Plenary session
Legend
Transcript markers
- text Sentence being played
- text Search result
- text Intervention cited by the link you opened
Click a sentence to play the video from that moment. Select text to quote it with the speaker, timestamp and link.
More options
Offset
Transcript offset
Export
Replay
Versions of this video
Transcripts may differ slightly from one version to another.
PLENARY European Parliament
António Costa
Tant que nous dépendrons des combustibles fossiles importés, notre prospérité restera exposée à des événements qui échappent à notre contrôle. Notre réponse doit être une énergie abordable et produite en Europe. Les énergies renouvelables ou le nucléaire, une électrification accrue et des réseaux électriques modernisés. L'année dernière, nous avons installé 80 gigawatts de capacité renouvelable, alors que des capacités six fois supérieures attendaient encore d'être raccordées. Nous devons finaliser le paquet sur les réseaux européens et accélérer les investissements.
Nous devons également faire avancer d'urgence la modernisation du système ETS.
António Costa
La compétitivité exige aussi un commerce équitable. Notre politique commerciale repose sur une vaste réseau d'accords commerciaux que nous continuons d'élargir. Mais le commerce doit être équitable et fondé sur des règles. Notre stratégie c'est de s'engager dans le dialogue avec nos partenaires. Mais un dialogue axé sur les résultats qui porte ses fruits et nos discussions ont démontré l'unité des 27 États membres.
Et je profite cette occasion pour féliciter le commissaire Šefčovič pour le résultat récemment obtenu dans son dialogue avec la Chine. Il faut poursuivre. Pas seulement sur les voitures mais aussi pour les autres secteurs industriels. Et nous devons aussi accélérer la diversification de nos échanges commerciaux. Poursuivre un dialogue débouchant sur des résultats concrets et renforcer nos instruments de défense commerciale.
António Costa
C'est le mandat qu'on a donné à la Commission de développer notre toolbox de défense des mesures défensives. Deuxièmement, notre prochain cadre financier pluriannuel. Les négociations sur le budget à long terme de l'Union européenne entrent dans une phase décisive. Nous restons déterminés à parvenir à un accord d'ici à la fin de cette année. J'ai eu un échange très utile avec le groupe de contact du Parlement européen sur le budget la semaine dernière juste avant le Conseil européen.
Je suis pleinement conscient du rôle de ce du Parlement européen dans cette dans la négociation. Et je tiens à saluer les efforts déployés par la présidence irlandaise pour faire avancer ce processus. Nos discussions au Conseil européen nous ont permis de progresser. Le prochain le prochain cadre financier n'est pas une simple question de chiffres. C'est essentiellement un choix politique concernant l'Europe que nous voulons construire ensemble et notre capacité à agir.
Nous avons d'un budget suffisamment ambitieux pour être à la hauteur de nos responsabilités tout en maintenant les contributions nationales à un niveau raisonnable. C'est pourquoi nous devons progresser sur un ambitieux paquet de nouvelles ressources propres. Nous allons accélérer le travail avec les États membres sur les propositions de la Commission ainsi que sur celles présentées par le Parlement européen. Troisièmement, l'Ukraine. Notre détermination à soutenir l'Ukraine et son peuple est plus forte que jamais.
Près de 16 milliards d'euros ont déjà été versés cette année au titre du volet défense de prêt de soutien à l'Ukraine. En outre, 17 milliards d'euros supplémentaires d'aide budgétaire pourront être décaissés aussi cette année sous réserve de la mise en œuvre des réformes nécessaires. Nous devons honorer ces engagements et répondre aux besoins de financement supplémentaires de l'Ukraine pour 2027. L'Europe et ses États membres représentent déjà 80 % de l'aide extérieure apportée à l'Ukraine et nos partenaires internationaux doivent également intensifier leurs efforts.
Notre engagement en faveur de la paix doit donc aller de pair avec une pression soutenue sur l'agresseur. Chaque effort sincère en faveur de la paix compte. Mais les actions de la Russie continuent de témoigner d'une escalade qui n'est pas acceptable. La Russie doit mettre fin à cette dangereuse fuite en avant. Les campagnes hybrides de la Russie, y compris ses actes de sabotage et de violation répétée de l'espace aérien et des eaux territoriales européennes, nous rappellent que la sécurité de l'Ukraine et celle de l'Europe sont indissociables.
Nous accélérerons la mise en œuvre de notre stratégie de défense et renforcerons notre capacité à protéger nos citoyens et nos infrastructures critiques. Notre objectif reste une paix juste et durable, à des conditions respectant la souveraineté et la sécurité de l'Ukraine ainsi que son cheminement vers l'adhésion à l'Union européenne. Enfin, la politique migratoire. Notre approche européenne commune porte ses fruits. Les franchissements irréguliers des frontières ont considérablement diminué et le pacte sur la migration et l'asile est désormais pleinement applicable.
Sa mise en œuvre doit se poursuivre. Nous devons continuer à renforcer nos frontières extérieures et améliorer l'efficacité des retours. Et nous devons préparer des situations dans lesquelles les acteurs étatiques et non étatiques instrumentalisent délibérément la migration. Un cadre européen de réaction aux situations d'urgence pourrait donner aux États membres les moyens de réagir rapidement à telle crise. La Commission va y travailler avec les États membres afin de présenter une proposition concrète.
Mesdames et messieurs les députés, ces quatre priorités sont étroitement liées. La compétitivité confère à l'Europe sa puissance économique. Un budget flexible et suffisamment doté nous donne la capacité d'agir. Le soutien à l'Ukraine protège notre sécurité et nos principes. Et les solutions européennes communes en matière de migration démontrent toute la valeur de l'action collective.
Le Conseil européen a fixé le cap. Nous devons désormais poursuivre nos efforts et obtenir des résultats avec ce Parlement et la Commission. Car l'Europe ne doit pas se contenter de réagir aux événements. L'Europe doit avoir la force, les ressources et l'unité nécessaire pour façonner son avenir. Je vous remercie.
Thank you very much President Costa, now President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Ursula von der Leyen
Good morning, President Metsola, dear Roberta, President Costa, dear Antonio, honorable members. Indeed, we had a long and dense European Council and let me touch on two of the main topics, starting with European competitiveness.
First of course, first of all of course we have to do our homework in competitiveness, that is completing our single market. And indeed we have proposed EU Inc to make it easier for business not only to start but also to grow in the European Union. We have made proposal for a new public procurement act to make procurement procedures simpler and faster. We've put forward 12 omnibus packages, three have reached the finish line, as well as other simplification measures. If all these measures are agreed, together they could save over 22 billion euros every year of administrative burden.
We're building simplicity by design into every new Commission proposal. But this ambition must also be matched in every member state, and that was the discussion, and this is why we are proposing a pact against gold-plating. It has to be very simple. A rule that is agreed at European level cannot become more complex and fragmented when transposed or implemented nationally. Finally, I think we should work much more radically in reducing reporting obligation.
And of course we have to use artificial intelligence for that. And this is why we will introduce a principle we call only once. That is report data only once and then with the help of artificial intelligence, the administration will and must ensure efficient use. Of course the debate also centered on Europe's high energy costs. Not only are we too dependent on foreign fossil fuels, on gas setting the price, but we are also squandering opportunities by not having a true European Energy Union.
From grids to interconnectors to aggregated market power in purchasing, this is why the Commission will develop a plan for a true European Energy Union because we have to make much better use of the potential that we do have. Finally, speaking of energy on our sanctions on Russia. We have placed energy sanctions on Russia due to its war of aggression against Ukraine. And because of the actual debate, I want to be crystal clear. These sanctions will stay until Russia stops the war.
And moreover we should keep our lessons in mind. It was Russia that cut Europe's supply of gas. Russia is not a trusted supplier of energy because it would, this is our experience, at any time weaponize energy dependencies to blackmail others. So that is a lesson that Europe certainly will not forget. Honorable members, as I said competitiveness starts at home of course, but it also depends on our companies being able to compete on fair terms globally.
And let me take China as an example. You know the figure in 2025 our trade deficit with China was 1 billion euros a day. This is not sustainable. Industrial overcapacity and unfair market practices are distorting competition. Just keep in mind that Chinese companies receive up to eight times more subsidies than comparable firms in the OECD countries.
And European industries are paying the price. Factories are under pressure. We see jobs lost in our industrial heartlands. So last week at the European Council we agreed a clear approach: first, dialogue where it delivers; second, action where needed; and third, stronger tools to defend our interests.
Let me start with dialogue. And I also want to commend Commissioner Šefčovič for his success. We have really seen progress in dialogue. China has agreed to cut tariffs on EU products worth almost 4 billion euros. We secured greater predictability on export controls for rare earths and magnets.
Ursula von der Leyen
And we had the removal of certain EU companies from Chinese control lists. But I think the clearest example was in the automotive sector. So where did we come from? Chinese hybrid electric vehicle exports to the European Union had gone up from 2 and a half billion US dollars to 7 and a half billion US dollars. So a threefold increase in just 12 months.
This surge put of course a huge pressure on our industry for hybrids. Here too, the dialogue now delivered. We agreed an annual quota of 350,000 hybrid vehicles from China, reducing exports by around 45%. This will be implemented through a safeguard, so we keep control. And thus for the first time, China has agreed to export moderation in a major industrial sector.
That is proof that dialogue can and does deliver. This is an important first step. But we also should keep in mind that one agreement in one sector cannot fix a overall structural imbalance. And that leads me to my second point. Europe must be ready to act when dialogue does not produce results.
Ursula von der Leyen
If necessary, we must be ready to use our trade defense instruments. And this includes safeguards to respond quickly where import surges threaten our industries. So to this concept last week leaders gave a clear positive signal. And we are already working closely with our chemicals and machinery sectors, which are seeing or facing growing concerns. Third element, we must reduce our economic dependency.
Last year, new trade restrictions affected almost 3 trillion dollars of global trade, more than three times as much as the year before. We see critical raw materials for example restricted. We see essential technologies used at geopolitical leverage. Europe must be able to withstand such a kind of pressure. So we will act on three fronts.
Ursula von der Leyen
First, reducing our vulnerabilities. In December we will present a package that we call Diversify EU. It will be country agnostic and it will help European companies to diversify their supply chains. I think the principle for all of us and all the companies in the European Union is very simple: there should be no critical dependence on one single supplier. Second, deterrence.
Here we will propose a new instrument so that we can act faster and immediately can limit access to the single market when we see our interests threatened. Because deterrence works when others know we are ready to respond. And my third point is very important, it is solidarity.
Economic threats are designed to divide us, we know this. To target one industry or one member state. This is why we will propose a solidarity package so that no member state is left to face pressure alone. In a world where economic power is increasingly used as weapon, Europe must use its economic strength to defend our interests together. Honorable members, another central issue in the last weeks' discussion was migration.
And here too, Europe has made real progress. After years of hard work, our pact on migration is now fully applicable. We have mandatory screening and border procedures, that means the same rules, fair and firm, apply in all member states. We have our return regulation so that those who have no right to stay can be returned quickly. And we have deeper partnerships along key migration routes.
And the results are speaking for themselves. Let me give you a few figure. Illegal border crossings are down by 56% over the last two years. Another 34% so far this year alone. Asylum applications are down by 19%.
And our return rate has almost doubled in five years and is now over 30%. These are significant achievements. They show our common European approach does work. But this summer showed again how quickly new threats can emerge at our borders. So we must build on this progress and let me focus on three priority.
First, we need of course a full implementation of the migration pact. We have agreed common rules, now they must be applied consistently. That means responsibility and solidarity must go hand in hand. Every member state must take responsibility for the asylum seekers it is responsible for. And every member state must be able to count on European solidarity when under pressure.
Ursula von der Leyen
We must also reduce incentives for illegal migration and safeguard Schengen because freedom of movement is one of Europe's greatest achievements and we must protect it. Second, stronger external borders. We will propose to reinforce Frontex so it can support member states whenever and wherever needed, including on returns. And that means giving it the mandate and the capabilities that this new reality demands. And my third point is preparing Europe for new challenges.
This summer we witnessed the tragic scenes in Ceuta. And we have seen how Russia and Belarus have weaponized migration. State and non-state actors are deliberately engineering mass movements of people. Of course the the goal is clear, they want to overwhelm authorities, they want to spread fears, they want finally to divide us. They will not succeed.
Ursula von der Leyen
We will not allow anyone to exploit our values to put pressure on our union. And this is why we will propose a so-called European emergency response framework. The aim is to give member states the tool to respond quickly to these kind of extraordinary threats at our external borders. And to protect of course also our internal security. We will present this proposal on the European emergency response framework by the end of this year.
So honorable members, Europe has come a long way on migration, but there's more work ahead. We will always be a place that protects those fleeing war and persecution. And to do that, citizens need to trust that our system is fair and functioning, that rules are enforced, that borders are secured. And above all, that it is Europeans who decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances, and not our adversaries. This is how we uphold our values and this is how we protect the freedom and the security of our citizens.
Thank you very much and long live Europe.
Thank you very much, President von der Leyen. Before opening the floor, let me just quickly reply to the point of order of Ms. Elisabeth Vossenberg. We're very grateful to the clarity of the joint statement of Presidents Costa and von der Leyen on this so-called memorandum and share the concerns. Greece and Cyprus can count on our solidarity. Manfred Weber on behalf of the EPP group, you have the floor.
Manfred Weber
President Metsola, President von der Leyen, President Costa, welcome in the European Parliament. First of all, I want to congratulate my colleagues for their reelection as group leaders. Valérie Hayer and also Nico and Terry were already reelected. The others will do it in the next upcoming weeks. So congratulation for this.
The reelection means also stability for this house, that we can count on the support of our colleagues. And we need this stability to deliver. 27,000 jobs each month are lost in the European Union in this moment of time. So we have a lot of huge challenges, especially on the economic front. And already the agreement inside of the platform on the car and automotive sector is a motivating signal that we can do deals together and we can find solutions.
So congratulation. Let me start on a positive note when we reflect on the European Council meeting. China. One billion, Ursula von der Leyen mentioned it, enough is enough. I want to remind ourselves that one and a half years ago, Commission already initiated tariffs on the question of electric cars.
That was not uncontroversial, I must say. Today, I think everybody sees that this was already brave leadership one and a half years ago, that things cannot continue as they are in this moment of time. That's why we have to stop naivety and have to work. I want to thank really Commissioner Šefčovič for his great work. We are in good hands, in your hands in this file.
So thank you very much for this. And we also as EPP welcome the new instruments now also proposed on the Council side to strengthen the role of the European Commission. And precondition for everything is unity among our member states. And that was a good outcome, a good agreement on the Council side. The more difficult aspect is obviously MFF, which is the key issue in the next weeks in front of us.
Looking to the figures, for example, on investments on artificial intelligence, China 290 billion, US 600 billion in this year. And the EU budget should be now cut by 140 billion. We cannot do more for Europe with less money. That will not, that will not work. So having this in mind, we have to be now very clear.
For example, for farmers, for mayors, we do not speak about cold figures. We speak about the young farmers, whether they have a chance, a perspective to do their business, to create independence on food security for Europe. We speak about rural areas. We are fully supporting the ideas from the Commission on the modernization. So Horizon, now we see 10% cuts from the Irish.
Defense cuts. We see for Frontex. Dear colleagues, a few days ago, Frontex in Warsaw published that they had to stop return missions, joint return missions on European level because they have not anymore the funding for doing it together. That's the reality on the ground. And we see further cuts now from the Irish presidency.
I also want to be clear on the own resources because it was a promise when we discussed the Next Generation EU fund to repay it, the borrowed money and the interest rates by own resources. The promise is on the table and we remind the Council to keep their promises to pay it back not via our budget but through own resources. And I would also ask please stop the net payer perspective because stopping migration in Ceuta is in Danish and is in Dutch interest and also having a drones shield in the East is in German and French interest. So let's do this from a European perspective. And let me just appeal and ask President Costa now, you are a moderator, yes, but you are not only a moderator and we know that you are a brave European leader.
So we have to defend the future, let me say, aspects of this modernized budget.
That's why in the next weeks and months we will support you to show this European leadership in this moment of time. And finally, dear colleagues, if you allow me just on Ukraine one final point, the winter ahead of us will be again a test for all of us. The war will not be decided on the frontline, the war will be decided in our political will whether we stand up for freedom and democracy and we support our Ukrainian friends. That's why the message in front of this winter is the EPP is on the side of those who defend democracy and freedom. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Weber. Now I give the floor to the chair of the S&D group, Iratxe García Pérez.
Iratxe García Pérez
Gracias, presidenta. En Europa hay dos maneras de entender el futuro: quienes quieren una Europa más pequeña, con menos presupuesto, menos solidaridad y menos derechos, y quienes sabemos que ante un mundo más peligroso e injusto necesitamos más Europa. Una Europa que proteja, que invierta y que no deje a nadie atrás. Y esa diferencia también se ve en cómo hablamos sobre inmigración. Sí, la migración es un desafío europeo.
Por eso necesita una respuesta europea, no una competición entre Estados miembros para ver quién cierra más puertas o quién señala con más dureza a quienes llegan. Porque los datos desmontan el discurso del miedo y hoy la propia presidenta von der Leyen los ha expuesto. Las entradas irregulares han caído casi un tercio en los nueve primeros meses de este año y también las solicitudes de asilo. Sin embargo, la derecha y la extrema derecha siguen alimentando la mentira de una Europa desbordada. Señora von der Leyen, señor Costa, estoy de acuerdo con ustedes: combatir las mafias y la trata, gestionar nuestras fronteras y garantizar procesos eficaces es nuestra responsabilidad.
Pero también lo es defender el derecho de asilo, luchar contra la desinformación y garantizar vías legales y seguras. Porque quienes cuidan de nuestros mayores, quienes atienden a nuestros enfermos, quienes construyen nuestras casas y trabajan en nuestros campos no son una amenaza, son parte de nuestras sociedades y contribuyen a sostenerlas. Los verdaderos enemigos de Europa no son los inmigrantes. Los verdaderos enemigos de Europa son los fondos buitre que expulsan de su hogar a una mujer discapacitada de ochenta y siete años. Son aquellos que desencadenan guerras y trasladan las facturas a nuestros ciudadanos.
Son los mismos autócratas que obligan a nuestras familias a pagar más de dos euros por litro de gasolina y encarecen la cesta de la compra. Los verdaderos enemigos de Europa son los negacionistas climáticos que anteponen sus intereses a las vidas de quienes pierden sus casas y sus cosechas por incendios e inundaciones. Y son los aliados de Putin dentro de esta Unión que debilitan nuestra unidad mientras Rusia libra una guerra híbrida contra nuestras democracias. Y por eso tenemos la responsabilidad de construir la Europa de los ciudadanos. No una Europa como esa Argentina de los recortes de la motosierra de Milei.
Queremos esa Europa de la mirada zurda y orgullosa. La Europa que combate la especulación y garantiza una vivienda digna. La que acelera las energías renovables para abaratar la energía. Construyamos una Europa que invierta en defensa para protegernos de Putin sin abandonar a nuestros agricultores porque nuestra seguridad también depende de nuestra soberanía alimentaria. Construyamos la Europa que invierte en cohesión para garantizar escuelas, hospitales y oportunidades en todas nuestras regiones.
Y para hacer realidad la Europa de los ciudadanos necesitamos un presupuesto europeo a la altura de nuestros desafíos, no con recortes que obliguen a elegir. Porque la pregunta no es si podemos permitirnos construir esta Europa. La pregunta es cuánto nos cuesta no hacerlo. No permitamos que el miedo decida nuestro futuro. Frente a quienes levantan muros levantemos derechos.
Frente a quienes dividen construyamos solidaridad y frente a quienes quieren una Europa más pequeña defendamos una Europa más fuerte, más justa y más humana. Esa es la Europa que necesitan nuestros ciudadanos. Esa es y será siempre la razón de ser de Europa. Muchas gracias.
Elnök asszonyok, elnök úr! A Franciaországból érkező sokkoló képeket látva joggal kérdezzük, hogyan juthatott idáig Európa. Ceutától a nyugat-európai nagyvárosokig egy mélyülő civilizációs válság egyre súlyosabb jeleit látjuk. Ez az elhibázott migrációs politika egyenes következménye. Gyökeres patrióta fordulat kell Európa-szerte.
Kinga Gál
Megvédeni Európa külső határait és garantálni polgárainak biztonságát. Ahogy a migrációs, úgy a gazdasági kihívásokra sem adott érdemi választ a legutóbbi uniós csúcs. A magas energiaárakra, a csökkenő életszínvonalra, a vállalkozások kilátástalanságára. Miközben az új MFF-ben a Bizottság még több pénzt kér központosításra, új pénzügyi terheket vezetne be, még több pénzt küldene Ukrajnának és kiterjesztené az ideológiai nyomásgyakorlást a tagállamokra. Ehelyett mi patrióták szeretnénk megőrizni a gazdák és régiók támogatását, felülvizsgálni a vállalkozásokat fojtogató szabályokat és helyreállítani végre Európa versenyképességét.
Pénteken mi magyarok az 1956-os forradalom 70. évfordulójára emlékezünk. 2006-ban a méltatlanul az 50. évfordulóhoz az akkori baloldali kormány durva rendőri erőszakkal lépett fel a békés megemlékezőkkel szemben. Idén méltatlanul az évfordulóhoz újra politikai foglyok vannak Magyarországon. Legutóbb egy egykori államtitkárt, három gyermekes édesanyát börtönöztek be abszurd vádak alapján. Megfélemlítés a cél.
Visszamenőleges hatállyal az ellenzéki politikusokat megfosztották a választásokon való indulás jogától.
A legnagyobb ellenzéki párt szervereit lefoglalták. Magyarországon éppen a kommunista időket idéző önkény épül. Elnök asszony, elnök úr, jó, ha mindezzel tisztában vannak, amikor pénteken Budapestre látogatnak.
Thank you, Ms Gál. Now for the ECR Group, Nicola Procaccini. Two and a half minutes.
Nicola Procaccini
Grazie Presidente, Presidente von der Leyen, Presidente Costa. È stato un Consiglio europeo lungo e travagliato. Sappiamo che alcuni governi sono ancora intrappolati nell'incantesimo ideologico del Green Deal o delle porte aperte all'immigrazione, ma sappiamo anche che aumentano quelli che si stanno risvegliando. L'Europa comincia a rimediare ai propri errori e lo fa soprattutto grazie alla determinazione di Giorgia Meloni, consentitemelo. Per troppo tempo abbiamo tormentato la competitività delle nostre imprese, abbiamo incentivato la delocalizzazione industriale e finito per importare gli stessi prodotti che abbiamo smesso di produrre in Europa.
Abbiamo esportato posti di lavoro ed importato emissioni di CO2, un capolavoro di autolesionismo economico ed ambientale. Finalmente viene riconosciuta la necessità di intervenire sulle distorsioni del sistema ETS. È un primo passo, ma ovviamente non basta. Anche sull'immigrazione qualcosa è obiettivamente cambiato. Dopo anni nei quali chi chiedeva di difendere le frontiere veniva accusato di violare i valori europei, quasi tutti oggi ammettono la necessità di nuovi strumenti.
Purtroppo le violenze di Milano, Parigi, Bruxelles ci dicono che gli errori di ieri si pagano oggi. L'integrazione non si fa rinunciando al proprio patrimonio culturale, religioso, valoriale, ma condividendolo. Ahimè non si può tornare indietro nel tempo, ma almeno evitiamo di ripetere gli stessi errori in futuro. Sul prossimo bilancio europeo i conservatori hanno le idee chiare, in Parlamento e in Consiglio: difendere l'agricoltura, i territori, il principio di sussidiarietà che rispetta e favorisce il ruolo delle nazioni. Questo è il cambiamento che i conservatori vogliono portare in Europa.
Un'Europa che non confonda l'ideologia con l'ecologia, la burocrazia con la solidarietà, l'immigrazione illegale con la libera circolazione. Un'Europa che torni a produrre invece di importare, a proteggere invece di proibire, a competere invece di regolamentare. Perché la forza dell'Europa non si misura dal potere delle sue istituzioni, ma dalla prosperità dei suoi popoli.
Grazie onorevole Procaccini. Now for the Renew Europe Group, its chair Valérie Hayer. Three minutes.
Valérie Hayer
Merci Madame la Présidente. Je voudrais à mon tour féliciter Madame Metsola et Monsieur Costa pour votre réélection. On entre dans une nouvelle phase de ce Parlement européen et je voudrais qu'on saisisse ce momentum pour consolider la majorité pro-européenne dans l'intérêt de l'Europe et dans l'intérêt des Européens. Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Président, ce week-end des milliers d'Européens sont descendus dans les rues partout en Europe. Je condamne avec la plus grande fermeté les actes d'extrême violence commis en marge de ces rassemblements.
Derrière ces manifestations, des réalités nationales différentes, mais une même inquiétude: le coût de la vie, le prix de l'énergie, le pouvoir d'achat, la peur du déclassement, la crainte de perdre son emploi. Voilà ce qui préoccupe les Européens et voilà ce qui doit collectivement nous mobiliser.
C'est pourquoi je veux saluer les orientations prises par le Conseil européen, cher Antonio, sur la compétitivité et sur l'énergie en particulier. On a besoin d'un marché unique qui fonctionne véritablement. On a besoin de mobiliser l'épargne européenne pour financer nos entreprises. On a besoin de simplifier, d'investir, de produire en Europe. Et surtout, on a besoin de faire baisser les prix de l'énergie.
Parce que derrière ce mot de compétitivité, il y a des entreprises qui se battent pour survivre. Il y a des emplois à préserver. Il y a des familles qui ne parviennent plus à boucler leurs fins de mois. Chers collègues, il y a une deuxième urgence, elle a déjà été évoquée, c'est notre sécurité. Depuis bientôt cinq ans, les Ukrainiens se battent pour leur liberté.
Et depuis bientôt cinq ans, ils se battent aussi pour la nôtre. Aujourd'hui, alors que le soutien américain recule, nous devons regarder la réalité en face. Personne ne viendra défendre l'Europe à notre place. Ce qui se joue, c'est notre souveraineté. Et je ne veux pas laisser Trump et Poutine organiser un nouveau Yalta où l'Europe serait partagée entre une influence russe et une influence américaine.
On est les seuls aujourd'hui à pouvoir garantir durablement la sécurité de l'Ukraine. Et on doit le faire. Pas seulement par solidarité, pas seulement par fidélité à nos valeurs. Mais parce qu'en protégeant l'Ukraine, c'est nous-mêmes que nous protégeons. Et je veux le dire à ceux qui dans cet hémicycle voudraient abandonner les Ukrainiens à leur sort.
À l'extrême droite qui refuse les aides, qui conteste les sanctions, qui préfère ménager Poutine plutôt que de défendre la souveraineté des nations européennes. Vous aurez des comptes à rendre aux Européens. Car je le redis, si l'Ukraine tombe, c'est notre sécurité qui est directement menacée. Et ce sont des millions de réfugiés supplémentaires qui chercheront protection en Europe. Une crise migratoire d'une ampleur que nous n'avons jamais connue.
Voilà les conséquences de votre irresponsabilité. Chers collègues, nous connaissons nos priorités : protéger le pouvoir d'achat des Européens, défendre nos emplois, garantir notre sécurité. Mais il y a une contradiction qu'on ne peut plus accepter. Et j'en viens évidemment à la question budgétaire. On ne peut pas demander à l'Europe de faire davantage avec toujours moins de moyens.
On ne peut pas vouloir une Europe plus compétitive, plus indépendante, plus sûre et lui refuser les moyens de ses ambitions. Et chers collègues, le prochain budget européen sera un choix politique fondamental. Si on veut une Europe qui protège, alors nous devons lui donner les moyens de protéger. Je vous remercie.
Merci, Madame Hayer. Now on behalf of the Greens Group, its co-chair Nicu Ștefănuță. One and a half minutes.
Nicolae Ștefănuță
Madame la Présidente, Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Président, chers collègues. You never know how strong you are until being strong is really your only choice. It's not some great philosopher, it's just Bob Marley who said that, but it applies to Europe. It applies to Europe because we really live through the hardest times that I've witnessed in my life. And I think we really need to step up to this challenge and defend these proud colors, defend them and defend the citizens because we live through the worst of times in terms of a cost of living crisis.
And a house divided against itself cannot stand. We cannot have citizens who have and citizens who have not, because those citizens will not feel part of the project. And I ask you to all stand together to defend and fight for those citizens. Don't talk, let's not talk about priorities without looking at the budget. It's President Biden who said that.
Don't tell me about priorities, tell me about the budget. So the main point of this is how can we have gone through the last exercise where we saw that the moment we adopted the last budget, it was already short?
2019 found Bergamo and the COVID deaths and we had to show our empty pockets. Let's not do it again with the energy crisis, with the cost of living crisis, with people having a housing crisis in Madrid, with forest fires raging through France. We cannot tell people that Europe cannot step up for them. So let's strengthen the budget. Right now I'm looking at you, President Costa, you need to step it up and we need to really defend this budget and help Europe stay strong in the face of so many crises.
Climate action belongs to the discussion not just because I'm green, it belongs to the discussion because it makes the costs lower, because renewables have become lower in price, because people suffer under the price of heating and we need to give them actionable results. And President von der Leyen, you came up with the Green Deal as an economic vision. It's an economic vision. Defend it, let's all defend it. It's a proud achievement to have.
It's nothing to be ashamed of. Let not be bullied by some people in this Parliament. It's something we want, it's something that makes sense, it's something we need to fight for. On the own resources, we fight for them. I think it's time that Europe has its own resources.
Let's make the digital giants pay their fair share. They are playing with our digital markets. They are making our voters go awry. Let's make them pay. And also the super-polluters who make profits like never before.
They should pay their own share for Europe. And then there's Russia. War is looming. I come from Romania. People of Romania, of Bulgaria, they're desperate.
There's drones hitting apartment blocks. Let's not be fools. This is a real and grave danger. Let's stand united. This might be a historic moment where Europe really needs to see us united.
And I'm going to finish saying that Europe is a matter of elected affinities, like Goethe said. We are here because we chose to. Let's be here because we want to, because we need to.
Roberta Metsola
Thank you very much, Mr. Ştefănuță. Now for the Left Group, it's co-chair Martin Schirdewan, one and a half minutes.
Martin Schirdewan
Vielen Dank, Frau Präsidentin. Nico, "Get Up, Stand Up" von Bob Marley könnte wahrscheinlich der bessere Titel im Moment sein, um die Situation in Europa zu beschreiben. Hunderttausende gehen derzeit in einer Welle des sozialen Protestes auf die Straße und wir hören kein Wort von Frau von der Leyen, wir hören kein Wort von Herrn Costa dazu, dass in Frankreich, Belgien, Italien und Portugal die Menschen wütend sind, weil die Energie, der Sprit, die Mieten, die Lebensmittel immer teurer und teurer werden. Schüler und Studenten gehen europaweit auf die Straße, weil eure Politik ihre Schulen zerfallen lässt und ihre Zukunft zerstört. In Albanien demonstrieren die Leute gegen ihre korrupte Regierung, in Spanien wird es am 11. November einen Generalstreik für bezahlbare Mieten geben und am 20. November tritt Italien in einen Generalstreik für bessere Löhne und ein gutes Leben für alle.
Die Lebenshaltungskostenkrise hat Europa fest im Griff und wir als Linke stehen an der Seite derjenigen, die ihren Protest, ihre Wut über die ungerechten Verhältnisse entschlossen und friedlich auf die Straße tragen. Es ist ein Konflikt zwischen der arbeitenden Bevölkerung, den Familien und der Jugend unserer Länder und den Profiteuren eines scheiternden Systems der Ausbeutung von Mensch und Natur. Und wir werden die Menschen in ihrem berechtigten Protest nicht alleine lassen. Ihre Forderung nach einem bezahlbaren Leben und einer guten Zukunft sind auch unsere Forderung, trotz aller Ablenkungsmanöver und Versuche der extremen Rechten, diese sozialen Konflikte rassistisch aufzuladen. Bundeskanzler Merz setzt in seiner Arroganz weiter auf Kürzungen im Sozialen.
Diese Politik ist die wahre Gefahr für die Demokratie.
Martin Schirdewan
Und um von seinem Scheitern abzulenken, zeigt er jetzt auf die Linke. Das ist nur noch absurd. Es zeigt aber, wie viel Angst er davor hat, dass wir wirklich Politik für und mit den Menschen machen. Nachdem die Neoliberalen soziale Sicherheit, Gesundheit und Rente kurz und klein geschlagen und privatisiert haben, stehen auch beim EU-Haushalt weitere Kürzungen bei den Sozialfonds und bei den Unis an. Und bei ihren Geschenken an die Finanzmärkte sind sich Merz, Macron und Meloni ja einig wie immer.
Die Banken, Versicherungen und BlackRock, den ehemaligen Arbeitgeber von Kanzler Merz, wird es freuen. Die alltäglichen Sorgen der Bevölkerung wollen sie gar nicht lösen. Ihr regiert an den Menschen vorbei. Herr Ratspräsident Costa, wir brauchen dringend einen Sondergipfel, um den sozialen Notstand in Europa zu beenden. Mobilisieren Sie all Ihre Kraft, damit das Leben wieder bezahlbar wird, sonst fällt die europäische Demokratie.
Vielen Dank.
Milan Uhrík
Pani Leyenová, neutekajte, pani Leyenová. Môžete sa hanbiť, že chcete spolu so Zelenským okradnúť Európanov o ďalších 70 miliárd eur. Že chcete zobrať desiatky miliárd eur pracujúcim občanom Európskej únie, ktorí sú čoraz chudobnejší na to, aby ste financovali vojnu, ktorá aj tak nemá vojenské riešenie. A to presne idete robiť v čase, kedy po celom kontinente protestujú státisíce, milióny slušných ľudí proti tomu, že v Európe sa žije čoraz drahšie, že to zdražovanie je jednoducho nekonečné. To robíte presne v čase, kedy po európskych mestách títo ľavicoví extrémisti spolu s imigrantmi, ktorých ste vy priniesli do Európy, ničia a podpaľujú naše európske mestá.
Prebuďte sa do reality. Začnite, prosím vás, počúvať ľudí. Prestaňte financovať nezmysly. Prečo nepomôžete radšej mladým ľuďom s bývaním alebo rodinám so zdražovaním, firmám s energiami? Ak to neviete alebo nechcete, tak to povedzte a odíďte a nechajte to na nás.
My im pomôžeme.
Thank you. Now I give the floor to Andrzej Halicki, one and a half minutes, please.
Andrzej Halicki
Szanowni Państwo, tak, nie może być zgody na drugą Jałtę. To Rosja jest agresorem, ona musi być ukarana, dlatego sankcje są niezbędne i tu ponad podziałami pełne wsparcie dla decyzji rządów, tak jednolicie i tak silnie wyrażonej w zeszłym tygodniu. Donald Trump uzyskał odpowiedź. Ukraina dostanie wsparcie militarne, finansowe, bo to ona jest ofiarą tej agresji i nie pozwolimy na to, żeby była, żeby przegrała tę tę wojnę. To także kwestia naszego bezpieczeństwa na przyszłość.
Ale jeżeli mówimy o rzeczach kluczowych dla przyszłości, to na pewno negocjacje budżetowe są jej elementem. I budżet musi być ofensywny, bo takie są zadania przed nami. Trudna przyszłość, więc więcej pieniędzy jest potrzebnych, a nie oszczędności i cięcia. To oczywiste. Więc też apel ze strony Parlamentu, myślę oczywisty, musimy zbudować porozumienie na rzecz ofensywnego budżetu na kolejne siedem lat.
Andrzej Halicki
I bardzo ważne zapisy i konkluzje Rady, punkt ósmy i jedenasty. On dotyczy obywateli i największej obawy. Mamy kryzys paliwowy, ceny energii rosną, a to dotyczy rewizji ETS-u, punkt ósmy i punkt jedenasty. Dlaczego o tym mówię? Bo jest wielkie oczekiwanie obywateli głębszej rewizji ETS-u, systemu, jaki dzisiaj funkcjonuje i nie wprowadzania dodatkowych kosztów, które dotyczą już indywidualnych gospodarstw, ciepła, ogrzewania domów, cen paliw, energii.
ETS 2 powinien być albo odrzucony, albo w czasie odłożony poza rok 2030.
Thank you very much, Mr Halicki.
Jean-Marc Germain
Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Président, je n'ai qu'un mot sur la proposition de budget de la présidence irlandaise qui a été discutée au dernier Conseil européen concernant deux mois de négociation pour en arriver là. Comment, devant la jeunesse qui manifeste, devant l'industrie qui s'affaisse, se dire : "Ah oui, sacrifions le Fonds social européen et en même temps le Fonds de transition juste" ? Comment voir flamber le prix des hydrocarbures et se dire : "Ah oui, réduisons les moyens des énergies renouvelables" ? Comment, face au énième lâchage de Trump sur l'Ukraine, se dire : "Ah oui, renonçons à investir vraiment dans notre défense et dans notre souveraineté" ? Et comment oser se présenter devant nous les mains vides sur les ressources propres, alors que l'engagement avait été pris en 2020 de tout faire pour aboutir en 2025 au plus tard, et qu'elles sont la clé de tout accord ?
Alors je le dis clairement : moins de budget, c'est moins d'Europe, et moins d'Europe pour nous, c'est non. Ne comptez pas sur notre consentement sur un tel compromis. Et Monsieur le Président, reprenez la copie à zéro, saisissez-vous des propositions du Parlement et revenez vers nous avec un projet porteur pour les Européens. Je vous remercie.
Thank you. Now I give the floor to Jorge Buxadé Villalba, one minute.
Jorge Buxadé Villalba
Europa pierde competitividad porque la Unión ha creado una burocracia de toneladas de papeles que criminaliza el trabajo y la producción. En Francia, la islamoizquierda y el terrorismo antifa han impuesto la violencia, la barbarie, el desenfreno de los talibanes en unos pocos días, no menos de 1.200 millones de euros de pérdidas. Ante la invasión de Ceuta, el Consejo se ha limitado a mostrar su solidaridad por la repentina afluencia masiva de inmigrantes. ¿Cómo que repentina? Orquestada, programada, planificada y conocida por Pedro Sánchez.
Y aquí el Partido Popular Europeo se alía con la izquierda para retrasar esa comisión especial sobre Ceuta. Sánchez está solo y por ello es más peligroso que nunca. Acude al Consejo sabiendo que ni italianos, ni checos, ni portugueses le van a votar, pero sí miles de extranjeros que ha nacionalizado con fraude y por la puerta de atrás. Muestra con los inmigrantes la solidaridad que no ha tenido con los de Ceuta, Valencia, La Palma o Adamuz. Pero es pronto, espero, que ya no le tengan en el Consejo y que España abra el camino de la libertad, la prioridad nacional, la desregulación y la remigración.
Sin contemplaciones, quien viene aquí a robar o a destruir, ya se puede ir a su casa.
Speaker 28
Thank you. Thank you very much. Now I give the floor to Patryk Jaki, two minutes.
Patryk Jaki
Thank you so much, President, President, Commissioner. We must begin with the most important item of the agenda: security. You can see the product of your policy in France, when I on the one side saw people crying on the street because they lost everything, teachers and police officers being humiliated, cities and historical landmarks burning, crime, rapes and helpless state. And on the other side, no one is responsible for this. But someone brought those migrants here, someone gave them generous benefits from our taxes, and someone suppressed people who predict that exactly this would happen.
You call them fascist, you accused of hate speech, but yet there were ordinary people defending traditional order who in fact were the victims of hate speech.
It was the hate of elites detached from reality who while living in rich gated communities lecture others how to integrate with migrants. Many people think that this is only a problem of migration, but this is not true. This is much bigger problem. For decades we have been seen destruction of Western culture and Christianity. And now you are surprised that people on the streets cannot tell right from wrong.
Can you imagine young people who were taught to respect Europe, Western culture and heritage and after that he will go and burn it? You were ashamed of Western culture and now we can see result of this policy. You have replaced law and order with chaos and nihilism. And we want God, we want churches, we want to restore Western culture and kicked out Marxism. And it's up to you which will be the symbol of Europe: magnificent cathedrals or masked migrants.
Roberta Metsola
Thank you very much. I give the floor now to Billy Kelleher, one minute.
Billy Kelleher
Conclusions five and six outline the issues that were raised in the Council with regard to gold plating and the regulatory challenges that are there. And there's one area that we really have to address and that is the issue that is putting delays on infrastructure development, roads, waste water, the energy systems, which are all compiling huge costs on housing itself, Commissioner. And if we don't address this issue, we are really going to fracture society. So I would really urge that in the context of the environmental laws that there would be a deep dive done to see what areas are causing difficulties in terms of the rollout of infrastructure which as I said is delaying housing developments. On the issue of MFF, obviously the Irish presidency published its proposals, but I would suggest that a lot of people in this house will go back to their capitals themselves and request that member states would open the purse strings so that the European Union will have the capacity to do the many things that have been outlined in these Council proposals.
So I would urge that the MFF would be expanded, but most importantly that member states would propose that to their own governments.
Roberta Metsola
Thank you very much, Mr. Kelleher. Now Rasmus Nordqvist, one minute.
Thank you, President. Another meeting and another negotiation box. Some want it smaller and some just want business as usual. At least that's what we hear coming out from your meeting. And so we're still left with the impression that this is not a talk about a European long-term budget but about 27 national priorities trying to fit into one negotiation box.
But the long-term budget is not just about juggling of billions. If we cut, it actually have consequences. While democracy, rule of law and civic space are under attack, the Council cut funding for the Agora and Global EU. While there's war and aggression, we cut common investment in security and after the summer of heatwave, we are cutting in the green transition. The negotiation box are not going to make problems disappear.
Rasmus Nordqvist
It only going to make the necessarily investments more expensive in 27 member states. So, dear Council, let's build a truly European budget, one that serve our common priorities and not just 27 ones. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Nordqvist. And now João Oliveira, one minute.
João Oliveira
Obrigado, Presidente.
Senhor António Costa, 27 primeiros-ministros e chefes de Estado entram numa sala acompanhados por si e pela senhora Ursula von der Leyen para uma reunião do Conselho Europeu. 14 horas depois de a reunião ter começado, anunciam as conclusões. Não há uma medida para travar o aumento do custo de vida, para controlar preços, para enfrentar a acumulação de lucros das multinacionais e dos grupos económicos. Não há uma proposta para promover aumentos de salários e pensões. Não há uma única medida para garantir o direito à habitação ou o acesso à saúde.
Não há uma única iniciativa política ou diplomática para pôr fim à guerra da Ucrânia, para construir a paz e a segurança colectiva de que necessitam todos os povos da Europa. A única coisa que anunciam sobre isso é mais dinheiro para continuar a guerra e alargar as frentes de batalha. Não há uma única palavra sobre um orçamento que corresponda às necessidades dos povos e a perspectiva de um quadro financeiro plurianual orientado para isso é cada vez mais uma miragem face à dura realidade da vertigem do militarismo e da guerra. Senhor Costa, para a União Europeia sorrir de frente para as multinacionais, tem de estar de costas voltadas para os povos. Não se admirem depois se as pessoas encherem ruas e praças a lutar pelos seus direitos.
Jaak Madison
Jaa, suur aitäh. Te kritiseerisite seda, et 40 tundi arutelu ja tulemust ei ole 27 liikmesriigi ja Euroopa Komisjoni vahel. Hüva. Kui Teie oleksite mõne liikmesriigi esindaja Ülemkogul, kas Te arvate, et Te oleksite suutnud 40 tunni jooksul välja pakkuda need lahendused nendele probleemidele, mida Te välja tõite, millega oleksid kõik liikmesriigid nõus? Sest nagu ma praegu kuulsin, Te kritiseerisite sõda, sõjatööstust.
Teie Portugali esindajana, kas Te suudaksite välja pakkuda mõistliku lahenduse kaitsemuredele, mis rahustaks ka Eestit, Soomet, Rootsit ja teisi? Kas Te oleksite tõesti võimekam või ainult lihtsalt vingute?
Obrigado pela sua pergunta, senhor deputado. Sabe que o problema não é o tempo que demoram as reuniões, porque o Conselho Europeu podia estar reunido dois fins-de-semana, um mês seguido. Com a orientação política que têm estas reuniões, não haveria de sair nada que resolvesse os problemas dos povos. Porque essa é a questão. Naturalmente que os governos representam os Estados-membros e deviam levar àquelas reuniões a discussão sobre os reais problemas que atingem a vida dos povos.
João Oliveira
Nada disso esteve sobre a mesa. O caso do custo de vida e da habitação são verdadeiramente escandalosos. Com as condições de vida que as pessoas estão a enfrentar, não há uma palavra, não há um minuto perdido naquela reunião para encontrar uma solução para isto. Senhor deputado, soluções há e alternativas também. É preciso é que as políticas sejam orientadas para elas e não para os grandes lucros.
Roberto Vannacci
O mi date altri 70 miliardi oppure vi faccio invadere da 20 milioni di cittadini ucraini. Questa è la nuova frontiera di Zelensky, dal combattiamo per difendere le vostre famiglie al ricatto usando i suoi stessi cittadini. Deve aver imparato da Erdoğan. Lo stesso Erdoğan a cui la Commissione europea continua a pagare un miliardo all'anno per tener chiusi i rubinetti dei profughi. E chi se ne frega se le sue truppe hanno invaso Cipro nel 1974.
E il Presidente von der Leyen, che nel frattempo se n'è andata, che cosa fa? Chiede un aumento del budget europeo, minaccia tagli alla politica agricola comune per continuare a finanziare una guerra ad oltranza. Intanto le famiglie europee non arrivano a fine mese, le imprese chiudono e il costo dell'energia ha superato ormai quello dell'oro. Ma per finanziare una guerra i soldi si trovano sempre.
Per arrivare invece a quella brutta pace che è sicuramente meglio della brutta guerra che stiamo finanziando, manca addirittura la volontà.
Grazie. Now I give the floor to Monika Beňová. One minute, go ahead.
Ďakujem veľmi pekne. Kolegyne a kolegovia, októbrové závery Európskej rady pôsobia ako zoznam problémov, o ktorých vieme už celé roky. Drahé energie, slabnúca konkurencieschopnosť, ohrozené pracovné miesta a nezvládnutá migračná politika. Tak sa pýtam, kde je napríklad účinný cenový strop, ktorý ochráni európsky priemysel? Kde je mimoriadne zdanenie nadmerných ziskov energetických gigantov?
Monika Beňová
Lebo to by boli konkrétne riešenia. Ja oceňujem iniciatívu Slovenska, Vyšehradskej skupiny a Talianska na prehodnotenie ETS 2. Po piatich rokoch diskusií o drahých energiách už nepotrebujeme ďalšie sľuby ani ďalšie dopadové štúdie. Potrebujeme konkrétne riešenia, ktoré znížia náklady našim občanom a zachránia konkurencieschopnosť európskeho priemyslu. Keďže pani von der Leyenová si nenašla ani hodinu času, aby s nami diskutovala o tejto téme, tak sa pýtam vás, pán komisár, viete povedať, aké sú európske riešenia?
Kde je sľúbená deregulácia? Kde je konkrétny návrh na znižovanie cien energií, na ktorý čakáme od februára? Kde ostala európska diplomacia v kľúčových momentoch? A kde v návrhoch Komisie ostali občania a ich stále sa zhoršujúca ekonomická a sociálna situácia? To nedovidíte do Francúzska, Talianska, Belgicka či Španielska?
Vy nevidíte, že Európa horí kvôli tomu, ako ju spravujete? Ďakujem pekne.
Thank you very much. Now I give the floor to Siegfried Mureşan, one and a half minutes.
Siegfried Mureşan
Thank you very much, Madam President, President Costa, welcome back to the Parliament, dear colleagues. Look, the European Council tells us that we shall invest more in our competitiveness, that security, defense are priorities and that we should accelerate the enlargement of the European Union. But while the European Council is telling us that security, defense, competitiveness and enlargement are important, the Irish presidency is proposing to reduce the budget in exactly these areas. Cutting the budget for our competitiveness by more than 10% is a mistake. Reducing funding to our immediate neighboring countries by almost 20% is a mistake.
This will weaken Europe, it would not strengthen Europe. This is why, President Costa, there is a lot of work ahead of us and we're looking forward as a European Parliament to working closely together with you to deliver for the next seven years a budget which is in line with the priorities that we are defining for ourselves. If we say that something is important, we need to allocate the resources in that area. Cutting the very priorities that the Council claims to support is not consistent. This would weaken Europe, it would create disappointment, it would increase populism.
Siegfried Mureşan
This is why for us as a European Parliament, the Irish negotiating box is not a basis for negotiations, it is not a basis for, it is not a basis for consent. To have enough resources to invest, we will need to work together with you, President Costa, to generate own sources of revenues for the European Union. We as a Parliament, we have an idea, the digital levy. We propose that the large global technological corporations contribute a bit to the access, for the access to the single market which they have. We would not be able to explain to our citizens why we reduce funding to farmers, to security, to research, while Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg enjoy free access to the European single market.
This is where the Parliament stands. We're looking forward to working with Council in the next months. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Mr. Mureşan. Will you take a blue card from Mr. Gražulis?
With pleasure.
Petras Gražulis
Gerbiamas pranešėjau, jūs esate vienos didžiausių valdančios partijos, parlamento partijos atstovas. Kalbat apie biurokratijos mažinimą, bet rezultato nėra. Ar jūs nemanot, kad jeigu imti iš esmės sprendimą, reikia panaikinti Europos Tarybą? Juk Europos Komisija ir Parlamentas atstovauja piliečius Europos Sąjungos. Mes esam tiesiogiai rinkti, o čia tik skirti.
Aš siūlyčiau ryžtingai mažinti šitą biurokratiją ir atsisakyti šitos Europos Tarybos institucijos.
Our solution is to cut red tape and reduce bureaucracy in a way in which it benefits the citizens of Europe, the farmers, the enterprises, the small and medium-sized enterprises. We have, of course, the highest respect for the European Council. We're looking forward to working with the European Council, with the Commission, with Council, with all institutions to deliver on what the citizens expect in the next mandate. Thank you very much.
Carla Tavares
Senhora Presidente, Senhor Presidente, caras e caros colegas, se queremos uma Europa que seja uma potência geopolítica capaz de defender os seus valores e com uma voz forte e respeitada num mundo cada vez mais instável, a proposta apresentada aos líderes no Conselho Europeu não é o que a Europa precisa. Rejeitamos o corte no quadro financeiro proposto pela presidência irlandesa: menos 161 mil milhões de euros, ou seja, menos 10% em termos reais face ao orçamento atual. A Europa não está sozinha no mundo e os nossos parceiros esperam que a União lidere e a resposta é mais Europa e não menos Europa. Uma Europa presente, capaz de construir parcerias, apoiar o desenvolvimento, cumprir os compromissos com a ajuda humanitária, defender a paz e os direitos humanos, empenhada no alargamento e na adesão da Ucrânia. Não se alcança autonomia estratégica com orçamento curto.
Um corte de 17% na ação externa é simplesmente inaceitável. Não há liderança global sem investimento, não há credibilidade sem compromisso. O lugar da Europa no mundo não se mede apenas pelas palavras que profere, mas pelas escolhas que faz. Precisamos de recursos próprios estáveis e suficientes para financiar a nossa ambição. Pela nossa parte, Parlamento Europeu, estamos profundamente empenhados em conseguir um acordo até ao final do ano.
Senhor Presidente do Conselho Europeu, contamos com o seu empenho para termos uma proposta credível à altura dos desafios.
Thank you. There is a blue card for you. Will you take it, Ms. Tavares, from Mr. Oliveira? Go ahead.
João Oliveira
Obrigado, obrigado Presidente. Senhora Deputada Carla Tavares, fez referências ao quadro financeiro plurianual e é sobre isso que queria fazer-lhe algumas perguntas. O problema é apenas haver um orçamento mais curto ou é também o problema dos recursos serem orientados para o militarismo, para a indústria do armamento, em vez de serem orientados para a política de coesão, para dar resposta às necessidades da coesão económica, social e territorial? O problema é apenas de obtenção dos recursos para o orçamento ou é também um problema de desigualdade entre os Estados, de assimetrias nacionais que com a proposta do quadro financeiro plurianual que está em discussão têm a perspetiva de se agudizar? Portugal fica mal servido com esta proposta de quadro financeiro plurianual.
E a pergunta que lhe faço, senhora deputada, é como é que defendemos o interesse nacional apoiando uma proposta destas?
Muito obrigada, senhor deputado João Oliveira. Nós não temos problemas, temos desafios. E o desafio maior que temos neste momento é ter um quadro financeiro plurianual à altura da ambição da União Europeia. E é nisso que o Parlamento está empenhado, é nisso que os grupos pró-europeus estão empenhados. É esse trabalho que continuaremos a fazer de forma particularmente difícil, temos essa consciência, mas particularmente construtiva nos próximos meses.
Muito obrigada.
Klara Dostalova
Vážení kolegové, Evropská rada byla místy velmi emotivní a ukázalo se, že Evropská komise má problém. Mluví o konkurenceschopnosti, ale evropské firmy čelí stále vyšším nákladům. Mluví o dostupné energii, ale lidé se děsí dalších účtů. Mluví o zjednodušování, ale podnikatelé se topí v byrokracii. Český premiér Andrej Babiš na tyto problémy soustavně upozorňoval, varoval před dopady emisních povolenek, drahými energiemi, ztrátou konkurenceschopnosti evropského průmyslu a dlouhé roky mu Brusel nechtěl naslouchat.
Dnes už ale jeho varování ignorovat nelze.
Klara Dostalova
Právě díky jeho vytrvalému úsilí se na posledním evropském summitu podařilo prosadit důležitý posun. Evropská rada vyzvala Komisi, aby znovu posoudila dopady systému ETS 2. Ale já se ptám, co ještě potřebuje Komise zkoumat? Kdyby její představitelé stáli nohama na zemi, viděli by ty problémy přece na každém kroku. Energie jsou drahé, továrny ztrácejí konkurenceschopnost, podnikatelé bojují s rostoucími náklady a rodiny počítají, kolik jim zůstane v peněženkách po zaplacení účtů.
Na to nepotřebujeme další stohy analýz. Stačí jenom otevřít oči. A dnes se konečně podařilo dostat tato varování na jednací stůl evropských lídrů. A já budu ráda, kdyby si konečně Evropská komise uvědomila, že tu není od toho, aby lidem komplikovala život, ale je tady od toho, aby pomáhala řešit jejich problémy. Lidé nepotřebují další bruselské studie, sliby a výmluvy.
Potřebují dostupné energie, fungující ekonomiku a peníze pro lidi.
Charlie Weimers
Tack fru talman. I kammaren här, kommissionen vill införa nya EU-skatter och ni kallar dem egna medel, men det är ju samma sak det handlar om, mer av svenskarnas pengar till Bryssel. Det sitter en massa förment borgerliga här och jublar över tanken på EU-skatter och det får mig att tänka på att Hayek rikta sin bok Vägen till träldom till socialister i alla partier. Till kommissionen vill jag säga detta, svenska folket har inte gett er rätten att bestämma över deras skatter, den makten tillhör Sveriges riksdag. Och nu ska vi förhandla om nästa EU-budget och ni kanske tror att Sverige måste säga ja till slut, men vet ni vad, det måste vi inte.
Om vi inte kommer överens kan EU fortsätta utifrån dagens budget, Sverige behöver alltså inte acceptera en dålig affär. Vi är inte rädda för att säga nej. Sverige har veto och så länge Sverigedemokraterna har någonting att säga till om så kommer vi vara beredda att använda det. Vårt besked är enkelt, inte en krona i nya EU-skatter, svenska skatter ska beslutas i Sverige.
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy
Thank you, Madam Chair. Some politicians blame climate policy for high energy prices, but renewables saved us 29 billion euros in the first 16 weeks of this year. And it's Trump's diesel deal is what happens when you desperately need a political win on energy prices. You take the easy way out, ignore the root causes and blame someone else. And here in Europe, Meloni and Babiš are playing the same game.
Instead of tackling our dependence on fossil fuels, they are pointing the finger at the ETS. It's easier to blame climate policy than to take responsibility for failing to deliver change. Easier to blame Brussels for people's high energy bills than to deliver real solutions. And of course, Europe must help Italy and Czechia to protect their citizens from high energy prices. But at the next European Council, that support must come with a clear commitment, keep your hands off the ETS.
Because when you touch the ETS, you're basically touching the savings of Europeans.
Marie Toussaint
Monsieur Costa, les prix flambent. Ceux de l'alimentation, des loyers, de l'énergie.
N'entendez-vous donc pas la colère qui gronde à travers l'Europe ? Nous étions en droit d'attendre de la part des États membres des décisions fortes avec effet immédiat. Mais rien. Il n'y a plus d'argent dans les poches des Européens ni des services publics. Le monde se réchauffe à vitesse grand V, mais vous n'avez toujours pas décidé de taxer les superprofits des milliardaires, de la tech ou encore des pollueurs.
Marie Toussaint
Au contraire, vous multipliez les cadeaux, dont des permis à polluer gratuits aux entreprises qui font le plus de profits. Et vous vous entêtez dans l'idée de faire payer aux citoyens une nouvelle taxe carbone sur le transport et le chauffage qui pourrait coûter jusqu'à plusieurs milliers d'euros supplémentaires par an à des ménages qui peinent déjà à se chauffer, à se loger, à se nourrir. Monsieur Costa, de plus en plus d'Européens doivent cumuler les petits boulots sans parvenir toujours à nourrir leurs enfants. Faire payer aux ménages européens la facture de votre inaction climatique est inacceptable. La priorité, l'urgence, c'est de prendre l'argent là où il est pour financer la transformation énergétique et faire baisser les factures.
Faites-le.
Irene Montero
Señor Costa, señorías, les enfada muchísimo un contenedor quemado. Les parece insoportable un adoquín roto en Italia, infumable una acampada en Madrid. Toda su solidaridad con los pobres contenedores, su apoyo más sincero a los adoquines rotos. O sea, están los precios por las nubes, la gente que no puede pagar el alquiler, millones de jóvenes a los que se les está obligando con sus políticas a estudiar en barracones, millones de desahucios al día como el de Mari Carmen. Se están gastando el dinero de la sanidad, de las pensiones, en el rearme, en la guerra.
Quieren llevar a nuestros hijos, no a los suyos, a nuestros hijos, a las guerras por negocios. Pero lo que les indigna es un contenedor quemado. Pues yo creo que si piden mano dura contra los jóvenes que protestan y no contra los especuladores, la banca, las grandes empresas, las energéticas, los multimillonarios que les están destrozando la vida, son ustedes parte del problema.
Roberta Metsola
Gracias. I give the floor next to Alexander Jungbluth, one minute.
Alexander Jungbluth
Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin, rund 1,8 Billionen Euro für den mehrjährigen Haushalt sind kein Kompromiss, sie sind ein Schlag ins Gesicht der europäischen Steuerzahler. Insofern begrüßen wir den Vorschlag des Rates, dass hier enorme Kürzungen möglich sind. Angesichts der dramatischen Entwicklungen und der vielen sinnlosen Ausgabenposten der EU wäre es an der Zeit, diesen Haushalt einer Generalüberholung zu überziehen. Beispiele gefällig? Rund 700 Milliarden Euro, mehr als ein Drittel des Gesamthaushalts, sind fest für Klimapolitik reserviert, während unsere Industrie zunehmend abwandert.
8,6 Milliarden Euro für Agora EU, mit dem sich Brüssel handverlesene Leute leistet, die in Medien und sogenannter Zivilgesellschaft finanziert werden. Und dieses Haus will sogar noch eine Erhöhung auf 10,7 Milliarden Euro. Die Kommission musste selbst zugeben, dass mit diesem Steuergeld unzulässige Lobbyarbeit für NGOs finanziert worden ist. Wir fordern deshalb eine drastische Kürzung dieses Haushalts. Dies ist geboten und dringend an der Zeit.
Thank you, I give the floor to Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos, one minute.
Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos
Σε Γαλλία, Βέλγιο, Ισπανία, Πορτογαλία, Ελλάδα, εργαζόμενοι και νέοι διαδηλώνουν ενάντια στην ακρίβεια, τις υψηλές τιμές ενέργειας και στέγη, την επίθεση στην παιδεία, το εισόδημα, συνολικά για τα λαϊκά δικαιώματα. Την ίδια ώρα, όμιλοι όπως αυτοί της ενέργειας σημειώνουν ρεκόρ κερδών, πατώντας στην κυριολεξία πάνω σε πτώματα, όπως στην Ελλάδα, τροφοδοτώντας τη λαϊκή οργή.
Παρά τους ανταγωνισμούς στο Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο για τα συμφέροντα των μονοπωλίων κάθε κράτους, όλες οι κυβερνήσεις συμφώνησαν να ξεζουμίσουν τους λαούς, κυρίως για τις ανάγκες της πολεμικής οικονομίας. Η κυβέρνηση της Νέας Δημοκρατίας στην Ελλάδα και τα άλλα κόμματα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης που εδώ και χρόνια εμφανίζουν αυτή τη λυκοσυμμαχία ως ασπίδα προστασίας για τους λαούς, προβάλλουν το στόχο της σύγκλισης, διαψεύδονται με πάταγο. Απέναντι στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, τις κυβερνήσεις της, ο λαός απαντά κλιμακώνοντας τον αγώνα του με μαζικές κινητοποιήσεις όπως σήμερα στην Ελλάδα, με την πανελλαδική απεργία στις 20 Νοέμβρη, με τη διεθνή απεργία των λιμενεργατών στις 30 Οκτώβρη, θέτοντας στο επίκεντρο τα δικά του συμφέροντα, διατρανώνοντας ότι για να κερδίσει ο λαός πρέπει να χάσει το κεφάλαιο.
Roberta Metsola
Thank you. Now I give the floor to Dolors Montserrat, one and a half minutes.
Gracias, presidenta. Las cifras no mienten. Las entradas irregulares en la Unión están en su nivel más bajo desde el 2021, con una excepción: España. Y eso no es una casualidad. El pacto de migración y asilo se aplica en 26 Estados miembros mientras Sánchez no lo aplica y encima votó en contra.
Dolors Montserrat
A Europa nunca le faltó respuesta ante la invasión de Ceuta. Lo que ha sobrado es la ideología sectaria que abre las fronteras a los invasores y a las mafias que trafican con personas con total impunidad. Felicitamos a la Comisión por su nueva propuesta de reglamento de respuesta ante emergencias migratorias. Europa será un escudo contra los ataques híbridos y quienes usan a los inmigrantes como armas. Y ningún presidente arrodillado como Sánchez podrá impedirlo.
Su fracaso no será el fracaso de Europa. La segunda emergencia es el coste de la vida. El sectarismo climático no paga la factura de la luz. Las ayudas, el alivio fiscal, las prórrogas, las compras conjuntas y la reducción de burocracia sí. Esta es la política que protege a las familias, las clases medias, las empresas y la industria.
Menos dogmas y más soluciones. Pero debemos avanzar más rápido y sin complejos. Sin nuclear no habrá energía barata y quienes sufrirán serán los más vulnerables. El invierno también llegará a Ucrania, un pueblo que lleva casi cinco años resistiendo a un imperio que no busca la paz sino la destrucción, la suya y la nuestra. Y no pararemos.
No permitiremos que caiga. Europa no nació para rendirse y siempre estaremos con Ucrania.
Thank you, President. So, we talk a lot about competitiveness. We've heard a lot this word this morning. Let me give you just two data. Every year Europe imports more than 300 billions euros in digital services.
