What Elsi spoke about.

Mr President, representatives of the Commission and the Council, Europe must strengthen its own competitiveness and self-sufficiency immediately. Our energy dependence on foreign fossils has exploded the cost of living for ordinary people across Europe. The same mistake and building new dependencies in China, for example, must no longer be made. We need to use our own resources much more efficient

Mr President, Commissioner, with regard to its archipelagos, Europe is very diverse. My country, Finland, is known for its tens of thousands of islands, of which about a thousand are permanently inhabited. The biggest challenges facing our archipelago are also related to the availability of public services and transport and information connections. Without services and functional connections, arch

Mr President, Commissioner, independence from fossil fuels in Russia or the Middle East will not be achieved by drastically restricting the use of renewable natural resources in Europe. The bioeconomy is one of our most important means of strengthening self-sufficiency and building a stronger Europe based on renewable resources. At the same time, we reduce our dependence on imports, create jobs an

Mr President, Mr Kallas, even though drones have strayed into my country, Finland, Ukraine has paid the highest price during Russia's war of aggression to defend its independence. At the same time, however, it has been able to develop exceptionally strong expertise in countering drones. The Union should immediately establish closer cooperation with Ukraine in order to develop its own drone defence

Mr President, Commissioner, energy security and strategic autonomy are now paramount. The EU is 60% dependent on imported energy. In addition, we are still far from the 29% target for renewable transport fuels by 2030. The EU needs to take better care of regulatory predictability. Changing the permitted raw materials is poisonous for new investments. Permit procedures and environmental impact asse

Mr President, I would like to thank the Commissioner for presenting the long-awaited fertiliser strategy. The unfortunate fact is that solutions to fertilizer dependency, poor availability and high prices were sought far too late. Parliament’s AGRI Committee asked the Commission to tackle this problem already in the previous period, so the proposal may help in the longer term, but in the face of a

Mr President, Commissioner, economically viable and sustainable livestock farming is a key pillar of Europe's security of supply and self-sufficiency, as well as vibrant rural areas. Continuity of livestock production in Europe must be ensured. The link between livestock and plant production is seamless and should therefore not be contrasted. Instead, we need to improve their synergies so that the

Mr President, the situation in the Middle East and the energy crisis are also affecting agriculture and have already weakened its operating conditions and food security in Europe. There is a shortage of inputs, costs are rising and logistics are faltering. The crisis in the food sector can no longer be ignored. Naturally, the crisis will recur in the coming growing seasons if the fertilizer crisis

Mr President, there is one crisis after another and no one seems to be in control of the situation. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues for the fifth year, and the war in Iran has already had serious consequences for global energy markets. We still import almost 60% of our energy from outside the EU. As the war prolongs, it is quite clear that the effects will extend to the wi

Mr President, the change in the multiannual financial framework proposed by the Commission compared with the past is significant and therefore an open debate is needed. In an unstable world, security of supply and security are more than just iron at the border. Now, the Commission's recent proposals for amendments give hope for something better. It is important that we take care of a vibrant regio

Mr President, Commissioner, the strengthening and flexibility of the EU's common agricultural policy are fundamental pillars of our security of supply. We must not make farmers and the whole sector unprofitable, and that is why the simplification of agricultural policy is welcome. Our aim must be a well-targeted simplification with a focus on future regulation. In addition to reducing the administ

Mr President, the financial framework proposed by the Commission is changing EU cohesion policy in a worrying way. In the interests of simplification and efficiency, the Commission is proposing cuts in funding for both regional development and rural development, as well as increased national decision-making powers in the Member States. The regions themselves are therefore no longer in a position t

Mr President, Commissioner, this period began very strongly with regard to agriculture and food policy. The strategic dialogue and the vision of agriculture made it clear that the importance of agriculture in this critical time of the world has finally been understood. However, it now appears that the Commission is drastically cutting funding for our food security. One of the cornerstones of overa

Mr President, Commissioner, due to the changed geopolitical situation, cohesion policy is also, quite understandably, under severe reform pressure. However, it is important that the EU continues to strive for the well-being of the regions, the equalisation of development disparities and the subsidiarity principle. They in themselves contribute to security, peace and stability. Cohesion policy must

Mr President, Commissioner, thank you for presenting the vision for agriculture. The vision is a welcome and positive opening and we support your work in its implementation. It is important that the Commission has finally put farmers at the heart of agricultural policy and that the agricultural sector is seen as a strategically important factor for Europe in terms of competitiveness and security o

Mr President, Commissioner, it is clear that the Mercosur Agreement is a legitimate and important objective in many ways. Europe needs to reform the market and strengthen its independence. That's why we need Mercosur. But it is also good to consider whether one of the cornerstones of our competitiveness – our self-sufficient, top-quality food production – is at risk at the same time. European farm

Mr President, Commissioner, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is almost three years away. Of course, the Ukrainians have paid the highest price for the attack, but the effects of the war are very wide-ranging. One third of EU Member States share land borders with Russia, Belarus or Ukraine. Some of these countries are in the outpost against Russian aggression. A new iron curtain has risen

Mr President, Commissioner, the activities of the Russian shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea are a prime example of hybrid influencing. Our submarine infrastructure has been an easy target for sabotage also from Finland's point of view. Large areas of the sea are difficult to guard, and it is difficult to catch the culprits in the act. The strengthening of NATO's presence and increased control in the

Mr President, Commissioner, farmers' resilience and good working conditions are the cornerstone of food security in Europe. These are now under threat, as the economic profitability of the farms has been weak for a long time and it will inevitably also be reflected in coping with heavy work. In agriculture, the number of accidents is also significantly higher than in other sectors. Efforts have al

Mr President, Commissioner, the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent in our daily lives and in line with forecasts. The objectives of the Green Deal are therefore even more important. The complexity and scope of the package is unprecedented in the history of the EU and covers almost all policy areas. Last year, we adopted a huge amount of legislation, the implementation of

Mr President, it is clear that Europe's competitiveness must be strengthened, as well as our independence and resilience. The EU's climate objectives must be maintained and regulation must be put into practice, taking into account the different natural conditions in the Member States. With regard to the agricultural and natural resources sector, the implementation must be fair, as they are the one

Mr President, I would like to thank President Niinistö for his impressive report, on the basis of which it is good to continue the debate. The essential idea of comprehensive security is that everyone has a role to play in building the security of our societies. All actors in society must be involved in: the authorities, the business sector, the third sector and, of course, the citizens themselves