Speeches

Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mr President, thank you very much. The issue of care, in particular care for the elderly, is a difficult, perhaps even the most difficult and urgent social problem. The reasons for this are demographic change, ageing populations, low fertility rates and high dependency rates, often also longer life ages, but with disabilities and dependencies. Another reason is the lack of care staff – low-paid, often illegally employed – and the diversity of health systems, including in rehabilitation. I will address the solutions of this joint resolution. In my view, rapid deinstitutionalisation can only serve the privatisation of the sector, as well as the lack of public services. This will exacerbate staff shortages and, contrary to appearances, may lower rather than raise – which is our goal – care standards. Also, measuring the value of each care indicator is wishful thinking and technical thinking. We also need to be mindful of national competences. We need to combine different forms of care (institutional, community-based, day-care, round-the-clock) and propose systemic solutions.

–Mr President, I would like to thank you very much. Friends and colleagues! Demographic change and the impact of the COVID pandemic, as well as the war in Ukraine, have posed a serious challenge for the Union to address labour market shortages. One of the many sectors exposed to this is care, including in particular long-term care. And in this sector, the situation is getting worse from year to year and the forecasts are getting worse. The pandemic has highlighted many long-standing problems, such as undeclared work, brain drain, the need for better and more consistent data collection between Member States, and weak social security for workers – all of which are extremely important. This can be countered by better targeted public funding that would facilitate access to the legal and fair provision of care services. It is also important that Member States control the entry of third-country nationals at border level.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Friends and colleagues! In December, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs held a hearing on mental health in the digital world in the post-pandemic era. The topic is extremely important and topical, although not new at all. Digitalization and remote work are double-edged swords. On the one hand, they give employees greater autonomy, the opportunity to work from home and theoretically save time, on the other hand, it turns out that professional and family life are blurred, and working hours often increase. Isolation and lack of social contact have left a mark on the mental health of all age groups. Social contacts proved invaluable. They are irreplaceable. There was also a physical aspect – lack of movement, inability to play sports due to inaccessible infrastructure or sometimes even a ban on leaving home contributed to the deteriorating mental health situation. The rights of workers, including the right to disconnect, should be respected. Equally important are health and safety rules. In remote work, lack of movement and long hours at the desk often without proper home office equipment carry the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, obesity and diabetes. On the other hand, in the field of healthcare, access should be ensured not only to GPs or specialists, often scandalously limited or impossible in some Member States during the pandemic, but also to the support of psychologists and therapists. Investments in better working conditions, better management of stressful situations will increase productivity and improve the well-being of employees. Occupational burnout or anxiety can be counteracted. Urgent action is needed, both European and national, and cannot be postponed.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. It is estimated that between 10 and 12 million Roma live in Europe, of which around 6 million live in the European Union. The most common problems affecting the Roma community are social exclusion, segregation, discrimination, low income, poor housing situation. According to a 2016 survey by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, around 63% of young Roma are not in education, training or employment. This is one of the most serious problems. In its resolution on the implementation of the 2020 strategy for Roma inclusion, the European Parliament cites the lack of political will and anti-Gypsyism as the root cause of the poor situation of the Roma in Europe. I believe that these reasons are more complex, that the programmes that are being prepared must be more responsive to the needs of Roma communities. In my country, Poland, the Roma – around 20 000 people and therefore a small community – are a well-integrated group. There is no housing segregation or discrimination in the labour market. Access to education and healthcare is guaranteed. The Roma Association in Poland conducts dynamic scientific, cultural and publishing activities, although there are problems, of course. In my city, Gorzów Wielkopolski, there are annual International Meetings of Romane Dyves Gypsy Teams, whose organization is supported by local government authorities, government, local media. I invite you to this festival. About the funding: support from the FEAD and the ESF, from the European Regional Development Fund is the right thing to do to combat discrimination against Roma and should be targeted. It is worth focusing especially on the fight against child poverty, early childhood education, improving children's well-being. The situation of marginalised Roma in Europe needs to change – it is high time. This goal must be the task of governments, local governments, but also Roma communities. And we have to answer the question: Why are we still losing this fight?