Irene Tinagli
We are overly dependent on US big tech for our digital infrastructure. And at the same time our industrial companies face energy prices that can be two or three times higher than those of our international peers. These are structural weaknesses and cannot be addressed just with some simplification or omnibus thing. They require investments, common infrastructures, common investments. And this is precisely the purpose of the European Competitiveness Fund, investing and supporting investment in common infrastructures and investments, energy transition, digital technologies, etc.
Yet, the Council is moving in the opposite direction, relying more on national state aid while cutting common resources and precisely the Competitiveness Fund. But a European strategy goes beyond the sum of national strategies. So we need to step up. Every day I hear leaders complaining about Europe's weakness, but then when it comes to action they turn their back on Europe. I have a message for them: start behaving like real leaders.
Susanna Ceccardi
Grazie, presidente.
Neanche con le città a ferro e fuoco si capisce che sull'immigrazione serve un approccio più serio. Evidentemente la lezione di Ceuta non è bastata. Italia, Polonia, Danimarca hanno chiesto al Consiglio europeo una linea più dura sull'immigrazione. Eppure ancora una volta niente di fatto. E mentre si continua a chiedere sacrifici agli Stati membri, si discutono nuove risorse per l'Ucraina, noi chiediamo una cosa semplice: quando comincerà l'Europa a mettere al centro anche la sicurezza dei propri cittadini e la competitività delle nostre imprese?
Oggi arriva la notizia finalmente del compromesso dei gruppi di maggioranza che capiscono che smettere di produrre le auto a diesel e a benzina al 2035 è una follia. Finalmente! Ma noi da quanto tempo lo diciamo? Quanto tempo abbiamo perso in competitività? Quante auto cinesi si sono immesse nel nostro mercato elettriche finché noi parlavamo invece di riconvertire tutto all'elettrico?
Nel frattempo noi però patrioti lo diciamo da tantissimi anni. Ora è il momento di fare un bagno di umiltà. Basta trattare come estremiste le posizioni di chi chiedeva più sicurezza, difesa dei confini e competitività delle nostre imprese e tutela del lavoro. I patrioti hanno sempre avuto ragione e presto o tardi sarete costretti ad ammetterlo.
Marion Maréchal
Ces derniers jours, la France a été dévastée par une alliance entre les milices d'extrême gauche et des bandes de racailles qui ont brûlé, pillé et terrorisé. De nombreux dirigeants européens de tout bord politique ont réagi à ce drame en reconnaissant là une des conséquences de l'immigration massive et inassimilée. Le problème, c'est que l'un des rares chefs d'État qui ne soit pas lucide face à cette situation, c'est précisément le président français. Une fois encore, lors de la dernière réunion du Conseil européen, c'est Emmanuel Macron qui a empêché l'Union de durcir sa position sur l'immigration. C'est lui, aux côtés du socialiste Pedro Sánchez, qui a refusé d'approuver une déclaration historique faisant le lien entre immigration et criminalité et expliquant que la submersion migratoire détruit la cohésion nationale.
Les Français doivent connaître la vérité: c'est leur président qui les a trahis en bloquant ce texte soutenu pourtant par la majorité des pays européens. Alors, amis européens, courage. Plus que six mois, parce que bientôt, en mai 2027, la France reprendra toute sa place et rejoindra la grande coalition des pays fiers qui veulent que l'Europe reste l'Europe.
Collègue Maréchal, would you accept a blue card from João Oliveira?
João Oliveira
Obrigado, Presidente. Senhora Deputada, a extrema-direita faz-se muito preocupada com as condições de vida dos povos, com os problemas do custo de vida, com os problemas da habitação, mas verdadeiramente isso é só serve de pretexto. Porque preocupação há zero. Onde é que estava o governo da senhora Meloni na reunião do Conselho Europeu para levantar esses problemas dos povos? O governo de extrema-direita da senhora Meloni de Itália deu o acordo a estas conclusões, deu o acordo ao desprezo pelo aumento do custo de vida, ao desprezo pela habitação, ao desprezo pelas dificuldades que as pessoas estão a passar.
Os senhores não podem vir para aqui fingir-se preocupados com os povos se na vossa ação política contribuem para os problemas que afligem a vida desses mesmos povos.
Marion Maréchal
Monsieur le député, il me semble que vous auriez été mieux inspiré de prendre la minute qui vous était accordée pour condamner l'attitude absolument scandaleuse d'une partie de vos amis d'extrême gauche qui, à travers une internationale antifa, pratiquent le terrorisme, appellent à la violence, appellent au pillage, appellent à la destruction.
Et je vous le dis avec la plus grande gravité, je suis aujourd'hui dans un pays qui est au bord de la guerre civile à cause de l'attitude de vos amis d'extrême gauche. Et je conclurai simplement en disant qu'il n'y a aucune condition sociale ou de précarité qui puisse justifier qu'on attaque des policiers, qu'on frappe des commerçants, qu'on détruise des mairies ou des services publics.
Thank you, Mr. President, President Costa, Mr. Commissioner Šefčovič. I regret to say that last week's Council was a disappointment. For more than two years, we all have been calling for Europe to move forward quickly and decisively. And yet, after the Council on Friday, what we heard was not the sound of Europe marching forward. What we heard was sounds of joy in Moscow because Ukraine did not get the 70 billion it asked for.
João Cotrim De Figueiredo
Sounds of joy in Beijing because faced with a 360 billion euro trade deficit, the Council asked for yet another toolbox. Sounds of despair, which I share, from many of my European co-citizens realizing that not one, not one really structural decision was taken. The Council welcomes and invites and takes note. It spends countless hours redrafting issues that were closed before, but nothing on the MFF moved except the likely date of conclusion. I myself made sounds of laughter when I heard the Council call for regulatory self-restraint coming from 27 heads of state which make gold-plating a daily pastime.
Speaker 62
The upcoming extraordinary meeting of the 26th of November must produce very different sounds, Mr. President, the sounds of Europe moving to the future.
Roberts Zīle
Colleague Figueiredo, would you accept to have a blue card? So I will try to do it, but I will definitely not go to the same colleague next time as a second blue card, otherwise it will be much too late. So first one is Marta Temido, 86, please, so please.
Marta Temido
Thank you, President. Senhor deputado, o Conselho concluiu, diz que é pouco, mas pediu resposta europeia coordenada ao aumento dos custos dos combustíveis, urgente, medidas temporárias, cirúrgicas. E este foi o pedido do Conselho, este foi o pedido deste Parlamento várias vezes, designadamente através da taxação dos lucros excessivos das energéticas. O senhor deputado aparentemente é contra. Como pode pedir decisões quando depois é contra elas?
Como quer que a Europa confie nos seus cidadãos e que os seus cidadãos confiem na Europa se depois não lhes damos respostas para o dia a dia?
Muito obrigado, senhora deputada. Está-me a perguntar sobre uma coisa da qual o Conselho também não se pronunciou. E a minha posição em relação à tributação de lucros extraordinários é muito simples. Eu não quero tributar lucros extraordinários porque não quero ter que suportar prejuízos extraordinários um dia. E o risco moral é exatamente o mesmo.
João Cotrim De Figueiredo
Portanto, volto a criticar o Conselho porque não conseguiu ser decisivo em relação à Ucrânia, não conseguiu ser decisivo em relação ao MFF, não conseguiu ser decisivo em relação àquilo que são as nossas grandes dificuldades de relação comercial com alguns blocos que temos. E aí sim, precisamos de decisões, decisões, não convites, comentários ou vontades de decidir mais tarde, decisões agora. Precisamos que o Conselho o faça já.
Speaker 73
Thank you, colleague. You have a still blue or second blue card, so if you will accept it, so Bruno Gonçalves, 304, so you don't need that interpretation.
Bruno Gonçalves
Senhor deputado, muito obrigado. Eu depreendo pela sua mensagem que seja um convicto europeísta, um convicto europeísta que pede mais investimento e mais ações decisivas nas suas palavras.
E elas revestem-se disso mesmo, de mais recursos. E, portanto, a pergunta que lhe deixo: é contra lucros extraordinários, tributação de lucros extraordinários, lucros que, já agora, não derivam do mérito, derivam apenas da decisão das guerras de uma pessoa instável na Casa Branca? A minha pergunta é muito simples: onde é que vamos buscar esses recursos? Defende mais contribuições próprias dos Estados-Membros ou defende quais e como novos impostos europeus? Obrigado.
Muito obrigado, senhor deputado, pela pergunta. A resposta é muito simples: para ter um orçamento que seja à altura das ambições da Europa, que terá que necessariamente que ser superior ao que foi o anterior e que terá que, não onerando as contribuições nacionais, de recorrer a recursos próprios com uma condição: que não sejam recursos próprios que retirem receitas que hoje são dos Estados-Membros. Portanto, que sejam verdadeiramente recursos próprios gerados, geridos e cobrados pela União. Muito obrigado.
Tack, herr talman. Så här är det: pengarna räcker inte till allt och därför måste vi ha förmågan att prioritera. Frihet och försvar är två grundläggande förutsättningar inför de utmaningar vi står inför. Försvaret av våra fri- och rättigheter, försvaret av det som bygger EU och Sverige starkt. Och då handlar det om arbetet mot desinformation genom att investera i fria och granskande och oberoende medier.
Det handlar om mötesplatser, hembygdsföreningen, fritidsgården, replokaler och teaterscenen. Det handlar om de livsviktiga kvinnojourerna, om resurser till förutsättningarna att organisera sig, om folkrörelse, om ett starkt föreningsliv. Det är just genom de här verktygen som demokratin blir stark. Det är så vi bygger tillit till varandra. Det är så vi bygger det samhälle som Putin så gärna vill förstöra.
Tack.
Kuhnke, would you accept a blue card from Charlie Weimers, 107?
Yeah, please, Charlie.
Charlie Weimers
Tack, herr talman. Alice Bah Kuhnke, du talade väl om försvaret av fri- och rättigheter och där är vi ju överens. Men förra sessionen så röstade ju Miljöpartiet nej till att försvara just de fri- och rättigheterna vad gäller islamistisk infiltration och ni var emot en terrorstämpling av Muslimska brödraskapet. Först såg jag att du hade röstat för detta och jag tänkte: vad bra, hon ser också att det här är en kvinnoförtryckande organisation. Men så meddelade ni att du hade röstat fel.
Varför är det fel att terrorstämpla Muslimska brödraskapet?
Alice Kuhnke
För Miljöpartiet är det en självklarhet att vi är emot all form av extremism och all form av våldsbejakande extremism och terrorism. Det vi däremot är emot, och vi kommer alltid stå upp för, det är emot populismen som med svepande drag vill misstänkliggöra alla muslimer. Tyvärr är vi i en verklighet där många i det här huset, speciellt på den sida som Charlie Weimers tillhör, gör allt de kan för att underminera mänskliga rättigheter, för att slå split mellan människor. Det kommer vi gröna aldrig ställa upp på. Tack.
Roberts Zīle
But sorry, we have some time constraints, we don't have a time. Sorry, colleague Weimers. Thank you very much. So, next speaker, Catarina Martins.
Catarina Martins
Obrigada, senhor presidente. Queria deixar uma sugestão: abram as janelas do gabinete e ouçam, ouçam o que as pessoas estão a dizer. Querem casas. Não há casas que as pessoas possam pagar. E enquanto a extrema-direita culpa os trabalhadores que estão na agricultura, na construção, nos transportes, na distribuição, nos lares, a venda de casas de luxo duplicou.
Os fundos imobiliários quintuplicaram os seus ativos. O Conselho reúne, discute orçamento e não há uma palavra sobre habitação. Falam de competitividade. Então e os salários?
Catarina Martins
A produtividade na Europa quase triplicou em relação aos salários. As pessoas não têm como viver porque vai tudo para o 1% mais rico que nem sequer paga os impostos devidos. Sim, as pessoas estão zangadas e têm razões para isso. E entretanto a senhora von der Leyen, que já se foi embora, mas veio cá dizer que quer pôr mais dinheiro na indústria milionária do armamento que vai tirar às escolas e à saúde. Sim, os incendiários na verdade estão aqui nesta sala.
Roberts Zīle
Collega, collega Martins, you have a blue card from Piotr Müller 591. Would you accept blue card from Piotr Müller 591?
Cieszę się, że pani mówi o kosztach życia. Cieszę się, że pani mówi o kosztach życia europejskich obywateli. To bardzo dobrze, że pani zwraca na to uwagę. Natomiast mam do pani pytanie w takim razie, jakie jest wasze stanowisko co do likwidacji czy głębokiej reformy systemu ETS, który pogłębia przecież koszty życia dla tych osób, które są najmniej zamożne, jeżeli chodzi o ogrzewanie, jeżeli chodzi o dyrektywę budynkową, która zwiększa koszty właśnie również w mieszkalnictwie. Co pani powie na ten temat?
Piotr Müller
Bo Rada Europejska rozmawiała na ten temat, żeby zlikwidować system ETS, żeby go głęboko zreformować. Liczę, że lewica wreszcie też to zrozumie, że to są wyższe koszty życia dla obywateli.
Senhor deputado, mudar as regras ambientais agora significa deixar a indústria europeia mais vulnerável. Andam todos a falar de autonomia estratégica, mas depois podem mudar as regras todos os dias. Isso destrói empregos na Europa, destrói riqueza na Europa. Não me vai pôr a defender o mercado de carbono que nunca defendi na vida. Mas digo-lhe uma coisa, nós podemos fazer uma transição justa sim e pôr os lucros das energéticas a pagar.
Não vale a pena é querer cortar ainda mais o pouco que já pagam.
In nur zwei Tagen haben 80.000 Migranten illegal die spanische Grenze überschritten. Und was tun die europäischen Regierungschefs, was tut Friedrich Merz? Sie haben für diese Invasion nur drei magere Absätze übrig. Und was sollen die Menschen in Ceuta mit ihrer Solidarität, die ihre eigene Stadt nicht wiedererkennen. Drei Absätze ohne das Kind beim Namen zu nennen, nämlich dass diese Masseneinwanderung auch als Waffe gegen unseren Kontinent eingesetzt werden.
Mary Khan
Und sie sind bis heute mit 1,2 Billionen Euro nicht willens, nicht willens gewesen, diesen Kontinent zu verteidigen. Frankreich und Italien brennen seit Wochen, weil sie es wollen wegen ihrer Migrationspolitik. Aber ihnen ist es egal, sie lassen Tag für Tag weitere Straftäter und Terroristen nach Europa. Und Frau von der Leyen ist leider mal wieder nicht da, früher gegangen. Sie sind es den Europäern endlich schuldig abzutreten.
Vielen Dank.
Thank you, next speaker Tomas Tobé, please.
Tomas Tobé
President, colleagues, the European Council has recognized the hard truth. Not only the awful war of aggression against Ukraine, but also the constant hybrid attacks against Europe are threatening our unity. The EPP Group strongly supports the message that Russia's hostile actions will not go unanswered. The same must go for any other hostile actor attacking Europe. We cannot be weak against our enemies and we cannot be naive about their strategies.
The weaponization of migration is a clear example. We must be prepared for crisis like in Ceuta, where our external border was breached on a massive scale in a matter of days. And of course, Prime Minister Sánchez need to leave office, but also the people who don't have the right to be in Europe. Russia and Belarus has since long used migration to pressure Europe and we need to do more to tackle this. We also need to be very clear about cross-border crime with a hybrid dimension.
Russia and Belarus have since long used migration to pressure Europe, and we need to do more to tackle this. We also need to be very clear about cross-border crime with a hybrid dimension. Europol has a crucial role to play and must be able to support Member States. Colleagues, we must do more, not less, to defend our borders, protect our democracies and safeguard our freedom. We did not build the European Union to be intimidated.
We built it together, and together we must defend our values and fight for Europe. Thank you.
Marit Maij
Dank u wel, voorzitter. Wist u dat bij het nieuwste voorstel in de Europese Raad voor de komende Europese begroting ruim meer dan vier keer zoveel geld naar landbouw als naar sociale doelstellingen van Europa gaat? Voor 8,8 miljoen landbouwbedrijven is er 261 miljard euro gereserveerd. En voor 92,7 miljoen mensen die op of over de rand van de armoede leven, is geen bedrag gereserveerd, maar een doelstelling van 61 miljard euro. Kinderen die zonder ontbijt naar school gaan, hebben geen tractoren om te protesteren.
Mensen met een beperking blokkeren geen snelwegen. Daklozen kunnen geen dure lobbyisten betalen. De sociale kant van de Europese Unie staat onder druk met het narratief dat sociaal beleid de regeldruk is. Het is schadelijk dat het nieuwe MFF geen apart budget heeft voor het Europees Sociaal Fonds. Europa is zoveel meer dan alleen competitiviteit.
Roberts Zīle
Het is ook naar elkaar omkijken en het is ook investeren in mensen. En laat ik het hier nog één keer herhalen: een apart budget voor het Europees Sociaal Fonds is een rode lijn voor de S&D. Dank u wel.
Thank you. Next speaker, Marieke Ehlers, floor is yours.
Dank u, voorzitter. Ik kan vandaag opnieuw spreken over Oekraïne, de begroting, uitbreiding en concurrentievermogen, maar dan draag ik alleen maar bij aan deze eindeloze echokamer. Laten we daarom iets fundamentelers benoemen. Voorzitter, de lidstaten zijn de meesters van de verdragen. De Commissie is de hoedster ervan.
Maar geen van beiden lijkt die verantwoordelijkheid nog serieus te nemen. En opnieuw zijn burgers de dupe. Hun koopkracht verdampt, onze concurrentiekracht neemt af en de energiekosten rijzen de pan uit. Illegale migratie gaat ongehinderd door en onze straten zijn onveiliger dan ooit. En Brussel dendert gewoon door.
De Commissie draagt zich als een decretenfabriek voor afbraakbeleid. De meerderheid in dit parlement is het contact met de realiteit al lang kwijt. En de lidstaten zelf, die kijken toe. Thuis beloven regeringsleiders minder regels en minder bureaucratie. Ze sturen brandbrieven aan Ursula, smeken om uitstel van verstikkende EU-regels en eisen een handrem op de reguleringsdrang van de Commissie.
Maar eenmaal in Brussel capituleren ze één voor één. Hoeveel boze brieven over de begroting en deregulering moeten er nog volgen? Wanneer gaan de regeringsleiders eindelijk blokkeren wat ze thuis zeggen te bestrijden? Het wordt tijd dat de Commissie wordt teruggefloten en haar decreten in de prullenmand verdwijnen. Dank u wel.
Thank you. Next speaker, Francesco Torselli, floor is yours.
Francesco Torselli
C'è una vicenda che racconta più di altre l'assurda tendenza dell'Unione Europea a farsi del male. È quella degli ETS. Un sistema folle che ha visto dalla sua nascita ad oggi moltiplicarsi per dieci il costo delle quote, aumentare la speculazione finanziaria e il suo costo scaricarsi in maniera asimmetrica sul prezzo dell'energia nei vari paesi europei, ma soprattutto non ha portato alla diminuzione delle emissioni globali. Senza l'insistenza di Giorgia Meloni, il Consiglio non si sarebbe preso l'impegno di revisionare il sistema ETS e di valutare l'impatto della follia di ETS 2 su abitazioni e trasporti. Allora forse hanno ragione coloro che dicono che qui, chiusa in questa bolla, l'Europa non vede che la nostra industria sta chiudendo e emigrando, non vede che la Cina ci domina con i minerali critici e potrei andare avanti.
In questo quadro drammatico, chi per ideologia o convenienza perde ancora tempo è semplicemente tristemente complice.
Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Président du Conseil, Monsieur le Commissaire, encore. Donald Trump trahit encore l'Ukraine et l'Europe sur l'autel des deals nauséabonds avec Vladimir Poutine. Il fait encore le choix de l'agresseur au détriment de l'agressé. Encore. Nous le redisons, nous ne soutenons pas seulement l'Ukraine parce que nous croyons fermement au respect du droit international, nous l'aidons pour notre propre sécurité.
Laurence Farreng
L'extrême droite qui nie cette réalité est comme toujours en dessous de tout. Alors renforçons notre soutien à l'Ukraine, protégeons son ciel, utilisons les avoirs russes gelés, soyons à la hauteur. L'Europe doit cesser d'attendre quoi que ce soit de Donald Trump. Elle doit impérativement bâtir son indépendance pour défendre ses valeurs, pour lutter contre la concurrence déloyale de la Chine, pour protéger son économie et ses emplois, pour augmenter le pouvoir d'achat des Européens. Et pour y parvenir, nous avons besoin d'un budget ambitieux doté de ressources nouvelles capable de nous donner plus de latitude.
Roberts Zīle
Alors arrêtons de tergiverser, cessons d'être défaitistes, soyons radicalement européens. Merci.
Damian Boeselager
Dear President Costa, whenever Europe's 27 leaders meet to solve our problems, we get your document expressing deep concern, underlining the urgency and reiterating the need for something to happen. Now President Costa, while I understand the power of words, in these chaotic times we lack action, not words. When Trump cuts Starshield and Ukrainians die in their sleep, Europe needs to act. When young people take to the streets for their future, Europe needs to act. When Serbians are trying to get rid of their dictator, Europe needs to act.
And when a mother is held at gunpoint every day when picking up her son at school in the West Bank, Europe needs to act. President Costa, I know that bringing 27 leaders together on the same will is not easy, especially when they are so weak at home. But governing Europe is not only about finding a common will, it's also about acting on that will. So allow me to say it in the language of the Council. We strongly encourage European leaders to move from words to action.
Damian Boeselager
We underline the urgent need to replace the 27 weak national leaders with a real European government and we demand that the people of Europe are allowed to elect their future. Thank you.
Gracias, presidente, señor Costa. Hay un enorme malestar en Europa. Un malestar que se expresa en acampadas por la vivienda, en manifestaciones por la educación, movilizaciones por el coste de la vida. Pero la señora von der Leyen no ha entendido nada, ni tan siquiera se queda a escucharlo. Una buena parte de ese malestar afecta a los jóvenes.
Estrella Galán
Y lo que nos están diciendo es algo brutal: no tenemos futuro. Han tenido la oportunidad de haber dicho a las mayorías sociales: os hemos oído y vamos a cambiar el rumbo. Sin embargo, no, vuelven a mostrar la miopía de siempre. Más desregularización y más fronteras no es la respuesta para una vida precaria y sin futuro. Completar el mercado único no es la respuesta a un coste de la vida que es la pesadilla de millones de familias.
Más competitividad no es lo que se necesita para garantizar que la vivienda sea un derecho. Ustedes a lo suyo, y luego se sorprenden de que la mala hierba de la extrema derecha siga creciendo a sus pies. Lo malo es que no crece solo en sus pies, crece también en los nuestros.
Thank you. Next speaker, Hans Neuhoff, please.
Hans Neuhoff
Die Ukrainestrategie der EU ist gescheitert. 21 Sanktionspakete haben Russland nicht in die Knie gezwungen. Seine Rüstungsindustrie produziert auf Hochtouren, während der Geldbedarf der Ukraine sich als Fass ohne Boden erweist. Die Ukraine bleibt den russischen Drohnen und Raketen ausgesetzt, während Moskaus Bedingungen für Verhandlungen dieselben geblieben sind. Die Folgerungen des Europäischen Rates dazu sind ein einziges Dokument des Scheiterns.
Die selben Appelle und Bekundungen: kämpft weiter, Ukrainer, die wir seit Jahren hören. Die Ukraine kann diesen Abnutzungskrieg nicht unbegrenzt fortführen. Ihre Bevölkerung ist von 52 auf 22 Millionen geschrumpft. Meine Damen und Herren, nach der Rückeroberung der vietnamesischen Stadt Bến Tre sagte ein US-Offizier: Wir mussten diese Stadt zerstören, um sie zu retten. Wer von Ihnen möchte für eine Politik verantwortlich sein, über die man einmal sagen wird: Man wollte die Ukraine retten und hat sie dabei zerstört?
Roberts Zīle
Would you conclude, please? Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next speaker, Niclas Herbst.
Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident, meine sehr verehrten Damen und Herren. Ich wohne in Kiel an der Ostsee, und die Ostsee ist das Hauptoperationsgebiet der russischen Schattenflotte. Das ist nicht nur eine sicherheitspolitische und ökonomische Bedrohung, auch eine ökologische Bedrohung für uns in einem ohnehin sehr sensiblen Ökosystem. Und wir müssen nicht auf Angriffe warten. Wir haben es erlebt.
Niklas Herbst
Es gab Angriffe auf Unterseekabel, Lebensadern im Ostseeraum, die mal nicht so eben nebenbei passieren. Wir haben Ausspähversuche, Sabotageakte, Drohnenüberflüge, Cyberattacken. Wir müssen also nicht warten, die Angriffe sind da, und wir müssen das den Menschen auch sehr deutlich sagen. Und deshalb ist wichtig, dass auch die Schlussfolgerungen des Rates sicherheitspolitische Forderungen aufnehmen. Ich lese nicht allzu viel davon, aber einiges.
Zum Beispiel zum Agile-Programm, das gelobt wird, das noch viel zu gering ist, das sich in einer Pilotphase im Grunde befindet. Zur militärischen Mobilität, die extrem wichtig ist und hoffentlich auch in den Ländern gesehen wird, die ein bisschen weiter entfernt sind von der NATO-Ostflanke. Und die Europäische Union muss hier handeln. Und da gibt es den Spruch, der glaube ich gut passt: Put your money where your mouth is. Denn wenn wir sehen, was der Vorschlag ist in der aktuellen Verhandlungsbox, dann wird gerade in diesen Bereichen gekürzt.
Und deshalb, meine Damen und Herren, müssen wir uns alle bewegen. Und das ist auch meine Botschaft an den Rat. Sie finden hier im Parlament viele wohlmeinende Kräfte, die in der Lage sind, auch sich zu bewegen, um auch diese Möglichkeiten tatsächlich zu schaffen, nächsten Mehrjährigen Finanzrahmen. Diese Bewegung muss allerdings auch auf Ratsseite passieren. Wir sind bereit und wir hoffen, dass es der Rat auch ist, für die Menschen im Ostseeraum, in ganz Europa.
Vielen Dank.
Roberts Zīle
Kollege Herbst, you have two blue cards. First one is Lukas Sieper, would you accept it?
Ich habe schon gewartet.
Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident. Vielen Dank, Herr Kollege, dass Sie die blaue Karte akzeptiert haben. Ich freue mich auch darüber, dass Sie sich freuen, dass ich Ihnen eine Frage stellen darf. Ich möchte ein wenig den Advokaten des Teufels spielen, weil Sie und ich, wir kennen das glaube ich beide, wenn wir zur Bevölkerung gehen. Und Sie haben ja gesagt, wir müssen das den Menschen erklären.
Dann kommt es immer wieder vor, dass Menschen sagen, dass wir ja daran schuld seien, dass wir Russland provoziert hätten, dass wir der Aggressor seien, dass wir uns dem Frieden entgegenstellen würden. Nun sind Sie und ich uns beide einig, dass das nicht so ist, aber was sagen Sie zu diesen Menschen, um die davon umzustimmen? Dankeschön.
Niklas Herbst
Also da wo ich herkomme, sind die Menschen sehr friedlich. Und die wissen aber auch Bescheid, wie die Seefahrt zum Beispiel funktioniert und dass man nicht aus Versehen ein Unterseekabel zerstört, sondern dass das eine gezielte Attacke ist. Und das ist eine gezielte Attacke auf uns. Und das verstehen die Menschen auch, wenn man sie mit der Wahrheit konfrontiert. Und deshalb glaube ich, wenn wir einfach an den bei den Fakten bleiben und sagen, wir greifen niemanden an, wir zerstören kein Unterseekabel, aber sie werden bei uns zerstört, dann ist das glaube ich Erklärung genug und die allermeisten Menschen verstehen das sehr gut.
Roberts Zīle
Kollege Herbst, the second card is from Kollege Jungbluth, 613, would you accept it?
Niklas Herbst
Ich freue mich nicht ganz so über die wie beim Kollegen Sieper, aber auch hier geht es natürlich voran.
Alexander Jungbluth
Vielen Dank, Herr Kollege. Ich freue mich umso mehr, Ihnen die Frage stellen zu können. Ganz kurz, Sie haben ja einige Kürzungen deutlich kritisiert und es ist nun mal so, dass aus Deutschland auch Ihr Bundeskanzler ja deutliche Kürzungen vorschlägt. Das heißt, ihm gehen ja sogar die Vorschläge der irischen Ratspräsidentschaft nicht weit genug. Er sagt, wir müssen eigentlich noch deutlicher Kürzungen am MFR vornehmen.
Wie steht das denn im Einklang zu Ihren Forderungen, dass wir in einigen Bereichen deutliche Erhöhungen vornehmen sollten?
Niklas Herbst
Wie schon gesagt, bin ich der Meinung, dass wir alle unsere Schützengräben verlassen sollten und dass wir darüber reden, wie wir Geld am sinnvollsten ausgeben. Das ist die einzige Frage. Es geht dann nicht bei nicht nur um den Betrag, sondern wirklich um die Frage, wo sind Dinge am besten zu erreichen. Ich bin ganz sicher, dass wenn man nicht nur verkürzt den Bundeskanzler zitiert, sondern ihn auch darin zitiert, dass er sich sehr für einen modernisierten Haushalt einsetzt, für mehr Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, für mehr Verteidigungsfähigkeit, dass das auch positive Effekte für den Bundeshaushalt auslösen könnte. Also sollten wir alle ein bisschen weggehen von dieser sehr platten Debatte, wie viel Geld geben Sie aus, sondern wie geben wir das Geld der Steuerzahlerinnen und Steuerzahler am besten aus.
Da kann auch der Mehrjährige Finanzrahmen einen guten Beitrag leisten.
Roberts Zīle
Yeah, thank you very much. So next speaker, blue cards is over, yeah, so thank you, Kollege Herbst. Next speaker, Javier Moreno Sánchez.
Javier Moreno Sánchez
Gracias, presidente, presidente, comisario, señorías. Cabe recordar que el Parlamento Europeo es autoridad presupuestaria y que las fuerzas europeístas estamos dispuestas a rechazar la propuesta insuficiente del Consejo para el próximo marco financiero plurianual. Y eso provocaría una crisis financiera e institucional sin precedentes que dejaría a una Unión débil fuera de un orden mundial convulso. Necesitamos una Europa competitiva y verde que garantice su propia seguridad y defensa. Señorías, la propuesta de la presidencia irlandesa es claramente insuficiente para mantener a la Unión Europea unida, cohesionada tanto territorial como socialmente.
Como defendió en el ECO el presidente de mi país, Pedro Sánchez, no se puede recortar. Además, son imprescindibles los recursos propios. La prioridad es la salud, la educación, el trabajo y la vivienda de los ciudadanos. Por eso es esencial el Fondo Social Europeo adecuado. Señor presidente, el acuerdo debe estar cerrado en diciembre para que esta casa pueda hacer su trabajo y adoptar los actos legislativos que garanticen la continuidad de los fondos en 2028.
Señor presidente Costa, contamos con su habilidad.
Speaker 113
Lors du dernier Conseil européen, la Première ministre du social-démocrate du Danemark adressait un constat implacable que nous portons depuis des années chez les patriotes. L'immigration incontrôlée menace la cohésion de nos sociétés, pèse sur nos services publics et aggrave l'insécurité. Lorsqu'une dirigeante de gauche dénonce l'immigration de masse, elle réduit à néant les caricatures de la bien-pensance qui voudraient étiqueter toute lucidité migratoire comme de l'extrême droite. Et nous l'avons d'ailleurs vu le week-end dernier en France où des hordes d'émeutiers, pour beaucoup issus de l'immigration, ont saccagé nos villes aux côtés de militants d'extrême gauche. Au Danemark, la gauche a compris qu'ignorer la volonté des peuples, c'est trahir les classes populaires et ouvrir la voie au chaos.
Speaker 118
À l'inverse, le Premier ministre socialiste espagnol s'obstine à régulariser massivement des centaines de milliers de clandestins en mettant en danger toute l'Europe. Heureusement, les élections législatives prochaines vont rectifier cette politique et amener nos alliés de Vox au pouvoir. Cette fracture européenne prouve que le clivage n'est plus entre la droite et la gauche, entre le réel et le déni, mais entre les patriotes et les mondialistes. Seule la fermeté des nations maîtresses de leurs frontières sauvera l'Europe.
Speaker 104
You have a blue card, colleague Garraud, from Schwab Andreas, 199. Would you accept? Yes, please.
Andreas Schwab
Merci, Monsieur le Président. Cher collègue, je suis ici. Alors, j'ai écouté avec beaucoup d'attention votre discours sur l'immigration et comme on parle du budget, je voulais vous demander quel avantage voyez-vous dans le budget européen dans l'intérêt des citoyens français ?
Speaker 112
Mais est-ce que la question est en rapport avec ce que j'étais en train de dire ? Le budget européen, si vous voulez que je vous parle du budget européen, effectivement, c'est un grand sujet, immense sujet, avec cette question principale qui est celle des ressources propres de ce budget, auxquelles nous sommes totalement opposés car nous ne pouvons pas et nous ne voulons pas une augmentation des ressources propres du budget européen. Donc voilà qui répond, je pense, à votre question.
Johan Van Overtveldt
Voorzitter, president Costa, commissaris, in de huidige geopolitiek turbulente omstandigheden is het belangrijker dan ooit dat de Europese Unie competitiviteit centraal stelt. Onze delegatie verwelkomt dan ook de gezamenlijke oproep van de Duitse, Italiaanse en Belgische regeringsleiders. De Europese Unie moet haar concurrentievermogen niet alleen verscherpen of versterken door nieuwe investeringen te stimuleren, maar ook door actief wettelijke en administratieve obstakels weg te nemen en door een toekomstgerichte herschikking van Europese begrotingsbestedingen. Daarnaast kan de concurrentiekracht uiteraard ook niet losgezien worden van het fenomeen China en de oneerlijke praktijken door hen toegepast. Ik herhaal mijn oproep voor een algemene importheffing van pakweg 10% op alles wat uit China komt.
De opbrengst daarvan zou gebruikt kunnen worden om Oekraïne te steunen en dan zenden we meteen een dubbele boodschap aan China: stop met die oneerlijke concurrentie en stop met het faciliteren van de oorlog van Poetin. De EU zal enkel gehoord worden als ze bewijst echt daadwerkelijk en daadkrachtig te kunnen optreden. Dank u.
Roberts Zīle
Collega Van Overtveldt, you have two blue cards, but I would like to say that those who ask a blue card, you already have a catch-the-eye registration. So please do it, we cannot do both because of time constraint.
Estelle, would you like to stay on catch-the-eye or blue card?
Estelle Ceulemans
J'aurai d'autres occasions d'interpeller Monsieur Van Overtveldt, notamment sur les propos de Monsieur Franken, donc je garde mon temps de parole tout à l'heure pour plutôt catch-the-eye. Merci.
Engin Eroglu
Sehr geehrter Herr Kommissionspräsident Costa, sehr geehrter Herr Kommissar. Und Herr Kommissar, jetzt ist die Augenblick zuzuhören und weniger zu scrollen. Herr Kommissar, Sie und die Kommission versuchen einem nackten Mann, einigen Mitgliedstaaten, in die Taschen zu greifen, wo es überhaupt keine Taschen mehr gibt, weil es kein Geld mehr gibt. Und der Grund, warum es kein Geld mehr in den Mitgliedstaaten gibt, weil die Europäische Kommission mit Ansage durch massive Regulierung der Wirtschaft in der Europäischen Union im letzten Mandat die Beine und die Arme gebrochen hat. Und das Einzige, Herr Kommissar, was uns jetzt nach vorne bringt, ist nicht zu versuchen, dem nackten Mann in die Tasche zu greifen, sondern die Wirtschaft wieder handlungsfähig zu machen.
Und das gilt auch für Sie, Herr Costa. Wir müssen jetzt endlich anfangen, die Rohstoffe in der Europäischen Union, die im Boden sind, abzubauen. Wir müssen endlich anfangen, die Rohstoffe, die wir dann abgebaut haben, in der Europäischen Union zu verarbeiten. Durch den Abbau, durch die Verarbeitung, durch die Wirtschaft wird Innovation entstehen und durch Wachstum werden wir unsere Probleme lösen und nicht durch Umverteilung. Vielen lieben Dank.
Le famiglie europee sono strozzate dai prezzi dell'elettricità e dell'energia e dal carovita. E il Consiglio europeo non riesce a proporre nulla di consistente. Nessun tetto al prezzo dei carburanti, nessuna tassa sugli extraprofitti. In compenso avete accolto il rinvio delle regole sul metano e un piano per le raffinerie. Davanti alla crisi del fossile la risposta è altro fossile.
Benedetta Scuderi
Lo avete scritto voi: la transizione è la strada più efficace per abbassare i prezzi. Ma poi la presidenza irlandese propone 141 miliardi di tagli rispetto alla già insufficiente proposta della Commissione, riducendo le risorse per la competitività delle imprese e per la transizione energetica, tagliando di quasi un decimo Horizon, cioè la ricerca, e del 30% i fondi per la democrazia. Meno soldi alle regioni e alla coesione. Tutto questo perché? Perché sia mai che pensiamo di tassare gli extraprofitti delle compagnie dei colossi del fossile che si stanno riempiendo le tasche con questa crisi o di ridurre la spesa per il riarmo.
Uscite da questi palazzi e guardate quello che sta succedendo e forse capirete che questo è il momento di investire sull'energia, le nostre persone e i nostri territori.
Daniel Buda
Domnule președinte, mulțumesc. Domnule Costa, salut concluziile Consiliului European de la punctul 17, care condamnă ferm atacurile Federației Ruse asupra navelor comerciale din Marea Neagră. Aceasta este una dintre cele mai importante rute comerciale pentru cereale din lume și are un rol esențial în ceea ce înseamnă securitatea alimentară mondială. România a contribuit decisiv la funcționarea acestor culoare de solidaritate, milioane de tone de cereale fiind transportate prin portul Constanța și pe Dunăre. Dacă Marea Neagră devine nesigură, exporturile ucrainene vor fi redirecționate din nou către rutele terestre.
Aceasta înseamnă costuri mai mari, blocaje logistice și o presiune suplimentară asupra piețelor agricole din România și din celelalte state membre aflate la frontiera cu Ucraina.
Gravitatea situației este deja evidentă. Potrivit datelor primite azi dimineață, peste 5 milioane de tone de cereale așteaptă în prezent să fie transportate din regiunea Mării Negre, însă insecuritatea rutelor comerciale blochează acest export. Fermierii români și cei din statele membre aflate în frontiera estică a Uniunii Europene trebuie să primească garanții că activitatea lor nu va fi afectată de situația actuală din Marea Neagră. De aceea, solicit Comisiei Europene și Consiliului să vină cu măsuri concrete și o finanțare rapidă pentru securizarea porturilor, protejarea navelor comerciale și consolidarea capacităților de apărare împotriva dronelor în România și Bulgaria. Stimați colegi, nu putem vorbi despre securitatea alimentară mondială fără securitate în Marea Neagră și în zona Dunării.
Mulțumesc.
Thank you. Next speaker, René Repasi, please.
Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen. Lassen Sie mich gleich die irische Ratspräsidentschaft ansprechen. Wie können Sie einen Haushaltsvorschlag vorlegen, der gleichzeitig so sehr die Augen vor der Realität verschließt und dann auch noch so falsche Schwerpunkte setzt? Europa braucht Innovation, Europa braucht Investitionen in seine Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Und was fällt Ihnen ein?
René Repasi
Sie kürzen Forschung, Sie kürzen Bildung, Sie kürzen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Ein Euro in die Forschung entsprechen elf Euro Wirtschaftsleistung. Das hat Ihr eigener Forschungsminister gesagt. Ihre Kürzungen bei der Forschung entsprechen gegenüber dem Kommissionsvorschlag damit allein 150 Milliarden Euro Verlust an Wirtschaftsleistung. Und das in einer Zeit, in der Topforscher die USA verlassen und Asien um die besten Köpfe buhlt.
Wenn Sie so sehr Angst vor Traktoren haben, dann kürzen Sie nicht bei der Zukunft Europas und unserer jungen Generation, sondern schaffen Sie eine Digitalsteuer auf Big Tech, die bezahlt, was die Mitgliedstaaten nicht zahlen können oder nicht zahlen wollen.
Harald Vilimsky
Danke sehr, Herr Präsident. Meine sehr geehrten Damen und Herren, wir führen da eine relativ leblose, platte Debatte über die Schlussfolgerungen des Rates vom 15. und 16. Oktober, wo auch Migration ein Thema war. Wir sollten vielmehr eine lebendige Debatte darüber führen, wie wir uns den aktuellen Entwicklungen in Europa stellen. Richten Sie doch Ihre Augen nach Paris, nach Mailand, in Richtung vieler Städte in Europa, wo Zehntausende, Hunderttausende junge Männer offensichtlich und augenscheinlich arabischer oder afrikanischer Herkunft oder Zugehörigkeit hier randalierend, hier vandalierend durch diese Städte ziehen, wo Scheiben von Fenstern, Scheiben von Geschäften eingeschlagen werden, wo diese jungen Männer auf Autos herumhüpfen, wo Straßenschlachten gegen Polizisten geführt werden, wo Menschen in Angst geraten, wo die staatliche Ordnung völlig versagt. Das ist ein totales Scheitern der Migrationspolitik und es ist auch hier eine Art Invasion und eine Art Angriff auf die europäischen Werte durch islamistisch geprägte Strukturen.
Was wird denn da skandiert? Es werden Palästina-Rufe skandiert, es werden islamistische Parolen skandiert. Das kann nicht sein. Dieses Europa ist gebaut auf den Werten von Humanismus und Aufklärung. Wir sind nicht der Platz für islamistische Entwicklungen dieser Art.
Und wir wollen diesen Leuten, die hier auf unsere Werte, unser Leben, unsere Kultur und unsere Länder einen Angriff starten, eines sagen: Ihr seid hier nicht erwünscht, geht nach Hause.
Ο εταίρος σας η Τουρκία προκαλεί ξανά. Μόλις χθες εξέδωσε εννέα παράνομες Navtex αμφισβητώντας ευθέως τα κυριαρχικά δικαιώματα κρατών μελών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Την ίδια στιγμή η Βουλή της Λιβύης ενέκρινε το παράνομο τουρκολιβυκό μνημόνιο που εσείς οι ίδιοι το έχετε χαρακτηρίσει άκυρο και ανυπόστατο. Και η Ευρώπη παρακολουθεί αμέτοχη. Μας λέτε για ευρωπαϊκή άμυνα, για προστασία κάθε σπιθαμής ευρωπαϊκού εδάφους.
Geadis Geadi
Τι βλέπουμε; Κατοχή στην Ουκρανία, κυρώσεις. Κατοχή στην Κύπρο, λόγια. Ρωσικές παραβιάσεις, στήριξη. Τουρκικές παραβιάσεις, πάλι λόγια.
Κύριε Κόστα, η Ευρώπη δεν περιορίζεται στα γραφεία της στις Βρυξέλλες. Η Ευρώπη είναι η Ελλάδα, είναι το Αιγαίο, είναι και η Κύπρος. Αρκετά με δηλώσεις συμπάθειας. Απαιτούμε συνέπειες για την Τουρκία. Σε κράτη τρομοκράτες δεν υποκλίνεσαι, ορθώνεις ανάστημα.
Δεν τους σφίγγεις το χέρι, τους σφίγγεις οικονομικά με κυρώσεις και ισχύ.
Helmut Brandstätter
Danke Herr Präsident, Herr Kommissar, Herr Präsident. Im russischen Fernsehen hat ein Putinfreund gestern gesagt, mit einer Botschaft an Herrn Trump: Teilen wir uns Europa auf wie Brüder. Darum geht's. Wir haben also offenbar nicht nur Freunde, also müssen wir uns wehren und das können wir nur gemeinsam. Und da hat der EU-Rat einige, aber viel zu wenige Antworten gefunden.
Bürokratieabbau ja, aber bitte sagen Sie den Nationalstaaten, die müssen das auch tun. Handel mit China ist unfair, da müssen wir auch noch stärker werden. Die Drohungen aus den USA, denen müssen wir entgegnen. Ja, wir sind für Made in Europe, weil das bei uns Arbeitsplätze sichert, wir lassen uns nicht drohen. Wir brauchen endlich den gemeinsamen Kapitalmarkt und die EU Inc.
Und ja, Migration ist ein Riesenthema. Da haben wir den Migrationspakt. Die Rechtsextremen freuen sich über jedes Problem. Wir sind diejenigen, die sagen, der Migrationspakt, der löst Probleme. Wir müssen das gemeinsam machen und auch das können wir nur gemeinsam.
Ja, Demokratie ist mühsam, der Rechtsstaat ist manchmal mühsam und schwierig, es dauert Zeit und unsere Freiheit wird von anderen missbraucht durch Desinformation. Umso mehr müssen wir zusammenhalten. Nur ein einiges Europa kann das alles sichern, was dieses wunderbare Europa ausmacht und auch nur unsere Freiheit. Danke.
Fulvio Martusciello
Thank you colleague. Next speaker Fulvio Martusciello, sorry.
L'Europa ha una clessidra sulla testa. La sua deindustrializzazione sta andando avanti con una velocità sempre più rapida, inesorabile. Nell'ultimo accordo l'Europa si era data come obiettivo di arrivare al 14% del PIL entro il 2035. Questo obiettivo è stato poi rivisto dalla presidenza irlandese portando avanti la sua scadenza al 2035. Ma in realtà sappiamo bene che questo obiettivo diventerà difficilmente raggiungibile perché ci stiamo facendo del male da soli per tre ragioni.
La prima, l'ETS. Noi non possiamo immaginare di pagare mentre altri paesi lontani dall'Europa continuano a inquinare. Non possiamo immaginare che l'Europa che rappresenta soltanto il 5% delle emissioni globali di CO2 e l'industria europea soltanto l'1,2% alla fine paghi per tutti. La iper-regolamentazione dell'Europa. Ogni giorno siamo lì a costruire nuove regole che comportano per le nostre industrie una difficoltà di adeguarsi, una difficoltà di seguirci.
E poi non possiamo immaginare che continuiamo a ragionare con un free trade. Noi dobbiamo ragionare con un fair trade. Non possiamo immaginare, cioè, che paesi che non si comportano in maniera simile a noi poi possano beneficiare della nostra capacità commerciale. È la ragione per la quale dobbiamo darci una regola.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much. Thank you, colleague. So I have to be fair to everybody. Micro is switched off, please. Next speaker, Vice-President Victor Negrescu.
Victor Negrescu
President, colleagues, the latest European Council has exposed deep divisions over the next EU budget. Some Member States want to cut the budget, others want to protect traditional policies, and Europeans are struggling with high living costs. So we cannot do more with less. I fully support President Costa's efforts to bring countries closer together, and I believe an extraordinary Council dedicated to the next MFF is necessary. But we need more than another meeting.
We need political leadership from EU leaders, clear priorities, and a willingness to compromise. Cohesion and agriculture must remain strong. Competitiveness, security, health, and education need adequate funding, and they require new resources. The European Parliament is central to this process. We are co-decision makers, representing European citizens.
We will not support a budget that weakens the capacity of the EU to deliver for citizens. Europe needs unity, but unity cannot mean lowering our ambition. Thank you.
Voorzitter, ze beweren dat het geld op is. Dat ze daarom wel moeten besparen op onze pensioenen en onze gezinnen. Dat ze daarom wel allerhande extra belastingen uitvinden, alsof de Vlamingen nog niet genoeg betalen. Waarop niet bespaard wordt, is alvast op de miljarden voor de Europese Unie. Als Von der Leyen haar zin krijgt, stijgt de bijdrage van België met maar liefst 4 miljard euro.
Tom Vandendriessche
4 miljard euro per jaar. Waarop niet bespaard wordt, is op de miljarden voor de uitbreiding van de Europese Unie. Albanië, Moldavië, Georgië en ga zo maar door. Hoe armer het land, hoe meer de Europese Unie met ons geld zit te zwaaien. Waarop ook niet bespaard wordt, is op de miljarden voor een eindeloze oorlog in Oekraïne zonder enig perspectief op duurzame vrede.
Als ze beweren dat het geld op is, weet dan gewoon dat ze liegen. Het geld is helemaal niet op. Het is blijkbaar alleen op voor onze mensen. Zij worden vergeten en in de steek gelaten. En dat, collega's, moet veranderen, want onze mensen hebben er meer dan genoeg van.
Sebastian Tynkkynen
Dear President, EU leaders have betrayed us. How many cars have to be burned? How many policemen have to be hurt? How many businesses have to be looted? How many cultural sites have to be destroyed?
How many neighborhoods have to be segregated? How many centers of radicalization have to be built? How many terrorists do we have to tolerate? How many girls have to be raped? How many areas have to be invaded?
How many more before you do what our citizens demand? Send them back. Thank you.
Charles Goerens
Monsieur le Président, comme à l'accoutumée, le dernier Conseil européen n'a pas pu s'entendre sur le prochain cadre financier pluriannuel.
Deux logiques s'invitent à ce genre de rencontre : la logique arithmétique qui souvent méconnaît l'impact positif de l'intégration européenne sur les États membres et la logique politique. Ce qui diffère cette fois-ci par rapport au passé, c'est une géopolitique qui menace la place de l'Union européenne et son rôle sur la scène internationale. En effet, un monsieur à Moscou qui dans une première étape veut écraser l'Ukraine, un autre monsieur à Washington qui fait tout pour que le Kremlin se sente à l'aise et un monsieur à Pékin qui en apparence laisse faire mais qui en réalité prend fait et cause pour l'agresseur sont à l'origine de ladite menace. Sous peu en Chine une rencontre entre ces trois messieurs, appelons-le le bal des faux-culs, aura lieu et répondra sans doute à leur aspiration commune d'évincer l'Union européenne des affaires du monde. Pour l'instant il est difficile s'agissant de ce triumvirat de ne pas penser à Yalta.
Ils veulent laisser derrière eux un monde basé sur des règles, jusque-là applicables au commerce, au respect de l'intégrité territoriale. Tout signe de faiblesse de la part de l'Union européenne pourrait être fatal.
Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi
Ευχαριστώ πολύ κύριε Πρόεδρε. Εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες Ευρωπαίοι πολίτες με εκρηκτικές διαδηλώσεις εναντιώνονται στην ακρίβεια, το ενεργειακό κόστος και τη φτωχοποίηση. Στη Γαλλία, Ιταλία, Βέλγιο, Πορτογαλία, Ισπανία οι καταστροφικές συνέπειες είναι ήδη ορατές. Η πρόσφατη Σύνοδος Κορυφής κύριε Πρόεδρε, κύριε Κόστα, που εμφάνισε διχασμένη την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, τροφοδότησε την έκρηξη και μας καλεί όλους να αρθούμε στο ύψος των περιστάσεων. Τι απαντούμε στους πολίτες που περιμένουν από τους ηγέτες των κρατών μελών άμεσες ενέργειες για το μέλλον τους και εκείνοι εμφανίζονται αναβλητικοί και αναποφάσιστοι;
Πώς να εξηγηθεί το γεγονός ότι μόνο 16 χώρες στηρίζουν την πολιτική συνοχής και την κοινή αγροτική πολιτική που αποτελούν θεμελιώδεις πυλώνες της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής; Συνάδελφοι η ενεργειακή κρίση αποτέλεσμα δύο πολέμων επηρεάζει τους πάντες χωρίς εξαιρέσεις. Δεν νοείται σήμερα αλληλεγγύη α λα καρτ και πολιτική δύο ταχυτήτων Βορρά-Νότου και δεν υπάρχει πλέον χρόνος. Απαιτούνται γενναίες αποφάσεις εδώ και τώρα. Η ελληνική κυβέρνηση βγήκε μπροστά με αποτελεσματική και ολοκληρωμένη πρόταση που ήδη αξιολογήθηκε θετικά και έπεται ταχεία ρύθμιση από το Συμβούλιο.
Αναμένουμε άμεσα μια δίκαιη απόφαση. Ζητούμε πρόσθετη δημοσιονομική ευελιξία προκειμένου να χρηματοδοτηθούν προσωρινά και στοχευμένα μέτρα για την αντιμετώπιση της σοβαρής κρίσης. Έρχεται βαρύς χειμώνας και οφείλουμε να στηρίξουμε τις κοινωνίες μας που στερούνται και αδυνατούν να ανταπεξέλθουν στα δυσθεώρητα κόστη. Άλλωστε είναι βέβαιο ότι η αξιοπιστία της Ένωσής μας κρίνεται κάθε φορά από τις αποφάσεις της. Ευχαριστώ πολύ.
Elio Di Rupo
Monsieur le Président, nous sommes dépendants et soumis au chantage extérieur dans des domaines stratégiquement vitaux comme l'énergie, les médicaments, l'intelligence artificielle, l'alimentation ou la défense. Nous allons devoir investir des centaines de milliards et nous libérer du piège où l'Europe s'est mise elle-même. Et nous devons surtout soutenir nos populations européennes. Plus, plus de la moitié des régions d'Europe ont un niveau de richesse inférieur à la moyenne européenne. Sur le plan international, il ne suffit pas de se montrer préoccupé notamment par les escalades au Moyen-Orient.
Les Européens ont besoin d'être protégés pour leur emploi, leur revenu, leur pouvoir d'achat et leur sécurité. Dans ce monde dangereux, dangereux pour la vie et l'avenir des Européens, les chefs d'État ou de gouvernement se doivent d'être à la hauteur. Nous sortons de l'insouciance stratégique, l'heure est à l'accélération.
Alors Monsieur le Président, ensemble, faisons de l'Europe une puissance mondiale.
Tisztelt elnök úr, képviselőtársaim! Megfizethető energia nélkül nincs versenyképesség Európában. Ezt az októberi tanácsülésen a tagállami vezetők is hangsúlyozták. A tagállamok azonban nem egyenlő feltételekkel indulnak. Az energiaárakat a földrajzi adottságok, az ipar súlya és a meglévő infrastruktúra is alakítja.
Eszter Lakos
Ezeken pedig nem lehet csak úgy egyik napról a másikra változtatni. A visegrádi országok pedig itt kifejezetten hátrányban vannak, többnek nincs tengerpartja, és az energiaimport diverzifikációja is komoly infrastrukturális beruházásokat igényel. Nem véletlen, hogy a régió áramárai most már a legmagasabbak közé tartoznak az Európai Unióban, erre pedig hétfőn Pozsonyban a négy energiaminiszter is felhívta a figyelmet. Ezeknek a tagállamoknak a zöld átálláshoz és az energiaellátás diverzifikálásához egy globális energiaválság közepén több uniós támogatásra és nagyobb költségvetési rugalmasságra van szükségük. Az EU szabályozásoknak nem növelni, hanem csökkenteni kell az egyenlőtlenségeket, és ez az energetikára is igaz.
Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis
Dear colleagues, the issue of European defense and security is particularly urgent on the Council agenda, Mr. President. Let us be clear, today an absence of European Defense Union prolongs the war in Ukraine. When member states doing defense separately, its cost around 18 to 57 billion euros per year is a waste of money and a waste of time. There are three clear demands. We need a true single market for defense with common testing, common certification, and simple transfers between member states.
We need a European preference in the coming defense procurement regulation. And of course, we need to make sure that we fund only defense designed and developed under European design authority and delivered through joint projects for the whole European Union. Let's make solidarity against hybrid threats from Lisbon to Helsinki a reality, Mr. President.
Karlo Ressler
Opasno vrijeme u kojem živimo Europi nameće sve veće i sve više ciljeve. A istodobno se predlaže dugoročni proračun koji je čak 8% manji i od prijedloga Komisije. To nije ozbiljan odgovor na ono što nas okružuje. Drugo, Europa mora biti spremna i imati hrabrosti priznati vlastite pogreške. Previše zabluda o migracijama, premalo odlučnosti u zaštiti granica.
Previše birokracije, premalo konkurentnosti. Vrijeme je zato za više odgovornosti, za više samopouzdanja i malo više europskog garda. Za odlučan odgovor na sve ozbiljnije hibridne prijetnje s istoka. Za Europu koja zna osigurati sigurnost, uključujući i sigurnost granica, i za proračun koji smanjuje razlike, a ne potiče i ne produbljuje podjele. Jer cijena naših podjela i slabije Europe bila bi ogromna i ne bi se osjetila i ne bi se plaćala samo ovdje u Strasbourgu ili Bruxellesu.
Costas Mavrides
The European Union cannot become more autonomous with less budget.
Our citizens' demands are very clear: security, affordable housing, low energy prices, and decent living standards, for which we need adequate funding for strong cohesion policies. And we must also remember that islands and remote regions face even greater challenges and need special attention. An autonomous Europe also in defense and security is also a need to protect Europe as a whole and not selectively. Finally, in the Eastern Mediterranean, the appeasement policy of EU has fueled for years Turkish neo-Ottoman aggression, disregarding international law against member states, Mr. President, such as Cyprus and Greece, with illegal occupation of EU territory, weaponization of migrants, with threats of war and much more. We had enough of words and condemnation.
We need concrete action against the aggressor and violator. And one question: did you ever suggest any sanction against the neo-Ottoman expansionist policies?
Reinhold Lopatka
Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, die jüngste Entscheidung beim Europäischen Rat auf die großen Herausforderungen einzugehen, ist richtig, denn die Herausforderungen sind größer geworden. Ich sehe drei Bereiche, die unsere Zukunft in Europa entscheidend bestimmen werden. Erstens: der Krieg in der Ukraine nach der russischen Invasion. Wir stehen vor dem fünften Kriegswinter und wir müssen hier unsere Unterstützung fortsetzen. Wir müssen nach den Midterms die USA wieder zurück ins Boot holen.
Wir haben den Druck auf Russland zu verstärken. Zweitens: beim mehrjährigen Finanzrahmen, da braucht es angesichts der angespannten Haushaltslage vieler Mitgliedstaaten schon Augenmaß. Wir brauchen klare Prioritäten bei Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Sicherheit, statt neue Bereiche, die nicht in die EU-Kompetenzen fallen, zu finanzieren, wie zum Beispiel Housing. Und wir brauchen wirksame Handelsschutzmaßnahmen in unserem Kampf, und es ist ein Kampf gegenüber China. Ja zu Freihandel, aber unter fairen Wettbewerbsbedingungen.
Das ist die Aufgabe der Europäischen Union.
Thank you, Chair. Colleagues, I believe our enlargement policy must remain credible, consistent, and firmly merit-based. Commitments must be honored, obligations must be fulfilled, and progress must be earned. A candidate country that fails to meet its commitments cannot expect to be rewarded. Ukraine should one day become part of the European Union.
Tonino Picula
We have a strategic interest in making that future possible. But we must also look beyond immediate geopolitical context and prepare seriously for the Union of tomorrow. We have to ready, be ready for accession of not only one country, but potentially several new members, which are today very different from one another. Our citizens must be ensured that enlargement will strengthen the Union rather than weaken its capacity to act, while candidate countries deserve fair, transparent, and predictable process. That way, we won't have to speculate about the dates for further enlargement as they will emerge from the results.
Thank you.
Thank you, President. Let me start with the budget, turning to Mr. Costa. It seems that we have two groups of the countries and two narratives. First groups want to send less national money into EU, EU budget, and the second group wants to get more money from EU budget to their national budget. Surprisingly, I'm afraid the compromise is possible, but this would be bad compromise.
Luděk Niedermayer
Because securing smaller budget means that Europe will not deliver on its priorities, on expectation of citizens and the firms.
And secondly, the second request would lead to lower efficiency of the budget that is obviously bad for the credibility and also for use of the money. On competitiveness, I can be more positive. One Europe, one market is is important agenda where we are progressing. We should deliver on big things as well as small things. The small things, removal of the barriers on the member states level.
Here simplification play the role, but we should not forget that there is nothing that is more difficult than make simplification right. So that's why I guess big issues should have the priority and we must deliver on that. Thank you.
Gracias, presidente, presidente Costa. Si algo demuestra este Consejo es que acordar qué necesita Europa resulta más fácil que acordar cómo pagarlo. Pero la seguridad no puede construirse a costa de la cohesión, ni la competitividad a costa de nuestros agricultores. Esa no puede ser la solución. No al menos la que va a aceptar este Parlamento.
Por eso les pido que cuenten con nuestra propuesta sobre recursos propios. La tasa digital, el juego online o las criptomonedas podrían generar más de 30.000 millones de euros al año. ¿Y de qué tenemos miedo? ¿De Trump? Él pacta con Putin el suministro de diésel ruso en contra de los intereses europeos y no veo que nos haya preguntado.
Defendamos también nuestros intereses, los intereses europeos, y resolvamos nuestros retos ejerciendo nuestra soberanía, tal y como hace el resto del mundo sin ningún problema. Presidente Costa, confiamos en usted. Que las Big Tech también paguen. Ganan millones gracias a nuestro mercado único. Que esta vez el esfuerzo lo hagan ellas, no nuestras familias.
Seán Kelly
Go raibh maith agat, a Uachtaráin. I welcome the European Council's call on the Commission to bring forward measures to address soaring energy prices. Few countries feel them more than Ireland. We have the highest household electricity prices in the Union, around 480 euros a year more than the average, which is a direct result of our continued reliance on imported gas and the price impact the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have had on global markets. While temporary interventions to protect vulnerable consumers are important, they merely paper over the cracks.
As long as we're exposed to fossil fuel markets over which we have no control, Europeans will pay through the nose every time there is a supply shock. The only viable long-term solution is to replace fossil fuels with the renewable resources we have here in Europe. So we need to accelerate work on the grids package and electrification action plan. And I welcome the Irish presidency's efforts to accelerate this important work and we in Parliament must also work hard to deliver these important initiatives. Míle maith agat.
Dank u wel, voorzitter. Meneer de commissaris, meneer de voorzitter van de Europese Raad, collega's. We denken vaak hier in dit parlement dat de burgers hemel en aarde verwachten van Europa, maar eigenlijk, meneer de voorzitter, is dat niet zo. Ze verwachten iets heel normaals van Europa, namelijk dat Europa hun welvaart beschermt, hun jobs beschermt en hun veiligheid beschermt. En daarom kijk ik een beetje met gemengde gevoelens terug naar de voorbije top.
Wouter Beke
Want aan de ene kant spreken we eindelijk met één stem over Poetin en over China en dat is heel goed, maar aan de andere kant, laten we eerlijk zijn, laten we ons ook verdelen. Verdelen. Er is een gebrek aan eensgezindheid in Europa over betaalbare energie voor onze gezinnen en bedrijven, over een ambitieus Europees budget, over een echte kapitaalmarktunie zonder privileges voor sommige grote landen en over hervormingen die nodig zijn als de Europese Unie echt wil groeien. Collega's, grote woorden tegenover China en Rusland alleen, die zullen niet volstaan.
We moeten ook intern diezelfde daadkracht durven tonen, want Europa moet één ding doen en dat is zijn burgers beschermen. Dank u wel.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you, colleagues, we have a catch-the-eye procedure. I will do my best, we have a, I will keep a political balance and and also give a priority for those colleagues who didn't speak on blue cards or so. We will start with Michał Szczerba.
