Speeches

Madam President, I'm sorry. Recovery programs need to be accelerated. The RRF was introduced to balance the effects of the coronavirus. The crown is long over, yet only 28% of the assets have been paid so far, with the stock market prospects for the bonds not very bright. REPowerEU, linked to the RRF, is about alleviating Russia’s energy dependency. The tenth package of sanctions is now under negotiation, but REPowerEU is only in the planning phase. The Commission should be brought into maximum speed with regard to the approval and payment of Member States' plans. REPowerEU can help Member States mitigate the impact of sanctions, but this is only true if the Commission pays the instruments quickly and does not make them a tool of political pressure for some Member States, such as Hungary or Poland. The importance of European economies has weakened in recent years and the EU's global competitiveness is now at stake.

Madam President, I'm sorry. It is well known to all of us that the Commission assesses the protection of the financial interests of the Union in a report for each year. It is also customary for Parliament to draw up its own report, where it teaches Member States and national authorities how to combat fraud and corruption in a typical educative tone. However, there is no mention of how, in the face of such a wide range of EU anti-fraud and anti-corruption institutions as OLAF, EPPO, Europol, Eurojust, a vast corruption bribery network has been able to operate for years, here in the European Parliament itself? How much credibility is left to an institution, to challenge the jurisprudence of the Member States, to teach governments a lesson, to impose conditions of the rule of law, where such a high-level bribery system could operate within the gates of the institution for a long time. This is why the Committee on Budgetary Control should rather deal with this and why we cannot support this report.

Mr President, dear colleagues, it is very unfortunate that the Parliament’s reports are getting based more and more on political stereotypes rather than on facts and evidence. For example, point 69 of the Security and Defence reports, I quote, ‘brings attention to Serbia’s relationship with Russia and its lack of condemnation of Russia’s unjustified and illegitimate actions against Ukraine’. Here, I would just like to remind you, colleagues, that Serbia has signed all UN resolutions condemning the illegal and unjustified attack of Russia against Ukraine. Serbia is also strongly advocating territorial integrity of Ukraine as one of the basic principles of international law. And Serbia was also one of the first countries to refute the results of the referendum held in the four regions of Ukraine. In addition, all these facts have already been recognised in recent European Parliament resolutions. So this text will contravene them as well. Dear colleagues, facts and consistency should matter even here in the European Parliament.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The report aims to revise the 2021-27 financial framework, but its substantial implementation has not yet started. The new Common Agricultural Policy will only start in 2023, with no payments yet from the new cohesion funds and only €136 billion from the recovery funds. In this situation, where there are no evaluable results yet, there is no basis for demanding a review. Take, for example, the cohesion instruments. It is almost 2023, yet we are still in the process of making payments for the previous period, 2014-20. The conclusion of the new Partnership Agreements has progressed very slowly and we can be pleased if at least advance payments are made in the first half of next year. The question therefore arises as to why Member States do not receive the EU funds to which they are entitled. The answer is: unnecessary administrative burden, politically-based rule of law extortion, excessive conditionality making payments more difficult. We should work on breaking them down. We don't have time to waste! In the face of the new economic crisis, it is essential that Member States have access to their own resources as soon as possible.

Dear Madam President, Commissioner, I'll start again. Can I start again? Sorry, my throat is a little bit sore. Dear fellow Members, The time has come for a real acceleration of the EU enlargement process. Europe cannot afford the luxury of further delaying the accession of the countries of the Western Balkans. Many claim that the EU's influence in the region has been weakened. Unfortunately, I have to say that over the last few years, the European Parliament has actively contributed, through its decisions, to this being the case, and so is this report. It is not possible to increase trust and influence by constantly tightening conditionality. The EU conditionality mechanisms are well known to us Hungarians and are based on erroneous logic. It would be a mistake to extend them to accession countries as a means of influencing them. Serbia and the countries of the Western Balkans do not need such decisions, but sincere support and an accession date. Such decisions do not help, but rather hinder enlargement and the work that the Commission is doing.

