Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, this year, the European Union is spending more money than ever from the budget of the European Union and from NextGenerationEU, the Recovery and Resilience Facility. We have a duty to make sure that this money is well spent. We have to make sure that this money is protected. We see that these budgets are already creating positive results in many countries. In most of the countries of the European Union, these two categories of budgets are flowing. We are seeing hospitals being modernised, schools being digitalised, we are seeing infrastructure being made more competitive, more modern, greener, we are seeing it renewed. But the principle is clear. Money can only flow if rules are respected and the rule of law is fundamental. It is the most important of them all. So far, everyone has agreed. On Hungary, there were deficiencies with regards to the management of EU funds, with regards to the rule of law, and these deficiencies have to be corrected. Now it is up to the Hungarian Government to implement the measures which it has agreed with the European Commission, and then it is up to the European Commission to assess. Our expectation is clear: the Commission should only give a positive assessment once the measures are implemented by the Hungarian Government and money should only flow when money is safe. Money should only flow when it is protected. Our position, as the European Parliament, should be we want to help the people of Hungary as we are helping people in other EU Member States. We hope that the Hungarian Government is not an obstacle in the desire of Europe to help the people of Hungary.

Madam President, dear colleagues, in accordance with Rule 59(4), I would like to request that the matter be referred back to committee for interinstitutional negotiations.

Madam President, dear colleagues, thank you very much for the debate. Thank you very much for the constructive spirit tonight. We have witnessed today that Parliament is united on this important topic. We thank you for the debate and we are looking forward to the vote tomorrow. We are going with a clear united position into the negotiations of the Council and we know that Parliament will further improve this proposal of the European Commission by proposing prefinancing, which will make sure that Member States will receive sooner support, so that vulnerable consumers and enterprises can be helped sooner. We will be supporting the allocation key of the Council. We want to incentivise cross—border projects. We want to make sure that the EUR 20 billion in grants reaches the beneficiaries soon. We also want to make sure that the loans available are mobilised soon. We will fight for transparency. We will fight for the involvement of local and regional authorities. Commissioner, we count on you to stand with Parliament to make sure that governments are transparent when it comes to the final beneficiaries, to make sure that the governments do RePowerEU in an inclusive way involving local and regional levels where justified and having proper consultations. This is the position of Parliament, a united position of Parliament. We are ready to start negotiations with Council immediately. We are ready to formally start next week. Commissioner, we are united in the commitment to finalise, to conclude this process before the end of the year, because you are absolutely right, it is now in winter time that people need support, people need a direction. So we are ready and we are obliged to deliver fast on this. Thank you all for your support and for your participation.

Mr President, Executive Vice-President, Commissioners, welcome back to the European Parliament. Immediately after the beginning of the crisis generated by COVID-19, with all of its economic and social implications, we launched the biggest package of economic support ever launched at European level, NextGenerationEU, with the Recovery and Resilience Facility as its main part. We have been able to support people, enterprises, regions affected by the virus and by the economic and social consequences of the virus. And we have also embarked together on a trip to make our economies, our public systems – education, healthcare – more resilient, to make them stronger so that we can better face the next crisis. The next crisis has come and we are now seeing how important it is to be strong. We are seeing that any vulnerability is a weakness and costs and is a source of insecurity in terms of crisis. We have seen how our energy dependency on the Russian Federation can be a risk to our societies and to our economies. This is why the European Commission has put forward REPowerEU, which is a fund that foresees EUR 20 billion for investments into reducing our dependency on Russian fossil fuels, firstly. And, secondly, improving our energy efficiency – the more efficient we are, the less energy we need to reach our objectives and that also means that we are less dependent on foreign sources. To improve our infrastructure and to better connect our countries and our regions, because this will allow us to move the energy from where we have it to those countries and those regions who would really need it, from an LNG terminal to a country that needs gas from a different, more reliable source as it reduces its consumption of Russian gas. Infrastructure, energy efficiency, reducing the dependency on Russia, and also the transition to a green economy to renewables, these are our priorities. What did we do as a Parliament in this document, which is the position of the Parliament that we will be adopting tomorrow? Firstly, we are proposing that Member States receive a pre-financing of 20% for their REPowerEU chapters exactly as they received pre-financing for the National Recovery and Resilience Plans. It is now that Member States need money, firstly. Secondly, cross-border projects. We need to create an energy union. We need to be better connected. This is why the Parliament demands that 35% of the resources go into cross-border projects, into international projects, projects that would lead to benefits for more than one single country. Cross-border projects in countries which have such cross-border projects, of course, if a country does not have it, it shouldn’t be obliged to do it. But all countries that have them, that can do them, they should do them. Thirdly, the Recovery and Resilience Facility. About EUR 200 billion of the loans are unused for the time being. We, as the Parliament, demand that 30 days after the entry into force of REPowerEU, Member States need to notify whether they intend to access their loans. If not, they should lose the priority in accessing their loans. In simple words, money available under the Recovery and Resilience Facility not used and not accessed should be made available for REPowerEU for countries which need to invest more. And we say no to transfers from agriculture and cohesion policy. There was an initial thinking at the level of the Commission to allow transfers from agricultural cohesion to REPowerEU. Yes, REPowerEU is important, but not at the expense of regions and not at the expense of farmers. This is why the colleagues in the REGI Committee and the AGRI Committee are proposing not to support these transfers and this is also the view of the majority of the Parliament. More transparency in accessing these funds properly involving local and regional authorities, as for smaller energy projects at local level – their involvement is beneficial. This is the position of the Parliament. Thanks to the two co-rapporteurs, thanks to the shadow rapporteurs that have worked with us. We are looking forward to a clear vote tomorrow and then to the trilogues between the Council and Parliament with the support of the Commission in the upcoming weeks.

