Speeches

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on EU energy – a common European approach to more affordable, secure and sustainable energy (2022/2589(RSP)). I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you can use your voting device to request spontaneous catch-the-eye interventions and use blue cards after you have introduced your voting card. Please bring your voting card to the plenary. The instructions are also available in the Chamber. If you wish to register for a spontaneous intervention, I would ask you to do so now and not to wait for the end of the debate. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central lectern. However, this does not apply to spontaneous catch-the-eye interventions and blue cards, as well as to interventions on the Rules of Procedure. I therefore ask you to keep an eye on the list of speakers and to go to the lectern shortly before the start of your speaking time.

The debate is closed. The vote on the amendments will take place on Wednesday 9 March 2022 and the final vote on Thursday 10 March 2022. Written declarations (Article 171)

I now come to the announcement of the results of today's first voting session. (The President read the results of the first voting session.)1 The session is interrupted. It will resume at 1.45 p.m. with the opening of the second voting session. ________ 1 See the minutes. (The meeting adjourned at 13.05)

We take note of that. The process takes its further course. The political groups and the non-attached Members have informed the President of the appointments of the members of the delegations. The list of names of delegations will be published on Parliament’s website.

I would like to inform the Assembly that the President has received the request for Rules of Procedure under Rule 195. I give the floor to Mr Dzhambazki for one minute.

The debate is closed. The vote will take place today, Thursday 17 February 2022. The session is interrupted. It will resume at 13.00 with the announcement of the results of the first voting session. (The meeting adjourned at 12.30)

The next item on the agenda is the debate on seven motions for resolutions on the political crisis in Burkina Faso (2022/2542(RSP))1. ___________ 1 See the minutes.

Madam President, thank you, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, the European Court of Justice has spoken, and the Commission must act now. No more holding back, no more hiding. The European Court of Justice has confirmed today what we all knew from the very start. The rule of law conditionality is fully compliant with Union law. It is a strong mechanism to protect the budget of the European Union and the money of the people in Europe. This mechanism is a powerful tool to safeguard the rule of law in every Member State. Now is the time to act. As the European Court of Justice said today, the values of respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law define the very identity of the European Union as a common legal order. It also said that the European Union must be able to defend those values, and I add the European Union has to defend those values. We, the European Parliament, expect the Commission to now come forward and do exactly that – defend our shared values. The guardian of the Treaties must not let more time pass by, for example, by drafting unnecessary guidelines. The Commission must act now based on the law and on the absolutely clear cases of Poland and Hungary. Together, we have to stop the democratic backsliding in the European Union. We have to stand up for our common values and show the people in the European Union, and in Hungary and Poland, that we are in this together. Defending the rule of law is what the citizens of Europe were promised when joining the EU. It is what we owe to the citizens of Europe.

The meeting closed and resumed tomorrow, Tuesday 15 February 2022, at 8.30 a.m. with the announcement of the results of today's voting session. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament's website.

The next item on the agenda was one minute's speech on important political issues (Rule 172). They are called ‘one minute executions’. I would like to point this out extra. I would also like to point out that you can hold your speech from your seat as part of the one-minute speech.

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of Katalin Cseh’s report on post-COVID-19 urban challenges (2021/2075(INI)) (A9 0352/2021).

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of Markus Ferber’s report on the impact of national tax reforms on the EU economy (2021/2074(INI)) (A9-0348/2021).

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of Olivier Chastel's report on the implementation of the Sixth VAT Directive: What is missing to reduce the VAT gap in the Union?" (2020/2263(INI)) (A9-0355/2021).

Unfortunately, the technical issue with the studio in Brussels could not be fixed so we cannot switch over to Danuta Hübner yet. We will have to continue with the next report. (The short presentation was suspended)

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of the report by Danuta Maria Hübner on the evaluation of the implementation of Article 50 TEU (2020/2136(INI)) (A9-0357/2021). We're having problems with the tone, moment.

Danuta, we will have to go to the next speaker because we have a technical issue. I’m sorry, but we will come back to you. The alternative is that maybe the Commissioner takes the floor first. Would that be OK for you?

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Norbert Neuser, on behalf of the Committee on Development, on new guidelines for EU humanitarian action (2021/2163(INI)) (A9-0328/2021). I remind Members that there are no spontaneous interventions in all debates at this part-session and that blue cards are not accepted. In addition, as in the previous part-sessions, access from Parliament's liaison offices in the Member States is foreseen. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that interventions in the Chamber will continue to take place from the central lectern. I would therefore ask you to keep an eye on the list of speakers and to go to the lectern shortly before the start of your speaking time.