What Juozas spoke about.

2 Oct

2023

LT Speech

Economic coercion by third countries (debate)

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Thank you, Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. Indeed, a new tool to protect against economic coercion is essential. We see authoritarian regimes using food, energy and economic control as countermeasures. Therefore, every country that is attacked by these means cannot defend itself alone. Our value as a European Union is our solidarity. And this measure, thanks to the rapporteur, Mr Lange, do…

12 Sep

2023

EN Speech

Relations with Belarus (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, this summer we marked the three-year anniversary of the falsified presidential election. But we also celebrated hundreds of thousands of ordinary Belarusian citizens who went out on the streets to protest against the brutal Lukashenka regime. Belarusians have resisted systematic repression by Lukashenka for years now and still found a resolve to…

12 Sep

2023

LT Speech

Ukrainian grain exports after Russia’s exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative (debate)

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President, Commissioners, honourable colleagues. Securing grain exports through the Solidarity Lines and the Black Sea Agreement is an important part of the assistance to Ukraine. Unfortunately, due to the willingness of several actors to profit and the speculation that led to the dumping of grain prices in Europe, solidarity lines became controversial, and Russia hypocritically unilaterally withd…

12 Jul

2023

LT Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 29-30 June 2023, in particular the recent developments in the war against Ukraine and in Russia (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Commissioner. The Council's efforts to strengthen support for Ukraine can indeed be welcomed. However, we must point out that, following the environmental catastrophe caused by the bombing of the Kakhovka power plant, we must make additional efforts to deal with the consequences of this catastrophe. The assets already confiscated by Russia can be used for this purpose. We …

13 Jun

2023

LT Speech

Ensuring food security and the long-term resilience of EU agriculture (debate)

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Dear President, dear colleagues. The past year has shown that food security is not guaranteed. Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has severely disrupted agricultural production in Europe’s reservoir. Tackling climate change is also a necessary priority for all of us. Farmers are the first to be affected by climate change. Droughts and rains first touch their fields. But when we…

13 Jun

2023

LT Speech

Humanitarian and environmental consequences of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam - Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues. Every time we consider the future of Ukraine, we must understand that we are considering the future of Europe, because without a stable long-term peace in Ukraine, there will be no stable and long-term peace in Europe. Every day of delay gives us new facts about Russia's brutal aggression in Ukraine. If we have only seen the use of military weapons in t…

12 Jun

2023

LT Speech

European Union Drugs Agency (short presentation)

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Dear President. First of all, I would like to thank my colleague, Isabella Santos, for such an excellent proposal and report. In fact, the wave of drugs is perhaps even worse than our recent covid, especially as drugs penetrate the world of our young European, schools and elsewhere. That is why, in fact, the proposal is that there should be such an agency and that all the information and data shou…

12 Jun

2023

LT Speech

Large transport infrastructure projects in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Commissioner. First of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Novik, for his very important report. I also agree with you, honourable Commissioner, on the importance of coordinating and encouraging the Member States to implement these projects and how important they are today in terms of environmental issues, as many of these major projects, especially transport, ra…

1 Jun

2023

LT Speech

Coordinated action to address antimicrobial resistance (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Member of the Commission. In fact, antimicrobial resistance is another pandemic that kills our people. Thirty-five thousand dying people are a great loss for all. One of the reasons is the excessive use of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics, their availability. Both in humans and in veterinary medicine. I therefore consider the document submitted to be very important. …

31 May

2023

LT Speech

Geographical Indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (debate)

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Mr President, honourable rapporteurs, Commissioner. In fact, I welcome the result that we will be able to place greater emphasis on the geographical origin of the products we produce. This also allows people living there to have more jobs. Also to produce and present a healthier product, because as a doctor I can say that there is a geographical link between the products that grow there, the produ…

10 May

2023

EN Speech

Belarus: the inhumane treatment and hospitalisation of prominent opposition leader Viktar Babaryka

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues. The illegitimate ruler of Belarus is taking further steps trying to silence the opposition to his regime. The case of Viktar Babaryka, who had to be hospitalised while serving a politically—motivated sentence is yet another example of how a repressive system is abusing its powers – beating up detainees, denying them access to medical help, to lawye…

10 May

2023

LT Speech

Ukrainian cereals on the European market (debate)

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President-in-Office, Minister, honourable Commissioner, dear colleagues, more than a year ago, when Russia launched its unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression in Ukraine, we knew that we had to do our utmost to help the attacked country. The solidarity lines and agreements that allowed Ukraine to export grain were a particularly important part of this aid, and it is deeply regrettable that t…

10 May

2023

LT Speech

The role of farmers as enablers of the green transition and a resilient agricultural sector (continuation of debate)

