Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, this is an emergency. The diagnosis is made, the path is drawn, the conjunctural responses are being applied quickly and courageously. But the question I wanted to ask you is about structural responses, because structural responses are also of immediate need. The European Commission has identified the Iberian Peninsula as an energy island. For this reason, moreover, the governments of Portugal and Spain were able to apply the cap on the price of gas introduced into electricity to reduce the impact and also to recognise investment in renewables and investment and lack of investment in interconnectors. But I wanted to ask you a very concrete question. What is done in the Iberian Peninsula will be the cornerstone of the European Commission's response to the structural issue. A little while ago, he said: “Let’s bet first on electricity interconnections, the others take a long time, but there has to be an exceptional procedure. We cannot lower our arms.” What is the exceptional procedure for the third connection of the Iberian Peninsula to the European energy market to be completed?

Madam President, Commissioner, the world has changed faster in a direction that very few predicted before the pandemic and the war. This change made the oral question that gave rise to this debate even more timely and relevant. Without research and innovation, there is no strategic autonomy. Without strategic autonomy, the ability of peoples to determine their future is impaired. However, strategic autonomy is a starting point and not a point of arrival. Protectionism and closure do not lead us in the right direction. They open the door to conflict, inequality, vulnerability and suffering for millions of human beings. Strategic autonomy and a commitment to research and innovation must be the seeds of a global network of multilateral, secure, trust-based, attractive, open cooperation, sharing humanistic and sustainable values and priorities and fostering the circulation of knowledge. The European Union must continue to embrace multilateralism with causes and based on values, and research and innovation must be pillars of this geostrategic commitment.

Mr President, Commissioner, in the context of war, adversaries have used our weaknesses to manipulate the market and create a difficult situation for everyone, in particular the most vulnerable consumers and companies with the greatest difficulties. Therefore, the oral question that led to this debate could not be more timely. The fact is that the RepowerEU package presented today by the European Commission contains responses in line with what was requested in it. Market price regulation, although unfortunately not going as far as necessary in decoupling price elasticity from gas price, direct support to businesses and consumers, the possibility of joint purchases in the market, mandatory stockpiling, increased and simplified investment in renewable energy, a strong commitment to green hydrogen, the creation of a resilient and fluid market through more interconnections. Commissioner, let us learn from the mistakes. One of the mistakes we made was the systematic blocking of the reinforcement of the interconnections of the Iberian Peninsula to the European market. These interconnectors and, in particular, the third interconnector from Portugal for gas and hydrogen are a priority that will now have to be realised.

