Speeches

Mr President, we were disappointed to see the European Union silenced when the Turkish authorities, quite abusively, detained and barred the governor of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, from entering Izmir last Saturday. This action is unacceptable since, apart from being a Greek elected official, he is also a European official as First Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions. I'd like to ask you this: How long will the European Union be silent on such unacceptable actions by Turkey? Unequivocal condemnation is the least the European Union can do to rise to the occasion, but that is not enough. I therefore call on the European Union to use all the instruments at its disposal to defend its interests and those of its Member States against ever-increasing Turkish provocation.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased that this report shows not only that Parliament is leading the way, but above all that it recognises the extraordinary potential of this ecosystem as part of the creative and cultural industry, but also the benefits that we can derive from using them in our education systems to develop the necessary digital skills. It is for these reasons that we need a coherent European strategy to highlight and multiply the added value of this sector, with adequate funding, from programmes such as Creative Europe, to support creators and enable them to compete with global giants on an equal footing, but also with a special emphasis on the need for accessibility for the disabled, given the excellent potential of video games for socialisation and participation in society.

Mr President, dear Commissioner Kyriakides, dear colleagues, mental health has been marginalised for a long time. The COVID—19 pandemic brought the spotlight to the importance of mental well-being. Young people, women, disabled persons and other people are at risk of being disproportionately impacted by mental ill health. We are also less likely to receive tailored mental health support. To that end, a human rights—based European standard on mental health that addresses the socio—economic elements of mental health is imperative to achieve an equitable approach to mental health care. How will the European Commission assure that different communities, including vulnerable groups, are centralised in this work? Moreover, decentralisation is a key priority in reforming mental health systems. There is still a substantial number of persons with psychosocial impairments living in institutions across Europe and lacking community—based services. This new European initiative should boost the decentralisation process towards the implementation of community—based services.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a few days marks eight months and is the only active front on European soil. Since that time, the social and economic consequences, mainly for Europe and more broadly for the world, have been and continue to be significant. Waves of refugees come by the thousands to find safety in the Member States, while at the same time the issue with Ukraine's exports of grain and raw materials has created problems in the supply chain of the European market. As a culmination, the energy crisis is hitting European citizens again, with many of the energy companies profiting in this hazy landscape. Our government in Greece did this: introduced a temporary extraordinary tax aimed at taxing energy companies on the excess profits made by companies during this crisis and the money collected is directed directly to consumers in order to reduce them as much as possible. This is what we must do as a whole as Europe and we must do it immediately, because the burdens on families and businesses are immediate and ever-increasing.

Madam President, colleagues, 95.4 million European citizens were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2021, with women at even higher risk; 95.4 million. It is a relentless indicator that brings us all face to face with harsh reality. Above all, however, it must magnify our will and efforts to implement the Porto targets of reducing this number by 15 million by 2030, with active employment policies, an adequate minimum wage and a safety net for the most vulnerable. This is the only way that this World Day will not be left on paper, but will be a real springboard for coordinated action for a stronger social Europe.

Mr President, colleagues, over the last year we have entered a new stage in our pandemic response, from emergency to a more sustainable mode of preparedness and reaction. Nevertheless, the number of cases is rising again. Having this in mind, we are calling on the EU and the Member States to do what is necessary to protect public health in a manner that keeps society and the economy open and resilient. Effective and safe vaccines is obviously a significant element in this endeavour and we are keen to hear from the Commission on how to address the current vaccine surplus, how we can ensure that the Member States with all their different needs and specificities will integrate COVID—19 vaccines into the national vaccination programmes, as well as how they can ensure continuity of healthcare delivery with a strong focus on the needs of vulnerable groups. But at a crucial time and again during this pandemic, trust in science is key. Policymakers and citizens will need to be mindful of all those actors who will attempt to undermine such trust through disinformation and misinformation about vaccine safety and effectiveness. Because this assertion undermines our collective effort against the virus. In this regard, we need an update on the measures the EU has taken against these phenomena and towards improving our preparedness ahead of possible future cases. And of course, we will continue drawing the right lessons on this, but also on other crucial issues such as the role of HERA, coordination among Member States, the resilience of our supply chains and the One Health approach. Colleagues, this oral question is primarily an opportunity to remind ourselves that the pandemic is not yet over. We may have been through its toughest part but we need to remain vigilant, and we should absolutely not lose all the resolve gained from our joint response over the past two years. Instead, let’s do our best to stop the virus for the benefit of our society and economy.

