Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner Reynders, dear colleagues, first of all, I congratulate the rapporteur and welcome this report, which is about giving consumers the power of choice to contribute to a green transition. Consumers need, first and foremost, clear, accurate and easily accessible information. We all need products with a longer durability, which we can easily repair when necessary, but we must take into account the fact that most of them have to pay great attention to the price of products. Additional attestations, excessive bureaucracy, additional labelling requirements lead to high costs for manufacturers and this will be reflected in the selling price. Consumers need safe products that do not harm their health and do not contribute massively to pollution, but we must give people, our citizens, the power to choose the right products at the right price, not force them through excessive costs or restrictions imposed by law.

Mr President, in recent years, democracy and liberal values in the European Union have been under constant attack by nationalist parties, strongly supported by Russia and Putin. We see more and more events in which extreme nationalism incites the population to hatred, to disunity and uses any subject to support conspiracy theories. The fact that the European Union is delaying the decisions required by the Treaties regarding the accession of all Member States to the Schengen area puts on the agenda of extremists a new topic, especially in my country, in Romania, as well as in Bulgaria. It is unacceptable that the ill-calculated electoral interests of a party in Austria postpone a just decision and hold back the natural progress of the European Union. Dear colleagues, Commissioner Breton, we must do everything in our power and, together with the European Commission, make sure that the European treaties and laws that we have established and voted on together are implemented and that the development of the European Union is not held back.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, there are two important issues when we deal with this trafficking of the cultural goods. First is the cross-border character in most of the cases, and then the expertise needed to solve these cases. An efficient approach implies cooperation at the European level, but also at international level. We need to have more than tools like modern, interconnected databases with all the stolen cultural goods so that the authorities and the experts in all the European Union know what to look for. We need to increase the cooperation and common training for the investigators involved in solving these cases and the cooperation with and amongst the cultural experts. It is not just the economic value that we must protect, but also the historic one, taking into account the importance of these goods for our communities. Culture is a significant part of our lives. It is not only about identity, it develops the spirit of our community. So we need more cooperation and efficiency in dealing with this increasing problem.

Vice-President, Commissioner Schmit, ladies and gentlemen, it is natural that Member States want to support their economy, both in normal situations and, above all, after a very difficult period, with all these successive crises that we are experiencing. But this aid to companies in rich regions risks leaving less developed regions even further behind. Cohesion funds, used as a degraded solution and, why not say it, as a piggy bank, throughout this period of crisis, to help the most affected sectors, are insufficient to bridge the gap between regions, and this protectionist policy does not help European cohesion. We have a single market, we have European policies, we have European strategies. Of course we have to protect the European economy and I support that, and intervene where necessary, but we have to do it in a coordinated way, taking into account all the regions and the impact on all Europeans, because this is the only way we can preserve this unity, which has brought so many benefits to the people of our countries, of the entire European Union.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the pandemic has shown us that health can no longer be treated as a regional or national problem. Nor can it be treated as a problem only of a large political entity, because health and, above all, pandemics do not take into account borders. The European Union was a major factor in finding solutions at the beginning of the pandemic and then in securing the necessary doses of the vaccine, both in our states and in third countries that needed help. But it was not enough to reduce the number of hundreds of thousands of victims. Health systems have not been sufficiently prepared, and many states still unfortunately cannot afford to prioritise health. Even within the European Union there are major differences in health systems. For the European Union to be a key factor in improving global health, we need to create a unity, a way of working, common procedures within our Union. A viable strategy must take them into account.

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, when we want to change the patterns, we need to be fully open to innovative ideas to encourage and support them. The European energy system proved to be vulnerable, even though you have done great job, Commissioner, last winter. We are vulnerable to the fluctuation of the oil and gas market and not only to those. The sector has seen a lot of innovation in the past years, but it is not enough. We need innovation in the production of energy, but also in developing new and large storage capacities for the energy. We need massive investments and support, not only for the big companies but also for new actors. We need to open the system to make it possible to integrate brand new ideas and innovation in both production and storage to pass from a closed, very controlled market to welcoming new small micro-production and storage capacities. The European funds in this sector must be more flexible and way less bureaucratic, and we need to go over the national approach into a real European energy market. If we want green energy for everyone at affordable prices, we must dare to make big changes now.