Michał Szczerba
Panie Przewodniczący, Panie Przewodniczący Rady Europejskiej, Szanowni Państwo. Te najważniejsze decyzje za nami, ale chcemy bardzo wyraźnie potwierdzić to, co przekazywał polski premier po Radzie Europejskiej. Przede wszystkim solidarność, jedność i wsparcie dla Ukrainy, dla Ukrainy, która będzie mierzyła się z zimą, ale przede wszystkim będzie mierzyła się z solidarnością swoich sojuszników, czego przykłady, negatywne przykłady widzimy po drugiej stronie Atlantyku. Chcę bardzo wyraźnie powiedzieć, że trzeba potępiać rosyjską eskalację, będziemy to robić konsekwentnie, zwiększać presję na Rosję poprzez politykę sankcyjną, także wdrożenie środków dotyczących byłych rosyjskich żołnierzy. Zwalczanie floty cienia oraz zaostrzenie wymogów wizowych wobec obywateli Rosji.
Ale w tym wszystkim musimy myśleć o naszym bezpieczeństwie i gotowość obronna i ochronienie również środków na bezpieczeństwo i obronność będzie strategicznym celem. Dziękuję bardzo.
Estelle Ceulemans
Monsieur le Président. Alors que les mouvements sociaux secouent l'Europe, alors que nos jeunes sont dans la rue pour réclamer ce qui est de notre responsabilité, pouvoir étudier dans de bonnes conditions et se construire un avenir, alors que l'emploi et les salaires sont attaqués au profit des dividendes et des actionnaires, pas un mot dans les conclusions du Conseil sur la nécessité de maintenir et de créer des emplois de qualité. Pas un mot sur des salaires plus justes ou sur l'amélioration des conditions de travail dans un monde en pleine mutation. Rien sur la nécessité de garantir des budgets pour le Fonds social européen qui est notre investissement dans l'emploi, la formation et la lutte contre la pauvreté. Le bilan du Conseil européen est choquant.
L'agenda de la compétitivité de la Commission et son chapelet de dérégulation nous éloignent un peu plus chaque jour d'un projet européen qui réponde vraiment aux urgences et aux besoins des gens. Alors Monsieur le Président, mais surtout Madame von der Leyen qui nous a malheureusement déjà quittés, il n'y aura pas de projet européen durable si on ne remplace pas la boussole de la compétitivité et des profits par une vraie boussole sociale.
Elena Yoncheva
Dear colleagues, chers collègues, je vais parler en bulgare. Уважаеми господин Коща, Европейският съвет призна нападенията в изключителните икономически зони на България и Румъния за сериозни нарушения на международното право. Но къде са конкретните мерки, къде са конкретните мерки, господин Коща? Икономическите последствия за България и Румъния могат да бъдат опустошителни. Затова, първо, най-късно на следващия съвет през декември да се предложат конкретни мерки за засегнатите икономики на двете държави членки на Европейския съюз в западното Черно море, Черноморие, конкретни мерки за България и Румъния, господин Коща.
И второ, Европейският съвет трябва да създаде специална комисия, специална мисия за наблюдение на екологичните рискове и сигурността в Черно море. Опасността от плаващи мини и екологичната заплаха нарастват всеки ден. Не можем да чакаме катастрофа, за да започнем да действаме, господин Коща. Благодаря ви.
Sandro Gozi
Thank you, Chair. I think that the best part of this debate was the quote by Nicu Ștefănuță about Bob Marley. So I would like to contribute to the quality of this debate referring to a famous 80s band song, Simple Minds. They used to sing, I quote, "Europe has a problem, talk, talk, talk, talking on", unquote. Forty years later, Mr. President, the European Council has the same problem: too much talk, too little action.
Worse still, it promises a stronger Europe with less money. It praises Draghi, who calls for 800 billion euro in annual investment, and it fights over a seven-year budget of just 1.6 trillion. It calls for more efficiency, but defends national vetoes. It wants to enlarge the Union, and this is even worse, Mr. President, without bold institutional reforms. You cannot promise European power and refuse to build it.
Time to deliver. Thank you.
Thank you. Next speaker, Grzegorz Braun.
Grzegorz Braun
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm old enough to remember lengthy speeches of the Communist Soviet Party secretaries, so it gives me the strong déjà vu feeling listening to Madame Reichsführerin von der Leyen here today, because she's saying peace and at the same time she's a warmongerer. She's saying prosperity, good future, competitiveness, and in fact she brings Europe to the most horrific industrial, economical disaster in post-Second World War Europe. And so on and so on. But because comrades Stalin and Hitler are no longer around, this gives me hope that Madame von der Leyen's political activity will not last forever.
Roberts Zīle
Please use next time some comparisons which is those persons who are gave a crime in Nuremberg and so on. That's why you cannot make this comparison. But thank you very much for your view to discuss. Thank you. It's closed, your catch-the-eye point.
Next speaker, Loucas Fourlas. The blue card already, I announced the rules how I can do it. Loucas Fourlas is speaking next.
Loucas Fourlas
Thank you. Κύριε Πρόεδρε, θέλω να καταδικάσω έντονα την επικύρωση του παράνομου τουρκολιβυκού μνημονίου, η οποία παραβιάζει τα κυριαρχικά δικαιώματα της Ελλάδος, είναι άκυρο και ανυπόστατο. Χαιρετίζω την άμεση καταδίκη από τους θεσμούς μετά την κοινή δήλωση των αντιπροσωπειών Κύπρου και Ελλάδας στο Ευρωπαϊκό Λαϊκό Κόμμα, αλλά θέλω να σας πω με πολλή αγάπη ότι δεν αρκούν οι καταδίκες, χρειάζονται πλέον και πράξεις. Θέλω επίσης να ρωτήσω το εξής: προσπαθώ να καταλάβω γιατί η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση επιτρέπει στην Τουρκία να διοργανώνει συνέδρια στην Αττάλεια, ενώ δεν αναγνωρίζει ένα κράτος μέλος. Νιώθει καλά η ηγεσία της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης όταν πρέπει να παρέμβει με επιστολές και διαβήματα για να κληθεί ο Πρόεδρος της Κύπρου, ενός κράτους μέλους;
Νιώθουν καλά οι Ευρωπαίοι αξιωματούχοι όταν θα πάνε στην Αττάλεια και θα συναντήσουν εκεί τον εγκάθετο της Άγκυρας, τον οποίο ο Ερντογάν προσπαθεί να βάλει μέσα από την πίσω πόρτα; Αυτά είναι απαράδεκτα και καταδικαστέα. Ευχαριστώ πολύ.
Domnule comisar, domnule președinte Costa, am ascultat concluziile și, sincer, cred că sunt două lucruri paralele: unul ați declarat dumneavoastră aici și alta este realitatea. Și am să mă explic. Simplu fapt că doamna președintă a recunoscut greșelile și încearcă să corecteze acuma, cu regulamentul pe metan, cu autovehiculele electrice, ce înseamnă asta? Înseamnă că noi am suportat niște costuri. Dar cine a suportat costurile?
Cetățenii și întreprinzătorii. Vorbiți, domnule Costa și și doamna președintă, de competitivitate, că ne-am consolidat competitivitatea. Cum ne-am consolidat competitivitatea? Păi când noi folosim banii de la achiziții publice, dacă s-ar face un control, o verificare, veți vedea că majoritatea banilor europeni merg la achiziții publice în țările terțe. De ce?
Pentru că suntem dependenți de importuri. Și foarte bine că se modifică directiva pe achiziții într-un regulament, dar de opt ani am cerut. Un întreprinzător dacă nu ia măsuri imediate pierde banii din buzunar. Cine plătește costurile acestea? Vorbim de energie.
Ați spus avem, e declarat să avem prețuri mai mici. Cum avem prețuri mai mici?
Is it working? Thank you. First question: where is Ursula von der Leyen? She came here this morning, had a monologue, preached to us how a great job her Commission does, but now when we have to ask her directly, she ran away. She stated today and praised herself for deregulating and simplifying EU legislation.
And among many things, she mentioned that she is proposing right now the EU Public Procurement Act. Do you know how many pages that draft is? 200 pages. On top of it, there are 74 more pages of annexes. On top of these pages, there are 432 pages, I just want to quote to make sure that I'm precise, of impact assessment.
This is just one draft legislation proposed by Ursula von der Leyen. I'm asking all of you: is this simplification?
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much, colleague Terheș, you have to do it according the rules orally, not to using any kind of items, so just remind to you, next speaker Van Lanschot.
Reinier Van Lanschot
Thank you very much, Chair. Dear President Costa, dear colleagues. Hearing Trump praise Putin and seeing the pictures of Ukrainian children who died from Russian bombs after Starshield was cut off, it made me think of Dante's Inferno, where the deepest circle of hell is reserved for traitors, forever frozen in a lake of ice. But just one level above that circle and that lake of ice is the circle reserved for liars and hypocrites. Is that where we will end up?
Will we be the hypocrites condemning Trump for buying diesel while some far-right politicians want us to import more Russian gas? Or will we be liars for telling Ukraine we will support them as long as it takes? It depends on what we do now. And I say no, let's live up to our promise and increase our support for Ukraine. Ukraine has been going through hell.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much, colleague.
Thank you very much. And last speaker, last speaker, thank you very much on catch-the-eye will be Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Thank you so much, Mr. President. Querido y respetado presidente Costa. Sabemos que no es fácil, pero tiene usted autoridad y liderazgo sobrados para mover al Consejo en la dirección del Parlamento Europeo: recursos propios, porque sin ellos no hay apoyo a los valores, ni a la política social y regional, ni a la vivienda, ni a la solidaridad migratoria con España y con cualquier otro país con frontera exterior bajo presión. Pero tampoco habrá una Unión Europea de la defensa y la seguridad que sea relevante en el mundo. Por tanto, recursos propios para los criptoactivos, para el juego online, para las grandes empresas digitales, incluso para los beneficios caídos del cielo son la respuesta necesaria para que la Unión Europea responda a la frustración y a la cólera social que está sacudiendo Europa.
Es muchísimo lo que nos jugamos de la decisión del Consejo de aproximarse al Parlamento Europeo y confiamos plenamente en usted, presidente Costa.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you, colleagues. We are closing catch-the-eye procedure and now I would like to take floor for the Commission, Commissioner Šefčovič, floor is yours. Sorry, Commissioner, so I got, I heard you principle why you didn't get a catch-the-eye, you are not alone who didn't get a catch-the-eye. Thank you very much.
Maroš Šefčovič
Thank you very much, President, Mr. President of the European Council, honorable members, I have allocated time only for few telegraphic messages, but I would like to start by underscoring that some expressions mentioned in this house just few minutes ago are totally unacceptable and undignified for the democratic debate in this house. And I very much appreciate that you addressed them, Mr. President. Coming back to the debate, first and foremost, I would like to reassure this house that the Commission is using every opportunity for highlighting the need for multiannual financial framework that responds to the challenges of our time and responds to the expectations of our citizens. I mean, the whole debate today was about how much more it's important to do for Europe and Europeans. And it's very clear that we cannot do more with less and I think that this debate clearly pointed to the fact the expectation is that we have to do much more.
My second and the last point is to reassure you that we are already working very hard on delivering and we do our utmost to deliver most of it before the next December European Council to make sure that we would continue completing our single market, that we would diversify our supply chains, that we would build new trade partnership and reduce our dependencies. And of course, to implement what we jointly agreed upon, including to reinforce our internal and external security and continue to support Ukraine. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much, Commissioner, and now I would like to ask to take floor for President of European Council, Antonio Costa, floor is yours.
António Costa
Thank you, President, honorable members. Allow me to focus on two main issues. First of all, the cost of living is at the heart of European concerns. To tackle this concern, we need on the one hand to boost our competitiveness in order to sustain our social model, create quality jobs with better salaries and reduce inequalities.
At the same time, we need to address the costs of housing and energy. For the very first time, I brought housing to the European Council agenda of October last year. Since then, the Commission presented the European Affordable Housing Strategy, and now the European Parliament and the Council are discussing the Affordable Housing Act. And we need to act in order to ensure affordable housing for our citizens, especially for the young generations. Regarding energy, the European Council supported the Commission proposals for the short time and call for further measures.
But we need to focus on the deep roots of energy costs. We need to ensure our strategic autonomy based on homegrown sources, like renewables or nuclear. And we need to invest in our grids, extend interconnections, and discuss how to improve our electricity market. But we cannot ignore that the current crisis of energy comes beyond our borders, far beyond our borders. And to protect the European citizens, we need to have a Europe strong in the world, able to uphold international law against the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz or against the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Secondly, the European needs an European budget which reflects our political priorities, answer to our strategic challenges and to the citizens' expectations. Our Union doesn't add bureaucracy, but rather efficiency. The average of administrative costs in our member states is 40.1%, and the current budget proposal is close to 6%. A budget which respects the subsidiarity principle needs to support our farmers, our regions, our cities, namely to help funding their housing policies. And a budget that prioritizes investment where we have a clear added value, acting together.
In breakthrough technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum, energy storage. Investing in supporting a just and effective transition in energy and digital. In protecting our common external borders. In sharing solidarity in the face of dramatic natural events. In strengthen our collective defense to ensure peace in Europe.
António Costa
And yes, this means to support Ukraine, because Ukraine security is the frontline of our own security. We cannot afford to save our priorities. But we need to balance our ambitions with our capacity to fund them. We must keep national contributions at a reasonable level.
And for this, is essential to have a balanced, fair and effective package of new own resources. Europe needs reliability, predictability and stability. For this, we need to approve a new budget by the end of this year. Is the only way to have conditions to implement the new budget since the 1st of January 2028. That's why I will present a new detailed negotiation box to be negotiating in the extraordinary council of the 26 and 27 of November.
And to bring us closer to a landing zone, probably only in December. And I will start to work immediately with the European Commission and the member states and keep in close contact with the European Parliament rapporteur. The next European budget will have to be the basis of an alliance for the future. Thank you very much.
Speaker 170
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Colleagues, we are closing this point in agenda, the debate is closed and plenary will be started with a voting in a minute.
Okay, dear colleagues, we have a very long vote. Can I ask you to take your seats? Just after the vote, I will give the floor to three colleagues: Nicolas Bay, Sebastian Kruis and Daniele Polato. So stay in the room for that. Let's start.
Roberta Metsola
Final voting list of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2027, all sections. For adoption, I will go slowly until everybody puts in their voting card. The amendments require the votes of a majority of the component members of Parliament, which means we will need 360 votes for them to go through. Now we start. Revenue, block 1.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Heading 1, block 2.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Amendment 305.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 306.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 437.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Amendment 527.
Roberta Metsola
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Heading 2A, block 3.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Amendment 223.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 310.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 529.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 224.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 311.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 312.
313 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 530. Who is in favor?
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. Who is in favor? 316.
Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 227. Who is in favor?
Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 317 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 318. Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains?
Roberta Metsola
Rejected. 320 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Heading 2B block 4.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 528 amendment.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 624.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 628.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 629.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? 387. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? 226. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 638.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 450.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 642.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 232.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 644.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? 184. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 235.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 535.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 649.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 185.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 538.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 650.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? 455. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Heading 3 block 5. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 237.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 651.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? 239. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 240.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 456.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted. 459.
Roberta Metsola
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? 243. Adopted.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 244.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 245.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Rejected. 324 by roll-call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 657. Who is in favor? Who is against?
Who abstains? Adopted. 248. Who is in favor? Who is against?
Who abstains? Rejected.
Heading 4, block 6. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
659. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
250. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
660. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
661. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
252. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Roberta Metsola
253. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
330 by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 662.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Heading 5, block 7.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 663.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 254.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 255.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 333 by roll call.
Vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 353 by roll call. Vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 334. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 69. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Adopted. 336. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 337. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 338. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 339. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 340. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 341. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 342. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 343 by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 667. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Adopted. 345 by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
346. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
668. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
348. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
349 by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 669.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 351.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 352 by roll call.
Vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Heading 6, block 8. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 670. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 541. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 542. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 543. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 355. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 256. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 673. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 357. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 360 by roll call. Vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 415.
Roberta Metsola
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 547. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 548. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 549. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 550. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Heading 7, European Commission, block 9. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted 553.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 554. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 561. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 259. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 562. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 563.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 565. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 567. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 570. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 571. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 572.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 574. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 575. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 577. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 578. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 581.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 582. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 585. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected amendment 37. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Adopted 593. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Heading 7, European Parliament, block 10. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted amendment 296.
Roberta Metsola
By RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 606. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Adopted 299. By RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 213.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 214. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 215. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 216. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 217. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 218.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 220. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Heading 7, Council and European Council. We go straight to amendment 519.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 521. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 522. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 523. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 525. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Heading 7, Court of Justice of the European Union, block 12. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted amendment 262.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Heading 7, European Court of Auditors, block 13.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Heading 7, European Economic and Social Committee, block 14.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted amendment 264. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 594. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected 265. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 286. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
268. Who is in favor?
Roberta Metsola
Who is against? You're paying attention. Who is abstaining? Rejected. 269.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Heading 7, European Committee of the Regions, block 15.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 270.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 703.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. 276.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 277.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 278.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Heading 7, European Ombudsman, block 16.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Heading 7, European Data Protection Supervisor, block 17.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Amendment 281.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 283.
Roberta Metsola
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Heading 7, European External Action Service, block 18.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Amendment 284.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 286.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 288.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Rejected. 291. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 292. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Pilot projects and preparatory actions, block 19. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. I give the floor to the Council Presidency, Minister of State for Fisheries and Marine, Mr. Timmy Dooley.
Timmy Dooley
Thank you very much, Madam President. Honorable members, Commission, ladies and gentlemen. The European Parliament has just adopted amendments to the Council's position on the draft budget for the financial year 2027, and I take note of the differences in the positions of our two institutions concerning the draft budget 27 presented by the Commission. Consequently, in my capacity as President of the Council, I agree that the President of the European Parliament convenes the Conciliation Committee as required in point C of paragraph 4 of Article 314 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Minister Dooley. So I shall in fact convene the Conciliation Committee in accordance with Article 314 4 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Now we move to the report by Mr. Nils Ušakovs and Mr. Michalis Hadjipantela on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2027, all sections. Lots of roll calls. Amendment 2, vote is open by roll call.
Roberta Metsola
Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 3 by roll call, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
Amendment 4 by roll call, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 5 by roll call, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 22 by roll call, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 23.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 24 by roll call, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 25 by roll call, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 68 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
Amendment 26, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 112, who's in favor?
Who's against? Rejected. Who abstains? 69, who's in favor? Who's against?
Roberta Metsola
Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 70 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
Amendment 113 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 71 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 72 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 73, who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 114 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed.
Roberta Metsola
Rejected. 74 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 115 by ROKO vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 75 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
27 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 76, who's in favor? Who's against?
Rejected. Who abstains? 28, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected. 77 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 29 by ROKO vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 78, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected. Amendment 30 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 6, who's in favor?
Who's against? Rejected. Who abstains? Amendment 7, who's in favor? Who's against?
Rejected. Who abstains? Amendment 8 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
Amendment 9 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 10 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed.
Roberta Metsola
Rejected. Amendment 11 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 12 by ROKO vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 13 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
14 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 15 by ROKO vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 31 by ROKO vote is open.
Roberta Metsola
Vote is closed. Rejected 33 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 34 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected 108. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected 35 by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected 79 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 116 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected 36 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 80 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 37 by RCV, vote is open.
Roberta Metsola
Vote is closed. Rejected paragraph 15.f original text by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted paragraph 15.g original text by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted amendment 81 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 82 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 83 by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected 109. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected 117 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected paragraph 21.a original text by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted amendment 84 by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected 85 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 86. Who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected amendment 87 by RCV, vote is open. Amendment 87. Vote is closed.
Roberta Metsola
Rejected amendment 88 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 38. Who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected amendment 89 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 90 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected paragraph 22.a original text by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Adopted amendment 91 who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected amendment 16 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 110 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected 39 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 40 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 41 by roll call vote is open.
Roberta Metsola
Vote is closed. Rejected 42 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected amendment 43 who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected 17 who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected 18 who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected 19 who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected 20 who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected 21 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected 44 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 45 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 46 by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected 118 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected paragraph 27 point A original text by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted 92 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 93 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected 94 by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected, so I give the floor to Mr. Nicolas Bay to move an oral amendment to add a new paragraph after paragraph 27.
Nicolas Bay
Merci, Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, au nom du groupe ECR, je souhaite présenter un amendement oral visant à insérer après le paragraphe 27 un nouveau paragraphe 27 A ainsi libellé. Rappelle la position exprimée par le Parlement européen dans sa résolution du 8 octobre 2026 lors de la dernière plénière sur la nécessité pour l'Union de se doter d'une stratégie contre l'entrisme islamiste et l'influence du réseau des Frères musulmans dans laquelle il appelait la Commission à veiller à ce qu'aucun fonds de l'Union ne puisse parvenir ou bénéficier directement ou indirectement à des entités partenaires, contractants, sous-traitants, bénéficiaires effectifs, bénéficiaires finaux ou destinataires liés à des réseaux associés aux Frères musulmans. Appelle la Commission et les autres organes de l'Union à évaluer de manière proactive et à renforcer le contrôle du respect des valeurs de l'Union par les demandeurs et les bénéficiaires de fonds de l'Union, que ce soit au moyen de contrôles ex ante ou de l'exigence d'engagement écrit contraignant afin de détecter d'éventuels manquements.
Je vous remercie.
Merci Monsieur Bay. Is there any opposition to the oral amendment? Okay. There is enough opposition so the oral amendment cannot be taken. We move to the next vote.
Amendment 47 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 48 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 49 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 50 by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 95 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
119 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 96 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Roberta Metsola
Rejected. 120 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 51 by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 52 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
53 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 54 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 55 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 56, who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected.
57, who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected. 58, who's in favor, who's against, who abstains, rejected. 111 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
121 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 97 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 59 by RCV, vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 60 by RCV, vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 98 by RCV, vote is open.
Roberta Metsola
Vote is closed. Rejected. 61 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
62 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 63 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 64 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 65, who's in favor?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 66, who's in favor? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. 67, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?
Roberta Metsola
Rejected. 100 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 101 by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 102 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
103, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. 122 by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. 104 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
105 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. 106 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. 123, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Paragraph 49.C original text by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. 107 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Roberta Metsola
Rejected. Citation 3 original text by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. Citation 10 original text by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Adopted. Amendment 124 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
Amendment 1, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. We vote on the resolution as a whole by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Adopted. Congratulations to the rapporteurs. We move to the report by Mr Pasquale Tridico on the discharge 2024 EU general budget, European Council and Council. There is a decision to refuse the discharge.
We vote on the decision. Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? Adopted.
There is a motion for a resolution, amendment 2 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Paragraph 21, amendment 3 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Amendment 1 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. We vote on the original text by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Roberta Metsola
Adopted. We vote on resolution as a whole by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. We move to the report by Ms Lucia Yar on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Malta and Italy regarding storm Harry in January 2026 and to Portugal and Spain following the storms in January and February 2026.
We first start with amendment 1 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 3, who's in favour? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 4, who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains?
Rejected. Amendment 2 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 5, who's in favour?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 6, who's in favour? Who's against?
Who abstains? Rejected. We vote on resolution as a whole by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted.
We move to the report by Ms Aura Salla on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers, application for SLR Suomi and Helsinki-Uusimaa paper, Finland. Amendment 1, who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
Amendment 2, who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. Amendment 3, who's in favour?
Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected. We vote on resolution as a whole by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted. We now vote on the report by Mr Michael McNamara on the Pericles IV exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting 2028-2034. We first vote on the amendments by the committee responsible in a block, who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains?
Adopted. Amendment 3 in two parts, first part, who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
Second part by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. Amendment 7 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted. Amendment 14 in two parts, first part, who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.
Second part by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. We vote on the Commission proposal by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted. I give the floor now to the chair of the committee, Mr Javier Zarzalejos.
Javier Zarzalejos
Thank you, Madam President. Parliament has now adopted its amendments to the Commission proposal on the Pericles IV programme. So on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and pursuant to Rule 60 paragraph 4 Rules of Procedure, I request the matter be referred back to the committee responsible so that we can open interinstitutional negotiations with the Council on the basis of the text adopted by the Parliament. Thank you.
Roberta Metsola
Thank you very much, Mr Zarzalejos. So we will now vote on the referral back to committee. Who's in favour? Who's against? Who abstains?
It is adopted and therefore it is referred back for interinstitutional negotiations in accordance with Rule 60 paragraph 4. Now we vote on the report by Ms Li Andersson on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States. We start with a block vote of the amendment by the committee responsible. Who's in favour? Who's against?
Who abstains? Adopted. Amendment 5 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted.
Amendment 16 by roll-call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted.
Roberta Metsola
Amendment 17 in three parts, all by roll call. First part vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. Second part by roll call vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. Third part by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected.
Amendment 18 in two parts, both by roll call. First part vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted. Second part vote is open.
Vote is closed. Adopted. Amendment 29 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted.
Amendment 38. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Rejected.
39 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 12 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted. Amendment 14 by roll call vote is open. Amendment 34 as well? Yes. We vote for an amendment 34 as well by roll call vote is open.
I understand. Same here. I understand. Vote is closed. Sorry.
Okay, hold on. We vote on amendment 34 again. Again on 34. Vote is closed. And it is rejected.
So we now vote on amendment 14 by roll call vote is open. 14, 1-4. Vote is closed. Adopted. So 35 falls.
Amendment 40, 4-0, by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. And it is rejected. So we vote on amendment 22 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted. Amendment 36 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. Rejected. Amendment 26.
Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. Therefore 37 falls.
Roberta Metsola
So we vote now on amendment 41 by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed. And it is rejected. We vote on the commission proposal by roll call vote is open. Vote is closed.
Adopted.
Now we vote on the report by Mr. Nicola Zingaretti on a new co-ownership for the future of Euro-Mediterranean relations, the Pact for the Mediterranean. First I give the floor to Mr. Nacho Sánchez Amor.
Nacho Sánchez Amor
Thank you, Chair. And on behalf of my group, pursuant to Rule 206, I would like to request the postponement of the vote on this AFET own-initiative report, the Pact of the Mediterranean. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Sánchez Amor. So in accordance with Rule 206, there is a request for adjournment. I put this procedural motion on behalf of the S&D Group to the vote. Who is in favor? Who is against?
To abstain? Okay, there is a majority, so the vote is adjourned. So we go to the report by Ms. Brigitte van den Berg on boosting skills in the Union: opportunities for vocational education and training in times of transition. Amendment 1 by roll call. Vote is open.
Vote is closed. Rejected. Paragraph 29, Amendment 2 by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed.
Rejected. So we vote on the original text in three parts. First part, who's in favor? Who's against? To abstain?
Roberta Metsola
Second part, who's in favor? Adopted. Who's against? Hold on, we check this second part. Vote is closed.
It is rejected, therefore the third part falls. We vote on the resolution as a whole by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed. Adopted.
We move to the final vote: objection, genetically modified soybean. Amendment 2, who's in favor? Who's against? To abstain? Check.
Last one. Vote is closed. Okay, it's clear. Rejected. Amendment 1, who's in favor?
Who's against? To abstain? Let's check again. Vote is closed. Rejected.
So we vote on resolution as a whole by roll call. Vote is open. Vote is closed. Okay, and it's adopted. I give the floor to Mr. Nicolas Bay for the point of order.
We have a couple of points of orders, please.
Nicolas Bay
Merci, Madame la Présidente. Mon rappel au règlement se fonde sur l'article 22 de notre règlement intérieur qui dispose, je cite, que le président de séance ne peut prendre la parole dans un débat que pour présenter l'état de la question et y ramener. Lundi soir, lors du débat sur les violences en France, en Belgique et en Italie, la présidente de séance, Madame Katarina Barley, s'est permise de m'interrompre en plein milieu de mon intervention et a multiplié ensuite les commentaires désobligeants contre d'autres collègues, Fabrice Leggeri et Petra Steger. Les présidents de séance doivent s'astreindre à une stricte neutralité politique et ne pas interférer dans les débats. Madame Barley s'est totalement écartée de son rôle de présidente de séance et elle a nui ainsi à la fonction qu'elle occupe et au prestige de notre institution.
Donc je vous demande, Madame la Présidente, de rappeler Madame Barley à l'ordre et de ne plus lui confier de présidence de séance si elle n'est pas capable d'exercer correctement cette fonction. Je vous remercie.
Thank you very much.
Vice-President Barley, you have the floor.
Yes, thank you very much, President. I have to say I didn't understand everything that was said because it was very loud here. But I have to say...
Katarina Barley
So, I didn't get everything that was said, but apparently it was an attack on my presidency, me presiding yesterday, I think it was, in the discussion on the riots in France, Belgium, and Italy. I have to say in the first place that this was actually an example for a very good debate. For a very heated topic, it was emotional, it was controversial, but it was by far most of the time very respectful. And I want to thank the colleagues. It was also with a lot of blue cards, it was a real discussion.
So thank you for that. I think it's obvious with a heated topic like that that there were, I think it was three words or notions that I referred back to the President to check it. And the one that Mr. Bay himself, who is leaving now, used is in German... Look, I couldn't speak half of the time because people were so... Okay.
So the word that Mr. Bay used in German translation was the word "Abschaum". I don't know what it is in French, I don't know if it's okay in French, but in German, this is a word that dehumanizes people. And this is against the rules of procedure, paragraph 10. So this is what I did. The President will decide, and this is how we do it.
I think it's a totally normal procedure. Thank you.
We will look into two things: one, what was said in the original language and what was interpreted. But once again, I also ask all colleagues to really respect each other when we use what kind of language and how we debate in this chamber. Now, I give the floor next to Mr. Sebastian Kruis.
Sebastian Kruis
Yes, thank you very much, Madam President. I raise a point on the Article 6.10. It's regarding safety and dignity in this Parliament. Yesterday, we saw this house being chaired by a Vice-President of this Parliament which belongs to La France Insoumise, a party that has incited a far-left gang-combined violent crackdown on the French Republic. I'm sick and tired in this house of hearing repeated speeches about the dignity of this house while someone who represents a party that undermines democratic institutions is permitted to preside over its procedures.
During the previous Strasbourg session, we also witnessed one of his colleagues, Rima Hassan, a convicted Hamas-loving Nazi sympathizer, violently vandalizing an exhibition about Israel in this Parliament. Where is the red line? Where's the minimum standard we are supposed to uphold? How can this house maintain a cordon sanitaire against certain political groups while allowing representatives of the extreme left to preside over Parliament despite the serious concerns surrounding their conduct? I will not accept the normalization of the far left in this house because many people feel unsafe about it, and I want direct and concrete measures against happening this again, that the far left here is chairing this.
Roberta Metsola
Can I please recall to the colleague that the Vice-Chair you refer to was elected by this plenary?
And I can tell you that I have full support and respect for all the vice chairs of this house. Now, I give the floor finally to Mr. Daniele Polato.
Prego.
Daniele Polato
Grazie, grazie Presidente. Colleghi, abbiamo ancora negli occhi i danni causati nelle nostre città da violenti episodi criminali con la scusa delle proteste. Emblematico è il caso della città francese di Limoges, dove il campanile municipale è crollato a causa di un incendio appiccato da manifestanti. Il crollo del municipio è il crollo dell'Europa sotto il peso insostenibile dell'assismo, tolleranza e compiacenza nei confronti di chi vuole danneggiare le nostre società seminando odio e violenza. Vedere la torre del comune cadere nel fuoco è colpire al cuore la nostra democrazia europea.
È colpire le nostre radici, le nostre comunità locali. L'ECR ha proposto di donare una diaria giornaliera parlamentare al comune di Limoges. Proponiamo quindi a tutti i colleghi parlamentari di donare una diaria al comune di Limoges. Nelle prossime ore tutti i colleghi riceveranno una mail con cui verrà chiesto di aderire a questa iniziativa trasversale per dare un segnale forte contro il disordine e la violenza che sta colpendo la nostra Europa. Grazie.
Speaker 185
Grazie onorevole Polato. Okay, now we go to the next item. And we can start our debate. The minutes of yesterday's sitting and the texts adopted are available. If you don't have any comment, we can approve these minutes.
Javi López
And then we are moving to the topical debate that is the next item on the agenda requested by a political group, in this case is the EPP under the rule 169, cutting costs and unnecessary reporting obligations, now concrete next steps to deliver swift relief for EU's entrepreneurs.
I would like to inform members that for this debate there is no catch-the-eye, as you know, procedure and that no blue cards will be accepted. And the next and first speaker of the debate is Mrs. Walsmann, author of the topical debate, for four minutes.
Marion Walsmann
Sehr geehrter Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, beim Handelstag der österreichischen Wirtschaftskammer hat mir ein Unternehmer zwei Blätter überreicht. Darauf stand, welche neuen EU-Vorgaben er allein in 2026 umsetzen muss, hier zu sehen. Für uns sind das vielleicht nur einzelne Vorschriften, für ihn ist es die Summe dessen, was sein Unternehmen mit viel Aufwand zu erfüllen hat. Und genau diese Gesamtbelastung bringt keine Wertschöpfung. Wer Bürokratieabbau verspricht, muss mehr liefern als bloß die nächste Ankündigung.
Dank der EVP ist einiges in Bewegung. Mit dem Nachhaltigkeits-Omnibus entlasten wir KMU-Zulieferer von unverhältnismäßigen Berichtspflichten. Mit dem Omnibus 4 schaffen wir die Kategorie der Small Mid-Caps mit bis zu 1000 Beschäftigten, damit wachsende Unternehmen nicht schlagartig sämtliche für KMU vorgesehenen Erleichterungen verlieren. Mit dem Umwelt-Omnibus wollen wir Genehmigungen beschleunigen, zentrale Anlaufstellen schaffen und doppelte Dokumentationspflichten abschaffen. Gestern haben wir zudem für die Aussetzung unnötiger Bevollmächtigtenpflichten für Verpackungen und Batterien gestimmt.
Aber das alles reicht nicht. Die laufenden Omnibus-Verhandlungen und Gesetzesüberprüfungen müssen ambitioniert zur Entlastung genutzt werden. Im nächsten Arbeitsprogramm brauchen wir klarere Entscheidungen und Erleichterungen, insbesondere im Energie- und Wasserrecht. Und wir müssen Sorgfaltspflichten aus unterschiedlichen Rechtsakten endlich zusammenführen und aufeinander abstimmen. Von dem Lieferkettengesetz über Konfliktmineralien bis hin zur Batterieverordnung.
Schluss damit, dass Unternehmen mehrfach dieselben Nachweise erbringen müssen. Mit der EU-Inc könnten wir digitale Unternehmensgründung binnen 48 Stunden für unter 100 Euro ermöglichen. Gut, dass die politische Mitte um einen Kompromiss ringt, aber am Ende muss ein schlankes, praxistaugliches Instrument stehen, das Start-ups und Scale-ups auch tatsächlich nutzen und mit dem sie auch wirklich wachsen können. Auch Vergaben müssen KMU-freundlicher werden, Thema Losgrößen, weniger Mehrfachnachweise, damit auch kleine Unternehmen von öffentlichen Aufträgen profitieren können. Und der nationale Reflex zur Übererfüllung europäischer Regelungen muss eingehegt werden.
Und deshalb begrüße ich ausdrücklich den angekündigten Pakt gegen das unselige Gold-Plating. Aber lassen Sie uns auch vor der eigenen Haustür kehren. Wie können Abläufe verbessert werden? Warum nicht mit einer fraktions- und ausschussübergreifenden Arbeitsgruppe, die wesentliche Änderungen im Gesetzgebungsverfahren knallhart auf ihre tatsächlichen Auswirkungen für Unternehmen prüft? Und hier ist sehr zu begrüßen, dass Unternehmen und Behörden schon bald von einem konkreten Entlastungsinstrument profitieren können.
Es ist positiv, und ich kann das als Schattenberichterstatterin für die EVP sagen, dass die European Business Wallets bei Unternehmen künftig Identitätsdaten, Genehmigungen und Zertifikate möglich machen, digital zu hinterlegen, europaweit wiederverwendbar, elektronisch signierbar und sicher, um mit den Behörden kommunizieren zu können. Und das ist im Geiste der geplanten Once-Only-Initiative: Statt pauschal Berichtspflichten auszusetzen, Informationen tatsächlich nur einmal übermitteln. Und auch KI kann und sollte dabei helfen, Verwaltungsprozesse zu automatisieren. Die Trilogverhandlungen zum European Business Wallet laufen, aber ich sage auch: Digitalisierung darf keine neuen Pflichten schaffen. Aus fünf Papierformularen dürfen nicht fünf digitale Portale werden.
Diese zwei Blätter, die ich Ihnen am Anfang gezeigt habe vom Handelsblatt, zeigen schwarz auf weiß, wo das Problem liegt. Messen wir unsere Arbeit deshalb nicht an der Zahl der Gesetze und Erleichterungen, die wir ankündigen, sondern daran, ob diese zwei Blätter im kommenden Jahr kürzer werden oder im Papierkorb landen. Vielen Dank.
Speaker 187
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Dooley, representing the European Council.
Timmy Dooley
President, honorable members, Commissioner, it's a pleasure to be with you today. Could I begin by congratulating the recently re-elected and elected presidents and vice-presidents to the three groups of Renew, EPP, and S&D, and wish you well in your term ahead. In 2025, the European Council decided to mark a step change in the EU action to boost competitiveness and agreed to give priority to simplification and by reducing regulatory and administrative burdens to unlock necessary investment in the EU economy. In March of the same year and in subsequent meetings, leaders have called for action at all levels, EU, national, and regional, to ensure a clear, smart, and innovative-friendly regulatory framework and to drastically reduce, as a matter of urgency, administrative, regulatory, and reporting burdens for business and indeed public administrations, all of this, of course, while ensuring the integrity of the single market, something we hold dearly. In line with the leaders' call, the Council quickly began its work on the various simplification packages, coordinating the efforts across policy areas, with the General Affairs Council playing an important role in monitoring progress.
On six of these packages, together with European Parliament, we've given proof of our joint resolve and readiness to quickly achieve a smarter and more coherent regulatory framework. Many of these packages are already published and in force, and a few of them are in the last phase of finalization. So as regards the remaining packages, we remain fully committed to the ambitious objectives and timelines agreed by each of the institutions in One Europe, One Market roadmap, with a view to providing European business, in particular SMEs, which were mentioned by the author and promoter of this topical issue, and citizens with meaningful simplification benefits and tangible cost savings. Each institution has a role to play in ensuring we reach these targets and deliver on the promise of the One Europe, One Market roadmap. We must ensure that where agreement is possible on technical aspects, this should allow work to move forward without waiting for wider policy discussions to be resolved.
And in the spirit, the Irish presidency is committed to advancing quickly and inter-institutional negotiations on the remaining omnibus packages as soon as the European Parliament position or positions have been set. We're very conscious that the end-of-the-year deadline of agreeing on the digital, environmental, and automotive, and indeed the food and feed safety packages is fast approaching.
And I would call on the European Parliament to work together with the Council for a common endeavor to avoid unnecessary bureaucratic burdens in EU legal acts, as recalled by leaders last week. And at the same time, let me also recall that any new initiative has to be based on an in-depth regulatory review of the EU acquis to eliminate outdated provisions, inconsistencies and indeed redundancies. The key concept here is simplicity by design. Let me finally recall that our ultimate goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of the European economy and to ensure that proper functioning of the single market while preserving the EU's high standards of social, consumer and environmental protection. Thank you very much.
Javi López
Thank you very much. And the next speaker is Commissioner Serafin, representing the European Commission.
Piotr Serafin
Mr. President, honorable members, dear Minister. The debate today is about a very simple question: is Europe doing enough to make life easier for those who create jobs, invest, innovate and grow our economy? For many, too many companies, the answer is that they expect more. They still spend too much time navigating complex rules, filling in forms and meeting overlapping reporting requirements that do little to help them grow, hire or compete. And nowhere is this more important than for SMEs.
For them, excessive reporting means lost time and money. This is true for all red tape that holds Europe back and undermines our competitiveness. The Commission has therefore implemented an approach covering all administrative costs and changing the way we legislate. We implement right now the simplicity by design. That includes, first, legislation that implements the once-only principle.
Before asking companies to provide any additional information or documents, we first check whether we already have them. Second, regulatory discipline. We introduce reporting requirements only when they are strictly necessary, and we will act at EU level only where justified in line with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Cutting administrative burdens and reporting requirements is a clear priority across the whole college. Each Commissioner has been asked to contribute to this exercise.
Our aim is clear: to remove unnecessary complexity from existing EU rules and ensure that new requirements are justified. Since the start of its mandate, the Commission has proposed measures that could save 22.3 billion euro in administrative costs every year, provided that co-legislators maintain the level of ambition present in Commission's proposal. That matters: every euro saved in paperwork is also a euro that can be used towards more investment, innovation, wages or growth. But we cannot achieve progress alone. The Commission is accelerating its efforts, but real change requires all institutions to pull in the same direction.
Furthermore, national and regional authorities must also play their part, because a rule agreed at European level should not become more complex when transposed or implemented in the Member State. That is why the President of the Commission has proposed a pact against gold-plating. The aim is to increase transparency and limit unnecessary national additions that create complexity and fragment the single market, while safeguarding rights and protections. This Commission will continue to simplify EU rules and deepen the single market because both are essential to Europe's prosperity and competitiveness. Thank you.
Javi López
Thank you very much, Commissioner. And the next speaker is Mrs. Gasiuk-Pihowicz for one minute and a half, representing the EPP Group.
Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz
Dziękuję bardzo panie przewodniczący, panie komisarzu. To było sto stron. Dokładnie sto stron tyle nowego prawa przybywało w Polsce każdego dnia w 2016 roku, także w niedzielę i to był absolutny rekord w historii. Geniusz tego rekordu rząd PiS, czyli dokładnie ci sami ludzie, którzy dzisiaj tu na tej sali straszą brukselską biurokracją. A potem jeszcze rewolucja podatkowa, którą nazwali Polskim Ładem.
I kto za to zapłacił? Księgowe, które siedziały nocami, dwa miliony trzysta tysięcy mikrofirm, bo te firmy nie miały specjalnych działów. Ci ludzie musieli marnować wieczory po pracy. I dzisiaj w Polsce my robimy dokładnie odwrotnie. 354 propozycje przedsiębiorców dotyczące deregulacji właśnie wdrażane przez nasz rząd.
Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz
Kontrole w mikrofirmach skrócone z 12 dni do 6, dokładnie o połowę. I reguła wpisana do prawa: dodajesz nowy obowiązek, szukasz starego do skreślenia. I Europa dzisiaj stoi dokładnie przed tym samym wyborem. Na stole leży 150 miliardów euro rocznie, bo tyle właśnie kosztuje nas biurokracja. I niestety potężne unijne regulacje przed nami, dotyczące przemysłu, zamówień publicznych, dotyczące chmury.
Nie róbmy Europie tego, co PiS zrobił w Polsce. Bo jak przedsiębiorcy będą mieli się w tym odnaleźć? Pytajmy firmę raz, skreślajmy zanim dopiszemy. Polska pokazała, że się da i teraz kolej na Europę.
Gabriele Bischoff
Spannende Debatte, zur Wahrheit gehört auch, dass es hier zwei Camps gibt. Die einen, die nutzen die Debatte um Vereinfachung um als Trojanisches Pferd um dadurch eben Rechte abzubauen. Ein gutes Beispiel ist der Omnibus 1, aber auch im Moment so wie der Vorschlag ist zur EU-INC geht zu Lasten von Arbeitnehmer- und Sozialrechten. Da sprechen wir uns dagegen aus. Aber es gibt auch gute Beispiele, weil es hier ein zweites Camp im Haus gibt, das möchte vereinfachen, aber das nicht als Attacke auf Verbraucher oder eben Arbeitnehmerrechte nutzen.
Gute Beispiele sind zum Beispiel die Reform der 883, die wir gerade gemacht haben, da war ich selber Berichterstatterin oder gestern haben wir zur E-Declaration abgestimmt. Man kann hier vereinfachen ohne soziale Rechte zu attackieren. Deshalb hören Sie auf Diskurse vorzuschieben, wo Sie sagen, da steht nur die Vereinfachung drin, aber in der Realität nutzen die das um Verbraucherrechte abzubauen, um Arbeitnehmerrechte abzubauen und Soziales einzuschränken. Und ich bin Frau von der Leyen dankbar, dass sie letzte Woche klargestellt hat: Gold-Plating kann es im sozialen Bereich gar nicht geben, weil es Mindeststandards sind. Hier brauchen wir Klarheit und eine echte Debatte um Alternativen.
Speaker 192
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. Latinopoulou for one minute and a half.
Afroditi Latinopoulou
Οι μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις είναι το 90% των επιχειρήσεων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και το 99% των επιχειρήσεων της Ελλάδας.
Είναι αυτές που δίνουν οξυγόνο και ζωή στις χώρες μας. Είναι οι άνθρωποι που ματώνοντας καθημερινά προσπαθούν κόντρα σε όλα να επιβιώσουν σε αυτό το ασφυκτικό περιβάλλον που εσείς έχετε διαμορφώσει. Είναι οι οικογενειακές επιχειρήσεις που τόσο πολύ μισείτε. Είναι ο φούρναρης, ο μανάβης, ο κρεοπώλης, ο ψαράς, η ταβέρνα, το καφέ, το ζαχαροπλαστείο, το φαρμακείο και το κομμωτήριο της γειτονιάς μας. Γιατί σαν να σας έχουν κάνει κάτι κακό, εσείς με κάθε τρόπο προσπαθείτε να τους εξοντώσετε και μαζί με αυτούς και τους εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες εργαζόμενους τους που βιοπορίζονται από τις μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις.
Οι σοσιαλιστικές οικονομικές πολιτικές σας, η πανάκριβη πράσινη ενέργεια, η εξοντωτική φορολογία, η ατελείωτη γραφειοκρατία και οι διαρκείς νομοθετικές αλλαγές που δημιουργούν ανασφάλεια και αστάθεια είναι ακριβώς όσα στραγγαλίζουν τη μικρομεσαία επιχειρηματικότητα. Και όλα αυτά τα κάνετε εσείς για να τους οδηγήσετε στο λουκέτο προς όφελος των μεγάλων πολυεθνικών. Από πότε λοιπόν εμπιστευόμαστε τον εμπρηστή να σβήσει τη φωτιά και να ξαναχτίσει το σπίτι που ο ίδιος έκαψε; Θα τρελαθούμε εντελώς εδώ μέσα. Μειώστε τη γραφειοκρατία, μειώστε τη φορολογία τώρα, μήπως και καταφέρουμε να σώσουμε κάτι.
Ας το καταλάβουμε επιτέλους, ο σοσιαλισμός σκοτώνει τη μικρομεσαία επιχειρηματικότητα, σκοτώνει εμάς.
Mario Mantovani
Grazie Presidente, Commissario, Ministro, colleghi. Omnibus 1 ha liberato nove imprese su dieci da obblighi di rendicontazione inutili, un inizio importante. Eppure, secondo il Consiglio, le proposte oggi al negoziato costerebbero alle imprese 1,5 miliardi l'anno di nuovi costi burocratici, fino a 26 miliardi per l'adeguamento. Sono più di tutti i risparmi promessi da Omnibus. E il peso dello sciagurato Green Deal è sempre lì.
Per il 64% delle proposte manca una stima d'impatto sulle imprese, non si sono fatti i conti. Ogni legge dovrebbe essere misurata prima sui costi per le piccole e medie imprese, se sono inutili va cambiata. Serve una moratoria immediata sui nuovi oneri e corsie preferenziali per la semplificazione. Serve un anno senza nuove norme per cambiare quelle esistenti, trasformandole da ostacolo in leva per la crescita. Grazie.
Morten Løkkegaard
Commissioner, kære kollegaer i Rådet. Det er lidt trist, at vi hver gang vi har den her debat skal starte med at fastslå, at vi befinder os i hver vores skyttegrav. Jeg lyttede med interesse til min socialdemokratiske kollega, som siger, at det her bliver en leg om at fjerne sociale rettigheder. Det er jo ikke det, det drejer sig om overhovedet, og det har det ikke været på noget tidspunkt. Så skulle vi ikke prøve at komme væk fra det og gå ind i en mere konstruktiv debat, som handler om, hvordan vi rent faktisk kommer af med det, som er til besvær.
Det kunne for eksempel være unødvendige rapporteringskrav i bæredygtighedslovgivningen. Det kunne være overlappende krav i GDPR, Data Act, i det hele taget den digitale lovgivning. Væk med den unødige dokumentation i AI Act. Væk med de bureaukratiske byrder i taksonomien. Væk med de 27 forskellige tolkninger af de samme nationale regler, europæiske regler, undskyld.
Morten Løkkegaard
Væk med papirarbejde, dobbeltkontroller og formularer, som ingen længere kan se det klare formål med. Det synes jeg, vi burde kunne blive enige om. Og jeg noterer mig med tilfredshed, at von der Leyen i sin State of the Union-tale talte om gold-plating og tog det op som et tema. Det bør vi da i hvert fald kunne blive enige om, også selvom det ikke er noget, der direkte har med os at gøre her i huset, men har noget at gøre med medlemsstaterne.
Men det er et godt sted at tage fat, og jeg hilser med tilfredshed på min gruppes vegne, at von der Leyen foreslår en pagt omkring det her med gold-plating. Jeg synes, vi skal tage meget heftigere fat dér. Det har jeg også foreslået flere gange. Jeg synes, man skal kigge på, hvordan man kan presse medlemsstaterne til at leve op til de forpligtelser, som de jo siger ved enhver given lejlighed, at de gerne vil leve op til. Der er en kæmpe black box mellem regeringschefniveauet og så de relevante ministre, som man sender afsted til Bruxelles, når det handler om at leve op til det her spørgsmål om at gøre noget ved gold-plating.
Så lad os nu starte dér, og lad os blive enige om både fra venstre og højre, at det er et sted, det helt rigtige sted at starte. Tak for ordet.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Tegethoff for one minute representing Greens group.
A potter in Estonia sells a few mugs a month to Italy and Germany. Because of the new packaging rules, the paperwork now costs more than the mugs itself. The businesses who built the single market, one parcel at a time, are now considering whether to stop selling abroad because they just can't afford it anymore. The principle is right. If you put packaging on the market, you pay to recycle it.
But making the smallest businesses pay representatives in every single country they ship to makes a mockery of the system. The Commission wanted to lift this requirement for everyone, including Shein, Temu, Amazon. That's just a gift to companies that never needed it. We need relief for micro and small businesses and keep the rules unchanged for the giants. One EU-wide registration point as the lasting fix.
Kai Tegethoff
Christmas is just weeks away. Member states, stop stalling, fix this now.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Saeidi for one minute representing the Left.
Arash Saeidi
Mes chers collègues, EU-Inc était censé nous permettre de rattraper le retard des entreprises européennes en matière d'innovation et de technologie. Mais alors, si c'est cela, pourquoi EU-Inc est destiné à toutes les entreprises européennes et pas seulement aux start-ups ? Au final, ce retard technologique, en réalité, il est dû au fait que nos entreprises européennes investissent beaucoup moins dans la recherche, payent moins bien leurs ingénieurs et distribuent beaucoup plus de dividendes à leurs actionnaires que les entreprises étasuniennes et chinoises. Alors EU-Inc va servir à quoi en réalité ? EU-Inc va permettre à toutes les entreprises européennes, je dis bien toutes, de pouvoir s'installer n'importe où, choisir leur régime fiscal, choisir où elles payent ou ne payent pas leurs cotisations sociales et choisir le droit du travail qui va s'appliquer en décorrélation totale de leur véritable lieu d'installation, de leur véritable lieu d'activité et de là où elles font travailler leurs salariés et de là où elles réalisent leur chiffre d'affaires.
EU-Inc, c'est une attaque frontale pour le modèle social européen. Je vous remercie.
Siegbert Frank Droese
Werte Kollegen, seit Jahren, eigentlich Jahrzehnten hören wir aus Brüssel dieselben Versprechen: weniger Bürokratie, weniger Berichtspflichten, weniger irgendwas. Und heute diskutieren wir hier schon wieder darüber, wie wir Bürokratie abbauen, die die Kommission ständig auf- und ausbaut. Unternehmen brauchen keine neuen Aktionspläne, keine Omnibuspakete und keine weiteren Absichtserklärungen. Sie brauchen endlich spürbare Entlastung und sie brauchen die Luft zum Atmen. Deshalb muss es glasklar heißen: erstens, überflüssige Berichts- und Dokumentationspflichten streichen statt nur umzubenennen.
Zweitens, keine neuen EU-Regulierungen. Und drittens, Schluss mit immer neuen Belastungen im Namen des Klimawahns. Frau Walsmann von der CDU, schön, dass Sie mit den Unternehmern gesprochen haben, aber Ihre EVP hat hier die allermeisten dieser Vorschriften selbst mitgetragen. So viel gehört eben zur Ehrlichkeit auch dazu. Und daher, liebe EVP-Kollegen, wer es mit der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ernst meint, muss also sich einmal ehrlich machen.
Meine Damen und Herren, weniger Brüssel, weniger EU-Kommission bedeutet heute mehr Freiheit für unsere heimische Wirtschaft. Die Rückkehr zu einem prosperierenden Europa wird es daher, was Deutschland betrifft, nur mit der Alternative für Deutschland in Verantwortung geben. Vielen Dank.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Warborn for one minute and a half.
Jörgen Warborn
Thank you very much, President, Minister, Commissioner. Let me start off by actually thanking the Commission for your hard work when it comes to reducing the regulatory burden. I think the packages you have presented so far, the omnibus packages, is a great step in the right direction. I'd like to ask you a question today, and that is when will you start using the one-in-two-out principle? And I'm saying this because we of course now have the one-in-one-out principle, but we need the one-in-two-out principle.
And colleagues know this, but maybe someone that is looking to this doesn't know about this principle. But it actually means that for each euro you're adding cost for businesses with a piece of legislation, the Commission today commits to deduct that euro, one-in-one-out. And that is perfect. That's a very good principle because it keeps, it's like a break from Brussels now. There is no administrative burden added from Brussels since this principle started to be used.
I think it was in 2022. But of course one-in-one-out means the same, and we need to reduce the regulatory burden for businesses. And that's why this House, with a majority in February, I think it was, passed the one-in-two-out principle. For each euro you add, you deduct two. And that's I'm saying, this Parliament with a majority passed it.
Now it's up to the Commission to use it. So when will we have the one-in-two-out principle? Thank you.
Christophe Clergeau
Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire, stoppons les omnibus. Les omnibus n'ont rien à voir avec la simplification. Ce sont des outils de dérégulation qui s'attaquent aux droits des travailleurs, qui s'attaquent à la protection de la santé et de l'environnement. Certains, comme l'omnibus sur les produits chimiques ou comme l'omnibus sur les pesticides, sont tellement absurdes et dangereux que c'est le Conseil lui-même qui vous a contredit et désavoué et qui a réduit considérablement leur périmètre. Je crois que le coût aujourd'hui de bazar administratif dans notre vie collective et le coût pour l'environnement et la santé des omnibus est beaucoup plus élevé que leur bénéfice pour les entreprises.
Alors si vous voulez vraiment simplifier la vie des entreprises, eh bien oui, concentrez-vous sur la simplification des procédures pour les PME, concentrez-vous sur la lutte contre la surtransposition des normes et concentrez-vous sur l'achèvement du marché intérieur, cette vraie simplification européenne qui est la demande de toutes les entreprises en Europe. Donc stoppez les omnibus et commencez la vraie simplification. Merci.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. Nagyová for one minute and a half.
Vážení kolegové, vážený pane komisaři. Představte si malého podnikatele, který přijde po práci domů a do půlnoci ještě sedí a vyplňuje formuláře. A nebo lékaře, který ve dvanáct zavře ordinaci a do pěti ještě vyplňuje, plní administrativu. V té době oni nevyrábějí, neinovují, nevytváří pracovní místa, neléčí.
A pak se divíme, že nejsme konkurenceschopní, když takhle mrháme lidským potenciálem. Již v roce 2016 16 % malých a středních podniků označilo administrativu za svůj největší problém. V roce 2025 to bylo 64 %. Lidi, však to je neuvěřitelné. Prostě v praxi se tato zátěž stále zvyšuje.
Jana Nagyová
A co nezvládneme my v Evropském parlamentu, to zvládne Evropská komise svými delegovanými a implementovanými akty, a nebo členské státy. My klasika, a že nekecám, to nekecám, protože vezměte si jenom PPWR, jo, nařízení o obalech, to je noční můra podnikatelů, zejména malých a středních, od srpna tohoto roku. Co se vezme, nebo další příklad si vezmeme, Performance Regulation, jo, výkonnostní rámec. Původně to mělo zjednodušit, ano, myšlenka dobrá, jenomže v konečném důsledku to vypadá tak, že se zjednodušuje pouze práce pro Evropskou komisi, ale pro členské státy a koncové příjemce ten objem narůstá. Takže klasika, zrušíme jeden formulář, vzniknou dva nové, jeden, který potvrdí zrušení předchozího, a druhý, který zkontroluje ten první.
Taková trošku Hlava 22. Nicméně když slyším kolegy, jo, tak vidím dobrou vůli věci změnit, takže držím palce, snad to vyjde. Udělám maximum pro to, aby se to všecko zlepšilo. Tak děkuji.
Kosma Złotowski
Panie komisarzu, szanowni państwo. Kiedy mówiliśmy: nie dokładajmy przedsiębiorcom obciążeń, dajmy im swobodę, Komisja Europejska wspierana przez większość w tym parlamencie robiła dokładnie odwrotnie: tworzyła kolejne przepisy i nakładała nowe obowiązki. Kiedy ostrzegaliśmy, że Zielony Ład oznacza wyższe koszty, wzrost cen, a nawet ryzyko bankructw, Komisja i parlamentarna większość konsekwentnie forsowały kolejne regulacje. A my słyszeliśmy, że jesteśmy skrajną prawicą, z którą nie można współpracować. A dziś biurokracja i koszty związane z Zielonym Ładem stały się dla wielu przedsiębiorców nie do udźwignięcia.
Komisja próbuje teraz naprawiać szkody, do których sama się przyczyniła, a Parlament przyjmuje kolejne pakiety uproszczeń przepisów, które sam wcześniej uchwalił. Żadne kosmetyczne zmiany, drodzy państwo, a tym bardziej debatowanie o nich co miesiąc w Strasburgu nie poprawią sytuacji europejskich przedsiębiorstw. Zielony Ład zabija. The Green Deal kills. Dziękuję.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Kelleher for one minute and a half.
Billy Kelleher
Forma dhuit, a Chathaoirligh, a Choimisinéir, agus fáilte chuig an bParlaimint. The simple fact is that the EU talks a lot about supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs, but it repeatedly fails to deliver the supports and regulatory environment needed for them to thrive and compete. Draghi and Letta reported on it two years ago, but if we are to be honest, Commissioner, with ourselves, it has been like this for many years. As an MEP, I must also hold my hands up and accept part of the blame. But will member states and the Commission also accept their role in making Europe a cold place for SMEs and entrepreneurs?
Our member states gold-plated EU legislation and the Commission really doesn't carry out the right sorts of regulatory impact assessments on the vast majority of its proposals. And this needs to change. Otherwise our existing SMEs will be forced to shutter their doors and our entrepreneurs will never get a chance to get their ideas off the ground.
In August, 63 recommendations were made by the Irish government's Cost of Business Advisory Forum. It found that energy is the biggest driver of business cost, better price transparency and easier switching is required, regulators need to change or to engage more with business, a new culture of regulatory reform is needed, there is an urgent need for legal reform, and limited business banking competition is driving high borrowing costs. Overall, it found that Ireland must shift from a public sector culture that measures activity and process to one that measures outcomes. The Renew Europe group, through our Vice-President Morten Løkkegaard, has been consistent in our campaign to reduce the bureaucratic burden on our SMEs, and it's time for the institutions to listen and to implement our proposals. Go raibh maith agat.
Maria Ohisalo
Arvoisa puhemies. Samaan aikaan kun suuret teknologiayhtiöt hakkaavat metsiä ilman lupaa, datakeskukset nielevät sähköä ja vettä ja maailma ympärillä palaa, täällä vaaditaan vähemmän sääntelyä. Tämä ei ole yrittäjien auttamista. Tässä kärsivät ihmiset, tässä kärsii eurooppalainen luonto, mutta myös ne yritykset, jotka ovat jo investoineet kestäviin ratkaisuihin ja tuotteisiin, ja Suomessa meillä näitä vielä on. Raportoinnissa ei ole kyse turhasta hallinnosta, vaan siitä, että tavallisilla kuluttajilla on oikeus tietää, ettei sen ostamansa tuotteen takaa löydy modernia orjuutta, lapsityötä tai ympäristötuhoa.
Kun itse tapaan yrityksiä, he eivät pyydä uusia omnibus-paketteja, vaan ennustettavuutta. Jatkuva sääntelyn purku ja tempoileva lainsäädäntö on yrityksille pahinta myrkkyä. Investointeja ei tehdä, kun kukaan ei tiedä, mitkä säännöt ovat voimassa ensi vuonna. Jos vastuullisuudesta ei saa kilpailuetua, voittajia ovat vain ja ainoastaan suurimmat ja törkeimmät. Eteenpäin katsovat yritykset, jotka tekevät asiat oikein, eivät saa jäädä kärsimään.
Rudi Kennes
Dank u, voorzitter. De Europese Volkspartij klaagt dat ondernemers het moeilijk hebben en dat we het nog gemakkelijker moeten maken zodat ze nog meer winst kunnen maken. Alsof het nog niet erg genoeg was dat de afgelopen decennia miljoenen werknemers werden ontslagen, willen jullie het bedrijfsleven nog wat extra pamperen. Net zoals de Volkspartij het makkelijker heeft gemaakt voor bedrijven om grondstoffen te kopen die met blote handen door Congolese kinderen uit de grond zijn gehaald en om bijvoorbeeld giftig afval te kunnen storten in Ivoorkust. Allemaal in de naam van het concurrentievermogen en de christelijke waarden van Europa.
Dat is waarom ik de afgelopen week in Genève was, bij de VN-onderhandelingen voor een bindend verdrag dat transnationale bedrijven verantwoordelijk houdt voor de mensenrechtenschendingen die ze begaan. Onderhandelingen trouwens, die deze EU dwarsboomt. Dus stop alsjeblieft met het verstoppen van bedrijfsmisdrijven onder het mom van economische groei. Jullie geven niks om werknemers, niks om kinderen en nog veel minder om het milieu. Jullie zijn er alleen maar om het vuile werk te laten doen voor de rijke vriendjes uit het bedrijfsleven.
Dank u wel.
Danke, Herr Vorsitzender. Ja, meine Damen und Herren, es ist die große Woche der EVP, die hier sich erst mutig in den Kampf schmeißt gegen das Verbrennerverbot, nun mutig gegen die Bürokratie vorgehen will. Doch meine Damen und Herren, das ist natürlich nicht der Fall. Man könnte meinen, der Winter hätte schon eingesetzt, so viel Sand wie den Leuten hier diese Woche in die Augen gestreut wird. Meine Damen und Herren, dieses Haus hat in der letzten Legislatur 13.000 neue Rechtsakte erlassen, 2019 bis 2024, die USA im selben Zeitraum 3.500, gut ein Viertel davon.
