Speeches

The transformative impact of AI on society and the economy are beginning to emerge. Europe needs to build a society that respects fundamental rights and individual freedoms, and still can compete with the US and China in terms of technological advancement and economic competition. The AI Act is an important step towards this direction. As Vice-Chair of the AIDA Committee and as the S&D Group’s shadow rapporteur in the opinion of ITRE Committee I am delighted it contains several important obligations to mitigate the risks AI may cause for our societies and citizens such as fundamental right assessments. The AI Act creates a framework for ethical and trustworthy AI development and deployment. It includes important obligations to safeguard citizens’ rights and creates balance for security and innovation. When we started to work with the legislation in the AIDA committee people were telling AI cannot be regulated, it’s too complicated. The EU has broken this taboo. However, regulating AI is not enough. In addition we need to enhance and support European AI innovation ecosystems, and ensure development of competitive and ethical European language models. That’s why I welcome the Commission’s AI Innovation Package as an important addition to the AI Act.

Changes in people's migrations require reforms in Europe, to rely on old regulations would not have been a solution. All in all, responsibility for more orderly immigration is taken on board, and strict action must be possible if necessary. However, the Union is also a continent that can be reached and that is safe for people. The package also includes a crisis regulation, which is important for Finland, for situations where asylum seekers are instrumentalised as part of hybrid influencing. The situation on our eastern border has shown that we will need more extensive means of dealing with crises. I think it is important that we now have clear rules across the EU's eastern border for situations where Russia seeks to instrumentalise asylum seekers through hybrid influence. From Finland's point of view, this is especially a matter of national security. The whole is a compromise in which no one wins everything. The package adopted today provides the necessary clarifications to the legislation and also aims to prevent organised crime, such as smuggling of human beings. The new updated rules are an improvement on the current unsustainable situation of non-compliance with the old rules.

Madam President, colleagues, I have observed every case of misconduct with concern, and it is crucial to address these issues and build confidence in the EU’s integrity. Today can mark a stride toward a more ethical, transparent and accountable European Union. It is up to us to make the decision, and it’s up to the work of the next Parliament to improve it, because there have been better ideas, for example, from my Group, S&D. This timing of this discussion on the last day of this Parliament underscores our dedication to transparency and accountability as we enter the period of European elections. Ensuring citizens’ trust in our democratic institutions remains steadfast. As we move forward, let me remind you that this is not perfect, but voting against an ethical standards body looks very bad. We have to say clear that we do not accept third-party, third-country involvement here. So, Mr President, in my 10 last seconds as an MEP on the speaking podium after my 10 years, I have not given up hope for democracy, I will not give up hope for European integration, and I think we stand for democracy here, but we also stand for Ukraine. Let us keep that moment for the next Parliament, too. I will go back to the national parliament, but I hope this House will continue to stand with Ukraine and not have its ethics interfered with by third countries like Russia.

Thank you, Chair. I think the speaker also referred to the fact that we have to overcome technical problems to do this, because we can see the criminalities Russia has posed in Ukraine in its civil work, in the humanitarian crisis, every day, for more than 760 days. You said that the Council is moving too slow and we have to support it. Don’t you believe that because we have coordinated all the sanctions together with many other countries, also on frozen assets, USA is moving first and we can move and ask also G7 countries to work together on this one, because I don’t see any other reason for not to give that than a threat to Europe’s stability. So work internationally together. What do you think of the idea?

Madam President, first of all, there is no opposition here in Parliament. We are here for the different groups and for the citizens. I read the EPP promise for the next elections. It says it wants to defend workers’ rights and wants to have fair income. How do you, Petteri Orpo, take that EPP message to Council? And is this fake? We have people on the streets now. There are big strikes going on. The KOK Government is cutting benefits, cutting rights for the political strikes, and at the same time making benefits for our income level, the most rich one, and cutting the poor. And I am very worried that ‘17 000 more poor children’ is in the programme. The previous government was in the time of the growing economy, and this government takes more loans than the previous one. So this is my call for the Council what to do: on the defence on the eastern border these issues are national and I welcome very much the strong words of the government that has to be taken there. And finally, something was missing: the rule of law. You didn’t take that up. Is it because the MEPs here voted against your ministers and speakers, and others are saying that this is not important, it is Hungary who have their national rights? Please be strong there. The Finnish voice is needed. The processes started last term. They are vital for the democracy as well.

