Speeches

Mr President, Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and Ilhamiz Guliyev have been detained on political grounds in Azerbaijan, as have many Armenian prisoners of war. Now we heard last Monday that Dr. Ibadoghlu was released, just after the resolution we are discussing tonight came on the agenda. Political pressure helps. Only he can only go home temporarily, for a month. That's not enough. And those other political prisoners are still imprisoned. That is why I want to emphasise two things tonight. First of all: Dr. Ibadoghlu needs urgent medical attention. He has to go to Germany for an operation on his aorta. That is not possible in Azerbaijan, but he has a travel ban. I urge the EEAS and Member State embassies to engage with Azerbaijan. Not in a week, but tomorrow morning, because he will have to be operated on really quickly. It is a matter of life or death. Secondly: Stop energy cooperation with Azerbaijan. Stop tying up with the regime in Baku. There is no respect for human rights. Political prisoners — prisoners of war from Armenia — are in poor conditions there. You can't. That should really be a topic of conversation with Azerbaijan. Because don't forget: Azerbaijan is the country that constantly shows aggression towards Armenia. That's why I brought this scarf. I strongly support Armenia, I am proud of it and I believe that the EU should also stand firmly behind Armenia and speak out against Azerbaijan.

Mr President, plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are plastic pellets that are used as the basis for plastic products. The problem with this product is that it is transported by container ships, a container goes overboard and you guess what happens to those grains: They end up on the beaches. Five years ago, this happened in my neighbourhood, in Noord-Friesland, on the Wadden Islands. They were littered with all those plastic granules. Terrible, because you can't clean it up anymore. They remain in the environment and become microplastics. That is why I am very pleased that a proposal is now being prepared to tackle this. Personally, I do not think the proposal goes far enough. We should just get rid of single-use plastic and where we still need plastic products, they should be made from bio-based materials. These pellets must also be made from bio-based materials. If they end up in the environment, they perish and so we prevent microplastics from forming, that animals eat them and choke on them or starve because their stomach is full of those grains. In short, we must get rid of all cheap single-use plastics. The ban on pellets is a good start, but they are now only banned in large quantities. That's a good start, but not enough. As far as I am concerned, there will be a total ban on single-use plastics and plastic pellets.

Mr President, making money on the back of the environment or people: There are companies that do that, but then someone else pays the price and they make the money. Fortunately, there are also many companies that want to be socially responsible. They need clarity, because they want a level playing field. They want directives so that they do not lag behind in competition. Now there was a proposal and there are Member States withdrawing even after negotiations and a deal. You don't do that. A deal is a deal. Businesses, especially those that are doing well, need it. The EU has a particularly important role to play in this. The EU is one of the most important economic powers in the world. If the EU changes things, it will set a lot of things in motion. It therefore has a moral duty to do so, so that companies that do operate at the expense of the environment or people are at a competitive disadvantage. So that has to be done. I therefore urgently call on the Member States to reconsider, take a good look and simply agree to this. That is fair, reliable and responsible.

Mr President, money and gas instead of human rights: This is what the EU has chosen so far. She exchanged Putin's gas for Aliyev's gas. And Aliyev is the dictator of Azerbaijan, the dictator who mercilessly expelled the Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. How can the EU do business with such a type? Today we are talking about closer ties between the EU and Armenia. Closer ties with Armenia cannot go hand in hand with close ties with Azerbaijan. As the EU, we must show that we stand side by side with Armenia, especially in the fight and in the resistance against the Azerbaijani aggression. That is why the EU must stop the gas deal. The EU must stand up for human rights defenders who are wrongfully imprisoned in Azerbaijan, such as Dr. Ibadoglu. He urgently needs medical attention. She needs to get him out and get help. And as an EU, we need to help Armenia join the EU. I will be visiting Armenia soon. I hope that works. And then I will talk to the people there about the cooperation between Armenia and the EU, because I think it is essential that we as an EU show that we are side by side with Armenia in the fight against Azerbaijan.

Mr President, the world's oceans are under serious threat, not only from climate change, but also from plastic pollution. We see it now on the coast of Portugal and Spain with all plastic granules. But this happens a lot more often. This is a problem, because plastic becomes microplastic and that ends up in the fish and we eat that, so it is also a problem for the fishermen. That is why I welcome the Herbst report, which states that we must reduce plastic pollution. I speak to many fishermen on working visits and what I see are people with a lot of passion for their work and also the will to become more sustainable. But what they need is customization and clarity. That is why I would like to make a very urgent appeal to the European Commission: come up with a new definition of bottom-contacting fishing. That's possible. Look at the Danish blessings and twinrig: less CO2 emissions, less by-catch, less soil disturbance. Make that possible! Provide customization for the fishermen and choose loving care for the beautiful water world that God has made.

Mr President, Nagorno-Karabakh is the homeland of one of the oldest Christian communities in the world and the Armenians who have lived there for centuries have now simply been mercilessly expelled from their country. And the worst thing is that Aliyev and also Turkey are threatening to continue with their actions and that must really be prevented. The EU has an important role to play in this and so far has simply done too little. There is a need to prevent this aggression from continuing, which is why I really want to urge the European Commission to do four things: 1) stop the gas deal, because with that you legitimize the aggression of Azerbaijan; 2) ensure a strong international presence in Armenia and expand the EU Monitoring Mission; 3) Take care of the cultural heritage. Make sure there is a Unesco mission. 4) very important: Take care of the poor who have to flee and help them rebuild their lives. Make enough money for that. $5 million is great. Is more needed? Then more. I urge the European Commission to implement this.