Speeches

I would also like to inform that, since the adjournment of Parliament’s session on 15 December, the President, together with the President of the Council, has signed one act adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure in accordance with Rule 79 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure. The title of the act will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

I have received the results of the vote on the election of Quaestors. The results are as follows. Number of members voting: 688. Blank or void votes: 12. Votes cast: 676. The absolute majority needed, therefore, for election in this round is 339. The votes were cast as follows: Monika Beňová: 487 votes Christophe Hansen: 576 votes Karol Karski: 321 votes Fabienne Keller: 479 votes Marcel Kolaja: 277 votes Anne Sander: 622 votes Congratulations, therefore, to the following candidates who have obtained an absolute majority: Anne Sander, Christophe Hansen, Monika Beňová and Fabienne Keller. That means that there is one seat that remains to be filled for the election of Quaestors and, therefore, we need to have a second ballot. Unless there are any comments, I take it that the remaining candidates in the first ballot are still standing and will still stand. OK, I see that there are no comments in this regard. Therefore, the second ballot will take place at 14.30 this afternoon. (The sitting was suspended at 11.05)

For the election of the Quaestors of the European Parliament, I now propose setting the deadline for candidacies tonight at 22.00. Candidacies should be lodged at the Deputy Secretary-General’s office, R00.101 in the Louise Weiss Building or be printed, signed and scanned to be transmitted electronically.

The result of the second ballot in the election of the Vice—Presidents are as follows. Members voting 698 Blank or void ballots 7 Votes cast 691 Absolute majority 346 The votes were cast as follows. I will read them out: Nicola Beer 410 votes. Mara Bizzotto 211 votes Fabio Massimo Castaldo 251 votes. Heidi Hautala 294 votes Marcel Kolaja 239 votes Dimitrios Papadimoulis 329 votes Michal Šimečka 494 votes Roberts Zīle 403 votes So that means that the following candidates have obtained an absolute majority of the votes cast: Michal Šimečka, Nicola Beer and Roberts Zīle. Congratulations on your election. Two seats now remain to be filled in the election of the Vice—Presidents, and therefore we need a third ballot. Unless there are any comments, I take it that the candidates in the second ballot are still standing. I see that there are no comments and therefore the candidates in the second ballot will also stand in the third ballot. (The sitting was suspended at 19.02)

With the consent of the political groups, I would like to submit to the Chamber the following proposal for changes to the final draft agenda of Tuesday, today i.e.: the Election of Parliament’s Vice-Presidents, the second vote, originally scheduled from 17.00 to 17.45, will now take place from 17.30 to 18.15, thus announcing the results at 19.00; the Election of Parliament’s Vice-Presidents, the third vote, originally scheduled from 19.00 to 19.45, will now take place from 19.30 to 20.15, and the results will then be announced at 21.00. If there is no objection, these changes are approved.

Thank you, and now we get to work. I will now give the floor to the speakers on behalf of the political groups. I start by inviting Manfred Weber, chair of the EPP Group, to take the floor.

Already then, the call for a stronger Europe existed. We must now ensure that the Conference on the Future of Europe has the support that it needs to ensure concrete outcomes, and especially we must listen to our youth on this year that is dedicated to them. Dear fellow Europeans, climate change is ravaging our continent and our world. It is no longer a problem for another generation to deal with. If you believe science – and this House does – the question is no longer if, but when. The European Green Deal and the pledge to be the first carbon—free continent is the right answer. This is not only a necessity and an urgency, but it is also an opportunity for Europe to take the lead, to reinvent itself, to ensure growth, sustainability and prosperity, while reducing emissions. We must impress on the rest of the world that the fight against climate change is a common destiny – because tomorrow is too late. And we must continue to show that you cannot decouple the environment and the economy. Businesses, from start-ups and SMEs to larger corporations across our Union, require legal certainty, easier access to funding and an innovative spirit and environment in Europe. They need less bureaucracy and more chances to take the risks that will see Europe once again regain its competitive edge. The Recovery and Resilience Fund will help our investment to relaunch after the pandemic. Like the green transition, the digital transformation creates opportunities, and we need to be at the forefront of these changes and steer it – and we will. Our European way of open economies and open societies is a model that I am proud of. It is a model that must be given the support to withstand the pressure it comes under. And this is a pressure to look inwards, to erect new barriers, to put up old borders and abandon our shared Schengen space – a space we have a duty to complete – or any attempt to discredit our values and principles. Konrad Adenauer said European unity was a dream of a few. It became a hope for the many, and today it is a necessity for all of us. Dear colleagues, the world around us is less friendly than it was a generation ago. The unacceptable attacks on Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and the dangerous situation in Belarus are prime examples of this, and our collective security is a common challenge. For the European Union to remain credible and exert its influence globally, we have to remain principled. This is our true strength. For autocrats and despots, the EU is a threat simply by existing. As Tarek Osman put it so eloquently, ‘Europe has, after all, curated the most beautiful, refined way of living humanity has ever known’.

