What Tom spoke about.

With this more flexible framework for new genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR technology, we will enable farmers to use more robust crops, which, for example, thrive better in long periods of drought or extreme rainfall and are more resistant to diseases that require less pesticide use. This not only contributes to our food security but also to our fight against global warming. This prop

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, it is a pleasure to be able to give my very last intervention in plenary on the Net-Zero Industry Act – a dossier that I worked hard on together with my colleague Christian Ehler. For me, this dossier summarizes the essence of the European Union today: the green transition is clearly underway, but we are not doing it rashly, we are not doing it nai

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today is a milestone for regulating artificial intelligence. Because with this agreement, we as the European Union take our responsibility in finding the fine balance between regulating and innovating, between protecting individual citizens and investing in technological progress. This AI law will become the framework for the safe and responsible d

Mr President, Vice-President of the European Commission, State Secretary, colleagues, strengthening our defence must now be done first and foremost through the rapid development of sufficiently high-performance defence capabilities, and indeed with a strong industry in which our SMEs are given every opportunity. To this end, we look forward to the new EDIS strategic framework and we stand ready to

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, how many times has the debate here in recent years been about the conditions we impose on farmers? And how many times was the debate about the situation of farmers themselves? How many times did the European People's Party ask to speak to the farmers and not to the farmers? Those who speak to farmers today are not at all surprised by the protests.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the situation in Hungarian prisons raises a number of questions following the imprisonment of Italian citizen Ilaria Salis during a violent anti-Nazi rally in Budapest last year and her appearance – heavily captivated – in court a few days ago. Several international bodies have expressed concerns in recent years about overcrowded prisons, substanda

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, this week's German protests remind me of the 2700 tractors that came to Brussels last year. It was then a clear signal that the European environmental obligations lead to a standstill, a standstill in Flemish agriculture and horticulture. Just in those places where the land gives us the most income. This is where Europe can best ensure its food security.

Madam President, Commissioner, Prime Minister, colleagues, the Belgian Presidency is coming at a crucial moment in Europe, but at the same time the task is clear and, in my view, twofold. Firstly: with the European elections in sight, we must put results on the table as soon as possible. Because only with the results of the green and digital transitions will we be able to present the bilan to the

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the strengthening of European defence was forced to become an undisputed policy priority. Too long and too far we have let a backlog grow in this domain. But since Putin has shown what he is capable of, laxity has given way to initiatives to literally arm us against increasing threats. Since March 2022, there has been a very strong political will t

Mr President, High Representative, colleagues, in the spirit of a transatlantic partnership, relations between the European Union and the US are actually one of the most important pillars of our foreign policy, a strong and indeed necessary lever in many policy areas. Brussels and Washington share many values and interests, and strong cooperation is indispensable to have critical mass in addressin

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, the protection of strategic sectors of our economy is actually yet another challenge that can only be adequately addressed at European level in the current context of increasing geopolitical rivalry. Today, I would like to draw particular attention to an essential part of that strategy that we all have in mind: protection of critical infrastructure. Becau

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in the light of future enlargement and in times of increasing geopolitical challenges, institutional reforms are more than desirable in order to improve the functioning of the Union and strengthen our unity and decisiveness. But let's be honest: it will not be easy to convince all Member States of this and to take the right path to opt for the refo

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, our European industry is facing the urgent challenge of further boosting our competitiveness. I would like to congratulate Christian Ehler on this European response to the American Inflation Reduction Act. The public sector also has a role to play here, by not only choosing the cheapest technologies in public procurement, but by differentiating supply, so th

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, for protein, for our animal feed, we are too dependent on imports from countries such as Argentina, Brazil and the United States. That dependency for soy, for example, amounts to no less than 97%. That's pretty much the same dependency we have on microchips from Taiwan. Given the price, the volatility of raw materials on the world market and trade

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, research shows that as many as a quarter of Irish farmers have suicidal thoughts, while in Flanders in two years the demand for mental health care in the agricultural sector has increased by 90%. And yet, as you can see, mental health in agriculture is still under-exposed, even in this debate tonight. The perception of this sector is not positive, while it p

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, I must congratulate you. I am very pleased that you are taking action, that you are acting against being blind to illegal content, extremely violent images and terrorist propaganda. It is good to see that the Commission finally has a stick behind the door for the lax policies of some online platforms. A few years ago, we were in exactly the same si

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, this summer the Financial Times referred to Belgium as the Member State with the most water problems because of the high population density on the one hand and the limited infrastructure on the other. Farmers are the first to feel it. Yes, in recent summers there has always been a prohibition on water abstraction in my home region, which immediatel

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the migration pact is really nothing more than a real test case for the European integration process and for the necessary public support among Europeans. The implementation of the migration pact will allow us to measure how effective majority decisions are in areas where unanimity no longer exists in the letter, but in fact still seems decisive in the spirit. W

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Turkey is an important strategic partner for the EU in several policy areas. The interests of greater cooperation justify a strengthened but critical commitment in our relations with this country. And that is why, Commissioner, we must work towards a strong and dynamic strategic partnership, we must look for a new framework of cooperation in which

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we all agree that Russia’s withdrawal from the grain deal is irresponsible and it has once again shown the seriousness and unpredictability of this war. The summer harvest in Ukraine is positive and now it is really important, Commissioner, to get those cereals out of the country and onto the world market as soon as possible. This can be done – as

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, our internal market is and remains the foundation of our European Union. It is our best guarantee of prosperity and progress. And yet, and yet. During the COVID crisis, we saw Member States roll back on themselves in a panic reaction and close their borders. In Flanders, with us, the borders with the Netherlands and France were closed. Only via the

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Migration Pact rightly has the ambition to make the influx of migrants manageable again in the Union. The strengthening of the external borders obviously plays an important role in this, as does an effective return policy. But cooperation with third countries is also essential in our migration policy, always respecting, of course, the rights of

Mr President, Commissioner, the war in Ukraine constantly demonstrates how essential NATO and EU-NATO cooperation are for the security of our citizens. Security is now a top policy priority and the transatlantic partnership is the basis on which our security policy is effectively implemented. Support to Ukraine is at the top of both the EU's and NATO's political agenda. And that support is clearly

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, in order to be credible and to have an impact in its ambitions to contribute to a lasting solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the Union must be balanced in its positions and actions, and therefore also in its criticism. Our criticism of Israel's settlement policy can hardly be clearer, can hardly sound louder. But we must

Mr President, I would like to warmly congratulate the rapporteur Marlene Mortler on this report, which contains numerous important recommendations to ensure the short- and long-term affordability and availability of food. However, I would like to highlight one thing: the ‘Young Farmers Socio-Economic Test’. On 26 September, young farmers from Flanders and the Netherlands protested in front of the