Speeches

Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner I really wonder what is really the reason for this debate tonight. Although it is true that the human rights situation remains concerning, can we really compare the situation on the island to other topics we are debating tonight? I welcome the efforts by Josep Borrell and Eamon Gilmore to engage in a constructive but critical dialogue with Cuba. Many challenges still exist, and we are particularly concerned about the situation of political prisoners and call for their release. But we are also concerned about the very difficult humanitarian situation, on the island because of the United States blockade. It will take time, but we should continue to engage in dialogue. Through parliamentary diplomacy, we have engaged in constructive talks with Cuba about an official visit of the European Parliament. I deeply regret it has not yet been possible to reach an agreement about the visit, and I hope that we, as Parliament, will be able to find a decent solution to this so as not to break the channels that we have opened until now.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in Europe, patients and health systems are finding it increasingly difficult to access medicines. This is why it is difficult to support the ‘Let’s extend patents on medicines’ legislation. Indeed, we are currently working on the largest revision of the EU pharmaceutical legislation in 20 years to improve patients’ access to affordable medicines. Unfair practices related to unjustified patent extensions are common in the pharmaceutical market. Patents and intellectual property rights have been designed to guide innovation in the areas of unmet medical needs. However, today we see clearly that they have not kept their promises. We are told that the main reason for maintaining the current system of patents and supplementary protection certificates is to allow the recovery of R&D investments by industry. In fact, we know almost nothing about how much the industry spends on developing new medicines. We are blindly prolonging monopolies and paying more for medicines, without any basic transparency on R&D costs and government support. It is proven that in 80-90% of cases, sales of medicines exceed R&D costs on average four years after authorisation. In short, the longer the industry maintains monopolies on life-saving medicines, the longer we will continue to pay exorbitant prices for medicines, all because of the lack of competition from generic medicines. These billions of euros could be invested in a public research and development infrastructure that meets the needs of patients.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, our food system is broken: multinationals are making billions while farmers struggle to make ends meet; extremely low prices; family farms disappearing every day. We are in an agricultural crisis. To the farmers protesting outside: we are not your enemy. We Greens know that without farmers there is no food and that farmers deserve to make a decent living. We all also know that without nature there is no farming. What has led to this crisis are the policies pushed by the very people who like to blame us Greens: more and more free trade agreements, an unfair common agricultural policy, and simply not enough support to help farmers through the transition. Here is what we need to do: stop unfair competition from imported food; break the power of big corporations; more support to small farmers; less bureaucracy. Let us give farmers workable solutions that protect nature without burying farmers in paperwork.

Madam President, I will be very short, don’t worry. So, dear colleagues, the Claims Regulation applies to voluntary, nutritional and health claims on food products and food supplements in all commercial communication. The objective of the regulation is a high level of consumer protection and smooth functioning of the internal market. We want to protect European consumers, their safety, their health, but let’s be honest, also their wallet. The regulation has been enforced for more than 15 years, and I think we can agree that it has significantly contributed to protecting consumers from false and misleading health and nutrition claims on food. But still today, consumers continue to be exposed to unauthorised and misleading claims. The report we vote on today addresses key challenges in the implementation and suggests the regulation might need to be updated. So, we have three issues. Very shortly, consumers continue to be exposed to very unhealthy foods with authorised claims because 15 years after the regulation came into force, the foreseen nutrition thresholds for such claims have still not been established. Secondly, there is an on-hold list with over 2 000 claims on botanicals. Due to a lack of data, EFSA stopped evaluating these claims and the Commission put the claims on hold over a decade ago. This anomaly needs to be addressed. And thirdly, and lastly, online sales of food and supplements with unauthorised claims are booming. More cooperation and guidance are needed for successful implementation of this regulation in the online environment. I would like also to use this opportunity to thank the different stakeholders which provided us with input and as well to all my colleagues from other groups for constructive collaboration. Thank you!

Madam President, 2023 could have been a revolutionary year for animal welfare in Europe. Instead, millions of animals such as pigs or chickens must continue to suffer. They are locked up in tiny cages where they can barely move. In 2020, the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End the Cage Age’ was successfully validated. 1.4 million citizens called for an end to cage farming and a real change in animal husbandry. This was supported by a large majority in this House in 2021 through a resolution. By the end of 2023, the Commission promised to present a proposal for the phasing out of cages. And now we have January 2024, and it's clear there's nothing coming. The demands of 1.4 million people remain unanswered. I therefore very much welcome the fact that the European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the reasons for the Commission's failure to act. This is about much more than animal welfare. It is about the credibility of the EU institutions and the right of European citizens to have a say.

