What Dainius spoke about.

Dear Colleagues, We need to put this weekend’s fake presidential 'elections' in Belarus in a wider context. Belarus is increasingly aligning itself with authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, becoming part of an emerging global Axis of Aggression. The ongoing repression of Belarusian citizens, coupled with full support for Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,

Mr President, dear colleagues, nine years after the assassination of Ms Galizia, Europe has still not done enough to protect media freedom. Last year, investigative reporters were targeted by explosive attacks in Italy and Greece; 20 Italian journalists required all-day police protection. Elsewhere, politicians used smear campaigns to discredit independent media. Public broadcasters also face poli

Madam President, colleagues, Russia's main hope is to outlast Western support for Ukraine. The Kremlin believes that sooner or later, political forces willing to abandon Ukraine will come to power here in Europe. This is precisely why President Trump's decision to ease pressure on Russia is so dangerous. Instead of bringing peace closer, it encourages Putin to continue the war, hoping that Western

Madam President, dear colleagues, Trump Administration sanctions against the Court amount to persecution for fulfilment of its judicial mission: to administer justice in respect of those responsible for international crimes. They also undermine the very principles of accountability and the rule of law. But even the most powerful leaders are not above the law. The Court has issued an arrest warrant

Mr President, dear colleagues, indeed, observing the attempt to ban political parties in Georgia, we must acknowledge that Europe's response to authoritarian consolidation in Georgia has been inadequate so far. The US, UK and individual EU Member States have gone further than the Union in sanctioning those responsible for repression against Georgian people. We should close this gap. First, we shou

Madam President, dear colleagues, first, more than ever, Ukraine needs air defence systems and munitions. We need to accelerate joint procurement and build up Europe's production capacity at the scale this war requires. Second, we must strengthen sanctions and accountability efforts. Attempts to protect oligarchs and other financial pillars of Putin's regime are shameful and undermine Europe's cre

Mr President, I welcome this report and its emphasis on resilience and deterrence. Europe must move from reacting to individual incidents towards a proactive strategy that anticipates, disrupts and raises the costs of hostile operations. Together with our allies, we must be also ready to take the initiative in the grey zone and develop the capacity to act below the conventional conflict. One dimen

Madam President, dear colleagues, persecuting minorities does not protect families. It protects dictatorship. The detention of LGBT+ human rights defenders, and raids on their homes and offices, reminds us of what we see in Russia, where the entire LGBT+ community is branded as extremist, because it allegedly undermines so-called traditional family values. In a similar fashion, this Turkish operat

Mr President, dear colleagues, international law is the foundation of peace and security. When we weaken it, we all become less secure. That is why, first, Europe should be sceptical of the so-called Board of Peace. Lasting peace depends on strong institutions and clear rules that provide legitimacy, predictability and accountability. Europe should never accept their replacement by alternative and

Madam President, dear colleagues, I would like to address the deplorable tensions between Poland and Ukraine of historical memory; and it echoes today as well. We must not fall into this trap. I would recall the example set by Lithuania and Poland in their Treaty on friendly relations and good neighbourly cooperation. The Treaty openly acknowledged that our two nations could hold different interpr

Madam President, dear colleagues, the Lukashenka regime continues to reach new lows. Today, it imprisons Belarusian children for anti-war graffiti and brands them as 'terrorists' or 'extremists'. This is yet another reminder that any attempt to normalise relations with Lukashenka, or to portray him as somehow distinct from Putin, is wishful thinking. Unlike the current US administration, the Europ

Mr President, honourable Commissioner, honourable colleagues. As more and more sensitive information is stored in national registers in the European Union, data protection is today primarily a matter of national and European security. Theft of data is of undoubted interest to the intelligence of Russia and other countries hostile to Europe. It is important for them to gather intelligence about our

Mr President, dear colleagues, as Russia becomes bogged down in Ukraine, the Kremlin will seek more dramatic forms of escalation. Its goal is to intimidate European societies into reducing support for Ukraine by presenting this as the prize of avoiding a wider war. In reality, Ukraine is exercising its inherent right to self-defence in accordance with international law, including against legitimat

Mr President, dear colleagues, the Iranian regime has used the current conflict to intensify repression and political executions. Thousands of political prisoners currently remain at risk. Firstly, we must not allow impunity. Every Iranian official who signs a death warrant or participates in torture must face targeted EU sanctions. Secondly, there are also legal tools already available – under un

Mr President, dear colleagues, the joint resolution proposed for tomorrow's voting is firmly grounded in customary international law, to which China itself is bound and which protects the identity and rights of ethnic and religious minorities. Yet China's new law on the promotion of so-called 'ethnic unity and progress' will further intensify 'assimilation' of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians and oth

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, let me first sincerely thank all speakers for their constructive and thoughtful contributions to this debate. I think we all share the commitment to improve the implementation and enforcement of European Union law. I would also like to express my gratitude to Commissioner Dombrovskis for his continued cooperation with the JURI Committee and for

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, European law is only as strong as its implementation. We can pass the best legislation in the world, but if it is not applied fully, fairly and effectively in every Member State, if its supremacy and reliance on common values is not ensured, then it simply does not deliver for our citizens or our businesses. That is the essence of this report. E

Dear Commissioner, dear colleagues. In general, of course, I support this report and I can certainly praise the main part of the Commission's report on the rule of law, but at the same time I cannot overlook some shortcomings, at least with regard to the chapter that talks about my country, Lithuania. Say, how can you not notice that last year there was a fundamental change in Lithuania, when the

Mr President, dear colleagues, such cases as Elene Khoshtaria demonstrate to us that the Georgian regime is continuing repressions against civil society. For this reason, there can be no normalisation of relations between the European Union, its Member States and the current Georgian regime until all the political prisoners are released and free and fair elections are held. At the same time, Georg

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, we cannot allow anyone to undermine the credibility of international law on European soil. The ICC is a cornerstone of a global system of accountability, acting as a court of last resort when other avenues to justice are blocked. We shouldn't forget about the human aspect of this issue. Those targeted by US sanctions often discover the chilling conse

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, this report on better law-making is, at its core, about ensuring good law. Law that is clear, law that is predictable, law that can be implemented. This means that good law does not end with adoption: it must also be properly implemented across the Union, and where questions arise in its interpretation, national courts must remain fully free to refer thos

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, gender stereotypes remain one of the most serious obstacles to women's access to justice. We cannot deny that too often assumptions about women replace facts, and equality before the law exists only on paper. This is clear from the cases of gender-based violence. Around 45 % of women who experienced violence did not turn to anyone. Even when cases are r

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, I think we all support both the substance of the Hague Judgments Convention and the accession of Albania and Montenegro. However, once again we are confronted with the Commission's approach to Parliament's prerogatives. I must say openly: I do not understand why the Commission continues to act irrationally in this way. Despite repeated calls from the Parliam

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, under international humanitarian law, attacks against civilian objects and infrastructure indispensable to the survival of civilian population are strictly prohibited. The deliberate destruction of Ukraine's energy system in winter imposes conditions of life that may even fall within the definition set out in the Genocide Convention as an act calcu

Mr President, honourable Vice-President of the Commission, honourable colleagues. Opening this plenary session, President Roberta Metsola recalled that this year we are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the 1991 Soviet aggression against Lithuania, when thousands of people took to the streets to defend the national broadcaster and parliament of a free Lithuania. Then I could not even imagine tha