Speeches

– Madam President, I would like to thank my colleagues for raising this really important issue and having this debate this evening, because we do need to look at the connection and the right to a healthy environment of citizens, not just of Europe, but globally. There were some points raised (and many), so I can’t address all of them, but I want to reassure you that, when it comes to water, last year’s revision of the Drinking Water Directive addresses the citizens’ initiative on the right to water, which is an important step for clean water for all. In addition to that, we look at worker protections. The European Union has ambitious legislation protecting workers, and we agree with the European Parliament and its recently adopted Article 225 TFEU report on the issue of asbestos. When it comes to due diligence and the topic of deforestation, we are also actively working on these issues. So I want to reassure you on those particular points. I mentioned earlier, in my opening remarks, that the European Commission will continue to play a proactive role on this important topic and, importantly, to engage internationally to promote the recognition of the right to a healthy environment and to ensure its implementation on the ground. But of course, we can’t tackle this global issue on our own. We do need to leverage our efforts by further increasing international cooperation to raise the global ambitions and standards together. Addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, protecting and preserving the planet from pollution and resource depletion is simply not an option but an imperative responsibility for which we, as leaders, decision—makers and legal professionals, will be held accountable by this generation and future generations. So we really do have to step up to the challenge. I want to thank you all for your contributions, and I hope you have heard from me directly our commitment as a Commission to this issue.

– Madam President, human rights and a healthy environment go hand in hand, and that’s what this debate is about this evening. It’s true for all, but it’s particularly important for children, women, indigenous peoples and local communities, because these groups are more vulnerable than others to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, as the Minister mentioned. The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is therefore related to other rights and international obligations and it has a direct impact on our livelihood. The planetary crisis is the defining crisis of our time. With the European Green Deal we’ve put tackling climate and environmental challenges at the very top of the European agenda. There will be no sustainable future or human well-being without tackling this crisis – climate, biodiversity and of course pollution. The Commission welcomes the attention that this Parliament is giving to an important matter, and we take good note of your call for a right to a healthy environment in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The EU actively supports the implementation of the Charter. The Charter sets out the principle of integrating environmental protection into the policies of the Union. It requires that, and I quote, ‘A high level of environmental protection and the improvement of the quality of the environment must be integrated into the policies of the Union and ensured in accordance with the principle of sustainable development.’ The Commission is fully playing its role and is monitoring the progress made in mainstreaming fundamental rights in all aspects of climate and environmental action. In the same spirit, existing EU environmental laws contain safeguards to ensure a healthy environment, and the Court of Justice of the European Union has recognised that such legislation gives individuals the opportunity to challenge decisions or omissions by public authorities that infringe these rights. Since it was included in the Treaty of Amsterdam more than 20 years ago, sustainable development has been one of the fundamental objectives of the European Union. For example, it is enshrined in Article 11 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which I quoted earlier. Other pieces of EU environmental legislation have specific requirements related to the protection of human health, for example. We have laws on air quality, bathing water and drinking water. These requirements create rights which can be invoked by individuals and environmental associations before national courts. The Court of Justice has also confirmed that environmental associations are entitled to bring forward judicial challenges related to the protection of nature. We are happy to see that this has contributed significantly to finding practical ways to protect, conserve and restore our biodiversity. Another objective of the Green Deal is to improve access to justice, both at EU and national level. We are pursuing different actions to ensure that citizens can obtain information, participate in decision-making and go to court on environmental matters. More recently, the Aarhus Regulation was amended by the co-legislators to increase the possibility for civil society and the wider public to scrutinise EU decisions affecting our environment. By working on these key areas the EU is taking concrete steps to implement the requirements of the Charter. We want to improve the health and quality of life of citizens and protect the health and wellbeing of people from environmental-related risks. At the international level, the EU and its Member States are actively promoting discussions in the United Nations, including in the context of the UN General Assembly and in the Human Rights Council, on the right to a healthy environment. Together with Member States, we regularly sponsor resolutions on the subject and fully supported the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment. Just last month, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe proposed a draft for an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. We therefore particularly welcome the resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council a few days ago, which for the first time recognises the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The European Union is very much at the forefront of global efforts to fulfil the right to a healthy environment. An example, the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy acknowledges that human rights are increasingly intertwined with global environmental challenges. In order to achieve the actions in this plan, we will be working to support third countries to fulfil their obligations to protect the environment and the health of their citizens. We will be doing so by massively investing in green priorities in the EU’s external funding and by delivering on our ambitious spending targets on climate and biodiversity. This includes doubling the EU’s biodiversity spending, as announced by President von der Leyen in her State of the Union speech. Another key area to invest in is environmental governance and justice. Human rights laws require states to take special measures to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of those who are most at risk from environmental harm. Access to justice in environmental matters and access to information and public participation in decision-making are fundamental human rights. They are enshrined in Implementing Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and international instruments such as the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement. These are good examples of how we are working to involve powerful agents of change in our societies, notably human rights defenders, indigenous peoples, minorities, women and young people in policymaking. This is all in pursuit of a just transition for all. I applaud the environmental human rights defenders who are on the frontline protecting the rights of their communities, communities who are often among the first to suffer the effects of environmental degradation and climate change. The EU provides protection to environmental human rights defenders and indigenous peoples who are facing unprecedented levels of threats and attacks. It is worth, but sad, to recall a very worrying situation. Last year, 2020, at least 331 human rights defenders were killed. Sixty-nine percent of them were working on land, indigenous and environmental rights. This is wholly unacceptable. Since its launch in 2015, ProtectDefenders.eu has supported almost 12 000 land and environmental rights and indigenous rights defenders, 6 370 of whom were women, representing the main group supported by this EU-funded mechanism. All this said, there is still much more to do. We need to ensure that every single citizen enjoys their right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and I want to give you the assurance that the Commission will continue to take action, both locally and globally, to make this a reality.

