What Fredis spoke about.

Mr President, the escalation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea threatens regional stability, the European economy and international shipping. With missiles and drones, they hit merchant ships and infrastructure, endangering human lives and maritime routes. The attacks create instability in the Middle East and the Gulf, threatening to drag neighbouring countries into conflict, with consequences for

Madam President, our citizens are being tested in cities every day, waiting for solutions that will improve their lives and help them stay in their homeland. This report highlights cohesion policy as a driver, promotes the meaningful involvement of cities and regions in investment planning for 2028-2034, supports small towns, border regions, less developed regions, with adequate resources and tech

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the first strategy for islands announced by the European Commission is an important political development. For the first time, insularity is addressed through an integrated European approach. Europe has more than 4,000 inhabited islands and many of them, such as the majority of Greek islands, have fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. We therefore understand the specifi

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, once again we are faced with a Turkey which is a challenge for European borders. In the air, violations of Greek airspace have increased rapidly, while at sea, international law is blatantly violated by challenging EEZs and continental shelf. Turkey illegally establishes water parks and restores the fairy tale of the Blue Homeland. Turkish fishing

Madam President, Greece is changing the energy and geopolitical map of the Eastern Mediterranean. In the coming months, work on the large electricity interconnection between Greece, Cyprus and Israel will resume, in close consultation with France. At the same time, in February 2027, the first exploratory drilling in Greece begins in the northwestern Ionian Sea after almost half a century. These ar

Madam President, Commissioner, it is clear that the Common Fisheries Policy is necessary to protect fish stocks and ensure a sustainable future for fisheries. However, we must ask ourselves why so many fishermen feel that this policy is working against them, why the sector is declining. Protecting the environment and endangered species cannot be considered more important than the survival of our f

(EL) Mr President, Commissioner, today we are here not only to discuss but above all to express our gratitude and respect for the unsung heroes, the women and men of the Navy, the national coastguards, the security forces, Frontex and all the European agencies fighting against the drug scourge · to all those who, with selflessness and a high sense of duty, guard our national and European borders.

Mr President, at the last sitting of Parliament’s Committee on Petitions we heard the shocking testimony of a woman who spoke about the right of thousands of women across Europe to bring a child into the world and the obstacles they face – sometimes because they cannot afford it and sometimes because they lack the support of their own partner. As a Union, we have a duty to meaningfully help women

Mr President, Commissioner, respect for the rule of law is not just a legal process. It is the pillar on which citizens' trust in institutions, the protection of their rights and the proper functioning of Europe rest. Conscious of the responsibility and importance of the work entrusted to us, we managed, together with the other rapporteurs, to bring a balanced text to the vote. The report stresses

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, three years ago Greece experienced the tragedy of Tempi, an accident that shocked the whole country. 57 people, mostly young people, lost their lives. This caused deep sadness but also intense public debate about the efficiency of the state and the functioning of justice. Similar accidents are happening everywhere, with the recent o

Mr President, Greece has recently been implementing an energy portfolio, giving priority to the development of the hydrocarbon sector. This is a plan that starts from the energy agreements signed in Athens, and today the Greek Energy Minister briefed the Council in detail. Greece will immediately proceed with the first exploratory drilling in the Ionian Sea and investigations south of Crete, somet

Mr President, I believe that the report before us is an important and balanced work that clearly reflects the role and mission of the Committee on Petitions. From the beginning of the process we sought consensus and worked in a spirit of cooperation to find common ground with all the political groups, and indeed all the political groups consented to the final text as tabled – with the Left, among

Mr President, Commissioner, the annual report on the work of the Committee on Petitions, for which I have the honour of being rapporteur, is not just a stocktaking exercise. It is a mirror of the vibrant relationship of trust and democratic participation that unites European citizens with our Parliament. 2024 was a landmark year for our democracy. Hundreds of millions of Europeans went to the poll

Madam President, Commissioner, the revision of the visa suspension mechanism gives Europe a stronger tool to protect itself from the instrumentalisation of human suffering and illegal immigration. It allows us to suspend visa waivers for third countries faster, when they do not respect the rules, when there are security risks or when migration flows increase significantly. However, we must be hone

Madam President, we need simpler funding and control procedures for beneficiaries. A citizen in the border region of Kastelorizo must have the same opportunities as a citizen in Brussels. This is the clear message that we must send in the report on the simplification of the Cohesion Funds, also following the European Commission's communications on the new budget post-2027. We need to give more sup

Mr President, an alarming incident has recently occurred in the Thracian Sea. There, Greek fishermen were subjected to numerous ramming attempts and even shots by Turkish fishing boats. This is not just an unacceptable act of intimidation against ordinary sea workers. This is an open and dangerous challenge to security and legitimacy at Europe's maritime borders. The presence of Greek fishermen in

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, protecting Christian populations in Syria is not just a humanitarian task. It is a question of geopolitical stability, cultural identity and European values. The European Union must clearly stand with the Christians of the East, who have been an integral part of the culture of the region for centuries and are now threatened with extinction. The European Union mu

Madam President, Commissioner, the report we are debating today is beautifying, rather than presenting the real situation in Albania. I would like to highlight the following points. The population census was questioned as to the method and results of 8 out of 9 recognised national minorities. The much-discussed judicial reform has failed due to the continuous interventionism of the Albanian govern