Speeches

The minutes of the meetings from 17 to 20 January will be submitted to Parliament for approval at the beginning of the next meeting. If there are no objections, I will forward the resolutions adopted at these meetings to the persons and bodies referred to in these resolutions. Ladies and gentlemen, in so far as I have not yet done so, I wish everyone a happy new year afterwards, in which hopefully more meetings will then be possible than in the previous year. I congratulate all those who have received a new responsibility or for whom the old responsibility has been renewed and wish you a happy hand. And I would like to thank the services who have also supported us during this week of meetings in a difficult time, so that our work was possible. I wish everyone a good way home and a healthy return in the next week of the meeting.

The next item on the agenda was the debate on – the oral question to the Council on post-pandemic employment and social recovery to empower young people in the EU by Dragoş Pîslaru, Maria Walsh, Alicia Homs Ginel, Elena Lizzi, Kim Van Sparrentak, Elżbieta Rafalska and Leila Chaibi, on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (O-000077/2021 – B9-0003/22) (2021/2952(RSP)); and – Oral question to the Commission on post-pandemic employment and social recovery to empower young people in the EU by Dragoş Pîslaru, Maria Walsh, Alicia Homs Ginel, Elena Lizzi, Kim Van Sparrentak, Elżbieta Rafalska and Leila Chaibi, on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (O-000075/2021 – B9-0002/22) (2021/2952(RSP)). I remind Members that all debates at this part-session do not involve spontaneous interventions and do not accept blue cards. In addition, as in the previous part-sessions, access from Parliament's liaison offices in the Member States is foreseen. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central lectern. I would therefore ask you to keep an eye on the list of speakers and to go to the lectern shortly before the start of your speaking time.

First of all, I would like to apologise to the Commission and the Council, as well as to the colleagues present, for the delay. A little mishap stopped me. (The meeting resumed at 15.09)

We now come to today's second round of voting. The dossiers on which we are voting can be found on the agenda. The voting session will be open from 13.45 to 15.00. The voting procedure is the same as in the previous voting rounds. All votes are roll call votes. I declare the second voting session open. You can vote until 3 p.m. The results of the second voting session will be announced at 4 p.m. Discussions will resume at 3 p.m. with oral questions to the Council and the Commission on post-pandemic employment and social recovery to empower young people in the EU. (The meeting adjourned at 13.47)

Before I open today's second voting session, I would like to give the floor, in accordance with Rule 59(4) of the Rules of Procedure, to Mrs Cavazzini, who would like to speak on the referral back of Mrs Schaldemose's report on the Digital Services Act for interinstitutional negotiations.

Before we continue the debate, we now come to today's voting session. The dossiers on which we are voting can be found on the agenda. The voting session will be open from 6 p.m. to 7.15 p.m. The voting procedure is the same as in the previous voting session. All votes are roll call votes. I declare the voting session open. You can vote until 7.15 p.m. The results of the vote will be announced tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Mrs Gebhardt, you have noticed from the reaction of the House that the good wishes accompany you. You live in the same corner of Germany where I live. I don't know if you're leaving, but I think you're staying. I hope that we will continue to meet in the future. We also work together on a voluntary basis; But that may not necessarily belong here. I wish you all the best and good health. I know that Europe is your matter of heart and that you can still make a difference for Europe, even beyond this House. I think you are welcome by your group, but also by others, if you keep checking in.

The minutes of the meetings from 13 to 16. December 2021 will be submitted to Parliament for approval at the beginning of the next meeting. If there are no objections, I will forward the resolutions adopted at these meetings to the persons and bodies referred to in these resolutions.

The debate is closed. After all, we still have an announcement of the results, so now, while colleagues are still there, I want to take the opportunity briefly to thank you and certainly also one or the other Vice-President for the good cooperation last year, to wish you a good way home, a happy Christmas and also those who do not associate anything with the events in Bethlehem, a peaceful time to relax between the years – between the Christian and the secular year – and a good return at the beginning of next year. I would like to include in my thanks not only my colleagues and their staff, but also the services here in the House. Come back well in the new year. The session was interrupted for a few minutes. It will resume at 4 p.m. with the announcement of the results of today's second voting session. (The meeting adjourned at 15.46)

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the oral question to the Commission on obstacles to the free movement of goods by Anna Cavazzini, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (O-000072/2021 – B9-0043/21) (2021/2908(RSP)). I remind Members that there are no spontaneous interventions in all debates at this part-session and that blue cards are not accepted. In addition, as in the previous part-sessions, access from Parliament's liaison offices in the Member States is foreseen. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central lectern. I would therefore ask you to keep an eye on the list of speakers and to go to the lectern shortly before the start of your speaking time.

We now come to today's second round of voting. The dossiers on which we are voting can be found on the agenda. The voting session will be open from 13.45 to 15.00. The voting procedure is the same as in the previous voting rounds. All votes are roll call votes. I declare the second voting session open. You can vote until 3 p.m. The results of the second voting session will be announced at 4 p.m. Discussions resumed at 3 p.m. with the oral question to the Commission on obstacles to the free movement of goods. (The meeting adjourned at 13.46)

The ECR Group has forwarded decisions on changes to appointments to committees to the President. These decisions will be published in the minutes of today's meeting and will enter into force on the day of this announcement.

The debate is closed. The vote will take place after the debate. The session is interrupted. It will resume at 1 p.m. with the announcement of the results of today's first voting session. Written declarations (Article 171)

The next item on the agenda is the debate on six motions for resolutions on forced labour in the Linglong factory and environmental protests in Serbia (2021/3020(RSP))*. _________ * See Minutes.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Lukas Mandl, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, on cooperation in the fight against organised crime in the Western Balkans (2021/2002(INI)) (A9-0298/2021). I remind Members that there are no spontaneous interventions in all debates at this part-session and that blue cards are not accepted. In addition, as in the previous part-sessions, access from Parliament's liaison offices in the Member States is foreseen. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central lectern. I would therefore ask you to keep an eye on the list of speakers and to go to the lectern shortly before the start of your speaking time.

Thank you very much, Mr Goerens. I haven't interrupted you now because you haven't really exceeded your speaking time. I can join in thanking Mr Neuser, even if I am not a member of his committee.

This request will be put to the vote after the vote on the Commission proposal. We now come to today's voting session. The dossiers on which we are voting can be found on the agenda. The voting session will be open from 12.30 a.m. to 1.45 p.m. The voting procedure is the same as in the previous voting session. All votes are roll call votes. I declare the voting session open. You can vote until 1.45 p.m. The results of the votes will be announced at 7 p.m. (The meeting adjourned at 12.42)