Marcus Buchheit
Jetzt sind wir hier und sagen, wie können wir denn diese Bürokratie reduzieren? Liebe EVP, ihr seid dafür verantwortlich, was hier in den letzten Jahren passiert ist, dass die Bürger unter der Lieferkettenrichtlinie leiden, dass sie unter der Taxonomie leiden, dass sie unter dem ETS-System leiden, dass sie unter der Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung leiden müssen. Das ist zum ganz wesentlichen Teil ihr Verdienst. Insofern, wenn Sie heute darüber nachdenken, was Sie gegen die Bürokratie tun können, dann lassen Sie erst einmal davon ab, ständig eine neue Sau durchs Dorf zu treiben und unter immer neuen Handlungszwängen neue Gesetze zu erlassen und beschäftigen Sie sich damit, wie man keine neue Bürokratie aufbaut, meine Damen und Herren. Kehren Sie vom Green Deal ab und dann bekämpfen Sie die Bürokratie.
Thomas Geisel
Herr Präsident, Herr Kommissar, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, wodurch zeichnet sich bürokratische Herrschaft aus? Die Antwort ist ziemlich einfach: Vor die Wahl gestellt, einen Sachverhalt kompliziert oder einfach zu regeln, entscheidet sie sich in der Regel für die komplizierte Regelung. Das sichert Beschäftigung und Herrschaftswissen. Der deutsche Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz will nachgerechnet haben, dass wir der ersten Amtszeit von Frau von der Leyen insgesamt 13.000 neue Regulierungen mit umfangreichen Berichts-, Dokumentations- und Nachweispflichten zu verdanken haben. Dass wir damit der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der europäischen Industrie einen Bärendienst erwiesen haben, scheint mittlerweile auch die Kommission verstanden zu haben.
Und deshalb sollen, Stichwort Omnibus, jetzt auf einmal Regeln vereinfacht oder bis auf Weiteres ausgesetzt werden. Besser wäre es vielleicht, hier etwas radikaler vorzugehen. Bei jeder neuen Regulierung sollten wir uns fragen: Was bringt sie konkret, wem nutzt sie und steht der Aufwand in einem vernünftigen Verhältnis zum Nutzen? Häufig dürften wir dann zu der Erkenntnis gelangen: Die Null-Lösung ist die beste Lösung. Vielen Dank.
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. Pereira for one minute and a half.
Muito obrigada, senhor presidente. Senhor comissário, uma empresa existe para produzir, vender e inovar. No entanto, seis em cada dez empresas europeias dizem que o cumprimento de novas regras é um obstáculo à sua atividade e, pior, as mais inovadoras são as mais penalizadas. O resultado é, por isso, perverso. Há quem prefira não crescer para não ultrapassar o limiar que traz novas obrigações.
Lídia Pereira
Enquanto isso, a China e os Estados Unidos investem e ganham espaço no mercado e recebem os seus unicórnios. Este peso regulatório, este peso das regras, também se sente no acesso ao crédito. Quando um banco é obrigado a reportar os mesmos dados vezes sem conta, quem espera é o empresário. Por isso, com regras mais proporcionais e um reporte único, o crédito chega mais depressa e mais barato a quem quer investir. Os líderes europeus voltaram a assumir na semana passada que a simplificação é urgente.
Conselho, Comissão e este Parlamento, estamos todos alinhados. Chegou o momento de passar das palavras às ações e fechar os pacotes de simplificação que ainda estão pendentes. Regras simples, claras, ajudam as empresas a atrair investimento, a crescer e a criar emprego de qualidade em todo o espaço europeu. Não haja dúvidas, simplificar é apostar na competitividade da Europa. Obrigada.
Ana Catarina Mendes
Muito obrigada, senhor presidente, meus caros colegas, senhor comissário. Eu julgo que todos estamos de acordo numa evidência: a Europa precisa de maior competitividade e, ao longo dos anos, a Europa sobreviveu com o peso burocrático e, por isso mesmo, estou de acordo que é preciso simplificar.
Mas falando em simplificação não podemos falar em desregulamentação e por isso é preciso combinar a necessidade de investir em inovação na inteligência artificial que vai mudar as nossas vidas e o mundo do trabalho com aquilo que é absolutamente essencial que é a força do trabalho e dos trabalhadores. E por isso senhora e senhores deputados e meu caro senhor comissário o importante deste debate é que se simplifiquem as normas para termos empresas mais competitivas mais inovadoras mas que elas não sejam à custa dos direitos dos trabalhadores para continuarmos a ter um modelo social europeu que nos fundou e que nos trouxe até aqui ao longo de 80 anos. Obrigada.
Gilles Pennelle
Il est assez étonnant de voir que le PPE organise aujourd'hui un débat sur la réduction de la bureaucratie européenne alors qu'il a soutenu le funeste Green Deal et toutes les contraintes qui en découlent. Si la réduction de 40 années d'accumulation bureaucratique et technocratique européenne est une bonne chose pour les entreprises il faut encore plus déréglementer c'est-à-dire supprimer les normes qui entravent abusivement notre économie. À quoi bon supprimer quelques formulaires si nos agriculteurs et nos industriels restent écrasés par des réglementations toujours plus contraignantes qui augmentent leurs coûts de production et détruisent leur compétitivité. Taxe carbone, interdiction de moteur thermique, restrictions sur les produits phytosanitaires, réduction de l'utilisation des engrais, réglementation sur la restauration de la nature, directive IED sur l'élevage, il faut mettre fin à ces entraves. Nos entrepreneurs et nos agriculteurs ont besoin de liberté pour produire et assurer la puissance économique de nos nations.
Quand allez-vous le comprendre ?
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. Teodorescu for one minute.
Georgiana Teodorescu
Thank you chair. Dezbaterea de astăzi despre reducerea costurilor și a sarcinilor birocratice vine într-un moment critic pentru antreprenorii europeni. Regulamente precum directiva pentru ambalaje sunt dovada clară a modului în care microîntreprinderile și IMM-urile sunt sufocate de costuri fixe abuzive, reprezentanți autorizați în fiecare țară și o birocrație infernală. Până la 12.000 de euro trebuie să scoată din buzunar pe an un mic artizan pentru a respecta toate aceste condiții aberante. Dar și-a pus cineva întrebarea dacă face 12.000 de euro profit într-un an ?
Însă atenție, tsunamiul legislativ care a sugrumat mediul de afaceri european nu poate fi salvat doar printr-un alt tsunami legislativ de data aceasta cu derogări, excepții și heirupisme de la o legislație incoerentă clădită pe ideologie și nu pe pragmatism. Dacă cârpim legi proaste cu excepții temporare nu facem decât să adâncim haosul și lipsa de predictibilitate baza oricărui plan de afaceri. Avem nevoie de o abordare pragmatică, coerentă și de o reală asumare politică. Opriți reglementarea excesivă și redați mediului de afaceri libertatea de a produce. Vă mulțumesc.
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. Baljeu for one minute.
Jeannette Baljeu
Voorzitter, stelt u voor u bent een ondernemer en u heeft de klanten in het buitenland binnengehaald en dat is een hele mooie stap maar vervolgens moet je dan 's avonds bezig aan de slag om te zoeken welke registraties er allemaal nodig zijn, welke formulieren, welke vergunningen daarbij komen kijken. Je bedrijf groeit maar helaas het papierwerk ook. En dat betekent extra kosten en dat willen we niet. Wat mij betreft moeten de ondernemers kunnen innoveren, moeten ze tijd kunnen maken voor produceren, voor investeren en ook investeren in hun mensen en in nieuwe markten veroveren. Zo groeit onze welvaart.
En mijn eerste oproep is daarom ook aan de Commissie ga met ondernemers aan tafel zitten, blijf met ze spreken en laat hen aanwijzen welk papierwerk dubbel en overbodig is en schrap dat dan. Het is tijd dat we de versimpeling echt waarmaken en let erop dat ook het kleinbedrijf zonder dure adviseurs de regels kan volgen.
En de tweede oproep is aan de nationale lidstaten, ook aan Nederland: voorkom overbodige, onnodige nationale extra regeldruk. Laten we met elkaar zorgen dat we eindelijk echt een interne markt hebben.
Milan Mazurek
V jeden deň sem prídete s povinnou e-faktúrou pre malých živnostníkov a zároveň s nejakým centrálnym registrom pre všetkých ubytovateľov, ktorí fungujú v cestovnom ruchu, a druhý deň nám poviete, že chcete menej byrokracie a lepšie fungujúce podnikateľské prostredie. Donesiete sem genderové skóre ako povinnú podmienku pre čerpanie eurofondov a rodové kvóty ako podmienku pre firmy a potom zase klamete, že chcete, aby podnikateľské prostredie malo viac slobody. Bez hanby sem prídete s recyklačnou smernicou, ktorou zaviažete všetkých výrobcov vypracovávať sto nových formulárov o certifikácii a pôvode materiálov využívaných vo výrobnom procese, a potom prídete a poviete: potrebujeme menej papierov, menej byrokracie, potrebujeme lepšie a efektívnejšie fungovanie podnikateľského prostredia. Veď najväčšia prekážka pre rozvoj podnikateľského prostredia a konkurencieschopnosti hospodárstva v Európskej únii ste vy. Prosím, odíďte, dajte už ľuďom pokoj, prestaňte s tou byrokratickou, nevymýšľajte neustále nezmysly a umožnite ľuďom normálne tvoriť a podnikať slobodne tak, ako si to zaslúžia.
Javi López
Muchas gracias. La siguiente oradora es la señora Benjumea por un minuto y medio.
Isabel Benjumea Benjumea
Gracias, presidente, señor comisario, señor ministro. La Unión Europea debe ser un espacio de libertad y de igualdad de oportunidades y que promocione la cultura del mérito. Debe ser un espacio atractivo para emprender, para crear una empresa. Lo que no puede ser es percibida como un espacio hiperregulado e inundado de burocracia bajo un manto proteccionista que dice defender nuestros derechos cuando lo que realmente hace es coartar nuestra libertad y limitar nuestras oportunidades. Europa tiene empresas capaces de competir con las mejores del mundo, pero su propio entorno regulatorio, administrativo y financiero se ha convertido en un lastre.
Al exceso de burocracia se suma la fragmentación del mercado único, las dificultades para acceder a la financiación y los elevados costes energéticos con una regulación y una fiscalidad que castigan nuestra capacidad productiva. Por eso celebro que la Comisión se haya fijado como prioridad mejorar la competitividad de nuestras empresas a través de una apuesta firme por la simplificación. Pero esa estrategia no será suficiente si no la acompañamos de una política fiscal que favorezca la competitividad y ayude a atraer inversiones. Al igual que nos hemos dado cuenta que en la Unión no se puede responder a cada problema con más regulación, tampoco lo podemos hacer con nuevos impuestos. Y me refiero al BEFIT, señor comisario, impuesto al que nos oponemos frontalmente y que pedimos que retire de su propuesta del próximo marco financiero.
Menos impuestos y menos regulación, esa es la receta. Muchas gracias.
César Luena
Moltes gràcies, president. Lo que estamos discutiendo va mucho más allá de eliminar trámites innecesarios, algo que apoyamos.
Estamos asistiendo a un ataque progresivo a la legislación ambiental y climática europea, utilizando las pequeñas empresas para justificar la eliminación de obligaciones que afectan fundamentalmente después a las grandes corporaciones. Se han debilitado las normas de sostenibilidad empresarial, se ha retrasado la legislación contra la deforestación, se están debilitando los estándares de emisiones de coches y furgonetas hoy mismo, el ETS, las evaluaciones medioambientales y ahora aumentan las presiones para reabrir las directivas de aves y hábitats y también la directiva marco del agua. ¿Qué tiene que ver proteger nuestros ríos y nuestras aguas con eliminar burocracia? Porque cuando hablamos de agua, recuerdo que estamos hablando de salud pública. Europa es verdad, necesita empresas competitivas, por supuesto, pero también necesita aire sano, agua limpia y un medio ambiente protegido.
La competitividad no puede ser nunca una excusa para desmantelar las garantías que ha costado décadas construir.
Enikő Győri
Képviselőtársaim, meg számolni sem tudom, hány vitát tartottunk már az uniós szabályozás egyszerűsítéséről. Mindig ugyanaz a kotta: beszélünk róla, sürgetjük, a Bizottság megígéri, majd nem történik érdemi változás. Hol van a legkisebb cégeknek már 2023 óta ígért 35 százalékos tehercsökkentés például? A Bizottság 12 egyszerűsítési csomagjának a felét még csak tárgyaljuk. Közben azzal dicsekednek, hogy 17 milliárd, sőt itt 22 milliárd hangzott el, ennyi megtakarítás már történt a cégek javára.
Számoljunk egy kicsit együtt. Ha ezt elosztjuk 34 millióval, ennyi KKV van az Unióban, gyorsan kiderül, hogy ez átlagosan 41 euró havi megtakarítás egy kisvállalkozásnak, holott 86 százalékuk külön embert kell foglalkoztasson a jogszabályi megfelelés érdekében. Egy konkrét példa: egy kézműves ékszereket készítő, kis árbevételű egyszemélyes vállalkozásnak 20-30 oldalas belső szabályzatot kell ügyvéddel készíttetnie. Így hogy várhatjuk el tőle, hogy növekedjen és beruházzon? Ez az önök hagyatéka egyébként, a Néppárttól a baloldalig.
Mi patrióták valódi deregulációt követelünk a vállalkozói szabadság kiteljesítése érdekében. Köszönöm.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. van Leeuwen for one minute.
Thank you very much, Chair, Minister, Commissioner. In every Member State, village shops, local tradespeople and family businesses provide jobs and services close to home. They keep our towns, villages and regions running. The Commission has promised to remove two rules for every new rule it introduces to alleviate small and medium-sized businesses. So when will you start?
Jessika van Leeuwen
The Farmer-Citizen Movement wants to eliminate overlapping reporting requirements and bring EU sustainability reporting back to the bare minimum. So we only want to adopt new legislation if you remove two other rules and it does not result in overlapping reporting requirements on a national level. As a first proposal, let's have a careful look at how the new packaging and packaging waste regulation affects the international business of our SMEs. The announced Gold Plating Act should, besides working with Member States to remove national rules that jeopardize an equal playing field on the EU internal market, also tackle unnecessary national additional reporting obligations, so the EU becomes a true union of entrepreneurs again. Thank you.
Javi López
Muchísimas gracias. La siguiente oradora es la señora Aguirregoitia por un minuto.
Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez
Necesitamos urgentemente mejorar nuestra competitividad y por lo tanto necesitamos emprendedores, necesitamos innovación y necesitamos empresas que sean capaces de crecer y de competir globalmente.
Pero tenemos un problema. Sabemos que generamos talento y, sin embargo, no estamos siendo capaces de retenerlos en Europa. Lo decía Draghi: casi el 30% de los unicornios que se han creado en Europa entre 2008 y 2021 han trasladado su sede al extranjero y prácticamente o principalmente a Estados Unidos. Y no podemos seguir perdiendo empresas innovadoras por las dificultades de crecer en Europa. Necesitamos simplificar normas, eliminar burocracia, facilitar el acceso a financiación y hacerlo especialmente con startups y con pymes que innovan.
Y simplificar no significa desregular, sino que significa facilitar a nuestras empresas la innovación y el crecimiento. Nuestro objetivo, por lo tanto, no debe ser solo que las empresas puedan nacer en Europa, sino que puedan crecer y que puedan convertirse en verdaderos líderes mundiales sin tener que marcharse fuera de este continente. Eskerrik asko.
Dank u, voorzitter, meneer de commissaris, collega's. Ondernemers willen ondernemen. Niet elke dag hun uren moeten vullen met administratieve verplichtingen en honderden formulieren, vaak nog eens in 27 verschillende regels. En dat geldt ook voor onze kmo's, onze startups bijvoorbeeld. Elke minuut die ze daaraan verliezen, kunnen ze niet investeren, niet innoveren, niet groeien en geen jobs creëren.
Zo simpel is het. En ja, natuurlijk, we hebben stappen gezet om de rompslomp te verminderen, maar als ik met ondernemers spreek, dan merken ze daar weinig van. Omdat we vooral nieuwe regels voorkomen, maar wat met de berg van bestaande regels? En wat met onze vergunningen? Voor ondernemers en landbouwers blijft dat een titanenwerk.
Door jarenlange rechtspraak is een kader ontstaan waarin zelfs strategische investeringen en vergroeningen vastlopen. Daarom, commissaris, mijn oproep: kom met een horizontale vergunningsomnibus. Pak de problemen bij de wortel aan, ook in onze Europese milieureglementering. Ondernemers willen vooruit, geef hen die kans.
Javi López
Thank you very much. El siguiente orador es el señor Girauta por un minuto.
Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal
Gracias, señor presidente. Dos de cada tres empresas pequeñas y medianas identifican la complejidad normativa como obstáculo para su crecimiento. El 22% de las pymes dedica más del 10% de su plantilla a evaluar y gestionar los requisitos regulatorios. 150.000 millones de euros es el coste anual valorado por la Comisión Europea en gastos recurrentes, en costes de recurrencia en el diseño de los procesos administrativos. No hay manera de ser competitivos sin revisar y sin desregular esta situación laberíntica.
El silencio administrativo debería ser la norma. Las administraciones no deberían pedir un documento que ya tienen. Parece que la revolución de las telecomunicaciones que cambió el mundo de las organizaciones empresariales hace ya 20 años, 25 años, no ha llegado todavía a las administraciones públicas en Europa y este Parlamento tiene la obligación de dejar de producir papel, papel y papel. Que cada nueva norma signifique al menos la derogación de varias normas anteriores. Muchas gracias.
Szanowni państwo, w Polsce kiedyś żartowano, że komunizm rozwiązywał problemy, które sam stworzył. Unia najwyraźniej uznała ten żart za instrukcję działania. Zielony ład, kolejne dyrektywy, sprawozdania, kto je uchwalił? Ludzie na tej sali. 150 miliardów euro rocznie obciążeń administracyjnych w Unii.
Marlena Maląg
Obiecujecie wielkie oszczędności omnibusach, ale trzy czwarte ciężaru pozostaje dla przedsiębiorców.
Gdzie tu sukces? W Polsce koszt ETS-u stanowi połowę cen energii dla przemysłu. Gdzie tu konkurencyjność? Kolejny absurd. Rozporządzenie w sprawie opakowań.
Marlena Maląg
Mały sklep chce wysłać paczki za granicę. Dokładacie mu przedstawicieli, formalności, potem proponujecie ulgę. Gdzie tu rozsądek? Za tym chaosem stoi człowiek, mały i średni przedsiębiorca i jego pracownicy. Mówicie o konkurencyjności, o człowieku w centrum, a stawiacie regulacje ponad nimi.
Zacznijcie liczyć koszty przed głosowaniami. Usuńcie zbędne obowiązki. Europejska gospodarka potrzebuje przestrzeni do rozwoju, nie kolejnych debat o skutkach waszych decyzji. Dziękuję bardzo.
Barbara Bonte
Beste collega's, ja, ik vind het toch wel zeer ironisch dat uitgerekend de christendemocraten dit debat hebben gevraagd. Hè, zij die al jarenlang aan de knoppen zitten van de Europese regelmachines, zij die al jaren de grote klimaat- en duurzaamheidsplannen van de EU steunen, de zware rapporteringsverplichtingen voor bedrijven, de regels die bedrijven verantwoordelijk maken voor hun hele toeleveringsketen. En nu doen ze alsof ze als het ware deus ex machina, hè, de grote redders zijn van de ondernemingen. Wel, dat doet me een beetje denken aan de pyromaan die brandweerman speelt. En kan die brand bovendien ook nog geblust worden?
Want elke dag zien we de catastrofale economische gevolgen van dit wanbeleid. En de Commissie geeft nu zelf toe dat het allemaal te veel was. Maar de administratieve last is één zaak, maar de hoge energieprijzen, de koolstoftaksen en de stevige internationale concurrentie die blijven. En wat we nodig hebben is een beleid dat ondernemerschap en concurrentiekracht centraal zet. Maar dat kan niet zonder politieke moed.
En daarvoor zullen nog heel veel groene en linkse dogma's moeten sneuvelen.
Kris Van Dijck
Dank u, voorzitter. Prioritair voor welvaart is economische groei. En voor die groei zijn onze bedrijven cruciaal. En daarom, meneer de commissaris, mogen Europese regels enkel ingezet worden daar waar ze een meerwaarde betekenen. Al de rest is ballast, wat onze bedrijven tijd, geld en vertrouwen kost ten nadele van investeringen, innovatie en dus economische groei.
En ondanks talrijke initiatieven slaagt de Commissie er niet of nog niet voldoende in om de regeldruk voldoende te verminderen en het tij te keren. En een ambitieuze aanpak is nodig in de feiten. En het kan, ik geloof daarin. Duidelijke taal, geen regels die elkaar tegenspreken, degelijke effectbeoordelingen, minder rapportage, zeker voor kmo's, digitale oplossingen en een einde aan goldplating. Maak duidelijk aan uw collega's-commissarissen dat deregulering en vereenvoudiging vooreerst twee verschillende zaken zijn, maar wel beide noodzakelijk om Europese regels uitvoerbaar, betaalbaar en derhalve competitief te maken.
Dank u wel.
Valérie Deloge
L'Europe sait compter ses dépenses mais pas ce qu'elle coûte à nos agriculteurs. En 2026, le budget européen prévoit plus de 13 milliards d'euros pour l'administration publique européenne. Dans le même temps, une étude européenne estime que les agriculteurs consacrent en moyenne 1200 euros par an aux tâches administratives liées à la PAC.
Le problème de notre administration ce n'est pas qu'elle manque de données, c'est qu'elle les redemande sans cesse. En juin 2025, le ministère français de l'agriculture indiquait que la Commission avait décidé de généraliser le contrôle administratif unique à l'échelle européenne. Alors où en sommes-nous ? Les agriculteurs ne doivent plus avoir à transmettre plusieurs fois les mêmes informations à des administrations qui ne se parlent pas. Nous demandons un dossier d'exploitation unique, des déclarations pré-remplies, un véritable partage des données entre administrations car une information déjà transmise ne doit plus jamais être redemandée.
Il est temps que Bruxelles comprenne une chose : ce sont les administrations qui doivent être au service des agriculteurs et non les agriculteurs au service de l'administration. Je vous remercie.
Ondřej Krutílek
Vážený pane předsedající, Evropská rada před několika dny vyzvala Evropskou komisi, aby navrhla škrty v reportingu, hlavně pro malé a střední podniky. A nám zákonodárcům vzkázala, abychom byli v legislativním procesu zdrženliví a nepřidávali zbytečnou byrokracii. Já doporučuji se tímhle doporučením držet a hned v debatě o Made in EU, který chce mít Evropská rada hotovou do konce letošního roku. Už návrh Komise přišel s požadavky na složité dokládání původu a uhlíkové stopy a významná část tohoto Parlamentu je chce ještě zpřísnit. Pokud budeme pokračovat tímhle tím směrem, tak budeme mít dokonalý přehled o každém šroubku, ale budeme jich vyrábět stále méně a méně.
Konkurenti v Americe a v Číně budou happy, ale evropské firmy prodělají. Splňme tedy, co se od nás očekává. Nechme naše firmy vyrábět, ne vyplňovat formuláře. Děkuji.
Pierre Pimpie
Chers collègues, nos entrepreneurs passent leur temps à cocher et à justifier. Il s'agit pour eux de nourrir votre technostructure qui a faim de données et soif de formulaires. Cette machine, c'est vous qui l'avez construite avec le soutien zélé du PPE. Vous feignez de vouloir résoudre les problèmes que vous avez créés. Vous évoquez les prochaines étapes concrètes, je vous en suggère une simple : cessez d'en rajouter car la coupe est pleine.
Nos PME n'ont pas besoin d'un faux plan de soutien de plus. Ce qu'il leur faut ce sont des coûts énergétiques bas grâce au nucléaire, ce sont des impôts raisonnables et prévisibles, ce sont des charges sociales faibles via des flux migratoires maîtrisés. C'est la confiance et l'ordre qui feront repartir les entreprises. Fichez-leur la paix.
Javi López
Thank you very much. Now it's time for the European Commission to answer the debate. Commissioner Serafin, the floor is yours. You have two minutes.
Piotr Serafin
Thank you, Mr. President. Honorable members, I will refer to some of the comments, lines of today's debate. It's true that for the success of our simplification agenda, it's not enough to have only strategies, they also need to be implemented. So that leads me to repeating the point I made at the beginning, how important it is that co-legislators work on the basis of the Commission's proposals and how important it is to avoid also gold-plating at the national level. That is the only way to make sure that our businesses, including and in particular small and medium-sized businesses, can feel the difference.
And the second point I would like to make, that is the question of how we do the rules at the European level, how we make rules at the European level. I will repeat again, once only principle, this is the principle which is guiding now the European Commission and we will stick to that principle, which means that once the information have been provided, we cannot, we should not ask the business to provide it for the second time. We should also definitely use further AI digital tools to reduce compliance costs and unnecessary administrative work, that is also true. And let me also tell you that for the next year in the Commission working program, we will have some further simplification proposals in areas such as banking, transport and housing. Now let me refer to Honorable Member Warborn who attracted our attention to the fact that the Commission is following the principle one in, one out.
It's true, this is the formal approach that we have, we are following this principle since 2022, formally speaking, because in practice the approach we are implementing right now goes much further. I got the data before this debate, last year Commission proposals, we have proposed additional 247 million of additional administrative costs and at the same time 15 billion of reduction of administrative costs. So in practice the principle last year was one in, 61 out. Thank you.
Javi López
Thank you very much. Now it's time for the Council to answer the debate, Mr. Duly, for two minutes.
Timmy Dooley
Yeah, thank you very much and thank you for the contributions of so many. The Council took note of the call from several Member States for further simplification including through legislative and regulatory self-restraint. This was touched upon during the meeting of the General Assembly Council in September, 22nd of September, and further reiterated in the latest conclusions of the Council. Council also notes the calls by the European Council last week for the Commission to put forward further initiatives to avoid gold plating and reduce administrative and regulatory burdens, especially for small and medium enterprises, and we stand ready to play our part in relation to that. A number of people raised the issue of packaging and the impact that that has and the burden it has particularly on SMEs.
Now I just want to let you know that Coreper will today hold a discussion on the extended producer responsibility regulation and will seek a mandate to enter into inter-institutional negotiations to alleviate the disproportionate burden on small operators affected by the entry into application of key provisions of the Packaging Act, Waste Regulation of the 12th of August, and it is important that we alleviate any disproportionate burden for small businesses and the Presidency is committed to entering into that inter-institutional negotiations without delay. I know quite a number of people raised the issue about simplification and its connectedness to competitiveness and of course the Council is very clear on that. However, simplification does not have to mean a retrenchment from environmental standards, nor does it mean an undermining of workers' rights, and from a Presidency perspective we're very clear on that. Just in reaching agreements between our institutions and on the outstanding omnibus packages without delay will provide, I believe, further necessary and tangible financial and administrative relief to economic operators, regulatory predictability, all the while boosting the Union's competitiveness and deepening the single market, which I think most contributors felt was necessary.
Eager to enter into the inter-institutional negotiations without delay. And this debate has also shown that we broadly share the same objectives. However, if we work hand in hand in a spirit of cooperation and compromise, we'll turn our shared commitments into tangible results. And I certainly listened to a number who wanted action now rather than further talk or more papers. It's about action.
Thank you very much.
Javi López
Thank you very much. With that, the debate is closed and the sitting is suspended because it will be resumed in a few minutes with the next point that it has to start at 2:15, the presentation of the Court of Auditors annual report 2025. With that, the sitting is resumed for these 10 minutes.
The sitting is resumed and we are going to continue with the next item on the agenda, that is the presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report.
Javi López
The first speaker is Mr. Murphy coming from the Court of Auditors for five minutes.
Murphy
Thank you President, honorable members, Commissioner, representative of the Council Presidency, Minister Dooley. I am very pleased to be here today to present the key findings and core messages from the European Court of Auditors 2025 annual report. It identifies risks, shares lessons and makes practical recommendations to support Parliament and other EU institutions in their decision making and legislative roles. As negotiations on the next seven-year EU budget, the MFF, continue, our annual report examines the current budget and draws lessons for the next. The key takeaways of our annual report: we provide a clean opinion on the reliability of the EU accounts, however we emphasize some matters related to the introduction of the new accounting system SUMMA.
We also provide a clean opinion on the EU revenue, which was free from material error, but as we always say, this is based on the booked revenue and not the unreported revenue. Regarding the regularity of expenditure, we offer two separate opinions, one for the traditional EU budget and one for the RRF, reflecting the different nature of these types of spending. So if we start with the traditional EU budget spending, our estimated level of error increased to 3.8% compared with 3.6% the previous year. This is above our materiality threshold and given the significant and widespread nature of the errors identified, we have issued an adverse opinion on EU budget expenditure for the seventh consecutive year. Our audit covered expenditure totaling 130.8 billion euros under the general budget.
The largest contributor to our error rate was natural resources and environment, which had an estimated level of error at 3.9% compared to 2.6% the previous year. Cohesion, resilience and values had an estimated level of error of 6.6% compared to 5.7% the previous year. Together these two spending areas account for almost two thirds of our audited expenditure. This has important implications for the next MFF. The proposals would place great responsibility on national authorities to manage EU funds and provide assurance, even though we cannot yet fully rely on their work.
We recognize that national authorities face capacity challenges. Bringing the common agricultural policy and cohesion policy into a single fund may offer opportunities to simplify the system. However, while this could make the administration easier for the Commission, we are concerned that the burden may simply shift to member states and beneficiaries who are already under pressure to manage the current funds. Ultimately, any reforms aimed at simplification must not come at the expense of accountability. In terms of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, as we know it has a different delivery model from the traditional EU budget spending, whereby payments depend on the satisfactory fulfillment of milestones and targets, not on the actual costs or compliance with EU and national rules.
We therefore apply a separate audit methodology and issue a separate opinion. In 2025, RRF expenditure amounted to 45.4 billion euros. In payments to nine member states, we found milestones and targets that had not been satisfactorily fulfilled, as well as issues involving double funding and the eligibility period. We also identified weaknesses in the design of milestones and targets, gaps in the Commission's monitoring, and persistent shortcomings in the reliability of member states' control systems. We therefore issued a qualified opinion on RRF expenditure.
In addition, we found that previously agreed milestones and targets were amended to reflect what member states had actually already achieved, lowering the initial level of ambition without affecting the related payment. This weakens the link between funding and delivery and risks allowing payments when performance falls short. Member states had until the 30th of September this year to submit their final RRF grant payment requests. 21 requests were submitted that month, including eight on the 29th of September and a further eight on the 30th of September. The Commission must now process and pay around 90 billion euros by the end of 2026.
Our past experience has shown that end-of-period spending pressure increases the risk of non-compliance, fraud, and substandard projects. This is all the more concerning given that, at the end of 2025, 21% of the EPPO's active expenditure fraud investigations were RRF-related. So in terms of the implications for the next MFF, as the proposed delivery model is likely to draw on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, we must learn from this experience. If EU funding moves away from a cost-based model to one that is based on milestones and targets, they must be credible, clearly defined, objectively measurable, and directly linked to intended results. Performance information must also be reliable, transparent, and independently verifiable.
Our assessment is that the proposed framework remains weak. In its current form, it does not make it possible to measure adequately what EU spending will have achieved. Our annual report also shows that EU borrowing could reach 1 trillion euros by the year 2027. And while debt increases, the Commission's proposals for the next budget also allow for potential substantial new borrowing, including 150 billion for member states' national and regional plans, the so-called catalyst element, up to 100 billion in additional support for Ukraine, and the potential use of a severe crisis instrument of 395 billion euros. So overall, we can say that there has been a slight increase in the error rate.
The typology of errors remains the same, which is concerning, and we just would like to bring attention to the increasing level of debt and the related obligations this gives to the member states. Thank you very much.
Javi López
Thank you very much, Mr. Murphy, President of the Court of Auditors. And now the next speaker is the European Commission, Commissioner Serafin. The floor is yours.
Piotr Serafin
Mr. President, honorable members. Let me begin by thanking the Court for the annual report and for the constructive cooperation throughout the audit process. The Commission welcomes the Court's unqualified audit opinion on the EU accounts, confirming that they are complete, transparent, and reliable. This result is particularly significant because in 2025 we have implemented our system SUMMA. This was the first year of SUMMA accounting system SUMMA being in place.
At the same time, we also want to welcome the Court's assessment that as in previous years, the level of error in revenue in 2025 was not material. But we take very seriously the Court's conclusion on expenditure and its adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the MFF expenditure with 3.5 on average error rate and its qualified opinion on the Recovery and Resilience Facility. We should always recall when we talk about the error rate that we do not talk about the rate of fraud or waste. We talk about the error rate, which in most of the overwhelming majority of the cases is the rate of administrative mistakes. Nevertheless, the high level, higher, slightly higher than last year, is the reason for concern.
And in particular, the higher levels reported for cohesion and natural resources require our particular attention. For the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Court's qualified opinion reflects its view that in 16 out of 420 milestones and targets examined, they were shortcomings. The Commission will continue to work closely with EU Member States, which manage a large share of EU expenditure. We'll do so to prevent errors before they occur, detect weaknesses and correct them when necessary. Specifically as regards the cohesion policy, we are implementing right now action plans with Member States' audit authorities to address weaknesses of detection capacity.
We have also increased the coverage of Commission's audits to check a larger number of audit authorities and programs where shortcomings have been identified. As regards natural resources, we leverage new technologies to improve monitoring, such as the area monitoring system, Copernicus Sentinel data and artificial intelligence. Where necessary, we also apply financial corrections and recoveries to protect the EU budget. The Commission values recommendations made by the ECA. In fact, more than 90% of the ECA recommendations are accepted and are being and are or have been implemented by the by the Commission.
Let me conclude by reaffirming that the Commission will continue to act on the identified weaknesses, follow up on the Court's recommendations and strengthen the system to protect the EU budget. Thank you.
Javi López
Thank you very much, Commissioner. Now it's the turn for the political groups. The first speaker is Mrs. Kollár for two minutes representing the EPP group.
Kinga Kollár
Thank you, Chair. Az Európai Számvevőszék éves jelentése egyértelmű üzenetet fogalmaz meg. Nem elég, hogy az Unió költségvetése finanszírozza Európa prioritásait, azt is biztosítanunk kell, hogy minden euró szabályosan, átláthatóan és valódi eredményeket hozva kerüljön felhasználásra. Az Európai Számvevőszék immár hetedik egymást követő évben adott elutasító véleményt az uniós kiadások szabályszerűségéről. A becsült hibaarány 2025-ben 3,8%-ra emelkedett, míg a kohéziós politikában ugyanez a szám elérte a 6,6%-ot.
Európai parlamenti képviselőként ezt nem hagyhatjuk szó nélkül, és meg kell találnunk az okokat. Világos: a hibaarány nem azonos a csalások számával. De mégis fontos kérdéseket vet fel. Ennyire komolyak és számosak a tartós hiányosságok az uniós források felhasználásában? Vagy a szabályaink túlbonyolultak, életszerűtlenek, és így az ellenőrzések is túlságosan formalisták?
Ezekre a kérdésekre kérem a Számvevőszéktől a válaszokat és az iránymutatásokat.
A helyes válaszok különösen fontosak most, amikor a következő többéves pénzügyi keret tárgyalásai zajlanak, és az uniós források elköltésének jelentős átalakítását tervezzük. Ez a jövőben is számítunk az Európai Számvevőszék független, kritikus és konstruktív munkájára. Mert minden eurónak számítania kell, és minden euró felhasználásával el kell tudnunk számolni. Köszönöm.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mrs. Tavares for two minutes representing the S&D group.
Carla Tavares
Thank you, President, Comissário Serafin, Senhor Presidente do Tribunal de Contas Europeu, começo naturalmente por agradecer este relatório e todos os que têm produzido, em particular os que têm relevância direta para o próximo quadro financeiro plurianual. As apreciações independentes do Tribunal ajudam este Parlamento a decidir bem, garantem que o dinheiro público é bem gerido e que as decisões assentam em dados fiáveis. Estamos num momento decisivo para o próximo orçamento plurianual. O Parlamento aprovou o seu mandato em abril, o Conselho ainda procura construir o seu. E o que está em jogo não é apenas a dimensão do orçamento, mas também a forma como será financiado, executado e controlado.
O relatório é claro: nas despesas tradicionais, as taxas de erro continuam acima do limiar da materialidade e são significativas e generalizadas. E ainda não podemos confiar plenamente no trabalho das autoridades nacionais, embora muitas trabalhem com limitações de capacidade. Ora a proposta da Comissão confere a essas mesmas autoridades ainda mais responsabilidade pela gestão e pela garantia dos fundos europeus. O Tribunal confirma, aliás, o que este Parlamento sempre defendeu: simplificar é reduzir a burocracia desnecessária, mas não pode deslocá-la para os Estados-Membros e nunca em momento algum enfraquecer a responsabilização. O Tribunal pede-nos também que aprendamos com o Mecanismo de Recuperação e Resiliência.
Os marcos e metas têm de ser credíveis, mensuráveis e ligados aos resultados com informação fiável, transparente e verificável de forma independente. Por fim, um alerta. O orçamento proposto depende de novas receitas que representam cerca de 20% do total. Se não se concretizarem, teremos naturalmente menos ambição e mais endividamento. Defendemos por isso neste Parlamento um orçamento europeu financiado com receitas sustentáveis e previsíveis através de novos recursos próprios genuínos, sem sobrecarregar os orçamentos nacionais.
Reforçando, o Conselho deve considerar as propostas do Parlamento a par do cabaz da Comissão, em especial a proposta de contribuição digital sobre as grandes plataformas que pode gerar até 25 mil milhões de euros por ano. O objetivo é um fluxo estável de pelo menos 60 mil milhões de euros anuais e um acordo sobre as receitas tão rápido quanto o da despesa. Muito obrigada.
Speaker 243
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Knotek for one minute and a half representing Patriots Group.
Ondřej Knotek
Thank you, Chair, Mr. Commissioner, Mr. President. I would like to congratulate ECA for preparing a robust and overall relevant annual report 25. ECA continually proves to be a reliable partner of this House. Now to the report, ECA concludes again a negative assessment with confirmed trend of growing irregularities in shared and direct management programs, definitely something worth for cause analysis and some appropriate improvement effort.
And I would have an invitation for two elements for ECA to be considered in the report to come. The first one is related to the omnibuses. We do many of them and we would be interested to hear whether they really simplify the lives of EU businesses, somehow to quantify it. And second element, real-life effectiveness check of EU climate policies and spending. Really focus on the results, not just the fact to which extent the money has been spent or not.
For example, last week it turned out that the share of EU-based energy-intensive production moves outside the EU, which at the end increases the global footprint and global emissions by 46 percent, which is not good for climate, neither for economy and our safety. So if you could elaborate also deeper in this, we would be grateful. Thank you so much.
Javi López
Thank you very much. The next speaker is Mr. Erixon for one minute representing ECR group.
Ett viktigt besked från revisionsrätten är att EU:s upplåning ökar i mycket snabb takt. Det är en åttadubbling på bara fem år. Och som vi hörde presidenten sa så väntas skuldbördan bli tusen miljarder euro vid utgången av 2027. Som en följd av detta ökar också räntekostnaderna. Revisionsrätten konstaterar att det ser ut att bli dubbelt så höga som kommissionen har prognostiserat.
Dick Erixon
Insikten om denna skuldsättning behöver öka. Ett sätt vore att redovisa skuldbördan fördelad på varje medlemsland och lägga den ovanpå deras statsskuld som andel av BNP. Varje medlemslands statsskuld skulle då bli nära fyra procent högre än vad som redovisas nu. Det skulle innebära att ännu färre länder klarar Maastrichtkriterierna om maximalt 60 procent i statsskuld. Det här är allvarligt och vi måste bryta denna trend av ständig upplåning.
Tack.
A teraz poprosím kolegu Štefanca za skupinu Renew Europe, nech sa páči.
Olivier Chastel
Monsieur le Président de la Cour des comptes, Monsieur le Commissaire. Je veux évidemment commencer par remercier le Président Murphy pour sa présentation, mais aussi en ordre général pour le travail de la Cour des comptes. Dans son rapport annuel, il est indiqué que 94 % des recommandations formulées en 2025 ont été acceptées totalement ou partiellement par la Commission. Et pourtant, le taux d'erreur a augmenté à 3,8 %. Le modèle de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience continue à présenter des failles concernant les jalons ou le risque de double financement, et les taux d'absorption restent insuffisants.
L'exercice de décharge n'est pas anodin, ni d'ailleurs une simple formalité administrative, et il ne doit pas non plus être instrumentalisé par des règlements de comptes politiques. En mai prochain, au terme de notre travail, toutes nos résolutions devront indiquer des recommandations claires, ambitieuses aux institutions européennes et aux contribuables européens comment leur argent a été dépensé, dans quel but et pour quels résultats. Je vous remercie.
Speaker 247
Merci. A teraz poprosím kolegu Freund za skupinu Zelených/Európska slobodná aliancia, víťazí.
Daniel Freund
Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, danke an den Rechnungshof, auch Herr Kommissar. Wenn man sich den Bericht des Rechnungshof durchliest, dann muss man sagen, stehen einem ein bisschen die Haare zu Berge, gerade bei den Beispielen, die man da findet, wo also Agrargelder verteilt werden an Hirten auf Kreta, die angeblich 226 Kilometer entfernt ihre Tiere haben weiden lassen, die da jeden Tag wahrscheinlich mit dem Schiff hingefahren sein sollen.
Auch in Deutschland Weiterbildungszentren, die viel mehr Computer, Tablets und so bekommen, als da überhaupt Menschen sind. Wir geben jedes Jahr leider viele Milliarden aus, nicht nach den Regeln. Und das sind bei Teilen des EU-Budgets, wo eigentlich schon national nachkontrolliert wurde. Man kann also leider nur feststellen, dass unsere Kontrollsysteme nicht so funktionieren, wie sie sollen. Und da müssen wir wirklich dringend dran, sowohl auf nationaler als auch auf europäischer Ebene, dass wir nicht jedes Jahr vier bis fünf Milliarden Euro verschwenden und falsch ausgeben.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz poprosím kolegu Flanagana za skupinu Ľavice v Európskom parlamente. Please, the floor is yours.
So the question is, can the RRF be properly audited? I'd say no, not in the traditional sense. The RRF operates on a financing not linked to costs model. There is a cost blind spot. The Commission does not systematically track actual project bills, so it is mathematically impossible to calculate if EU citizens got value for money.
Luke Ming Flanagan
I don't know do the people in the crowd listen, but they're wasting your money and we don't know. We now face a cliff on accountability. The RRF expired this September. Because countries delayed much implementation, milestones were rushed through and checked off at the end of the facility's lifespan, introducing massive admin error and audit oversight risks. I don't envy the court's task in the years ahead.
Your job is to monitor how EU funds are spent and you try your best. It is impossible to do that when the Commission has put a hand over your eyes. Simplification that comes at the cost of accountability is unacceptable, but that seems to be what we're doing. Thank you very much.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz poprosím kolegyňu Lajkovú za skupinu Európa suverénnych národov. Nech sa páči.
Rada Laykova
Благодаря, господин президент. Европейската сметна палата е една от малкото институции в Европейския съюз, които все още си вършат работата честно. И точно затова е абсолютно скандално, че този парламент блокира всеки опит Европейската сметна палата да провери милиардите, които се изпращат за Украйна. Картелните партии блокират одита без обяснение. Но нека бъдем ясни.
Одитът не поставя въпроса дали трябва да има помощ, а пита стигнаха ли парите там, където трябва. В същото време самите украински антикорупционни органи разкриха схема за подкупи от около 100 милиона долара в най-близкия кръг на властта. В тази среда отиват парите на европейските данъкоплатци без истински контрол. Парламентите съществуват, за да решават как да се харчат парите на хората и да контролират паричните потоци. Но този парламент предпочита да говори за спешната нужда от спешни нужди, вместо да изпълни основната си задача да контролира как се харчат парите на хората.
Herr Präsident, Herr Kommissar. Jedes Jahr stehen wir bei diesem Bericht vor derselben Frage.
Wie hoch ist der Betrugsanteil und was ist dem komplexen System geschuldet? Der Rechnungshof sagt selbst, die Fehlerquote ist nicht das Maß für Betrug. Inkludiert sind ja auch von Formularen bis zu Belegen alles. Dieses Jahr gibt es aber eine leichte Steigerung. Die Fehlerquote wird höher und das Problem liegt aber nicht unbedingt bei den Fördernehmern, sondern auch im System.
Wir kennen es aus der Wirtschaft. Ein großer Betrieb hat eine eigene Abteilung für Förderungen. Eine Gemeinde, ein mittelständischer Betrieb hat das nicht. Was mich aber am meisten beschäftigt, ist der Aufbaufonds. Neun von 37 Zahlungen waren nicht rechtskonform.
Angelika Winzig
Ziele wurden im Nachhinein abgesenkt ohne ausreichende Begründung. Dieses Jahr ist das letzte Jahr des Aufbaufonds und Ende des Vorjahres waren noch 38 Prozent der Zuschüsse offen. Es gibt also noch genug Möglichkeiten, den Fluss der Gelder genauer zu kontrollieren. Vereinfachung und Kontrolle ist kein Widerspruch, davon bin ich überzeugt. Von der Kommission erwarte ich daher exaktere Prüfungen vor Auszahlung und von den Mitgliedstaaten, dass sie sich selbst gesetzte Ziele einhalten, statt sie nachträglich abzusenken.
Chloé Ridel
Chers collègues, Monsieur le Président Mureşan. Je m'inquiète pour ma part de l'instrumentalisation politique de vos deux rapports de 2025. Le rapport d'abord sur le financement des ONG qui n'a établi aucune irrégularité spécifique dans le financement des ONG et malgré cela, il a été instrumentalisé ce rapport pour justifier une pseudo commission d'enquête qui elle non plus n'a rien révélé sur la question des ONG mais qui a contribué à jeter l'opprobre sur la société civile et à fragiliser notre démocratie. Par ailleurs, dans un autre rapport de 2025 sur les institutions européennes de lutte contre la fraude, vous recommandez un nouveau système d'échange d'informations sur les soupçons de fraude et les enquêtes. Nous partageons l'objectif de renforcer la coopération entre le Parquet européen et l'OLAF, mais certains collègues ont repris cette recommandation sans les garanties nécessaires à la confidentialité des enquêtes pénales au risque d'affaiblir le travail du Parquet européen.
Ces deux exemples posent donc une question essentielle qui est la suivante : comment prévenir l'instrumentalisation publique de vos travaux ? Vos rapports doivent dire plus clairement ce qu'ils démontrent, mais aussi ce qu'ils ne permettent pas d'affirmer. C'est essentiel pour éviter qu'ils soient utilisés à des fins politiques qu'ils ne justifient pas. Merci.
A teraz poprosím kolegu Sancheza, nech sa páči.
Julien Sanchez
Merci Monsieur le Président. Les conclusions du rapport annuel de la Cour des comptes pour 2025 sont graves. La Cour émet une opinion défavorable sur la légalité et la régularité des dépenses budgétaires de l'Union. Le taux d'erreur estimatif des dépenses atteint 3,8 % et pour la rubrique cohésion, résilience et valeurs, nous sommes même à 6,6 % de taux d'erreur. Madame von der Leyen nous dira que tout va bien, mais la réalité c'est que pour la septième année consécutive, la Cour émet une opinion défavorable sur la régularité des dépenses.
Et le pire c'est que ces contrôles ne se font que par échantillonnage. On imagine tous les scandales qui passent sous les radars. Si l'Union européenne était une entreprise, ses dirigeants auraient été licenciés depuis longtemps. S'ajoute à cela l'opacité dans les dépenses. Il n'y a aujourd'hui à l'heure de l'intelligence artificielle aucun contrôle possible des dépenses faites ici.
Julien Sanchez
Nous n'avons même pas la liste exhaustive des bénéficiaires finaux des fonds, pardon, un scandale démocratique qui ne choque personne à part le groupe des Patriotes. Nous vous alertons à nouveau sur plusieurs points. Nous demandons la transparence publique sur les dépenses. Aussi un meilleur contrôle des dépenses. Les contrôles sont insuffisants et les irrégularités persistent.
Speaker 251
Monsieur Sanchez, je suis ici. Vous vous êtes plaint de toute cette corruption qui intéresse que votre parti ou votre groupe. En fait, les bureaux de votre secrétaire général viennent d'être cherchés par la police parce que votre groupe politique continue à détourner des centaines de milliers d'euros. Malheureusement, vous n'en avez pas parlé, mais peut-être vous pouvez répondre à cette question : pourquoi il y a tant de corruption chez les patriotes et particulièrement dans votre parti où déjà il y a tellement de condamnations ? Vous n'en parlez pas.
Julien Sanchez
Nous demandons aussi que le modèle de la FRR ne soit pas généralisé, ce serait un danger. La Cour documente elle-même aujourd'hui ses faiblesses. Allez-vous l'entendre et nous entendre ? Merci.
Julien Sanchez
Je sais, Monsieur Freund, que vous aimez les régimes communistes et que vous avez une nostalgie pour eux et que dans ces régimes, en général, la justice n'existe pas. Nous, nous sommes encore une fois attachés à l'État de droit. Je crois que vous en parlez souvent. L'État de droit, c'est justement permettre qu'il y ait des procès équitables. En l'occurrence, il y a des affaires qui ne sont pas jugées encore à titre définitif et je crois que chacun aura l'occasion de dire ce qu'il a à dire.
Pour ce qui est de ce qui est en cours aujourd'hui, cela ne concerne pas le groupe des patriotes, cela concerne l'ancien groupe ID dont je n'étais pas membre. Merci. En tout cas, sur les ONG, je pense qu'il serait intéressant d'aller chercher aussi et vous aurez peut-être des choses à nous dire sur le sujet.
Joachim Stanisław Brudziński
Bardzo dziękuję, panie przewodniczący, panie komisarzu. Pieniądze europejskich podatników wymagają większej odpowiedzialności. Wysoki poziom błędu 3,8% zawarty w opinii ETO za 2025 rok, ponownie przekraczający 2% próg istotności, pokazują, że Komisja Europejska powinna być rozliczana z rzeczywistych rezultatów zarządzania budżetem, a nie jedynie ze składanych deklaracji. Potrzebujemy efektywnej, rzetelnej kontroli, a nie pozorów kontroli. W obszarze spójności ETO szacował poziom błędu na 6,6%, podczas gdy Komisja wskazała zaledwie 2,3%.
Pomimo różnic metodologicznych rozbieżności te pokazują konieczność większej przejrzystości weryfikacji wydatków i konsekwentnego eliminowania nieprawidłowości. Fundusz Odbudowy pokazuje zagrożenia związane z uznaniowością działań Komisji, w szczególności poprzez swobodę sformułowania, a następnie spełniania ogólnie określonych kamieni milowych. W 13 skontrolowanych zmianach wymogi dotyczące kamieni milowych zmodyfikowano już po złożeniu wniosków o płatność. Dlatego należy wyeliminować ryzyko arbitralnego stosowania warunków finansowania wobec państw członkowskich. Dziękuję.
Joachim Streit
Vielen Dank, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, sehr geehrter Herr Rechnungshofpräsident Murphy, ich freue mich, Sie hier in Straßburg wiederzusehen, nachdem wir uns ja auch in Luxemburg getroffen haben. Jedes Jahr legt der Europäische Rechnungshof seinen Bericht vor und jedes Jahr dasselbe : es wird über die Misswirtschaft in der EU und in der Kommission gesprochen. Und was macht Frau von der Leyen ? Sie fordert noch mehr Geld. Zwei Billionen Euro will sie für den nächsten mehrjährigen Finanzrahmen haben.
Und gleichzeitig geschehen hier Mängel bei dem Corona-Wiederaufbaufonds, Fehler bei den EU-Ausgaben und wachsende Schulden. Frau von der Leyen, wie erklären Sie das den Bürgern, dass Sie immer mehr Geld wollen, aber nicht die Maßnahmen wirksam kontrollieren ? Frau von der Leyen, Sie wollen immer mehr Geld. Wir brauchen aber klare Prioritäten, wir brauchen wirksame Kontrollen und Konsequenzen bei der Verschwendung. Der Europäische Rechnungshof macht seine Arbeit sehr gut.
Sehr geehrte Frau von der Leyen, wann machen Sie endlich Ihre Arbeit ?
Irmhild Boßdorf
Fast vier Milliarden Euro verschwinden jedes Jahr allein aus Regiemitteln in undurchsichtigen Kanälen. 17,5 Millionen Euro für ein Wellnesshotel in Kroatien, über 100 Millionen abgezweigt aus einem 300-Millionen-Projekt für Wasserinfrastruktur in Rumänien, profitiert davon offenbar die italienische Mafia, 18 Millionen für manipulierte Vergabeverfahren auf Korsika und so weiter.
Kein einziger Politikbereich der EU ist so anfällig für Betrug wie die Kohäsionspolitik. Die Fehlerquote ist im vergangenen Jahr sogar noch weiter gestiegen, von 5,7 auf 6,6 % und liegt damit fast doppelt so hoch wie im restlichen EU-Haushalt. Wir brauchen eine konsequente Rückforderung missbräuchlich verwendeter Mittel und mehr Verantwortung bei der Mittelvergabe in den Mitgliedstaaten. Wir Deutschen, die Zahlmeister Europas, müssen im Rat auf einen sparsamen Mitteleinsatz drängen, denn deutsche Steuergelder dürfen niemals für einen Ausgleich mangelhafter EU-Kontrollen missbraucht werden. Vielen Dank.
Ďakujem, pán predseda. Malo si vážime svojich kolegov z Európskeho dvora audítorov, ktorí robia rôzne správy. A vo veľa správach napríklad spomínajú aj to, že naše politiky nie sú také správne, že ich nespĺňame svojím spôsobom, ako by sme mali. A takisto tieto správy, ktoré nám každý rok predkladajú, hovoria o tom, že nehospodárime úplne dobre ako Európska únia. Už sedem rokov po sebe máme negatívne stanovisko.
Určite je to náhoda, že sedem rokov je práve predsedníčkou Európskej komisie pani Ursula von der Leyenová. Výročná správa hovorí teraz, že táto miera chybovosti je 3,8 % pri výdavkoch Európskej únie, európskeho rozpočtu. Pýtam sa teda, ak by takto hospodáril nejaký európsky členský štát, aká by bola reakcia Európskej komisie? Toto je naozaj veľmi veľký problém. Počúvali by sme okamžite o porušovaní pravidiel, sankciách a zastavovaní eurofondov.
Čiže ak takto hospodárime zle ako Európska únia, tak je to tiež výsledkom práce Európskej komisie ako takej. Je krásne, že pán komisár povedal, že urobia nejakú nápravu a že budú robiť nejaké opatrenia ako Európska komisia, ale otázkou je, aké opatrenia môžu urobiť, aby sa to nedialo. Takisto je otázka, či tieto pravidlá platia rovnako pre všetkých, alebo či máme nejaký dvojaký meter. Ďakujem.
Thank you, President. For somebody opening their payslip in Dublin, my hometown, the tax deducted is real hard-earned money that's earned, money that could be used for other things like rent, childcare, or the weekly food bill. So they're absolutely entitled to know where their taxes go and expect every euro to be spent wisely. And that includes the money that Ireland sends here to the European budget. And I think that's why the Court of Auditors is so important.
The independent scrutiny helps people really trust that their money is being properly managed. So President Murphy, as a fellow Dubliner, I want to welcome you here and thank your colleagues for all the crucial work that you do. Last year, the EU budget spending, excluding recovery grants, totalled 176.3 billion euros. And the Court have estimated that a 3.8% of error rate in the expenditure in their audits. Now that's just shy of 7 billion.
And we absolutely obviously must always strive to bring that number down. But the error rate this year is an increase on last year. And whilst it is small, what's really worrying is that we're seeing the same mistakes being made by Member States year in, year out, and that really isn't good enough. So the Court sets out what needs to change. The Commission and the Member States are supposed to act on those recommendations, but we can't see those warnings fall on deaf ears or the trend will continue.
Regina Doherty
Also, I think it's really alarming that we have a growth in EU rising debt without a sufficient clear plan of how we're going to repay it. The substantial interest bill alone for the next seven or eight years is going to be 93 billion euros. And if we have an incomplete payment plan, what'll happen is that we'll end up rounding back to those taxpayers in Dublin looking for more money, and that's absolutely unacceptable. All of our citizens work really hard to earn their wages. They deserve to know that every euro they contribute is properly accounted for and that when problems are absolutely identified, which is the Court's job, they're acted upon and changed so that they don't happen again.
And that's how we protect the public trust in Europe, by taking responsibility and by showing their trust in the results. Taxpayers do their part to give us the money, we have to do our part to make sure we spend it wisely. Thank you, Chair.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you, and let me inform you, dear colleagues, that I'm closing catch-the-eye. There are four requests for catch-the-eye and we should be accommodating all of them, just I will have to be very strict. And let me give the floor to Mr. Ruissen, please.
Bert-Jan Ruissen
Dank u wel, voorzitter, geachte commissaris, beste collega's. Het is bepaald geen rooskleurig beeld dat de Rekenkamer schetst over het beheer van de begroting over 2023. Opnieuw een afkeurend oordeel. Nog steeds veel te hoge foutenpercentages, bij cohesie zelfs 6,6%. Gebrekkige verantwoording bij de herstel- en veerkrachtfaciliteit en een schuldenberg die groeit naar 1 biljoen euro volgend jaar.
De Rekenkamer signaleert, dat is haar rol, en dank voor uw uitstekende werk. Maar de Rekenkamer kan de Commissie niet tot de orde roepen, dat is onze taak als volksvertegenwoordigers. En dat moeten wij dan ook doen. Als wij niet ingrijpen, wie doet het dan wel? Voor mij is namelijk duidelijk, voorzitter, dat we met dergelijke foutenpercentages en gebreken in de verantwoording onmogelijk kwijting kunnen verlenen.
De tijd van genoegen nemen met mooie beloftes is nu echt voorbij. We moeten als Parlement maar eens op onze strepen gaan staan. En laten we ook de waarschuwing over de enorme schuldenlast ter harte nemen. Stoppen met die leningen dus. Dank u wel.
Bogdan Rzońca
Szanowny panie przewodniczący, w imieniu EKR-u chciałem powiedzieć kilka zdań. Otóż każdy, kto dobrze życzy Unii Europejskiej, powinien wziąć pod uwagę każdy raport prezentowany przez Europejski Trybunał Obrachunkowy. Te dokumenty są naprawdę ważne, istotne dla przyszłości Unii Europejskiej. A z tych raportów wynika prosto i jasno, że Unia nie sprawdza, jak wydaje pieniądze. Nie sprawdza tego, niestety, do końca i to jest nasz problem.
Nie dostrzega Unia, i to w raportach widać, zadłużenia Unii Europejskiej i konsekwencji Unii Europejskiej z tego tytułu na przyszłość. A chcemy przecież, żeby projekt pod nazwą Unia Europejska trwał. A więc jeśli nie będziemy brać pod uwagę tych rzetelnych informacji Europejskiego Trybunału, będziemy popierać ekstremalne siły w Unii Europejskiej, które będą po prostu żerować na tym, co się dzieje w Unii Europejskiej. Więc prośba moja jest taka do wszystkich państwa obecnych i nieobecnych: czytajmy... Thank you.
Martin Hojsík
I'm sorry, I really have to be strict. I really have to be strict and fair. Dziękuję bardzo. We have to be equal. Sorry, but it happens to all of us.
And now we move to catch-the-eye, and let me give the floor to Madame Grapini.
Mulțumesc, domnule președinte. Domnule președinte al Curții, vreau să vă felicit cu întreaga echipă. Eu sunt la al treilea mandat, tot urmăresc ce face Curtea de Conturi. Din păcate, Comisia nu ține cont, chiar dacă își însușește observațiile, pentru că iată, ne aflăm din nou după șapte ani la o rată a erorii. Și chiar dacă domnul comisar a spus, și poate mă și ascultă...
O să întrerup până ascultă domnul comisar. Așa este corect. Da. Revin. Dacă Curtea de Conturi își face treaba și de fiecare dată în raport am auzit și în comisia noastră de control bugetar, Comisia de ce nu își corectează aceste lucruri?
Pentru că nu puteți să cereți statelor membre să fie corecte, să le sancționați, în schimb de șapte ani am tot persistat în greșeală.
Ce mă îngrijorează este că am auzit și astăzi, am auzit și la Comisia CONT, cadrul propus este foarte slab pentru viitor. Deci ce șanse avem ca să nu mai avem aceste lucruri? Pentru că până la urmă banii aceștia sunt ai cetățenilor și trebuie să avem o eficiență a modului în care cheltuim acești bani. Mulțumesc.
Sebastian Tynkkynen
Arvoisa puhemies. EU-tilintarkastajien vuosikertomus on karua luettavaa. Tarkastajat toteavat kylmästi, että EU-menojen virhetaso on edelleen liian korkea. Tarkastuksessa havaittiin, että virheet olivat merkittäviä ja laajalle ulottuvia. Yleinen ongelma oli, että EU-rahaa myönnettiin hankkeisiin, jotka eivät edes olleet oikeutettuja tukeen.
Ja niinpä mahtui taas tarkastajilta kielteinen lausunto EU-menoista. Eihän se ole kuin seitsemäs vuosi putkeen. No entäpä jättimäinen elpymispaketti, josta perussuomalaiset vuosia sitten varoitti. Vuoden aikana jäsenmaille elpymispaketista maksetuista avustusmaksuista liki neljäsosa ei ollut sääntöjen ja ehtojen mukaisia. Tarkastajat varoittivat, että elpymispaketin avustusten pelkät korkomenot voivat räjähtää 93 miljardiin euroon tulevien seitsemän vuoden aikana.
EU on vastuuton rahankäyttäjä. Kiitos.
João Oliveira
Obrigado, presidente. Senhor Comissário Serafin, deste relatório do Tribunal de Contas Europeu, queria sublinhar dois aspetos que nos parecem absolutamente essenciais. Primeiro, a crítica que é feita ao modelo do mecanismo de recuperação e resiliência de onde saíram os PRR nacionais, pela concentração de poder na Comissão Europeia, que assume um poder quase absoluto na gestão dos fundos, sem qualquer tipo de controlo ou obstaculizando o controlo à utilização dos fundos e, naturalmente, com a capacidade que tem de condicionar e sujeitar os Estados-Membros em função desse poder de desembolso dos fundos que submete os Estados-Membros a uma circunstância de vulnerabilidade na imposição das políticas que a Comissão Europeia faz. Com estas críticas, esta é mais uma razão para recusar o modelo que está a ser proposto para o quadro financeiro plurianual para 2028-2034. Em segundo lugar, queria sublinhar aquilo que o Tribunal de Contas Europeu diz a propósito da loucura financeira com o financiamento da guerra na Ucrânia, com empréstimos atrás de empréstimos, 18 mil milhões em 2024, 90 mil milhões em 2025 e os povos pagam isto.
Malika Sorel
Monsieur le Président de la Cour des comptes, je souhaiterais aborder la question des dépenses de fonctionnement des institutions, en particulier celles du Parlement européen et celles de la Commission européenne. Le Parlement 2,5 milliards, la Commission 4,5 milliards. À l'heure des formidables apports de l'intelligence artificielle, ne pensez-vous pas que certaines dépenses de fonctionnement sont peut-être superflues, qu'une réflexion sérieuse doit être menée pour rationaliser le fonctionnement des institutions, pour accroître leur efficacité et réduire certains gaspillages. D'aucuns pourraient considérer que cela apporterait peu d'économies, je pense le contraire, d'autant que nous avons un devoir d'exemplarité, il s'agit ici d'argent public dans une période où nous évoquons régulièrement le coût de la vie et la détresse d'une partie de nos concitoyens.
