Speeches

–Dear Chair, the European Union faces major demographic challenges such as an ageing population, falling birth rates and emigration from rural to urban areas, all of which leave a visible mark in Europe and, in the long term, the Union’s depopulation also becomes a security problem. The main causes of demographic change that are forcing residents of these areas to move away and others are disincentives to move in are poor health and education infrastructure, poor transport connections and access to public services, lack of broadband internet and fewer job opportunities. Depopulation is one of the fundamental challenges for our continent and it was precisely this issue that should have been addressed in the design and implementation of the programme. Specific questions: ‘Is the Commission planning to adopt a specific strategy to combat depopulation?’ and, in addition, ‘Is the Commission planning to carry out analyses and assessments of the effects of public policies on demography in the future?’

Dear Chair, Commissioner, Rapporteur, colleagues, the path to the introduction of the common charger has not been easy and easy. For a long time, mobile phone manufacturers have assured us that the problem with the accumulation of chargers will be solved voluntarily through various non-binding mechanisms. I remember very well when, at the end of 2019, as one of the initiators, I was working on a resolution on a common charger. Not everyone at the time believed that we would be able to introduce a common charger because lobbying by tech giants was truly unprecedented until then. I am pleased that today I can proudly say from the plenary that we have achieved one of the biggest victories for consumers and the environment, that the common charger will become a reality as of 2024. USB-c will soon be the standard slot for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones and other electronic equipment. Most importantly, consumers will have the opportunity to buy mobile devices without chargers that typically keep piled up in their drawers, giving them a choice. It should also be said that the introduction of a common charger will bring environmental benefits, in addition to practical and financial benefits for the consumer. It is estimated that reducing the production and disposal of new chargers will reduce the amount of electronic waste by almost 1000 tonnes per year, demonstrating responsible environmental treatment. This initiative on the introduction of a common charger has shown and proved that the European Parliament is committed to protecting the interests of our citizens.

Dear Chair, the European Parliament study prepared on my proposal as EPP Group Rapporteur on the Consumer Credit Directives has shown alarming results. Namely, over 340 million bank accounts of citizens in the European Union are burdened with so-called minuses, i.e. permissible and exceeded overdrafts. In Croatia, the country where I come from, overruns have been approved for almost 1 800 000 consumers. The problem is that overdrafts are one of the most expensive forms of debt and can easily lead to over-indebtedness of citizens, especially considering that interest on these financial products in some countries amounts to up to 35%. I therefore take this opportunity to call on Member States to strongly support the European Parliament’s negotiating framework, which has ensured a stronger position for consumers as weaker contracting parties in the legal relationship with banks. Thus, banks will no longer be able, without prior notice and the possibility of instalment repayment, to request refunds of minuses, nor will they be able, without the express consent of consumers, to increase the limit of their debt. It is time to protect consumers from risky credit products emerging in the European single market.

Thank you very much. Colleague Flego, you mentioned the importance of strengthening the competitiveness of European industry, especially in the global market. My question is, do you think that a stronger reliance on nuclear power, as one cheap and clean energy source, can boost the competitiveness of European industry vis-à-vis global competitors? Thank you.

As a result of the often erroneous industrial policies of the past, the European Union has relied for too long on international partners when it comes to the production of key equipment and the supply of raw materials. The trend of relocation of production capacities to third countries, which has intensified for years, has returned to us as a boomerang in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic and reveals all the weaknesses of industrial policy. It is therefore important that the new industrial policy, accompanied by a strong investment in science and innovation, is at the service of strengthening the single market and building a strategically autonomous European Union in which SMEs are the carriers of development. Unfortunately, we have not yet achieved the 3% of GDP R&D investment target and therefore call for further engagement to make Europe more competitive. In addition, it is important to continuously work on reducing administrative burdens in the field of industry and to make our companies more competitive on the global market through more flexible state aid rules. Only an industrially strong Europe can guarantee a European way of life for citizens.

Dear Vice-President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, cohesion policy must continue to play its role as a key instrument for reducing regional disparities and achieving solidarity within the European Union. It has proven to be a modern and flexible tool that can be quickly deployed in emergency situations, as we witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, however, not everything is ideal and it is necessary to mention the delay in the negotiation of partnership agreements, which will affect managing authorities and final beneficiaries in this financial period. We must not allow the funds foreseen to remain unspent due to lack of time and insufficient administrative capacity. In the coming period, the green and digital transitions will bring new opportunities, but require significant structural changes for which not all Member States of the region are prepared to the same extent. Accordingly, it is necessary to invest in infrastructure and people, i.e. their skills, so that citizens, especially those living in rural areas, can cope with these changes as easily as possible. I would mention here the concept of smart villages, which foresees investments in digital and transport infrastructure, new technologies, educational health services to improve the quality of life in rural areas. The aim is to provide rural residents with the facilities that exist in cities, making villages an attractive place to live and preventing their depopulation and decay. Cohesion funds financed the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, which connected the world pearl of Dubrovnik with the rest of Croatia, i.e. the European Union. This represents the crown and the most visible result of Croatia's nine-year membership in the European Union. We are strengthening cohesion policy to continue bringing Europe and all its citizens together through such projects.

