What Roberta spoke about.

I see that Ms Incir wants the floor, but do you want to speak against? OK, if you don’t want to speak against, first we will need to vote on the request to change the title. So we put the request to change the title, as proposed by Mr Wallace, to a vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) Therefore, the title remains the same. Now, Ms Incir, you wanted the floor. Go ahead.

Does anybody wish to speak against? That does not seem to be the case. Therefore, I will put the request to a vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) We move to Tuesday. The Left Group has requested that the title of the HR/VP statement on ‘The EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip’ be changed to ‘The EU’s response to the ICJ provisional measures, the UN Security Council Resolution 2728 calling for a ceasefire, and the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip’. The Left and S&D groups have also requested that the debate be wound up with a resolution. So we will first talk about the title and then the request for a resolution. To talk about the title, I give the floor to Mr Wallace, on behalf of The Left Group.

The IMCO and LIBE committees, in joint committee procedure, and the ECON Committee, have transmitted one corrigendum each to texts adopted by Parliament. Pursuant to Rule 241(4), these corrigenda will be deemed approved unless, no later than 24 hours after their announcement, a request is made by a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold that they be put to the vote. The corrigenda are available on the Plenary webpage. Their titles will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

In relation to the recommendations for decisions tabled by the AGRI Committee to raise no objections to two delegated acts, which were announced on Wednesday, 10 April, objections to the recommendation on the rules on the ratio for the good agricultural and environmental condition standard 1 have been raised by the Greens and The Left groups, and some individual members. Pursuant to Rule 111(6) of the Rules of Procedure, this recommendation will therefore be added to tomorrow’s voting session. As regards the recommendation on some provisions following the EU-New Zealand free trade agreement and the deletion of obsolete provisions as regards the export tariff quota for milk powder, no objections were raised within the 24-hour deadline. Pursuant to Rule 111(6), this recommendation was therefore deemed approved. It is published with the adopted texts.

Following the appointment of Petri Sarvamaa as a member of the European Court of Auditors, the competent authorities of Finland have communicated to me the end of his mandate with effect from 1 June 2024. He will be replaced by Eija-Riitta Korhola as of the same date.

Dear colleagues, can I ask you to take your seats and then we can start this last plenary before the elections. My first announcement is about Swedish nationals in Iran. Last week, we marked two years since Swedish national and EU official Johan Floderus was illegally detained in Iran. This week Professor Ahmadreza Djalali, also a Swedish national, will have been jailed for eight years – making him the EU national held longest in Iran. On these sad anniversaries, the European Parliament once again condemns their arrest by the Iranian regime, in the strongest possible terms. Last week, I joined Commissioner Johansson at a vigil we held with Johan Floderus’ loved ones, as I reiterated this Parliament’s support. We will continue to work tirelessly to secure the release of our friends Johan, Ahmadreza and all others held on trumped-up charges. Also, dear colleagues, as this is the last plenary session before the European Parliament elections in June, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your tireless work over the past five years. It has been challenging, but this Parliament has delivered. Over the last years, we have navigated our way out of COVID restrictions. We have led the European debate that has made people’s lives a little bit easier, a little bit safer and little bit more secure. We have passed ground-breaking legislation on artificial intelligence, on migration, on asylum, on climate, on creating jobs and safeguarding European industry and agriculture, on new tech, and on digital services and digital markets. We have passed huge files on equality – there are still some left this week – and reinforced the social pillar. We have doubled down on making this Union a superpower of rights everywhere. We have faced the invasion of Ukraine, de-coupled from Russia and created new energy and health priorities. We have stood up for humanity in the Middle East and around the world. We have given new life into our mandate to promote parliamentary diplomacy and freedom. We have listened, we have learned, and we have burst through the Brussels and Strasbourg bubbles to engage with, and reach out to, people across Member States. We have worked hard to ensure that this House is more efficient, more effective and fit for purpose. We have made it more open and more independent. We have negotiated and balanced budgets. We have ensured that this is a place of work that people feel proud of and feel safe at. We have done all of this together. We have debated, we have acted and we have delivered for people. And for that I want to thank all of you, all your staff and all of Parliament’s services. I am so proud to be here, I am so proud of the work we have done, and I hope you feel I have repaid your trust and faith in me. I also want to pay tribute to the legacy of my predecessor, David Sassoli. He gave so much for this Parliament and for Europe, and I hope he would be proud of us, too. (Applause) Now, colleagues, our work does not end here. In just over six weeks’ time, EU citizens in all Member States will be called upon to elect the 720 Members of the European Parliament that will make up the 10th legislative term. Now is the moment to speak up for Europe: to call upon people – especially young people – to vote, to invite them to shape the future they want to see. Because every voice, every vote, every choice matters. Dear colleagues, together I am confident we can do just that. (Applause)

Dear colleagues, we will have a quick round of speakers relating to International Roma Day, which is celebrated today. International Roma Day is a day to celebrate Romani culture, history and language and pay tribute to Europe’s largest ethnic minority. Romani people can be proud Europeans – proud of their contribution to the rich mosaic of our European societies. They form an integral part of our communities. But even if so, the reality is that too many Romani women and men in Europe still live in the margins of society. It is unacceptable that discrimination and racism continue to plague our communities. For far too long, Romani people have suffered under unfounded bias and prejudice. Restricted access to education, difficulties in entering the labour market and insufficient healthcare represent just a few of the injustices Roma people face. In our Europe, we cherish our differences, our unique traditions, our cultures and our diversity. We know that this is where our true strength lies. That means that Roma people living within our Union’s borders must enjoy the same rights, the same treatment, but also the same opportunities, the same chances as any other European citizen. Romani children should have every reason to expect the promise of Europe to deliver for them too. In the European Parliament we will continue playing our part in driving positive change. This remains an ongoing effort, but together I am confident that we will manage to achieve a better, more equal, more just future for us all. (Applause)

