Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I thank Mr Novakov for his important report on the European Union's cohesion policy. We want the balanced development of our regions, cities and rural areas and drive inclusive and sustainable growth across the continent, reaffirming the European Union's commitment to solidarity and territorial cohesion. And the results are positive. Millions of Europeans have benefited from better access to healthcare, education, training, boosting employability and strengthening our local economies. We have accelerated the transition to a low-carbon economy, with investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. However, the challenges remain. Regional disparities, uneven impacts of the green and digital transitions and global emergencies require an even stronger and more adaptable cohesion policy. We need more flexibility, simplification of processes and strengthening of cross-cutting governance, ensuring that all levels of government are involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of the different programmes. And we see that not everyone benefited in the same way. Not all Member States have implemented European resources well. Slow and bureaucratic responses, or a lack of strategic vision, undermine the effectiveness of cohesion policies and provide arguments to those who argue that they should decrease. I hope that my country, with the new government, will be able to give better examples of effectiveness and contribute to a more cohesive Portugal closer to the European average.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, hate speech and hate crime are an attack on human dignity. They cannot take place in a 21st century Europe. Today, however, we are witnessing an increase in these speeches, fuelled by extremist and populist movements, and by the multiplier effect of social media. There can be no grey areas, no hesitation, when we talk about human rights. Gender discrimination kills. Homophobia kills. Hate-based intolerance kills. Addressing the root of the problem, particularly stereotypes, intolerance and the new mechanisms of its spread, is essential to effectively combat hate speech and hate crime. It is therefore urgent to provide the legal instruments of criminal force in order to criminalise these acts, and it is imperative that decisions are taken. If the Council fails to reach unanimity, it decides by qualified majority, because hate crimes are incompatible with the values of the Union, human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, following the unfortunate Qatargate episode, it is essential to recognise that the obscure non-governmental organisations involved are not representative. On the contrary, most NGOs play a fundamental and irreplaceable role in our society, working tirelessly for European values and ideals, promoting democracy, defending human rights and supporting the most vulnerable communities. However, it is crucial to prevent and combat fraud, conflict of interest, double funding, corruption, money laundering and embezzlement in all situations, regardless of the nature and legal status of those involved. To this end, I believe that the need to register NGOs applying for European funds in the transparency register is a step in the right direction. As elected MEPs, we have a duty to protect European taxpayers by ensuring that every euro is used in accordance with European values. The broad multi-party agreement reached in CONT is excellent news in this context. I am confident that the proposals in this report will make us more prepared to prevent situations such as those in the Qatargate in the future, while reaffirming our support for organisations that truly represent and serve the interests and values of the European Union.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, this is a debate that interests everyone and should involve both men and women. Violence against women is one of the most common and systematic human rights violations rooted in our society. The countries of the European Union are no exception. Unfortunately, one in three women suffered physical or sexual violence, mostly perpetrated by intimate partners. The Union has promoted a number of initiatives and actions, but the numbers are alarming and the scale of the problem takes various forms, ranging from physical, emotional, financial, reproductive or even cyber violence. This violence has a major impact on victims and imposes significant costs on society, estimated at EUR 290 billion per year in the European Union. The instruments put in place by the United Nations and the Council of Europe, including the Istanbul Convention, are references in efforts to combat violence, but they are not sufficient if they are not accompanied by a holistic and serious policy involving all societal actors. I welcome the European Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and look forward to the final text of the negotiations with the Council on the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. While there are similarities between national policies to combat violence against women, Member States have adopted different approaches to the problem. We urgently need more Europe, with one voice, to eliminate violence against women.

Madam President, Commissioners, Minister, ladies and gentlemen, the European Union is not just a common market with free movement for goods, services and capital. We are also an area of citizenship with a framework of values that identify us and, therefore, we have a Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union. Orban's comparisons between Brussels and Moscow are scandalous. Moreover, they reveal a complete lack of respect for the Hungarian people, for the decades of Soviet occupation they suffered. How deplorable is the campaign against Ursula von der Leyen in the context of a national consultation of Hungarian citizens! If this is proof of the European Commission's firmness in defending European values, the Commission is to be congratulated. But most worrying are the instrumentalisation of the judiciary, the weakening of the rule of law, limitations on press freedom and threats and pressures against universities, scientists and teachers, or the unacceptable increase in discrimination against minorities based on nationalities or sexual choices. We discussed and analysed, in the Committee on Budgetary Control, the judicial reforms announced by Budapest and concluded that they are nothing more than formalities and in no way correct the attack on the rule of law or guarantee the independence of justice. That is why we must not abandon the conditionality of the rule of law in Community funds. Hungarian citizens have the same right to enjoy the rights, freedoms and guarantees granted to other citizens of the European Union. Unlocking these funds would be abandoning the Hungarian people. This Parliament must be clear and unambiguous and the European Union must stand firm in upholding its principles, protecting all European citizens from autocratic leaders and breaches of the rule of law.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to begin by thanking the Members of the European Court of Auditors and its President, Tony Murphy, for their very important scrutiny and audit work. Scrutinising the proper use of European taxpayers' money is key to strengthening confidence in the functioning of the Union and in the use of its funds. In this report, the Court identified an alarming increase in the most likely error rate in Union budget expenditure: from 2018 to 2022, the rate rose from 2.6 to 4.2. The Commission’s error estimates for 2022 are, however, significantly lower: Less than half of that. This disparity raises questions about the effectiveness of the Commission’s internal controls and risk assessment. It would be important to standardise the methodologies used by the European institutions to ensure more accurate and reliable results. We also found that six of the revised Recovery and Resilience Facility payments to Member States were affected by material error. This is compounded by weaknesses in the design of targets and indicators, as well as in the reliability of the information provided by Member States. This reinforces the importance of the scrutiny carried out by the European Court of Auditors. Mr President, we must continue to work together to ensure that funds are used responsibly and transparently. Parliament, this Parliament, has always demanded the utmost transparency from all the European institutions in order to be accountable to the citizens in a clear and effective manner.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Minister, I welcome the broad commitment of this Parliament, reflected in the strong support of the democratic and pro-European political groups for the resolution that we are about to adopt. The Multiannual Financial Framework is an essential tool for all Member States of the Union and we therefore welcome the Commission's recognition of the urgent need for its revision. The Commission proposal, however, lacks ambition to deal with all the needs and challenges that lie ahead. We propose an additional €10 billion increase to the amount proposed by the Commission, aiming, among other initiatives, to provide clear and sustained support to Ukraine, finance the new strategic technologies platform for Europe and respond to the management of migration flows. I call on the Member States, especially the Spanish Presidency, especially in the year leading up to the next European elections, not to provide anti-Europeanists with pretexts to criticise the European Union for lack of action due to lack of funding and problems in adopting the 2024 budget. With this report, Parliament demonstrates that it is prepared to negotiate. I hope that the Council will do the same quickly.