FDP on Europe

The FDP wants EU directives transposed one-to-one only and wants several Green Deal rule sets abolished entirely. In its view these rules add no climate protection but overburden small and medium-sized firms in particular.

The FDP says too many rules come from the EU. Germany should not make EU rules even stricter. Several EU rules on environmental reports should go away completely. This should ease the load on companies.

A strict ban on so-called gold plating would stop Germany from going beyond EU requirements. At EU level, the FDP would push to end the EU taxonomy, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the supply chain directive and the circular economy action plan. It rejects a social taxonomy. The EU would have to record bureaucracy costs in a binding way and set measurable reduction targets.

The FDP wants to make the EU more capable and independent through institutional reform. This includes a smaller Commission, a right of initiative for the European Parliament and qualified majority voting in foreign and security policy.

The FDP wants to change the EU. In foreign policy, a large majority should be enough. Today all countries must agree. The EU Parliament should be allowed to propose laws itself. The EU Commission should get smaller.

Member states are to pursue the goals of the Strategic Compass, the EU's security and defense plan, more firmly and adapt it to the threat from Russia. The European defense industry is to get easier access to capital. Cooperation with France, with Poland in the Weimar Triangle and with the United Kingdom is to be deepened, especially on security and defense.

The FDP supports EU accession for the Western Balkan states, Moldova and Ukraine if they meet the Copenhagen criteria. It wants to end accession talks with Turkey in their current form because, in its view, the country does not meet the requirements.

The FDP wants new countries to join the EU. These include Ukraine, Moldova and Balkan countries. They must meet fixed rules. The FDP no longer wants to hold talks with Turkey the way it is done now.

The Copenhagen criteria require, among other things, the rule of law, human rights and protection of minorities. The FDP considers institutional EU reforms necessary before enlargement. EU money is to flow more toward innovation, research, and foreign and defense policy. In the FDP's view, Turkey under President Erdogan does not meet the conditions for membership.