Madam President, Commissioner! The European Health Data Space can make a real difference for patients in the EU – a digital space that allows my doctor in Luxembourg to access the data stored by a doctor in France during my last treatment there. But of course, my dentist doesn't necessarily need to know that I was also in treatment with a psychologist. In this digital space, I can decide for whom I open which door and to whom I show which door at all. This also applies to my anonymized health data, which can be used, for example, in research. A pool of anonymised data from across Europe – this can be a real game changer for research, for future treatments, but also for prevention in health crises. The data room is particularly beneficial for those who have a rare disease – 30 million people in the EU. 95 percent of them support this creation. Because this data room creates hope: a way to get access to specialised medical care in other European countries, to get a diagnosis earlier and to learn more about his little-known disease through research. And access to my own data, easily from home. Data protection is, of course, the be-all and end-all of this space, because health data is sensitive information that may only fall into the hands of those for whom it is intended. Ladies and gentlemen, I call for this text to be supported.

Madam President, first of all, congratulations to the Green rapporteur, Sarah Wiener, for her tireless work on this file. ‘Sustainable use of pesticides’ – when it comes to chemical pesticides, isn’t that a bit of a contradiction? When it comes to our health, biodiversity and the health of our ecosystem, the less pesticides, the better, which is why we needed to increase ambition of the Commission’s proposal, especially when it comes to reduction targets. But today, one of the most harmful pesticides is likely to be on the market for another 10 years. Yes, I am speaking about glyphosate, which the Commission plans to reauthorise because Member States failed to ban it, and glyphosate is but one dangerous pesticide still used today. So when we vote on what ‘sensitive areas’ are and what can be sprayed in and around them, please don’t think of the short-term profit of big companies, but think of the people and the children that will be exposed to these pesticides. I don’t want to have to tell the future generation that we failed them by failing to embrace less toxic ways of managing pests and producing food.

Madam President, Commissioner! The EU has a protein problem. And no, it's not that we don't produce enough or need fancy technologies to increase production. We are a net exporter of animal protein. We produce and consume animal protein to an extent that is inefficient, unhealthy and unsustainable. To feed the billions of animals, we need 70 million tonnes of feed every year – 70 million tonnes! We import a quarter of this amount from third countries, from areas where massive deforestation is still taking place. The solution: Fewer animals, more local protein food and, very importantly, more plants on our plates. Unfortunately, the report completely misses the target. Every second paragraph highlights the importance of animal protein, especially for fertile women. Seriously? Unfortunately completely unrealistic and untimely. I know that was not the intention of the rapporteur, and I am really sorry that her report was so torpedoed.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, I stand with the citizens. Keeping and killing animals for the purpose of fur production and sale is cruel and unnecessary. Each year, around 37 million animals are killed for this business. Not only can animal welfare standards not be respected on fur farms, but fur farm is also posing a public health threat. Fur farms act as reservoirs for diseases, as we have seen during the COVID pandemic. Because of pollution and invasive species, fur farming also directly contributes to the decay of the EU's biodiversity and ecosystem. This is why we need to keep fighting for a coordinated phase-out of production and sales of fur, for fur-free Europe to become an official EU policy for the citizens, for the animals, for the environment. It is a shame also that the majority of the Members of this Parliament have voted against a resolution for Fur Free Europe ECI, even though more than a million EU citizens have called for a ban on fur. Let us ban fur farming.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, glyphosate has already been classified as probably carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation for more than eight years. In addition, there is evidence of the harmful impact of glyphosate on the environment, biodiversity and animals. Tired of waiting for a European ban, Luxembourg dared to take the lead a few years ago. From January 2021, the use of glyphosate was completely banned. David versus Goliath. Unfortunately, we lost in court against the agrochemical industry. The use is legal again, even if it is not widespread. But for almost two years, our small country has been able to demonstrate that glyphosate-free agriculture is possible and that a ban in no way leads to a dramatic drop in yield. So don't believe these alarmist lies. Thousands of organic and conventional farmers in Luxembourg and throughout Europe show that we can produce in quantity and without glyphosate.

