Speeches

Mr President, honourable High Representative, colleagues, the Kremlin has been clearing its feet into international law for many years. Hybrid attacks, referendums, the killing of innocent people and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. It is possible to name and name Russian crimes. At the time, we have been discussing for several years whether we can use Russian money to reduce the damage it has caused itself. We have to stop talking and doing. Use all three hundred billion euros of the Central Bank of Russia, not only the proceeds from them. What is more, we must already take steps to force Russia to pay for all the damage caused to Ukraine after Ukraine wins this war. We cannot allow the aggressors to think that their actions will cost nothing.

Mr President, honourable Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, dear Ukrainians. Europe has no right to disappoint Ukrainian children. By buying Russian resources for many years, we have strengthened Putin's influence. We looked at the crimes he committed. If we responded, the response was short-lived and had little effect. This allowed Putin to think that he could go further. By failing to agree and even deliver on the promises made to Ukraine, we continue to disappoint Ukrainians who are dying from Russian missiles. We are disappointing many parents whose lives we have not been able to protect. The Kremlin is stretching its hands toward children who have lost loved ones. The question is whether we will close our eyes again and drown in the debate. Russia understands only the language of force. Let's do everything here and now so that Russia loses this war, because only then will the children be able to return home, let's not disappoint them.

Dear President, Minister, Commissioner, dear colleagues. Let's talk about what's really going on in Russia. An independent legal system has been destroyed, free media is no longer available, civil society has been suppressed, political prisoners are on the rise and some of them are simply being killed. So the international society can no longer pretend that Putin is the president of a democratic country. The Russian Federation has become a dictatorship, and the murder of Alexei Navalny proves this. Putin is not insurmountable. He fears his critics even when they are dead. Obstacles to the funeral of Navalny are a good example of this. In order to bring about change in Russia, we must help those who fear the Kremlin. We need a coordinated exchange of convicts, a haven for people fleeing political persecution.

You have indeed mentioned this, but legislation, regulations, directives allow Member States to tighten conditions, to adopt additional restrictions. What is your opinion that Member States should not pay for this? Should we not include the provision that if a Member State adopts stricter conditions that increase costs, it should contribute its own money in return?

Mr President, honourable Commissioner, colleagues, farmers' scraps are burning in the Baltic States to draw attention to the deplorable situation of agriculture. With rising food prices, taxes, production costs and the war in Ukraine, farmers are forced to sell their produce below cost. In the dairy sector alone, milk producers have fallen by almost 40% in the last few years. Here in Parliament, we are preparing and announcing loudly the documents calling for people living in the regions not to be left behind. However, the reality is that they are not heard even when drawing up national strategic plans. In some countries, farmers were not involved in the process. So far, we have divided farmers into first-class and second-class direct payments. Although we are able to introduce corporate taxes in energy, we are not immune to retail trade. Why? It is time to make it compulsory for farmers to buy their produce at a price at least equal to the cost of production.

Mr President, honourable Minister, Commissioner, colleagues. Today, there are calls from this tribune for assistance to Ukraine. But she doesn't need empty slogans. Let's stop making promises, let's act. Can anyone tell me how many promises have not been made yet? And this only shows our weakness and encourages Russia to go further. Let’s take a look at the figures – how much each country in the European Union has provided support to Ukraine in relation to its GDP. They are very eloquent and show who is speaking and who is actually doing the job they need. It seems that some countries still think that Russia is far away and the war will not reach them. I want to remind you of the lessons of two world wars: there is no safe place. Therefore, let us stop trampling and make sure that Ukraine wins this war before it takes place on our lands.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner. To tackle the decline of pollinators fundamentally, we need to ensure that member countries take similar measures and coordinate their actions with each other, especially in bordering areas. Equally important is the involvement of neighbouring countries that want to cooperate with the European Union. We cannot allow the use of environmentally and pollinator-destroying preparations in agriculture within a few metres of the external border without any restrictions. What is more, we must stop as soon as possible the import of agricultural products for which pesticides have been banned in the European Union. We cannot pretend that this problem does not exist. The European Union has enough tools to demand, when negotiating trade agreements or providing support, that only safe and harmless products made for human health and the environment reach us.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. The statistics are eloquent. Today's farmers do not have a young shift that can continue their activities in agriculture. So far, we have done very little to change the situation. Even when it comes to supporting young farmers, we are still receiving proposals to cut these funds in the budget. To date, the uneven system of direct payments divides farmers into first- and second-class farmers. There is no desire to create a positive image of agriculture so that the farming profession regains public respect and becomes an attractive alternative for young people. Access to land is not decided. There is a growing concentration of land, there is no attempt to create a CAP that guarantees stable and fair wages and working conditions in agriculture that can combat poverty and social exclusion in rural areas, and there is no loss-making activity. This report is one of the good examples where parliamentarians from different political backgrounds have managed to come to an agreement and achieve an excellent result. I call on the Commission, when preparing the new CAP, to listen and ensure that there is a real, not an assumed, incentive for young people to enter the sector, work and build their lives in the regions.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. Similar to the NATO summit currently held in Vilnius, where the President of Ukraine is visiting, the Council has once again expressed its support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The parties pledged their support for as long as necessary. It's important, but is it enough? The Ukrainian people, even with Western weapons, have been fighting on the front for more than five hundred days. If nothing changes, the war can last for years. We need to provide support of such a magnitude that Ukraine can end the war by pushing the aggressor out of its territory. Every day of insufficient support means that more funds will be needed for Ukraine's reconstruction. As long as we talk, people continue to die. Why are we still not ready to give absolutely everything we need to end the war now?

