Speeches

Dear Chairman, Vice-President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina is essential for the maintenance of peace and security in the area of Southeast Europe. In order to ensure stability in that country, it is a priority to overcome the political crisis in which Croats, as a constituent people, are imposed illegitimate representatives at the level of the Presidency of BiH and the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH. This is possible, only and exclusively, through an urgent amendment of the electoral law that will ensure the equality of the Croatian people in BiH, who, colleagues, are deprived of the political right that is not denied practically to any other people in Europe - to elect their own political representatives. This right is recognised by the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, which unfortunately does not apply. It is therefore essential that the reform of the electoral law ensures a legitimate representation in all three constituent peoples in the same way, as in Belgium, for example, and stops the hegemony of the most numerous people. It is scandalous that some MEPs here, in Parliament, deny this fundamental right that the peoples of Belgium, such as the Germans, for example, enjoy. I will repeat this time, as I said several times from this speaker, the question of the protection of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina who are practically all citizens of the European Union, is a question of preserving fundamental European values such as the rule of law, but also the key to the stability of this part of Europe.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, six out of ten consumers have faced financial difficulties. In such circumstances, a number of consumers contacted me with comments that banks had sent unsolicited credit cards to their home address or that they had unilaterally increased their limits for permissible and tacit overdrafts on current accounts. Such bank practices must cease immediately, as they harm the financial interests of consumers who are often unaware of the increase in the borrowing limit. In my capacity as EPP Group rapporteur, I will table as early as tomorrow 150 amendments to the proposal for a Consumer Credit Directive, which will, among other things, increase the level of consumer protection and prohibit banks from sending unsolicited credit cards to consumers’ home addresses or simply increase their overdraft limits. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union clearly states that Union policies must ensure a high level of consumer protection, and it is the Consumer Credit Directive that is the right instrument to achieve this.

