What Ondřej spoke about.

11

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Presentation of the proposal on Critical Medicines Act (CMA) (debate)

Mr President, Mr Commissioner, the Critical Medicines Act is an extremely important file. The world is in a de- globalisation phase. Dependencies reduction and self-sufficiency have become a logical trend. This for sure includes medicines, their availability and affordability simply matter. Therefore, we welcome the ambition to maintain a list of critical medicines for which European research and production capacities would be granted. But it is not an easy task. As critical, we consider a wide range of medicines, including those old simple molecules whose production was, due to cost optimisation, transferred outside the EU in the past decades. And now we want them back. Also, we shall consider what should be the role of the EU here. In my opinion, mainly coordination of fair distribution of supportive projects among Member States to avoid duplication and at the end, after implementation, coordination of logistics of critical medicines. However, we believe that tools like CMA and Pharma Package can contribute positively to increase medicine supplies resilience on our continent, and in this regard, Mr Commissioner, you have our full support. However, I would like to extend that attracting private investments of pharma industry in the EU would require at the same time, in parallel, energy cost reductions, decreasing of obligations linked to the medicines lifecycle and also less bureaucracy, which is exactly the opposite of which some of your colleagues, Mr Commissioner, are doing.

12

Feb

2025

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US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the World Health Organisation and the suspension of US development and humanitarian aid (debate)

Madam President, every reasonable person is able to adjust their goals and strategies. The world has changed, but not the EU energy and climate policy. The goal was EU prosperity, worldwide follow up and global emissions reductions. But we see the opposite: the EU economy is struggling and global emissions are growing. The Green Deal – at least its climate part – is dead. If we insist on its implementation, we will fail to protect Europeans from climate change effects and the European ability to adapt to climate change. After the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the global reality and more information and understanding of the mechanism of climate change, it is clear that we are entering a new post-Paris Agreement era – which for Europe means speed of emissions reductions, and therefore ETS prices, must correspond to the US and China; no coal power plants shut down until having stable and reliable effective replacement; renewables and nuclear must be placed on equal footing; invest in diffusion development massively and, of course, get rid of ESG, climate law, taxonomy, etc. And of course, Madam Commissioner, please do it now. And now, to the WHO: Europe is still part of the WHO. Or maybe we shall change this.

12

Feb

2025

Speeches CS

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Collaboration between conservatives and far right as a threat for competitiveness in the EU (topical debate)

Mr President, colleagues, so the cooperation of Patriots, Conservatives and Sovereignists threatens Europe's competitiveness? Do you find it strange that factions in the European Parliament are collaborating with a similar programme? Can you accept a different view at all? Maybe parties with a different opinion than yours wouldn't have to run at all. Well, that would be great. You could continue as before. Ban, raise, subsidize and regulate. But you forget about people. And I'll tell you what. In the European elections, a lot, a lot of people have made it clear that they are fed up with your ten-gender policy, green economic destruction, centralisation in Brussels and censorship, and we will not disappoint their voices and trust. You can't beat common sense and silence the Patriots, so remember that.

18

Dec

2024

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Preparation of the European Council of 19-20 December 2024 (debate)

(Start of speech off mic) ... thank the Hungarian Presidency for a professional, proactive and innovative approach. Now, in the beginning of the new mandate, I would wish to Mr Costa to have a strong European Council, because we need a strong voice of Member States. The EU is a project of Member States and only a strong European Council will defend EU future and will overpower the EU Commission's appetite to control EU citizens and weaken or destroy European nations. It is time to have more strict, more detailed and more bold conclusions of the European Council to protect the Member States of the EU. Now to the agenda of the European Council: I appreciate the geopolitical agenda is in the centre, logically, including the war against Israel. But when we are talking about ceasefire, we should also mention – and it is not in the text – that the first condition for the ceasefire is the release of hostages, and this should be the voice of the EU Member States. What I am missing in the text is accent on the EU economy: industry is leaving Europe, world emissions are not decreasing and the Commission wants to continue with the green agenda. And this should be also strictly addressed and refused in the European Council conclusions. So we need end of green madness, we need end of green dictate and we shall stop ruining our industry.

