Speeches

The minutes and the texts adopted of the sitting of 24 October are available. Are there any comments? No. Therefore the minutes are approved.

Dear colleagues, it is my privilege to announce that the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to María Corina Machado, leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, representing all Venezuelans inside and outside the country, fighting to restore freedom and democracy in the face of injustice. (Loud and sustained applause) Edmundo and María have continued to fight for the free, fair and peaceful transition of power and have fearlessly upheld those values that millions of Venezuelans and this Parliament hold so dear: justice, democracy and the rule of law. This Parliament stands with the people of Venezuela and with María and Edmundo in their struggle for the democratic future of their country. This award is for them, and we are confident that Venezuela and democracy will ultimately prevail. I also want to extend this House's wholehearted support to the other Sakharov Prize finalists: the Israeli and Palestinian movements 'Women Wage Peace' and 'Women of the Sun'. (Loud and sustained applause) We also have the finalist Azerbaijani academic and anti-corruption activist Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu. (Loud and sustained applause) All three are bravely standing up for human rights and for freedom of thought in the face of unimaginable challenges. I also share the tragic news that Dr Ibadoghlu's health condition is currently deteriorating significantly. He is being kept under house arrest following his arbitrary detainment, and I take this opportunity to call on the Azerbaijani authorities to drop all charges against Dr Ibadoghlu and lift his travel ban. (Applause)

We are checking, but in any case, we cannot retake the vote. But we are checking. OK, so Amendment 36 showed for a little bit, so because of this, we will retake the vote – not to set a precedent, but this will happen because Amendment 36 for a fraction of a second was on the screen. I went too fast.

Thank you very much, Mr Banai. I shall convene the Conciliation Committee in accordance with Article 314(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The first vote is on a request for urgent procedure from the ENVI Committee on 'the Deforestation Regulation: provisions relating to the date of application' (see minutes, item 6.1).

The first vote is on the report by Karin Karlsbro on establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine (See minutes, item 9.1).

The ENVI Committee has decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations ahead of Council's first reading on two files, pursuant to Rule 73. The positions adopted by Parliament at first reading, which constitute the mandates for those negotiations, are available on the plenary webpage, and their titles will be published in the minutes of the sitting.

I would like to inform you that I have received a request for urgent procedure from the ENVI Committee, pursuant to Rule 170(6), on the Deforestation Regulation: provisions relating to the date of application. The vote on this request will be taken tomorrow. If adopted, the vote will be added to the draft agenda of the November I part-session.

I have received a request from the competent authorities in Hungary for the parliamentary immunity of Ilaria Salis to be waived. This request is referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.

Before we start the votes, I would like to welcome some guests in the gallery. We have a delegation of mayors from across Europe, participating in the European Mayors Summit taking place here these days in Strasbourg. Welcome to the European Parliament.

The next item is the debate on the address by Enrico Letta – presentation of the report 'Much more than a market'. We have today with us former Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta to present his report 'Much more than a market'. Caro Enrico, welcome back to the European Parliament. Your report came at an extremely timely moment. As we embark on a new legislative term, this House recognises that the future of Europe will be defined by our ability to make ourselves more competitive; how we are able to grow our economies and pay back our debts, to fuel our innovation and turn seemingly impossible challenges into opportunities, to create jobs and futures with dignity. That is what our people are asking from us. It is why Europeans went to the polls last June, and what our voters are expecting us to deliver on. To do all this, we do not need to reinvent the wheel. We already have many tools in place. For over 30 years, the single market has been our Union's unique growth model, a powerful engine of convergence and our most valuable asset. But we are again at a moment where the single market is in need of a boost. The time is now for us to renew our engagement to it, to deepen it, especially when it comes to energy, to finance, telecoms, banking, capital markets and services – to bring it back on par with the needs of the current context. Boosting it also means doing more to level the playing field, to reduce excessive bureaucracy and to cut red tape. This is how our single market works best. So, Mr Letta, dear Enrico, the European Parliament is eager to hear your findings and recommendations on how we can bolster our single market and make Europe more competitive.