Dear Chairman, the current rise in energy prices and supply disruptions are the most important issues that plague our citizens, and rightly so. In this situation, public authorities must intervene to prevent market disturbances and protect the livelihoods of European citizens, especially the most socially vulnerable. In doing so, we must speak openly about the mistakes made. The energy crisis has shown us that some European countries have made a big mistake when they reversed the rushed populist move to shut down nuclear power plants and thus only further increased their dependence on Russia. Nuclear energy is not only important for the period of transition to renewable sources, but also represents a clean and cheap long-term solution for Europe. Wind and solar power plants will never be able to solve the EU's energy problems on their own. We must also continue to reduce the Union’s energy dependency by diversifying energy sources and supplies and building interconnections. A positive example is Croatia, which built an LNG terminal on Krk despite resistance from leftist opposition. This terminal proved to be a crucial strategic security project because it provided an alternative gas supply route for Croatia and the whole of Central Europe.

–Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues, the debate on the annual report on the European Investment Bank is an opportunity to take stock of its role in achieving the objectives of the European Union in the new geopolitical context. In this context, I particularly welcome the fact that the EIB’s investment in energy in Europe increased from €10 billion to €14 billion between 2018 and 2021. This upward trend in energy investments must continue, as achieving the European Union's energy security is essential. We are particularly aware of this in circumstances where high energy prices put citizens' living standards at risk. Energy route diversification projects, such as the construction or expansion of LNG terminal capacity, are part of the response to the energy crisis and as such must be accompanied by adequate financing from the European Investment Bank. Europe's security and the preservation of our way of life are directly linked to the achievement of the EU's energy independence and all sources of financing at our disposal, including loans from the European Investment Bank, must be subordinated to this.

Dear Chairman, the fact is that accession negotiations on Serbia's accession to the EU are stagnating. There are many reasons for such a situation. One of them consists in the fact that Serbia is today not a democratic country, but a political unanimity, i.e. the complete domination of one political option, Vucic's advancers. The image of Serbia today is the image of a country where human rights are violated, civil society is hindered, and independent media practically do not exist. In addition, there is no visible desire or progress on the rule of law, the fight against corruption and the implementation of reforms. Throughout its history, Serbia has often shown an aspiration for hegemony over neighbouring countries. The ambitions and desire for Serbian domination clearly still exist, and recent Serbian hegemony is best seen in the example of the destabilization of neighbouring Montenegro, to which pro-Serbian politicians often deny the right to their own identity. And here, of course, he works in collusion and in agreement with Russia. Before joining the EU, Serbia and its politicians must accept European values and resolve fundamental issues related to the rule of law, the state of democracy, the prosecution of war crimes, the cessation of aggressive interference in the politics of neighboring countries and the clarification of the fate of missing persons from the aggression against Croatia.

Dear Chairman, stability and long-term survival of Bosnia and Herzegovina can only be achieved by reforming the electoral law, which would ensure that Croats, as one of the three constituent peoples, can choose their own political representatives. In this sense, this report undoubtedly calls for the implementation of electoral reform and the implementation of the Ljubić ruling, which I support. On the other hand, it unfortunately supports the conduct of elections under the current unconstitutional electoral law, which rewards those who do not want to reach a fair deal, primarily Bosniak politicians led by the Party of Democratic Action and Bakir Izetbegovic. Illegitimate representatives are being imposed on Croats, citizens of the European Union at the level of the Presidency of BiH and the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH, all because of the hegemonic aspirations of Bosniaks. Unfortunately, the greatest responsibility for this situation lies with the so-called international community, including the EU, which deprived Croats of their collective rights 20 years ago. The moral and political duty of the European Union and the United States is to solve the problem they have created themselves and to save Croats in BiH from the political liquidation they are preparing in Sarajevo.