Madam President, I welcome President von der Leyen, President Michel back to the European Parliament. It is clear that following the last European Council in October, we shall work together now to make sure that we buy gas together, we store gas together, we improve our energy infrastructure, we improve interconnectivity, so we can move energy from where we have it, where it is stored, to those countries, those regions, those enterprises who will need it. We should make sure that we also work on the prices in Europe. In the future, increased gas prices should not lead automatically to increased electricity prices, as was the case in the past. The reform of our electricity market is something long due. European energy companies have made big profits because of how the European market is organised right now. We should make sure that vulnerable categories of people and of enterprises shall have access to the significant profits, to the significant revenues of these companies in this situation of emergency. Energy should be affordable, energy should be safe, energy should be secure for the people of Europe. We should continue working to reduce our dependency on Russian fossil fuels. We should improve our energy efficiency because the more efficient we are, the less energy we need to reach our objectives, the less we are dependent on foreign sources. And, of course, we should improve and fasten our framework for investments into renewables. We have enough solar, we have enough sun, we have enough wind here in Europe, we have enough hydro. This is the way clearly to go. We as a European Parliament will be voting tomorrow on our position on REPowerEU that will make available EUR 20 billion of additional funds for exactly this energy infrastructure, efficiency, interconnectivity, renewables, reducing dependency on Russia. Madam President, President Michel, we should also work with the governments of the Member States to use the unused loans from the Recovery and Resilience Facility – money still available to put to work, to make it available for those who need it to improve energy infrastructure. First point. Second point, since the beginning of the war, we said we want to stay united. We want to sanction the aggressor but we also want to support Ukraine, which is fighting for values, for democracy, with all we can. Today, the European Commission has put forward an important package of support for Ukraine. And I say this package is important for Ukraine, but it is important for all of us here in the European Union. The Ukrainian State will need the money which the European Commission proposes today to function – for hospitals, for schools to function, for public administration, for pensions and salaries to be paid. This is why the Group of the European People’s Party will work with the Commission, and we call on colleagues here in the Parliament to stay united as a Parliament, to make sure that we stand by the side of Ukraine with all it needs over the course of the next year. It is the right thing to do. It will increase the credibility and the influence of the European Union if we, as a Union, are at the forefront of helping Ukraine in the upcoming months. But of course, in order to be able to help Ukraine, we need to make sure that our economy stays strong as well. And this is why, following the proposal put forward by the European Commission today on the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact, we as the EPP Group say the following: we welcome the fact that we are looking at our rules now, but the objective needs to be clear. Growth in the European Union needs to be faster and more robust than the growth of our debt. We need to strengthen our economies. We need to reform them. We need to make sure that they remain competitive. We need to make sure that we respect the rules so that growth is faster for the economies than for debt. Our economies should go faster than debt because too much debt is a risk to our economies, is a burden to our economies. We should make sure that our economies are robust so that they can help people. And please count on us to work together on all of this. Thank you for the proposal on Ukraine.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, dear colleagues, it is clear that the people of Europe are expecting from us solutions to the problems that they are facing – energy insecurity, inflation, high prices. And the first thing that I would like to say is: timing is of the essence. Our solutions are only good if we manage to implement them fast. This is why, Commissioner, we are welcoming the proposals put forward by President von der Leyen in the area of energy. But their fast implementation is of the essence, particularly when it comes to the common purchase and storage of gas. We have been asking for this as a Parliament since September 2021. Please work with the Council to push the Council Minister you as well to implement this fast. This will only help the people if implemented fast. My first point. My second point. We have to support Ukraine in the short and medium-term, including financially. Europe has to be at the lead of the financial support to Ukraine. It would be a geopolitical damage to the European Union in the long-term if other corners of the world support Ukraine financially more than we do. We as European Parliament have to be aware of the limited possibilities of the European budget. This is why, Commissioner, please work with the Member States that they also chip in and we should do from the EU budget as much as we can without damaging the other financial priorities of the Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the budget is always one of the most important tools that we have to influence the lives of the people. This is valid at local level, at national level, and also at European level. The budget of the European Union should be a budget for investments, for cohesion, for making our economy more modern, cleaner, greener, more digital, and also for financing our traditional priorities: farmers, rural development and cohesion amongst European areas. This is the primary scope of the budget. However, unforeseen developments always occur. Since the beginning of this multiannual financial framework, we had to cope with the COVID pandemic, with the economic and social consequences generated by this pandemic, and now with the war in Ukraine, which means we have to help many host communities which have received hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. We have to invest in reducing our dependency on Russian fossil fuels, in improving our efficiency, and we have to invest in renewables more and faster than we thought. The budget should never become just a budget of crisis, just a budget to react to unpredictable crises. It should still be allowed to finance investments. This is why the budget needs to be enough in terms of volume. This is also why, together as the Commission, as Parliament and as the Council, we will need to work on the revision of the multiannual financial framework, so that it can fund what we planned to fund before the crisis, but can also give answers to the people during times of crisis – because people expect us to react. Congratulations to the general rapporteur for making the most of this tight budget under difficult circumstances.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, ladies and gentlemen, this year, since the beginning of the invasion of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, Romania has hosted over one million Ukrainian refugees. We have proven that we can secure the eastern border of the European Union under the most difficult conditions and I say, clearly and clearly, Romania can secure a border of the Schengen area under any conditions. The work carried out this year by the Romanian border guards, by the Romanian authorities, the opening, the involvement of the Romanian citizens, of the thousands of volunteers, all these helped to stabilize the situation at the eastern border of the European Union. We have done this in the interest and for the benefit of the whole of the European Union. The inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area will make the whole European Union safer, it will make the whole Schengen area safer. Just as we have accepted Finland and Sweden into NATO this year to make us all safer, we also demand that Romania and Bulgaria be included in the Schengen area, so that the whole of the European Union is safer. First of all, yes, citizens from Romania and Bulgaria, companies from Romania and Bulgaria will benefit, but people and businesses from all over the European Union will benefit, because all European citizens will be able to travel faster, simpler, safer. All European companies will be able to move faster without delays at the border. The European Commission has confirmed since 2011 that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the conditions. We therefore call on the Council of the European Union to fulfil its obligation to accept Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area without delay. The European Union is strong when it is united. I ask you now to show unity and to strengthen the European Union.

