Speeches

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, thank you to all those who have worked on this new anti-money laundering directive. According to the latest Europol data, almost 70% of criminal networks operating in Europe use money laundering to hide their assets and finance their activities. There is another worrying fact that is often underestimated, but that actually follows along with that of recycling. This is the corruption practiced by about 60% of criminal networks to infiltrate not only the economic and financial fabric, but also the political and institutional one. This was recently stated by the European Public Prosecutor: mafias and organised crime must be fought not only in their visible practices, such as those of violence, but also when they become invisible, infiltrating the healthy economy and altering our democracy. I therefore reiterate my applause for this directive, with the aim of ensuring that the Member States adopt anti-mafia legislation similar to that of Italy in order to combat criminal organisations effectively. The phenomenon is transnational and no state can be considered exempt.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, do we want to talk about de-escalation in this House? Then we must do so by admitting that the European Union has played a definite role in the military escalation in the Middle East for what it has not done, for the inertia with which it has remained to watch decades of international law trampled on by Israel that is slaughtering an entire people with impunity. There is genocide going on and we are not even able to break an association agreement. This obviously legitimizes any other nation, including Iran, to violate international law by initiating a spiral of war. When international agreements are neglected or violated with impunity, we are faced with a grave delegitimization of the institutions that support our global peaceful coexistence. The European Union must have a firm position. We must insist on compliance with international law and consider introducing appropriate sanctions against any government that violates norms, including Israel. This is not just a legal duty, but a moral imperative that underscores our commitment to justice and world peace. Thanks to Josep Borrell for the work he is doing for Palestine.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, what is the crime committed by Assange? I was at the hearing at the High Court in London. U.S. lawyers accuse him of publishing secret documents that tell the truth beyond official statements: news of public interest, denouncing crimes. Other journalists in the past have published secret news, but only Assange has been confined to a maximum security prison for almost five years. Those who lied to citizens, those who killed and committed war crimes, those who are guilty of arbitrary detention and torture, on the other hand, are free. He was never charged with any crime. The fury over Assange is obviously of a political nature. If he crosses the U.S. line, in theory any journalist will suffer the same fate as Assange. In the European institutions we fill our mouths with freedom of the press, respect for human rights and no finger is moved for the release of Assange. Let's move from words to deeds! Let's really mobilise to ensure freedom of expression: Thousands of people are already doing it. Now the European institutions must demand the immediate release of Assange.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, it is very difficult to travel to Cuba because of fuel shortages; cigar and sugar production is stalled due to lack of energy; The school system is collapsing and people are hungry. I was recently in Cuba: the situation in the country continues to deteriorate due to the economic blockade and the inclusion in the list of states supporting terrorism. These are forms of retaliation that fall mainly on the citizens and this can have no justification. We cannot think that, without targeted political action and economic support, the situation will improve. The European Union must continue to support the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, calling for respect for human rights, to which Cuba declares that it is committed. This Parliament must defend the existence of Cuba and the Cuban people and work for the elimination of the economic blockade. The European Union must make its voice heard in order to bring about a political change in the current situation which condemns Cuban citizens to hunger. It is important that the European Parliament speaks out against the blockade as soon as possible.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the chains that in a courtroom tied hands and feet to Ilaria Salis have gone around the world, because it is not conceivable that this will happen in a country of the European Union. For almost a year, this Italian citizen has been imprisoned in degrading conditions in a cell in Hungary, where she has suffered ill-treatment and humiliation. This is a blatant violation of human rights. What worries us most is the fury shown against Ilaria for being an anti-fascist activist. The Commission has repeatedly stressed the lack of independence of the judiciary from the government in Hungary. Will Ilaria have a fair trial? From the disproportionate request for punishment and the lack of defensive guarantees, it seems to us that the answer is no. We hope we are wrong, but here my colleague has already called her a "criminal" without yet a sentence. This painful situation also shows the fragility of our treaties and the importance, with the enlargement of the Union, of abandoning the unanimity rule. Hungary's veto power in the Council cannot lead the Commission to be softer on the issue of respect for human rights and the rule of law, which are not negotiable.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, there is no democracy if citizens cannot be properly informed, which is why the temptation of power is to control journalists. In Italy, a gag law is being passed that will prevent journalists from publishing pre-trial detention orders, in full or in extract, until the end of the preliminary hearing. These are public acts, but Italian journalists will no longer be able to cite them. Citizens have the right to be informed by a variety of sources to form their opinion, as specified in this report and in the Commission Recommendation of September 2021. Instead, Italians will risk remaining in the dark about important investigations, perhaps those of greater public interest involving politicians and white collar. This form of censorship, however, does not guarantee even the suspects themselves. The gag law will allow lawyers and opinion makers to interpret the facts on social media and on TV, without the possibility of being denied by official judicial acts. The risk is to accentuate the media pillory. Let's protect the rule of law, let's protect free journalism!