Debate contributions by Thomas BAJADA

Mr President, it's personal. For small countries, coastal nations and island communities, climate change is not happening tomorrow, it's happening right now. When global ambition is weakened, it's us who feel it first. The COP in Belém was not what the world needed. Major players were willing to settle for minimal progress, while citizens across the globe carry the weight of inaction. Even worse, while Europe was preaching ambition in Belém, President Ursula von der Leyen was sending mixed messages at the G20. That is not leadership – that's confusion. What Europe needs is consistency. What our citizens deserve is honesty. And the truth is simple: there is no prosperity without a transition towards a cleaner future. And I want to stress this shouldn't be about ideology, it's about the people – their health, their children and their future. Europe should not jeopardise standards by bending to the pressure of the big players. Leadership is not measured by caution but by the courage to put our people's future ahead of political agendas.

Madam President, I am a son of the Mediterranean, born 31 years ago in the heart of this region wedged between north and south. As we mark 30 years since the Barcelona Process, it is time to speak and act with one Mediterranean voice. A voice that reflects who we truly are: a region rich in history and opportunity, a community of peoples with common fears, common hopes and common responsibilities. At this moment of global fragility, the Mediterranean must rediscover what has always made it strong: our deep cultural roots, our vibrant trade ties and our sea that connects, not divides. Yes, we must confront the difficult issues, but we must begin with what unites us to build a future worthy of the next generation. Colleagues, this region is my home and I believe it can become once again a place of prosperity for all. And who knows, this moment may be remembered as the time when the Mediterranean rose again, thriving, leading and offering hope to a world that desperately needs it.

Madam President, the ocean is our planet's largest living system. It stabilises our climate; it sustains fisheries that feed billions of people; it protects our coastal communities across the globe. Yet the ocean is vulnerable to exploitation, to degradation, to irreversible harm. This House will be voting to translate what Member States signed two years ago into real and enforceable action. The ENVI Committee has done its work. The compromises reached are balanced – thank you, rapporteur – the legal text is ready and this Parliament is ready. Nevertheless, after more than 20 years of negotiations on an agreement that will come into force in 66 days, we are told to wait: wait while biodiversity collapses; wait while deep-sea ecosystems are destroyed; wait while the rest of the world moves ahead. This isn't caution. This is the political choice of the Council to delay what has already been promised. We need marine protected areas on the high seas. We need to ensure that the common fisheries policy and RFMO frameworks align with this new global framework. We need science, not short-term politics, to guide every decision. In 1967, just three years after becoming independent, Malta boldly called living marine resources beyond national jurisdiction 'the common heritage of mankind'. And I quote: 'The dark oceans were the womb of life: from the protecting oceans life emerged. We still bear in our bodies – in our blood, in the salty bitterness of our tears – the marks of this remote past'. Arvid Pardo's words now resonate in this House, and right now this House is acting. So let me say this clearly: Council, do not block this file. Respect the treaty that you have signed. Because the deep sea does not pause for political indecision and neither should we!

Mr President, the deadly floods that we had in Spain a year ago reminded us how fragile life can be. Let's be honest, dear colleagues, Europe could be drowning and burning at the same time. Europe is not prepared. Europe is not adapting to the changing climate. As the rapporteur on European water resilience, I speak on behalf of all Europeans, especially those most vulnerable, those who adapt every single day to survive and to live with dignity at the frontline of climate disaster. We must be prepared when the next disaster strikes, and that means investing in water systems that store, reuse and protect. That means making health preparedness a cornerstone of our climate response. That means mapping risks across borders and funding prevention. Climate resilience must now become Europe's new growth model, anchored in prevention, powered by innovation and guided by solidarity. Because climate resilience is not about resisting climate and climate change, it is about shaping it together before it reshapes how we are today.

Madam President, let's stop beating around the bush: Europe is facing an environmental breaking point. Our rivers are dying, our soils depleted, our coasts eroding. It's not only me saying this; the European Environment Agency has clearly stated it in its recent state of the environment report, and yet we still draft budgets as if the health of our planet, and our livelihoods, were optional. Weakening climate and nature funding now would not only be backtracking, but also a betrayal for future generations, a betrayal of Europe's competitiveness and growth. From ENVI's side, we are very clear: this budget must deliver for climate, biodiversity and water resilience. No excuses for missing the 10 % biodiversity target, no backsliding on the 30 % climate commitment and no weakening of the LIFE programme. The economy depends on a stable climate, our competitiveness depends on innovation, and both of them depend on a healthy planet. Climate ambition is not a burden for Europe. It is our greatest advantage, and this budget must finally take that into account and prove it.

