Speeches

Mr President, public health must of course take precedence in setting limit values for pollution in recycled products. However, we must consider whether this is possible from the point of view of sorting. Mr Vondra's amendments therefore deserve our full support. I welcome the inclusion of PFAS in the annex, but I nevertheless believe that more action is needed in this area. This is because discharges into surface water cannot be prevented. I would like to draw particular attention to the Scheldt and the Western Scheldt. The permits would have been tightened in Flanders, but who guarantees that everything is in order now? I would therefore like to ask the Commission to work towards a total ban on PFAS, as advocated by several countries, and to ensure that supervision and enforcement in the Member States are carried out properly. We must leave the time of toxic discharges behind us definitively.

Mr President, Commissioner, the people of North Korea have been suffering from a brutal dictatorship for decades. They are supposed to worship the Kims as gods. Don't they? If they entrust themselves to the God of the Bible, as Christians do, they disappear behind bars, or worse, they are killed, as happened recently with dozens of Christians gathered in the deepest secret. Today, with our resolution, we in the European Parliament are showing: Brothers and sisters in North Korea, we have not forgotten you, even though your country is blocking any serious human rights diplomacy. We call on North Korea to respect the freedom of religion enshrined in its constitution. We say to the Council: impose additional sanctions against the perpetrators. We call on China and other neighbouring countries to: Please don't send people back to North Korea until the situation improves. That is, after all, life-threatening. People who are persecuted because of their faith should be able to count on us. Also in North Korea.

President, High Representative, last week’s EU-China summit reminded me of the previous summit in 2020. Then Merkel and Macron thought they could conclude an investment agreement just as quickly. The summit symbolised the EU’s ambivalent attitude towards China: Beautiful words about human rights, but in the end the wallet is more important. The tone last week was emphatically different, but I still saw ambivalence again. Yes, you talked about Ukraine, and rightly so. But you also decided to set up a working group on the strengthening of trade relations and on the recognition of each other's protected geographical indications. I really do not understand that, because there is no prospect of restoring democracy in Hong Kong, restoring religious freedom for Christians in China, restoring the freedom of the million Uyghurs in concentration camps, while China still has sanctions against MEPs. If China continues to trample on human rights, there should be no strengthened economic relations. That has to be clear.

Mr President, Commissioner, Brexit has not made life easy for the EU fishermen concerned. Quotas have been reduced. Trading them has become more difficult. Additional requirements for fishing gear and unilateral closure of areas were encountered. What will happen after 2026? That is also very uncertain. Of course, we should try to resolve bottlenecks as much as possible in the spirit of good neighbourly relations. But if the British continue to stack obstacles on obstacles, we should not shy away from taking countermeasures either. Meanwhile, it is very frustrating to see that several Member States have not even started disbursing the funds from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Especially given the high fuel prices, this is a very uncomfortable situation. I therefore call on the Member States concerned and the Commission to speed up the disbursement of these funds. We will not reverse Brexit, but let us do everything in our power to keep the situation workable for our fishermen and to compensate for the damage as much as possible and as soon as possible.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Armenia has a very rich history. It was the first country in the world to proclaim Christianity as a national religion in the fourth century AD. Many thousands of locations, including in Nagorno-Karabakh, remind us of this. Due to the long-running conflict with Azerbaijan, this cultural and religious heritage is now under enormous threat. Many monuments have been damaged or destroyed. Armenian traces are obliterated by ‘albanisation’ of cultural heritage. It is an outright attempt at forgery of history! With our joint resolution, we make a clear statement today: 1) the EU should strongly address Azerbaijan on the systematic destruction of cultural heritage; 2) an independent fact-finding mission is needed to assess the damage on the spot; 3) in our neighbourhood relations with Azerbaijan, the topic should be given a very prominent place. The destruction of the cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh must stop!