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in Gaza more than 10 000 children have lost their lives in almost 100 days of war, while more than 10 children a day are losing an arm or a leg and will be mutilated for life. The war and siege on Gaza has been an indiscriminate massacre of women, the elderly and children from the outset. In the face of so much suffering, we expect Europe to provide the only possible response: Enough is enough! Now it is enough to kill civilians indiscriminately, it is enough with the bombing of Gaza, it is enough with the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories. We cannot remain indifferent as we have for too many years, otherwise we will be complicit in this massacre. We must tell the Netanyahu government that there will be consequences if there is no immediate ceasefire. I make a proposal: We invite Israelis and Palestinians to the next European Council on 1 February. Areas of conflict are spreading to Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq: We need dialogue before it's too late.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Gaza is hell on earth: There is a lack of water, food and medicine. Infants die in intensive care due to lack of electricity. Schools are being bombed, as are ambulances and hospitals. Over 5,000 children, 200 doctors and nurses, more than 60 information workers and more than 100 UN staff have been killed in a month and a half. It's carnage. What else has to happen to make us say enough? As we have condemned the crimes of Hamas, today we must condemn the crimes of Netanyahu and his army. Europe supports the UN and Secretary-General Guterres in their efforts to stop this massacre. I thank High Representative Josep Borrell for what he is doing, but the European Union is the great absentee, with heavy responsibility for what is happening because of his inertia. Let us take genuine diplomatic action: We recognize the Palestinian state and stop economic relations with those who deliberately kill civilians. To tolerate the annihilation of a people is complicity in the violation of human rights.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, one of the European Parliament's objectives is to put an end to the shameful phenomenon of homelessness by 2030, a scourge that affects almost 900 000 European citizens. But affording a home has become a business for several categories. I'm thinking of the off-site students. In these hours in Italy there are many demonstrations. The possibility of renting a house is closely linked to the right to study, we can not take away their future. But it's not just the students. More and more people, singles and families, already hit by rising prices, are struggling to pay rent for decent homes. We have made proposals to the Commission, but very little has been done in practice. The appropriations provided for in Recovery Fund They can't meet the needs. We need to do more. Europe lacks a social housing plan, an investment programme that tackles the problem effectively. In Italy alone there are 100,000 empty social housing units. Let's restructure them where necessary and assign them to those who need them.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, national security cannot be a sufficient reason to monitor, spy on and silence journalists. In the democracies of the states that make up Europe, sovereignty belongs to the people, who have the right to know the truth, even with regard to state structures that respond to logics and interests different from the common good. Leaving the exception of national security in this regulation is very serious and risks frustrating the important steps taken on pluralism, transparency and independence of the media. It is also important to protect the plurality of journalism from property concentrations and large online platforms. The desire to avoid disinformation is shared, but what is its definition? There is perhaps no risk of allowing only the circulation of thought. mainstream, limiting critical voices with this excuse? Having different opinions is not disinformation, it is a fundamental right.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we have seen the positive results achieved by designations of origin as regards agri-food products. After years we are finally about to approve this regulation on the protected geographical indication for all craft and industrial products. These brands will have to serve as a driving force for the development of territories, even the most peripheral ones, many of which risk being marginalized in global trade, despite being rich in tradition, culture and history. The beating heart of these unique products are many artisans and many small and medium-sized enterprises that find themselves having to compete on the globalized market. Working with trade associations and making a system with colleagues, it was possible to create a text that responds to the appeal of producers, on the one hand, to protect them from imitations and unfair competition and, on the other, to support them and promote our excellence. In the world economy, Europe must act in a united way to defend unique and high-quality products, on which we must focus more and more for our future.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to point out that this Parliament has voted innumerable resolutions on the Palestinian issue. What were they used for? Not at all. The attacks of the Israeli army have increased and continue to claim civilian victims, including children and journalists, and the schools built with the money of European taxpayers are being demolished. The State of Israel can afford not to respect international agreements, remaining not only unpunished but relying on the support of the European institutions. Do we want to recall, for example, preferential trade agreements, Israel's admission to programmes funded by European citizens and, lastly, the shameful invitation of the President of Israel to Parliament's plenary to commemorate Remembrance Day? In the Palestinian territories there is a state of apartheid, of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli colonialist regime. It is time for Europe to move in a concrete way, what are we waiting for to pass sanctions against a state supported by a fascist government that does not respect human rights?