Mr President, I would like the Vice-President to explain to us, if possible, what future actions he believes could stop the hostilities, so that a peaceful regime can come to the region.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, as I have mentioned again with the ceasefire agreements and the ceasefires waiting for an empty letter, Azerbaijan, taking advantage of Armenia's position between Iran and Turkey, but also of its military superiority, has attacked again, and the Union's stance has been limited, as in previous outbreaks of Azerbaijani aggression, to mere verbal condemnation. History will tell us that this has been ineffective. I understand the Union's economic ties with Azerbaijan as an energy partner, but also with the country I come from, Greece. But can this be enough to allow the loss of Armenia and tolerance for barbarism? As a Union, we must make it clear to the Azerbaijani regime that we are not prepared to buy back our values. The Union must take an active role, including by setting up a peacekeeping mission to replace the skilled Russians who have taken on this role. So is the Union considering this?

Madam President, while Europe is facing multilevel challenges, we must not forget population categories such as the Roma; groups that face discrimination and social exclusion on a daily basis. That is why the resolution that we have in our hands is of particular value, because it calls on the governments of the European Union to rise to the occasion, and I can only express my satisfaction that some of them, such as the Greek one, by addressing failures and omissions of the past, are already doing so with a holistic national strategy that emphasises their active inclusion and the promotion of equal treatment and their active participation in social and economic life. With these tools and with the support of local authorities and the Roma communities themselves, let us work so that they can finally fully exercise their rights and obligations as citizens of this Union.

Madame President, as the COVID-19 pandemic evidenced, there is currently a limited legal framework for EU-level coordination into serious cross-border threats to health. We need a common EU-level response to harmonise communication and to show solidarity among Member States. Presenting these proposals sets a historical and more comprehensive legal basis for the EU to prepare and respond to future crises. In my view, to do so sufficiently, we should guarantee that every EU citizen has equal and easy access to all health-care systems among the Member States, and especially when moving freely from one state to another. Moreover, as most of the consequences after a serious cross-border health threat have a great impact on mental health, we should invest in protecting our citizens’ mental health by outlining a strategic framework that provides for mental wellbeing and support. Dear Madam Commissioner, let’s use the lessons learnt from COVID-19 to embrace EU guidance on preparedness, surveillance and risk assessment and early warning supported by improvement to data collection to better respond to future cross-border health threats.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, two years after the original Commission proposal was tabled, we are delighted to be able to approve the final agreement on the directive on adequate minimum wages. The road was hard. Some at the beginning of the route did not believe that it would be implemented, but with much effort and persistent negotiations we managed to agree on a landmark directive. A directive that responds to the concerns of an important part of our society, which sees its salary insufficient to meet its needs. A directive that can create the framework for workers to have a decent standard of living, but also tackle inequalities, promote gender equality and help safeguard the competitiveness of European economies. It now remains for its main addressees – the Member States – to put it into practice. Without delay and with respect to the implementation of its individual provisions. For a strong social Europe.

Madam President, Prime Minister, your priorities for the next six months are very essential, because it is true that Europe is again facing an unexpected challenge with Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, and it comes after another unexpected crisis, this COVID-19 pandemic. It is therefore very important for health to be at the heart of our policy, and that is why I am particularly pleased that among your priorities you have also set the issues of rare diseases as a pillar. And this process comes at a time when, within your presidency, negotiations will begin on health-related issues, such as the revision of the legislation on orphan medicinal products. The European Union must be at the heart of innovation, so that we can lead the way and produce the original substance here on European soil. It is about the quality of our citizens.