17

Dec

2024

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Mr President, censorship is not the way to protect elections. Social media is a tool, not a cause. Censorship is not the solution. Then why are you trying to do it? I'll tell you. Thanks to social networks, people can collectively share what they really think. And that's not what your power cartel of traditional politicians, Brussels officials, and some nonprofits and the media want. You are doing everything you can to get the Patriots who defend the interests of people like Marine Le Pen, Andrej Babiš and Matteo Salvini out of politics. But you won't be able to do that. Patriots don't give up fighting for people. Nor will you succeed in silencing people through censorship of social networks. Are you concerned about the democratic nature of the election? No, you're worried about your election result. Over the years, you have gradually tightened the loop around people, taking away their safety, prosperity, national identity and freedom. And now you're afraid because there are Patriots and social networks that bring power back to the people. You can't beat people! People are sick of you! You are rightly afraid!

27

Nov

2024

Speeches EN

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Recommendation on smoke- and aerosol-free environments (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, this is indeed an interesting topic consisting of different elements that need to be put in balance. First, we want to protect citizens from the effect of second‑hand smoke and aerosols and achieve the 2040 goal for a tobacco‑free generation. Second, we do not want to excessively interfere in the lives of Europeans with any ambitions to regulate their lives. Third, European institutions shall not go beyond the treaties and shall respect national competences and sovereignty. Fourth, we shall take science into consideration. These are four basic elements concerning this topic, and I would like to invite you, dear colleagues, to consider them during tomorrow's vote on the resolution and related amendments.

26

Nov

2024

Answers EN

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Outcome of COP 29 and challenges for international climate policy (debate)

(Start of speech off mic) ... is that your policies, policies of climate activists, as you are, are not leading to saving the climate. You are lying to people about that if they will be ambitious, that there will be no floods and so on and so on. But that's not true. You have no data, you have no science base, you have no impact assessments: you are just lying. So you are the root cause.

26

Nov

2024

Speeches CS

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Outcome of COP 29 and challenges for international climate policy (debate)

13

Nov

2024

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UN Climate Change Conference 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29) (debate)

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, the European response to climate change so far has not been effective. It is not helping to protect the climate, it is causing major damage to the European economy and it is reducing the opportunity for Europeans to adapt to climate change. The so-called Fit for 55 European climate package is not only distrusted by investors, but above all by a significant part of the public. And in the rest of the world, our European climate policy is shaking its head in disbelief. Regulations, unrealistic targets, bans and price increases. This green policy of yours, far removed from reality, will make Europe an open-air museum and will not protect the public from drought, floods or fires. Please stop lying to people. Are you still so pompous that you travel the world instructing others to follow the same path? You're all a laughingstock. Please pull the emergency brake while there's still time.

23

Oct

2024

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U-turn on EU bureaucracy: the need to axe unnecessary burdens and reporting to unleash competitiveness and innovation (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, for how long are we going to pretend that the system is under control? I have a feeling that for years the Commission didn't listen to companies, and if the Commission listened, then only to the voices they like. The EU has become a regulatory monster; high quantity and lower quality. To be honest, also the European Parliament has its contribution to this fact. We shall not undermine this. Before being elected in 2019, I was a quality manager in industry. I was responsible to implement European directives and regulations into the real shop floor. The aim of the regulations were GMP, 'good management practices'. But in a result for the companies, it was as well GMP, but different: 'generate more paper'. This cannot go on like this. Since 2019, in the US there has been 3 000 pieces of legislative acts; in the EU 12 000 or even more – 13 000, someone referred. It's not possible. So we have maybe last one or two years to fix this. Uncompetitive energy prices, bureaucracy, that we are talking about now, and investment uncertainty. If we do not fix this then our economy would not be competitive on global level.

23

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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Statement by the President

Madam President, colleagues, on Monday evening, six political groups concluded and co-signed the joint motion for a resolution on the Medical Devices Regulation. This was tabled yesterday into the EP system. The Europeans could have enjoyed for one day being more important than the political dispute. However, yesterday it happened that some political groups decided to remove the name of our political group from the joint text, despite the fact that the Patriots have constructively and actively cooperated. So, ladies and gentlemen, to those political groups, I tell you something: you may try to hide our name, but you will not succeed to hide the fact that the Patriots have been successfully part of the final text. Let this, my speech, be a testimony of your weakness, fear and hypocrisy.

23

Oct

2024

Speeches EN

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Tackling the steel crisis: boosting competitive and sustainable European steel and maintaining quality jobs (debate)

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, I have an essential question: do you want to have steel in Europe? I think we have heard in this debate many reasons to say 'yes', but to save the steel in Europe we must act now. One point: to create a demand market for high‑tech and low‑carbon and green steel would, of course, help. But it is not in the short term. To revise the (sorry for the stupid proposal) CBAM in such a way that it will have the trust of businesses is also important, but it will not be in the short term. What we need to do in the short term is address the high prices of energies. And one of the elements is the highest price of the carbon allowance globally. The EU ETS is the most expensive in the world. Last week, more than 50 MEPs asked the Commission to cap the price at EUR 30. Please do it. Please do it now.

