Debate contributions by Sérgio GONÇALVES

Mr President, Madam Executive Vice-President, the new mandate of the European Maritime Safety Agency represents an essential step towards a safer and more sustainable Europe in the maritime domain. This revision significantly strengthens EMSA’s competences, including in assessing the safety and sustainability of new technologies, such as alternative fuels. It also strengthens its role in maritime cybersecurity, crisis response and the use of autonomous maritime vessels. With this review, the agency will therefore be able to support Member States more effectively in tackling maritime pollution and protecting European waters. A strong and well-resourced EMSA is a prerequisite for ensuring cleaner and safer European seas. I would like to conclude, as shadow rapporteur, by thanking the work and commitment of the lead rapporteur, Sérgio Humberto, on this important report.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, last Friday, after strong pressure from the United States of America, the International Maritime Organization decided to postpone by one year the vote on a global instrument to promote the decarbonisation of maritime transport, which is a serious setback in the fight against climate change. In view of this, the European Union must redouble its diplomatic commitment so that next year there will be a positive vote and an agreement commensurate with the climate emergency. At the same time, we must stay the course by fully implementing European legislation to decarbonise maritime transport. This is a demanding transition, especially if the rest of the world does not accompany it. We therefore need more investment at European level, especially for islands – such as mine, Madeira – which are dependent on this means of transport and whose small scale makes it difficult to raise the necessary capital. The European Union must be autonomous in this area, no matter what the United States of America does, and we must continue our path in the green transition, leading the world by example.

Madam President, Commissioner, this week the European Parliament is taking an important step towards strengthening the protection of tourists when buying package travel, for example through a travel agency. We want to ensure clearer rules for quick refunds, insolvency protection and greater transparency on consumer rights. Tourists will also have more security through the harmonisation of rules on vouchers, the right to cancel the trip free of charge in extraordinary circumstances and a more effective complaints system. For businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, we ensure proportionate rules and contractual clarity. It is essential that all these measures can generate trust – that trust is what sustains, drives and benefits the entire European tourism sector. I would like to end by thanking the European Commission for its work in preparing this proposal. This is an example of what should be the focus of the Union: putting people and their rights at the heart of policies and working closely together to deliver concrete results.

Madam President, Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, one year after the deadline for implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, 60% of milestones and targets at European level remain unfulfilled. These figures show that funds centralised in national programmes, which were presented as a solution to improve their efficiency, have not delivered better results. And yet, in the proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the Commission suggests applying the same centralisation logic to cohesion policy, transferring to national programmes what was built as a shared policy, thus threatening the role that regions have in setting investment priorities on their territory. The question then, Mr Vice-President, is as follows: if the decentralisation of the recovery and resilience plan has not accelerated implementation or improved results, why does the Commission insist on repeating the model, calling into question cohesion policy, which is one of the most successful policies of the European Union?

Mr President, Commissioner, one of the greatest achievements of the European Union has been the protection of citizens' rights, particularly as consumers. It is therefore incomprehensible that, at a time when so many are questioning the usefulness of the Union and its legislation, the Council is proposing a step backwards, limiting passengers’ access to financial compensation in the event of a flight delay. We would thus be reducing the incentive for companies to comply with scheduled times and restricting a right widely used by citizens. In addition, we often talk in this House about the need to cut red tape. So let us be consistent. Today, when a flight is delayed, it is up to the passenger to start the process, gather documents and contact the airline, when, in fact, the airlines already have all this data. If we want to simplify, let us simplify for the benefit of citizens: if a flight is delayed and a passenger is entitled to compensation, that payment must be automatic, as it should be in a modern, fair and efficient European Union.

Honourable Member, what I have come here precisely to defend and demand has been positive discrimination for outermost regions, as is the case for my region, the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the Azores and other regions in several Member States of the Union. Such positive discrimination should precisely make it possible to channel such support to the most vulnerable populations and to regions with small-scale economies and small-scale businesses, which are more difficult to cope with costs related to the energy transition. It should also make it possible to have regular, accessible and competitively priced public transport so that these people can enjoy the same mobility. That is why we are fighting here and what we are debating about.