Mr President, first of all I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Maria Walsh, on her very well-documented report on this important subject. Colleagues, 11% of adults in the European Union have symptoms of psychological distress, while the cost of job depression is 620 billion per year. The numbers are relentless and bring us face to face with a silent epidemic. To address it, we need to act immediately with a holistic approach that gives mental health the same importance as physical health, with an emphasis on preventing mental health problems, improving work-life balance, clear arrangements for teleworking, but also meaningful support and systematic tackling of the issue. It is enough to understand that it is for the benefit of all European citizens with mental health issues, health systems, but also businesses. Because ultimately employees with mental well-being mean increased productivity and participation in the workplace. And this report is the first step in calling for a European mental health strategy that applies to all sectors. Let us all act in this direction.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased today that our Parliament, led by our political group, the European People's Party, is adopting a report that meets the expectations of European citizens; a report that recognises in practice the invaluable contribution of informal carers; a report emphasising the great care responsibilities of women, but also stressing the dimension of personal choice of care and, of course, the need for immediate change, for example by transforming care structures into community-based care. Member States are an integral part of this choice and must ensure that Europeans can be directed towards care options, which promote deinstitutionalisation and the right to choose. Of course, we must not turn a blind eye to unacceptable institutional living – quite the contrary. Inquiries into cases of abuse must be carried out and we must work intensively on awareness-raising. And at this very wavelength, I wanted to welcome the actions of the Greek government to close institutions with unacceptable living conditions. In conclusion, I call on the European Commission to take our report seriously and to put forward an ambitious strategy that puts the needs of carers and beneficiaries of care services at the centre.

Mr President, first of all I would like to congratulate the two co-rapporteurs on the very good result, as well as all the shadow rapporteurs on the very good cooperation we have had on this report. The report allowed us to assess and redefine our priorities for the Sustainable Development Goals and the progress we have been making since they were adopted in 2015. The report also stresses the importance of implementing and embracing the Sustainable Development Goals in policy initiatives and external relations, while encouraging the European Commission to take action to tackle climate change and to respect and promote human rights, the right to health, local communities, refugees and migrants, children, people in vulnerable social situations, the right to development, gender equality, women's empowerment and intergenerational justice. Finally, it is important that in the report we highlight that we are present as a Union, since the European Union budget, together with the Next Generation EU recovery package, is a key tool for achieving the objectives, not only because of its combined amount of EUR 1.8 trillion, but also because of its long-term scope and its multinational dimension. (Applause)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to share with you the pleasure of bringing this important dossier to the vote in plenary. I would also like to thank all colleagues from the other political groups for their contributions. With Mr Omargee as rapporteur, we had almost unanimous support for the report in the REGI Committee. We managed to highlight in the report the importance of insularity for Europe and to highlight the potential of our islands, but also their contribution to the European economy through green growth and tourism. The report outlines the economic, social and environmental challenges facing island regions in the European Union and we call for compensation through a targeted policy for cohesion of both budget funds and a series of actions to address the needs of islands. Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to vote in favour of the petition in order to give a clear signal of support for the citizens of insular Europe. The adoption of the report will give a clear direction to the European Commission to strengthen the digital transition, the sustainable economy, sustainable tourism, upgrading the quality of life of residents, telemedicine, primary health care, interconnectivity with continental areas. The ultimate goal is to create a strategy for European insularity. We are stigmatizing together that even the border islands, which constitute the last European border, have not been abandoned by us and we are creating policies to find solutions to the problems.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we are all aware that the negotiations with Turkey have stalled and there is a rapid retreat. Turkey, indicatively only, is intensifying its aggression against Greece, questioning the sovereignty of the Greek islands in the Aegean, pursuing an aggressive policy in Cyprus with the opening of Varosha, violating UN resolutions, accusing Sweden and Finland of links to terrorism, destabilizing Libya and Syria. He is indifferent to the disasters in Agia Sophia, which he turned into a mosque, oppresses religious freedoms of minorities. The European Union began negotiations with the Republic of Turkey and is now conversing with the imitation of the Ottoman Empire. The European Union must, while respecting its principles and values, keep the accession negotiations frozen until Turkey understands the democratic and largely changes it has to make to its government. Dialogue with an authoritarian, irrational regime is harmful to the Union and the Turkish people, as it legitimizes the Erdogan leadership that keeps them away from their European future.

