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Thank you, colleagues.

Our citizens should know that we are working to protect their health and their environment with our rules.

We are talking here about the daily use of chemicals in everyday life.

We need to be able to be sure that these substances are properly regulated and if any mistakes are made,

that they are quickly corrected.

And here we are talking about simplifying the rules applying to chemical substances.

International competition is very fierce,

and small and medium sized undertakings come under pressure in these circumstances and therefore should not be overburdened with administrative and regulatory requirements.

We need simpler rules in order to be able to create jobs and remain competitive internationally.

Time and money ought to be going into innovation and technology,

not into dealing with administrative rules,

and that is a political Requirement for us.

We need to ensure that the rules that we adopt are applicable, are viable, and if the cost benefit effect of these rules is a positive one,

the rules should be clear and efficient, and that was our approach in addressing this simplification exercise.

The European Parliament has substantially improved the original Commission proposal, and we have not.

Skimmed on security requirements, but we have brought about simplification with regard to exemptions and established more realistic time limits for certain information requirements and In this exercise,

we ensure that strict criteria are laid down for any exemptions to the general requirements.

We also want to, wanted to ensure that we could support the circular economy, that was one of our main concerns. What we are trying to do.

Is to ensure that our rules become a competitive advantage while maintaining consumer confidence in our products.

Consumers want to be able to be able to trust the products that they buy.

We need to contribute to health while remaining competitive.

We want to have a clear and predictable framework that will support. Development and innovation in Europe.

So I would like to thank my co-rapporteur, my colleagues from other groups who have made it possible to arrive at this result,

which achieves simplification without compromising safety and that can maintain consumer confidence in our products.

Thank you, Commissioner, Europe for years has been teaching our businesses one thing that there are more regulations to come their way,

but actually today we have a chance to prove it's the opposite that Europe has learned on its own mistakes and does not want to increase burdens.

It's time to trust those who produce cosmetics and fertilizers across Europe.

Before I move to specifics that we have agreed, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr.

Tsitouras, my co-rapporteur, shadow rapporteurs,

the Cyprus Presidency and the Commission, and obviously our committee.

And who do we are we talking about today, because we speak very abstractly about the chemical industry,

but it's actual people,

a lady who runs her own cosmetics producing company, who herself.

Designs labels and packs later all the cosmetics and sends them to customers across Europe,

a small company that started as a garage business and now its creams can be bought in shops across Europe,

from Lisbon to Helsinki.

We talk about engineers engaged in technologies that have to work with documentation and red tape because new regulations are imposed,

or about farmers who want to produce. Fertilizers. Poland is a good example.

Back in 2024, we sold cosmetics worth EUR €6 billion.

We are the fifth exporter in the EU and our market has grown the fastest last year in Europe. So we want to change.

Regulations for people like this, because behind numbers you have people, for instance, 60 people that work in cosmetics in Poland,

the same applies to fertilizers, the same applies to any other business that's so much impacted by that regulation.

So what I'm trying to say is it's not huge corporations with huge legal departments, it's just your average businessmen that spend every hour and every euro in developing their own products,

in their own staff, in achieving new markets, but they don't want to spend the euros on red tape.

That's why we have produced this package for them. What have we changed?

Fewer thrown away labels because they were not.

In terms of regulations, we want to have one date, one deadline, instead of the constant need to adapt to new changes, more digital information, where you have a small packaging and you can't include all the information required there safer procedures,

more practical procedures for cosmetics to make sure good cosmetics stay on the market and not have to leave the market because the procedure is not fast enough. And simpler rules for fertilizers.

We hope to save €363 million every year.

It's money that will stay in companies that will go for investments, for salary rate increases, and for new jobs,

so we make the regulations easier, but we do not reduce the level of security for our consumer.

The consumer will still have full information, adequate protection, but on On the other hand, the employer, the producer,

will not be burdened with additional red tape,

and something that's extremely important predictability, predictability of new regulations.

The companies want to invest long term, and any change will complicate their lives.

Colleagues, European chemistry, European cosmetics, the chemical industry,

these are not problems to be solved, it's actually our major competitive advantage. Thank you.

Thank you very much, dear colleague, Commissioner Síkela, you have the floor. Thank you, honorable Members.

The European chemical industry is a cornerstone of our economy.

It supports 19 million jobs and generates an annual turnover of EUR 635 billion.

It is also essential to almost every industrial value chain from automotive and construction to healthcare and agriculture.

Yet today, this strategically important sector is facing unprecedented challenges.

High energy prices, unfair competition,

and weak demand are putting enormous pressure on Europe's chemical manufacturing base.

These pressures are threatening the Viability of many companies and have already led to a worrying wave of closures and job losses.

We cannot afford to see this vital industry lose its competitiveness.

This is why in July 25 the Commission presented the European Chemicals Industry Action Plan.

Setting out concrete measures to address the sector's immediate challenges,

strengthen its competitiveness and stimulate innovation and investments in its long term future.

An important element of this initiative was the omnibus simplification package. Our objective was clear.

Reducing regulatory burdens under the three key pieces of EU chemicals legislation to make the regulatory framework simpler,

more predictable and less costly for businesses,

while maintaining a high level of protection for human health and the environment.

In particular, the package proposed targeted simplifications to the rules on classification,

labeling and packaging of chemicals, cosmetic products and EU fertilizing products.

I welcome both co-legislators for their support for these objectives and its constructive contribution to reaching an agreement. President.

Members, the agreement on which you will vote today represents an important step forward towards delivering tangible simplification for Europe's chemical industry.

Let me thank today, in particular, the co-rapporteurs, Mr. Miller. And Mr.

Tsiodras and the shadow rapporteurs for their important contribution in the negotiation of this file.

I am confident that it will help our companies remain competitive.

Continue innovating and producing safe, sustainable,

high quality products and maintain their place in European,

but also global markets. Thank you.