Speeches

Madam President, I'm sorry. The European Union remains vulnerable to foreign interference and disinformation. Putin knew who would be the strongest supporter of Ukraine during the war. That is why in recent years he has tried to discredit us, my country, Poland on the international arena, undermining the actions taken by the democratically elected Polish government. Unfortunately, many of you have repeated these unverified phrases. Meanwhile, as mentioned in today's report, it was the political elites in Germany who implemented Gazprom's program and expressed their constant support for gas supplies from Russia, making their country completely dependent on them, which gave Putin the opportunity to shape European policy by turning off the gas tap. Let us also not forget the corruption scandal unveiled here in the European Parliament, which has clearly shown the lack of resilience of the EU institutions against abuse and interference from third countries. I invite all of you to reflect more deeply on the functioning of the European institutions. Only by strengthening integrity, transparency and accountability can the image of the Union, which has been tarnished by this scandal, be restored in the eyes of all citizens.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. This law is not lex Tusk, it is lex anti Putin. The establishment of the commission is part of the actions that we want to cleanse public life of the influence of the Russian agency. It meets all democratic criteria. It will operate on the basis of legal provisions, as any public administration body, regardless of the end of the term of office. Let me remind you, what you may not know, Commissioner, that in October 2022, the man you know, Donald Tusk, said that a commission should be set up to examine all the influence of the Russian agency on energy security in Poland. What has happened that today he and his environment have changed their minds? I do not know whether you know this, whether you have been consciously or unknowingly involved in today's debate? But I ask the question, what happened that in a few months Donald Tusk and his environment changed their mind? You turned around, which means you had no idea. One more thing I want to tell you. You may also not know that polls give a victory to Law and Justice. So it is not true what Mr Halicki said here that we will lose this election. We're gonna win. Without your help, we'll win.

Mr President, thank you very much. We may not like what Orbán is doing, especially for Russia or with Russia. However, I observe with concern the call for Hungary to be stripped of its presidency of the Council of the Union. Check out the basic EU regulations on the basis of which we operate. The European Parliament has no competence in this matter. Interference by political groups in a matter falling outside their remit, i.e. the scope of these competences, threatens legal certainty. The rule of law is based on functioning in accordance with procedures. The European Commission must comply with the procedural rules set out in the Regulation. It must not succumb to political pressure from certain circles that seek to influence an institution that should, by definition, be independent. I warn against this very dangerous precedent. According to Article 8 of the Regulation of the European Union, which we are talking about here – on general conditionality for the protection of the Union budget – the European Commission is only obliged to inform the European Parliament of any proposed, adopted or abolished measures. Other decisions actually cause Euroscepticism among Member States.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The situation we have witnessed recently with regard to Ukrainian grain has exposed the truth about how much the Commission's project of so-called Solidarity Lanes is underdeveloped and needs to be immediately rectified. In addition, the debate shows that many EU countries, especially those far from the Ukrainian front line, do not understand Eastern Europe. Due to the lack of mechanisms to secure the transport of grain, it remained in warehouses, destabilising the markets. Polish farmers, burdened with a number of constantly growing EU requirements, have no chance to compete on the procurement markets with Ukrainian agricultural products that are not subject to and do not meet strict European standards. Supporting Ukraine is our moral duty and we, as Poland, want to continue to help our neighbour by serving as an example for the rest of Europe. But this must not come at the expense of European farmers and lead to the ruin of the grain or poultry sector in our country and in neighbouring countries. I am glad that the Commission has finally woken up. I am afraid, however, that this would not have happened had it not been for the joint and solidarity action of the prime ministers of Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Without their initiative, the common agricultural market would probably still be in chaos.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Certainly, many of you have made decisions about buying a specific product based on the labeling of the product as ecological or environmentally friendly. More and more citizens are doing this. Unfortunately, this is often just greenwashing, which has nothing to do with the real assessment of the environment. The report aims to put an end to such misleading practices by consumers. Thank you, rapporteur, for working together on this project. I believe that we have managed to come up with a balanced text that is beneficial for consumers, but at the same time does not impose a disproportionate burden on entrepreneurs. My priority is to treat consumers equally and fairly, as reflected in the amendments I have tabled, which have been included in the compromises. And thank you for that, too. This will ensure that citizens receive identical conditions and the duration of the commercial guarantee for the same product in all Member States. I strongly reject the voting changes made by the Greens and the Left, which prohibit the promotion of products made from fossil fuels. They are imprecise and de facto prohibit the advertising of everyday products, but also those needed for the energy transition, such as solar panels. Such solutions are certainly not aimed at protecting the environment, but are only a sign of green populism. There is no agreement on these changes and my group will not support them.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The modern labour market offers enormous opportunities for citizens, but also poses specific challenges. Lifelong learning and continuous upskilling is now completely natural and a driving force for a European economy that requires highly specialised workers. I am proud to say this as a representative of Poland, a country that is one of the three most competitive markets for the IT industry in Central and Eastern Europe. We are also the second most attractive market in the world for outsourcing IT services. However, we must realise that there is a serious innovation gap compared to the global market. I therefore call on the European Commission to step up its efforts to ensure that workers' skills match labour market needs, so as to enable people to work and make European businesses more competitive, which we should all care about. And let's not forget the elderly. Steps need to be taken by the Union to protect older people from digital exclusion. Only in this way will we build a true society of equal opportunities.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, 439 days have passed since Russia's aggression against Ukraine. We must realize that now is the last moment to act, because quite a lot of time has already been wasted. The ability of the EU defence industry to supply ammunition and missiles is crucial for our security, for Europe as a whole and for our ability to help Ukraine. The EU should take the example of Poland, which since 2015 has been consistently expanding its military units and increasing production capacity also in the field of ammunition. After the outbreak of the war, we immediately took action in the form of a law on the defense of the homeland and huge contracts for the purchase of weapons. Thanks to this, we were able to provide more support to Ukraine than anyone could have expected from us. Maybe we wouldn't have to take such swift steps if the rest of Europe had listened to what my political community has been saying for a long time. Putin is not to be trusted. He makes promises when he is forced to. He breaks them as soon as he has the strength to do so. Let us stand in solidarity with Ukraine for our security.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Energy Methane Regulation imposed disproportionately high and costly emission reduction obligations on the gas and coal sectors in the European Union. At the same time, it should be stressed that the European Commission has not proposed sufficiently ambitious provisions for importers of fossil fuels, coal and gas to Europe. Consequently, the Commission's proposal would mean the end of the extraction of European raw materials, especially coal, while importing coal from third countries, which not only do absolutely nothing to reduce methane emissions, but also extract raw materials without respecting environmental or labour rights. And that's outrageous. I therefore welcome Parliament's report, which strengthens obligations for importers of coal and gas from third countries. In my view, this will to some extent level the playing field between EU producers and those from third countries.

