What Roberta spoke about.

22

Oct

2024

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Welcome

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Address by Enrico Letta - Presentation of the report ‘Much More Than a Market’

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.

21

Oct

2024

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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (debate)

That concludes the item.

21

Oct

2024

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Order of business

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Order of business

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Order of business

I have two colleagues who have asked to speak against the request: first Nicola Procaccini, and then Tomas Tobé.

21

Oct

2024

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Order of business

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Signature of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 81)

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Signature of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 81)

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Signature of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 81)

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Composition of Parliament

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.

21

Oct

2024

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Statements by the President

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)

10

Oct

2024

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Council position at first reading (Rule 64)

I have received from the Council its position at first reading, as well as the reasons which led to its adoption and the positions and opinions of the Commission. The full title will be listed in the minutes of this sitting. The three‑month period available to Parliament to pronounce on the position begins tomorrow, 11 October.

10

Oct

2024

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Composition of committees and delegations

The PfE Group has notified me of decisions relating to changes to appointments within committees and delegations. These decisions will be set out in the minutes of today's sitting and take effect on the date of this announcement.

10

Oct

2024

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Request for waiver of immunity

I have received a request from the competent authorities in Hungary for the parliamentary immunity of Péter Magyar to be waived, and this request is referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.

9

Oct

2024

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The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (RC-B10-0070/2024, B10-0070/2024, B10-0071/2024, B10-0074/2024, B10-0079/2024, B10-0083/2024, B10-0084/2024, B10-0086/2024) (vote)

The next vote is on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (See minutes, item 5.2).

9

Oct

2024

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Voting time

The next item is the vote.

9

Oct

2024

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Election of the European Ombudsman – nominations received

I have one announcement before we go to the vote. On 16 September 2024 I informed you about the publication of the call for nominations with a view to the election of the European Ombudsman and the applicable procedure. By the closing date of 30 September 2024 I had received seven applications. Six of them fulfilled the required conditions and are therefore considered admissible. The nominees for the office of Ombudsman, in alphabetical order, are: Teresa Anjinho, Emilio de Capitani, Marino Fardelli, Julia Laffranque, Claudia Mahler and Reinier van Zutphen. I will now transmit the six nomination files to the Committee on Petitions, which will hold hearings of the nominees open to all Members on 3 December 2024. The related documents will be made available on Parliament's website.

9

Oct

2024

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Resumption of the sitting

That was not a point of order.

9

Oct

2024

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

Thanks to all the colleagues who participated. The debate is closed.

9

Oct

2024

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

Dear colleagues, on 1 July, Hungary assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Today we have the Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, in the European Parliament for a debate with Members. The Hungarian Presidency is the first of this new legislature, and has a particular role and responsibility in delivering on what our citizens want and expect from our European Union. We are having this debate today in the shadow of devastating floods that raged across Hungary and different Member States two weeks ago. Let me use this opportunity to reiterate this Parliament's support for all the victims of this tragedy and our commitment to help all those impacted in rebuilding and getting people back on their feet. That is Europe in action and that is European solidarity. The Hungarian Presidency arrives at an important moment of institutional change. A new mandate here brings a new challenges and opportunities, which we must jointly embrace, all together. This summer, we witnessed the highest voter turnout in the European elections in 30 years, electing this House as the voice of Europe's democracy. In the next weeks, we will vote in a new College of Commissioners to start working on addressing the priorities that matter to people, the decisions that will shape the future of Europe. There are many other significant steps forward for our Union that we will take together over the coming weeks, months and years, including supporting Ukraine, strengthening European competitiveness and building a more stable, secure Europe in a world of increasing uncertainty – a Union of democracy, prosperity and security that protects our values everywhere. Now Europe may not be perfect – it is, after all, a work in progress. And while we must be honest about where we can do better, we should also not shy away from celebrating our successes. Today, we are here to discuss the Hungarian Presidency's priorities, which I hope will lead to more European success stories. Prime Minister, many of us recall the very lively debate here in the Chamber exactly six years ago. I expect no less today, because in this House of democracy, as in Europe, where the rule of law and freedom of expression are sacrosanct, we may not always agree, but we will always give space for the respectful sharing of views. There is a saying in Hungarian: Sok kicsi sokra megy – 'lots of small will amount to a lot'. That is the power of Europe: together as Europeans we can achieve so much more than we could alone. So on that note, dear Prime Minister, the floor is yours.

8

Oct

2024

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Penalties

Pursuant to Rules 10 and 183 of the Rules of Procedure, and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, I have decided to impose a penalty on Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă for having disrupted the sitting of 18 July 2024 by behaving improperly during the debate between the Members of the European Parliament and the candidate for President of the European Commission. This penalty consists of the forfeiture of her entitlement to the daily subsistence allowance for a period of seven days, as well as a temporary suspension from participation in plenary activities of Parliament for a period of seven days on which Parliament meets, starting today, 8 October 2024, without prejudice to her right to vote in plenary and subject to strict compliance with the Members' standards of conduct. The Member concerned has been notified of these decisions and lodged an internal appeal with the Bureau under Rule 184. The Bureau, at its meeting of yesterday evening, confirmed the penalty imposed, without prejudice to the external rights of appeal open to the Member concerned. The penalty is therefore considered final.

7

Oct

2024

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Order of business

I will put Mr Leggeri's request to the vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) For Tuesday, The Left Group has requested that Council and Commission statements on ‘The recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the EU's trade agreements with the Kingdom of Morocco’ be added as the last item on Tuesday afternoon. I give the floor to João Oliveira to move the request.

7

Oct

2024

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Order of business

The final draft agenda, as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 2 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. First of all, today the sitting is extended to 23:00. Tomorrow, Tuesday, owing to the unavailability of Commissioner Kyriakides, the Question Time scheduled for the afternoon is postponed and therefore the sitting will now end at 21:00. On Wednesday, Parliament's statements on the recent devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with one round of political group speakers, are added on Wednesday afternoon after the vote, at which point we would be able to show that Parliament stands united in expressing our deepest sympathy and solidarity to those people affected by this disaster. The title of the resolution and debate under Rule 150 on 'The case of Bülent Mumay in Turkey' is changed to 'The case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye'. If there are no objections to these three points I've just mentioned, the changes are approved and we can now move to changes requested by political groups. For Tuesday, tomorrow, the PfE Group has requested that a Commission statement on the judgment of 4 October of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C‑608/22 and C‑609/22 and its consequences, notably in terms of immigration policies, be added as the first item in the afternoon instead of Question Time. I give the floor to Fabrice Leggeri to move the request.

7

Oct

2024

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Signature of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 81)

To clarify, there is a new Rule in our Rules of Procedure called Rule 164, which is very arduously applied, and it is precisely for us to be able to have a little bit of control on the agenda and what is included, especially on the Monday. So this specific point could fall under Rule 164, Ms Matthieu, and what I would suggest is that for your group, if it wants to bring it back, to bring it back to the next plenary.