Madam President, Commissioner, like my colleagues, I think it is crucial to address the issue of European action to address medicine shortages. I am pleased that the Commission is preparing a communication on this subject and I look forward to strong action, particularly on three points. First, to ask for the transparency of production lines from the companies that supply us. We need a better understanding of where the problems lie on the production lines. Of course, transparency also means being informed early enough about shortages and their reasons. If an undertaking discontinues production of a medicinal product for commercial reasons, this should be notified to allow other interested producers to continue production. Secondly, to relocate the production of medicines. This is a crucial measure to enable better control of supply chains. It is also a natural measure in view of the benefits received by pharmaceutical companies in Europe to support innovation. It would therefore be fair for this to be conditioned on production in Europe. Finally, thirdly, the creation of a European public medicines infrastructure, with research and development capacities, but also with production capacities for essential medicines, to ensure a safety net for the supply of Europeans. We cannot rely solely on the pharmaceutical industry. We saw this during the pandemic and we need to act accordingly. Parliament called on the Commission to assess the feasibility of setting up such an agency in its COVID report. When does the Commission plan to publish this study? And does the Commission plan to include this aspect in its communication at the end of October?

Madam President, Commissioner, I’m very pleased that this week we will vote on a report ensuring that transportation works for women because this is not the case yet. Women travel differently than men. They walk more often or take public transport and they make many stops on the way home from work. Yet, cities’ transport facilities today are designed by men for men. Despite their reliance on public transport, women are more likely to suffer from sexual harassment and violence, and women are 47 % more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash than men. Why? Because car crash dummies have been designed by men for men, and we need female crash test models. It’s high time that we include a gender perspective in transport planning. In the future, women, in all their diversity, have to be involved in decision-making processes to ensure that transport and city planning fit their needs. We also know that focusing on women’s mobility patterns will directly and positively support the green transition. We need to ensure that no woman or girl feels unsafe in public transport. No woman should be afraid of getting home at night. There are many preventive measures that can be introduced. Some cities are already taking steps, but much more needs to be done.

Madam President, I am extremely concerned about what is happening in Guatemala. The election was peaceful. The highest electoral authorities confirmed the clear victory of Bernardo Arévalo and Karin Herrera from the Semilla party. However, continuous attempts by the country’s Ministerio Público are trying to undermine the election result. Yesterday, agents from the attorney general offices raided facilities of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and started opening ballot boxes. This is an unprecedented violation of the law. The international community should have a coordinated answer to condemn these continuous and desperate attempts to destroy democracy. What we risk is a possible breakdown of the constitutional order in Guatemala. We urgently need to talk about sanctions to those who undermine the electoral process and systematically instrumentalise the judiciary to weaken the rule of law and criminalise opposition figures – people like Consuelo Porras, Rafael Curruchiche and Fredy Orellana. I call on all Guatemalan authorities to respect the election result and ensure a peaceful and transparent transition process. Citizens’ votes must be respected and the democracy protected.

Mr President, this report closes the work of the COVI Committee, which has certainly not been easy. Of course, I would like to thank my colleagues for their cooperation on this report, which takes stock, albeit not exhaustive but important, of the lessons learned during this pandemic. These included condemning triage practices in hospitals, calling for massive funding for our public healthcare systems and addressing the shortage of carers, and the importance of learning from the misuse of the EU Digital COVID Certificate by some Member States. But the report also calls for the necessary measures to be put in place to integrate the One Health approach in Europe. This is an extremely important point that we can control to prevent future health crises. And the first is already underway: antibiotic resistance. However, these positive points should not obscure the fact that the most important lesson of this pandemic is not repeated in this report. We have denied access to care to the majority of the world’s population. And why? To protect the profits of the pharmaceutical industry, which, it should be stressed, did not give us gifts during this pandemic. The Greens have therefore tabled amendments to correct the misleading balance sheet in this respect. If these amendments were not to be voted on, we would not be able to support a report that does not draw the main lesson from resolving this global health crisis.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, 10 years ago, the European Union took the decision to completely ban animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients, becoming the first market in the world to do so. It might feel like a symbolic move or even an unimportant issue to some, but for me – as a European who deeply cares for animals – it was a proud and happy moment. This will be one area where European consumers could buy products in good conscience because they didn’t have to worry if animals had suffered in labs. But then they discovered that this is not the case at all, as animal tests still are performed for workers’ safety. This is a legal inconsistency that is also causing damage to the credibility of the Union and to the trust of our citizens. Alternative testing methods exist and continue to be developed, and we should support them more. So I wait for the Commission that the announced roadmap is really among the answers that we will give on this ECI, and that we have a concrete step to phase out animal testing.

