Speeches

Dear Chairman, I would like to congratulate the rapporteurs, first of all Christel and Rene, on the outstanding work they have done. These are truly laws that will change the internet as we know it and set a standard for protecting citizens globally. Over the years, the internet has become a wild west. Everyone can misrepresent themselves there, everyone can track everyone, take their data, deceive them, financially damage them, everyone can say something bad and false about everyone and write without any consequences. For too long, our citizens have been left to the arbitrariness of Google and Facebook, who have profited enormously from our data, even the most sensitive. This law places responsibility on internet giants to check the content they offer, not to manipulate users or use their data without their knowledge. Interoperability of messaging services and a ban on tracking for advertising for minors shall be established. Whoever wants to do business with us must respect our rules. Today we have shown that there are no untouchables in the European Union!

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Last year, 137 countries agreed to introduce a minimum tax rate for large multinationals. For us socialists, this was a great success. It is not only something that is fair and just, as well as something that we have pointed out for years, but in this situation such taxation is absolutely necessary. We need money because this crisis is not over. A system in which a small craftsman pays a higher percentage of tax than a multinational company is deeply unfair. Every year, Europe loses about 190 billion euros because big companies do not pay taxes. Moreover, they move from country to country looking for the cheapest tax haven. That's why this veto is primarily immoral. The Hungarian people can now see clearly that Mr. Orbán does not care how they live, but acts in the interest of foreign companies that are further rich on our torment. Thank you.

Dear President, dear colleagues, dear Prime Minister, every crisis is most affected by the poorest and most vulnerable. And while some think about how to put food on the table or pay for directions, others get rich. Energy dependence and production disruptions resulted in rising prices, but some went to heaven solely and exclusively because of greed. Taxing windfall profits, quality price control, tackling growing inequalities through reallocation of resources and creating a fairer market should be in our interest for all. But it won't happen on its own. As Prime Minister, you and your colleagues have a responsibility to protect our citizens. I repeat it all the time, but maybe in Buxelles you hear better. In the end, I want to say that joining the Eurozone is positive. But the euro is not a goal, it is a means to enable our people to live a better life. Our European path goes further towards Schengen, but for the time being it stops at the Slovenian border. Like our citizens, I hope that we will achieve this goal as soon as possible.

Dear President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, I am very pleased that today we have the opportunity to vote on such an important topic. Seventy-seven percent of Europeans would rather repair a device than buy a new one. Despite this, waste in our environment is accumulating, and citizens are forced to constantly and again buy new devices. It is essential that the consumer knows at the time of purchase how long the product will last and how easy or difficult it is to repair in the event of a defect. Only in this way can we give consumers a real choice between sustainable and unsustainable products. My recent survey in Croatia showed that 81 percent of citizens consider repair unprofitable. This is mainly due to the high cost and unavailability of spare parts. Spare parts must be on the market all the expected life of the device, delivery must be fast, the price must be reasonable. In order to make repair more attractive to consumers, we need to provide financial incentives, but also the obligation to replace the product while waiting for the repair to be completed. It is very important, in approaching this problem, to start from the eco-design phase in order to produce in such a way that both the consumer and the repairer can easily fix a potential defect. We all remember how we used to change spent batteries on our mobile phones ourselves. Today, it is glued to the device, so the extraction causes only additional failures. It is important that the Commission insists in future initiatives on joint responsibility, both for the trader and for the producer towards the citizens. Speaking of design, a lot of people complained to me that their device broke down just after the warranty expired. A study by the European Commission has confirmed the same, and it cannot be accidental. It is essential to prohibit all forms of built-in failure, including digital failures. A lot of people update their smart device just because they get aggressive notifications, not because they know what a recent update actually means for the device itself. In my country, more than 60 percent of citizens noticed that after the update, their device slows down or its battery lasts shorter. That is why we, socialists and democrats, are in favour of a mandatory guarantee, that it should better reflect the actual duration of the device. We expect the Commission to take ambitious steps in this direction. Every crisis makes us think outside the box. Repairing and repurposing products creates far more quality and environmentally friendly jobs than throwing away or even recycling. Also, we are now perhaps more aware than usual of the limited resources in production. That is why irresponsible business such as the destruction or burning of unsold goods should be banned. Living green cannot be the privilege of a few but the standard of everyone in the European Union. Thank you very much.

As many as 42% of smartphone and 27% of laptop failures are connected to the battery. We all remember the time when the battery on the mobile phone could easily be removed and replaced, and each of us could be his own master. Mobile phones are now assembled in such a way that the battery sticks and if you try to separate it, there is a good chance that you will further damage the device. This proposal obliges manufacturers to produce batteries in such a way that repairers and consumers themselves can easily replace them. An additional problem that consumers complain about is the short lifespan of batteries, or that they work worse once the operating system is updated. Battery life labels will significantly help increase transparency in the market and combat so-called built-in faults. I want to congratulate everyone who worked on this document. We aim to extend the provisions of this regulation to all types of products, in particular as regards the longer duration of appliances and lighter repairs, better consumer information and respect for human rights in production. It is frustrating that a crisis is always needed to go into the projects we have been advocating for years. With each crisis, it is clearer how important energy independence and efficiency are. Living green should not be the privilege of those who can afford it, but the reality of all of us.

