We are here because we live in a very special time. As we all know, climate change is progressing. We just have to look out the window. I was in Athens yesterday; it was over 30 degrees Celsius at the beginning of April. They say it's fine for July, but not for early April. And that's the easier side to bear, because the reaction to sunshine is always, 'Oh, nice weather today.' However, we also know that with advancing climate change, we have extreme weather fluctuations, we have droughts, floods and fires. So we know we are in a race against time. On the other hand, we also know that we have the tools to mitigate climate change. And one of the tools is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And we know that transport accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions here in the European Union. So our joint task is: If we want to mitigate risks, if we want to stick to our goals, we must work to speed up cleaner transport. And I know you are all committed to that goal. So I want to praise and thank you very much. (More on ec.europa.eu)