Mr President, High Representative / Vice President, it is not the first time I speak in this plenary about the situation in Nicaragua. Indeed, we have debated this topic various times before, but the situation in the country is getting worse and worse by the day. The UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua concluded that the human rights violations committed by the Ortega regime amount to crimes against humanity against civilians. We take note of the release of the 222 political prisoners. But it came at a big price. With the resolution we will adopt this week, the European Parliament will condemn the deportation of the former political prisoners and the decision to deprive at least 317 individuals of their Nicaraguan citizenship. We call on the Nicaraguan authorities to reverse this decision, to stop the politically motivated persecution against dissidents and human rights defenders and to really release all those arbitrarily detained. This resolution is also an opportunity to ensure the life and integrity of human rights defenders who remain in Nicaragua, including among others also Vilma Nuñez. Already one year ago, we called on the Council to expand the list of sanctions to include also the judges, and we repeat this call. Of course, all these measures do not include to harm the Nicaraguan people. So I urge you, and that’s my last sentence, to really work together with NGOs, with Human Rights Defenders, that we strengthen the international cooperation to defend dialogue, democracy and human rights in Nicaragua.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased that the European Parliament is once again taking a stand to call on the Member States to be consistent in their action against antibiotic resistance. We are talking about a silent pandemic, but the consequences are glaring. More than 35 000 people die each year in the EU from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and this will only increase, exceeding the number of patients dying from cancer. Not to mention the societal costs that will exceed those of the 2008 financial crisis. The central message of this resolution is that it is high time to act upstream. We know that the current misuse of antibiotics for human and animal health is actually only helping to amplify antibiotic resistance, as well as the release of pharmaceuticals and agricultural products into the environment. So let's change our practices and apply the One Health approach to be consistent. I also call on the Member States to make the necessary resources available to put in place the national plans to combat antibiotic resistance.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, first of all, I am happy that we speak about animal welfare, but I would be also happy if we do not always do it in the Thursday afternoon when nobody is there to listen anymore at all. But I will switch to German now. Das Töten von Eintagsküken ist eine inhumane Praxis, die immenses Leid verursacht und gegen die im EU-Recht verankerten Grundgesetze des Tierschutzes verstößt. Ich halte es für inakzeptabel, dass die Industrie bis heute an dieser grausamen Praxis festhält und dass die aktuellen EU-Tierschutznormen das Schreddern und das Vergasen überhaupt noch zulassen. Auch EFSA hat sich hierzu bereits 2019 klar ausgedrückt: Stoppt das Schreddern! Denn es gibt bereits, und sie wurden erwähnt, Technologien zur Geschlechtsbestimmung in ovo, die diese grausame Praxis völlig unnötig machen. Ich möchte der Kommission hier mit dem Blick auf die anstehende Überarbeitung der EU-Tierschutzstandards eine ganz einfache Frage stellen. Es wurde bereits von Ihnen im Oktober 2022 angesprochen: Werden Sie wirklich ein explizites EU-weites Verbot der Tötung von Eintagsküken vorschlagen? Angesichts der überwältigenden Forderungen der europäischen Bürgerinnen und Bürger nach konsequentem Tierschutz darf die Antwort hier nur Ja sein, und das sofort – nicht noch mit langen Transitions- und Übergangsphasen.

Madam President, dear Commissioner – I know the Germans speak English very well – I would like to congratulate the Commission for its efforts to put health on top of its agenda with this strategy and remind the Council that citizens want more action from the EU on health, not less. I could not agree more with the objectives to build stronger global partnerships, to face new common challenges and to make universal health coverage the norm globally. However, I believe some consistency is needed here. We cannot truly advocate access to care for all globally without recognising that IP rights are the main obstacle to foster access to care globally. Let’s not avoid the elephant in the room. Let’s not discuss a TRIPS waiver behind closed doors. Also, we need to concretely demonstrate the importance we give to One Health in Europe so that our partners are interested in joining these efforts. Let’s build a stronger case for global health by being coherent in our efforts.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear Prime Minister – moien, leiwe Xavier – it is always a pleasure to see you in the European Parliament. Historically and still today, Luxembourg is at the heart of the European project, and we must honour our role as one of the three European capitals. In our Union of 27, even a small country like ours has its place in the negotiations and can be a game changer. I am of course proud of the Luxembourg government’s commitment against nuclear power, which we agree is neither green, safe nor renewable. Thank you, therefore, for your support to our Minister of Energy, Mr Claude Turmes, and to the complaint against the taxonomy. So let's talk about finance: As one of the largest financial markets in Europe, we have a special responsibility to implement the green transition and promote social justice also beyond the EU. That is why I would like Luxembourg to play a pioneering role in corporate due diligence. Will Luxembourg finally support the inclusion of the financial sector in this directive? The Directive is precisely an opportunity for Luxembourg to clearly position itself as a leader in truly sustainable finance, respectful of human rights and environmental law.