Dear Chairman, thank you very much. As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission announced that it will present new rules on front-of-product food labelling this year. There is no doubt that this will allow consumers to receive the most important information on the nutritional value of a product in a clear and fair manner. This information is now provided in small letters on the back of the packaging, which is why consumers often complain to me that they have difficulty finding it. However, from here, I would like to warn the Commission that food labels can be easily manipulated. For example, by using the Nutri-score label, a carbonated drink with artificial sweeteners, such as coca-cola, is ranked as more desirable in terms of nutritional value than virgin olive oil, which is highly unacceptable. That is why, once again, I call on the Commission to take into account the specificities of olive oil when drawing up its product labelling proposal and to prevent consumer manipulation. Together we must preserve the Mediterranean diet, the essential ingredient of which is olive oil.

Dear Commissioner, dear rapporteur, colleague and colleague, after nine years of membership in the European Union, Croatia is close to achieving another strategic goal. Entering the eurozone will eliminate transaction costs and currency risk, which will mostly benefit Croatian exporters and tourism. The announcement of the introduction of the euro has already led to an increase in the national credit rating, allowing for lower interest rates for businesses and citizens. Also, with this step, as well as entering Schengen, Croatia has shown the will to integrate even more firmly into the European community of peoples and states. In general, we can say that joining the Eurozone represents a great benefit for the Croatian economy and society as a whole. Fulfilling the conditions for the introduction of the euro, especially those related to public debt and deficit, was not easy. With a rational and balanced fiscal policy, the HDZ government managed to reduce the public debt inherited from the previous socialist government from 83.3% to 81.1% at the end of 2019. In doing so, we have shown that economic policy can be conducted in a way that stimulates economic growth, but without excessive and unsustainable budgetary spending. The introduction of the euro represents a major achievement for the Republic of Croatia and is therefore pleased to support this report and sincerely thank the rapporteur for his work.

On its European path, Montenegro has made notable progress, and the fact that it has recently a pro-European government committed to upholding the rule of law and the rights of national minorities is particularly encouraging. In this sense, it is a good sign that the Croatian national minority, among others, now has its representative in the executive branch, a minister in the Government of Montenegro. This is extremely important because Croats in Montenegro are an indigenous minority that nurtures and preserves its traditional customs and rich cultural heritage. However, what continues to burden Montenegro is the participation of anti-European political forces that question the very existence of the Montenegrin nation and identity. Such unacceptable ideas coming from Belgrade are part of the hegemonic concept of the Serbian world, and supported to a large extent by Russia. It is therefore crucial that the Montenegrin government resolutely opposes the idea of the Serbian world, and it is up to us to offer Montenegro help and a clear European perspective.

Mr. Vice-President, Vice-President, colleagues, founding treaties have always attracted public attention and have been the subject of controversy. In this regard, the Conference on the Future of Europe has taken a further step forward, allowing some citizens to express their views on the future of the Union. In the context of a pandemic that has affected all Member States, it is therefore not surprising that citizens want to increase the European Union’s health-related powers by amending the Treaties. As a Member active in health policy-making, I strongly support the strengthening of the EU’s role in the field of health through the creation of a European Health Union. In particular, I consider that the protection of public health, in particular in relation to those problems which cannot be solved by States acting alone, should be included in Article 4 but also amend Article 168. the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and thus strengthen the EU’s competences in this area. On the other hand, caution should be exercised with the reform of the decision-making system, especially if such a reform would involve replacing the unanimity system with qualified majority voting. The right of veto ensures that Member States are protected in their strategic areas, and this is particularly important for smaller Member States, which also have the right to preserve their own rights and identity in a common Europe. That is why I am not inclined to experiment and I believe that the European Union can also achieve its key objectives within the existing decision-making system. The vast majority of Union acts are already adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure by a qualified majority of Member States, and this is quite sufficient.

Colleague Kolakušić, you are talking about essential changes to the contract. I don't know if you know that more than 90% of acts in the Council are already adopted by qualified majority rather than unanimity. So this is my question because it is on the basis of what are the areas that you think are essential to remain the competence of the States in the sense that it is decided unanimously. Or you think that everything should be decided by unanimity, unlike the current situation when more than 90 percent of it is decided by qualified majority.

Dear Chairman, a storm of unprecedented proportions accompanied by hail and strong wind on May 25 hit the northern part of Croatia, with the most severely damaged farms in Varaždin, Međimurje and Krapina-Zagorje counties. While we expect a final assessment of the damage caused, we can already conclude with certainty that half of the floristic production in Croatia was damaged as a result of this storm, that damage was recorded on crops and vegetables, with greenhouses being particularly badly damaged. At this point in time, it is crucial to ensure that our farmers urgently renovate their agricultural land and production potential. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development is available through the Rural Development Programme. And this unfortunate event showed us the importance of European funds and EU membership. In the week when we are discussing the legislative package for the green transition, which aims to prevent the unintended consequences of climate change, I would also like to express my solidarity from this place to the Croatian citizens affected by this severe weather. Thank you very much.