22

Oct

2024

Answers EN

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Urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for safeguarding the UNIFIL mission in light of the recent attacks (debate)

Madam colleague, you should be careful when people are talking, or go back to school, because I didn't say anything like that at all. Israel protected Israel. It's UNIFIL's problem that they were not careful, because close to their stations and positions, there were terrorists, so maybe they have not been doing the correct work. That's it. Please do not say things that I have not mentioned.

22

Oct

2024

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Urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for safeguarding the UNIFIL mission in light of the recent attacks (debate)

Madam President, we shall not mix cause and consequence, and in this debate you are focusing too much on the consequence. So let's be honest: one of the root causes is simply that UNIFIL failed to help to protect the people of Lebanon from Hezbollah. UNIFIL even failed to protect our closest neighbourhood from the presence of those terrorists, which is what we are debating today. And also, to be honest, Hezbollah is supported by Iran and represents a threat not only to the people of Lebanon, but also to Israel. So Israel, just like Ukraine, which we debated in the previous item, is only doing what is necessary: they are protecting themselves. So, ladies and gentlemen, it would be an application of double standards, if you ask now Israel for a ceasefire. If we are not doing it for Ukraine, don't do it for Israel.

10

Oct

2024

Speeches CS

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World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, I am very pleased that mental health is receiving more and more attention, not only in political debates, but also in public debates. It is indeed a growing problem, affecting the entire population and also affecting the youth, our children. The appropriate care is very small or not appropriate. Waiting periods – it takes a long time to find a child psychologist in some regions. And that is why I would like us to actually come together here today and make a kind of commitment that, following the example of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, we will also create a European Mental Health Plan that is comprehensive, that focuses on all phases, including prevention, and that will help direct future economic instruments precisely towards implementation and help Member States to implement this common plan.

7

Oct

2024

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Facing fake news, populism and disinformation in the EU - the importance of public broadcasting, media pluralism and independent journalism (debate)

Madam President, what kind of debate is this again? Disinformation, populism and public media? What, like three in one? I do not question the need to counter disinformation, especially when it is directed against citizens' interests from abroad. It makes sense to talk about that. But why are you bringing populism into this? After all, you call populists people who, unlike you, are not afraid to tell the truth and defend the interests of citizens. For you, populists are those who reject unthought-out green madness. Those who want to stop dangerous Islamic migration, and those who want to preserve national veto power and not further strengthen Brussels officials, often detached from reality. And the public media? Yes, let's underline their importance. After all, people want it to be impartial. But the fact that a medium is public does not necessarily guarantee that it will simply be impartial. And changes in these media must be judged by the law and not by whether the government making the changes is more inclined to Brussels or less. That would be hypocrisy. And this is how you will have a three-in-one debate here, so that those who point out your inability to defend the interests of citizens can be called collaborators of foreign countries and populists. After all, you are almost as desperate as our Czech Fiala government. And to perfection, all you have to do is hire some guy to run what is disinformation and what is not, and he will simply say, sorry, Madam President, 'pig' to Europeans with a different opinion.

18

Sep

2024

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The Hungarian “National Card” scheme and its consequences for Schengen and the area of freedom, security and justice (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, I would like to thank the Commission, Council and the Hungarian Government, because we have heard that the dialogue is going on, step by step, we believe, to a successful end. And maybe at this stage, this plenary should finish the debate. Because we can ask: 'Tell us in 14 days, in one month what is going on'. But this House requires deeper debate. Okay, we are in a political House. Let's have a deeper debate. I'm not against it. At the end, we are sharing as 27 sovereign Member States one continent. So if we are with the idea that there is a risk, let's debate the risk and ask how it is addressed. But we shall not apply double standards and one-way democracy and one-way diplomacy. We have heard so far that these working permits, which are – in terms of security checks – on equal footing with other European visas, are now five plus five together. Maybe in years we will be talking about one hundred, a few hundred, maybe – and I will just say maybe – 2000. For example, imagine 2000 working permits for Russians and Belarusians. Some of you mentioned, I wrote it down, 'unacceptable and dangerous'. Okay. But where the same people and the same faces have been in 2023, when 220 000 multiple entry visas have been issued to the citizens of the Russian Federation – 100 times more. No one claimed a risk. It's not serious. Where have you been last week? The Chancellor of Germany announced that he is considering 250 000 working permits for one African country. Maybe – in your logic – potential bringers of Sharia law. So where have you been? So please, if you want to have serious debate, please use the data and not double standards.