"Everyone would feel better on our planet if they could hear Europe's loud voice": Valéry Giscard d’Estaing spoke in his opening speech at the Convention on the Future of Europe in 2002.

I will honour David Sassoli as President by always standing up for Europe, for our common values of democracy, dignity, justice, solidarity, equality, rule of law and fundamental rights, for the politics of hope and the promise of the European Union. I want people to recapture a sense of belief and enthusiasm for our project. I believe to make our shared space safer, fairer, more just and more equal. Dear Europeans, in the next years, people across Europe will look to our institution for leadership and direction, while others will continue to test the limits of our democratic values and European principles. We must fight back against the anti-EU narrative that takes hold so easily and so quickly. Disinformation and misinformation, further amplified during the pandemic, fuel easy cynicism and cheap solutions of nationalism, authoritarianism, protectionism and isolationism. These are a false illusion, offering no solutions – because Europe is about precisely the opposite. It is about all of us standing up for one another, bringing our people closer together. It is about all of us defending those principles of our founding mothers and fathers that led us from the ashes of war and holocaust to peace, to hope and to prosperity. Honourable Members, our House matters. It matters to our judges under attack, to our healthcare frontliners under pressure, to every woman in our Union still fighting for her rights, to the vulnerable, to the oppressed and the abused. It matters to those forced to flee natural disasters, to the families of those killed in terror attacks, to our armed forces and law enforcement serving under difficult conditions, to those seeking protection, to our farmers, NGOs and entrepreneurs. It matters to our LGBTI communities, to those still discriminated against because of their religion, their skin colour or gender identity, to all those who believe in the promise of Europe. This House matters, and when people look to us to defend our values, they will find an ally. Dear colleagues, my generation sees no old and new Europe. We are the first of the Erasmus generation and the last of the Wałęsa and Havel generation. We understand that equality of opportunity is different from making everyone the same. We celebrate differences in Europe because we know that is what makes us stronger, what makes us unique, what makes us European. And we know that, if people are to look to Europe with confidence, we must burst through the Strasbourg and Brussels bubble to bring Europe, its ideas and its decisions to people in different towns and villages across Europe.

It is with great sadness that today we are preparing to give our last, moved greeting to our President. Europe has lost a leader, democracy has lost a champion and we have all lost a friend. David was one of us. He was a man of great vision and deep convictions. Both as a man and as a politician he has always been able to translate into concrete actions the values in which he believed. Fate has wished him to be President of this House at a particularly difficult and delicate time. By taking bold decisions, he fought for Parliament to remain active during the most critical months of the pandemic. This allowed us to continue our legislative work and to adopt important legislative packages that Europe and its citizens needed. But he also wanted, firmly, to give a concrete sign of solidarity, making Parliament's structures available to the most fragile and in particular to women subject to violence. He has never shirked the challenges and in these two and a half years he has led Parliament with dignity, balance, honour and clarity of purpose. In his latest public statement, President Sassoli looked back over the past year and said: "In this year we have listened to the silence of the planet, we have been afraid but we have reacted, and we have built a new solidarity, we have fought alongside those who ask for more democracy, more freedom, alongside women who ask for rights and protections. To those who ask to protect their thoughts. Alongside those who continue to demand free and independent information. David fought bravely to the end. His battle against poverty, injustice and isolation will set an example and his call to Europe to protect the most vulnerable, to abandon indifference and to help build a new world that respects people and nature will continue to resonate for a long time to come in these classrooms. He was respected and appreciated for his outspoken way, his commitment to our European ideals and his unwavering determination to make this world a better, fairer and fairer place. Today, Parliament joins Alessandra, his wife, and their children Giulio and Livia, in mourning his untimely death. Before he was president, he was a father and husband. Perhaps that's why our first conversation was about the challenges of politics and the family, about the importance of making a mark, about making a difference. David made a difference. He left a mark. Once, someone said: Great lives are those in which people hear a call, they have the sense of a vocation. David felt that vocation, always with a smile. Last week, in Rome, people who knew him classified themselves into two categories: You were either his friend or his great friend. In his work there was no hatred, no acrimony, no resentment. His commitment to Europe did not come from politics alone. As a journalist, he was determined to find the truth. As President, he led this institution with the dignity, rights and freedoms of all at heart. In the difficult days of recent years, he has guided us with wisdom, balance and foresight. His words inspired us. His actions have encouraged us. His calm frankness comforted us. Dear David, you were a friend, a mentor, a leader: Destiny wanted you to leave us prematurely, when you still had much to do, but this Assembly will honor your work and treasure your legacy. This Parliament, your Parliament that you have loved so much, thanks you for what you have done. On behalf of all your colleagues and all those you have met in this incredible adventure, I address to you my last moving and grateful greeting. Thank you David, thank you President. (Applause)

