Speeches

– Madam President, honourable Members, on behalf of my colleague, Commissioner Vălean, who cannot participate in this debate due to other institutional commitments, I would like to thank the TRAN Chair, Karima Delli, the shadow rapporteurs and the rest of the Committee for their quick and constructive work on our proposal to update the Driving Licence Directive. This is a historic piece of legislation, if adopted. This will be the fourth such directive since the original one adopted in 1980. Today, we are so used to the fact that we can drive across the European Union with one driving licence that it seems difficult to imagine when driving licences were not automatically recognised between Member States. Since 1980, we have gathered countless best practices, closed loopholes, implemented important reforms and adapted to a changing world. The revision again improves what we already have. It does not seek to reinvent the wheel, and I would ask you not to support amendments that could hamper the elements which would work well and are the basis of a well-established system. Amendments to the definitions and minimum-age requirements currently in force fall into this category. These are especially important for categories B and B1. I would also like to remind you that introducing the concept of demerit points to the directive is problematic, as this would likely prove to be technically challenging to implement considering there is no harmonisation of road traffic offences and penalties at the European level. Moreover, demerit points schemes, where these are used, vary significantly from one Member State to another. I would ask you to instead focus on issues on which we put attention when drafting the proposal. One concerns the accompanying driver scheme in the European Union. We are proposing that it should be open to 17-year-olds for licence categories B and C, as we wish to build on the positive results seen in the Member States that already have such a system. We now want to make the scheme mandatory. Anything less will cancel out the positive impact on road safety, and it will also diminish its contribution to tackling the current shortage of professional drivers. I want to remind you once again that the road freight sector had around 400 000 unfilled positions at the last count. I would also ask for your support for our proposal to raise the minimum standards used to ensure fitness to drive. This applies to all drivers, regardless of age. Today, Member States have no mechanism in place to ensure that category A and B licence holders are medically fit when they renew their licence 15, 30 or 45 years, or even longer, after it was issued. We want to make clear that all drivers who are fit to drive should be allowed to do so. However, holding a driving licence is not only about entitlements, it is also about responsibilities. Between 5% and 15% of all traffic accidents can be attributed to the driver’s medical fitness. I want to make reminder that the Commission chose to include in its proposal the possibility to do a self-assessment, which we still believe to be viable and proportionate on our way forward. I would urge you to support amendments that uphold our level of ambition, so that we can help citizens understand when it is safe to drive. Finally, I would like to thank you for your support on the probationary period for novice drivers, the European Union digital driving licence, the new system for the exchange of third-country driving licences and the easing of language requirements for driving licence applicants living in Member States other than their own. Each of these measures is key to ensuring that the fourth Driving Licence Directive achieves its goal: greater road safety and facilitation of free movement within the European Union. I look forward to this interesting debate and to the adoption of your report, which I am certain will help improve safety on our roads and will offer more opportunities for our citizens wanting to exercise the right to free movement.

– Madam President, dear Members, first reply to some of your comments. First of all, this is not a foreign-agents law. We are not asking for any labels to be assigned to anyone. In fact, we are including safeguards against such actions. We are not limiting who can participate in the European public space, and we are not prescribing any penalties or limitations for those who receive funding from foreign entities. All we are asking is that, when you get funding from abroad, you declare who paid for that specific campaign. We want to know who we are talking to. So we are strengthening the basic insuring transparency. On adding too much burden on the civil society, someone asked about this. You know what, creating transparency is worth the small cost of registration. It’s only those who receive money for specific projects from foreign entities that have to register. There will be one single digital gateway, which sets up a one-stop shop to provide information about the rules and procedures in the single market. On Rangel, who is not here, he said that representative democracy must remain. Of course, nobody wants to replace representative democracy. But when we introduced deliberative or participative democracy, it was only to complement through inclusion of citizens. We talked about this a lot during the Conference on the Future of Europe. On Ruiz Devesa, yes, I won’t say that it was a fault, but there were reasons for abolishing this multilingual digital platform. But we are in procedure, just about to start the new ‘Have your say’ platform, which is coming soon and will have the Citizens’ Engagement Platform, just to let you know. And on Mr Bilčík, thank you very much for cooperation with INGE because with this package, the European Commission is also responding to the proposals of the European Parliament. I refer particular to the reports of the special INGE Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes. And with this package in particular, the recommendation on civic participation, this is an explicit response to the final report of the Conference of the Future of Europe, specifically to proposals number 36 and 37, which aim to enhance and strengthen the participation of citizens in European policymaking. We also respond to proposal 38 on democracy and elections, which propose to, I quote, ‘strengthen the links between citizens and their elected representatives, taking into account national specificities and citizens’ desire to be closer to them and have a feeling that their concerns lead to specific action by elected representatives in the European Parliament and national parliaments’. This was a quote from the final proposal of the conference. Honourable Members, this shows that representative democracy is alive and kicking in the European Union, but we cannot be complacent. We need to defend democracy, as all of you have said here, citizens are not objects of democracy, they are participants. And when even one citizen is strengthened in their ability to engage in a democratic process, then democracy as a whole is strengthened. So we have to bear this in mind. I want to thank you for this excellent debate. But my colleague Věra Jourová will have more and she will conclude.

– Madam President, dear Members, as Vice-President Jourová has said, this is a diverse and rich package which aims to strengthen and defend our democracy from threats wherever they may come from. She has spoken to you about two aspects of this package, while I will present how we are working together to strengthen the resilience of our democracy from within. I was not born in a democracy, as all of you know. Throughout my political life as mayor, as a national politician, to when I was a Member of this Parliament, I have fought hard to build democratic resilience. I did not have the privilege to live in a democracy, so it is hard to believe today that in 2023 we still need to defend and protect our democracies. But this is the reality we are living in, and this is why I am firm that we will not sacrifice our identity or our open, transparent democracy for anybody. Authoritarians thrive on a closed society. The European Union does not. This package keeps our open society open. But openness cannot mean that we are vulnerable or weak, and a crucial aspect of that is achieved by creating a space for engagement and participation of citizens and civil society organisations in public policymaking processes. We have a unique European public space which complements the national and local contexts within which citizens are active. We are providing a robust framework to encourage Member States to reach out to citizens in innovative ways. We provide standards and concrete guidance on how this can be done. We insist on four points: clear and accessible rules of citizens’ engagement; second, on ensuring inclusiveness and widest possible participation of citizens; third, developing media literacy and critical thinking from an early age; and the fourth, providing feedback to citizens. This recommendation builds on the major and unique exercise that was the Conference on the Future of Europe and its follow-up. It includes European citizens’ panels that we have embedded into our processes. We are not asking Member States to do something we have not done ourselves. At the Conference, citizens asked for greater participation in their democracy. So besides organising citizens’ panels, the Commission has also launched the Child Participation Platform and the JRC Competence Centre on Deliberative Democracy. We are approaching elections at the European level, as all of you know, and also in some Member States, elections where many new young voters will participate for the first time. We need those elections to be robust, but we also need to ensure that citizens are engaged in the time between elections. This tool protects our democracy. It can only be effective if all European citizens feel that they are part of the policymaking and directly affecting their lives, that they are listened to. Citizens must be able to feel and see that their democracy delivers to them. Authoritarians try to undermine democracy at its roots, and we are protecting these roots by offering this democracy defence package.