Madam President, it is true that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has spread terror and darkness in Europe in recent weeks. This has led to strict measures against Russia and, on the other hand, to strong solidarity with Ukrainians. This was the right thing to do. But I must admit that we have not seen the same unified response when other human rights atrocities took place in third countries. For months, the situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating. In particular, the profound violations of women’s rights are becoming more frequent. Just a few days ago, the ban on girls going to school was reinstated. Atefa, a 16—year—old Afghan girl, in an effort to express her despair, stated that: ‘for Afghan girls, the earth is unbearable, and the sky is unreachable’. Depriving education from these girls is like depriving them of their future. The EU is committed to defend human rights around the world, but its efforts will not be strengthened until democracy and human rights are absolutely assured in every state, including Afghanistan. Afghan women and girls are crying out for immediate help, not words of condemnation. Let’s keep little Atefa’s words in mind and make the earth bearable for her and the sky reachable to her.

Madam President, Mr Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, as a new Member of the European Parliament, I am very pleased that this resolution seeks to respond to important youth challenges. Unfortunately, many of the indicators are not on our side. Youth unemployment and social exclusion rates across the European Union remain high. I therefore call on the Commission and the Council to put their fight at the top of their priorities. We need to focus and bridge the gap between education and the labour market, but also pay special attention to young people living in remote villages and islands. It is time to move from words to action, making full use of existing programmes, but also with new initiatives aimed at developing entrepreneurship and social investment for young people. Dear colleagues, a whole generation of young people is anxiously looking towards us, seeking the obvious: opportunities to build on its capabilities and prosper; There are no easy solutions or alms. It is our duty not to turn our backs on them. So let us seize the opportunity of the European Year of Youth and design policies for young people with their needs at the centre.

Mr President, we are living in 2022. Our President is a woman and yet we still do not have full gender equality. We are speaking in this Parliament as one of the symbols of democracy. But still, there are countries with authoritarian regimes suppressing their own people – countries such as Turkey, which withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, or others which have revoked measures aiming to combat the virus and address women. It is our duty to fight for women’s rights, especially in regard to their learning situations in third countries, such as the situation in Afghanistan. My country, Greece, has assumed its responsibilities and provided a safe haven for several Afghan women who fled Afghanistan. Other (inaudible) are also under threat, such as in Azerbaijan where the government is systematically destroying monuments and churches of Armenian Christian heritage. That is the only way that you can live (inaudible) expectation and prevent (inaudible) from being undermined.

Mr President, digital platforms have transformed our lives, but also the way we communicate, read news and consume. But they have also created a number of challenges, such as illegal content online and disinformation. And this report on digital services first and foremost demonstrates the readiness of the European Parliament to contribute to addressing precisely these digital challenges. On the one hand, it updates the e-Commerce Directive, a text that has been instrumental in creating a true single market, with all the outstanding benefits for businesses, but also for the citizens of the Union. On the other hand, it imposes obligations on very large platforms to act in a timely manner against illegal content, respecting the fundamental rights of users. However, it also takes into account the disproportionate burden borne by small and medium-sized enterprises, exempting them from several obligations. And I am very pleased that, at the insistence of my political group, we have managed to secure a framework that does not stifle them with unbearable bureaucracy. And finally, the report includes a fundamental concept, that of algorithmic transparency. As a society, we need to better understand the functioning of social media algorithms, and platforms should provide access to data for researchers to consider potential risks and the socio-economic harm they can cause. We know that everything will be judged by the proper supervision and implementation of this regulation, but today we are taking another important step towards an institutional framework that better protects citizens, while promoting innovation and the competitiveness of digital services in Europe.