Mr President, Commissioner, the war in Ukraine is attracting almost all attention, and we would almost forget that terrible things are happening elsewhere in the world. Like in Myanmar, where a coup d'état took place more than a year ago that violently crushed the still fragile democracy. The sad balance after one year: more than 7 000 targeted attacks on civilians by the military; nearly 1 500 people died, including women and children; hundreds of thousands of people fleeing in their own country; Dozens of documented reports of attacks on churches and other religious institutions; religious leaders have been murdered or arrested; the military is blocking access to humanitarian aid; There is a shortage of everything... Fortunately, the Council launched a new round of sanctions earlier this year. I encourage the Council to continue with this and, together with the international community, to increase pressure on the military junta to stop the violence and stop blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Government of National Unity, as a legitimate representative of the democratic aspirations of the people of Myanmar, must also be involved in an inclusive political dialogue and in seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis. The people of Myanmar must also be able to count on us!

Mr President, Prime Minister, Mr High Representative, the war in Ukraine has hit us hard. War in Europe? That was a thing of the past. Investing in defense? All this was no longer necessary, found many parties. Now we know better. We have to change course, that much is clear. No, not by creating a new European chain of command, let alone forming a European army, but by cooperating and coordinating militarily between Member States. We already have an excellent partnership for our defence. This is NATO. Let us cherish that and, above all, invest in it. It is above all up to the Member States to assume their responsibilities. There's got to be money. It even needs a lot of money! Germany has finally woken up with its €100 billion recovery operation. But us? Where's the rest? We do not have the NATO standard of 2% of GDP for nothing. Russia is a major threat to world peace. We have to arm ourselves against that.

Mr President, High Representative Borrell, on 28 October I received the following letter: “In particular, do not worry, Mr Ruissen. The reappointment of the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion has my full attention. Yours sincerely, Ursula von der Leyen’ We are now four months away and the post is still vacant after almost two and a half years. Mr. Borrell, when will this promise finally be fulfilled? The Commission does not have to do it for me. I can go to church every Sunday. No one gets in my way. Do it for the Christian Mayflower congregation that has fled China, but is now in danger of being sent back by South Korea. Do it for Christians in India, who are constantly facing attacks by Hindu extremists. Do it for Christians in Pakistan, who are imprisoned in death cells under blasphemy laws. I am not asking the Commission to make new promises. After all, the promise is black and white. I'm sure I'll leave you a copy of this letter, Mr. Borrell. All I ask is that previous promises be kept and that the timetable be clarified.

Mr President, the forthcoming EU-Africa summit offers very good opportunities to give fresh impetus to cooperation with Africa, and that is desperately needed. Geopolitics, to counterbalance China, which increasingly sees Africa as a wingewest, but also because it is simply our moral duty to also contribute to the fight against hunger and poverty in the world. The agricultural sector in particular, I think, can play a very important role in this. With our knowledge and expertise, we can support the African farmer in a very targeted way, with the setting up of local cooperatives, for example, or the improvement of cultivation methods. And let us not underestimate the importance of private initiatives. Meanwhile, many African diplomats are increasingly concerned about much else, namely the passages on sexual and reproductive rights in the draft partnership agreement with the ACP countries. It is feared that the EU will force them to legalise abortion in this way. That can't be the intention, can it? Mr. High Representative, can you reassure us on that point?

Mr President, in the Bible, the most read book in the world, you sometimes come across very surprising regulations about animal welfare. For example, a farmer in Israel was not allowed to muzzle an ox during threshing, so that the animal could also eat a bite occasionally while working. The task of taking good care of our animals is therefore of all times, but each time has its own challenges. What is important now is to ensure a level playing field. So let's stop importing products that don't meet our animal welfare standards. But let's also ensure a fair price. This is, I think, an important responsibility for retail and also for the consumer. And, last but not least, let's continue to work with the industry on new concepts, without resorting to unworkable rules. My compliments to Mr Decerle on his balanced report. Maybe we should read the Bible more often. Even about animal welfare there are really beautiful things in it.