– Madam President, it is evident that the substantial amount of work done to strengthen research careers in Europe needs to be adequately implemented at all levels, if we want the real improvement of careers on the ground. The support of the European Parliament will be paramount in this respect. The Commission is fully committed to further strengthening the initiatives undertaken within the European Research Area and the Horizon Europe programme. I would like to respond to Mr Kelly and Mr Flego. The proposed Council recommendation addresses adequate remuneration, including for young researchers. And the pilot for the attractive careers, which I mentioned, is extremely important to improve careers and working conditions of young people, and also young and early-career researchers. Through the support for the implementation of the framework conditions, we expect young and early-career researchers to benefit from more attractive careers. This includes, for example, better remuneration and working conditions, more stable jobs, adequate social protection rights, inter-sector mobility experiences that are not only fostered but also properly valued, gender equal careers and a more balanced circulation of talents. At the same time, the Horizon Europe pilot call in support of attractive research careers that I mentioned earlier, they will provide us with information on what kind of initiatives could be put in place to foster a collective investment effort in support especially of young and early-career researchers. These measures will also allow Europe to be more competitive in the global race for talents. We want to keep our talents in Europe, and we want to have the conditions in place for being attractive for international talents – this is also part of my demography portfolio. To support implementation and to improve the situation on the ground, it is important to have data allowing for evidence-based decisions. In this regard, the Research and Innovation Career Observatory will play a crucial role. It will be developed in partnership with the OECD and will provide, on an annual basis, data and evidence on research and innovation careers, with a specific focus on skills and qualifications, on working conditions and employability, and on geographical and inter-sectorial mobility. And to conclude, please be reassured that research careers will remain high on the Commission’s agenda, including in the ERA Policy Agenda 2025-2027, which is currently being discussed with Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe and other stakeholders.

– Madam President, honourable Members, I very much welcome the opportunity to discuss with you the important issue of young researchers or early-stage researchers. Allow me to begin by mentioning the specific actions that the Commission is undertaking in the European Research Area, in consultation with Member States and stakeholders. We have made a proposal for a Council recommendation on a European Framework for Research Careers, which we hope will be adopted by the Council by the end of the year. This recommendation covers many different aspects, including specific measures in support of early-career researchers. We will set up a dedicated observatory on research careers to improve our knowledge and data about these issues. We have developed a European Competence Framework for Researchers to foster the transversal skills of researchers and support mobility between sectors, which is already available online. We are developing an ERA talent platform as a one-stop-shop where researchers can find all available resources. We support reform of research and researchers’ assessment to move towards an assessment system that takes into consideration the overall impact of researchers’ outputs, activities and practices on research and innovation, and not only publications. We are preparing a Horizon Europe pilot call in 2034 with the objective of putting together inter-sectoral consortia, where partners join forces to improve the career opportunities for early-stage researchers. Finally, we are organising an EU TalentOn that challenges young researchers, 21 to 35 years old, to find solutions on the most pressing global issues. The next edition of the EU TalentOn will be part of the Katowice European City of Science in 2024. The Commission considers it essential to ensure a broad talent base for scientific research and to attract students and graduates to research careers in Europe. And the initiatives that I have mentioned certainly have the objectives of addressing this. The proposed Council recommendation and the new Charter for Researchers annexed to it aim at strengthening research careers in the entire European research area and countering regional divides, unbalanced talent circulation, as well as gender inequalities. In this respect, the Commission is also designing initiatives that can foster the exchange of good practices and lessons learned among Member States, including by means of mutual learning exercises. Regarding gender equality, the new Charter for Researchers includes also provisions on combating gender-based violence and sexual harassment, which are serious and under-recognised issues. These topics are also part of the ERA policy agenda, European Research Area Policy Agenda 2022-2024, and will be addressed by the upcoming project Gender Safe, funded by the 2023 Horizon Europe WIDERA Work Programme. You know how much the gender issue is close to my heart, and I am particularly sensitive to how the Commission supports projects that integrate arts, humanities and social sciences to STEM disciplines, the so-called STEAM approach to make STEM careers more appealing also to women. A range of activities are also developed under pillar three of Horizon Europe, including the Girls Go Circular initiative run by the EIT, and the package of measures introduced by the European Innovation Council to support women leadership in Europe’s deep tech industry, such as the Women TechEU scheme, offering early-stage financing, coaching and mentoring and which has already benefited 130 women-led deep tech startups. Also at operational level, Horizon Europe foresees that academic and research organisations benefit from a gender equality plan to ensure gender-equal and inclusive working environments. Allow me also to note that young and early career researchers’ precarity resulting from consecutive short-term project-based contracts is among the biggest challenges affecting the attractiveness of research careers in Europe. Again here, the proposed Council recommendation advocates limiting the use of fixed-term contracts, calls for a broader use of more adequate funding mechanisms and promotes career advisory and support services for researchers. It also addresses social protection rights to make sure that the researchers at all career stages can benefit from adequate levels of protection. Allow me to say a few words about inter—sectoral mobility. Making careers interoperable between sectors is very important. It helps close the gap between researchers and the labour market needs for highly skilled talents, and it enriches the spectrum of opportunities for young and early-career researchers contributing to addressing precarity. Here again, the Commission is proposing dedicated initiatives which include an ongoing mutual learning exercise steered by the Commission coordination and with the participation of 18 Member States. A widening action in Horizon Europe called ERA Talents, which promotes cross-sectoral staff exchanges in R&I, where there are now nine projects running, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and the support of mobility offered by EURAXESS. At the same time, the Commission aims to reinforce careers in academia and the return of researchers to the academic path, and has recommended to Member States to consider the adoption of tenure-track systems. Brain drain is a complex issue caused by the interplay of several factors, including unattractive research environments and inadequate working conditions. There is a need to address the roots of this problem via system reforms that can lead to sustainable, long-term solutions. Several measures have contributed to reduce brain drain in the past, such as return grants or ERA fellowships. I believe that the implementation of the Council recommendation and of all other instruments, including the ones listed in the Harnessing Talent in European Regions communication, will be key in addressing this, both within the Union as well as in relation to young talents leaving towards third countries outside the Union. And last, a word about public investment and R&I. The competitiveness and attractiveness of the European R&I system also depends on the level of investment by the public and private sector. Resources invested at the level of the Union are only complementary to the national efforts. The Pact for R&I in Europe, adopted in 2021, reaffirms the Union-level target on investing 3% of Union GDP in research and development. The pact also refers to additional voluntary targets including 1.25% of Union GDP of public investment to be achieved by Member States by 2030. The level of investment in R&I is still far below these ambitious objectives at this moment, and 2.3% of GDP. The Commission will, of course, continue to urge investments in line with these targets.

– Mr President, thank you very much for this fruitful debate. Allow me to thank you again, and not only for the debate, but for the work that Parliament put in on this new digitalisation of justice package. It is a key step to achieve the digital transformation of judicial cooperation in cross-border cases. It is also a crucial piece of legislation to ensure an uninterrupted access to justice to everyone. The Commission – we will be back! The Commission stands ready to deploy all efforts to facilitate the implementation of these new pieces of legislation to ensure their timely application. Once again, I thank you for your attention.