Ms Reintke, do you agree with the alternative proposal? So the Green Group does not. Therefore, I will put the original request by the Green Group to a vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) I now ask Ms Keller: do you want to keep your request? Yes, Ms Keller wants to keep the request, so the proposal from the Renew Group is now put to a vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) So the agenda remains unchanged. The agenda is now adopted and the order of business is thus established.

I have also received an alternative proposal from the Renew Group, which is the Commission statement on the outcome of the Italian court ruling related to the agreement between Italy and Albania on migration and the implementation of the pact. I give the floor to Ms Fabienne Keller to present the alternative.

We now come to the order of business. The final draft agenda as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 16 October pursuant to Rule 163 has been distributed. With the agreement of the political groups, I wish to put to the House the following proposals for changes to the final draft agenda. For tomorrow, Tuesday, the Green Group has requested that a Commission statement on the outcome of the Italian court ruling related to the agreement between Italy and Albania on migration be added on Tuesday afternoon as the second item after Question Time. As a consequence, the sitting would be extended to 23:00. I give the floor to Ms Reintke to move the request.

You refer to Rule 219, but you also know that political groups can effectively choose to derogate from that specific rule, which is what happened in this case. And that is the reality we are faced with and the work we are presented with.

It is precisely because the Rules need to be applied that decisions are taken. So, as you know, pursuant to Rule 164 of our Rules of Procedure, an amendment to the final draft agenda is admissible only in response to events or political developments which arose after the adoption of the final draft agenda. That is the reason why. These are discussions that have taken place already, and it could have been decided upon the adoption of this agenda by the Conference of Presidents, and it was not.

I would like to inform you that, together with the President of the Council, I shall, on Wednesday, sign 17 acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure, in accordance with Rule 81 of the Rules of Procedure. The titles of the acts will be published in the minutes of this sitting. ⁂ I have received multiple requests for points of order. I ask all colleagues who will now be given the floor – quite a few of you – to please quote the Rule under which you would make such a point of order. And I would please make an appeal that such points that are not points of order could also be made as 1-minute speeches.

The competent authorities of Poland have notified me of the election of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz to the European Parliament, replacing Marcin Kierwiński with effect from 10 October 2024. I wish to welcome our new colleague and recall that she takes her seat in Parliament and its bodies in full enjoyment of her rights, pending the verification of her credentials.

Dear colleagues, on the results of the presidential election and referendum in Moldova, the people in Moldova have chosen their future: they chose hope, stability, opportunity. They chose Europe. (Applause) The European Parliament strongly condemns any activities and interferences in Moldova's presidential election and constitutional referendum on EU integration. We are proud to be one of Moldova's strongest allies and supporters. We understand that Moldova's future lies within the European Union and we fully support its EU accession path. President Maia Sandu and her government have already made remarkable progress in implementing reforms. And while the road ahead may not always be easy, I want to assure our European Moldovan friends that the European Parliament will continue to be with them every step of the way. Also, dear colleagues, on 16 October we marked 7 years since the brutal assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese investigative journalist who exposed corruption and organised crime. Those who thought they could silence her were wrong. In fact, her work sparked a movement that echoes in every corner where we pursue a Europe that protects journalists, that respects the rule of law. I am grateful to have known Daphne beyond her writing: as a woman battling the odds; as a mother who was so proud of the men her boys grew into; as a daughter, wife and sister who wanted more from her country. And she raised the bar for all of us in politics. But most of all, today I think about how we must keep Daphne's memory alive; how the European Parliament will keep pushing for the truth, for justice and for accountability. It is for this reason that the European Parliament is proud to be hosting the fourth edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for outstanding journalism. And I take this moment to encourage you to attend the award ceremony this Wednesday in the Daphne Caruana Galizia Press Room, to honour the bravery of all those who continue to carry her legacy forward. This House remembers her and we honour her legacy. (Applause)