Mr President, let me be crystal clear today. Giving room for abortion is undoubtedly one of the greatest mistakes of our time and I would therefore like to make an urgent appeal to the French Presidency to withdraw and withdraw its plans to include abortion in the Charter as soon as possible. Research shows that 31 percent of women regret having an abortion, with an increased risk of suicide, mental problems, as well as miscarriages at a subsequent pregnancy. Also, in principle, allowing abortion is an error. Every human being is worthy of protection, every human being. It is also stated in our own Charter: every human. That certainly also applies to the small, vulnerable person with a beating heart in the mother's womb. It is also a human life. Meanwhile, in a country like Denmark, with ample abortion legislation, almost no children with Down syndrome are born anymore. Is that what we want to achieve in the EU? This is how we get into a Downless society rightly. I think it's a chilling thought. Mr President, it is high time to face the serious consequences of the growing abortion practices in Europe. Yes, unwanted pregnant women and girls can sometimes feel very powerless. Let's stand by them, but not by referring them to an abortion clinic, but by offering them real help and taking care of both the mother and the child.

Mr President, for the fourth time during this mandate, we are here to discuss the situation in Hong Kong, and that is not without reason. What was once one of the most free and democratic regions in Asia has now become defenceless prey in the obsessive claws of the Chinese Communist Party. As more and more independent media and NGOs are silenced, the free provision of news is increasingly at risk. Mr President, where is this going to end? Will the national security law soon also be abused to restrict freedom of religion, as is already the case in mainland China? Four religious organizations in Hong Kong have already closed their doors. Mr President, urgent action is needed, together with like-minded countries in and outside the region. Europe must also provide a safe haven for Hong Kongers whose freedom is under serious threat. Council and Commission, what are you going to do in concrete terms?

Mr President, Commissioner, lack of everything. This is perhaps the best description of the distressing situation of many Cubans today, with only one way out of their despair: peaceful protest – a protest that was then violently crushed by President Díaz-Canel, calling on his supporters to counter-protest and fight for the revolution. It's the pinnacle of a system that has blaming others as the only script to hide its own failure, as one Cuban Christian aptly described it. Speaking of Christians, religious freedom is not self-evident in Cuba either. Unregistered churches are especially difficult. The registration process is often arbitrary and discriminatory, which seems to encourage an increase in house churches, with all the consequences for their members. New construction of churches is also a tricky point, also with registered churches. I therefore call on the European External Action Service to raise the issue of religious freedom more strongly in its contacts with the Cuban authorities.

Mr President, Commissioner, in two weeks' time it will be Christmas. Let's look at God's intervention in history. He sent His Son to this dark world – this dark world in need – to provide light and salvation. As churches across Europe prepare for this, Commissioner Dalli and her officials were working to remove Christmas from the vocabulary. The inclusive language they advocate apparently excludes God. Inclusiveness has nothing to do with it. Rather, it tends toward censorship, advising Christian officials to stop talking about the deepest thing that drives them. Because of all the justified fuss, your colleague has now withdrawn the relevant guideline. Let it be an important lesson. Europe was formed by Christianity. Whoever squanders that inheritance, cuts through the branch on which he sits. This is why I call: Return to the Christian roots of Europe. Only then will Europe have a real future. I wish you a merry Christmas.

Mr President, now that the dust from COP26 has settled, we are taking stock today, and I will limit myself to three comments. One, it is a good thing that we as the EU want to be at the forefront, but if we are too far ahead of the troops, we are competing ourselves out of the market. Two, the EU cannot do this alone. Countries with a lot of polluting industries, such as China and India, must also contribute. Global cooperation is crucial. The fact that we are now going to apply the emissions trading system globally is an important step in this respect. Three, phasing out fossil fuels is needed. That is the transition we are in, but caution is required in this regard, also in view of the current energy crisis. We should not shut down energy sources until we have new ones. Alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy and blue hydrogen must also be taken seriously.

