Speeches

The stance of Poland's governing and judicial institutions puts the EU before an unprecedented dilemma that is not only legal, but even existential. If judicial decisions such as the judgment of the Constitutional Court of 7 October are implemented in Poland, they will undermine the very foundations of the European project, starting with the treaties, the ratification of which presupposes full compliance by the Member States. The EU can therefore no longer be lukewarm in responding to something that is no longer a mere provocation aimed at reaping domestic political dividends, but an explicit challenge to European legislation as a whole and its primacy over national legal systems. Once this red line is crossed, the absence of consequences will open the door to the discretion and delegitimisation of the EU legal order and the European institutions. In view of this, there is no alternative but to activate the recently approved ‘conditionality mechanism’, in addition to the procedures provided for in the Treaties for situations that call into question the rule of law, with the scruple capable of safeguarding the interests of Polish citizens, workers and citizens, who should not be punished by the authoritarian dismantling of their rulers.

Madam President, Vice-President Timmermans, Minister Zacharopoulou, Europe cannot give up its ambition to lead the fight against climate action. We owe this to the new generations, whose quality of life is threatened by the catastrophic consequences of global warming. I support the unavoidable measures that aim to reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It is the only way to stop the accelerated temperature rise in our common home, planet Earth. Measures that make the energy transition compatible with competitiveness and social cohesion are essential. With appropriate funding, the energy transition will stimulate technological innovation and its rapid incorporation into industry and daily life. The transition is compatible with economic progress and, in this difficult time of war in Europe, must contribute to our strategic autonomy. Higher energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy means less reliance on fossil fuels. The transition can immediately negatively affect the lives of many households and businesses. It is therefore essential to set up the Social Climate Fund, financially supporting households and their energy consumption, reducing spending on public transport and helping small businesses. We need that Fund to have a much larger financial envelope, because the climate transition has to be socially fair, respecting the values of the European Union and guaranteeing the essential support of citizens.

Madam President, I think that this debate is marked by its usefulness and urgency. What we have seen here today in the European Parliament is disgusting. It is disgusting that there is a political group that will use the stage of the European Parliament to discriminate against European citizens and it is clear that this political group must continue to be isolated in this European Parliament because it does not represent European values. European values demand respect for the human dignity of all, and we owe it to the Roma communities and we have to pay it back. And I call on the Commissioner for enhanced action by the European institutions to include the Roma community, which cannot be excluded after so many decades.

Mr President, at the end of the day I would like to thank my colleague for his disgusting speech here. Because this speech clearly shows how we have work to do to combat racism and inhumanity, because that is what this is all about. What is at stake is that a Member of this Parliament treats European citizens as if they were trash, as if they were second-class people. I am sorry, dear colleague, that is the discourse of prejudice and ignorance, it is a discourse that has no stage in this space that aims to preserve European values.

Mr President, Commissioner, the history of the Roma in Europe is a traumatic one, made up of persecution, segregation and misunderstandings. In November, I participated in a mission of the Committee on Employment and Social Rights to investigate the situation of Roma settlements in Slovakia. The horror of what I saw there will no longer come out of my memory. Thousands of people are treated unworthy, living in miserable tents, without any comfort or privacy, without drinking water, without conditions to warm themselves and, in some cases, in the vicinity of dumps. The failure of the integration of these communities cannot remain outside the scope of the intervention of the European institutions. These people are deprived of access to health care and children do not have access to education, which will lead to the intergenerational perpetuation of poverty and extreme social exclusion. Although less dramatic, the situation of stigma and exclusion of Roma communities occurs in several other European countries, including where I come from, Portugal. In many cases, Roma are treated as second-class citizens, who we depart from the European values we so much like to proclaim and for whom the European social model is a mirage. Many survive as if they were permanent refugees in their own country. The European Union and the Member States have done something, but we have to do much more, much better and much faster. In the context of Next Generation EU and the Multiannual Financial Framework, it is imperative that the Commission requires the definition of measures that contribute to the integration of these people in all plans: decent housing, education, health, employment, training. And then it is essential that the implementation of these measures is monitored on the ground. We cannot accept the perpetuation of stigma against Roma communities, contrary to the founding values of our Union and the principles of Humanism. The European Union must guarantee dignity to all people.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, one thing is clear to everyone: the Union fishing sector remained courageously active during the most difficult periods of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now facing, at the same time, the consequences of Brexit, with the scale that has become clear here and the impact of the brutal increase in fuels. It is a sector that deserves solidarity and support from the Union. It is imperative that this sector feels and knows that it has not been abandoned to its fate. Following this debate, I would like to emphasise that it is decisive, I am, of course, pleased, Commissioner, that the Specialised Committee on Fisheries has come into operation, but it is decisive that the European Parliament is involved in this activity with observers from the Committee on Fisheries present at its meetings. This transparency effort will have huge benefits in terms of efficiency and the involvement of the whole sector in the Union. I also want to highlight a theme that was brought here: the importance of the relationship with other third countries, in particular Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, which, under the pretext of Brexit, have been taking unilateral decisions that undermine ancestral balances. An example is the loss of the Svalbard cod quota, with significant repercussions in several Member States and in particular in my country, Portugal, where cod is the main national dish, as some will know. I also want to stress that the subject of the Brexit adjustment reserve has to be discussed again. The funds are not sufficient for fishing and do not plan to compensate until the end of the transition period and I would like a clarification from the Commission on this matter. Throughout this whole Brexit dossier and its collateral disruptions, the Commission has the solidarity of the European Parliament. Of course, we must walk a path of dialogue, cooperation, consultation and peace, but, at the same time, the European Parliament calls on the European Commission to be vigilant and to respond proportionately and appropriately in the light of the problems that are being identified. This is essential for the sector and we have seen with great concern that this does not always happen on the UK side. We hope that the recommendations of this report by the European Parliament, which I have no doubt will be adopted by a large majority, corresponding to the unanimity it has achieved in the Committee on Fisheries, will be accepted by the European Commission. European fishermen, their indomitable effort and work deserve this.

