Debate contributions by Giuseppe ANTOCI

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as I said, a few days ago an explosive bomb hit the car of the investigative journalist RAI, Sigfrido Ranucci and that of his daughter. That bomb could kill. Ranucci and Report They have often been attacked by political and institutional attacks to delegitimize their work and to deprive citizens of their right to be informed. Europe should play its part: protect journalists and reporters at risk; implements the rules on freedom of the press; Stop the reckless lawsuits. We have to get there before the bombs, before the commemorations. In Ranucci we say that he is not alone: This House is with him, the square of Rome is with him right now, Italy is with him! To those who have organized, we say: You will not stop courage, you will not stop it with fear! We will always protect those who inform, without retreating a millimeter!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are not celebrating an anniversary today: We remember a wound that doesn't heal. Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed because she sought the truth, because she did not accept compromise, because she had the courage to look power in the face. A bomb tried to erase it, but there is no bomb that can erase the truth. The same bomb that in Italy, a few days ago, could kill the investigative journalist RAI, Sigfrido Ranucci. We'll talk about it later. Whoever kills a journalist does not kill one voice but turns on another 100. Because freedom, like truth, cannot be silenced. Today the bells ring, the marches silently advance: But the promise of truth is still unfulfilled. The perpetrators have been convicted but the perpetrators have not. Three words ring out in the streets of Malta: truth, memory, freedom. It is a warning that never ceases to question us. Daphne was right. Daphne did not seek glory, she sought justice. He did not write for himself, but for the citizens, for democracy, for a better country. And that is why today his voice still speaks in every journalist who does not bend, in every person who believes that freedom of the press is the foundation of everyone's freedom. Remembering it is not enough: we must act, protect those who tell, guarantee the safety of those who investigate, fight the impunity of those who threaten and those who corrupt, yes, corrupt! That is why the anti-corruption directive must be approved with the specific provision on compulsory abuse of office. We owe it to Daphne, because we must make not only symbolic gestures: We need courageous choices. Daphne left us a simple and powerful message: Don't be afraid. And then the best way to honor him is just that, that is, not to be afraid to do and tell the truth. Because the truth can be struck but it will never be defeated.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this summer Sicily was the region of Italy most affected by the fires, with tens of thousands of firefighters' interventions and vast agricultural and forestry areas gone up in smoke. In Sardinia, where there are an average of 2,500 fires a year, at the beginning of September there were as many as 26 in a single day, with Canadair and helicopters in action. 2025 is already a record for Europe in terms of hectares burned, a drama that particularly violently affects the Mediterranean regions. The highest price is paid by citizens, farmers and local communities, but trust in institutions, stifled by inefficiencies and delays, also burns with the woods. This is why Europe needs to strengthen prevention and make early warning more effective, strengthen the rescEU fleet with permanent bases in the southern regions and invest in the reforestation of destroyed areas, training and welfare of fire-fighting personnel. The Union's credibility is also measured by its ability to protect its fragile lands and its citizens.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, while we are discussing the future of the CAP, there is growing alarm in our regions. The hypotheses of cuts of 80 billion to the CAP, with 8 billion less for Italy, risk bringing the agricultural system to its knees. We cannot invest in weapons by taking away resources from those who work to guarantee healthy food, territorial protection and social cohesion. There are regions devastated by drought and fires and with water reserves collapsing and while there is talk of a single fund, agriculture disappears. This requires an autonomous chapter, dedicated and structural resources to address the climate emergency, ensuring social resilience. Then there is the issue of legality: every euro must be traceable and protected from fraud and mafia infiltration, with an effective system that does not impose the bureaucratic cost on honest farmers. Defending agriculture means defending work and dignity in our territories. We can't afford to lose this garrison.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome with interest the programme of the Danish Presidency. Of course, we do not share its acceleration towards rearmament, while we share the urgency of strengthening trust in the rule of law. But there can be no true Europe of rights without a true Europe of legality. That is why it is unacceptable that, after months of work and negotiation on the new anti-corruption directive, we now have a dossier blocked by a small minority of Member States. The vast majority of EU countries already provide for the offence of abuse of office in their criminal codes. We lost precious time. Here is our rapporteur who has made a great deal of effort and corruption is not waiting for anyone. Meanwhile, public resources, including European ones, continue to be snatched away in impunity. We ask the Danish Presidency for courage. Strong leadership and determination are needed to overcome isolated, very isolated vetoes and finally equip the Union with an effective and shared weapon against corruption. The issue is not only political, but primarily moral.