Madam President, I'm sorry. In 2020-2021, measures were taken to better protect the financial interests of the European Union. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) have been launched. The fight against fraud has been reformed. It didn't help much. During the pandemic, the risk of fraud increased due to simplified procedures that could result in less competitive public contracts and direct awards. The risk of conflicts of interest and corruption has also increased. The growing presence of oligarchic structures in the European Union in recent years poses a risk of abuse and conflict of interest. In some Member States, members of national governments and other political figures are part of the oligarchy and use European Union funds for their own financial gain through criminal practices, often linked to corruption. Such accusations have never been made against my country, against Poland. Sound financial management of the European Union is necessary. We support all efforts in this direction.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Workers have the right to a high level of protection of their health and safety at work, in line with principle 10 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. EU OSH legislation plays an essential role in implementing this principle and in protecting almost 170 million workers in the European Union. The revision of the 2021-2027 strategy is a unique opportunity to set priorities and actions for the coming years, not only for the post-pandemic European Union, but also in light of labour market developments linked to the digital and green transitions. The pandemic has shown that European rules are not sufficiently up-to-date in the light of such rapid changes – this was also the case here. The new reality of the digital age requires a new level of protection, including against imbalances. The teleworking that many of us have experienced for the first time is not only more flexibility, but also blurring the line between private and professional life. The ECR agrees in principle with the strengthening of policies in the OSH strategy, as this is key to improving the health and quality of life of EU workers. We support many elements of the rapporteur's text, such as the notion of "vision zero" for accidents, for occupational diseases, the update of the directive on carcinogens, mutagens, the idea of combating asbestos or calls to combat musculoskeletal disorders. However, the scope is so broad that there are many elements in the final text, initiatives that my group, the ECR, cannot accept.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Commissioner! Ladies and Gentlemen, Economic policy coordination under the European Semester has gained a new dimension in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social consequences. However, everything radically changed the war in Ukraine. We have a deep humanitarian crisis. We recently said that five million refugees will be seeking hospitality in Europe. Today we are talking about seven or even more refugees. We do not know this, because this development of events is completely unpredictable, just as the consequences of this crisis are unpredictable. Today, we are looking at the challenges that lie ahead, both those related to the reception of refugees and those that are also the consequences of COVID-19, i.e. the labour market, employment, the deepening of social inequalities or the fact that many young people have lost their jobs or found precarious employment. We have a housing crisis, declining fertility, we have challenges at EU and Member State level. They will also change due to the war in Ukraine.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Friends and colleagues! The problem we are talking about does not require an original approach, but an iron consequence. If 40% of work-related cancers can be prevented, this should be done as soon as possible. In light of the demographic crisis facing Europe, the issue of reprotoxic substances such as bisphenol A, copper oxide, lead and mercury is particularly worrying. Workers are often exposed in the workplace to a mixture of chemical agents that can cause reduced fertility or infertility or negatively affect foetal development and lactation. That is why we support the extension of the directive to these substances in addition to carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. The report also rightly highlights the aspect of hazardous substances faced by healthcare professionals. We should also remember about the least protected mobile, posted and migrant workers employed en masse in the steel, chemical and cleaning services sectors.

Mr President, thank you very much. I often hear that we are growing the COVID generation, or rather the post-COVID generation with the experience of loneliness. I do not agree with that assertion. It stigmatizes young people. It marks the beginning of the road. This is a generation whose capabilities have been limited by the pandemic. But all this can be changed by recognizing the risks that COVID has brought, such as remote learning, the suspension of training programmes, education programmes, youth unemployment or their worse financial situation. Today, the mental health situation of young people is also very important, because social isolation has brought its bad effects. Emotional ties have been weakened or broken, the balance between work and rest has been disturbed, it has been difficult to enter adulthood. It is therefore important to look for solutions that ensure balance and open the door to education and work for young people. And we, adults and politicians, should support them wisely and responsibly in this.

Madam President, I'm sorry. In the report we are discussing, the occupational aspect of cancer has also clearly emerged. It is now estimated that about half of those diagnosed with cancer are of working age. As the situation on the labour market changes, so does the list of carcinogens to which workers are constantly exposed. The problem of asbestos and the protection of workers is still relevant, so it is necessary to maintain protective measures for these workers. More than 25% of cancer patients report a loss of income as a consequence of the disease. The self-employed are even worse off. Taking these factors into account, it is also important to stress the issue of combating discrimination against people who have had or are struggling with long-term cancer, their reintegration into employment and facilitating their return to work.

Mr President, thank you very much. Friends and colleagues! Empowering young people in the context of the post-pandemic social and labour market recovery is crucial, as European youth have been hit hardest by the crisis. The slowdown in the economy has severely affected the job opportunities of young people, especially those taking their first steps in the labour market. Restrictive freedoms of movement and social life, lockdowns and feelings of insecurity have even led to mental health problems – many speakers have already spoken about this today. Long-term isolation and remote learning have left their mark on all levels of education, both at the study level and especially in primary and secondary schools. Tackling these consequences must be a priority, as reflected in the work of the European Commission, which has designated 2022 as the European Year of Youth. Invest in young people, fight for the inclusion of young people in the labour market, including through the organisation of paid traineeships and training. Actions for vulnerable young people, i.e. young people with disabilities, young people from large families and young people from rural areas, must become a priority. Young people are much more likely to work in the shadow economy or are completely outside the labour market. The ‘lockdown’ generation must be supported by us.

