What Tsvetelina spoke about.

Madam President, for European industry, the price of electricity determines whether there will be new investments or closed production. The development of clean energy, which includes renewable sources and nuclear energy, must bring a real competitive advantage. This summer, Bulgaria showed how to achieve this. Storage systems kept solar power for evening hours when demand was higher and prices we

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Europe cannot electrify its future with grids built for the past. This is especially true in south-eastern Europe, from Bulgaria to Greece and Romania. Our region has enormous potential for clean power industry and cross‑border trade. But potential does not lower bills, potential does not power factories and potential does not reach citizens unless the infra

Dear Commissioner, Madam President, colleagues, the 28th regime is a chance for the European Union to create a single, modern and ambitious legal framework for innovative and start-up companies that not only facilitates but also stimulates innovation, investment and the competitiveness of the European economy. The 28th regime must be ambitious in content, but accessible enough to provide real oppo

Madam President, Commissioner, democracy does not apply to the political situation, it is a constant commitment and Bulgaria proves it every day. After years of political instability and a series of elections, our country has built a regular government, restored dialogue between institutions and restored predictability. This is democracy in action, not in declarations. Today, Bulgaria has taken a

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Energy connectivity in the European Union is key to reducing electricity costs. We need to invest in electricity grids immediately. Countries such as Bulgaria have the opportunity to consolidate their place as energy leaders in the Union because we are at the heart of the European connectivity corridors along the South-North and East-West axes. Building a se

Mr President, the Eurozone is not an end in itself, it is not just a legal commitment, it is not an ideology, but an economically and financially justified step for Bulgarian citizens and for Bulgaria. Bulgaria is on the verge of this economic opportunity. In all countries, citizens’ incomes and purchasing power have increased since the adoption of the euro. Fears of inflation are unfounded. High

Mr President, dear colleagues, recent events have proven once again that technology is power. The digital infrastructure, such as submarine cables, 5G networks, satellites and AI, are critical for our economy, security, health care and daily lives. And yet, almost 50 % of 5G communications rely on foreign communication infrastructure. Dependency on non-EU providers limits our autonomy and exposes

Madam President, Commissioner Simson, over the past two years, we have taken very concrete steps to ensure the security of our energy supply. Yes, we had no electricity regime in the European Union, but let us be clear that we were lucky with the milder two winters. This year, things don't look that way. It is unacceptable to start the third year without providing cheap energy to our households an

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, as part of the delegation at COP29 in Baku last week, I can assure you that the participation of the European Parliament there is key and crucial. Apart from the call for greater financing for the developing countries, which was one of the requests from the Global South, there was an additional one: a clear and foreseeable regulatory framework. The agreed co

Dear Mr President, dear Commissioner, national nuclear regulators are the most important element for the safety of our nuclear power plants. There are 100 operating reactors in 12 countries in Europe, and it is the quality of our control bodies that ensures the security of the system. It is unacceptable in Bulgaria for highly qualified experts who have dedicated decades to training and professiona

Dear colleagues, Commissioner, one of the most significant events of the year is coming up, where we need to clearly express the European Union's priorities and defend global climate interests. But the decisions to be taken there must be the result of coordination between European, regional and national policies in the interests of all of us. In 2024 alone, more than $2 trillion will be invested g

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, rising house prices are putting millions of European Union citizens under enormous pressure. The young are the ones who suffer the most. Unaffordable prices for young people are unacceptable. For us socialists, housing policy is a key priority because we believe that home is a fundamental right, not a privilege. Today, however, too many young people and fami

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, over the next five years, energy will become even more crucial for our future. Whether we succeed in reducing the bills of industry and households will depend on whether we regain the trust of European citizens. Mario Draghi's report on the competitiveness of the European economy highlights precisely this. High electricity prices are the main obstacle to

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, in order to have a strong and united Europe, we must show our citizens that the solutions we are proposing are real. There must be continuity so that we can implement the Union's long-term policies. In the next term, we need 7 concrete steps to protect the interests of European citizens, industry, energy. We have a duty to ensure security of energy supp

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear Minister, we speak about autonomy, but let’s continue working on the strategic industrial autonomy and invest in developing the production capacity of the EU, because that’s the only way to achieve real independence and to speak about our competitiveness. We speak about security, but let’s focus on the security of jobs. Let’s focus on lowering the bills from o

Mr President, in recent years, energy efficiency has become an element of the national security of each of the countries in Europe. With all the crises that surround us, our citizens expect us to find long-term solutions that allow them to pay lower energy and heating bills. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which we will vote on tomorrow, is in fact institutionalising plans to renova

Madam President, for more than 12 years, Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled all the technical criteria for our accession to the Schengen area, for full Schengen membership. This fact has been assessed and repeatedly confirmed here in the Chamber of the European Parliament. However, for political reasons, we have been held outside the Schengen area for over a decade and our fellow citizens are tre

Madam President, the European Parliament and the Commission have repeatedly supported the full Schengen membership of Bulgaria and Romania. The two countries fulfil all the technical criteria and yet for more than a decade we have been at the door of Schengen. As of March 31 this year, Bulgaria and Romania will become part of the Schengen area, but only by air and water. What does that mean? The a

Madam President, geothermal energy is one of the most easily accessible indigenous sources of energy and has been known and used for thousands of years. Geothermal energy can meet over 75% of heating and cooling needs in Europe and over 15% of electricity consumption by 2040. It also has huge potential in heat generation and, if used correctly, can drastically improve the energy efficiency of our

Mr President, this report responds to repeated calls from the start-up industry across the EU. It marks the beginning of the first European legislation for the start-up sector. Only in this way will we guarantee a future of innovation, a future for our young entrepreneurs. Start-ups are a catalyst for innovation, economic growth and employment in the Union. The start-up sector accounts for more th

Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, we have to address the problem that young people across Europe cannot afford to buy their own house. Following the 2008 financial crisis, S&D created the EU programmes to tackle unemployment, and over the past ten years we’ve seen the results of these actions all across the Member States of the EU. We need dedicated support measures that stimulate young

Mr President, Commissioner Breton, dear colleagues, all the technologies we will need to reach our climate ambitious goals will require huge quantities of raw materials. Electric cars, solar panels, batteries, ITC technologies and more have a greater need for the critical raw materials. We need strategic partnerships with third countries to be able to diversify and ensure a stable supply of those

Madam President, Europe is a proven leader in nuclear energy in the global market and we need to keep investing in skills and innovation if we want to keep our competitive advantage. The pledge made last week by 22 countries at Cop28 to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 is a clear indication of the direction that has been taken. Small modular reactors are a promising and upcoming technology t

Madam President, Prime Minister, Commissioner, Bulgaria and Romania have been part of the European Union for 17 years. Those born in the year of our accession are almost adults and yet, due to political interests, we are not full members of the most important integration unions, namely Schengen and the euro area. It is unacceptable to treat an entire generation as second-hand Europeans. The Europe