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in its judgment of 29 April last, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that so-called golden passports pose a threat to the security, legality and founding values of the European Union. We have always made it clear that European citizenship cannot be put up for sale by denouncing the serious consequences of these programmes in terms of corruption, money laundering and tax avoidance. We are pleased to note that the Maltese Government has recognised the Court's decision: But it's time to finally end the golden passport era. I hope that the Commission will not let its guard down and will act with determination to put an end to all forms of commercialisation of European Union citizenship, which is based on common values and loyalty.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I thank Commissioner Brunner for the important work he has done. The new European Internal Security Strategy is a crucial step to tackle organised crime that threatens the security of citizens and the integrity of our economies. I very much welcome the proposal to transform Europol into a fully operational agency with innovative resources and tools for complex cross-border investigations. At the same time, strengthening Eurojust will enable faster and more effective judicial cooperation. The role of the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the new Anti-Money Laundering Authority will also be crucial, ensuring effective cooperation with Europol and Eurojust. It is also essential that the 2026 legislative proposal to modernise the rules on organised crime finally identifies the mafia association: Without this recognition, the instruments provided for in the strategy risk being weaker. It takes courage and determination, only in this way can we fight and win against the mafias.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today I want to express my deep indignation at an unacceptable affair involving STMicroelectronics in Catania, Europe's largest semiconductor manufacturer. Despite the 2 billion euros of state aid approved by the European Commission, destined for the construction of a new plant, incredibly the company has announced the redundancy fund for 2500 workers out of a total of 5400. A real scandal that throws thousands of workers and their families into anguish. It is crucial that Europe, the government and the region ensure and demand that the planned public funding translates into real investment in stable employment. Therefore, I call on the Commission and all stakeholders to ensure that the funding granted returns territories, such as Etna Valley, to the leading role of Europe's technological future.

Madam President, Commissioner Brunner, ladies and gentlemen, Europol is reporting an increase in the criminal use of cryptocurrencies in money laundering and the demand for ransoms after cyberattacks. Blockchain facilitates rapid capital transfers globally, giving criminals a significant advantage. In the field of cybercrime, very advanced techniques emerge, which require high skills of investigators. These skills require appropriately trained staff. In addition, the use of cryptocurrencies anchored to the value of commodities is growing, appreciated by criminal leaders for their stability and easy understanding. The lack of adequate tools for tracking cryptocurrencies in some Member States is increasing requests for investigative support to Europol. In the face of these challenges – and knowing your great sensitivity – a coordinated effort to develop global and shared standards is essential in order to effectively combat the illegal use of this technology.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today we are facing a challenge that threatens the very foundations of our Union: corruption and money laundering in the public sector. The alleged money laundering case involving a former Commissioner casts a shadow over our commitment to fighting corruption: This is a huge damage, especially in a parliamentary term in which, I hope, important legislative goals will be achieved on the fight against corruption and, consequently, against organised crime, because corruption and money laundering are two sides of the same currency. The same currency used by organised crime that degrades our democratic integrity and undermines the credibility of institutions; Corruption and money laundering show how urgent and necessary it is to strengthen our legislative instruments of control and transparency. I thank President Zarzalejos for citing anti-corruption legislation. As shadow rapporteur, I and we too will team up so that these examples can only be examples of the past and not of the future of the European Union.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as Europol has pointed out, organised crime recruits young people through social media, using coded languages, turning the criminal career into a game of stages and prizes. This phenomenon, widespread throughout the continent, is now a consolidated operational strategy. The rise in child crime in Europe is alarming. Too many young people, without family support and often united by early school leaving, fall prey to unscrupulous exploiters. As European legislators, we must prevent the future of these young people from being marked by prison or reformatory. Europe must draw inspiration from figures such as Father Pino Puglisi and Don Bosco, who with their preventive approach have shown how the fate of the most vulnerable young people can be changed through education and early intervention. I conclude by reflecting that, whenever we respond to a crime only with harsher penalties, we mark a defeat: Victory lies in preventing, understanding and intervening before young people are lost.