So many good words have already been said here in terms of this regulation, especially in the context of Poland. I have a question for you and yours as well: Do you think there are technologies that reduce methane emissions? Can they be used in our European conditions, especially in coal mines in Silesia? Because if this regulation is to be effective, then there must be instruments to make it effective.

Mr President, thank you very much. Cryptocurrencies are a relatively new phenomenon on the financial market, which is not yet sufficiently regulated in EU legislation. It is time to create a framework for the issuance and provision of services related to crypto-assets that fosters innovation and fair competition, but above all ensures a high level of consumer protection. Until now, it was a grey area, a financial jungle lured by the promise of quick profit, which, however, in many cases turned out to be a mirage and evaporated as rapidly as it appeared. Without strict information requirements, this market will remain only a promised land for various smarts who exploit the naivety and low awareness of consumers. I hope that the regulation will open a new chapter and give an opportunity to include crypto-assets in the European financial market for the benefit of all citizens of the European Union.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Children are not spoils of war. Meanwhile, what is the reality? More than 16,000 Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied areas have been deported. Just over 300 returned home. "The devastating impact of Putin's war on Ukrainian children will be felt for generations," the US State Department said in a statement. We are witnessing the Russification of the Ukrainian people. Article 8 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was violated, which refers, inter alia, to the child's right to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, surname, lawful family relationships, excluding unlawful interference. The Polish state has repeatedly called for the International Criminal Court to deal with war crimes in Ukraine. Therefore, we can comment on his decision to order the arrest of President Putin in one word: at last! Children are deported, taken away from their parents. The situation is dramatic. We must support the people of Ukraine. I hope that decisions will be followed by concrete actions as soon as possible, because without actions, ladies and gentlemen, decisions are ineffective and empty.

Mr President, thank you very much. The extension of the European Emissions Trading System to new sectors, which is planned for 2027, will have negative social consequences due to the increase in fuel prices and fees related to the heating of homes with fossil fuels. It is clear that such provisions will hit countries such as my country, Poland, where a very large part of the population still heats their homes with coal or gas and where the number of electric cars in use remains small. By 2027, not everyone will be able to replace their heating with a heat pump or photovoltaics, because not everyone will be able to afford it. This will result in further costs for our citizens, who are already struggling with the energy crisis, high commodity prices and inflation. Listening to this debate, I have the impression that not everyone is aware of it, and it is me, unfortunately, and my compatriots who are worried.

