Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I would like to thank you. Attempts by our enemies to influence the results of elections in Europe are not a new problem. The internet just makes it a lot easier than it used to be. We have the tools to fight it. We also understand how Russian disinformation works. State services must be more effective in what they have been set up for. However, there is a temptation that many succumb to, consisting in explaining any political failure with disinformation. Young politicians, just starting their careers, are able to skilfully use social media and are envious of it. In response, one tries to use the slogan disinformation as a pretext to fight political rivals. There is no appeal against democratic judgments. Fear of foreign interference in elections must not give the right to invalidate their results unjustifiably. The fact that the election result is not in line with expectations is also, and sometimes above all, the fault of the loser. We in Law and Justice know something about this. Elections in democracies must be able to win and lose.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Commissioner, The Union has all the strengths to be innovative: good polytechnics and industry and capital. However, our position in the global digital economy is weak. Our regulatory policy is one of the reasons for this. Complex rules, administrative barriers, unclear legislative process – all this makes it simply unprofitable to innovate in Europe. Not so long ago, we adopted extremely ambitious legislation in the form of the AI Act, and we are already planning another one in the form of the AI Liability Directive. Subsequent regulations are beginning to duplicate, exclude and create labyrinths that are impossible to pass, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. If we do not break this vicious circle, we will be technologically colonised and reduced to the role of consumers of products from third countries.

Madam President, thank you very much. Spokeswoman for O'Reilly! Thank you very much, Mrs O'Reilly, for upholding the transparency and integrity of the EU institutions for 10 years. However, the recent legislature in particular has shown that the lack of transparency in the decision-making process and corruption are real and still unresolved problems. We agree with the concerns expressed by the Ombudsman that the implementation and enforcement of ethical rules after the Qatargate scandal in Parliament may still raise concerns. An extremely important issue is also the difficult process of access to documents and the decision on what to include in this category. E-mail correspondence between the President of the Commission and the Head of Pfizer on the EU contract for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines should also be publicly available. This issue still requires urgent attention and is still not properly clarified.

Madam President, thank you very much. The biggest threat to all of Europe in the Baltic Sea, sponsored by Russia but built by Putin's allies, was Nord Stream. Fortunately, today this pipeline is rusting at the bottom, but there are more and more new threats in this region. We must fight them equally vigorously. The cutting of telecommunications cables or the presence of a ‘shadow fleet’ are elements of a hybrid war that started much earlier than the war in Ukraine. We need to realise that protecting our borders is not only about tackling illegal immigration in the south and east, but also about the security of critical infrastructure and communication routes in the Baltic Sea. This is not a regional problem, but a challenge for the entire Union, which must be met with decisive action by the Union and NATO.

Mr President, thank you very much. The aim of regulation should be to protect citizens and businesses, but overregulation of the European economy has become a threat and a burden on development and innovation. Production in strategic sectors such as active substances and medicines, steel and building materials, shipbuilding and automotive has been fleeing Europe for years due to bureaucracy and impossible standards. The European Commission, arguing that further EU legislation is a remedy for every problem, really wants to expand its competences at the expense of the Member States. Excessive requirements and complex procedures limit the potential and competitiveness of European companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. We knew this without Draghi's report and we hear it here, today, in this room. Now that we have a diagnosis, we need to get treatment. Let's open up the services market, rebuild the pharmaceutical industry, abandon climate policies that are deadly to competitiveness and common sense, and stop deterring investment in artificial intelligence.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Madam Marshal, I'm sorry. Dear Commissioner, Control of one's own territory, including its airspace, is one of the most important attributes of the sovereignty of any state. The possibility of making free decisions in this regard is fundamental. This also applies to the right to shape the administrative system in the field of airspace control or to derive benefits from it. The need for close integration and cooperation on common standards, technologies, procedures or skills of air traffic safety personnel is clear. The same applies to investments in new technologies and the digitalisation of the entire air traffic control system, in which the Union should be involved. However, this must not come at the expense of removing further competences from Member States. As a result of the negotiations, this project is of course much better than the original Commission proposal, but it is still a step towards greater centralisation of power, although much smaller and slower than it was supposed to be. That is why we cannot support this project.

