Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. In the last fifteen years, since the adoption of the current Consumer Credit Directive, this market has undergone a real revolution. Consumer habits have changed, digital transformation is progressing, e-commerce is developing or automated creditworthiness assessment is increasingly used. It was therefore necessary to adapt to the new reality in order to ensure a high level of consumer protection and a well-functioning consumer credit market. I am particularly pleased with the changes regarding the improvement of the consumer information system. A person who decides to take out a loan must be aware of the consequences of his decision, including, above all, full information on the amount that he will actually have to repay, as well as he must have the financial capacity to do so. I consider it extremely important to protect consumers from over-indebtedness resulting from responsible credit practices. In addition, in my opinion, provisions facilitating access to credit for people who have had cancer are particularly important.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, While events such as the COVID-19 pandemic can never be fully predicted, many valuable lessons can and should be learned for the future. And not only in the field of health, but also in the wider field of preparedness, resilience, cooperation, management in science, economy and social life. Firstly, we already know the importance of early response and information, as well as coordination and solidarity. Strengthening the mechanism for cross-border cooperation, information exchange and joint procurement of medical supplies can help build solidarity and ensure a more effective response to future crises. For this, we need continued investment in digital infrastructure and improvements to the data sharing and exchange system. Secondly, we need a stronger European Health Union to ensure equal access to health care, to eliminate health inequalities and social exclusion, and to jointly stimulate research and development. Thirdly, we must not forget the backbone of our economy, that is, small and medium-sized enterprises, which should be supported in recovering from the crisis in the form of funds, but also in building a friendly regulatory environment, so as to lay the foundations for the long-term resilience of our economy.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian aggression in Ukraine, rising energy prices and general inflation – Europe seems to be in a state of permanent crisis management lately. It is difficult to run a business in such a situation and have a predictable future. I therefore believe that, even in the debate on how to make Europe the best place to invest, we cannot limit ourselves to reiterating over and over again the idea of creating a business-friendly environment, cutting red tape and supporting research and development. All this, of course, is extremely important, but it is no longer enough. That is why we need to listen to the voice of entrepreneurs, and they are increasingly asking for just a moment of breath and time to implement changes. Therefore, I am of the opinion that at the moment a certain legislative slowdown is desirable in order to avoid a stifling overregulation of entrepreneurship. Instead, the focus should be on ensuring that existing regulations are as simple as possible to understand and implement and do not cause confusion on the part of companies. We need to learn to function in a new reality. On the one hand, we obviously need future-oriented legislation that responds to new challenges, such as the climate crisis or the rapid development of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, we must not forget that all our actions must have welfare and the protection of our citizens as their primary objective.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Quality traineeships are extremely important to bridge the gap between education and practical experience. These programs allow trainees to gain hands-on experience that cannot be learned at school or college. From problem-solving to teamwork and adaptability, internships equip you with invaluable competencies that are highly sought after by employers. They also have a positive impact on businesses and the wider economy. So many theories. In practice, however, trainees are still too often treated as a free labour force, seconded only to the simplest mechanical tasks and are not covered by any social protection or remunerated for their work. This has to change. We need a common, ambitious framework for high-quality traineeships to create equal conditions of access for all, increase the transparency of their qualifications, and ensure decent remuneration for trainees. Member States and entrepreneurs should work closely together to jointly invest in well-structured training programmes.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Food production is a strategic sector in the Union and should be treated as such. At a time when European agriculture is facing such serious problems as high fertilizer prices or falling prices for agricultural products, it is unacceptable to introduce solutions that could put it at even greater risk. New EU agricultural policies must necessarily be assessed for their potential impact on food production and food security. And such analysis must always be supported by reliable data and research. The proposals to significantly reduce agricultural land or to significantly reduce the use of plant protection products without previously providing farmers with affordable and sufficiently effective alternatives to fight pests are worrying. It is also necessary to strengthen the CAP so that it has a sufficient budget to effectively support European farmers.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Artificial intelligence carries extraordinary potential, but it can also be a source of very serious threats if left to its own devices. Therefore, the creation of a clear and stable legal framework that defines the gradation of AI risks and introduces very specific obligations, depending on the degree of AI risks, is highly needed. I am extremely pleased that the European Union is the world's pioneer in introducing these regulations, thus giving consumers confidence in this technology and legal certainty and predictability to investors and businesses. I also believe that we should use the potential of artificial intelligence for such fundamental issues as preventing terrorist attacks or searching for missing, kidnapped children. While this must be done with the full guarantee of fundamental civil rights and freedoms, in well-defined cases and, most importantly, only by a decision of an independent court.

