Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, in an ever-changing labour market, this year, 2023, the European Year of Skills, is one of major importance. I think it is time to show more ambition in developing European initiatives in terms of training, re-skilling and lifelong learning. Only in this way will the European Union be able to remain an attractive market for workers around the world. In Romania, which has become a true digital hub, we have seen the importance of investing in developing the skills of the future. Our workforce has undergone significant transformations in recent years with the emergence of new industries and the digital economy. However, much work remains to be done to ensure that all citizens can access high-quality training and education and that they are fully prepared for the changing demands of the labour market. The European Year of Skills 2023 provides us with a unique opportunity to do so, invest in our human resources and prepare them for future challenges and opportunities. Together we can build a more prosperous and fair Europe where all citizens have the skills and knowledge to thrive in the 21st century.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I, too, express my solidarity and sympathy for the tragedy that Serbian citizens have experienced in recent days. Returning to political issues, I find it extremely important to look at the truth exactly as it is and to tell Belgrade that it must stop with the double language regarding Serbia's European course. There can be no tolerance for what Moscow is doing now in relation to the European Union, and they have the obligation to demonstrate by facts that they understand what this war that Putin has started against the values on which the European Union is based means. We need clear messages, Belgrade's immediate involvement and action, not outdated cosmetics that no one believes anymore.

Mr President, Commissioner, tomorrow we will celebrate Europe Day in solidarity with those who suffer for European identity, and I mean Ukrainians who resist the Russian attack. Also tomorrow we will see a new action of unsuccessful justification of Putin to try through hatred, disinformation, distortion of reality to justify his illegal actions by which he changed the lives of millions of citizens neighboring the European Union, such as those in Ukraine. I think it is a good time for the European Commission to think about everything that Russia destroyed during this period because we need new judicial instruments to force Moscow to answer for everything that it destroyed, because we have goods relocated in wartime, and in Moscow there are over 93 tons of gold not returned to Romania, which we cannot accept. We have an obligation together to resolve in time all these differences that exist between us and Russia, obviously, without Putin.

Mr President, I voted FOR this regulation to be adapted to the new realities brought about by technological developments in the cryptocurrency market. I am a supporter and even a user of blockchain technology, but I am aware that many users have hijacked their purpose by using them for illicit purposes. That is why I believe that in order to prevent crime in the crypto space, we need extremely clear regulations on the information that identifies both sides of crypto-asset transfers. As long as making payments through cryptocurrencies remains a hidden and clandestine procedure associated with committing crimes, blockchain technology will not be able to reach its true potential. That is why I believe that the regulation on information accompanying transfers of funds has a well-defined purpose: detection and investigation of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Mr President, blockchain technology and crypto-assets have seen a fabulous rise in recent years, with a total capitalisation of over $1.2 trillion, and it is certain that their use will become more and more common in the future. But the cryptocurrency market is still an extraordinarily volatile environment, in which millions of inexperienced investors can lose their fortunes just in an instant. That is why we have a duty to protect European consumers of crypto-assets through extremely rigorous regulations across the European Union. Today I voted for the adoption of the EU regulatory framework on cryptocurrencies. By doing so, consumers will be better informed about the risks, costs and fees of using cryptocurrencies, and issuers of crypto-assets will be subject to new, much clearer, much more rigorous and transparent rules for conducting these services. Only by applying a unified legal framework based on trust and transparency will we be able to ensure the development, healthy development of this market.

–Mr President, Commissioner, I am glad that we have this debate, because a community or a state that does not respect its cultural heritage at its fair value is a society that is drifting. From my point of view, we need European legislation that we apply uniformly, much clearer, much firmer, with immediate consequences and legal avenues through which we can fight and recover. Why am I saying this? Because, in our case, of Romania, we have an unrecovered patrimony, which has been illegal in Russia for almost a century, which does not want to return the treasure to us. The entire treasury of Romania, during the First World War, was taken to Russia. There are over 93 tonnes of gold and many other heritage assets that have never returned and are heritage assets of the European Union. We need to do more about this issue.

