What Vytenis Povilas spoke about.

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EN Written Statement

EU-US trade negotiations (debate)

Dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, The EU is a very strong trade power globally. We have a lot of trade agreements with many countries, world-wide. Trump is arrogant and unpredictable, and it is his weakness, but you, commissioner, are reliable and experienced, and that is your strength. We trust you. A deal is possible, the EU goal is to reintroduce tariff levels, explore commercial opportunitie…

9

Jul

2026

EN Answer

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Feasibility of a 28th tax regime and its potential to support EU competitiveness (debate)

My answer is clear: no. We need to understand now, and we need to encourage Member States to cooperate. Cross-border Healthcare Directive requires cooperation. An open method of coordination requires cooperation. Mutual recognition requires cooperation, and of course, also possibilities to encourage Member States to understand that a single market can deliver treatment to people and organise acces…

9

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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Feasibility of a 28th tax regime and its potential to support EU competitiveness (debate)

Madam President, today we are debating the 28th regime for innovative start‑ups and scale‑ups. But underneath this report lies a bigger question: what do we do when 27 national tax systems slow down innovations? If we cannot have full taxation harmonisation, we need a common European layer so that our innovative start-up and scale-ups no longer have to fight 27 tax administrations to grow. It is a…

9

Jul

2026

LT Speech

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Evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy and follow-up (debate)

Mr President, honourable Commissioner. Thank you for the very constructive presentation of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy. I remember your predecessor, Karmenu Vella, who was responsible from Malta, was responsible for the common fisheries policy and raised the same issues that my colleague Bajada is now raising with regard to the fishing problems of third countries in the Mediterranean…

8

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda: EU solidarity and preparedness in global health (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, I fully agree with what you just said about the situation related to vaccines, antibodies and so on, but what we see is climate-sensitive disease spread. Of course pandemics and epidemic threats are ongoing, we have no chance to deny it, but in opposite, we have fragile and shrinking global health financing and global health support. Now when we are discussing about …

8

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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The EU’s role in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the accountability of Israel under international law (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, you just saw a lucky mother with her excellent child. But unfortunately in Gaza the hospitals are destroyed. Hospitals are not battlefields; yet in Gaza, the basic principle of humanity has been broken for too long, colleagues. Since the October ceasefire, the strikes have not stopped and humanitarian access remains conditional and obstructed, colleagues. I am…

7

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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2025 Commission report on Moldova (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, thank you for the excellent report, Sven Mikser. I cannot stress enough the importance of opening all negotiation clusters for Moldova and Ukraine. Article 49 of the Treaty of European Union clearly states that unanimity is required only for the opening and closing of accession negotiations. But what is the European Council doing? The endless unanimity silos…

7

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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2025 Commission report on Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, the European Union proposed clear possible timelines in the Ukrainian accession to the EU. I can tell you: in June 2026, the opening of all six clusters; until the end of 2026, substantial progress in all negotiating chapters; beginning 2027, start of closing all chapters. And where are we now? Only one cluster was opened. It's a shame on the Council…

6

Jul

2026

LT Speech

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Air passenger rights (debate)

Mr President, honourable Commissioner, honourable colleagues. First of all, thank you to the rapporteur Novakov and Virginijus Sinkevičius for the very good work and for the very good overall search for compromises between all political groups. I will not repeat those achievements - on the rights of persons with disabilities, on families, on children under 14 years of age, on better information an…

6

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, Ukraine finished technical screening on all six clusters months ago. The Commission planned to open all six clusters in June. Now, we are here in July and only one cluster is open. Only one. The other five sit in a drawer marked 'not yet' because the Member States are lacking the courage and political will. Yesterday, it was Budapest. Today, Warsaw who finds a new reason to stop t…

18

Jun

2026

LT Speech

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Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles (debate)

17

Jun

2026

EN Speech

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Protecting EU citizens’ data from hybrid threats: the Lithuanian case (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, protecting European Union citizens' data from hybrid threats is of paramount importance in this digital age. When data is compromised, citizens lose confidence not only in their governments, but in the very system designed to serve them. Unfortunately, Lithuanians have experienced exactly this during a recent breach of the national Register Centre. Although …

16

Jun

2026

EN Speech

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Russia’s unacceptable provocative actions and drone incursions into Romania, the Baltic states and Finland (debate)

Mr President, dear Vice-President, colleagues, Russian drones are not lost. They know exactly where they are flying. Over the whole eastern flank, this is a systemic provocation, and the European response must have a common pan-European answer. I want to name one specific vulnerability: the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania. There, the nuclear waste that is stored in temporary above-ground…