– Mr President, honourable Members, I am pleased to be with you today for this debate about the new regulation and directive ‘digitalising judicial cooperation and access to justice in cross-border civil, commercial and criminal matters’. I am replacing Commissioner Reynders, who unfortunately could not be here today. Let me start by expressing the Commission’s appreciation for the swift conclusions of the negotiations on this file. The Commission welcomes the agreement reached, and we already started preparing for the implementation of the new rules following the ambitious timeline set out by this legislation. The final agreement reflects the main objectives of the initial Commission’s proposal. We are very satisfied that the common ground has been found on all points. In particular, the Commission welcomes that co-legislators maintained the mandatory use of the digital communication channel for the competent judicial authorities and the optional use for citizens. The Commission is also satisfied with the compromise found on video conferencing in civil, commercial and criminal matters. The choice of implementing acts for establishing the decentralised IT system is particularly accurate, not only from the point of view of consistency with previous similar initiatives, but also because it underlines the implementation character of the measures to be adopted by the Commission. The digital transformation changed the way we live, the way we do our work, the way we cooperate within the European Union. And justice is no exception to this trend. The use of digital tools will empower judges, prosecutors, citizens and companies. Access to justice and judicial cooperation in a cross-border context will become smoother, seamless and more resilient to crisis. The Commission believes that the new rules will improve the delivery of justice and will increase the trust in the justice systems. They will also create a safer and more secure environment for communication between the authorities of different Member States, while saving time and costs. I would like to thank you for the work done, and notably for the support of the rapporteurs, Marina Kaljurand and Emil Radev, as well as both LIBE and JURI committees. Thank you for your attention.

– Mr President, honourable Members, we heard many different and shocking stories this morning, but also we heard figures, which makes us even more alert. This international day is an important occasion to take stock of what has been done to end such violence, but, more importantly, it gives us the opportunity to assess what still needs to be done. The immediate and long-term physical, sexual and mental consequences of violence for women and girls are devastating and can limit women and girls’ active participation in society, from employment to education and politics. President von der Leyen, in her State of the Union this September said here, in this House, ‘I know this House supports our proposal on combating violence against women. And here too, I would like that we cast into law another basic principle: “no means no”. There can be no true equality without freedom from violence.’ Just to reply to some statements on the Istanbul Convention and this directive. The proposal aims to achieve the objectives of the convention in the area of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. It supports the European Union’s accession to the convention by introducing sectoral minimum standards, while not preventing Member States from maintaining a high level of protection. On one hand, the proposed directive is more limited than the Istanbul Convention because it is limited to the area of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. On the other hand, within its scope, it goes further than Istanbul Convention, as it incorporates, as binding minimum rules, several of the best practices highlighted by GREVIO in its recommendations to state parties, and it addresses online violence specifically. Dear colleagues, dear honourable Members, now, more than ever, we need the support of all players to ensure the quick adoption of this directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. This adoption will be an important step towards ensuring that the people living in our Union live freely and safely, without fear of violence, in a Union of equality. Let us demonstrate that with our actions in the months ahead before European elections.

– Mr President, dear honourable Members, we mark this international day on 25 November annually as, unfortunately, violence against women and girls remains a pervasive violation of human rights in the European Union and around the world. Violence against women and girls remains one of the least prosecuted crimes, and it is a key barrier to progressing on women’s rights and to safeguarding the common values of our Union as a whole. I thank this House and its Members for being a strong ally in keeping the eradication of violence against women and girls high on the European Union political agenda. Since the adoption of the gender equality strategy in 2020, we have achieved significant progress in multiple areas of gender-based discrimination and equality, transforming our political commitments into meaningful actions. We remain inspired by the vision of a brighter future and present for women and girls in all their diversity, in particular those facing gender based and domestic violence. This year, the European Union finally acceded to the Istanbul Convention, marking a major step forward in making Europe a safer place for women and girls. The European Union is now bound by ambitious and comprehensive standards to prevent and combat gender-based violence, in judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement, and in its public administration. But there is no single solution to such a deeply ingrained systemic issue. This is why our legislative proposal on combating violence against women and domestic violence is so important. I would like to thank this House for your invaluable support on this important matter. The proposal includes the criminalisation of certain offences amounting to violence against women, such as rape based on a lack of consent, female genital mutilation, the non-consensual sharing of intimate and manipulated material, as well as cyber harassment and cyber incitement to violence or hatred. Additionally, the proposal guarantees the protection of victims of violence against women and domestic violence, as well as their support and access to justice and the prevention of such forms of violence. Compared to the Istanbul Convention, it implements new obligations of the European Union following its accession to that convention in judicial cooperation in criminal matters. As things stand, time is running out to adopt this directive before the upcoming European elections. We must keep pushing for progress. The European Commission very much appreciates the efforts of the European Parliament negotiating team. Let me notably thank the two co-rapporteurs, Evin Incir and Frances Fitzgerald, to ensure an outcome matching the ambition of our proposal. Looking ahead, we are working on a recommendation to prevent and combat harmful practices against women and girls, as announced in our gender equality strategy. With this recommendation, we intend to encourage Member States to take action to address female genital mutilation, forced and child marriages, honour-related violence, forced abortion and forced sterilisation and other harmful practices that disproportionately affect women and girls. On 29 and 30 November, the Commission will hold the first meeting of the newly established European network on the prevention of gender-based and domestic violence, which will bring together Member State experts and key stakeholders to explore emerging issues and discuss new practices. The role of men and boys in the prevention of gender-based and domestic violence is key and will be a key focus of the network. In the G7 setting, the European Union contributes to the strengthening of the accountability of the leaders’ political commitment and to ensure gender mainstreaming is a cross-sectoral principle in the G7’s activities. We also continue to be fully engaged as co-leader of the Generation Equality Forum, Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence and UN Women. On the International Day, the Commission is joining the UN’s global campaign to end violence against women. The European Union expresses its unwavering support for women and girls who have suffered from violence as victims and survivors, and we condemn the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war. We stand with our partners, civil society, women’s rights groups and human rights defenders in their call for justice and accountability.

– Madam President, honourable Members, this year marks 15 years of Russia’s illegal presence in Georgia, since the war in 2008. The European Union’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Georgia is as strong as ever. We condemn Russia’s continued military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which violates international law and the commitments undertaken by Russia. Local communities continue to suffer from humanitarian challenges and human rights violations. The killing of Tamaz Ginturi is yet another blatant violent violation of human rights committed by Russian Federation border guards in Georgia. This adds to the list of Russia’s illegal activities in the Georgian-occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and demonstrates the deterioration of the human rights situation there. Such actions include fencing along South Ossetia administrative boundary line, repeated and protracted closures of crossing points, as well as the use of force and illegal and arbitrary detentions of Georgian citizens. Russia’s effective control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia continues to violate several provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights. This was underlined by the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment in the interstate case concerning the armed conflict between Georgia and the Russian Federation in August 2008. Since October 2008, the European Union has been fully engaged in conflict resolution efforts in Georgia. It has done so in the capacity of co-chair in the Geneva international discussions and through the efforts of the European Union’s Special Representative. The European Union monitoring mission, present in Georgia for 15 years now, remains the only legitimate international presence on the ground. The mission has played a central role, among others, in enabling the communication among the parties involved, deescalating tensions on the ground and monitoring the situation following the killing and illegal detention of two Georgian citizens. The European Union reconfirms its commitment to stabilisation and conflict resolution in Georgia and reiterates its firm support to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. We urge all parts of this conflict to engage constructively in the discussions to achieve the full implementation of the six-point agreement of 2008, and we urge Russia to fulfil all its obligations. The European Union’s Special Representative will insist once again on the European Union’s expectations during the Geneva international discussions this December.

