What Romana spoke about.

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EN Written Statement

Outcome of the COP26 in Glasgow (debate)

Reading the media coverage on the COP26 one would say that it was all doom and gloom. And, although we have to be honest and say that the conference did not yield the results which we all hoped for, it still brought certain progress. Now, the special Eurobarometer on Climate Change from April reports that climate change is the problem number one for many Europeans. However, the differences between…

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HR Written Statement

European Medicines Agency (continuation of debate)

Despite a number of warnings, we have seen the pandemic unprepared. This was best illustrated by the shortage of medicines and medical equipment due to the surge in demand that we were unable to respond to in a timely manner with a rapid increase in production capacity and the complexity of the global supply chain for medical devices. That is why, building on this experience, today we are voting t…

17 Sep

2026

HR Question

Protecting people’s health against toxic substances (debate)

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Colleague, there is no answer to the question of who scheduled 37,000 tons of waste to end up in Gospić, being only criminals because criminals exist in every state, but it is the responsibility of the state to detect criminals and to prevent them. This is about breaching the principles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, breaching the Access to Information Directive, the Waste…

17 Sep

2026

HR Question

Protecting people’s health against toxic substances (debate)

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Colleague Sokol, it is nice to hear your recommendations, however, they are somehow late and can hardly relieve the Croatian state of its responsibility, because waste has entered Croatia for years without any control, ended up where it should not have, caused consequences that it should not have. Therefore, international crime cannot be an alibi for the failure of Croatian and state institutions.…

17 Sep

2026

HR Speech

Protecting people’s health against toxic substances (debate)

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First of all, I would like to say that asking questions is not spreading panic, but protecting citizens. I will illustrate how important today's discussion is on the example of the city of Gospić, in my Croatia. The city of Gospić today has about 35 thousand tons of illegally disposed waste, more than three tons per capita. Such an environmental catastrophe does not occur overnight. It occurs when…

17 Sep

2026

HR Speech

An EU health workforce crisis plan: sustainability of healthcare systems and employment and working conditions in the healthcare sector (debate)

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Dear President, colleagues, Commissioner, the shortage of healthcare workers in the European Union could be over four million by 2030, and today more than a third of doctors and a quarter of nurses are over 55. This is a serious crisis. That's why it's not enough just to educate new health workers. We must do everything to make this profession attractive to young people, which means good working c…

16 Sep

2026

EN Speech

An EU cardiovascular diseases strategy (A10-0221/2026 - Romana Jerković) (vote)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, cardiovascular diseases, as you perfectly know, are the main cause of death in the European Union. Yet for far too long, cardiovascular health has not received the political attention it deserves. Now we are changing that. This report, alongside the Commission's Safe Hearts Plan, is a crucial part of that progress, and I am sure that this report is good and it is wel…

15 Sep

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the Fair Labour Mobility Package (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to congratulate you on the fair labour mobility package and in particular on the skills portability initiative. It is a concrete step towards making mobility work better for people across Europe by making qualifications easier to recognise and use across borders. But if we want this progress to reach everyone, we must also look at those in vocational educat…

15 Sep

2026

HR Speech

Devastating heatwaves, wildfires and droughts in Europe: lessons from summer 2026 (debate)

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Dear Chairman, in Croatia we have a saying, he says, not to see next to healthy eyes. Yes, this is exactly how we can describe today those who, while Europe is literally burning, as we face record heat and droughts, are still closing their eyes to the consequences of climate change. I come from a country that has once again been hit by devastating fires this summer, a country where we are currentl…

8 Jul

2026

EN Speech

EU’s response and preparedness to protect people against recurring heatwaves and upcoming wildfires (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, for years, decades even, we have been warning about the impact of climate change. Yet here we are. Every summer is hotter, every wildfire season more devastating, and our response is still too slow. Why? Because of those who repeatedly choose to ignore the facts. Unfortunately, some of them are today here in this plenary. Heatwaves and wildfires are no longer exce…

7 Jul

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Irish Presidency (debate)

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Madam President, I welcome the Irish Presidency's commitment to strengthening Europe's health systems. Health is not a privilege, but a fundamental right, and it must remain at the heart of the European project. Innovation in life sciences, biotechnology and digital health offers enormous opportunities. But innovation must go hand in hand with fairness. Every patient, regardless of where they live…

6 Jul

2026

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chair, colleague and colleague, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the European Union and represent a huge burden for health systems, but also for our economies. This is why the European Commission presented a cardiovascular health plan last December. But the plan without dedicated financial resources will not succeed. Therefore, if we really want to reduce the numb…