Mr President, I would like to thank you very much. Everyone will probably agree with the statement that we must save forests on our planet and intensify efforts to preserve biodiversity. However, we cannot take too hasty action that is not backed up by a well-prepared impact analysis, especially the financial impact. I am referring here to the extension of the scope of the Regulation to rubber and rubber products, which will increase the administrative costs for the competent state authorities. We cannot fully predict how the regulation will affect the volume of trade in individual products, including, for example, the supply and export of EU timber. I therefore call on the Commission to make it a priority for the Union to maintain its position as a world leader in food and timber exports. This is due to the state of our agri-food and forestry sector. I would also like to stress that when introducing new rules, we must pay special attention to small and medium-sized enterprises. They will face challenges in the form of new administrative burdens. Therefore, we should closely monitor the markets in the first years of the new law. I believe that the negotiated agreement, although far from ideal, nevertheless deserves our support in the vote.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you very much, rapporteur, for working together on this regulation and negotiating with the Council. Consumer protection and safety is one of the essential functions that the Member States and the European institutions should perform. I am pleased that the new rules improving the flow of information will allow market surveillance authorities to react more quickly in the event of an accident caused by a given product. I appreciate the fact that the final text uses a risk-based approach that focuses efforts where it is most important for consumer safety and at the same time does not lead to a halt to online trade. We have reached a good agreement for consumers whose products have proven to have problems after purchase. If a product is withdrawn from the market, they will be given the relevant information and will be able to choose between receiving a new repaired product and being reimbursed. I am convinced that the implementation of the new regulation will significantly increase the level of consumer protection and safety in the single market and facilitate trade between Member States.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to speak in this debate as a representative of Poland, a country in which the traditions of beekeeping have been exceptionally strong for centuries, and this sector is well organized and surrounded by state support. However, I have the impression that the draft citizens' initiative lacks balance and objectivity. It focuses on the goal of eliminating pesticides completely by 2035 and restoring biodiversity, and treats the issue of support for farmers completely and vaguely, mainly in the context of the development of organic production. Instead of introducing unrealistic reduction targets for plant protection products, we should focus on measures to support the beekeeping sector, especially on increasing the availability of medicines to fight bee diseases. I am counting on the common sense of the European Commission in its approach to this citizens' initiative and also taking into account the specific geopolitical situation of the Union. Globally, the Union’s food security needs a strong beekeeping sector and, at the same time, a strong and resilient agriculture. The belief that the current high efficiency of European agriculture can only be maintained on the basis of organic production is, in my opinion, naive, and this naivety can cost us dearly.

You're absolutely wrong. In Poland, it is possible to terminate a pregnancy due to the loss of a woman's health and life. You are repeating the nonsense that the opposition here is constantly serving you on the occasion of every debate such as this one and such as this one concerning the rule of law. There are two cases in the Polish legislation that give the possibility of termination of pregnancy. It is not the case, as you say here, that the ban on abortion is in force in Poland. It's a lie.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, A nation that kills its own children becomes a nation without a future. These are the words of the Polish Pope, John Paul II. This debate attempts to include so-called sexual and reproductive rights in the human rights catalogue. And I'm asking: Do unborn children have any rights? Who in this House will defend these children? Those who can't defend themselves? Who will fight for their right to life? Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights states that everyone has the right to life. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the other hand, stresses that a child due to immaturity requires special care and care, both before and after birth. In the name of what justice are people subjected to discrimination, recognizing some of them as worthy of defense, and denying this defense to others? It is an ideological struggle against life and the family, a struggle in which the killing of unborn children is reduced to a mere medical procedure. Caring for a child should be the first and basic test of a person's attitude towards another person. Let's remember that. (The speaker agreed to respond to the speech signalled by the blue card)