Mr President, dear colleagues, the first and most important thing is to observe and recognise the reality on the ground. And the reality is that Ukraine is winning this war, Russia is losing this war and Russia knows it. Russia is answering with aggressiveness and Russia is answering with propaganda. And our first important duty is to tell the truth to the people of Europe, to make sure that the people of Europe are properly informed. We have to tell to the people that Russia is failing militarily. It is failing politically, economically and it is failing morally. What do we do? We have to stay united. We have to help each other within the European Union. We have to help our neighbouring countries. We have to help Ukraine and we have to continue sanctioning Russia. Sanctions work, there are no more investments into Russia. Russia has no more access to our top technologies. And next year it will have no more revenues from gas and fossil fuels from us. We saw last week that Russia is trying to also affect our immediate neighbouring countries. It cut by 30% the gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova, an EU candidate country. We have to help there and, Commissioner Vice-President, amounts which are too small for us, make a big difference and will help keep the Republic of Moldova, an EU candidate country, on the European path.

Madam President, President von der Leyen, dear colleagues, we are all witnessing this year the people of Ukraine standing up for European values. We admire their resistance, their fighting spirit and we are inspired by this here in the European Parliament, and millions of citizens are inspired across the European Union. Wanting to live in freedom, in democracy, deciding one’s own future, this means defending European values. Ukraine has a European path. We here in the European Parliament are convinced of this. We have done all we could for the people of Ukraine since the beginning of the crisis, and we will continue to do so. This is why, President von der Leyen, long before EU accession will be possible, we will support what you have presented today on working towards bringing Ukraine closer to the single market of the European Union, because that means freedom of movement for people, for goods, for services, for capital. It will mean the European Union and Ukraine growing closer together, more possibilities to rebuild Ukraine and to work to develop Ukraine. We shall support this initiative, firstly. Secondly, more measures and quicker measures to support citizens in the European Union, capping energy prices, including prices on imported Russian gas, using existing funds for energy interconnectivity, for energy efficiency, for reducing dependency, and for investing in renewables. This is what REPowerEU is about. We are finalising, President and dear colleagues working in the European Parliament, to make sure that money flows where it is needed fast. But, President von der Leyen, as you have announced new measures today, we shall also work together on revising the budget of the European Union. We want to do more. We need to make sure that in all of those areas we have money. To conclude, Madam President, we also have a duty to make the European Union safer. We have enlarged NATO because Finland and Sweden wanted to join and because they fulfilled the criteria. We should do the same for the Schengen area. For many years, Romania and Bulgaria are fulfilling the conditions and Croatia now fulfils them as well. We in the Parliament have a clear position. The Commission has a clear position. We shall be united in pushing the Council to doing this because enlarging Schengen means more security for all of us.

