What Francesco spoke about.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner Hansen, today we are talking about those who keep our countryside alive, those who work every day with effort, pride and dignity to bring food to our tables: European farmers. Farmers do not ask for favors, they do not ask for alms, but they ask for listening and they demand respect. They ask to be able to continue working without being crushed by a

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European Citizens' Initiative is an extraordinary tool for our fellow citizens to be able to put forward initiatives, proposals, ideas and suggestions with regard to the legislative process that is the responsibility of the Commission and of us. Also in the field of cohesion policy, no later than 31 March this year, more than 1 270 000 signa

Madam President, Commissioner, Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, the report on competition policy for 2024 contains a number of acceptable elements which also show how necessary and improcrastinable it is to take decisive action. Europe needs to be more determined against external pressures – industrial crisis, digital transformations – and, contrary to what has happened so far, we need a poli

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, European agriculture is facing a fundamental turning point: It is time to recognize the true value of farmers not as polluters but as guardians of the land, defenders of nature and guarantors of our food security. This is the vision we must embrace: an agriculture that produces healthy food, respecting the environment. Farmers deserve a common agri

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the certified shortage of 1.2 million healthcare workers in the European Union requires urgent and effective strategic and structural action. The EU4Health programme has proven insufficient. Health workers continue to face unsustainable workloads, in the face of inadequate wages and difficult working conditions, while entire areas turn into health

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, since the COP16 report, desertification and drought represent not only environmental emergencies, but also social and economic threats to entire regions. The data provided underline that more than 40% of global land is degraded and that drought causes annual economic losses in excess of 300 billion. In Italy, this translates into a crisis that mainly affects the

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, agriculture is an act of love. The women and men who cultivate the land may have their hands calloused and ruined, but it is through their work, done with determination and passion, that the survival of mankind is guaranteed. The farmer does not have a predefined working time, does not stamp a card. He and the hoeing earth are one and despite the many adversitie