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Commissioner, dear colleagues, there is no doubt that halting climate change is a necessary priority for all of us. Farmers know this too. Like you, Mr. President. Commissioner, you have rightly noticed that they are the first to be affected by climate change, with droughts and rainfall hitting their fields first. But when we design our plans for the green transition, we must also ensure sufficien…

18 Apr

2023

LT Speech

Guidelines for the 2024 budget - Section III (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues. Agriculture and rural development play a crucial role in achieving the Union's objectives. We need to pay attention to the impact of the war on food security, to help farmers, especially small and young farmers, withstand the risk of inflation. We must also emphasise the importance of research and innovation in the agricultural sector and the need for t…

30 Mar

2023

LT 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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President, dear colleagues. I invite you to pay attention to the income differences between women and men in rural areas. Rural women in Europe face many challenges. Their access to finance is limited. They are hampered by poor infrastructure in rural areas and still suffer from gender inequalities in agriculture. On a European scale, women's farms are on average 40 percent smaller than men's, ear…

29 Mar

2023

LT Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 23-24 March 2023 (debate)

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Dear President, dear colleagues, Commissioners. Indeed, it is very important that the Council mentions and strengthens support for Ukraine and draws attention to the need to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry. I would stress one thing here. It is essential that both the defence industry can strengthen and that this competitiveness support is linked to military mobility issues and …

16 Mar

2023

LT Speech

Long term commitment to animal welfare (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Commissioner, I really congratulate you on your efforts to improve animal welfare. I worked in a special committee on the transport of animals. When we look at the conditions, we have indeed seen a whole series of problems that exist, and I believe that the balanced proposal for rights that you have proposed could certainly contribute to ensuring animal welfare during tran…

16 Mar

2023

LT Speech

European Citizens’ Initiative "Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment" (debate)

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President, Commissioner, dear colleagues! I'll admit, I grow bees myself, just like my dad, grandfather and great-grandfather. Now my children and grandchildren help me turn honey, so I fully understand the invaluable importance of pollinators for the environment, agriculture, even family and cultural ties. In Lithuania, bees have always been especially respected and loved. The most sacred bonds o…

14 Mar

2023

EN Speech

The challenges facing the Republic of Moldova (debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the situation in Moldova is indeed worrying. Last week’s anti-Western pro-Russian demonstrations took place on the streets of Chișinău, with the majority of the demonstrators shipped to the capital by buses. I hope Moldovan law enforcement agents will determine how much it was a genuine expression of the anger about the economic situation and how m…

14 Mar

2023

LT Speech

This is Europe - Debate with the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda (debate)

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President, honourable President, dear colleagues, I am proud to be a representative of Lithuania. Dear President, you have mentioned our glorious history. But I will say that in the last 19 years, when we became members of the European Union, the leap was indeed huge. Our domestic product has grown by more than three times and has almost reached 90% of the European Union average. We are full membe…

16 Feb

2023

EN Speech

Availability of fertilisers in the EU (debate)

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– I’m not sure I understand that correctly, because the question was quite long, but from my point of view I think we have different positions here. First of all, we are talking today about the price of fertilisers, and this is our main goal – to cut it. Your suggestion is to have another vision and to implement effective, maybe, measures, which is also a very important one but it is not related d…

16 Feb

2023

LT Speech

Availability of fertilisers in the EU (debate)

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President, Commissioner, dear colleagues. The past year and its shocks have shown once again that food security is not guaranteed. European farmers are going through a particularly difficult period caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has severely disrupted agricultural production, triggered the energy crisis and caused high fertiliser prices. Lithuanian farmers and farmers …

16 Feb

2023

EN Speech

The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski (debate)

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Mr President, trials of Andrzej Poczobut, Ales Bialiatski and, earlier, Mikolas Statkevich and others showed again that the regime of Lukashenko is determined not to silence any dissident’s voice. I believe in this way Lukashenko is showing not his strength, but his weakness. Dictator is full of paranoia and is afraid of anybody with a different view. I agree with colleagues who are asking the Com…

15 Feb

2023

EN Speech

The recent deterioration of the inhuman imprisonment conditions of Alexey Navalny and other political prisoners in Russia

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Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, unfortunately, again, we are discussing about the situation on human rights in Russia. The politically motivated trial of Alexei Navalny and his team was a showcase for the Russian regime that will not stop against anything in order to defend its ruling position. Now the regime and its officials are going even further. They’re making inhuman living c…

15 Feb

2023

EN Speech

One year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, most of us agree that the EU and our partners should increase and speed up support to Ukraine. As High Representative, you said to our military aid, it must include everything that is needed for Ukraine to defeat the Russia army and regain full control of its territory, including air defence systems, fighter jets and long-range missile systems. As the President of Co…