What Roberta spoke about.

I have received an alternative proposal from The Left Group to add Council and Commission statements on ‘The response to recurrent situations of drought and extreme drought’. Ms Pereira, please go ahead.

Now we go to other changes to the agenda. In accordance with Rule 9(9), the following reports are added to the final draft agenda for a vote on Tuesday: the report by Ilana Cicurel on the request for the waiver of the immunity of Eva Kaili; the report by Sergey Lagodinsky on the requests for the waiver of the immunity of Ioannis Lagos; and the report by Angel Dzhambazki on the requests for the waiver of the immunity of Georgios Kyrtsos. Now we move to changes requested by political groups. For Tuesday, the Greens Group has requested that a Commission statement on ‘Water crisis and droughts in the EU as a consequence of the global climate crisis and the need for a sustainable, resilient water strategy for Europe’ be added as the second item in the afternoon. As a consequence, the sitting would be extended to 23.00. I give the floor to Bas Eickhout to move the request.

We looked at the article you mentioned. We see what the type of debate will be, but we have also seen that there is a Member from a political group who will speak and also one who represents the non-attached Members. Thank you for raising this point, I will see it.

I would like to inform you that, together with the President of the Council, I shall on Wednesday sign five acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure in accordance with Rule 79 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure. The titles of the acts will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

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, Tuesday, 6 February at midnight that the decisions be put to the vote. If no request for a vote in Parliament is made before the deadline, the committees may start the negotiations.

On the proposal of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Parliament verifies the credentials of Witold Pahl and Włodzimierz Karpiński with effect from 16 November 2023, of Rafał Romanowski with effect from 29 November 2023, and of François Thiollet with effect from 30 November 2023.

. – The competent authorities of France have notified me of the election of Guy Lavocat to the European Parliament replacing Stéphane Séjourné with effect from 12 January 2024. The competent authorities of Germany have notified me of the election of Niels Geuking to the European Parliament replacing Helmut Geuking with effect from 5 February 2024. I wish to welcome both Mr Geuking and Mr Lavocat and recall they take their seats in Parliament and on its bodies in full enjoyment of their rights, pending the verification of their credentials.

Thank you, Irene. I would ask all colleagues to join me and stay standing for a minute of silence. (The House observed a minute’s silence) For the final part of the ceremony, I would invite Ms Sheva Tehoval and Mr Marcelo Nisinman to close our ceremony with ‘Kaddish’ by Maurice Ravel. (Ms Sheva Tehoval, soprano, and Mr Marcelo Nisinman, bandoneon, performed ‘Kaddish’ by Maurice Ravel) (Sustained applause)

The next item on the agenda is the joint debate on the European Council and Commission statements on the Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 (2023/3006(RSP)), and on the Council and Commission statements on the Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (2024/2512(RSP)).

So we will first vote on the request by the S&D, Renew, Greens and The Left Group to have a debate. (Parliament approved the request) So the debate is in. But now we will check whether we will wind up the debate with a resolution at the next part-session. Do you still have that request, to the Greens Group? OK, so we vote on whether to have a resolution on this next part-session. (Parliament approved the request) Colleagues, the agenda is adopted and the order of business is thus established. Have a good week. (The sitting was suspended for a few moments)

President. – I understand there is a compromise title that would be supported by the EPP, S&D, Renew and the Greens Group, which I will read out: ‘Council and Commission statements on improving the socio-economic situation of farmers and rural areas, ensuring fair incomes, food security, as well as a just transition’. So I will put this compromise proposal to a vote by roll call. (Parliament approved the compromise proposal) Everybody wants that debate and agrees, except one person. For Wednesday, The Left and Renew groups have requested that Council and Commission statements on ‘the rule of law and media freedom in Greece’ be wound up with a resolution to be voted in the February part-session. I give the floor to Ms in ‘t Veld to move the request.

It’s just not to have it this week – so then we will take it when we prepare for the next session. For Wednesday, The Left Group has requested that a Commission statement on ‘Norway’s recent decision to advance seabed mining in the Arctic’ be added as the second item in the afternoon, after the topical debate. The debate would be wound up with a resolution and the session would be extended to 23.00. I give the floor to Silvia Modig to move the request on behalf of The Left Group.

