Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today more than ever, in an unstable global context characterised by polycrisis and significant geopolitical challenges, including greater competition between the great powers, the strategic partnership between the European Union and India must certainly be strengthened. While cooperation between the Union and India has grown over the years, demonstrating the strong political, economic, social and cultural ties that exist, this cooperation has not yet reached its full potential. It is therefore necessary to prepare a new and ambitious strategic partnership that will take effect in 2025, when the EU-India roadmap signed in 2020 will be concluded. Closer cooperation between the Union and India, based on several priority areas such as climate, environment, energy, health, human rights, respect for human rights, digitalisation and transport, can make a positive contribution to prosperity, global stability, regional security and maintaining a shared vision of effective rules-based multilateralism. The European Union must therefore ensure that these conditions are met, so as to make the strategic partnership with India ever more solid and concrete, in the interests of the citizens of two of the largest democracies in the world.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, 'Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women', against women, because words matter. Women and girls suffer physical, sexual, psychological, economic violence only because they are women. The reality of the numbers in the world and in the European Union is dramatic. The story of Giulia Cecchettin – and I thank President Metsola who wanted to remember her in this Chamber – struck us very hard because Giulia was simply a girl: She could have been our daughter, our sister, one of us. And the boy who killed her could have been our son, our brother - and I tell the men - one of you. Well then the new directive, well the accession of the Union to the Istanbul Convention. But education, prevention, protection and repression alone are not enough: a profound cultural change involving families, schools, universities, institutions, social and media must be promoted in order to overcome the culture of possession and control that is the cause of this intolerable violence against women.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, according to the report published last September by Eurostat, almost 20 million children under the age of 18 are at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022. Indeed, as always, in crisis situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, the highest price is paid by children and among these, once again, the most affected are the most fragile: children from immigration backgrounds, refugees, unaccompanied minors but also children from single-parent families, children with disabilities and children from ethnic minorities. The European Child Guarantee is a key instrument to combat the unacceptable poverty of millions of children in Europe and must certainly be strengthened. It is now up to the Member States to implement effective national action plans so that every child in Europe can truly be guaranteed healthy and harmonious development, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first of all I would like to thank President Murphy for the work carried out by the European Court of Auditors, which shows the need for concrete and timely measures and action. The material error rate, which is higher than in 2021, calls for an increase in efforts to simplify procedures, where possible, by lightening the burden on businesses and beneficiaries, without, however, renouncing checks and guarantees of regularity. Furthermore, the risk of loss of funding due to the simultaneous implementation of several instruments by the Member States must be avoided, as must the risks to the budget arising from increased exposure and the high rate of inflation. Particular attention should also be paid to the implementation of the RRF. Targets and targets need to be precisely defined and pre-assessments and ex-post controls strengthened, so that eligibility rules are respected and the intended results achieved, and Member States need to strengthen their reporting and control systems. Of course, 2022 was a complex year, as well as the previous and unfortunately the current one, but precisely for this reason we can only make our recommendations our own: remain vigilant and vigilant, adopt effective controls and cooperate at all levels to ensure that European funds are spent well and on time, in the interest of European citizens.

Organised crime in all its forms, as we have said, as well as terrorism, unfortunately we have just seen it, threatens security, freedom, citizens' rights, the values of the Union, of the whole Union, not of individual states because organised criminal groups know no borders. And so we need a response that is genuinely common and that, as in the experience gained in my country, Italy, is founded on the exchange of information, cooperation, coordination and asset contrast, the "Follow the money" you yourself mentioned. So the 2021 strategy is good, the measures taken so far up to the most recent directives on confiscation and corruption, but it is not enough. Of all the EU crimes, organised crime is perhaps the only one still regulated by a pre-Lisbon act. So I have two questions for you: I would like to ask you what is the outcome of the study launched by the Commission to assess whether Framework Decision 841 of 2008 is still fit for purpose or is not rather a blunt weapon against organised crime, as many argue. And then, if the Commission intends, at last I would say, to propose a directive as comprehensive as was done for terrorism in the past legislature, which is precisely aimed at combating the current criminal organizations, real companies often with a global vocation.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Madam Commissioner, sexual exploitation and abuse, violation of privacy, violence, cyberbullying and profiling for commercial purposes are just some of the risks that, alongside the many opportunities, the digital world creates for children and young people. Of course, the Internet was not designed with minors in mind, but these are now one third of European users. Precise rules and punctual interventions by legislators are needed. provider to prevent digital evolution from having consequences, often serious, on real life, psychophysical health and the development of young people. The BIK+ strategy is important to build a safer, child-sized Internet, but now needs to be translated into concrete actions to actively engage children, educate them and make them aware of the risks, and involve parents, families, schools and educators and strengthen prevention and protection of victims. And businesses, Commissioner, must invest in instruments of safety by design to ensure the safety of minors from the outset. Protecting the little ones even on the net is the task of all of us. For them and with them, we must work towards this goal.