Madam President, Commissioner, I reiterate in this House my firm condemnation of the coup d'état in Burkina Faso, a condemnation I have already expressed as chairman of the European Parliament's delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Assembly in various fora. I welcome the recent decisions taken by the African Union and the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to suspend Burkina Faso from all its bodies and activities until constitutional order is restored in the country. President Kaboré and his detainees must be immediately and unconditionally released. The military junta must prepare for the speedy restoration of the exercise of full power to a legitimate government. The recent proclamation of the leader of the military coup as president of the country cannot remove Burkina Faso from the essential, which is to guarantee the urgent restoration of the rule of law and ensure a government out of fair and free elections. The humanitarian situation in Burkina Faso is worrying. More than one and a half million displaced people in the country, more than half of the country's schools closed, more than two and a half million inhabitants at risk of severe hunger, plus the insecurity and stark limitations to the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens that undermine the daily life of this Sahel country. In this context, the European Union must therefore seriously consider punitive measures against the destabilising and creating entities of this situation in Burkina Faso, without, of course, affecting humanitarian aid or projects that directly help civil society. And in this way, we can give a clear signal of uncompromising defense of the rule of law, democratic elections and the need to give stability to the country and peace to the Sahel region, which has been living in an environment of instability and permanent terrorist threat.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to begin by underlining the timeliness and importance of this debate. It shows that, at a time of exception, as in the case of extreme drought, European citizens can count on the solidarity of the European institutions, starting with the house of democracy that is this Parliament. The European Union Solidarity Fund is here for this when needed, complementing the actions of the Member States and their institutions. Next Monday, the European Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries will discuss concrete measures to mitigate the impacts of drought in Portugal and Spain, including livestock and agri-food activities, at the request of both governments. Further solidarity measures at European level will be discussed and activated if and when needed. Mr President, Commissioner, the climate is not a constant phenomenon. Wet and dry years are part of the meteorological records. Dry years are nothing new, but the frequency and intensity with which they have occurred in various regions of Europe, in particular in the Iberian Peninsula, is a clear proof of the impact of global warming. The PDSI drought index shows that 45% of the Portuguese territory was in severe or extreme drought in January 2022, while the standard precipitation index SPI shows that most of the Spanish territory was in a situation classified between slightly dry and very dry in that month. The European Environment Agency, in its recent report on changing climate risks in Europe, warns that southern Europe must prepare for warmer summers, more frequent droughts and a greater risk of fire. It also states that Central Europe is likely to experience lower summer rainfall, more frequent and stronger extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall, floods, droughts and fire risks. Extreme drought and severe weather events are structural but have cyclical impacts. They are not natural in their effect on people and territories. It must be avoided that the poorest and most vulnerable suffer the most serious consequences. This is what the governments of Portugal and Spain have done in this circumstance. And this is what we must continue to do, always, in local, regional, national, European and global responses to extreme weather events. This evidence is an added reason to continue our strong commitment to decarbonisation. I denounce here the regrettable use that some have not refrained from making of this situation to challenge the closure of coal-fired power plants and other ongoing measures to comply with the Climate Law and the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package. The necessary responses are also an opportunity and a challenge to modernise and adopt best practices in water management. Concrete measures have been taken by the Governments of Portugal and Spain, either through their own measures or by strengthening bilateral cooperation in the management of common river basins under the Albufeira Arrangement. Mr President, Commissioner, I will conclude: we must fight climate change decisively, but at the same time we must continue to mobilise society, knowledge, technology, innovation, the sharing of good practices to ensure security and quality of life and sustainable development for the territories in response to the new challenges we are facing. Farmers must continue to have water to efficiently produce the goods we need. Water must continue to be available at taps for rational use. Industry and services need water to deliver essential products. Socialists and Democrats make this a priority goal. Count on us in Portugal, in Spain, wherever it is necessary to safeguard the sustainable elements at the service of people and the planet.

Madam President, Mr High Representative, we are experiencing a peak of tension on a global scale. Intense talks seek to prevent Russia's invasion of Ukraine by reopening a Pandora's box on a continent that, in the last century, was the main stage of two bloody and destructive World Wars. And in this emergency scenario, Europe-Africa relations are even more important. This week's summit in Brussels is a defining moment. It must be the basis for strengthening a strong partnership between equals, pragmatic, multilateral, focused on results, the quality of life of peoples and the sustainability of the planet. A partnership for which the Africa-Europe Investment Programme, to which the European Union has allocated €150 million to focus on renewable energy, natural disaster risk reduction, digital transition, vaccines and education, is the starting point of Global Gateway and which is expected to mobilise €300 billion of public and private funds in infrastructure projects around the world. All these projects are a fundamental tool to move more decisively from words to action and to strengthen the voice of both continents as promoters of global peace, based on cooperation and values, counteracting the growing influence of extremist and authoritarian currents in geopolitical chess. The success of the Europe-Africa Summit, which I firmly hope will serve the peoples of both continents, but it will also serve humanity.

Mr President, Commissioner, the unpredictability with which the pandemic erupted has forced us to learn from our own experience. We learn to be more supportive, we learn that everyone for themselves, no one has effective answers, but it remains a doubt. Was it a one-off learning given the circumstances or did we move to a new level in our collective relationship? Tomorrow's European Council will give decisive signals to clarify that doubt. If we jointly prepare the response platform to the next crises, if we empower the most vulnerable countries to also be able to respond to threats and, at the same time, develop their skills base, knowledge and capacity to produce and distribute essential goods, if we jointly change the regulatory framework that allows speculation in energy prices, if we create more autonomy to defend ourselves by having a stronger voice within NATO, if we apply a humanistic and efficient framework in the management of migration flows, then we can say: The change was structural. European citizens will have more reason to be proud of being part of a humanistic and solidarity-based partnership.