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are now dealing with accusations that are instrumental in shutting down the press, and we will talk later about the international protection of journalists, two very important and necessary reports. Too often, however, in the European institutions we fill our mouths with freedom of the press and the rule of law, without going from words to deeds. An emblematic example of judicial cases brought to silence or punish those who tell the truth is that of Julian Assange, in prison for four years without a sentence only because he revealed uncomfortable truths, war crimes, illegal detentions and torture. But from the top of the European institutions came no support, no real mobilization for his liberation. Freedom of the press cannot be a flag to be waved on television for self-promotion or only when it is useful for one's career. Defending the right of citizens to know the truth is a duty of the European institutions, especially when strong powers must be opposed. Show that you have the courage.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, after the threats about the use of nuclear weapons, after tens of thousands of deaths and injuries, after the massacres and looting suffered by the Ukrainian population, yesterday the Wall Street Journal revealed that the United States, like Great Britain, is ready to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium weapons and Putin replied that they will then use them too. In 2008, this House adopted a resolution calling for a global ban on the use of these very dangerous weapons for health and the environment. I wonder what has changed since then. I wonder why all those political forces that until a few years ago had shared battles, today deny them, indeed feed a war harmful to all of Europe. President, it is never too late to change the direction of this conflict. Let us not give in to those who throw fuel on hatred among peoples, perhaps because they are at the service of some arms lobby. The European Union has peace in its DNA. The next European Council therefore sends a message of peace and hope and imposes dialogue on the two sides.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, artificial intelligence is like a river. We can put a dam in it to block it, but sooner or later it will overflow. What we have to do is try to direct the course. The European response is the Artificial Intelligence Act, which marks an important point of arrival, but also the beginning of a challenge, because special attention will be needed to ensure the good application of standards with constantly evolving technologies and protecting the competitiveness of European companies. We always remember that artificial intelligence is not neutral, it is a human product and in the management of these systems must never lack the control of the human being. Monitoring and correction of errors must be constant, but the norm is not enough for the revolution that is coming. Good policy must also include social and cultural aspects, such as a change in the world of work. Then we need to start thinking about a universal income. Then there is the enormous question of the protection of the data collected and used. We will need to intervene in cybersecurity Not to build a house of cards.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, if we really want to combat organised crime, we must bear in mind that it is vital for these organisations to have support and cover in the economic, financial, political and institutional world. We can cut the visible branches by incarcerating the bosses and the workforce: dutiful and just. But the real challenge is to eradicate the roots of these organizations: target complacent entrepreneurs, corrupt officials or politicians, find out how illicit capital is reinvested in listed companies and banks, seize assets that are the result of money laundering. Moreover, European countries prefer to pretend that they do not see certain criminal organizations, such as those that deal with the trafficking of waste to the poorest countries, a traffic closely linked to that of weapons, often covered by international cooperation or by associations that pretend humanitarian purposes. One last word about the Mafia: a specific contrast is needed because the mafias have taken root in all the Member States, none excluded.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank all those who have spoken in this debate and given interesting ideas. It was important to hear from you, Commissioner, and many colleagues who made the fight against organised crime a priority and there were many interesting ideas, the transparency of money flows, the importance of prevention, the timing of fraud detection and also the importance of money recovery. And I wanted to thank here the shadow rapporteurs who worked with me on this report, it was an important work I believe, and I also thank the CONT Chair, Monika Hohlmeier, and all the CONT colleagues with whom it is always a pleasure to work constructively. I hope for a broad vote-sharing tomorrow to show the unity of the European Parliament against fraud and corruption and to regain and maintain credibility before the citizens.