Je vous pose donc ma question, Monsieur le Président : qui, selon vous, doit contrôler les institutions afin de les rendre plus vertueuses ? Je ne crois pas à l'auto-analyse ou l'auto-psychanalyse. Je vous remercie.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a tým uzatváram kvestionár a poprosím pána komisára Serafina.
Piotr Serafin
Mr President, honorable members, a few remarks following today's discussion. Let me stress that we value, as the European Commission, the reports, the Court's annual reports. They are independent, it is an independent assessment of how the EU budget is managed and protected, and we have no doubts that such an independent assessment is needed and can improve how things work. We are of course aware that managing a budget of this scale, implemented through different instruments and involving many actors, inevitably entails risks. A zero-risk scenario is not realistic and is not even cost-effective.
But what matters is that these risks are identified, addressed, and followed up effectively. And here I will make a reference to the comment of honorable member Grapini. I will repeat what I said at the beginning. The Commission not only values the recommendations made by ECA, but also accepts and implements recommendations made by ECA. So in fact more than 90% of the ECA recommendations are accepted and are being or have already been implemented by the Commission.
And we will do the same with the report which is in front of us. We will analyze the Court's findings and recommendations and we will take necessary actions. Sometimes, quite often, those actions would need to be taken together with the member states and other implementing partners. I also want to stress that we have taken careful note of the questions and concerns raised today, and the Commission will ensure appropriate follow-up. This is one step in the process of a discharge, of the discharge process, so I'm also looking forward to the cooperation both with the Court and with this House in the context of the discharge process.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem veľmi pekne. A teraz poprosím za Dvor audítorov jeho predsedu pána Murphyho. Nech sa páči.
Murphy
Thank you, President. I'd like to thank all the honorable members who have intervened and shared their views on our annual report, which obviously we listen to and welcome any comments. I think the common issues which were raised most today were basically the level of debt and the own resources. And in a way they're kind of linked, I would say. I mean, the own resources, I think it's very important to say, I think as was mentioned already by honorable members, it's 21% roughly of the next MFF budget proposed by the Commission.
I mean, it's 21% of this 2 trillion euros.
Trillion euros, so obviously if they do not materialize, I mean, you know, in addition to the already announced cuts, let's say, the EU may still face a significant shortfall, which would require either, I mean, there are, I mean, any, any, any sort of diminution in the, in the level of own resources will mean that there will need to be funds from other sources, whether it's increased GNI contributions, which is probably not realistic, additional debt, which we already have some concerns about, rollover of the existing debt, or basically reducing the overall ambition of the EU budget and the policies which, which it covers. I think another area, the error rate has been mentioned a few times and obviously we also would prefer to see a lower error rate than 3.8%. But I think it's very important that we, we clarify once again that this is not fraud per se. I mean, some projects which, you know, are perfect on paper and have no errors don't deliver much added value, and it's vice versa. Some of the projects which actually have errors attached can be a positive, you know, contribution to the EU taxpayer.
I think the issue raised by honorable member Doherty about the typology of errors being consistent, that is an issue. Despite our recommendations, which the Commission says are being, are being implemented, we see the same type of error year after year after year. So obviously there is a systemic structural issue there which needs to be addressed. In terms of the debt, we've already given the figures, 1 trillion euros by 2027. I mean, and I think linked to the own resource, we have to remember when the NextGenerationEU was being devised, there was an own resource proposal on the table to basically repay the NGEU debt.
This never materialized and now we see the actual consequence of that, where in the Commission proposal, 8% of the next budget, or around 160 billion, is solely earmarked for servicing this NextGenerationEU debt. And as was mentioned by the honorable member above there, interest costs alone could reach around 93 billion over the 2028-34 period. And while the latest proposal has reduced this figure somewhat, the amounts involved are still quite substantial. Then we come to the, the perennial topic on the table before this new MFF was the RRF. And I think we have been quite clear about our concerns in relation to this delivery mechanism, let's say.
And as has already been pointed out, it will be replicated to some degree in the European fund, particularly in relation to the national programs. And we really hope that some of the, the advice we have given, that lessons are learned from this. It remains to be seen because with the devil will be in the detail. The Commission is currently working on its assurance framework, which will give us an indication of how they see their role in controlling the fund. And obviously this will be instrumental in how we adopt their methodology to use their work and also what additional work we will have to do to make sure basically that wherever the delivery mechanism, that EU taxpayers are getting value for money.
I think one area though where we still have significant concerns in relation to the RRF is the performance framework. I mean, the whole idea of a performance instrument is that you can measure its impact. And we consider the performance framework to be still very weak, which means that in the end it will be actually very difficult to measure the real impact and what has been delivered for the money. A couple of quick replies to some of the issues raised. In terms of EU climate policy spending, we actually do a lot of work in this area and will continue over the next couple of years.
And we have actually reported that there has been an overstatement of climate-related expenditure by the Commission in terms of the 2014-20 program in terms of the one in five euro being spent, and also in relation to the RRF program where we saw many billions of euro which were incorrectly reported as being green expenditure. Then I suppose also the administrative expenditure was mentioned.
I mean I think AI will have an, there's no doubt that that will have an impact on the administrative setup and related costs of all the institutions. You know we actually do an audit of the institutions in our annual report chapter 10 and we see that there is consistently pressure on the administrative heading. We see in the new proposal that the administrative heading 4 has been cut by another 95 billion which will require institutions de facto to rationalize and be more efficient because the resources available to them will be much less. Finally I would like to thank many of the honorable members for their positive comments in relation to our annual report and I think this is basically a consequence of the dedicated work of our staff and all the people involved in the production of this report in the ECA and I would like to thank them on behalf of the College of the European Court of Auditors. Thank you very much.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you President and thank you for the great work of the Court of Auditors and for being with us. This concludes debate on this topic. Ďalším bodom programu je vyhlásenie Komisie: Právny štát na Malte deväť rokov po vražde Daphne Caruanovej Galiziovej. A vítam pána komisára McGratha a poprosil by som ho o otvorenie tejto debaty. Nech sa páči, pán komisár.
Michael McGrath
Dear Chair, honorable members, thank you for holding this debate to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Daphne was a courageous Maltese investigative journalist known for her determined and fearless reporting. Her assassination shocked all of us. Her murder robbed her family and friends of a loved one, including her three sons Matthew, Paul and Andrew, and a society of a courageous journalist who dedicated her life to exposing corruption and holding power to account. It was an attack on journalism and an attack on democracy itself.
The Commission has consistently called for all those responsible for this assassination to be brought to justice. There needs to be accountability. There can be no impunity for this atrocious crime and judicial proceedings are still ongoing. Sadly, Daphne was not the only journalist in Europe to pay with her life for her work. Just four months later, in February 2018, Ján Kuciak was murdered in Slovakia together with his fiancée Martina Kušnírová.
He too was investigating fraud and corruption. And this year marks 30 years since Veronica Guerin was shot dead in Dublin in my own country Ireland because of her reporting on organized crime. And I can still remember the shock around the country when the news of her murder broke. It is a moment that Ireland has never forgotten. The protection of media and journalists remains a political priority across the European Union.
For our part, in the years following Daphne's assassination, we have taken concrete action to uphold media freedom and to protect journalists. We have recommended wide-ranging measures to ensure the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists and other media professionals. New EU legislative rules are in place to protect journalists and civil society from abusive lawsuits and we have enshrined a comprehensive regime to protect media freedom and media pluralism under the European Media Freedom Act. We are working with Member States to ensure that this framework is implemented fully and delivers on the ground.
In addition, the European Democracy Shield published last November seeks to further support journalists and enhance their protection against undue pressure and threats. As regards the situation of the rule of law in Malta, since 2020, the Commission has closely monitored developments in the context of the annual rule of law reports. I would like to thank the Maltese authorities and stakeholders for the good cooperation throughout the annual rule of law cycle. The 2026 edition of the rule of law report published in July contains an in-depth analysis of the main developments regarding the rule of law in Malta. The report notes that Malta has taken certain steps to address some of the issues identified, but that further efforts are needed to address the recommendations made by the European Commission.
Looking at the situation of media freedom and pluralism, the report noted limited progress on adopting safeguards to improve the working environment of journalists, including access to official documents. The Commission is aware that the Maltese government has announced the tabling of a comprehensive media reform in the coming weeks. In that context, it will be important that Malta ensures adequate consultation of all relevant stakeholders. The Commission will analyze this legislation once adopted, including in light of the provisions of the European Media Freedom Act. The Commission is also aware of the government's intention to expand the protection of journalists and others acting as public watchdogs against abusive lawsuits or so-called SLAPPs.
Malta was the first member state to transpose the anti-SLAPP directive in 2024, covering cross-border cases. In its anti-SLAPP recommendation, the Commission called on all member states to extend the protection also to domestic cases, and I very much hope that Malta will take the opportunity now to enact such an extension to domestic SLAPP cases as well. On the justice system, the Commission recommended to Malta to take forward initiatives to increase resources, to reform court procedures, and to advance digitalization with a view to improving the efficiency of the justice system, as no further progress had been reported in this year's report. Efficiency of justice is crucial for effective judicial protection of citizens and businesses and for strengthening trust in the justice system. The report also recommended taking forward reforms with a view to involve the judiciary in the procedure for the appointment of the Chief Justice.
This reform is still pending and the political debate is ongoing. With regard to the fight against corruption, the report noted that progress remains to be achieved on establishing a robust track record of final judgments in corruption cases, given the high backlog of pending court cases, judges' workload, and that a limited team of four magistrates are responsible for handling preliminary inquiries. The report also noted that limited progress was made to address challenges related to the length of investigations of high-level corruption cases and recommended stepping up efforts in this regard. Finally, in relation to other checks and balances, the rule of law report notes that Malta made limited progress in introducing a formal framework for public participation in the legislative process. Since legislative reforms remain pending, it is recommended to Malta to now introduce such a framework.
Moreover, the report called on Malta to establish a national human rights institution as a legislative proposal to that end remains under preparation at the moment. To conclude, Chair, the European Commission continues to insist on the need to make further progress on the different pending issues highlighted in the recommendations in this year's rule of law report.
The Commission remains committed to supporting Malta in these efforts. I look forward to the contribution of colleagues across the house to this important debate and to responding later on. Thank you very much.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem pán komisár a teraz poprosím kolegu Casa za poslanecký klub Európskej ľudovej strany kresťanských demokratov. Nech sa páči.
David Casa
Grazzi sur president, kollegi. Għaddew seba' snin mill-assassinju ta' Daphne Caruana Galizia u llum qegħdin hawnhekk f'din il-kamra. Kemm nixtieq li stajt wassaltilkom aħbar tajba. Li l-istituzzjonijiet ta' pajjiżi reġgħu kisbu l-integrità tagħhom. Li dawk li Daphne kixfet il-korruzzjoni tagħhom tressqu quddiem il-ġustizzja.
Li dawk li ordnaw il-qtil tagħha jinsabu l-ħabs. Xejn minn dan ma nista' ngħidilkom. Minflok seba' snin wara, il-persuna akkużata li ordnat il-qtil tagħha nstabet mhux ħatja. Daqqa kbira għall-ġustizzja, falliment tal-istat Malti, falliment li ma nistgħux naċċettaw. L-inkjesta pubblika kienet ċara li l-istat ħoloq klima ta' impunità li wasslet għall-qtil ta' Daphne.
Għamlet rakkomandazzjonijiet biex dan ma jerġax iseħħ u ħames snin wara l-gvern għadu jkaxkar saqajh u l-maġġoranza kbira ta' dawn ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet għadhom ma twettqux. Jumejn ilu l-Prim Ministru attakkani fil-parlament Malti akkużani bħal ma jagħmel dejjem li nagħmel ħsara lil Malta meta niġi nitkellem fuq dawn l-affarijiet hawnhekk. Din hija politika staġnata li kien juża Joseph Muscat il-Prim Ministru ta' qablu. Imma llum irrid inwieġbu f'din il-kamra. Mhux se nieqfu u l-anqas niddefendu lill-poplu Malti u Għawdxi.
Mhux se nieqfu nitolbu li dawk li serqu lill-Maltin biex jagħtu kont ta' għemilhom. Mhux se nieqfu sakemm kull min kien involut fil-qtil ta' Daphne u fit-tentattivi biex tinħeba l-verità jitressaq quddiem il-ġustizzja. Li niddefendu l-ġustizzja ma tfissirx li nagħmlu ħsara lil pajjiżna u dmirna anzi lejn il-Maltin li niddefendu lill-poplu Malti u Għawdxi għax pajjiż fejn il-liġi ma tapplikax għal kulħadd bl-istess mod mhux pajjiż ġust. Il-Maltin u l-Għawdxin jistħoqqilhom aħjar u aħna se nibqgħu niġġieldu sakemm issir ġustizzja u grazzi lil dan il-parlament il-gruppi politiċi kollha li dejjem taw każ x'qed jgħid il-poplu Malti u Għawdxi. Grazzi.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz poprosím kolegu Agiusa Salibu za skupinu Progresívna aliancia socialistov a demokratov. Nech sa páči.
Alex Agius Saliba
Bħal kull wieħed u waħda minnkom aħna lkoll irridu li ssir ġustizzja sħiħa ma' Daphne Caruana Galizia. Il-ġustizzja però ma ssirx billi nattakkaw is-sistema ġudizzjarja Maltija. Kif qalet bl-aktar mod ċar il-familja ta' Daphne, l-investigaturi, il-prosekuzzjoni u l-pulizija f'dan il-każ ġabru l-evidenza kollha neċessarja, għamlu xogħolhom bl-aqwa mod possibbli, ma jeżisti l-ebda dubju dwar dan. Il-verdett tal-ġurija kien wieħed ċar. Tista' ma taqbilx miegħu però l-ebda politiku m'għandu dritt jattakka dan il-verdett anka jekk fil-fond ta' qalbu ma jkunx jaqbel miegħu.
Kien għalhekk li l-uffiċċju tal-avukat ġenerali appella minn din is-sentenza fil-konfront ta' Yorgen Fenech. Kien għalhekk u kien għaqli li l-gvern Malti f'perjodu daqstant sensittiv ażżarda u uża l-kawtela u mhux il-populiżmu li tiddiletta bih l-oppożizzjoni nazzjonalista f'pajjiżna u barra minn xtutna. Ejja nżommu f'moħħna li l-eżekuturi kollha f'dan il-każ jinsabu qed iskontaw sentenzi twal ta' ħabs. Għalhekk f'dan il-mument il-prudenza, il-kawtela huma ċ-ċavetta sabiex issir ġustizzja sħiħa ma' Daphne. Il-gvern Malti kien ċar kif għamilna sa mill-bidu mid-data tal-qtil tal-ġurnalista se nkomplu nagħtu kull riżors neċessarju lill-istituzzjonijiet sabiex jaqdu xogħolhom.
Martin Hojsík
I have to, I'm sorry, I have to really try to be strict with the time. We have rules that actually require me to do so. Teraz poprosím kolegu Leggeriho, nech sa páči.
Fabrice Leggeri
Merci Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire. Neuf ans après l'assassinat de Daphne Caruana Galizia, des exécutants ont été condamnés, mais aucun commanditaire. Pour comprendre cette affaire, il faut regarder ce qu'elle dénonçait : une corruption si profondément installée que, selon l'enquête publique, l'État avait créé le climat d'impunité ayant permis son assassinat. Ce scandale éclabousse un pouvoir travailliste, un énième pour votre famille politique, chers collègues socialistes. I'm sorry, just sorry to interrupt you, I'm missing the English interpretation, so you might need to start again because we're halfway through and we don't have English interpretation.
Martin Hojsík
I didn't have it for the first minute. No. Can I get a confirmation that it will be okay again? Perfect. It happens to all of us.
Fabrice Leggeri
Please start again. Thank you. Neuf ans après l'assassinat de Daphne Caruana Galizia, des exécutants ont été condamnés, mais aucun commanditaire. Pour comprendre cette affaire, il faut regarder ce qu'elle dénonçait : une corruption si profondément installée que, selon l'enquête publique, l'État avait créé le climat d'impunité ayant permis son assassinat. Ce scandale éclabousse un pouvoir travailliste, un énième pour votre famille politique, chers collègues socialistes.
Vous qui distribuez les leçons d'État de droit à toute l'Europe, commencez par demander des comptes à vos amis. Dès 2019, Jordan Bardella vous alertait ici. Sept ans après, nous recommençons les discours. Aujourd'hui, la Commission publie des rapports, Malte promet des réformes, mais la fondation Daphne, elle, dénonce toujours des recommandations largement inapplicables. À présent, nous exigeons un calendrier et des résultats.
Speaker 281
Daphne enquêtait pour que les puissants rendent des comptes. Honorer sa mémoire, c'est exiger des comptes, y compris de vos amis politiques. Merci Monsieur le Président.
Speaker 278
A teraz poprosím kolegyňu Gosiewsku za Európskych konzervatívcov a reformistov, nech sa páči.
Małgorzata Gosiewska
Debatujemy o praworządności na Malcie dziewięć lat po zabójstwie Daphne Caruany Galizii. Praworządność oznacza, że władza podlega prawu, instytucje państwa są niezależne, a obywatel może patrzeć władzy na ręce bez strachu. Spójrzmy na Polskę: spór o legalność działania Trybunału Konstytucyjnego, podważanie konstytucyjnego porządku, policja wobec protestujących obywateli. Gdzie jest dziś Unia Europejska? Gdzie Komisja Europejska?
Gdy Donald Tusk walczył o władzę, Bruksela wykorzystywała praworządność jako narzędzie politycznej presji na rząd Zjednoczonej Prawicy. Dziś, gdy Tusk tę władzę sprawuje, ta sama Bruksela milczy wobec działań uderzających w porządek konstytucyjny. Wtedy Bruksela pomagała mu zdobyć władzę. Dziś nie chce podważać jego rządów. Praworządność nie może być narzędziem walki z politycznymi przeciwnikami i tarczą dla politycznych sojuszników.
Speaker 282
Bo jeśli zależy ona od tego, kto rządzi, nie mamy do czynienia z ochroną europejskich wartości, lecz z polityczną hipokryzją.
Martin Hojsík
A teraz poprosím pani viceprezidentku Wilmès za skupinu Renew Europe, nech sa páči.
Merci Monsieur le Président. Neuf ans. Neuf ans depuis l'assassinat de Daphne Caruana Galizia. Neuf ans que sa famille attend toujours que les responsabilités soient établies, ce qui rend particulièrement pour elle difficile de faire son deuil. Cet assassinat a aussi marqué le Parlement, qui a conduit à la création du DRFMG en 2018, groupe que j'ai l'honneur de présider aujourd'hui.
Parce que beaucoup de questions restent sans réponse et que l'on ne peut pas s'en contenter, le DRFMG se rendra à nouveau à Malte en novembre. Sur place, nous voulons comprendre ce qui ne fonctionne toujours pas, ce qui favorise cette impunité. Mais surtout, nous voulons voir ce qui a réellement changé depuis neuf ans. Nous partagerons évidemment nos conclusions avec ce Parlement et avec vous, Monsieur le Commissaire. Mais je veux être très claire : cette mission ne peut pas seulement aboutir à un rapport de plus.
Elle doit au contraire aboutir à des avancées réelles et concrètes pour les Maltais, car la mémoire de Daphne Caruana Galizia exige davantage que nos hommages. Merci.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz poprosím kolegu Freunda za skupinu Zelených/Európska slobodná aliancia, nech sa páči.
Daniel Freund
Dear colleagues, it's been nine years since the brutal assassination of Daphne, and for these nine years now, we have been waiting for justice, for closure on this case. The hitmen have been sentenced, they are in jail, but the person that ordered the brutal assassination by car bomb is still walking free today. And that shows us that something is not quite right in the justice system in Malta. Things have changed, but I think more change is necessary. All the recommendations by the public inquiry need to be fully implemented.
It is to me really not understandable that abuse of office, for example, is still not criminalized in Malta, that an intervention by the Prime Minister's office into the ongoing procedures has seen no consequence whatsoever. So I'm glad we're going, that a mission of the European Parliament is going to Malta in a couple of weeks, and we will look at what has changed and what more change we need to see in Malta. Thank you very much.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem, and no, there is no blue card possibility in the first round, if that's what you wanted. A teraz poprosím kolegu Arvanitisa za skupinu Ľavice v Európskom parlamente, nech sa páči.
Konstantinos Arvanitis
Κύριε Επίτροπε, κυρίες και κύριοι συνάδελφοι, κύριε Πρόεδρε, εννιά χρόνια από τη δολοφονία της Daphne Caruana Galizia, τα πράγματα έχουν πάρει το δρόμο τους φυσικά στη Μάλτα, είπε η Πρόεδρος ότι θα είμαστε σε λίγο καιρό εκεί η αρμόδια επιτροπή. Οκτώ χρόνια από τη δολοφονία του Ján Kuciak και της μνηστής του, πέντε χρόνια από τη δολοφονία του Ολλανδού Peter de Vries, πέντε χρόνια από τη δολοφονία του Γιώργου Καραϊβάζ στην Ελλάδα. Και στις περισσότερες των περιπτώσεων τα θύματα, οι δολοφονημένοι, ήταν δημοσιογράφοι της ερευνητικής δημοσιογραφίας. Προσπαθούσαν να αποκαλύψουν τη σχέση διαπλοκής μεταξύ πολιτικής και μεγάλων οικονομικών συμφερόντων. Παρά τις οδηγίες για SLAPPs, ακόμα δεν έχουμε διασφαλίσει αποφασιστικά τα θέματα ελευθεροτυπίας.
Κύριε Επίτροπε, κύριε Πρόεδρε, κύριοι συνάδελφοι, θέλω να επαναφέρω την πρότασή μου από αυτό το βήμα, όπως είχα κάνει πριν από μερικά χρόνια. Για να δείξουμε έμπρακτα τη σημασία της ελεύθερης, της ελευθερίας του τύπου και της προστασίας των δημοσιογράφων, ας υιοθετήσουμε τουλάχιστον ως Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο τις οικογένειες, ιδιαιτέρως τα παιδιά των δολοφονημένων δημοσιογράφων που έχουν πέσει στο καθήκον. Κλείνοντας, τελικά δεν είναι πολύ ασφαλές να είσαι δημοσιογράφος στην Ένωση, ούτε καν ευρωβουλευτής. Θυμίζω την υπόθεση του συναδέλφου μας κυρίου Στέλιου Κούλογλου, ο οποίος ήταν στην επιτροπή PEGA και βρέθηκε να παρακολουθείται από το Pegasus. Ευχαριστώ.
Michał Wawrykiewicz
Dear Chair, Commissioner, colleagues, in her final years in 2016 and 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia focused on the journalism targeting key figures in Maltese government: the ministers of energy and economy, the chief of staff and wife of the Prime Minister. This recalls situation in Orbán's Hungary.
Before her assassination, she asked Maltese official questions on behalf of all of us, actually, about possible corruption schemes, including secret companies in Panama or possible bribes kept in New Zealand. This is the normal work of journalist. Free and independent journalism is the backbone of our union, under the rule of law, under the democratic rules. The free press should remind elected representatives to serve to public rather than their own interests or political sponsors. Nine years after the murder, public perception among many Maltese people still points to a widespread culture of impunity and special treatment for public figures.
It cannot be accepted. Honorable members, as a rapporteur to the Commission's 2026 rule of law report, I promise you to do my best to bring the recent rule of law situation in Malta to the special attention of this house and present you with the findings before the 10th anniversary of assassination. Thank you.
Dear member, I think we all mourn the memory of Daphne. But you have been mentioning corruption and trying to correlate it. It's funny because when we vote for more transparency on the Panama Papers, your group votes against. When we vote, for example, on having a clear traffic of flows on the offshore accounts, your group votes against. And then you bring all the countries that you don't like.
Bruno Gonçalves
You brought Portugal, you have brought Spain because it's a socialist government, you have brought Sweden two weeks ago voting an amendment stating that there was interference in the elections by the Muslim Brotherhood. Is your problem with corruption or is it with democracy? Thank you.
Michał Wawrykiewicz
As EPP group, we do not have problems with the democracy, we do not have problems with the rule of law. We always support our common union values and we always vote after very serious consideration. So we are bringing today the situation in Malta, we are bringing the story of murdered Daphne Caruana Galizia to raise this problem in this house. And as I promised, as a rule of law rapporteur, I will bring this situation to the attention of this house in my report. Thank you.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you. And I see that Mr. Mummolatić requested catch the eye, but I'm sorry, you need to request it during the initial intervention of a member. So I'd like to give the floor to Madame Incir.
Evin Incir
Colleagues, the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia demands justice. Justice for Daphne, justice for her family and accountability for every criminal and mastermind manipulator responsible, because no one is above the law. But sometimes I'm wondering if this parliament is turning into a Mickey Mouse parliament where the EPP and the far right is exploiting tragedies for political gain. Because let's stay to the facts. Malta has abolished criminal defamation, strengthened journalists' protections, introduced measures against abusive lawsuits and secured five convictions connected to Daphne's murder.
Is this enough? Of course it is not enough. But ignoring progress because it doesn't fit into the EPP and the far right narrative is not defending or serving justice. Justice is not a political weapon and Daphne's memory deserves better than political point scoring. So let's serve Daphne justice by stop lying about the progress in Malta.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you. And you cannot have blue, sorry, you cannot have a blue card on a member from your own group. So that's why I cannot ask them. But let me give the floor to colleague Knotek. Nezapomeň.
Jaroslav Knot
Děkuju, pane předsedo.
Dear colleagues, nine years ago Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally murdered for exposing corruption and challenging those in power. Nine years later we must ask ourselves has justice truly been served? The rule of law cannot exist where journalists are intimidated, corruption goes unpunished and political connections stand above justice. But let us also be clear, the rule of law must never become a political weapon used selectively against certain member states while others escape scrutiny. Malta deserves justice, Daphne's family deserves justice and European citizens deserve equal standards, not political double standards.
No government should be above the law, no journalist should have to die for telling the truth and no European institution should confuse the defense of justice with political interference. Thank you very much.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz poprosím kolegyňu García Hermida-Van Der Walle. Nech sa páči.
Thank you chair, commissioner. Nine years have passed since the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Murdered for investigating corruption and the mastermind has still not been convicted. Nine years and the Maltese authorities and courts have still not done enough to bring those responsible to justice. I think we can all agree on this.
Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle
A disgrace not only for Malta but for the entire European Union. And time and time again the European Parliament and the Commission have called on Malta to speed up its justice, especially for investigations on high-level corruption, without much result until now, unfortunately. So dear commissioner, please, you have been to Malta, do your best to ensure that all due reforms are passed quickly and that we end this culture of impunity. And about ending this culture of impunity, I will say this about this parliament. It is a disgrace that murders of journalists depending on which country they come from and which government is in power are being used by different political groups.
Speaker 294
I'm sorry, S&D Malta, EPP Greece, Fico in Slovakia. We see this across the political spectrum. Stop doing this, this is a disgrace to the memory of the victims. Thank you.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you, will you accept a blue card from colleague Mularczyk from ECR?
Arkadiusz Mularczyk
Dziękuję bardzo za przyjęcie niebieskiej karty. Pani w swoim wystąpieniu oczywiście słusznie podkreśla, że dziennikarze muszą korzystać z prawa do wolności słowa, muszą być chronieni, a obywatele mają prawo do rzetelnej informacji. Wspomniała pani kraje, gdzie dochodzi do naruszenia prawa wolności słowa. Czy słyszała pani o sytuacji w Polsce, gdzie liberalny rząd Donalda Tuska szykanuje dziennikarzy stacji telewizyjnych Republika i w Polsce, gdzie policja wchodzi do dziennikarzy, do domów dziennikarzy, gdzie dziennikarze są zatrzymywani, szykanowani, gdzie odmawia im się prawa do informacji? Czy słyszała pani o szykanach w Polsce wobec...?
Speaker 293
Thank you, I have to uphold the time. I'm sorry. You have a minute, please.
Thank you colleague. This debate is meant to honor the memory of one murdered journalist, in this case Daphne Caruana Galizia, and it has been mentioned also she's not the only one. We have Ján Kuciak, we have Giorgos Karaivaz. There are many. This is not about specific cases of violation of freedom of expression which you bring into this debate when this debate is about high-level corruption and how journalists who are investigating high-level corruption are being murdered in our European Union.
Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle
It's unacceptable. And I don't want to say that other infringements are not serious. The rule of law report looks into this, but please don't bring other subjects to something so serious.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you. I have to be really strict. A teraz poprosím kolegu Zarzalejos, nech sa páči.
Javier Zarzalejos
Thank you, President, Commissioner. Well, nine years is a failure. Assassination, corruption at highest level, a wall of complicity, the role of media and investigative journalists attacked, the protection of journalists ignored, and the perceived shortcomings of the response of the judicial system. All these elements together make this case not only a tragic event, but an unprecedented challenge to rule of law and basic democratic principles. Justice system must deliver.
I think we all agree on that, and must deliver on its responsibility. Justice has to be done and all, all those responsible for this despicable conspiracy that led to the killing of Daphne Caruana must be held accountable. The retrial of Yorgen Fenech following the appeal against his acquittal is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed in order to have a fresh and thorough reconsideration of the whole case. Maltese people, Maltese institutions, Maltese democracy, Daphne's family deserve to have their confidence restored. So, Commissioner, I call on you to take all the necessary steps in your specific responsibility in rule of law in the European Union, ensuring that Daphne's death was not in vain is a moral and political obligation for us all.
Thomas Bajada
Il-qtil ta' Daphne Caruana Galizia ifakkarna li d-demokrazija ma tistax tgħix mingħajr ġurnaliżmu ħieles u li l-libertà tagħhom teħtieġ protezzjoni u ġustizzja. Għax id-demokrazija mhux biss id-dritt li tivvota, jew id-dritt għall-aċċess għall-informazzjoni vverifikata. Għalhekk min jistaqsi, jinvestiga u jikxef l-abbuż għandu jkun protett, anke meta dak li jikteb affarijiet li jdejquna jew meta jikkritikalna. Illum waħda mill-akbar theddidiet għall-ġurnaliżmu hija l-gidba moħbija bħala aħbar, il-fabbrikazzjoni preżentata bħala fatt, il-manipulazzjoni li tippretendi li qed tinforma. Din iddgħajjef il-fiduċja fil-ġurnalisti serji u tċaħħad liċ-ċittadin mill-għażla infurmata.
Xogħolna għandu jkun li nassiguraw Ewropa b'ġurnaliżmu indipendenti u b'saħħtu, b'ċittadini armati biex jiġġieldu l-miżinformazzjoni u bi protezzjoni effettiva għal min ifittex il-verità. Hekk nistgħu nonoraw il-ħajja ta' Daphne, hekk nistgħu niddefendu d-demokrazija.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz poprosím pani kolegyňu viceprezidentku Picierno, nech sa páči.
Pina Picierno
Sì, grazie Presidente. Dì la verità anche se la tua voce trema è una delle frasi che amava ripetere Daphne Caruana Galizia ed è una delle frasi che forse racconta meglio chi era Daphne. Avere coraggio nonostante la paura, avere forza nonostante le nostre debolezze. Questo racconta chi era Daphne ma racconta anche e resta anche un monito potentissimo verso quest'aula, a tutti noi, perché la libertà di stampa non è mai conquistata per sempre, resta un campo di battaglia quotidiano.
E allora ricordare Daphne significa assumere ancora una volta in quest'aula certo un impegno concreto. Sappiamo che gli assassini sono stati assicurati alla giustizia, ma tanto resta da fare rispetto ai mandanti e mi unisco all'appello dei colleghi che chiedono al commissario di fare tutto il possibile perché avvenga. Significa fare in modo che nessuno giornalista sia lasciato solo davanti ai poteri che vuole indagare. Questo è il nostro compito, questo è il compito del Parlamento europeo.
Isabel Wiseler-Lima
Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire. Malte. Un État membre de l'Union européenne. Et pourtant, neuf ans après l'assassinat de Daphne Caruana Galizia, ceux qui ont commandité ce crime n'ont toujours pas été condamnés. Les exécuteurs sont en prison.
Oui, mais la justice reste incomplète. L'acquittement du 2 septembre a ramené les Maltais dans la rue. Ils protestent contre un verdict qu'ils ne comprennent pas. Or, quand un peuple perd confiance dans sa justice, quand il est convaincu que l'impunité règne, c'est la démocratie elle-même qui est en danger. Le peuple maltais mérite mieux.
Nous demandons justice pour Daphne. Nous demandons aussi que les défaillances relevées par la Commission dans son rapport 2026 sur l'État de droit, et Monsieur le Commissaire vous les avez relevées, soient enfin corrigées. La lenteur de la justice, l'absence de condamnation dans les affaires de corruption à haut niveau. L'Union a le devoir de veiller au respect de l'État de droit dans chaque État membre. Et le Parlement européen restera vigilant.
Merci.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem. I'm closing Catch-the-Eye and I have to warn you I'm not going to be able to take all of you by far because, yeah, we are going to be late of time already. So please, Mr. Attard, the floor is yours.
Daniel Attard
Kollegi, llum irridu niddeċiedu x'irridu, jekk hux qrati indipendenti jew inkella qrati obbedjenti. F'Malta neħħejna d-diskrezzjoni tal-Prim Ministru li jaħtar il-ġudikanti, żidna l-ġudikanti, tejbnilhom il-kundizzjonijiet u nista' nibqa' sejjer. Fadal x'nagħmlu? Mela le, jien l-ewwel wieħed irrid li nkomplu bir-riformi, inqas dewmien fil-qrati, aktar protezzjoni lill-ġurnalisti u responsabbiltà ta' kulħadd u ħa nkun ċar, ħadd m'għandu jsib kenn wara xi kariga, kunjom jew inkella rabta politika għaliex jien l-ewwel wieħed ma nagħlaqx għajnejja għan-nuqqasijiet ta' pajjiżi però mbagħad lanqas se nħalli lil min jipprova itappan isem pajjiżi. Din il-Kamra m'għandhiex tapplika double standards għaliex huwa ċar li jekk se nikkundannaw lil Malta fuq is-saltna tad-dritt imbagħad kif indawru wiċċna n-naħa l-oħra għal min joqtol għoxrin elf tifel u tifla?
Speaker 300
Jien naħseb li qabel ma nitkellmu fuq Malta għandna nħarsu madwarna, nħarsu madwar l-Ewropa u mbagħad niddeċiedu x'inhuma l-prijoritajiet tagħna. Grazzi.
Pred devetimi leti so Daphne Caruana Galizia ubili, ker je preveč spraševala, preveč vedela, ni utihnila. Danes smo se ji spet poklonili. Edino pravilno. Še premalo govorimo o tem, da ko utišajo novinarje, demokracija ne ostane glasna prav dolgo. Ampak spoštovanje umorjene novinarke žal ni dovolj, če hkrati molčimo ob pritiskih na žive.
Speaker 307
U državi čija vlast govori da želi u Europsku uniju se prije izbora ponovno pokušava disciplinirati one posljednje medije koji još nisu naučili klimati glavom. Poruka otprilike glasi: prilagodite se ili odlazite. Kome smetaju slobodni novinari? Onima koji bi najradije imali mikrofone, ali ne pitanja. Daphne je tu razliku platila svojim životom.
Nemojmo čekati još koju Daphne da bismo to konačno razumjeli. Uostalom, demokratična i samouvjerena vlast ne boji se nezavisnih medija, a ni promatračkih misija. Hvala.
Kollegi, illum m'aħniex nitkellmu fuq il-gvern Laburista. M'aħniex nitkellmu kif qed jirrifjuta li jimplimenta r-riformi tal-inkjesta ta' Daphne. Għalija Daphne hija simbolu ta' żball. Għalija Daphne mietet għalxejn. Illum qed ninduraw lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea.
Peter Agius
U jiddispjaċini ngħid, il-Kummissjoni Ewropea fil-korruzzjoni f'Malta qed issir parti mill-problema. Qed toħorġu scoreboards u rule of law reports, imma m'intomx tindunaw li dawn ħatfu l-istituzzjonijiet. Kummissarju tal-pulizija, avukat ġenerali, pupazzi f'idejn il-gvern. L-inkjesti maġisterjali li seta' jagħmel ċittadin, issa daqshekk, ma jistax jagħmilhom. U l-Kummissjoni x'tagħmel?
Applaudiet lil Joseph Muscat u issa qed tapplaudi lil Robert Abela u aktar scoreboards. Mela skużi, il-Kummissjoni qed tkun rubber stamp għall-korruzzjoni f'Malta. Aħna l-Maltin ma dħalniex fl-Ewropa għall-fondi u s-suq biss. Dħalna fl-Ewropa għax l-Ewropa hija tarka tad-drittijiet. Mela daqshekk scoreboards u aktar azzjoni.
Grazzi.
Speaker 304
Thank you. Will you accept the blue card from Mr Agius Saliba? Please.
Alex Agius Saliba
Jiena mbellah kif MEP Malti li suppost qed jirrappreżenta lill-pajjiżu, illum jiġi hawnhekk u jappella lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea sabiex tilbes l-ingwanti tal-ħadid u tattakka lill-pajjiżu meta għandek il-Kummissjoni Ewropea hawnhekk stess quddiem dan il-Parlament li qed tgħidlek li perfetti m'aħniex, imma li ħafna u ħafna riformi twettqu sabiex il-ġustizzja f'pajjiżna tkun tista' timxi 'l quddiem. Peter Agius, ma jistħoqqlokx tissejjaħ rappreżentant Malti hawnhekk f'dan il-Parlament Ewropew.
Peter Agius
Le onest, jiena mhux suppost nirrappreżenta lill-poplu Malti, jiena nirrappreżenta lill-poplu Malti u qiegħed hawnhekk nitkellem għalihom, anki għal dawk li jridu jaraw Kummissjoni aktar b'saħħitha. U forsi l-Kummissjoni ma tafx li r-reat ta' abbuż ta' uffiċċju huwa applikabbli ħafna f'Malta għax kellna chief of staff fl-uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru jfixkel l-inkjesta ta' Daphne Caruana Galizia. Forsi għalhekk huwa importanti li ngħiduhom dawn l-affarijiet quddiem din il-plenarja, Sur Saliba. Grazzi.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you. He has a right for a follow-up question, so and then you will have a right for a follow-up answer. Please.
Alex Agius Saliba
Le, mill-ġdid, li tiġi hawnhekk u tattakka lill-pajjiżek ma tagħmlekx denju li tpoġġi f'dan il-Parlament, speċjalment nerġa' ngħidlek meta għandek il-Kummissjoni Ewropea qed tgħidlek li ħafna u ħafna riformi li l-Kummissjoni Venezja, l-istess Kummissjoni Ewropea u diversi istituzzjonijiet oħra għal snin twal kienu ilhom jimbuttaw biex jiġu implimentati f'pajjiżna u ġew implimentati. Nerġa' ngħidlek, m'iniex qiegħed hawnhekk biex ngħidlek li s-sitwazzjoni hija perfetta, imma li tiġi hawnhekk u tattakka lill-pajjiżek, nerġa' ngħidlek ma jistħoqqlokx.
Peter Agius
Il-fatti ma jagħtukx raġun għax qegħdin hawnhekk għax disa' snin wara l-mandant għadu mhux il-ħabs. Il-fatti ma jagħtukx raġun għax għalkemm naraw l-iscoreboards u r-rule of law report, naraw li l-gvern Malti naqqashom id-drittijiet u mhux iżidhom. L-inkjesti maġisterjali li seta' jagħmel ċittadin biex iġib ġustizzja f'pajjiżna, intom issa waqqaftuhom. Dak li rrid nara mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea, li tieħu nota tas-sitwazzjoni reali ġewwa Malta fir-rigward tal-korruzzjoni u tmexxiha tajjeb. Grazzi.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem a teraz prejdeme k Catch-the-Eye a chcem vás informovať, že budem môcť vziať len jedného rečníka za skupinu. Takže začnime pánom Lopatkom.
Thank you. Nine years ago, Daphne Caruana was murdered by a car bomb. That's a fact. But it's also a fact that no one has been convicted of ordering the bombing. Colleague Agius said it very clear.
Reinhold Lopatka
We have to respect, of course, the independence of the Maltese courts, but the trial left questions about the police investigation and the handling very open. The wider picture is also worrying. The Commission's Rule of Law Report finds no progress on three of seven recommendations. The government of Malta should listen very carefully to the majority of these speeches here in the European Parliament. I strongly call on Malta to complete its reforms.
Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Thank you so much, Mr President, Commissioner McGrath. Nueve años del asesinato de Daphne Caruana y nueve años que por esta fecha celebramos invariablemente un tributo a su memoria, por la que la sala de prensa de este Parlamento lleva su nombre. Toda solidaridad con su trabajo, toda solidaridad con su familia y todo compromiso contra la impunidad. Pero invariablemente este debate acaba siendo usado por los oponentes del gobierno de Malta para atacarlo injustamente. Ha habido una investigación, un proceso penal, un veredicto y, por tanto, hay que llamar la atención sobre el objeto de este debate, que es la memoria de Daphne Caruana, no el gobierno de Malta, por mucho que no le guste a sus oponentes.
Y, por tanto, si queremos realmente honrar la memoria de Daphne Caruana, mantengamos el debate dentro de su perímetro, que es honrar el periodismo de investigación, proteger a los periodistas contra toda amenaza y, naturalmente, garantizar el pluralismo informativo y el periodismo de investigación en la Unión Europea. Gracias, presidente.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska
Bardzo panie przewodniczący, szanowni państwo. Byłam na Malcie kilka tygodni temu i widziałam protesty Maltańczyków przeciwko temu, co się stało. Dziś López mówi tutaj Aguilar, że to jest debata poświęcona upamiętnieniu pamięci Daphne, ale wciąż pamięć Daphne nie została uhonorowana w sposób należyty.
Zleceniodawcy tej zbrodni nie zostali ukarani. I kiedy wskazuje się w tej izbie rząd lewicowy, który jest odpowiedzialny za tą szerzącą się korupcję na Malcie, za śmierć Daphne, to wtedy przedstawiciele rzekomo tak wrażliwej lewicy stają murem za skorumpowanym rządem, za rządem, który nie wyciągnął żadnych wniosków z tej tragicznej śmierci. I to pokazuje jak w soczewce tą lewacką obłudę. Dziękuję.
Dainius Žalimas
Thank you. Dear colleagues, nine years after assassination of Ms. Galizia, Europe has still not done enough to protect media freedom. Last year investigative reporters were targeted by explosive attacks in Italy and Greece. Twenty Italian journalists required all day police protection. Elsewhere politicians use smear campaigns to discredit independent media.
Public broadcasters also face political interference undermining their ability to hold governments accountable. In Lithuania, after attempts by the governing majority to bring public broadcaster under political control, prosecutors have launched an inquiry into how LRT journalists gather covert information. The European Broadcasting Union has warned already that this could expose confidential sources and undermine editorial independence. Together these cases reveal a disturbing pattern of growing political pressure on journalists. But we have instrument which must be enforced: the European Media Freedom Act.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you very much. And sadly I have to conclude with this the catch-the-eye. Thank you to all of you who expressed the interest, but since we are running late, we cannot take all of the requests. And let me give the floor back to the Commission, to Commissioner McGrath. Please, the floor is yours.
Michael McGrath
Thank you very much, Chair, and can I thank all of the honorable members who contributed to this debate, a highly charged debate, understandably given the circumstances and the issue that was under discussion. And as colleagues will know, neither I nor any member of the Commission can comment on criminal proceedings that are ongoing before the national courts. We have to fully respect the independence of the judiciary. And as we have done since the assassination, we will closely monitor all developments so that justice is done for Daphne. But what I can say is that the despicable assassination of Daphne in 2017 was undoubtedly an attack on press freedom in Europe.
Our thoughts remain with her family today and her friends who have been fighting a long battle to secure justice for her. The pursuit of justice for Daphne and her loved ones is not over. All those responsible must be held accountable. There can be no impunity for what was a heinous attack, and judicial procedures are still ongoing and we should respect that process. Free press lies at the heart of democracy.
Journalists must be able to work safely, freely, and independently. They must be able to do their job. This is not a luxury, but I think we can all agree that it is a basic component of democracy and of the rule of law. Over the past decade, the Commission, with your support, has taken concrete action to uphold media freedom and protect journalists, and this is now also a key plank of our commitments under the European Democracy Shield.
The European Freedom Act passed by this house provides a set of rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU and we are currently working to ensure its application on the ground. And another tribute to all of the journalists who have tragically lost their lives in the European Union is to make sure that all of the provisions of the European Media Freedom Act are implemented right across the member states of the European Union. And since 2021 we have a commission recommendation on the safety of journalists aimed at ensuring that journalists across Europe are able to rely on a framework of laws and measures to ensure their safety without fear or constraints. The recommendation is currently undergoing review with the intention of updating it. We also have the framework against so-called SLAPPs.
We have the directive and the recommendation and again I would urge all of the member states to make sure we have full implementation. The media resilience program will reinforce financial support for independent and local journalism. We know that many parts of the media are under real pressure including financial sustainability issues. They play a crucial role in our democracy and I believe are deserving of support. We are extremely vigilant on this matter and continue to monitor the state of media freedom in all member states.
And please allow me to use the conclusion of this debate to express my sincere gratitude for the work of Maltese civil society which has undoubtedly played a crucial role following the assassination of Daphne nine years ago. In relation to the situation concerning the rule of law in Malta the commission counts on the Maltese authorities to take forward the necessary reforms to adequately address the recommendations addressed to Malta in the rule of law report. And I would take this opportunity finally to urge all of the member states across the European Union to fully implement the recommendations that the commission has made in respect of the rule of law. And we are there to support and assist member states in that regard and please be assured of my personal commitment and determination to working with all of you to improve the rule of law in the European Union and to ensure that justice is achieved in respect of all of these cases. Thank you very much.
Martin Hojsík
Thank you commissioner and indeed I hope that not only justice will be served in all of the cases but that no journalists will be harmed ever again. Rozprava s týmto bodom sa týmto skončila. Ďalším bodom programu je správa ktorú predkladá kolega Zdrojewski Erasmus+ na roky 2028 až 34 a na úvod debaty poprosím pána kolegu Zdrojewského ako spravodajcu nech sa páči.
Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
Pane predsedajúci, vážená pani komisárka, až trudo uveriť ale v budúcom roku budeme obchodiť 40-lecie programu Erasmus+. Ešte trudnej uveriť fakt že blízko 17 miliónov osôb bolo beneficjentom toho programu. Dzisiejsza debata nad tým programom v súvislosti s tým by mala byť svojským sviatkom. Bo to jednak sporý vysiłok i v rezultáte gigantický, podčiarkujem gigantický sukces. Dla mňa ako spravodajcu dzisiejsza debata to taktiež pozitívny fináł i zarazom prezentácia rezultátu pravie ročnej práce, samozrejme nie len mojej.
V tým čase nie zabrakło ani interesujúcich debát, ciekawych konferencií či samých konzultácií. Mieliśmy všetko čo kľúčové: oceny samého programu, postuláty na budúcnosť, ciekawe pytania i odpovede expertov. Całość zwieńczyła fantastická fotografia toho kde sme dnes i čoho potrebujeme v budúcnosti.
Erasmus to program wielowymiarowy. Dominują oczywiście wymiany studentów, ale dziś, o czym nie wolno zapominać, to także aktywności organizacji młodzieżowych, współpraca uczelni, szkolenia zawodowe, a nawet wsparcie dla sportu i samej aktywności fizycznej. Erasmus+ to program komplementarny. Wracając do źródeł i korzystając ze zdobytych doświadczeń, musimy podkreślać jednak konieczne warunki jego realizacji. A są trzy.
Po pierwsze musi być zapotrzebowanie, chęć uczestnictwa, dobre oceny realizacji i od razu odpowiem, jest fantastycznie. Wręcz nie mamy szans na to, aby sprostać wszystkim ilościowym oczekiwaniom. Przy tej okazji cieszy powrót Wielkiej Brytanii. To wzbogacenie ofert i poszerzenie naszych możliwości realizacyjnych. Być może już wkrótce dołączy Szwajcaria, a w dalszej perspektywie także Kanada.
Cieszę się, że będą ponownie mogli korzystać z tego programu także Węgrzy, studenci z Węgier. Drugi warunek, równie ważny, to uproszczenia, elastyczność, ułatwienia w dostępie, a przede wszystkim maksymalna redukcja rozmaitych wykluczeń. To postulowana prostota i łatwość aplikowania. I po trzecie, adekwatny budżet. W naszej propozycji to 47,2 miliarda euro.
Przypomnę, że w obecnej trwającej jeszcze perspektywie było to 26 miliardów. Podziękowania dla koleżanki Hier za dobrą współpracę z Komisją Budżetu. I tu muszę jednak na moment się zatrzymać. Nie brakuje nam energii, nie brakuje zainteresowania, nie brakuje organizacji gotowych do profesjonalnej współpracy, ale środków finansowych wciąż mamy za mało. Warto pamiętać, że każde dodatkowe euro zainwestowane w Erasmus+ ma ogromne znaczenie.
Nawet niewielkie zwiększenie tego programu powoduje zwiększenie ilości i możliwości dla tysięcy osób. I odwrotnie, każde cięcie to odsyłanie młodych ludzi, to marnowanie aspiracji edukacyjnych. Musimy dać najmłodszemu pokoleniu narzędzia do rozwoju. Wydatki na Erasmus+ to gwarancja sukcesu. To inwestycja ze stuprocentowym zwrotem.
To nie obligacje z dochodem inflacyjnym, ale lokata kapitału ze wskaźnikami nieznanymi dla instytucji bankowych. Budżet 47,2 miliarda to minimum. I na koniec, oczywiście wiemy, że najważniejsza bitwa przed nami. To są trilogi. To jest współpraca Komisji, Rady i Parlamentu.
Będzie ona w przyszłym roku. Musimy zadbać o gwarancje dla budżetu w wysokości adekwatnej do naszych potrzeb. Dziś trzymam kciuki za młode pokolenie Europejczyków. To dla was ta debata i dla was to sprawozdanie.
Martin Hojsík
Ďakujem pánovi spravodajcovi a teraz poprosím za Komisiu jej výkonnú podpredsedníčku pani Šuicu, nech sa páči.
Dubravka Šuica
Thank you, honorable members. Erasmus+, the most loved, the most well-known, the most cherished of EU programs, the one that has a very direct impact in people's lives, especially young people, be them students, pupils, but also teachers, volunteers, all those engaged in youth organizations. For 40 years, a program that has built a sense of belonging for all of us in Europe. And beyond the anniversary, our debate today is about the next generation of Erasmus+, what's happening in the next financial multiannual financial framework 2028-2034. Of course, first of all, we want to protect what works, what works well with this program, a program that offered so many Europeans, millions of Europeans, the first to, for the first time maybe travel in Europe, to study, to gather skills, to discover new people, new places, to understand Europe.
We want to make this program even more accessible. I think it's important that no matter what region you come from or no matter what your social, economic background is, you should be able to access Erasmus. We also want Erasmus to contribute more to what we call excellence in Europe, because we have so much talent and we want our Europeans to choose Europe. And we want to invest in European university alliances, in the scholarships. We want to make Erasmus simpler to access.
It's important that it's easy, that it's not bureaucratic, it's a demand that comes from of course national agencies, from students, from teachers, from you in this house, and this is a direction that we've also followed. And all these are reflected in the proposal of the Commission, but of course the money matters, a bigger budget. Indeed, Commission proposed an increase from the current 27 billion euros to a bigger amount, I wouldn't say the ideal amount because we need an Erasmus for all, but it's a big step forward, 41 billion euros. This house has supported a very strong budget and even better numbers. I need to thank all of you, of course first of all rapporteur Zdrojewski for for the work that he has done, all the shadow rapporteurs, all the members of this house that have contributed and keep contributing to a strong, relevant Erasmus.
And of course we need to have a debate that would reflect not only the budget, but also the soft power that Erasmus has in the lives of European citizens and in the lives of those that are outside of Europe and we mention here the countries that want to also to join. So looking forward to this debate and to your questions and to come back to them of course. Thank you.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much. So now I would like to give a floor for DEVE Committee, Carolina Morace, floor is yours.
Carolina Morace
Grazie, grazie Presidente, Commissaria, e innanzitutto voglio cominciare col ringraziare il collega Zdrojewski per l'ottimo lavoro svolto. Erasmus Plus ci ricorda che l'educazione non si ferma sui banchi di scuola, si impara viaggiando, incontrando altre culture, praticando sport, perché crescere significa anche imparare a conoscere e a rispettare gli altri. Ma mentre discutiamo di queste opportunità non possiamo dimenticarci i giovani palestinesi. A Gaza la guerra ha distrutto scuole e interrotto percorsi educativi, privando un'intera generazione della normalità, di studiare, di giocare e persino di sognare. Come relatrice del parere della Commissione Sviluppo ho insistito sulla necessità di tutelare gli studenti colpiti dai conflitti.
Erasmus Plus non può finanziare la ricostruzione materiale delle scuole, ma può offrire borse di studio e opportunità educative a chi rischia di perdere il proprio futuro. L'istruzione proprio come lo sport deve costruire ponti anche dove la guerra innalza muri. Grazie.
Lucia Yar
Commissioner, colleagues, I'll speak in Slovak. Cudzí jazyk, kamaráti z celej Európy, skúsenosť na celý život. Toto presne je Erasmus, jedna z najlepších vecí, aké Európska únia kedy vymyslela a investícia, ktorá sa absolútne vypláca. Preto v novom sedemročnom rozpočte potrebujeme silnejší Erasmus, ale nie len v rozpočte, ale aj zmeny k lepšiemu, ktoré spolu s ním prídu.
Erasmus totiž nesmie byť luxusom. Skúste si za dnešné štipendium prenajať izbu niekde v Amsterdame alebo v Miláne, veľa šťastia. O tom, kto vycestuje, totiž nesmie rozhodovať peňaženka rodičov, ale šikovnosť študentov a študentiek. Chceme posilniť konkurencieschopnosť, neustále tu o tom hovoríme, výborne, tak prepojme Erasmus s výskumom a inováciami. Najväčšou konkurenčnou výhodou Európy je totiž potenciál mladých ľudí, ktorí ho premieňajú na výsledky v biznise, v technológiách, vo vede aj v politike.
Viem o čom hovorím, Erasmus zmenil aj môj život, bez neho by som tu ani ja dnes nestála. Dajme preto všetkým mladým silnejší, dostupnejší a spravodlivejší Erasmus.
Daniel Freund
Dear colleagues, Erasmus is the best thing that the European Union is doing. There is no other program that changes lives of millions of Europeans so directly and so profoundly. I myself, 20 years ago, I was an Erasmus student. Et pendant cette année que j'ai pu passer à Paris, je suis pas seulement tombé amoureux de la langue française, mais aussi d'une femme italienne qui aujourd'hui est ma femme. Und es gibt eine Studie, die sagt, dass über eine Million Kinder aus diesen Erasmus-Beziehungen hervorgehen, drei davon sind meine Kinder.
Also was für ein schöneres Symbol, dass nach Jahrhunderten Krieg wir jetzt ein Programm haben, wo Millionen von Europäerinnen und Europäer eine Zeit in einem anderen Land verbringen. That we have overcome war for this program of peace, of meeting each other. Actually, every European should get the chance once in their life to spend some time in another member state. This is the best way that we can spend EU money. Thank you very much.
Nela Riehl
In France, a 16-year-old boy left his house to demand a classroom that lets him imagine a future, instead he came home without an eye. A 15-year-old lost his hand, a 14-year-old has a broken jaw now. They are facing riot police because they ask for heating, for dry ceilings, and for enough chairs to sit on at school. And politicians answer with even more budget cuts. Because young people's future is always the first budget to be cut, because it's super easy to take away from someone who's not even sitting at the table.
And it's easier to blame young people for disrupting society than to fix the system that actually caused the disruption in the first place. But colleagues, this is our job. In France, Italy, Belgium, students are protesting and asking, isn't anyone taking us seriously? And today we give them the answer. By protecting the Erasmus budget, we show them we do.
Nela Riehl
It is the education budget that Europe controls, and we can show that with us, they do have a future to imagine. Thank you, Mr. Zdrojewski, thank you, Roxana, for the great work. Thank you all colleagues for the great work together.
Speaker 322
Paldies. Tagad Eiropas Tautas partijas grupas vārdā runās Helder Sousa Silva. Lūdzu.
Hélder Sousa Silva
Senhor Presidente, Senhora Comissária, caros colegas, começo por felicitar o meu colega Bogdan Zdrojewski e todos os relatores-sombra pelo trabalho rigoroso e ambicioso neste relatório tão importante como o Erasmus Plus.
Perante uma proposta da Comissão extremamente positiva, mas nós Parlamento dizemos insuficiente, e os cortes financeiros incompreensivelmente propostos pelo Conselho, este é o momento de o Parlamento travar este recuo e claramente exigir mais. Porque afinal falamos de um dos programas mais emblemáticos e também procurados da União, que prepara as novas gerações para os desafios do futuro e forma verdadeiros cidadãos europeus. Mas o futuro do Erasmus Plus não depende apenas de quanto investimos, depende do programa que queremos construir. E o relatório aponta exatamente esse caminho. Precisamos de um Erasmus Plus que chegue mais longe, que não desperdice talento e falta de oportunidades, que impulsione a juventude e o desporto e que leve a Europa ao mundo e traga o mundo à Europa.
No fim de contas, o Erasmus Plus não é apenas mais uma rubrica orçamental, é uma das formas mais concretas de viver a Europa. Para muitos jovens, é onde a Europa se torna real porque molda a forma como veem a União e nela escolhem participar. Por isso, o Erasmus Plus não é mais uma despesa no orçamento europeu, mas sim um dos melhores investimentos nas próximas gerações de europeus. Muito obrigado.
Sabrina Repp
Und, wo hast du damals dein Erasmus Plus gemacht? Diese Frage wird mir immer wieder gestellt, als wäre es eine Selbstverständlichkeit, dass eine junge Frau, die heute im Europäischen Parlament sitzt, auch einmal mit Erasmus Plus im Ausland war. Und wissen Sie was, ich hätte diese Erfahrung unheimlich gern gemacht. Es war nicht, weil ich nicht wollte, sondern weil ich es mir schlichtweg nicht leisten konnte. Wer neben dem Studium arbeitet, um seine Miete zu bezahlen, kann diesen Job nicht einfach mit ins Ausland nehmen.
Wenn Eltern finanziell nicht einspringen können, dann bleibt diese Chance oft unerreichbar. Noch immer entscheidet viel zu oft der Geldbeutel der Eltern darüber, wer Erasmus Plus machen kann und wer nicht. Und genau das müssen wir im kommenden Erasmus Plus Programm verändern. Wir wollen das Budget deutlich erhöhen, denn was bringt Erasmus Plus, wenn man sich davon den Auslandsaufenthalt trotzdem nicht leisten kann. Wir haben ein klares Ziel verankert, mindestens jeder fünfte Platz soll Menschen zugute kommen, für die ein Auslandsaufenthalt bisher keine Selbstverständlichkeit war.
Denn Talent hängt nicht vom Einkommen der Eltern ab und europäische Chancen sollten es auch nicht. Außerdem sind 15 Prozent des Budgets für Jugend- und Freiwilligendienste vorgesehen. Denn Europa erlebt man nicht nur im Hörsaal, sondern auch bei Jugendbegegnungen, im Freiwilligendienst oder auch während der Ausbildung. Diese Möglichkeiten müssen auch gerade jungen Menschen aus ländlichen Räumen offenstehen. Erasmus Plus ist kein Elitenprogramm und darf auch keins werden.
Sabrina Repp
Ich möchte, dass junge Menschen künftig nicht mehr sagen müssen, ich hätte gern ein Erasmus Plus gemacht, aber ich konnte es mir nicht leisten. Ich selbst konnte diese Chance damals nicht nutzen. Heute sitze ich hier im Europäischen Parlament und kann dazu beitragen, dass andere junge Menschen diesen Weg gehen können. Denn am Ende sollte nicht entscheiden, wie viel Geld die Eltern haben, sondern welche Träume und Möglichkeiten diese jungen Menschen mitbringen.
Catherine Griset
Merci Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire. Jusqu'à quand détournerez-vous Erasmus de sa vocation première, celle de rapprocher les jeunes Européens ? Jusqu'à quand étendrez-vous ce programme à des objectifs migratoires au risque d'en trahir l'esprit ? Et surtout comment expliquer qu'après avoir exclu pendant des années les universités hongroises, Bruxelles leur ouvre aujourd'hui les portes d'Erasmus quelques mois après l'arrivée de son champion à Budapest. La Commission invoque les réformes de l'État de droit, mais pourquoi les étudiants ont-ils dû payer le prix de ce bras de fer politique ?
Chers collègues, l'État de droit ne doit jamais devenir un instrument de pression à géométrie variable. L'éducation ne doit être ni une monnaie d'échange politique ni un instrument de politique migratoire. Erasmus appartient aux étudiants européens, pas aux ambitions politiques de la Commission. Merci.
Roberts Zīle
Paldies. Tagad Konservatīvo un reformistu grupas vārdā runās Lara Magoni, lūdzu.
Lara Magoni
Un grazie al relatore Zdrojewski. In un'Europa in cui troppe politiche hanno deluso i cittadini, Erasmus resta una delle più grandi storie di successo dell'Unione Europea. Nel 1987 partivano solo 3.200 studenti, oggi oltre 16 milioni di persone hanno vissuto questa esperienza. Ma il vero successo non sono i numeri, sono i giovani che hanno imparato a conoscere altre culture, ad abbattere i pregiudizi, ad ampliare i propri orizzonti. In un tempo in cui assistiamo a troppi episodi di violenza, anche nelle nostre piazze, investire nell'educazione, nel confronto e nella conoscenza significa anche prevenire l'intolleranza e costruire alternative.
Saranno valorizzati il volontariato, i progetti giovanili e lo sport, rendendo questi percorsi più accessibili a tutti. Perché i giovani non devono essere soltanto il futuro dell'Europa, ma protagonisti consapevoli del suo presente. L'Europa si difende anche così, offrendo opportunità, costruendo fiducia e formando cittadini liberi, responsabili e capaci di vivere insieme. Grazie Commissario.
Paldies. Renew Europe grupas vārdā runās Laurence Farreng.
Laurence Farreng
Merci Monsieur le Président, Madame la Vice-Présidente, chers collègues, nous avons un Erasmus et on peut se féliciter de la rapidité de nos négociations et de la bonne collaboration dans ce Parlement, enfin une bonne nouvelle. Depuis 40 ans, 17 millions de jeunes sont partis et aujourd'hui plus que jamais Erasmus qui est devenu Erasmus+ remplit trois ambitions majeures et indispensables. Développer la citoyenneté et l'éducation européenne, toujours plus tôt et dès l'école primaire. Favoriser la démocratisation de l'éducation en intégrant au programme les élèves en apprentissage et en formation professionnelle mais aussi en augmentant les bourses pour les élèves qui en ont besoin et les personnes en situation de handicap. Enfin, développer notre excellence et notre capacité d'innovation avec les alliances d'universités européennes.
