Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, the war in Ukraine is having a major impact on European farmers, and especially those in Eastern Europe, who are directly affected by the consequences of the war. The current crisis has demonstrated once again the need, first and foremost, for a European response to this crisis, but also the need for a long-term vision for key sectors of agricultural production. The Commission communication comes with some immediate solutions that farmers need, but European farmers still need long-term measures, a long-standing strategic vision on soil fertility, on soil nutrients. We need to develop a fertiliser production capacity in Europe and above all to integrate the expectations we have for farmers, because the Commission will come up with a legislative proposal on soil health, on the reduction of pesticides, on the reduction of chemicals in the soil. All this needs an integrated vision and this is what farmers expect from the European Commission. We cannot just impose constraints on farmers without proposing both alternatives and long-term alternatives, in which we can invest, because we give predictability.

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, the initiative to establish an ethical authority for MEPs, Commissioners and other European officials to ensure clear rules for conflicts of interest comes late, but it is indispensable. It no longer goes with half measures, with different interpretations of facts that citizens perceive as unjustified privileges or conflict of interest. After the corruption scandal in which our colleagues were caught by prosecutors with money in bags, the entire credibility of the European Union is at stake. We complain about the lack of credibility in front of the citizens. Here is the opportunity to demonstrate to them that we will all respect clear rules of transparency and that our actions have only one interest: The collective, not the individual, interest. I am glad that the text of the resolution also refers to the national investigative authorities - we need to involve them as well - but also to the European Prosecutor, because the more ethical cleaning methods we have in the European institutions, the stronger Europe will be.

Madam President, the mobilisation of the European Union and its Member States to support the people of Türkiye and Syria has been speedy and generous. And thank you, Commissioner Lenarčič, for what you have done till now. But we need all actors, international and on the ground, to put aside their differences and work together to ensure continuous and speed access so that humanitarian aid reaches all those in need in all affected areas. And this is especially pressing and necessary in northwest Syria, where the humanitarian crisis was already worsening before the earthquake. Related to Syria, considering the disaster caused by the earthquake, I think a serious analysis is needed of the possibility of a general humanitarian exception clause that would allow aid to arrive more quickly without waiting for the various approvals that take time. And I call on the authorities in Damascus and all other actors on the ground not to politicise the delivery of humanitarian aid and to engage in good faith with all humanitarian partners and UN agencies to help people, because we need to act now beyond any political differences to help people.

Mr President, Madam Minister, a few years ago, in 2016, we represented my country in the European Council on the same subject on the agenda, asylum and migration policy, and I have the impression that since then the speech, unfortunately, has not advanced much, neither the problems we have on the agenda, nor the solutions. I expect leaders, heads of state and government, to make decisions this time. It is a matter of responsibility towards European citizens. And also a matter of responsibility towards the Romanian and Bulgarian citizens is that they should not be taken hostage in these discussions about asylum and migration policy and I expect the Swedish Presidency to play a proactive role in finding a solution for the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria, to which the two countries have the right through the treaty and we all know that they have fulfilled the conditions.

Madam President, Prime Minister, I come from Romania and it will not surprise you that I will talk about Schengen. For me and for millions of Romanians and Bulgarians, blocking legitimate access to Schengen at the end of last year was a huge disappointment, which can have incalculable consequences if the subject is not actively addressed and concluded in the coming months. I expect the new Presidency to remedy this injustice tactfully, through proactive mediation, with realistic solutions to the remaining bottlenecks, especially from Austria and the Netherlands. Otherwise, any discussion about European solidarity will be treated with mistrust and will have the opposite effect exactly on Romanian citizens who have shown not only solidarity, but also deep attachment to the values of the European Union. Discussions about an agreement on asylum and migration policy should not block the access and the legitimate and legal right of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens to be part of the Schengen area. And I believe that with political will there are all the premises that accession can be decided in the coming months, until the end of the mandate of this presidency.