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, I would like to start with some numbers of cases of fraud and irregularities that were reported in 2021, compared, for example, to those in 2020. Case numbers are stable. What really stands out and is worrying is the value of irregularities, which have increased by 121% and the total amount of irregularities and fraud has reached 3.24 billion. In this report we have highlighted the instruments for the protection of the European Union's financial interests. One of the main instruments that has come into operation, and I think it is extremely important, is the EPPO, the European Public Prosecutor's Office. It is an essential element, it must be strengthened absolutely and its competences can also be increased, I think, for example, the issue of environmental crimes. But we must not forget other important agencies, such as OLAF, Europol and Eurojust, for which adequate resources must be given and it is clearly not a question of spending, of giving resources to these agencies, but in reality it is an investment to precisely protect the financial interests of the European Union. The needs highlighted in the report are different. For example, the need for Member States to adhere to the PIF Directive, there are as many as 17 that have not transposed it properly. Then it is necessary to update the guidelines of the NAS, i.e. the national audits that date back to 2015. It is important to focus on transparency and make an annual anti-corruption report, which is a different thing than the report that is done on fraud, the mandatory nature of Aracne and correctly apply the rules on conflict of interest. Then it is important to have transparency on the beneficial owners and avoid payments for companies that are based in tax havens and also counter the oligarchic structures. One element that I would like to stress and which I have highlighted in the report is the fight against organised crime, including mafia-type crime. Let us remember that the financial interests of the European Union are also heavily affected by organised crime in the mafia, and therefore it is important that there are rules at European level but also rules at Member State level that must be more effective and specific in all Member States, because clearly organised crime can count on transnationality and also on many professionals who support it in creating scams. Then a thought goes clearly to the protection of journalists and whistleblowers who allow to discover many scams and therefore it is necessary for the European Union to commit itself precisely to try to protect them. I conclude this presentation with a thank you which is not closely linked to this report. In the context of organized crime, it is necessary to thank the Italian Carabinieri and its commander-general for their anti-mafia efforts. And you will have read the news in the newspapers and the arrest of the biggest fugitive of Cosa Nostra, Matteo Messina Denaro, has been announced. This person has been travelling around Europe undisturbed for 30 years, from Spain to the Netherlands to other countries. I would like to thank the Carabinieri for their work. Now, however, it is necessary to know the whole truth about institutional cover-ups and protections and the truth about massacres.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the situation that has arisen in Spain is a clear example of how respect for the rule of law, even in democratic countries, can never be taken for granted, but constant monitoring and work is necessary to maintain it. The judiciary must have the sole role of administering justice, regardless of the color of the government; on the other hand, executive reforms must not have as their objective the political control of judicial bodies. The key point that I believe is important to bring out in this debate is the fragility of one of the pillars of the rule of law, represented precisely by the interest between the judiciary and the executive. We have seen governments in several states of the European Union that have conditioned and subjugated the judiciary, which is why they have been strongly stigmatised in this House, but, on the other hand, we must not even accept the politicisation of the judiciary, it is just as harmful but not so stigmatised and unfortunately widespread in other Member States, including Italy.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, freedom of the press measures the state of health of the rule of law and is a fundamental pillar of it. This in words, but then in deeds? How can a journalist be able to make inquiries, to be the watchdog of power if in all the states of the European Union there are no laws that protect him from reckless judicial actions? Instead of guaranteeing the right to report, we want to limit the possibility of telling the truth to citizens, with absurd rules that hinder freedom of expression, as in Italy with the Cartabia law. Not to mention searches and investigations on mobile phones, to discover the sources of journalists, actions that add to the very serious lack of protection of whistleblowers. One case above all is a symbol of our inability to protect freedom of the press: That of Assange, in prison for almost four years for giving us the right to know the truth. He in prison and those who committed war crimes in freedom, unpunished. Is this our democracy?