We put the request to a vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) For today as well, the ID Group has requested that the debate on Council and Commission statements on ‘ongoing hearings under Article 7(1) regarding Hungary to strengthen rule of law and its budgetary implications’, be postponed to the next part-session and replaced by a Commission statement on ‘the need for more transparency and immediate publication of Mario Draghi’s report on EU competitiveness’. The debate would be wound up with a resolution to be voted at the next part-session. I give the floor to Jean-Paul Garraud to move the request.

Thank you very much, Mr Złotowski. I put the request to the vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) Also for today, the Greens Group has requested that the commission statement on ‘Russia’s undemocratic presidential elections and their illegitimate extension to the occupied territories’ be moved to tomorrow as the first item in the morning. As a consequence, the sitting would start at 8.30. I give the floor to Ms Kuhnke to move the request.

So we will first vote on the postponement of Mr Hojsík’s report by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) We now vote on the postponement of the report by Ms Pereira, also by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) I have a request for a point of order from Ms Al-Sahlani.

So now we move to further points and announcements. 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 Wednesday, so today, the debate on the Commission statement on ‘Russia’s undemocratic presidential elections and their illegitimate extension to the occupied territories’ will be wound up with a resolution to be voted at the next part-session. The report by Mr Torvalds on urban wastewater treatment, initially planned for the vote tomorrow, is brought forward to today’s voting session. The Council and commission statements on ‘New allegations of Russian interference in the European Parliament, in the upcoming EU elections and the impact on the Union’ are added as the first item after the votes. This debate will be wound up with a resolution to be voted at the next part-session, and the sitting is extended to 23.00. For Thursday, the following items are added to tomorrow’s voting session: the report by Mr García del Blanco on the request for the waiver of the immunity of Gunnar Beck; the three reports by Mr Lebreton on the requests for the waiver of the immunities of Andris Ameriks, Nils Ušakovs and Julia Donath; and the objection pursuant to Rule 111(3) on specific hygiene requirements for certain meat, fishery products, dairy products and eggs. The deadlines for objections are today at 14.00 for amendments and today at 19.00 for split and separate votes. If there are no objections, these changes are approved. We now move to changes requested by the individual political groups, starting with today. The ECR Group has requested that the vote on the following two reports be postponed: the report by Mr Hojsík on soil monitoring and resilience, and the report by Ms Pereira on the Union certification framework for carbon removals. I give the floor to Ms Zalewska to move the request on behalf of the ECR Group.

I would like to inform you that the deadline for tabling questions for written answer will be Thursday 25 April 2024. All questions must be tabled by that date in order to be answered by their addressees, if admissible.

I was informed that no objections have been raised within the Conference of Committee Chairs to the recommendations by the AGRI Committee not to oppose two delegated acts, pursuant to Rule 111(6) of the Rules of Procedure. The recommendations are available on the plenary webpage. If no objections are raised by a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold within 24 hours, the recommendations shall be deemed to have been approved; otherwise, they will be put to the vote.

Several committees have decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, pursuant to Rule 71(1) of the Rules of Procedure. The reports which constitute the mandates for the negotiations are available on the plenary webpage and their titles will be published in the minutes of the sitting. Pursuant to Rule 71(2), Members or political groups reaching at least the medium threshold may request in writing by tomorrow, Thursday 11 April at midnight that the decisions be put to the vote. If no request for a vote in Parliament is made before the deadline expires, the committees may start the negotiations.

The EPP and The Left groups have 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.

Based on the conclusions of the Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members, and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, I have decided to impose a penalty on Tatjana Ždanoka pursuant to Articles 1, 4 and 6 of the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament regarding Integrity and Transparency, as well as to Rule 176. The penalty consists of a prohibition from representing Parliament on an interparliamentary delegation, interparliamentary conference or any interinstitutional forum until the end of her current mandate and a forfeiture of entitlement to the daily subsistence allowance for a period of five days. The Member concerned has been notified of the decision and has not lodged an internal appeal with the Bureau under Rule 177. The penalty is therefore final.

Following the election of Nuno Melo and Marisa Matias to the Portuguese Parliament, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of their seats from 26 March 2024, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure. Following the appointment of Maria da Graça Carvalho, José Manuel Fernandes and Paulo Rangel to the Portuguese Government, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of their seats from 2 April 2024. Following the appointment of Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar as a Secretary of State in Portugal, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of her seat from 5 April 2024. The competent authorities of Germany have notified me of the election of Jan Ovelgönne to the European Parliament with effect from 12 March 2024. The competent authorities of Portugal have notified me of the election of Vasco Becker-Weinberg and Anabela Rodrigues with effect from 26 March 2024; of the election of Vânia Neto, Teófilo Santos and Ana Miguel dos Santos with effect from 2 April 2024; and of the election of Ricardo Morgado with effect from 5 April 2024. I wish our new colleagues a warm welcome and recall that they take their seats in Parliament and its bodies in full enjoyment of their rights pending the verification of their credentials.