Madam President, I want to be very concrete about what can we do more. I think that when we talk about the children here, there is need for the battlefield help from our side. There is need for Ukrainian society to run. There is no nation during the war if you don’t have schools and electricity and systems in place. So we have done our best to also support these 50 billion. But for the children, once you get the children back or broken families back, what can we do to help them? One idea is these rehabilitation centres that we can create to give them a safer place, if you can find a safer place today in Ukraine. I think we also can help NGOs working very close to those front line and in the society. I think we don’t only need to give more, but give our hearts for the issue and look at the eyes of the children. There has been already one and a half years ago the UN declaration on these deported children and issue. And we just hear the numbers going bigger. So, if we all put efforts together and also in the international podiums take up this every time you speak, Madam Minister or Commissioner, bring the children on the topic very high.

Ms Auštrevičius, do you think we can do more? I am now chairing the INTA Committee’s Russia monitoring group on sanctions, and I know how difficult it has been between the Member States to agree. But also there is good news that there is a long list – 700 pages – of individuals, and also individuals who are in charge of doing this, initiated ‘Russification’, are taking care of the PR campaign in Russia, which somebody even reads here. They are doing the plans, how they get the passports. And now I also hear bad news from occupied regions that they need passports, Russian passports, to go to schools or they pay people to send them to Siberia. What can we do more than say to our own national governments that do more? Do you have ideas?

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, I think this is a crucial file. It is not technical, even if it seems like that. I am not very happy with what has been the outcome of this file because I think it really endangers the future of the Europe's position as a telecom pioneer. I didn't hear a word mentioned here on the strategic autonomy. I didn't hear a word mentioning the critical infrastructure. On these days, we cannot forget critical infrastructure as telecom sector is very vital for us to see forward. So I think this is not a balanced version when we talk about the holders and licence providers. So I think hurrying here can do damage for European Union innovative R&D. Also, I think, for example, the explanation on the retroactivity, how can you say that, ‘please invest in Europe, but we are doing the retroactive legislation and we are overlooking that this would even change the existing patent agreements’? So, for me, it was very good that the chair of the JURI Committee has amended this one to find it more balanced. And I really thought that it is not a party political question, that we will find a balanced outcome and look at these previously mentioned big vital questions for Europe. I think Europe, who was the champion in 2G, 3G, 4G, is doing it in 5G. We cannot forget that and find something more balanced for 6G and Europe to be champion.

Mr President, dear Commissioner and Council, we approach the second horrible anniversary of Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine. It is good to share here this common strong spirit for supporting Ukraine militarily, economically, financially and politically. The Council has to overcome Orbán and find solutions for the EUR 50 billion. No country fights without electricity, schools, hospitals and functioning society. We support and build our capacity for arms production in Europe, but we have to stop helping Russia and the Russian military too. Don’t you agree? We have to ensure that the battlefield goods are not exported from the European Union to Russia, despite sanctions. Circumventions of sanctions must stop. Customs statistics show that EU countries’ exports to central Asian countries grew by 80% in a year. Shocking headlines in the media talk about the goods which look like they are destined for central Asia, but they end up in Russia. We have to put more pressure on third countries, but, to put end to this, also not to accept any European company to make money with the blood of Ukrainians. As the new Chair for the Russia monitoring group in the International Trade Committee, I promise we will not look overlook sanctions commonly agreed.

–Mr President, dear Commissioner, I remember talk of the ozone hole, and then we people got together and made the solutions in 1987 in the Montreal Protocol which phased out many substances that were responsible for the hole in the ozone layer. And we do have fridges and we do have refrigerators and I don't know anybody going for the market to look for the one with CFCs. I only heard two critical Groups here, so we are together here making decisions that we also don't need F-Gases that are 2.5% of our greenhouse gas emissions, and that number has doubled since 1990 unlike greenhouse gases in general. So I don't know if you should put a few in the museum and a few fridges or heat pumps for those who are not willing to change for the future. I’m very happy with the majority here, and then that balanced outcome that we can work for the people, for the climate and for our industries. It is very important that the security of supply aspect is taken on board with more heat pumps, but also it befits the Commission to look at the eco labelling that fireplaces in -20 are a good aspect to look when there is electricity cuts.

