What Romana spoke about.

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Written Statements EN

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 the Member States are staggering. For example, 43% of Swedes consider climate change to be the single most serious problem facing the world, while in my home country Croatia only 9% of citizens agree with that. In Bulgaria it is 5%, and in Romania and Italy 7%. I think it is important to lower the gap in awareness on climate change in the EU. The fight against climate change must become a part of daily life of all the citizens. Once we have achieved that, the bottom-up approach will put pressure on the governments to further increase their nationally determined contributions.

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Written Statements HR

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 to strengthen the European Medicines Agency to provide a long-term framework to respond to future health crises: a framework that establishes a system for monitoring and mitigating the risk of shortages of critical medicinal products and medical devices and ensures the timely development of high-quality, safe and effective emergency medicinal products. The pandemic has shown that we need a strong European Health Union to cope with the consequences of health threats in the future. Now is the time to do everything in our power to ensure that our citizens never again find themselves in a situation where essential medicines and medical equipment are lacking. Strengthening the European Medicines Agency is the first step towards this.

21

May

2026

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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, preparedness and acting together under pressure, but we still depend too heavily on fragmented national systems in moments when speed, clarity and unity are essential. Citizens expect Europe to protect them not only economically and politically, but also in times of health emergencies, and this means further strengthening the role of the ECDC. It means investing further in joint preparedness, strategic reserves and cross‑border crisis response. It means ensuring that solidarity is permanently embedded into the way the Union functions.

20

May

2026

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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, indeed, children are absolutely no longer safe anywhere. They are targeted and used for drug distribution, for online fraud, for violence, for smuggling. Some of them are only 12 or 13 years old. That is why we need stronger cooperation between police, schools and social services. We need stricter rules for online platforms and greater responsibility from tech companies, but we also need to invest in education, mental health, sport and opportunities for young people.

20

May

2026

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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 clearer standards of protection for victims across the European Union, better institutional coordination and greater accountability of the system towards people seeking assistance. Every victim must have access to information and psychological assistance and protection against further violence and intimidation. It must not happen that victims report violence for years, and that institutions persistently underestimate the risk and react only when it is too late. It is even more devastating when the system leaves them unprotected and exposed to violence again after reporting. Institutions must not react until after the tragedy.

20

May

2026

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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 risk of poverty in old age. This, in addition to being unfair, is also reckless, because imagine how much potential society is losing like this. That is why today we are looking for more accessible kindergartens, better quality long-term care for the elderly, for men to take over most of the care, and most importantly, for care to begin to be valued as market work and to stop being treated as a private problem or as a private burden for women.

20

May

2026

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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 a dignified old age. This is the problem of children who have already had limited opportunities at birth and today citizens rightly ask us for political responsibility and concrete changes. It is our duty to provide them with quality jobs, decent wages, stronger collective bargaining and investment in education and reskilling. We urgently need significant investments in public and affordable housing and in the fight against child poverty. Europe cannot talk about competitiveness while millions of workers live in poverty and the last thing we need is another strategy that will not be implemented.

20

May

2026

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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 necessary to reduce the administrative burden, but not to the detriment of workers. We expect an ambitious Quality Jobs Act from the European Commission that will ensure the right to disconnect, protection against misuse of artificial intelligence in the workplace and greater safety of workers in subcontracting chains. As Letta pointed out in its report, the single market must enable people to live a quality life where they live, not force them to leave because of a lack of opportunities and basic living conditions.

19

May

2026

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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 facilitate daily work, or will we allow technology to gradually reduce job security and quality? If companies make more profits thanks to AI, then workers must also benefit from this transition. The introduction of AI must be accompanied by the protection of labour rights, social dialogue and investment in knowledge and skills that will enable people to adapt to changes in the labour market. Europe must show that competitiveness and the protection of labour rights can and must go together.

19

May

2026

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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 is about protecting our sovereignty and the security of citizens. When, for example, hospitals are paralysed by cyberattacks and patients' data is stolen, these are direct attacks on people's safety and dignity. We need to invest in European cyber defence, in our own technologies and in our technological sovereignty. Preparedness is no longer a choice, in the age of AI, resilience means power, and Europe must be ready.

25

Mar

2026

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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 invested more in occupational safety? It's time to turn responsibility into action. We need to boost employment and job adaptation, strengthen social and health care, and ensure faster and more accessible rehabilitation. But the most important thing is to adopt and implement legislation that will systematically prevent injuries at work. The workplace should not endanger health.