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Director Murphy, today's report is alarming and highlights a serious discrepancy in the reporting of fund fraud against the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It is inconceivable that no Member State reported fraud in 2023, while EPPO has 233 ongoing investigations with potential damages of €1.8 million, of which, alas, 75% concern Italy. This situation raises serious doubts about the transparency and effectiveness of internal controls in the Member States and raises critical questions about monitoring and control, which require immediate action by the European Union. It is our duty to protect the resources of the European Union and to ensure that the resources allocated to European citizens are managed with the utmost rigour. We must act urgently and strengthen control mechanisms, preventing corruption and fraud.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, drug trafficking is a cancer that devastates lives and destabilises our society, fuelling corruption and violence. Criminal organizations, taking advantage of advanced technologies, use messaging apps, dark web, of cryptocurrencies, also using critical infrastructure, such as our ports, to extend their deadly network. This has turned lawlessness into a sophisticated industry that openly defies our laws and undermines our security. In response, Europe must act. Our struggle must be smarter, based on science and effectiveness, not rhetoric. We need to reduce the demand for drugs and their value with an approach that includes prevention, educating, rehabilitating and regulating where possible. Thanks to recent operations, supported by European agencies, we know that we can dismantle these networks. I conclude by stressing the need to expand the legislative instruments and ensure the right resources for the European agencies to ensure a coordinated European approach in order to effectively hit the beating heart of these criminal organisations.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today we are addressing an issue that represents one of the most serious threats to the security of the European Union: organised crime. As also documented by Europol's latest report, criminal organisations are increasingly infiltrating our economies. The figures are impressive: 821 criminal organisations, 86% of which are able to infiltrate the legal economy to disguise their activities or launder their profits. Through corruption, threats and intimidation, they gain control of businesses, obtain concessions and authorisations, and win contracts and grants, operating in multiple countries simultaneously and negatively affecting the lives of millions of European citizens. We need to strengthen coordination between Member States’ prosecution forces, allowing for a timely exchange of information and strengthening the Europol, Eurojust and eu-LISA agencies, as well as the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. I believe – as already called for in one of my resolutions – that the time is ripe to set up a special CRIM committee in the European Parliament: This commission will be crucial to ensure the effectiveness of the European Union's strategies and action against the mafias. The European Union's commitment cannot be separated from legislation. It is necessary to ensure the correct implementation of existing legislation, such as Regulation (EU) 2018/1805 on the mutual recognition of freezing orders and confiscation orders. Italian legislation is sadly at the forefront in this field and has already been taken as a model in several European measures. An important step in this direction was taken in the last legislature through the revision of the Seizure and Confiscation Directive. However, much remains to be done and there is a need to further harmonise anti-mafia legislation at European level. Being a member of a mafia-type organization must be considered a crime throughout Europe, as already provided for in Article 416 bis of the Italian Criminal Code. We cannot ignore, for example, how the funds earmarked for rural development through the CAP have become targets of the mafias. In Sicily, we not only fought to stop the hoarding of these resources, but through the protocol that bears my name, and became state law, we also managed to prevent fraud and abuse: These experiences must guide our commitment to stricter supervision and more effective control on all European issues. I conclude: I believe that Europe's commitment to fighting crime is a duty that we all have towards the women and men who over the decades have denounced and fought relentlessly against mafia power, often at the cost of their own lives.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Paolo Borsellino, Agostino Catalano, Eddie Cosina, Emanuela Loi, Vincenzo Li Muli and Claudio Traina are the men of the State killed on 19 July 1992: a long list, of which I could be part and those brave men of the State Police who saved my life on May 16, 2016. To them the memory and gratitude, to them the feeling of gratitude, to all those who, in Italy and in Europe, have lost their lives to safeguard the institutions, ideas and dignity of peoples. I think that the establishment of CRIM could be an important opportunity for the European Parliament to remember. I hope that this Parliament will be able to do so.