries, of course, are having
30:42 a lot of trouble paying for the energy that they need to be baking the bread, that inflation,
30:47 of course, is extremely, extremely difficult for them at the moment.
30:53 And so it's great that the baguette's on the list.
30:56 It's also a very sad time for it to be going on that list.
30:59 I think even if we cook it at home these days, it would be as costly as you buy it from a
31:05 bakery because of the costs, because of the energy.
31:11 But hope we will pass this together and it should be temporary, I believe.
31:18 That's a very optimistic take there from yourself, right, Tindaz?
31:21 I was going to say I understand the political perspective on it, but I think it's beautiful
31:26 that we take the time to celebrate culture, so food, you mentioned dancing as well, different
31:32 aspects of our heritage in Europe and also in the world.
31:37 And of course, we should not forget the difficulties we are living in in the world.
31:41 But perhaps it can be a parenthesis where we remember to have a bit of fun.
31:46 Well, that brings this edition of Brussels My Love to an end.
31:51 And in fact, that's the end of the season.
31:53 We'll be back in September.
31:55 But in the meantime, thank you so much for tuning in and thanks for reaching out to us
31:59 on that email address, brusselsmylove@euronews.com.
32:04 Keep those comments coming in and do have a nice break if you do have one.
32:08 Thank you also to the team.
32:09 And all those behind the scenes here at Euronews who've been helping get this show on air every
32:14 week.
32:15 Stay with us here on Euronews and Euronews.com.
32:16 [Music]
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