Madam President, dear colleagues, it is clear that people are rightly expecting solutions from the European Union in this crisis. The truth is we have done a lot since the beginning of the invasion of the Russian armed forces into Ukraine in the area of energy. We have decided to create a European acquisition and storage mechanism so that we can buy gas together and we can store it together and we can allocate it to those countries which will need it. We have reduced our dependency on Russian gas, which is now less than 9%. What do we still need to do from now on? Firstly, in the short term, capping energy prices, including prices of gas imports from Russia, is a needed measure firstly. And, secondly, a coordinated approach on the unreasonably high profits of energy companies. These companies have made lots of money this year. We need to see how they can also contribute to supporting people in need and enterprises in need. In the long term we need to completely reduce the dependency on fossil fuels from Russia. For this, we need to invest in renewable energies. We have enough wind, enough solar, enough water in the European Union and nuclear capacities for those countries who want to use them, including my own country, plus adjust the Recovery and Resilience Facility REPowerEU to allow for investment into energy efficiency, energy connectivity and reducing energy dependency.

Mr President, President Michel, Vice—President Šefčovič, welcome back to the European Parliament. The decision of the European Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and to offer this perspective to Georgia, once it fulfils the conditions, was correct. This is a decision supported by the European Parliament and it corresponds to the expectations of the people in these countries. The people of Ukraine are defending European values with their lives in Ukraine and the people of Moldova have opened their houses to Ukrainian refugees. More Ukrainian refugees have entered the Republic of Moldova in relation to its population than any EU Member State. We, as the European Parliament, have understood early that we can only live in safety and security within the borders of the European Union if the countries in our immediate neighbourhood borders are safe and stable. This is why we called already in March for Ukraine, and in May for the Republic of Moldova, to work towards granting this candidate status. Because in these times we have to act quickly, clearly without hesitation. Dear colleagues, Members of the Parliament, thank you very much for the fact that Parliament stood united since the beginning of this war in supporting countries in our eastern neighbourhood. Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova still have a long way to go before they are ready for EU membership but, Vice-President Šefčovič, we have to make sure that we start this process at a technical level and we have to make sure that even before these countries are ready to join, we support them and we make sure that the people in these countries can start feeling the benefits of getting closer to the European Union. The Council made the right decisions on Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, but the outcome on Western Balkans was disappointing. I was encouraged, President Michel, by your remarks today, and I believe we all have to work together so that we make sure that the Czech Presidency succeeds where the French Presidency has not managed to succeed, in offering a clear perspective to the Western Balkan countries. Good news came from the European Council when it comes to the euro area. Thank you, President Michel, for endorsing Croatia’s readiness to become a member of the euro area on 1 January. We have yesterday voted with a large majority here to approve Croatia’s entry into the euro area on 1 January. Every single member of the four largest groups in the European Parliament, and many colleagues in the other groups, have voted in favour. So thank you very much dear colleagues, this shows us that Croatia’s path on strengthening its economy, on managing its budget with care, on getting closer to the euro area under the leadership of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, was correct. It pays off. It is good news for Croatia. It is good news for the euro area. It will make the euro area stronger and it shows the trust in our common currency. Last point, it is our duty, dear colleagues, to further strengthen the European Union. We have to equip the European Union with the tools it needs to overcome the problems that people are facing. We held the Conference on the Future of Europe but, President Michel, the outcome of the European Council saying that ‘we take note of this and we are happy that there was an exchange with citizens’ is too little. We have to take the ideas of the citizens on board. We have to solve their problems and we have to do this together. Council, Commission and Members of the European Parliament, we have to make the EU fit for the future. We have to make sure that it can make decisions, it can react fast, and it offers solutions to the problems that people are facing.

Mr President, we all want to realise the transition to the green economy, we all want to pollute less, we all want to improve our energy efficiency, but we have to admit that reaching our climate targets is only possible if we use gas as a bridge technology and if we also use nuclear energy. Not compulsory for all Member States but allowing those Member States which wish to do so, allowing those Member States which, based on the conditions in their national Member States, choose to do so. We are not imposing anything but we should allow Member States to choose their own energy mix. This should be the first thing that we realise. We can only realise the transition to a green economy, we can only reduce our energy dependency on Russia if we support this delegated act on taxonomy. Gas is a bridge technology, not from Russia but from other countries worldwide. We need more investments, which means that we need to give predictability to investors and this is what the delegated act will also allow for. Furthermore, this delegated act is already a compromise. Indicators, they are tough. This is why it deserves the support of this House. It will bring more certainty and it will allow us to meet our long-term objectives.