– Madam President, almost four months after the coup in Niger, President Bazoum is still detained, with his wife and son, in the presidential palace in very difficult conditions. He has not resigned as the junta leaders would like. The EU should continue to pay tribute to his courage and perseverance. Since the beginning of this crisis, the High Representative has been very clear. On many occasions he has called for his release and for a return to constitutional order. We are supporting ECOWAS’ efforts in reaching these two objectives. For the time being, although some likeminded countries have practically accepted the situation and are engaging with the junta, thereby weakening ECOWAS, the European Union does not believe that such unconstitutional changes can be trivialised. The experience in Mali and Burkina Faso clearly shows that military coups do not lead to positive changes, either for the country or for the region. We should encourage Niger to reach an agreement with the US for the return to the constitutional order, and we should stand by our views that this is the best way of ensuring peace and prosperity for the people of Niger and beyond. The October European Council has called for the immediate release of President Bazoum and his family, and has also tasked the High Representative / Vice-President and the Commission with presenting options for European Union actions and instruments. That is what the relevant services are working on in view of the next Foreign Affairs Council on 11 December.

– Madam President, honourable Members of the European Parliament, this year’s Sakharov Prize shows the European full support for human rights and the respect, protection and fulfilment of fundamental freedoms, in Iran and elsewhere. We were all impressed and moved by the extraordinary courage of women and men in Iran following Mahsa Amini’s death in September last year. The decision of the Nobel Committee to award the Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi also demonstrates how crucial the role of civil society is for peace and democracy. The world wants to see her free and not going on yet another hunger strike to improve her situation. The European Union is concerned about the continued progressive deterioration of human rights in Iran. Repression and intimidation continue in a deplorable way, particularly against women. We are also concerned about the current pace of executions in the country, with at least 550 individuals executed since January, according to unofficial estimates. We have reacted decisively to the violent crackdown on protests over the past year, including through ten rounds of sanctions. We continue to raise human rights violations, executions as well as individual cases in every diplomatic opportunity with the Iranian authorities, such as the very disturbing death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand. Regarding the arbitrary detention of several European citizens in Iran, our position is very clear. As outlined in the Council conclusions of December 2022 and the statement of the High Representative on behalf of the European Union in February this year, we strongly reject this unlawful practice and call upon Iran to end it immediately. We must keep our critical engagement with Iran in order to be able to work for the release of all European citizens in coordination with the Member States concerned, so we must keep diplomatic channels open. European Member States have the primary consular responsibility for these cases. That is why we have strengthened our coordination. The High Representative and his team are using every opportunity to express to the Iranian authorities our firmest disapproval of these distressing, unlawful and unacceptable that detentions, including the illegal detention of our dear colleague Johan Floderus, for whom we have, of course, a different responsibility, as he is a European Union employee. We will continue to work relentlessly for the freedom of all unjustly detained European citizens in Iran.

– Madam President, honourable Members, a few months ago, in March, we had a rich debate about the European Citizens’ initiative ‘Save bees and farmers!’, which was mentioned by some of you this evening. That debate clearly indicated how European citizens have great expectations for European policies in support of pollinators. I want to thank you for your efforts to build on that, and for the strong support you have shown since the very beginning of the European Union pollinators initiative. I very much look forward to working with you further – not only me, but my colleague Sinkevičius – as we roll out the New Deal for Pollinators. There is nothing more to add.

– Madam President, honourable Members, it is a great pleasure to see the support from this House for the EU pollinators initiative. All of us know that we cannot live without pollinators. Without them, our food security, livelihoods and nature are seriously undermined. Right now, bee, butterfly and hoverfly populations continue to collapse, with many on the verge of extinction. Hence, the Commission revision of the 2018 pollinator initiative, with the new framework adopted in January this year. Together with the proposals for nature restoration and the sustainable use of plant protection products, it forms a new deal for pollinators with the potential to reverse the decline. The trilogues on nature restoration are over, political validation is now taking place by both co-legislators, and our binding target to halt the decline of pollinators by 2030 is now in sight. This target will be crucial for their effective protection. I will try to reply to your questions. You ask how the Commission assesses the compliance of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans with the goals of the pollinators initiative, and how the current CAP measures on biodiversity can help protect pollinators. Based on an assessment of the local conditions and needs, Member States prepared a national CAP strategic plans for the period 2023–2027, explaining how they will channel support to achieve the economic, environmental and social objectives of the CAP. The Commission assessed how CAP support can bring positive effects on pollination and ecosystem connectivity in the agricultural land. The strategic plans have been in place in place since January, and they support numerous practices that bring benefits to biodiversity and pollinators. Enhanced conditionality with a range of environmental conditions to be met by all farmers receiving CAP support now covers some 90% of all EU agriculture areas. Almost EUR 100 billion – one third of the entire CAP budget – is used to support the environmental and climate transition to 2027. Ecoschemes make up at least 25% of the budget for direct payments, and rural development instruments allocate at least 35% of their budget to environmental practices supporting our organic farming and landscape features, reducing pesticide use, and conserving or restoring biodiversity on agricultural land. Member States can make adjustments in the plans to ensure the appropriate uptake of the interventions, while maintaining the overall level of environmental ambition. The updated guidance document for the risk assessment of bees from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has been much approved and now applies to more pollinator species. It will be applied by amending the relevant implementing regulations very soon. The risk of pesticides to non-bee pollinators is included in the general approach for non-target arthropods. As a major input for this, the EFSA has started updating the guidance document for terrestrial eco toxicology. In addition, ongoing research will enable a more system-based environmental risk assessment for pesticides and may allow further revisions of the risk assessment methodology. Now to question two – a question on indicators and monitoring. The revised pollinators initiative will establish a holistic monitoring framework, enabling us to assess the state of pollinator populations and investigate key drivers of their decline. A number of monitoring initiatives along these lines have been launched by the Commission in the last five years. Looking to the future, it will be important to integrate a wild pollinator indicator that will be developed under the Nature Restoration Law in the future performance monitoring and evaluation framework of the CAP, recognising their critical importance. The Commission is developing options for a farmland pollinator indicator, which should cover the most relevant pollinator groups on the basis of a methodology that is scientifically robust. Now, just quickly, the reply to question three – a few words on capacity building to finish with. One major impediment of effective pollinator monitoring is simply a lack of tools and experts. That is why the Commission is now implementing the ORBIT and Taxo-Fly projects, building essential tools for professional taxonomists and citizen scientists. We are also considering options for supporting the training of new taxonomy experts. And lastly, the youth for pollinators pilot project, largely funded by this House, envisages a small grants facility for youth projects. The results will increase our understanding of the cost-benefit ratio of small grants and the best ways to address implementation challenges.