Mr President, thank you very much. The report addresses an important topic of democracy at work, which allows workers to speak out and shape the changes taking place in the European Union regarding the digital and green transitions. The ECR strongly supports the European Works Council Directive, which strengthens the right of workers to organise, conclude collective agreements, freedom of assembly and association. We therefore agree with many aspects of the report and its first draft was a very good text that we could fully support. Unfortunately, the text gradually deteriorated over time and many compromises raised doubts. We managed to get rid of unfavourable provisions, such as the call for sanctions to comply with the directive or the extended mandate of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). It's a job. Unfortunately, there are still many elements that we are not able to accept. The most extreme postulate is the call for the introduction of parity in the supervisory boards of all private and public companies. There are also many intrusive solutions, such as calling on Member States to remove all national legislation related to collective bargaining or introducing minimum EU rules for participation and representation on supervisory boards. The ECR Group will therefore abstain.

Mr President, thank you very much. The 2022 European Year of Youth is an opportunity to combat the negative effects of the pandemic crisis, which has hit European youth hard. The slowdown in the economy has affected the job opportunities of young people. Long-term isolation, remote teaching has left its mark on all levels of education. The pandemic has particularly affected young people not in education, employment or training. Young people from vulnerable groups suffer particularly, unemployment and youth poverty continue to rise. Invest in young people and fight for their inclusion in the labour market. Actions for young people in particularly difficult situations, such as young people with disabilities, young people from rural families, young people from large families, should also be a priority. Therefore, initiatives under this Year should lead to a visible improvement in the situation of European youth.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Global solidarity and partnership is the only effective way to end the pandemic. Poland supports global initiatives and cooperation to accelerate fair and equitable access to vaccines for all countries in the world, so that their economies can return to the pre-pandemic state, but above all to reduce mortality, reduce the scale of complications, so that people suffering from the disease can gently undergo this disease. For this reason, we decided to support COVAX with a voluntary contribution of 750,000 euros. In addition, as a gesture of solidarity, Poland willingly shares with countries in need, so far we have donated or sold over 13 million vaccines, including to Ukraine, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or to Georgia and other countries. At the moment, we are preparing for Poland's coordinating role in facilitating the supply of COVID-19 vaccines from the Member States of the European Union to the Eastern Partnership countries.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, The ECR Group's priorities for the European Social Insurance Card are: the new tool must have a realistic implementation framework and an equally realistic implementation timetable. Secondly, the new tool must respect as far as possible the differences in the functioning of the social security systems in the different Member States. Thirdly, the new instrument should complement the existing EESSI system, the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information, and should not duplicate existing capabilities and solutions. Another condition: the new instrument is intended to coordinate rather than harmonise the functioning of social security systems. But it seems that the negotiated text of the resolution is good, meets our expectations and deserves support. The ECR will vote in favour of this project.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The ECR Group welcomes the efforts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the financial year 2019 to improve the efficiency of the implementation of the tasks stemming from the Agency's mandate, indicating that further improvement of the Agency's activities to support Member States is needed, in particular through situation monitoring or risk analysis. We see no contraindication to grant the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019. I would like to stress that some of the shortcomings identified in the first report concerning the discharge for Frontex have been clearly corrected. For example, we welcome the recruitment of the fundamental affairs officer who took office on 1 June 2021 and the appointment of twenty fundamental rights monitors. We know that there are still 20 more to be employed. It should also be added that it was decided not to continue the Ombudsman’s inquiry into the functioning of the Agency’s complaint-handling mechanism with regard to alleged violations of fundamental rights and the role of the fundamental affairs officer. The investigation has been closed. The ECR will therefore vote in favour of granting discharge.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. In the ECR's view, the Commission's 2022 work programme should focus on tackling the impact of the pandemic, including poverty reduction, building resilience in the area of public health as well as economic development. For climate policy initiatives: firstly, it must not be carried out at the expense of the poorest sections of society; secondly, it must not result in the deepening of energy poverty and the collapse of entire coal-mining regions. We are disappointed that a project amending the mobility package, which is needed to maintain the coherence and credibility of climate policy, has not been included in the list of planned initiatives. The current situation at the external border of the European Union with Belarus has given a new context to the discussion on Schengen reform. We support efforts to restore the full functionality of the Schengen area and to build a crisis-resilient migration management system in the European Union. It is crucial to permanently regain control over migration flows to the European Union by further reducing the scale of irregular migration and abuses of the asylum system. We would also like to stress that when designing concrete legal solutions, the European Commission should respect Treaty principles, including the principles of subsidiarity, equality and proportionality.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The report focuses on macroeconomic governance after the pandemic crisis and aimed to identify a new way of shaping economic and social policies. Despite some good ideas, such as strengthening social security for mobile workers or ensuring high standards of labour protection, the report makes too far-reaching proposals. When rebuilding the European economy, we should rely on measurable economic indicators and the principles of social justice, without ideologizing and thus weakening each of the topics. We are unable to support many of the proposals: another industrial strategy with a new social dimension or gender mainstreaming in national recovery plans. The report must not be a concert of wishes, it must respond to an immediate challenge, and such a challenge is galloping energy, gas prices and the risk of energy poverty. We need to know how to deal with this.

