Speeches

Madam President and colleagues, in 2022, nearly 10% of our citizens lived in energy poverty, unable to properly warm their houses. At the same time, the biggest fossil fuel companies in Europe made great, extraordinary profits for themselves and were also lobbying and using considerable resources to lobby in favour of favourable policies to them, against climate, nature and the public interest. This is why it is very important that we discuss this topic, and the Committee on Petitions tried to form a resolution but failed in that. I think the citizens deserve for us to have a genuine discussion to prevent energy poverty in the future. This is why I wish to add a Commission statement ‘The responsibilities of fossil fuel companies in the cost of living crisis’ with resolution on Tuesday evening, and this request should be taken by roll-call vote.

Mr President, almost two years of war. That's two years too long. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an attack on the whole of Europe, international law and peace. Two years – at the same time, it demonstrates the resilience of Ukrainians. They've endured, we have to. The EU must increase its armed and financial support to Ukraine so that it ensures Ukraine's victory and not only helps to continue the fight. The EUR 50 billion aid package for Ukraine is important, but I also call for the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank of over EUR 200 billion that are on EU territory to be used immediately and fully for the benefit of Ukraine. We also need to train soldiers on Ukrainian territory and find more ways to help them immediately. Two years – around 200 000 Ukrainians have been killed or injured. We don't forget, we don't give up. Slava Ukraini.

Madam President and dear colleagues, thank you. It has been a pleasure to work with you on this report and listen to you today. The various topics mentioned in this report – from human rights to security – have to be taken very seriously and raised in all levels and all encounters by EU representatives. This work is now needed more than ever to increase the wellbeing and safety and security of our citizens, and a better future for all in India and in the EU. We share knowledge on these issues mentioned and the visions for the EU-India partnership. The consensus achieved in this report was mentioned many times by colleagues and I am grateful for this cooperation. Now we count on the High Representative to demonstrate that our recommendations build the EU’s position for the forthcoming high summit and all the future EU policy towards India, including the new EU roadmap after 2025. Thank you all so much. I am grateful for the cooperation, and also the cooperation of every activist, journalist, policymaker and expert that we have heard in this process. And I hope that we can continue the cooperation for a better future for us all.

Madam President, dear listeners, dear colleagues, I am honoured to present the Parliament’s recommendation to the Council, Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the EU-India Partnership. The relationship between the EU and India, the most populous country and fifth largest economy in the world, is increasingly important. Both India and the EU are needed in the fight against climate crisis and in advancing global security. The partnership is necessary, for example, for development and transformation to sustainable energy, for promotion of human rights and democracy and rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere. The current EU-India roadmap that guides our partnership with India will conclude next year. Now is the right time to step up our ambitions for the future and discuss them in the high-level summit in New Delhi. These themes were also discussed widely during our visit to New Delhi and Mumbai in December with the European Parliament delegation. I thank everyone for this trip. India and the EU share many challenges, from the climate and ecological crisis to security, environment and rapid global technological developments. Now, more than ever, we need international cooperation. We need international diplomacy. India can also be our partner in strengthening our diplomacy with others. It is able to speak with the voice of the Global South, and able to help us break the North-South divide and work more together globally. We also need very strong parliamentary cooperation. As highlighted in our report, we should explore ways to establish a structured interparliamentary dialogue between this Parliament and our Indian counterparts. We found this very beneficial, for example, during our journey in India. Cooperation between the EU and India has to be based on shared values, promoting democracy, the rule of rule of law, human rights and international law and always, always aiming to improve the lives of our citizens. We must address the issues of human rights and democracy that are prevalent and bring them to the heart of our partnership. It might be difficult, but it is something that the EU has to work for, as well as India. I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their cooperation in developing this recommendation. I trust that together we have created a report that this Parliament can stand behind, and I am very much looking forward to listening to all of the contributions from my colleagues to this debate.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, space must not be a battleground. This is not a schism; space policy is a security issue today. Space technology is developing rapidly, which is why the Commission's proposal for a space strategy in the field of security and defence is very important. Space can also be used for war and war. For example, Elon Musk's SpaceX company secured an important internet connection for Ukrainians with satellites after the Russian invasion, but then unexpectedly cut off the connection. It will be challenging for citizens if the connections are in the hands of individual companies and billionaires. The EU can bring diversity and requires cooperation, resources and a strategy. The EU must protect our planet, peace and human rights in every galaxy. Space and astronauts also need all genders, diverse skills, and a wide range of people. There is enough work here, too. Let's continue to work for space security. Thank you to all colleagues for the good negotiations and I hope that we will have very good EU space legislation in the future.