Mr President, year after year, this Parliament was asked to debate this macabre murder. At the same time, among others, the car bomb attack on Sigfrido Ranucci took place in Rome and the murder of two hundred and seventy-two journalists in Gaza. All this further shows that journalism, that is, the search for truth, is under threat, everywhere. I believe everyone wants justice. As we have worked for it as Maltese, now is the time to work, as Europeans, for justice for every journalist. Because if we really want to give justice to Daphne, we must give justice to all journalists and not just by the rule of law when it fits. Let us go beyond partisan politics, beyond the EPP against Socialist governments, beyond Nationalists and Labour and, instead, let us give hope to people, not pics and confrontation. Let's protect all journalists in search of the truth. Let's always be together and not just when it fits us, in order to truly achieve European justice.

Ms President, "the very Europe that Erasmus has given me to grow and dream, today speaks of arms rather than the future of my daughter". This is the voice of a young Maltese mother who believed in the European project. But what are we seeing today? Young people who feel forgotten, families who are left alone, elderly people who want to choose between a meal and a roof over their heads and institutions that surround them in the face of genocide and injustice. This is not a Europe that inspires, it is not a Europe of peace, prosperity and equality. Ms President, look around you and listen to our young people who want a Europe that embraces its peoples and not fills them with fear. A Europe where no one is left behind, where every child has a future and every elder lives a worthy life. This is the Europe I believe in. A Europe of peace, social justice and hope for each of us.

Dear colleagues, today we are not just voting on yet another regulation; we are voting on a principle of social justice, responsibility and solidarity at sea. As rapporteur, I approached this file with two aims in mind: to safeguard marine ecosystems, but also to stand with fishers, who have been forgotten for so long. And today this House will deliver. Together we are making a Union that is stronger – not just in legal terms, but also in meaning. During negotiations with the Council, we made this regulation to protect all European fisheries – from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. And in the name of the islands you grew up in, in the name of those who are not heard, today we are bringing their voice here because the realities of the Mediterranean can no longer be ignored. And finally we came. We are writing them here today in European law. This law will empower Europe to act and to stand up for it and tell third countries where they are: "If you do not fish with respect for your neighbour and environmental sustainability, you will face the consequences". And we will use the best tools we have, the European market. And Europe can no longer turn its face off the small fisherman who comes out before the beautiful day without a guarantee of catch and with great risks at sea. Therefore, I thank all shadows and their teams who believed that this could be done in quick time and with cross-party support. This is not only a win for Europe; this is a win for every fisher who feels abandoned and violated, and for every coastal child – just like I was – who deserves to inherit a living sea. Dear colleagues, I trust in your support.

Mr. Commissioner, while visiting a village in Malta, a person told me something that stayed with me. We have worked all our lives, paid taxes, built a family and today I have no reassurance for myself or my children. Where I don't know. When I look at what is being said in the corridors in Brussels about the proposals for the European budget, I understand this person more. Priorities are shifting from investing in education, health, culture and the environment towards a strong focus on military industry, as if only that is needed for the economy and quality of life. But economic resilience is not built with the weapons of killing. It is built with families living with the serene roof over their heads, with young people able to meet their aspirations, with the elderly remaining the backbone of society, and when we forget families, workers, society, we will not continue to build Europe, but we will be ourselves allowing it to be broken from within. First investment, the first priority should be people.

Thank you for the attempt to speak in my language. I think we need to look at the ocean as one. It is one ocean: what happens from one side of the ocean will affect the other. It will affect communities. It will affect people. It will affect our livelihood. Therefore, we need to look at it not only as a European Union; we need to look beyond. We need to work with different countries, with different regions in order to see that we all together protect the ocean that is there for our own livelihood, and for generations to come, but also to bring communities together and to protect our livelihood. And therefore we need action. Commissioner, I beg you on pollution and seeing that we can prevent pollution from its source.

