What Bert-Jan spoke about.

18 Jan

2023

NL Speech

Humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh

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Mr President, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is getting worse by the day. Shortages of food and medicine, power outages, food rationing, all due to the ongoing blockade of the Laçın corridor by so-called environmental activists. The fact that Azerbaijan is behind this in the meantime is obvious. Recently, Azerbaijan carried out attacks on sovereign Armenian territory. All this has to stop. Now …

17 Jan

2023

NL Speech

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Swedish Presidency (debate)

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Mr President, Prime Minister, one of your priorities is to conclude a new agreement with the ACP countries. However, more and more representatives from those countries are deeply concerned about this deal. In particular, because of the provisions on sexual and reproductive rights that can be understood as an obligation to legalise abortion. Many ACP countries attach great importance to the protect…

13 Dec

2022

NL Speech

Prospects for the two-State solution for Israel and Palestine (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, peace around Jerusalem, between Israel and the Palestinians: Would it ever happen? And if so, how? The EU thinks it has known for decades: through a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders. But how realistic is that? There have been no serious peace talks for years. Gaza is under the rule of a terrorist organization, the West Bank under that of an Autho…

12 Dec

2022

NL Speech

A long-term vision for the EU's rural areas (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are talking about the importance of a strong and resilient rural area. A long-term perspective for farmers is much needed. The report highlights a worrying development, namely the growing urban-rural divide. However, I see another gap, namely the gap between policymakers and farmers. Government policies that are sometimes miles away from r…

23 Nov

2022

NL Speech

Protection of livestock farming and large carnivores in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more annoying than having to work with outdated legislation. And that's exactly what's going on around the wolf. Thirty years ago it was designated a protected species because it was about to disappear. But the situation is completely different now. There are now over 21,000 wolves in Europe. With all its consequences. Also in my country, the Netherla…

22 Nov

2022

NL Speech

EU-China relations (debate)

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Mr President, the Chinese investments in the port of Hamburg have pushed us to the facts. President Xi's aggressive investment agenda with one goal: Become the most powerful country in the world. It puts Europe in a particularly dependent and therefore vulnerable position. Europe thus becomes a wingewest of China, a totalitarian state where human rights such as religious freedom are violated. The …

9 Nov

2022

NL Speech

Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers (debate)

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Mr President, while the world is on fire and farmers are watching their farms go up in smoke, the Commission is presenting a very disappointing communication. She is looking for fertilizer in Oman, Turkmenistan and Qatar, while the solution is largely just in the EU: RENURE, nutrients from animal manure that we can recycle ourselves into high-quality, renewable fertilizers. Despite all the fine wo…

19 Oct

2022

NL Speech

Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2021 (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Court’s recent findings on EU spending do not give a rosy picture. An error rate of 3% is of course far too high. However, I am most concerned about the Coronavirus Response Fund, a fund that does not require any accountability for the actual costs incurred. It is only directed at sometimes very vague objectives. And even if these have not been achieved, pay…

19 Oct

2022

EN Speech

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023 - all sections (A9-0241/2022 - Nicolae Ştefănuță, Niclas Herbst) (vote)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, I think we all agree that the fight against anti—Semitism must remain a top priority in the EU, but also in our external policy. And I think it’s important to underline today the crucial role of education in this respect. Therefore, I would like to propose as an oral amendment to add the following text to paragraph 54: ‘Calls on the Commission to ensure that the r…

18 Oct

2022

NL Speech

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023 - all sections (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is crazy to say that next year the European Union will again be willing to pay many millions for problematic Palestinian textbooks – books that glorify terrorism, incite hatred and rampant violence and anti-Semitism. The Commission is making it all happen. She has recently completely reopened the money tap towards the Palestinian Authority and d…

6 Oct

2022

NL Speech

The urgent need for an EU strategy on fertilisers to ensure food security in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, fertilisers are crucial for our food supply. Without nutrients there is no growth and therefore no harvest. Now that the prices for fertilizer are escalating, action must be taken. Not only is the future of many companies at stake, but global food production is also at stake. However, an important solution is available. I am referring to the reuse of nutrien…

5 Oct

2022

NL Speech

The Dutch childcare benefit scandal, institutional racism and algorithms (debate)

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Mr President, it is good that we in the European Parliament are also paying attention to the supplement affair, because what has happened is, of course, scandalous. The government must be a shield of the weak, but the government – the Dutch government – did exactly the opposite. Citizens were put in serious financial trouble, discriminated against. Children were taken out of the house. And the mis…

4 Oct

2022

NL Speech

Radio Equipment Directive: common charger for electronic devices (debate)

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The bullet has finally come through the church! There will be clear legislation for a universal charger. We have indeed had to wait a very long time for that. It really took the Commission a very long time to fulfil the European Parliament's wish. For example, I am thinking very specifically of Mr Manders' amendment of 2009. Certainly a part of the business community was not initially in favour be…