12

Mar

2026

Speeches HR

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Prevention and treatment of obesity (debate)

11

Mar

2026

Speeches HR

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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

Speeches EN

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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 hand with the high social and environmental standards. Cutting red tape must therefore mean better coordination and more efficient administration, not lowering the safeguards that protect workers.

10

Mar

2026

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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. And yet, the EU4Health programme has already lost EUR 1 billion in recent years. That sends a wrong signal. If we really want a stronger European health union, then the budget must reflect that ambition. If our health funding is not sufficient, visible and predictable, then we risk repeating the mistakes of the past. Are we really in a position to do that?

9

Mar

2026

Speeches EN

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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 restrictions on marketing aimed at youth, better education in schools and decisive action on flavours and products that clearly target minors. It is time to put an end to the tobacco industry's games and to stand up for the health of the next generation.

11

Feb

2026

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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 depend on the place of birth. Today, when young people across the European Union are also becoming a category at risk of poverty, we need to ask ourselves where we are going. We often say that the world remains on young people, but I wonder what kind of world we leave them. The world of poverty, that's what it is. The European Parliament wants to give this problem the attention it deserves, and the strategy to come must be ambitious, implementable, with clear objectives and adequate funding. Because it is our responsibility to leave a Europe of dignity and opportunity to future generations, not a Europe of survival and constant struggle for survival.

9

Feb

2026

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World Cancer Day (debate)

16

Dec

2025

Speeches EN

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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, powerful industries have shaped our environments, our choices, our behaviours, not in the interest of public health, but in the interest of profit – isn't it so? If we really want to save hearts, then we need to stop hiding behind fragmented legislation and half measures. As Parliament's rapporteur on the cardiovascular disease report, I will be courageous enough. I will use every tool at my disposal and do my best to make sure that our position coming early next year delivers real change, not just good intentions.

26

Nov

2025

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

12

Nov

2025

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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, congenital type 1 diabetes is often detected in children only when serious complications occur, and millions of people live with elevated glucose before being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. How long does it take for diabetes to become a common European priority? It is high time for a comprehensive European diabetes plan that brings together prevention, early diagnosis, innovative treatment and support for patients in all Member States.

23

Oct

2025

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Breast cancer: the importance of screening (debate)

Madam President, more than 90 000 European women lose their lives to breast cancer each year. But why does it have to be like this, if we know that screening save lives? We have failed to reach one of the main goals set by the beating cancer plan, ensuring that 90 % of women have access to screening by 2025. So how do we respond to this failure? By acting. We must step up. We must reach out to the communities in rural areas. We must use the power of telemedicine and guarantee equal quality standards across all Member States. Our work is far from done. This is why I call on you, dear colleagues, to join me in supporting the request to officially recognise 15 October as a Breast Health Day, a day dedicated to prevention, early detection and support for women affected by cancer. It's time to stop talking about goals and to start achieving them.

9

Oct

2025

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World Mental Health Day - addressing the socio-economic factors (debate)

On the occasion of the World Mental Health Day, we are sending an important message. Mental health is a universal human right. Unfortunately, for millions of people, this right is unattainable because they are trapped in poverty, even though they work. How to feel safe when the roof over your head becomes a luxury, not a right one? How not to be anxious when every day is a struggle for basic living conditions? Mental health care is not only a matter for the individual, it is also policies that provide well-paid work, affordable housing and social security. This is why we must acknowledge that the Commission’s 2023 strategy has failed. We need a new comprehensive plan with adequate funding that will put prevention and mental health at the heart of all public policies, from education to housing, from work to social protection, because social security must not be a privilege. This is the foundation of any healthy society.

5

May

2025

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

3

Apr

2025

Speeches EN

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European Action Plan on Rare Diseases (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, for 94 % of European patients living with rare diseases, there is still no dedicated treatment available. And that's a fact. But until now, Commissioner, we've seen progress only on paper: just new recommendations, new communications, new platforms. But patients cannot be treated with PowerPoint slides. And we really hope that you can change that. On the other side, however, how can we be sure that the Commission will prioritise rare diseases, when we have seen the EU4Health programme suffer budget cuts? How can we address rare diseases effectively while reducing funding for diagnosis, research and cross-border collaboration? Dear colleagues, we do indeed need concrete and measurable action that is truly European in scale. We need binding targets for diagnosis and treatment access. We need full integration of the European Reference Networks international system, because no Member State can tackle rare diseases alone. No one! Above all, we need sustainable funding and political ambition to drive innovation in medicine. We have, Commissioner, 30 million reasons for that.