Madam President, thank you all, colleagues, everyone here, and also those who were with us negotiating on this Intelligent Road Transport Systems Directive and it’s definitely a right step in the right direction, I have to say, because we need to save lives. Currently, approximately 20 000 people in each year die because of road accidents and those numbers are even increasing instead of decreasing and this is shocking, of course. So all of the actions that we can have are needed to save these lives because each life lost is too much. And I think that the Parliament has had many good goals in this regard, but I have to say that the trilogue agreement means that, for example, the data-sharing that is essential to decreasing these deaths is more limited. And I think it’s very important that we encourage the Member States that they can take an even more ambitious approach than laid out in this regard, because that’s really a choice that the Member States can make as well. It’s very important that we take these steps and it’s very important that we do this not only for the lives of people, but also the traffic management, environment and intelligent systems and I thank you all so much for working with me on that as well.

Mr President, colleagues, my deepest condolences to the families of the 140 people who have died in Manipur. This violence has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people, and I think that the Indian authorities must take action. There cannot be any more victims. Access to humanitarian aid and impartial observers to the area must be allowed. We should all be worried about the worsening human rights situation in India. Freedom of the press has narrowed. Journalists and activists have been arrested for false reasons. Discrimination and hate have increased. And this is also what I saw personally when I visited India in December. This saddens me, as India is a very important partner for us. The EU and India have to make human rights and democracy a fundamental part of their partnership in all regards, including trade. The situation in Manipur needs all of us to commit to open, transparent and accountable ways to address conflict peacefully. The goal must be to end this violence and to bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation in Manipur and for India to truly address all the root causes that are at the heart of these conflicts. I thank you, colleagues, for cooperating on this, and I send my deepest condolences to those who are suffering because of the human rights situation and the violence.

Mr President, dear colleagues, war has cast a huge shadow over our minds during the past year. We must remember that peace is not just the absence of war, and we have to work for peace. Peaceful society is where people can resolve their differences without violence and work together for a better life, community and society. This must be the goal of the EU civilian crisis management. I am very pleased today to present you the report of the implementation of the civilian CSDP. At the moment, it is very fitting, as the Council is due to adopt the civilian compact in May, setting up the goals and ambition for the EU civilian crisis management for the years to come. I truly hope that this report will contribute to that discussion, and I thank the colleagues for working together on that with me. While the changing security environment has caused the EU to strengthen its military instruments in Europe and abroad, and justly so, it is also crucial that the EU sends the message that we also want to want to boost our non-military security support and promote sustainable peace in our neighbourhood and globally. The changing security environment has increased the need for civilian crisis management and what is required of the missions. Unfortunately, the resources of these missions haven’t grown in that proportion. The adoption of the first civilian compact was an important step in 2018, but several of its commitments are yet to be fulfilled after so many years. This report makes concrete proposals on how to make the civilian CSDP stronger and fit for an uncertain future. There is no doubt that supporting the security sector, rule of law and policing remain at the heart of our civilian crisis management. We must improve considerably at assessing how effective our missions are and what impact they are creating. The EU missions are ultimately about the security and safety of citizens and about the justice system and the rule of law. How does it work for them? Does a woman abused by her husband feel safe to go and inform the police about it? Can she trust that justice system will protect her and help her? Will there be educated and informed people available in that system to help her seek justice, for example? To increase our effectiveness, civilian measures must be truly integrated into the EU’s response to crises and missions, and those must be better equipped with new capabilities such as cyber security. It is also important that all missions promote equality and gender equality, both in the higher inclusion of women in mission personnel, but also by effectively integrating gender perspective into missions, mandates and activities. Finally, civilian crisis management and CSDP is a unique tool in the EU’s toolbox to promote peace and security in our partner countries. There is immense potential in civilian crisis management, but to generate positive change, we need to invest in it. We need to actually promote peace and security and put both our minds and our resources and all of our willpower into that. So let’s send a strong message to the Member States together: it is time to set a step up our ambition. I very much thank you, all of the colleagues who have been working with me on this report to make all of these concrete proposals. I hope they will genuinely change how we do things.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I would like to propose an oral amendment to Amendment 15, which should be inserted at the beginning of the text of paragraph 35 and read like this: ‘Stresses the need to increase civil military coordination and cooperation at EU level’.

