Speeches

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the statements by the Council and the Commission on the surveillance systems and the ‘Predator’ spyware in Greece (2022/2821(RSP)).

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Christophe Hansen, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the making available on the Union market and export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 (COM(2021)0706 – C9–0430/2021 – 2021/0366(COD)) (A9-0219/2022).

The next item on the agenda is the statements by the Council and the Commission on Facilitating the export of Ukrainian agricultural products: Keys to the Ukrainian economy and global food security’ (2022/2745(RSP)). The debate will take place under the same conditions as the previous debates in terms of seating, interventions, place of speech and blue card.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the statements by the Council and the Commission on ‘The unilateral introduction by the UK Government of the Act on the Protocol on Northern Ireland and respect for international law’ (2022/2744(RSP)). This debate takes place under the same conditions – seats, speech, blue card – as the previous debates.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a request: I have now received three blue cards, one of which was erroneously requested and two of which were only requested when I was already in the process of giving the floor to the next speaker. I would like a clear line. Usually, speakers come to the blue card when they haven't just spoken. But I would ask you to show me the blue card in time during the speech or at the beginning of the speech so that I can call you in time before the speaker leaves the lectern. Otherwise, it's a problem because I don't want to call back the new speaker if I just get a blue card to a previous speaker who has already taken his place. I would ask you to deal with this instrument a little earlier – I know that this is not easy – and more consistently. I just wanted to explain why I couldn't call two blue cards because I was already giving the floor to the next speaker. I ask for your understanding. We will come together, but I must also be able to lead the presidency a little bit.

We now come to the next item on the agenda, the objection under Rule 111(3) of the Rules of Procedure: Amendment of the Climate Taxonomy Delegated Act and Taxonomy Disclosure Delegated Act (2022/2594(DEA)). I would also like to welcome the Commissioner responsible, Mrs McGuinness, to this debate. I would like to remind you once again that the whole procedure for this debate is as we have done for the last items on the agenda. I don't need to repeat this.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Before proceeding with the agenda, I would like to make it very clear that we are very honoured to welcome the Speaker of the Jordanian House of Representatives, his Excellency Mr Abdel-Karim Deghmi, and a joint delegation of the Jordanian Senate and the Jordanian House of Representatives to the Diplomatic Gallery. Welcome to the European Parliament! (Applause) The delegation is here at 10. Participate in the EU-Jordan Interparliamentary Meeting with the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries, to be held tomorrow afternoon at 3.30 p.m. Once again, welcome and best regards from the European Parliament to the citizens of your home country Jordan!

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Barry Andrews and Petros Kokkalis, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (2022/2002(INI)) (A9-0174/2022). This debate takes place under the same framework conditions as the lectern, the Blue card The catch-the-eye system. I do not need to repeat them, but I enter the debate immediately and I can give the floor to one of the two rapporteurs, Mr Barry Andrews.

Before I move on to the next item on the agenda, I would like to make a statement. The S&A/D Group and the Renew Europe Group have forwarded decisions to the President on changes to appointments to committees and delegations. These decisions will be published in the minutes of today's meeting and will enter into force on the day of this announcement.

Mr Vice-President, thank you very much for your comments. I believe that this debate has shown very clearly that the vast majority of speakers clearly support the Commission's proposal, at this historic moment, to grant Moldova and Ukraine candidate status, to make clear the European perspective for Georgia and not to forget the Western Balkans, but individually: North Macedonia, Albania – opening of accession negotiations, Bosnia and the other countries – candidate status. The next step in this historic moment is to open everywhere, and this Parliament is clearly saying ‘yes’. All the best for the negotiations in the Council this week. The joint debate is thus closed. At the end of the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the status of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia as candidate countries, a joint motion for a resolution was tabled, demonstrating the unity and unity of the European Parliament. The vote will take place tomorrow. Written declarations (Article 171)

Madam Vice-President, thank you very much for your reply. At the end of the debate, 1 motion for a resolution was tabled*. The debate is thus closed. The vote will take place today, Thursday 9 June 2022. The session was interrupted for a few minutes. It will resume at 12.00 with the vote. _______________ * See Minutes. (The meeting adjourned at 11.46)

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the oral question to the Commission on a new instrument to ban products made by forced labour, by Bernd Lange, on behalf of the Committee on International Trade (O-000018/2022 – B9-0015/22) (2022/2611(RSP)).

Ladies and gentlemen, this debate has made it clear that this Parliament will do its utmost to be the driving force behind the implementation of the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe – everything that goes without Treaty reform and everything that requires Treaty reform. This is why the Convention should be launched and should deal with all these issues and produce concrete results. At the end of the debate, two motions for resolutions were tabled*. The debate is thus closed. The vote will take place today, Thursday 9 June 2022. _______________ *See Minutes. Written declarations (Article 171)

I believe that the debate has shown very clearly that there is a broad majority in this Parliament in favour of a right of initiative. The debate is thus closed. The vote will take place tomorrow, Thursday 9 June 2022.

Colleagues, at 17.00 we have the next voting session. I hope it is in your interest to finalise this debate before. That is the reason why I cannot accept the rest for catch-the-eye. So I will cancel catch-the-eye and I will give the floor to Vice-President Šefčovič.

Having also referred to the Bureau, Mr Rapporteur, I can say very clearly: I share the point you made at the beginning and I can say very clearly for the Bureau of this House that we are 100% committed to doing everything we can to accompany and support the proposals and ideas of the Conference on the Future of Europe and of the citizens, from the convening of the Convention to the right to vote and the right of initiative and beyond. Thank you for this hint.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Paulo Rangel, on behalf of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, on Parliament’s right of initiative (2020/2132(INI)) (A9-0142/2022). This agenda item follows the same rules as you know – lectern, blue cards, first rows may be filled – and I therefore immediately come to the first speaker, the rapporteur, Paulo Rangel.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by David McAllister and Nathalie Loiseau, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, on a recommendation from the European Parliament to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on the EU’s foreign, security and defence policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (2022/2039(INI)) (A9 0164/2022). I should now make the same announcements as regards the seating arrangements, as regards the voting card, as regards the interventions, and as regards speaking from the lectern; I'll spare you this because I assume you know all this.