What Romana spoke about.

—

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…

—

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…

8

Jul

2026

EN Speech

Watch

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

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

Recruitment of children by organised crime (debate)

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

Recent proposals to fight poverty in the EU (debate)

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

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

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

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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

Watch

Prevention and treatment of obesity (debate)

11

Mar

2026

HR Speech

Watch

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

10

Mar

2026

EN Speech

Watch

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

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…

10

Mar

2026

EN Speech

Watch

Guidelines for the 2027 budget - Section III (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, if there is one lesson learned from recent years, it is that health is security. Health is resilience. Health is prosperity. Yet, once again, in the debate on the EU budget, health risks being sidelined. We face rising chronic diseases, mental health challenges, antimicrobial resistance and serious inequalities in access to care across Member States. An…

9

Mar

2026

EN Speech

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, every day in Europe, thousands of young people try their first cigarette or vape. The tobacco and nicotine industry knows exactly what it is doing. Bright colours, sweet flavours and targeted marketing are designed to hook a new generation before they fully understand the consequences. The young are not choosing addiction, but addiction is choosing them. This is why we need stronger …

11

Feb

2026

HR Speech

Watch

Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy (debate)

Dear President, colleague and colleague, Commissioner, poverty has many faces: the face of a worker who works and barely connects the end with the end, the face of a pensioner who has worked all his life, and today chooses between heating and medicine, the face of a woman who due to years of poorly paid or unpaid work today has a small pension, the face of a child whose opportunities in life depen…

9

Feb

2026

HR Speech

Watch

World Cancer Day (debate)

16

Dec

2025

EN Speech

Watch

Presentation of the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, we were waiting impatiently for this moment, because Europe needs tangible and ambitious solutions that will finally reduce deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases. All it takes is some courage and money. But are we courageous enough to finally get it right, to confront one of the most powerful drivers of poor health in our societies? For decades, p…

26

Nov

2025

HR Speech

Watch

EU strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities post-2024 (debate)

12

Nov

2025

HR Speech

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Dear Chairman, November 14th marks World Diabetes Day, one of the most widespread chronic diseases of our time. Diabetes affects more than 33 million Europeans and has strong, often persistent complications - from cardiovascular disease to blindness. Despite advances in science, many still do not have access to timely diagnosis, quality therapy and systematic education on prevention. For example, …