Mr President, I want from here, in the house of democracy, to join the Romanian academics who have launched a great debate on these days of celebration. I don't know how many of you know, but European countries with a majority Orthodox population yesterday and today celebrate Easter. It is very important for us, however, that the whole Christian world celebrate this great feast on the same day. Christmas is celebrated on the new Gregorian calendar, and it is a pity that we remain different in the celebration of Easter. Because there is a great debate in Romania at this moment, initiated by Professor Adrian Papahagi, I think it is important that I, as an MEP, send them this message of support and encouragement of this important endeavour. All Christians should be on the same day.

Mr. Falca, I just wanted to ask you, why did you mention the Schengen issue? Because, indeed, it is a subject that concerns us and deserves to be developed.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to congratulate the rapporteurs and the co-rapporteurs on the fact that this regulation on deforestation seems to me to be an extremely important instrument. We cannot be demanding only in the European Union, we must also be demanding with those who want to access the European market, and that is why I believe that this regulation is necessary to protect biodiversity and protect the European consumer. We need more clarity in legislation so that we can protect both forests and illegal logging, discourage them anywhere in the world and, obviously, give their economies an extra chance by developing to comply with European legislation and the European market.

Mr President, Commissioner, this is where I want to address the European Commission. I know that tomorrow there will be an important meeting targeting Romania: assessment of the additional budget needed by Romanian farmers who have been affected by the drought crisis, by the crisis generated by the cereals we have received and managed to be exported from Ukraine, a country heavily affected by the unjust and unjustified, brutal invasion of Russia. We all applauded in this room this extraordinary opening, but I ask the Commission tomorrow to allocate an additional EUR 100 million, money needed to help Romanian farmers at such a complicated time, not to take into account the poor preparation of the government in Bucharest regarding this assessment and to provide a minimum support of EUR 100 million, absolutely necessary for Romanian farmers during this period.

Mr President, Mr First Vice-President, we need to find and implement the best solutions for protecting the environment. But let us remember that the European Green Deal itself mentions that this transition must be made at the expense of a Europe that thrives, that is fair for all and that has a modern and competitive economy. This Commission proposal to revise the F-gas Regulation puts entire industries, jobs, fair competition in the European market and the energy independence of Member States at risk. It is not smart to make decisions for which our societies and states are not yet ready and for which they will not be ready even after 2026. Let us be realistic, we must first ensure that the necessary measures for the disposal of basic F-gas equipment are taken gradually, complementing the EU's climate and energy ambitions, without harming ourselves, deepening our energy dependence on other states. And we saw what happened when we were addicted to Russia and it blackmailed us.

Madam President, the European Union, as the world's largest donor of development assistance, stands out unequivocally from its other international partners. European action on the international scene is guided by key principles such as democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principle of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, which leads to the implementation of essential humanitarian objectives, such as leaving no one behind and meeting primarily the needs of the most deprived, with the ambition of reducing and eradicating poverty in the long term. The fact that the European Parliament voted by a very large majority on this report reaffirms the European Union's foreign policy mandate to contribute to a fairer world and well-being for all. We have a strong signal for the footprint that the European Union wants to leave in the world.

Madam President, technological advancement has brought us face to face with new challenges, and that is why I believe it is essential to have clear rules governing this area. We need fairness in the digital environment and that is why I believe it is necessary for users, but also manufacturers, to be able to harness the data of the devices to which they are connected. These new rules that we are preparing are essential, precisely because this issue is important in order to be able to use and access the data generated in the European Union, in all economic sectors. This law obliges and obviously provides fairness in the digital environment to foster a competitive data market, open up new opportunities for data-driven innovation and will make data more accessible for all.

