What Alex spoke about.

15 Feb

2023

MT Speech

A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age (debate)

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Ms President, it is very important to accelerate the Green Transition of our economies while ensuring that we maintain quality jobs in Europe. Although it is a step in the right direction, the Commission communication on the industrial strategy, needs far more concrete measures and far more ambition. If this is our response to the American Inflation Reduction Act, I would say that we are only tryi…

19 Jan

2023

MT Speech

Revision of the European Works Councils Directive (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Schmit, we can never have full rights for our workers if they are not and do not have full participation in decision-making. We have 10 million workers working with multinational companies represented by the European Works Council. The situation is one that we have legislation that does not, ultimately, track the realities that workers are facing in a globalised world, i…

18 Jan

2023

EN Speech

Revelations of Uber lobbying practices in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, the Uber files are another example of why a sound framework on transparency and lobbying is crucial to safeguard the integrity of the public decision—making process. Not all lobbying is bad, and not all platforms are bad, but when a company like Uber has unlimited resources and prefers to spend millions of euros to strategically lobby high—ranking politicians to gain a market advanta…

17 Jan

2023

MT Speech

Consumer protection in online video games: a European Single Market approach (debate)

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Mr President, the online video sector, online video games, is the fastest growing cultural and creative sector on a European basis, responsible for thousands of jobs and also with an important role in the market of up to billions of euros. There is no doubt about the importance of this highly innovative digital sector for growth, job creation, for Europe's digital single market. However, we should…

16 Jan

2023

MT Speech

30th Anniversary of the Single Market (debate)

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Free roaming, the common charger, Erasmus, the freedom to live, work and travel in Europe, consumer protection – including better compensation for citizens, high quality standards for products, competitive choices, lower and fairer prices, online shopping in the European Union, the freedom to negotiate and access for small companies in all markets across Europe. This is where the Single Market has…

13 Dec

2022

MT Speech

A need for a dedicated budget to turn the Child Guarantee into reality - an urgency in times of energy and food crisis (debate)

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Mr President, one in four children across the European Union is at risk of poverty, at risk of social exclusion. The pandemic has further aggravated the situation and added a further 150 million children at risk of poverty. The war of aggression against Ukraine has continued to put more and more pressure - with children, with the most vulnerable people, being the most negatively affected. These st…

24 Nov

2022

MT Speech

Establishing the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 (debate)

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President, Commissioner, the digital transformation of European economies and societies is moving very fast, bringing a number of new opportunities but at the same time critical challenges that we must address in the future. Recent crises undoubtedly highlight the key role of the digital transformation in building a sustainable future for European citizens. At the same time, these crises have expo…

22 Nov

2022

EN Speech

Resilience of critical entities (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, we all depend on essential services such as energy, transport, water, digital infrastructure, health, production and also food distribution. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries had to work together to protect the health of the population while avoiding disruptions to the free movement of people and the delivery of goods and essential services throughout the European…

18 Oct

2022

MT Speech

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023 - all sections (debate)

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Mr President, while Europe was recovering from the pandemic crisis, faced a number of other crises: from war, high inflation, exaggerated energy and food prices, rising unemployment, exploding poverty and social inequalities. And during all these challenges, we must continue to address the challenges of climate change and the digital transition. This situation will negatively impact the social and…

17 Oct

2022

MT Speech

The Rule of Law in Malta, five years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia (debate)

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Mr President, a few months ago the President of the European Commission stated that Malta's efforts to strengthen institutions, the rule of law and governance are commendable. At the same time we are here today witnessing the ninth resolution and debate of recycled facts on the rule of law in Malta. With full respect for the memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, I am still waiting for debates and reso…

4 Oct

2022

MT Speech

Radio Equipment Directive: common charger for electronic devices (debate)

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– I think this debate has shown how persevering a parliament has been fighting over the last decade for what we believe in – and I think the strongest point today, the belief that this parliament has in consumer rights, in the rights of our citizens to get a better deal when buying their digital products – has ultimately led to a tangible outcome. A tangible result that, in the end, will be felt b…

4 Oct

2022

EN Speech

Radio Equipment Directive: common charger for electronic devices (debate)

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Madam President, Executive Vice-President, today is a great day for consumers, a great day for our environment. This is the past, and this is the present: after more than a decade, the single charger for multiple electronic devices will finally become a reality, a reality in Europe, and hopefully we can also inspire the rest of the world. Every year, more than 400 million new phones, small electro…

14 Sep

2022

MT Speech

State of the Union (debate)