Dear Chair, Commissioners, colleagues, standards of healthcare provision in the EU are not harmonised, as there are significant differences between European regions but also between Member States. You are much more likely to die of cancer if you live in less developed regions of the European Union than in the most developed parts of Western and Northern Europe, which is unacceptable. We must do our utmost to close these gaps, and cohesion policy is the most generous instrument for this purpose. Cohesion policy promotes growth and jobs in regions across the Union, in particular those that are lagging behind. This is why cohesion policy is not only the Union's most important investment policy, but also an expression of solidarity between it and its Member States. It is worth highlighting the significant contribution of cohesion policy to investments in the health sector in the last programming period 2014-2020 through the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, amounting to around €24 billion, which is almost five times the amount foreseen in the EU Health Programme in the next budgetary period. However, health inequality among Member States remains a fact and cohesion investment in health needs to be further increased, but also exploited in a more efficient way than has been the case so far. This report identifies the main problems of the current situation and points to potential solutions. The biggest problem of unequal health care is visible in elements of health infrastructure, but also in labour shortages that directly affect the success of treatment in less developed regions. This is why long-term investments in health infrastructure and workforce are more urgent than ever, especially given the economic and health impact of the pandemic. Citizens in rural areas, outermost regions and islands often face barriers to equal access to healthcare, which limit their ability to obtain much-needed services. There must be no first- and second-class citizens in the European Union and all services must be available and accessible in a timely manner. In order to overcome the main barriers that exist in terms of equal access to healthcare in rural areas, advanced technologies such as e-health should be used to a large extent as an integral part of the concept of smart villages with a view to improving access to healthcare. Furthermore, we need to motivate healthcare professionals, especially doctors and nurses, to start or continue their activity in rural areas. Investments from the European Social Fund Plus in the form of financing specialisation and subspecialisation in countries and regions facing brain drain are particularly important. In addition, improving working conditions will foster a retention strategy for healthcare workers in these areas. Also, in my report, I called for cohesion policy funds to be used to develop disease-specific centres of excellence across the EU, also covering neighbouring countries and contributing to cross-border healthcare cooperation. Synergistic use should be made of all existing EU instruments, such as the EU4Health and Horizon Europe, to develop a network of such centres that would be evenly distributed across the entire territory of the Union. In this regard, the report highlights in particular the importance of the Interreg programme, which contributed to the fight against the pandemic and highlighted the benefits of cross-border healthcare. Particular emphasis was placed on projects facilitating contracts between health insurance and hospitals in different Member States to facilitate patient mobility and better access to healthcare in border areas. Finally, it is of utmost importance that the evaluation of the effects of cohesion policy takes into account the extent to which investments have contributed to improving health outcomes, such as cancer cure rates, which is precisely the area where we see the biggest differences today in the European Union. The COVID-19 pandemic is a historic milestone when it comes to investments in health systems and I therefore call on the Member States to seek to mobilise as much as possible under the Structural Funds in the new programming period to address the health needs of European citizens.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues and colleagues, the debate on the differences and similarities between Croatian and Italian Prosecco has been held in the EU institutions since the period of Croatia's accession to the European Union, and the Italian side has systematically obstructed the protection of the origin of Prosecco and its positioning on the European wine map and market. Italian claims that prošek is a new product, i.e. a copy of their Prosecca, and that, as a result, there is a risk that consumers will be misled, as well as unfair competition, are completely incorrect. Hrvatski prošek is a dense and sweet wine that belongs to the category of desserts, while Italian is prosecco light sparkling wine. Since these are two products of different color, smell and price, different traditions and customs of consumption, the protest of the Italian side is pointless. There are simply no contact points in the taste, production method or type of grapes compared to these two products, and prošek has an invaluable meaning in the centuries-old, historical and oenological tradition of Croatia. I emphasise – a centuries-old one. I welcome the fact that the Commission, in its written observations last year, took a reasonable position and made it clear that homonymity, i.e. the similarity of the name, is not sufficient to reject the Croatian application, and that, especially given the local and traditional use, homonyms in this regard can coexist as in the present case. I am also pleased that the Commission has recently published the Croatian application for protection of the traditional term ‘prošek’ in the Official Journal of the EU and is in the process of adopting a final decision. In the light of the above, I responsibly claim that Croatian Prošek and Italian prosecco they do not belong to the same group of wines. Croatia has strong historical and legal legitimacy for the recognition of the traditional term prošek at the level of the European Union. Despite Italian arguments and obstruction, Croatia, as a full member of the European Union, has the full right to protect its traditional autochthonous product Prošek, which it does, and I am convinced that the Commission will make a positive decision for Croatia in this case and thus confirm the equality of all before the rules of the common market.

The single market is a cornerstone of the European Union and as such generates 25% of European GDP, but its full potential remains to be realised. Scientific studies show that the hidden potential of the single market amounts to as much as €713 billion. This is why we need to accelerate efforts to remove unnecessary administrative barriers that hamper cross-border exchanges and make it difficult to do business, especially for SMEs in services. We also need to work to preserve the integrity of the Single Market, especially in times of health crises. The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted supply chains, leading many Member States to face shortages of critical medical equipment. Unfortunately, some producing countries have introduced export restrictions, making the situation much more difficult for those countries that were in dire need of such equipment. That is why I am extremely pleased that this report welcomes the establishment of a mechanism to control export restrictions on medical equipment, of which I am a proponent. With this mechanism, we will prevent unjustified export restrictions in the event of health crises and ensure that the European principle of solidarity is never compromised again.

While European rules on toy safety are among the strictest in the world, the fact remains that unsafe toys continue to circulate in the European single market. This is evidenced by the fact that, according to the latest information on dangerous non-food products, toys were the most frequently reported product, with as much as 27% of all notifications. This is why we need to improve the rules on the safety of children's toys, especially those imported into Europe from third countries. It is the internet where rogue traders often offer unsafe toys to consumers. With the Digital Services Act, on which the Parliament is engaged, we will lay down rules to ensure safe shopping in the digital environment. In addition, as part of the revision of the Toy Safety Directive, age differentiation for the use of chemicals should be abolished. They worry about information that some manufacturers deliberately erroneously claim that the toy is intended for children over 36 months of age only to avoid compliance with stricter safety standards for children under 36 months of age. It is therefore important that the European Commission examine these allegations and market practices in detail as soon as possible and, in line with the findings, propose amendments to the relevant legislation. When it comes to the safety of children, we are never and will never agree to compromise!