– Mr President, honourable Members, I would like to thank you for sharing your views on enlargement policy and for further stressing the importance of the Copenhagen criteria. But before thanking and concluding, I would like to reply to a few questions. First to Mr Mariani, who unfortunately left, and to Ms Konečná, on Ukraine. Only a few words. The question was: has Ukraine received special treatment due to the war? Ukraine accession process is merit-based. Ukraine has gone through the regular steps that each country who wishes to join the European Union needs to take. Since the granting of candidature status, the European Commission has published its analytical report on Ukraine’s preparations for EU accession in February 2023, and it has updated Member States on progress towards meeting the seven steps of the Commission Opinion, and Ukraine has been included in the Enlargement Package for the first time this year, alongside with Moldova and Georgia. As such, no special treatment has been given to Ukraine in the enlargement process. Despite Russia’s war of aggression, Ukraine made significant progress in the implementation of the seven steps since the European Council of June last year. Ukraine has established a transparent pre-selection system for the Constitutional Court judges and reformed the judicial governance bodies. Ukraine has ensured the appointment of independent heads of the anti-corruption agencies, and has built a credible track record of high-level corruption investigations and convictions. To sustain these efforts, Ukraine took additional measures, such as the implementation of the State Anti-Corruption Programme and the restoration of the electronic asset declaration system, also with some shortcomings. Ukraine has also advanced on the alignment of its Anti-Money-Laundering Framework with the Financial Action Task Force Centres. It has adopted a comprehensive strategic plan for the reform of the law-enforcement sector. It has stepped up systematic measures against oligarchs in such areas as competition and political-party funding, and agreed to revise an anti-oligarch law to bring it in line with European law or European rule of law standards. Ukraine has aligned its media law with European Union law, and continued to strengthen the protection of national minorities by amending the laws on minorities, and the laws on education, and taking measures to implement them – just to mention a few. On Bosnia and Herzegovina, to colleague Željana Zovko, once again, we have to reiterate this: the Commission has recommended the opening negotiations once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved. President von der Leyen was clear: the Commission is opening wide the door to European Union membership and inviting Bosnia and Herzegovina to walk the walk through it, including by showing results on addressing the Opinion key priorities. The enlargement process remains merit-based, and we expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to deliver. The Council will discuss the conclusions on enlargement by December, and the Commission will report on progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the latest by March 2024. This is very important. So, if someone asks what necessary degree of compliance means, we said that the door is left open for – this concerns the requirement for membership – Copenhagen political criteria, the same formula used in the 2019 Opinion on the membership application, when the Commission identified 14 key priorities on the political criteria. So, by March 2024, we will be ready to assess again Bosnia and Herzegovina’s achievements. As evidenced by Enlargement Package published only a few days ago, 2023 has been an eventful year for enlargement. We are indeed celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Copenhagen criteria. But 2023 also marks 20 years since the Thessaloniki summit, and the first unequivocal confirmation of the European perspective for all Western Balkan countries, and also 10 years since the last enlargement to Croatia, my own country. More than ever, it is time to seize the momentum and make swift progress. I look forward to cooperating closely with our partners on meeting the Copenhagen criteria and working towards an enlarged Union. The European project is not complete without our partners from the Western Balkans and the East. The Copenhagen criteria will continue to guide us on this journey towards an enlarged European Union. Maintaining the current dynamic around enlargement is essential, and we count on that.

– Mr President, honourable Members, 30 years ago the Copenhagen Criteria were established by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and strengthened by the Madrid European Council in 1995. They set clear benchmarks on the basis of which aspiring European Member States’ accession paths could be assessed. The Copenhagen criteria are the following: First, stability and institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for, and protection of, minorities. Second, a functioning market economy and the ability to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the European Union. And third, the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including the capacity to effectively implement the rules, standards and policies that make up the body of European law, the , and adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union. The criteria must be met for accession. They constitute a central element of our enlargement policy and remain a key pillar of our policy. Our yearly enlargement reports analyse the stability of institutions, the rule of law, known as the fundamentals of all aspiring European Union Member States. The functioning market economy and ability to cope with competitiveness are core to the economic chapters. We examine the alignment with the European in our annual enlargement package, and in more detail during the screening process and when opening chapters during accession negotiations. Two weeks ago, as all of you know, we adopted a big enlargement package. Then country reports for the first time and the growth plan for the Western Balkans. The Commission recommended that the Council open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. The Commission recommended the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia Herzegovina. Once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved, latest by March of next year. Further, we recommended to grant candidate status to Georgia on the understanding that certain steps are taken. A functioning market economy and the ability to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the European Union are equally important as democratic institutions. This is why we are boosting investment and economic growth even before accession. The aim of the growth plan is to boost the economy of the Western Balkans in the next years, in order to close the socio-economic gap between the Union and our partners by the end of this decade. The offer provided by the Growth Plan is therefore a unique opportunity for the Western Balkans to speed up their economic growth and convergence with the European Union, as well as through targeted reforms accelerating the path towards European Union membership. Therefore, the Growth Plan is creating the possibility of early integration of the region into the European Union even before they join our Union. This House has a key role in making it happen. The financial pillar of the growth plan, the EUR 6 billion growth facility, needs to be adopted during the mandate of this Parliament, as we have no time to waste. Honourable Members, the Copenhagen Criteria have stood the test of time. They capture the essence of what a candidate country needs to do in order to prepare its political, economic and legal system for European membership. But most importantly, they are an expression of the foundation and values on which the European Union is built. The existence of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for, and protection of, minorities, the existence of functioning market economies, and the ability to take on the obligations of membership. We must continue building our joint future based on these criteria.

– Mr President, honourable members, dear colleagues, I want to thank you for your views and for your comments. Before I start concluding, may I reply to Ms in ‘t Veld, to Mr Georgiou, to Mr Fuglsang. I will repeat, the European Commission opened an infringement procedure by sending a letter of formal notice to Cyprus on 14 July this year, on the grounds of its incorrect transposition of the current, fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive. Cyprus had notified the complete transposition of the directive, but the Commission has identified several instances of incorrect transposition, mainly related to the functioning of the national beneficial ownership register. The Commission is closely following once again the situation and assessing recent developments in Cyprus, as Cyprus has recently launched its electronic system of beneficial ownership register, last week, on 14 November, with the rollout of the entire system planned for 2024, as I said in my introductory remarks. I want to mention some of the measures in the July 2021 anti-money laundering package, which will strengthen our arsenal in the fight against money laundering. First, there is the European anti-money laundering authority. In the Commission proposal, the authority will be responsible for supervision and support financial intelligence units. Second, the single EU rulebook will bring more consistency, with detailed rules for the private sector in a directly applicable regulation. In the Commission proposal, we addressed auditors, trust and company services providers and other enablers. These enablers present specific risks, as emphasised by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The rules in the anti-money laundering regulation would apply also to these operators, not only to banks or financial institutions. Our proposed package is also ambitious on the transparency of beneficial owners. Non-EU legal entities linked with the European Union would have to sign up to the European Union’s beneficial ownership registers. We have already agreed on some groundbreaking parts of the package – that includes the Transfer of Funds Regulation and the Markets in Crypto Asset Regulation. This means that new technological avenues for money laundering and terrorist financing are covered. We do believe our future rules will help make sure that European Union gatekeepers are well supervised and carry out their work well, whether they are inside or outside the financial sector, and regardless of which Member States they operate in. So I repeat my call to Parliament and the Council to conclude negotiations on the anti-money laundering package as soon as possible and with as much ambition as possible. We also have efforts on the taxation side of things. The Council recently adopted the eighth Administrative Cooperation Directive. This sets rules for reporting crypto-asset transactions and allows for the automatic exchange of information between tax authorities. Finally, it is important that the Council addresses the use of shell structures within the European Union. We have a directive pending, which should be concluded quickly and ambitiously.

