What Maria spoke about.

20 Nov

2023

RO Speech

Common rules promoting the repair of goods

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Madam President, Commissioner, honourable colleagues, sure, citizens often ask us what we do for them, specifically, what we do for them? Here is a new example: in addition to roaming, in addition to the common charger, we are now once again giving consumers and citizens in our countries something concrete: Right to repair. Let's not imagine that until now it has not been repaired, but everyone ha…

20 Nov

2023

RO Speech

Framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology products manufacturing ecosystem (Net Zero Industry Act) (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, of course, the Commission has set itself a reindustrialisation strategy. Ultimately, the European Union must increasingly decrease its dependence on imports from third countries. We know what happened to us in the pandemic. Value chains are not being restored and it is clear that the transition must not shatter SMEs. That is why I believe that we must rely on…

20 Nov

2023

RO Speech

Children first - strengthening the Child Guarantee, two years on from its adoption - Reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times of crisis for children and their families (joint debate – International Day of the Rights of the Child)

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Doamnă președintă, doamnă comisară, stimați colegi, au trecut 34 de ani de când s-a declarat Ziua Internațională a Drepturilor Copilului. And where are we? We have 5 million children in poverty, and I am not talking about the crisis, the pandemic, the war, I am talking about the fact that in these 34 years, in fact, the crisis related to the rights of the child has deepened. I'm not just referring…

9 Nov

2023

RO Speech

System of own resources of the European Union (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, nothing can be more important for the functioning of the internal market than resources, own resources. And it is good that we have this report and we are doing an analysis, but I want to say very clearly: We must stop lending money on the back of the citizen. Commissioner, we have some agencies to deal with, from Europol, the European Court of …

9 Nov

2023

RO Speech

Outcome of the EU-US summit (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, of course, I am also reserved for the results of this Summit. And why am I reserved? I recently visited as Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market in the United States. There were other committees present, a lot of dialogue, but let's remember that in the last term we were not able to finalize in the Trump administration the TTIP and my …

5 Oct

2023

RO Speech

The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today is World Education Day, and let me extend my congratulations and ‘Happy Birthday’ to all those who work and strive for the education of children: teachers, teachers, educators and parents, and to give them the hope that today, on Education Day itself, we are talking here about something extremely important – how to have a strategy for a sa…

5 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Urban wastewater treatment (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the revision of the Directive after 30 years is a necessity. The treatment of urban wastewater is a matter of human health and that is why I think the revision is very welcome and I think that the focus should be on the polluter pays principle. It must not be enough for the citizen to pay to have access to clean water, because it is a citizen's rig…

5 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Financial services contracts concluded at a distance (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, amending Directive 2011 as regards financial services contracts concluded at a distance was a necessity. As we move forward in digitalization, of course we also need adaptation. And I am very glad that by increasing the protection of citizens' freedom of choice also in the area of distance contracts, it increases citizens' confidence to work with d…

4 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Need for a speedy adoption of the asylum and migration package (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the case of migration and what we are discussing today is a clear example that you must not take decisions before regulating. When Mrs Merkel made the decision to let go of migration, but we did not have it regulated, it happened that we had hundreds of thousands of migrants here and, of course, we could not provide them with what they needed. I ag…

3 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, it is not often that we have such a common position in Parliament and I want to thank our colleagues, regardless of the political group, who claimed today that yes, the Republic of Moldova must go on the European path and, if it has to, then we must also support it. And it's not just the funds that are needed. I am a member of the Delegation for the Rep…

3 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Medicine shortages and strategic healthcare autonomy in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, of course, we are discussing a situation that concerns people's lives. Food, water, medicine ensure people's lives after all. I cannot help but say that I agree with what you have put forward, Commissioner, but my natural question is: I have been in Parliament since 2014, why a list of critical medicines that you say you want to do, are we doing it…

3 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Corrupt large-scale sale of Schengen visas (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, frankly, I did not understand your message, Commissioner, and I will explain why. You started by saying that the Schengen area is the greatest achievement of the European Union, then you say that the Schengen area does not work, then you say: ‘Oh, we boast, we had 485 000 tourists’. When are you telling the truth? Do you like to be a free-moving Sc…