–The Honourable Chair, Commissioners, Colleagues, if we fail to act decisively, cancer deaths will increase by more than 24% in the European Union by 2035 and will become the leading cause of death. It is high time for radical and comprehensive action, and the adoption of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and this report are key steps in this direction. This report contains a number of concrete measures that I have proposed myself. It advocates the establishment of a single set of rules on the reimbursement of cross-border healthcare, including the right to a second opinion, to simplify and facilitate access to treatment and clinical trials, especially for patients with rare cancers and for children, whose day we mark today. It is particularly important that costs are financed before starting treatment to avoid discrimination against low-income patients, showing that solidarity is our first priority. In addition, we underline the importance of increased investment in health infrastructure and healthcare workers through cohesion policy to reduce disparities in the quality of treatment across the EU and to ensure equal access to quality healthcare for all our citizens. We also want to make expensive medicines available to all EU citizens, no matter where they live, by jointly procuring them. This sends a clear message: There must be no first- and second-class citizens in the European Union. Finally, we are committed to adopting European legislation guaranteeing the right to be forgotten of cancer survivors. No one will be discriminated against or have difficult access to financial services because they have recovered from this disease. The report before us represents a huge step forward in the fight against cancer, especially for patients and their families, and I ask you to support it plebiscitarily.

Dear President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, we have recently witnessed protests that broke out in Kazakhstan after the government significantly increased gas prices at the beginning of the year. Much remains unclear, but we know that protests began in the western part of the country and citizens' discontent quickly spread to the rest of the country and grew into general protests against corruption, poverty and inequality. The rallies then escalated into riots and armed conflicts, and a number of human rights violations were reported. Until these protests, oil-rich Kazakhstan, one of the largest countries in the world, was considered by many to be the most stable state in an unstable region. Of the five Central Asian states that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan is by far the largest and richest. It is the size of Western Europe and lies on large stocks of oil, natural gas, precious metals and is the world's largest producer of uranium. The escalation of discontent and the ensuing crisis have drawn particular attention from two powerful Kazakh neighbours, Russia and China. The country places most of its oil exports to China and is traditionally firmly in Russia's geopolitical sphere of interest. After days of protests and almost real war on the streets of many cities in Kazakhstan, the regime slowly re-established control with the help of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which sent military forces composed mainly of the Russian army. In doing so, Russia has shown that it is the strongest partner for the current government in preventing the outbreak of any revolution that could threaten the current government. Consequently, the current or any future government in that country will become even more dependent on the Kremlin. This shows that Moscow still understands the areas of the former Soviet Union with its backyard. We must be aware of this and we must not underestimate its strength.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues, the sale of dangerous products such as unverified medicines, counterfeit products, but also the dissemination of illegal content such as infringing intellectual property rights, terrorist content or illegal hate speech is a reality we face every day online. Despite this, online sales have steadily increased in recent years, and in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, 71% of consumers were shopping online. At the same time, it is estimated that 7% of European imports are counterfeit goods. In such circumstances, we need to increase the level of consumer safety by establishing clear rules on removing illegal content from online platforms. The Digital Services Act will ensure a high level of protection for all European consumers, the highest in the world, and prevent the arbitrariness of large multinational companies. Consumers often complain to me that when they buy through intermediaries such as Ebay or Amazon, they do not know exactly from whom they buy the product. This legislation obliges intermediaries to check traders in detail before offering their products and services. Furthermore, in addition to raising the level of consumer protection, we want to enable entrepreneurs to find new customers online, but not to the detriment of the safety of minors. That is why we have banned targeted advertising according to this category of consumers. Finally, I would like to point out that the placement of disinformation, especially about vaccination, has unfortunately become a weapon in the hands of irresponsible and malicious. The spread of fakenews endangers people’s lives and health, and with this act we create a legal mechanism to combat such behaviour. On the other hand, there should be no possibility of censoring the content in any way and in this sense this act represents the correct balance. At a time of ubiquitous digitalisation, it is the right moment to make what is illegal offline and online illegal through the new rules on digital services.