17

Sep

2024

Speeches EN

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State of the Energy union (debate)

Mr President, welcome, Madam Commissioner. You looked quite satisfied during the presentation of your thesis and I am not fully in agreement. You look satisfied maybe because you have a little bit forgotten to speak about the competitiveness and the energy prices. And I tell you a small secret. They are maybe lower than during the peak in the energy crisis, but they are still high. Not only for citizens, but as well for the economy, for business, for industry. We are talking about when it comes to electricity price, it's 2.5 times higher electricity price compared to US and China. So I mean, it's not an easy situation for businesses and it has implications. Maybe for some Green guys it has good implications because emissions are decreasing, but unfortunately not always because of, let's say, successful transition projects. Of course, there are many of them, but also because businesses are leaving. There is deindustrialisation. And this is, to be honest, a very bad situation and a very bad problem. Maybe you don't know, but flagships of European industry are really companies that proudly produced chemicals, steel, glass. They are dismantling functioning factories and moving to China. And this is something that we cannot afford and that we cannot sustain. Why? Because they are not competent on the global market. They could be competent on European market in case that the CBAM, this customs, are working, but they are never competent on the global market. So they better invest into China and the US, and this is a problem. What we did wrong? We took a wrong strategy. We want to catch up with China. But they are smarter. They also massively invest and you are asking for massive investment in greens and faster. I am not against but they invest into nuclear as well, on an almost equal footing, and they also invest into new coal-fired power plants. We are trying to close our coal as soon as possible, and at the same time replace Russian gas, which I understand, but the effect is very bad because we don't have enough cash in the economy, we don't have stable sources and we don't have cheap electricity because of the carbon allowances. I have only five seconds left, so please try to propose to your successor a capping of the ETS price. This is a path for cheaper electricity and competitiveness.

24

Apr

2024

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The attack on climate and nature: far right and conservative attempts to destroy the Green Deal and prevent investment in our future (topical debate)

Mr President, colleagues, please stop being angry and accept the fact that people and companies across Europe simply want to adjust the Green Deal. The original agreement was to respond effectively to climate change, but also to maintain competitiveness and some social and regional justice. And also to allow Member States to do what they can to make climate policy their own. And that would work. But the opposite happened. The Green Progressive majority in the European Parliament took advantage of the weak and naive Czech Presidency of Prime Minister Petr Fiala and launched a long green party. Now what's going on? Europe is slowly waking up from the party and a hangover is starting. What does that mean? Europe is losing competitiveness at the expense of China, at the expense of the United States. Emissions in the world are not falling, they are growing. You promised to protect the climate and prosperity, but you only made people's lives more expensive. So please don't be surprised that people simply want to fix this thing and abolish the biggest nonsense, such as banning internal combustion engines or imposing allowances on households, after the elections.

28

Feb

2024

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Regaining our competitive edge - a prosperous EU in a fragmented global economy (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, European industry is stagnating and the rest of the world is producing cheaper and at our expense and with more emissions. As a result, Europe is losing competitiveness and global greenhouse gas emissions are not falling. And that's wrong, this can't be! Emission permits are the most expensive in the world. The European emission allowance is indeed the most expensive and makes production artificially more expensive and raises energy prices for citizens. Therefore, Commissioner, I invite you to submit adjustments that will make it possible to fix the price of an emission allowance on a long-term basis at EUR 30 per allowance. This will re-launch Europe's competitiveness and provide more affordable energy for citizens, as we will not shut down unnecessarily some stable fossil resources prematurely. Yes, Europe will move away from fossil fuels, but not before we can replace them with new nuclear resources and occasional renewables. It is for Europe's competitiveness and for the sake of the global climate that some countries in the European Union continue to use coal and other fossil fuels for energy for many years to come, and the price of an emission allowance cannot prevent this.