Mr. President, Christ has risen! - we greet ourselves, Orthodox Christians, Greek Catholics, neo-Protestants, in Bright Week - dear colleagues, Commissioner, after all the crises we have been through and are still going through in recent years, the European economy needs our support. I am talking about the European economy as a whole, but also about each region, with its specificities. Of course, we have the Recovery and Resilience Fund for each country. We have the Structural Funds and the Just Transition Fund. It is precisely this justice that we, the European Union, must ensure, and here I must say again that the Romanian economy suffers greatly because my country, although it meets all the criteria, is not yet in the Schengen area. If, at a theoretical level, goods circulate freely in the European Union, at a practical level, Romanian products and products that are manufactured in Romania wait for hours and even days at the borders of Europe. This injustice must stop and that is why Romania must enter the Schengen area this year.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in every plenary session we talk about human rights, about the fact that we must get involved in reducing inequality and guaranteeing the rights of all citizens, wherever they are. It is good to take care of universal values and fight for them, but first we must ensure that human rights are respected in our home, in the European Union, and at this time, dear colleagues, we cannot hide the fact that Romanians and Bulgarians do not have the same rights as all other European citizens. Romania is not in the Schengen area, as a result, the right of free movement, one of the pillars of this construction, does not apply to Romanians. We are not second-class citizens and it has already been more than 15 years since this situation is not resolved, since we pretend we do not see the violation of rights that all European citizens should enjoy. If we want fairness and equal rights, we must first ensure them here at home in the European Union.

Mr President, rapporteur Dita Charanzová, Vice-President Timmermans! The technological development of the last 20 years, the advances in research have made a revision of the product safety legislation absolutely necessary. I support innovation and new technologies. But we need to emphasize that all manufacturers need to focus on two aspects: the benefits of a product, but also the risks it entails. At the same time, we, the consumers, must accept the need for permanent training. We need to know the risks we are taking in the digital age and learn to avoid them. At a time when the emergence of new products and technologies is the order of the day, consumer safety can be ensured by very good legislation, necessarily accompanied by adequate education.

Mr President, Commissioner Schmit, Minister Roswall, we are at a crossroads for the European economy and for world politics. Climate change, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, all these successive crises show us that it is very important to change the direction of development on our continent, to support the autonomy of the European Union and to invest massively in innovation. We need to support the green industry, including not only traditional industry, but can produce in much less polluting ways with innovation, but also the industry that will support renewable energy, recyclable and reusable products. Innovation must be present and financially supported in all economic areas, from energy production to textile industry and recycling, to agriculture, education, because these will be the jobs that will bring added value to our economy, to the economy of the European Union.

Mr President, dear colleagues, we are facing a tense situation in the Republic of Moldova, right on the borders of the European Union, Commissioner, where attempts are being made to destabilise the country shortly after the Moldovans have chosen a European democratic path, and the European Union has offered Moldova the status of candidate country. Modern means, such as the Internet and freedom of speech, are being abused by pro-Russian forces, who want to bring this state back under the influence of Russia and Putin, to restore an authoritarian regime. The Republic of Moldova needs our support, both at a declarative level, but especially practically, given the limited defense possibilities, the limited experience on the democratic path and an already hard-fought economy, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy dependence, the breakaway Transnistrian area. We cannot stand idly by Russia's and Putin's attempts to destabilise European democracies, one by one, to spread disinformation and manipulation. We cannot allow uncertainty to spread across our continent.

Mr President, First Vice-President Timmermans, we are promoting democratic values here in the European Parliament and in the other European institutions. We promote fairness and equality among the citizens of the European Union. And that's exactly what we have to do. But we cannot talk about fairness and equality if not all citizens of the Union have equal rights, and we, Romanians and Bulgarians, do not have equal rights. Romania's entry into the Schengen area is an imperative necessity, especially against the background of nationalist populism, increasingly vocal lately, strongly supported by disinformation and manipulation and even by Putin. It is unacceptable that, after more than 16 years of membership in the European Union, there are still states that question the application of the treaties regarding the free movement of Romanians. It's really outrageous. We want equality, we want democracy. Well, we have to do everything about us, about each of us, so that equal rights apply to Romanians as well. It's not just about Romania here, it's about the principles on which the European Union itself was built, this peace project!