Dear Chairman, the measures we are discussing today are literally life-saving measures. The figure that 40% of cancer cases can be prevented is encouraging, as prevention is the best medicine – more effective than any treatment, saving lives, nerves, fear and tears. One of the most important elements is healthy lifestyle habits that I would best describe with the phrase: Enjoy everything, exaggerate anything. The most common causes of death in the European Union, heart disease and cancer, are largely caused by unhealthy diets, smoking and alcohol. That is why any coherent cancer plan must contain measures to combat these very phenomena. If that were not the case, it would be like firefighters standing in front of the house waiting to set themselves on fire to start extinguishing it. Among other things, I support the introduction of labels that will enable citizens to make healthier food choices. In conclusion, the differences in access to therapies, diagnostics and care between Member States are shamefully large. It is essential that the European Union acts decisively to reduce these disparities.

Dear Chair, I would like to start by congratulating the rapporteurs on their excellent work on this great and important document. For too long, the internet has grown and changed without any control. In more than twenty years since the last regulation, the Internet has changed significantly, occupied our everyday life, become both a necessity and a party. It has become both a major source of profit for some and a major threat for some. As much as 98.5% of Facebook's revenue and 83.3% of Google's revenue is generated by advertising. Citizens are often unaware of how big platforms profit from our data, moods, health conditions, interests and the like. If someone followed us on the street, it would be illegal, but everything is allowed on the Internet. I welcome the ban on tracking minors online for advertising purposes and easier control of advertising for adults. The great reach of this proposal is the interoperability of different services, where citizens will no longer have to download certain applications simply because their contact has them. In light of the recent ruling against Google, which gives the impression of a drop in the sea, it is very important to ensure market transparency. Everyone must have the same initial impetus for success, both small and large. This report is a prerequisite for a fairer digital market and I call on Member States to maintain an ambitious approach.

Dear Chairman, this is a historic agreement and a great victory for us, the Social Democrats. The system whereby a small craftsman pays a higher percentage of tax than a large multinational company is deeply unfair and must be changed. The minimum effective tax rate will allow for fairer tax collection. The big ones will no longer be able to go around looking for the best tax haven, and the European Union will no longer be robbed of €190 billion a year. Could it have been better? You can always do better. But 15% in any case is much more than zero - as far as we have now. Implementation of the deal is now crucial, but also of a new initiative to create a fairer distribution of wealth. It's not the people who have to pay to get out of the crisis. The global economy must be fair and we must show that there are no untouchables.

Dear President, dear colleagues, a strategy is necessary because Europe, but also the world, must change the way they produce and consume food. The way we do it now is not sustainable, it has not been sustainable for decades. Every time we sit down at the table, we consume not only food, but also the future of our children and grandchildren. We're not entitled to that! On this plate are consumed soil, water, pesticides, antibiotics, fuel and electricity, deforested forests and gases released during production. And the sad thing is that about a third of that food will end up in the trash and that's why we have to act. Furthermore, every second adult and every third child in Europe is overweight, with huge health, social and economic damage resulting from this. It is estimated to be €60 million per year. Statistics say that in 2017, almost one million premature deaths were linked to unhealthy diets, as much as one in five, so we need to act. European farmers are increasingly faced with the import of food that is produced without respecting the same standards and rules under which they live and work. They are often underpaid, blackmailed and exploited by buyers and distributors, and that's why we need to act. There is a large degree of social consensus in Europe that things have to change. This is seen by citizens and the real sector. Opinion polls show a high degree of support for measures to preserve the environment and stop climate change. People expect change and that's why we need to act. Achieving everything foreseen in the Farm to Fork Strategy will not be easy, cheap or easy. If reforms are implemented without sufficient preparation and financial support, without taking into account the opinions of those whose lives will be affected, the results will be missed and the consequences will be long-term. I believe that the report before us is balanced, that it looks at the problem from multiple perspectives and that the measures and objectives in it are achievable and necessary. That is why I invite you to support and act on it. Finally, thanks to everyone who contributed – rapporteurs, Members and their teams, and thanks to the Commissioner.

Dear Chairman, the rich avoid paying taxes - what a shocking discovery! S&D has been talking about tax evasion for years, and these documents show just how right we were. There is a whole industry specialized in enabling tax evasion to the rich, and this discovery, although the largest so far, unfortunately, is a drop in the sea. If this isn't an alarm bell to finally pass effective legislation against money laundering and tax evasion then I don't know what it is. Perhaps the problem is that there are some sitting in the Council who are just exposing these documents. It is unacceptable that the rich always become richer, and the poor, because of the health, economic, and now the energy crisis become only poorer. 75% of our citizens want the European Union to do more to fight tax evasion, but it turns out that we can chase small ones for electricity bills, and it takes years and years for big ones to come up with rotten solutions. It is time for the EU to finally show its teeth, but to clean first in its backyard.

Dear Chairman, every crisis is an opportunity, but only if we have the courage to make big moves. Our recovery plan obliges Member States to invest in digital infrastructure and sustainability. We must seize this opportunity to develop new economic models that will create new and more sustainable jobs. However, we must not forget the social dimension of the recovery, as in most of the European Union prices go up and wages remain the same. Let's not forget that some have taken advantage of this crisis and profited from it. Large multinational companies, known for violating their workers' rights as well as our privacy rights, have raised a lot of money. However, they still skilfully avoid paying taxes. It is unacceptable that digital giants pay a much lower percentage of taxes than, for example, small and medium-sized enterprises. We must ensure a global response to destroy tax havens. We cannot afford to miss out on over €825 billion a year for the big ones, but this is why our citizens are regularly warned. It is not the citizens who have to pay for the consequences of the crisis and in conclusion: This crisis has shown that it is no longer back. The European Union must have a permanent financial mechanism for crises. European rules need to be revised to reduce disparities between Member States, between rich and poor.