What Vera spoke about.

10 Apr

2024

NL Speech

Amending Directive 2009/16/EC on port State control (A9-0419/2023 - Vera Tax) (vote)

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Mr President, I will try to make it shorter. European shipping and our ports are of great strategic importance. Firstly, for our energy and food supply, but also for our security, our economic prosperity and our trading position in the world. The immediate vote on port State control and flag State obligations represents an important update of European maritime legislation. After all, the legislati…

13 Mar

2024

NL Speech

Rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence: recent attacks in Thessaloniki (debate)

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Mr President, Saturday night: 200 people in a tourist square in Greece attacking a young couple together – a bizarre incident. What was going on here? It started with words from the crowd. Subsequently, bottles were thrown and physical violence was used. The couple fled into a restaurant and were later taken to safety by the police. Where does this anger and violence come from? You see, it's not a…

7 Feb

2024

NL Speech

The EU priorities for the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (debate)

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Mr President, women and girls make up half of the world's population, but there is no gender equality anywhere in the world. There are no equal opportunities for women and girls anywhere in the world. I am by nature an optimistic person and I see the successes achieved in EU legislation that give women decent pay for their work, there are obligations to include women in the top of companies. But I…

4 Oct

2023

NL Speech

The spread of ‘anti-LGBTIQ’ propaganda bills by populist parties and governments in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, before the summer, Italian Prime Minister Meloni decided that, in the case of the parenting of two mothers, the non-organic mother should be removed from the birth certificate, with which children now officially have only one parent. This week it is the Christian Democrats in Italy who propose not to allow anything that is not straight on TV. With fear and hatred, they want a new rea…

2 Oct

2023

NL Speech

Ensuring European transportation works for women (debate)

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Mr President, the transport sector is one of the most special sectors to work in. You often make irregular and long hours, are often away from home and also often abroad. It has very nice sides, but it is also very hard work, whether you drive a truck, sail on an inland waterway vessel or on a seagoing vessel, or work on board a train, tram or bus. There is also a shortage of people in this sector…

13 Sep

2023

NL Speech

Regulation of prostitution in the EU: its cross-border implications and impact on gender equality and women’s rights (debate)

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Mr President, today we are discussing a sensitive and fraught: buying sex and at the same time the human right to decide without compulsion what you want to do or do not want to do with your own body. And at one point, we all agree here. Sexual exploitation of people, and usually women, is terrible and must stop. At the same time, we must not forget that there are people who want to do sex work vo…

12 Sep

2023

NL Speech

Ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (debate)

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Mr President, in my country, in the Netherlands, we live an average of 13 months shorter because of the dirty air we breathe. Thirteen months. And throughout Europe, dirty air causes thousands of premature deaths. People who live near polluting factories or who work there, or children who go to school near busy roads, all of them also go to the doctor more often than people who live in a healthy e…

11 Jul

2023

EN Speech

Greening transport package (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner, I welcome the freight greening package that will address the problems in long-distance and cross-border rail transport, but also on the issue of the weight and size of trucks. The latter will have positive implications for zero-emission heavy vehicles and aligns the weight limit with the introduction of electric heavy vehicles to offset batteries. I welcome the …

10 Jul

2023

EN Speech

Industrial Emissions Directive - Industrial Emissions Portal - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure - Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Energy efficiency (recast) (joint debate - Fit for 55 and Industrial Emissions)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner Vălean, it’s a hot and historic day in Strasbourg today. Historic because the EU countries are the first in the world to take action in decarbonising shipping. We will decrease the greenhouse gas intensity of fuels used by the ships, by every single ship that calls in the ports of Europe. And you know what? The European shipping industry is very much in favour of…

14 Jun

2023

EN Speech

Surrogacy in the EU - risks of exploitation and commercialisation (topical debate)

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Madam President, so here we are in the European Parliament discussing the topic of surrogacy. We talk about the uteruses of fertile women and of couples who would like to have a child. I can tell you one thing: the people of ECR who asked for this debate are not really interested in helping couples with a wish for a child or women who voluntarily want to help others. They have an opposite goal: po…

9 May

2023

NL Speech

Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – EU accession: institutions and public administration of the Union - Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence - EU accession: judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement (debate)

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Mr President, wherever you are, on average one in three women is a victim of physical and sexual violence. In your own country, worldwide or here today. Look around you, look around you every day and realize that. And finally, as Europe, we are also going to ratify the Istanbul Convention. I'm very happy about that. But what is also striking today is on the right – and now most have already left –…

19 Apr

2023

NL Speech

Dieselgate: suspected widespread use of defeat devices in cars to reduce effectiveness of pollution control systems (debate)

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Mr President, with Dieselgate, car manufacturers have betrayed consumer confidence. We didn't know it and you didn't see it, but it has disastrous effects. I will also give an example. The Limburg region, where I live, is one of the greenest and most beautiful regions in the Netherlands, with beautiful green meadows and wonderful cycling landscapes. But in the same region, people live on average e…

30 Mar

2023

NL Speech

Strengthening the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women (debate)