Madam Vice-President, Minister, I would like to talk to you today about a subject which, unfortunately, is not yet on the Council's agenda, but which I do not see how it can be avoided because it has become a European political subject. It is about the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen and the unfair veto through which Austria blocked this process. Because of this, many people in Romania are angry. There is talk of boycotting Austrian firms and products, eye for eye, inflamed nationalist and anti-European narratives. People rightly don't understand why a right is blocked. I believe that the European Council can do more than shrug its shoulders or postpone the resolution of this deadlock, which is an eminently political one, of the Austrian government. That is why I expect from the Heads of State or Government a political approach, a vision of a united Europe, a solution to this deadlock. I would like to find in the conclusions of this Council an acknowledgment of a reality. Romania fulfils all the conditions for joining Schengen and a way forward to break this deadlock must result from the conclusions of this Council, a deadlock that strikes at the heart of European unity and solidarity. And we need solidarity and trust in the European Union and not in inflaming nationalist and anti-European spirits.

Mr President, first of all, I’d like to thank the Commissioner for what she has already done. Dar vreau să fiu foarte clar, subiectul aderării României și Bulgariei la spațiul Schengen trebuie să fie pe agenda Consiliului European de săptămâna aceasta, pentru că acesta nu este și nu poate fi considerat un subiect închis după votul din Consiliul JAI de săptămâna trecută, pentru că nu mai este un subiect care vizează doar Austria, Bulgaria și România. Aderarea României la Schengen a devenit o problemă politică europeană, pentru că veto-ul Austriei în Consiliul JAI nu are de-a face cu niciun criteriu Schengen, ci cu politica de azil și migrație și asta trebuie discutată și rezolvată în Consiliul European. Această practică abuzivă și ilegală a veto-ului cinic sfâșie solidaritatea europeană și pune sub semnul întrebării credibilitatea Uniunii Europene. Deci acest subiect nu mai poate fi lăsat în suspans și să așteptăm încă să treacă săptămâni și luni ca să îl rezolvăm. Aștept, deci, de la șefii de stat și de guvern să găsească o soluție cât mai repede cu putință pentru rezolvarea acestui blocaj care e nedrept și ilegal și care nu face decât să dea apă la moară extremiștilor și anti-europenilor. Deci, subiectul șefi de stat și de guvern e în mâinile voastre și în primul trimestru al anului viitor acest subiect trebuie închis.

Madam President, rural areas have proven their resilience both during the COVID-19 pandemic and now, since Ukraine is attacked by Russia, they have proven that they can secure food supplies, especially through short chains. However, rural areas continue to have large structural problems. Investment is still needed in basic infrastructure, but also in public services, especially for education and health, because it is still a problem of cohesion, of difference, of development, even if not as much between East and West as it used to be, but increasingly between urban and rural areas, even within the same region. This is why investments are needed, especially to attract and fix young people in rural areas, both in agricultural activity, but also for economic and social development in general. And it is important to invest in rural areas, because for the European Union they are an element of identity, here traditions are anchored. But I am convinced that rural areas can also be at the origin of modernising European society, if we invest enough in these areas and fix young people in the countryside.

Madam President, Commissioner, enlargement is part of the DNA of the European Union. The Union is what it is today, and thanks to enlargement policy, the vision, ambition and determination of past generations of European politicians, European states are stronger today, more stable and prosperous thanks to their membership of the European Union. But for more than ten years, the enlargement policy has unfortunately been put on hold. In the current geopolitical context, with successive crises, the interest of some Balkan and Eastern Neighbourhood partner states to become members of the European Union has increased. The Union must remain a pole of stability and this requires a strategic vision, a clear, unequivocal approach towards the states interested in the European project. And the report we are debating today comes with pragmatic, realistic, ambitious proposals to ensure successful enlargement to the countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood. However, in parallel with our reform expectations for candidate countries, the European Union also needs to prepare in time to welcome new members.