Ms President, for us Maltese, the sea is not just a photo background, it is our home, it is our life, it gives us the air we breathe, it feeds us and it shapes our identity. But today coastal communities are impacted by the fact that they are remote and detached, by pollution, by rising sea levels, by more severe storms and by disappearing fish, and therefore that the Ocean Pact should protect nature as well as its people. Coastal communities and its fishermen should be part of the solution. Not only the scenario. Dear Commissioner, we are waiting and still waiting for action to tackle pollution from source to sea, to safeguard our ocean. For those who depend on it, let this pact be a promise of a comprehensive Ocean Act. Not a patchwork of intentions, but a bold and binding blueprint to protect our ocean, to stop overexploitation and to deliver for nature, for fishers, for our islands and coasts, and for generations to come.

Madam Chair, I would like to reserve a few seconds of my time for silence. (The speaker paused for 15 seconds) Why was the Union so silent and passive? This is genocide. This is an emergency: the killing of tens of thousands of people like us Palestinians, including children; the establishment of humanitarian aid to so many people. These are criminal atrocities. I condemn the statements of the Israeli government and welcome the developments of the Council. But we have to do more. We need to be strong and we need action. There is no true peace without justice.

Thank you for the question because it brings me to something that is very important and I'm going to answer in English so that there's clarity. We are talking about the aid needed for our country, which is detached from the rest of the continent, in order to continue to prosper and grow our communities and invest in their well-being. What you are saying means that the EU policies need to cater more for the realities of our detachment from the continent, and see that we can continue to invest in our communities, because we are detached from the single market, we are detached from the continent, we are detached in connectivity and we need to continue and enhance the communities of the island of Malta, which do not have resources and do not have space in order to prosper our communities and economies. (The speaker declined to take a blue-card question from Daniel Freund)

Sir President, Malta is a resourceless island. We have a long history of suffering in order to become a nation. In armed wars and during the pandemic, our islands found the strong spirit of its people and a citizenship programme that saved it from bentness. A programme that has saved jobs, built social housing and invested in the communities that shape its identity. A programme approved by the Commission and amended where necessary. And today we are discussing an allegation about people using this programme to circumvent sanctions on Russia, on which action has begun. But I recall, that suddenly after the invasion of Ukraine, Malta closed this programme to Russian and Belarusian citizens and did so voluntarily twenty-six days before the Commission asked Members to act. I am confident that the Maltese government will improve this programme in respect of the decision of the European Court. But my call on this Parliament is never to fail to respect the sovereignty and realities of one of its youngest members. Because despite our small size, this programme can help us continue to move towards further progress and opportunities and the strengthening of the well-being of thousands of Maltese and Gozitan families.

Mr President, Europe is failing its isolated peoples. In European islands, competition is not a case of numbers, but a case of human realities. It is becoming more difficult to improve basic services for the well-being of peoples. Competition policy must be a means of social protection and justice. More flexibility is needed, so that islands get more direct and targeted aid, thus more effective. Friends, because regions, and thus peoples, are far from the European economic centre, they should not be condemned. We need more incentives to attract investment, particularly in the connectivity aspect. For isolated regions in Europe, reliance on low-cost travel, which is often low-cost or non-existent during the winter months, is growing. This is why we need affordable and reliable connectivity alternatives, as otherwise the people of Europe's islands will remain increasingly far from the continent, far from opportunities and far from Europe.

Mr President, dear colleagues, thank you to shadows and colleagues who engaged in this important and overarching work. Floods devastate communities, droughts dry up livelihoods, demand for water continues to increase. These are not abstract threats – they are lived realities. To address some comments made, yes, dams are needed when they are environmentally sound and properly managed, but our fight against floods and droughts is more efficient when combined with nature-based solutions in order to store water, to protect against floods and enhance climate mitigation. Friends, we must even go further. Storing water is not enough. We must be using it smarter. We cannot just extract more and more water. And the answer is efficiency, reuse and innovation, modern irrigation, water recycling, soil regeneration, less water-intensive crops. These are not some buzzwords. They are tools which we must deploy across Europe. They are practical solutions to support our communities and farmers to transition towards our shared resilience. And alongside quantity, we must also address quality. We cannot talk about water resilience while turning a blind eye to pollution. Today, the ecological status of our waters remains far from acceptable. Chemical pollution threatens biodiversity, food safety and our public health. We need stronger enforcement and we need to stop pollution at its source. And we must update our standards to reflect reality. That is, PFAS are everywhere. That is why I call on you to support amendments for a more ambitious phase-out of PFAS. And to that end, I reach out that all these critical goods need targeted funding. Funding for our citizens, for our families, for our children, our parents – like mine that are here in the visitors' gallery – thank you – for people in cities, islands and mountains. Wherever you are, you must not be left behind. This is about the lives of all of those people that require water for their own life. Because water is life. And, Commissioner, I did my best to deliver. After tomorrow, the ball is in your court.

