Speeches

On 1 July, the European Union Digital COVID Certificate Regulation entered into force with the aim of helping to restore freedom of movement within the EU, a severely restricted right following the declaration of the pandemic. From this date, Member States should be prepared to issue and verify the physical or electronic document proving which persons are vaccinated, have been tested or have passed the disease. The Regulation provides, however, for a period of six weeks in order to allow Member States to prepare to issue the certificates referred to in the Regulation. Twenty-one of them, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, had already started issuing certificates before 1 July, and five more started to do so from that date. However, according to data from the European Commission on 1 July, there are still six Member States without the necessary preparation for its implementation (Hungary, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden), which will require further efforts in this regard.

Madam President, there is nothing more valuable than our right to vote as Members, and this is being infringed by the European Parliament, the Bureau itself and President Metsola herself. Therefore, we ask from the S&D Group that we be allowed to exercise our right to vote during our maternity or paternity leave. For me, this will be my last plenary session, since I am thirty-six weeks old, and I would like to be able to vote, at the next plenary session in July, on all those reports on which we have worked so long. We do this not only for ourselves and for ourselves, but also for all those young people who in the future come to this house, the house of Europeans, to represent all European citizens, because the message we are sending to the citizens is very dangerous. It is as clear as saying that you cannot be young, that you cannot be a mother or father and want to come to work in the European institutions, and that there is no more valuable activity in our society than that of public representation. So I call on President Metsola and the Bureau of Parliament to allow us to vote electronically on our maternity and paternity leave.

Madam President, Commissioner, this debate is probably not going to open any news, but certainly today, on Europe Day, I think it will change the lives of European citizens. The data corroborate this: 9 out of 10 EU citizens believe in the Green Deal and sustainability, but only 32% have the capacity today to repair their products on our European market. It is therefore important for the European Union to work on this Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition on a clear issue: we must address and eliminate unfair trading practices that cause many companies to teach information that is not real in their products. We European socialists believe that it is important, above all, to put an end to planned obsolescence, which is important to promote the durability of products and the reparability of our products, especially technological ones. And, also, that labels are today a real form, that the consumer, when he goes to buy a product, knows what he is buying and that companies can not put on the labels everything they want. That is why this is a way to make Europe much greener, more sustainable, but above all closer to citizens.