Madam President, Commissioner, this legislative package must offer the possibility of adapting each country, each region individually, because only by taking into account the regional specificities will we be able to have the desired effects. Of course we want a less polluting European economy and we voted for most of us The Green Deal in 2019, but we still want a strong economy. Our ambitions of prosperity, social standards and even environmental ambitions will not be achieved without adequate funding, and this cannot be achieved without the significant input of industry and the support of people. The past few years have shown us that we need industrial autonomy, and the way in which the global geopolitical map is now being transformed must determine an even greater attention to a balance between economic and ecological. The rules we impose, the prohibitions and the limits will not be respected unless we build a real dialogue behind which realistic and achievable objectives result. I hope that we can find the opportunity to adapt quickly that is needed in these turbulent times.

Mr President, the automotive industry is still one of the top industries of the European Union. The European cars were and still are, something to be proud of. With more than 14 million new workers involved in this industry and more than 2.5 direct employees in the EU, this sector needs all our attention. We need to go green. Our planet and our health need to be a priority. There is no doubt about that. But we could have in our auto sector a strong partner to find the best solution so that the European Union will keep the lead in this sector and be much less pollutant than it is at this moment. We need more support for innovation, a neutral approach to the technologies. We want to be the leader in the green transition. The world beater. And we have to be. But it is much better and much safer to have partners to support the change of the industry, to make clear legislation and achievable targets to make sure we still have a very strong economy while becoming green.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, we have a European strategy to fight cancer, we have plans and programmes to help patients and survivors of this terrible disease, but we still have major differences from one country to another and even from one region to another in the way patients are treated. A patient in Romania, in my country, has much less chance of survival than a patient in Germany or Italy. Access to medication and state-of-the-art treatments is difficult and often too expensive. Information, routine checks and prevention are almost non-existent in poor areas, in areas far from large urban centres. I know that health is the attribute of the Member States, but I believe that it is our duty to find ways to bring normality also to less developed regions, that we are talking about a fair European Union, equal opportunities and we are proud of our slogan: "Leaving no one behind!"

Mr President, I voted, dear colleagues, on this resolution, because Ukraine needs our help. The tragic situation in which millions of Ukrainians find themselves can spill over to any of our countries, to the countries of Eastern Europe. Ukrainians need to know that we, the European Union and this Parliament, stand by them and will help them in every way we can. Russia's expansionist tendencies belong to past centuries. The cooperation and prosperity of citizens must now be the sole concern of all governments, not the re-establishment of the borders of the last century. Millions of refugees, thousands of dead soldiers on both sides, families torn by pain, entire families deported, Ukrainian children uprooted and sent away from their homes. All these misfortunes can be stopped by Russia. The Kremlin authorities are responsible for the consequences of their nationalist decisions, both on the Ukrainian people and on their own people.

Mr President, we are talking about transparency and the targeting of political advertising, and this is a very important topic because it has consequences for the democratic process and the future of the European Union. This file imposes a series of restrictions on political parties, in particular as regards electoral processes, in order to reduce the ‘popularisation’ of society to which the online environment has contributed significantly. But our response should not be a series of restrictions and prohibitions that do not take into account of modern communication. Our focus should be on educating citizens, so that they are able to recognise fake news and attempts at manipulation. I believe that it is not democratic processes that will lead to polarisation and that the subject is not sufficiently debated.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the right to opinion and free expression are some of the most important democratic rights in the European Union. The right to opinion, however, is not the right to disinformation, nor the right to present personal opinions as absolute truths. It is not the right of extremists to promote hatred, to lie to people. Online communication has made it much easier and faster for disinformation to spread to people who do not know or cannot verify information. What is even more serious is that these misinformations are also spread through traditional media, where there are news channels in all the member countries of the European Union, which no longer seem to follow any rules other than the financial interest. Disinformation is extremely dangerous for democracy, because it uses people's good faith and changes behaviors in social relationships, leading to a high degree of polarization, hatred. We must take this very seriously, dear colleagues, and as soon as possible.

Madam President, Madam Minister, Commissioner Johansson, extremism on any side of the political spectrum is and has been dangerous to society. And now, in these times, all the more so as extremist propaganda has access to modern, globalized means of communication. Last year, using communication channels and online social networks, right-wing extremists horrified the entire world, attacking the Capitol in the United States - a symbol of what we believed to be the most stable democracy in the world. This year, the same techniques were used by the far right to attack government institutions in Brazil. We are dealing with the same model of attempting to destabilise democracy and we need to note not only the means of communication, but also similar messages and the way of misinformation and manipulation of the population. We see these messages already spreading more and more in our states, in our European Union, and we need to take action as soon as possible to counteract the manipulation and transformation of thousands of people into mere tools for the abusive takeover of power.