–In recent weeks, we have witnessed major environmental protests in Serbia, with tens of thousands of citizens taking part in road blockades and demanding the repeal of the Expropriation Act, the amendment of the Referendum Act to prevent lithium exploitation in the country. Peaceful protests are accompanied by a series of incidents and provocations, sporadic clashes, pushes and fights provoked by groups of provocateurs and supporters of the authorities, with the conspicuous absence of uniformed police. It is obvious that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party is endangering political rights and civil liberties in this country. Also, Serbia's rulers are under great pressure to persecute several hundred Vietnamese workers engaged in the construction of a Chinese car tire factory in the country. There are serious indications that Vietnamese workers work in inhumane and hygienic conditions, but also that they are in Serbia illegally, i.e. that there are elements of the crime of trafficking in human beings, which is very worrying. In the broader context of the situation in Serbia, I would highlight the fact that accession negotiations for Serbia's accession to the European Union are stagnating. The two main reasons for the lack of progress in opening new chapters are the state of democracy, the rule of law and the slow pace of reforms. There has even been backsliding on issues such as crucial for EU accession, such as fundamental human rights, the fight against corruption, media independence and civil society development, and no tangible results and visible efforts in these areas have been seen. On the contrary, if we look at the situation with media freedom, we can see that the situation in this segment is worse than ever. In this way, the Serbian government sends a message that it is not sure whether it wants to continue its path towards European integration at all, and it is becoming increasingly clear that President Vučić has never really been loyal to European ideas and values. Serbia cannot enter the EU until it has resolved fundamental issues related to the rule of law, including the prosecution of war crimes, the clarification of the fate of missing persons from the aggression against Croatia and the protection of minority rights. Her leadership simply has to face these problems with actions and not with words to show that she has conquered European values.

Dear Chair, Commissioner, colleagues, and after more than ten years, the executive partnership has remained an essential component of European foreign policy. In the context of this partnership, Ukraine is our important economic, security and energy partner. The security of the eastern part of the European Union depends directly on the security and stability of Ukraine and we must therefore actively work to strengthen it. Cultural Ukraine has always been part of Europe, so it is important that the European Union, while supporting its territorial integrity and sovereignty, continues to help Ukraine economically, especially through investments that will enable the citizens of Ukraine to live a better life. Nowadays, taking into account the size of this country and its needs, this assistance is absolutely too small. The European Union must be more active in helping Ukraine economically, socially, militarily and culturally if it is to preserve it as part of the Western cultural circle. You Commissioners have announced certain measures that I welcome but much, much more needs to be done. Croatia is perhaps the best of all Member States to understand the developments in Ukraine, as we were alone, not so long ago, victims of aggression and had to reintegrate part of our territory. At that time, we felt left behind by all, and such a thing must not happen again in Ukraine. We can't expect Ukraine to be some kind of European border guard, especially not without giving it something in return. Ukraine does not need words, resolutions, but concrete actions, and unfortunately the European Union has failed too many times in the past. That's why he can't fail now.

Dear Vice-President, Commissioners, Ministers, colleagues and colleagues, I take this opportunity to once again invite all our fellow citizens to give their trust to science, not to those who want to manipulate vulnerable social groups with false information. Those who spread false information, and we have heard them here today, unfortunately, are responsible for the deaths of people who refuse vaccination because of their lies. Vaccination is the most effective public health measure, and it not only protects ourselves and our loved ones, but also relieves the health system. This enables those in need to receive timely healthcare. On the other hand, non-vaccination risks introducing a new strict closure that is not in anyone's interest. It should be clearly stated: alternative to vaccination and COVID certificates is lockdown. That must be clear to everyone. The European Union is based on solidarity, it does not stop at its borders. We are the world’s largest exporter of vaccines, exporting to third countries every other vaccine produced in the EU. By vaccinating the rest of the world, we are reducing the circulation of the virus, which could lead to the creation of new, even more infectious strains. It is important to point out that it is thanks to intellectual property rights that we have developed in record time safe and effective vaccines that we are able to share with the rest of the world today. Their protection must in no way be called into question, as without them there is no medical innovation that we desperately need. COVID-19 is an unpredictable disease that requires a common coordinated response based on solidarity. The European Union has long understood this, and now it is time for other world powers to join us further in solidarity.