Mr President, dear colleagues, thank you very much for this debate and for the overwhelming support in view of Croatia joining the euro area on 1 January 2023. Croatia will be stronger as a member of the euro area and the European Union will also be stronger by having Croatia as a member of the euro area. The people of Croatia have shown their determination during the last years in strengthening their economy, in keeping Croatia on course for further integration with the European Union. Now it is our duty to show our commitment to Croatia and to vote by a large majority tomorrow in favour of accepting Croatia into the euro area on 1 January. I am confident, following the interventions of the Commission and of colleagues of various political groups, that Croatia enjoys large support here in the European Parliament, which it deserves. The Government of Croatia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Plenković, the Minister of Finance, the authorities, the National Bank especially, have prepared everything for the introduction of the euro area. We are confident that following the quick decision of the Parliament tomorrow and the confirmation by the Council on 12 July, the final technical preparations and the information of the population will take place, because the people of Croatia deserve to know about the benefits of the introduction of the euro area. It will be easier for the people of Croatia to travel to euro area countries. It will be easier for Croatian businesses to export and it will be easier for companies from the euro area to invest into Croatia. Taking into account the fact that the people of Croatia already have savings in Europe, taking into account the fact that the major investment countries into Croatia are euro area countries, we believe that Croatia joining the euro area will lead to more benefits. We have seen, throughout the crisis, Croatia meeting all of the criteria, and now Croatia still is one of the countries of the European Union with the lowest rate of inflation. This is why, once again, colleagues, thank you very much. Congratulations to the people of Croatia and we are looking forward to giving our positive vote tomorrow here in the European Parliament.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues. On 1 January 2023, Croatia will become the 20th member of the euro area. This is good news for the people of Croatia. It is good news for the Croatian economy and for Croatian businesses. It is good news for the European Union as a whole. This is why here from the European Parliament, we need to congratulate the people of Croatia and the Croatian authorities for all the achievements of recent years and for fulfilling all the criteria required for joining the euro area. On 1 June, the European Central Bank and the European Commission both concluded that Croatia fulfils all legally—required conditions to join the euro area. Its debt complies with the requirements, its interest rate, its exchange rate, its inflation, and Croatian legislation is in line with the Treaty, including with the statute of the European Central Bank. This is why we, as the European Parliament, say very clearly that once a country fulfils all legal requirements, it should be accepted to join without any further delay. This is why I have put forward, during the month of June, the draft report here to the ECON Committee in Parliament in which I propose that we give a green light to Croatia joining the euro area on 1 January 2023. I would like to thank my shadow rapporteurs and I would like to thank our colleagues from the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs for voting with an overwhelming majority – 43 votes in favour, just one vote against, and two abstentions – and giving a green light on the side of Parliament for this important achievement. This shows that de facto there is no opposition here in the European Parliament towards Croatia joining the euro area. During my visit to Croatia, I could see on the ground that Croatia fulfils the conditions in a very sustainable manner. Throughout the crisis, throughout the economic and social crisis generated by the Coronavirus that debt, the interest rate, inflation – all the economic indicators – respected the rules. I could also see that the politicians in that country, the main political parties, are supporting this. I could also see the popular support in the country in view of Croatia finally using the euro as their currency. This means that the people of Croatia can easier travel to other countries of the euro area. It will be easier for investments from other countries of the euro area to invest in Croatia, to help develop the Croatian economy to generate jobs. It will be easier to trade. It will be easier for European tourists to go and enjoy the beautiful landscapes in Croatia. I am also of the strong belief that Croatian authorities know that 1 January will be the beginning, not the end, of the further economic development of Croatia. Reforms need to continue. The economy needs to become even stronger and more competitive and, of course, the EU funds from the traditional budget of the European Union and from the Recovery and Resilience Facility can play an important role. During my discussions with Croatian Government representatives, the National Bank and colleagues in Parliament, I had the feeling that the authorities are aware of the importance that the EU funds grant, that they are committed to further managing people’s money and the budget with care, to further strengthening and reforming the economy. This is why, to conclude, once again thank you very much to you, to our co-rapporteurs. A big word of congratulations to the people of Croatia. We are looking forward to welcoming Croatia as new member of the euro area. We are of the strong belief that this will be good not only for Croatia but for the European Union as a whole. It shows the trust that exists in our common currency.