Madam President, we are in a very serious situation. We are facing our biggest and most important mission ever: green transition. We have promised that our European Union will be climate neutral by 2050 and, by 2030, cut our emissions by 55 %. We have a huge job to do. At the same time, energy prices are skyrocketing and our society, traffic and industries are asking for more electricity than ever before. Small molecular reactors (SMRs) are interesting as they can produce a large amount of low carbon electricity. They can offer savings in cost and construction time. They are interesting for investments as they can be deployed incrementally to match increasing energy demand. SMRs can be sited on the location not suitable for all renewable or not suitable for larger nuclear plants. They can be manufactured and then shipped and then installed on site, for example next to the steel factory. At the moment, we don’t have any SMRs in place today. The technology is still are still under development. Today’s report looks at the potential of SMRs also in the European Union. The European Union must be the frontrunner not only on renewable energy, but also when it comes to the new clean technologies and research and development in the union. This is how we cut emissions, stay competitive and stop our dependence on third countries. We have to do our part in the European Union, and we hope the Dubai climate conference will make a success of all the commitments on the climate change.

Mr President, this proposal has required a lot of work by enthusiastic people of AFCO. And here we also hear the fierce, furious talks against any change. But what we really lack is the citizens’ interest on this. The Conference of Europe was a good try, but not everybody thinks that today launching a treaty process is the most urgent work for European politics to do. But we see that enlargement is taking place and it needs preparedness on both sides – among us as well. We need that the security can be enhanced. Also, every eastern border country of ours, also Estonia. Europe’s voice in the world needs to be heard. So, I am worried of the many political struggles that we are having now: populism raising, nationalism raising, racism raising. Debate is never bad, but what we need today is really a unity and not dividing us. I, coming from the small Nordic country, deeply believe in the European values and a strong Europe is needed. I work for it every day: for Europe and for my country. I see there is a huge gap of preparedness. Maybe also the lack of trust that possible treaty change is for better today in these conditions. So, I believe that we start also doing these step-by-step talks, sector by sector, how we will keep this Europe strong and united.

Mr President, Commissioner, there is too much packaging and waste produced today. We all are consumers in the Union. We see that there are many good ways to reduce the waste. Through the packaging that is measured right, avoid mini-scaled packaging, for example in hotels, recycling packaging materials so they do not end up in the waste fill and then also the circular economy can diminish needs for new materials through the reuse also we can find it somewhere. Reuse does not fit everywhere, but there are ideas for that one also to be promoted. We have the Single-Use Plastic Regulation in place, but it is very narrow, so I expected something more to come. But what we see now that it was banning paper, it was banning composites, and actually what we see in McDonald’s in France, adding plastic cups that comes from oil-based fossils that is imported from outside of Europe and is not recyclable. So I hope the trilogues the best of luck not to replace reusable, renewable paper and composites with the plastic that is now happening. Good luck.

Mr President, the outcome of this EU-US summit is good because we had the life-saving news that both the USA and the EU continue their steadfast support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Then also we had news that, despite the fact that the two sides could not come to an agreement on the steel and aluminium tariffs or broadening the understanding of the critical materials, so important for climate change and our future industries, that they will continue the negotiations. And we could read what the ambassador to the European Union Mark Gitenstein said that the US would not let the tariff rate quotas expire on 1 January, but is ready to continue the negotiations. So I wish good luck because this is what we least need in this time of geopolitical tensions: to start any more trade disputes. But rather I also want to take the activity and needed transatlantic relationship that is more important than ever. Also last week, four European Parliament committees visited the United States and we do our best to keep on the same track for the future on this global crisis that we are facing.

Mr President, it is important that Europe updates its strategy for a better internet for our children. That old one is already ten years old, and the problems have not been solved during the COVID-19 period, when the use of the internet increased. Unfortunately, crime has also increased. It is important that we also have legislative projects underway, such as the law against sexual harassment of children. We need to finish that. As part of that law, the use of the age limit, which has also been discussed at the moment, can also be used, but it would be important that, overall, recommendations and addictive models directed specifically at children should also be covered by prohibitions and, before that, by the self-sufficiency of platforms. Children of all ages need training in the use of the Internet, when that device can be found in the hands already as a child. We have to teach at home and also in schools, but at the same time we have to make sure that every European child has access to the Internet and thus the taste of almost limitless information and hugging in the world.

Mr President, this is about striving for cleaner lakes, rivers and seas in Europe. And it’s to recognise that urban wastewater treatment is an important investment for the future. Water is one of our most important resources. Bringing a fourth level of wastewater treatment that includes pharmaceutical products, cosmetic ingredients and microplastics is a significant step and sign that we now better understand the risks posed by these emissions. There is also good reason to try to find solutions for the polluter pays principle. It is also important that this directive takes into account the unique aspect of different climate and landscape conditions. For example, that due to cold waters, nitrogen does not always cause eutrophication in inland waters. We should ensure that the directive acknowledges wastewater treatment facilities as critical infrastructure so they can operate even in exceptional circumstances. For example, independent of the source of electricity.