Madam President, water is life – for our people, our economy and our environment. But across Europe, this vital resource is under stress. Groundwater and rivers run dry, droughts intensified, floods become more frequent, and still our water policy remains scattered, sectoral and unreactive. This is why the Parliament has been proactive in presenting its position for a European Water Resilience Strategy. This is a concrete tool to deliver people-centred solutions because here we are talking about the lives of Europeans. First, we must be revolutionary in the way we value water: it's not infinite, but it's essential. We are proposing EU-wide sectoral water efficiency and abstraction targets set at basin level, grounded in data and adapted to local realities. We must be water-smart and prioritise what matters most: safe drinking water, public health and sustainable food. Responsibility must be shared. No region should be left to cope alone. This is how we turn solidarity into action. From farmers modernising irrigation to cities fixing leakages, industries deploying circular water technologies to cleaning pollution for a better ocean and safer water. And that is why we call for a dedicated water resilience fund in the next MFF, because water resilience is not a cost, it is an investment in our security, competitiveness and fairness. Technology must be at the heart of modern water management. We must seize the full potential of digitalisation and innovation and, to that end, let's be bold. Smart systems, real-time data, predictive modelling – these are not luxuries, they are the backbone of efficient, future-proof water services. Here I will be speaking a bit in my mother tongue. We are of the south, that is, the peoples of the Mediterranean, we have lived decades with water shortages, drought, groundwater that does not regenerate. Local realities that we have lived and grown from. We have a great deal of them because we have innovated and invested in order to count every drop, because every drop counts. And now is the time to share with you what we have learned, the solutions we have found. Because the realities of the Mediterranean are no longer just our problem but of many other European peoples. So, let's support our cities, regions and islands. In adopting these tools, let's equip our systems to react faster, waste less and plan better. And for this to work, we must start at the top. We must integrate water into every policy decision of our Union. No regulation, no investment plan and no national strategy should proceed without asking, 'How does this impact water – the resource we need for our livelihood, for the flourishing of our industry and for the strengthening of our economy?'. Water cuts across sectors, borders and generations. So, dear friends, we must mainstream water in all of our decisions. This is the definition of resilience. Our future, Europe's stability, prosperity and health, depends on water. The time to act is not tomorrow. It's now, and ambitiously. Water is life and this is our shared responsibility to protect it. So let's build a water-resilient Europe together.

Sir President, this is the beginning of an important process by which we will decide how billions of euros will be spent for seven years. We will decide how our future and that of our children will look. And this is a crucial moment, in order to make a Europe that is fairer and closer to all, with more social justice, a more sustainable environment and a policy that looks at people's realities. And so we need to focus on people's lives; clean and affordable energy, quality education, health, access to food, and a roof over the head of all. And to do this, we must continue to invest in people and massively. That is why I stand firm on my principle: Investment in defence should never be made at the expense of social and environmental needs. And when this expenditure is made it must be done in full respect of the principle of neutrality which is embraced close to the hearts of various European peoples. They can't be ignored, thank you.

Mr. President! What's the ocean for me? The ocean is not just a resource for me. It is the lifeblood of entire communities. This is all about our daily realities. In Malta, the sea defines our economy, our culture, our food, our identity. We are at the border of the impact of illegal fishing and aggressions by third countries and the impact of climate change. We know what needs to be done and hope that not only will you listen to us, but you will give us what we need. We need an ocean pact that is fair, sustainable and ambitious. But this can only be done if the human being is at the center of this covenant: the citizen; It depends on a clean sea. Dear Commissioner, we spoke many times. I trust in you and believe in your intentions. But now give us ambition. Commissioner Kadis, Commissioner Roswall, tackle pollution from source to sea. The time is now. Gives us action. Dear Commissioner, we spoke many times. I trust in you and believe in your intentions. But now give us ambition. Commissioner Cadiz, Commissioner Roswall, tackle pollution from source to sea. The time is now. Give us action.