16

Jun

2026

LT Speech

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The role of the EU in efforts for peace and stability throughout the Middle East after the announced deal between the US and Iran (debate)

15

Jun

2026

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, colleagues, the European Union formally opened accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, covering the core values on which this Union is built. Ukraine has been delivering reforms under fire. Now it is time for us to deliver in return with adequate financial support. Estimates suggest Ukrainian accession alone requires an extra EUR 186 billion over seven years. The current …

21

May

2026

EN Speech

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The Union’s preparedness for and response to health emergencies: the case of the MV Hondius and the hantavirus warning (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, thank you very much indeed for your very excellent presentation. Of course, let me say to the room, to our Parliament, that we had a Zika outbreak, we had Ebola, monkeypox, COVID-19. Now, once again, hantavirus. It shows how important it is to have in our hands a European solidarity mechanism, EU Civil Protection Mechanism, a strong ECDC and, of course, budget. Commissi…

21

May

2026

LT Speech

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European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Stop destroying videogames’ (debate)

Dear President of the meeting, Commissioner. There are a lot of right arguments here. It is quite obvious that this is an unfair practice on the one hand, that it is a business model, that there is an opportunity to have new and new customers all the time. This is unfair profit and piracy. But it's also important to understand that it's both intellectual protection, creators' rights, and cultural …

20

May

2026

LT Speech

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Rights, support and protection of victims of crime (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner. When I was a member of the Seimas, I had to visit prisons, children's prisons, women's prisons. As Minister of Health, I had to propose solutions to protect the rights of victims. It is very painful because the European Union has ratified the Istanbul Convention, but there are countries that not only do not ratify, but withdraw the Istanbul Convention. There are countri…

20

May

2026

EN Speech

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Recent proposals to fight poverty in the EU (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, welcome. A very nice strategy. Please go forward. But please keep in mind the slogan, 'One Europe. Health and social justice for all, and one market'. You need to send such a narrative around all 27 Member States, because it's about the social component, which is so important in your file: children and poverty. You know that the social determinants in health sho…

20

May

2026

EN Speech

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High time to deliver on the Single Market, providing certainty and predictability for EU businesses and quality jobs (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, you know, this slogan 'One Europe, One Market' is not enough. One market, one health and social justice and one Europe – it is a picture. And we need to think about those three components of our direction. Three components – they are equally valid. You know, I am 75. I was involved in European matters from 1999. I heard about the digital union, the bankin…

19

May

2026

EN Speech

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EU–Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (joint debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, Central Asia is gaining more strategic role in the world politics. Russia and China are both deepening their presence there. Europe should not leave this region behind. We should actively engage with it. The enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with Uzbekistan is our answer. Uzbekistan is the most populous country in Central Asia, a stat…

19

May

2026

EN Speech

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Europe's response to reduced US military deployments in Europe, particularly at its Eastern flank in the light of the latest US decisions (debate)

Madam President, Vice‑President of the Commission, colleagues, for over 70 years the Transatlantic Alliance was the backbone of global security. The U.S. decision to reduce troop deployment in Europe is regretful and irresponsible. The EU is strong in our soft power globally, but in defence not. However, we cannot outsource our security forever. Europe must now take responsibility for its own defe…

19

May

2026

LT Speech

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Question Time with the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - EU’s strategy to address the current crises in the Middle East

Honourable Kaja Kallas, Honourable President of the sitting. In fact, there would be two simple questions for me. One question: Can you already say that the suspension of the Association Agreement that you have proposed can continue to be moved out of place in the Council? And the second question: Can you really assure us that the European Union will not participate in this so-called ‘formed Peace…

19

May

2026

EN Speech

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Presentation of the Fertilisers Action Plan (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, thanks a lot, such a proposed fertiliser plan is a very good one. But of course, we need to discuss not only strategic plans, but also how we can address and react to this crisis because the situation is very unusual. And of course, fertilisers should also be excluded from sanctions, like water, like food. You have no chance to sanction water, to sanction food or to …

19

May

2026

EN Speech

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EU cybersecurity and preparedness in view of advanced AI systems (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, colleagues, it is obvious that the European Union must remain resilient, secure and prepared in the face of rapidly advancing AI technologies. Our democratic institutions, critical infrastructure, healthcare systems and citizens must be protected against new risks and challenges emerging from increasingly sophisticated AI systems. We must strengthen Europe'…