Madam President, dear colleagues, thank you very much for this positive and constructive spirit during this debate. This was also the spirit, an inclusive spirit, this was the spirit through which Eider Gardiazabal, Dragoş Pîslaru and myself tried to work. And I am confident that when we will be adopting this report tomorrow, it will be supported by a large majority of colleagues. We, when adopting it, will want to make sure that money reaches beneficiaries, it reaches the people in need it, it reaches the people it was intended for, and it was well spent. Now we will need to work all together to make the Recovery and Resilience Facility a success up to the end of its implementation – European Parliament, the Commission and the governments of Member States. We expect the Commission to make sure that the regulation is applied properly. We intend to make sure that the governments absorb the funds without delays. And the Parliament will, of course, ensure the democratic accountability and the supervision. We shall all work together on this. And Commissioner, you have asked us for the opinion on REPowerEU. We as a European Parliament want to make sure that the money which was not yet accessed by Member States from their loan component from the Recovery and Resilience Facility will be accessed, will be made good use of, particularly in the area of energy efficiency. We believe REPower EU is the right proposal to incentivise the absorption of those funds. Money should be used where it is needed, but it should not be taken away from where it is needed as well. This is why we will be working together with our experts, our colleagues from the Agriculture, from the Regional Development Committee, to make sure that money is not transferred away from other priorities which are already in the plans where it is needed. Of course, last word, implementation of reforms will be important and we are aware that the Member States have planned the most difficult reforms towards the end of the implementation, and this is why we call on the Commission to provide to the Member States all technical assistance, all assistance that it has available to make sure that the Member States can also implement those reforms, which are good for the countries which strengthen their economies. Once again, thank you, dear colleagues, and we are looking forward to the vote tomorrow. Commissioner, thank you again for being with us tonight.

Madam President, Commissioner Gentiloni, dear colleagues, the European Recovery and Resilience Facility is the biggest package of economic support ever launched at European level: EUR 672.5 billion for the people affected by the pandemic, for enterprises and regions affected by the healthcare crisis and by the economic and social consequences. We have together adopted legislation one year ago, and since then 26 of the 27 Member States of the Union have put forward their national recovery plans, and 22 of the 27 Member States have received the 13% pre-financing before the end of last year and are now in the process of implementing the plans and presenting the milestones and targets fulfilled to the European institutions and are also in the process of receiving the next tranches. This instrument was launched to help those affected by the pandemic, but also to improve the resilience of our economies, of our public systems, to make our hospitals more modern, to enlarge capacities, to digitalise the education system. We have established clear rules at European level – a clear direction, six pillars into which money can flow, clear rules at European level – but also allowed for flexibility for the priorities of Member States, knowing that the needs differ from Member State to Member State. Eider Gardiazabal, Dragoş Pîslaru and myself as the three co-rapporteurs are putting now before this House the first implementation report in which we are issuing the opinion of the Parliament on the plans, on the assessment done by the European Commission and the process so far. And we are concluding that the Recovery and Resilience Facility has already made a positive contribution to the recovery of the European economy following COVID. It already has a positive contribution to the development of our economies, upon growth, and we expect its impact upon growth and upon job creation to increase in the months to come. Once adopted, a national plan needs to be implemented. It should not be changed and amended on a permanent basis. This is why, in the European legislation, we have allowed for amendments and changes to the plans only on an objective basis. No to political changes. But the illegitimate invasion of Russian armed forces into Ukraine changes a lot in the European economy. And this is why if Member States intend to make investments in improving energy efficiency, reducing dependency on Russia, investing in renewables, in new sources of energy, in energy infrastructure in the Member State, in a way in which this helps the whole European Union, I believe we should facilitate this. Food safety, food security: we have also seen we will be missing imports of agricultural products from Ukraine. We have to do everything we can to increase production here at home, at European level. If Member States intend to amend their plans into these directions, I believe we should be open. Our report underlines that this is an instrument for investments, but also reforms, and it underlines that the implementation of the country—specific recommendations, of the reforms agreed by the Commission and the governments, will strengthen the economies, will make them more resilient. We would like to see more cross-border projects, particularly in the area of energy, because this will help us to bring the energy from where we have it to where we need it. Commissioner, we will also work with the Commission and with the governments of Member States to make sure that the loans which were not yet accessed by some Member States will be accessed and preferably in areas which are linked to reducing the energy dependence. The European Parliament also expects that local and regional authorities be involved properly, because the amounts of money are big, the time is short. The Recovery and Resilience Facility can much better be implemented together with local and regional authorities. And one last thing: transparency and control. The European Union will spend more money than ever from its traditional budget and from the Recovery and Resilience Facility in the next years together. The more we spend, the more we need to make sure that money really reaches the beneficiaries for which it is intended; strong goals for the European Public Prosecutor, for OLAF, Europol, Eurojust, to make sure that money really reaches people in need and that the rule of law is observed before any payment is made from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. We are united as a Parliament. Thank you, Eider, thank you Dragoş for the very good cooperation. Many thanks to the shadow rapporteurs of the other groups as well.

Mr President, President von der Leyen, Minister, dear colleagues, we can only live in safety and security within the borders of the European Union if in our immediate neighbourhood we are surrounded by countries which are safe and stable. This is why providing the European perspective to the people of Ukraine, the people of Moldova and the people of Georgia is also in the fundamental interest of all citizens of the European Union. We are now witnessing how the citizens of Ukraine are defending European values. They are fighting for democracy, for freedom, for deciding their own future with the weapons in their hands if needed. We are also seeing how the people of the Republic of Moldova have opened their houses to Ukrainian refugees. The Republic of Moldova is the European country that received most refugees in relation to its population. The people of Moldova and the authorities have acted in a truly European spirit in the past months. President von der Leyen, you did the right thing by demanding the European Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. This is also the position of the European Parliament. We demand the European Council to follow suit, to grant candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and to offer a European perspective to Georgia.