Mr President, the news on the Uber files broke in the middle of the negotiation on the Platform Workers Directive here in the European Parliament. It was shocking to hear about how Uber broke the law and used aggressive lobbying tactics to delay and block laws on labour and social rights. That’s why it has been particularly concerning to see how many colleagues here in this Parliament have been echoing the voices of Uber. There are also good examples of platform companies who deliver innovative services while ensuring labour rights, but they can’t compete with exploitation. The deal on the Platform Workers Directive agreed with EMPL last December would allow for a level playing field for all the actors. It would also give social rights to 28 million platform workers all over the EU who desperately need it. Don’t be fooled by this multimillion lobbying machine. We need to stand up for workers’ rights and fight against second— or third—class workers’ conditions.

Madam President, Commissioner, in Latin America, the rule of law is under attack, the democratic space is shrinking, journalists and human rights defenders are threatened and corruption is widespread. Extreme poverty makes every day a struggle. In particular in Central America, the security situation is extremely worrying and to combat the gangs, we have seen how state of emergencies have been introduced. These policies have legitimated more militarisation of the public security, which has led to human rights violations such as arbitrary detentions, torture and even deaths in prison. Here, in our exchanges, we should not only focus on sanctions but also on prevention and social rehabilitation. As we work hard to defend democracy, fundamental rights, disinformation, equality and the environment in the EU, we should be coherent and promote the same values towards our partners, building a mutual partnership that is based not only on trade deals, but also on cooperation and development.

Mr President, the current situation is alarming and I understand the anger of the citizens. On the one hand, the increase in respiratory viruses puts European emergency services in an extremely precarious situation and, on the other hand, citizens are facing shortages of medicines, a direct consequence of the laissez-faire policy applied for years to the pharmaceutical industry. The result? Massive relocation of the production of medicines, shortages, patients who do not receive the necessary care and a startling lack of information from the public authorities in order to be able to act. By giving full control to the private sector, public authorities, both national and European, have given way to the systematic commercialisation of public health. The result is the situation we are experiencing today, where the health of citizens is put at risk. I would therefore like the Commission and the Council to express their views on the measures they envisage, first in the short term, to immediately support public health services and obtain essential medicines, but also, in the longer term, to ensure more transparency on the production chains of the medicinal product, so that the public authorities can act upstream of shortages and not just in response. And finally, on the possibility of creating a European public entity responsible for the production of a minimum of essential medicines so as to always have a safety net.

Mr President, Commissioner! Guarantees for children have been established at European level since 2021. This is an important step towards ensuring access to quality health care, education and decent living conditions for children who are also affected by poverty. However, establishing does not mean acting directly, and we must take into account the current crisis situation. While more families are facing the high prices, we have to face a question: How can we give every child the same opportunities if there is not enough money for these goals? For child guarantees, we need guarantees for more investment, and in the right direction. The health and school system in the Member States still reflects social injustices. Private health insurance companies and unbalanced school systems still put children at a disadvantage in difficult situations. How can we talk about guarantees for children without addressing systematic exclusion and the two-three-class society? We need more public money from the EU and the Member States to really give children equal opportunities in the school system and in healthcare.

Mr President, dear all, we have already extended the deadlines for the new rules of the Medical Devices Regulation to apply until May 2024. The European Parliament was clear that we do not wish another postponement that would be in the disinterest of patients. Now, if the regulation poses issues that will affect access to care for patients, perhaps it really requires other changes to the regulation. So that would be my question to the Commission. What does the Commission recommend? I would like to stress that Parliament should be involved early on regarding the discussion. I was happy to hear from the Commissioner, who said it is important that the European Parliament is involved in order to discuss possible changes to this regulation instead of having again to face another urgent procedure to extend the deadline to apply the regulation’s rules, which are important.