Debate contributions by Aurelijus VERYGA

Mr President, dear colleagues, first let me ask why we are so surprised by labour shortages in health, education and other sectors. If we think we can print people with 3D printers instead of solving real demographic problems, we will face even deeper problems. So first things first, we have to start to solve demographic problems. Immigration and stealing health workforce from developing countries is not a solution. So, first demographic problem. Second, respect and follow the WHO code and practice on the international recruitment of health professionals, in order to avoid artificially created shortages in lower‑income countries. Third, stop creating relative shortages like in Lithuania, opening pharmacies on every corner and creating relative a shortage of pharmacists in cities and a real shortage in the countryside. Fourth, create a working environment and financial incentives which would motivate young people to choose health professions. And fifth, start early – instead of brainwashing children with gender ideologies, educate them about responsibilities and civic duties, extremely important professions, and even to romanticise if needed.

President-in-Office, dear colleagues, so far only Finland has had the courage to take real action and, at the very least, to detain the shadow fleet vessel that violated the Estlink 2 cable. And it is necessary to take real action, and not just to express another deep concern, neither for Russia nor for other potential players, about the destruction of critical infrastructure. As more and more countries of the European Union gradually implement energy independence measures, more and more attempts to damage critical infrastructure can be expected. The Baltic Sea became a NATO lake. Now it is very important to confirm these words with real action, and we could take the example of Finland, which I have mentioned. Such vessels should, as a minimum, be confiscated together with the cargo and used for at least part of the damage compensation. At least that would be a sign of deterrence.

Mr President, dear colleagues, long-standing self-deception that we will regulate size of chicken cages and America will take care of our security is over. During his first term, Trump clearly stated that other NATO members must also invest in their defence. Then he was criticised. Now we have painfully realised that we do not have the resources even to help Ukraine to win a war. And if even the war in Ukraine did not make some countries think about investing in defence, maybe Trump will. Like a Trump in the EU, we see that the ideology-based green policy harmed the competitiveness of EU industry, and CO2 emissions in the world even increased. Perhaps now we will understand that at a time when floods and fires are already happening, we need to stop living in fantasies and start caring about adaptation and survival. I hope we will also return to common sense when we talk about the end of the gender ideology and cancel culture. As Europe freezes in demographic winter, waking up to biological reality and ending the brainwashing of our children could be a good start.

President, Commissioner. There is a good saying that a community is as strong as its weakest and most vulnerable member. A society that can enjoy the opportunities of a healthy person still does too little to take care of people with disabilities. I am not talking about adapting the environment for people with visual, hearing or mobility disabilities. I am talking about the fact that new technologies can fundamentally change the quality of life of some people with disabilities. I am talking about the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, IT technologies, the development of robotic technologies and exoskeletons, and so on. However, because of the small number of users, such technologies are not attractive for those who develop or produce them, and because of their high price, they are difficult to access for the average citizen. I therefore call for this to be taken into account and thought of as a possible investment at European Union level.

Mr President, colleagues. The Baltic States are well aware of the meaning of the new world order carried by the Lenins and Stalins. That order came to us along with the stinking woven fabric, chaos, famine and Holodomor for Ukraine. The new creators of nations drowned millions in blood, exiled millions, and tried to create a new reality for the rest, falsifying history, trying to destroy language and faith. Putin, who has now taken over their ideas and boasts of the luxury created by the ‘rotten Western world’, is trying to redraw the map of the world and decide on his own what was, is or could be. Former KGB colonel Putin is well aware of the need to spread false narratives. He is well aware that informational and ideological warfare is no less important than physical warfare. Putin is trying to convince Russian society that he is fighting fascism in Ukraine, even though he is the real promoter of Russofascism. The destruction of the Ukrainian nation and the destruction of civilian infrastructure carried out under his direction has no and cannot have any justification. And now the "order" they carry remains ruins, burned land, killed people. All this is justified by cheap historical and ideological speculation. Such manipulation cannot be allowed to achieve its purpose in the European Union.

Mr President, dear colleagues, it is very important to talk about smoke-free and aerosol-free environment. Referring to so-called rights of smokers, there is understanding that my rights ends where the rights of other people begins. Simply speaking, nobody has any right to damage my health. And no matter what is the reason. Exemption is only for self-defence. Talking about possible impact on hospitality industry, we have already something to see from the past. Smoke-free legislation in bars and restaurants was introduced in many countries. There was also fear that this will negatively affect hospitality industry. Nothing like that happened. This was much-supported legislation by society, at least in Lithuania. Support for this increased over the time. There is another very serious reason why we have to think about regulation of passive smoking and new tobacco products: passive smoking not just creates harm to health, but it normalises smoking in the eyes of children.

Mr President, colleagues, the Member States that are currently bordering unfriendly Eastern countries, and the European Union itself, are being intensively tested by transporting illegal migrants at the border, spreading disinformation and carrying out cyber-attacks. Other critical infrastructures are now being tested, such as vulnerable cables, self-igniting parcels and GPS signal jamming. This is an attempt to test the readiness and work of our services, the reactions and responses of countries, the reactions and resilience of societies. Only the reaction of the European Union will determine how far or how far it will go. The European Union must therefore respond very seriously to these attempts by hostile states to destabilise countries' critical infrastructure and societies, and the protection of critical infrastructure must become an important object of the European Union's readiness to defend itself.