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in all countries that are in crisis situations, whether caused by natural disasters, such as the recent disastrous earthquake in Turkey and Syria, or by wars, the highest price is always paid by children, children who are often left alone, who risk ending up in the net of unscrupulous criminal organisations that take advantage of these situations to fuel their vile trafficking and encourage illegal adoptions. With regard to cross-border adoptions from third countries, the European Union, in the context of its external action, must therefore ensure that any decision concerning a child is always taken in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the child and in accordance with the criteria laid down in the 1993 Hague Convention. It is therefore necessary to provide means to strengthen controls, ensure the identification process of children separated from their families, facilitate the tracing of their closest relatives and ensure, also in cross-border adoptions, that these particularly vulnerable children are fully protected.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, 139: 139 billion euros are estimated by default to be accumulated annually by criminal organisations through their illegal activity in Europe and then laundered by increasingly sophisticated means. This concerns the whole Union and all its Member States and we therefore welcome the inclusion of the fight against organised crime as one of the priorities of the Presidency of the Council. And the Commission's new proposals on information exchange between law enforcement authorities, anti-money laundering and confiscation are certainly decisive steps because, as the Italian experience shows, cooperation and asset law enforcement are essential. Now, however, as repeatedly requested, we must be even more ambitious and overcome Framework Decision 2008/841, which risks already being a blunt weapon, as it is no longer adapted to the characteristics of modern criminal organizations that are now manifesting themselves as real global economic operators with a strong entrepreneurial vocation. We owe it to all honest citizens and to all those who, in the fight against organised crime, have sacrificed their lives, such as Rocco Chinnici, my father.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, 2021 was an important year for the protection of the European Union's financial interests and marked by significant innovations. In fact, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has finally started its investigative activities, the first significant results of which already show how much its full operationalisation was now necessary, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, an important pillar of the Union’s response to the pandemic crisis, has entered into force, together with the 2021-2027 MFF, an unprecedented amount of resources, which requires a decisive strengthening of activities to prevent and combat irregularities and fraud, including and above all against the risk of infiltration by organised crime. And this is a commitment that must involve everyone, the national authorities, so that they take a truly proactive approach to detecting fraud against the European budget, the bodies and agencies of the Union, and I am referring to the EPPO, OLAF, Eurojust and Europol, which already bring fundamental added value in this area too, so that they can increasingly strengthen their cooperation and cooperation. All the institutions of the Union, including this Parliament, and all of us, are called upon to adopt a uniform and decisive approach to transparency in order to combat corruption, illegal lobbying, conflicts of interest and to prevent situations of so-called revolving doors. The European Union's anti-fraud architecture must therefore be further and increasingly strengthened. There is a need to promote the exchange of information, to overcome the fragmentation and discrepancy of monitoring and control mechanisms, and also to harmonise and harmonise legislation, including the need for a new, more modern definition of organised crime, which is truly common at European level and which is effectively adequate to prevent criminal groups from taking advantage of the differences between the laws of the Member States in order to infiltrate the legal economy of our countries. Protecting the financial interests of the Union and the budget of the European Union means protecting the rights and interests of European citizens, who today face a moment of particular difficulty due to the economic and financial crisis caused in our countries by the pandemic and then further aggravated by the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Ensuring that EU funds are spent exclusively for their benefit and in full respect of the law must be our priority, also in order to preserve citizens' trust in the European institutions. In conclusion, President, I would like to thank my fellow rapporteur, Mrs Pignedoli, and the other fellow shadow rapporteurs for their work, in full cooperation with the common objective, shared by the President and all members of the CONT Committee, of strengthening the protection of the Union's financial interests.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I wish President Murphy well in his new post and I thank him for his annual report, which gives a positive assessment of the reliability of the EU's accounts and the legality and regularity of revenue. The increase in the estimated level of error in EU budget expenditure and the resulting negative opinion for the third year in a row are of concern. At such a difficult time, when war increases the risks to the EU budget, it is all the more necessary to ensure that European funds are used properly. It is therefore necessary for the institutions, all institutions, to strive to give the Court’s recommendations the right follow-up, to promote the sharing of best practices in controls by Member States, to conduct more targeted ex-ante verifications and to strengthen monitoring of the application of procurement rules. Finally, I welcome the specific focus on RRF spending, which is key to financially supporting Member States.