Speeches

I would also like to remind Mr Droese that, as you know, gender equality is a fundamental element of the Treaties of the European Union. I think you should have a good memory for today and for the future.

The next item is the report by Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, on behalf of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, on female entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and the outermost regions (2024/2124(INI)) (A10-0058/2026).

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the war in Ukraine is not only fought at the front but also on our stages. As Russian missiles hit theatres, strike civilians, strike Ukrainian museums, complicit Kremlin flankers – beware: not just artists – they perform in our arenas and exhibit in our galleries. I think of the Venice Biennale, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Royal Palace of Caserta. It is not openness or dialogue. This is a deliberate strategy: That is, to use culture to project an image of normality, to forget the crimes of the Kremlin. And we cannot isolate the Putin regime diplomatically and then accept it culturally, because it is - look - the same regime, the same criminal machine. And so, as long as the war continues, our institutions cannot offer showcases to the tools of its aggressor. Consistency is a political choice and it is also a moral obligation.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, cyberbullying and cyberviolence cannot remain without consequences just because they are committed online. Because, on the other hand, the consequences on the lives of the victims – on the lives of children, adolescents, women and minorities – are very serious, sometimes they are even dramatic and those who carry them out must be aware of them and, above all, must not have the opportunity to hide behind the anonymity of the network. Of course we have made progress, we have made progress with the Digital Services Act, we have made progress with the AI Act; But they are not enough steps and, above all, they are steps that often remain unapplied. So, as we have already asked for gender-based cyberviolence, we also urgently need a clear European definition for cyberbullying, just as the measures to prevent and punish these crimes must be clear, because they must be included in the EU Treaty and be prosecuted at European level. We know that the consequences of online violence can be very serious: They are wounds that remain, often dramatically, in people's lives. In Europe, we are all really called to do more.

The next item is the Council and Commission statements on ensuring accountability and justice in response to Russia's continued attacks on the civilian population in Ukraine (2026/2700(RSP))

The next item is the report by Dainius Žalimas, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs, on monitoring the application of European Union law in 2023 and 2024 (2025/2016(INI)) (A10-0037/2026)

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on rail transport safety in the EU: Lessons learned from the Adamuz accident and three years after the Tempi tragedy (2026/2647(RSP))

The joint debate is closed. The sitting is suspended and will resume in a few minutes with the 40th anniversary of the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Union.

The next sitting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 21 January, at 9 a.m. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament's website.

Let us move on to the explanations of vote on humanitarian aid in a time of polycrisis – reaffirming our principles for a more effective and ambitious response to humanitarian crises.

Let us move on to the explanations of vote on the framework to strengthen the availability and security of supply of critical medicines, as well as the availability and accessibility of medicines of common interest.