Madam President, the cruel attack of Russia against Ukraine has shown that our Member States can make prompt decisions on our common security policy. Europe is not weak. We have to have a unified front in critical issues. This is what our citizens want. In a recent polling, over 80% of the EU citizens are in favour of common EU security and defence policy and think that cooperation should be increased. Today, Ukraine is fighting for peace and democracy for all of us. We have to help them by sending Leopard 2 battle tanks, on which we Greens have made a proposal to this report. We need a European coalition to deliver these tanks to Ukraine swiftly, and German leadership in this shared action. And we have to think even further ahead in security policy as, for example, even with the swift decision, the delivery of these tanks will take some time. The EU has to take strong leadership in decisions vital to Ukraine and to the EU’s own security. Our Member States have to be ready and able to respond to this war that threatens our values and global peace. We cannot rely on the United States. The EU needs to take a stronger and more determined role in its own security. This report matters, but the support that we can give to Ukraine immediately matters even more. Thank you, colleagues, for working together on this.

Mr President, what is the role of EU in and with the Indo-Pacific region? I believe that the EU has to participate not only in the economic but also in the political arena, helping to contribute to the stability, development and security of the whole region. We need to have strong cooperation between democracies, aspiring democracies and those who want to protect the rules-based international order. We need to strengthen and diversify our partners in this region. The growing economic and military role of China in the Indo-Pacific must be balanced by others, and we need to secure the stability and the security of the region. And it is welcome that the EU is now increasing presence also in the area of security and defence. With this report, we need better assets and coordination. Climate change has to be central in our security agenda. It threatens this region and the whole world. On some other security issues, the EU has to be quite selective with its partners. But preventing climate crisis must be inclusive and multilateral because it is the challenge of everyone. The Indo-Pacific should have been better incorporated also in the strategic compass, and I hope that will be fixed in the future. We have to recognise the EU's initiatives such as the Global Gateway as playing an important role in our security policies.

Mr President, this is the most important topic, also because of the crisis in Ukraine and the trauma that this is causing. A lack of mental health services threatens lives and human rights. I have also experienced that myself. When I was 15, we had a shooting at my school, because the shooter didn’t get the mental health aid that he was seeking before it was too late. And I myself suffered from depression. I think that this is something we must address here, because we know the solutions too. It is not a mystery how to solve mental health issues. We need to have therapy. Psychotherapy is effective; we know this from studies. In just four sessions, you can decrease depression symptoms. We need income, housing for people, and to reduce violence, because that leads to trauma, which is also a big cause of mental health problems. And this is, of course, something we must fix because as much as 50% of people who suffer from a mental health illness never get the help that they need. I am asking, as my colleagues have too, for a European Union mental health strategy and for more funding for mental health care and also research on this topic. We really do owe this especially to the children and young people who are suffering today.

Thank you so much, Mr High Representative. And also, I would like to thank Europe for giving arms to Ukraine on this situation and I hope we can continue that and even take that further because they need our support very much at the moment. However, I would like to also ask how we would deal about the arms export in future to other countries because currently the EU doesn’t have a common position that we would follow in terms of how arms are sold to dictators, terrorists and so on. How do we make sure that we do not now sell arms to rulers such as Putin who might use them against us or Europe in the future? Thank you so much.