We now come to the order of business. The final draft agenda as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 10 January pursuant to Rule 157 has been distributed. I’d like to inform you that I have received one request for urgent procedure from the Council pursuant to Rule 163 on the following legislative file: ‘targets for fixing fishing opportunities’. The vote on this request will be taken tomorrow, and if adopted, the vote will be held on Thursday. We now move to changes requested by political groups. With the agreement of the political groups, I wish to put to the House the following proposal for changes to the final draft agenda: the objection pursuant to Rule 112(2), (3) and Rule 112(4)(c): ‘Maximum residue levels for thiacloprid’, is added to the Wednesday votes. For Monday, today, the EPP Group has requested that a Commission statement on ‘the need for an EU and international response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea’ be added as the third point in the afternoon, after the joint debate on markets in financial instruments regulations. I give the floor first to Michael Gahler to move the request.

The ECON and EMPL committees have decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations pursuant to Rule 71(1) of our Rules. The reports, which constitute the mandate for the negotiations, are available on the plenary web page, 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, 16 January at midnight, that the decisions be put to the vote. If no request for a vote in Parliament is made within the deadline, the committee may start the negotiations.

The EPP, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA 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.

Following the appointment of Nicola Beer to the European Investment Bank, we will also proceed tomorrow to the election of a new Vice-President of the European Parliament. I remind you that the deadline for submitting nominations is today at 19.00. The nominations should be handed in to the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General in the open-space area of the Plenary Services, and include the candidate’s acceptance. The election will take place tomorrow at noon.

Following the appointment of Nicola Beer to the European Investment Bank, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of her seat from 1 January 2024, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure. Following the appointment of Stéphane Séjourné to the French Government, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of his seat from 12 January 2024. The competent authorities of Spain have notified me of the election of Esther Sanz Selva to the European Parliament, replacing Sira Rego with effect from 21 December 2023. The competent authorities of Germany have notified me of the election of Michael Kauch to the European Parliament, replacing Nicola Beer with effect from 1 January 2024. The competent authorities of Poland have notified me of the election of Krzysztof Brejza to the European Parliament, replacing Radosław Sikorski with effect from 3 January 2024. I wish to welcome all these new colleagues and recall that you take your seats in Parliament and its bodies in full enjoyment of your rights pending the verification of your credentials.

First of all, dear colleagues, it is with a deep sense of pride and honour that I inform you that on Saturday I was in Vilnius to receive on behalf of all MEPs and the European Parliament, the Freedom Prize from the Republic of Lithuania. It was a moving and emotional moment and I was glad to be there in your name to witness it. This prize is for all of you and your work in support of peace, democracy, human rights and freedom. It is in recognition of what our Parliament does. May it serve to continue to inspire our actions. (Applause) Dear colleagues, in the spirit of defending freedom, I need to refer again to what is happening in Belarus, still controlled by Europe’s last dictator. Activists, innocent people are still being detained arbitrarily. The number of political prisoners continues to grow. We cannot allow it to fall off the top of our agenda. That is why I have met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya last week and promised to do what we can to support political prisoners and urge their release. For that reason I have agreed to join their campaign and became a so-called ‘godparent’ of Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk, a mother, an activist, sentenced in 2021 and then in 2022 by Lukashenko’s regime to four years in prison on trumped‑up charges. Palina has been beaten, placed in a punishment cell, and refused medicines and access to her family or a lawyer. My appeal to all of you who have not yet done so is to join the campaign and consider adding your voice too. Dear colleagues, last year, you will recall, the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement. However, a few days before they were scheduled to receive their award, the Iranian regime placed Ms Mahsa Amini’s family under a travel ban – a stark example of the type of treatment that the people of Iran are faced with every day. On 12 December, this House welcomed Mr Saleh Nikbakht, the Amini family lawyer, to receive the Sakharov Prize on their behalf. Shortly after his return to Iran, Mr Saleh Nikbakht was arrested and the award was confiscated. According to our information, Mr Saleh Nikbakht has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for allegedly engaging in ‘propaganda against the system’. It is a false charge. It is unacceptable. It is inexcusable, and this House condemns it. I want to recognise that bravery and commitment by Mr Saleh Nikbakht. He spoke eloquently and courageously. On behalf of the European Parliament, I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Saleh Nikbakht. I will also take this opportunity to reiterate our unwavering support to Mahsa Amini’s family and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in their ceaseless fight for liberty, justice and human rights. You are not alone. Dear colleagues, on 21 December 2023 we witnessed a horrific – the worst – mass shooting in Czechia when a gunman in Prague shot dead 14 people at the Charles University and injured many more. It pains us to think of the many families that were forced to mourn their loved ones at a time of peace and togetherness. My thoughts are with them and with the victims of these brutal attacks, who are still recovering. Evropa stojí při Česku. *** Before we move to the approval of the minutes of the previous sitting, is there a point of order?