Speeches

Mr President, information is a key element of a democratic society and, of course, of the transparency of public administration. Citizens have the right to be informed about the functioning of our institutions. It is indeed a fundamental essence of democracy and it is important to focus on several aspects of the approach to transparency. First, of course, the process of obtaining documents must be simple and straightforward. It is also important to work towards digitalisation. I join all my speakers who have spoken about this. Of course, have a user-friendly setup of the tree structure of the availability of those documents and, of course, of the process of obtaining those documents. I must agree that we also have some difficult points in the past where the principle of transparency has not been fully respected. However, as a lawyer, I must agree that sometimes it is also important to protect the rights of others, because, for example, for reasons of public order, security, it is not always possible to ensure full transparency. In short, sometimes even the public power so-called proverbial pulls for a shorter end. But it is important to find a balance, and I think that is what we have in this report.

Mr President, I also supported this proposal. I think it is good that the European Parliament also comes up with its position in trilogue negotiations. We actually see a diseased landscape and it is important to start treatment immediately. I am convinced that we cannot delay the treatment of our nature and its restoration. We are missing birds, pollinators, insects. Biodiversity is declining at an incredible rate. What we need is undoubtedly to move forward positively, to make commitments to building landscape elements, to truly restoring nature, and also to take on board all actors. I would not exclude from the scope of this Regulation any relevant actors such as farmers, of course scientists, landscapers. Everyone must work to restore and protect nature, because that is our only hope for the future. We will ensure food security by truly protecting our land and landscape.

Mr President, I supported this proposal for a regulation because it strengthens environmental protection from several points of view. Firstly, it sets standards and requirements for the eco-design of products, thereby promoting sustainability and also reducing the negative impact on the climate. Promoting energy efficiency and resource efficiency is also one of the positive effects of this Regulation. Coordination of ecodesign at European Union level also provides a single framework for manufacturers, reducing bureaucracy and administrative burdens. This can lead to an increase in the competitiveness of European companies, as well as to the promotion of innovation in the field of eco-design. It is also important to mention that this Regulation provides clearly defined requirements for the energy efficiency of products. This, of course, supports the reduction of energy consumption and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. All in all, the proposal for a regulation on ecodesign, product sustainability is certainly a positive step towards environmental protection.

Madam President, I would like to use my one minute today to plead for Ukraine's closer involvement in Euro-Atlantic structures. In the last week we have witnessed a major diplomatic offensive by President Zelenskyy, and in the Czech Republic we have welcomed him on a visit. We appreciate it very much. He was also in Turkey, met with the Polish president, was in Bulgaria and other countries. In my opinion, in the face of this diplomatic activity, there is, of course, the continuation of Russia's reprehensible aggression, as well as its internal disputes. At this point, we must be united. I am convinced that Ukraine's membership of Euro-Atlantic structures, that is, of the European Union and NATO, is in our fundamental interest. From the point of view of the European Union, we should provide further market access preferences for Ukraine, as well as broader activity in the field of education, energy cooperation and agriculture. And, of course, in the future, I believe that Ukraine should also become a member of NATO.

Madam President, I very much welcome this point of today's debate. I welcome the report by my colleague Zalewska, because the European Year of Qualifications shows what is our most fundamental challenge, what is the greatest challenge for the future period, and that is precisely the question of developing the qualifications of our employees. Interestingly, by 2030, 40% of Europeans will live in regions with job losses. That is, it is evident that the greatest challenge is competence, lifelong learning. And not only for Industry 4.0, there will be another Industry 5.0 theme. We will obviously need everyone in the workforce, and no one will be left behind in education, discriminated against in access to education. These are big challenges and I am glad that we are really doing this. The biggest challenge for our future is to truly learn.

Madam President, a truly staggering number of citizens are calling on us to take action against animal testing. We should, of course, show respect and respect for animals as living creatures. I am joining these citizens. There is no doubt that we have two pieces of legislation here, one that prohibits this testing, and the other that says that it is mandatory for chemicals to be tested on an animal. I think it is such a legal form of circumvention, and unfortunately many pharmaceutical industry producers use this exception very often. I listened with interest to the Commissioner's speech. I am very pleased that she has drawn attention to those alternative methods and even their research funding opportunities that are available. Let's really be more consistent. Let's increase the sanctions for circumventing the law. Maybe even tighten up the legislation. That, I think, is unequivocal. And we should really ban some cosmetics on the market that do not comply with these established rules.