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Ms President, European citizens are currently looking at us to offer solutions to the economic and social crisis we are in. The actions we will take today will determine the state of the European Union of tomorrow. Energy and food prices, very fast-growing inflation, with long-term negative consequences on us of the pandemic, rising unemployment and reduced purchasing power for our families, risin…

6 Jul

2022

EN Speech

The Three Seas Initiative: challenges and opportunities (topical debate)

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Madam President, the European Union’s strategic autonomy heavily depends on our democratic, social, technological and digital agendas. Technological and digital sovereignty are key to ensuring a stronger, independent and competitive European Union in an increasingly digitalised world. Regional cooperation initiatives across our European Union, such as the Three Seas Initiative, are good examples o…

4 Jul

2022

MT Speech

Digital Services Act - Digital Markets Act (debate)

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Mr President, both the DSA and the DMA are the first of its kind – unique instruments to regulate big tech companies. The new rules will force the tech giants to play fair and end their abuse of power and ability to game the digital economy for their dividends while creating harm for our societies, for our citizens. We will finally move away from a purely advertisement—centric and surveillance-bas…

22 Jun

2022

MT Speech

Inclusion measures within Erasmus+ 2014-2020 (debate)

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Ms President, these are very difficult times for our young people. The pandemic hit and hit them in the strongest terms, not only when it comes to job shortages but also negatively affected the mental health of our young people. Their situation has further deteriorated due to rising inflations, rising prices and the negative economic and social effects of the war we are currently living in. Millio…

19 May

2022

EN Speech

Establishing the European Education Area by 2025 – micro credentials, individual learning accounts and learning for a sustainable environment (debate)

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Mr President, the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning is the first principle in the pillar for social rights. In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, the EU reinforced its growth strategy, and its green and digital transition policies. But what about education? We need to move this to the top of the political agenda, because education is crucial to surviving an…

3 May

2022

EN Speech

EU preparedness against cyber-attacks following Russia invasion on Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, in the new digital world, we are facing new forms of aggression, taking the shape of hybrid and cyber warfare. We have witnessed destructive wiper attacks on hundreds of systems in the Ukrainian Government from IT, energy, financial organisations, nuclear plants, telecommunications to broadcasting companies. During the conflict, malicious cyberattacks have been a prominent component …

3 May

2022

MT Speech

Artificial intelligence in a digital age (debate)

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Mrs President, Commissioner, we are human beings and not just numbers. Although artificial intelligence has created multiple opportunities, it has increased capital, productivity, innovation, sustainable development, created a number of new jobs, we must not ignore a number of difficulties. Ethical, legal difficulties, difficulties related also to the world of work, the rights of our workers. Digi…

7 Apr

2022

MT Speech

Right to repair (debate)

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Every day we are creating mountains of waste - mountains of washing machines, computers, tumble dryers. It has become too common to break these products, by chance, shortly after the end of the warranty and end up being irreparable. The reality is that it is easier for producers to put new products on the market instead of repairing these products. This is placing greater burdens on consumers and …

5 Apr

2022

EN Speech

Implementation of citizenship education actions (debate)

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Mr President, first of all, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, my colleague, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, for his excellent work that he has done on this very important report that we are discussing today. First of all, let me stress that education is a fundamental right and all European citizens are entitled to one. Education is a driver to social, to economic, to cultural inclusion. And it is …

15 Feb

2022

MT Speech

Implementation of the Toy Safety Directive (debate)

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Mr President, as father of a half-year-old girl, I am worried about access to toys that could harm my daughter. Toys that contain substances that are dangerous to the health of our children, that spy on our children and that collect information without any consent on our children. And I will give a number of examples of toys that we currently have on our market. Popular toys, such as a slime toy, …

14 Feb

2022

MT Speech

Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2020 (debate)

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Ms President, first and foremost I would like to thank the rapporteur Eleonora Evi and also colleagues within different political groups for the work we have all done together in connection also with this very important report on the Ombudsman's activities for the year 2020. Secondly, I would like to congratulate and thank the Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, for her work over the past year, a year so f…

19 Jan

2022

EN Speech

Digital Services Act (debate)

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Mr President, when digital platforms emerged a decade ago, the societal challenges arising from harnessing new technologies and services seemed straightforward, and the possibilities were endless. Today, our situation is totally different. Those same platforms have become so big, so significant, so indispensable even for our economy, for our society, for our democracies, that they have started con…

19 Jan

2022

EN Speech

Presentation of the programme of activities of the French Presidency (debate)

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Madam President, the French Presidency takes over while we are still struggling with the COVID—19 pandemic. It is vital to continue financing the recovery, address the social and employment related challenges resulting from the pandemic, and support our workers and our businesses in the move towards a more solidarity—based digital, greener and climate—neutral economy. I welcome the Presidency’s pr…