Mr President, Commissioner, the Nutrition for Growth Summit, the results of which we are examining here, cannot be dissociated from many other high-level summits and meetings to create the conditions for achieving the Millennium Goals. But the facts have not stood the test of the pandemic and the data shows that, once again, it was the most vulnerable who paid the most for the global catastrophe it induced. The main indicators of sustainable growth have been set back over the past year. Child labour, hunger, malnutrition, school drop-outs, violence and lack of respect for human rights have increased. Some of the countries on the list of those where hunger is most acute are countries with valuable natural resources and elites living in a bubble of ostentation. Others are countries torn apart by war and internal conflicts, one cannot be separated from the other. Hunger and hopelessness are often the result of war, of natural disasters, but they are also the seeds from which they are born. The ambition of a future with more people with access to healthy and affordable food requires concerted action. To kill hunger is also to prevent the death of dreams and the rights of dignity and fulfillment of many millions of human beings. Without it, there can be no sustainability. There may not even be humanity possible.

Mr President, Commissioner, risk and disruption factors are plaguing more and more territories and populations amid unacceptable inequalities and vulnerabilities. The pandemic has further highlighted the difference between the ambition of the targets and the sustainability of development we pursue and what we have actually achieved on the ground. More than 200 million people are currently in dire need of humanitarian support. The humanist sense and commitment to solidarity and cooperation are watermarks of the European project, but we must be able to go further, mobilise more resources and partnerships and put in place development solutions using knowledge and technology to break through logistic blocks and help those who need it better and faster. This report is a roadmap of hope and good practice. It is the result of teamwork, but it is also the reflection of an exceptional parliamentarian, Norbert Neuser, from whom I learned a lot and from whom we all learned a lot. A Member who will leave this Parliament, but not the causes because he has always fought, in particular the Foundation. Kick for Help. The ball stays with us, Norbert. I know you won't let us fail those who need it so much.

Madam President, Commissioner, in the introduction to the opinion for which I was rapporteur in the ITRA committee, I wrote that a European approach to digital markets focused on better services for citizens and better conditions for business will create a more balanced and transparent global digital market, inspired by common European principles and values, thus enhancing the geopolitical relevance of the European Union and contributing to a fairer and more sustainable globalisation. Today's report is largely in line with this vision and ambition. I thank the shadow rapporteurs of ITRA who, with their enormous commitment and capacity for dialogue, helped to build and approve, with 73 votes in favour and just one abstention, a robust opinion that responded to the priorities we have defined, the transparent competitiveness of markets, safeguarding the role of small and medium-sized enterprises, the creation of an appropriate regulatory environment for small and medium-sized enterprises. startups and for professional users in the digital ecosystem. The benefit of consumers, with solutions such as interoperability or access by express consent to data for communication purposes, which were then inspiring for fruitful joint work under the 57+ rule. The articulated work of the seven committees involved in this report has not been easy, but its outcome is relevant. The result we have achieved is Parliament's pride and is an excellent basis for negotiation with the Council, in a spirit of constructive dialogue aimed at simplifying, enhancing the effectiveness of the regulation and the objective conditions for its application. By adopting this report, we will take a step forward in a digital transition in which the values and principles of the European partnership remain embedded. With them, we will have to be able to make a difference in the fight for a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable world.

Madam President, Commissioner, this is no longer the first time that we have discussed the situation in Cameroon in this plenary, but unfortunately we still have reason to do so. The armed conflict continues to rage in the country, Boko Haram continues to take lives, and just yesterday the news reached us of several students murdered in the Southwest, in an ignoble terrorist attack. Repression of civil society and armed conflict must cease. Imprisonment of opponents and limitation of their rights, use of military courts for civil trials, limitation of the rights of citizens and, most likely, of students, under the pretext of confinement under the pandemic, violence against children and teachers, lack of security resulting in reports of rape, abduction, torture, robbery, murder, are not admissible. Once again, I call on the Government of Cameroon to respect the rights of its citizens and to engage in an effective ceasefire between the parties to the conflict, so that peace and the rule of law can be restored in Cameroon.

