Speeches

Madam President, Madam President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, the state of the Union has improved over the course of this year thanks to the collective efforts of all. Although Europe is still convalescing, we are on the path to overcoming the pandemic and economic recovery with the vaccination campaign and the launch of the Recovery Plan. In short, Europe is refocusing on the future. A green, environmentalist and feminist future, with a transition that must be just territorially between states and socially among all citizens. But, ladies and gentlemen, the crisis caused by the pandemic has been of such magnitude that the same rules do not serve us, either economically. That is why I support the proposal of the Spanish Minister Calviño so that green and digital investments are not counted in the deficit or in the debt of the Member States, and that the Recovery Fund is permanent. Let's go down that road, please.

Mr President, Commissioner, the Council, the Slovenian Presidency, once again, is conspicuous by its absence, but in the end... Ladies and gentlemen, after three years of deadlock we have reached an agreement with the Council and the Commission to carry out an ambitious revision of the Blue Card, which was adopted in 2009, with the aim of attracting more highly qualified workers, in particular in sectors with shortages of staff, and making it easier for employers to recruit non-EU people. And this improvement is especially important for our small and medium-sized businesses. The review would not have been possible without the commitment and effort of all actors, despite the complicated negotiating conditions caused by the health restrictions of the pandemic. In particular, I would like to thank the German Presidency and the Portuguese Presidency for their commitment, as well as the efforts of our dear Commissioner Ylva Johansson and her team to defend the reforms. And, of course, the European Parliament team of shadow rapporteurs and the entire technical team, in particular Céline, Shane and Matteo, for the excellent work they have done to give the reform real added value. The revised Blue Card rules will further harmonise the conditions of entry and residence of highly skilled workers, introducing more flexible criteria, extending the rights of beneficiaries and simplifying mobility within the European Union, as well as family reunification procedures. But above all, with this agreement we are sending a political message in the right direction: Europe must increase legal forms of migration and, above all, facilitate the arrival of workers who can contribute to the development of our continent. The new review establishes more inclusive admission criteria. In particular, we have broadened the scope to include beneficiaries of international protection; we have established a minimum and maximum wage range that applicants must achieve in order to obtain the Blue Card, with the aim, on the one hand, of making it more attractive and, on the other hand, of avoiding the risk of social dumping between nationals and foreigners. This achievement will also attract young graduates. In addition, we have reduced the minimum duration of the employment contract from twelve to six months and have achieved that, in the case of workers in the technology and information and communication sector, professional experience can also be considered and not only academic qualification. As mentioned above, the revision includes new rights for Blue Card holders and their family members and measures to facilitate family reunification. In particular, the holder’s spouse or partner is given unrestricted access to the labour market; Blue Card holders are allowed to pursue self-employed or other auxiliary professional activities, and better protection is ensured in case of illness or disability, as well as in case of unemployment. Finally, mobility within the European Union is facilitated and simplified by introducing a recognised accelerated procedure for employers, the "European fast track’, reducing the minimum period of residence in the first Member State and allowing periods of residence to be cumulated in order to obtain long-term resident status. This will help companies, for example, when asking a worker to move to another Member State. This element, that of mobility, is the real added value of the revision of the European Blue Card compared to national systems and the one that makes it more attractive by allowing skilled workers to access the labour market across the Union, but this requires Member States to trust each other. Only in this way will we move towards a consolidated European migration policy. But, ladies and gentlemen, in order not to raise suspicions, we must remember that the Member States will be able to maintain their national regime in this area in parallel with the European Blue Card system. However, it is important to highlight that the new Directive ensures equal treatment between the two systems, the European and the national, so that holders of the European Blue Card and their families are not at a disadvantage compared to holders of national permits. In addition, we have facilitated the procedure for moving from national systems to the European system. As I have stressed throughout the negotiations, I again call on the Member States and the Commission to make this measure visible by disseminating information on the benefits of the Blue Card here in Europe, but also around the world. Finally, I would like to stress that with the revision of this directive we have taken an important and necessary step, but not enough, because I reiterate: We need these and these skilled workers no matter where they come from, otherwise this review does not make sense. On the other hand, we must put an end to legislative fragmentation on legal migration and put forward a simplified regulatory framework covering all situations and all workers. We need to incentivise legal migration: firstly, because it is the best instrument to combat irregular immigration; Secondly, because it is absolutely necessary that we adopt policies that also regulate the admission and residence of workers with medium and low-paid jobs, as well as seasonal workers and those men and women who come to our continent for research or study purposes. At a time when managing migration flows, through a genuine common migration policy, remains a priority for this House and on the political agenda, and when we are waiting for an agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, it is important that we do everything we can to get people to Europe safely, improving legal immigration channels. I hope that we will soon conclude new agreements on this subject.

Madam President, the past European Council raised the need to avoid loss of life and to reduce pressure on European borders. But, ladies and gentlemen, the Council's conclusions do not save lives. We need urgent action. The Council gave concrete instructions to the Commission and the High Representative, in close cooperation with Member States, to strengthen support and assistance to priority countries of origin and transit. Mr Vice-President Šefčovič, could the Commission anticipate what measures and objectives will be prioritised in this autumn's action plans and how the use of financial resources on migration will be improved? Finally, let us return to urgency. I would like to reiterate, once again, the need to put in place a genuine European plan for maritime search and rescue, as well as for the disembarkation of migrants in safe ports, agreed between Frontex, the Commission and the Member States. We need an accurate and effective protocol to save lives.