Dear Vice-President, Commissioner, Ministers, colleagues, Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a political crisis. However, Dodik's activities, although problematic, are not the main problem of this country. The real problem is the divine aspiration for political hegemony under the guise of civil BiH, especially against Croats as the least numerous constituent people. This is evident from the failure to comply with the decision of the Constitutional Court in the Ljubić case, which violates the rule of law, which is one of the fundamental European values, and insists on the over-voting of Croats. Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina are denied a political right that is not denied to any other people in Europe - the right to choose their own political representatives. This is a problem that can only be solved by urgently amending the electoral law in order to permanently halt the majorization of Croats. Croats in BiH, who are a huge percentage of citizens of the European Union, are systematically discriminated against and all they want is political equality. No less and no more. They are the only one of the three constituent peoples sincerely facing the West and advocating the European path of BiH. Colleagues, the issue of the protection of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a matter of preserving the fundamental European values that are so often invoked here. Let's not let petty interests stop us from doing so.

Dear Chairman, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, I did not plan, but since it was mentioned, I would first address the issue of Prosecco. Croatian Prosecco and Italian Prosecco are not the same drinks. Anyone who says that the Croatian Prosecco is disloyal competition to the Italian Prosecco is either completely ignorant or malicious. We have heard all kinds of nebulosis on this topic several times, so I use this opportunity to clarify the situation. And now, on the main theme, the Common Agricultural Policy is Europe's response to the need to ensure a decent standard of living for twenty-two million farmers and a stable, varied and safe food supply for all European citizens. Today, some other priorities such as climate resilience of agricultural production, sustainability and rural development are in the spotlight, and this can be seen, among other things, through the allocation of 25% of direct payments to eco-schemes. Of course, this is commendable, but we must not forget the most important thing, which is to ensure the undisturbed delivery of quality healthy food at affordable prices. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of self-sufficiency in food production. The reforms we are implementing, and in the future, based on the Farm to Fork Strategy, must not jeopardise food supply or lead to a significant increase in prices. As EPP rapporteur for the IMCO opinion, I can say about this strategy that there is a real risk that this is exactly what happens. Farmers were and remain the most important link in the food supply chain. We must see them as partners, not as enemies or obstacles to future development. I think this is a good compromise, although it is not ideal, and I hope that such a rational policy will prevail in the future instead of ideology, green or any other.

With the creation of the Committee on Beating Cancer, the European Parliament highlighted the importance of this topic for the future of the EU. It is estimated that 2.7 million new cases will be diagnosed in 2021, 1.3 million people will die from cancer at Union level. These figures show the enormous scale of the problem that lies ahead. The Committee's work contributes to the creation of a common framework for cancer treatments and is an expression of our solidarity, but also of our responsibility for the well-being of citizens across the Union. When drafting the Committee's report, in addition to strengthening prevention, I would like to highlight addressing unequal access to quality cancer treatment as a matter of priority. This can be achieved by stepping up European cohesion funding for health infrastructure and the workforce, facilitating access to world-class healthcare in other Member States, and through joint procurement that will reduce prices and allow all patients in the EU to access the latest medicines on a level playing field. From here we have to send a very clear message: there must be no first- and second-class citizens in the European Union.