Mr President, the Ministerial Conference is a good opportunity to give a new impetus to the World Trade Organization, including as regards the dispute settlement system, because an open multilateral trading system with fair rules of the game is in everyone's interest, certainly also in the interest of Europe. I shall confine myself to fishing and the debate on fisheries subsidies. International agreements on subsidies can certainly contribute to a global level playing field, such as in the fight against illegal fishing and overcapacity. But it cannot be that our fishermen go head-to-head by calling into question the support for fleet renewal. We must also not put the tax exemption on fuel on the line. That would be irresponsible with the high fuel prices now. In the short and medium term, we still need fossil fuels, especially in fisheries. The WTO is very valuable to us, but so is the concern for modern, profitable fishing.

Mr President, if we take our food security seriously, our farmers deserve great respect, appreciation and support. After all, it is they who, day after day, take care of our food supply and our countryside according to the highest standards in the world. This requires a balanced policy in which sustainability and commitment to competing companies go hand in hand. Mr President, what is and remains before us is a compromise, but it is a compromise that deserves support. It deserves support because we have been able to reduce the unrealistic ambitions of the Commission to realistic proportions. It deserves support because we have found a good balance between income support and targeted remuneration, see the eco-schemes. And it also deserves support because Member States can now do more for young farmers. However, much will depend on Member States' implementation. After all, they have more freedom of choice. And that's good, because this way they can better take into account the local circumstances. But it is important that we continue to ensure a level playing field. This could be called into question if, for example, choices about the transfer between the two pillars diverge considerably between the Member States, or if Member States impose all kinds of additional national requirements. I therefore ask the Commission, when reviewing the strategic plans, to look not only at the environmental but also at the economic impact. As regards ‘farm to fork’, we all know that impact assessments have not yet been carried out, and the targets are not yet set in legislation. Therefore, they cannot be used as a yardstick in the assessment of the strategic plans. That would be very premature. I therefore urge the Commission once again to respect the agreements on this matter. It remains for me to thank the rapporteur, Peter Jahr, very much for his enormous efforts, and also to thank the shadow rapporteurs for the very pleasant cooperation on this dossier.

Mr President, I would also like to draw attention to the fact that we are still waiting for the new EU envoy for religious freedom, because we have, de facto, been holding the vacancy for two years now. We cannot count the four months that Christos Stylianides held this position. Those four months were more like a summer internship, in which he did not even get into work. President von der Leyen recently wrote to me that the reappointment of the EU Envoy has received her full attention. Beautiful words, but I notice very little of them in practice. The Commission is able to set up a health service of hundreds of staff within a few weeks, but the appointment of a single EU envoy, that only lasts and that only lasts ... My urgent appeal to the Commission is therefore: Take a look around you, and see how worldwide the persecution of faith is increasing, come quickly with an EU envoy, really quickly, and provide substantial official support!

Mr President, Commissioner, a milestone: I would like to mention Mr Weimers' report before us. For the first time in its history, the European Union has adopted a report on EU-Taiwan relations. As a democratic rule of law with respect for human rights, as an important trading partner in a strategic, important region and with an innovative society, Taiwan is a shining example for the region. But there is always the intimidating and provocative long arm of Beijing, which threatens peace and stability in the region. The present report by Mr Weimers is much needed. Taiwan deserves international support. This means that we must work towards a bilateral investment agreement. The EU should also be more active in advocating for Taiwan to be admitted as an observer to international organisations such as the World Trade Organisation and the World Health Organisation, in particular in the interest of the Taiwanese people themselves.

Mr President, tomorrow we will all have to confess colour: do we embrace the overambitious ‘Farm to Fork’ targets, while there is no impact assessment at all and while more and more signs of green are jumping on orange? Indeed, several studies warn of a sharp drop in production, an increase in consumer prices, increasing dependence on imports and only very limited environmental gains. Or do we, as a Parliament, take ourselves seriously and call the Commission, which seems to be blind to all the warning signs, to order? That's the issue. It's time to pull the emergency brake by not giving the green light now for the unachievable top-down targets being proposed. And, Commissioner, one more time: why did you and your colleagues not inform us about the first warning signals from your own services during the recent negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy? I am referring to the JRC report, which was actually completed in January. We have no choice but to take this very seriously. After all, this is about our food security.

