Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, tourism has gone through a difficult period. This is the sector most affected by the pandemic: Many people have lost their jobs. Now is the time to rethink this sector. The tourism sector, and especially the mass tourism sector, has a strong impact on climate change as well as on nature. It contributes to 8% of global CO2 emissions and CO2 emissions continue to rise. But it is also a very vulnerable sector, as it is also a victim of climate change and biodiversity loss. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we Greens have called on the Commission to ensure that the restoration of the tourism sector is consistent with the Green Deal. We must ensure that the recovery plans drawn up and the investments made in this sector guarantee a transition to sustainable tourism, tourism that is fair for human beings and for the planet. Every aspect of tourism must be sustainable, from mobility to housing. But what is the Commission doing to encourage and monitor the green transition in the tourism sector, so that we do not return to the status quo? Local authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises are playing a key role in this transition. But to what extent does the funding actually correspond to the objectives of the Green Deal? Finally, tourism must be accessible and affordable for everyone, including those who, for a variety of reasons, cannot get vaccinated. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is a successful initiative allowing EU citizens to travel again. But there is a need to increase funding for testing and make testing free for everyone, to ensure that access to the certificate remains guaranteed for all and to avoid discrimination.

Madam President, I believe my colleagues have already explained well why, as Members of this Parliament, we are so worried, but also angry, about the current proposal. We all want to strengthen the capacity of the EU to respond to health emergencies, but this process must be independent and driven only by public health interest. As foreseen now, the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) will not be an independent agency. The Commission will work directly with the industry on research, development and manufacturing of medicines. The only way to guarantee the independence of HERA will be to include strict and binding policies on conflict of interest. We cannot afford, neither financially nor morally, that HERA become an additional channel to give pharmaceutical companies a blank cheque. We have to draw the lessons from the so far poor experience of the EU public and private partnerships. We cannot afford to make the same mistakes for the credibility of the project, but also for the credibility of the European institutions.

Mr President, last Friday, in Mondercange, a 91-year old woman was hit by a lorry on a zebra crossing. She died from her injuries. She is one of around 23 000 people still dying every year on EU roads, including many children. Furthermore, 120 000 also get seriously injured. This is not acceptable! The EU has to step up its action to reduce deaths and serious injuries. Speeding is a factor in a third of all fatal road crashes. Therefore, we call for safe speed limits on all roads, and especially for 30 km per hour as a default speed in residential areas. It is also key to promote lighter and smaller cars, which are much safer for all road users. We also call for urban space to be redesigned, putting people and public transport at the centre and promoting active mobility with safe infrastructure for those walking and cycling because, when it comes to mobility, safety and sustainability go hand in hand.

Mr President, Commissioner! I wholeheartedly welcome this report. The amount of petitions that speak of the rights of people with disabilities shows how acute and widespread the problems are still. People with disabilities must have access to inclusive education and training, be able to live independently and in a community-based manner, be able to travel freely and flexibly, have a chance in the regular labour market, and have access to personal assistance. These are not just trifles or even pity actions, but human rights. Inclusion in all areas of society should not only be an option, but a matter of course. However, this paradigm shift is not complete everywhere. One of the demands of the report, such as the EU-wide Disability cardIt will soon be a reality. For other demands, such as the Anti-Discrimination Directive, we have been waiting for ten years, and the future of this is uncertain. But it could give many people more protection in all areas of life. (The President withdrew the floor from the speaker.)