Mr President, Commissioner, ensuring truly competitive, efficient and sustainable public transport is essential to achieving the Union's climate objectives and promoting territorial cohesion. Investing in public transport is investing in a fairer, greener Europe closer to its citizens. But there can be no one-size-fits-all approach. We need positive discrimination for the most vulnerable areas, from rural areas to the outermost regions, where public transport is scarce, of low quality or even non-existent. In particular, it is crucial that we secure adequate public funding to ensure maritime and air links to island populations – essential not only for their mobility and supply, but also for various sectors, such as tourism, on which their small-scale economies depend. I therefore call on the Commissioner to ensure that the next Multiannual Financial Framework takes into account the territorial specificities of the regions and directs investments where they are most needed.

Mr President, Mr Tzitzikostas, investment in transport infrastructure is essential to strengthen the economic and territorial cohesion of the European Union by promoting efficient mobility of people and goods. This is particularly relevant for the outermost regions of the European Union, such as Madeira, which face unique challenges due to their geographical remoteness and insularity. Their full integration into European transport plans, with access to adequate funding, is key, in particular to ensure that air and maritime transport infrastructure is properly adapted to meet the objectives set for the European climate transition. I also call on you to present an ambitious ports strategy that promotes competitiveness, facilitates the energy transition, reduces red tape and takes into account the specificities of the outermost regions.

Mr President, Commissioner, the future of Europe depends on meeting the demographic challenge. In this sense, one of the main instruments at our disposal is cohesion policy, which aims to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities in the European Union. It is by strengthening cohesion policy and defending its decentralised model that we will be able to ensure the development of all our regions. Madeira, where I come from, has lost 17,000 inhabitants in the last decade. It is essential to retain the population, generate opportunities for young people, promoting the creation of qualified jobs and access to housing. In this debate, we must also talk about immigration, without giving in to populist discourses that ignore the demographic reality and labour needs that are fundamental to various sectors of our economy. This is how, together, we will build a stronger, more cohesive Europe, leaving no one and no region behind.

Mr President, Commissioner, Europe is the continent that receives the most tourists. There were more than 700 million in 2023, two million of which were in my homeland, Madeira. Tourism brings enormous economic and social benefits, creates jobs and brings cultures and communities closer together. One of the major challenges for this sector is the decarbonisation objectives that have been set for transport, in particular for the outermost regions. It is crucial that we step up European funding for the modernisation of fleets and transport infrastructure. This is especially important in regions where the necessary high investments cannot be met on a small scale and where people with the lowest incomes and the highest risk of poverty cannot be allowed to pay the cost of the green transition. Only in this way can we ensure the economic, social and environmental sustainability of tourism, and that no person or region is left behind.

Mr President, Mr Executive Vice-President, I would like to begin by expressing my condolences to the families of all the victims of Cyclone Chido, which has shaken the Mayotte archipelago in recent days. This French outermost region joins so many others that have suffered devastating natural disasters this year, such as my region, Madeira, affected by large-scale fires. Due to climate change, these will unfortunately become more and more frequent. It is essential that the European Union has an instrument to respond to these crises and that it is not necessary for us to constantly pass new legislation or to use cohesion policy resources, which are already scarce, to reduce the inequalities that still persist between the various European regions. Mr Vice-President, we therefore need a permanent mechanism at European level to support regions affected by natural disasters, which is quickly and easily accessible, so that aid reaches the people as soon as possible.

Madam President, Commissioner, Russia's use of obsolete and unsafe vessels, known as the shadow fleet Russia has two major problems. First, it allows Russia to circumvent sanctions, contrary to our objective of supporting Ukraine and ensuring that Russia suffers consequences for its illegal invasion. Secondly, these ships do not follow international standards and are not insured, thus posing a risk to the environment, to the safety of other ships and to the lives of all those sailing on them. The data we have indicate that these vessels circulate in the European maritime area and have even entered Portuguese waters. It is imperative that European and national authorities act to counter this threat. We must review the mechanisms to implement more effective sanctions, strengthen surveillance of suspicious ships, prevent possible maritime and environmental disasters and, if they do occur, ensure a rapid response with adequate means.

Madam President, Commissioner, some 140 000 hectares of burnt area in Portugal, 8 000 in my region, Madeira, 150 houses destroyed, 177 injured and 9 killed. This is the balance sheet, still provisional, of the tragedy that struck Portugal this year. We cannot accept these catastrophes as routine. To this end, we must ensure that all possible support is given to firefighting. This includes strengthening the sharing of resources between Member States through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. We must also invest heavily in prevention, ensuring the clean-up and management of territories, and step up the fight against climate change, which worsens this situation year after year. Only with serious political commitment and coordinated action will we be able to protect our communities. Despite all this, these situations will always occur, so we must ensure adequate funding for the European Union Solidarity Fund and activate it where necessary.