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, On 10 November last year, a resolution on e-sports and video games was adopted here in this parliament. We are now debating the next report in this regard. This cannot create a predictable legal environment for game developers - an important European industry - if we pass regulations every two months that contain other recommendations. I have a lot of reservations about this report, such as the identity and age verification system, which violates users' privacy. For many years, there has been a PEGI video game classification that helps parents choose the game according to the age of their children. With the help of it and thanks to increasingly better parental control tools, parents can successfully supervise what their children play. There is no need for the Commission to go further in this area, as this is too far-reaching an interference. Similarly, there is an attempt to interfere by calling for gender balance at all stages of the development of online games. Games are an artistic creation. The attempt to account for their creators certainly has nothing to do with the freedom that is the foundation of our values.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Single Market is a project worth fighting for. Therefore, we should praise not only his achievements, but also see flaws and work on them. The EU market is becoming less and less competitive with China or even the friendly United States. Escape from the increasing number of burdensome regulations aimed at other countries will not equal the chances of our entrepreneurs. The Commission must pay attention to neglected areas of trade, such as services, and barriers that still block our economic potential. Only in this way will we strengthen the competitiveness of our economy. I call on the Commission once again to make it its objective to complete the single market for services, with all its freedoms. I also call for it, in the light of growing interregional inequalities, to engage in policies that are sensitive to poorer areas of the single market, so that no region of the European Union is left behind. This is what I wish the single market for its 30th birthday.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased that we are finally discussing in Parliament a systemic approach to the long-term vision for rural development. I am all the more pleased that it is consistent with the strategy of sustainable development of villages, agriculture and fisheries, which we are implementing in my country, Poland. I think we will all agree that agriculture is a key sector that provides us with food security. The pandemic and the war posed unprecedented challenges for European farmers, an avalanche of energy and fertiliser prices, galloping inflation and blocked export routes from the Black Sea. So far, our farmers have shown extraordinary strength and resourcefulness. However, further institutional action is needed to close the persistent gap in the standard of living between rural and urban areas, to level the playing field, especially in the area of education and access to public services, so that rural areas can realise their full potential. And that, in fact, is what we should all be all about.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The well-being of persons with disabilities has long been of particular concern to me, which is why I appreciate the many entries in this report. Enabling independent functioning in public life and counteracting the exclusion of people with disabilities is, I think for all of us, a priority issue. We must do everything in our power to make them feel part of our community. Particular attention should be paid to the need to implement a disability-specific disaster risk management plan. However, I completely do not understand the inclusion of issues unrelated to the subject, such as hate speech, the rights of sexual minorities and references to other minority groups, e.g. LGBT. Why are such issues addressed in the document entitled: ‘Towards equality for persons with disabilities’? This is an open manipulative practice that I absolutely cannot agree with.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, We need to be clear: The EU e-mobility market is very diverse and any infrastructure plans must take these differences into account. The fact that users of electric vehicles will be able to use hydrogen charging and refuelling stations every 60 and 100 kilometers, respectively, sounds great, but representing Poland, which is at the beginning of its path towards electromobility, I strongly demand that the vacatio legis be extended to prepare for the implementation of the objectives set out in the project. The deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure must be linked to an increase in the number of vehicles running on such fuels. The construction of many stations for a relatively low number of vehicles is economically unjustified and will entail public expenditure heavily burdening national budgets. Especially now, at a time when we are facing an energy crisis and high inflation. We also ask ourselves: How many families from less affluent Member States can currently afford to buy such cars? Achieving the ambitious goals of zero- and low-emission transport? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But combined with the real situation on the electric vehicle market and respect for countries at different stages of the development of electromobility. I hope that, during the negotiations with the Council, a fairer compromise can be found to extend the time taken to implement the legislation.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, This report has a direct impact on the lives of millions of European Union citizens with varying degrees of disability. For that reason alone, it should be important to all of us. Free participation in social, political and economic life is a right of every human being. Parliament needs to work towards streamlining the flow of information, in particular with regard to any substantive support for the implementation of the accessibility policy provided by Commission and Member State experts. It is worth mentioning here, for example, the area of accessibility for the disabled of the built environment, in which we still have a lot to do. I believe that the established Centre will be a space for dialogue with people with disabilities, who best understand the problems they have to face every day. I also believe that the Centre will best serve its role by providing expertise as a source of knowledge for EU and national authorities, thus inspiring the use of solutions and good practices that have worked well in other countries. However, it should not be transformed into the agency mentioned in the report. Let us support real action for people with disabilities, instead of focusing on the creation of new offices.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The day of establishing a universal charger for electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, game consoles or even laptops is a special day for European consumers and the end of many years of debate. Today we are sending a clear message: end the cumbersome management of numerous chargers, which end up as electronic waste. A key advantage for the consumer will be the ability to use one charger for many electrical devices, i.e. charging a laptop and a phone with the same power supply. When buying new equipment, you will be able to choose an option without a new charger and use the existing one, extending its useful life. This is a significant step towards providing comfort to the user. So far, when replacing equipment, the old charger has often turned out to be useless, which generated unnecessary costs for the buyer and caused excessive production of electro-waste. In short, one universal reusable charger will make it easier for all of us to function in an increasingly digitalized world. At the same time, we must keep a close eye on the market's reactions to the introduction of this directive, especially in the context of price and the possible attempt to pass on part of the costs to consumers caused by the loss of revenue for charger manufacturers.