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the proposed Council decision on provisional emergency measures for the external border with Belarus based on Article 78(3) TFEU (2021/3017(RSP)). I would like to remind Members that, for all debates of this part-session, there will be no catch-the-eye procedure and no blue cards will be accepted. In addition, as in recent part-sessions, remote interventions by Parliament’s Liaison Offices in the Member States are foreseen. I would also like to remind Members that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central podium. I therefore kindly invite you to keep your eyes on the list of speakers and to approach the podium when your speaking time approaches. I also inform you that at 19.00 I will set up this session to be able to announce the results of the votes taken earlier today. I invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anže Logar, to introduce the debate on behalf of the Council.

The Group of Democratic Socialists has notified the President of decisions on changes regarding appointments within the Committees. Those decisions will be included in the minutes of today's sitting and shall enter into force on the date of this announcement.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Andreas Schwab, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector (Digital Markets Act) (COM(2020)0842 - C9-0419/2020 - 2020/0374(COD)) (A9-0332/2021). I would like to remind Members that, for all debates of this part-session, there will be no catch-the-eye procedure and no blue cards will be accepted. In addition, as in recent part-sessions, remote interventions by Parliament’s Liaison Offices in the Member States are foreseen. I would also like to remind Members that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central podium. I therefore kindly invite you to keep your eyes on the list of speakers and to approach the podium when your speaking time approaches. I will start by inviting the rapporteur Andreas Schwab to address and introduce this topic.

Good morning, colleagues, the sitting is open. The next item is the joint debate on – the report by Peter Jahr, on behalf of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (COM(2018)0392 - C8-0248/2018 - 2018/0216(COD)) (A8-0200/2019), – the report by Ulrike Müller, on behalf of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 (COM(2018)0393 - C8-0247/2018 - 2018/0217(COD)) A8-0199/2019, and – the report by Eric Andrieu, on behalf of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products, (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, (EU) No 251/2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine products, (EU) No 228/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union and (EU) No 229/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands (COM(2018)0394 - C8-0246/2018 - 2018/0218(COD)) A8- 0198/2019. I would like to announce to all colleagues that, as per previous sessions, there will not be a catch-the-eye procedure and blue cards will not be accepted, and also, as we have had in previous discussions, we will have colleagues who will connect from Parliament offices in the Member States. Also we will remind all colleagues that the speeches will be given from the central rostrum and, therefore, once you are approached please get to the point so that we can proceed smoothly.