– Mr President, the Cyprus Confidential investigation has made serious allegations of sanctions circumvention and money laundering in Cyprus. According to the investigation, there may also have been instances of tax avoidance or even tax evasion involved. We note that the Cypriot authorities have already announced that they will investigate these matters. We are raising these issues with them too. A year and a half after the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it is essential for us to stay vigilant about any violation or circumvention attempts that could weaken the intended impact of our sanctions. As you know, we have 11 packages of far-reaching sanctions in place. The High Representative and the Commission proposed a 12th package on 14 November. This is currently being discussed in the Council. We take any allegation of breaches of European sanctions very seriously. We have also been determined to drive forward a very ambitious agenda to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. As a result, the European Union has some of the toughest money laundering rules in the world, thanks also to the commitment of this House. As you know, we are working to strengthen our tools to fight money laundering with the ambitious package under negotiation. There is no room for complacency. We have to ensure that European rules are correctly implemented by Member States and European operators to prevent crime, protect the European Union financial system and ensure sanctions are enforced. In July, the Commission opened an infringement procedure against Cyprus on the grounds of incorrect transposition of the fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive. This action was taken before the Cyprus Confidential investigation. We keep a close eye on the implementation of European law. This infringement mainly relates to how the national beneficial ownership register works. The beneficial ownership register is a pillar of any national framework against money laundering. It contains data on the beneficial owners of companies and trusts: who actually owns what. A complete and accurate beneficial ownership register is essential for enforcing sanctions because it can help identify the true owners, who often are behind complex corporate structures. The EU Member States are responsible for implementing and enforcing sanctions. The Commission has dedicated significant efforts to support Member States in this task. We provide guidance and bring national authorities together on a regular basis to exchange data and best practices. We want to help make sure that sanctions are uniformly applied across the European Union. We set up the ‘freeze and seize task force’ to improve the cooperation with and among Member States on sanctions implementation. But there will always be unscrupulous actors looking to make a profit no matter what, including by violating or circumventing sanctions. Violating sanctions is a crime in most Member States, but how offences are defined and the types and levels of penalties differ significantly across the Member States. To address this problem, the Commission last year proposed a directive to harmonise definitions and penalties for sanctions violation. The proposal contains a detailed list of criminal offences targeting violations of different types of European sanctions, such as asset-freeze measures, sectorial measures, travel bans and arms embargoes. The list of criminal offences also covers specific cases of sanction circumvention. I want to thank the rapporteurs, the shadow rapporteurs and their teams working on anti-money laundering files and the proposal on the violation of sanctions. I know that Parliament takes these matters as seriously as the Commission does. The Commission is closely following developments in Cyprus. Last week, 14 November, Cyprus launched its electronic system for the beneficial ownership register. The roll-out of the whole system is planned for 2024. The Commission is working closely with national authorities to address risks of circumvention, including providing guidance and legal clarity. In June of this year, a Commission delegation travelled to Nicosia to meet Cypriot officials responsible for sanctions implementation and enforcement. Cyprus is setting up a National Sanctions Implementation Unit. We are watching these efforts closely. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we are available to help the relevant authorities in Cyprus on this matter. I look forward to your views.

– Mr President, honourable Members, this debate shows that Hong Kong matters to the European Union. We have strong economic ties. The European Union remains the largest foreign business community in Hong Kong. Some 1 600 companies are in business in Hong Kong. The last year, the European Union was Hong Kong’s third largest trading partner in goods, after mainland China and Taiwan. At the same time, Hong Kong matters to the European Union because the deliberate dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy, democracy and fundamental freedoms affects us directly. The European Union, as a matter of foreign policy and as a matter of values, will consistently speak out on the right of people to express themselves. The European Union will also continue to remind China of the need to uphold its international commitments. The European Union Office in Hong Kong is constantly monitoring political developments and human rights. Together with European Union Member States in Hong Kong, the European Union Office regularly conducts trial observations – already 112 this year. This European diplomatic presence is valued by civil society in Hong Kong, and it marks our determination to stand up for rights and values which are universal. And to Mr Lega and others, although he left, we showed repeatedly that we are ready to react decisively to address serious human rights violations around the world. When it comes to Hong Kong, we are closely following the situation. We have made it clear that developments in Hong Kong have an impact and on all EU-China relations. We continue implementing the July 2020 package, as already said, but at this stage, we are not currently considering additional measures. As for restrictive measures or sanctions – because he asks about sanctions, any decision to designate persons or entities under an existing sanctions regime, or to amend an existing sanctions regime or set up a new regime, is for the Council, who is here now, to make, acting by unanimity.

– Mr President, honourable Members, Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong over three years ago, in June 2020. Since then, we have witnessed the rights and freedoms that the people of Hong Kong enjoyed in the past decline rapidly and dramatically. Hong Kong has changed fundamentally. The political opposition in Hong Kong is now effectively muted. Most independent media outlets closed. Many civil society organisations disbanded. More than 280 arrests have been made under the National security law or colonial era sedition legislation. The trials of Jimmy Lai, the so-called Hong Kong 47 and Stand News are emblematic cases that we are following closely. The European Union strongly condemned the extraterritorial application of the national security law in July, when Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants and bounties for eight pro-democracy activists living outside Hong Kong. EU Member States adopted Council conclusions in July 2020, setting out the initial European response to the imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong. That position of the Council remains largely valid and it continues to guide our action. The national security law also threatens to undermine judicial independence. For instance, the executive decides if a case affects national security and it handpickes the judges that preside over national security cases. Sweeping changes to the electoral system have also severely weakened democracy in Hong Kong. This is illustrated by the district council elections coming up in December. Not a single pro-democracy candidate has passed the new nomination procedure. There are no signs that these drastic changes are likely to be reversed. On the contrary, additional national security legislation is being prepared. China has failed to implement its international commitments under the Senior British Declaration of 1984. Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong were supposed to be guaranteed until at least 2047. It is crystal clear that China has consciously dismantled the one country, two systems principle. The European Union will continue to raise human rights concerns with China. Human rights dialogues are an integral part of our frank exchanges with China, and in particular in relation to Hong Kong we will continue to remind China of its international commitments. We will do so in direct contacts, including the upcoming EU-China summit, as well as through public statements. Despite the drastic changes, there are still political and social aspects that distinguish Hong Kong from mainland China. The internet remains largely unrestricted. The media landscape is still more diverse, despite most independent outlets closing down. And there have been positive court rulings on equal treatment of same sex couples. In short, some pockets of freedom persist. The European Union will continue to implement the July 2020 Council conclusions. Our coordinated measures in response to the national security law.