Dear Mr President, I congratulate the rapporteurs on reaching an agreement on budget 23. This will guarantee that there will be enough money to support EU programmes. At the same time, we in the Fidesz delegation have reservations in principle, as the proceedings against Hungary have not yet come to an end. It is very important for us to be able to see our sources for next year clearly. The Hungarian Strategic Plan for Agriculture has already been approved by the Commission and we are confident that the Cohesion Partnership Agreement will be concluded soon. At the same time, we know the situation around the recovery fund, and yesterday we also saw that the left-liberal side of the European Parliament is not resting: It does not even accept the execution of its own invention, the conditionality procedure, according to the letter. They want to take away EU money for Hungary. They are disturbed by the fact that the Commission and the Hungarian Government are negotiating calmly and successfully, and we are only days away from resolving the situation. Therefore, they want to put pressure on the Commission and the Council before the final decision is taken by means of a Parliament resolution. For all these reasons, we have decided to abstain from this year's budget vote.

Mr. President, please. Today's global political situation has clearly shown that Europe needs to change its so-called energy mix. Based on the initial idea, REPowerEU would have supported the energy independence and diversification of Member States. However, with reference to greening, EU support for oil development was rejected by the BUDG and ECON commissions. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible to transform the energy situation of our Central European region and to establish its energy independence. Greening is essential, but improving current systems is just as important. In this extremely difficult energy situation, stopping EU investment in oil would be another shot in the leg, further weakening Europe's own crumbling economy. We need to go back to the original REPowerEU target and therefore support the amendments on oil and nuclear energy in tomorrow's vote!

Dear Madam President, So far, each wave of enlargement has strengthened Europe, and this would certainly be the case with the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the EU. However, in order to speed up the process, to achieve a real breakthrough for all candidates and to increase their performance, a specific target date and timetable will be needed. This would also increase the credibility and reputation of the EU in the eyes of citizens of candidate countries. The region has lagged behind the great wave of enlargement in Eastern Europe twenty years ago and has been in the waiting room of the EU for twenty years. Setting a target date would be a huge motivation for the countries in the region, and could result in the candidate countries accelerating the reforms they have started. This would benefit both the candidate countries and the EU, especially in a geopolitical situation hit by a war such as the one we are in now. Finally, I would like to thank Commissioner Várhelyi for his continued support for enlargement.

Dear Madam President, Europe is in an extraordinary situation, which requires extraordinary solutions. The year 23 will be very difficult. The Russian-Ukrainian war is plaguing the economies of all Member States and the prospects are not at all rosy. Europe cannot remain strong and Ukraine cannot be an effective supporter if its economies are weakened. We need immediate firefighting. Therefore, 23 should make it easier for all Member States to access the EU funds to which they are entitled. Budgetary and financial rules need to be adapted to the current exceptional situation. The usual bureaucratic and political conditions should be temporarily suspended altogether. European integration is a 70-year peace project, so it is not surprising that so far the budget regulations have not been familiar with the conditions of war. But it's over now. Europe's economy needs a much faster and more efficient support system than the current one, which is what we should be working on.

Dear Mr President, Alternative fuel infrastructure is very important, but unfortunately the EP proposal does not take into account the differences between Member States, including the fact that a large-scale ex-ante reinforcement of energy infrastructure is essential for such a large-scale roll-out of recharging points. All this is an additional huge expense for the Member States, at a time when there is an economic crisis and a risk of recession. There may also be problems with the utilization of the infrastructure to be built. On the one hand, electric vehicles are prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of European citizens, and on the other hand, car production is hampered by supply chain disruptions and there are not enough electric cars on the market. Greening must be inclusive. I think that we should work on tailoring the regulations and on the appropriate support system. Paper can do anything, but the citizens of the Union need realistic, feasible regulation.