Thank you very much, Honourable Member. Of course there were such interventions. Of course, already in the middle of last year – in the middle of last year! – Poland has been warned about this drama, which will be caused by the decisions that have been taken. Interventions? Here is Mr Jarosław Kalinowski, who was the author of the intervention on Ukrainian grain, which I also personally signed with Mr Jarubas, to Commissioner Wojciechowski. Not only that, we also signed a letter on poultry. We are currently waiting for a response from the Commissioner, because the next agricultural sectors are also beginning to be affected by this dramatic situation, because soft fruit producers are next in line. And this drama will take place in agriculture, one after the other in the agricultural industry, not only Polish, but also European.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. I have an invitation from farmers in Lublin to attend a substantive meeting, including from farmers who are gathered around the ‘Oszukana Wieś’ Association. They would like to give you their perspective. They would like to ask, among other things, where you were in the second half of 2022, when the cry of despair of Polish farmers, who found themselves in a dramatic situation after the influx of Ukrainian grain in an uncontrolled manner, was spreading throughout Poland. They, like me, have no doubt that Ukraine needs to be helped, but they are surprised that after all that has happened in the last 10 months, the Lord wants to continue a policy that does not help ordinary Ukrainians at all, but only builds a new oligarchy. Large international corporations will make money, and European and Polish farmers will only lose. These people deserve attention. These people deserve to be heard. These people deserve first of all help, but real help, and not the alms that the Polish government and the European Commission offer them. (The speaker agrees to answer the question indicated by a blue card)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, A few weeks ago, the European Commission adopted a Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework to support measures in sectors that are crucial for the transition to a zero-emission economy. The amendments to the General Block Exemption Regulation were also approved together with them. These changes aim to make it easier for Member States to provide the necessary support in key sectors, to simplify and accelerate the provision of support for the green and digital transitions. This is a very important action, especially in the context of the current difficult situation in the European Union caused by past and ongoing crises, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and its negative impact on the European economy. The difficult situation of many European regions should also be mentioned here. These are, in particular, less developed regions, rural regions, regions facing demographic challenges or regions undergoing industrial transition. These regions are less able to cope in crisis situations, resulting in even greater disparities and stratification within the Union. We have to prevent that. I would therefore like to ask you about the current guidelines on regional State aid. As we all know, the current guidelines entered into force even before Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the situation has changed dramatically. I would therefore like to ask whether the Commission envisages any changes also in this respect, taking into account the current reality? I would also like to take this opportunity to refer to the limit allowed for support for companies in difficulty, which is currently EUR 200 000 over a period of 3 years. Is the European Commission considering increasing this support ceiling for disadvantaged regions, given the dynamically changing conditions and the need to react quickly to negative developments in the future?

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Although we often argue in this room, it seems that the topic of today's debate should unite us all. There is no doubt that by building a more competitive economy, we are not only creating more jobs for our citizens, but also laying the foundations for a better future for future generations. This is an overarching goal that should always guide our community. Creating more quality jobs in the European Union is essential to promote economic growth, reduce unemployment and improve living standards. However, this requires a multifaceted approach and cooperation between governments, businesses and citizens. How to do it? We need to invest in education and training, as a well-educated and skilled workforce is essential to attract investment and create quality jobs. We need to support innovation by creating a favourable business environment, including in particular by simplifying rules and creating a level playing field for all companies, regardless of their size. We also need to invest in infrastructure, such as high-speed internet, transport networks and smart cities, which will attract businesses. Finally, we must remember that sustainable development is sustainable development, so any action taken must be inclusive and include not only the largest centres, but also rural and remote areas. Their development potential and human capital is often underestimated, and I assure you that it is also our huge resource.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The problem of poverty and social exclusion in the European Union is a serious problem. Following the impact of the COVID pandemic and the dramatically rising cost of living, it has once again become a priority and affects all Member States, without exception, and more than a quarter of our citizens. This is certainly a complex problem and we need to approach it holistically. Minimum income schemes can be an important element in the fight against poverty and exclusion. They can, but only if they are tailor-made, easily accessible to those in need and, perhaps most importantly, part of a wider social welfare system and combined with activation measures to reintegrate the most excluded into the labour market. Ensuring access to education, educational opportunities and personalised career guidance are key elements of modern social support that we must not forget. All this is not an easy task and I believe that, in order to achieve this, national minimum income schemes must be designed as close as possible to the citizen and correspond to the specificities of each Member State. I am therefore not in favour of a pan-European directive on this issue. I believe that there are other tools at the disposal of both the Member States and the European Commission that should be implemented first and that the priority should be to ensure that the existing support possibilities are used by all those entitled to do so, because unfortunately, but it is estimated that at the moment not even half of them are benefiting from the support they are entitled to. I therefore appeal to the Member States for a pragmatic and responsible approach and determination in implementing the recently adopted Council recommendations on responsible minimum income.