What Tomislav spoke about.

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.

Dear Chairman, the right to rest is often abused. Irregular migration is a major problem of the European asylum system and in this regard I would point out that the Republic of Croatia, with more than 6 500 police officers, effectively protects the longest external land border of the European Union. Last year, over 17,000 people were treated in Croatia who were found to have crossed the state border illegally, 40% less than in 2020. This is evidence of the capacity of the Croatian police and the readiness of Croatia, as a result of which the Slovenian police are recording a decrease in the number of irregular migrants. Furthermore, this is another in a series of practical indicators on Croatia’s readiness to join the Schengen area. I stress that Croatia has an obligation to protect the state border, which it does in accordance with European and international law. In that regard, I would point out that an independent mechanism for monitoring the conduct of police officers has been put in place. Preventing irregular migration is essential to protect the European way of life, and the Croatian police, in accordance with the rules, exercise police powers. Any isolated incidents are the subject of an internal procedure and in no case constitute systematic action by police officers. In conclusion, I call on all Member States to step up their efforts to combat irregular migration, as the border is crossed at a border crossing point and not on forests and rivers.

Colleagues, why are you mixing pears and apples? Refugees arriving from Ukraine come from the war zone directly to the European Union with all documents and cross at marked border crossing points. People coming to Croatia or Greece come without documents that we don't know who they are, we don't know where they originally come from, they cross the border at night outside the border crossings and they come from Turkey, which is not the country where the war is taking place. So please don't compare things that are incomparable.

The current Union-wide rules on the use of vehicles hired without drivers have been in place for 30 years without any substantial changes and need to be revised to meet current and future needs in the road transport sector. The current Directive provides for a minimum level of openness of the market for the use of such vehicles, as it actually covers outdated legal provisions reflecting the former needs of this sector. Under the current Directive, rules vary between Member States, leading to numerous limitations and uncertainties and restricting the use of goods vehicles hired in a Member State other than the Member State of establishment of the undertaking hiring the vehicles. I therefore welcome that the above legislation will be finally revised after five years of interinstitutional negotiations. However, legislation is necessary to respond to the real needs of carriers. The new legislative proposal will contribute to the functioning of the single market and brings more flexibility for transport companies to rent and lease freight vehicles to meet the temporary or seasonal peak of demand and to replace defective vehicles, thereby also increasing transport efficiency. The new legal framework will allow hauliers across the Union to have more uniform market access for the hire of goods vehicles. In conclusion, I support this legislative proposal as it represents an opportunity to create a level playing field and fair competition for rental and transport companies in the EU.

In the night hours of March 10 this year, just seven minutes after entering the airspace of Croatia, a Soviet-made drone crashed in the wider center of Zagreb, fifty meters from the student dormitory where thousands of students are staying. Before entering Croatia, the aircraft travelled for 43 minutes through the airspace of Romania and came from the territory of Ukraine. Fortunately, this unfortunate event passed without human casualties, but it revealed all the vulnerability of the European security system. While it remains to be determined whether this is an error, sabotage or intent, it should be clearly stated that it is unacceptable that this aircraft could have moved unhindered through the airspace of NATO member states and the European Union, putting the lives of citizens at risk, all in circumstances where a ruthless war is being waged on the EU's borders. I therefore insist on better cooperation between Member States in the area of exchange of security information, but I am also strongly committed to strengthening the defence capacity of the European Union and all Member States, which must be primarily capable of protecting the lives and property of their citizens. The illusion that someone else will protect us if we are unable to protect ourselves.

Dear Chairman, Commissioners, colleagues, Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik, Church of St. Krševan in Zadar, the historical core of the city of Dubrovnik, Banski dvori in Zagreb - a total of 1861 immovable cultural monument was destroyed due to Serbian aggression against the Republic of Croatia, whose aim was to undo the Croatian national identity, built for centuries. That is why we in Croatia know how important it is to persevere in the protection of cultural heritage, especially in wartime circumstances. Unfortunately, we are witnessing a continued policy of erasing and denying Armenian cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, in violation of international law and the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice. This is another case of persecution of Christians and destruction of their religious identity, which is unfortunately the case in many parts of the world. Globally, more than 245 million Christians were victims of severe persecution in 2019, 40 million more than in 2018. This means that one in nine Christians worldwide is persecuted, and unfortunately little is said about it. I therefore welcome the motion for a resolution by which the European Parliament strongly opposes the denial of Armenian cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. Colleagues, the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh must stop as soon as possible.