Dear President, Colleagues, the document drafted by Mr Niinistö is a moment of vision. It states that the EU does not have a clear plan in the event of an armed attack on a member. The document details what is needed for the EU to be ready. The document is also mentioned in a letter from the nominated Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, H. Lahbib. However, there are no recommendations on how the health sector can and should prepare for external threats. It is only about preparedness for infectious diseases and public health challenges. This is very important, but it is only partly related to external threats. The EU plans to invest in the defence industry, and the preparedness of the health sector, which would be used in the event of an attack, is not given any attention or even mentioned. Military mobility is a good example of how investing in transport infrastructure can solve several systemic problems. Investment and preparedness in the health sector must therefore also be considered when preparing for external threats.

Mr President, dear colleagues. The time of a safe and carefree life has come to an end. On the one hand, another Member State of the European Union is confronted on a daily basis with hybrid threats of various kinds, the main purpose of which is to create confusion, destabilise the lives of states and their citizens, and threaten the functioning of critical areas. Instrumentalised illegal migration, attempts to affect critical information technology systems, spreading disinformation, etc. are not an exhaustive list of threats faced by the countries of the European Union. The readiness of Member State authorities to identify and manage those threats is becoming critical. However, the threshold is very thin, and this should not be used as a pretext for cancelling or a so-called cancel culture, where simply having a different opinion becomes a sufficient pretext to silence the opponent, because it does not contribute to the development of civil society.

Mr President, dear colleagues, we urgently need a comprehensive and proactive EU mental health strategy where the primary prevention of mental health conditions should be considered as important as the treatment of such conditions. When we are grown‑ups, there are measures to reduce risks of mental health problems by choosing a healthier lifestyle: quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, increasing physical activity. But there are moments when it's not up to us to make anything different. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, I want to draw your attention to foetal alcohol spectrum disorders caused by exposure to alcohol before birth. FASDs have lifelong implications, including physical, mental, behavioural and learning disabilities. This hidden problem has been under-recognised for too long, and we see the consequences today. We forgot that FASDs are 100 % preventable. The only thing we need for this is proper information for people who are in reproductive age.

Mr President, it is indeed a very important problem and an extremely important debate. It is very important to talk about drug smuggling and its prevention, about the crimes associated with it. However, I would like to draw attention to two aspects that I do not hear much about in this debate. I would like to ask what is or will be the Commission's reaction to the Member States which, despite the United Nations Convention on Narcotic Drugs, legalise narcotic drugs. And I'm talking about legalizing marijuana, even knowing that THC, the concentration of the active ingredient in this plant, has increased more than tenfold since the 1960s. I would also like to ask what is planned to be done with the completely uncontrolled market for liquids and devices for electronic cigarettes. And it is these devices and fluids that are used to distribute illegal drugs and disguise them in schools.

Mr President, dear colleagues, firstly, I would like to suggest looking to housing from the perspective of demographic winter. As highlighted by researchers, the housing market is an example of social structural factors that can inadvertently impact age at first birth. In countries where it is easier to obtain a mortgage or enter the public rental market, individuals are more able to establish themselves and enter into family formation earlier. Research also showed the impact of affordable housing on child development. They found that when families spent more than half of their incomes on housing, their children's reading and math ability tended to suffer. Secondly, if we really want to take a critical step towards making houses more affordable and creating the conditions to promote families, we have to rethink very strict regulations on energy neutrality of houses and environmental transition. That definitely makes houses less affordable.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, after the COVID pandemic, we are facing significant issues related to trust. Trust in vaccines – even those that have been used safely for many years – trust in manufacturers and even trust in medical professionals. We have vaccination of children going down. We must learn from past mistakes. Therefore, in this case, we need to act precisely and to avoid unnecessary measures and restrictions. To do this, we must gain a clear understanding of how the virus is changing and spreading. Genetic sequencing is essential for this purpose, and the EU can assist affected countries, particularly those dealing with Mpox, in developing this capability. From the presentation to the ENVI Committee by the ECD, we understand that this situation is not comparable to previous pandemics and that there are different modes of transmission involved. It is important to remind risk groups about safety measures, and to acknowledge how mortality rates are associated with inadequate health care conditions in affected countries. We have to support affected countries. Every outbreak is significant, but we must not lose focus or be distracted from other dangerous infections such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, etc..

Mr President, it is indeed a difficult debate, and no one is arguing, perhaps here in this Chamber, that there must be no incitement to violence on social media or that we should all come up with ways to limit Russian propaganda. But some of those sitting in this room still remember what it means to live in a situation where all information is controlled, censored, and there is something that determines what is good, what is wrong. And isn't it that under the guise of good wishes and child protection, there is simply a desire to shut up those who think differently? Here many colleagues talked about the need to protect children from dangerous information. But when there is a negative objective reality for the same children, it is said that people can change gender, or when the legalization of drugs is presented as harm reduction, it does not bother anyone. Are the standards really the same for everyone?

Mr President, dear colleagues, Lithuania was once waiting for help. In the middle of the last century, he went out to fight in the forests and, without help, drowned into decades of occupation and massacres. Today, Ukraine is waiting for that help, and for those who say that war is the worst solution, I would suggest that we say that to Putin, who has attacked Ukraine. And he, even today, can take this war and end it. And when we all decide whether to provide more assistance to Ukraine, I think that the key question is whether there is a will to resist. And that will to resist is obviously there, because those who planned to occupy Ukraine within a week are in a long war today and Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom and independence. Helping them is the duty of all of us.