– Madam President, I want to acknowledge the work not only of our rapporteur, but also the shadow rapporteurs and everyone who contributed to this debate. There were many opinions, but I heard a very strong call for advancement on Banking Union; I appreciate that message and I take it with me. I want to acknowledge, as many of you have, that the banks were stronger going into this crisis because of the work you did, as regulators and legislators, in putting in place stronger capital requirements. This is, therefore, a positive development from COVID, but we have not finished the work. We need to understand that, despite the naysayers, there are big benefits from completing Banking Union. It will help financial firms adjust business models and facilitate consolidation across borders without threatening financial stability. It will also help the banking sector address challenges to the existing banking model and boost competitiveness. Banking Union will support efforts to finance the green and digital transitions. It will also help handle a challenging macroeconomic environment, an ageing society, high levels of debt and low interest. It will ensure that our safety nets are effective and enough funding is available for banks across the Banking Union in times of crisis. Last, but not least, it will benefit European citizens, because depositor confidence is a public good that we have a responsibility to protect. I note the challenge to agree on everything about Banking Union by the end of this year, but we do urgently need to set things in motion. I would encourage the European Parliament to remain ambitious and to continue working on these files. Progress will only be possible if Parliament plays its full role as co-legislator. I also want to say that the issue of climate change was mentioned in some of the contributions, and climate change is a risk to financial stability unless it is properly accounted for. I repeat that the Commission stands ready to support work to advance Banking Union – as well as Capital Markets Union – and ultimately the goal is a strong and resilient economic and monetary union. It is within sight, but we have work to do. These will underpin a strong and resilient European economy, laying the necessary foundations to face other challenges.