The transparency of the democratic system is essential, as it enables citizens to participate in decision-making. Transparency is the backbone of all European policies, and among its most important elements is the right of citizens to request and obtain access to documents held by the European institutions. In principle, all documents of the institutions should be made available to the public. On the other hand, however, certain documents should be treated in a specific way due to their highly sensitive content. In this context, certain public and private interests need to be specifically protected through exemptions, as provided for in the Regulation on public access to documents of the EU institutions. The institutions shall have the right, where necessary, to protect their consultations and consultations in order to ensure that their tasks are carried out. The current legal framework of the Regulation on public access to documents of the institutions is generally satisfactory, but we must further ensure that decisions are taken as openly and as closely as possible to the citizen. Openness allows citizens to participate even more actively in the decision-making process and guarantees that the administration takes greater legitimacy and is more effective and accountable to EU citizens. In this sense, I think that the Commission should be praised in general for its transparency after all these figures we have heard today. Of course, when it comes to transparency, there was a lot of talk about joint procurement of vaccines. I would point out that this process has accelerated the process of vaccine development and availability, and the Union has achieved a better negotiating position and we have received more vaccines under better conditions and at a better price. Also, joint procurement has avoided competition between Member States, allowing smaller and less developed countries equal access to vaccines, and I think that this whole process can indeed be characterised as a success. Of course, in case of any ambiguities and doubts - everything that exists should be clarified, but without questioning the whole procedure, I really look forward to the Commission providing an answer to these dilemmas related to SMEs. Finally, I would point out that the European Union, led by the Commission, has done the most important thing: Responded successfully to this pandemic. Equal access to the vaccine for all European citizens was ensured, sending a strong message of togetherness and solidarity at European level.

Dear Chairman, Vice-President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina is essential for the maintenance of peace and security in the area of Southeast Europe. In order to ensure stability in that country, it is a priority to overcome the political crisis in which Croats, as a constituent people, are imposed illegitimate representatives at the level of the Presidency of BiH and the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH. This is possible, only and exclusively, through an urgent amendment of the electoral law that will ensure the equality of the Croatian people in BiH, who, colleagues, are deprived of the political right that is not denied practically to any other people in Europe - to elect their own political representatives. This right is recognised by the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, which unfortunately does not apply. It is therefore essential that the reform of the electoral law ensures a legitimate representation in all three constituent peoples in the same way, as in Belgium, for example, and stops the hegemony of the most numerous people. It is scandalous that some MEPs here, in Parliament, deny this fundamental right that the peoples of Belgium, such as the Germans, for example, enjoy. I will repeat this time, as I said several times from this speaker, the question of the protection of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina who are practically all citizens of the European Union, is a question of preserving fundamental European values such as the rule of law, but also the key to the stability of this part of Europe.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, six out of ten consumers have faced financial difficulties. In such circumstances, a number of consumers contacted me with comments that banks had sent unsolicited credit cards to their home address or that they had unilaterally increased their limits for permissible and tacit overdrafts on current accounts. Such bank practices must cease immediately, as they harm the financial interests of consumers who are often unaware of the increase in the borrowing limit. In my capacity as EPP Group rapporteur, I will table as early as tomorrow 150 amendments to the proposal for a Consumer Credit Directive, which will, among other things, increase the level of consumer protection and prohibit banks from sending unsolicited credit cards to consumers’ home addresses or simply increase their overdraft limits. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union clearly states that Union policies must ensure a high level of consumer protection, and it is the Consumer Credit Directive that is the right instrument to achieve this.