President, do we want peace or to continue the war? As a socialist and as a representative from a country, a neutral Member State, I have traumatising worries, working only to create a war economy. From a single European market of peoples, goods, services and capital, we are transformed into one of destroying and non-combining ammunition and armaments. Yes, it is clear that there is a need and a serious fear of invasion on the territory of the Union. Especially now with the uncertainty coming from the other side of the Atlantic. And so I understand that European governments must join in joint efforts when it comes to their personal investment in defence. A sensible argument, but we cannot do so at the expense of the ambitions and hope of European citizens. Friends, at the same time and with the same strength, let's invest in people, in people's lives and not reduce them. Let us base the European economy on well-being and not on war, peace and not destruction.

President, Commissioner, European competitiveness should be a concept that strengthens the position of the Union, but also that lifts our citizens, communities and families, from metropolitan cities to our smallest island. Competitiveness and the environment go hand in hand, indeed, with simplification that strengthens the well-being of the citizen and not simplification without a resulting ecological responsibility, which risks our single market and humanity. A lack of ambition and regression is an attack on future generations. Let's be ambitious in water resilience in the ocean pact and the Mediterranean pact. Let us work together to solve our economic problems, ensure social justice and fight for better well-being for future generations.

Mr President, desertification is not a story from far, far away. Its serious implications have long been affecting the Mediterranean region due to its unique ecosystems, economic dependencies and limited natural resources. In southern Spain, over-irrigation has led to soil erosion. In Crete, aquifers have been overexploited, leading to salinisation. In the neighbouring Sahel region, desertification has displaced millions of people, increasing migratory pressures towards Europe. And in Malta, increased pressure on desalinisation plants raised energy consumption and costs, which are passed on to households and businesses. Today this is not a story only for southern Europeans. It is also a story shared with other Europeans from temperate and humid climates like Bulgaria. In fact, last year 45 % of the EU's territory faced drought, threatening food production and water security. Desertification is about humanity, our dependence on water for survival, and our need for water security and food security. Therefore, our response must be people-centred. The fight against desertification demands global cooperation, but it also starts at home in this very House. We need to dramatically increase our political commitment to water – we need to preserve our lands, help our nature to recover and conserve our water. And, dear Commissioner, we need to act now, with an ambitious European water resilience strategy before it is too late. As rapporteur of the Parliament's initiative, I call for decisive action to protect our people and resources and build a sustainable future of a liveable world for future generations to come.

Mr President, this is a discussion about the people, about the Maltese fisherman who is seeing fewer fish in the traps due to changes in fish migration, about the farmer in the Greek Islands who is seeing his olive trees bury under constant heat, about the family in Sardinia forced to ration water, even during the winter months. For those who regard the Mediterranean as their home, the situation is very severe as the region is warming 20 percent faster than the global average. This is the present history of the Mediterranean. A crisis that requires decisions on water resilience, on our farmers and fishermen, on our livelihoods. Last year was the hottest year in history. This is an existential threat that calls for immediate and swift global action in unfound political rhetoric. Colleagues, cooperation is non-negotiable. Will we be remembered as the leaders who turned the tide or as the ones who let it sweep us away? The clock is ticking, and the thermometer is rising. Let's not delay any further.

Mr President, a strong European competitiveness should go hand in hand with a Green Deal that is both ambitious and fair for all. The Green Deal reflects our collective commitment to a sustainable future for us and our children. But we cannot ignore the fact that its impact exists on small economies and vulnerable communities. Small countries and islands face unique challenges. Impact assessments are a crucial tool, but unfortunately they often fail to reflect Malta's specific realities: our limited space and resources, dependence on imports by air, sea, and direct effect from extreme elements. And so, dear Commissioner, that several Maltese and Gozitans feel that the Green Deal has ignored us. And so, looking to the future, I am calling for comprehensive and fair impact assessments to be carried out for each Member State in order to truly reflect the realities of the country. A green deal that is for all means inclusion, balance and safeguarding to our local communities. Let's build a Europe with a future, sustainable and competitive where no one is left behind.