Madam President, Commissioner, this year alone, 964 civilians have been killed or injured as a result of armed clashes in Somalia. In addition to the dead and wounded, there is a daily increase in the number of malnourished, malnourished, displaced, unemployed, climate refugees and the various internal and external conflicts. All this adds up to a very fragile response to the pandemic and an unsustainable political situation. The current electoral impasse calls for a strong commitment to complete the ongoing process by the end of this year, leaving no gaps open for terrorism to take over daily life, as has already happened and is happening in so many other countries on the continent. The limitations on the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens in general, of opponents in particular, coupled with the limitations on freedom of expression and the killings of journalists, are reprehensible. Women and children are, in this conflict, as in many other similar cases, the weakest link, and must be protected. The Somali authorities cannot cast their citizens into oblivion and must act swiftly, responsibly and resolutely so that the crisis can be resolved for the benefit of all, and above all for the benefit of the country.

Mr President, Commissioner, the state of the Energy Union is clearer than ever. We are in a state of need. The need for more strategic autonomy is only achievable with continued investment in renewable energy and technologies for its storage. The need for a wider and more transparent market whose prices are not determined by fossil fuels and whose flows are not strangled by the lack of interconnections. The need to bet with determination on distributed production and consumption models, with diversified clean sources and involving territories and communities in their sustainability. Finally, the need to combat energy poverty and promote the just transition, dignity and quality of life of Europeans. This goal is within our reach. In the green transition, the European Union has expanded its leadership capacity on a global scale. In a state of need, we need vision, decision and action. Vision, decision and action at the right time, and the right time is now.

Madam President, vaccinating the world is the best way to reduce the health, economic and social impact of the pandemic. But a path with constraints. Many countries do not have access to vaccines because they do not have the resources to buy them. Africa has less than 10% of its population vaccinated. Across the world, populists use vaccines to fracture societies and consolidate their power at the expense of people's suffering. Millions of people are contaminated by dark theories and refuse to get vaccinated. In the European Union, we must be true to our values and ambitious in this process, promoting and disseminating throughout the world scientific knowledge and technological capacity to produce and implement vaccination, combating speculation and regulating the production and distribution of vaccines, so as to ensure that they are public goods accessible to all, without strangling the research and innovation system that has enabled quality responses in record time. It's not an easy challenge. It is perhaps the greatest challenge we face and we must be able to overcome it!

Madam President, Commissioner, the humanitarian situation in Haiti is devastating, as have the successive natural disasters that have affected the country in recent years. Disasters and institutional fragility have induced an endemic cycle of poverty and social chaos. Linking humanitarian aid to strengthening the resilience of Haitian society, including by supporting the capacity of the state to provide basic services to the population, is key. The humanitarian situation in Haiti has already been debated several times in this Parliament. We have always called, and it makes sense to call again today, for a strong mobilisation of the international community. We have always advocated the broad involvement of the European Union. However, without political stability and more institutional capacity, no foundations are laid for the sustainable development of the country. Emergency humanitarian aid will be more effective if combined with a stability and development dimension to which the Haitian authorities must also be committed.

Madam President, solving the people's problem must be our priority. Lessons from the response to the pandemic, in particular lessons from the vaccination strategy, show that collaborative and solidarity-based work is more effective and responds better to what citizens expect from us. I hope that this spirit of solidarity and cooperation will inspire the important decisions facing the European Council in the digital transformation, including the cyclical and structural response to rising energy prices, the definition of a new generation of sustainable trade policies and the use of all the tools at our disposal to ensure mass and global vaccination. Portugal, my country, has 87% of the population vaccinated. Haiti, whose humanitarian situation we are debating today in this plenary, has 0.7%. Leaving no one behind in vaccination is a challenge of civilization, it is a challenge of survival. We have to live up to it.

