Speeches

The S&D Group has notified me of decisions relating to changes to appointments within the delegations, and those decisions will be set out in the minutes of today’s sitting and shall take effect on the date of this announcement.

The minutes and the texts adopted at the sitting of 1 March 2022 are available. I take it there are no comments. (The minutes of the previous sitting were approved)

Dear colleagues, we are here again as the shelling of Ukraine continues unabated. The price of Putin’s illegal invasion can be measured in civilian casualties and the upending of the democratic world order. Our outrage grows with every shell that is fired, as does the Ukrainian defiance and our peoples’ solidarity. Our cities and our governments have put European values into practice by welcoming more than a million Ukrainians fleeing the Kremlin’s tanks. People have taken to the streets all around the globe, including in Russia, to condemn Putin’s invasion, to tell the Kremlin aggressors to stop the killing. To demand freedom. To demand that the voices of Ukrainian children are no longer drowned out by the sound of Putin’s bombs. Much of Putin’s propaganda claims that we are somehow anti-Russian. Nothing is further from the truth. We recognise the immense courage it takes to stand up. We know the Russia of Navalny, of Nemtsov, of Magnitsky, of the thousands jailed over the last days. And our message is this: Putin does not equal Russia. Brave citizens of Russia, despite the threat of jail and the brutal crackdown, continue to stand up. They are the peacemakers. Handwritten placards with peace signs and anti-war slogans today are enough to merit people being detained. There are reports of more than 13 000 people in 147 Russian cities being held for speaking against the invasion. Only yesterday, 4 500 people were detained: Russians standing up under the toughest of conditions, showing the world that the true face of Russia does not have to be Putin’s. Those brave people can today face up to 15 years in prison, according to the two laws brought into force in Russia on 4 March, criminalising not only those protesting against the war, but also informing about the war, contrary to the official information given by the Russian authorities. Putin will find that the truth is not easily suppressed, and I want to express our solidarity with all peaceful anti-invasion protesters in Russia and applaud their courage to stand up publicly. So on behalf of the European Parliament, I call on the Russian authorities to free all those unjustly jailed, to allow the freedom of expression. I call on the Russian authorities to stop intimidating protesters and release immediately all those who are detained.

Mr Speaker, thank you for your words, for your courage and for your commitment to peace and parliamentary democracy. I give the floor now to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, for his statement.

The ID and ECR Groups have notified the President of decisions relating to appointments and changes within committees and delegations. These decisions will be set out in the minutes of today’s sitting and shall take effect on the date of this announcement.

The minutes and the texts adopted of the sittings of 14, 15, 16 and 17 February 2022 are available. Are there any comments? I see that there are not. The minutes are approved.

We have with us today the President of the Republic of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez. Dear President, thank you very much for coming to the European Parliament. Muchas gracias Presidente, bienvenido. Last year we commemorated five years since the Colombian peace agreement, a long—awaited accord that this Parliament strongly supports. I would like to thank you, Mr President, for the commitment of your administration to preserving peace. I would also like to use this moment to honour the memory of the victims of decades of conflict. We will never forget them. Their memory must be preserved in dignity and justice, while we support all the families that suffered atrocities. The people of Colombia have always struggled to defend and preserve their democratic institutions and the rule of law in order to guarantee the fundamental rights of citizens, and they have done so despite the threat of anti—democratic forces and criminal organisations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colombia has led by example by granting temporary protection status to 1.8 million Venezuelans, allowing them to access key services, while one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time was unfolding. This historic act deserves recognition. Yesterday’s signature of the ‘Joint Declaration for a Dialogue on Environment, Climate Action and Sustainable Development’ is testimony to your commitment to preserving the environment and to combating the climate crisis. In terms of biodiversity, Colombia is a world leader, so this Joint Declaration is fundamental to achieving our common global climate objectives. I know that we will keep working together in key areas as we continue to strengthen the links between the European Union and Colombia for the benefit of all our people. So without further delay, I give the floor to the President of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez. Mr President, the floor is yours.