Madam Vice-President, the food crisis started before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The war only exacerbates a food crisis that was already present in several regions of the world. In fact, in recent years, since 2015, we see that we are moving away from the goal of ending hunger and food security that we have set ourselves. And this shows that the food system that we are also trying to build globally is a fragile one. In our partnership policy, providing only inputPartner countries are not going to help us eradicate hunger in the long run. Obviously, in crisis situations, such as the present one, we need to intervene with food aid where it is urgently needed. But in the medium term, in the long term, we need to think about a primarily coherent investment policy, to recognise that, just as we in the European Union have a diversity of agricultural models, so do we in partner countries, and to recognise and integrate this diversity into our cooperation and partnership policy, and at the same time to ensure that we have coherence between our European policies, between agricultural policy, environmental policy. We must allow farmers to produce and think about sustainability, but trade policy and food chain policy must also be coherent, otherwise we will not achieve our goal.

Madam President, I have seen the Commission's proposals on gas price limits and bundled purchases of gas, and if these measures are implemented, I think they are an important step forward to respond to the Putin crisis. We see once again that Member States are slowly beginning to understand that individualism does not work in crisis situations and that it is important to stand in solidarity. This solidarity cannot be decreed by regulations alone. We must feel it, learn it and apply it from now on, whenever such situations are before us, and I believe that we must not limit ourselves only to ourselves, the European Union. We also need to think about our neighbors. Our solidarity must be demonstrated not only with Ukraine, but also with the Republic of Moldova, and with the Balkans. Not just because we feel connected to these countries, but also because it is in our interest not to have crises there. And we also need to think about the gas that is used by certain industrial sectors. I am thinking first of all of the production of fertilizers for agriculture. In the short term, at least, we must not let this gas crisis create a new food crisis.

Madam President, Commissioner, on two points I would like to insist. Firstly, the Multiannual Financial Framework that we adopted in 2020 was not created to deal with the successive crises we are facing: pandemic, war, high inflation, high energy prices, refugees, food insecurity and humanitarian crisis. We have a budget flexibility that is allowed, but it is not enough. And so I think we need to find a new balance between predictability of resources, on the one hand, but also the Union's ability to intervene financially on time. That is why we now need to focus on a revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework and find that delicate balance to be struck by the budget. I believe that for the next period we need to invest and invest in young people and their skills, industry transition and social inclusion. Secondly, I would like to draw attention to the fact that we are at the end of 2022, and still many Member States have not adopted the operational programmes for cohesion or the strategic plans for agriculture, and often it is the same Member States that complain that the European Union is not helping its citizens enough. I would therefore like to draw attention to the fact that responsibility lies not only with the Union, but also with the Member States, so that European money can reach European citizens.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, it is urgent that we relaunch the production of nitrogen plants with priority access to gas and at a price that avoids a dramatic rise in food costs. This is a key measure to keep fertilizers accessible and affordable for farmers and to help European companies to maintain their production in Europe – this is key to maintaining production at home. We call on the Commission, more specifically, to put forward a fertilizer strategy in order to reduce dependency and increase resilience, and to come up with short, medium and long-term measures, such as diversifying the source of import of raw materials for the production of fertilizers to support a more efficient and targeted usage of fertilizers, to promote alternatives to non-organic fertilizers and to invest in innovation. This and perhaps other measures could be the subject of the communication you mentioned here. We also have to work with international partners, in particular with Africa, and to help them with systemic agroecology approaches that allow us to shape the low-import system. However, the fertilizer crisis is just another symptom demonstrating the fragility of the system on which our food security is based. For this reason, the EU must urgently come forward with an integrated approach on food security, looking at it not only from an agricultural production perspective, but also from an economic, environmental, trade, regional and international partnership perspective. Food security goes far beyond food production, and we have to understand that food production is key, but food security means more than that. If we want to avert the destabilisation of other countries – food, poverty, famine, social and political unrest – we have to act now. In my opinion, developing and investing in a coherent and comprehensive EU food security strategy is the only response. Therefore, I call on the political groups here in Parliament and the leadership of the European Parliament to create a framework in which this integrated discussion can take place, similar to, for example, the task force that we created in Renew Europe. We need such an approach at Parliament level in order to come up with our vision in this regard.