– Mr President, dear honourable Members, I was listening carefully the whole afternoon. This was a very interesting debate, and as Executive Vice-President Šefčovič already underlined, I would like to thank Parliament and the co-rapporteurs. Mr Verhofstadt, Mr Simon, Madam Bischoff, Mr Freund, Mr Scholz, I would like to thank all of you for this report and for the impressive work you have done in the past year. The Commission is ready to fully play its role, as already said. As regards this Parliament’s proposal for treaty changes, it will be first and foremost for the Council and the European Council to follow up on Parliament’s resolution. Let me use this occasion to refer back to the Conference on the Future of Europe, which I had the honour of co-chairing jointly with Guy Verhofstadt, one of the co-rapporteurs on this important report, and with the Presidency of the Council. The conference was a unique process involving citizens in policymaking. It produced valuable and meaningful results. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have committed to following up effectively on the conclusions of the conference, each within the remit of their competences and in accordance with the Treaties. Your report is one of the important responses to the final proposals of the Conference of the Future of Europe. Beyond its content and proposals to change our founding Treaties, this report shows that all institutions are doing their part in following up upon the proposals from the conference. As already said, the Commission stands ready to fully play its institutional role in the procedure set out in the Treaty. From the outset, I want to assure you of the Commission’s full commitment to play an active role in the process. The Commission is also committed to continuing to follow up to the conference, as shown in our Commission’s work programme for 2023 and for 2024, largely based on initiatives that are directly or indirectly linked to the conference, also by integrating citizens panels as a new form of engaging citizens in our policymaking. As we prepare for the challenges ahead, we will remain inspired by this approach.

– Madam President, honourable Members, once again, we thank you for your support for the European Child Guarantee. We take note of your calls for strong governance and adequate funding. There were several questions and I will try to reply to a few of them. Madam Jongerius and Mr Andrews ask about how to further invest in children. So, we agree that we have to further invest in early childhood education and care and in the meals for children in schools. It was already done with the ESF+, but I have to tell you, Member States should do more. Madam Nicholsonová – she is not here anymore – on Roma children. They have been direct beneficiaries of the pilot projects under the Child Guarantee preparatory action in Croatia and Bulgaria, and Commissioner Schmit and I, visited one such site and witnessed this on the ground. But again, we need more. Once again, I must draw attention to the fact that primary responsibility for the implementation of the Child Guarantee lies with Member States. If you remember at the Porto Summit, we committed to lifting at least 5 million children out of poverty by 2030, and we are still far from that. I agree with you that more decisive actions are needed to move into this direction and to reverse these negative trends. We are committed to continuing to work with the European Parliament on advancing the fight against poverty and we will closely follow up on your report. The world of tomorrow, all of us know, is likely to be very different from the world we know today. The green and digital transitions require that today’s children are well equipped and have equal opportunities to thrive in the years to come. Demographics change, our third transition is bringing challenges and opportunities for all generations and, as all of us know, our societies will become longevity societies – 50% of children who are born now may reach the age of 90 or 95. Cycles of poverty and disadvantage start early on, and will impact our lifestyles and societies throughout the entire lifecycle. We therefore need to ensure an equal start in life for present and future generations, in an inclusive society where each voice is heard. This is why we are putting so much emphasis on child participation in policymaking. As all of us know and would agree, children are part of the solution. The universal protection of children’s rights is an increasing reality on the ground. Yet, what is hardly won can be easily lost. Our collective work will only be done when we have successfully put an end to child poverty and have social inclusion for all children. We need to make sure that intergenerational solidarity and fairness become a reality of our everyday work; that children can enjoy the rights they have now and their rights as future generations. My colleague, Commissioner Schmit and I, look forward to continuing to work with you on this file, and I hope that we can move the world on in this and I want to thank you once again for this interest in this on the International Day on the Rights of Children.

– Madam President, honourable Members, exactly 34 years ago, on November 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is in commemoration of that milestone event that we celebrate World Children’s Day today. It is a reminder that children’s rights are human rights under any circumstances and everywhere. The four guiding principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are: non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the right to survival and development, and the right to be heard. They are also reflected in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. It is important to recall them every day, like today. The theme for World Children’s Day 2023 is ‘Every child, every right’ – for every child, peace, for every child, a liveable planet, for every child, a voice. Yet, on this World Children’s Day, the European Union is particularly concerned for the well-being of children living in situations of armed conflict, forced displacement and protracted humanitarian crises. Unfortunately, our television screens and social media feeds are full of the daily horrors inflicted upon children around the world, be it from Gaza to illegal child deportations from Ukraine, terrorist attacks in Israel and armed conflicts from the Sahel region to Yemen and Myanmar. Children do not start conflicts. They deserve and need peace. We as adults, as caretakers, as policymakers, we have an obligation to protect and promote all rights of all children and to ensure that they can live in dignity. This is also the Commission’s understanding and our approach to the rights of the child, as we laid down in the European Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee. While the European Union is one of the most equal and prosperous regions in the world, we have not yet fully eradicated poverty. Child poverty in Europe is not acceptable. Currently, every fourth child lives at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This requires decisive actions at all levels. This is what the report on reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times of crisis for children and their families calls for. And we can all agree, children growing up in poverty are less likely to do well in school. They are less likely to enjoy good health. They are less likely to realise their full potential later in life. This Parliament has been at the forefront of the European Union policy actions to support the most vulnerable children. We highly appreciate that the proposed Children First Resolution pays attention to the quality of the national action plans, adequate financing, stakeholder involvement, and proper governance and monitoring. All these aspects are key also from our point of view. I want to thank my dear colleague, Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, for all his work. Eight years ago, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on reducing inequalities, with the special focus on child poverty calling for a Child Guarantee. Today, the Child Guarantee is a reality. We welcome the fact that 20 European Union Member States have set national targets on child poverty reduction. We see that in 2022, the number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion decreased in 19 Member States. We see 19,100 fewer children affected by poverty in Italy, 86,000 fewer children affected by poverty in Greece. While we welcome these figures, we remain concerned that this significant progress is offset by increases in eight other Member States. But we must not be complacent. The Commission is tirelessly working with Member States to ensure that progress is being made, and we are happy with the constructive approach by the national coordinators. A number of concrete actions have been taken – for example, school meals have been introduced in Croatia and in Luxembourg. In Bulgaria, a future for children’s health prevention programme will support approximately 14,000 families. Honourable Members, you have called for better monitoring. We are now working jointly with the Social Protection Committee to establish a common monitoring framework. The results should be available in a matter of a few weeks. Results from the programming show that combating child poverty has been defined as a specific objective in programmes of 23 Member States, totalling EUR 6.1 billion of European financing or EUR 8.9 billion if national contributions are added. Next March will be another opportunity to take stock. European Member States should report on their progress in implementing the Child Guarantee. Here, we must draw attention to the fact that primary responsibility for implementation of the Child Guarantee lies with the Member States. We recall that an investment in children is a tangible investment in their societies and their economies. We must preserve this stability as we all know how fragile it is. Sustainable investment in children will be key. I thank you and I look forward to this debate.

