Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner Schinas, ladies and gentlemen! Our children begin to get to know the world, explore it and develop their skills with the help of toys. Our children learn colors, numbers, shapes at a young age and then continue playfully with geometric skills. Since toys are part of our children's lives and development, it is important to evaluate the Toys Directive and quickly promote changes in these properties or a reduction in the content of substances that are hazardous to children's health. This toy must be safe, whether it is purchased in stores or online, whether it is manufactured in the European Union or in third countries. When it comes to the health of our children, we need to be very careful. Without a balance between benefits and risks, between the ability to innovate and the safe quantities of substances allowed for toy production, we will at the same time jeopardise a market in which almost 6 000 small enterprises operate in the European Union. And more: The price of toys could become increasingly unaffordable. We must pay attention to scientific studies and at the same time reduce as much as possible bureaucracy, labelling and packaging regulations that have nothing to do with the safety and health of children. In my opinion, our report – and I thank the rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs for their work – shows just that, namely the need for balance and dialogue with manufacturers and consumer protection organisations in order to have safe, healthy, innovative and child-friendly toys.

Madam President, Commissioner Kyriakides, dear Véronique, ladies and gentlemen, cancer is one of the most serious health problems, especially in the less developed countries, where medical systems face numerous shortcomings and the survival rate is worryingly low. Immediate action is needed to improve the life chances of patients and support their families. The drama they are going through - and many in this room have gone through these dramas - the hardships they are striving to overcome must urge us all to immediate and concrete action. Prevention is another important aspect of fighting cancer. There is a need for research in the field and, above all, there is a need for citizens to be informed about the factors that can contribute to the onset of the disease. It is important to invest in health education for both children and adults, so that people can make informed lifestyle and nutrition choices on their own, rather than by imposing them.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, there are 27 Member States in the European Union and, although we still have borders, European citizens can choose to live, work and contribute to the development of the European Union in any of the 27 states. Millions of European citizens, millions of Romanians have made a living in states other than the one in which they were born and, after decades, their soul is linked both to the country in which they were born and to the new country where they live and work. It is therefore natural that they want to be citizens of both states, and yet, although we have established that we are a family, although we have established that between us, the 27 Member States, are special relations, we still have some states that refuse dual citizenship. I believe that we must also take this issue seriously in this House and try to really create a sense of belonging to a great European family for all our citizens, wherever they are in the Union.

Vice-President Wieland, Vice-President of the Commission, honourable colleagues, the online environment has been created and developed by innovation-oriented young people who have used their imagination and knowledge in an entirely new field. The fulminating evolution of this field, from simple written communications to complex digital services, to a real world that connects people, economic operators, institutions, social and political life around the world, was only possible thanks to the freedom of movement and innovation that young people had, because it is truly a young field. It is necessary to impose certain rules. We need to protect consumers and all those who manifest themselves in the online environment, but we need to take into account the specificities of this area and maintain a balance between the necessary rules and the freedom of innovation. Just as we have an innovative approach in the online environment, we need a flexible approach in legislating this area. We need to encourage the further development of digital services and ensure that people who are now starting work in this area will have enough freedom to come up with new, innovative ideas that push the world and our continent forward. While not perfect legislation, the DSA keeps the balance we need and will give us the tools to enforce user rights without stifling much-needed development.

Mr President, Commissioner Adina Vălean, colleagues, we are talking about the common market, about the European economy, about the need for measures for economic recovery and growth. And yet the free movement of goods encounters more barriers than at any time in the last two years. There are states that impose a series of measures at the borders. We see controls at borders between Member States, even when it comes to freight transport. We talked about green lanes, for goods, about the effort that the hard-hit economy of the COVID-19 pandemic no longer suffers, but we see how trucks spend hours at the border between some Member States – and here I know the situation very well – at the border between Romania and Hungary, even if in theory the goods circulate freely, whether or not we are members of the Schengen area. A single market cannot operate under such conditions. We cannot speak of equal opportunities for economic operators, given that goods from Romania and Bulgaria stay up to 24 hours to enter the Schengen Area. We are talking here about artificial barriers to the free movement of goods, which increase the costs of products, with a direct impact on the economy and development of our regions. These difficulties must be addressed and resolved, Commissioner, if we want a free market, if we want a strong and resilient economy.

Madam President Metsola, Commissioner Vestager, Commissioner Breton! It is good that the big players in the digital market have imposed rules and tried to improve their services. But the online market needs to be officially regulated so that it respects both the safety and rights of consumers and the rights of other economic operators. The digital domain is just beginning, and we need to make sure that while legislation does not hinder development and innovation, it does not involve the use or misuse of personal data. We need to constantly monitor and assess digital market legislation to ensure that the basic laws of the internal market are respected: a level playing field, consumer safety and protection and identical rules for online and offline applications. I congratulate the rapporteur Andreas Schwab and the shadow rapporteurs for this report and wish them every success in the dialogue.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, cohesion policies are one of the cornerstones of the European Union and the phrase "Leaving no one behind" must be moved from theoretical to practical. The Multiannual Financial Plan must be started as soon as possible by the Member States, so that European funds reach where they are most needed. It is important to ensure that too much bureaucracy and eligibility conditions do not hinder the use of European funds in less developed communities. The eligibility of projects must be determined solely by their usefulness, their contribution to the economic and social development of the region and, of course, to the fulfilment of environmental conditions. We must aim for European money to have a direct impact on the development of our communities. This monitoring must be carried out at European level and we must intervene with technical solutions where necessary.