Mr President, thank you very much. The European Union and NATO are the pillars of transatlantic cooperation. The involvement of the United States has had a positive impact on the enlargement of the Union and NATO, increasing Europe's security and prosperity. The European Union and the United States continue to face international challenges together, such as stopping Russia’s aggression in Ukraine or supporting Moldova and the Western Balkans. The June EU-US Summit brought tangible benefits. It was a proof of a certain openness and willingness of the new administration to cooperate with the European Union. On 20 September, the United States finally opened its borders to vaccinated EU citizens. We are in favour of maintaining good relations with the States in order to avert the COVID-19 pandemic, protect the environment, strengthen trade, investment and technological cooperation. Let us remember, however, that actions such as the hasty and inept withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the maintenance of tariffs on steel and aluminium exports from the European Union call into question the equality of the Euro-Atlantic partnership.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. There is a lack of accurate data on the scale of the phenomenon of platform work. At the same time, the demand for such flexible solutions is growing very dynamically, and the pandemic is further accelerating this process. Many platform workers are dependent workers or self-employed in other fields, doing minor or on-demand work. They should enjoy workers' rights if, in accordance with the law of the Member State concerned, the work carried out by them satisfies the conditions applicable to the employment relationship. The employment relationship is governed by national labour codes. A rebuttable, presumed employment relationship is proposed. Thus, a group of persons, i.e. persons providing services through digital platforms, would be distinguished from, and treated differently from, other persons providing services, in particular the self-employed, to whom such a presumption does not apply. The parties’ freedom to choose their contract is also restricted. Let us not impose additional obligations on Member States by reducing the competitiveness of their economies. We cannot interfere in the design of the social security system. Labour law is a competence of the Member States. The European Union can only intervene in the area of free movement of workers and equal treatment. Platform actions should therefore be dealt with at the level of states and not at the level of the European Union.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The complaint against the Government of Bangladesh for non-compliance with the ILO Conventions is particularly relevant for the country’s cooperation with the European Union. Under the Generalised System of Preferences, the country enjoys preferences and undertakes to comply with fundamental and priority ILO conventions on trade union rights of labour inspectorates. In Bangladesh, according to the complaint, this is not the case and the situation of workers in the labour market is deteriorating. Irrespective of the subject matter of the complaint, there have also been reports of cases of forced labour in Bangladesh. The other allegations are: anti-union discrimination, including intimidation, violence against trade unionists, dismissal of workers, refusal to register trade unions, even for unions covering up to 70% of the workforce. The rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining are also violated. Improving the situation of workers in Bangladesh and its government's cooperation with the ILO and the European Union is a necessary condition for the country to continue to benefit from tariff-free export preferences to the European Union. This must be consistently enforced. Careful, consistent monitoring of the implementation of the actions included in the corrective road map is necessary, and in the event of insufficient progress, the Administrative Board should set up a committee of inquiry.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The report addresses a very important social problem. Who knows if the problem of an ageing society, the challenges we face, the demographic situation, is not the biggest social challenge. That is why I congratulate the rapporteur who has taken up this topic on the ECR own-initiative, who has led it solidly for many months and has brought this report to a certain point. Behind this report were months of difficult competent work. I very much regret that these efforts have to some extent been destroyed by, let us say openly, ideological games, because today it turns out that the European left cares more about these ideological games than the situation of the elderly, because they reject the wise balanced proposals that were made at the beginning. We have therefore prepared and tabled an amendment – an alternative resolution that goes back to the original text, is coherent, comprehensive and very good, and I would ask you to support this amendment.