6

Feb

2024

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EU2040 climate target (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, in the autumn, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised in Prague that you would listen to industry and people. So we logically expected that you would no longer consider new climate ambitious targets and bureaucracy, and vice versa, that you would correct the adopted climate package, that you would, for example, cap the price of an emission allowance, or that you would propose lifting the ban on internal combustion engines. Well, what did you do? Quite the opposite, in fact. At a time when the European Union is no longer competitive due to high energy prices, are you considering another ambitious climate plan and want to spend up to €600 or €700 billion per year to achieve it? Seriously? After all, it's just an increase in prices and a threat to competitiveness again. It is obvious that people, industry and agriculture are simply not the ones you listen to. And I'll tell you something in the end. There are places in Europe where people are fed up with these unrealistic climate ambitions and your cabinet. So maybe it's time to pack up your fiddles and go do some damage somewhere else.

15

Jan

2024

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Ozone depleting substances - Fluorinated gases regulation (joint debate - Gas emissions)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, for ozone-depleting substances I think we have reached a very good deal. We will protect more the ozone layer, which is perfect, and I would like to thank the rapporteur, Jessica Polfjärd. On fluorinated gases, I would also like to start by thanking the rapporteur, Bas Eickhout. We are known from time to time to have different positions, but Bas has always remained constructive and from time to time even inclusively democratic. So, Bas, many thanks for it. But now, seriously, I was not happy, and I would even say I was a little shocked, when I saw the proposal from the European Commission, which was mainly driven by ideology and ambitions. In fact, it was imposing a risk on the availability of asthma medical inhalers, and the availability of heat pumps at a time of growing demand and a project called REPowerEU, and also some risk for the electricity grid. So it was not a good situation. I was even more shocked when some colleagues from the European Parliament wanted to go even further, just to be, let’s say, more ambitious than the European Commission, without seeing the full picture. But in the end, I must say that I’m happy with the final proposal, because I think we have succeeded, finally, to balance and to protect European citizens and businesses from, let’s say, unrealistic ambitions. And we strike a balance that’s very important between existing and emerging, more sustainable technologies. So it’s a good proposal in the end. We don’t impose a major risk on the energy and healthcare sectors within the EU, and I’m happy for this.

5

Oct

2023

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Urban wastewater treatment (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I heard a few years ago that water is a rare matter of course and that is actually a beautiful statement. And we definitely need to protect the water, and we want the water to return to the environment clean. That is why we support this proposal as such, there are a lot of good provisions. At the same time, however, we must be aware that all the objectives contained in the proposal must be economically and technically acceptable. And unfortunately, we have again come to a situation where some sub-objectives are unachievable thanks to an exaggerated green ideology that wants as much ambition as possible. One example for everything. For the Czech Republic as the watershed of Europe, the roof of Europe, the required concentrations on phosphorus and nitrogen are basically impossible to meet. So please support Amendment 253, which corrects this situation and solves this problem.

17

Apr

2023

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Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Social Climate Fund - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation (debate)

Mr President, tomorrow's climate package, which was agreed during the Czech Presidency, will not help much to protect the climate, while weakening European states. Key industries such as steel, glass, cement, porcelain, metalworking and chemical production will be put under enormous pressure thanks to the high cost of emission allowances. In many cases, the climate tariff to protect local industry from cheap imports will only translate into an end price for Europeans. The extension of emission allowances to families who are drowning themselves and driving a private car, I consider this today, sorry, to be insane. Bottom line, the agreement of the Czech Presidency will make people's lives more expensive, deepen inflation, while the climate will not help much and will endanger industry in Europe. This is, I'm sorry, a pavilion that cannot be supported.

29

Mar

2023

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Fluorinated Gases Regulation - Ozone-depleting substances (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the protection of the ozone layer is one of the priorities of Renew Europe and, therefore, we really welcome the agreement that is put on the table on the ozone-depleting substances. We believe that further restriction of those substances will help close the ozone layer and as such will contribute to the public health. So I believe we will be able to support this proposal successfully tomorrow. Now, concerning the second regulation on fluorinated gases, we have here, as correctly said, ambitious proposals from the Environmental Committee aiming to vastly and fastly reduce the use of fluorinated gases. The direction is good, to my feeling with this report, we would undermine further sustainability elements such as the circular economy, energy or material efficiency. And as well, we could put a risk on meeting the goals of the REPowerEU. This is the reason why some elements have been some amendments, parallel plenary amendments have been tabled in order to address those concerns. I believe that we will be able also to support those amendments. One example for all Renew Europe proposes to bring into the game the spare parts, because we definitely do not want to force the public to buy new devices before the end of the given life of their currently used product. At the end, I would like to thank to both rapporteurs and all the shadow teams and all those working on those two pieces of legislation. They are very interesting, very technical, and I believe we will have tomorrow a successful vote.