Madam President, thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister! The future of the European Union depends on the success of the single market. However, this very good economic project is still far from ideal, as it limits the development potential of all Member States. We can finally talk about it out loud. There are many barriers for companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, who want to operate across borders in the services sector, transport, construction or online commerce. Problems already identified, such as geoblocking, gold-plating or excessive and burdensome controls, need to be tackled effectively. The European Green Deal is just another such barrier to economic growth. Unrealistic climate targets in areas such as agriculture, automotive, transport or construction need to be revised during this parliamentary term. Let us finally start deregulating, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises access to foreign markets, supporting innovation and digitalisation. This will lead to higher employment and lower prices of goods and services for Europeans.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Social media is a modern global agora, a place of trade, exchange of views, political activity, but also an excellent space for sowing disinformation, i.e. conducting hybrid warfare. By regulating this area of the Internet, we wanted to ensure better protection of users' rights and limit the arbitrariness of platforms that made decisions based on unclear internal regulations, deleted content and blocked accounts without justification. However, we cannot accept that legislation adopted in good faith is being used as a weapon in the political struggle. Also, the use of EU regulations as a pretext to interfere in the electoral process must never happen again. Europe cannot follow the path of undemocratic states and dictatorships, where access to the Internet is restricted, content censored, and the law, instead of protecting citizens, defends only the interests of the authorities.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The European Union's climate policy, ambition to be a global leader in reducing emissions or pushing production outside Europe is a recipe only for crisis and poverty. No matter how much money we invest in building a zero-emission industry, we will never be able to compete with those economies that are not constrained by such draconian environmental standards. The Green Deal is an unrealistic project, the costs of which are huge and will only increase. Its final price may never be known, much less its effects, which may be virtually non-existent from the point of view of global climate change. Indeed, we can be eine Letzte Generation, the last generation that saw economic growth, low unemployment or cheap and accessible transport, the last generation that was able to produce enough food in Europe to feed itself, and the last that could live, live, eat and travel as it wanted. Polish writer and columnist Stefan Kisielewski said about socialism that it is a system that heroically fights the problems it creates. The same is true of the Net-Zero Industry Act, which aims to respond to the negative effects of the Fit for 55 packages on the European economy and its deteriorating capacity and competitiveness. Our climate transition is driven by cars, batteries, photovoltaics or heat pumps from China. In Poland, we are already observing the flight of capital and investments to places in the world, where our climate goals and ambitions arouse a smile and surprise rather than admiration and respect. Until we come to our senses, there will be fewer and fewer jobs for our citizens. No new regulations will stop this. Only common sense and abandoning the Green Deal philosophy can do this until it is too late.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The race to reduce costs in the global economy leads to companies using forced labour at different stages of production to generate more profit. Consumers in the European Union are often unaware of these practices and mainly suggest price when buying a product. This primarily affects honest companies and their market position. We need to look for ways to effectively detect the exploitation of child labour or forms of modern slavery, of which women are very often victims. In the immediate vicinity of the European Union, there are countries, such as Belarus or Russia, which derive economic benefits from the system of penal colonies and the work of political prisoners. In the process of obtaining rare earth metals, which are necessary for the production of electronics or batteries for electric vehicles, children are often used for the hardest work. This is an additional social cost of the European Union's climate policy, which we must also bear in mind. Unfair companies that have been proven to knowingly use forced labour should be severely penalised and removed from the Union market, and information on this should be public and accessible to consumers.

Madam President, a few days ago, our close partner Taiwan underwent the worst earthquake in 25 years. We remember Taiwan’s solidarity during the pandemic. We appreciate Taiwan’s support for Ukraine, especially during the first weeks. Today, Taiwan needs our solidarity and support. Therefore, the ECR Group would like to add to the agenda of our plenary this week or in Strasbourg, a debate entitled Council and Commission Statement on ‘EU Aid and Support after the Earthquake in Taiwan’.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Russia is not only a terrorist state, but also a thief and plunderer. All Central and Eastern European countries have experienced this in the past. Cultural goods, industrial infrastructure or natural resources in countries dominated and occupied by tsarist, Soviet and now Putin's regime have been stolen and exported for decades. Romanian gold is one of the most spectacular examples of such a robbery, which has never been settled. What we are seeing today in Ukraine is the effect of Moscow's impunity, which the world has allowed for centuries. Russia, which together with Nazi Germany triggered the Second World War, should bear the same moral and financial responsibility for this conflict as its 1939 ally. Otherwise, we will destroy, kill and rob further, also in Western Europe.