The main challenges faced by island residents are a lack of basic infrastructure, poor transport connections to the mainland, high prices, labour shortages and a lack of sustainable economic activities that are not exclusively seasonal. Of all the above, island areas are exposed to depopulation and underdevelopment, which is a huge problem. We must fight this with the help of cohesion policy, the adoption of measures related to economic development and the improvement of the accessibility of public services on the islands, and this very good report speaks of this. We must offer people on the islands a perspective other than tourism, so that they are not completely dependent on the success or failure of the summer season. It is therefore necessary to encourage investment and provide quality education so that islanders have the opportunity to develop the skills needed in different spheres of the economy. Furthermore, it is necessary to stimulate health workers to come to work on the islands and generally create a framework that will allow people to stay on the islands, especially our young people. Finally, I would stress the importance of developing transport links and broadband internet as public services to help overcome the insularity that islanders face. Cohesion policy must be flexible enough to adapt to the specific problems of islands, as they are an important part of the European identity and we must make them attractive for life in the 21st century.

While the entire European Union is united in condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Serbia, which wants to become part of the European Union, refuses to unequivocally condemn Russian actions and impose economic sanctions on them. However, Serbia's war is not foreign. It was from there that the aggression against the Republic of Croatia was launched in the 1990s, resulting in thousands of killed soldiers and civilians and massive material destruction. Unfortunately, Serbia is still trying to destabilize neighboring countries such as Montenegro, which is often denied by pro-Serbian circles the right to exist and their own identity. It is ironic that today's official Belgrade convinces Western powers of its commitment to European values, and implements such a policy. It is therefore high time for the European Union to ask Serbia to determine whether it really stands with European values or whether it belongs to the East. One thing is for sure, though. No Serbian hegemony backed by Russian money and influence can and will not pass.

Dear Vice-President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, correcting market distortions is a key role of competition policy. However, we are witnessing that the same competition policy has failed to prevent the emergence of digital giants abusing their dominant position in the single market. Such platforms regularly make business dependent on SMEs and deprive consumers of choice. The sanctions imposed on digital giants in recent years have been insufficient and have not deterred them from breaking single market rules. Moreover, it would pay more to digital giants to pay high fines than to comply with European competition rules, which is unacceptable. For example, since 2017. On three occasions, the European Commission imposed fines on Google for breaching EU competition rules totalling €8.25 billion. The problem with dominant market players is particularly evident in the digital market, which is reflected in the fact that of the ten thousand online platforms participating in the EU digital market, the seven largest generate as much as 69 percent of the total revenue in this sector. It is clear that in such circumstances there is no room for European companies to grow and develop. This is why the European Parliament has strongly supported from the outset the creation of a new ex-ante control mechanism that will allow us to make the digital market more competitive and innovative. With the new Digital Markets Act, we are protecting consumers and businesses from the arbitrariness of online giants and ensuring its correct implementation through high monetary and strict structural sanctions. The time has finally come to make the European Union and its market a world leader in the development of digital technologies. I therefore welcome the report on competition policy and, in particular, the recent agreement reached with the Council on the Digital Markets Act.

Dear Vice President, Commissioner, colleagues, Turkish philanthropist and entrepreneur Osman Kavala was sentenced last week in Istanbul to life imprisonment without the possibility of reducing his sentence on charges of attempting to overthrow the government, while seven defendants were sentenced to 18 years in prison. Kavala, a prominent representative of Turkish civil society, spent four and a half years in prison on charges of wanting to overthrow the government and President Erdoğan by funding anti-government protests known as Gezi Park in 2013 and the failed coup d'état in July 2016. According to the available data, the court proceedings were politically motivated and were marked by a lack of evidence to substantiate the unfounded allegations. The continued delays in this process, including the merger of different cases and the creation of new ones following a previous acquittal, have cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish justice system. I would also point out that an investigation has even been launched into the three judges who acquitted Kavala in 2020 in the proceedings for which he was initially detained. In short, everything indicates that this is a political process. It should also be noted that in its judgment of December 2019, the European Court of Human Rights found that Turkey had violated Kavalin’s rights by keeping him in custody and requested his release, which, of course, Turkey did not do. The situation of democracy and the rule of law in Turkey is generally very worrying and has been regularly criticised in this regard. Moreover, the failed coup d'état in 2016 has further undermined fundamental human rights standards, the independence of the media and civil society, and there is no apparent solution to the problem. In almost 20 years of his rule, Turkish President Erdoğan has largely managed to put the media and the entire public space under his control, all under the guise of fighting terrorism. In this context, Kavala has become one of the symbols of disagreement with the Erdoğan regime, and in this way the Turkish authorities want to intimidate not only him, but all the remaining dissent. The rule of law and fundamental human rights represent the civilisational tendencies that Turkey must respect. That is why I believe that with the vote of this resolution, the European Parliament will show full solidarity with Kaval and the rest of the convicts in this process and clearly and unequivocally condemn the continued erosion of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms in Turkey.