The final draft agenda as drawn up pursuant to Rule 157 by the Conference of Presidents at its meeting of 9 February 2022 has been distributed. I have received no requests for changes to the final draft agenda. I would like to inform you that the votes are distributed along different voting sessions, taking into account the number of amendments tabled and the number of requests for split and separate votes. Please note that this distribution could still be subject to changes, and the relevant information concerning the distribution of votes is available in the ‘Priority Information’ section on the website of the European Parliament. The agenda is therefore adopted and the order of business is therefore established.

– I have also received a request from the competent authorities in Greece for the parliamentary immunity of Mr Ioannis Lagos to be waived in order for criminal proceedings to be brought against him. This request is referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs as the committee responsible, in accordance with our Rules of Procedure.

With regard to other announcements, I have received notice from the competent authorities in Italy of the election of Ms Camilla Laureti as Member of the European Parliament to replace Mr David Maria Sassoli, with effect from 12 January 2022. I have also received notice from the competent authorities in Germany of the election of Mr René Repasi as Member of the European Parliament to replace Ms Evelyne Gebhardt, with effect from 2 February 2022. I would also like to welcome these new colleagues, and would point out that they will take their seats in Parliament and on its bodies in full enjoyment of their rights as provided for in the Rules of Procedure.

This week, concerns about the situation at the Ukrainian border, dear colleagues, will dominate our discussions. On Wednesday, High Representative Borrell will be here to discuss with Parliament the latest developments on the ground. This will also be discussed at the Conference of Presidents, and our political groups in this House are currently working on a declaration on the situation in Ukraine. Also on Wednesday, we will vote on granting EUR 1.2 billion of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, to support Ukraine’s stability and resilience in the current difficult circumstances. On behalf of the European Parliament let me express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as they continue to face the uncertainty of the past weeks and fear of Russian military aggression. What we are witnessing is a serious threat to peace in Europe. We all saw the people on the streets of Kyiv, who showed that they are not afraid. Now their defiance must be matched by continued European resolve and unity. The position of this House is clear – Ми з Україною – we are with Ukraine. Ukraine is a sovereign state that must be free to decide on its future for the benefit of its people. No one should undermine that right. We are united in our respect for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity. While we urge for a de-escalation of the current tension, this Parliament stands ready to support swift, forceful and concrete action. We do this in coordination with other European institutions and the international community, should the situation deteriorate. In conclusion, we owe a strong show of support to the people of Ukraine and this week, this Parliament will do just that.

The minutes of the sitting of 27 January 2022 are available. Can I ask first of all whether there are any comments? It does not seem to be the case. (The minutes of the previous sitting were approved.)

Thank you President von der Leyen. I ask you now, dear colleagues, before closing the ceremony, to join me for a minute of silence. (The House rose and observed a minute’s silence) Musical interlude: ‘Kaddish’ by Maurice Ravel played by Philippe Graffin, violinist and Raphael Wallfisch, cellist.

And finally, the draft agenda, as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 20 January pursuant to Rule 157, has been distributed and is adopted.

The minutes and the texts adopted of the sittings of 17, 18, 19 and 20 January are available. If there are no comments, I will deem these minutes to be approved.

I will now announce the results of the second voting session held yesterday, 19 January 2022. (The President read out the results of the vote.)1 _______________ 1 See Minutes for details.

I have received the results of the second ballot for the election of Quaestors. The results are as follows. Members voting: 688. Blank or void votes: 20. Votes cast: 668. The votes were cast as follows: Karol Karski: 324 votes Marcel Kolaja: 344 votes On the basis of this second ballot, I therefore declare Marcel Kolaja elected as Quaestor of the European Parliament and I would like to congratulate him warmly on his election. In accordance with Rules 18 and 17(2), the Quaestors will take precedence in the order in which they were elected and, in the event of a tie, by age. The composition of the new Bureau will be notified to the Presidents of the institutions of the European Union. Thank you and congratulations.

I would like to make just one more reminder that this is not a national debate. We are discussing the French Presidency’s priorities, and we need to respect this institution in that regard.

You will understand that all the group leaders have exceeded their time, including this. Now I see that there is a point of order. Go ahead, Ms García Pérez.