Madam President, Commissioner, more than a quarter of the continent has been affected by drought since April and it has been several springs. Many countries are preparing for a repeat of last year's dry summer also this year. And maybe even worse. Protecting nature, forests, soil, our landscape, I think it is clearly in our clear interest. It is also in the interests of our children. That is why I am glad that the motion to reject Nature Restoration Law did not pass. This summer, Spain, southern Portugal, Italy, France are likely to be particularly vulnerable, but also Poland and other regions, also Bulgaria, Romania, Greece. All these countries show clear signs of vulnerability to the threat of drought. The European Drought Observatory indicates water scarcity even in the Nordic countries. This is an increasingly politically sensitive issue, with water scarcity having devastating effects on the following sectors – agriculture, energy, industry, even nuclear power plants. I believe that the water scarcity crisis should be placed higher on our list of political priorities. Governments and the Commission should genuinely address this problem and consider further responses to the current and future, perhaps even more serious, water scarcity crisis in nature.

Mr President, I will explain the point where, after a long time, I did not support this draft report for a number of reasons. I do not think that this report strikes a sufficient balance between the interests of farmers and the protection of natural resources, and I respect, in principle, what my colleague Wallace has said on this point. We need to do more to protect our natural resources. I agree that we must reduce the administrative burden on farmers. Of course, we also need to encourage young farmers to engage in this field. But we must not forget important topics such as biodiversity protection, banning or very strong regulation of the prophylactic use of antibiotics, of course also the use of pesticides. On these topics, I think that this report rather respects the interests of the AGRI Committee and does not fully reflect the interests of our future. That is why I did not support this report either.

Mr President, it seems that only Czech Members have a need to explain the issue of batteries, but perhaps that is not entirely the case. I believe that batteries are indeed a key technology for the European energy transition. They are essential for sustainable mobility as well as for the storage of renewable energy. Moreover, they are an integral part of the daily lives of European citizens. The importance of these batteries can also be demonstrated by numbers. From the current 0.7 million tons, the amount of batteries will grow to 4.4 million tons in 2035, so this issue needs to be addressed. I supported this regulation, I have no doubt about it, and I firmly hope that this technology will prove its worth in the future as a sustainable and climate-friendly technology for our future.

Mr President, I supported this proposal for a regulation. It is the first regulation of this type in the world, which we can, of course, be proud of to some extent. I only hope that we can also tame the fears that are associated with this regulation and especially with this artificial intelligence mechanism, that we can still regulate this mechanism, that it is in our power, that we do not hold the so-called button on the trigger. Perhaps planet Earth would take a sigh of relief if the human species disappeared, but I firmly believe that it is still in our power to control even this mechanism, which I am afraid to call a species. In my opinion, it is very wrong that we did not accept some of the amendments tabled by the EPP Group. There were other proposals that I supported with my vote. As a result, however, I am glad that at least some degree of regulation has been adopted, because the legal issues of the mechanism of functioning of AI have not been satisfactorily explained, but at least these proposals have been discussed.

Mr President, at the outset of this point, such a sigh. If the Beijing Treaty had been signed not for 99 years, but for 199 years, Hong Kong's citizens would still have had at least a century of freedom. This is the freedom of the people of Hong Kong. Not only about Jimmy Lai, but also about the freedom of all the people in Hong Kong who are part of our extended family. I'm calling for targeted sanctions. Human rights violations in Hong Kong are indeed a very sensitive matter, and I think we need to show this to our colleagues in China in our talks. And I believe that we need to review Hong Kong's international status. This is simply a key issue in the context of international law. And this national security law, which is aimed at Hong Kong and Macao, must be part of our talks with Chinese officials. This is the debt we owe to the people of Hong Kong.

Madam President, Commissioner, we have been dealing here for a long time with the situation in Sudan. As early as 2007, this Parliament dealt with the situation in Khartoum in the fighting between South and North Sudan, between militias operating on the territory of Sudan. And now we touch on a topic that is very emotional and does not, of course, diminish the value of the other topics discussed. But when it comes to children, we should be really vigorous. We cannot be powerless in this context. We need humanitarian corridors, we need medicine, we need food, we need healthcare. People cannot leave these combat zones, and we can only call for a ceasefire. Please use all options for transporting food, medicines – as I said – to secure humanitarian corridors. We can't be powerless. I hope we're not powerless. I'm calling for the protection of children in Sudan.

Madam President, Commissioner, what has the Pandora Papers revealed to us? Secret accounts of kings, prime ministers, billionaires, privileged people involved. Something was legal, something perhaps on the verge of legality, and something was obviously illegal. Complex structures were created, offshore companies were used and, of course, the aim was either to optimise taxes or even to commit tax evasion. International cooperation in tax matters thus clearly remains a priority and must also be a priority for the international community as a whole. Because the one who gets the most out of tax evasion is the state. And I would say that tax evasion is the worst right-wing crime against the state as a whole. I think we need to build further on the common approach of our states in tax matters. I am a little sorry that the Council is not represented here today, because two years after the revelation of the Pandora Papers case, we should already expect the Council to take action on this matter. And it is important that we also fill gaps in our own law, in EU law. I have always been against restricting the tax autonomy of the Member States, but it is clear that we need to harmonise administrative procedures precisely in tax matters, in order precisely to prevent such tax evasion, and we also need to exert this pressure at international level.