– Madam President, honourable Members, firstly, my appreciation for the work of our rapporteur, Madam Hübner, and for her speech on this report on Banking Union. This is Parliament’s sixth report on completing the Banking Union and it shows the commitment of this Parliament to the Banking Union, and we in the Commission appreciate that support and commitment. But the fact that we are discussing this sixth report calling for more progress also shows how difficult it has been to achieve this shared objective and the need for all of us – Commission, Council, Member States, Parliament – to do much more. Of course, the Banking Union arose out of the global financial crisis and the eurozone debt crisis. We needed to strengthen the euro and the Economic and Monetary Union. The crisis meant that we found the political will to make difficult decisions and undertake ambitious solutions. But completing Banking Union is becoming harder as time passes and memories of the banking crisis fade. The sense of urgency to complete the Banking Union has withered away, and we have experienced political stalemate over the last two years. And we have failed to make the case to people less familiar with the sometimes overly technical discussions on Banking Union. I think we need to return to fundamentals and talk and explain to citizens why the Banking Union matters, and that might help us move forward and unlock the blockages. I believe that this Parliament has a key role to play here in bringing the discussion to citizens and businesses. A Banking Union means a larger market, and that creates more opportunities for economies of scale, as the rapporteur pointed to. For Europeans, it would mean they can trust that their deposits are equally treated if their banks fail, no matter where they are in the European Union. And it means that we, as policy-makers, are living up to our promises to do all we can to prevent another banking crisis, with the impact that would have on people’s lives and livelihoods – not to mention on taxpayer money. So your report rightly renews the call for increased efforts to achieve our goals, and I call on you to help us communicate with citizens about the importance of completing this work and therefore put pressure on all of us to do much more. When it comes to how we manage failing banks, I know Parliament’s support for improving the existing framework. We should prioritise transferring the viable parts of a failing bank to another bank and facilitate the exit from the market of non-viable banks. We can protect financial stability better if we ensure that consumers do not experience significant changes to the services they use. Where the financial buffers of a failing bank are insufficient, using taxpayers’ money may sometimes appear as the easiest option – but the Banking Union is based on using other measures as a first option. We should rely more on the industry’s own safety nets, such as resolution funds and deposit guarantee funds. Banks need enough liquidity in resolution, and the Banking Union needs to provide such a mechanism. Moving to the European Deposit Insurance Scheme: if we want every euro deposited to have the same value, we need to grant it the same level of protection through a common deposit insurance scheme. Right now, deposit protection is only national. Common safety nets could deliver more resilience more efficiently and make national schemes less vulnerable to large local shocks. Moreover, it would encourage deeper market integration, which will let European banks grow, becoming more resilient and able to compete internationally. The completion of Banking Union would underpin a resilient banking sector, a sector that is undergoing transformation due to digitalisation and increased competition from fintechs. Banking Union would increase citizens’ trust in the system. We need a strong and resilient Economic and Monetary Union, and we need to boost our efforts to complete Banking Union, and we need to explain why finishing our work is so important. I look forward to hearing your contributions in this important debate.

– Mr President, honourable Members, the European Union is unequivocally opposed to the use of capital punishment in all cases and without exception. It is a cruel and inhumane punishment which fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity. We remain concerned about the continued use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. According to our sources, in 2019 184 people were executed in Saudi Arabia. A lower number, 27, were executed last year, partially due to an informal moratorium on executions for drug-related crimes. But each and every execution is unacceptable. In April 2020, a royal decree expanded the provisions of a 2019 law, setting the age of minors at 18 years and exempting minors from the death penalty for most crimes. Both the informal moratorium on executions for drug-related crimes and the adoption of the royal decree were steps in the right direction. However, more is needed. The royal decree does not cover all categories of criminal offences committed by juveniles, and it should be expanded. The imposition of the death penalty on an individual who was a child at the time of the alleged crime goes against internationally accepted minimum standards. We have seen the commuting of death sentences for some juveniles who had been sentenced to death. This EU special representative for human rights has raised the case of Abdullah al-Howaiti and other juveniles with the Saudi Human Rights Commission and with the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The European Union deeply regrets the execution of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish. The EU Special Representative for Human Rights has publicly conveyed this regret. Worryingly, it brings the number of people executed in Saudi Arabia this year to 27, the same number executed in 2020. We have seen conflicting reports about the age when Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish committed the alleged crimes for which he was executed. The European Union will continue to consistently reiterate its principled position against the use of death penalty in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and advocate for a complete de facto moratorium as a first step towards a formal and full abolition of the death penalty.

– Mr President, honourable Members of the European Parliament, today’s debate on Hong Kong, as you’ve all pointed to, is taking place in the week following the first anniversary of the draconian national security law. On 24 June Hong Kong’s main pro-democracy media outlet, Apple Daily, printed its final edition, after several of its leading journalists, including the owner Jimmy Lai, were arrested. This is just the latest step in a severe political deterioration over the past 12 months. Political activists have been imprisoned. Opposition parties oppressed. Civil servants compelled to take oaths of loyalty, and media, civil society and academia confronted with new restrictions and the need to self-censor. As stated by HR/VP Borrell on 9 June, the European Union will continue implementing the response package agreed in July of last year. We will also intensify our response through increasing support to civil society – including those outside Hong Kong – and the media, promoting freedom of expression, facilitating mobility, as well as ensuring observation of the trials of pro-democracy activists. The EU Office, EU Member States and other like-minded missions are systematically monitoring court proceedings. A visit of high-level EU officials will be considered once conditions allow. The European Union will step up coordination and consultation with international partners, including in multilateral fora. The EU is also committed to responding to any extraterritorial application of the national security law against any EU citizen or business. Since imposition, this law has been used by the Hong Kong and mainland authorities to stifle political pluralism and the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms that are protected under Hong Kong law and international law. China claims that what is happening in Hong Kong is an internal matter and that the EU’s reaction is interference. We reject this. What is happening in Hong Kong constitutes a breach of international commitments. In particular of the Sino-British joint declaration, which was registered with the UN as an international treaty. As HR/VP Borrell has said, it is a question of trust and of whether prior international commitments are respected. These actions undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and contradict China’s international commitments. The European Union will continue to stand by the people of Hong Kong.