Dear Chair, Commissioners, colleagues, standards of healthcare provision in the EU are not harmonised, as there are significant differences between European regions but also between Member States. You are much more likely to die of cancer if you live in less developed regions of the European Union than in the most developed parts of Western and Northern Europe, which is unacceptable. We must do our utmost to close these gaps, and cohesion policy is the most generous instrument for this purpose. Cohesion policy promotes growth and jobs in regions across the Union, in particular those that are lagging behind. This is why cohesion policy is not only the Union's most important investment policy, but also an expression of solidarity between it and its Member States. It is worth highlighting the significant contribution of cohesion policy to investments in the health sector in the last programming period 2014-2020 through the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, amounting to around €24 billion, which is almost five times the amount foreseen in the EU Health Programme in the next budgetary period. However, health inequality among Member States remains a fact and cohesion investment in health needs to be further increased, but also exploited in a more efficient way than has been the case so far. This report identifies the main problems of the current situation and points to potential solutions. The biggest problem of unequal health care is visible in elements of health infrastructure, but also in labour shortages that directly affect the success of treatment in less developed regions. This is why long-term investments in health infrastructure and workforce are more urgent than ever, especially given the economic and health impact of the pandemic. Citizens in rural areas, outermost regions and islands often face barriers to equal access to healthcare, which limit their ability to obtain much-needed services. There must be no first- and second-class citizens in the European Union and all services must be available and accessible in a timely manner. In order to overcome the main barriers that exist in terms of equal access to healthcare in rural areas, advanced technologies such as e-health should be used to a large extent as an integral part of the concept of smart villages with a view to improving access to healthcare. Furthermore, we need to motivate healthcare professionals, especially doctors and nurses, to start or continue their activity in rural areas. Investments from the European Social Fund Plus in the form of financing specialisation and subspecialisation in countries and regions facing brain drain are particularly important. In addition, improving working conditions will foster a retention strategy for healthcare workers in these areas. Also, in my report, I called for cohesion policy funds to be used to develop disease-specific centres of excellence across the EU, also covering neighbouring countries and contributing to cross-border healthcare cooperation. Synergistic use should be made of all existing EU instruments, such as the EU4Health and Horizon Europe, to develop a network of such centres that would be evenly distributed across the entire territory of the Union. In this regard, the report highlights in particular the importance of the Interreg programme, which contributed to the fight against the pandemic and highlighted the benefits of cross-border healthcare. Particular emphasis was placed on projects facilitating contracts between health insurance and hospitals in different Member States to facilitate patient mobility and better access to healthcare in border areas. Finally, it is of utmost importance that the evaluation of the effects of cohesion policy takes into account the extent to which investments have contributed to improving health outcomes, such as cancer cure rates, which is precisely the area where we see the biggest differences today in the European Union. The COVID-19 pandemic is a historic milestone when it comes to investments in health systems and I therefore call on the Member States to seek to mobilise as much as possible under the Structural Funds in the new programming period to address the health needs of European citizens.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues and colleagues, the debate on the differences and similarities between Croatian and Italian Prosecco has been held in the EU institutions since the period of Croatia's accession to the European Union, and the Italian side has systematically obstructed the protection of the origin of Prosecco and its positioning on the European wine map and market. Italian claims that prošek is a new product, i.e. a copy of their Prosecca, and that, as a result, there is a risk that consumers will be misled, as well as unfair competition, are completely incorrect. Hrvatski prošek is a dense and sweet wine that belongs to the category of desserts, while Italian is prosecco light sparkling wine. Since these are two products of different color, smell and price, different traditions and customs of consumption, the protest of the Italian side is pointless. There are simply no contact points in the taste, production method or type of grapes compared to these two products, and prošek has an invaluable meaning in the centuries-old, historical and oenological tradition of Croatia. I emphasise – a centuries-old one. I welcome the fact that the Commission, in its written observations last year, took a reasonable position and made it clear that homonymity, i.e. the similarity of the name, is not sufficient to reject the Croatian application, and that, especially given the local and traditional use, homonyms in this regard can coexist as in the present case. I am also pleased that the Commission has recently published the Croatian application for protection of the traditional term ‘prošek’ in the Official Journal of the EU and is in the process of adopting a final decision. In the light of the above, I responsibly claim that Croatian Prošek and Italian prosecco they do not belong to the same group of wines. Croatia has strong historical and legal legitimacy for the recognition of the traditional term prošek at the level of the European Union. Despite Italian arguments and obstruction, Croatia, as a full member of the European Union, has the full right to protect its traditional autochthonous product Prošek, which it does, and I am convinced that the Commission will make a positive decision for Croatia in this case and thus confirm the equality of all before the rules of the common market.