Madam President, I would like to say to Mr Reil, who I see is no longer in the room, that if Romania had not done its job at the border of the European Union, he would have seen what Far West really means! Because, here, 15 years after joining the European Union, Romania is still outside the Schengen area. Romanian citizens contribute to the GDP of other Member States and yet do not have the same rights and freedom of movement as nationals of those countries. It is deeply regrettable and unacceptable that, for political reasons and due to internal political games in several Member States, Romanians are deprived, Romanians, and Romanian citizens, and the business community are deprived of a right conferred by the Treaties of the European Union. And I would like to say to the European leaders who listen to us and who may not trust some political parties, I just want to say this: trust the Romanian society and the political antibodies it has developed! Trust the hundreds of thousands of Romanians who have defended in the streets the independence of justice and democracy in Romania! And any postponement of Romania's accession to Schengen is a helping hand you give to the extremist and anti-European parties in Romania. With Romania in Schengen and Schengen, the European Union will be stronger too!

Mr President, I believe that in recent months, both we, as representatives of the citizens, and those who lead the institutions of the European Union, have learned an important word - courage. I have been with Ukraine in this criminal, unjustified and unprovoked war, started by Putin from the very beginning. We helped Ukraine export its grain. We received refugees from the war. We have sent humanitarian and military aid without any fear of Russian threats. The Union's courage is today rewarded by the collapse of the Russian front in several regions. The Union's courage, which was inspired by that of the Ukrainians, must make it a major geopolitical and economic player in the world. Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence must not pause now. This investment in freedom and democracy is part of the values on which the European Union was created. And how long are we gonna do that? How long will we have the courage? No dictator will be able to cling to power, not even Putin.

Madam President, Commissioner, I agree with you that cohesion policy is more necessary than ever, especially now, in times of crisis, economic transition, ecological transition, which also has a social impact. But I also hope that we can overcome this moment and the feeling that the Cohesion Fund is becoming de facto a kind of crisis fund that we mobilise and channel resources only when there are crises. Beyond territorial cohesion, differences in development between geographical areas, I believe that in the next period it is important to look more at cohesion between rural and urban areas. It is a subject that should be covered by the cohesion funds and this will again require better coordination between the Cohesion Fund and the Rural Development Fund. We have had this coordination in the past and it has shown results and I also insist on making better use of innovation tools, including social innovation; LEADER programmes that fund local projects and mobilise local initiatives, I think they should be more present in the next programming period.

Madam President, in the last two years, Europe has gone through several crises that it managed to partially or fully solve. The food crisis, however, due to its nature, is much more difficult to tackle. Its effects are particularly devastating for the poorest and most vulnerable people, and even for our cohesion. We are dealing with a complex subject with impact on consumers, on farmers, but also on transporters, on industries, on trade, but also there is a geopolitical and strategic impact. The warning signs are already there. We see soaring food, energy and fertiliser prices, and we cannot afford to wait any longer to take action. Let us not ignore the consequences and have a coherent plan that, together with my colleagues having experience in agri—food policy, we started working on it. But we need your support, Madam President. The human tragedy for the war in Ukraine must not be combined with another looming tragedy – a global food crisis. Because when we are already in a food crisis, it is too late to act. It is too costly to act. So this is why we have to prevent this. And if we do not act now, the cost in social, economic and even security and geopolitical terms will become too high. So we call on you, Madam President, to come up with a comprehensive agenda for global food and nutrition security, and we will be here to help. I heard today some ideas, some proposals. The Commission already took some measures, but what we need is more than just supporting farmers. We need supporting farmers, but we need more for that because food security means more than just producing food.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, in recent months, European citizens have been directly and painfully feeling the effects of war through price increases, including for staple foods, and they are feeling how our purchasing power is being affected by the grain blockade that Putin's Russia is making. And unless we take urgent action to facilitate exports of stocks from Ukraine, the impact will be enormous, through uncontrolled increases in food prices, through severe impacts on the most vulnerable, famine that can again trigger massive migration to Europe, from the Middle East and North or Sub-Saharan Africa. In order for all this not to happen, I propose that we work together with the Commission and yes, we need to put pressure on the Commission to ensure better coordination of what is happening at the border with Ukraine. What we, in task-forcewhat we have created within the Renew Group on Food Security, we propose that these green corridors actually exist and that they are followed up by the Commission, but also that we simplify customs procedures at the border with Ukraine, which is once again very late. Raw material and help for Ukrainian producers to continue their activity and, why not, even a financial fund to ensure the purchase of production for next year, which can be distributed for humanitarian aid, because this will be needed. Unlocking grain exports from Ukraine will help both Ukraine's economy and the world's food security issues. That is why the responsibility of the European Union is great.