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, At this point, while we are debating here in the plenary chamber of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Polish farmers in my region, in the Lubelskie region, including at the border crossing in Dorohusk, are striking and protesting. And this is not just an issue related to the lack of availability and the dramatically high prices of fertilisers that farmers have felt over the past year. This is a matter of lack of predictability in agricultural activity and production. This is a question of the instability of the incomes of agricultural families. This is finally a threat to food security. Not only for those areas and countries that benefit from the export of our agricultural products from the European Union, but also, in the long term, food security in Europe, because a huge number of farmers simply abandon this activity because of the lack of predictability of agricultural activity. They cannot understand why fertilizer prices are so high and at the same time companies and fertilizer companies record incredible profits, never achieved even in the best economic situation. And who did they make that money from? After all, it is on farmers. And another point: the huge problem of today's flood of Ukrainian grain to the European market, to the Polish market. Of course, Ukraine needs to be helped, but all grain warehouses in Poland have been flooded with Ukrainian grain. Farmers cannot sell this grain, and even if they could, it is unfortunately below the cost of its production. That's why they're protesting and striking today. And they do not expect messages, but real action and support for them today, here, in this moment and now.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, There is no need to convince anyone that the phenomenon of interfering in the electoral process is extremely dangerous, as we have seen, for example, in the famous example of Cambridge Analytica. The issue of the protection, transparency and integrity of the electoral process is no longer only the protection of our fundamental values, but even ‘to be or not to be’ the rule of law or the common European project. It is therefore of the utmost importance that our constituents are fully aware of the fact that a given message constitutes political advertising, as well as the source of funding for such advertising. I believe that the proposed regulation is also an expression of respect for the voter, as we are thus equipping him with the tools needed to make informed decisions. At the same time, we will also be able to effectively counter disinformation and external interference in elections.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, During this plenary session, we are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the European single market. It is one of the pillars of the European Union and over the last three decades we have been determined to remove barriers to the free movement of people, services and capital. And although of course this is not a process that can ever be considered completely completed, much has been achieved. During these 30 years of building the single market, economic realities have also changed significantly. And we already know that sustainable, sustainable and inclusive development cannot take place without accompanying social policies and the protection of workers. I therefore believe that the European Works Councils created by the Regulation in 1994, that is, almost immediately after the establishment of the common market, are also a response to global challenges. They are an important element of employee protection in a situation where more and more European companies operate on markets in several or more countries. As I said at the beginning, however, these 30 years have brought about many changes in the economy. Even the recast of the Directive in 2009 has proved insufficient over time. I therefore consider it appropriate to call for a re-examination of the Directive. I am pleased that, once again, the European Parliament is the initiator of such changes. Although the number of more than a thousand works councils currently in operation may be impressive, the downward trend in their creation is something that can be worrying. I am in favour of a balanced approach, which is why I believe that a new revision is needed. However, it should primarily focus on solutions that will improve the enforcement and implementation of existing rules, so that next year and in this area there will be a good opportunity to celebrate the next thirty years.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mariupol, Bucha, Irpień are only three out of several dozen, several hundred towns, where the Russians committed cruel crimes against Ukrainians. There are 21 mass graves, 1,000 exhumed bodies, more than 16,000 murdered civilians, 5,000 torture sites, and thousands of kidnapped and abducted children. All these crimes must be tried, and the guilty must be punished. Therefore, the European Union must make a huge effort to support the creation of a special tribunal that will ensure that all the perpetrators – from those who pushed the button and released the rocket that hit a residential building in Dnipro, burying 44 victims in the rubble of this building, to all those who gave orders at different levels, to Vladimir Putin – are punished.