Alors, Mesdames et Messieurs les chefs de gouvernement au Conseil, pourquoi casser cet élan avec des coupes sombres dans le budget ? À l'heure où les jeunes partout en Europe s'inquiètent pour leur avenir, manifestent pour une meilleure éducation, sachez que dans ce Parlement nous nous battrons pour le budget et l'ambition d'Erasmus+. Merci.
Benedetta Scuderi
Il 19 gennaio una giovanissima me ha messo mezza vita in valigia ed è per la prima volta andata a vivere in un altro Stato. A Madrid ho incontrato persone incredibili, ho parlato lingue che non conoscevo, ho vissuto situazioni a cui non avrei mai pensato. L'Erasmus mi ha insegnato che le persone fuori da ciò che conoscevo sono molto più simili a me di quello che pensassi, che i giovani hanno paure simili e che a volte i miei coetanei hanno delle difficoltà molto più ardue. Ed è così che costruiamo l'Europa, con le sue persone che conoscono e si conoscono, è così che creiamo il cuore della cittadinanza e della democrazia. L'Erasmus mi ha insegnato che puoi sempre cambiare strada e che insieme, nella diversità, si sta meglio.
Oggi purtroppo quell'esperienza è per pochi eletti. Ma facciamo in modo che nessun giovane debba rinunciare al sogno europeo perché non può permetterselo, che le origini, le condizioni economiche o la fragilità non siano mai un confine, che ogni giovane, anche quello che oggi si sente il più lontano possibile dall'Europa, possa scoprire che l'Europa gli appartiene. L'Erasmus mi ha portata fin qui e da qui dobbiamo renderlo possibile per tutti.
Grazie Presidente.
Prima di tutto vorrei ringraziare il relatore da parte del gruppo di The Left, dal mio collega Pappas, per la disponibilità al confronto e per aver ascoltato le nostre proposte. Abbiamo lavorato in un clima di collaborazione e credo sia giusto riconoscerlo. Erasmus, come dicevamo, è una delle cose più belle di questa Europa. Ha permesso a milioni di giovani di viaggiare, di studiare, di conoscersi e sentirsi davvero europei. Ma oggi dobbiamo fare anche i conti con la realtà.
Mario Furore
In tutta Europa i giovani scendono in piazza perché sono stanchi di un futuro fatto di affitti sempre più cari, stipendi troppo bassi e lavori precari. Ora, io condanno sempre la violenza, ma questo grido di dolore va ascoltato e va ascoltato anche in ragione dell'approvazione dell'Erasmus Plus, perché Erasmus non può essere soltanto un programma per formare lavoratori più competitivi e rispondere alle esigenze del mercato, ma destinato solo alle fasce più ricche. Noi ci dobbiamo concentrare oggi soprattutto sulle fasce dei giovani più deboli e deve essere prima di tutto uno strumento di giustizia sociale che dia a tutti le stesse possibilità. È su questo che abbiamo insistito con i nostri emendamenti, su questo la proposta della Commissione Cultura di aumentare del 20% le borse di studio mi trova favorevole. Abbiamo ottenuto risultati importanti e migliorato anche la proposta della Commissione, ma c'è ancora molto da fare.
Noi vogliamo un Erasmus aperto a tutti, come dicevo, non soltanto a chi ha una famiglia ricca. E oggi i giovani ci chiedono di poter studiare, lavorare, vivere dignitosamente e costruirsi un futuro. E credo che il minimo che possiamo fare come Europa sia di dare loro questa possibilità. Grazie Commissario, grazie mille.
Marc Jongen
Für zahllose junge Menschen aus ganz Europa bedeutet die Studentenmobilität durch Erasmus Plus eine prägende Erfahrung und das ist sehr erfreulich. Aus einem freiwilligen Austauschprogramm ist aber längst ein Erziehungsinstrument der EU geworden. Über Konditionalität werden Mitgliedstaaten und ihre Hochschulen erpresst, der Ausschluss ungarischer Universitäten ist nur ein besonders drastisches Beispiel. Gleichzeitig wird über horizontale Prioritäten eine ideologische Agenda durchgedrückt. Diversity und Inklusion als verbindliche Vorgabe, Klimapolitik als Querschnittsziel, die systematische Stärkung einer europäischen Identität zu Lasten nationaler Bindungen sowie die Förderung von Projekten, die demokratisch gewählte Parteien als Gefahr für die Demokratie diffamieren.
Auch die bürokratischen Instrumente, die den schädlichen Bologna-Prozess erst ermöglicht und durchgesetzt haben, wurden maßgeblich durch diese Programme finanziert. Schon angesichts der notwendigen Kürzung der EU-Haushalte können wir dem geplanten weiteren Ausbau nicht zustimmen, den Verhandlungen mit dem Rat stellen wir uns jedoch nicht entgegen. Vielen Dank.
Paldies. Gan nākamā runās Giusi Princi, lūdzu.
Giusi Princi
Grazie Presidente, Vicepresidente Mizzatu. Per capire che cosa sia Erasmus, non dobbiamo partire da Strasburgo, dobbiamo partire da Antonio, un ragazzo di vent'anni nato a San Luca, in provincia di Reggio Calabria. Antonio è cresciuto lì, dove il mondo può sembrare lontano e il futuro avere confini già tracciati.
Un giorno Antonio arriva a Lisbona, studia, incontra persone, cerca le parole in un'altra lingua e comprende una cosa decisiva: il luogo da cui provieni non deve stabilire fin dove puoi arrivare. In questi quarant'anni Erasmus ha fatto proprio questo: non ha soltanto avvicinato gli Stati, ha accorciato la distanza tra ciò che un giovane osa immaginare e ciò che può realmente diventare. È tutta qui l'intuizione politica, la visione europea. Prima ancora che milioni di ragazzi sapessero spiegare che cosa fosse l'Unione Europea, l'Europa era già entrata nelle loro vite, non come un trattato, non come un'istituzione lontana, ma come una porta aperta. Perché l'Europa non si costruisce soltanto nelle nostre istituzioni, si costruisce anche nella distanza che separa San Luca da Lisbona, sulla carta rimasta la stessa, a cambiare però è il suo significato nella vita di un giovane europeo.
Perché il talento non sceglie dove nascere, le opportunità troppo spesso sì, e la nostra ambizione europea si misura nella capacità di spezzare questo legame. Grazie.
Hannes Heide
Danke, Herr Vorsitzender, Frau Kommissionsvizepräsidentin. Jede Europäerin, jeder Europäer muss die Möglichkeit haben, zumindest einmal im Leben an Erasmus+ teilzunehmen. Kein Programm der Europäischen Union ist erfolgreicher als Erasmus+ und so sollten wir es auch behandeln. Mit einem vergleichsweise geringen Budget ist Erasmus+ imstande, außerordentliches, großes, ja großartiges zu leisten. Seit Beginn haben mehr als 18 Millionen Menschen daran teilgenommen und fast 100 Prozent sagen, dass sie von dieser Mobilitätserfahrung profitiert haben.
Aber mehr als alle Zahlen spricht für Erasmus+, dass es mittlerweile mehr als eine Million Erasmus+ Babys gibt. Der Draghi-Bericht spricht von einer notwendigen Vervierfachung des Budgets von Erasmus+. Wir fordern zumindestens 47,5 Milliarden Euro für den nächsten Finanzrahmen, um unsere Ziele und damit mehr Menschen auch erreichen zu können: Studierende genauso wie Lehrlinge, Jugendliche mit wenigen Chancen, Sportlerinnen und Sportler, ehrenamtlich Engagierte, zum Beispiel in unseren freiwilligen Feuerwehren über das Europäische Solidaritätskorps. Jeder einzelne Austausch ist eine Investition in die Zukunft der Demokratie und der Europäischen Union. Mein Appell an den Rat: Greift diesen Budgetvorschlag dieses Parlament nicht an, seien wir uns bewusst, welche Kraft Erasmus+ hat und was wir damit für Europa, für die Europäische Union erreichen können.
Speaker 337
Thank you, colleague Heide. Colleague Heide, would you approve a blue card from colleague Mularczyk, 590? Ah, colleague Mularczyk.
Arkadiusz Mularczyk
Bardzo dziękuję, panie pośle, za przyjęcie niebieskiej karty. Podkreśla pan, podobnie jak pana kolega, że z programu Erasmus urodziło się ponad milion dzieci, milion nowych Europejczyków. To oczywiście jest ciekawy i pozytywny sygnał tej tego programu. No mam pytanie też, czy ten milion nowych Europejczyków ma dwoje rodziców, jak tutaj wspomniał pan poseł, który podczas tego programu poznał swoją małżonkę. No chodzi o to, żeby dzieci rodziły się w rodzinach.
Czy ma pan taką wiedzę, czy te dzieci mają trwałe rodziny również? Dziękuję bardzo.
Hannes Heide
Also ich glaube, diese Frage beantwortet sich selbst, aber herzlichen Dank für diese Frage.
Thank you, Chair, Honorable Commissioner, I will speak in Hungarian. Az Erasmus eredeti küldetése a mobilitás, a készségfejlesztés, a nyelvtanulás és a kulturális tapasztalatszerzés. Ez teszi a programot az egyik legsikeresebb és legnépszerűbb uniós kezdeményezéssé. Különleges értéke a politikai semlegesség. Ezért nem engedhetjük meg, hogy politikai vagy ideológiai érdekek eszközévé váljon.
Annamária Vicsek
Az Európai Unió feladata a nemzeti oktatási rendszerek támogatása, és nem pedig azok felülírása. Az Erasmus működésében ezért egyensúlyt kell teremteni a tagállami hatáskörök és az európai hozzáadott érték között. Egy dolgot különösen fontosnak tartok hangsúlyozni. A program résztvevői nem válhatnak politikai konfliktusok túszaivá. Az érintett magyar egyetemek hallgatóinak és oktatóinak évekig tartó kizárása súlyos precedenst teremtett.
Ezért egyértelmű garanciákat követelünk arra, hogy ez a jövőben ne fordulhasson elő. Árnyékjelentéstevőként az intézményközi tárgyalásokon továbbra is azon fogok dolgozni, hogy ezek az alapelvek még hangsúlyosabban érvényesüljenek a végleges szövegben.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you, colleague Asimakopoulou, thank you. Would you accept a blue card from colleague Wisniewska for 30? No? Can you hear? Okay, so we will continue.
Next speaker, Marco Squarta.
Marco Squarta
President, young Europeans do not lack talent. Too often they simply lack the opportunity to prove it. And when a teenager sees destroying a public square or looting a shop as a form of political participation, we face a problem that goes far beyond public order. Investing in culture and education means giving young people the tools to think for themselves, to distinguish protest from violence and freedom from impunity. This is also what Erasmus should be about: giving young people the opportunity to study, develop their skills and build a future, regardless of where they come from or what their families can afford.
And this is where our political responsibility lies: giving them a reason to come back, a place to fulfill their ambition and a real alternative to those who exploit their frustration and the lack of opportunities. The success of the new Erasmus program will not only be measured by the experience young people have abroad, but by the opportunities waiting for them when they return.
Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu
Domnule președinte, doamnă vicepreședintă a Comisiei, dragi colegi, Erasmus este, de departe, unul dintre cele mai bune lucruri pe care Europa le-a făcut vreodată pentru tineri. A început în 1987 cu doar 3200 de studenți. Anul acesta se întâmplă 40 de ani, se împlinesc 40 de ani de când peste 18 milioane de europeni au beneficiat de acest program. A creat cadrul și a creat niște burse, câteva sute de euro care pot schimba vieți. Între timp, Erasmus a crescut, nu mai este numai despre studenți, este și despre elevi, ucenici, profesori, voluntari.
A devenit unul dintre cele mai cunoscute și apreciate programe europene. Și acum trebuie să facă mai mult pentru și mai mulți tineri. Asta cere bani, evident. Comisia propune 40,8 miliarde, noi propunem 47,4 miliarde. Haideți să nu coborâm sub această sumă, pentru că orice tânăr, un tânăr dintr-un sat, în special pentru un tânăr dintr-un sat sau dintr-un oraș mic, Erasmus poate fi singura șansă să descopere Europa.
Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu
Trebuie să ținem aceste burse cont de costul vieții. Banii trebuie să ajungă pentru transport, pentru cazare, tot pentru tot ceea ce este nevoie. Erasmus trebuie multiplicat și clonat.
Mārtiņš Staķis
Paldies, prezidenta kungs. Miljoniem eiropiešu piedalījušies Erasmus programmās. Viņi ir iepazinuši citas valstis, valodas un tradīcijas, atraduši draugus uz visu mūžu, jaunas karjeras iespējas, nu, un ko tur slēpt, arī mīlestību. Atgriezušies mājās ar citu skatu uz pasauli un ar vienotu Eiropas ideju. Erasmus ir kā tilts, kur ik dienu Eiropa atnāk pie sevis ciemos.
Mēs esam dažādas tautas ar savām valodām un tradīcijām, bet mēs izvēlamies strādāt kopā un viens no otra mācīties, un tieši tāpēc Eiropa ir labākā vieta, kur dzīvot. Bet šo tiltu jau zāģē. Visā Eiropā mēs redzam, kā populisti un trampisti raujas pie varas. Arī šodien Strasbūrā AfD prezentē savu nākotnes plānu: sašķeltu, vāju un viegli manipulējamu. No tādas Eiropas Erasmus vairs nebūtu.
Kolēģi, mūsu paaudzei Eiropa atvēra durvis, un mūsu pienākums ir nepieļaut, ka tās tiek aizcirstas nākamajām paaudzēm. Paldies.
Milan Mazurek
You are misusing almost every single European policy to destroy national identities and to bring more culturally incompatible immigrants into Europe. How many more you want them in Europe? One million more? Five millions more? Maybe ten millions more?
When you will be finally happy about yourself? When will we achieve this so-called multicultural paradise in Europe? When all the cities in Europe will burn like Paris or Brussels? This program Erasmus should serve for European students, for European people, for European hardworking people who are paying taxes here and not serve as a vehicle for young men from North Africa to come and stay into Europe because this is what you are doing right now. This is betrayal of European.
Milan Mazurek
This is the betrayal of hardworking people who are paying taxes also for you. We should openly say finally that this is the time when Europe is full. Europe should support its own citizens and not the whole world and the only real migration policy which we need is remigration.
João Oliveira
Obrigado, presidente. Senhor deputado Mazurek, a educação é uma base do fundamento de qualquer democracia e a partilha de experiências e o intercâmbio entre jovens só reforça a conceção democrática que a nossa juventude deve ter enraizada. Percebo que a extrema-direita se oponha contra estes valores, se oponha contra o projeto Erasmus, porque ele permite, a partir dessa partilha de experiências e de valores, reforçar efetivamente a possibilidade da juventude contribuir para a construção da democracia. O que pergunto é se, na sua opinião, afinal de contas, a perspetiva que a extrema-direita tem a apontar à juventude é o fechamento e o isolamento de cada um sobre si próprio, desconsiderando todo o mundo que está à volta.
Milan Mazurek
I don't understand why you Marxist politician have always lied to us. We are not against the exchange of experiences in Europe. We are not against the traveling. We are against your misuse of these programs to spread your propaganda into children. And this is what I said.
And I am calling for stopping of this. Just stop to misuse these programs. Stop to use it as so-called European identity, nothing else as that exists. And please be calm, don't talk to me when I'm saying, you can ask.
This is very simple.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you, thank you colleague Mazurek. Second question is from colleague Wiśniewska, 430.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska
Dziękuję bardzo. Podzielam te uwagi związane z rozszerzeniem możliwości korzystania z Erasmusa przez młodzież z państw trzecich. Nie dziwię się wystąpieniu pana z lewicy, który widzi w tym szansę dla Unii Europejskiej, bo to przecież skrajna lewica jest oskarżana we Francji o podpalanie i podżeganie do masowych protestów. W związku z tym, że mamy bardzo trudną sytuację budżetową, czy nie uważa pan zatem, że powinniśmy zostać przy dotychczasowych ramach Erasmusa, a nie tworzyć kolejnej nowej ścieżki umożliwiającej migrację z państw spoza Unii Europejskiej?
Milan Mazurek
Thank you very much for your question. I absolutely agree with you. They are misusing those programs for their Marxist propaganda, which they are pushing into children, and they also want to misuse those programs and even increase the financing of those programs with bringing more immigrants into Europe. They are saying that openly and they support that idea. But I think right now in our European situation, we just don't have enough money for this kind of things.
We should not support their ideas and their proposals and we should stay where we have been at the beginning. This should support European students, not the whole world.
Nikolaos Anadiotis
Κύριε Επίτροπε, σήμερα συζητούμε το μέλλον του Erasmus Plus με την Επιτροπή Πολιτισμού και Παιδείας να προτείνει προϋπολογισμό άνω των 47 δισεκατομμυρίων ευρώ. Την ίδια στιγμή στην Ελλάδα, παιδιά πετυχαίνουν στις πανελλαδικές εξετάσεις αλλά αδυνατούν να σπουδάσουν. Οι οικογένειές τους δεν αντέχουν τα δυσβάστακτα ενοίκια, το κόστος ενέργειας και τα καθημερινά έξοδα διαβίωσης. Πώς μιλάμε για ευρωπαϊκή εκπαιδευτική κινητικότητα όταν νέοι αδυνατούν να σπουδάσουν ακόμα και στην ίδια τους τη χώρα; Τα δισεκατομμύρια δεν έχουν αξία αν οι νέοι που τα χρειάζονται περισσότερο μένουν χωρίς ευκαιρίες.
Παράλληλα, οφείλουμε να εξετάσουμε εάν οι ευρωπαϊκοί πόροι υπηρετούν τη μόρφωση ή προωθούν ιδεολογικές αντιλήψεις όπως αυτές της λεγόμενης woke ατζέντας. Η αληθινή παιδεία καλλιεργεί ελεύθερους ανθρώπους με γνώση, κριτική σκέψη, ήθος και σεβασμό στις παραδόσεις τους. Γιατί η μόρφωση δεν μπορεί να αποτελεί προνόμιο των εύπορων οικογενειών ούτε εργαλείο ιδεολογικής επιβολής. Και το μέλλον ενός παιδιού δεν μπορεί να εξαρτάται από το πορτοφόλι των γονιών του. Ευχαριστώ.
Speaker 349
Yes, thank you very much. Before I will give a floor to next speaker, I would like to say that we are closing catch-the-eye procedure because we have more than ten already registered. So next speaker would be Viktor Weisz.
Thank you. I'll speak in Hungarian. A békés jövő sokszor egy kollégiumi szobában kezdődik, amikor egy magyar, egy román, egy szlovák, ír vagy francia fiatal együtt tanul, együtt vacsorázik, hajnalig beszélget, akkor közben rájönnek, hogy sokkal több köti össze őket, mint ami elválasztja. Ez az Erasmus igazi ereje. Nemcsak nyelvtudást, tapasztalatot és életre szóló barátságokat nyújt, hanem bizalmat is épít Európa nemzetei között.
Viktor Weisz
De mit ér ez a lehetőség, ha valaki csak azért marad le róla, mert a családja nem tudja kifizetni a külföldi lakhatást és megélhetést? Ezért én azt szorgalmazom, hogy az új Erasmus több forrást kapjon. A támogatások igazodjanak a valós költségekhez, és hogy az egyetemisták mellett a szakképzésben tanulók is nagyobb eséllyel vehessenek részt benne. Most, hogy a magyar egyetemeket érintő korlátozások a magyar kormánynak és az Európai Uniónak köszönhetően végre megszűntek, most az a feladatunk, hogy minél több magyar fiatal újra élhessen ezzel a lehetőséggel. Tanuljunk a világban zajló rossz folyamatokból.
Tanuljunk a széthúzásokból és a háborúkból. Építsünk közösen egy erős Európát. Ebben pedig az Erasmus egy olyan befektetés, ahol a következő generációk nem egymás ellen, hanem egymással együtt építik a békés és fejlődő európai jövőt.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you. I don't see next speaker, colleague Rapovič in the hemicycle, that's why I will give a floor to Antonín Staněk.
Antonín Staněk
Děkuji za slovo. Erasmus+ patří k těm evropským programům, které mají lidé rádi bez ohledu na to, koho volí. Milionům mladých otevřel svět, aniž by jim říkal, co si o něm mají myslet. Program nese jméno muže, který Evropou putoval, aby ji poznával, nikoliv převychovával. O století později musel můj krajan Jan Amos Komenský opustit vlast kvůli náboženské nesvobodě.
My Češi si z dějin neseme jasné poučení. Jakmile se škola stane nástrojem ideologie, přestává sloužit dětem. Proto chceme, aby čtyři desítky miliard eur sloužily především studijním pobytům, odbornému vzdělávání a jazykům, nikoliv vnucování jednotné evropské identity, zelené ideologii či migrační politice. Za obsah vzdělávání odpovídají členské státy, Unie má podporovat, nikoliv nahrazovat. Ať Erasmus spojuje mladé Evropany, ale nepředepisujme jim, jak mají myslet.
Thank you. Next speaker Jan-Peter Warnke.
Jan-Peter Warnke
Herr Präsident, Frau Kommissarin, liebe Kollegen, wenn wir junge Menschen heute für Europa begeistern wollen, tun wir das mit Erasmus+. Junge Menschen erfahren so am besten, was es heißt, in der EU zu leben, zu lernen, zu arbeiten und zu lieben und die Vielfalt Europas zu erleben. Ich bin glücklich über den Kulturausschuss, der für den neuen MFF 47 Milliarden Euro vorsieht. Damit liegt der Parlamentsvorschlag über dem Kommissionsvorschlag von 41 Milliarden. Allerdings wird dieser im irischen Ratsvorschlag um 4 % gekürzt, was schade ist.
Ich rate uns keine Kürzungen an diesem Programm. Reden sollten wir aber dringend über die Verwaltungskosten. Bei allen Budgetvorschlägen ist die Höhe der Verwaltungskosten nämlich überhaupt nicht festgelegt, ein Mangel, wie ich finde. In der heutigen Zeit lassen sich Verwaltungsabläufe mit der KI drastisch vereinfachen und Mittel einsparen. Die Gewinner wären mehr junge Menschen in unserer EU, wenn so freigewordene Mittel in das Projekt gesteckt werden könnten.
Und für den Bericht, Herr Kollege, Chapeau und herzlichen Dank.
Thank you. Next speaker Manuela Ripa.
Manuela Ripa
Ich habe selbst an Erasmus teilgenommen und weiß so aus eigener Erfahrung, dass Erasmus+ weit mehr ist als ein Mobilitätsprogramm, wie sehr es den eigenen Horizont erweitert, Kompetenzen stärkt und Europa erlebbar macht. Genau deshalb ist es eine Investition in unsere Zukunft, in Menschen, ihre Fähigkeiten und ihre Offenheit über Grenzen hinweg zusammenzuarbeiten. Und es ist eine Investition in unsere Demokratie, denn wer andere Perspektiven kennenlernt, entwickelt Verständnis füreinander und für die Werte, die uns in Europa verbinden. Deshalb muss das Programm neben den Studierenden auch noch mehr Schülerinnen und Schüler, Lehrkräfte, Auszubildende und weitere Gruppen erreichen.
Erasmus braucht klar mehr Geld als die Kommission vorgeschlagen hat. Im Kulturausschuss gab es dafür eine sehr breite Mehrheit und diese Geschlossenheit brauchen wir jetzt auch im Plenum. Und wir müssen gemeinsam die Mitgliedstaaten überzeugen, dieses Budget zu sichern. Denn wer Europas Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, Demokratie und Resilienz stärken will, darf nicht ausgerechnet bei den jungen Menschen sparen, die Europas Zukunft gestalten werden.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you, colleague. I don't see in the room colleague Negrescu and I will give the floor to Elisabeth Dieringer.
Elisabeth Dieringer
Ich spreche auf Deutsch und als ehemalige Lehrerin, die die Vorteile des Programms für Schüler und Lehrer begleiten durfte und das aktiv und über viele Länder hinweg. Dafür ist das Geld auch richtig gut angelegt. Über bürokratische Hürden können wir immer noch sprechen. Aber dieser Bericht gibt einem Bildungsprogramm einen politischen Auftrag. Antragsteller sollen vorab auf EU-Werte überprüft werden mit Sanktionen bis zur Rückforderung.
Wer entscheidet dann, welche Schule oder welcher Verein die richtige Haltung hat? Gleichzeitig soll Erasmus Talente aus aller Welt anwerben und die Mitgliedstaaten sollen Hürden bei Visa und Aufenthaltstitel abbauen. Ich sage klar: Erasmus ist ein Austauschprogramm für Europas Jugend. Es muss nicht die ganze Welt mit einem Austauschprogramm zu uns kommen. Wer bei uns einreisen und bleiben darf, sollen weiterhin die Mitgliedstaaten entscheiden.
Mobilität für unsere Schüler ja, Gesinnungsprüfung und Zuwanderung über Erasmus nein.
Milan Zver
Hvala za besedo. Spoštovani, jaz sem skoraj deset let bil stalni poročevalec Evropskega parlamenta za Erasmus plus program. To je bilo neko zlato obdobje tega najbolj učinkovitega in vidnega programa v Evropski uniji. Vesel sem, da smo v tistem času podvojili budget, istočasno smo omogočili veliko večjo vključitev ljudi, ne samo mladih v Erasmus plus. Skratka polno odpravili smo nekatere pomanjkljivosti, ne.
Skratka bilo je veliko narejenega in danes sem zelo vesel, da vidim v tem novem vodstvu Erasmus plusa toliko energije in toliko ambicije, da bo Erasmus zagotovo ostal na vrhu evropskih programov. Gospodu Bogdanu Zdrojewskemu želim vse dobro, se zahvaljujem za dosedanje delo in glede na to, kar je povedal že prej, da je Erasmus plus svojevrstna investicija v znanje, v ljudi, v našo skupno prihodnost, verjamem, da bo ostal uspešen še naprej.
Thank you. Next speaker Malte Gallée.
Marit Maij
Thank you, Chair, dear Executive Vice-President. Imagine with me for a minute, you are a young person, you are born and raised in Willemstad, Curaçao, or in Accra, Ghana. Your hard work and dedication paid off and you get an Erasmus scholarship to study in Denmark or in the Netherlands, and you are one of the few coming from outside of the EU. It's the first time in your life and you need a winter coat because the rainy season here is not just wet, it's also cold. You can only spend your euro once.
We call it equal opportunity, but we designed it as if everyone starts from the same place. The next Erasmus plus must change that. Bureaucracy should not determine who gets to learn. A geographical coefficient, a term that I introduced and I'm proud to see in this proposal, ensures that funding reflects the actual experience of students. And a minimum of 2% of the budget goes to participants from low and middle income countries.
Education to build bridges, not to reinforce borders. Thank you.
Roberts Zīle
Colleague Gallée, so you have a blue card too from João Oliveira, but João Oliveira, you are also on the catch-the-eye, so you already asked one blue card, so we are not very far behind schedule, but you have to choose which one you want.
Roberts Zīle
Okay, thank you, colleague Maeso as well. Next speaker, Tiago Moreira de Sá, please.
Tiago Moreira de Sá
Obrigado, senhor presidente, senhora comissária. Em 1514, o padre superior de um convento dos Países Baixos escreveu a um antigo monge exigindo o seu regresso. O destinatário chamava-se Erasmo. Mas aquele jovem órfão que deixara o convento já não existia. Paris, Lovaina, Genebra, Basileia, Friburgo, Londres, Cambridge, Veneza, Roma, os livros, os mestres, os debates tinham-no transformado.
O convento reclamava o homem que conhecera e que já não existia. A educação tinha feito do órfão um homem novo. Erasmo respondeu que não voltaria. Erasmo de Roterdão já não era apenas de Roterdão. Cinco séculos depois, milhões de jovens seguem-lhe os passos graças ao programa que leva o seu nome, Erasmus+.
A educação é a mais poderosa promessa de emancipação individual e coletiva. E se é capaz de fazer de um jovem de Roterdão um dos maiores intelectuais da Europa, é também capaz de, inspirada nesse exemplo, fazer de qualquer jovem da Europa um Erasmo de Roterdão. Muito obrigado.
Thank you. Next speaker, Magdalena Adamowicz.
Panie przewodniczący, panie komisarzu. Myślimy, że daliśmy młodym cały świat, bo mają go w telefonie. Ale tym telefonem otworzyliśmy im drzwi do piekła. Zrobiliśmy z dzieci ofiary algorytmów, algorytmy je uzależniły i nauczyły, że rówieśnika się wyśmiewa i obrzuca błotem. Albo że jest wrogiem.
Magdalena Adamowicz
Jednocześnie w tak wielu miejscach Europy świat realny nie daje im szans na porządną edukację, nie mówiąc już o własnym mieszkaniu czy założeniu rodziny. Erasmus nie jest lekarstwem na te wszystkie problemy, ale jest skrawkiem świata, w którym z obcymi się rozmawia, z obcymi się mieszka, z obcymi się uczy, aż przestają być obcy. I wtedy żadna propaganda nie zrobi z nich wrogów. Nie wolno nam oszczędzać na tym skrawku. Przeciwnie, rozszerzajmy go ile się da, bo jesteśmy to winni młodzieży.
Choć w ten sposób naprawmy kawałek świata, który zepsuliśmy młodym. Gratuluję sprawozdawcy Bogdanowi Zdrojewskiemu.
Thank you, colleagues. Now we start the catch-the-eye procedure. I would be glad to give the floor to everybody who is on the list, but please be collegial and good colleagues and not to take over too much time on your one-minute speeches. Nina Carberry will be the first.
Thank you, President. 1.5 million people, that's how many people took part in Erasmus+ exchanges in 2024 alone. But Erasmus+ is much more than students studying abroad. It is the EU's main funding program for grassroots sports. And sport matters.
It supports 1.8 million jobs across Europe, with young people particularly benefiting. And I see its impact in my own constituency. In County Mayo, Erasmus+ has helped share Ireland's successful Active School Flag model with European schools. And in County Laois, it funded six Portlaoise AFC coaches to travel to Belgium, bringing home new ideas to keep young players involved in football. These are huge opportunities for Irish sport.
That is why, as Parliament prepares to vote in the next seven-year of Erasmus+, I support a 47 billion budget, almost double the current amount.
And with more funding being ring-fenced for sport than ever before, we must ensure that sport is not an optional extra in the next EU budget. Thank you.
Thomas Bajada
Iż-żgħażagħ li jitilqu d-dar u l-familja tagħhom biex jesperjenzaw l-Erasmus, jieħdu magħhom aktar minn biż-bagalja. Jieħdu l-ħolm tagħhom, il-beżat tagħhom u x-xewqa li jiskopru ħiliethom. Hemmhekk jitgħallmu jesperjenzaw kulturi ġodda, jibnu ħbiberiji u jikbru fil-kunfidenza, fil-ħsieb u fil-mod kif iħarsu lejn id-dinja. Għalhekk ma nistgħux inħarsu lejn l-Erasmus Plus biss mill-lenti tal-ispejjeż. Irridu nikkunsidraw il-bibien li niftħu.
U kollegi, irridu naraw li l-bibien li jinfetħu, jinfetħu għal kulħadd u mhux jinfetħu skont kemm il-familja tiegħek kapaċi tħallas jew skont l-art li inti ġej minnha. Biex nibnu demokrazija Ewropea b'saħħitha rridu żgħażagħ li jaħsbu b'mod kritiku, li jifhmu lil xulxin u li jkollhom vuċi fid-deċiżjonijiet. U biex nagħmlu dan kollu, il-proġett Erasmus Plus irridu nsaħħuh u mhux indajfuh bl-iskuża tal-kompetittività jew tal-investiment fl-armi li xogħolhom huwa li jifirdu u mhux li jgħaqqduna flimkien.
Małgorzata Gosiewska
Dziękuję. Jesteśmy za Erasmusem, za większym budżetem i szerszymi możliwościami dla naszej młodzieży. Ale sprzeciwiamy się temu, by ten znakomity program zamienić w scentralizowane narzędzie polityczne. Gdy europejscy studenci zmagają się z rosnącymi kosztami życia, Bruksela przesuwa ciężar programu na pozyskiwanie i zatrzymywanie zewnętrznych talentów dla osób z państw trzecich. Pytam więc, czyje interesy mają być priorytetem tego programu?
Musimy wspierać młodych Europejczyków, a edukacja musi pozostać w kompetencjach państw członkowskich. Sprzeciwiamy się również uzależnianiu dostępu uczelni od środków do środków od politycznych kryteriów, które uderzają przede wszystkim w samych studentów. Wróćmy do korzeni Erasmusa: równe szanse, wiedza i talent zamiast ideologii, szacunek dla suwerenności państw i pierwszeństwo dla młodych Europejczyków. Dziękuję.
Elena Kountoura
Ευχαριστώ πολύ, κύριε Πρόεδρε. Εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες μαθητές και φοιτητές στην Ευρώπη διαδηλώνουν και διεκδικούν δημόσια δωρεάν ποιοτική εκπαίδευση, επαρκή χρηματοδότηση και αξιοπρεπείς συνθήκες σπουδών, εργασίας και ζωής. Οι διεκδικήσεις αυτές αφορούν και το Erasmus που αποτελεί ένα από τα πιο απτά επιτεύγματα της Ευρώπης. Εκατομμύρια νέοι έχουν την ευκαιρία να αποκτήσουν γνώσεις, να γνωρίσουν νέους πολιτισμούς και να δημιουργήσουν διαρκείς δεσμούς πέρα από τα εθνικά σύνορα. Όμως η συμμετοχή δεν μπορεί να εξαρτάται από το οικογενειακό εισόδημα, τον τόπο κατοικίας ή τη δυνατότητα κάλυψης ενός πανάκριβου ενοικίου.
Πώς θα συμμετάσχει ένας νέος που ήδη δυσκολεύεται να πληρώσει το ενοίκιο του εκεί που σπουδάζει; Το νέο πρόγραμμα Erasmus Plus πρέπει να ενισχυθεί με μεγαλύτερη οικονομική στήριξη, κάλυψη του πραγματικού κόστους μετακίνησης και διαβίωσης για τους δικαιούχους, στοχευμένη στήριξη για τις αγροτικές, νησιωτικές και απομακρυσμένες περιοχές και ειδική χρηματοδότηση για τη νεολαία και τον εθελοντισμό, ώστε η συμμετοχή να αποτελεί δικαίωμα όλων.
Thank you. Next speaker, Petras Gražulis.
Petras Gražulis
Gerbiamas pirmininkaujantis, pirmiausia noriu jums pareikšti pastabą, kad jūs esate labai neobjektyvus ir nedemokratiškas. Kitiems europarlamentarams leidžiate kalbėti ne kartą, klausti ir pasisakyti, deja, mano atžvilgiu ne pirmą kartą taikote cenzūrą.
Dabar iš esmės. Pagal Europos Sąjungoj universitetuose studijuoja daugiau kaip milijonas iš kitų šalių studentų. Didelė dalis jų finansuojama pagal Europos Sąjungos Erasmus programą. Ir štai matom visiškai neseniai tie studentai Prancūzijoje, kituose miestuose išėjo į gatves, daužė parduotuves, kultūros objektus. Aš manau, kad šita programa turi taikytis tik Europos Sąjungos piliečiams, o ne visiems atvykusiems.
Mes viso pasaulio neišmokslinsim. Antras dalykas, o kiek yra Europos Sąjungos studentų, kurie patys nesugeba nesugeba sumokėti už mokslus. Taigi, manau, reikia koreguoti šitą programą.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you. So just a small remark you said about my chairmanship. So I am not doing any censorship. You didn't get before the vote when I was chairing because of the I announced the principles. We were in time constraints and it was nothing against you personally.
Thank you very much. So next speaker Malika Sorel.
Chers collègues. Vous l'avez tous dit, Erasmus c'est le programme le plus apprécié de l'Union européenne. Hélas, bien des demandes de jeunes ne peuvent être satisfaites car nous sommes soumis à d'importantes contraintes budgétaires. Pourtant, vous ne cessez d'augmenter ou d'accroître les publics, les métiers qui peuvent y postuler, les secteurs d'activité, les âges. C'est donc un problème insoluble, une question arithmétique basique.
Malika Sorel
Je ne comprends pas votre approche, votre raisonnement, d'autant que nous savons que nombre de jeunes déjà éligibles n'ont pas l'argent pour participer car disons-le franchement, ce programme demeure malheureusement élitiste. Le plus souvent, les jeunes pauvres ne peuvent accomplir cette expérience. Madame la Vice-présidente, avez-vous conscience que l'extinction l'extension du programme Erasmus à l'infini finira par exacerber les frustrations et ruinera la belle image d'Erasmus dans un moment où l'explosion des populismes devrait nous inciter à la plus grande vigilance. Je vous remercie.
Liudas Mažylis
Dėkoju pirmininke, komisare, kolegos. Erasmus+ yra viena sėkmingiausių Europos Sąjungos iniciatyvų, jau dešimtmečius jungianti studentiją visame žemyne ir užjūriuose. Kiekvienas į jaunimą investuotas euras sugrįžta įgūdžiais, darbo vietomis, atsparumu ir Europos konkurencingumu. Tačiau svarbu, kad atnaujinta programa išlaikytų tvirtą aukštojo mokslo pagrindą. Mainai neturi apsiriboti ekskursijomis ir kultūrinių vietų lankymu.
Jie turi suteikti galimybę įgyti aukščiausio lygio į ateitį orientuotų kompetencijų. Pažymėtina, kad kokybiškas švietimas prasideda nuo mokytojo, todėl Erasmus+ turi investuoti į pedagogus, dėstytojus kaip ir į studentus, į jų tobulėjimą, judumą ir kompetencijas. Investavę į vieną studentą pakeičiame vieną gyvenimą, o investavę į vieną studijuojantį mokytoją galbūt pakeičiame šimtus. Dėkoju.
Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Thank you so much, Mr. President, Comisaria Minzatu. El programa Erasmus Plus es la historia de un éxito desde que lo ideó hace décadas el añorado y fallecido comisario español Manuel Marín. No solamente vinculado al Cuerpo Europeo de Solidaridad y Voluntariado y sobre todo a las oportunidades formativas y educativas de gente joven que disfruta así de una red trabada de convivencia, de experiencias y de afectos compartidos. Exactamente por eso, porque importa tanto a Europa, vemos la ferocidad con que le ataca la extrema derecha alegando que es una diabólica maquinación burocrática ideológica al servicio de una supuestamente maligna ideología europeísta, nada menos. Pero también exactamente por eso el Parlamento Europeo ha apostado en su posición negociadora del marco financiero con una financiación de 50.000 millones de euros porque es absolutamente esencial para mantener vivo el contrato social de la Unión Europea con la generación más joven.
Gracias.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska
Bardzo dziękuję, panie przewodniczący. Wszyscy mówcy wyrażali zadowolenie z dotychczas funkcjonującego Erasmusa Plus. Zatem dlaczego zmieniać coś, co dobrze funkcjonuje? Chcecie zmieniać program, który był efektywny i proponujecie państwo rozszerzenie go stosowania o studentów z państw trzecich. Podczas gdy europejscy studenci zmagają się z ogromnym kryzysem kosztów życia, w nowym rozporządzeniu proponuje się przesunięcie akcentu z mobilności naszej młodzieży na stypendia dla obywateli państw trzecich.
Środki europejskich podatników muszą w pierwszej kolejności trafić do młodych z europejskich miast i miasteczek. Tworzenie z Erasmusa wehikułu rekrutacyjnego prowadzi do drenażu budżetu europejskiego. Praktyka obecnego programu pokazuje, jak łatwo środki unijne bywają również przejmowane przez lewicowy aktywizm i przed tym przestrzegam. Dziękuję.
João Oliveira
Obrigado, presidente. É inegável o contributo que o programa Erasmus pode dar para a consolidação de valores democráticos, colocando a educação no centro dos aspetos fundamentais para estruturar o regime democrático e também permitindo que o alargamento da experiência dos jovens crie o espaço para a consolidação desses valores democráticos. Mas é preciso também que nas condições que o programa assegura esse acesso democrático esteja garantido. É essencial que o programa Erasmus possa adequar-se ao custo de vida real, nomeadamente dando uma cobertura adequada aos custos com a habitação. É também absolutamente essencial que o acesso ao programa Erasmus possa permitir, nas condições de educação e também no acesso ao sistema educativo, a consolidação desse acesso democrático à educação ao nível do ensino superior, mas também na partilha de experiências, nomeadamente em termos de apoio ao movimento associativo.
Por isso propusemos o reforço orçamental para 80.000 milhões de euros no orçamento da União Europeia e é absolutamente essencial que esse reforço seja alcançado.
Seán Kelly
It was striking the number of MEPs who spoke saying they benefited themselves from Erasmus. And indeed MEP Ax said she wouldn't be an MEP only for Erasmus. And the benefits of Erasmus would be replicated by the 16 million people who actually took part in it. And one could say that each of those becomes a lifelong human billboard promoting the EU as a result of their experiences.
I'm glad to say that even though Brexit occurred, the Northern Ireland people were able to continue in Brexit because of the generosity of the Irish government. But Boris Johnson in his folly withdrew the United Kingdom from Erasmus, thinking he'd set up a better scheme himself. Now the United Kingdom sensibly admit it was a mistake, like everything else in Brexit, and they want to come back into Erasmus Plus. And I welcome them with open arms. Also, I would like to say, like my colleague Nina Carberry, the broad benefits for sports people, universities, teachers, coaches, everybody else must be embraced.
Maria Grapini
Domnule președinte, doamnă comisar, rar se întâmplă să fie așa o susținere pentru un proiect. Cred că este cel mai popular proiect european Erasmus și pe bună dreptate, pentru că este o investiție în tineri și este o investiție pe termen lung, pentru că schimbul cultural, schimbul educațional care se întâmplă prin acest proiect e benefic. Însă cred că trebuie să-l extindem și la cei care parcurg școlile vocaționale, pentru că știm că în Uniunea Europeană este un deficit foarte mare de meserii și dacă-l extindem și la școlile vocaționale, cu siguranță vom avea un câștig. Și bateți-vă, noi vă susținem pentru creșterea bugetului, pentru că este o investiție pe termen lung resursa umană și cred că toate statele membre pot beneficia dacă extindeți și la școlile vocaționale. Vă mulțumesc.
Dziękuję bardzo. Erasmus Plus jest jednym z tych programów Unii Europejskiej, które przynoszą obywatelom konkretne, wymierne korzyści. Łączą młodych Europejczyków poprzez edukację, naukę języków i poznawanie innych nowych krajów. Dlatego w nowej perspektywie powinniśmy go wzmacniać. Ale większy budżet musi też oznaczać większą dostępność i równość szans dla wszystkich młodych Europejczyków.
Arkadiusz Mularczyk
Każdy młody Europejczyk, niezależnie od kraju, miejsca zamieszkania czy dochodów rodziny, powinien mieć taką samą możliwość udziału w Erasmusie. Dzisiaj barierą często są wysokie koszty mieszkań i utrzymania w różnych krajach Unii Europejskiej. Dlatego wsparcie powinno lepiej uwzględniać rzeczywiste koszty życia oraz sytuację materialną uczestnika i tego, z jakiego kraju pochodzi. Musimy szczególnie otworzyć Erasmus na młodzież z mniejszych miast, obszarów wiejskich i mniej zamożnych rodzin. Bo jeśli Erasmus ma naprawdę łączyć Europę, musi być dostępny dla wszystkich młodych Europejczyków, a nie tylko tych, których stać na mobilność, lub też rodziców, których stać na mobilność tych młodych Europejczyków.
Dziękuję bardzo.
Sebastian Tynkkynen
Arvoisa puhemies, opiskelijoiden liikkuvuus Euroopan sisällä on hyvä asia. Se, että EU lyö tähän tarkoitettuun Erasmus Plus -ohjelmaan 47 miljardia, ei ole hyvä asia. Mutta näin kuulkaa Euroopan eduskunta vaatii 47 miljardia. Samaan aikaan Ukrainassa soditaan ja Eurooppa kirjaimellisesti palaa sisäisen turvallisuuden heiketessä. Palavien autojen ja putoavien pommien pitäisi herättää tämä talo siihen, että nyt on pakko priorisoida rahankäyttöä.
Mutta ei. Sen sijaan tätä Erasmus-rahan polttamista perustellaan Euroopan eduskunnan toimesta sillä, että eurooppalaisia voidaan kannustaa omaksumaan aktiivinen ja tietoon perustuva kanta kestävyyteen. Kymmeniä miljardeja, koska virallisella koulutuksella, epävirallisella oppimisella ja arkioppimisella on merkittävä tehtävä ilmastonmuutoksen torjunnan edistämisessä. Ei suomalaisten rahoja tähän touhuun, kiitos.
Dubravka Šuica
Well, what a debate, thank you so much. You know, Erasmus has been, or let me put it another way. From its start in 1987, 18 million participants benefited from Erasmus. To me, this is very little. This is a small number.
To me, a Romanian that has never had the chance to travel to Europe until she was 25, never the dream of being able to participate in Erasmus, this seems very little. And if we are now to divide, okay, we cannot exactly divide the total number of participants to the member states, we see how small this number is. And we see that I think our main objective together is to make sure that through the struggle, the work, the budget that we will be able to obtain, we reach much, much more Europeans. Because it does change their lives. It empowers them.
It empowers them in a very civic sense, it empowers them with skills, it connects them to Europe and to their own national identity. Going outside of your community, outside of your country, gives you a sense about Europe and a sense about your own country, a way to look at yourself, your street, your neighborhood, your nation, that is different, that enriches you. So we owe it to the many, many millions of young Europeans who have not been able even to think to participate to Erasmus, be them in vocational education and training. We need much more participants from that area, be them for youth or sports organizations, our students, to fight for a bigger budget. And I thank you, I thank rapporteur Zdrojewski for the vote that I hope you will give, a strong vote, a strong mandate to this house for a bigger budget so that you will be able to negotiate with the Council as big as a budget as possible, because in the end, the limit is the budget and the duty is towards all the tens of millions of Europeans that know about Erasmus but cannot dream to access it.
I agree, we need synergies. There is a housing crisis, there's a cost of living crisis. It affects young people more than other generations and we need to think beyond Erasmus how to connect it with European Social Fund Plus, with other funds, so that it can be more inclusive. But this is, I think, the battle for the next generation of Europeans and for the future of our European Union. So thank you for this battle and together I hope that we will succeed.
Thank you.
Speaker 383
Thank you, thank you very much, Executive Vice-President. Now floor goes back to rapporteur Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski.
Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
Thank you very much. Najpierw odpowiem kilku krytykom. Tych krytyków na blisko 40 osób było tylko kilku, ale mam do was jedną prostą prośbę. Przeczytajcie to sprawozdanie. Przeczytajcie to sprawozdanie.
Nie znajdziecie tam ani Marksa, ani Engelsa, ani tym bardziej Lenina. Druga rzecz, odpowiedź dla pani posłanki Wiśniewskiej. Pomyliła pani Erasmus Mundus z Erasmus Plus. Nie ma finansowania w tym programie, mało tego, my blokujemy i ograniczamy i lepiej kontrolujemy realizację tego programu niż było wcześniej. Nie zmieniamy go pod tym względem.
Erasmus Mundus nie jest finansowany z Erasmus Plus, tylko z Global Europe.
Druga rzecz bardzo istotna i bardzo ważna. Mamy rzeczywiście milion dzieci narodzonych w efekcie współpracy w ramach programu Erasmus Plus. W związku z tym prawicy odpowiadam mamy jeden z najlepszych programów prodemograficznych. Zawsze tego chcieliście więc jest. Jest program prodemograficzny i zawsze dziecko urodzone odpowiadam to jednemu posłowi ma dwójkę rodziców.
Mamę i tatę. I cieszmy się z tego. I teraz kilka uwag bo nie zdążyłem wcześniej. Budżet wynosi 47,4 miliarda to jest nasza propozycja. Mamy świadomość cała komisja CULT ale budżetu także że są potrzeby dotyczące bezpieczeństwa Europy bezpieczeństwa energetycznego walkę o tańsze paliwa ale walka ta jednocześnie musi się odbywać z myślą o przyszłości Europy przyszłości młodego pokolenia.
To są nasze najważniejsze inwestycje i pamiętajmy o tym. Proponujemy 75% budżetu na samą edukację i szkolenia. 15% minimum na młodzież z wolontariatem i 4,1 na sport. To są nasze propozycje i 20% środków ma być przeznaczone na wsparcie osób o tych mniejszych szansach które są zagrożone wykluczeniami. I na koniec podziękowania.
Chcę bardzo serdecznie podziękować Komisji pani komisarz Mînzatu i panu komisarzowi Glennowi Micallefowi była to znakomita profesjonalna współpraca z pewnymi szorstkościami ale zawsze był ten efekt fantastyczny. Dziękuję także sekretariatowi naszych komisji i dziękuję na koniec wszystkim organizacjom instytucjom i agencjom narodowym które podzieliły się naszą z nami naszą wiedzą doświadczeniami i opiniami. Wszystkiego dobrego trzymamy kciuki za młodzież. Thank you very much.
Roberts Zīle
Paldies. Debates ir slēgtas un balsošana notiks rītdien par šo jautājumu. Nākamais darba kārtības punkts Padomes un Komisijas paziņojumi Aprites ekonomikas akts kas stiprina Eiropas stratēģisko autonomiju veicina konkurētspēju un mazina Eiropas iedzīvotāju dzīves dārdzību. Notiks komisāru vietu maiņa. Just a few moments before the Commission will Commissioner you are welcome.
Speaker 382
So now I would like to ask to take floor for the Council Minister Dooley floor is yours please.
Timmy Dooley
President members honorable members Commissioner thank you for organizing this timely debate on the upcoming Circular Economy Act which the Council very much looks forward to. Our economy and competitiveness are facing challenges that require both immediate relief and structural long-term solutions for producers especially small and medium enterprises but also for the recycling industry and of course really importantly for our citizens who expect further efforts to make their lives more affordable. We need a truly functioning internal market with secondary raw materials to achieve our circularity goals. But this is only possible if we have long-term predictable investments into recycling technologies and if we make sure that there's enough demand for recycled materials on the side of the manufacturers of various goods. These objectives go hand in hand with the aim of boosting our strategic autonomy ensuring that production capabilities remain in the EU and that EU products are attractive to EU customers.
Our reliance on imported raw materials including critical raw materials should be well managed.
At the same time, we must pay due attention to our international commitments, whether they concern trade relations and level playing field, climate goals, or, for instance, shipments of waste. And this brings me to the upcoming Circular Economy Act. The Council expects the proposal to tackle as a matter of priority the extended producer responsibility for all waste streams to ensure traceability so that the proper treatment can be provided. These are complex topics that need to be handled in a consistent and comprehensive way in order to provide clear guidance for economic operators and SMEs in particular, and bringing solutions for alleviating their administrative burden while preserving the very base of the whole collection system. The latter is essential to build a functioning market for secondary raw materials.
In the meanwhile, the Council also remains attentive to the areas in which urgent action is required in order to provide immediate relief for the most impacted sectors of our economy. As part of the environmental omnibus, the Council is looking at a targeted solution to alleviate the burden under the existing extended producer responsibility obligations for producers of limited amounts of packaging or packaged products under the packaging and packaging waste regulation. The omnibus file is a high priority for our presidency and we aim to deliver under the One Europe, One Market roadmap together with the Parliament and the Commission. As regards our long-term expectations for the Circular Economy Act, some very important aspects have been raised by delegations at the Environment Council on the 12th of October, and we can expect that boosting demand with regard to recycled plastic materials, or EU preference, or ensuring a stronger regime of controls for third-country materials to make sure it complies with our EU requirements would be among the issues that will require most attention. Thank you very much.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much, Minister. So now I'd like to ask to take the floor for the Commission, Commissioner Hoekstra, the floor is yours.
Speaker 385
Thank you very much, dear President and honorable members. On behalf of my friend and colleague Jessika Roswall, I am taking part in this debate. Ladies and gentlemen, our economy is and our security are under pressure. The cost of materials for some sectors can be more than twice the cost of labor and energy, such as iron and steel. And in our view, this shows just how essential circularity is and how essential material efficiency is to European competitiveness.
At the same time, the risk of supply disruptions is becoming ever more concrete. Europe unfortunately is highly dependent, and let me stress that, highly dependent on imported materials, particularly for key technologies of the green and digital transition. We import roughly 60% of the critical raw materials, and that percentage goes up to 90% when you would focus on rare materials just alone. And I'm going to make it worse. For some raw materials, the Union is almost fully dependent on a single country for its supply.
Now, such dependencies create in our view a high risk of supply disruptions that are likely to distort competition internationally and fragment our internal market. To make matters even worse, we're effectively burying valuable resources in the European Union. About 30% of our waste still goes to landfill, and with it critical materials go to landfill. So circular transition, the circular transition is not a choice for our competitiveness and resilience, it simply has become a necessity.
It is about creating the right legal framework and making the best use of the resources available in the Union, including of course all the things that we call waste. And that means ensuring that materials and products are reused, remanufactured, recycled, and kept within the economy. And it means taking a more strategic approach to reduce our exposure to unreliable suppliers, and there are many of those out there. If we get this right, if we manage to do this, this will benefit citizens and businesses alike. But it will also benefit the environment and help us reach our climate targets.
Now, a well-functioning single market is essential, essential for advancing these goals. And unfortunately, ours still faces too many barriers and too much friction. And we hear this directly from businesses operating all over the European Union. As they still face, and I'll give you the list, non-uniform implementation of EU law, different national requirements in different Member States, fragmented compliance systems, uncertain legal status of waste and materials, higher transaction costs for cross-border trade within Europe than for domestic trade, and the list goes on. And ladies and gentlemen, this is not what the single market was designed to deliver.
It is not what we promised, and the consequences go well beyond the circular economy. So, dear Chair, the Circular Economy Act will address at least some of these challenges right away. First, we will simplify the regulatory framework and remove barriers to our single market. For example, the national implementation of extended producer responsibility systems has the practical effect of stopping some companies from selling cross-border. And we've made a proposal to mitigate some of these in the environmental omnibus, and we're currently assessing how the Circular Economy Act can actually bring that even further.
We must also reform the system so companies can actually comply easily and do their utmost to boost circularity themselves. We will harmonize, simplify, digitalize, and also ensure stronger enforcement, because that will be needed as well. Another example relates to so-called end-of-waste criteria. Harmonization will make it easier to move secondary raw materials within the European Union to where they have the highest value and the highest utility. Second, we will strengthen the secondary raw materials market, addressing bottlenecks on the supply and demand side simultaneously.
And that includes ensuring that waste is recycled instead of being landfilled. Third, specifically for raw materials, this means diversifying supply by making better use of waste streams, like for electronic and electrical equipment. We effectively need to turn more of Europe's waste into what I would like to call a strategic resource for Europe's industry. The Circular Economy Act will build on the legislation that we have already in place, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and of course the Construction Products Regulation. The Circularity Economy Act will complement exactly these efforts by addressing broader single market barriers as we know exist.
And then the act itself is only one part of our ambition. What we are doing is working on an integrated package of legislative and non-legislative measures, some to be adopted alongside the act and others to follow later. And these accompanying measures will be just as important in our view as the act itself. Dear chair, we also need research and innovation, enabling market conditions, incentives and practical tools, including new ways to use public but also private funds because circularity requires investments. But frankly speaking, it pays back as a driver of competitiveness.
And it is the combination of all of these measures that I've described working together that in our view truly will make a difference. It will help to deliver material efficiencies and supply chain certainty that we so clearly need. And it will strengthen EU resilience and our strategic autonomy. So delighted to have the opportunity to present and truly eager to hear the views of the esteemed members of parliament on the upcoming act and how we can turn all of this ambition into action as soon as possible all together. Thank you very much.
Roberts Zīle
Thank you very much, commissioner. Now for the EPP group will speak Pablo Arias Echeverría.
Pablo Arias Echeverría
Gracias, presidente, señor ministro, señor comisario. Rediseñar, reducir, reutilizar, reparar, renovar, recuperar y reciclar. Durante demasiado tiempo hemos basado nuestro modelo de producción y consumo en fabricar, usar y tirar. La economía circular no puede entenderse únicamente como un objetivo climático o medioambiental. Es también una cuestión de competitividad, de seguridad económica y de autonomía estratégica para Europa.
Nuestros recursos son limitados y la dependencia exterior, especialmente en materias primas críticas, nos hace vulnerables a las tensiones geopolíticas y pone en riesgo el suministro de nuestra industria. Reducir estas dependencias, reutilizar y reciclar materiales e impulsar la innovación son necesidades estratégicas, pero también una oportunidad para rediseñar nuestro modelo productivo y generar nuevas oportunidades de negocio y empleo en nuestro mercado. Para ello necesitamos una ley de economía circular ambiciosa, pero a la vez realista. Una ley que repare la competitividad de nuestras empresas en lugar de debilitarla. Y para ello la simplificación tiene que estar en el centro del debate.
No podemos añadir más burocracia, cada trámite innecesario resta recursos a la innovación, a la inversión y al crecimiento, especialmente de nuestras pymes. La transición debe hacerse de la mano de nuestras empresas, facilitando su adopción a nuevos modelos de producción y renovando su competitividad. Necesitamos normas claras, armonizadas y previsibles que faciliten la inversión y eliminen barreras en el mercado único y permitan competir en condiciones adecuadas a las materias primas secundarias. Desde el grupo PPE defendemos una economía circular más competitiva, resiliente y europea. Hagamos de las siete erres una ventaja estratégica para Europa, una vía para recuperar nuestra industria y fortalecer nuestra capacidad de generar empleo.
Apostemos por una ley de economía circular ambiciosa a la vez que sencilla y eficaz que impulse a nuestras empresas y sitúe a Europa a la cabeza de la economía del futuro. Muchas gracias.
Delara Burkhardt
Vielen Dank, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, ob das große Aluminium-Recyclingwerk in Sachsen-Anhalt, das Hamburger Biotech-Unternehmen, das aus Agrarreststoffen neue Materialien entwickelt oder der Recyclinghof in meiner Heimat in Kiel, sie alle zeigen heute schon: Kreislaufwirtschaft funktioniert. Doch sie alle kämpfen mit den gleichen Hürden: zu geringe Nachfrage nach recycelten Rohstoffen und einem Wirrwarr von Regeln auch innerhalb der Europäischen Union.
Die gute Nachricht ist: Wir können das ändern. Der Circular Economy Act muss die Kraft unseres Binnenmarktes neu entfesseln und mit gemeinsamen, harmonisierten, ambitionierten Regeln mehr Nachfrage nach Recyclingmaterial und einer starken Herstellerverantwortung die Wiederverwendung und Ressourcenschonung belohnt. Das ist eine riesige Chance für mehr Unabhängigkeit von Rohstoffimporten, für geringere Materialkosten in der Produktion und für gute Arbeitsplätze in der Industrie von heute, aber eben auch von morgen. Und vor allen Dingen für bezahlbare Produkte, die langlebiger und günstiger werden. Herr Kommissar, Sie haben dieses strategische Potenzial erkannt.
Jetzt wird's wichtig, dass Sie endlich liefern. Wir warten schon 'ne Weile auf den Circular Economy Act für ein unabhängiges, wettbewerbsfähiges und nachhaltiges Europa. Vielen Dank.
Tisztelt biztos úr, tisztelt képviselők! Európa gazdasága egyre nehezebben viseli a magas költségeket és a rá nehezedő szabályozási terheket. Igaz ez a hulladékgazdálkodásra is. A körforgásos gazdaságról szóló szabályozásnak ezért Európa versenyképességét kell szolgálnia. Az újrahasznosítási és az újrafelhasználási arányok javítása garantálja a környezet védelmét, miközben Európa nyersanyagfüggőségét is csökkenti.
Viktória Ferenc
Emellett szükség van a másodlagos nyersanyagok piacának fejlesztésére is. De nem újabb jelentési kötelezettségekre és nem a nemzeti rendszerek egységesítésére mindenáron. Az új uniós szabályozásnak lehetőséget kell adnia arra, hogy a tagállamok a saját tapasztalataikra és adottságaikra építsenek, közös célokat szem előtt tartva. A szabályoknak a tisztességes versenyt is garantálniuk kell. Olyan nem fordulhat elő, hogy miközben az európai vállalatok szigorú kötelezettségeket teljesítenek, az Unión kívülről érkező szereplők kibújhatnak ezek alól.
Köszönöm.
Laurence Trochu
Merci, Monsieur le Président. Chers collègues, nous débattons aujourd'hui d'un projet législatif dont l'analyse d'impact non concluante a repoussé le calendrier au mois de novembre prochain. Eh bien, profitons de ce délai pour introduire un peu de bon sens dans nos réflexions. Recycler n'a de sens que si quelqu'un achète ce qu'on recycle. Et aujourd'hui, des montagnes de matières premières s'entassent dans des hangars faute de clients.
On impose aux professionnels du recyclage des objectifs de recyclage toujours plus hauts et on voudrait en plus les faire entrer dans le marché du carbone, ce qui serait une double peine. Certes, oui, il faut récupérer nos matériaux critiques plutôt que de dépendre de la Chine, mais à plusieurs conditions. D'abord, pas de taxe déguisée. Alourdir les écocontributions, c'est faire payer le consommateur, l'inverse de la vie plus abordable. Ensuite, protégeons nos recycleurs par des contrôles aux frontières, une traçabilité et des obligations strictes pour les plateformes étrangères.
Enfin, pas de décroissance. L'Europe doit produire mieux, pas produire moins. Simplifiez, protégez, faites confiance à nos entreprises. Le reste n'est que bureaucratie. Merci.
Anna-Maja Henriksson
Arvoisa puhemies, komissaari, hyvät kollegat. Kiertotalous hyödyntää sekä ilmastoa että ihmisten kukkaroita. Se vahvistaa samalla EU:n autonomiaa. Uskon, että kiertotaloudella on paljon potentiaalia vahvistaa Euroopan kilpailukykyä, vähentää riippuvuuttamme EU:n ulkopuolelta tulevista raaka-aineista ja parantaa Euroopan kansalaisten arkea. Samalla kun uudistumme ja uudistamme, on myös tärkeää vaalia jo toimivia ratkaisuja.
Esimerkiksi Suomen erinomaisesti toimiva pullojen ja tölkkien panttijärjestelmä on pystyttävä säilyttämään ja sähköautojen akkuja on voitava korjata turvallisesti ja kohtuullisin kustannuksin kaikkialla EU:ssa. Odotan, että komission tuleva esitys kiertotaloudesta kannustaa meitä korjaamaan ja käyttämään tuotteita uudelleen, antamaan niille uuden elämän sekä kierrättämään materiaaleja, jotta arvokkaat raaka-aineet saadaan talteen. Ja olen myös toiveikas siitä, että riittävästi huomioidaan pienet ja keskisuuret yritykset. Ja samojen sääntöjen on koskettava myös EU:n ulkopuolisia yrityksiä, jotka haluavat toimia meidän sisämarkkinoillamme. Kiitos.
David Cormand
Bonjour, merci Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire, cher Conseil, chers collègues. D'abord une évidence, il n'y a pas de bon déchet. Le bon déchet, c'est celui qu'on ne produit pas. Et quand on parle d'économie circulaire, il me semble que ce que l'on doit mettre au cœur de notre logique, c'est trois éléments. D'abord la prévention et ça, c'est l'éco-conception des produits pour qu'ils puissent être le plus réparables possible, durer le plus longtemps possible et en fin de vie qu'on puisse récupérer le plus facilement possible l'ensemble des matières premières qui ont été utiles à sa production.