Mr President, Commissioner, a year after being nebulously detained, Paul Rusesabagina, who saved over a thousand lives in 1994 from his country's genocide, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges of terrorism and criminal activities. A Belgian national residing in the United States, he was arrested on arrival in Rwanda on a trip in 2020. Since then, we have seen a series of abuses of the rule of law and the country's judicial system, along with a clear disregard for the detainee's rights. This process has been criticized by the international community as a way of silencing political dissent and opposition to installed power. We cannot condone this action by the Rwandan Government. I call for the separation of powers to be guaranteed, for the political opposition and the right of opinion to be fully respected and for the citizen Paul Rusesabagina to be guaranteed all the rights inherent in his condition: the right to access their medication, the right to prepare their defence with all the human and material means at their disposal, and above all, at this time, the right to a fair and free remedy.

Madam President, Commissioner, in scheduling this debate the European Parliament has given an important signal that it has understood what concerns the citizens and wants to be on the side of the solution. I regret that the proposal of the Socialists and Democrats to add a resolution to this debate has not been made possible. But that is no excuse for not taking action, because it is necessary. Many say that the peak in energy prices is a natural consequence of the market and as such has to be accepted. It is true that there has been a peak in demand, a sign of recovery of the European economy, but it is also true that this circumstance has been ridden by multiple movements to exploit market failures, to generate short-term profits or to condition the energy transition in the medium and long term. We need to stop these dynamics with concrete answers: It continues to focus on renewables, which already bring lower prices than fossil fuels to the clean energy market today. Using the carbon market and the funds it generates as an emergency resource to address energy poverty and support companies in greatest difficulty. investing in the development of storage capacity for renewable energy, including green hydrogen and batteries. Multiplying interconnections to make the market more fluid and resistant to manoeuvres like those we are denouncing here today. And promoting more transparent distributed energy systems with greater community involvement. This price spike is a wake-up call. This is not a time to hesitate in the European commitment to the energy transition, but an opportunity to respond to its enemies with measures to promote people's dignity, economic innovation and environmental sustainability.

Madam President, Commissioner, since 6 July, when we discussed the situation in Tigray in this House, the conflict in this region of Ethiopia has worsened, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated and the reports coming from the ground are deeply worrying and appalling. According to the latest available data, there are currently more than five million people in extreme hunger and there are reports of mass killings that should be urgently investigated and treated as war crimes. I recall that Addis Ababa was the first capital to which the President of the European Commission went after being elected, marking her willingness to assert a geopolitical Commission. I believe that the situation in Tigray now justifies, Commissioner, a political and diplomatic mission by the European Union on the ground in addition to humanitarian aid. I encourage you to set it in motion. Ethiopia must urgently return to the rule of law, in strict compliance with the Cotonou Agreement to which it is a signatory. The European Union, which has the largest beneficiary of its Emergency Trust Fund in Ethiopia, must continue to work to raise awareness among the parties to put an end to this escalation of violence and its tragic consequences. I end by calling on the parties to the conflict to have an immediate ceasefire accompanied by measures to restore peace in the country.

Mr President, Commissioner, in 2015 the Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the aim of which is to leave no one behind by increasing global development and the quality of life of citizens. I emphasise the European Parliament's commitment to scrutinising the external dimension of the European Union's policies related to combating biodiversity loss in developing countries. This report expresses a commitment to the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda. A commitment that has also resulted in 10% of the European resources to be invested in the next decade, under the new generation funds, for the promotion and protection of biodiversity. The direct dependence on the subsistence of biological diversity of about 70% of the world's poor population requires a holistic and in-depth approach to policies that directly interfere with nature and the lives of those most in need and dependent. I welcome the reference made in this report to the importance of protecting indigenous peoples and local communities, the chief custodians of biodiversity, and investing in policies that guarantee food sovereignty, including fishing, pastoralism and agriculture, and protecting areas of the world that are most vulnerable to deforestation and climate change. I conclude, Mr President, by saying that the future of humanity also depends on us. Let us now begin to guarantee it to future generations.