Madam President, Commissioner, the previous strategy on medicines and businesses has shown us the way to be able to create a framework that will show a Europe that is becoming a frontrunner. We need from the conclusions we have learned in the past period to become a guide, so that we can strengthen research, to strengthen those scientists who want and can stay in Europe, to produce primary material for the rest of the world. And not just that. The next stage must go to the drugs themselves. We need to show the way, so that we can create a common pricing framework, a common framework that helps all countries – the Member States – to have a cohesion, so that they can serve and support European citizens in all countries.

Mr President, Commissioner Gabriel, I am very pleased that this report puts at the centre the need for a European dimension in education – and we thank Ms Šojdrová very much for that – but also an inclusive education, accessible to all, which promotes the acquisition of skills necessary for the demands of the digital and green transition, with mobility, retraining, retraining and lifelong learning at its core, taking of course into account all the conclusions from the pandemic, such as the need to further integrate digital tools, equal access to technological infrastructure and the enhancement of digital literacy regardless of age. And I am sure that actions for the digital transformation of education, such as those included in the Greek recovery programme, contribute decisively in this direction, for an education that really promotes sustainable economic growth but also social progress for all.

Madam President, social policy is part of the EU’s duties and, as parliamentarians, it is important to ensure that we continue the legacy of the social market economy into the 21st century. It is true that progress also has a social dimension, in addition to the economic one, progress in which everyone can play a part and which allows economies to grow, reduce poverty and address inequality. But, unfortunately, the COVID—19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on different regions, with the most vulnerable groups bearing the most severe impact. This report has indeed touched upon a number of these COVID—related challenges and includes positive elements such as the EPP’s views on a European care strategy with a strong gender dimension, but also on one of the biggest challenges of our times: providing the right sets of skills so that our workforce can harness the benefits of the digital and green transitions. However, the report lacks pragmatic solutions. In this regard, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and giving SMEs access to funding, addressing red tape and assuring family—friendly policies – empty. In addition, the report also fails to respect the principle of subsidiarity, touching upon issues which can be better treated at national level, closer to the citizen. The recovery from the pandemic will require systemic European action, but also an innovative approach, as well as one which takes each Member State’s different needs into account. Let’s make sure that we use the unprecedented amount of funds to change what doesn’t work, but in a smart and a pragmatic way.

Mr President, dear colleagues, the European Union is based on the principles of unanimity, solidarity and cooperation. We share the same values and aims of securing joint responsibility. The Common European Asylum System (CEAS) is founded on mutual minimum standards for asylum procedures. Despite the consecutive progress on the CEAS, there are still significant inequalities between the Member States in the granting of international protection offered at the Union level. The reception conditions and the system for determining the Member States responsible for asylum seekers. In order to better address these inequalities and ensure international protection for asylum seekers, we should aim at two distinct actions: first, it is crucial to engage and provide guidance on the situation in the specific countries of origin, and that asylum seekers are able to access international protection in a safe region, as close as possible to their origin. This would enable them to be closer to their place of origin and their identity while tackling the problem, which is huge. Secondly, in case that this does not succeed, it is urgent to ensure a sustainable and fair distribution of certain obligations among Member States while strengthening practical cooperation among them. We need to promote Union law and operational standards to ensure a high degree of uniformity as regards asylum procedures and protection needs across the Union. In particular, increased operational and technical support should be provided to those Member States whose systems are subject to disproportionate pressure. The creation of the European Union Agency for Asylum could empower the role of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), boost the implementation of CEAS and ensure a stronger presence in the operations of each Member State.