What Tilly spoke about.

8 May

2025

EN Speech

EU action on treating and preventing diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular neurological diseases and measles (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner, when we speak about diseases like cancer, heart conditions, neurological disorders or measles, we don't speak in abstract terms – we are speaking about our neighbours, our parents, our children. Every one of us has a story. Every one of us knows someone affected. That's why our response must be human, bold and forward-looking. Let's start with the obvious: preve…

6 May

2025

EN Speech

The European Water Resilience Strategy (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner, the state of Europe's water is a wake-up call for urgent action because, yes, water is life, water is health, water is food. Without water, there is no economy, no stability, no future. Let's not be naïve. Our current approach has led us to a point where one in three people globally lack access to clean drinking water, and nearly 40 % of the EU faces permanent w…

3 Apr

2025

EN Speech

European Action Plan on Rare Diseases (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, for me, there are around 30 million reasons why we need to take bold action now: 30 million children and adults across Europe every day have to fight. The fight is mostly very unequal as diagnosis takes years, patients have limited treatment options, specialists may not be anywhere close and treatments are very expensive. They have to fight because they live with rare d…

2 Apr

2025

FR Speech

European Steel and Metals Action Plan (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, the history of Luxembourg is marked by the steel and metallurgical industry, and since 1997 the production of crude steel has been 100% electric. It is to her that the country owes its prosperity, and she has strongly influenced Luxembourg’s economy, society and landscape. With ArcelorMittal's global headquarters in Luxembourg, this sector remains a central part of t…

13 Mar

2025

DE Speech

A Vision for Agriculture and Food (debate)

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Mr President! Good morning, Commissioner! The vision for the future of agriculture is a promising approach. However, it has some contradictions: How can we speak of healthy soils, clean air, pure water and species protection, without a reduction in intensive animal husbandry, without a gradual elimination of toxic pesticides and without clear incentives for more organic farming? It also announces …

11 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Presentation of the proposal on Critical Medicines Act (CMA) (debate)

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Madam President, this project is a perfect example of what you get when one writes legislation on the fly and in a hurry. Exactly what I fear has happened. The challenges for availability of critical medicines are enormous in Europe, the expectations of both patient and the pharmaceutical industry regarding effective solutions proposed by the European Union are as great as the challenges. Unfortun…

12 Feb

2025

EN Speech

Commission Work Programme 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, I am speaking on behalf of millions that don't have a voice and about three remaining legislative files that are ready to be tabled and were foreseen for the end of 2023, but because of the pressure of the lobbyists, they are retained. I am speaking about legislation improving animal welfare for millions of animals. It is about slaughtering, it is about clear labelling on animal w…

11 Feb

2025

FR Speech

The need to address urgent labour shortages and ensure quality jobs in the health care sector (debate)

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Mr President, there are challenges that are better solved at European level. There are even challenges that can only be solved at European level. The lack of healthcare staff is a very real problem throughout the European Union, without exception. All countries face it, rich and poor. In fact, Luxembourg is the richest country and the one with the biggest problem of doctors in the whole European U…

22 Jan

2025

DE Speech

Stepping up international action to protect whales following Iceland’s decision to extend commercial whaling until 2029 (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Imagine an explosive harpoon hitting you, and you have to go through an agonizing death struggle that can last for over ten minutes and up to hours – this is the reality of whales in Iceland every year. These atrocities seemed to be coming to an end, but we were disappointed. By 2029, two whaling companies will be given the license to kill again by the unelected gove…

19 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Commission’s plans to include the revision of the outstanding proposals on animal welfare in its work plan for 2025 (debate)

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Madam President, Good day, Commissioner Várhelyi! How is this House supposed to work efficiently and coherently on the Animal Transport Ordinance when, at the same time, complementary proposals on slaughter, husbandry and animal welfare labelling have still not been published? 1.4 million citizens have the European Citizens' Initiative End the Cage Age Signed to get animals out of the cage. More t…

18 Dec

2024

DE Answer

Challenges facing EU farmers and agricultural workers: improving working conditions, including their mental well-being (debate)

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That's not true! We are exactly on the side of the farmers that we want them to have more say in the price and that you just get away from the logic of quantity to quality. This would also benefit farmers. We did not agree with this common agricultural policy, which is now pushing the farmers to the wall, because we wanted the farmers to be recognised for their work and the quality of their work r…

18 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Challenges facing EU farmers and agricultural workers: improving working conditions, including their mental well-being (debate)

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Mr President! Dear Commissioner, Currently, 80% of the financial support under the Common Agricultural Policy goes to 20% of the largest farms in Europe. This disproportionate promotion of larger landowners leads to environmental damage, social inequality, and not just that: Burnout can also get farmers and other agricultural workers. Another problem is the regular suspension of pesticides. It lea…

28 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Strengthening children’s rights in the EU - 35th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (debate)