Mr President, I would like to thank President von der Leyen very much for coming to Parliament today, for her assurances and for her clear words. Two years ago we started work on the European Recovery and Resilience Facility, about one year ago we adopted it and the process could start. We launched this Facility to help people affected by coronavirus, to help enterprises and to help regions cope with the economic and social consequences of the virus. We are seeing in most Member States of the Union already good progress. We see money starts flowing, investments can start, and reforms are also underway. In my country alone today, the government has signed contracts refurbishing, renovating, modernising schools with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. There is good progress. Unfortunately, we have seen delays in Poland because in Poland the rule of law was under attack. The people of Poland could not yet profit from the Recovery and Resilience Facility as people in other EU Member States have done. And this is a fact. But the situation now is that work starts between the European Commission and the Government of Poland to reach a common understanding. The rule of law is important. We as a Parliament, my Group, we are all committed to this and the message is clear: money can only flow when money is safe, EU funds can only be paid when EU funds are safe. And this is why I say very clearly before this Parliament: our Group will not tolerate the release of a single euro from the Recovery and Resilience Facility until the Polish authorities comply with the rulings of the European Court of Justice. And we expect the European Commission to not disperse funds until the Polish authorities adopt the necessary legislation and prove that the course on which they embark is irreversible. Legislation needs to be adopted, legislation needs to be implemented. And this is important to all of us, because money from the RRF is money from the people of Europe for the people of Poland. And we have a duty to protect this money to make sure it is well spent. We want to help the people of Europe, but we hope the Government of Poland is not an obstacle in our desire to help the people of Poland, as we are also helping people of Europe in all other Member States.

Mr. President, dear colleagues, the President of the Republic of Moldova told us very clearly today: “the citizens of the Republic of Moldova want the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, they want to live in safety, stability, with a prospect of prosperity, just like the citizens of our states” and our response, if the citizens of the Republic of Moldova want to join us, there must be one: "Yes, the Republic of Moldova has a European perspective, the Republic of Moldova can become a Member State of the European Union, let's work together to achieve this". We have all seen in recent months how the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have received refugees from Ukraine, in full European spirit. They opened their homes to citizens of Ukraine who needed help, provided food, provided water, provided shelter and safety to citizens of Ukraine. Just as Moldovan citizens have opened their homes to Ukrainian citizens, so should we, the European Union, open the door to bring the Republic of Moldova closer to the European Union and the prospect of Moldova joining the European Union. Reforms ambitiously carried out by the pro-European government in Chisinau are included in the report of our colleague Dragos Tudorache and detailed in this report. We know that much remains to be done by the time of accession, but our important message must be ‘yes, we are working’. And just as Finland and Sweden want to join NATO and will both be accepted into NATO, just so, if Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova want to join the European Union, it is our obligation to offer them this perspective.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, we have all seen how, since the beginning of the invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova has helped. It has helped Ukrainian people in need. It has provided humanitarian aid in Ukraine and it has helped provide stability and security at the external borders of the European Union. The Republic of Moldova is the European country that has received the biggest number of Ukrainian refugees in comparison to its population – bigger than any Member State of the European Union – and Ukrainian people in need were received with open arms by the people of Moldova and also by Moldovan authorities. This has provided safety, stability and security at the borders of the European Union. More than this, on 3 March, the Republic of Moldova submitted its request to become a Member State of the European Union. Because reforms are happening in Moldova, because Moldovans have acted in a European spirit since the beginning of the war, and because the Republic of Moldova intends to become an EU Member State, we have decided to hold this debate today and to adopt a resolution to provide the following messages. Firstly, we call on the EU institutions to grant the Republic of Moldova the status of a candidate country to the European Union. If the Republic of Moldova intends to join, our answer has to be ‘Yes, you are welcome to join’. We have to work and proceed to all necessary steps. Secondly, the institutional and political accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU might take some time. There are things to be done in the Republic of Moldova and at European level, but even before we manage to finish that process, we have to provide concrete, tangible benefits to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. This is why we call on the further integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU single market. That means more development for the Republic of Moldova, more financial support from our side, increasing and lifting, where possible, the quotas in the short term for the export of Moldovan products to the European Union. And we would like to see a permanent support group for the Republic of Moldova established at the level of the European Commission. There will be more things to be done between Moldova and the European Union. We need to provide the necessary technical assistance to them. In the end, dear colleagues, thank you very much for the wide support of all political groups. We will adopt this resolution with a large majority, knowing that by helping the Republic of Moldova, we are helping the whole European Union.