During the yellow vest protests in France, around 2 000 people were injured, 11 people died. Many lost their eye-sight. The Council of Europe and as well as the UN Human Rights Council expressed their deepest concerns about the excessive force used by the police using grenades and rubber bullets. However, this topic was never discussed here in this House. Don’t you think that this is another flagrant example of double standards?

Mr. President, please. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Dear fellow Members, When we legislate, I think it is extremely important to take into account their enforceability. Legislation is good if it is easy to apply, and it is specific enough to provide an appropriate framework for industry and governments. It is well known that the economy needs predictability for the transition. Unfortunately, in recent years, there have been instances where solutions believed to be almighty have finally turned out to be dead ends. We must not make the same mistakes. With regard to sustainable aviation fuels, we must avoid air traffic companies charging passengers with an additional cost. Don't let citizens pay the price of greening. In my view, a broader and technologically neutral definition of fuel could help to avoid further dead ends. Be careful in today's vote.

In this report we have seen the usual ideological attacks against Hungary and Poland, and it is clear that the rapporteur is not interested in the facts, for example that Hungary was the first to conclude a cooperation agreement with the European Chief Prosecutor, or that the proportion of indictments made on the basis of OLAF recommendations in Hungary is 67%, which is almost double the EU average of 35%. The European Chief Prosecutor himself has repeatedly said that they can work very well with the Hungarian authorities. But while it is a fact, it is also a well-known fact that the role of a credible, reliable reporter in the work of the European Parliament is extremely important, so it is unacceptable that Katalin Cseh can deal with the annual anti-fraud report in such a way that she herself is involved in a serious fraud case against EU funds. This fact renders the procedure completely unreliable and further destroys trust in the EU institutions. I therefore call on the rapporteur, Katalin Cseh, to return to her mandate.

Dear President, Commissioner, President Hoyer, When he visited the Committee on Budgets in January this year, we had no idea of the difficulties and challenges ahead. In the meantime, the strengthening of partnership and cooperation has become even more appreciated, and the role of the Investment Bank is constantly increasing. This is also the case in the new candidate countries, Ukraine and Moldova, as well as in the countries of the Western Balkans, where major infrastructure investments are already being made, thus helping to realise European strategic interests. But for effective European relations, it is essential to develop the EU's external border crossings and capacity building. This is urgently needed, as currently passengers often wait several hours and truckers even days at border crossings in very difficult conditions. I would like to ask you, Mr President, to pay particular attention to border crossings when setting the bank's investment priorities and to open up a separate line of credit for this purpose.

Thank you, Mr President, Commissioner, fellow Members. The report before us should be about how the European Parliament will help Serbia to become a member of the EU as soon as possible, but instead, the report lectures, prescribes and contains unacceptable exaggerations that only further restrain the country's accession process, question the credibility of the EU and alienate Serbia's citizens. This is contrary to the strategic interests of both Serbia and the EU. It is unbelievable that when we see a war raging in a country neighbouring the EU, some people fail to see that Serbia's accession as soon as possible would consolidate the stability of the Union. The government of Hungary and the pro-government representatives fully support Serbia's accession to the EU. That is why the report is unacceptable to us. We are convinced that Serbia deserves more support and understanding, much more. Finally, let me send a warm welcome to Her Excellency Ms Ana Hrustanović, who is following our debate here in the plenary. (The speaker stated in a non-official language)

Dear Mr President, Commissioner, I'm sorry. Carriers are driving Europe's economy. In the last two years, the coronavirus has caused severe losses, and now there is another crisis caused by the Russian aggression, disrupting already flowing supply chains and routes. In such an extremely difficult situation, European Union hauliers have to comply with the requirements of the Mobility Package, which was an extremely divisive package of legislation even in peacetime. In the current period of crisis, the already serious situation of the transport sector is not only divisive, but also exacerbated. Carriers' liability should not only be praised in words, but should also be addressed as soon as possible in order to improve their situation. I therefore call on the Commission to urgently examine the provisions of the Mobility Package that have already entered into force and are yet to enter into force, their viability and enforceability, and to make proposals to improve conditions, because European hauliers now need concrete, tangible assistance.