Dear Vice-President, Commissioner, Rapporteur, colleague and colleague, as a result of the industrial policy of the past, 40% of medicines in the European Union today come from third countries. At the same time, 60 to 80 % of active pharmaceutical ingredients are produced in China and India. In such circumstances, further exacerbated by the pandemic, the European Union is at risk of shortages of medicines. That is why we need an effective pharmaceutical strategy to make the Union resilient and autonomous in the production of medicines and critical medical equipment, as far as possible and sustainable. In addition, as a Member who has insisted on the creation of a European Health Union since the beginning of my mandate, I am strongly in favour of extending joint procurement to medicines for cancer and rare diseases. In this way, we will strengthen the negotiating position of smaller and less developed Member States that do not have pharmaceutical and industrial capacities as the most developed ones and, of course, achieve price reductions. In this context, the creation of a European Fund for the Procurement of Orphan Medicinal Products would be of great importance to ensure that patients in all Member States have equal access to these, often very expensive, medicines.

Dear Vice-President, Commissioners, Ministers Logar, colleagues, the area of Southeast Europe is of strategic importance for the European Union. History has shown that crises in this area can destabilise the whole of Europe. We saw this in 1914 when a chain of events started in Sarajevo caused a global cataclysm that led to the collapse of the world order that existed until then. That is why the fate of this area is of immense importance to all of us, although many in Europe, unfortunately, are not aware of it. First, I would like to mention Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, Croats are a constituent people, overwhelmingly citizens of the European Union, discriminated against because they are prevented from electing their own political representatives. That is why a reform of the electoral system is needed as soon as possible, in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court, in order to stop discrimination against one of the constituent peoples and prevent further destabilization of the country. Europe must contribute to this. Furthermore, Montenegro has moved far away on its path towards the EU, but unfortunately anti-European forces that deny the very existence of the Montenegrin nation have a strong influence in the current ruling majority, which is by no means good, and represents a backsliding compared to the previous situation. The strategic imperative for Montenegro must simply be its European path, and the Union must actively help it to do so, and we cannot ignore what is happening there. Serbia, on the other hand, cannot enter the European Union until it has resolved fundamental issues related to the rule of law, such as the rights of minorities, the prosecution of war crimes and the clarification of the fate of missing persons from the aggression against Croatia. A constructive, fact-based approach and a determined confrontation with one's own misconceptions and defeats are necessary for this country, where the Croatian language is denied in school textbooks today. Her leadership simply has to face the past and then adopt European values honestly and work towards joining the European Union, rather than playing Tito and the non-aligned. Today we are again in very complex times where many powers such as Russia, China and Turkey are increasingly present in this region, which all of us in the Union need to take very seriously. If Europe does not take the lead in Southeast Europe, others will fill this gap.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues, we still remember well the migrant crisis of 2015 when millions of people arrived in the European Union seeking international protection here. The fact is that at that time the EU did not have a sufficiently developed asylum system to successfully respond to the challenges faced by the Member States. In a context where geopolitical circumstances in the world are changing and where increased pressure from migrants on the Union’s external borders can be expected, it is essential to provide a common European response based on humanity and solidarity, but also on responsibility. This means respecting European law and preventing irregular migration. Europe will not solve all the world's problems by tolerating mass, illegal immigration into its territory. That should be clear to everyone. It is necessary to create a framework for cooperation with third countries in order to reduce pressure at source, especially in the Mediterranean and South-Eastern Europe areas that are most exposed. This topic is extremely important to me since I come from Croatia, the Member State that protects the longest external border of the European Union. In doing so, he stresses that Croatia does so in full compliance with European and international law. In order to avoid any doubts in that regard, an independent mechanism for monitoring the conduct of police officers has been established. Unfortunately, the ideologically motivated spread of disinformation on this topic by individual MPs has been going on for a long time, and we have heard this today. I tell you this, no matter how many times you repeat a lie, it will not become true. That is why I support the creation of this agency and call for a decisive reform of the Common European Asylum System to protect our European way of life.