Madam President, Commissioner, the report on the future of fisheries in the English Channel, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, in the light of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, was adopted unanimously in the Committee on Fisheries, a consensus which signals the importance of the subject for the entire fishing industry of the Union. I would therefore like to thank all the shadow rapporteurs for their cooperation: Francisco Millán Mon, Jan Huitema, Caroline Roose, France Jamet, Bert-Jan Ruissen and João Pimenta Lopes. This is the first time that the European Parliament is looking at how the trade and cooperation agreement, which was signed between the Union and the United Kingdom, is being implemented, in one of the sectors that has had the greatest impact. The agreement established a set of conditions and rules for both parties. However, it is clear that some fisheries-related issues, in particular the access of EU vessels to UK waters, have not been fully clarified. This has allowed for different interpretations. Taking advantage of the ambiguity of certain provisions of the agreement, the United Kingdom has been making interpretations which I consider to be abusive. This results in the adoption of protectionist measures that limit fishing licences for Union vessels, causing malaise in fishing communities, creating uncertainty, causing serious damage and creating a climate of conflict that benefits no one and which must be prevented. We all need an attitude of cooperation and loyalty. We therefore call on the UK to refrain from protectionist actions, promoting a better neighbourly spirit in order to ensure stable and predictable conditions for fishermen. We call on the European Commission to consider all options to guarantee the rights of Union fishermen, including limiting the access of United Kingdom vessels to Union ports or even restricting the import of fishery products, which, being considered extreme, should not be discarded, as they can be, in the end, a necessary tool for the protection of European fishermen. We believe that the European Commission should work on appropriate solutions with all coastal states, for better control and for the adoption of fisheries management measures, in line with the Common Fisheries Policy and the European Green Deal. Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine makes it all the more necessary for all European states to understand each other, regardless of whether they belong to the Union or not. Such an understanding has been possible in several strategic areas and should also happen in fisheries. Fishing resources are a common good and fishery products are essential for our food security. The report sets out four guidelines for finding solutions to the problems caused by Brexit. First, relations and the future of fisheries in this area will have to be based on good international ocean governance and good neighbourly, peaceful and cooperative relations with all those involved. Second, the use of this space should be based on principles of fisheries management and long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability, based on the best scientific knowledge. Third, experience has already made it clear that the Brexit adjustment reserve funds allocated to the fisheries sector are insufficient. They should be extended and the period of application should at least coincide with the established transition period: 30 June 2026. Fourthly, the Specialised Committee on Fisheries, which monitors the implementation of the Agreement on a sectoral basis, should function fully and react in a timely manner to the situations identified. For all this, and because the fisheries sector needs it, I hope that this report will be adopted very strongly by the European Parliament.