2 Oct

2023

RO Speech

Intelligent Road Transport Systems (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, of course, the road transport sector is responsible for many: emissions and, unfortunately, loss of life. We know that efforts have been made in recent years to improve infrastructure. We need to have a smart road transport system. The problem is implementation. I must say, Commissioner, you mentioned the car parks. As a member of the Committee …

14 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Improving firefighters’ working conditions (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are debating the working conditions of firefighters and volunteers, who do the same with qualified firefighters. I want to congratulate all firefighters and tell you that I am proud of the firefighters in my country, in Romania. We celebrated Firefighters Day in Romania on September 13th. Firefighters in my country have participated in …

14 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Parliamentarism, European citizenship and democracy (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is clear that the European Union needs reform. It needs reform so that citizens' trust is at the level we need. President Ursula's speech yesterday did not reach the hearts of the citizens. It was a personal praise. He didn't talk about the citizens. He didn't talk about how to get facts, not words. People expect their lives to improve, and you …

13 Sep

2023

RO Speech

SME Relief Package (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, I must say that I am disappointed because the things you have listed that you want to do for SMEs have been going on since 2014 when I have been in this Parliament. About what? Cutting red tape: We had the Small Business Act, where every piece of legislation had to pass, so that there would be no administrative burden unless something else was brought out. Late payme…

13 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Opening of negotiations of an agreement with the United States of America on strengthening international supply chains of critical minerals (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, of course the question is welcome. What do we do with the agreement with the United States? You are well aware that in the past mandate the TTIP agreement was tried and failed. It was a failure. I believe that America, through the IRA, is practicing protectionism that puts our companies at a disadvantage and it will not be easy to negotiate, but the Commission must carr…

13 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we are debating an extremely important regulation. I think we're debating it late. I think that this regulation should have been launched at least with the launch of the Green Deal, because we need to understand that things must be done at the same time. We cannot launch the Green Deal, we cannot launch the reindustrialisation strategy of the Europ…

11 Sep

2023

RO Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Mr President, Commissioner, there are 32 weeks left and you are out of office, we are out of the European Parliament. One of the mottos of the European Union is that all citizens are equal. I am returning home with sadness, I tell you rightly, because since 2014 I have been advocating for Romanians to have equal rights with citizens and I will give you three examples in which the citizens of my co…

11 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Geographical indication protection for craft and industrial products (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, I want to tell you that I am very glad that we have come to have on the table and to vote, I hope, tomorrow, because I even tried with your minister, Commissioner from France, in 2013, to make such a proposal to the European Commission at that time, because I found that the porcelain from France and the ceramics from Romania were counterfeited on a large scale and I bel…

11 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Consumer credits (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, consumer credit is not for the rich. Consumer loans are for people who need, as the name says, small amounts for consumption, but who need to be protected, and it surprises me that there were colleagues here who said that they would not need to be protected. It's a first step, but it's not enough. There's still a lot of work to be done. I am glad t…

11 Sep

2023

RO Speech

Renewable Energy Directive (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, sure, renewable energy and renewable energy sources are necessary to protect the environment. What we must emphasise, however, is that there must be flexibility and it is good that it is a directive and not a regulation, because, I mean for colleagues who argued that biomass should not be included and that it should be only wind energy, not in all …

13 Jul

2023

RO Speech

Recommendations of the Commission on public country by country reporting transposition (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, I appreciated you, you were a Member of the European Parliament, you were in the bank with us and you were extremely practical in speaking. I agree with many things that you have said, equal opportunities, that we need to implement this directive in all Member States, but it surprised me that in your speech you did not talk about SMEs. You have complained about the pity…

12 Jul

2023

RO Speech

State of the SME Union (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, I will tell you that not as an MEP, but as a former SME entrepreneur and former minister in my country for SMEs. Commissioner, to make it more plastic, I tell you that for SMEs now we have regulations, just like we would put in a one-ton car, ten tons of load. SMEs did not benefit from the reduction. All the rules we have are formal. Ten years ago, when I was minister f…

11 Jul

2023

RO Speech

Accession to the Schengen area (short presentation)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, since 2014, when I have been in the European Parliament, I have been raising the issue of Romania's and Bulgaria's entry into Schengen and we are not begging, Commissioner. It is our right, we have signed the same treaty and we cannot remain - we Romania and Bulgaria - only with obligations and without rights. With what right does Austria - one sta…