Mr President, President von der Leyen, dear colleagues, we have all seen that Russia is a threat to the security of the European Union and will remain a threat to us for the foreseeable future. This is why we can only live in safety and stability within the borders of the European Union if we are surrounded in our immediate neighbourhood by countries that are safe and stable. Helping Ukraine clearly also means helping ourselves. This is why the line needs to be to continue supporting Ukraine and sanctioning the Russian Federation. President von der Leyen, we welcome the new package of sanctions which you presented to us and are putting forward. We as a Parliament have demanded an immediate ban on imports of Russian oil, gas, coal and nuclear fuel. This is why, as the Commission will be implementing the ban on Russian oil, it has to be implemented and it has to take effect as soon as possible, and in a way in which it does not allow for any loopholes or special treatment for Member States or for companies. This would endanger the unity of the European Union. Keeping our unity while we implement this ban will be important, firstly. Secondly, as we reduce our dependency on Russian fossil fuels, we should not create dependency on any other single route of transport, single source of energy or oil supplying country. We are seeing that any vulnerability, any weakness, has costs in times of crisis. What should we do within the European Union? The title of the debate is social and economic consequences for the European Union. Firstly, we should use the existing tools we have to strengthen our economy. There is still money available in the Recovery and Resilience Facility, because some Member States have not accessed all of the loans component. We need to work with Member States to see if they need the money, if they will access it, and if not, the position of our group, the EPP, is to try to use those sums for large energy projects, transnational energy projects, to interconnect, to bring energy to where it is needed within the European Union. If an amendment of the RRF Regulation is needed for this, we should do it. Next point: use the decommitted amounts from the 2014-2020 budget to allow Member States to spend the money where they need it, particularly in helping refugees and host communities within the borders of the EU. One last idea, which helps Ukraine and helps the European Union, is to work towards integrating Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova into the EU single market as soon as circumstances allows. This will help Ukraine to develop by itself, with the costs being more controllable for us.

Madam President, firstly I would like to thank the general rapporteur for the guidelines which he put forward. This year, dear colleagues, more than ever, the European Parliament has to be united. We have to be on the side of the values of the free world, being on the side of the people of Ukraine, defending freedom, defending democracy, without any doubt. And we have to put the budget of the European Union to do exactly what the priorities of the European Union are. We should make sure that everyone in need receives adequate funding. We have to make sure that farmers, that small and medium—sized enterprises, that local communities that receive hundreds of thousands of people in need of support from Ukraine receive the money. So we have to do two things. Firstly to make sure that the money which we decide to allocate reaches the beneficiaries. And second to make sure that we have enough money in each of these pots. This is why, Commissioner, let me conclude by saying 2023 should be the year in which the cohesion policy should also be up to speed. We should have also for payments enough money there to be sure that we pay the bills of the European Union fast.

Madam President, dear colleagues, oligarchs are a danger for our democracy. They exert political influence. They affect the functioning of our economy. They are a threat to public budgets and they are a threat to taxes paid by citizens and by honest enterprises. During the next seven years, the European Union will spend more money than ever from the budget of the European Union and from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and one thing is clear: the more we spend, the more we need to make sure that money really reaches the people that the money is intended for. Large amounts require strong controls, so we have to do two things: make sure that the money reaches the beneficiaries that it is intended for; and number two, that it is adequately spent. Commissioner, I welcome what you said on data, on making sure that we know where money gets to. And for this reason, we are calling on the European Commission to put forward a single interoperable database so that we know where all categories of EU funds are going. Member States should use the large amounts of funds for digital investment to create such a database. It is our duty to fight fraud irregularities in the EU and everywhere where EU funds are involved.

Mr President, the Republic of Moldova is the European country that has received the biggest number of refugees from Ukraine compared to its population – bigger than any EU Member State. People in Moldova have opened their houses, and authorities in the Republic of Moldova have done all the necessary in order to provide for people coming from Ukraine in need of support. The Republic of Moldova has acted in a European spirit. It has defended European values, and we are all seeing right now how important and how relevant the Republic of Moldova is for the whole European Union. We can only live in safety, security and stability within the borders of the 27 Member States of the Union, if we are surrounded by countries which are safe and stable, and the Republic of Moldova is an immediate neighbour to us. A safe Moldova and a stable Moldova is in the fundamental interest of the European Union. And I would also argue that the Republic of Moldova is as relevant as Ukraine is for the security of the European Union. And so, dear colleagues, let us adopt this macrofinancial assistance in the plenary tomorrow with a large majority. And Commissioner, as soon as you put forward proposals for additional support, we will also do all we can in Parliament to adopt them quickly to support you, because aside from the support that Moldova is offering now during this crisis, we are witnessing a pro-European government, a pro-European president, ready to embark on closer cooperation with the European Union, ready to reform the country. And if they are ready to get closer to the Union, we should support them. Because imagine if, in addition to the pro-Russian dictator Lukashenko in Belarus, there were a pro-Russian president in Moldova. We should avoid that. We should support Moldova’s European path.