Madam President, food security is a key issue for our future, and I consider it a broader part of the security of citizens, whether in their homes, on the streets, in connection with the availability of medicines, of course, also by protecting their savings. We certainly need to motivate, support farmers, but we also need to protect our natural resources. I don't think we can put unreasonable pressure on natural resources indefinitely. I must say that, as shadow rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, I am sorry that none of our relevant views have entered this report. I have no doubt that we must eliminate bureaucracy, but we must also ensure food safety, and this, unfortunately, is sometimes part of this bureaucracy. Undoubtedly, we are supposed to support innovation – so let's put more money into science. And we need to promote international cooperation – so let us not oppose some trade agreements. What I completely miss in the report is the sustainable use of plant protection products. As if the topic of pesticides was not at all a topic for the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. I regret that there is no control over the prophylactic use of antibiotics or even a specific plan to promote biodiversity. I am in favour of promoting food security, but in the sustainable protection of our natural resources. I would very much like to see these issues also appear in the report.

Madam President, accessible services for citizens and quality infrastructure are important elements of regional development, and we unfortunately have lagging regions in Europe on this topic. In doing so, the European Union is establishing its high-quality cohesion policy, both relatively and financially charged, to bring regions closer together and to compensate for these disparities. As it turns out, we can not only support excellent projects with this policy, but also focus our attention on the currently available public services, such as schools, kindergartens, healthcare, social services, post offices, but also, of course, those private services, be they gastronomic facilities and other such private services. Because if we do not focus our attention on them, the regions will depopulate and people will move mainly to those large agglomeration centres, which we certainly do not want. Therefore, we need to have available data on individual regions, on cross-border contexts. With this policy, we must promote the quality of life in the countryside and in the regions. It will come back to the European Union many times over.

Madam Present, ladies and gentlemen, the European Citizens’ Initiative is an exceptionally unique tool for citizens that enables them to directly influence political decisions. Unfortunately, the majority of society lacks sufficient awareness of this initiative and its potential. Improving awareness of the European Citizens’ Initiative is crucial for engaging as many citizens as possible in European decision-making. It is imperative that the communication strategies are effective and utilise available channels for disseminating information. Cooperation with non-governmental organisations and educational institutions is also necessary for enhancing awareness. We should support the development of educational programmes and materials that focus on the European Citizens’ Initiative and participatory democracy.

Madam President, the issue of drug abuse represents one of the most pressing challenges faced by our society. It is absolutely essential that we focus on international cooperation, increasing the protection of young and vulnerable individuals and drug prevention efforts. Only through collective efforts can we discover more effective ways to limit the drug supply. Drugs know no borders and their impacts affect people worldwide. I consider it is crucial that we have to collaborate at the international level. Only through this approach we can share information, proven methods and innovation in the fight against drugs. Youth and people living in social disadvantaged conditions are most vulnerable to the dangers associated with drugs. Therefore, we should emphasise the provision of information, education and support to these drugs. The most effective approach to addressing this issue is prevention, which should be based on scientific knowledge and proven methods.

Mr President, in February this year, the European Commission adopted a Marine Action Plan to better protect our seas. I welcome this activity, of course. This was a response to the COP 15 meeting in Montreal and the Agreement on a New Global Biodiversity Framework. And I would like to thank Commissioner Sinkevičius for his efforts in this field. I think we need to focus on restoring biodiversity, with the goal of protecting 30% of our seas by 2030. I know that we have discussed this topic many times here in this plenary, and I am a little surprised by the tone of this debate. I believe that we really need to do more to protect our seas. I also understand the interests of fishermen and other sectors concerned. However, I think that there is a clear need to focus on restoring biodiversity and to stop using unsustainable fishing practices. Indeed, industrial fishing is devastating our seas and making them dead lands. These practices should undoubtedly continue to be condemned and should not be acceptable on the European continent. And we need to give our support to the fishermen. Of course, small-scale fishing, sustainable fishing should be encouraged, but I welcome the Commission's action and look forward to receiving specific guidance from the Member States. Let's talk about them more specifically.

