What Daniel spoke about.

14

Mar

2024

RO Speech

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Promised revision of the EU animal welfare legislation and the animal welfare-related European citizens’ initiatives (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen colleagues, animal welfare is on the public agenda at European level, being a major concern for both citizens and political decision-makers. From the outset, I would point out one thing that I have found as rapporteur of the Committee of Inquiry on Animal Transport, namely the failure of Member States to comply with animal welfare legislation. It is…

13

Mar

2024

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Cohesion policy 2014-2020 – implementation and outcomes in the Member States (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen colleagues, first of all, I thank very much Andrey Novakov and Mr Emil Boc, President of COTER, for their contribution to the report on cohesion policy post-2027. Colleagues, cohesion policy is the cornerstone of European solidarity, ensuring that no region is left behind. Cohesion policy investments have had a major impact on regions, cities and…

13

Mar

2024

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Financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, let me first congratulate the rapporteurs on their work. We all want the European Union budget to be spent efficiently and responsibly, aware that changing financial rules often creates uncertainties for beneficiaries. Building on the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission proposes to adapt the financial rules to allow an EU i…

28

Feb

2024

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Need for an urgent Council decision in favour of amending the protection status of wolves in the Bern Convention (debate)

Madam President, in a TV interview this morning, I was asked what would I change in the decision-making mechanisms of the European institutions? The first thing I would do would be to force all the Brussels bureaucrats dealing with the wolves and bears files to go to the Fagaras Mountains or the French Alps, places that are full of wolves and bears, and to guard a flock of sheep for at least a wee…

27

Feb

2024

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Geographical Indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen colleagues, first of all, I congratulate all the actors involved in this process, which is an important step towards strengthening the regulation on geographical indications. Colleagues, one thing is certain: Geographical indications are not just labels. They are a promise of quality and originality. Behind each geographical indication are stories o…

7

Feb

2024

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Empowering farmers and rural communities - a dialogue towards sustainable and fairly rewarded EU agriculture (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, European farmers are on the streets today. We all know their challenges: inflation, drought, the war in Ukraine, and green policies, and I stress, dear colleagues, who are tributaries of these policies, are bringing the sector to its knees. The tears of politicians hypocritically shed on the shoulders of farmers do not keep them from hunger or thirst, as long…

6

Feb

2024

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Calling on the Council to take all necessary steps to reach an agreement on the European cross-border mechanism file and open negotiations with Parliament (debate)

Madam President, Minister, ladies and gentlemen, the border regions of the European Union cover 40% of its territory, 30% of its population and two million cross-border workers. The proposal for a regulation on the European cross-border mechanism was intended to remove administrative and legal obstacles to the implementation of joint projects. The Covid pandemic, but also everyday life, has shown …

6

Feb

2024

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Plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed (debate)

Madam President, new genomic techniques are an indispensable tool for the work of farmers whom we see on the street shouting their helplessness in the face of the current challenges. Beyond what still divides Member States in the Council, these new genomic techniques open doors to drought-resistant plants that use fewer pesticides and chemical fertilisers, while guaranteeing higher yields. To thos…

17

Jan

2024

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Improving the socio-economic situation of farmers and rural areas, ensuring fair incomes, food security as well as a just transition (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today the agricultural sector in the European Union is affected by inflation, drought, floods, labour shortages and the war in Ukraine, which makes it deeply unpredictable for tomorrow. From Romania to Germany and France, the farmers, whose only weapon remained the protest, left their home, their table and their family, taking to the streets at …

11

Dec

2023

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Foodstuffs for human consumption: amending certain 'breakfast' directives (short presentation)

Madam President, we have been informed, Members, that we can intervene in the catch-the-eye procedure. First of all, I would like to welcome the European Commission's proposal and to thank colleague Alexander Bernhuber for the way he handled this file. Through the work done in the European Parliament, we managed to set some lines of action, starting from the undeniable reality highlighted by the E…

11

Dec

2023

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Foodstuffs for human consumption: amending certain 'breakfast' directives (short presentation)

Madam President, I asked for the floor on catch-the-eye in this debate.