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Madam President, Europe’s children are often afraid – of war, of violence, of climate change. They are afraid of insecurity and poverty. Yes, and poverty also has an impact on a child’s success in school – whether he has something to eat in the morning, whether he has warm clothes in the winter, whether he feels accepted. Violence against children is underestimated. They take place everywhere, inc…

27 Nov

2024

FR Speech

Recent legislation targeting LGBTQI persons and the need for protecting the rule of law and a discrimination-free Union (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, dear LGBTQI+ friends, today's debates are about people, they are about lives, they are about freedom, they are about our future. In different countries of the European Union, national laws targeting LGBTQI people undermine our common values: dignity, equality, the rule of law and human rights for all. The far right is looking forward to passing laws that lite…

26 Nov

2024

EN Answer

2025 budgetary procedure: Joint text (debate)

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Thank you very much for that question, but I think you are mixing up things there. Of course, I'm in favour that at the European level we have to fight poverty, of course. In Luxembourg, just to say, one child out of five is at risk of poverty. But that's another issue, I mean, we have to fight that. Here is a fundamental question that every country in the European Union has a coefficient correcte…

26 Nov

2024

EN Speech

2025 budgetary procedure: Joint text (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, Luxembourg, as one of the EU capitals, is home to key EU institutions. There are strong reasons for why 12 European institutions, agencies and bodies are based in Luxembourg, such as the Court of Justice and the European Court of Auditors. Their location ensures independence away from the political centres of Brussels and Strasbourg. However, the cost of living in…

23 Oct

2024

FR Speech

Need to strengthen rail travel and the railway sector in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, the European Union aims to increase the share of rail transport in its mobility strategy. But achieving our climate goals and a successful transition to rail requires developing a coherent transport policy and prioritising increased investment in rail transport. It is therefore incomprehensible that the Commission should encourage this modal shift while at the same time…

22 Oct

2024

EN Speech

Question Time with Commissioners – Situation of animal health in Europe: how to prevent and prepare for future sanitary crises in agriculture

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If I may, I'd like to insist on the question on the three remaining legislative proposals, where we know that the studies have been done. Is there no possibility to know something about the timeline? So I'm speaking about 'End the Cage Age' – so the husbandry of farmed animals – and also slaughtering and labelling. I think they go hand in hand with also reducing the risk of spreading zoonoses, etc…

22 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Question Time with Commissioners – Situation of animal health in Europe: how to prevent and prepare for future sanitary crises in agriculture

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Madam President, Commissioner! The way we treat animals in Europe needs to change drastically. It cannot be that we keep so many animals in such a confined space, pump them full of medicines, then transport them across Europe and beyond. Only a few days ago there was another animal transport disaster in connection with the bluetongue virus, which could be contained by the abolition of intensive an…

10 Oct

2024

DE Speech

World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)

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Dear Mr President, Dear Commissioner! Every year we welcome the statement by the Commission and leaders across Europe on the importance of mental health. The figures, however, show us once again that the reality for many people in Europe is still very bleak. For the most vulnerable people, it's only getting worse: for young people, for people with disabilities, for people in precarious employment,…

9 Oct

2024

FR Speech

Urgent need to revise the Medical Devices Regulation (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, medical devices such as implants, surgical tools or inhalers are vital for patients throughout Europe. After several scandals related to defective devices, the EU regulatory framework was adopted to improve the safety and quality of healthcare. To date, we have still not achieved compliance with the rules and have extended the deadlines for the industry four times. Toda…

18 Sep

2024

FR Speech

EU response to the Mpox outbreak and the need for continuous action (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, let us not panic, but let us be realistic. Let's talk about facts and science to build trust. The mpox is not new. In Africa, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency as early as 2014. The World Health Organization recognized mpox as a public health emergency of international concern in 2022, and again in August 2024. As the …

16 Sep

2024

DE Speech

Outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! The way we farm and eat needs to change drastically. Mass animal husbandry causes immeasurable suffering for billions of animals in Europe. It also poses a huge threat to public health and harms the environment. If we want future generations to have a good life on this planet, we must finally act. The shift to a more plant-based diet and sustainable agriculture is essen…

24 Apr

2024

FR Speech

La Hulpe declaration on the future of social Europe (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, it is a Luxembourg connection today. A lot of emotion, I have to say too. The La Hulpe Declaration on the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights is essential to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the Porto Summit. However, this statement, for me, had two facets. The first, of course, is positive. Europe's social rights and policies are our strength. Thi…

10 Apr

2024

FR Speech

Union code relating to medicinal products for human use - Union procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human use and rules governing the European Medicines Agency (joint debate - Pharmaceutical package)

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Madam President, Commissioner, the revision of the pharmaceutical legislation has not been easy, but I am convinced that we have managed to find a good compromise in the interests of patients and health systems. By reaching this compromise, we have succeeded in improving the accessibility of medicines, ensuring transparency of public investment in pharmaceutical research and development. We have a…