Speeches

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, does indeed seem to me to open up opportunities, which include concrete measures to limit a country that tries to impose measures of economic coercion without being able to participate in both research and economic projects, and elsewhere. That is why we really need to work together to defend our values, our space, so that no third country encroaches on values and instruments that are important and dear to us.

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 stand up to the regime’s complicity in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU and its partners should could continue supporting the democratic forces of Belarus and initiate legal proceedings against all members of Lukashenka’s regime responsible for massive and systemic human rights violations. We condemn the recent decision of the regime to stop issuing new ID documents for Belarusians in the embassies and consulates abroad. We urge the EU Member States to grant international recognition for the national passport of Belarus that is to be issued by the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus.

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 withdrew from the Black Sea Agreement, while simultaneously destroying and stealing Ukrainian grain. Ukrainian grain destined for export must be taken out of the country to ensure that it does not remain in Europe. Cereals must be sent where they are most needed: to African countries. Closer cooperation with the United Nations Food Programme could be one way to ensure traceability and responsibility. It should also be borne in mind that the problem of grain exports is greatly aggravated by the shortcomings of the transport system, in particular the differences in rail gauges. As we now see, these flaws program problems for the future. Therefore, we need to ensure smoother connectivity in Eastern Europe and pay more attention to connecting Ukraine to the European rail transport system.

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 also have to do some homework. We will now discuss the Multiannual Financial Perspectives. We must draw attention to the need to strengthen funding for military mobility, which would help to provide support to Ukraine, including by exporting agricultural crops, and we must also close the sanctions holes, in particular by strengthening sanctions against the Lukashenka regime, as political prisoners are dying in prisons in Belarus on a daily basis. And I strongly support the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian Olympians, who do not condemn the war, from the Paris Olympic Games.

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 design our plans for the green economy, we must also ensure sufficient support to drive change. We need to open our hands to European scientists. Precision plant breeding technologies can offer many opportunities and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system to achieve the objectives of the Green Deal. We need to improve the regulation as soon as possible and open up access to scientific advances. Unfortunately, despite the European Union's promises, the inequality of direct payments continues. Farmers in Lithuania and other Eastern European countries receive lower payments, so if we are to achieve a truly just transition towards a greener economy, we must deliver on all promises and ensure an average of direct payments in countries where they are lower.

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 the past, we now see terrorist acts such as the bombing of dams and flooding of large areas. Therefore, we must not only support Ukraine with weapons, support financially, but also punish the aggressor and create a very clear perspective for Ukraine's membership of the European Union and NATO. I believe that this autumn we need to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership of the European Union and an invitation to give it a perspective on NATO. We also need to strengthen... (The Chair takes the floor from the speaker)

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 should be collected so that we can have a common policy in Europe. I think it is very valuable. As a doctor, I can say that, in this case, prevention would be the most effective for me, because other measures – already treatment, then rehabilitation – are much more expensive and do not achieve the same result. Therefore, a common European approach, which would allow us to share what is best achieved in the world and what is offered by science, would certainly contribute to progress and the preservation of young Europeans.

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, rail, significantly improve the environment. Another thing is that projects actually implemented on time save money. Saves money on project funding and helps to recover that money when these projects are implemented. But I want to draw your attention to these new problems as well. You mentioned Ukraine, assistance to Ukraine and the integration of Ukraine into the European network. It seems to me that it would be very important, both in terms of defence assistance and in terms of transporting food produced there from Ukraine. Therefore, I would invite you to take some leadership, implementation and coordination of these projects so that we can achieve our goals. I very much want to mention the tenth TEN-T project, which connects the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and could also connect the Ukrainian rail network.

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. We need more common methodologies, we need more uniform treatment schemes, we need more coordination between member states and commissions, and we also need the introduction of scientific innovations. I therefore welcome the DEKO document that has been tabled and call for its support, because I believe that once its provisions are implemented, we will have better information, both among doctors and in our citizens' community, and we will be able to regulate the use of antibiotics and reduce antimicrobial resistance and deaths from this pandemic.

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 products that are produced and the people who live there. We will also be able to highlight our identity more clearly, because we should be proud of the fact that we have many unique geographical locations in the European Union, where people work, where products are grown, where food is presented. And it's like a bouquet of flowers, where every element of it enriches that bouquet: be it Italian wines, be it French cheeses or Lithuanian honey. Thank you for the result.

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 lawyers and to family members, harassing and prosecuting lawyers who are representing political prisoners. The European Parliament should be very clear. The sanctions against the regime and all his enablers will only increase. The EU has to work with the third countries to expand the sanctions regime as widely as possible. We should work further to establish accountability for all perpetrators of human rights violations, and we must step up the efforts to help the victims of the political repression and their family members.