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The single European market is the true beating heart of Europe. A pillar that gives it strength, unity and growth. It is thanks to it that European GDP is on average 8 to 9% higher, while in the case of Poland GDP grew annually by one and a half percentage points faster thanks to the common market. The Single Market has also proven to be our shield in a crisis situation, as we have experienced both during the COVID-19 pandemic and during the crisis caused by Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Although, at the same time, these crises also pointed to points that needed to be strengthened. That is why, just as we must take care of our heart, we must also take care of the single market and develop it so that it will bring us even more benefits over the years to come. First and foremost, therefore, the focus should be on rapidly removing unnecessary regulatory barriers and reducing burdens on businesses in order to fully unlock the potential of the Single Market. We also need to ensure the effective implementation of ambitious EU legislative acts, such as the Digital Markets Act or the Digital Services Act. Finally, we must ensure that the Single Market is crisis-proof and able to respond quickly and in solidarity to emergencies, guaranteeing the continuous free movement of goods and services, uninterrupted supply chains and preventing shortages of goods and services, for which the Single Market Emergency Instrument is essential.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The first call for a Child Guarantee came out of the European Parliament in 2015 and was skeptical among some. Six years later, the Commission came up with a recommendation. Today, there is no doubt about the importance of this initiative. It is simply impossible to move on to the fact that there are still children in Europe who live in poverty, social exclusion, lack access to healthcare, hot meals, education and adequate housing. Unfortunately, we know that such situations are happening in all Member States and instead of improving, this situation has deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are many indications that the current energy crisis will not spare the youngest. Therefore, while the goal of reducing child poverty by 5 million by 2030 may seem distant, I personally believe that the implementation of the Child Guarantee is an urgent matter. Every year, every month spent in poverty hinders a good start in life and pushes children into a socially excluded circle of poverty, from which it is difficult to get out. I therefore call on those Member States that have not yet done so to quickly prepare and submit their guarantee implementation plans. I also support the creation of a separate budget envelope for this purpose to support the implementation of the strategy.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Rural areas account for as much as 30% of the population of the Community, who unfortunately still face many problems. Lack of access to basic services, road connections and appropriate communication, digital exclusion or difficult access to education are just some of them. They also lead to another very dangerous phenomenon, which is the depopulation of rural areas. To address these problems, we need a clear strategy and coherent action at European Union level. On the other hand, I would urge everyone to change the paradigm of thinking about supporting rural areas, because over the past years, many years, we have been constantly taking action and wondering how to keep people in these rural areas. And I think that it is necessary to change the way of thinking completely and think about how to persuade at least one person to return to these rural areas, or to persuade new people to want to live in these rural areas. Because one such persuaded person who will return to rural areas will be worth ten people who will want to stay there. And this will be the best proof that our policies are effective and successful. Courage to think.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, In recent years, the words ‘digital transformation’ have been changed by all cases. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the processes and forced us to adapt to the new reality precisely through the more widespread use of digital technologies. There is no doubt, however, that in order for the European Union to be able to achieve a truly effective and full digital transformation, we need a coherent strategy. The Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 is the right step in this direction. The program has great potential. It outlines ambitious digital targets for the Union as a whole for priority areas. These will be achieved through individual national pathways. Of course, it is impossible to mention all the assumptions in a minute, but the most important ones can definitely include: enabling citizens to access public services 100% online, significantly increasing the number of digital specialists, enhancing digital skills and fighting exclusion, as well as digitising businesses. I believe that with this strategy we will be able to achieve these objectives more efficiently at Union level.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Dear Colleagues, To say that the human rights situation in Afghanistan, and in particular the situation of women and religious minorities, is difficult is to say nothing. Systemically eliminating women from public life, banning them from parks or sports facilities, restricting freedom of movement – these are just a few examples. The most serious of the bans is preventing young girls from continuing their education, which will have a huge negative impact on women in Afghanistan for years to come, marginalise them, increase the risk of child marriage and severely reduce women's career prospects. The European Union should actively support human rights organisations and activists protecting women and minorities in Afghanistan. Furthermore, in addition to calling on the Afghan authorities to respect human rights and international law, we should also demand the establishment of an independent body at the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and document any violations of international law and human rights in the country. We must not allow those responsible to escape any responsibility for all these acts.