Mr. President,... for the question, Mr. Tomac. I was referring to some very concrete things, because beyond promises and beautiful words, we can also show concrete examples and I am glad that the Commissioner is here to hear. A few years ago, when I was European Commissioner, I eliminated import quotas into the European Union for Moldovan wine. There were also Member States that feared this decision, that we would be invaded by Moldovan wine. The European market has not been disrupted. The Republic of Moldova sells its wine in the European Union and producers have been able to develop. The same can be done for other agricultural products, agri-food products that would greatly help the economy of the Republic of Moldova, without it having a negative impact on the European market.

Mr President, the report presented by our colleague Dragoș Tudorache is unequivocal. The Republic of Moldova is a truly European country, led by a president and a government with a reformist agenda. A third of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova are already European citizens, so the place of the Republic of Moldova is in the European Union and the signal of accession must come now, when the desire of the Moldovans is very clear. History must not stand in the way of procedures and that is why European leaders must be, at least as courageous as Maia Sandu. How should Moldova prove its attachment to European values, when it risked everything to be in this family - and have you seen the solidarity that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova showed towards Ukrainian refugees -? You have also seen a Republic of Moldova that has assumed all the economic risks and costs, being on the side of Ukraine and the European Union in this Russian aggression. But the Republic of Moldova is also a country whose economy is fragile and which can no longer export products neither to Ukraine nor to the Republic of Moldova. Therefore, it needs very clear help now from the European Union, which must support, from my point of view, by eliminating border taxes for products from the Republic of Moldova, increasing export quotas to the European Union for Moldovan products. Dear colleagues, let us not ignore the symbolic dimension that offering the status of candidate of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union can bring. It is a historic moment not only for Eastern Europe, for the whole of Europe and we must show ourselves at the height of this historical moment of which the Republic of Moldova must be a part. (The speaker agreed to respond to a blue card intervention)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the character of people, but also of nations, is best seen in times of crisis. In the last tragic weeks, we have had the opportunity to see not only the determination with which Ukrainians defend their country, but also the exemplary behavior of their neighbors. Moldova is a small territorial country, but with citizens with a big heart, who proved this because the reaction of Moldovans to the tragedy of their neighbors was exemplary, it was a solidarity and unconditional one. Both the state and the citizens of the Republic of Moldova helped Ukrainian refugees quickly and efficiently, as true European citizens, Moldovan citizens acted like any citizen of a Member State, although the Republic of Moldova still suffers from Russian aggression. I have been to several border points of the Republic of Moldova with Ukraine and I was impressed by the professionalism and empathy with which Moldova helps its neighbors, welcomes them and hosts them, even though they are also going through difficult situations from an economic point of view. By behavior and deeds, Moldova has already gained its place in the European Union, and our decision can only have one answer: ‘yes’. We just need to find ways to make this possible, but we have all the arguments on the table. Under the current conditions, the Member States and the Union must therefore show inventiveness, flexibility, and the European leaders have no other way but to rise to the height of the moment and bring the Republic of Moldova into the European Union.

Today, March 8, first of all a thought of respect for all women in the world, but especially for Ukrainian women for their courage proved either on the front or on the path of exile to protect their children. Commissioner, I would like to make some very concrete proposals and requests to the European Commission. Firstly, many of those who have left Ukraine and are in the territory of the European Union need health and education services. These are competences of the Member States, but the European Commission, beyond the funding provided by the support of the Member States, should also ensure the coordination of these actions in such a way that all refugees have access to these services, regardless of the differences between Member States in education and health policy. Second thing: many refugees, after leaving the country, are on the territory of the European Union. They need information. It would be very useful to have a unique phone number valid throughout the European Union to which they have access and, also in this context, roaming for a few months, temporarily, free of charge for Ukrainians within the European Union. It would greatly help them to communicate with those who remain at home.