Mr President, Commissioner, you are going to allow me to use these two minutes primarily to thank the shadow rapporteurs for this good cooperation we have had in this Parliament's own initiative, an example of when politics wants, it can negotiate, agree and, above all, come up with important legislation. That is what we are ultimately asking the Commission to do. I am pleased to know that the Commissioner believes that this report strikes a balance between defending an innovative sector in the European Union, which employs more than 98 000 people, and protecting not only European consumers, but also minors and parents, as it gives them tools to make good use and control of video games when their children use them. In short, I think it's a good start. I think it is important that we get to work and, above all, I also want to highlight the role that the European Union has on many occasions as a global pioneer. When we drafted this report, thanks to Parliament's services we could see that, globally, there is no political jurisdiction that has its own legislation as broad and as ambitious as the one we asked for in the European Parliament on video games. Politics is the challenge of adapting to reality, of being able to provide solutions to complex problems and, above all, to the novelties that come in society. The video game is one of these sectors, an innovative sector that mainly uses a young audience and, above all, that has to provide solutions to the realities that we face today. In this report, as general conclusions, we also talked about mental health problems. We talked about certain gender stereotypes, but we also highlighted that it is a sector that puts quality, decent jobs - mention to the start-ups— and, above all and ultimately, that it protects the single market. So we have a unique opportunity to create European legislation that values the single market, as we recalled this week on its 30th anniversary.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would first of all like to thank all the political groups that have been involved in the preparation of this own-initiative report by the European Parliament, which focuses on a very important issue today in the European Union: the video game industry at European level. The aim of this report has two very clear legs. Firstly, to highlight the need to create legislation at European level and to harmonise the rules of the single market in the video game sector and market. And secondly, to demonstrate the importance of strengthening the protection of consumers and, above all, minors in this booming sector in Europe. For this it is important to put in context the situation in which we find ourselves. It is true that the video game industry has more and more followers in the European Union. Statistics show that since the pandemic, more than 51 million Europeans started playing in 2020. If we add the overall figures of users at Community level are more than 367 million. It is true that it is an industry that brings great added value to European employment, creating more than 98 000 jobs. It also has a relevant role in the inclusion of the population with disabilities, acting not only as an actor of entertainment, but also of teaching. It also has an important value in the value chain, combining SMEs and SMEs. start-up Europeans in a sector with more and more followers every day. But it is not only the benefits of a pioneering industry in Europe that are important and that is why the report also highlights important social risks that we must take into account. For example, the first, which affects the mental health of a large number of players, in particular young players, in the European Union. Certain addictions to video games are demonstrated in the European Union. Video game addiction, recognized by the WHO as the disorder of the game, every day is also seen to affect more people. Therefore, we have from the European Union to protect European consumers so that these addictions are less and less. Therefore, let us also work from the European institutions to provide truthful information, transparent and accessible information so that video game players in the European Union decide to do so with all the information at their disposal, with information that the industry must provide. Therefore, we also ask the European Commission to make this information clear in this legislation that we are going to ask for. There is not only the risk to mental health. I also want to focus on gender discrimination that exists in the sector. Currently, only 22% of jobs in the sector are held by women and, more importantly, the industry tends to objectify women and perpetuate stereotypes in certain video games. We therefore also call on the European Commission to analyse this situation in the video game sector in Europe and take action on the matter if necessary. Finally, Commissioner, I would like to focus on the protection of minors. We also need the PEGI system to give greater transparency and also so that parents and those responsible for these children every day have the most important and most accessible information at their fingertips. I do not want to end this exhibition without also mentioning an issue that should possibly be debated in the European institutions such as loot boxes, loot boxes and reward boxes in the European Union. It is important for Europe to analyse the consequences of these loot boxes. This part of video games is important in Europe and, ultimately, it is important that Europe remains a pioneer in the European single market. It is important that video games continue to be pioneers in Europe and that is why we also call in this report for the creation of Community games here in the European Parliament itself. Above all, let us protect our minors, let us protect the players and, above all, let us also protect the industry.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, one of the political priorities of this European Commission, of this European Parliament, is undoubtedly the Digital Decade. A Digital Decade that not only serves as an engine of transformation, but that this Path to the Digital Decade by 2030 puts on the horizon real problems that we have today in the European Union. And I want to focus mainly on three of them, which we must be able to address in a coordinated way and, above all, looking for results by 2030. They are related to bridging the digital divide. Men now occupy eight out of ten jobs in the telecommunications sector in the European Union. Therefore, women are still out of those jobs related to digitalisation. But it is not only a problem for women, but also for SMEs. In the European Union we have a low participation of SMEs in digitalization and we must, as the European Union, bet on them. But, above all, I also want to focus on a transcendental element: the rural world. We can no longer create two Europas, at two speeds; that of the rural world and that of the big cities. Therefore, this digital itinerary has a clear objective: reduce gaps. And our role as the European Parliament is undoubtedly to make it as effective as possible and, above all, to make it a reality by 2030.

Madam President, Commissioner, rapporteur of the report, Mr Agius Saliba, today is an important day in the European Union. A text on which the various European institutions have been working since 2009 has finally been adopted. But you'll agree with me that he's late: since 2009... More than 13 years to adopt this directive on the common European shipper; I usually compare this process with roaming. I think Europe has decided to be brave. I believe that we have to deal with this issue which, without a doubt, European citizens see reflected in their day-to-day lives. According to the latest Eurobarometers, 95% of European citizens consider this common charger to be a positive thing for European integration and for our single market. Therefore, this text includes two very important aspects: is included in the circular economy of the European Union, therefore, in that citizen ambition that we have to continue transforming our planet towards a much greener model; But, above all, it also faces the sector. We can no longer allow European citizens to pay to buy chargers they already have in their home when they buy a new device. Therefore, Europe is brave, we are being brave. I hope that also now, from the year 2026, the Commission, as promised in the text, will be able to take account of wireless chargers as well, another important aspect.

Madam President, Commissioner, this is an important - and, I dare say, urgent - debate, because data speaks for itself in the European Union. SMEs represent more than two thirds of the productive and employment fabric in the European Union and represent 99% of the fabric of the European Union. Therefore, they provide employment in a large majority of the European Union and, on top of that, that employment is usually of high quality, fixed population in the territories and, therefore, the challenge that the European Union has is to provide answers. We are many political groups in agreement on the diagnosis, but I think it is also time to give answers. And it is true that yesterday the President of the Commission, in the debate on the State of the Union, referred to certain measures to value and help SMEs in such difficult times as these in which we find ourselves. But, look, the latest European Union digitalisation report says that SMEs in the European Union are much less digitised than large companies, energy costs are getting higher and defaults are getting bigger and longer. It is therefore time to give concrete answers. And my question to the Commission is: When will we have a coordinated response for small and medium-sized enterprises? How are we going to facilitate this attraction of talent for the European Union? And above all, how are we going to help them achieve this homogeneous digitalisation in all EU countries?