3 Oct

2022

NL Speech

The EU's actions in the field of freedom of religion or belief worldwide (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, I have only one request this evening, to the Commissioner: Keep your promise. I have it here in black and white: a letter from Ms von der Leyen. A year ago she wrote to me – I will leave a copy with you –: “Dear Representative Ruissen, the reappointment of the EU Envoy for Religious Freedom has my full attention.” But a third year followed, in fact without an …

14 Sep

2022

NL Speech

Situation of fundamental rights in the EU in 2020 and 2021 (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, human rights are based on key themes such as ‘human dignity’ and ‘equal opportunities’. However, the conversation about it is increasingly defined and narrowed down to ‘me, me and me’. For example, they say: ‘I decide for myself whether or not to terminate a pregnancy, and no one, but no one, should restrict me in that freedom.’ In the meantime, we risk forgetti…

12 Sep

2022

NL Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Mr President, for those who love to travel, it is of course most pleasant to spend another week in Strasbourg. Strasbourg, the city that symbolizes the peace between France and Germany. Strasbourg, the city that recalls important church reformers such as Bucer and Calvin. That's great, isn't it? The opposite is the case! Our monthly move is a total idiocy. No other parliament in the world does thi…

12 Sep

2022

NL Speech

Energy efficiency (recast) (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, every sane person who looks at his energy bill understands the importance of, for example, home insulation. We don't need any set goals from behind an agency. In the debate on energy saving, however, I miss something very essential, namely the call for austerity. Because with our Western lifestyle, we have become huge energy suckers. The hunger for an even bigge…

6 Jul

2022

NL Speech

The arrest of Cardinal Zen and the trustees of the 612 relief fund in Hong Kong

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the arrest of the 90-year-old cardinal is a new low. What is left of freedom of religion and democracy in Hong Kong? Almost nothing. Worse still, the appointment of new leader John Lee promises little improvement. You will be a resident of this city. The inhabitants are, as it were, on a sinking ship. The European Union and its Member States must c…

6 Jul

2022

NL Speech

Facilitating export of Ukrainian agricultural products: key for Ukrainian economy and global food security (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, the Russian invasion of Ukraine shows how fragile our food supply really is. Despite the solidarity corridors, there are still major obstacles in the transport of grain from Ukraine. With all this, not least for Africa and for countries such as Lebanon, where food scarcity is beginning to take on worrying proportions. What are we supposed to do? First of all, all hands …

4 Jul

2022

NL Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Mr President, the way in which the High Representative speaks about Israel's settlements is incorrect and careless. He is constantly talking about illegal occupation activities. From an international judicial point of view, however, this is only the case if the occupied territory belongs to another recognised State. In Crimea, this is clear: That's from Ukraine. But to which country did the West B…

4 Jul

2022

NL Speech

US Supreme Court decision to overturn abortion rights in the United States and the need to safeguard abortion rights and Women’s health in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, the abolition of the national right to abortion in the United States has also caused a great deal of movement in Europe. Prolife organizations can count on increasing interest. Young people are more critical of abortion than their parents. I find all this hopeful. The trick now is to conduct the necessary debate with each other in a dignified manner here in Europe as well. We are not…

8 Jun

2022

NL Speech

The massacre of Christians in Nigeria (debate)

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Mr President, the brutal attack on a church in South-West Nigeria has shocked the world. Unfortunately, this attack is not on its own. Christians in Nigeria have been subjected to attacks, kidnappings and terror by radical Islamist groups for decades. And in the meantime, the Nigerian government is just letting it happen. There is little or no criminal prosecution. Meanwhile, the international com…

8 Jun

2022

NL Speech

The human rights situation in Xinjiang, including the Xinjiang police files

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, let us say: You don't drink alcohol or you study religious writings, or you turn off your phone regularly. As a Uyghur in Xinjiang, you quickly get the label unreliably affixed, with all the consequences that entails. You will be taken to a "reliable place" - read: concentration camp - sent to be re-educated under the surveillance of heavily armed police. The le…

8 Jun

2022

NL Speech

Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court (debate)

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I think it's our expensive duty to protect all children. Especially children we are worried about. I think we should also invest a lot more in actually offering help to women and girls who are unwanted pregnant. Because I realize very well that women and girls end up in difficult situations, but we do not help them by offering them an abortion. We help them by standing shoulder to shoulder and hel…

8 Jun

2022

NL Speech

Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court (debate)

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Mr President, your predecessor in the chair called this a lively debate. I must honestly say that I experience this as a sad debate. I hear a lot about women's rights, but I hear almost nothing about the vulnerable unborn life. Even a spokesperson for the EPP called abortion a human right. The Commission also called abortion a human right. The Council did that too. How can we say that? Because no …