15 Jun

2026

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chairman, the consequences of ever more frequent and intense heatwaves are not only felt through record temperatures, but also through overburdened health systems, reduced productivity, endangered worker safety and rising costs for the economy and public services. In 2022, more than 60,000 people lost their lives in Europe due to extreme heat. Therefore, this issue should not be seen exclusiv…

21 May

2026

EN Speech

The Union’s preparedness for and response to health emergencies: the case of the MV Hondius and the hantavirus warning (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, all those urgent procedures and difficult lessons learned from COVID‑19 have paid off. Thanks to the European Union's rapid response, the activation of the Civil Protection Mechanism and the mobilisation of stockpiles from our strategic reserve, the passengers were safely evacuated. The truth is that Europe has become better at coordination, prepared…

20 May

2026

HR Speech

Recruitment of children by organised crime (debate)

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Dear Chairman, every child who ends up in the hands of organized crime is a grave failure of our society and as many of you have said today, minors are targeted because they are vulnerable, because they are easier to manipulate, because criminals know that children often pass under the radar of the police and the judiciary. We have heard today that children are not only lurking on the street, that…

20 May

2026

HR Speech

Rights, support and protection of victims of crime (debate)

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Dear Chairman, in Croatia, my country, last year 18 women were killed. We are a small country and this is a huge number. Many of them reported violence and sought the help of institutions, however, they never received it. That is why today a large number of women victims of violence no longer trust the system. This revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive is important because we urgently need cle…

20 May

2026

HR Speech

Advancing towards a care society: addressing the gender care gap (debate)

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Dear Chair, millions of women across Europe carry the burden of unpaid work every day, taking care of children and the elderly, while the system takes this help for granted. The situation for single mothers and informal carers is even worse. And it is this invisible work that is the main cause of women's lower wages, more frequent part-time work, slower progression, lower pensions and a higher ris…

20 May

2026

HR Speech

Recent proposals to fight poverty in the EU (debate)

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Dear President, colleague and colleague, Commissioner, yes, poverty today is no longer just a problem for those who work. It's a problem for people who work, and still can't cover basic living expenses. This is a problem for young people who, despite their work, cannot leave their parents' home and become independent. This is the problem of pensioners who, after a lifetime and work, cannot afford …

20 May

2026

HR Speech

High time to deliver on the Single Market, providing certainty and predictability for EU businesses and quality jobs (continuation of debate)

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Dear Chairman, the Single Market will not be successful if it is built only for large companies and their profits. The European social model is not an obstacle to competitiveness. It is social security and worker protection that makes Europe strong. Quality jobs, safe working conditions, fair wages and strong social dialogue are the cornerstones of a stable economy and long-term growth. Yes, it is…

19 May

2026

HR Speech

Opportunities and challenges presented by a comprehensive artificial intelligence strategy for EU trade (debate)

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Dear Chair, colleague and colleague, Commissioner, there is no doubt that artificial intelligence is a great opportunity for our industries and the competitiveness of our economy. As there is no doubt that it is AI that is changing the labour market at an incredible speed and it is no longer a question of whether it affects workers, but what consequences it will have. Will AI help workers and faci…

19 May

2026

HR Speech

EU cybersecurity and preparedness in view of advanced AI systems (debate)

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Dear Chairman, advanced AI systems such as Mythos are becoming a new weapon of geopolitical power. These systems are capable of detecting cyber vulnerabilities and attacking critical infrastructure at a rate we are not yet ready for. This is why the initiatives announced by the European Commission are more than necessary, because cybersecurity today is not just a matter of protecting networks, it …

25 Mar

2026

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chairman, in Croatia we marked the National Day of Disabled Labour. It is important to underline that for many of them, everyday life still means facing a number of obstacles: from a lack of adapted jobs and insufficient income to limited retraining opportunities and poor healthcare. We also have to ask ourselves how many of these injuries could have been prevented if we had in…

12 Mar

2026

HR Speech

Prevention and treatment of obesity (debate)

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11 Mar

2026

HR Speech

AccessibleEU and the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities: state of play and the future of EU accessibility policy (debate)

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10 Mar

2026

EN Speech

Cutting red tape to enable a competitive and clean transition – the urgent need to shorten and simplify permitting (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, it is easy to agree with you that the European Union cannot deliver on its vital objectives – its procedures remain unnecessarily slow and complex. But simplifying permitting procedures must never become a shortcut that weakens environmental protection or undermines workers' rights. Europe's strength lies precisely in the fact that economic development goes hand in h…