The single market is a cornerstone of the European Union and as such generates 25% of European GDP, but its full potential remains to be realised. Scientific studies show that the hidden potential of the single market amounts to as much as €713 billion. This is why we need to accelerate efforts to remove unnecessary administrative barriers that hamper cross-border exchanges and make it difficult to do business, especially for SMEs in services. We also need to work to preserve the integrity of the Single Market, especially in times of health crises. The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted supply chains, leading many Member States to face shortages of critical medical equipment. Unfortunately, some producing countries have introduced export restrictions, making the situation much more difficult for those countries that were in dire need of such equipment. That is why I am extremely pleased that this report welcomes the establishment of a mechanism to control export restrictions on medical equipment, of which I am a proponent. With this mechanism, we will prevent unjustified export restrictions in the event of health crises and ensure that the European principle of solidarity is never compromised again.

While European rules on toy safety are among the strictest in the world, the fact remains that unsafe toys continue to circulate in the European single market. This is evidenced by the fact that, according to the latest information on dangerous non-food products, toys were the most frequently reported product, with as much as 27% of all notifications. This is why we need to improve the rules on the safety of children's toys, especially those imported into Europe from third countries. It is the internet where rogue traders often offer unsafe toys to consumers. With the Digital Services Act, on which the Parliament is engaged, we will lay down rules to ensure safe shopping in the digital environment. In addition, as part of the revision of the Toy Safety Directive, age differentiation for the use of chemicals should be abolished. They worry about information that some manufacturers deliberately erroneously claim that the toy is intended for children over 36 months of age only to avoid compliance with stricter safety standards for children under 36 months of age. It is therefore important that the European Commission examine these allegations and market practices in detail as soon as possible and, in line with the findings, propose amendments to the relevant legislation. When it comes to the safety of children, we are never and will never agree to compromise!

–The Honourable Chair, Commissioners, Colleagues, if we fail to act decisively, cancer deaths will increase by more than 24% in the European Union by 2035 and will become the leading cause of death. It is high time for radical and comprehensive action, and the adoption of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and this report are key steps in this direction. This report contains a number of concrete measures that I have proposed myself. It advocates the establishment of a single set of rules on the reimbursement of cross-border healthcare, including the right to a second opinion, to simplify and facilitate access to treatment and clinical trials, especially for patients with rare cancers and for children, whose day we mark today. It is particularly important that costs are financed before starting treatment to avoid discrimination against low-income patients, showing that solidarity is our first priority. In addition, we underline the importance of increased investment in health infrastructure and healthcare workers through cohesion policy to reduce disparities in the quality of treatment across the EU and to ensure equal access to quality healthcare for all our citizens. We also want to make expensive medicines available to all EU citizens, no matter where they live, by jointly procuring them. This sends a clear message: There must be no first- and second-class citizens in the European Union. Finally, we are committed to adopting European legislation guaranteeing the right to be forgotten of cancer survivors. No one will be discriminated against or have difficult access to financial services because they have recovered from this disease. The report before us represents a huge step forward in the fight against cancer, especially for patients and their families, and I ask you to support it plebiscitarily.

Dear President, Commissioner, colleague and colleague, we have recently witnessed protests that broke out in Kazakhstan after the government significantly increased gas prices at the beginning of the year. Much remains unclear, but we know that protests began in the western part of the country and citizens' discontent quickly spread to the rest of the country and grew into general protests against corruption, poverty and inequality. The rallies then escalated into riots and armed conflicts, and a number of human rights violations were reported. Until these protests, oil-rich Kazakhstan, one of the largest countries in the world, was considered by many to be the most stable state in an unstable region. Of the five Central Asian states that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan is by far the largest and richest. It is the size of Western Europe and lies on large stocks of oil, natural gas, precious metals and is the world's largest producer of uranium. The escalation of discontent and the ensuing crisis have drawn particular attention from two powerful Kazakh neighbours, Russia and China. The country places most of its oil exports to China and is traditionally firmly in Russia's geopolitical sphere of interest. After days of protests and almost real war on the streets of many cities in Kazakhstan, the regime slowly re-established control with the help of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which sent military forces composed mainly of the Russian army. In doing so, Russia has shown that it is the strongest partner for the current government in preventing the outbreak of any revolution that could threaten the current government. Consequently, the current or any future government in that country will become even more dependent on the Kremlin. This shows that Moscow still understands the areas of the former Soviet Union with its backyard. We must be aware of this and we must not underestimate its strength.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues, the sale of dangerous products such as unverified medicines, counterfeit products, but also the dissemination of illegal content such as infringing intellectual property rights, terrorist content or illegal hate speech is a reality we face every day online. Despite this, online sales have steadily increased in recent years, and in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, 71% of consumers were shopping online. At the same time, it is estimated that 7% of European imports are counterfeit goods. In such circumstances, we need to increase the level of consumer safety by establishing clear rules on removing illegal content from online platforms. The Digital Services Act will ensure a high level of protection for all European consumers, the highest in the world, and prevent the arbitrariness of large multinational companies. Consumers often complain to me that when they buy through intermediaries such as Ebay or Amazon, they do not know exactly from whom they buy the product. This legislation obliges intermediaries to check traders in detail before offering their products and services. Furthermore, in addition to raising the level of consumer protection, we want to enable entrepreneurs to find new customers online, but not to the detriment of the safety of minors. That is why we have banned targeted advertising according to this category of consumers. Finally, I would like to point out that the placement of disinformation, especially about vaccination, has unfortunately become a weapon in the hands of irresponsible and malicious. The spread of fakenews endangers people’s lives and health, and with this act we create a legal mechanism to combat such behaviour. On the other hand, there should be no possibility of censoring the content in any way and in this sense this act represents the correct balance. At a time of ubiquitous digitalisation, it is the right moment to make what is illegal offline and online illegal through the new rules on digital services.

