Speeches

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).

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. We need to be more aware that the turn of the century is an opportunity for Europe's economic and social location. Those who are not prepared to think tomorrow make the wrong decisions today. We have very clear tools for achieving these goals: Strengthen the single market, live the eco-social market economy, implement Fit for 55 and trade agreements with the world on the basis of our values. But we also have to be so honest: Europe is losing weight in the world right now if we don't have more courage to shape, more courage to invest. Thirty years ago, Europe accounted for 25% of global prosperity. In 2040, the share will be only 11%. China and America will be ahead of us, and we will be on par with India. We therefore need more European cooperation, independence and the ability to act! The European Union must be more competitive and an independent spokesperson for the continent in the world. When we look at what we have done in recent years, we have very often placed our production facilities outside Europe at the price of receiving our energy supply from outside Europe. Made in Europe In this context, we must ensure that we are the world market leader for the new green technologies and that we do not lose a future technology to China and America.

May I end this skirmish now? Everyone has their free mandate, and therefore I have these different signs, with which I have a problem vis-à-vis the gentlemen sitting in the front row.

I can only tell you, Mr Colleague: As president, I can see who is voting. I can tell you that your voting ads are very much inconsistent with the result in the middle section. That is my problem, it is not a problem of a single group.

I would like to add a comment on Mr Kolaja's intervention for the sake of order. In Mrs Düpont's report, 507 were in favour, 99 with 10 abstentions. That's why I said: adopted.

The result was very clear and the report was adopted. I have therefore pointed out that Parliament's first reading has been completed. I'm just hearing it wasn't on the display, and we're about to make up for that mistake.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the deterioration of democracy in Israel and its consequences for the Occupied Territories (2023/2593(RSP)).

We finish the question... (Interim call) Mrs. Colleague, please! We end Question Time with the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission. The vibrancy and diversity of the questions shows how intensely not only transantlantic relations, but geopolitical development has become part of the political debate in Europe. I think that's good. In the future, I would ask colleagues to focus their questions primarily on the topic of Question Time.

I apologise for the fact that many colleagues today have greatly broadened the topic of Question Time. I intervened several times and so did you. But on this issue, it's not an escape, it's a connection with our transatlantic relations and our relationship with China.

Mr Bütikofer said at the beginning that China is a part of the transatlantic relation, because we need a common position with the West vis-à-via China. I accept that ...

Dear colleagues, we have so many colleagues asking for the floor. It is impossible to give everyone the floor, but I ask you to delete the second question. Then it is possible to give more people the floor. So only one question, answer and go on.

The next item on the agenda was Question Time (HR/VP) (Rule 137). I warmly welcome the Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative Josep Borrell to this Question Time. The theme of this Question Time is: “Strengthening transatlantic relations in an increasingly complex multilateral world”. The question time will also take about 60 minutes. The speaking times are as known: One minute to ask the question, two minutes to answer, and a 30-second supplementary question and the answer each. I would ask all those who speak to report de facto using the voting machine.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the response to the situation in Tunisia (2023/2556(RSP)).

The S&A/D Group and the non-attached Members have forwarded decisions to the President on the modification of appointments to committees and delegations. These decisions will be recorded in the minutes of today's meeting and will enter into force on the day of this announcement.

I need to send you two messages before we get to the next item on the agenda. One is that Ms Chiara Gemma leaves the Non-attached Group (NI-Frakion) and joins the ECR Group with effect from 15 February 2023.