– Madam President, we heard a lot. I want to thank you for this rich debate. Let me comment on some of your comments. Many of you mentioned cyberbullying, and just to clarify, with the entry into application of the Digital Services Act, the European Union now has powerful new tools to tackle mental health risks online, in particular for minors and young people. Many of you mentioned the risk to psychological health. The Commission will work in close cooperation with the national digital service coordinators in the supervisory framework established by the Digital Service Act. Some of you mentioned also effective age verification. So we are working on it. Just to mention a few ongoing actions. The Commission is preparing an age verification toolkit on the Better Internet for Kids platform to raise awareness of existing, effective and privacy preserving methods of age verification. This will include an age verification self-assessment tool for digital service providers and the child family friendly explanation of relevant solutions. The first meeting of this age verification toolkit will take place in November, around the Safer Internet Forum for this year. The Commission is also issuing a standardisation request for European standards on online age verification. And also the Commission is exploring the development of a European Union wide recognised digital proof of age based on the date of birth, within the framework of the electronic ID proposal and building on preliminary work such as the EU consent pilot projects. The topic could also be addressed in the better internet for Kids+ code. So there is much of ongoing work. Many of you mentioned also sexual abuse. Since sexual abuse will be an extra legislative piece, I don’t have enough time to explain this, but as all of you know, for us, child sexual abuse is a serious crime with long lasting, actually lifelong consequences. And it has both offline and online components, as all of you mentioned and it knows no borders. So our firm position is that children have the fundamental right to have their best interests assessed and taken into account as a primary consideration in all our actions that affect them. But on sexual abuse, we will talk separately. Regarding the role of school in education, which I already mentioned in my introductory remarks, for us, safer internet for kids centres are the strategies, direct connection and influence with schools across the European Union. We are enlarging and strengthening this network. Member States have to ensure that digital education and awareness rising become part of the education curriculum. For us, schools play a crucial role in implementation and implementing the BIK+ strategy. We are launching large-scale media literacy campaigns, also targeted at schools and teachers who can act as multipliers. The Commission seeks to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities the digital age offers children. We will continue to provide a safer and better online space for children in line with the broader legislative framework and other policy priorities. We will involve children along the way, providing them space to express their views, involving them in the policymaking and delivering child-friendly communication. As I said, the network of safer internet centres will continue to be one of the most important tools. Of course, we aim for all children, including those in vulnerable situations, to benefit from this BIK+. I wanted to tell you that we cannot act alone. This requires the active engagement and commitment from Member States, from industry, from civil society, and from users themselves and also from international cooperation. So we really greatly appreciate the European Parliament’s support for the new strategy for a better internet for kids and for this resolution. Regarding empowering children, we fully recognise that the importance of empowering children and giving them the skills to navigate the online world confidentially themselves. This is why Better Internet for Kids seeks a balance between empowerment and protection with children themselves being involved in all work streams. Online protection, digital empowerment and digital inclusion are European as well as global challenges. It’s not only European, so we have to bear this in mind. By joining forces, we can address these issues more effectively and more efficiently. Finally, our goal must be nothing less than a safe, secure and trusted digital space as a cornerstone of our digital society, for every child and for everyone, everywhere.

– Mr President, honourable Members, thank you for putting this important topic on the agenda today. As you said, children are digital natives. They play, they create online, they learn, they interact. The time children spent online almost doubled between 2010 and 2020 in many countries. A majority of children report to use their smartphones daily or almost all the time. One in six children are reportedly on social media sites on a daily basis. The past decade has seen the emergence of unprecedented opportunities for children, for digital education, entertainment, social contact and active participation in society. It can also generate unprecedented risks. In this digital decade, it is a priority for this Commission to ensure that children are protected, respected and empowered online. This is why it was so important to revise and reinforce our Better Internet for Kids strategy, which was first adopted in 2012. The new Better Internet for Kids+ strategy, presented by Commissioner Breton and myself in May last year during the European Year of Youth 2022, addressed the multifaceted challenges of the digital era with children’s best interests at its heart. As you already said, the strategy has three key objectives: first, a safe, age-appropriate digital environment; second, digital empowerment; and third, the active participation of children. With regard to a safe digital environment for kids, the Digital Services Act put new rules in place for the digital world with strong provisions to protect minors. Targeted advertising based on profiling towards children is no longer permitted. In addition, we are launching the development of a code of conduct for age-appropriate design in spring 2024, ensuring that digital services and content is tailored and suitable for children. The co-funded network of Safer Internet Centres, which are the backbone of Better Internet for Kids+, operate in nearly all Member States, offering localised resources and helplines. At national and local level, the network organises campaigns and activities fostering digital skills and confidence. Last year, Safer Internet Centres visited over 12 000 schools across Europe, supporting teachers with their expertise. The Safer Internet Centres should be seen as one-stop shops for child online safety. They are a very valuable asset and we encourage the Member States to promote them as such. This network is helping us gather evidence on how industry implements – you asked about the industry – how industry implements the Digital Service Act provisions on protection of minors. In 2022 last year, the network of Safer Internet Centres and the Better Internet for Kids platform reached more than 31 million European citizens. As every child matters and no child should be left behind, we are directing these centres to focus on children with special needs from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds and we will measure this outreach. Upcoming features on the Better Internet for Kids platform include a parent space and the Teacher Corner. This will help us raise a digitally literate and informed population. But there is more: the Better Internet for Kids strategy goes hand in hand with the Digital Education Action Plan, which presents a strategic vision for an effective and high-quality digital education for all. In this vein, I would like to recall the Commission’s two proposals for Council recommendations. The first one on key enablers for effective digital education and training, and second one on improving the provisions of digital skills through education and training. Whatever technology and devices children use in the coming years, the European Union needs up-to-date knowledge on the trends, risks, but also on opportunities these present. It is key to continue to invest in European research, as we have done in the past. Under the ‘Safer Internet’ programmes, we started ‘EU Kids Online’, which has since become a global standard for research in the field. We also set up CO:RE, a knowledge platform which offers publications and studies from across Europe on children’s digital lives. We are now exploring funding opportunities to carry out new research, including pan-European surveys. In addition, Better Internet for Kids+ knowledge hub and the Better Internet for Kids platform will allow easy access to evidence and practical insights on how the digital transformation is affecting children. We cannot discuss the Better Internet for Kids without mentioning the role of young people. Last year, over 470 events were organised throughout Europe by the Safer Internet Centres with youth participation, including peer-to-peer learning and intergenerational learning. Young people will also help shape the code of conduct of Better Internet for Kids+ and monitor the implementation of the strategy. As announced in the Rights of the Child strategy, the European Children’s Participation Platform is now up and it is running in partnership with the European Parliament and child rights organisations. This platform will systematically involve children and young people in decision-making. And finally, if we want children to exercise their rights, they must be able to understand the language we use. The child-friendly version of Better Internet for Kids+ is available in European languages and in Ukrainian language and a child-friendly explanation of the Digital Service Act will soon follow. So, this is for the beginning. I listen to your comments and maybe I have some more replies.