Deuxièmement, c'est le réemploi. Et donc là, il faut s'appuyer notamment sur la commande publique pour favoriser la réutilisation et le réemploi, la seconde vie. Mais pour cela, il faut une offre et donc avoir des produits qu'on ait au préalable remis en état. Et puis la réparation, c'est la même logique. Il y a deux autres textes dont on est en train de parler en ce moment, c'est l'accélérateur industriel et la commande publique.
La circularité doit être au cœur de notre stratégie européenne car notre continent ne sera pas compétitif dans une logique d'économie linéaire extractiviste. C'est ça l'ambition que nous devons nous fixer pour une Europe plus puissante, plus industrielle et plus sociale.
Das Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz muss Menschen und den Planeten vor endlose Produktion und Profit stellen. Eine Kreislaufwirtschaft muss mehr leisten als nur Abfall zu verwalten. Sie muss den Ressourcenverbrauch senken und die endlose Produktion und nutzlosen Konsum infrage stellen. Das Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz bietet die Chance einer Wende einzuleiten. Binnenmärkte für Recycling und Abfall reichen nicht aus.
Abfallvermeidung muss an erster Stelle stehen. Produkte müssen länger halten, leicht zu reparieren und wiederzuverwenden sein. Wir brauchen Strukturen, die effektive und damit kostengünstige Reparaturen erst ermöglichen. Wir brauchen ein Verbot der Vernichtung unverkaufter Waren. Wir brauchen die Ausweitung der Herstellerverantwortung auf mehr Produkte.
Martin Günther
Wir brauchen langlebiges und reparierbares Design, mehr Mittel in die Abfallvermeidung, Reparatur und Wiederverwendung, nicht nur in die Abfallsammlung und das Recycling. Diese Wende muss klare Meilensteine und Rechenschaftspflichten setzen, zugunsten der Beschäftigten sein, gute sichere Arbeitsplätze mit starken Arbeitnehmerrechten und Tarifverhandlungen schaffen. Vielen Dank.
Speaker 385
Thank you very much, dear chair, and delighted to see you back specifically in that chair. Maybe three reflections if I may from my side at this point in time. First to build on what quite a few speakers said, I think the EPP in particular, and that is the logic that we have here in front of us to make sure we bridge, one, everything we have in the domain of climate and nature with the huge importance of competitiveness and everything related to the domain of autonomy and independence. And recycling actually is a great idea on all these three fronts. And it is an opportunity that we do need to reap.
So there I very much agree with those who have articulated that logic. Secondly, and that was what Madam Burkhardt was saying, das ist eine Chance. And that is indeed really the opportunity here. We have the opportunity to move from a world where we are burning 90% of this stuff towards a world where we recycle 90% of this stuff. And that is simply an opportunity, whether you look at this from an ecological perspective, whether you look at it from the wallet or you look at the dramatic, truly dramatic dependencies that Europe has.
Third and last, dear chair, and that was something that was brought up also by a few speakers. Some are focusing on the cost. And of course there are, as with everything in life, there are smarter and dumber ways to do this. There are more expensive and cheaper ways to do this. But if I look at the member state that I know best, and it has not nearly maximized its potential in the domain of recycling.
But the reason why it went into this and why it is the world champion in recycling and circularity is because there is a business case. And that is something where we need much more of in Europe. Let me give you one last example. I'm sure he will forgive me for bringing that up here once again. I once had a chat with the previous CEO of IKEA.
And he explained to me how he came to start recycling mattresses in the Netherlands. This was first imposed by the government. And IKEA embraced that and thought that this was a great opportunity from an ecological perspective, but probably also a cost, something that would come with a certain financial burden to them in doing that. Until they looked at it and they saw that actually this was cheaper than the process that they had before. And what they then started to do is lobby the other 26 governments in Europe to ask for the exact same regulation because again, it works from an ecological perspective, but actually it is better for the wallet of that specific company.
That is one micro example. But it tells you a story, and that's the one I will keep repeating, and Commissioner also I will keep repeating, that we have an opportunity to bring our objectives in climate and environment in terms of competitiveness and in terms of autonomy and independence truly hand in hand if we do this well. Thank you.
Panie przewodniczący, szanowny panie komisarzu. Dalej nie zbudujemy europejskiej konkurencyjnej gospodarki, jeśli energia będzie u nas ponad dwa razy droższa niż w Stanach Zjednoczonych i trzy razy droższa niż w Chinach. No jeśli tylko popatrzymy na Unię Europejską, to za prąd dla przemysłu tu w Europie nasze firmy płacą 20 eurocenta za kilowatogodzinę, a w Chinach 7,5 eurocenta za kilowatogodzinę. I to nie jest drobna różnica.
To jest ta przewaga konkurencyjna, którą oddajemy innym gospodarkom. I dlaczego o tym mówię tu, w tej chwili? Dlatego, że dyskusja o recyklingu, o odzyskiwaniu surowców i uniezależnieniu się od Chin to dobry kierunek oczywiście i bardzo, bardzo dobrze, że o tym rozmawiamy. Ale jeśli przetwarzanie tych surowców w Europie będzie zbyt drogie, nasze ambicje po prostu pozostaną na papierze. Bo jeśli europejska firma płaci za dużo za energię, to inwestycja w Europie przestaje się opłacać.
Jak przestaje się opłacać, to produkcja przenosi się poza Unię, a my stajemy się zależni od importu. Ten wyścig technologiczny wygrają ci, którzy będą mieli tanią energię. I ten wyścig trwa i my musimy zrobić wszystko w Europie, żeby ten wyścig wygrać. Dlatego ceny energii muszą być jednym z priorytetów tej polityki. Bez taniej i stabilnej energii nie będzie nowych inwestycji, silnego przemysłu ani też realnej strategicznej autonomii.
Dlatego po pierwsze przesunięcie i odejście od ETS2. A po drugie potrzebujemy prostych przepisów. Gospodarka o obiegu zamkniętym, o której komisarz mówił, ma tworzyć wartość i wzmacniać firmy, a nie mnożyć obowiązki administracyjne. Nie wystarczy odzyskiwać surowce. Musimy jeszcze sprawić, żeby opłacało się to po prostu robić tu, w Europie.
Dziękuję.
Thank you, Chair. Colleagues, waste not, want not. If buying something is difficult or expensive, then wasting what you already have is plain dumb. Yet that is what we do in Europe. We complain about high energy costs, about insecure supplies of crucial rare materials, of metals or magnets, and at the same time we throw away what we already have.
Bruno Tobback
Our citizens pay three times for this failure. We pay to buy, we pay to dispose, burn or landfill, and we pay again to buy again. And while Chinese players are already eyeing our wind turbines to recover the precious materials inside, we needlessly complicate the transport of a used toaster for recycling in a neighboring Member State. Colleagues, reusing goods and materials has always made ecological sense, but in today's world it also has great strategic and economic value. So, Commissioner, more than ever there is no time to waste and no time to waste in connecting circular to economy and to act.
Grazie. Il signor Inselvini.
Paolo Inselvini
Si continua giustamente a parlare di autonomia strategica, competitività e riduzione dei costi per i cittadini. Ma come possiamo essere autonomi se da una parte dipendiamo dall'estero per l'approvvigionamento di materie prime strategiche e dall'altra soffochiamo i nostri imprenditori con la burocrazia? Il Circular Economy Act rappresenta un'occasione unica, è vero, ma non deve diventare l'ennesimo capitolo del Green Deal fatto solo di costi e di burocrazia. Abbiamo bisogno di trasformare i rifiuti in risorse industriali e non le imprese in uffici solamente amministrativi. Servono mercati europei efficienti, procedure più rapide, criteri armonizzati e meno ostacoli alla circolazione di materiali recuperati.
La vera economia circolare deve infatti ridurre la dipendenza strategica dalle importazioni, abbassare i costi produttivi e rafforzare le nostre filiere, oltre che proteggere tutti quei materiali strategici come il rottame che adesso vengono svenduti, per esempio, all'estero. Quindi non solo regole, ma si devono dare alle imprese la libertà e gli strumenti per produrre, innovare e competere. Grazie.
Ana Vasconcelos
Thank you, Chair, Commissioner, Council, colleagues. A competitive economy and strategic autonomy, two top priorities for Europe in this uncertain world.
For both we need critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt and copper, ingredients we need for everything from our phones, our car batteries, wind turbines, data centers and defense equipment. Our continent is not as naturally rich in these materials as others are, but that does not mean that we don't have them in spades in our waste. By 2040 recycling could cut our demand for new cobalt by up to 70% and for nickel up to half. Europe has the know-how and the technology to reuse and recycle. The challenge is regulation, particularly in 27 different regimes across member states.
No business should have to register with every national producer responsibility scheme one by one. Give businesses a single digital one-stop shop and build a real single market where trade is unburdened and recycled materials circulate freely. Europe already has an untapped mine of secondary raw materials. Let's stop wasting it.
Sara Matthieu
Dear colleagues, last week Elon Musk showed off a flying car while people worldwide fear that AI will replace them. For us Europeans the answer to that is closer to the ground, creating new jobs and making sure that the jobs we already have stay in Europe. So I recently met the CEO of Galloo, it's a Belgian recycler, and he told me when he started his company that his family was asking him why a well-educated man would actually want to deal in trash. Today the company employs over 800 people and it's highly successful. In the beginning he thought that the EU rules on car recycling were completely impossible.
Right now he says it allowed his company to flourish and he thanked me for them. And innovative textile recycling companies are actually also telling me the same thing. They want clear rules, they want market demand, or they just move to China. So in a couple of weeks, Commission, you will present the Circular Economy Act. I will judge it on just one question: does it in fact give our innovative companies reason to stay in Europe or not?
Because that, more than flying cars, really gives people economical security. Thank you.
Esteban González Pons
Madame Matthieu, you have a blue card from Madame Wiśniewska. Do you accept it from ECR group? Madame Wiśniewska, 6430, you have the floor.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska
Dziękuję bardzo za przyjęcie mojego pytania. Mam podobny... sorry. Dziękuję bardzo za przyjęcie mojego pytania. Mam podobny pogląd, jeśli chodzi o potencjał, który tkwi w złomie. Zatem chciałam panią zapytać, czy nie uważa pani, że powinniśmy wprowadzić restrykcje, jeśli chodzi o eksport złomu poza Unię Europejską?
Sara Matthieu
Sorry, the translation was not great, but if I understand you correctly, it's about maybe limiting the export of scrap, right? That was your question? Yeah. Well, I think it's important to know all the numbers before we make this kind of decision. And I think if you look at, for instance, what we're doing in the revamp of CBAM right now, this is going to be a good way to actually make sure that we put on the kind of legislation that is working and that is necessary.
I think for some it can be interesting to put on export restrictions, but I wouldn't say right now we have all the data to make 100% sure that it's actually necessary.
Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Sufficient, safe, structural: this is what our Circular Economy Act needs to be. Sufficient because focusing on resource efficiency while consumption skyrockets won't cut it. We need to reduce our demand and make hard choices about what we prioritize in our production and consumption. Do we prioritize the critical materials for the green transition or squander them on weapons systems?
Safe because circular models that rely on toxic chemicals and contaminated materials work for no one. We need harmonized end-of-waste criteria and import standards to ensure the safety of circular materials for workers and consumers. And structural because today, linear models are built into the way businesses produce and people consume. We need circularity by design. We need to challenge production models like fast fashion.
We need global action like a plastics treaty that tackles production. And we need to ensure that circularity is prioritized right across EU policies. So it's time that we actually got serious about the circular economy.
Carmen Crespo Díaz
Gracias, presidente, comisario, ministro. La circularidad es la mejor forma de aprovechamiento, da competitividad y mejora el medio ambiente. Un residuo inmediatamente se convierte en una oportunidad, en un recurso y en una fuente de ingresos. Evitamos sacar del medio natural más recursos y no se acumulan los residuos que tenemos en muchas ocasiones y podemos producir energía, biogás, fertilizantes, renure y muchos otros productos, lodos de depuradora o agua regenerada. Ejemplos concretos ya hay en toda Europa.
En estos momentos podemos hablar de olivar, de economía circular en el agro o de ecocares con nuestros pescadores. Pero la investigación, la innovación, las nuevas tecnologías tenemos que invertir en ellas. Es una inversión que se rentabiliza como decía el comisario Hoekstra y como la presidenta presentaba en el debate de estado hablando de agua. Reutilizamos solo mil millones de metros cúbicos en Europa de agua y se puede multiplicar por seis. Es necesario invertir en la circularidad del agua porque eso además produce balance, produce equilibrio en los sectores productivos en el agua y evita las dificultades con la sequía.
Terciarios, cuaternarios, un nuevo nicho de negocio a través de la infraestructura de agua y además permite equilibrar los sectores productivos, el equilibrio que produce el agua. Para eso se necesitan herramientas y para ello tenemos el fondo de competitividad en estos momentos en el marco financiero que se ajusta como anillo al dedo y especialmente en estos momentos es una ley adecuada, simplificada y posibilista. Todo son ventajas. Muchas gracias.
Speaker 412
Señora Crespo, tiene una tarjeta azul del señor Günther de The Left, ¿la acepta?
Ich würde Deutsch sprechen, haben Sie Übersetzung? Ja? Passt das? Okay. Ja, vielen vielen Dank, ich habe Ihnen und Ihren Kollegen von der EVP sehr genau zugehört, viel über Recycling gehört, was ich nicht gehört habe, ist Abfallvermeidung.
Und Sie haben ja jetzt hier auch ein Wasserbeispiel genannt, wir wissen alle, dass durch undichte Wassersysteme Milliarden Kubikmeter Wasser in der EU verloren gehen, wäre es hier auch ein praktisches Beispiel dafür, dass wir eigentlich auf die Vermeidung erstmal Wert legen müssten und könnten Sie dazu was sagen?
Efectivamente, absolutamente de acuerdo. Acabo de decir que evitamos sacar recursos del medio natural. Esto es un tema muy importante que mejora el medio ambiente y además convierte los productos en posibilidades más económicas. En el agua tenemos un déficit de infraestructura que lo dijo ya la propia presidenta en el debate de la comunidad. Perdemos de cada cuatro litros, un litro de agua.
Y por tanto tenemos oportunidad de equilibrar los sectores con una ley de circularidad que sea objetiva y que dé oportunidades a infraestructuras hidráulicas con terciario y cuaternario. Para nosotros es un, son todo ventajas y hay posibilidad de hacer una buena ley en Europa que en ese sentido también crea las posibilidades que necesitamos en el agua y en otros materiales que evitamos sacar de la naturaleza. Por tanto, todo ventaja y la competitividad se mejora. Gracias.
Heléne Fritzon
Tack herr talman, kommissionär Hoekstra. Vi pratar om bristen på viktiga mineral och metaller. Ofta fokuserar vi på debatten på handel, geopolitik, gruvor och leveranskedjor. Samtidigt som vi ägnar oss åt resursslöseri i stor skala. Och bara för att ge ett exempel.
Vi återvinner bara ungefär 40 % av vårt elektroniska avfall. Och nästan hälften av strategiska och kritiska råmaterial i små apparater, ja de går förlorade vid insamlingen. Och så här ser det ut på område efter område för olika avfall och olika material. Vi är helt enkelt för dåliga på cirkulär ekonomi och det har vi inte råd med. Nu är det dags för EU att öka takten.
Det är så mycket viktiga resurser som går förlorade. Vi behöver höja ambitionerna, fixa fungerande lagstiftning och investera i ny teknik. Jag räknar dagarna tills kommissionen presenterar cirkulär ekonomi. Tack.
Thank you very much. Mr. Terheș, you have the floor.
Claudiu-Richard Târziu
Mulțumesc, domnule președinte. Stimați colegi, Comisia ne promite o viață mai ieftină și o restartare cumva a economiei europene prin reciclare. Dar oamenii nu-și plătesc facturile cu materiale reciclate, ci în euro care provin din salarii câștigate tot mai greu. Cine garantează că această lege va scădea prețurile și nu va muta costurile în spinarea cumpărătorului? Cine garantează că firmele mici din România nu vor fi îngropate în hârtii, bunăoară?
Comisia vrea să dubleze gradul de reciclare în următorii ani pe cheltuiala producătorilor și a consumatorilor și propune noi reguli. Nu de asta avem nevoie, ci de energie la prețuri rezonabile, de investiții în colectare și reciclare și de materiale reciclate care se vând pentru că sunt mai ieftine, nu pentru că o lege obligă pe cineva să le cumpere. Să dăm legi deci pentru oameni, nu împotriva lor. Mulțumesc.
Thank you very much, Mr. Terheș. Madame Walsgie.
Jeannette Baljeu
Wie voor een onafhankelijk Europa is, moet beginnen met wat we al hebben. En daar zit voor mij de kracht van een circulaire economie. Producten langer gebruiken, repareren of vernieuwen aan nieuwe standaarden en grondstoffen opnieuw benutten. Zo houden we de waarde, de banen en de productie hier. Zo was ik vrijdag bij een havenevent waar we spraken over het refitten naar nieuwe schone brandstoffen voor de shortsea-schepen.
Of ik spreek met de sloopsector die zit te wachten op een beschermde markt voor de aluminium scrap. Onze ondernemers willen vaak voorop lopen, maar dan moet Europa wel de ruimte geven.
Jeannette Baljeu
Of ik spreek met de sloopsector die zit te wachten op een beschermde markt voor de aluminium scrap. Onze ondernemers willen vaak voorop lopen, maar dan moet Europa wel de ruimte geven. Dus verwachten we in de Circular Economy Act voor de ondernemer een echt verdienmodel en dat betekent dus ook een markt creëren voor circulaire grondstoffen. En de vraag is hoe dat uiteindelijk ook in de Circular Economy Act goed tot zijn recht komt. Want we hebben het nodig voor onze veiligheid en voor onze consumenten dat de producten langer meegaan.
Een onafhankelijk Europa en een duurzame toekomst. Veel grondstoffen hebben we al. Laten we daar onze welvaart mee voortbouwen.
President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, die Zeit, in der europäische Unternehmen Rohstoffe verlässlich auf dem Weltmarkt besorgen konnten, die sind leider Geschichte. Kreislaufwirtschaft muss deshalb die Konsequenz und auch Kernbestand jeglicher EU-Industriepolitik sein. Und ich glaube, da gibt's eine große Einigkeit hier im Plenum, was gut ist. Wir müssen runter vom Rohstoffverbrauch, hin zum Nutzen von Rohstoffen. Und das heißt wiederverwenden, aufarbeiten, reparieren und auch recyceln.
Aber leider, leider treten wir immer noch auf der Stelle. Die Kreislaufquote, und das wissen wir, die stagniert seit Jahren auf einem sehr geringen Niveau. Das Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz muss daher das Geschäftsmodell der Zukunft schaffen. Wir brauchen endlich EU-Ziele zur Verringerung des Materialfußabdrucks. Wir müssen zweitens Hersteller für das gesamte Leben ihrer Produkte mitverantworten, mit einem Preisschild, das sich in der Umweltwirkung ausrichtet.
Anna Cavazzini
Und das einheitlich auf dem ganzen Binnenmarkt. Hier brauchen wir endlich ein Ende der Kleinstaaterei. Hier gucke ich Richtung Rat. Und drittens, wir müssen diese Gelder nutzen für Abfallvermeidung, für Reparatur und Wiederverwertung und nicht nur für Recycling. Vielen herzlichen Dank.
Dario Tamburrano
Dankeschön. Il signore Tamburrano.
Salve colleghi, ci sono cose da fare, ci sono cose da non fare. Un pessimo esempio di economia circolare l'abbiamo noi romani dove negli scavi di preparazione del nuovo inceneritore da ottocentomila tonnellate stanno uscendo sacchi di amianto che nessuno sa come sono arrivati là. Quindi, e Commissario, io sono molto contento della sua azione e sono certo che farà un bel lavoro con questo atto, però forse qualcosa di più sull'ETS 2 e le emissioni degli inceneritori credo fosse opportuno fare. Comunque, una qualche parola sui pannelli fotovoltaici e sulla responsabilità estesa del produttore. I pannelli durano venticinque anni mentre qualche produttore dopo tre è già sparito.
Il pannello resta, la responsabilità resta, il pannello evapora. Gli accantonamenti non sono commisurati ai costi attuali perché sappiamo che le installazioni non hanno un andamento temporale lineare. Il Circular Economy Act deve imporre garanzie finanziarie ai produttori fin dalla vendita, ritiro davvero gratuito anche al residenziale, recupero effettivo dei materiali e controlli sulle esportazioni e filiere di recupero anche consumer to business. Nell'economia circolare devono circolare le risorse, non le responsabilità. Grazie.
Stefan Köhler
Sehr geehrter Kommissar Hoekstra, sehr geehrter Minister Dulig, geschätzte Kollegen und Kolleginnen.
Ich blicke mit Spannung auf den angekündigten Circular Economy Act der Europäischen Kommission. Dieser stellt eine Chance für mehr Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und mehr strategische Unabhängigkeit dar. Beides brauchen wir dringend. Unsere europäischen Unternehmen brauchen außerdem Planungssicherheit. Das ist der Grundstein für eine erfolgreiche Wirtschaft, die in Innovationen und umweltfreundliche Technologien investiert.
Stefan Köhler
Daher möchte ich die Kommission nachdrücklich darum bitten, den Vorschlag zur Kreislaufwirtschaft auch in diesem Sinne zu nutzen und mehr Praktikabilität zu schaffen. Dazu zählen für mich die Vereinfachung der erweiterten Herstellerverantwortung für Kleinstunternehmen und die Schaffung von Anreizen für Innovation. Wir benötigen einen sinnvollen Rechtsrahmen für Recycling und ein europaweit harmonisiertes Recyclingsystem. Ich freue mich auf den Austausch und die Diskussion. Vielen Dank.
Alessandra Moretti
Presidente, colleghi, commissario. Il lavoro che da anni stiamo portando avanti sul tema della circolarità ha bisogno di uno scatto in avanti. L'occasione del prossimo Circular Economy Act per creare finalmente un sistema produttivo più sostenibile e competitivo non può essere sprecata. Essenziale sarà creare un mercato unico delle materie prime secondarie per trovare uno sbocco in Europa al materiale riciclato. Intervenire concretamente per ridurre la dipendenza sulle materie prime trattenendone l'economia europea i materiali di valore.
Questo sforzo deve essere fatto con il dovuto supporto alle imprese, in particolare alla piccola media impresa, così da rilanciare l'industria e creare posti di lavoro. I benefici di un sistema più sostenibile sono per tutti: per l'ambiente, la salute, il lavoro e le imprese. Starà a noi come istituzioni nei prossimi mesi ed anni trovare un giusto compromesso che metta insieme ambiente e sviluppo.
Voorzitter, commissaris Hoekstra, minister Duli, collega's. We moeten kringlopen sluiten met gezond verstand. Afval is een bron van secundaire grondstoffen en energie. Geen afvalbergen dus, maar recycling en afvalenergiecentrales, sluitstuk van de kringloop. Zonder energetische benutting wordt verwerking duurder, zonder dat er meer zal worden gerecycled.
De rekening komt bij huishoudens of het afval verdwijnt naar stortplaatsen elders met methaanemissies tot gevolg. Wie grondstoffen en energieterugwinning niet samen ziet, ondermijnt circulariteit. De wisselwerking met uw ETS is cruciaal. Geen haalbare businesscase voor recycling zonder betaalbare energetische verwerking van reststromen. Daarbij horen CCS en CCU.
Sander Smit
Koester de afvalsector. Maak van de Noordzeeregio één recyclinghub met havens die reststromen over water gemakkelijk uitwisselen. Behandel tenslotte, commissaris, mest als bruin goud, als grondstof. Commissaris, neem dit mee in de Circular Economy Act. Zo versterken we strategische autonomie, concurrentiekracht en de portemonnee van Europeanen.
Dank u wel.
Elsi Katainen
Arvoisa puhemies, komission ja neuvoston edustajat. Euroopan on vahvistettava omaa kilpailukykyään ja omavaraisuuttaan välittömästi. Energiariippuvuutemme ulkomaisesta fossiilisesta on nostanut tavallisten ihmisten elinkustannukset räjähdysmäisesti eri puolilla Eurooppaa. Samaa virhettä ja uusien riippuvuuksien rakentamista esimerkiksi Kiinaan ei enää pidä tehdä. Meidän on käytettävä omia resurssejamme paljon nykyistä tehokkaammin.
Biotalous, kestävä metsätalous sekä teollisuuden ja maatalouden sivuvirrat, niiden hyödyntäminen tarjoaa merkittäviä mahdollisuuksia luoda uutta yrittäjyyttä ja työpaikkoja. Biopohjaisilla materiaaleilla voimme korvata fossiiliset, samalla kiertotalous luo elinvoimaa maaseudulle niitten uusiutuvien luonnonvarojen äärellä.
Kiertotalouden on toimittava myös käytännössä. Me tarvitsemme toimivia markkinoita kierrätysmateriaaleille sekä ennustettavaa sääntelyä, joka ei aiheuta lisätaakkaa PK-yrityksille tai maa- ja metsätalousyrittäjille. Kiertotalouden markkinoiden täytyy toimia yli jäsenvaltioiden rajojen ennakoivasti ja uutta luoden. Kiitoksia.
Rasmus Nordqvist
I worked in fashion for years before joining politics. The industry I loved was running on one model: produce more, sell more, throw more away. Nobody was changing it, so I left for politics, and since then it's only gotten worse. And the solution for fashion and other industries is circularity. Circularity is not just a green obsession, it is core industrial policy.
Using fewer resources, our companies' biggest cost, is also what makes Europe more competitive. And it means quality local jobs in repair, in reuse, and of course in recycling. But circular must be obvious and the affordable choice. Recycled materials as we know it today are not too expensive, virgin materials are too cheap. So let's make imported plastic and chemicals pay for their carbon at our borders, and let materials move freely in our single market.
Speaker 422
This is not only about waste, it's actually about ending linear business models which simply cannot last. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Monsieur Arimont.
Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident, Herr Kommissar, Herr Minister. Wir müssen Bedingungen schaffen, damit sich Abfall zu Rohstoffmärkten entwickeln kann. Ich habe zuletzt Hersteller, sehr erfolgreiche Hersteller von Schaumstoffen für Verpackungen und Kunststoffrecycler besucht. Ihre Botschaft war klar: Drei Dinge müssen wir im Circular Economy Act machen. Erstens: Unternehmen dürfen nicht länger sich durch unterschiedliche Rücknahmeregistrierungs- und Meldesysteme kämpfen.
Wir brauchen einen digitalen One-Stop-Shop. Zweitens: Recycling darf nicht an Europas Grenzen scheitern. Wer Abfälle zur Verwertung in einen anderen Mitgliedstaat transportiert, braucht je nach Material die Zustimmung mehrerer Behörden gleichzeitig, weil dasselbe Material nicht überall gleich eingestuft wird. Was hier als Rohstoff gilt, kann hinter der Grenze wieder als Abfall gelten. Das kostet Zeit, Geduld und verhindert einen echten Binnenmarkt.
Pascal Arimont
Drittens: Unsere alten Handys und Elektrogeräte sind die Minen, die wir längst in Europa haben. Darin stecken wertvolle Rohstoffe, die wir sonst teuer importieren. Ich appelliere daher an die Kommission: Harmonisieren Sie die Regeln, sorgen Sie dafür, dass Recycling sich rechnet. Dann bleiben Rohstoffe und Wertschöpfung in Europa. Kreislaufwirtschaft ist Industriepolitik, europäische Unabhängigkeit, und ich wiederhole mich: Wir müssen Bedingungen schaffen, und das schnell, damit sich Abfall zu Rohstoffmärkten entwickeln kann.
Vielen Dank.
Dankeschön, Frau Grossmann.
Ja, meine Damen und Herren, Kreislaufwirtschaft ist eine strategische Chance für Europa. Sie verringert unsere Rohstoffabhängigkeit und Umweltbelastung, stärkt die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und macht den Alltag der Menschen leistbarer. Dafür müssen wir die Kreislaufwirtschaft ganzheitlich denken. Produkte müssen langlebig, reparierbar und wiederverwendbar sein und auch sozusagen eine Chance auf ein zweites Leben haben. Und gleichzeitig müssen wir die Verbraucherinnen stärken.
Und dazu gehört auch der Schutz vor nicht konformen Waren.
Elisabeth Grossmann
Wir brauchen EU-weite Qualitätsstandards und auch Online-Plattformen müssen als Wirtschaftsakteure anerkannt und auch stärker in die Verantwortung genommen werden. Ja, wir brauchen auch reduzierte Mehrwertsteuersätze für Reparatur, Wiederaufbereitung und Gebrauchtwaren nach dem Vorbild einiger Mitgliedstaaten. Und damit das alles gelingt, brauchen wir endlich einen kohärenten Rechtsrahmen. Und ich stimme dem Satz vollkommen zu: Wir haben bei der Kreislaufwirtschaft keine Wahl, es ist eine Pflicht.
Aurelijus Veryga
Thank you very much, Mr. Verheyen. Thank you. Dear colleagues, the Circular Economy Act is an important initiative aiming to strengthen Europe's competitiveness, reduce our dependence on imported raw materials and create a genuine single market for recycled materials. However, we must also recognize the potential risks. Mandatory recycled content targets, additional reporting obligations and complex traceability requirements could increase production costs and place an unnecessary burden on European businesses and particularly SMEs.
We must also ensure that European producers are not put at a competitive disadvantage compared to imports from third countries. Our priority should be to remove barriers, not create new ones. We must ensure that new requirements are driven by real market needs, are technologically feasible and do not undermine the competitiveness of European manufacturers. Thank you. Thank you very much, Madame Grapini.
Domnule comisar, domnule ministru, stimați colegi, propunerea de a avea un act legislativ privind economia circulară este binevenită. Însă mi-a plăcut ce ați spus și dumneavoastră, domnule ministru, și dumneavoastră, domnule comisar. Trebuie să avem în calcul situația existentă. Trebuie să avem un cadru normativ corect. Trebuie să găsim soluții, de exemplu, pentru trasabilitatea deșeurilor.
Trebuie să ne gândim cum facem investiții în tehnologie pentru a putea să facem reciclarea. Eu vin din mediul privat și vă spun că în țara mea, dar și în alte state, nu avem încă tehnologii pentru reciclare pentru toate produsele. Până la urmă, reciclarea nu înseamnă doar mediu, înseamnă eficiență și eficacitate. Și orice întreprinzător va vrea să facă economii. Dar dacă costul de reciclare este mai mare decât materia primă nouă, n-o va face nimeni.
De aceea trebuie să gândim foarte bine acest act legislativ și să încurajăm și să ținem cont că IMM-urile au o presiune și acuma foarte mare. Ați spus, domnule comisar, că avem deja prea multe bariere în piața internă. Atunci să nu mai creăm prin acest act legislativ. Da, avem nevoie de o economie circulară, economia liniară este depășită, dar trebuie s-o facem într-un cadru normativ echitabil și corect. Vă mulțumesc.
Esteban González Pons
Thank you very much, dear colleague. I have three requests for catch-the-eye. First one is for Madame Nykiel, 6, 5, 7.
Mirosława Nykiel
Panie Przewodniczący, Panie Komisarzu, tytuł tej debaty obiecuje obniżenie kosztów życia i większą konkurencyjność gospodarki europejskiej. Cudownie. Trzymamy Komisję za słowo.
Bo obieg zamknięty nie może oznaczać wyłącznie kolejnych restrykcji i kar dla naszych przedsiębiorców. Surowce wtórne i recykling muszą realnie obniżać cenę produktów dla konsumentów, a nie generować nowe certyfikaty i biurokrację, z którymi być może małe i średnie firmy nie będą mogły sobie poradzić. Polski przemysł i Śląsk potrafią przetwarzać materiały i tworzyć nowoczesne produkty, ale potrzebują uczciwych warunków konkurencji z rynkami azjatyckimi. Pani komisarzu, czy to im zapewniamy? Chrońmy europejski przemysł, pozwólmy przedsiębiorcom się rozwijać, bo tak naprawdę to one tworzą lepsze życie dla Europejczyków.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska
Bardzo panie przewodniczący. Recykling nie może być kolejnym batem na europejski przemysł, ani źródłem ukrytych kosztów dla obywateli. Jeśli chcemy realnie wzmacniać europejską konkurencyjność, najwyższy czas, by przestać dusić przedsiębiorców, którzy już dzisiaj mają bardzo trudne warunki funkcjonowania. Recykling i innowacje mają sens tylko wtedy, gdy opłacają się ekonomicznie i wpływają na obniżkę cen, kosztów życia, a nie wtedy, kiedy stają się kolejnym ciężarem. Zwracam na szczególnie trudną, zwracam państwu uwagę na szczególnie trudną sytuację w branży AGD, która już dziś ostrzega przed utratą konkurencyjności i apeluje o stworzenie planów wspierającego branżę.
Czy państwo wiecie, że w tej branży zatrudnionych jest ponad milion pracowników, a regulacje, o których dzisiaj mówimy, będą niestety kolejnym bardzo wielkim obciążeniem dla firm produkujących sprzęt AGD i utrata konkurencyjności, jeśli chodzi o Chiny jest oczywista. Także proszę mieć na uwadze sytuację tej branży. Dziękuję bardzo.
Sebastian Tynkkynen
Arvoisa puhemies, komissaari Hoekstra. Suomessa pulloja ja tölkkejä on kierrätetty panttijärjestelmän ansiosta vuosikymmeniä. Mutta nyt EU on romuttamassa toimivan järjestelmämme. EU vaatii, että vuonna 2030 osa juomapakkauksista pitää olla uudelleenkäytettäviä. Suomen panttisysteemi menisi uusiksi ja kustannusarviot liikkuvat sadoissa miljoonissa.
Koittakaa nyt ymmärtää siellä komissiossa, Suomessa tölkit ja pullot eivät päädy kadulle tai roskiin, kuten monissa muissa Euroopan maissa. Suomessa on järjestelmä, jossa pullot ja tölkit palautetaan, ne litistetään ja materiaalit kierrätetään. Kokonaissalautusaste on Suomessa 99 prosenttia, olemme maailman huippua. Suomen järjestelmä on esimerkki, miten materiaalien kierrätystä voidaan arjessa lisätä. Suomi ei ansaitse uutta huonompaa ja kalliimpaa järjestelmää, Suomi ansaitsee poikkeuksen jäädä näiden uusien EU-vaatimusten ulkopuolelle.
Obrigado, presidente. Quanto discutimos a economia circular, devíamos estar a discutir uma economia centrada e orientada na satisfação das necessidades sociais, numa economia orientada pelo equilíbrio no aproveitamento dos recursos naturais e produtivos, por cadeias curtas de produção, distribuição e consumo, pelo apoio aos pequenos produtores e consumidores numa lógica de promoção de produzir, consumir local.
João Oliveira
O problema é que tudo isto é contraditório com as políticas da competitividade que põem no centro a lógica da liberalização, da sujeição às lógicas de mercados de praticamente todas as áreas da vida económica e social, políticas orientadas para favorecer os grandes grupos económicos, as grandes multinacionais em prejuízo das pequenas e médias empresas, dos pequenos produtores que verdadeiramente estão em condições de dar concretização a uma economia circular. E portanto, senhor comissário, a questão central é perceber como é que tudo isto se compatibiliza. Parece-nos que não há compatibilização possível. Insistindo nestas políticas não é possível superar a contradição que elas colocam com a lógica que devia ter a economia circular.
Timmy Dooley
Thank you very much to all who contributed. I certainly think it was a very worthwhile debate and thank you for your contribution. The debate underscores, as I believe, the importance and the urgency of the forthcoming Circular Economy Act. It's clear that it needs to strike a balance between the immediate priorities and indeed the long-term sustainable solutions. From the Council's perspective, tackling the extended producer responsibility for all waste streams should be one of the priorities of this file.
And we are working on a targeted and time-limited solution for the specific case of the packaging and packaging waste regulation, the PPWR. And I'm pleased to confirm that just today, Coreper has completed its mandate for negotiations on the environmental omnibus, including on extended producer responsibility. So more broadly, the Council believes that we need a long-term solution in the upcoming Circular Economy Act which provides a real relief to producers without risk of circumvention and free riding, as well as without undermining the ability of competent authorities to enforce the rules. We stand ready to start the examination of the Circular Economy Act once the proposals are formally transmitted to us. Thank you very much for your attention.
Speaker 431
Thank you, Mr. Minister. The debate is closed. The next item on the agenda is oral question to the Council and the Commission, UN Climate Change Conference 2026 in Antalya, Turkey, COP 31. First place, the author of the question, Madame Pereira. You have the floor.
Muito obrigada, senhor presidente, caros colegas, senhor comissário. Durante demasiado tempo deixámos que a conversa sobre a Europa fosse dominada por uma narrativa de conflitos. Bruxelas de um lado, as pessoas do outro, as instituições de um lado, a vida real do outro. Mas eu não acredito nessa Europa. A Europa é um lugar não é um lugar distante, a Europa somos nós.
Lídia Pereira
E se queremos que as pessoas confiem nas instituições europeias, temos de lhes mostrar que as decisões que tomamos têm um impacto concreto nas suas vidas.
É por isso que a transição climática não pode ser apenas uma discussão sobre metas e emissões. Tem de ser uma discussão sobre empregos, salários, energia mais acessível, empresas mais competitivas, segurança e qualidade de vida. Tem de ser uma discussão sobre a capacidade da Europa para produzir, inovar e criar prosperidade. Não queremos uma Europa obrigada a escolher entre clima e crescimento. Queremos uma Europa que cresce porque investe e inova enquanto se descarboniza.
É esta visão que orienta a nossa posição para a COP 31 em Antália. E quero começar por reconhecer o trabalho de compromisso que permitiu construir esta resolução. Num Parlamento com diferentes sensibilidades e prioridades, encontrar uma posição comum exige diálogo, capacidade de negociação e sentido de responsabilidade. Esse compromisso é importante porque a ação climática global precisa de uma Europa unida, coesa, capaz de defender os seus objetivos e de influenciar os resultados. Mas o compromisso não pode ser um fim em si mesmo.
Tem de nos permitir avançar da ambição para a execução. A COP 31 não pode ser apenas mais uma conferência de promessas. Tem mesmo de ser a COP da implementação. Já assumimos vários compromissos, agora temos de os cumprir. E temos de garantir que essa transformação produz resultados concretos para as pessoas e para a economia.
Lídia Pereira
Em primeiro lugar, precisamos de acelerar o investimento em tecnologias limpas e energias renováveis. Reconhecer em definitivo que as tecnologias limpas são muito mais do que uma política climática. São políticas de segurança e de autonomia estratégicas. Quando reduzimos a dependência dos combustíveis fósseis, reduzimos também a nossa vulnerabilidade geopolítica. Quando investimos em novas tecnologias, criamos oportunidades para as nossas empresas e reforçamos a competitividade europeia.
Mas há uma condição essencial: a Europa tem de ser líder nas tecnologias limpas e também na produção dessas tecnologias. A descarbonização não pode significar desindustrialização. Não podemos definir objetivos ambiciosos e depois deixar que o investimento, a capacidade produtiva e os empregos associados à transição sejam criados noutros continentes. Precisamos de transformar o conhecimento em inovação, inovação em investimento e investimento em indústria. Precisamos de criar condições para que as empresas europeias possam competir, crescer e liderar os mercados do futuro.
Em segundo lugar, temos de preservar instrumentos que dão previsibilidade ao investimento e contribuem para a transformação da economia, incluindo o mercado europeu do carbono. Ao mesmo tempo, devemos assegurar que a transição é acompanhada por condições de concorrência justa e por soluções que protejam a competitividade da nossa indústria. Em terceiro lugar, precisamos de reforçar o financiamento climático e a adaptação. Os países mais vulneráveis não podem ser chamados a assumir compromissos sem disporem de meios para os realizar. E as nossas próprias sociedades têm de estar mais preparadas para os impactos climáticos que já enfrentamos.
Sem financiamento, sem adaptação e sem confiança, não haverá uma resposta global eficaz. E finalmente, temos de garantir uma transição justa, porque uma transição que deixe trabalhadores, famílias ou regiões para trás não será sustentável, nem económica nem politicamente. Caros colegas, existe uma falsa escolha que temos de rejeitar: entre proteger o planeta e proteger a economia. Não temos de escolher. Temos de fazer as duas coisas.
O verdadeiro desafio é construir um modelo de desenvolvimento em que a inovação e a produtividade reforcem a competitividade, em que as energias limpas reduzam dependências e em que o crescimento económico contribua para uma sociedade mais saudável, resiliente e próspera. Os custos da transição são reais e devem ser levados a sério. A União Europeia deve continuar a defender o objetivo de limitar o aquecimento global a 1.5 graus, reforçar a cooperação internacional e exigir a implementação dos compromissos assumidos, mas deve fazê-lo com a convicção de que a política climática pode ser também uma política de crescimento, de segurança e de prosperidade. Senhor Presidente, eu estou mesmo a terminar. A nossa ambição deve ser construir uma Europa que protege o planeta sem abdicar da sua indústria, que promove a inovação sem deixar ninguém para trás e que transforma a descarbonização num ativo estratégico.
Menos promessas, mais implementação, menos dependência, mais inovação, mais competitividade e mais prosperidade. É essa a Europa que vamos defender em Antália.
Timmy Dooley
President, honorable members, Commissioner, COP 31 will take place this year against the backdrop of new climate records. Over the past summer, global air and sea temperatures broke alarming records again. This was also the third warmest summer ever recorded for our continent, with record-breaking temperatures across Western Europe. Although over the last decades, the international community has made progress on climate change policies, the worrying climate developments are a stark reminder that greenhouse gas emissions cuts have not been sufficient and have not happened fast enough. Therefore, COP 31 should put a further emphasis on the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and advanced technical work in all core areas, including mitigation, adaption, and just transition.
Formal negotiations in Antalya will be complemented by the so-called Global Climate Action Agenda. This comprises a wide range of initiatives proposed by the COP presidencies relating to electrification, zero waste and methane reduction, resilient cities and building green industrializations and others. The Council outlined its overall position for COP 31 in a set of conclusions approved on 12th of October, and allow me to underline our key priorities. We would like this COP to demonstrate tangible progress on the implementation of the current commitments under the Paris Agreement and establish a firm foundation for the further ambition aligned with best available science. For the EU, staying as close as possible to 1.5 Celsius warming threshold and getting back below 1.5 remains a key goal.
This requires continued, rapid, and deep emissions reduction, as every additional fraction of a degree brings greater risk to our health, economy, security, and prosperity. Therefore, this COP 31 must communicate the urgency of climate action, and in line with the urgency of emissions reductions, the EU will support a strong outcome on a package of mitigation-related initiatives. And such outcomes must send a strong signal to the parties that have not yet submitted their national determined contributions and to do so as soon as possible, and to all parties to ensure that these contributions and long-term strategies are aligned with 1.5 degrees. The UAE consensus from COP 28 must be implemented. This includes commitments related to a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency improvements, and action to reduce methane and other non-CO2 emissions, and halt the reverse of deforestation by 2030.
And the groundwork for the second global stocktake must be firmly established. Moreover, the EU focus will also be on accelerated clean energy deployment through electrification.
Clean energy transition does not only bring down emissions, it also contributes to energy security and affordability and reduces strategic dependencies. And in the current unstable geopolitical context and the period of high energy cost, this is more important than ever. And in this context, the 35 by 35 global electrification pledge launched by the Turkish COP presidency as one of their flagship initiatives offers a welcome platform for discussions on energy transition at COP 31. The EU will engage in these discussions in line with its commitment to clean electrification. With intensifying impacts on climate change, climate resilience and strengthened preparedness and adaption policies have become a necessity for safe societies and economies.
Therefore, the EU supports further technical work towards reaching the global goal of adaptation, which should support progress on adaptation at country level right across the globe. As countries move to low-emission societies, just, equitable and inclusive climate action is a growing priority for many, including us here in the EU. In line with this, the EU will support an agreement on lean and effective just transition mechanisms that helps countries integrate just transition considerations into their climate measures. Finally, like in previous COPs, we expect the climate finance will draw significant attention. The EU remains firmly committed to delivering on our existing commitments under the new collective qualified goal as agreed back at COP 29, just two years ago.
Our focus this year will be on improving access to climate finance, particularly for most vulnerable countries such as small developing island states and least developed countries. And allow me to highlight that despite the fiscal and geopolitical challenges, the EU and its member states remain the largest contributor to climate finance. It's often lost on some, I think. However, in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, funding from all sources will be needed. We need to broaden the range of contributors, increase private finance and remove barriers to finance flows.
So, dear honorable members, along with these priorities, the EU and its member states will work hard to shape a positive outcome from COP. Before concluding, allow me to highlight that in Antalya, EU and member states pavilions will be co-located in the EU village. I'm confident that this integrated presence will significantly amplify the Union's impact at COP 31, providing a platform to showcase our collective progress in global climate action. Thank you very much for attention and I look forward to seeing those of you who are intended on traveling to COP 31 very shortly. Thanks a lot.
Speaker 435
Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. Dear Commissioner, you have the floor.
Speaker 385
Thank you very much, dear President and honorable members, fantastic to have the opportunity to have this debate. And let me start by thanking wholeheartedly the great work that Lídia Pereira has done in leading the delegation in the past, but also in all the current ongoing work, which I think is truly instrumental in this whole endeavor. And let me also wholeheartedly thank the collaboration I have experienced at the previous COPs with the various members of Parliament when we were at the COP. And of course, there are significant differences as always in every political arena, but making sure that we do team up when we are far and away is actually an asset to advancing the goals and the contributions Europe can be making. So I do want to salute that.
Next thing I would want to share, and that is what Lídia Pereira said as well, this is going to be an implementation COP. And it should be an implementation COP because, frankly speaking, we have too often fallen into the trap of trying to do many new things rather than just deliver on what we already have. And I think it was Churchill who once famously said that no matter how beautiful the strategy, you do need to occasionally look at the results. And the results are not nearly what they should be. So having the conversation on delivery rather than on coming up with new things, I think, is hugely important.
Second thing to convey, and there I very much agree with what the presidency has just said, if you look at the context, that is truly intimidating. We've had the worst summer ever in Europe. Our friends in particular the Pacific, and I was recently in Fiji and Tuvalu, are literally battling the water. We are facing a hugely complicated geopolitical situation. And let's also be honest about a last thing that unfortunately shapes the context: hesitation and in some cases outright denialism do make the whole endeavor ever more complicated.
Having said that, there is an opportunity for us, all of us, to deliver, to continue to articulate the hugely important endeavor we are at in staying as close as possible to 1.5, to deliver on the NDCs. Frankly speaking, it is mind-boggling that there's still countries that have not delivered their NDCs, and it is almost as mind-boggling that many of the NDCs fall far short of what is needed. But we can push the needle here. And the main way we will be able to do that is through clean electrification, which is a unifying theme, which has, I think, a smart degree of ambivalence to it, because some might focus specifically on solar, others might focus on wind, again others might focus on nuclear, and again others would focus on batteries. And for the Commission, all of it is a great idea.
So we do need to push that as a theme. Next thing I would want to say is, of course, the conversation on adaptation and also adaptation finance and access to adaptation finance will continue. And rightly so, particularly with our friends from the Global South. And at the same time, Europe is already by far the largest contributor to this whole endeavor. By far.
So any conversation about making sure that the money actually reaches those most in need is one we should absolutely have. Conversations again on financing are not going to be productive because the finance COP was two years ago, and we've had that one. At the same time, we do invite everyone with similar, higher, or almost similar levels of affluence to chip in and to join what we are doing, because that would actually help. Finally, let me once again articulate some of the other things that are hugely important. We have no choice than to fully embrace the best available science, and that is a thing that I will continue to articulate at every single endeavor at the COP.
Content-wise, next to electrification, we do have an opportunity to make progress in carbon markets and in methane, and I do very much look forward to trying to make a mark over there as well.
Let me wrap up and thank everyone once again for the opportunity to have this debate. And I'm truly looking forward to working together with so many of you at the COP, well knowing that the context will not be easy. Thank you.
Speaker 434
Thank you very much, dear Commissioner. On behalf of the EPP group, Madame Ter Laak.
Van uitgedroogde landbouwgrond afgelopen zomer tot ondergelopen steden deze week in Spanje. De gevolgen van klimaatverandering zijn merkbaar. En hoe je het ook wendt of keert, plekken waar we ons veilig voelen raken beschadigd. En we staan voor hoge herstelkosten en veel werkzaamheden. Bij de VN-klimaattop in Turkije wil ik dan ook een duidelijke boodschap brengen.
Hoe zorgen we ervoor dat onze steden droogte en extreme hitte beter aankunnen? Hoe houden we voldoende schoon drinkwater beschikbaar, ook in lange tijden van droogte? En hoe zorgen we ervoor dat schepen kunnen blijven varen, ook bij lage rivierstanden? Dus het gaat over concrete oplossingen. En als Europese Unie zullen we er alles aan blijven doen om onze manier van leven te verduurzamen.
Ingeborg Ter Laak
En we zullen geld vrij moeten maken om de gevolgen van klimaatverandering en de daarbij gepaard gaande kosten op te vangen. En aan de andere kant kunnen en mogen we ons niet neerleggen dat mensen die het minst vervuilen de hoogste prijs gaan betalen. Als Europa kunnen we dit niet alleen. We zullen samen moeten werken met alle landen. We moeten investeren in die groene economie van de toekomst, want dat is het enige perspectief wat we hebben voor een duurzame, gezonde en veilige toekomst.
Madame Fritzon.
Heléne Fritzon
Tack herr talman, kommissionär Hoekstra. Ja, egentligen vet vi ju redan det vi behöver veta om allvaret i klimatkrisen. Fakta finns på bordet. Ändå behöver världens länder och tyvärr många av ledamöterna i den här kammaren en reality check. Vi har nu igen upplevt en sommar av värmerekord med torka och bränder i vår del av världen och översvämningar och störtfloder i andra delar av världen.
Lika alarmerande är det geopolitiska läget. Krig och konflikter leder gång på gång till energikris. Vi har sett det i Rysslands krig mot Ukraina och vi genomlever det av situationen i Hormuzsundet. Vårt beroende av fossila bränslen har gjort oss sårbara. Vi utsätts för både bristande tillgång på energi och kostnadschocker.
Heléne Fritzon
Det här är inte bara en klimatfråga, utan det är också en säkerhetsfråga. Att investera i klimatet är också att investera i vår säkerhet och vår självständighet. Om nu inte forskning och fakta om klimatkrisens allvar räcker, ja men då borde kanske verkligheten få varje politiker att ta sig samman. Vi har haft flera chanser att lära oss läxan och flera gånger har världens länder misslyckats. Så vid COP 31 måste vi gå hela vägen.
Vi måste leverera. Vi måste investera stort i förnybar energi för klimatet och för vår säkerhets skull. Tack.
Speaker 433
Thank you very much, and Madame Brasier-Clain on behalf of Patriots for Europe.
Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain
Merci Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire. Cette COP sera comme les précédentes un échec tant que vous suivrez un agenda idéologique qui ne peut pas être mis en œuvre dans les délais fixés par l'accord de Paris sans une désindustrialisation massive et de graves bouleversements sociaux. Finance verte, marché du carbone, fonds verts, suppression des subventions aux énergies fossiles, tout cela n'endigue même pas des émissions en pleine augmentation. Mais même si l'Europe parvenait à atteindre la neutralité climatique, le reste du monde n'est pas aligné sur ce calendrier vert et accroît sa consommation d'énergie fossile. On peut le déplorer, mais c'est la liberté de leur mix énergétique, surtout en pleine crise géopolitique.
Et cela, quand bien même l'UE finance à fonds perdu la transition climatique du reste du monde tout en plombant sa propre industrie. Cela nous engage sur la voie de l'appauvrissement et du déclin sur fond de culpabilité climatique.
Pani Przewodnicząca, Panie Komisarzu, żeby usiąść uczciwie do negocjacji z całym światem, trzeba uczciwie odpowiedzieć sobie na kilka pytań. Po pierwsze, dlaczego Unia Europejska jest sama? Dlaczego świat nie chce uczestniczyć w ambicjach zaproponowanych przez Unię Europejską? Dlaczego tracimy miejsca pracy? Dlaczego utraciliśmy konkurencyjność i cały świat o tym wie, bo zna nasze dokumenty, między innymi raport Draghiego?
Anna Zalewska
Dlaczego mamy wysokie ceny energii? Dlaczego cały świat nie jest zainteresowany ETS-em, który rujnuje europejską gospodarkę? Wiemy, że są różnego rodzaju rozwiązania, tak naprawdę one są iluzoryczne tylko po to, żeby omijać CBAM, który zaproponowaliśmy jako lek na to, że inwestycje europejskie wypływają z naszych krajów członkowskich. Myślę, że to, co musimy zrobić i nad czym się zastanowić, to przede wszystkim nad dostosowaniem, nad adaptacją, bo tego oczekują od nas Europejczycy, którzy nie wytrzymają kolejnych podatków, które proponowane są między innymi przez Komisję Europejską w ramach środków własnych w następnej perspektywie budżetowej. Dziękuję.
This will be the fifth time I'm going to the global climate conferences, but somehow it feels like this is the first time the presidency has set a clear goal: a global electrification target, 35% by 2035. So what are we waiting for? Now we have the focus, we know what the presidency wants, so where are the EU leaders? What are we waiting for? This is like really a no-brainer.
Emma Ytterell
Electrification target, well, that's what we need if we're going to lower energy prices in Europe, if we're going to decarbonize. Electrification is what we need, and for that we need a target. So I would like every European leader in this house and in the European Council to be crystal clear in your support. We need to help the presidency in making this a success. And we also need to do our homework, because if we're going to have a global electrification target, we need to do the same and support one also in Europe.
Let's do this. How hard can it be? It's not that difficult. Let's make this COP a success and let's take historical steps forward.
I'm done waiting. Let's just do it.
Esteban González Pons
Thank you, dear colleague, Madame Ytterell. My next speaker is Mr. Holmgren. On behalf of the Group of the Greens.
Pär Holmgren
Tack herr talman, kommissionär, minister, kollegor. EU måste verkligen visa riktigt klimatledarskap nu på klimattoppmötet och den här sommaren vi har precis haft med rekordvärme i stora delar av Europa, skogsbränder, torka och så vidare. Det borde vara en tillräcklig varningsklocka för oss alla. Samtidigt så har precis idag, eller om det var igår möjligen, kommit en ny rapport från FN som visar hur den globala uppvärmningen nu accelererar och att Parisavtalet antagligen inte längre går att nå. Så den här rekordvarma sommaren vi precis har haft, den kommer ju antagligen bli en av de allra kallaste somrarna under resten av det här århundradet.
Och det här kräver mycket, mycket mer ambitiös klimatpolitik här och nu. Men jag är jätteglad att vi i parlamentet nu har enats om en ganska ambitiös resolutionstext. Det är tydligt att vi anser att det fossila ska fasas ut, att klimatresiliens, anpassning hänger väldigt mycket ihop med naturpolitik och inte minst naturrestaurering. Och för det tredje, att klimatet också är en rättvisefråga, att vi verkligen måste fokusera globalt på en solidarisk finansiering, att det är så viktigt. Resolutionen är ett bra steg, men vi måste gå från snack till verkstad.
I förlängningen, det som avgör hur bra ledarskap vi har, det är vad vi gör. Och för att lyckas med det så måste vi se till att högern stoppas i sin nedmontering av klimatpolitiken. Sätt fart på omställningen på riktigt, till exempel genom att ge alla Europas bönder bra betalt för viktiga ekosystemtjänster och så implementera naturrestaureringslagen i alla medlemsländer här och nu. Det är det som krävs för att vi ska leva upp till det som vi själva har skrivit i resolutionen och visa vad riktigt klimatledarskap egentligen förtäljer om en månad. Tack så mycket.
Speaker 441
Thank you very much, dear colleague. On behalf of the Left, Madame Boylan.
Lynn Boylan
Go raibh maith agat. As we prepare for COP31, the world is still reeling from months of natural disasters. We are processing the news that we will overshoot our 1.5 degree goal, and the illegal US-Israel war against Iran highlights the risks of our fossil fuel dependence. These dire realities mean that world leaders must come to COP31 ready for change. The European Parliament is calling for the EU to lead with a clear, consistent position that brings real progress to the negotiations.
Climate finance will be a big topic and we want the EU and Member States to step up and to contribute more. Beyond the negotiations, we are also calling for the EU to lead from home. We want all EU policies to be aligned with the Paris Agreement and robust legislative proposals to achieve the 2040 target. We will all do well to remember these calls and the urgent need for stronger climate action in the coming months. We can have no rolling back on what we have achieved today.
Speaker 443
Thank you very much, dear colleague. On behalf of the ESN Group, Madame Arndt.
Anja Arndt
30 Jahre lang sind Ihre Klimakonferenzen gescheitert. Und trotzdem gibt es im November die nächste, um weiter Milliarden Euro unseren Bürgern abzupressen. Für nichts. Seit 1995 sind die weltweiten CO2-Emissionen um rund 64 % gestiegen, trotz Klimakonferenzen und trotz Milliarden-Ausgaben. 21,4 Milliarden Euro haben allein die Deutschen im letzten Jahr an CO2-Steuern gezahlt und 11 Milliarden Euro für die internationale Klimafinanzierung.
Und niemand kann die Frage beantworten, wie sich unser Klima entwickeln wird. Unser Klima ist ein hochkomplexes System. Die Sonne, Ozeane, Wolken, Wasserdampf, die Umlaufbahn der Erde und Neigung der Erdachse können Sie alle hier nicht beeinflussen. Trotzdem gaukeln Sie uns vor, dass die Reduzierung eines Spurengases die Kontrolle über die Welttemperatur und das Wetter ermöglicht.
Anja Arndt
Das ist wissenschaftlicher Nonsens. Beenden Sie die Klimakonferenzen und den Green Deal. Dafür braucht Europa die ESN und Deutschland braucht die AfD.
Speaker 385
Thank you very much, Chair, also for your generosity, because I'm aware I actually used all the speaking minutes in the first attempt, but then you granted me two others. So let me try not to waste them. I think actually there are a couple of quick points to be made. One is to thank and to embrace everyone who has supported the Commission and supported the whole endeavor, which I think is hugely important. Secondly, I do like and I do very much appreciate all the comments that have been made in the domain of electrification.
And indeed, this is very relevant for Europe as well. I am positive that we're going to come up in the domain of the 2030 package with an electrification target that actually bridges also those mostly in favor of renewables and those mostly in favor of nuclear and basically embrace and further push the bar in Europe on electrification, which again is the best way out of the climate problem or crisis, the best way out of the competitiveness issue we're having and the best way in terms of securing more autonomy and independence. So we're going to move the needle there, but it is hugely important that we also move the bar internationally. And that is what we're going to do with this theme. There's one thing I cannot leave unaddressed.
And that is I very much disagree with all those who are skeptical about climate action and who are saying that actually, well, let's just postpone it because it is too expensive or whatever kind of arguments are coming. But what maybe surprises me even more, that if that is your view, then at the very least you have a clear incentive to push the bar upwards internationally. Right, because whatever you do, that makes it easier in the European Union. So that is the one thing I would want to convey to people across the spectrum. There is a huge incentive, given that the vast majority of emissions take place outside of the European Union, if you do the calculations, roughly 94%, to increase the bar internationally, by the way, as well as domestically.
Go mairfidh tú slán. Is pribhléid dom feiceáil faoin COP29 thar ceann mo ghrúpa, ag an bParlaimint, agus i ndiaidh léamh mo chomhghleacaithe an tAire Timmermans. Each of the last 10 years ranks among the 10 hottest on record. Europe is the fastest warming continent, and current national pledges still point to well over two degrees of warming. Our greatest challenge for COP29 is effectiveness.
We've already established the ambition, now how do we turn this into deliverables? First, finance. Europe is the largest public climate finance provider at 31.7 billion in 2024.
We will press others to meet their fair share of the Baku goal and to be transparent about what counts. Second, the fossil fuel transition. This Parliament wants a roadmap brought into the formal negotiations and a plan to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Third, we back the global pledge to reach 1,500 gigawatts of storage by 2030 and we welcome the presidency's electrification pledge. Fourth, no one gets left behind.
That means a just transition mechanism that actually works and support for small islands and least developed countries. Táim dóchasach gur féidir linn é a thachtadh ach níl aon am le cailliúint. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.
Mohammed Chahim
Thank you chair. Recently I've been in contact with families in the Netherlands who lost their loved ones in the devastating wildfires in Bedar. One of them wrote to me about losing his father and he's in contact with families of other victims. They know that they cannot bring their loved ones back but they're asking us for their stories to be heard publicly because they want us to understand that climate change and the growing threat of the wildfires is not an abstract issue. For these families this is deeply personal.
They have lost family they love and they want action to ensure that other families do not have to suffer the same loss. We owe it to these families to listen and to act. And at the same time we carry responsibilities as Parliament alongside Commissioner Hoekstra to send this message when we go to Turkey. We must go there to deliver real progress on climate action. But Commissioner Hoekstra, at the same moment this Parliament is discussing delaying action to reduce methane emissions, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases.
That's why I ask to you directly: will you stand by the promise we made in 2021 and to deliver on our commitment to reduce global methane emissions by 2030 by 30%?
Roman Haider
Es ist ja hinlänglich bekannt, wie diese Klimakonferenzen ablaufen. Diverse Vertreter staatlicher Organisationen und Vertreter staatlich finanzierter Organisationen reisen über tausende Kilometer mit Flugzeugen an. Die Vertreter der staatlich finanzierten Organisationen, auch Nichtregierungsorganisationen genannt, veranstalten ein paar bunte Demos, um die Fördergelder, milliardenschwer, zu rechtfertigen. Und währenddessen werden ein paar Arbeitskreise gebildet und salbungsvolle Reden gehalten. Und das Ergebnis steht natürlich von vornherein schon fest: Die Europäer sollen ordentlich zahlen.
Das ist überhaupt der einzige Sinn dieser ganzen Veranstaltung. Und außerdem sollen sich die Europäer noch möglichst viele und möglichst strenge Klimaziele selbst auferlegen. Das ist die effektivste Maßnahme, um die europäischen Unternehmen von den Weltmärkten fernzuhalten. Die anderen Staaten bekommen mehr Geld, die NGOs mehr Förderungen und Frau von der Leyen zahlt alles mit unseren Steuergeldern. Damit hat sich die Klimakonferenz auf jeden Fall für alle ausgezahlt.
Mit Ausnahme der Bürger der EU natürlich, denn die müssen diesen Schwachsinn bezahlen.
Michele Picaro
Danke schön, il signore Picaro.
Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, la COP 29 di Antalya alla quale parteciperò sarà un appuntamento decisivo per tradurre gli impegni climatici internazionali in azioni concrete. L'Europa deve arrivarci con una strategia credibile fondata su neutralità tecnologica, sicurezza energetica e competitività industriale. In questo percorso il nucleare è strategico: garantisce energia stabile, programmabile e a basse emissioni. Il gruppo ECR ha proposto di riconoscerne il ruolo e di valutare la fattibilità economica e tecnologica degli obiettivi climatici.
Tutto questo è stato ignorato nel testo della risoluzione, che continua a fissare obiettivi ambiziosi senza valorizzare adeguatamente gli strumenti per raggiungerli. Per questo voteremo contro. Mentre alla COP 31 porterò questa convinzione: senza il contributo del nucleare la transizione energetica rischia di essere più costosa e meno efficace.