– Madam President, honourable Members, EU policy towards Iran is based on a comprehensive approach, critical in all areas of concern and cooperative when there is mutual interest. The European Union has a long—standing and clear position on Iran’s distressing practice of arbitrarily detaining EU—Iranian dual nationals. No individual should be used as a pawn. The EU is following the case of Swedish—Iranian national Dr Ahmadreza Djalali very closely since his detention in Iran in April of 2016, where he subsequently received a death sentence. Iran executes more than 200 individuals every year, including juvenile offenders, dissidents and protestors. Our position is well known. The EU strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances and aims at its universal abolition. As part of its commitment to address all issues of concern with Iran, the EU continues to urge the Iranian authorities to pursue a consistent policy towards the abolition of capital punishment, which represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity. Moreover, it is imperative for the Iranian authorities to uphold the due process rights of accused individuals and to stop the practice of televised confessions. As part of the bilateral engagement with Iran, the EU also calls on the Iranian authorities to ensure that no individual is detained arbitrarily and that those who are under any form of detention or imprisonment are not subject to any form of mistreatment. The HR / VP and the External Action Service continue to use every opportunity to advocate for Dr Ahmadreza Djalali’s release in the dialogue at all levels with the Iranian authorities. We also maintain close coordination with the Swedish Government and other EU Member States as part of a coordinated EU action. We welcomed the decision of the Iranian authorities to move Dr Djalali out of solitary confinement in April this year, after more than 20 weeks. However, as the death sentence still stands, we have strengthened the coordination with the Swedish authorities and the EU Member States with embassies on the ground in Iran. Dr Djalali’s permanent release remains a driver of EU action and we will continue to work towards achieving his release by taking all available EU tools, including sanctions, into account. In this spirit, and in full consistency with the EU’s comprehensive policy towards Iran, we will continue to call for the release of all EU—Iranian dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran so they can be reunited with their families.

– Madam President, honourable Members, this is a real and immediate issue for our businesses, particularly SMEs in the European Union, so it’s really important that we have this debate here in the European Parliament today. We are experiencing a peak demand for raw and construction materials, but we have the necessary means to cope with it if it persists. First, our green and digital transitions may well be adding pressure on these resources. New technologies depend on raw materials, especially on critical raw materials, and we will see a significant increase in demand for these. We are making considerable funding available through the Recovery and Resilience Fund to support transitions. Second, the pandemic has highlighted the distortive impact of restrictions. It also revealed import dependency for resources and this requires our attention and action. And third, there are global trends, in particular massive investment booms in other economies that are driving up demand for these materials. We will need joint action by the EU institutions, Member States, industry and the research and innovation communities. We also need strategic cooperation with third countries. In our work, we must involve civil society organisations. Citizens need to be involved, especially on investments affecting local communities. Finally, I would like to emphasise that restrictions to the free movement of goods in the area of construction will not address the root causes of price increases of raw and construction materials.