Mr President, Commissioner, European workers have the right to expect from us legislation that makes workplaces safer and healthier, implementing the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, reinforced less than a year ago in the Porto Declaration. The Union should incorporate in legislation, in an agile manner, the knowledge that is being acquired on toxic substances, in particular those that are likely to cause cancer. The implementation of the measures resulting from the directive we are debating will prevent hundreds of cases of cancer and other serious diseases and deserves full approval. It is a fair and humanistic decision. First of all, above all, there must be people. At the same time, the Union should ensure, in the context of international trade agreements, that third countries apply similar standards of protection for workers. Today we are taking another step in the right direction, the direction of a social Europe, in which citizens are turning.

Madam President, Commissioner, improving results in the fight against cancer is within our reach and requires confidence and determination. Trust in the advances in science that have enabled more and more patients to be treated successfully, leading to cure and control of the disease. We therefore need to invest more in the scientific system. Determination to extend the benefits of scientific progress to all Europeans. For this we need more Europe in health policies, making the European Health Union a reality. We need more Europe in the fight against smoking, not giving in to the onslaught of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco or new tobacco products that have only one objective: perpetuate consumption among the youngest. We need to develop a system for monitoring the measures we propose that will enable us to make real progress. This report by the European Parliament is a decisive contribution. I hope that the Commission will be able to hear the call of the citizens of Europe.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to begin by highlighting the symbolic value of the European Year of Rail, which is now ending. For years we lived under the illusion that motorway networks and air travel had made the railroad obsolete. There was disinvestment and disinterest. It was a profound mistake. Climate change and mobility problems show that the train is a transport of the future. It is the most energy efficient and closest to carbon neutrality in the European Green Deal. Train is an essential element for the decarbonisation of the European transport sector. We acknowledge the support given to the rail sector under the Union’s extraordinary mechanisms in the context of the pandemic. But we need a lot more. Support must go far beyond the circumstantial response to the consequences of the pandemic: it must become a structural, continuous and consistent support. A genuine European plan for upgrading the railways is urgently needed. Long live the train!

Mr President, Commissioner, I particularly welcome the rapporteur, my colleague Mrs Bischoff. The historical struggle of socialists is the struggle for workers' rights. The right to strike, to rest or to social protection have obscured other rights, less revolutionary, but which we must not support and which are gaining new importance today. Workers are interested and committed to the well-being and productivity of their workforce and to the sustainability of companies. They know the company better than anyone and can promote positive reforms. But for this to happen, they must be properly informed and consulted, as European legislation provides. In the European Union there is, at this level, a huge fragmentation of criteria and practices. That is why we should welcome this report, in particular the call for the revision of the European Works Council Directive and the establishment of a new framework for employee information, consultation and participation in European companies. It is a path of the future that we must travel without hesitation.

Madam President, Commissioner, this case forces us to talk about the traumatic history of the Romani minority in Europe, made up of racism, segregation and genocide. The Romani continue to haunt European consciousness and their integration poses enormous challenges. Despite the substantial resources mobilised by the Union in recent years, the conditions of these people are not improving. The reports coming to us from various parts of Europe are a stain on our humanistic values. The Romani's policies to combat structural poverty are having no effect. Their rejection and prejudice have not diminished. We need to affirm in this area the absolute and untouchable respect for the human rights of all Europeans. If we do not have the humanistic and democratic values that underpin the European project, our Union will no longer make sense. We must look at the good examples, which there are, and replicate them. What we cannot do is close our eyes to reality. The time has come to put the theme of the Roma people at the top of the European agenda.

Madam President, Commissioner, major changes have taken place since the last report on employment and social policies in the euro area. The Porto Social Summit took place in May, culminating in a commitment to materialise the European Pillar of Social Rights. Everything has changed in the discourse, targets and agreed mechanisms, but now the moment of truth is approaching, the moment to start implementing the commitments and investments of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the moment to verify whether the social objectives embodied in the Union’s economic and budgetary planning will actually improve people’s lives. We must not lose the momentum that animated the response to the pandemic crisis, let alone go back to the old austerity practices. If we fail now, we may not have another opportunity to build a Europe with and for all. As this report shows, the change that is taking place cannot only be short-term, but must culminate in a reconfiguration of the European project.

Mr President, Commissioner, we cannot dissociate recovery from the negative consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic in the social field from the European Union's long-term employment and social protection targets, which are absolutely vital for the future of the European project and for winning citizens' trust. These targets are reflected in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, unanimously adopted at the Porto Summit in May 2021. Moreover, the Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation sets out clear objectives in the social, employment and training fields. More than that, the mechanism requires Member States to explain how the national plans will contribute to the realisation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. It is therefore important to clarify how the Commission will monitor and ensure this contribution. It is also important to understand how the Commission will ensure that the green and digital transition, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, will contribute to reducing poverty and promoting the well-being of Europeans. Finally, it is important to understand how the Commission will ensure coherence between the social reforms included in the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the guidelines issued by the European Semester to avoid contradictions that undermine the credibility of the European project. The title of this question speaks of a reversal of the social consequences of the pandemic, but we cannot be content with a mere reversal. The ambition of the European Union cannot only be to restore the pre-pandemic social situation. Our mission must be to get out of this crisis with more and better social protection and more and better jobs.