Sigrid Friis
European leaders will arrive at COP 31 telling the rest of the world that we need to do more to fight climate change. But isn't it a bit ironic how here in Europe we are weakening climate laws, we're going backwards on deals that we spent years fighting for? At the same time, Europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. 30,000 people died in this summer's extreme heat, and extreme weather has already cost the European Union more than 200 billion dollars, euros of course. And yet some politicians in this Parliament seems to think that our climate policies are moving too fast.
The right wing keeps telling us to slow down, that we should just wait a little longer. Well, how much longer and how much more is this going to cost us? Because let me tell you something: climate change is not going to wait until it's politically convenient. If we want the rest of the world to take climate action seriously, we need to take it seriously ourselves. Europe cannot lead the world on climate by walking backwards.
Sara Matthieu
Colleagues, when a climate disaster hits, it's always the people that are close by that are risking their lives for each other. When the glacier collapsed in Nepal and killed over 1,400 people, rescuers pulled more than 13,000 people out of the mud. And last month in Antalya, where we are actually going for the COP, a farmer died after helping the firefighters, just like our farmers in Belgium helped during the wildfires in Les Hautes Fagnes. So a lot of people are actually trying to help or to combat climate change while big oil really cashes in on all of it. While the war in Iran has pushed prices up at every single pump, the five biggest oil companies made 6,000 dollars every second and they want to drill more.
Jonas Sjöstedt
It's completely absurd. Dear colleagues, we can't go to the COP with empty promises. We cannot let those that did the least to cause climate change pay the highest price. So let's bring our own European plan to the COP to get off oil, coal and gas with real dates on it. Our lives are worth more than fossil fuel profits.
Thank you.
Tack så mycket herr talman, kollegor, kommissionär Hoekstra. Inför FN:s klimatkonferens i Antalya så måste EU:s budskap vara tydligt. Utsläppen måste ned, det som har lovats ska hållas. Det innebär också att den Europeiska unionen måste hålla sina löften. Löftena om finansiering, men också löftena om minskade utsläpp.
Det håller inte. Vår självbild, den är att vi är ledande i omställningen. Faktum är att vi är på väg att bli omkörda, både vad det gäller förnybar el och vad det gäller elektriska fordon. Det är dåligt för klimatet och det är dåligt för Europas konkurrenskraft. Tack herr talman.
Speaker 471
Les conférences climatiques visent à obtenir des transferts massifs d'argent de l'Union européenne et de ses États membres vers des États tiers, au moment où nous ne pouvons plus nous le permettre, soi-disant pour y combattre le changement climatique. La climatologie est d'ailleurs une science divisée, politisée et peu fiable. Les sommes faramineuses que nous dépensons pour des projets souvent insensés mais supposés protéger le climat seraient mieux utilisées pour combattre les fléaux réels et pressants de l'humanité comme la tuberculose, la malaria ou encore pour améliorer les soins de santé dans les régions les plus pauvres. En vérité, le monde restera encore très longtemps dépendant des énergies fossiles. La seule alternative crédible et fiable reste actuellement l'énergie nucléaire.
L'Union européenne ne devrait-elle pas préserver prioritairement ses propres intérêts économiques au lieu de verser dans un activisme idéologique autodestructeur ? Au lieu de faire du zèle, l'Union européenne devrait adapter sa transition énergétique au rythme et aux priorités de ses concurrents. Merci beaucoup.
Dimitris Tsiodras
Ευχαριστώ κύριε Πρόεδρε. Η διάσκεψη των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για την κλιματική αλλαγή στην Αττάλεια είναι πράγματι ένα σημαντικό γεγονός. Επισκιάζεται όμως από το ότι ο Πρόεδρος της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας προσκλήθηκε ύστερα από πίεση των κρατών μελών και των ευρωπαϊκών οργάνων και ενώ ταυτόχρονα η Τουρκία εξαιρούσε την Κύπρο από προπαρασκευαστικές συναντήσεις σχετικές με τη διάσκεψη. Δεν πρόκειται για μεμονωμένο περιστατικό. Η χθεσινή έγκριση του παράνομου τουρκολιβυκού μνημονίου από τη Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων της Λιβύης είναι ακόμα ένα παράδειγμα της πολιτικής της Τουρκίας να παραβιάζει το διεθνές δίκαιο και το δίκαιο της θάλασσας και μάλιστα όταν ετοιμάζεται να φιλοξενήσει μία διάσκεψη των Ηνωμένων Εθνών.
Το ψευδεπίγραφο αυτό μνημόνιο αμφισβητεί κυριαρχικά δικαιώματα κρατών μελών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και συγκεκριμένα της Ελλάδας και της Κύπρου. Η πολιτική αυτή πρέπει να έχει συνέπειες από την Ευρώπη. Τα σύνορα και τα δικαιώματα των κρατών μελών πρέπει να θεωρούνται ευρωπαϊκά και οι παράνομες ενέργειες εναντίον ενός πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζονται ως ενέργειες εναντίον όλων. Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση οφείλει να δράσει άμεσα και με αποφασιστικότητα, αξιοποιώντας όλα τα διαθέσιμα διπλωματικά, πολιτικά και οικονομικά μέσα για την υπεράσπιση της εδαφικής ακεραιότητας και των κυριαρχικών δικαιωμάτων των κρατών μελών της. Αυτό σημαίνει πραγματικά ενιαία Ευρώπη.
Javi López
Muchas gracias, presidente. Muchas gracias, comisario Hoekstra. La crisis climática ya no es una amenaza futura, es una tragedia del presente. Miles de muertos de europeos en olas de calor, hospitales colapsados, incendios devastadores, megaincendios devastadores cada verano. Y ahora en el Mediterráneo, inundaciones que causan muertes semana tras semana.
Mientras el planeta arde y se sitúa a las puertas literalmente del infierno, algunos aquí en este Parlamento continúan demandando desmantelar las acciones climáticas, la política climática, que es lo único que nos puede salvar.
El negacionismo climático ya no sirve solo para negar la ciencia, sino conociéndola rechazar actuar deliberadamente. Cuando Naciones Unidas nos acaba de decir que las políticas actuales del planeta nos van a situar en un aumento de 2,8 grados con consecuencias catastróficas. La COP 31 de Turquía tiene que dejar de ser una cumbre con promesas pequeñitas y discursos grandilocuentes. Y Europa debe actuar con liderazgo, ¿cómo? Con una hoja de ruta clara para abandonar los combustibles fósiles y financiación real para la adaptación para los países más vulnerables.
Porque la emergencia climática no espera y la historia no nos juzgará por nuestras promesas, solo por el valor que tengamos para actuar.
Mireia Borrás Pabón
Sí, gracias presidente, comisario. Cumbre tras cumbre la élite climática aterriza en sus jets privados para explicarle al agricultor que el gran problema ambiental es su tractor. Esta vez en plena crisis energética y con el gasóleo a más de 2 euros el litro, su prioridad es eliminar los combustibles fósiles. Y que traducido al mundo real es diésel más caro, calefacción más cara, industrias que se marchan y agricultores que van a ver que van a tener que pagar más por todo. Señor comisario, yo tengo una pregunta, ¿a quién cree usted que sirve realmente la COP?
Porque está claro que a los europeos no. Tantos miles de millones de euros desperdiciados en hipocresía. Y a todos estos hipocondríacos climáticos que hemos tenido que escuchar hoy les diré que Europa emite el 6% de todas las emisiones globales y China casi un 30%. Pero su plan aquí es castigar a la industria europea y mientras aumentar las importaciones chinas. Es decir, la lucha climática que ustedes proclaman aquí la van a pagar los europeos, pero el negocio se lo llevan los chinos.
Mireia Borrás Pabón
¿Esto es descarbonizar o desindustrializar Europa? Asfixiamos a nuestros agricultores, pero luego no nos importa fomentar la deforestación con importaciones de Mercosur. Tampoco nos importa arrancar más de 50.000 olivos en Jaén para poner placas fotovoltaicas. Señorías, agua, pastoreo, cortafuegos y energía accesible, ese es el verdadero ecologismo, gracias.
Speaker 464
Merci madame Pabón, yes you have a blue card, João Oliveira. You are okay? Okay, monsieur Oliveira.
João Oliveira
Obrigado presidente, senhora deputada Borrás Pabón, a senhora faz aqui uma referência crítica em relação aos custos da energia, particularmente para as famílias e para os pequenos produtores. Faço uma pergunta muito simples. Há forma de resolver este problema, nomeadamente por via do controlo público do setor estratégico e com o controlo de preços por parte dos estados para que os preços não sejam fixados como as multinacionais do setor energético bem entendem. A pergunta que lhe faço é, a senhora está de acordo com esse controlo público do setor energético ou a preocupação da extrema-direita com os preços da energia é apenas para fazer figura?
Mireia Borrás Pabón
El problema de la energía en Europa desde luego que no está en las empresas privadas. El problema de la energía en Europa está en la ideologización, en la ideología que ustedes imponen, en las políticas energéticas intoxicando de su ideología climática absolutamente todo. Si ustedes imponen un impuesto al CO2 que incrementan los costes de las industrias, evidentemente la energía va a ser mucho más cara. Eso no lo hacen las empresas privadas, eso lo hacen ustedes aquí con su pacto verde europeo.
Encarecen los costes de nuestros agricultores y ganaderos y les imposibilitan y dificultan su actividad.
Younous Omarjee
Merci pour votre réponse. Monsieur Oliveira. Madame Borrás Pabón, yes, you can stay here. Monsieur Oliveira.
Cá está, senhora deputada Borrás Pabón. Afinal de contas, a extrema-direita quer falar contra os preços da energia, mas não quer enfrentar os interesses das multinacionais do setor energético. Porque afinal de contas, nunca se quer morder a mão do dono. O problema é precisamente esse. É que a extrema-direita não é alternativa a nada.
Tudo aquilo que é necessário para defender os interesses dos povos, os senhores encolhem-se sempre que isso implica enfrentar os interesses económicos porque no fundo, no fundo, a extrema-direita representa exatamente os mesmos interesses económicos que esmagam a vida dos povos. E essa é a contradição que não é possível resolver-se. Senhora deputada Borrás Pabón, não é possível defender os interesses dos povos e o seu direito ao acesso à energia com preços justos e ao mesmo tempo estar do lado das multinacionais. E os senhores estão enredados nessa contradição.
Mireia Borrás Pabón
Es del todo nada sorprendente que la izquierda siempre haga lo mismo y es culpar al otro de su propia responsabilidad. Aquí la única responsable, los únicos responsables son ustedes. Es la izquierda, los hipocondríacos climáticos que se dedican a intervenir el mercado, a poner políticas que incrementan los costes, como he dicho, energéticos, los costes de producción, que dificultan la labor de aquellos que verdaderamente cuidan el monte y el campo como son nuestros agricultores y ganaderos. Y esto no lo digo yo, usted sale a la calle y todo el mundo lo sabe. Que ustedes con su Pacto Verde Europeo lo único que están haciendo es destruir la biodiversidad, atacar al que cuida el campo y elevar los costes energéticos, no las grandes empresas.
Younous Omarjee
Merci pour votre réponse. L'échange est clos, nous poursuivons la discussion. Michael Bloss.
Michael Bloss
Thank you very much. Colleagues, President, Commissioner. Today the United Nations tells us that the world is going to a temperature rise of 2.8 degrees. And what does it mean? It means that about one third of the populated territory of this planet will face extensive heat bulbs.
Temperatures above 35 degrees with humidity above 90%. And this is a situation where your body simply collapses because it cannot cool itself anymore and if you stay outside, you will die. 2.8 degrees means 1.5 billion people will live in such territories. Either they have to move or they have to cool down, but many can't. Colleagues, you might think that climate change is not important anymore.
You're wrong. The climate crisis will be the defining challenge of your life, of the life of your children and the life of your grandchildren. But we know how to fix it. We have to stop burning oil, coal and gas. And Mr. Commissioner, I know this is a lot of responsibility, but you have to deliver.
Deliver at the climate conference and deliver for us Europeans a plan to free ourselves from fossil dependence. Thank you very much.
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Georgiou.
Giorgos Georgiou
Κύριε Επίτροπε, η κλιματική κρίση είναι εδώ. Πυρκαγιές, καύσωνας, ανομβρία, καταστροφικές πλημμύρες. Μια συνεχής κατάσταση έκτακτης ανάγκης. Το κόστος βέβαια το πληρώνουν οι ευρωπαϊκοί λαοί. Ως Αριστερά απαιτούμε από τη νέα διάσκεψη COP29 για το κλίμα το αυτονόητο.
Πράξεις, όχι νέες υποσχέσεις. Με αυτές καήκαμε και βουλιάξαμε. Η μάχη κατά της κλιματικής κρίσης δεν είναι βέβαια μόνον περιβαλλοντική. Είναι μάχη κοινωνικής δικαιοσύνης, ισότητας και όχι αποκλεισμών. Αλλά δυστυχώς η Τουρκία προσπάθησε να παρεμποδίσει τη συμμετοχή της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας και να εργαλειοποιήσει τη διάσκεψη με σκοπό την πολιτική προώθηση της παράνομης αποσχιστικής οντότητας στα κατεχόμενα.
Συνομολογεί βέβαια και το παράνομο τουρκολιβυκό μνημόνιο. Και εσείς, να το πω, θα το πω, Πόντιοι Πιλάτοι με την Τουρκία, ίσως και για το κλίμα.
Manuela Ripa
Wir sprechen heute über Klimaschutz, über die COP29, aber wir sollten hier genauso intensiv über die COP15 zur Biodiversität sprechen, die gerade in Armenien stattfindet und der ich an nächste Woche mit einer Delegation des Europäischen Parlaments teilnehme. Denn Klimaschutz und Naturschutz gehören untrennbar zusammen und beide Konferenzen stehen vor den gleichen Herausforderungen, etwa umweltschädliche Subventionen abbauen, Finanzierung sichern und Beschlüsse endlich konsequent umsetzen. Kommen wir zurück zur COP29. In dieser Debatte kommt mir die Kreislaufwirtschaft zu kurz. Die Senkung des Primärrohstoffverbrauch und die Steigerung der Ressourceneffizienz müssen systematischer in den nationalen Klimaplänen berücksichtigt und durch messbare Ziele überprüfbar gemacht werden.
Hierzu müssen wir insbesondere langlebige, reparierbare und wiederverwendbare Produkte fördern sowie den Markt für hochwertige Sekundärrohstoffe aus Recyclingprozessen voranbringen. Das muss auch mehr international beachtet werden, denn auch damit senken wir Emissionen plus reduzieren Rohstoffabhängigkeiten und stärken Resilienz. Klimaschutz, Naturschutz und Kreislaufwirtschaft müssen wir mehr gemeinsam denken.
Pierfrancesco Maran
We live in a world where multilateral cooperation is increasingly giving way to the rule of the strongest. But climate change knows no border. We can adopt ambitious legislation at European level, but without clear and coordinated international action, our efforts will have a limited global impact. COP29 is an opportunity to relaunch this global effort and Europe must take responsibility and lead by example. We must turn commitments into concrete action, push the major emitters to raise their ambition and ensure climate finance supports those most affected by the crisis.
Our goal must remain clear: climate neutrality and a just transition away from fossil fuels. Colleagues, at a time when international cooperation is under pressure, we cannot afford to step back on climate action. Europe must show that multilateralism can still deliver for our planet.
Annalisa Corrado
Molti pensano che lo sforzo dell'ONU contro la crisi climatica sia un esercizio per ecologisti e per addetti, lontano dai problemi veri. Eppure, anche se non fossi ecologista, lavorerei per abbandonare le fossili perché causano bollette insostenibili e aumenti vertiginosi del costo di tutto, mentre pochissimi sono sempre più ricchi. Se non fossi ecologista, mi batterei per rivoluzionare mobilità, trasporti, produzioni, distribuzione, perché il dramma di chi vive del proprio lavoro non si risolve con qualche ritocco a un modello profondamente ingiusto e instabile.
Se non fossi ecologista, considererei inaccettabile che il caldo di questa estate sia costato all'Europa 180 miliardi. Se non fossi ecologista, riconoscerei che la via della salvezza è proprio la stessa indicata dall'ONU per la prossima COP: uscire dalla dipendenza da gas e petrolio e accelerare l'elettrificazione di tecnologie e servizi. Non serve essere ecologisti per capirlo, basta essere dalla parte dei molti contro i pochissimi, di chi paga troppo senza avere nessuna colpa, dei giovani a cui qualcuno vuole togliere la speranza, dalla parte giusta della storia. Grazie.
Günther Sidl
Sehr geehrter Herr Präsident, geschätzter Herr Kommissar, Klimaschutz und die Abkehr von fossilen Brennstoffen sind für Europa längst keine Optionen mehr, sie sind der einzige Ausweg. Wir leben auf dem Kontinent, der sich am schnellsten aufheizt, wir erleben jährlich mehr Hitzewellen, mehr Dürren und einen Anstieg der Unwetterereignisse. Gleichzeitig stehen wir in der unsicheren geopolitischen Lage den Preisschwankungen etwa von Öl oder Gas machtlos gegenüber. Es ist daher höchste Zeit, dass wir die richtigen Lehren aus diesen Entwicklungen ziehen und hier endlich wieder mit einem klaren Beispiel vorangehen. Nur wenn wir der Welt zeigen, dass der Klimaschutz auch wirtschaftliche Vorteile bringt, wie etwa die Steigerung der eigenen Innovationskraft, wird sich hier endlich etwas bewegen.
Younous Omarjee
Die COP 31 ist die nächste Gelegenheit, um Verbündete auf diesem Weg zu finden, und diese Gelegenheit muss die Europäische Union auch nutzen. Herzlichen Dank.
Merci beaucoup. Nous en venons à présent aux expressions dans le cadre de la procédure Catch-the-eye et pour commencer, Costas Mavrides.
Costas Mavrides
Θέλω να συγχαρώ τους συναδέλφους μου για αυτό το τόσο σημαντικό κείμενο. Άλλωστε η κλιματική αλλαγή είναι γεγονός και όχι ιδεολογία. Και ειδικά στην Ευρώπη και ιδιαίτερα στη Μεσόγειο, η κλιματική αλλαγή είναι ακόμη πιο έντονη. Τέτοια όμως παγκόσμια προβλήματα απαιτούν παγκόσμιες προσεγγίσεις και διακρατική συνεργασία. Από τα τόσο σημαντικά που έχει αυτή η έκθεση, ξεχωρίζω κάτι: την πρόταση για συγκεκριμένους μετρήσιμους στόχους για να κλείσει το χάσμα μεταξύ στόχων και εφαρμογής στην πράξη.
Όμως δυστυχώς, και απευθύνομαι και στο Συμβούλιο και στον Επίτροπο, δυστυχώς για άλλη μια φορά το τουρκικό καθεστώς στην Άγκυρα προσπάθησε να εργαλειοποιήσει και αυτή τη διεθνή διάσκεψη εις βάρος και πάλι της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας, προσπαθώντας να αποκλείσει τη συμμετοχή του Προέδρου της Κύπρου. Σας καλώ και τους δύο να προασπιστείτε μέχρι τέλους το κράτος μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και του ΟΗΕ.
Viktória Ferenc
Tisztelt Elnök úr, tisztelt Biztos úr, különösen az elmúlt nyár után kétségtelen, hogy a klímaváltozásnak súlyos következményei vannak Európában. Ki kell mondanunk, hogy a megfelelő alkalmazkodás elkerülhetetlen. Azonban azzal is szembe kell néznünk, hogy a zöld megállapodás és az azon alapuló intézkedések nem vezettek sikerre. Míg a globális kibocsátások mindössze 6 százalékáért felel a kontinens, a nagy nemzetközi szennyezők nem követik az Unió példáját.
És ebben nincs is semmi meglepő, mert mit is látnak itt Európában? Csökkenő versenyképesség, mesterségesen gerjesztett energiaárak, a lakossági fűtés és üzemanyagárak emelése, klímaadók, mint például az ETS2 révén. Nem csoda, hogy ilyen klímapolitikával kevés nemzetközi követőre találunk. Mi ehelyett a felelős, kiegyensúlyozott, adaptációra épülő klímapolitika oldalán állunk. Köszönöm.
Sebastian Tynkkynen
Arvoisa puhemies. EU on lähtenyt sotaan ilmastonmuutosta vastaan setelitykin kanssa. Edellisvuonna EU ja sen jäsenmaat tuuttasivat liki 32 miljardia euroa julkista rahaa kansainväliseen ilmastorahoitukseen, mutta tämä ei Euroopan eduskunnalle riitä. Nyt vaaditaan uutta ja suurempaa ilmastorahoitusta, joka annettaisiin virallisen kehitysavun lisäksi. Ei Euroopan poliitikoilta tunnu rahat loppuvan, mutta eurooppalaisilta loppuu.
Meillä on käsittelyssä yli 30 sivua Euroopan eduskunnan vaatimuksia ja linjauksia ilmastoon liittyen. Kertokaa minulle, miten on mahdollista, ettei Kiinaa ole mainittu yhden yhtäkään kertaa. Ette mainitse maata, joka vastaa noin kolmasosasta kaikista maailman hiilidioksidipäästöistä. Lopetetaan tämä rahan kylvämine maailmalle. Tehdään todellinen ilmastoteko ja palautetaan teollisuus Kiinasta puhtaampaan Eurooppaan.
Kiitos.
Merci. João Oliveira.
João Oliveira
Obrigado, Presidente, Senhor Comissário Hoekstra. Um dos objetivos que está em discussão nesta COP 31 é o aumento da cota de eletricidade no consumo final de energia a nível mundial para 35% em 2035. Este objetivo exige uma política energética que permita a cada Estado o aproveitamento das suas capacidades e recursos de produção, distribuição e aprovisionamento energético, da forma mais equilibrada e ajustada às suas necessidades sociais e económicas. Mas este objetivo não é compatível com as políticas de liberalização e privatização do setor energético, incluindo dos recursos necessários para a produção energética. Sujeitar a política energética aos critérios da liberalização significa subjugar a satisfação das necessidades energéticas à lógica do lucro.
Entregar os recursos e capacidades produtivas às multinacionais do setor energético significa deixar esses recursos, o território e as populações expostas às circunstâncias em que essas multinacionais decidem aproveitar aqueles recursos para obter lucro da forma mais acelerada possível. A instalação de megacentrais fotovoltaicas, a privatização de barragens ou a entrega de reservas de lítio são exemplos contraditórios com os objetivos afirmados na COP 31, e nós esperamos que essa contradição seja superada com a rejeição das políticas neoliberais. Muito obrigado.
Maria Zacharia
Κύριες και κύριοι συνάδελφοι, για χρόνια μας έλεγαν πως η προστασία του περιβάλλοντος εμποδίζει την ανάπτυξη. Τώρα πυρκαγιές, πλημμύρες, λειψυδρία είναι η νέα πραγματικότητα. Το κλίμα δεν τρελάθηκε από μόνο του. Το σχέδιο ψηφίσματος για την COP 31 αναγνωρίζει ρόλο στην πυρηνική ενέργεια, την αποθήκευση διοξειδίου του άνθρακα και μιλά συνεχώς για ανταγωνιστικότητα. Η COP 31 όμως απαιτεί πραγματική μείωση των εκπομπών, προστασία των κοινωνιών, κλιματική χρηματοδότηση και δίκαιη μετάβαση.
Μυαλό δεν βάζετε. Στο Πρίνο οι κάτοικοι αντιδρούν στην υποθαλάσσια αποθήκευση διοξειδίου του άνθρακα.
Μαζί τους φέραμε την υπόθεση στην επιτροπή αναφορών. Στηρίζουμε και τον αγώνα κατά της πυρηνικής ενέργειας και της καύσης απορριμμάτων. Για εμάς τα κρίσιμα ερωτήματα είναι: Ποιος ευθύνεται; Ποιος πληρώνει; Και ποιος θα λογοδοτήσει;
Οι μεγάλοι ρυπαντές θα αναλάβουν το κόστος. Αυτοί πρέπει, όχι οι λαοί. Πριν να είναι αργά για τον πλανήτη. Σας ευχαριστώ.
Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Merci, Président Omarjee. En este debate se suman todos los que hemos tenido a lo largo de este pleno, porque el presupuesto europeo y el marco financiero plurianual son determinantes para que haya recursos y voluntad política para que la Unión Europea tenga una voz respetable en la conferencia climática de Turquía, COP 31. Porque no es ideología que estamos ante un calentamiento global que raya lo insoportable, particularmente en el continente europeo, donde hay muertes debidas al cambio climático y movimientos de personas en todo el planeta que buscan refugio climático carente de asiento de protección en el derecho internacional. Por tanto, la respuesta no puede ser sencillamente un ómnibus tras otro rebajando nuestros estándares, sino mantener exactamente esa respuesta frente a veranos tórridos que se hacen eternos y el resto del año tormentas, DANAs e inestabilidad igualmente catastrófica. La Unión Europea tiene que estar a la altura en la conferencia con recursos suficientes y con voluntad política.
Younous Omarjee
Gracias, Presidente.
Merci beaucoup, Juan Fernando López Aguilar. Nous arrivons au terme de cette discussion et je vais rendre la parole à présent au commissaire Timmy... Au Conseil tout d'abord. Donner la parole au Conseil, Timmy Dooley.
Timmy Dooley
Thank you very much. I thought I was getting off the hook there, President. Honorable members, Commissioner and President, just to thank all those who contributed to this debate and I look forward to your continued engagement, particularly when we attend COP. As you know, COP 31 convenes at a really critical geopolitical juncture marked by mounting pressure on multilateral cooperation and renewed skepticism surrounding established climate science. Although global climate action has been insufficient, it is important to stress that the Paris Agreement has made a very significant difference.
Through the implementation of nationally determined mitigation pledges, the Paris Agreement has successfully altered the global emission trajectory, lowering projected end-of-century warming from approximately 3.5 degrees to a range between 2.3 and 2.5. That's very significant. Decisive climate action to limit the 1.5 overshoot to the greatest extent possible is more urgent than ever. And it must be coupled with societal, industrial and technological transition. We will continue our international engagement with allies and other partners towards the meaningful outcome of COP 31.
I just want to respond to one particular issue that was raised by a number of contributors and that was in relation to Turkey. It is mandate of COP 31, the Council conclusions. The Council has underlined the importance of participation of all member states at COP 31. It has also reaffirmed the principle of solidarity among member states in this regard. Turkey has sent invitations to the leaders' summit at COP 31 to all member states, including Cyprus.
Thanks very much.
Younous Omarjee
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Ministre. Je ne vous avais pas oublié, mais j'ai pris le débat en cours et le commissaire avait pu intervenir en début de discussion. Le débat est clos. J'ai reçu une proposition de résolution pour clore ce débat et le vote aura lieu demain. L'ordre du jour appelle à présent la déclaration de la Commission sur l'approfondissement de l'alliance UE-Canada, préparation du sommet UE-Canada.
Le temps de laisser le commissaire Sinkevičius prendre place et nous commençons immédiatement notre discussion.
Monsieur le commissaire, c'est à vous.
Jozef Síkela
Merci beaucoup. Good evening, honorable President, honorable members. I have the honor to address you today on our relationship with Canada, one of our most trusted and closest partners. With Canada, we share similar values, the same commitment to open, pluralistic societies and a similar vision for the global rules-based multilateral order. In these changing times, we also face similar challenges.
The exchange today is timely. We are one week away from the 21st EU-Canada Summit, which takes place in Montreal next Thursday and Friday, from 29th to 30th October. You all witnessed the State of the Union speech and Prime Minister Carney's intervention at the September plenary. So you will know that the ambition for the summit is high. Negotiations ahead of the summit are still ongoing.
I do not want to preempt those discussions and cannot at this stage prejudge the outcomes. When it comes to summits, nothing is done until it's done, and one week is still a long time. What I can share with you today is the general thinking behind the strengthening of the EU-Canada ties and to give you a sense of the direction of travel in the relationship. The ambition doesn't come out of the blue. We build on a solid foundation, namely the Strategic Partnership Agreement and CETA, Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement.
Canada is a unique strategic partner and a close friend. It is a G7 member and NATO ally to many member states and a like-minded partner in defending and promoting multilateralism. Canada has always stood by us, and it is an unwavering supporter of Ukraine, reliably providing financial, military, and material support since 2022 and taking the lead on issues such as the return of Ukrainian children. Over the past year, we have further deepened our ties. It's not enough to be like-minded.
In a world of power politics and the weaponization of everything, we both need to adapt and bolster our resilience, and we turn to each other as partners of choice. The June 25 summit adopted an ambitious agenda of commitments across a range of areas and marked the signature of the Security and Defense Partnership.
And we have both worked actively on the implementation of these commitments and we are delivering for our citizens on both shores. One example has been the signing of Canada's SAFE agreement earlier this year with one contract already signed under this framework. The 2026 summit will mark an even greater step change in our relationship. As President von der Leyen stated in her SOTEU speech, we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. She explained that our intention is to move from CETA to an alliance for the future, to create a common prosperity and economic security space.
This could include first, further supply chain integration in strategic sectors through joint investments and deeper regulatory cooperation. Second, creating a trusted digital and technology space involving joint research and investments, what President von der Leyen called a tech alliance. And third, coordinating our respective economic security policies to ensure our shared supply chains are consistently protected. Beyond the alliance for the future, we should also consider whether we want to offer Canada a basis for stronger political and institutional collaboration. This would build on the type of regular invitations that Canada has already received to participate in recent summits of the European Political Community and informal Council meetings.
And it would allow us to identify shared priorities and jointly respond to common challenges. This is what President von der Leyen had in mind when she said that we are opening the door to Canada to becoming the first associate member of the EU. In the coming year leading up to the next EU-Canada summit, we look forward to working with you as well as our member states and Canada on defining the full scope of what such an associate membership could look like. I am sure I will find a positive echo in this chamber for closer ties with Canada. As some in this chamber always remind us very aptly, Canada is the most European of non-European countries.
I expect the path ahead to become clearer as a result of the summit. Of course, we won't fail to inform the European Parliament of the outcome. Thank you very much.
Younous Omarjee
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Commissaire. C'est qu'elle a, comme vous le savez, le bureau du Parlement européen a décidé d'ouvrir un bureau au Canada, Monsieur Warborn.
Jörgen Warborn
Thank you, President, for giving me the floor, and colleagues. You saw how this podium was elevated. I think that that is what we are going to try to do with the relationship with Canada. Let's elevate the relationship. EPP is committed to upgrading the EU-Canada relations, and we will work to fill this alliance for the future with meaningful content that delivers concrete economic and geopolitical benefits for both parties.
Associated membership was the label mentioned, but I think that much more important than any label is that this alliance can mark a starting point of an ambitious process of approximation across all economic dimensions, including deeper integration in goods and services, regulatory harmonizations in strategic sectors, and enhanced cooperation on critical capabilities. Building on CETA, our trade agreement, we should work towards a more, even more integrated economic area by reducing barriers to trade in goods with mutual recognitions of standards, conformity assessments, and certifications. A transatlantic service market would be the natural step to upgrade CETA with frictionless cross-Atlantic provisions of services. And we should work towards a rapid conclusion of an ambitious digital trade agreement. We should also ensure open procurement markets.
And we should leverage our complementarities, notably in the critical raw materials, using the EU demand to boost Canadian supply. That will power our diversification efforts and enable the much-needed de-risking from China. So to conclude, let's now be pragmatic, flexible, and open to try new ways forward with less focus on labels and more focus on content. Thank you.
Thank you very much, President, Commissioner, colleagues. In a world filled with Trumps, Europe needs stable and reliable partners, and partners that share our values and that share our ambition for the future. And Canada is such a partner. It makes sense to deepen that partnership. And that partnership recently has been given a lot of fancy names.
Kathleen Van Brempt
You mentioned it, an associated membership, an alliance for the future. It all sounds very promising, but it must be more than just a promise. The upcoming summit must deliver on real results, building on the clear expectations set out by Prime Minister Carney here at this stage, with closer cooperation on energy, security, defense, trade, critical minerals, but also on students, for instance. And not only working closing together, because that might be the more easy part. What we need to do is responding together to the threats that we face.
This alliance should help defend multilateralism and the rules-based international order and lay the groundwork for a broader alliance with other middle powers, to use the name of Mark Carney, and of the coercion by people like Trump and Xi. That also requires for Europe to be a reliable partner. Yet ten member states still have to ratify CETA, and that is unacceptable. Everybody needs to take their responsibility. Europe and Canada stronger together.
Angéline Furet
À la veille du sommet de Montréal, la Commission veut faire du Canada le premier membre associé de l'Union européenne. Derrière cette belle formule plane le spectre du CETA, ce fameux traité de libre-échange qui ruine notre agriculture. Le Sénat français l'a rejeté pour protéger nos éleveurs et pourtant, vous l'appliquez en force. Mais ce statut de membre associé va plus loin : vous voulez offrir à l'industrie canadienne l'accès au fonds SAFE, une cagnotte de 150 milliards d'euros censée réindustrialiser l'Europe et assurer notre souveraineté militaire. Acheter des armements nord-américains, c'est s'exposer au chantage des kill switches, ces désactivations à distance qui nous rendent totalement dépendants.
C'est financer notre propre vassalisation. Quelle hypocrisie enfin sur les matières premières : avec votre écologie punitive, vous fermez nos usines, puis vous traversez l'Atlantique mendier du lithium et du cobalt canadien. Cessez d'organiser notre ruine, protégez notre industrie et respectez nos parlements.
Dear colleagues, Brussels has been busy debating what associated membership for Canada means. Europe does not need 28th quasi-member state. Europe needs hard industrial depth to break our dependencies on Beijing and Moscow. Canada holds 34 critical raw materials that European industry desperately lacks. Yet, our mineral imports from Canada stand at just 3.3 billion euros.
The delivery gap is real. We gave Canada 80% content ceiling inside our SAFE instrument. Six months later, that has produced just one contract: tactical radios for Poland. On energy, the draft text for Montreal offers only another feasibility study on Canadian LNG. And nine member states still have not ratified CETA after nine years.
Rihards Kols
Shame. Montreal summit must make Europe stronger. Democracies are global minority and deeper cooperation is simple math. We do not need new institutional labels for Canada, we need to deliver on the agreements that we already have signed. Thank you.
Younous Omarjee
Merci beaucoup, cher collègue. Orateur suivant, Monsieur Niinistö.
Ville Niinistö
Mr. President, Europe and Canada should build an ambitious alliance for the future. We can together defend democracy, resist coercion and uphold international law consistently while also building bridges with the Global South. The Montreal summit must deliver a strong security cooperation, sustained support for Ukraine and protection of critical infrastructure. We can do more to support Ukraine together with Canada. We also need fair trade, clean industry and resilient mineral supply chains with stronger workers' rights and recycling at their heart.
Here we can also increase cooperation. Coming from Finland, I want also to emphasize Arctic cooperation in this day when the Arctic strategy has come out. We have to together support the indigenous-led conservation and respect indigenous rights also when it comes to biodiversity and the sensitive nature in the Arctic while also taking into account the increased geopolitical threats and address them. With Canada together, we can build a wider coalition of democracies and also with countries from the Global South that support the rules-based international order.
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Président. Il y a 50 ans, l'Union européenne et le Canada scellaient leur premier accord de coopération globale, inaugurant avec lui une relation rare et durable. Aujourd'hui, face aux menaces impérialistes de l'administration Trump, cette boussole de notre histoire prend tout son sens. Elle peut créer une alternative diplomatique et internationale crédible face aux logiques de blocs. Pour cela, notre coopération avec le Canada ne saurait se réduire au libre-échange débridé sans respect des normes environnementales et sanitaires.
Marina Mesure
Elle ne doit pas davantage nous entraîner dans des initiatives de défense qui accentuent notre dépendance à l'OTAN et aux États-Unis. Au contraire, nous pourrions nous inspirer de modèles de coopération comme la France et le Québec, fondés sur le rayonnement scientifique et culturel. À ce titre, je tiens à rappeler que les provinces ont leur rôle à jouer dans ce partenariat. En conclusion, saisissons l'occasion de donner un nouvel élan à nos relations avec le Canada. Construisons, pardon, un partenariat ambitieux qui protège nos agriculteurs et nos consommateurs, qui approfondit nos liens universitaires, scientifiques et diplomatiques, et qui affirme, face aux ambitions impérialistes des États-Unis, notre attachement au non-alignement et à la souveraineté des peuples.
Merci.
Thank you. Ursula von der Leyen wants to lure Canada into an associate membership of EU. What does that even mean? Since CETA is already in place, it couldn't be about trade relations. What then?
Christine Anderson
Apparently, Ursula von der Leyen is no longer content with merely terrorizing the people in the EU with her insane regulations, bureaucracy, and cronyism. No, she is looking for yet another people whose industry she can wipe out, whose prosperity she can destroy, whose speech she can censor, and whose countries she can flood with even more illegal migrants, thus turning Canada into a living hell. The question is: is Mark Carney stupid enough to fall for it, or will he do right by the Canadian people and tell Ursula von der Leyen to bugger off? If he won't, then the Canadian people will have to fix it, and maybe a new freedom convoy would then be in order. Thank you.
Dariusz Joński
Dziękuję, Panie Przewodniczący, Panie Komisarzu. Dzisiaj cały świat patrzy na Europę, patrzy na nas, szukając stabilności, bezpieczeństwa, obrony europejskich wartości. Bo to właśnie Unia Europejska jest symbolem właśnie tego wolnego świata. I to jest dobra wiadomość. Zwłaszcza dziś, gdy Donald Trump prowadzi rozmowy ze zbrodniarzem Putinem, a logika politycznych dealów zaczyna przeważać nad zasadami, które przez dekady, przez dokładnie dekady, budowały porządek świata i stabilność.
Ale jednak nie możemy poprzestać na tym. Świat oczekuje od nas, od Europy, odpowiedzialności. My musimy udowodnić, że potrafimy jej sprostać. Dlatego potrzebujemy silnych, wiarygodnych sojuszników i Kanada jest jednym z nich. Wspólnie możemy budować porządek międzynarodowy oparty nie na dominacji, nie na szantażu, lecz na prawie, współpracy i wzajemnym zaufaniu.
Dariusz Joński
I wystąpienie tutaj, na tej sali, premiera Kanady w tej Izbie pokazało, że obie strony rozumieją wagę tego momentu. Nasze partnerstwo to coś więcej niż relacje handlowe. To wspólna odpowiedzialność za przyszłość demokracji. Kanada to ogromny zasób zasobów minerałów krytycznych, przemysł kosmiczny, wysoko rozwinięta sztuczna inteligencja, dostęp do Atlantyku, Pacyfiku i Arktyki.
81% Kanadyjczyków popiera bliższe związki z Unią Europejską. I chcę powiedzieć wprost: pogłębiając sojusz Unii Europejskiej i Kanady, wzmacniamy nie tylko siebie, wzmacniamy cały wolny świat. I właśnie takiej Europy dziś wszyscy potrzebujemy. Dziękuję.
Younous Omarjee
Merci. Avant de donner la parole à Monsieur Moreno, je veux dire que le Premier ministre du Canada est un chef de gouvernement que nous devons respecter ici dans notre assemblée et que certains propos, on peut le critiquer, mais certains propos ne sont pas acceptables. Monsieur Moreno.
Javier Moreno Sánchez
Merci, Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire. Señorías, tras el anuncio de la presidenta von der Leyen en el pleno sobre el estatuto de Estado asociado de Canadá, se ha abierto un debate jurídico. Tres breves consideraciones al respecto. Sí, comisario, llevo años diciendo que Canadá es el país más europeo fuera de Europa. Compartimos historia, cultura, idiomas, así como valores, principios y una visión del mundo que respeta la legalidad internacional.
Señorías, estamos asociados mentalmente. Dos, es verdad que el concepto de Estado asociado no está en los tratados, pero tampoco estaban el euro, ni Schengen, ni la competencia sanitaria durante el COVID. Pero cuando hay voluntad política, se puede. Más importante que el debate jurídico es que Canadá sea un Estado asociado de facto, de facto. Y no partimos de cero.
Ya mantenemos un acuerdo de asociación estratégica y el CETA. En la próxima cumbre tenemos que dar pasos concretos para seguir reforzando esta asociación. Esperamos que en la cumbre se cierre el acuerdo digital que facilite y proteja las relaciones entre nuestros ciudadanos y empresas. Que se avance en la movilidad laboral ampliando el convenio para arquitectos a otras profesiones. Que se concrete la participación de Canadá en el Erasmus+.
Que se fortalezca la cooperación energética, así como la cooperación en materia de minerales críticos. Y por último, para que esta asociación funcione, es fundamental involucrar a la ciudadanía. Por eso tenemos que reforzar e institucionalizar el diálogo entre las sociedades civiles de ambas riberas del Atlántico. Muchas gracias.
Younous Omarjee
Monsieur Moreno, oui, vous avez deux cartons bleus, deux demandes, première du PPE, Madame Sophia Kircher. Madame Kircher.
Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident, und danke auch fürs Annehmen der Blue Card. Die Übersetzung funktioniert. Ähm, Sie haben gerade gesagt, dass es wichtig ist, die Bevölkerung in diesen Prozess einzubinden, und hier meine ganz konkrete Frage: Wie kann das am besten funktionieren?
Sorry. No worries. I mean, I can also do it in English.
Sie haben angesprochen, wie wichtig es ist, die Bevölkerung mitzunehmen, wenn es um die bessere Kooperation mit Kanada geht, und hier meine ganz konkrete Frage: Wie kann man Ihrer Meinung nach die Bevölkerung auf diesem Weg einbinden, um eben zu einer guten Partnerschaft für die Zukunft auch garantieren zu können?
Javier Moreno Sánchez
Sí, gracias por su pregunta. Ya existen lo que llaman los DAG, que son los Domestic Advisory Groups, que permiten y se reúnen cada año, hacen un foro en el que participan los sindicatos, las ONG, todos los niveles de la sociedad civil, y luego presentan, y lo han presentado, por ejemplo, en la Comisión de Comercio Internacional hace unos meses, presentan sus conclusiones. Lo que desearía es que esto sea reforzado, incluso institucionalizado, y que se haga mucho más a menudo, que sean estos foros que hagan llegar las propuestas, pues a los órganos de decisión.
Younous Omarjee
Monsieur Moreno, vous avez une deuxième demande venant de Monsieur Stier du groupe PPE. Monsieur Stier.
Davor Ivo Stier
Gracias, presidente, nos ahorramos la traducción y hacemos la pregunta en español. Una cosa clave que dijo en su intervención es la voluntad política, aunque algo no esté en los tratados, si hay voluntad política se encuentra el camino y la forma. ¿Pero no le parece que también antes de este summit sería bueno enviar una señal política con la ratificación en aquellos Estados miembros que aún no han ratificado el CETA y cómo hacer para que se apure ese proceso?
Javier Moreno Sánchez
Sí, le agradezco la pregunta. Le debo decir que cuando voy a Canadá como presidente de la delegación de esta casa para relaciones con Canadá, me es difícil contestarles a esa pregunta de por qué hay nueve Estados que aún no la han ratificado, porque es un acuerdo que nos que está beneficiando a ambas partes, pero mucho más a la parte europea. Yo soy una persona pragmática. Lo que podemos hacer a nivel de esta casa es lo que yo llamo la diplomacia parlamentaria, es tratar de hablar con nuestros homólogos en los parlamentos nacionales, explicar que este tratado funciona para ver si se va ratificando. Pero es verdad que es una cuestión pendiente y yo siempre digo, un segundito, yo siempre digo que la relación entre dos socios tiene que estar en la confianza y en el respeto.
Speaker 492
Y yo creo que debemos de demostrar ese respeto y esa confianza. Muchas gracias.
Děkuji, vážený pane předsedající, pane komisaři. Svět je stále nebezpečnější. Autoritářské režimy sílí a Evropa si nemůže dovolit ztrácet čas. Kanada je naším přirozeným spojencem a prohloubení spolupráce s ní je strategickou nutností. Jenže Evropa má jednu nepříjemnou slabost.
Veronika Vrecionová
O spolupráci dokážeme dlouho mluvit, ale reálné kroky nám jdou podstatně hůř. Nepotřebujeme další deklarace, summity plné vzletných slov ani nové byrokratické struktury. Potřebujeme konkrétní činy. Odstranit překážky obchodu, posílit bezpečnost v Arktidě a otevřít nové možnosti pro naše firmy, studenty a pracovníky. Nadcházející summit EU-Kanada nesmí přinést jen společnou fotografii a další seznam slibů.
Přestaňme o přidruženém členství Kanady jen mluvit. Dejme mu konkrétní obsah. Děkuji.
Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
Merci Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire, chers collègues, un cousin, un partenaire, un allié. Pour nous, le Canada, c'est tout ça à la fois et bien plus. Chez moi, en Normandie, personne n'a oublié le débarquement et je le dis en tant qu'ancienne maire d'une commune libérée par les soldats canadiens. Aujourd'hui, notre histoire commune prend un nouveau tournant. Face aux bouleversements du monde, aux pressions de Donald Trump, la relation euro-canadienne doit tenir bon et se renforcer.
L'accord CETA a montré la voie, il faut achever sa ratification et allons plus loin sur la défense, l'IA, la cybersécurité, les minerais critiques, Erasmus. Nous avons tout à gagner d'un partenariat puissant, gagnant-gagnant. Aujourd'hui, le Canada se tourne vers l'Europe au sommet de Montréal, nous devrons saisir cette main tendue. Notre partenariat ne peut pas être une liaison éphémère, il doit être une relation de long terme, une coopération, je le redis, gagnant-gagnant entre les deux rives de l'Atlantique. Bâtissons une nouvelle alliance euro-canadienne pour construire notre avenir commun.
Speaker 493
Merci et merci à Monsieur le Président Moreno Sánchez, président de la délégation Union européenne-Canada.
Merci beaucoup, Madame Bricmont.
Saskia Bricmont
Européens et Canadiens doivent renforcer leurs liens, surtout dans un contexte où des voisins et partenaires historiques ne sont plus fiables. Oui, Monsieur MacCarthy, nous devons lancer de grandes politiques et parmi elles, dès la COP 31 dans quelques jours, relancer la lutte contre le dérèglement climatique et pour la restauration de la biodiversité, remobiliser la communauté internationale autour de mesures concrètes coordonnées. Une grande politique concrète pour nos concitoyens des deux côtés de l'Atlantique. En effet, 680 000 hectares de forêts européennes, 4,7 millions hectares de forêts canadiennes sont partis en fumée cet été. Portons donc ensemble des financements destinés à la transition dans les pays les plus pauvres, des politiques industrielles qui renforceront la résilience, nos emplois, réduiront les factures énergétiques.
Aussi, je souhaite que dans le cadre d'une alliance ouverte à d'autres partenaires, l'Union européenne et le Canada, main dans la main, coopèrent étroitement sur les questions de sécurité économique pour s'affranchir enfin des diktats imposés par Trump, Poutine, Xi Jinping. Les puissances qui nous sont hostiles sont aussi dépendantes de nous, de certains produits et technologies. Identifions-les, identifions ces vulnérabilités, le moment est historique pour mettre en place de grandes politiques ensemble. Je vous remercie.
Elena Kountoura
Ευχαριστώ πολύ, κύριε Πρόεδρε. Κύριοι συνάδελφοι, σε μια περίοδο αυξανόμενων συγκρούσεων και διεθνούς αστάθειας, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση χρειάζεται ισχυρές συνεργασίες που υπηρετούν την ειρήνη, τη διπλωματία και τον συνεπή σεβασμό του διεθνούς δικαίου. Ο Καναδάς αποτελεί σημαντικό εταίρο σε αυτή την προσπάθεια και η στενότερη συνεργασία στην επιστημονική έρευνα, τεχνολογία, τεχνητή νοημοσύνη καθώς και στην πράσινη και ενεργειακή μετάβαση μπορεί να συμβάλει στη δημιουργία ποιοτικών θέσεων εργασίας και στη βελτίωση της καθημερινότητας των Ευρωπαίων πολιτών. Ενόψει της συνόδου κορυφής, καλώ την Επιτροπή να διεκδικήσει την πλήρη και αποτελεσματική προστασία των ευρωπαϊκών γεωγραφικών ενδείξεων, όπως η ελληνική φέτα και το κυπριακό χαλούμι, στην καναδική αγορά. Η προστασία αυτών των προϊόντων αφορά το εισόδημα των κτηνοτρόφων, την παραγωγική μας παράδοση και τη βιωσιμότητα των τοπικών κοινωνιών.
Η εμβάθυνση των σχέσεών μας με σεβασμό και εμπιστοσύνη πρέπει να διασφαλίσει δίκαιους όρους εμπορίου και ουσιαστική στήριξη των παραγωγών μας. Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ.
Stefan Köhler
Sehr geehrter Kommissar Schinas, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen. Kanada liegt mir persönlich am Herzen. 1989 habe ich dort ein Praktikum gemacht und bis heute verbinden mich Freundschaften von Ost- bis Westkanada. Als Mitglied der Delegation für die Beziehungen zu Kanada weiß ich, auf diesen Partner ist Verlass. Vergangene Woche habe ich die Ehre gehabt, mit dem kanadischen Landwirtschaftsminister Herrn MacAulay zu sprechen.
Unser Gespräch hat einmal mehr gezeigt, wie viel uns verbindet, gerade in der Landwirtschaft. In einer Welt, in der alte Gewissheiten wanken, brauchen wir Partner, die unsere Werte teilen. Kanada ist ein solcher Partner, verlässlich, kompetent und demokratisch. Diese Zusammenarbeit müssen wir jetzt entschlossen vertiefen. Dazu gehört aber auch Ehrlichkeit.
Manche sprechen schon von CETA 2.0. Doch fast zehn Jahre nach dem Start ist CETA 1.0 in mehreren Mitgliedstaaten noch immer nicht ratifiziert. Das ist kein gutes Signal an einen Freund. Ich appelliere an die verbleibenden Mitgliedstaaten, bringen Sie die Ratifizierung endlich zum Abschluss. Der Gipfel in Montreal Ende Oktober ist die Gelegenheit für ein klares Bekenntnis zu dieser Partnerschaft.
Vielen Dank.
Colleagues, Canada could become the first associate member of the European Union. But what does that actually mean?
Tobias Cremer
For us, the vision is clear. Associate membership must mean the closest possible partnership that the EU can offer to a non-European country. In the case of Canada, that means unleashing CETA's full potential, integrating our defense industries, cooperating in the Arctic, and allowing young Canadians and Europeans to travel, study, and work more freely across the Atlantic. But it must also mean embedding all these great initiatives into something more enduring, into a common institutional framework of coordination and cooperation, for instance, by inviting Canada to participate in relevant Council meetings or by establishing a formal parliamentary partnership assembly between the EP and the Canadian Parliament, as we have it with the UK. This Euro-Canadian alliance must be more than just a trade deal plus, and not just because we all love Canada, which we do, but because it could actually become the nucleus of something much bigger, of a global network of like-minded partners that offers the world a different way, a different vision of doing politics in the 21st century, a vision in which collective security, shared interests, and mutual respect prevail over might is right.
Colleagues, over the last few months, Canada and Europe have been pretty good at writing each other love letters, and that's been wonderful. But now it's time to get serious and to turn this Euro-Canadian love story into a more concrete commitment for Canada, for Europe, and the world. Thank you.
Wouter Beke
Thank you, President, dear colleagues. In Flanders fields, the poppies blow. More than 100 years ago, Canadian soldiers came to the fields of Flanders to defend our freedom. But that bond should be more than just a memory of the past, because the reality is that Canada and Europe need each other once again, not to fight our wars, but to defend our interests together. As global powers put increased pressure on us, we must stand stronger together for our security, for reliable energy, for critical raw materials.
And Europe also has a lot to offer Canada: a huge single market, Erasmus, smart students, investments, you name it. But what truly unites us goes beyond economic interests. We share, yes indeed, the same values: democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the respect for international law. And these are precisely the values that are increasingly under pressure today. But colleagues, why should we stop here?
Let Europe and Canada take the lead in bringing other partners together, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, bring them on board to build a stronger coalition of democracies, because when facing global powers, allies must stand together and strengthen each other. Thank you.
Brando Benifei
Possiamo davvero approfondire l'alleanza con il Canada se non riusciamo nemmeno ad approfondire la nostra Unione Europea? Da decenni siamo paralizzati nel dibattito fra allargamento e approfondimento dell'Unione. Troppe proposte di questo Parlamento sono cadute nel vuoto. Oggi rafforzare i rapporti con paesi terzi come il Canada è necessario e riconoscerlo come primo membro associato dell'Unione è una proposta concreta, ma le dichiarazioni di principio non bastano. Servono strumenti giuridici e decisioni politiche.
Per istituire questo nuovo status serve modificare l'articolo 49 del Trattato sull'Unione con un protocollo dedicato. Non partiamo da zero. Riprendiamo il lavoro del gruppo Spinelli che ho guidato nel 2022 e che su questo ha fatto proposte chiare fin dalla presidenza dell'ex collega Andrew Duff.
Dobbiamo raccogliere seriamente l'appello di Mark Carney. Non possiamo chiedere ai nostri partner di costruire un futuro comune se continuiamo a rimandare le nostre scelte. Mettiamoci dunque alla guida con convinzione di un'alleanza globale per restituire un ordine democratico a un mondo oggi nel caos.
Nicolás Pascual de la Parte
Muchas gracias, presidente. De cara a la cumbre en Ottawa a finales de enero, debemos ir la Unión Europea preparados para ofrecer a nuestros amigos canadienses, como han dicho otros interventores, un marco jurídico para aterrizar el acuerdo que hemos acordado con ellos de estado asociado, que es la máxima cooperación, la máxima colaboración que podemos tener con un estado no europeo. Y hemos de ser, por tanto, innovadores y tener la suficiente capacidad para ofrecer esos marcos jurídicos de cooperación. Lo tenemos ya en el tema de seguridad y defensa, en el cual Canadá participa activamente en el programa SAFE de contratos conjuntos de aprovisionamiento de defensa. También lo vamos a tener seguramente en el programa Erasmus Plus, en el programa Horizonte.
Hemos también de colaborar con ellos, evidentemente, en el Ártico. Acaba de aprobarse por la Comisión la nueva estrategia europea en el Ártico, que hace referencia a la colaboración con Canadá. Tenemos que recordar también a nuestros amigos canadienses que han de aportar su contribución financiera al esfuerzo de apoyo a Ucrania, a esos 70.000 millones de euros que necesitan nuestros amigos ucranianos en 2027 y que Canadá también se ha comprometido a colaborar. Y sobre todo, como digo, hemos de identificar aquellas áreas en las cuales tendremos beneficios todos: tierras raras, minerales críticos, ciberseguridad, innovación, etcétera. Muchas gracias.
Chloé Ridel
Merci, chers collègues. Le 16 septembre dernier, on s'en souvient, nous accueillions dans cet hémicycle le Premier ministre canadien Mark Carney, qui disait : "En tant que pays non européen le plus européen, le Canada se tourne d'abord vers l'Union européenne pour construire un monde meilleur." Et nous devons lui répondre. Dans un monde marqué par le chaos, par la brutalité de Donald Trump, l'Europe doit tendre la main à la première puissance démocratique du continent nord-américain. Pour des coopérations scientifiques, technologiques, de sécurité, des coopérations parlementaires, pour la défense d'un ordre international fondé sur le droit.
Le Canada rejoint par exemple le combat pour protéger la Cour pénale internationale. Une juge canadienne figure parmi les magistrats sanctionnés de la CPI que nous voulons nous récompenser du prix Sakharov. Voilà ce qui nous rapproche. Nous croyons que la loi s'applique à tous, y compris et surtout aux puissants. Nous répondrons au désordre causé par les autocrates par la solidarité entre démocraties.
Speaker 514
Le Canada n'est pas un partenaire de circonstance, c'est un allié qui partage nos valeurs et qui mieux que nous refuse aujourd'hui de plier. Alors Trump a vu le rapprochement de l'Europe et du Canada comme un acte hostile, c'est que nous sommes sur le bon chemin. Merci.
Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Gracias, presidente. Es indudable que Canadá goza de enorme simpatía en este Parlamento Europeo porque la tiene en la ciudadanía que este Parlamento representa. Por su experiencia constitucional federal e integradora de la diversidad, por su modelo de protección social, pero también por el coraje con el que está haciendo frente a las embestidas de su vecino inmediato, la administración Trump de los Estados Unidos. Pero la presidenta von der Leyen anunció en el debate del Estado de la Unión nada menos que un experimento único: miembro asociado privilegiado, una asociación estratégica privilegiada sin precedentes. Hace falta clarificar la base jurídica.
Y si es necesaria la reforma de los tratados y la reforma institucional para acomodar esa modalidad absolutamente única que, sin duda, recibirá apoyos en este Parlamento Europeo. Pero lo que hace falta es que eso empiece exactamente por reforzar el diálogo interparlamentario, haciendo de la delegación Unión Europea-Canadá de este Parlamento Europeo que preside mi compañero Javier Moreno el embrión de una asamblea interparlamentaria que replique el modelo de África, Caribe, Pacífico y EuroLat.
Es una buena manera de comenzar ese refuerzo de la confianza mutua y del respeto mutuo. Gracias, presidente.
Lynn Boylan
Merci, Uthorn. Yes, Europe and Canada must cooperate on the global challenges facing us. We absolutely should work together on climate action, multilateralism and building a fair trading partnership. However, we must unequivocally reject investor courts, be they in CETA, the EU-Chile or EU-Mexico agreements. Investor courts represent a direct corporate attack on the sovereignty of states and undermine climate action and the delivery of strong public services.
After a summer of lethal heatwaves, do the Commission not recognize the peril investor courts represent for European citizens? The fossil fuel companies have already won more than 80 billion dollar in ISDS awards. Our planet is burning and ISDS sells our sovereignty to those responsible. So on the one hand, we have a Commission that sees Canada as such a close friend that they are literally prepared to make up a membership status for them. And yet on the other hand, say that we cannot trust each other's independent legal systems.
Speaker 517
Merci beaucoup, Madame Boylan. Nous arrivons au terme de ce débat et je rends la parole au commissaire Šefčovič.
Jozef Síkela
Merci. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Honorable colleagues, let me thank you for your interventions and for the strong support for the EU-Canada relations that you have expressed. CETA has proven to be one of the most successful trade agreements the EU has signed. Since CETA's provisional entry into application, bilateral trade in goods and services increased by 80%, reaching 130 billion euro in 2025, up from 72.1 billion in 2016.
Unfortunately, nine member states still need to ratify CETA. But there is a momentum. Slovenia ratified recently. Congratulations. And hopefully this will propel some others to follow suit.
I take this opportunity to encourage MEPs from the nine member states that still need to ratify CETA and the three member states that need to ratify the SPA to continue to advocate for ratification back home. Building on the success of CETA in boosting bilateral trade, it is only logical to explore deeper ties with Canada. Support for closer EU-Canada ties is strong on both sides of the Atlantic. For Canada, I can refer you to a poll in early September showing that 81% of Canadians support closer integration with the EU, including making it easier to trade, travel, work and study and to cooperate on security. I believe a majority of EU citizens feels the same way about Canada.
We can be proud of what has been achieved in recent years, but today's challenges require an even greater critical mass of cooperation and advancement. I wish to commend the European Commission's special envoy for relations with Canada, Mr. Joost Korte, for his work with the personal representative of Prime Minister Carney for relations with the EU, John Hannaford, in supporting the delivery of these commitments. They have injected a consistent focus on deliverables and been able to sustain political momentum, and they will continue to support our work under our new Alliance for the Future. So let us look ahead to next week's summit with big optimism. Thank you very much.
Younous Omarjee
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Commissaire. Le débat est clos et l'ordre du jour appelle les explications de vote, et je donne la parole immédiatement à Cristian Terheș. Merci beaucoup.
Cristian Terheş
Mulțumesc. Am votat împotriva raportului privind bugetul general al Uniunii Europene pentru 2027, deoarece acesta vrea să continue direcționarea banilor publici europeni către priorități ideologice aberante, în loc să se concentreze pe problemele concrete ale economiei și ale cetățenilor europeni. Raportul continuă să împingă bani spre agenda verde și spre ideologie de gen, de exemplu. Când tinerii europeni protestează în vestul Europei pentru lipsa locurilor de muncă, preocuparea Europei pare să fie mai mare înspre perversiunile sexuale ale unora. Dacă sexul e atât de important, de ce nu se susține familia cu copii?
Mai mult, același text cere extinderea resurselor proprii ale UE și noi venituri, zice-se, cu circa 60 de miliarde de euro pe an. Asta înseamnă mai multe taxe, mai multe impozite. Întrebarea este de la cine? Pentru că toate aceste politici publice europene promovate au sărăcit populația. Mulțumesc.
Younous Omarjee
Merci pour votre explication de vote sur le budget général de l'Union européenne pour l'exercice 2027. Monsieur Kostas Papadakis sur la nouvelle co-appropriation pour l'avenir des relations euro-méditerranéennes, le pacte pour la Méditerranée. Merci beaucoup. Je ne le vois pas dans la salle. Je vais donner la parole à notre collègue Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos pour une explication de vote sur le renforcement des compétences dans l'Union, possibilités d'enseignement et de formation professionnelle en période de transition.
Vous avez la parole.
Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos
Μια έκθεση κατά παραγγελία της έκθεσης Ντράγκι, που αναγορεύει τις δεξιότητες ως όρο για την ανταγωνιστικότητα και την κερδοφορία του κεφαλαίου. Στόχος της να προσδέσει στενότερα την επαγγελματική εκπαίδευση και κατάρτιση στους επιχειρηματικούς ομίλους, στο πλαίσιο μιας ένωσης δεξιοτήτων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Προωθεί τη διττή εκπαίδευση, δηλαδή εκμετάλλευση των σπουδαστών από τους ομίλους ως μαθητεία, ενώ δίνει στις επιχειρήσεις ρόλο στον καθορισμό του περιεχομένου σπουδών. Έτσι, στοχεύει στην παραγωγή φτηνού, ευέλικτου, εύκολα μετακινούμενου εργατικού δυναμικού χωρίς κατοχυρωμένα εργασιακά και επαγγελματικά δικαιώματα. Είναι μέτρα έντασης των ταξικών φραγμών, της κρατικής υποχρηματοδότησης των ελλείψεων υποδομών και εκπαιδευτικών που και στη Γαλλία πυροδότησαν τις γιγαντιαίες κινητοποιήσεις των μαθητών.
Η νεολαία εργατικής λαϊκής καταγωγής με την πάλη της διεκδικεί ενιαία δημόσια και δωρεάν εκπαίδευση χωρίς ταξικούς φραγμούς, με ισχυρή γενική παιδεία, κατοχυρωμένη επαγγελματική ειδίκευση και δυνατότητα συνέχισης των σπουδών. Στους δρόμους αμφισβητεί τη στρατηγική εμπορευματοποίησης της παιδείας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, των αστικών κυβερνήσεων και κομμάτων, θέτοντας το δίλημμα: ή τα κέρδη τους ή οι ζωές μας.
Younous Omarjee
Merci beaucoup, chers collègues. La prochaine séance aura lieu demain, jeudi 22 octobre 2026 à 9 heures.
L'ordre du jour a été publié, il est disponible sur le site internet du Parlement européen. Le procès-verbal de la séance d'aujourd'hui sera soumis à l'approbation du Parlement demain en début d'après-midi. La séance est levée. Merci beaucoup.