Mr President, thank you very much. The European Union's climate ambitions have a specific price, and it is quite high, which in the end will not be paid by Commission officials or climate activists, but by entrepreneurs and citizens. Transport is one of the most important sectors of the economy. Not only does it create jobs and generate profits on its own, it also secures supplies for industry and commerce. For Poland, it is one of the key sectors of the service sector. The new emission standards for trucks and vans are primarily a cost that can be deadly for small and medium-sized companies forced to replace their fleets. Older Euro 6 vehicles will certainly be charged extra and pushed out of roads and cities. This also applies to passenger cars. The effectiveness of this type of legislation is also questionable in itself, as proved by the dieselgate scandal and what we see, moreover, on the other hand, in a climate in which the desired changes obviously do not take place. Today, we already know that behind the façade of the Green Deal there are huge costs. The economic crisis and Europe's dependence on products from ... (The Chair took the floor)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mr President, thank you very much. Artificial intelligence is changing our reality. Its capabilities are constantly growing, and the areas in which it can be successfully used are constantly growing. However, there are risks involved that we cannot ignore. We need not only clear criteria for assessing the safety of products and services that use AI, but also a list of prohibited uses of this technology, especially where it is used by public institutions. The long work on this regulation has succeeded in taking into account the ECR's priorities, such as an exemption for the R&D phase, fewer requirements and burdens for small and medium-sized companies, strengthening the role of regulatory sandboxes, and real guarantees for the protection of citizens' rights and privacy. Whether these rules will be effective now depends on the competence and commitment of the Member States and the authorities that will implement them. Europe cannot only regulate, but must educate, invest and innovate. I hope that AI Act He won't mind.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, War is always proof of the failure of diplomacy, for which civilians pay the highest price. Even a small armed conflict with limited territorial scope has consequences for the whole world. Today, when there is a real aggressor at the door of Europe who wants to lead to chaos and destruction, which leads to chaos and destruction, we should show that even the most difficult disputes can be resolved through dialogue. We do not want to impose concrete solutions on our partners in Armenia and Azerbaijan, but to encourage them to seek an agreement. If we can help, we can help. If we can advise, we will advise. However, we do not have the right to pass judgments and indicate who is guilty, because Europe itself has too much on its conscience to be a credible arbiter in any dispute. Russia feeds on conflicts in its neighbourhood, feeds them, plays them out and uses them for its own purposes. Let's not give her that opportunity.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. European innovation will not come out of thin air. A friendly legal and regulatory environment is needed to make it easier for small and medium-sized companies to create modern products, for example in the area of the Internet of Things. Easy access to standard essential patents is one of the conditions for an equal share of the benefits of the digital revolution for the European economy. This is very important for Polish companies. The current rules on access to SEPs are not entirely transparent, and their owners often take advantage of their position and create obstacles that need to be resolved in court. Many small and medium-sized enterprises have neither the time nor the means to get involved in such litigation. This regulation will remove many barriers and ambiguities. Nor, of course, can this call into question the system of protection of intellectual property. We need a reasonable balance between the interests of all market players. In the ECR Group's view, Mrs Walsmann's report is a compromise worth supporting that meets these conditions.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. We all want to make travelling in Europe by car or truck comfortable and safe. We also want to effectively encourage young people to choose the profession of driver in the road transport of goods. The revision of this directive is a good opportunity to achieve both objectives. However, this does not mean that we should agree to impose new administrative burdens on drivers, which may be discriminatory, e.g. on grounds of age. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, Member States should have the right to choose such tools as they deem appropriate to test fitness to drive. Too far-reaching harmonisation will be costly and ineffective. For many people, a car is sometimes the only means of transport that is a guarantee of independence and independence. Drivers are already bearing the huge costs of the climate policy imposed by the European Union. Do not put further burdens on them.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Today, the Internet has become the main place of public debate. Social media has ceased to be just a source of entertainment, but has become a space for expression, a source of information and a tool for communication between politicians and citizens. There is no doubt that content that promotes or calls for violations of the law should be removed. However, under the pretext of combating so-called hate speech, we often have to deal with the fight against views, opinions or beliefs that are incompatible with the narrative that Europe wants to impose on the left on all possible issues, starting from the definition of the family, through the threats associated with illegal immigration, to climate protection. An attempt to censor or restrict freedom of expression is always a step towards undermining democracy and the values on which it is based. In this way, authoritarian states manage the Internet, removing and blocking content that is not in line with the main ideological line of power. The European Union cannot use similar methods.