– Mr President, honourable Members, I really want to thank Parliament for putting this issue on the agenda. We are experiencing sustained price increases of raw materials and construction materials. The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures have had a significant impact on the EU industrial sector. Supply chains were disrupted within and outside our single market. The disruption presented our companies with logistical challenges in the planning of production and stock management and this has resulted in shortages of products and raw materials, as well as increased prices for producers. For instance, global shipping costs saw huge increases: almost 400% during the pandemic. This pressure on prices of some industrial products is a global trend, and it affects the important world markets – Europe, the US and China. In some cases, prices have reached their highest level since 2008. The Commission is monitoring the current disruptions in supply chains. We are seeing shortages in the supply of metals, minerals and wood, which in turn is leading to price pressures. The situation may well be temporary as it is mainly due to temporary imbalances between supply and demand factors in these specific sectors. On the supply side, the increase in prices of raw materials particularly affects industrial ecosystems that are largely dependent on primary inputs such as the construction sector. And here, the increase in the prices of imported inputs, such as steel and in particular wood products, is significant. The inflationary pressure is less severe for plastic products and is not significant for glass and concrete. The Commission is currently analysing the scope, the magnitude and the potential outlook of this phenomenon in close cooperation with construction industry stakeholders. On the demand side, there are also global factors that are shaping price dynamics. The strong economic recovery in China and in the US, together with an unprecedented investment boom, adds pressure on aggregate demand for such products. EU policies – successfully driving demand for construction and renovation – also contribute to this phenomenon. Analyses indicate that the prices of raw materials are the main cause of recent price increases of industrial inputs. That has also been affecting the construction sector. As indicated in the updated EU strategy, the impact of the crisis on the single market showed how restrictions caused major disruptions to the free movement of people, goods, services and capital. These restrictions profoundly affect value chains and economic activity. The capacity of stakeholders in our industrial ecosystem to quickly start and scale-up production was seriously constrained, and this is why the Commission is particularly vigilant and active to ensure a good functioning of the single market. And we are monitoring closely measures taken by third countries that might fuel further price increases. The updated EU industrial strategy and the underpinning analysis indicate strategic dependencies for certain inputs and products. However, these strategic dependencies do not explain the peaks of prices. This is down to the accumulated and increased demand due to the economic recovery. Across the EU, the improvement in the public health situation is seeing sectors of the economy reopen for business, and we know that Europe can exploit more efficiently the existing potential for some raw materials and construction materials and in some cases cover domestically a more significant amount of our own demand. We have a strong industrial base, and together with stepping up our efforts towards circularity, we can reduce our strategic dependencies and continue to grow. Let me now give you an overview of some of the actions the Commission has taken. We adopted the EU COVID-19 recovery plan and the EU action plan on critical raw materials last year and updated the industrial strategy this May. These communications list several EU actions that will improve the EU’s open strategic autonomy and foster the transition towards a green and digital economy. In order to develop resilient value chains for EU industrial ecosystems we have launched a number of industrial alliances, including for raw materials, batteries and hydrogen. The Commission will soon launch additional industrial alliances. In order to address specific challenges and to identify actions enabling the twin digital and green transition we are developing, together with industry, social partners and other stakeholders, transition pathways for industrial ecosystems. Around EUR 300 million has been allocated for raw materials topics under our research and innovation programme Horizon Europe in 2021 and 2022, to improve sourcing of primary and secondary raw materials and boost circularity and resource efficiency in the single market. We will also submit a proposal this year to review the rules on waste shipments. This and other measures from the 2020 circular economy action plan, as well as the forthcoming Construction Product Regulation revision, will also help to improve circularity. We will further explore international partnerships and cooperation to address strategic dependencies and diversify supply with sustainable and responsible sourcing from third countries, enabling undistorted trade and investment. We will also undertake a periodic review of strategic dependencies and monitor the associated risks. Member States have also developed their national recovery and resilience plans to guide the more than EUR 672 billion of investments from the Recovery and Resilience Fund. Supporting activities in relation to raw materials can be one of the possibilities for Member States to pursue the objective of strengthening economic and social resilience. The InvestEU programme can also support investment in raw materials, including through its sustainable infrastructure policy window. Honourable members, I look forward to this debate.

– Mr President, this debate really confirms that we share very serious concerns regarding labour rights in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s full alignment with international standards on human and labour rights remains crucial, also in view of the EU’s current legislative work on the future regulation on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences. As I stated in my opening remarks, Bangladesh is expected to graduate from the least developed country status in 2026. The authorities of Bangladesh have already communicated their interest in accessing the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance (GSP+), our flagship arrangement for middle—income countries, in order to maintain duty free access to our market for their exports, especially in the textiles ready-made garment sector. GSP+, however, demands stricter commitments from beneficiaries in terms of human rights and labour rights. If Bangladesh wishes to benefit from the GSP+ arrangement in future, after its graduation from its status of least developed country, the government will have to demonstrate concrete progress on labour and human rights issues now. On our side, during the ongoing GSP Regulation review, we are seriously looking into opening the path towards GSP+ to all graduating least developed countries, including Bangladesh. However, and moreover, the upcoming mandatory sustainable corporate governance initiative, a legislative initiative in the Commission work programme for this year, will address the issue of labour rights in supply chains. It will make mandatory the exercise by European operators of due diligence on their supply chains. This will include assessing the risk of violations of, inter alia, labour rights. This should be another reason for the Government of Bangladesh to address urgently and thoroughly systemic and long-standing labour rights issues. Bangladesh’s national action plan on the labour sector contains relevant and time—bound labour reforms. If fully and correctly implemented, these reforms will ensure a qualitative step forward in terms of enhancing labour rights in Bangladesh. Our enhanced engagement with the Bangladeshi authorities will remain in place to monitor timely and effective implementation of these reforms. We will also continue to coordinate with the ILO in this endeavour. Our engagement with Bangladesh on sustainable development goes, however, even further. The Commission services have earmarked funding from the current multiannual indicative programme for technical assistance to support the Government of Bangladesh in implementing the national action plan. Lastly, we are aware of ongoing discussions between brands and trade unions on the accord, which is about to expire. We strongly encourage parties to come to an agreement that will strengthen factory safety in Bangladesh. We are at an important junction in our relationship. We are hopeful that the national action plan will be followed and implemented to the mutual benefit of Bangladeshi workers and businesses. We count on the authorities of Bangladesh to honour their commitment to respect core human and labour rights, which are the condition for the country to continue benefiting from the EU’s unilateral trade preferences. We know that we can count on this House to continue to pursue the promotion of labour rights worldwide, and I thank you for this.