Mr President, colleagues, Commissioner, we are talking about the new negotiations on agreements strengthening the supply chains of critical minerals between the EU and the United States. It is a crucial step towards enhanced cooperation on improving transatlantic cooperation that benefits us both. Today the President of the Commission highlighted in her State of the Union speech that initiatives such as the Critical Raw Materials club are needed to foster international cooperation in critical materials. This would be a concrete step to start a club. The European Parliament will do its part in encouraging the Commission to work towards an ambitious agreement with the United States. I want to thank the Chair, Bernd Lange, for his dedication and work he has put on these efforts. We should aim to include as many minerals as possible, and recycled raw materials to ensure that EU exporters can be guaranteed a level playing field, as the Inflation Reduction Act gives tax credits for electric vehicles with the US origin, and it includes altogether 50 raw materials. Agreements should be conducted swiftly, respect appropriate sustainability standards and the protection of workers’ rights, and fully respect the EU climate targets, WTO rules and enhance the EU’s own strategic autonomy. Strategic cooperation based on shared values, such as democracy and respect for human rights, form a solid base for mutually beneficial cooperation and trade. Working on this cooperation is crucial for fostering supply chains of critical raw materials. There are good titles in tech and trade councils for the United States and the EU. This is part of the crucial steps that we can take. This is not the final but the first step. Bon courage!

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear rapporteur and friends, the standards of visibility, transparency and accessibility in the European Union should be the best in the world. Accessible, transparent, reliable information about the decision-making of the European Union is the cornerstone to build the trust between citizens and decision-makers. In the AFCO opinion, we also highlighted that Parliament’s own relevant bodies and all EU bodies should ensure that the documents are easily accessible to the public. It gives certain examples of the disappointing cases in the Council, in Commission but also in Parliament and very-well based recommendations that how to make the webpage more easily readable to gather the information and then also for the citizens to understand what is happening here. I want to underline that the data, once it is given to the journalist or people should be in the machine-readable format. We live in the digitalised age and it’s quite horrible to listen that they only release the documents in the PDF format, and it’s especially important when it’s concerning numerical or financial data. So let us do this better and get digitalised and transparent institutions.

Madam President, colleagues, Europe is the lighthouse of the democracy and this house is on the top. So we need the highest possible standards for our work. Democracy cannot prevail without transparency. People have a right to know what is happening, what are we doing. So the transparency is really the basis, fundamental basis, for the trust. And we have to re-win this trust for these institutions after what has been happened, the Qatargate, and what have media, the open and free media in Europe, revealed so many times. I really want to thank the work of the ING2 on this report as well. So I also welcome the recommendation to make practice mandatory of publishing meeting with all the lobbies. state representative and other interest representatives and make that visible for all. And I welcome finally the ethics body proposal done and the vote we had today, that was a good win. And also in this report, you find many good ideas to build this ethics body much stronger than the proposal was. And I hope the vote on this one will improve the good basis, as this is the way to win back the democracy and win back the trust so that we can work and be the lighthouse also in the future.

Madam President, Commissioner, rapporteurs. colleagues, we are taking a historical step and the whole world is interested in what will happen here. This AI Act will boost AI usage, but not forget that societies are built on rules. Rules are there for safety, health, democracy, rule of law, privacy and environment. But now we hear police globally that do something as people start to see solutions in our lives. AIDA special committee and data strategy have been paving the way for balanced regulation and two years of work in Parliament improved already good Commission proposal. We do not want a predictive policing that you most probably are a criminal nor scoring citizens by pointing systems. And no, and it is good that the EPP position would also ban this also by private entities. Do you want to emotion recognition to be used at your children’s school or at the workplace? Parliament don’t. Last week I spent in Washington the most common sentence I heard was we are lagging so much behind EU. So the global interest and I am a strong believer of the Brussels effect. So the definition that aligns internationally and treaties also the generative AI helps us to do something good for the global societies.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, Rapporteur, the Commission proposal for the evidence is already from the last mandate, and after hard work of four years, the European Parliament has been very crucial doing the work to find a balance. I think the EU is now ready to speed up obtaining electronic evidence cross-border in the EU. It is obvious that what happens online and with the digital tools is increasingly crucial for information for criminal investigations. Also, requirement to ask to store the data before deletion is needed. Cross—border coordination is somewhat difficult anyway because criminal law is only partially harmonised in the different Member States, so this regulation is improved and better now. When the investigator issues in order to other country, so Member States where the service provider receives the notification has the duty to assess the order if there are concerns on the fundamental rights like privacy or media freedom. So if the offence might be not even a crime in the country of the service provider, so there is possibility to refuse. So doing this e—evidence right now paves also the way for negotiations with the USA on the UN convention. We have many legislative possibilities to work to enhance use of digital tools and new technologies, but it doesn’t need to mean that we forget the fundamental rights. We are able to do Europe safer with the help of digital tools and not to override fundamental rights.