Mr President, first of all, I would like to say that I am really glad to see how much political support this subject got in this room. At the same time, I am very disappointed that despite this broad horizontal consensus, the Commission continues to act behind closed doors and ignores all our calls for full transparency when it comes to vaccines. This is a legitimate call and, in this limited time, I will only focus on two points. First, the Commission invested a huge amount of EU money to fund research, and the development and acquisition of these vaccines. EU money is taxpayers’ money. EU money is citizens’ money. We cannot accept that, at a critical and unprecedented time as during a pandemic, the European Commission decides to deliberately ignore the right of citizens to have access to information. Transparency is a key principle, and it is key because it reinforces public scrutiny and trust over what the institutions are doing. In this particular case, all this opacity, all this secrecy, not only undermines the trust of our citizens, but it also leads to uncertainty, disinformation and, even more seriously, to the risk of vaccine hesitancy. Is the Commission considering this aspect? Is it aware of the long-term consequences of its choice? Secondly, as a directly elected institution representing EU taxpayers, we Members of the European Parliament are called on to exercise democratic oversight over the EU budget, to make sure that the Commission and all the other institutions are dealing with European funds properly. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, this has not been possible and, as a Member of this institution, I honestly have the feeling that I cannot exercise this obligation the way it should be done. I can understand that the negotiations to secure vaccines for all EU Member States were unprecedented. I also acknowledge the challenges that the Commission might have faced. But today, exactly one year after the start of the crisis, we can no longer accept this secrecy. I cannot accept that our multiple requests continue to be ignored. I cannot accept it as a citizen, and I cannot accept it as a Member of this Parliament.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I regret that some of my colleagues here today want to use the debate on Cuba for their own national political interest. We should not forget that the EU is not there to give lessons, we should work together with our partners in a mutually respectful way to protect human rights, democracy and freedom of expression. The EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement forms the basis of this cooperation. I very much support the constructive but critical approach taken by the High Representative and the EEAS. At this time more than ever, it’s important to keep the channels of dialogue open to support Cuba in the challenges the country is facing. In July, we saw the largest demonstrations in Cuba since the uprising in 1994. Numerous protesters have been detained, including journalists, and some are held incommunicado. I urge the Cuban Government to immediately and unconditionally release all those detained for the exercise of their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. I also deeply regret the death of at least one protester, and I call for an independent investigation into the case and that those responsible are held accountable. The protests in July came in the context of a difficult economic situation on the island. The US embargo against the country has deepened the economic crisis and restricted access to food, water, medicine and power. The situation was made even worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a devastating effect on the country’s tourism industry. A combination of all these factors created an increased demand for civil and political rights in the country. To find a way out of this crisis, I ask the Cuban authorities to do their utmost to ensure that economic, social and cultural rights of the Cuban people are met and I invite them to engage in an inclusive national dialogue towards a process of modernisation and democratisation of the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult in the last months in Cuba and I must acknowledge that, despite the difficult economic situation in the country, Cuba has managed to develop their own vaccines and they have been able to send doctors abroad who greatly have contributed during the pandemic. It is clear that the unilateral US sanctions have a damaging impact on the Cuban people, but they also have a negative effect on EU’s economic interests. I had hopes that the new US administration with Joe Biden as President would create a window of opportunity to improve the US-Cuba relations, but so far I have been mistaken. I end my speech today by really saying again: they should end the US embargo!

Madam President, on 6 May a deliveryman lost his life on a bicycle in Normandy. After a rainy and cold day, he was delivering a meal under pressure, fatigued and overworked. Unfortunately, this drama is not the first, but hopefully it is the last. Platform workers have become a rapidly growing part of the transport sector and this is precarious self-employment, especially in driving and delivery services. Algorithmic management so often used by platforms can put excessive pressure on workers, with implications for road safety. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows a lack of social protection for these workers. Many of them lost their source of income from one day to another, but could often not access the income measures, neither for employers nor for self-employed. Platform workers should enjoy equal access to decent working conditions, including a fair income, social security and protection for unemployment and sickness. Work tasks should be predictable and transparent, and algorithms must always have human oversight. Those working in the driving and delivery services need adequate protective equipment and accident insurance. We need to ensure that all workers are treated equally in the EU. With this report, the European Parliament sends a strong signal in favour of platform workers’ rights. It’s now up to the Commission to deliver a progressive legislative proposal.

Mr President, Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes is among the strictest legislation in the world, but this piece of legislation does not provide a clear strategy for transitioning to innovation without the use of animals. And as a consequence, every year nearly 10 million animals suffer in EU laboratories, with very limited research results. Indeed, there is a high failure rate – above 90% of new drugs tested on animals – and also a growing number of scientific reviews indicating that they contribute very little in understanding human diseases. Non-animal methods are game-changing technologies... (... inaudible ...) ... better coordinated, cross-sectoral and EU-wide approach, across all Member States and all European agencies. Based on these elements I have some questions for the Commission: does the Commission agree that after 10 years of no progress, we need a plan to accelerate the transition to animal-free methods? That it could work more with the Member States to promote the key competences and knowledge required to use non-animal methods? That it could create mechanisms for preferential funding of non-animal methods? That it could set reduction targets through a more proactive implementation of existing regulations that deal with the safety of chemicals and other products. And lastly, there is a plan to develop the European research area and to set up priority areas where Member States should collaborate. So does the Commissioner agree that the phasing-out of the use of animals should be one of these priority areas?