Madam President, Commissioner, the Kakuma refugee camp, the third largest in the world, hosts asylum seekers of 20 different nationalities who arrive there. Many have lived there for years and years with no solution in sight of returning or relocating out of the countryside to start a new life. It is in this camp in Kenya that there have been repeated attacks on minorities in recent months, jeopardising their security, dignity and freedom, which is already so limited by the walls of the refugee reception centre. Violence in the Kakuma camp has increased exponentially with the Covid-19 pandemic and homophobic attacks are increasingly recurrent. A refugee was murdered in April this year. Since that month the threat of closure of the camp by the Kenyan authorities has loomed, leaving refugees in a huge degree of anxiety and uncertainty about their future. It is essential to ensure that the Kenyan authorities guarantee the safety, dignity and protection of the lives of the refugees that it hosts in this camp and for which it has been receiving funding from the European Union since 2012. Funding to ensure food security, health, the fight against malnutrition, access to clean water, hygiene, protection and education. We therefore count on the Kenyan authorities to make the commitments made in the Cotonou Agreement and also in the African Charter to protect the rights, freedoms and guarantees of refugees in search of a dignified and better life. Freedoms and guarantees that we cannot allow to be called into question again in the reception camp, after the forced flight by wars, hunger and the most diverse persecutions in the neighbouring countries.

Mr President, Commissioner, only a systemic approach to the 2030 Agenda can create the conditions for mobilisation and dignity on a global scale capable of reversing trends and rescuing the future. The challenge we are leaving to the European Commission today in the run-up to the UN Food Systems Summit is therefore an enormous opportunity. Eradicating hunger and ensuring everyone's right to adequate food means vigorously innovating in the fight against inequalities and the development of sustainable food systems. It also involves making choices in terms of trade policy and cooperation and development aid policy. As Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, I welcome the provisions to develop a partnership of equals for empowerment and sustainable development contained in the post-Cotonou agreement. The entry into force of this agreement should not be delayed, Commissioner. Now is the time to move quickly from political agreements to implementation on the ground. People and the planet cannot wait.

Madam President, I congratulate you on having learned your lesson. The solidarity response to this crisis has made a difference compared to the response to the previous crisis. It was therefore right to propose the continuation of a path of solidarity, a path, to quote its happy expression, ‘to give soul to the Union’, setting in motion the Health Union, the Union for technological leadership in chips and other strategic areas, the Social Union and tax justice, the Union for the sustainability of the planet and the dignity of people, the Union for youth, the Union for common security and defence, the Union for connectivity and fair trade, the Union for gender equality and against violence, the Union against energy poverty. I therefore hope, Madam President, that you have also learned from the lessons of the past in the new governance model that you have announced to us. It has to be effective in its implementation, it has to be supportive, collaborative, convergent and without budgetary constraints, because budgetary constraints will recover the specter of impoverishment of unemployment and injustice among peoples.

Mr President, Commissioner, never has an articulated commitment by the European Union in the field of research been so important and recognised as such by the citizens. Research must use the new networking tools to give full meaning to the concept of a European Research Area, involving territories, knowledge centres, researchers and interacting transparently with European society. This resolution consistently encourages networking, synergies, engagement, commitment, transparency, monitoring and reporting of results and demonstration of benefits to people. It should therefore be an inspiring benchmark for the Commission and the Member States to use the resources available for research and development with global ambition, respecting academic freedom and the Union’s values and ethical principles. It should also be reflected in a mobilising framework for young researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators in general so that, in a demanding combination with public policies, it is the basis for a convergent and solidarity-based recovery of the European Union, preparing it to successfully face the current challenges and those of the coming decades.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, the Tigray conflict is a painful and sad moment in contemporary history when hunger is being used as a weapon of war and endangering the lives of thousands of people. The situation on the ground is very unstable, access to food, energy or the Internet extremely limited and the armed conflict has generated numerous human rights abuses, massacres, rapes, thousands of wounded, killed, displaced or refugees. The international community has to act urgently and stop considering this issue as an internal issue of the Ethiopian state. This is a serious regional conflict, with the participation of Eritrean troops alongside government troops, with severe implications for civil society. The electoral process of 21 June, important in the construction of the democratic process, did not ensure the path of pacification of the current situation, nor did it pave the way for the urgent humanitarian response. It is therefore urgent to forge international diplomatic bridges capable of bringing the two parties to this conflict to the table and finding a peaceful solution. The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Nobel Peace laureate for having contributed to the solution of the conflict with Eritrea, now has a golden moment to be considered, in his own home, the peacemaker and not the warlord.