Mr President, Ukrainian citizens have the courage to stand up to one of the largest armies in the world, and they are succeeding in that. They have the courage to fight, but not to give up the values of freedom, which are also the values of the European Union. It is a lesson for any tyrannical and criminal regime that wants to stifle in blood and under bombardment European aspirations and values, democracy and the choice of the future in freedom. Dear colleagues, this lesson of Ukrainian citizens is also for us, those who have taken freedom and peace for granted in recent decades. Our lesson is that we must have determination, courage and open the way to the European Union today to all Europeans who want and believe in this project. And don't be afraid: just as they could stand up to such a large army, so they will have the power to rebuild their country and be ready for the European Union. Ukrainians deserve to be in the European Union and the Union to open their doors wide. The same goes for Georgians and Georgians. The Commission has taken courageous historic steps in recent days and must continue to do so. United we are strong and this can also be seen through the help given by the Romanian, Polish, Hungarian, Slovak and Moldovan citizens to the refugees from the war. Countries that have opened their borders to refugees urgently need support, they need to be helped. Glory to Ukraine!

Madam President, Commissioner, animal welfare and animal health is a growing topic on the public agenda in Europe, and that is why it is natural to revise legislation to fill in the gaps, but also to integrate scientific progress, but three things I would like to emphasise. Firstly, we need better harmonisation of the application of this legislation at European level between Member States. Secondly, for these rules to be effective in the medium and long term, farmers must be supported financially, and here I expect to see a Commission involvement in the way Member States implement national strategic plans to support their farmers financially. And a third equally important thing: these rules will only be effective if we succeed together in convincing our trading partners to apply them, and for that, in negotiating trade agreements, but also in dealing with the World Trade Organization, we must keep these things in mind, because otherwise they remain only on paper in Europe.

Madam President, first of all, I would like to thank my colleague Stéphane Séjourné for allowing me to address David’s family and all of you on behalf of my group. I had the opportunity to get to know him and work with him for more than two years. Beyond all the words we can say about his political activity and his battle to do good to people, what impressed me, what helped me to work with David, was his openness of heart. And this is not always natural in the environment in which you find yourself. This is not always what we are looking for first. But when one manages to open the way of the heart, there are many, many things that can be resolved. David loved people and people loved him. I felt this again just a few days ago in Rome, where I spent the weekend after Friday’s funeral. I was walking in the street and I had the opportunity to hear next to me, in the restaurant or in the street, people who had the picture of David distributed in the city by the Democratic Party, people who stopped and talked about David, who talked about him. Because David had this journalistic activity because he liked people, because he liked to pass things on to people – and he did it sincerely. This is probably one of the reasons why he was valued as a journalist. I am sure he took the step towards politics because he wanted to do even more good around him, in a very concrete way. He felt the need. This is what I felt working with him. You know, we had little time to work under normal conditions because the pandemic came. Together with David, we fought to keep this institution open, to make it work. On this subject, David was very clear and very firm from the beginning. But beyond any claim of responsibility he had as President, he did not forget people. And since we were not on the premises, he decided to open them up to women who needed them and to the poor, and to make Parliament’s cars available to help people who needed them. Always in this open-mindedness, this open-heartedness and this humanism which were not lived only in thought and which were not transmitted only by words, but also by deeds and deeds. I think we have a lot to learn from these kinds of personalities that are sent to us. It is a bit like the angelic spirit lurking among people, among the dying, a way through which life makes us feel that, even when we assume responsibilities at the top of institutions, we must remain human, we must remain with an open heart. Naturally, we think a lot with the head, but often, the right decisions are made with the heart. When a politician learns to work with the heart, the world around him becomes better. This is what David has offered me over the more than two years that I have worked with him. I had the opportunity to feel the authenticity of this way of seeing and doing on Friday, when I heard Giulio and Livia talk about their father: It was very clear to me that what David had in his heart, he knew how to pass it on to his children. He was also able to transmit it around him with the naturalness with which he lived all his life, right up to the last moment. Condolences, dear Madame, condolences Livia and Giulio, and condolences also to Lorenzo Mannelli, who was by his side day and night while David assumed his responsibilities here in this house. (Applause)