Dear Commissioner, Dear Ms Ombudsperson, Madam President, I'm sorry. Recent years have been a series of scandals that have already shaken the European Union's already disastrous reputation as an institution requiring decisive action, including by the European Ombudsman. Your commitment to clarifying the ambiguities surrounding the Commission's purchase of vaccines is commendable. The Katargate Affair is another side of the same coin. Its settlement is a condition for the European Parliament to regain its credibility. We expect you not to let go of the negligence that led to it. I would also like to draw attention to Brussels' agreement to the shameful process of taking power by the new government in Poland. Ignoring the constitution and laws, liquidating public media and, most outrageously, imprisoning opposition MPs Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik for political reasons defy the rules of democracy. I hope you will find the courage to speak out on hypocrisy, double standards and the extreme politicisation of the European institutions.

Dear President, Commissioner, I'm sorry. The agreement with Ukraine is justified. Unlocking exports, including grain, was beneficial for both sides, and facilitation of arms supplies or humanitarian aid was an important element in supporting Ukraine's war effort. However, we know that not all elements of this agreement work properly. Carriers from Poland, but also from Hungary, Slovakia and Romania, complain about discrimination by the Ukrainian authorities. There is also a reasonable suspicion that carriers from Ukraine carry out unauthorised operations in the internal market without being subject to the restrictive requirements of the mobility package. This is unfair competition. We expect the European Commission to listen to carriers' complaints and to carry out a detailed analysis of the impact of this agreement on the European transport sector before extending it for another year. If changes are needed, such as reintroduction of permits or additional controls, then this should be done. If we do not respect our companies, Ukraine will not do so.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, The scope of the exclusive competence conferred on the Member States is clearly defined in the Treaties. Compliance with this division is fundamental to the smooth functioning of the European Union. One such area is family policy, which cannot be shaped by Brussels. There are no exceptions to this rule. There are different national constitutional orders that result from the historical, legal and political experiences of sovereign nations. Attempting to interfere with these orders, imposing definitions of concepts such as parenthood, family or marriage, is a lack of respect for these traditions and the value system of individual societies. And when it comes to the issue of free travel for children, European Union citizens can travel freely within the Union because they are Union citizens, not because they are or are not someone's children. EU citizenship is sufficient. It is enough to care for an adult, even if it is an adult rainbow.

Dear President, Ukraine was brutally attacked by Russia. The European Union has opened up its transport market to it. Before the war, Ukrainian companies carried out 67,000 transport operations in the European Union, in the last year it was 700 thousand. The market is open without any conditions. Ukrainian carriers do not meet these conditions, which must be met by European carriers. Someone loses, someone gains. European entrepreneurs, especially from Eastern Europe, are convinced that they are the ones who lose the most. We therefore ask for a debate. What is the opinion of the European Commission, we would like to know. We would also like to know whether the European Commission also intends to extend this agreement without any conditions.

Dear President, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The global economy has undergone major crises in recent years, including for European businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. It was a period of rising operating costs, reduced production, and a struggle for survival. We are now in the midst of a laborious process of rebuilding our potential. We need to re-establish strategic autonomy in many sectors, where we have moved production to third countries over the years, lengthening supply chains. However, this requires a reduction in the number of regulations and detached emission reduction targets that have pushed jobs out of Europe. Also in the sector of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, we must leave more room for innovation, which we create very little of in the European Union. The legislation we are currently working on must encourage research and development. Excessive administrative burden is a recipe for even greater dependence on technology imports from outside.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. There are growing voices in Europe that the pace of the climate transition imposed by the Commission is too fast and that the social and economic costs of moving away from fossil fuels without building an equally efficient alternative will be enormous. Instead of listening to these criticisms, Parliament continues to tighten its course. This report, as well as other elements of the package Fit for 55, does not take into account technological realities or negative effects on the economy. It also ignores the disastrous state of infrastructure for heavy goods vehicles in many Member States. We should take greater account of transitional and low-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen from all possible sources. More flexibility is also needed in terms of deadlines and targets, for example for small and medium-sized companies or local governments. Instead, we have another example of an ideological approach to issues where profitability and a fair balance of profits and losses should decide.

Currently, the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in medicines produced in the European Union come mainly from China and India. Also, a significant proportion of all medicines sold in Europe come from the above-mentioned countries, which lengthens supply chains and causes sudden shortages and price increases in the event of transport problems. Any such crisis is a serious threat to public health. We still have not seen the right initiatives at EU level to encourage manufacturers to invest in API production in Europe. We need dedicated solutions, such as in the case of the microprocessor market. We have a strong pharmaceutical sector, also in Poland, which would be ready to cope with this task with appropriate support. Does the Commission plan to adopt a separate strategy for the relocation of API production to the European Union, taking into account regulatory changes, more flexible environmental standards and financial resources for pharmaceutical companies wishing to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients in Europe?