Madam President, Commissioner, the report 'Fishers for the Future' was adopted unanimously in the Committee on Fisheries. This is a rare fact in the European Parliament, which clearly shows the broad consensus that has gathered around the gravity of the situation, giving us the necessary measures to correct it. I thank all my colleagues, in particular the shadow rapporteurs from all political groups, for their valuable and constructive contributions. In particular, I thank the coordinator of the S&D Group in the Committee on Fisheries, my colleague Clara Aguilera, for her solidarity and trust. I am grateful for the many contributions received from the sector, which prove that this issue is understood by everyone as being decisive for the future of the profession. In 2017, the first report assessing social data in the fisheries sector counted around 150 000 people employed in the EU fishing fleet, 63 % of whom were over 40 years of age. These figures support what most Member States and partners have been saying for at least two decades. Fishermen are increasingly old and it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new generations to fishing. The diagnosis has been made for a long time, but measures to counteract the situation are delayed. This is what justifies this own-initiative report. It's time to act. The Common Fisheries Policy aims to ensure the long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability of fisheries. In many communities, the social importance of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors even outweighs their direct economic contribution. In the short time available to me, I have tried to highlight the most important aspects. Improving working conditions, habitability and safety on board are key. Despite the accession of the European Union to international conventions relating to ship safety, many of the rules do not apply directly to small-scale vessels, which constitute 85% of the Community fleet. It also highlights the need to take into account the specificities of work on board fishing vessels. Compliance with labour law frameworks must be enforced and all Member States must be able to ratify ILO Convention 188. Improving training and recognising training at European level is essential. Recognition of training obtained in different Member States is cumbersome and bureaucratic and undermines the right to free movement. Without forgetting the importance of practical knowledge, attracting new generations of fishermen also depends on formal certification that helps personal appreciation and social recognition. It is imperative to ensure gender balance and to value the role played by women in the whole fisheries sector. Only 4% of fishermen in the European Union are women. There is much to be done to recognize the role of women. To ensure generational renewal, which is essential to the continuity of fishing activity, greater social recognition of the activity and its importance for the provision of healthy food from sustainable production in habitats in good environmental status and contributing to the health of Europeans is needed. The prejudice that fishermen are predators only interested in exploiting resources without thinking about the future must be combated. Fishermen are and will increasingly be, in fact, guardians of the sea. I call for the adoption of this report by all colleagues next Wednesday. Commissioner, I would like to address you directly: it is imperative that the concrete recommendations we put forward are followed up and responded to. This issue has been debated for more than two decades without concrete action and the situation is, of course, worse than it was two decades ago. I repeat, Commissioner, and I know that I have your support on this issue: it is time to act in favour of fishermen and the fishing industry in the European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, today, as always in history, socialists defend the rights of workers, especially those who are most unprotected. Today, there is an army of people working through digital platforms who are overwhelmingly not entitled to a pension or sick leave, working an average of 60 hours a week. This lack of protection and precariousness appear camouflaged as self-employment, when we all know that the relationship is one of dependence, often extreme. The only fair way to resolve this situation is by determining the existence of an employment relationship of subordination with the platform to have to prove that this is not the case. If, as some want, we create an intermediate category of protection, we are paving the way for minimal protection and the degradation of labour protection. In the name of the dignity of the world of work and an economy that works for people, we have the right to fight for the rights of these workers.

Madam President, Commissioner, I welcome everyone's commitment to this long and difficult negotiation, which we have managed to bring to a successful conclusion. The fisheries sector, hit hard by the effects of the pandemic and Brexit, urgently needs our support. I consider the result to be positive. I would highlight the financial support for improving safety, working conditions and accommodation on board vessels, as well as the support for young fishermen to be able to buy a vessel. These are important measures to help the much-needed generational renewal for the sector. The EMFAF will make an important contribution to the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the blue economy, and in particular of fisheries and aquaculture. It is now urgent that the Member States establish the operational plans and that the funds reach the ground. We have worked to debureaucratize and simplify the fund. The Commission will now have to move in the same direction and ensure that Member States make this a reality. This is what European fisheries expect.