Madam President, I am very glad about the work that we have done and I would like to congratulate the rapporteur and all my colleagues that worked to reinforce the role of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Many citizens probably did not even know about the existence of the EMA before the outbreak of the pandemic, but I think that today many of us have realised that its role is crucial to make sure that the treatments we take, such as medicines and vaccines, work well and are safe. As of today, the EMA will be stronger and will be able to help countries in a more efficient and faster way. First of all, it will put a much stronger focus on prevention and on the monitoring of shortages. The pandemic showed us indeed the importance of securing the supply of medicines and medical devices, because their shortages can have a dramatic impact on the treatments and therefore also on patients’ health. Companies will now have to submit plans where they explain how they would react in case they face problems during the supply chain and they will get penalties in case they omit information that can be useful to the authorities. This will increase transparency in the process and will allow timely interventions to mitigate possible shortages. We also worked to create a webpage that will be publically available, so that patients, healthcare professionals, but also every citizen, will be able to get information about the shortages in real time. Another new element will be the creation of a list of essential products that authorities will consider as critical during a health crisis: this will be important to monitor their demand and the supply and take actions to ensure their availability. However, I do not think it is a good idea that companies have their say on which products should be considered as essential as it is clear that as manufacturers they would have an interest in promoting a product over another one. So I would invite my colleagues to think a little bit more about this and exclude companies from this process. Apart from this, I think overall we did a very good job because we are reinforcing an important agency that in future will help us to act immediately and act together to fight viruses and diseases that, as we saw, will not stop at the borders.

Mr President, Commissioner, on 1 July the EU Digital COVID Certificate became a reality, and as I had already announced in this plenary, I think everybody should be happy about that. Such a coordinated initiative at EU level is great, because it should replace the patchwork of actions that every country was taking. However, we need to ensure that as many citizens as possible get access to the certificate, particularly also those – for different reasons – who cannot be vaccinated. To guarantee access to the certificate, we need to increase the testing capacity in each country by making the tests free for all. I therefore ask the European Commission to mobilise additional funding, as this Parliament had already asked before the approval of the certificate. More and free testing means that more people would be able to safely move around. We need this not just for tourists or tourism, but also to re-launch our economy, help citizens to get their lives back. Every citizen has the right to do so, and we need to make sure no one is left behind.

Madam President, I am deeply concerned about what is happening in Nicaragua. With the arrest of presidential candidates and opposition leaders, continuous persecution of journalists and civil society and an electoral reform that does not live up to democratic parameters, President Daniel Ortega continues to lead the country away from a peaceful and democratic solution to a serious political crisis in Nicaragua. It is evident that all this clearly hampers any possibility for a free and fair election in November. With the debate today and the resolution we will adopt this week, the European Parliament should send a strong signal to Ortega’s government. We need to call on Ortega to cease the repression against the opposition, human rights defenders, civil society and journalists, to immediately release all political prisoners, to repeal the restrictive laws, to restore citizens’ rights and to adopt electoral reforms that guarantee transparent, free and fair elections according to international standards. We should also call on the Council to expand the list of targeted sanctions and ask the Commission to trigger the democratic clause of the Association Agreement with regard to the trade part, while ensuring that no sanction or any other measure could harm the Nicaraguan people. The EU should continue to work with the international community to promote dialogue, democracy and human rights in Nicaragua and increase its support to civil society and human rights defenders’ work. We should also call on Member States to facilitate the issuing of emergency visas and provide temporary shelter to those who might seek a peaceful place outside their country. European companies operating in Nicaragua must ensure strict due diligence throughout their supply chain to ensure human rights are respected. Finally, our full support should be with the Nicaraguan people so they can ensure their right to freely choose their government and live freely without repression and human rights abuses.