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in September the average price of American gas sold in Europe was USD 57.8, in the United States it was only USD 8. European companies pay up to seven times more for energy than their direct counterparts competitor Americans and Asians. What are the European institutions actually doing to defend our businesses and our economy? Nothing. After months of endless discussions, summits, working tables on the roof at the price of gas, on the Energy Recovery Fund, on the decoupling On the energy market, on common purchases for European storage, on the tax on extra profits of energy companies, well, after months of discussion nothing has been done. For the Five Star Movement you have to follow two paths: a cap on the price of gas that is real and not fictitious, such as the one proposed by the Commission, and massive investments in clean and renewable energy. Thanks to the sun and wind our companies, our families can pay less for energy. Let's do it.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, congratulations on your appointment, Mr President. The Court's study on the EU's financial situation shows us how far we have to go for a truly effective and efficient budget. The Court points out that there are still too many errors in the budget and, in addition, all RRF-related expenditure must now be managed. These conclusions paint a picture of urgency, strongly expressing the need for efficient expenditure management, especially in the light of the current situation of regression. First COVID, now Russia’s war against Ukraine and the worrying energy crisis with the concomitant rise in prices. The budget has rightly increased because the EU is mobilising its assets and providing more flexibility to react to the crisis. In a context where resources are needed to concretely help our citizens and businesses, errors in the European budget must be reduced as much as possible and a greater fight against fraud is needed, also improving the recovery of money that has been wrongly paid.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are the only continent on which the forest area has increased. Too bad that this happens mainly as a result of abandonment of agricultural land and depopulation, giving way to a bush that produces more CO2 than it can absorb. We don't need this: We need healthy forests that improve our well-being and help us achieve our climate neutrality goals. To have healthy forests we cannot forget the people who live and work in these areas. We need to take into account the economic side of forests that must function as a driving force for rural development. We must focus on the production of wood in a sustainable way, including for construction. Complementary activities, such as certain types of farming or breeding, should be developed. But to do that you need actual investments, not the crumbs that have come up so far. And we do not make the mistake of keeping gas and nuclear in the taxonomy, excluding instead biomass, which is a primary source of renewable energy if produced in a sustainable way.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I have read the conclusions of the European Council and in the more than 2 700 words there is no word for peace. The only weapon that brings peace is diplomacy, but obviously peace and diplomacy are not part of the European strategy in Ukraine. I think this is a serious mistake, because the only real victory is to restore peace to the Ukrainian people. A European strategy without a concrete diplomatic solution is bound to fail. If we want to be protagonists on our continent, if we want to bring Putin to a peace table, Europe should take a strong diplomatic political initiative and force him to negotiate. We have an instrument at our disposal, economic deterrence, with sanctions based on independence from Russian gas. We need to invest common resources on the model of Recovery Fund, a path that we of the Five Star Movement consider inevitable. President Michel, peace comes from the struggle to say no, thinking first of all of the Ukrainian people. That is why, at the next European Council, I hope that Europe will finally take a strong position.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the chairman and all my colleagues in the Committee on Budgetary Control for the work that has been done. Verifying the conditions for deciding whether or not to grant discharge is a challenging task and it is not just a control in a way. Thanks to the debates that have taken place within the CONT Committee, it has been possible to bring out critical issues, problems and errors, but not only that, but also the good practices that are adopted in European agencies. This complex work is extremely important for the transparency of our institutions and is therefore necessary to increase citizens' trust. For this reason, it is also important to know the final beneficiaries of European funds to carry out all the checks. Only by highlighting what does not work and indicating the actions to be taken, will it be possible to intervene to improve and prevent further problems. It is not by hiding the dust under the carpet that we give a better idea of the European institutions, but by bringing out the critical issues and working to solve them.