Madam President, during the last four or five days, the Autonomous Community of Navarre has suffered historic fires, with more than 10 000 hectares affected. It has also happened and, on a larger scale, in the province of Zamora. This is not something that is only happening in Spain. Throughout Europe we see these effects as a result of climate change, increasingly repetitive and with much greater consequences. Therefore, the autonomous communities, the nation states, the national governments themselves and also the European Union have the challenge of giving an answer. The Government of Navarre and the central government have said today that they are going to give both regional and state aid to alleviate the damage, but it also has to be the case from the European institutions. I would therefore like to call here for the European Union to update the Solidarity Fund, to lower its thresholds so that situations such as these can also receive funding and assistance in our autonomous communities, in our regions, in Europe, for these types of situations that are increasingly being repeated. It is not for nothing, but the farmers have been at the foot of the canyon, they have risked their lives to stop this fire; also the State Security Forces and Corps, firefighters and, above all, the neighbours of all the towns of Navarre. The European Union must therefore be up to the task and must also help regions with funding when they suffer from such fires.

Mr President, Commissioner, cybersecurity is a matter of democracy. Right now, the war we live in, which affects children, women and men, has faces, but also the face of computer science. That is why the European Union must rise to the occasion. Ukraine is facing never-before-seen cyberattacks on the Ministry of Defense and also on the banking sector. The European Union is challenged to update its Cybersecurity Strategy. It is important, as the Commissioner said, to update the Cybersecurity Directive. We need to live up to the circumstances, but we also need to do a deeper analysis of what we consider critical infrastructure. It is no longer about traditional infrastructure, nuclear power plants, value chains or, for example, power plants, but now also among those critical infrastructures are digitalization, banking systems and also electoral systems. The European Union must be able to provide a coordinated response and protect its single market. War and cybersecurity are also more at hand every day. The European Union must become more digital and protect its cybersecurity.

Madam President, Commissioner, today we are debating here a resolution that we hope will soon become a law and become a reality for all European citizens, because this is what the great European society demands, since more than 77% of the citizens of the European Union would prefer to repair their devices instead of buying a new one. In the society in which we live today, where climate ambition is becoming more important every day and young people have played a key role in this new agenda of the European Green Deal, we are in a world where resources are becoming more limited every day and therefore the need for a circular economy based on a pillar such as the prohibition of planned obsolescence becomes more important. That is why today we are asking for a real right to repair the entire value chain, from design to final product labelling to production. But we also call for the product warranty to be extended for more than two years and also – and very importantly – for consumers to be empowered by giving them clear and concise information. It is time for the European Green Deal and the circular economy and the right to repair has a key role to play in the European Pillar.