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us that we need to make better use of the potential and cooperation of border regions to enable growth and sustainable development and overcome the challenges these regions face. And this is especially important in the context of the country from which I come, Croatia, which, due to its shape, is practically an entire border region The proposal for this regulation tried to work in this direction, but it was stopped in the Council. At present, there are no adequate European legal provisions to remove legal and administrative obstacles along borders, but only a few regional mechanisms such as the Benelux Union and the Nordic Council. I support the adoption of the regulation, as the mechanism establishes a clear legal instrument for all internal borders of the Member States, which makes it possible to remove bottlenecks across the EU. If only 20 per cent of existing barriers were removed, this would lead to a 2 per cent increase in GDP at Union level and the creation of millions of jobs. I particularly welcome the fact that the mechanism offers border regions the possibility to take the initiative themselves and to launch a dialogue and process on issues such as the construction of cross-border health infrastructure, this is something I deal with personally here in Parliament, the application of the legal framework for the provision of services and the operation of emergency services. We need to make cross-border mobility and coexistence as easy as possible for citizens living and working in border regions. Cross-border healthcare opportunities as well as many interreg projects, mentioned by colleague Arimont, are a positive example of successful cross-border cooperation and promote harmonious economic, social, territorial development of the Union as a whole. For this reason, I hereby appeal to the Member States in the Council that are blocking this mechanism to lift these blockages as soon as possible.

Dear Chair, Vice-President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague. In the context of the Banking Union report, I would like to draw attention to the problem of permissible and tacit overruns faced by European citizens. The Croatian National Bank has determined that 70% of consumers in Croatia with open current accounts have an authorised overdraft facility. At the same time, more than 95% of all exceedances are tacit ones, which are on average 30% more expensive than allowed. Unfortunately, consumers are not aware of these facts, which is why it is necessary to work on better informing them about the financial products they use. The CNB analysis thus showed that the financial instrument of tacit overdraft burden, which should be an exception, became the rule. At the same time, consumers are at risk of having credit institutions recover the amount of the tacit overdraft without being obliged to allow them to repay their debts in instalments. In this sense, consumers are exposed to arbitrariness. It is therefore necessary to oblige banks, through a revision of European legislation, to offer consumers the possibility of repayment in instalments when they seek to recover overdrafts. Less and less would impose a disproportionate burden on citizens. In addition, stronger cooperation within the European System of Central Banks is needed to address this problem. Therefore, let me once again make a strong commitment from this lectern to address the problem of overruns, which are vital for many European citizens, and invite us to put this issue high on our list of priorities.

As part of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the implementation of the national plans should strengthen economic growth, create jobs and ensure economic, social and institutional resilience. It is, however, particularly important that this mechanism pays unprecedented attention to rural areas, islands, outermost regions and regions which suffer from severe and permanent demographic problems, in line with what I am committed to doing in this Parliament. In this way, we allow for convergence, i.e. reducing the gap in development between different parts of the EU, which is of strategic importance to us. Investments need to be channelled into sectors that have suffered the most in this crisis, such as the health and transport sectors, the tourism sector we discussed yesterday as well as service activities and small and medium-sized enterprises to help them recover their jobs. In addition, it is essential to focus as much funding as possible on science and innovation. Our aim is not to create low-paid, low-productivity jobs, which unfortunately dominate in some Member States, but to create a high-wage, technologically developed economy that can compete in the global market. In order to achieve all this, the funds of the mechanism must be used for real reforms, not to fill budgetary loopholes. It is now essential that the adoption of implementations and plans be scrutinised strictly, but that this monitoring indeed be based on effective control of respect for the law and the rule of law, rather than on ideological and political accounting at European and national level. It is crucial that all of this enables us to achieve our goal of economic recovery and a better life for all European citizens.

In parallel with the outbreak of the pandemic, the world was hit by an infodemic, i.e. a flood of inaccurate information placed with the aim of creating panic among citizens. Unfortunately, we are witnessing a systematic anti-vaccination campaign on social media every day, spreading false information, which has a direct impact on the number of vaccinated and sick people. Knowing that vaccination is the best public health weapon against COVID-19, we need to create protocols that will allow to filter out inaccurate and remove illegal content from social networks. I therefore welcome the Digital Services Act as an important but not sufficient instrument to tackle false information on online platforms. This is a deep problem, the resolution of which includes criminal law, media legislation, relations with third countries, but also the education sector, which must shape new generations that will be able to distinguish accurate information from disinformation, which would also be welcome for some of our colleagues here. In doing so, of course, we must prevent censorship and the use of social networks to promote an ideological option.

