Speeches

The next item is the debate on the report by Adrián Vámquez Lázara, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs, on the proposal for a regulation on compulsory licensing for crisis management and amending Regulation (EC) No 816/2006 (COM(2023)0224- C9-0151/2023 - 2023/0129(COD)) (A9-0042/2024).

The next item is the debate on the report by Sergey Lagodinsky, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs, on the proposal for a directive on European cross-border associations (COM(2023)0516 - C9-0326/2023 - 2023/0315(COD)) (A9-0062/2024).

Madam President, how many more lives will have to be lost? How much economic damage will it take to finally listen to scientists' warnings? At the same time, adapting to a truly ongoing climate crisis is something that benefits all of us. But let us realize that it must be an adaptation that is close to nature. Nature is part of the solution. Not the concrete. As in Slovakia, we see that the current leadership of the Ministry of Environment wants to disturb nature-based solutions and is going to build new, completely unnecessary concrete dams on rivers. That doesn't stop the heat, not even the floods. We need to use adaptation to make our cities better for people, to keep our country producing for us and to be able to withstand the climate crisis.

Mr President, without free media, democracy will perish and, therefore, even after years of threats by politicians to private media, journalists, journalists and even the murder of Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia, we need Europe-wide media protection, we need a European law on free media. Unfortunately, in Slovakia, under the current Fico ruling coalition, there was not only threats to journalists, but only yesterday the government submitted for comment a law that makes what is now Slovak Television and Radio a public-service loud trumpet of the ruling coalition, a propaganda tool. They were inspired by Orbán completely openly and that is why we need this law, we need freedom and free media and above all the public ones in Slovakia, but also everywhere in Europe.

) A question raised by raising a blue card, but we are not doing it in the discussions of the same political group, because you can discuss it within the Group.

Madam President, it is as if we are listening to fairy tales again, fairy tales about the evil wolf who ate his grandmother, and therefore it is necessary to kill him. The reality is completely different. Wolves even help farmers by preventing the spread of African Swine Fever. Wolves help farmers by reducing the numbers of rat animals that have caused more damage to farmers in Slovakia than wolves themselves. We have to learn to live together, we have to teach farmers how to defend themselves against wolves. Slovak sniff, an ordinary dog, can protect herds from any wolf. Let's work with nature and not let ourselves be carried away by the fact that we need to shoot indiscriminately again. The mechanisms we have to deal with problem wolves do not need any change to do so. These mechanisms will protect both livestock and ponies. Europe needs to live with nature, and the solutions for our future are in cooperation with nature, not in shooting.

Mr President, despite the existence of a robust mechanism to protect democracy and the rule of law in the European Union, the Commission's 2023 report shows a deteriorating trend across Member States, and the situation has only worsened since then. Commissioner, you yourself see it best in Slovakia, the country where I come from. Just over half a year has passed since the Commission's report was published until today's debate. But in that short period of time, Fico's new government adopted the biggest criminal law amendment in 20 years. Despite the Commission’s warnings, despite your personal request that Slovakia not adopt this criminal amendment in an accelerated procedure. It has not yet become effective and has already been repaired. Again in an accelerated procedure. They are also obstructing the Constitutional Court. In Belgium, a criminal law amendment has been adopted for 8 years and will only enter into force in two years. Unlike the Spanish couple of weeks. Do you feel the difference? The Slovak government is passing through democracy and the rule of law with a steam roller borrowed from Hungary. Liberal democracy and the rule of law are fundamental pillars of the Union. If we allow them to be destroyed, we will destroy the Union as such. Let's not let that happen.

The next item is the report by Paolo De Castro on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Union geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, and on quality schemes for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/787 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (COM(2022)0134 – C9-0130/2022 – 2022/0089(COD)) (A9-0173/2023).

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on tackling the inflation in food prices and its social consequences and root causes (2024/2578(RSP)).

. – The next item is the statement by the Council and the Commission entitled: Need to overcome the deadlock in the Council on the Platform Workers Directive 2024/2582(RSP).

I have received one motion for a resolution in accordance with Rule 136(5) of the Rules of Procedure*. The debate is over. The vote will take place on Thursday 8. 2. 2024. __________ * See Minutes. (The sitting adjourned at 11.31)

The next item is the debate on the oral question to the Commission by Christian Ehler, on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, and Jean-Lin Lacapelle, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, on association agreements concerning the participation of third countries in Union programmes (O-000004/2024 - B9-0009/24) (2024/2554(RSP)).