Mr President, electricity is one of the essential products that cannot be missing from our lives today, whether we are talking about private or professional life. The price of this energy is felt in all the products and services we need. The current crisis caused by Russia has led to far too high increases in energy prices, and people who work hard have become unable to afford a decent life. However, we must recognise that the energy market, as it is currently regulated, allows for a very large margin of speculation. The increase is not entirely due to the gas crisis or the war triggered by Russia in Ukraine, and we should not accept the speculations that create so many problems in society. Market regulation must be reviewed and measures to keep energy prices affordable for all citizens must be binding on all EU countries. Because we are here, dear colleagues, to protect all European citizens, regardless of the country, the region in which they live.

Mr President, Mrs Executive Vice-President, Mrs Minister, the European single market is undoubtedly one of the greatest projects and successes of the European Union. A market of around 450 million consumers applying harmonised rules in almost all areas is our greatest asset, European citizens. Free movement makes trade in goods much easier, but we must move on to the completion of this great project, which is not complete: without the free movement of persons, for lorries carrying these goods, which are situated at internal borders. The waves of immigrants, then the Covid-19 pandemic caused many states to restore controls and, even after the real danger had passed, free movement returned much harder to normal. Even so, the fact that not all the states of the European Union are included in the Schengen area, as is the case with my country, Romania, brings great difficulties for the economy and producers of the states that, although they are members of the Union, are still kept at the border of the European Union, but also for those who transport goods in these states. A free movement of goods cannot exist without the same freedom of citizens. For the European single market to be a real success, we need all Member States to be a real part of the European Union. If we want a single market, we need to remove these last hurdles.

Madam President, the multiannual financial plan needs more flexibility in order for the European Union to be prepared for possible crises. And we see, and we feel how many crises have hit us in these years. These last three years have shown us that, in certain situations, urgent action is needed at European level, financing instruments that can be used quickly to minimise the negative impact on citizens. However, these instruments must be self-contained and not take from cohesion funds for regional development, as has been the case so far. Cohesion policy must continue to be aimed at increasing communities and living standards in lagging regions. This resolution is a welcome one, and the analysis to which all the working committees in the European Parliament have contributed, and I call on the European Commission to find the right solutions for the flexibility needed, while putting greater transparency and accountability in the spending of European Union funds first.

Madam President, we must recognise and know our history in order not to repeat it. It is difficult for many of us to imagine how you can wish for the destruction of an entire people. The holodomor was real. Millions of Ukrainians died while their wheat was exported by the Soviet regime. The 1932-1933 famine, artificially created, was actually a weapon in Moscow's hands to pursue its collectivization goals. I voted for this resolution because it is time to do justice, to call those events what they were: a genocide. I am firmly convinced that we should not stop here with the research of history in the states beyond the Iron Curtain, that we must also see the other atrocities committed by Stalin and the communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the deportations, the Siberian gulag, the extermination of the intellectuals in our countries, in Eastern Europe. It's time to start bringing the truth to light.

Mr Mandl, you explained to us that technically we can’t change this procedure, and you explained to us that the migration wave is increasing. But is this migration wave not also going through Croatia? We don’t have anything against Croatia, but when we see the numbers, Croatia also has also an increase in migration – not only Romania or Bulgaria.

Mr President, Minister Balaš, Commissioner Johansson, I, too, thank you for all the unconditional support you have shown me in recent months, and especially last week. In the JHA Council, where last week Romania and Bulgaria received an unfair and humiliating veto for joining the Schengen area, although we have met all the criteria for more than ten years. Romanians and Bulgarians are kept at the gate of the European Union and, whatever we say, we cannot talk about equal rights as long as tens of millions of Europeans are kept for hours at the border, they have additional controls and unfair treatment. This decision, while insignificant to many European citizens enjoying all their rights, endangers the European Union's fiber, particularly dangerously feeding nationalist ideologies and the growing separatism of Russia's supporters. Herr Kanzler Nehammer! Wir resignieren nicht – wir, die Rumänen. Unser Kampf hört hier nicht auf. Und ihre Entscheidung war nicht nur gegenüber den Rumänen ungerecht – die übrigens die zweitgrößte Minderheit in Ihrem Land sind –, sondern gegenüber den europäischen Werten. Ich hoffe, Sie werden den Fehler, den Sie gemacht haben, erkennen und in den nächsten Tagen beheben.