–In recent weeks, we have witnessed major environmental protests in Serbia, with tens of thousands of citizens taking part in road blockades and demanding the repeal of the Expropriation Act, the amendment of the Referendum Act to prevent lithium exploitation in the country. Peaceful protests are accompanied by a series of incidents and provocations, sporadic clashes, pushes and fights provoked by groups of provocateurs and supporters of the authorities, with the conspicuous absence of uniformed police. It is obvious that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party is endangering political rights and civil liberties in this country. Also, Serbia's rulers are under great pressure to persecute several hundred Vietnamese workers engaged in the construction of a Chinese car tire factory in the country. There are serious indications that Vietnamese workers work in inhumane and hygienic conditions, but also that they are in Serbia illegally, i.e. that there are elements of the crime of trafficking in human beings, which is very worrying. In the broader context of the situation in Serbia, I would highlight the fact that accession negotiations for Serbia's accession to the European Union are stagnating. The two main reasons for the lack of progress in opening new chapters are the state of democracy, the rule of law and the slow pace of reforms. There has even been backsliding on issues such as crucial for EU accession, such as fundamental human rights, the fight against corruption, media independence and civil society development, and no tangible results and visible efforts in these areas have been seen. On the contrary, if we look at the situation with media freedom, we can see that the situation in this segment is worse than ever. In this way, the Serbian government sends a message that it is not sure whether it wants to continue its path towards European integration at all, and it is becoming increasingly clear that President Vučić has never really been loyal to European ideas and values. Serbia cannot enter the EU until it has resolved fundamental issues related to the rule of law, including the prosecution of war crimes, the clarification of the fate of missing persons from the aggression against Croatia and the protection of minority rights. Her leadership simply has to face these problems with actions and not with words to show that she has conquered European values.

Dear Chair, Commissioner, colleagues, and after more than ten years, the executive partnership has remained an essential component of European foreign policy. In the context of this partnership, Ukraine is our important economic, security and energy partner. The security of the eastern part of the European Union depends directly on the security and stability of Ukraine and we must therefore actively work to strengthen it. Cultural Ukraine has always been part of Europe, so it is important that the European Union, while supporting its territorial integrity and sovereignty, continues to help Ukraine economically, especially through investments that will enable the citizens of Ukraine to live a better life. Nowadays, taking into account the size of this country and its needs, this assistance is absolutely too small. The European Union must be more active in helping Ukraine economically, socially, militarily and culturally if it is to preserve it as part of the Western cultural circle. You Commissioners have announced certain measures that I welcome but much, much more needs to be done. Croatia is perhaps the best of all Member States to understand the developments in Ukraine, as we were alone, not so long ago, victims of aggression and had to reintegrate part of our territory. At that time, we felt left behind by all, and such a thing must not happen again in Ukraine. We can't expect Ukraine to be some kind of European border guard, especially not without giving it something in return. Ukraine does not need words, resolutions, but concrete actions, and unfortunately the European Union has failed too many times in the past. That's why he can't fail now.