The tourism sector plays an extremely important role in the economy and society of the European Union. In 2019, it generated 10% of total GDP and 27 million jobs in as many as 3 million companies. The pandemic has affected EU tourist destinations in different ways, while maintaining differences in the types of tourism offer, travel restrictions, the size of tourism markets and the importance of tourism for the local economy. In some Member States such as Croatia, the country from which I come, the contribution of tourism and related industries reaches as much as 20 percent of GDP. Therefore, they are much more economically affected by this pandemic than others. I believe that the Union and its Member States, such as Croatia, have acted in the right way in the crisis. Continuous financial support was crucial for the survival of the tourism sector, but also for related activities. Many jobs have been saved and severe long-term consequences for the economy have been prevented. I also welcome the introduction of COVID-19 certificates this summer. They have allowed European citizens to re-use their right to free movement in the full sense and have also been an essential factor in the recovery of tourism without discriminating against anyone. In addition, the introduction of the European Safety Seal has restored consumer confidence in the tourism sector. Finally, I would like to point out that this crisis has shown the importance of tourism for the European way of life, but clearly also its vulnerability. We need to work on long-term solutions, including financial resources, to make the tourism sector as resilient as possible to future crises that are imminent.

In recent years, we have witnessed a steady increase in malicious cyber operations against the European Union and its Member States by various state and non-state actors that have exposed the insufficient protection and vulnerability of the Union in this area. To achieve foreign political, economic and security objectives, malicious cyber activities support the development of disinformation campaigns, limit internet access and disrupt the operation of IT systems. Also, cyber threats are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure facilities such as energy, health and transport. A coordinated response at Union level is needed, including joint support capacities of Member States, and enhanced cooperation based on exchange of information on best practices and exercises. It is of strategic importance to increase investment in cyber defence capabilities to improve the resilience of the EU’s and Member States’ strategic capabilities, in particular through the Digital Europe and Horizon Europe programmes. It is particularly important to underline that cyber defence has both a military and a civilian dimension and requires stronger cooperation at European level in both aspects. This is a problem that cannot be solved by the Member States, even the largest ones, and joint European action is needed. This is just one topic that shows that the European Union simply has to profile itself as a relevant geopolitical player, which unfortunately, and we all think we are aware of this, is not the case at the moment. There is no other way to protect the European way of life as we know it today.

Dear Chair, Commissioners, colleagues, earlier diagnosis of malignancies, better traffic management or more rational use of energy are just some examples of the obvious benefits that the use of artificial intelligence brings. However, if not properly regulated by law, AI can endanger an individual’s privacy and lead to different forms of discrimination. It is therefore not surprising that as many as 88 percent of citizens believe that it should be carefully managed. The fight against sophisticated, well-funded and equipped terrorist and criminal groups in the 21st century cannot be imagined without the use of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the example of AI is particularly sensitive in the area of criminal law, as it includes the possibility of geometrical recognition and algorithmic decision-making. To protect citizens from misuse, but also to become a world leader in smart technologies, the European Union needs a new, comprehensive approach to AI. Such an approach should prohibit the concept of social evaluation, which can use algorithms to collect a wide range of data on citizens and their behaviour. On the other hand, the use of biometric identification systems, namely facial recognition in publicly accessible spaces for the purpose of law enforcement in accordance with the principle of proportionality, should be limited to situations such as the search for a missing child, the prevention of a specific and imminent terrorist threat and the detection, location, identification or investigation of a perpetrator or suspect of a serious criminal offence. We need to strike a balance between using artificial intelligence to capture criminals on the one hand and protecting human rights on the other, but without spreading the hysteria and paranoia that we are unfortunately witnessing here today.