Dear Madam President, The main issue in the planning of the 2023 EU budget will be the additional expenditure related to the crisis in Ukraine. How the EU budget can help refugees from Ukraine, frontline countries hosting refugees and how Europe will contribute to the post-war recovery, we hope, as soon as possible. In the democratic elections held in Hungary on Sunday with close-to-record turnout, the overwhelming majority of citizens reaffirmed the Fidesz-KDNP government for four years, expressing a clear opinion about the left and all those who are withholding the funds that are rightfully due to Hungarians. At the same time, a strong message was sent to the European Commission to finally stop the further drag and to immediately approve Hungary's and Poland's recovery plans and programmes in order to strengthen our own economies and to step up our assistance to refugees and those in need.

Dear Mr President, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the EP and Council negotiators for reaching a timely agreement on the '22 EU budget. For me, it is particularly important that there has been agreement from the outset on spending on regional development and the Common Agricultural Policy, and that an appropriate level of resources has been adopted by 22. ’22 is expected to be a record year for payments, with EUR 150 billion still to be disbursed to Member States over two years, including from the 14 and 20 periods, and additional support from the Recovery Fund. We agree that it is essential to support and assist the economies of the Member States at such a difficult time, but further delaying the approval of the Hungarian and Polish recovery plans will disrupt the balance of the EU internal market between those who have already received the support and those who have not. This will undermine the guarantee of a level playing field. The Commission is not fulfilling its main task of defending this principle. The deliberate discrimination of Hungarian and Polish economic operators for political purposes is unacceptable to us.

Dear Mr President, Enlargement in the Western Balkans has been the theme of many EU Presidencies in recent years. Unfortunately, Member States sceptical about enlargement have prevented the Slovenian Presidency from including a specific date in the final declaration of the Brdo Summit. However, the accession date would be an extremely important message for the countries of the region. Without specific objectives, we know very well that politics is very difficult. In particular, some candidates, such as Serbia, have been in this role for ten years. We cannot see the end of the process. The enlargement date would not only be a handhold for the candidate countries, but a predictable and predictable conclusion of the enlargement theme could also be useful for enlargement skeptics. In this situation, where enlargement is not always and not popular with everyone, a special thank you to Commissioner Várhelyi for the European Commission's creation of an investment programme of around EUR 30 billion for the region. If there are no more positive political messages due to the reluctance of some Member States, then at least the EU should invest in the lives of the citizens of the region.

Dear Madam President, The debate on the annual budget and the vote are about more than EUR 170 billion. I think it is important for everyone to maintain the level of EU support, be it agricultural payments, rural development or cohesion funds. But I would like to draw attention to a new budget line, which has already appeared in budget 21, but has now increased tenfold in 22 and is likely to grow further year by year. This is the amortisation interest on the joint loans taken out by the Union. All Member States, including Hungary and Poland, must contribute to raising this amount. Meanwhile, as we are well aware, due to political pressure, the approval of the Hungarian and Polish national restoration plans and the payment of advances are delayed. Still, it seems that we must already contribute to the repayments, to the repayment of interest. That's where we set the bar. I ask the Commissioner and the Commission to explain this, to say the least, strange situation.

Mr. President, please. I am confident that the approval of interinstitutional agreements and the simplification of TEN-T funding and administration processes will contribute to creating missing links and strengthening North-South connectivity, especially between the EU's Central Eastern Member States. However, in order to achieve full European connectivity, we must not forget the Western Balkans region. The European Commission's new Western Balkans Investment Plan already supports infrastructure projects in the region worth hundreds of millions of euros, such as the refurbishment of the railway link between Belgrade and North Macedonia. These routes will be intrinsically linked to the TEN-T corridors and therefore a legal link should already be established between the TEN-T Regulation and the various projects in the Western Balkans. The process of revising the TEN-T Regulation is an excellent opportunity to do so and the Western Balkan countries should be closely involved. This is the only way to finally achieve a draft law that thinks across the European continent.