Mr President, thank you very much. Between 8 and 17 July, 209 people were murdered in the Haitian capital as a result of gang fighting. That means a man was killed every 68 minutes. Nearly half of them were people who had no ties to criminal organizations. There are kidnappings for ransom, rapes, armed robberies. Haitians are completely terrorized. At the same time, they are also deprived of access to food, water and medicines. The international community needs to react. The humanitarian situation in the country must be monitored and it must be ensured that aid reaches those most in need. It is necessary to restore the rule of law in Haiti and hold free elections. All efforts to this end should be supported. Finally, we need to reflect on support for Haiti in the long term. About half of the country's citizens under the age of 15 are unable to read or write. The education system reflects social inequalities. Unfortunately, many young people without proper education, poverty and lack of prospects can drive criminal activity. In this way, if we invest in education, we can really change the situation in this country.

Today's debate is in the form of questions, so could I therefore ask and hope that the European Commission will, after all, politely reflect on how to redirect its thinking towards implementing all the policies that we are implementing for depopulated regions in this way, anyway, in order to attract these people to them and not just to retain them? This is my kind appeal in the form of a question.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Commissioner, Do you not think that the paradigm of thinking on the issue of depopulation of regions needs to be changed? Does the European Commission fail to see such a change in need, because we are talking here a lot about how to stop the depopulation of regions. However, in my opinion, today a huge problem is that a large part of the regions in the European Union have actually already become depopulated. There are no people there. And I think we should start thinking very differently, creating programs and opportunities, encouraging people to want to go back, because there has been a huge drain of young people, brains from rural areas, from those areas that are depopulated, and in addition to what we are doing to keep these people there, we need to think about how to encourage many others to come back, or even to want to live in these depopulated areas. And the second question. The Commissioner has already said so. In these depopulated areas, first of all, there were older people, seniors. Do you not think that we should create a special programme, a special funding line, to create a friendly environment for these elderly people, not only in terms of digital competences, but also in terms of accessibility of communication, accessibility of health services, all those areas that are extremely important for seniors.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Dear Colleagues, €250 million a year in savings for consumers, 11,000 tons less e-waste for the environment. It is these real, concrete benefits that the introduction of universal charger rules will bring. The universal charger also means convenience, because thanks to it Europeans will be able to get rid of entangled cables from home drawers, from which it is difficult to find the right one. A universal charger is also a choice, because it will be up to the consumer to decide whether to buy a new electronic device with or without a charger. I am also pleased that, given that technological solutions are widely available as early as autumn 2024, European consumers will be able to charge their new purchased mobile phones, cameras, tablets, headphones and many other devices via one universal USB-C port, regardless of the device brand. What is also important, this charging will be carried out at the same speed using any compatible charger. I do not hide that I am always particularly proud when, in this House, we propose solutions that make the daily life of Europeans easier in a tangible and concrete way, as is the case with this directive. A big thank you and a big congratulations to all those who have worked on this, starting with the rapporteur, by all Members and staff of the European Commission.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Dear Commissioner, Ladies and Gentlemen, In recent years, the European Union has been confronted with unprecedented crises that have one common denominator. And it is cohesion policy, thanks to which it was possible to take action quickly and flexibly to counteract their negative effects. This is undoubtedly a huge success and achievement of cohesion policy. However, we must not forget that cohesion policy is, above all, the main investment tool of the European Union, whose task is to support economic development and employment and reduce disparities between regions. These tasks, especially in the face of the current economic crisis, are particularly topical and relevant. This is why we must, on the one hand, ensure that cohesion policy has the appropriate level of funding to implement it and, on the other hand, ensure that it is not treated as a contingency instrument to respond to any crisis. In the report on the 8th Cohesion Report, we propose a number of solutions to guide the development of cohesion policy. One of these issues is the need to provide specific support for rural areas, which are confronted with a number of challenges, such as negative demographic trends, insufficient healthcare and educational opportunities, or the need to improve transport connections and high-speed broadband. Another issue that I would like to draw particular attention to is the need to ensure that local and regional authorities are not penalised for the actions of their governments when the rule of law mechanism is activated. I believe that it is crucial in such a situation to find channels through which the Commission could transfer funds directly to the final beneficiaries. Finally, I would like to draw attention to the need to combat delays in the implementation of cohesion policy by speeding up the conclusion of partnership agreements and the launch of operational programmes, which we see every seven years.