Speeches

We now continue with the debate on the report by Lukas Mandl on cooperation on the fight against organised crime in the Western Balkans (A9—0298/2021).

Madam President, Madam Executive Vice-President Vestager, Commissioner Breton. After months of negotiations, Parliament will finally vote on its position on the Digital Markets Act. This is a big moment in history for Europe. The vast majority of us recognise the need to increase digital markets’ contestability and ensure fairness. The Commission has done a great job in proposing legislation with the aim to achieve this. And now the European Parliament has the chance to reinforce the Commission’s proposal to the benefit of consumers. Internal market rules must have consumers’ interests at the centre. This is particularly important when it comes to provisions on interoperability. Some of my colleagues highlighted the importance of interoperability and like to speak about that too. By strengthening provisions on interoperability of messaging services and social networks, we can establish a market with more privacy-friendly services to choose from. We don’t need to get stuck in dominant social networks that monetise our data and target us with a target us with commercial offers based on our biggest fears or keep us locked in information bubbles. We don’t need to open a dozen chat service accounts and install a dozen applications to stay in touch with our friends. It’s just a matter of decision, a decision that Europe has to make. A decision to provide more opportunities for competition and SMEs. A decision for more innovation, and the opportunity is now. To wrap up, I’d like to thank the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs and the opinion rapporteurs for their constructive work on this extremely important proposal, and I am looking forward to the trilogue.

EN President. – The next item is the report by Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi and Sylwia Spurek, on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, on combating gender-based violence: cyberviolence (2020/2035(INL)) (A9-0338/2021). I should like to remind Members that for all debates of this part-session, there will be no catch-the-eye procedure and no blue cards will be accepted. Furthermore, as during recent part-sessions, remote interventions from Parliament’s Liaison Offices in the Member States are foreseen. I would also like to remind you that interventions in the Chamber will continue to be made from the central rostrum. I therefore kindly invite you to keep an eye on the speakers list and to approach the rostrum when your speaking time is imminent.

Before we move on to the next debate, I have an announcement. The President has received a letter from the authorities in Poland clarifying the question of the competent authorities for the request for the parliamentary immunity of Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz to be waived, which had been announced in plenary on 14 September 2020. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, this referral is referred again to the Committee on Legal Affairs for the resumption of this procedure.

– The next item is the debate on the report by Karlo Ressler and Damian Boeselager, on behalf of the European Parliament Delegation to the Budgetary Conciliation Committee, on the joint text on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022 approved by the Conciliation Committee under the budgetary procedure (11352/2021 – C9-0353/2021 – 2021/0227(BUD)) (A9—0326/2021).

Thank you, Vice-President, and indeed many of the Members of the ID Group left after they had their speech, which makes it a non-debate. Nevertheless, the debate is closed. The vote on the amendments will take place on Wednesday, 24 November 2021, and the final vote will take place on Thursday, 25 November 2021. Written statements (Rule 171)

The next item is the debate on the report by Maria da Graça Carvalho, on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the participation of the Union in the European Partnership on Metrology jointly undertaken by several Member States (COM(2021)0089 – C9‑0083/2021 – 2021/0049(COD)) (A9—0242/2021).

The next item is the report by Michaela Šojdrová, on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education, on the European Education Area: a shared holistic approach (2020/2243(INI)) (A9-0291/2021).

The next item is the debate on five motions for resolutions on the state law relating to abortion in Texas, USA (2021/2910(RSP))*. _______________ * See Minutes.

The next item is the debate on seven motions for resolutions on the case of Paul Rusesabagina in Rwanda (2021/2906(RSP))*. _______________ * See Minutes.

The next item is the debate on six motions for resolutions on the human rights situation in Myanmar, including the situation of religious and ethnic groups (2021/2905(RSP))*. _______________ * See Minutes.

Madam President, as a Czech citizen, I have to say that it breaks my heart to admit that it is the Czech Prime Minister who has become the European symbol of the Pandora Papers. Andrej Babiš claimed that his priority was to fight against tax havens. He claimed that he did not use offshore companies, he represented Czechia in fora tackling this issue and, at the same time, he was using offshore companies. He banned journalists from Le Monde, ARD, Die Zeit and others from his joint press conference with Viktor Orbán and left security to push journalists away so that he didn’t have to answer their questions. Andrej Babiš again behaves as a hypocrite, a liar and a person despising democracy, but this time also as a businessman doing shady transactions. While some past Czech Prime Ministers and Ministers have resigned over scandals involving way smaller amounts of money, Andrej Babiš pretends that nothing has happened. So, no, Mr Babiš – you have to explain the origin of the EUR 15 million that you used to buy luxurious villas in the south of France.

The next item is the debate on the report by Elena Kountoura, on behalf of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, and Luisa Regimenti on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs, on the impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children (2019/2166(INI)) (A9-0254/2021).

Mr President, dear Madam Commissioner, this report calls for a ban on facial recognition systems in public space. That’s an important step in fighting against mass surveillance. Unfortunately, amendments have been tabled by a group of Members with the aim of torpedoing the ban and asking for legal means to spy on citizens. I ask you to vote against these amendments. Just last night, thanks to work by 600 journalists worldwide, we learned about tax avoidance and money laundering committed by billionaires and high profile-politicians. For instance, we learned that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš used offshore companies to buy a castle in France. With mass surveillance, journalists cannot possibly do their work safely. Two journalists were murdered in the Union just this year. With facial recognition in public space, oligarchs would have even more tools in their hands to persecute and oppress journalists. I speak about oligarchs who systematically work on breaches of the rule of law and on dismantling democracy. The Central and Eastern Europeans used to live under the eye of the Big Brother, and we don’t want that to return.

The sitting is closed and it will resume tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 September 2021 at 9.00 with the statement by the President of the Commission on the State of the Union. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament website.