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, helping Ukraine must remain our priority. We know very well what is really causing the food crisis in third countries. Russia is blocking and restricting grain supplies and is using this situation to blame the European Union. We need to be proactive so that Ukrainian grain can safely reach Ukrainian ports and be transported abroad. Transporting cereals to Europe by train for third countries is not economically viable. That doesn't mean we don't have to continue. However, I propose to take measures to ensure that Ukrainian grain intended for export goes directly to our ports and cannot be sold on the domestic market. If we want to contribute to the fight against hunger, we cannot allow production destined for other countries to remain in Europe.

Mr President, honourable President, Commissioners, colleagues. I would like to sincerely thank you, Mr President, for your contribution and the continuous work you are doing to provide the necessary, necessary and timely support to Ukraine. On the eve of this war, you visited and met with the President of Ukraine, without giving in to the leaders of other countries that it is necessary to support Ukraine by organizing financial, military support and providing all the necessary support. Thank you sincerely for that. However, we would also like to see a more active policy on solving domestic problems, including in Lithuania, such as high inflation, higher food and energy prices, and a bank interest rate hike when it becomes difficult for individual families to survive. We are concerned about the income received by the country's farmers, the management of the milk crisis and the possible consequences of this crisis for the future of Lithuanian agriculture. I live by the fact that the regional policy of the country has still not met expectations, because the income gap between those living in the regions of the country and those living in the capital is still quite pronounced. This is also, of course, a European problem. I understand that the war in Ukraine has exacerbated these problems. But just to say that is not an option. It would be wrong to hesitate and not take action that would improve the lives of the people of Europe.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. Without livestock farming, neither sustainable nor organic farming, let alone food security, is possible without organic fertilisers. The dairy sector in Lithuania is in deep crisis, one could say, on the verge of bankruptcy. Already today, the number of cattle per hectare in Lithuania is one of the lowest in the European Union. I call on the Commission to intervene because the reduction targets for mineral fertilisers will be nullified by the destruction of livestock farming. Unfortunately, the Lithuanian government is only observing and wondering how today's farmers have been feeding milk on the fields. Finally, I want to say that the objective of reducing mineral fertilisers cannot be allowed to be the same for all, because it will completely destroy agriculture in countries that already use little fertilisers and receive the lowest direct payments.

Mr President, Mr President of the Commission, colleagues. Russia's aggression in Ukraine, which began in 2014, has been intensifying, because we, the West, did not prevent it at that time. With cheaper resources, Europe has agreed to be less principled. There was talk of a strategic partnership that only helped Putin raise enough funds for the invasion. In Parliament, we still hear that we are not ready to give up dependence on third countries. Again, we are trying to find a justification for our incapacity. Isn't it time to prove that we learned from our mistakes? Indeed, if we want Ukraine to win, why do we still hesitate to accept its weapons requests? Let's give everything Ukraine needs and turn words into real actions. Slava Ukraini!

Thank you, President, honourable Commissioner, honourable Minister, colleagues. It is clear that a free market is not able to balance prices in times of crisis. One percent of people control half of the world's wealth. During the pandemic, these people made record profits and exacerbated social inequalities. This is to be repeated now, taking advantage of the war caused by Russia. What do politicians do? We're just talking. When will we start limiting profits in the food sector? Without food, people will not survive. A one-third increase in food prices is a catastrophe that we do not want to see because we are still defending the rich. Commissioner, where is our action plan? It should have been approved in the spring. I invite you to finish your speeches and take on specific tasks.

Mr President, someone has said that this is a missed opportunity. Dear Vice-President of the Commission, I would like you to make it very clear when all these measures will come into effect? When will the bills start to fall? In a month? In half a year? After a year? People are waiting for it today. And the second thing, it seems that this trend, the increase in prices, is noticeable in the food sector, in the food supply chain. There is a lot of speculation in the food trade. Of course, supplying the means of production, especially fertilizers. I therefore propose that you put on the agenda, start exploring, and apply similar measures in the food supply chain, so that this is not a missed opportunity again.

Thank you, Mr President, You mentioned that food is expensive. Do you not think that in the food sector, where energy prices have risen in the same way, there is much speculation in the supply of fertilisers, the supply of means of production, the sale and processing of food. Should we not introduce measures similar to those already in force in the field of energy, both by taxing additional profits and, of course, by setting a price ceiling for basic food products? What do you think?