Dear Chair, the Conference on the Future of Europe has confirmed that citizens want greater powers for the European Union in the field of health, the creation of a European data space that will enable the exchange of health data and facilitate cross-border healthcare, the realisation of the strategic autonomy of the European Union in the production of medicines and a better decision-making system on the conditions of major health threats are priorities for European citizens. These are problems that cannot really be solved by the Member States alone and joint action is necessary in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. I am pleased that by creating a European Health Union, we are already responding positively to these demands. On the other hand, the Conference suggested that unanimity in decision-making should be almost entirely replaced by qualified majority voting. It needs to be clear here. The right of veto is a useful instrument that ensures that Member States protect their interests in certain strategic areas such as taxes, social security, military matters and the like. This is particularly important for smaller Member States, which, also in a common Europe, have the right to preserve their own rights and identity. Therefore, we refrain from experiments that can only and exclusively cause harm.

So you said that people want us to resolve issues and problems. I agree with that. You said that people want to have bigger incomes, minimum pensions and things like that. I agree also with that. But why do think that unanimity will achieve that? Why do think that getting rid of unanimity will lead the Member States to actually share more powers with the smaller Member States and that they will be willing to resolve problems. Because I personally think if we have more qualified majority, the Member States will have more powers to decide what is in their interests and not to share the powers and responsibilities with smaller Member States. So why would people in, for instance, Croatia have better results if we get rid of the possibility for Croatia to have veto rights in the Council?

Dear Chair, Commissioners, colleagues, mental disorders are one of the biggest public health challenges. Their distribution, the burden they cause on health systems, indicates the necessity of action at multiple levels. In 2018, around 13.5% of all hospital beds in the EU were psychiatric beds, and this process certainly increased during the pandemic. Scientists point out that mental health problems are often a more pronounced cause of morbidity and premature death than physical illness. This indicates the need to invest in mental health, including early detection and treatment of disorders, thus contributing to the well-being and economic benefit of individuals and society. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis have placed a heavy burden on citizens’ mental health, especially for young people and people from lower income groups. Our citizens felt uncertainty, a change in their daily routine, a fear of existence and social isolation. According to the World Health Organization, in the first year of the pandemic, the number of cases of anxiety and depression rose by a huge 25 percent, which is extremely worrying. The protection of mental health should therefore be a priority for the European Union, especially in the light of the pandemic, but also the consequences of the war in Ukraine, especially for the large number of refugees from that country. What I would highlight in particular is that we need a common mental health strategy along the lines of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. It is essential to increase the effectiveness and accessibility of mental health systems at European level. We need to foster interdisciplinary cooperation, as well as increasing the integration of mental health care into primary healthcare. This will contribute to the development of health services that provide more targeted and coordinated care to people with mental disorders. It also requires the establishment of knowledge-sharing networks for the effective implementation of best practices. In conclusion, I would stress the need for greater investment by Member States, but also by the European Union in mental health, i.e. mental health protection and improvement programmes, especially for children and young people. Thank you very much.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues, research has shown that 77 percent of consumers would rather fix than replace a defective product. However, there are many barriers that prevent consumers from repairing products. Among other things, these are: the duration of the repair, the lack of replacement parts, the price of the repair or the purchase of a new device, and the unavailability of repair services. In addition, consumers often complain to me that household products bought by their parents lasted longer than the products we buy today. In order to give citizens the right to repair a product, it is therefore important to ensure the availability of replacement parts and to enable consumers to obtain information on the expected duration of the product when it is normally used, as well as its reparability, at the time of purchase. In addition, I invite the Commission, when proposing a legislative act, to consider the possibility of extending the guarantee, and certainly to include a practice that unduly restricts the right to repair or leads to product spoilage in the blacklist of absolutely unfair commercial practices. This is the minimum we need to do to protect consumer rights in Europe. Thank you very much.