Mr President, what is currently happening in Myanmar is terrible and unacceptable. The opposition is being eliminated. Christian leaders are murdered or disappear behind bars. Churches are set on fire. Rohingyas have to flee for their lives. Today, our resolution sends a strong signal. The government in Myanmar must be stopped. In this context, I call on the Council to make even more active use of the targeted sanctions instrument, particularly towards leaders who play a key role in the repression of religious minorities. We can't do that alone. The international community must join forces and certainly also call Russia and China to order, because in the end it is they who, with their arms supplies, help to maintain the terrible situation in Myanmar.

Mr President, I would also like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Vautmans, for her excellent report. I agree with her that we need to be very clear tonight. As long as China continues to violate human rights, imprison Uyghurs, persecute Christians and destroy democracy in Hong Kong, there can be no question of an investment agreement with the EU. China should also not think that the problems can be solved by simply lifting the sanctions and adjusting them in the margins. No, really fundamental adjustments are needed, especially in terms of the protection of Christians and other religious minorities. What does not help – and I look at the representative of the Commission – is that the EU Envoy for Freedom of Religion, Christos Stylianides, leaves after four months. Of course, this is never the case with much-needed diplomacy in this area. My question to the Commission is therefore very specific: Can you guarantee that there will soon be a full-fledged successor who is willing to commit himself for a long time and with heart and soul for those who are being persecuted?

Mr President, Commissioner, with the raid on Apple Daily, China has reached a new low in the breakdown of democracy in Hong Kong. The opposition had already been silenced, and now also the last free active newspaper. All this must not be left without consequences. As long as China continues to violate human rights in Hong Kong, in Xinjiang, anywhere, there can be no sign of the investment agreement. Nor, as far as I am concerned, of the technical preparations for this agreement. Can the Commissioner reassure me on this point? The use of Magnitsky sanctions against Carrie Lam and others is also urgently needed. Mr President, what about the European Parliament’s call, made in the 2019 discharge report, for Chinese-made cameras to be removed from the European Parliament? Why hasn't that been implemented yet? Improve the world, start with yourself.

Mr President, Commissioner, disruptions to the natural balance in the waters around Antarctica cannot possibly leave us cold. As the EU, we share responsibility for the proper management of international waters, including those around the South Pole, also in the light of the Madrid Protocol. Measures are needed to protect vulnerable species such as penguins and whales, based on the best available scientific data and not on randomly chosen and unsubstantiated round numbers. However, something strange is going on with the resolution before us. You would expect that it would only be about Antarctica, but that turns out not to be the case. Once again, this resolution deals with the Commission's biodiversity strategy and zooms in on European waters, while we all know that impact assessments have still not been carried out and it is therefore very premature to take objectives from the biodiversity strategy as a starting point, both for our own policy in the European Union and for the approach in international waters. In this context, I would also like to stress the importance of customisation. It is not possible to apply the same approach to all waters. What is desirable and possible in the Southern Ocean may not be possible and desirable in the EU. Moreover, what do all these plans mean for the fisherman? Certainly in combination with all other spatial claims, the 30% target for our European waters seems to me to be really overstated. If the EU wants to be a global leader, let us set realistic and well-founded targets, including at the Kunming Biodiversity Conference later this year. Protected maritime areas can play a role in protecting biodiversity, but they should not become an end in themselves.

Mr President, Minister, it is clear that we must work together to denounce human rights violations worldwide. Whether it is the persecution of faith, modern slavery or the erosion of democracy, we cannot and must not look away! The Magnitsky Act is an important addition to our toolbox in this regard. However, the abolition of the unanimity rule advocated by many in this House is not the right way forward. The EU Treaty simply does not allow for this. Moreover, it is not necessary at all. Indeed, it is also possible to impose sanctions against companies and individuals in countries such as Russia, Belarus and China by consensus, as practice teaches. The abolition of the unanimity rule is, above all, highly undesirable. Then the big Member States will be the service and small Member States will be sidelined. Foreign policy is just too important for that! Consensus provides support. And that is precisely what is crucial for this to be a powerful instrument.