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Let's say you win $300,000 in the lottery. What would you do with that? Pay off your mortgage? Buying a new car? But let me be honest. Most people do not win in the lottery and simply have to work very hard, day in and day out. And yet, about half of us all get a bonus of EUR 300 000 while working, which is the amount that men earn on average more than women for the same hours worked in an working…

29 Mar

2023

EN Speech

The Rights of children in Rainbow Families and same sex parents in particular in Italy (debate)

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Mr President, so that was a quick run – first time in Parliament! – Voorzitter, ik ben opgegroeid in een warm gezin in Nederland, vol liefde en genegenheid. Mijn ouders houden van mij en mijn zus en hebben mij laten zien wat onvoorwaardelijke liefde is. Die is vooral niet perfect, maar wel onvoorwaardelijk. Met hulp van hun goede voorbeeld probeer ik mijn eigen kinderen met net zoveel onvoorwaarde…

12 Dec

2022

NL Speech

Addressing persistent challenges in the aviation sector and the impacts on passengers, workers, capacity and safety (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Vălean, more and more flights in Europe are being cancelled due to a shortage of staff. Ground staff are having a hard time, but it goes even further. Also with some airlines crew members and pilots are pushed to the limit in the cockpit. The European Pilots’ Union and the European Transport Trade Union have received worrying reports and found serious over-tiredness amon…

17 Oct

2022

NL Speech

Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (debate)

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Mr President, 90% of all the stuff we use in the EU comes in via containers, on large mega ships, such as the sneakers you wear today or that you would like to buy tomorrow. Just say, almost everything you buy online or offline in the store ends up with you through the ocean. And 99% of the fuels that these container ships propel are fossil, and therefore bad for the warming of the climate and air…

7 Jul

2022

NL Speech

Sustainable aviation fuels (ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative) (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, flight shame – it affects most of us. In 2018, it was even nominated as Word of the Year. People want to move in an affordable and sustainable way, without harming our planet. This ReFuelEU Aviation Act is therefore of great importance and will help us to do so by obliging fuel suppliers and airlines to use and make SAVs. Sustainable Aviation Fuels 80% more durable than…

4 Apr

2022

NL Speech

Use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road (debate)

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Vice-President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, with these adapted rules for renting lorries, we are finally getting a relaxation. Rented vehicles are generally newer, safer and more environmentally friendly. This adjustment makes it easier to replace defective trucks. In addition, it helps transport companies to rent vehicles more easily in other EU countries, making it easier to cope with te…

8 Mar

2022

NL Speech

Gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament – annual report 2020 (debate)

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Mr President, ‘Vera, why do you keep worrying about women’s rights? There is a war going on in Europe. Where are your priorities?’ This is a question I get more and more often and always when it comes to gender equality. Currently, European women and men in Ukraine are fighting for their country, trying to save their children and bring them to safety. Some women are even forced to give birth to th…

7 Mar

2022

NL Speech

Implementation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Ferreira, ladies and gentlemen, Europe’s cities and regions are facing enormous challenges. I initially thought about making houses more sustainable, adapting the infrastructure, sustainable transport and of course not to forget: COVID-19. Look at the healthcare sector or the tourism sector. There is a lot to catch up on and cohesion funds can help with that. It is time …

16 Feb

2022

NL Speech

Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures (debate)

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Mr President, the current toll system in the EU is fragmented and has many political sensitivities. The new Eurovignette Directive offers a common, ambitious and forward-looking European approach. We are taking a big step towards fairer and greener road transport. Those who pollute the most also pay the most: this principle is essential for achieving our goals under the Green Deal. The CO2 toll fo…

16 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Harmonised EU approach to travel measures (debate)

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Mr Vice-President Zīle, this is a special moment for you. Voorzitter, vrij reizen is een grondrecht van alle Europeanen. Dit recht staat vanwege de pandemie echter al twee jaar onder druk. Dit merken niet alleen vakantiegangers, maar ook mensen die wonen en werken in een grensregio. We hebben daarom hard gewerkt aan de totstandbrenging van het reiscertificaat, dat bedoeld was om het recht van Euro…

20 Jan

2022

NL Speech

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the European Union (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, recently the Polish Ministry of Health came up with yet another proposal against abortion, yet another low point. The Polish government wants to register pregnant women, so from now on the government knows whether a pregnancy leads to a baby, a miscarriage or an abortion. We know the examples of women dying in Poland – in the EU – because doctors do not dare to intervene in a hopeles…

15 Dec

2021

NL Speech

EU response to the transport poverty (debate)

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Mr President, I am glad that Mr Gieseke already knows what we are going to do as Social Democrats. It is always nice to know that you are also very interested in this. Mobility is important to all of us. This way we can go to work, to our family and to our friends, to everything that is important in our lives. But many people cannot fully participate in society. Important is the structural lack of…

15 Dec

2021

NL Speech

Plans to undermine further fundamental rights in Poland, in particular regarding the standards of the European Convention of Human Rights and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (debate)

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Mr President, how long can a country in our Union continue to undermine fundamental rights? A year ago, abortion was almost completely banned in Poland. A government composed largely of men decides on the individual rights and bodies of Polish women. The consequence: women in Poland – European women – die as a result, like the young woman of 30 years old. She was 22 weeks pregnant, she died becaus…