– Mr President, the promotion of human rights and labour rights is an essential part of the Union’s external action. And it is with grave concern that the Commission has observed the deteriorating situation of human rights, including labour rights, over the past years in Bangladesh, from repression of trade unionists and restrictions on the freedom of association, to weak labour inspection and hazardous forms of child labour. Bangladesh benefits from the most favourable Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement under our generalised scheme of preferences, with free access to the European Union for all its products except arms and ammunition. Bangladesh has seen significant economic growth in recent years, leading to its scheduled graduation into a developing country in 2026. EBA has greatly contributed to this success. The preferential trade arrangements directly contribute to economic growth, social development and job creation, and it has created around four million jobs in Bangladeshi textiles and garment sectors, mostly for women. But this unilateral tariff preferences of the European Union also requires more attention to labour standards and human rights. In exchange for the trade benefits, Bangladesh must uphold the principles laid down in the core international conventions on fundamental human rights and labour rights. The Commission services and the European External Action Service have intensified dialogue with Bangladeshi authorities to press for concrete actions on the serious shortcomings in respecting fundamental labour rights. The COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on the economy have not made this enhanced engagement with Bangladesh any easier, but we continue to demand full compliance with the requirements of the Everything But Arms agreement. I am glad and I can share with you, honourable Members, the first positive results of our enhanced engagement. On 1 July the Government of Bangladesh submitted its national action plan on the labour sector for the next five years. The national action plan aims to bring the Bangladesh Labour Act and Export Processing Zone Labour Law into compliance with requests of the International Labour Organization’s supervisory mechanism. It contains commitments on long-standing issues, including on alignment of the Bangladesh Labour Act and implementing legislation with ILO conventions by September of next year and March 2023 respectively. Alignment of the legislation on export processing zone law with ILO conventions by June 2025. While the Government of Bangladesh presented a detailed timeline, the target date – June 2025 – for the adoption of the amended law, is not as ambitious as the Commission had expected. We will continue engaging with the Bangladesh authorities to discuss and determine which steps could be taken faster to bring the overall timeline forward to ensure, as soon as possible, that all workers in Bangladesh can exercise their fundamental rights to freely associate and form trade unions. Eliminating child labour by 2025 and hazardous forms of child labour by this year, by 2021. This will be done through updating the list of hazardous jobs: strengthening labour inspection and fines; child labour survey; capacity-building and training, as well as cooperation with social partners and civil society. The Government of Bangladesh will also continue to implement the actions regarding school participation and quality of education under its education sector plan. Combating violence against workers, harassment, blacklisting and anti-union discrimination through preventive measures, investigation and dissuasive penalties. Increasing the success rate of applications for trade union registration. Setting up an efficient system to follow up on cases of workers’ complaints. Strengthening labour inspection by filling in vacant positions and creating new posts by the end of next year and 2023, respectively. Remediation of faulty factories, including the possibility of closure notices for factories where remediation is not possible as of mid-next year. And ratifying ILO Convention No 138 on minimum age and Protocol of 2014 to ILO Convention No 29 on forced labour by December of this year. The EU is not alone in its efforts to improve labour rights in Bangladesh. We have not only closely involved the International Labour Organization in the process of developing the national action plan on labour sector, but the ILO itself has set up a similar but separate process of engagement with Bangladesh. Let me finish by underlining that the EU-Bangladesh process of developing and implementing the national action plan is the most promising step in many years of efforts on Bangladesh aligning its labour law and practice with international labour standards. I am fully aware that the most important part, the implementation of the reforms in accordance with the national plan, is still ahead of us, and this will require our continued close engagement with both Bangladeshi authorities and the ILO. Thank you, honourable Members, and I look forward to the debate.