Mr President, Commissioner, this European Citizens' Initiative has set itself the objective of legally banning the trade in shark fins in Europe. The removal of fins threatens the conservation efforts of sharks. Citizens are therefore calling for an amendment of the EU regulation to cover trade in fins and for the Commission to draw up a new regulation to extend the scope of this regulation. It is estimated that around 270 million sharks are still caught and killed worldwide every year almost exclusively because of fins. It's a huge number. The exact numbers, however, remain unknown, perhaps even higher. The main consumer of these fins remains the countries of Asia. However, European countries are also among the largest shark-hunting and shark-trading nations. I think we need to do more. Inspections at sea and around the seas of Europe are relatively rare. They should definitely be more numerous and more coordinated with Member States. There is no doubt that we are responsible for biodiversity and we should lay down rules to rule out this illegal fin trade. However, I am not in favour of an absolute ban on trade in sharks or their products.

Madam President, I believe that milk, milk products, school fruit really do belong. I supported this report. We have quite good experience with this project in the Czech Republic, although, of course, this was not always the case. It was necessary to eliminate certain problems with the application at a specific, even regional level, but in general it is good to promote good eating habits of children and young people, simplifying administrative procedures. This is what we are following with this proposal. So there is a need to eliminate European bureaucracy a little bit and also to increase the efficiency of this programme, to promote regional products. I would also like to support the appeal to redistribute the funds of those countries that are underutilising them among those that have long supported this programme. I think that would again increase the effectiveness of this programme as such.

Madam President, I supported this proposal for several reasons. Firstly, I believe that disinformation and attacks on journalists must be combated and, of course, that the independence of the media must not be respected, because all these values, in my view, are also part of democracy. It is also important to implement this Directive in the Member States for several reasons. Impartiality in the management of the media must be respected at national level. Equally important is the appointment of impartial so-called media councils, and all these requirements are met in my view by the directive. I supported her. It is also important to send a signal to Member States that have problems with independent media councils and with the independence of the media as such. It is not important to name these countries. However, I think it is important that these Member States also realise that this is a value from which the European Union cannot compromise.

Madam President, I supported this proposal and I am also glad that it has received quite a lot of support. I think it is important that the European Parliament is also aware of its responsibility to be credible. We support the international commitments and agreements that have been made by the entire international community. I will recall the conference in Glasgow or last year in Sharm el-Sheikh. The commitment to a 30% reduction in methane emissions by 2030 is, in my view, manageable. And we also have to realize that methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas, although its effect after 12 years more or less fades, respectively, those molecules turn into CO2 molecules. However, it is precisely during this period that visible results can be achieved, and it is therefore important that the European Union joins these commitments, that we have the first legislation on methane reduction at European level and indeed on a global scale. So we are moving towards fulfilling our commitments, and I think that is very important.

Madam President, I would like to begin by saying that I support this proposal for a directive and that it is important to finalise this matter. I support greener products. I think all the colleagues in this room. It is important to put an end to misleading marketing and also to state that it is indeed still unacceptable, as it jeopardises consumer confidence in our European products. So defending consumers is certainly okay, as is transparency and responsible marketing, as well as the availability of all important information. But I think there are some questionable moments, and that is a question of the unpretentiousness of this adjustment. In my view, it is important that it is also clear to the undertakings that market those products. And here I'm not entirely sure that we've achieved a balanced model. I will therefore support some of the amendments that have been tabled on this subject. But as I said, I think the overall direction in this directive is fine.

Madam President, it is really good that today, on Europe Day, we also discussed the topic of European skills, the European Year of Skills. It is important to support a skilled workforce in language skills, IT skills, of course, technical skills. All the skills we need for our quality work are constantly being developed, especially by European employees. We're going to need retraining all our lives, and we're actually going to need to learn all our lives. What we are playing for is the competitiveness of the whole European Union. And the better job opportunities are meant to protect us from exclusion, from discrimination, from extremism. Therefore, the whole issue is very important, and I am very pleased that the European Commission and the European Parliament are also aware of this importance. According to the results of this discussion, he is on the same side. It's about our future, it's about our lives.

Mr President, in the case of copyright protection, the EU has already done a great deal. In particular, I would also like to highlight the role of the European Parliament in promoting copyright protection, but the intention was to achieve a fair balance between users and authors. This has happened, a number of uses have been harmonised, I can mention satellite broadcasting, online platforms, etc. This is undoubtedly important for the protection of the internal market. However, you can still see in a number of Member States that broadcasts from another Member State have been switched off due to a lack of copyright clearance. I think it is important to make further progress on this too, which is why it is good for the European Commission to present further harmonisation of copyright law. At the same time, it is also important to think about the copyright side, because we find that some artistic professions are not considered copyright in other states and their copyright protection is not secured. I'm glad Commissioner Breton is here. This is the importance of the internal market and I am pleased that we are taking this matter further for the importance of copyright protection.