Mr President, Tiemo and myself, as co-rapporteurs, come from different committees and different political families, and we have come together for a shared purpose, presenting this cross-party, cross-committee report in plenary today in what I consider to be a very important moment. Important for our institution, that MEPs came together to adopt a report that protects journalists. Important for our European democracy that this report is not only adopted but also implemented. Important for our societies’ gatekeepers that they know that we have their backs when they have nowhere else to turn to. Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits that seek to muzzle our journalists and provide a chilling effect on public participation. They do this by financially and emotionally draining their targets, starting out with threats and continuing with legal action. Trends have shown an increase of these kinds of lawsuits over the past years. We need to be clear: this is not about people not being able to protect their reputation, this is about the abuse of our legal systems, and there is a fine balance that we have managed to achieve in this report. The SLAPP strategy is simple but effective, with criminals literally shopping around our jurisdictions, scouting out favourable laws to serve their purposes. In effect, this means that individual journalists are faced with a number of lawsuits filed against them in foreign jurisdictions. At that point, journalists are faced with a choice: stop reporting the facts or face costly and lengthy lawsuits in another foreign country. So journalists lose the case before it even starts. In some Member States, lawsuits are filed against them in their personal capacity in legal systems they are unaware of and have no connection with, meaning that, if they leave their job with a media house, the case could still follow them around. Mounting a defence is practically impossible, so those with the means get what they want and the story is effectively killed. Our message is: this is unacceptable. These lawsuits do not seek to obtain a favourable outcome, but they seek to intimidate. We have a system today that favours those who seek to hide the truth over those who seek to expose it. So there is no equality of arms in the system. There is no justice in the system, and we in this Parliament want to change that. This European Parliament has long been at the forefront of calling for a new anti-SLAPP legislation, and we want this report to be the foundation of a new EU anti-SLAPP directive. We have made sure that we have as many safeguards as necessary to protect our press, our journalists and civil society from SLAPPs while remaining within what is possible under the EU treaties. We are calling for a reform of the Brussels 1A Regulation to prevent forum shopping, and calling for the introduction of a uniform choice of law rule for defamation and the Rome 2 Regulation to give legal certainty. What we want do is combine legislation with complementary measures and create a system where judges are able to take a quick a priori decision that would see obviously vexatious lawsuits dismissed quickly and this means investing in training and creating systems that would allow for this. Our report calls for a fund, as said by my colleague, for SLAPP victims, for legal fees, legal aid, psychological support, training and an online information and support hub for potential victims of SLAPPs. We can make a difference. We look forward to listening to you, colleagues, the shadow rapporteurs we have worked excellently with, and also to you, Commissioner, we look forward to hearing from you.

The next item is the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU-Belarusian border, in particular in Poland. High Representative, I would like to welcome you.

We are still waiting for the arrival of the High Representative. We will suspend for a couple of minutes and then we’ll start immediately. (After the arrival of the High Representative)

The first item on the agenda is the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the humanitarian situation at the Belarus border (2021/2964(RSP)). I remind you that you will be able to request a catch-the-eye intervention and a blue card question via your voting device, after your ballot paper has been inserted. Therefore, I invite you to always get your voting document. The instructions were made available in the Hemicycle. If you wish to register for the catch-the-eye procedure, I invite you to do so from now on, without waiting for the end of the debate.

As mentioned in the email received on Monday, from this session we will start testing some of the proposed measures to reform plenary sessions, such as the possibility to have blue cards even for a short intervention and to allow for follow-up questions of 30 seconds. In addition, during the debates Members are free to choose where to sit in the Chamber, except for the first two rows that are assigned to group leaders. Members are therefore invited to occupy the posts of the first rows of their groups. I would also like to remind Members that interventions in the Chamber will continue to be made by the central podium, except for catch-the-eye interventions, blue card questions and points of order. I therefore kindly invite you to keep your eyes on the list of speakers and to approach the podium when your speaking time approaches. (The sitting was suspended for a short time.)

Ms Melchior, thank you for this. I understand a lot of colleagues have written to the President and have received replies. This is a very broad and important discussion that we should take in the appropriate bodies of the Parliament. It is in fact under discussion at the level of the different competent bodies, but point taken. Thank you very much, Ms Melchior.

The ITRE Committee decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, pursuant to Rule 71(1) of the Rules of Procedure. The report, which constitutes the negotiating mandate, is available on the plenary website and its title will be published in the minutes of the sitting. According to Rule 71 (2) Members or a political group or groups reaching at least the medium threshold may request in writing by tomorrow, Thursday 11 November at 24:00, that the decision to enter into negotiations be put to the vote. If there is no request for a vote in Parliament on the decision to enter into negotiations within the deadline just mentioned, the committee may start negotiations.

The EPP, Renew Europe and ECR Groups informed the Chair about decisions related to changes in appointments within committees and delegations. These decisions will be recorded in the minutes of today's sitting and shall enter into force on the date of this announcement.