Madam President, Commissioner, I would first like to congratulate my colleague Simona Bonafè on the great report that the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety has been able to produce. I think it is important that we put into context the reason for the importance of this future regulation (former directive – already something very important –) that is going to come out possibly, here, ahead in the plenary of the European Parliament. This future regulation is part of the Circular Economy Action Plan presented by the Commission in March last year. This plan included the change from directive to regulation and, in the IMCO Committee, we are very proud, because, first of all, it makes it possible to harmonise a rule and make it completely transversal for the different Member States. This regulation is important because it is part of the legislative tsunami of the European Green Deal, which is going to change our way of consuming, of relating, of producing within the European Union and, ultimately, our way of relating also to the world around us. It is the first time that the European Union is able to regulate along the entire value chain of a product: From how we extract the raw materials and the conditions that this extraction has to have, to how we are able to eliminate the latest waste or recycle the batteries. I would like to highlight three important aspects which I believe are valued and which are at the heart of this approval which we will be making in the European Parliament. First, among these three objectives is to respect human rights throughout the process, especially in the extraction of raw materials; also reduce the environmental impact during the manufacture of batteries; Last but not least, batteries circulating in the internal market must be sustainable, high-performance and, above all, safe for all consumers. In addition, it is important that we value what we have achieved: not only certain batteries will be incorporated; portable batteries, automotive batteries, electric vehicle batteries and also industrial batteries should be included. But I also want to focus on an element that is widely used by a very important segment of the population, such as young people. We have been able to incorporate light means of transport, such as electric scooters, since we cannot stay out of this technological change and consumption habits. In short, a future regulation that comes within the framework of the green agenda and the technological agenda of the European Union. We have to highlight the role that consumers play and, above all, create that social awareness in European citizens with regard to everything that has to do with what we consume, what we manufacture and how we relate to the environment.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would first like to congratulate Brando Benifei on this report. This is a very important report because it talks about issues of vital importance to the European Union, such as security and the single market, and the children of the European Union. Looking at the data, in recent years the European Union's Dangerous Products Alert System has shown that out of 100 dangerous products, 27 are toys. Therefore, it is an important issue. In addition, if we see the consumption habits that we have in the European Union, we buy more and more online, which means that we have to put a very important focus on the protection of toys in online marketplaces. And also a fundamental issue: Most toy stores and stores where these types of products are sold in real life play at a great disadvantage with the large platforms on which these products are sold. We have to fight counterfeiting, we have to ensure and guarantee to all children in the European Union that when they have a toy at Christmas, or when they have a toy in their homes, any day of the year, it is a safe toy and complies with European Union legislation. So this report and this amendment of the Directive are very important for the European Union.

Mr President, first of all, I would like to congratulate my colleague, Christel Schaldemose, on the enormous work she has done during these months of negotiations: I know that these have been complex months in which it has had to reach great agreements, and today we are here to adopt a text that I think we consider balanced. The Digital Services Act can be an opportunity to change the digital world forever and to save our democracies. This sentence is not a sentence of mine; It was delivered by Frances Haugen, a former Facebook worker, when she testified at our European Parliament headquarters in Brussels. Well, in this plenary session, this week, the Digital Services Act may go from being an opportunity to being a reality in the European Union, and this is largely due to the work of the 705 MEPs, of course also to the work of the European Commission and the Council. But if there is anything important about this Law, it is that for the first time consumers are in the focus when it comes to digital platforms, that we place obligations on the big tech companies and that, of course, we establish three basic principles that unite and that are the basis of this Law: security, transparency and accessibility. But, above all, I would like to highlight two important measures, two successes, of the European socialists in this law. The first is that for the first time any European citizen who wants to claim compensation because the big tech companies have violated this law will be able to do so: that empowers us as consumers; secondly, a very important success also of the European socialists, that minors will be protected from targeted advertising. I think these are great advances. Eye, the world is watching us: Let's live up to it.

Mr President, Madam Executive Vice-President Vestager, Commissioner Breton, we are the first continent in the world to legislate and regulate large platforms: there is no other country or continent that has done it before and, therefore, we have to be at the forefront and be a totally reference continent in these great areas. Large platforms dominate much of our day-to-day lives and have changed our way of relating, our way of communicating and also the way and habits of consumption we have, especially after COVID-19. That we use all these platforms does not mean that they are untouchable; the big platforms have to be regulated and the European Union is at the forefront of that, but I want to mention two great milestones that are achieved with this new regulation: consumer protection, and the protection and equality of SMEs and start-ups. Consumers will see the ban on personalised advertising on minors, a major achievement of European socialists; greater transparency is also required from large platforms on how our data is used. Start-ups and SMEs will be placed on an equal footing in the market and will be able to be the main axes of the economy of the future. We are at the forefront and also fines will be a great reference in this new law.

Mr President, Commissioner, we have to learn the lessons that this COVID-19 crisis has left us and, undoubtedly, one of them is that we have to prepare ourselves healthily to face, from the European Union, future health crises in a much more effective, more optimized and much more coordinated way. I want, first of all, to highlight the joint purchase of vaccines that has been made in a coordinated way by the European Union, which has allowed all Member States to access vaccination and to have the necessary ratios vaccinations that are recorded today. But I want to focus on three important elements: The first of these is that I believe that the joint purchasing procedure by the Member States needs to be improved. On the other hand, we must improve transparency requirements in joint procurement procedures and, finally, enhance the scrutiny role of this European Parliament. From an internal market perspective, it is important that we support the creation of a stock minimum stocks of strategic products so that, in future crises such as the one we have experienced, the European Union and all the Member States have a stock minimum of medical devices, of products related to medicines, PPE, vaccination ..., so that in a future crisis the European Union is much better prepared.