Madam President, Commissioner, representative of the Council, dear colleagues, we can talk a lot about the necessary measures to overcome the crisis, but if there are no funds available for this, we are unlikely to achieve a result. When the multiannual financial framework was being drawn up, no one thought that there would be a pandemic, that Russia would start a war, that inflation would hit, that energy prices would rise drastically. It is therefore clear that the 2023 budget needs to reflect all this. Agriculture has played a strategic role in ensuring food supply during all these crises, and its vitality is a priority. We urgently need to put an end to discriminatory direct payments, to support young farmers by all means, to give everyone access to technology and adequate energy, and to invest in the protection of biodiversity. Without food, there will be no Europe, so any proposals to cut funds in this area are incomprehensible and unjustifiable.

– Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. It is clear that decarbonisation must be phased out in order to achieve the true independence of the European Union. The promotion of alternative fuels infrastructure projects is simply a necessity. It is true that no region or territory of the European Union can be left behind. The deployment of publicly accessible recharging infrastructure for electric passenger cars is currently uneven across the Union. And this is a big problem. Europe will be weak in this area to the extent that at least one country or remote area of the Union is weak in its achievements. And no matter how many people live in a given place – as long as an electric car cannot be charged anywhere in the EU – we will not be able to convince consumers to give up polluting travel. I invite you to work together and achieve your goals together.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues. In order to deal with rising food prices and self-sufficiency, we need to clearly identify the problem of why this is happening. The price of fertilizers is only one side of the medal. Farmers are dependent on the production, science and technology produced by the energy industry. So far, we have not made it possible for every farm to innovate. If only the big ones can benefit from them, it is natural that the small ones disappear and competition decreases. Another unlearned lesson: supermarkets of processors and retail chains. I invite the Commission to carry out a detailed analysis and, if necessary, as in the case of the electricity supplier, to tax the excess profits of these companies. The purchase of food is a matter of survival for many Europeans. Let us not leave farmers and consumers alone in this difficult situation.

Mr President, from the lips of the European Union's senior officials, we hear the regret that the warnings of the Baltic states about Russia's plans have not been heard. But what is the meaning of these words, when so far the situation has changed little. The introduction of new sanctions is getting more and more exhaled, the horrific crimes of Russian soldiers are becoming less and less exciting. Finally, Europe is only reacting to Putin's steps, instead of acting first without waiting for another attack. With the start of the war in Ukraine in 2014, the Kremlin will continue to pursue its goals. Talking to the aggressor is worth nothing and calling, appealing to common sense diplomacy will not help here. We must realise that there is no common sense in the Kremlin, and we must act accordingly.

Mr President, honourable Commissioner, colleagues, the industrial strategy must prioritise food security, medicines and medical supplies. Europe's industrial strategy must help us to become completely independent of Putin's blackmail and attempts, while ensuring the sustainable competitiveness of European industry and businesses. We need to end the European Union's energy dependence on Russia, on fossil fuels, which is why the Union and the Member States must increase energy savings and develop energy efficiency measures. Finally, we need to ensure social fairness in the industrial transition and develop appropriate measures to support the industrial transformation of regions through investment projects and plans to restructure the industrial fabric of remote areas in vulnerable regions, especially rural areas.

Isn't it a paradox that many countries can trace the origin of timber, meat, and can't do so with grain stolen from Ukraine? Russia lands them in various ports. I would like to ask the Commission: What is being done to stop these shipments? It is clear that even with tremendous efforts, it will not be possible to transport all grain from Ukraine to the territory of the European Union. There are also questions about grains that have already crossed the border. We are talking about an impending famine in Africa. But how will the grain reach that continent? Will it not happen that Ukrainian grain will remain on the European Union market and be sold below cost? What are the consequences for our farmers? We must help Ukraine, but at the same time we must not destroy the European Union's agriculture.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. When will Putin cut off supplies to other EU countries? I think it's just a matter of time. And he'll do it when it's the hardest for him. That is why we need to show solidarity and act together, for example by revising programmes, changing funding, both for cohesion policy and for the common agricultural policy. We need to take into account the level of development of the countries. We need to take into account the level of direct payments, so that some countries will not suffer a little while others will suffer a lot. Can we live without energy? Of course not. Can we use it less? Yes. Can we make it ourselves, independently? Of course, yes. And those countries that have already had problems with Russia have made great strides. We urge everyone to act faster.

Mr President, dear colleagues, today we have actually seen and heard the choice made by the Moldovan people. In fact, it is a joy when the works are no different from the languages – what is being spoken is what is being done. And it really makes us feel very good that this country is working purposefully in its own direction and is striving to create a democratic, safe country and to create prosperity for its people. The European Commission should therefore duly assess Moldova’s choice and grant candidate status without delay. This process should not take long enough. We should make it possible for Moldova to join the European Community quickly.

Mr President, colleagues. Putin's regime strives for universal domination, democracy and freedom are the biggest enemies to achieve its goals. His tools to achieve his goals are both extreme parties in Europe and individual politicians. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has been overlooked. I sincerely hope that the war against Ukraine has opened the eyes of everyone on how the Kremlin works. There is no cheap gas and oil – there are only discounts available for certain services to Putin. Services that help destroy the European Union and NATO. The question is, how long will we allow this? When will the responsible services and institutions start exchanging information and preventing the funding of European parties and their representatives?