Madam President, we are in the fourth wave of the pandemic, we are trying to adapt and support our Member States, and in most cases this aid from the European Union is what our countries, the countries of Europe – medicines, equipment, vaccines – need, as is the case with my country, Romania, and I thank you, Commissioner, for all the effort you have made in recent weeks to help my country. Our life goes on, in one way or another, with major adaptations, major changes, but we have to admit that it is an area that is extremely in need of help, education. There are thousands of children, especially in poorer regions, in remote areas, who for more than a year have been required to go to school online. There are thousands of children in the European Union who have not had access to education since the beginning of the pandemic. I believe that this situation needs to be addressed at European level. We must find solutions together so as not to sacrifice an entire generation.

Mr President, in some Member States, COVID-19 deaths are increasing. It is worrying that the vaccination rate in these states is below 35%, as is the case in Romania, my country. Much of the blame for this low rate lies in alarmist news, in which people without medical training express their personal opinions as scientific postulates. Aggressive social media campaigns are creating even more confusion among the population. Nothing is more important than freedom of expression, but we need to make a clear difference between opinion and scientific evidence, to emphasize it as such. We urgently need to take serious action to ensure that these disinformation campaigns do not become a danger to people's health and lives.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The creation of a European Education Area is a special opportunity to bring the idea of the European Union closer to all citizens. This project is another way to ensure that citizens are directly involved in promoting European values, common history and cultures – values that connect us all. The traditionally multicultural, multilingual regions had little to gain. And here I have the example of the Transylvania region or the example of my hometown of Arad in Romania, where you can still see the great influences of three nations: Romanians, Hungarians and Germans, but also the influences of those who were present in the area in small numbers, such as Slovaks, Serbs, Jews, Bulgarians and others. The proper functioning of the Union requires a high level of mobility of the citizens involved in all areas and at all professional levels. From trainers to masters and university students to doctoral students. The European Education Area is a good way to assess the level of education in all regions of the Union and to support regions that need better adaptation at all ages.

Mr President, Commissioner McGuinness, first of all I would like to congratulate our colleague, Dita Charanzová, on this report. Free movement is one of the great advantages that the European Union has brought to our citizens, to the citizens of the Member States. Even if we are not all part of the Schengen area yet, we need a common approach and much easier collaboration also in relation to compulsory civil liability insurance for vehicles. The advantages of being members of an economic and political fabric that can bring prosperity and greater comfort must be felt by all citizens of the European Union, including as regards compulsory insurance, especially in the context of an ever-increasing campaign of disinformation and of minimizing these advantages. It is true that responsibility lies with the Member States, but we must use digital technologies throughout the European Union to ensure that cars on European roads have the necessary insurance to protect and support those involved in road accidents, without, however, imposing compulsory insurance where it is not necessary. For example, vehicles that do not run on public roads. Green alternative means of transport that significantly reduce pollution are increasingly found on our public roads. We currently have a road infrastructure for alternative means of transport that connects many states in the European Union, but to which unfortunately my country, Romania, is not yet connected as I would have liked. But in addition to developing this infrastructure, we also need to address the issue of insurance in a unified and harmonised way. By imposing them only where and when, they are necessary to meet the needs of all road users. Taking into account the mobility of European citizens, we also need to ensure that the damage history is recognised and easily attested by a uniform procedure at European Union level, with as little effort as possible on the part of insured persons.

Mr President, Mr Minister! In a European Union that seeks the development of all regions and the well-being of all its citizens, cross-border cooperation is a necessity. The temporary closure of borders between Member States – such as between my country, Romania, or your country, Slovenia, and Hungary or Austria – and travel bans for cross-border workers due to the pandemic have further highlighted the interdependence of border regions and the importance of a cross-border cooperation mechanism. The European Union needs all the resources, efforts and will to return to a prosperous life and economy after the challenges posed by the pandemic. This mechanism needs to be completed now more than ever to allow for better cooperation and easier implementation of projects and development of border regions. Mr Minster Logar, our citizens, the European citizens need this. It is a necessity and not a wish.

Vice-President Barley, Commissioner Simson, Minister Logar, the increase in energy prices at the beginning of the cold season is alarming and most of you, dear colleagues, have said that in your discussions today. It is all the more alarming as energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy are far from the level we want. In the short term, we can solve through subsidies the problem of the few million inhabitants who will not be able to pay their energy bills this winter, but in the medium and long term, we must come up with firm strategies and action plans that give due importance to domestic energy production, so as to achieve as much energy independence as possible for households throughout the European Union. Do we have the financial resources in the multiannual financial plan? Do we have the desire to transform the energy sector into an environmentally friendly one and did we demonstrate it in 2019 in this room? All we have left is the political will to finance the effort of all the citizens of the European Union to produce, use and even supply energy from renewable resources.

Madam President, Commissioner Neghini, ladies and gentlemen, limited production capacity during the pandemic period, coupled with increased demand from the Chinese market, but also limited transport capacities for raw materials and construction materials have influenced and are still influencing prices, and these will have negative effects on the European economy and beyond. The economic strategy of the European Union must take into account multiple aspects including economic security. A balance is needed between ecological transformations, globalisation and local production that we need to find in order to prevent economic crises. Another important aspect is the diversification of the European Union's strategic partnerships. With an economic boom and growing demand for raw materials and building materials in China, we need to build and strengthen new partnerships to ensure that the European economy does not find itself in difficulty at a time when investment projects are crucial. The challenges of the pandemic have shown for the first time that the European Union can and knows how to react quickly in times of crisis. I think we should turn this experience into a permanent exercise, a way of working in which the response to challenges is quick and effective. The green, digital and social transformations we want in the European Union, cohesion policies and quality healthcare can only be achieved with a secure, competitive and prosperous economy.