Speeches

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Disinformation is not only a huge social and political challenge, but above all a weapon that targets Europeans on a daily basis. Any contact with social media means the risk of contact with fake news and manipulations concerning political issues in particular. Platforms, which today are the main source of information, do not want or cannot cope with this threat. This situation is eagerly exploited by the services of many countries that have included online disinformation in the arsenal of hybrid warfare against countries such as Poland. This is evident in the current migration crisis at the eastern border of the European Union. Does the Commission intend to take decisive action against these actors, especially online media, but also traditional media, which are mindlessly reproducing the thesis of Belarusian and Russian propaganda that is attacking the European Union?

Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The tourism industry is an important but also very sensitive element of our economy. For many Member States, this is also a key area for job creation. Restoring tourism in the European Union was therefore an extremely important task, which was largely achieved thanks to the introduction of a system of mutual recognition of test results or EU vaccination certificates. Despite this, many Europeans have opted not to take a holiday abroad this year, opting for a holiday in their country of residence. Some of them made this choice consciously, but for many people the sanitary requirements, restrictions and bureaucracy related to the COVID-19 pandemic were the reason for not going to another Member State. How does the Commission intend to fill this still large information gap related to travelling in Europe during the pandemic? Entrepreneurs in the tourism industry cannot function, plan and invest in such a volatile reality in the long term, and more importantly, they cannot maintain stable employment levels. What support can the tourism industry expect from the European Commission before the next holiday season?

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The slowdown in the rate of improvement of road safety in the European Union observed in recent years is undoubtedly a signal that it is high time to revise the existing regulations. The Vision Zero objective is ambitious, so if we really want to achieve it, we need to act on many fronts. I am pleased that we have managed to produce a report in which the most important issues, such as zero tolerance for drink-driving, the need for changes in speed limits, the safety of vulnerable road users or care for the safety of infrastructure, have been complemented by a number of solutions needed, but less obvious. I am thinking of the introduction of incentives for the purchase of the safest cars proposed by the ECR Group, the creation of a platform for exchanging information with third countries on road traffic offences committed, the introduction of an obligation to form corridors of life in national road codes or the introduction of a more accurate system for reporting victims of accidents. I would particularly like to thank the rapporteur for including in the document our amendment on access to information on the safety parameters of systems for transporting children in road transport. Increasing public awareness is undoubtedly our ally in the fight to improve road safety, which is why we should not put any barriers to accessing such important data. Thank you again for your cooperation in this report and I hope that the solutions proposed in it will give an incentive to return to the path... (The President took the floor)

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The aviation industry has been hit by an unprecedented crisis, and in just a few weeks one of the most important sectors of our economy has practically ceased to function. There is no doubt that the dramatic consequences of the collapse of recent months will be felt by airlines and their staff for a very long time, as the Commissioner has said. Measures such as making the rules for allocating flights to take-off and landing more flexible or amending the rules for granting state aid were both appropriate and necessary. It is also worth appreciating the attitude of the airlines themselves, which tried to make it as easy as possible for passengers to change their bookings and very quickly introduced sanitary safety measures on board their aircraft. Putting additional pressure on the aviation industry in the form of new emission regulations or social rights is the worst possible choice at this difficult time. Competition from third countries will certainly take advantage of the increasing cost pressure and additional burden placed on our carriers. We cannot give up investment in modern aviation infrastructure such as the central communication port implemented by the Polish government. Modern and well-connected airports will certainly help to rebuild the trust of passengers, as well as contribute to the elimination of short connections.

Mr President, thank you very much. Digitalisation is a response to many challenges, including those related to COVID-19. The EU certificate gives hope that many Europeans will be able to safely go on holiday abroad this year, and that businesses operating in the tourism industry will be able to operate and recreate lost jobs. Unfortunately, the first days of this system brought chaos and queues at many airports. There are still differences in interpretation of the rules, which cause delays and unnecessary nerves for passengers. I hope that the Commission will actively contribute to the process of supporting Member States in the implementation of this tool and in addressing the problems. We must also do everything possible to make this system work well also for third-country nationals who want to come to Europe. Many of them do not know whether vaccination certificates issued outside the Union will be recognised by our health services or not. I am proud that Poland was one of the first Member States to issue and recognise EU digital certificates on vaccination or illness. This is another example of the huge progress that has been made in the area of digitalisation in public administration in my country in recent years.

Dear President, Mr. Secretary of State! Ladies and Gentlemen! Only by acting together and taking decisions together as the European Union can we act with the right strength. That is why it is so important to maintain the unanimity rule, which guarantees the consistency of decisions taken by the Council. This principle is a guarantee of the success of the common foreign policy, not an obstacle that needs to be removed. The EU Magnitsky Act is needed because only severe sanctions against the richest and most influential representatives of Putin's or Lukashenko's regimes will be effective. The Global Sanctions Regime should address the most serious human rights violations or abuses that are manifest, widespread and systematic. Abuse of this instrument would weaken its importance. It is also worth considering extending the scope of the EU sanctions regime to include blatant examples of corruption in the future. We can see how willing were politicians who played important roles in European Christian Democrats or Social Democrats, accepting positions in Russian energy companies. Maybe, by the way, we'll be able to sort it out, too.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Commissioner, Completing the tranche of the European transport network is a task of civilizational importance, which will have a key impact on the development of Europe in the coming decades. Without a modern system of road, rail and inland waterway transport linking all Member States, an effective and efficient single market cannot be built. The Connecting Europe Facility will play a key role in this process. I hope that these measures will make full use of the potential of regions that have not yet been included in the core network. One of them is the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. Bydgoszcz is already ready to become an important transport hub within the Baltic-Adriatic corridor as part of the revision of the TEN-T network. Toruń also has all the advantages of an intermodal hub, such as a river port or proximity to key railways and roads, in order to play an important role in the Commission's work. I recommend these two cities.