Madam President, of course, improving the energy performance of buildings is something we all aspire to, especially given the current environmental challenges. Of course, we all want lower bills and more efficient spending, but let us ask ourselves, first of all, whether our targets are realistic, they meet the expectations of European citizens, whether the transition to zero-emission buildings from 2030 onwards is smooth enough not to affect some states and many end-users. I certainly support the green transition, that it is a necessity, but not before we make sure that it is viable and will not affect vulnerable citizens, who are already heavily affected by all the measures in recent months and years.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, recently, at the Munich Security Conference, President Maia Sandu said that the biggest challenge for the Republic of Moldova is the propaganda of the Russian Federation, which she applies against the Republic of Moldova. I ask you, Commissioner, what is the Commission's strategy to support the Republic of Moldova in the face of these extremely aggressive tools that the Kremlin is using today on the ground, when we see that, with a lot of aggressiveness, through propaganda, manipulation, disinformation, the Republic of Moldova is trying to be destabilized by those who have shaken hands, and here I mean corrupt politicians, pro-Russian political forces, fugitives who are no longer in the Republic of Moldova, but who are financing entire campaigns to denigrate and destabilize the pro-European government in Chisinau. We are waiting for action because solidarity is needed, now more than ever.

Madam President, Commissioner, I believe that after the health crisis, the economic crisis, the energy crisis, the security crisis, we face great challenges, and I believe that it is essential to focus our attention on solving the problems that our societies are facing, so that the recommendations of the European Semester are applied exactly as they are meant to create much more effective coordination in order to overcome all the vulnerabilities that the Member States of the European Union are experiencing. Pentru că inflația, crizele sociale, crizele economice, crizele financiare prin care trece Europa acum pot fi depășite doar printr-o mai bună coordonare și este esențial ca statele membre, împreună cu Comisia, să implementeze reforme necesare, astfel încât societățile noastre să oprească risipa banilor, să se concentreze pe vulnerabilitățile pe care le întâmpină cetățenii atunci când își doresc o stabilitate, locuri de muncă mai bine plătite, iar acest lucru se poate realiza doar prin investiții inteligente. Europe has to face all the challenges it is facing now, and obviously we can only do this with smart investments and, obviously, with better coordination, so that competitiveness is the key word and we are able to defend our investments and, of course, project a future based on economic growth.

Mr President, First Vice-President Timmermans, on 8 December last year, the Council of the European Union committed an unprecedented abuse of rights in the European Union, because the JHA Council entered with the proposal made by the Commission, voted here in Parliament, for Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria to be accepted into the Schengen area. Unfortunately, the Council has decided that only Croatia is worth accepting, and 27 million Europeans in Romania and Bulgaria are still discriminated against. I call on the European Commission to be more firm in defending the Treaty of the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, because it is unacceptable for a single state to block our natural right to enjoy freedom of movement, as 420 million Europeans enjoy. This approach is unacceptable. By silence we are complicit and I think it is time to put your foot down, to force governments to stop blocking free movement for 27 million Europeans.

Mr President, with an average inflation of 8.4 percent in 2022 for the euro area, the European Central Bank has a very difficult task: to ensure financial equilibrium and price stability. After four interest rate hikes and further increases in the plan, credit costs for citizens and SMEs have reached deeply worrying levels. Obviously, this issue also affects very much the states that are outside the euro area and this is what I feel and know, because both Romania and its citizens, whom I represent, are strongly affected by all this situation related to inflation at European level. Also, all the states of the European Union need a monetary policy that ensures stability and that ensures that our citizens and industry are the main actors that need to be protected by the actions of central banks.

Mr. President, ten minutes ago a new government was inaugurated in Chisinau, in the Republic of Moldova, the Recean government. Also today, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova fell a new Russian missile, which is used in the unfair and brutal war against Ukraine. It is essential to stand by Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, which is increasingly threatened by Moscow. And yesterday, Lavrov, this successor of Molotov, allowed himself to threaten again the administration in Chisinau, accusing it of too much pro-Europeanism. I think that Russia does not understand that our unity is unwavering and it is essential to stay with the Republic of Moldova, with Ukraine, in this absolutely absurd war that the most heinous of tyrants of our time, under his name, Putin, has unleashed.