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in Europe every two minutes a child is declared missing, about 300 000 in a year according to Amber Alert, and in my country, Italy, in the first four months of 2022 alone there were 3 589 missing children. Escapes, cases of parental abduction, disappearance of migrant children, lost children, criminal abductions, and to counter this dramatic phenomenon, existing European instruments, such as the Brussels IIa Regulation and the single European number, are still not sufficient. As co-chair of the Intergroup on the Rights of the Child, I therefore strongly support the establishment of a comprehensive European framework for missing children, aimed at strengthening the relevant legislation, perhaps also by extending the mandate of the European Centre to combat online sexual abuse, in order to ensure coordination of hotlines at Union level, strengthen cooperation between competent authorities and support for NGOs operating in different countries of the Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur and the other shadow rapporteurs for the work they have done together on this report, which, given the exceptional nature of the year 2020, is of particular importance. Indeed, managing the pandemic has created new and increased risks, both in terms of revenue and expenditure, and potential new opportunities for fraudsters, including organised crime groups. It is therefore necessary to ensure maximum transparency, in particular in the management of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, by increasing and strengthening monitoring and control systems, which need to be harmonised along with definitions. Above all, the European Union's anti-fraud and anti-corruption architecture must be strengthened by providing OLAF, the EPPO, Eurojust and Europol with the necessary tools and resources. There is still a need to step up synergy and exchange of information and operational complementarity with EU and national bodies, as is happening in the context of the Next Generation EU - Law Enforcement Forum, jointly launched by Europol and Italy. All to protect the financial interests of the European Union.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Parliament, the only institution of the Union directly elected by the citizens, does not have a general right of legislative initiative like the national parliaments do. An atypical institutional architecture, therefore, which represents a clear democratic deficit, difficult to understand for European citizens. This institutional imbalance is particularly evident in the area of freedom, security and justice, where the European Council, by defining, in accordance with Article 68 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union, the strategies for legislative and operational planning, de facto has a right of initiative in all sensitive matters which directly affect the fundamental freedoms of European citizens. Equipping the European Parliament with the right of legislative initiative, as also called for by the Conference on the Future of Europe, will also strengthen the Union's action in preventing and countering backsliding on respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law, in order to better protect European citizens.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in 2020 the EU agencies were able to adapt well to the difficult situation caused by the pandemic, promptly activating business continuity plans to address critical issues, so as to ensure functionality in the work and well-being of staff. The Court's positive opinions on the reliability of the accounts of all agencies, on the regularity and legality of revenue and, with a few exceptions, on the payments underlying the accounts should therefore be welcomed. The number of observations still identifying room for improvement also decreased compared to the previous year. However, weaknesses in internal controls, procurement procedures and budget management need to be addressed in order to ensure increasing transparency and financial correctness, and gender balance needs to be strengthened, especially in senior roles. Finally, a comment on Frontex, for which it is necessary to shed full light on the outcome of the OLAF investigation, which is still ongoing, on the problems identified and for them to be fully implemented by the Agency under the conditions laid down for this Parliament.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, during my speech - one minute, indeed two to be honest - many children still in Ukraine will continue to become internally displaced or refugees, children who are forced to flee their homes. Children, traumatised and vulnerable children, in particular those from institutions, foster care, children in hospitals, children with disabilities, war orphans, unaccompanied minors, who risk ending up in criminal trafficking networks or victims of abuse. Dear Commissioner, I am well aware of your commitment to the protection of minors, but I would like to underline, having been the first signatory of the European Parliament resolution on the protection of the Union against minors and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine – a resolution that was strongly supported by the Intergroup on the Rights of the Child, of which I am co-chair – I would like to underline, I said, how we still need to step up our efforts to protect the most vulnerable. Humanitarian corridors, adequate reception services, health care and psychological support, appointment of guardians for single children, support for NGOs working on the ground, safe mechanisms for relocating children and their families between Member States, access of children and young people to education systems: These are just some of the actions that European and national institutions must urgently implement, I would say "here and now", to protect children. Children, the first victims of an absurd war.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, domestic violence, whether physical or psychological, in family and emotional relationships, is one of the most widespread forms of gender-based violence, constitutes an unacceptable violation of the dignity and rights of women and dramatically involves children, sometimes directly with episodes of violence and infanticide, or indirectly in the case of assisted violence. But women and children do not always enjoy equal protection, due to the diversity of national laws. It is therefore necessary to provide them with greater protection by adding gender-based violence among the areas of crime referred to in Article 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union, and it is necessary to provide for domestic violence to be taken as a priority and decisive criterion in the examination of custody cases. Ensuring maximum protection for women and children who are victims of domestic violence must not be just a political choice because it is more, it is much more: It is and must be a moral imperative for the whole Union.