Madam President, Commissioner, I am happy to support the great INI report by Javi López and the almost unanimous decision of AFET on this report. As we navigate in the ever-changing landscape of global security challenges, the European Union must adapt and strengthen its capacities to react quickly, robustly and effectively to the conflicts and crises also outside of EU borders. The EU Rapid Deployment Capacity can be a critical good component to our collective security that we can use in the future. The Rapid Deployment Capacity can allow us to respond swiftly to crises beyond the borders, and examples for the evacuations can be very concrete targets that it can be used to. So it enables us to project stability in the areas where the conflicts threaten the regional security, not maybe only in Africa, but 360 around us. Such talks will include rescue and evacuation, initial entry and initial phase of stabilisation operators, operations, temporary reinforcement for other missions, and acting as a reserve force to secure exit. This capacity in the EU battlegroups, which are multinational and high readiness military units, can provide a flexible and rapid response force. I think the way forward is clear. We do not see the moral calm surroundings, but we can see the need for this one. So the thing that Article 44 TEU is not ever used is not the reason to make this better and be readiness for the use. And I am happy to also see that my country, Finland, is participating for the exercises taken by Spanish and French governments. So we have to enhance our military readiness, improve interoperability, foster closer cooperation among Member States to ensure more effective and efficient EU capacity. Together, we can shape our future of the citizens and contribute to global peace and stability.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have built a European electricity and energy network, and we will continue to work so that we can achieve emission reductions and yet make energy and electricity safely available to all. And now the task is also to reduce dependence on Russian and other fossil energies. Energy storages are an important topic of the day, as it is also possible that, in addition to renewable investments, their lack could become a bottleneck for switching to clean electricity systems. In my country, Finland, 89 per cent of electricity was already emission-free last year. Investments in wind power doubled and now we have also opened a new emission-free nuclear power plant, so we are close to 100 per cent. However, we believe that there will be more renewable electricity everywhere, and as its supply varies, electricity batteries and accumulators will be needed in the energy system, and heat storage facilities will also be able to reduce emissions. The Commission's recommendations, ten points, are a good way to awaken Member States to carry out their analysis carefully and to introduce measures without which Member States would not have enough storage possibilities. Sometimes there is a lack of funding, sometimes there is a lack of funding. Peak demand and supply are part of flexibility needs, and stocks must be seen as one way. We also get a good electricity market model through demand response and price control. I'm also excited to start working on regulation, the electricity market model and REMIT, where we need to keep the parts that work and then tackle those that have caused problems for consumers.

Mr President, I think we are doing now what the decision makers of today have to do. We are doing legislation to save the climate. Climate heating needs actions from decision makers of today. Maybe it is hard to love every detail of the big package, but we have to love our planet and try to give it to our children in the shape that we inherited it. It’s hard and we need all these actions. There is not good or bad emissions; all the sectors have to look at how they can get rid of the emissions. Did we do any mistakes in the past in the climate policies? I think we did. We didn’t take care of the consumption emissions we caused in Europe. Now, the CBAM together with the ETS is tackling that challenge. Together with the ETS, we will see that there will be a price on carbon. Also the investors have learned to love this security for their investments. We see that is happening. A lot of new work, a lot of new well-being for Europeans is promised when they can trust that there is a price on carbon.

Elsi Katainen, here you say hello to this legal certainty and to the fact that this is going backwards, but also to the fact that it cannot be possible to bring individual buildings to the farms. However, do you also see in this whole that deforestation must also be applied to domestic products imported from within Europe, that is, how, in your opinion, this could have been brought to the finish line in such a way that it would reduce deforestation globally and we would also do our homework in Finland?