Mr President, the European Union has always been a central player on the world stage in terms of industry and innovation, and the European single market is one of the most successful political achievements of the last century. However, we have given this vote with restraint precisely because the direction we have taken in recent years is one that makes us increasingly irrelevant, and protectionist measures, subsidies and excessive state aid have led to the Union's engine, namely competitiveness, no longer being able to function at its full strength. The environmental and social objectives of the Union are necessary, but they need to become much more realistic about the global situation. If we do not focus more on strengthening industrial resilience, Europe's attractiveness for investors and the Union's competitiveness, it is not the citizens of the Union who will benefit from our policies, but other great powers.

Madam President, what does this Putin, who is a coward and a man who has earned his place in history alongside Stalin and other criminals who have haunted Europe, really want? He wants a very simple thing: to turn Russia into a gulag. But as long as there are people like Navalny willing to sacrifice himself for the dignity of his people, we must not confuse the current criminal regime in the Kremlin with the Russian people. And it is essential to convey these messages of solidarity with political prisoners in Russia. Putin is and will remain a criminal. He must be stopped from this delirium that he has now created. He only wants one thing: turn Russia into a gulag and, obviously, terrorize Europe every day. But it will not succeed, just as it did not manage to occupy Ukraine in just a few weeks, as it had planned.

Madam President, Commissioner, on 8 December 2022 the JHA Council took an unfair and discriminatory decision, in fact an abuse of rights towards the enlargement of the Schengen area for Romania and Bulgaria. I believe that this abuse of rights must be penalised. That is why I acted this week with a demarche to the Court of Justice of the European Union requesting that this unfair decision be annulled, because it is in total contradiction with the Treaty of the European Union and the Schengen legislation. The European Parliament has obtained the right to be a privileged applicant by a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union and I also wish to obtain the status of a privileged applicant for all Members of the European Parliament through this action before the Court of Justice. European law is constantly evolving and is regulated according to the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Hopefully we will be able to achieve this goal.

Mr President, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought to the surface a world we thought was forgotten. Europe is once again at war and it is essential that the European Union remains firmly committed to the position it has taken from the outset to help Ukrainians cope with this brutal invasion. But Ukraine needs to strengthen its domestic institutions even in times of war, to respect its commitments to all its citizens. In the Soviet period, in addition to the majority of the Ukrainian population, a diabolical process of denationalization was undergone, and the almost one million Romanians living today in Ukraine and Ukraine must create tools to protect all minorities, especially those who today stand on the front line with the majority of the population and fight against Russia, as do the Romanians, Ukrainian citizens of this state. I believe that the issue of minorities must not remain an abandoned issue even in these complicated times.

Mr President, in the European single market we are dealing with many large companies, which employ thousands of people in different countries, with different laws, with different pay levels and with a variety of consultation and employee protection tools. However, regardless of the state in which they work, these employees are subject to the same decisions of their parent companies. European Works Councils thus have a key role to play in upholding workers’ rights, in particular their right to information and consultation on decisions concerning them. That is why we need to ensure that we have a rigorous legal framework at European level and that the EWC Directive is updated to deal with new realities. However, we must protect our employees of companies of the Community dimension by ensuring the effective functioning of works councils and by imposing harsh penalties on companies that fail to comply with their consultation obligations. That is why I voted for the revision of this directive.

Mr President, I do not think that we need to convince anyone of the importance of the regulation voted on today. Transparency in politics is essential, especially in political advertising. Transparency in politics and the relationship with citizens must be one of deep respect, and I believe that from this point of view it is essential that we do everything in our power to combat foreign interference in manipulation and disinformation. I have been able to see, especially in recent years, what dramatic consequences they can produce. That is why, because technological advances allow foreign state actors and others to interfere in our political affairs, in our political actions, it is essential to prepare as well as possible, all the more so as the European Parliament elections follow next year.