Dear High Representative, while writing this Compass, the world has changed around us. The Russian attack on Ukraine is right now killing civilians, hurting children with sexual violence and fuelling an extreme humanitarian crisis. New measures also beyond the current sanctions are urgently needed. What is now the action plan that you and the EU are prepared to do to bring justice to the victims in Ukraine and stop dictators such as Putin, not only in Ukraine, but also in the future? And how do we prevent possible future attacks also against our Member States because not all of them are currently NATO members? During the implementation of this Compass, what measures do you intend to take in order to clarify possible actions within the EU - for example, based on Article 42(7)?

Mr President, this report advocates our common military capabilities, which is important for European security. However, to most effectively promote peace and security also beyond Europe’s borders, this is not yet sufficient. In the report, there is only one paragraph on civilian missions, and it fails to recognise all the civilian measures that the EU engages in. Instead, we need to invest more in peace building, supporting democracy, and human rights and human security. Strengthening the EU’s arms export regime should be part of this as well. Some of the EU Member States are still selling arms that are used in violation of human rights or international law, such as in Yemen. This is against the EU common position. If peace and security are truly our goals, we have to hold violating countries responsible with appropriate sanctions. We must be consistent with our demands and actions for peace. Enhanced military cooperation to strengthen our own security and defence is welcomed and important. But civilian elements are also critical to achieve sustainable peace in these turbulent times, when there is a threat that some countries might be more willing to challenge international law and order. We have to stand up for peace and our own values.

Madam President, people in Somalia suffer from political instability, terrorist activities, drought and food insecurity. 45 million people are on the edge of famine. 2.9 million people are displaced. The humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening. The extended electoral process and COVID-19 have deteriorated the human rights crisis even further. For the society and democracy to start functioning, it is essential to bring the elections to a conclusion without delay. It is also disappointing that the number of women in the Upper House falls short of the agreed 30% quota. Without women and young people, who form a majority in Somalia, rebuilding a nation is not possible. Somalia also faces gender-based violence and abductions, sustained attacks on journalists and media workers. This must come to an end. We need stronger support from the EU and Member States for Somalia. We need to protect those that advocate for human rights and keep the authorities in check. We must strengthen our support for human rights and environmental defenders in Somalia and support dialogue of civil society with the authorities. When all our instruments and support is not enough on the ground, I also call for the EU and the Member States to facilitate the issuing of emergency visas and provide temporary shelter to the human rights defenders in EU Member States.

Madam President, dear rapporteur and colleagues, thank you for your cooperation on this. The climate crisis threatens the whole existence of the Arctic nature and its people. In my home, northern Finland, we already see the changes and the further north we go, the worse it gets. Species are disappearing and so is the deep ice that protects our planet. Now the Parliament has in its hands a brilliant opportunity to contribute to the forthcoming new EU policy on the Arctic and send a message. But I am afraid that we’ve failed to do that. The Arctic is essential for our future in every aspect. It cannot be just a natural resource reservoir for Europe, for China or anyone else. We cannot support such a message that we should exploit these natural resources for our own benefit. The Arctic is not a playground for business opportunities. Instead, our duty to the Arctic and its people is to end environmentally harmful practices that destroy the Arctic ecosystems, inhabitants and species. If we exploit this area now, we will pay a heavy and deadly price in the future. Our goal has to be a peaceful Arctic region where matters are resolved through international cooperation and with the participation of locals and indigenous peoples, a region that is protected in the way that it should be.

Madam President, what is happening in Afghanistan makes many people fear for their lives. One of them is the wife of my friend, Rahima who is in Kabul struggling right now. We have to make family reunification possible, extend the use of humanitarian visas and legal pathways from Afghanistan, and help those who are in immediate danger, such as journalists, human rights defenders and activists. We need to ensure that the non-governmental organisations, such as Doctors Without Borders, that assist the people with basic needs such as health care at this time, get all the help that they need from the EU. What we also need is a long—term strategy on Afghanistan, and this can only arise from a shared foreign policy. How can we try to keep the country open and prevent future humanitarian crises without legitimising the Taliban? I call for the EU and experts to find a way to protect the lives of millions of Afghan civilians.