21

Nov

2023

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Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, war is a reality that cannot be challenged. Famine is causing migration and food prices are already hard to reach for consumers. Today's discussions cannot be detached from these realities. Responsible use of pesticides must become a target for all Member States, but especially for those that consume well above the EU average. We have states with a consumptio…

19

Oct

2023

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Generational renewal in the EU farms of the future (debate)

Domnule președinte, doar 26 % din populație trăiește în spațiul rural, iar tinerii fermieri reprezintă doar șase la sută. Between 2005 and 2020, more than 37% of farms disappeared and the decline will continue unless we come up with viable solutions. Agricultura este percepută adesea ca o activitate dificilă, nesigură și puțin profitabilă, ceea ce face ca tinerii să se îndrepte către alte activită…

19

Oct

2023

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European protein strategy (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, proteins, like water, are indispensable for all of us, but the European Union cannot meet its domestic protein needs, as it has to import from third countries, and we are talking here above all about genetically modified soybean meal. This creates deeply unfair competition for our farmers, who are subject to much stricter rules compared to those in third countri…

17

Oct

2023

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Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure - Schengen area: amending the Visa Sticker Regulation (Joint debate – Schengen area)

Madam President, it has become a tradition for almost every plenary to discuss something about the Schengen area, which can be understandable in the current context of migration. It is incomprehensible, however, to keep Romania and Bulgaria out of it, given that Romania has managed more than 5 million migrants and more than 60% of grain transit from Ukraine alone, preventing global hunger. It is a…

4

Oct

2023

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The proposed extension of glyphosate in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen colleagues, I welcome the European Commission's proposal to extend the authorisation for the use of glyphosate. The challengers of this decision must understand that today there is no study showing a direct causal link between the use of this substance and risks to human, animal health or the environment. Or should I understand that we no longer tru…

13

Sep

2023

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Reviewing the protection status of wolves and other large carnivores in the EU (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Habitats Directive, adopted 30 years ago, has achieved its objectives. Populations of bears, wolves or other large predators have reached a significant number. At this point, not only is their existence no longer threatened, but their numbers, in relation to the size of the habitats they have at their disposal, create problems with immeasurable…

12

Sep

2023

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Ukrainian grain exports after Russia’s exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative (debate)

Mr President, Romania has been and will be in solidarity with Ukraine, but Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain transit agreement still creates a problem for European farmers. In this context, the European Commission must take responsibility for guaranteeing a transit of grain from Ukraine to areas where it is really needed, either in African states, where today people are starving, or in …

11

Jul

2023

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Accession to the Schengen area (short presentation)

Mr President, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area is an act of minimal moral hygiene that must be assumed by all European chancelleries. Romania has played a crucial role in strengthening the eastern border, constantly providing stability and security for the European Union. And yet I ask you what is the reward, Commissioner? Violation of rights earned in complicated and dif…

11

Jul

2023

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Nature restoration (debate)

Madam President, thank you. European farmers are looking at us with concern. Today, 32 European regulations have to be respected by them. Through the CAP, you have imposed a number of restrictions. Reduce pesticide consumption, and inflation and the war in Ukraine have managed to bring farmers to their knees. However, the European Commission is again coming up with a reduction in the area of land …

15

Jun

2023

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The water crisis in Europe (debate)

Thank you very much for your question, dear colleague. Obviously, I came here with solutions and I referred to what investments in agriculture mean, namely in irrigation systems, because over 65% of the water used today is in the field of agriculture. And I believe that the most serious investments must be channelled in this direction, because farmers need to have access to financial resources tha…

15

Jun

2023

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The water crisis in Europe (debate)

Madam President, Leonardo da Vinci said that water is the driving force of all nature, and today we see that Europe's water resources are increasingly limited. We are extracting eight times more water than we did a century ago, and more than a third of the world's population is experiencing acute water shortages. Last year we had the driest summer in 500 years. We see countries like Spain, which, …

31

May

2023

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Geographical Indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (debate)

Madam President, first of all, let me congratulate Paolo De Castro and the shadow rapporteurs on their work. Geographical indications are a guarantee of the quality of food products, regardless of the sectors we are talking about. Farmers or producer groups will be able to strengthen their position in supply chains by having at their disposal the necessary tools to offer consumers products with hi…

10

May

2023

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Ukrainian cereals on the European market (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen colleagues, from the outset I would like to stress that we do not question the need for Ukraine's farmers to be further supported. In this context, I underline that Romania has ensured the transport of more than 60% of Ukrainian grain to third areas. At the same time, however, Commissioner, large quantities of cereals remained in Romania and put …

10

May

2023

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The role of farmers as enablers of the green transition and a resilient agricultural sector (continuation of debate)

Mr President, it is sad that we are discussing today the role of farmers in the ecological transition and of a resilient agricultural sector, as if it were possible to have all this without farmers. I do not think that we can talk about food security today without a strong agricultural sector, and this means adequate funding, but above all we need predictable legislation that can be easily impleme…