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 the willingness of several, if not a dozen, actors to make a profit has made this initiative controversial. Let us not deceive ourselves, Russia is taking advantage of this situation. Putin is reluctant to use all available weapons and openly lie if Ukrainian grain does not reach third countries. Russia is a starving rescuer. We cannot allow this situation to continue. Ukrainian grain for export needs to be helped out of the country, but we need to ensure that it does not remain in Europe, reaches our ports and is shipped where it is most needed. Cooperation with the United Nations Food Programme could be one way to ensure traceability and responsibility. We must also not forget that the problem of grain exports is greatly aggravated by the shortcomings of the transport system, in particular the differences in rail tracks. We need to pay more attention to connecting Ukraine to the European rail system.

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 sufficient support to drive change. Economic activity is and must remain an integral part of our environment. Dear Commissioner, you mentioned that new genomic plant breeding technologies can offer many opportunities and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system and to the achievement of the objectives of the Green Deal. Unfortunately, so far, neither our scientists nor our farmers have been able to fully exploit this potential. This is why we need to improve regulation and open up access to scientific advances as soon as possible. And finally. Despite the European Union's commitments, the inequality of direct payments continues. Farmers in Lithuania and other Baltic countries receive direct payments well below the European Union average. If we are to achieve a truly just transition towards a greener and more resilient economy, we need to deliver on old promises and ensure an average of direct payments in countries where they are lower.

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 the results of these studies to reach the farm. There is a need to step up support for the cooperative sector and to strengthen support for young farmers, highlighting the importance of the redistributive mechanism of income support and the potential of farmers to fight climate change. We must also recognise that the ability of farmers to cope with inflationary pressures and increased raw material prices and to ensure food security is affected by differences in direct payments. Additional support is therefore needed for the Member States with the lowest payments, especially as the EU members in the east have been hardest hit by the war in Ukraine. We must finally resolve the issue of external convergence and equalise direct payments.

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, earn 16 percent less income, and have a pension gap of as much as 51 percent between the sexes. We are delighted that almost half of the farms in Lithuania are run by women. Unfortunately, Lithuanian women are paid less than in Western Europe for the same work. The commitments made by the European Union to equalise direct payments to new green farmers and to end longstanding discrimination remain unfulfilled. We must therefore equalise direct payments to all farmers in the European Union and ensure that the countryside is an attractive place for women farmers to set up.

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 links between different countries, and that the implementation of some projects is a priority, such as a transport project like Rail Baltica, which could improve military mobility and also our connection and support to Ukraine. Another note I would like to highlight is the need to increase pressure on the Belarusian regime, which continues to torture political prisoners, which threatens with nuclear weapons and which also contributes to the deportation of Russian children from Ukraine. I therefore propose that attention be paid to this and that sanctions against the Belarusian regime be strengthened, that political prisoners be released and that the lives of other political prisoners be preserved. Those who are now in poor health, such as A. Beliatski and others.

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 transport, both by land and by sea. You mentioned that it is very important to take into account the social, economic realities and also the implementation of the Green Deal that we are committed to. However, I want to ask a very specific question: we have animals, that is, fur animals, whose housing conditions are also very important and important. Will there already be a proposal for fur animals in this package? Do you specifically prepare a separate package for fur animals?

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 of our friendship were strengthened by the sharing of bees. Bees must be protected. They must not be allowed to die meaninglessly as a result of miscommunication between beekeepers and farmers, the use of inappropriate chemicals, and we must protect them from new diseases and parasites. Today, however, we are protecting bees and farmers on the topic of our debate. And I want to emphasise that we must also pay attention to the situation of farmers who produce food for us and ensure the vitality of the countryside. If we restrict the use of certain tools, such as synthetic pesticides or herbicides, we must replace them with equally effective measures. These are new breeding and farming technologies, biological or organic pesticides. We need to ensure that scientific and technological innovation reaches farmers and is accessible to them. That all European farmers receive the same direct payments, so that we can live in a sustainable and healthy environment.

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 much it was a deliberate campaign by Russia to destabilise the situation in the country. But one thing is clear: if in the future we want a peaceful and prosperous Europe, then the EU and our Western partners need to get more involved in Moldova now. We need to provide greater support to the Moldovan people to deal with the economic hardship induced by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We need to provide human expertise and, if necessary, military resources to give Moldova a means to defend its sovereignty and its pro-European path. And we need to confirm that Moldova is welcome to join the EU as soon as it fulfils the accession criteria. And we should be ready to start accession negotiations with Moldova this year.

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 members of the European Union and the Euro-Atlantic Alliance. The last few years have certainly been very challenging: COVID-19, continued elections stolen by Belarusian dictator in Belarus, Russia’s war against Ukraine. Your Excellency, thank you for your personal initiatives and mobilisation, support for Ukraine. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Lithuanian people for hosting refugees and supporting Ukraine and its armed forces. Today's debate is ongoing, but I fully agree with you that the only guarantee of peace is the withdrawal of occupying troops from Ukraine, the special tribunal and the punishment of criminal aggressors, and Ukraine's full membership of the European Union and NATO. You mentioned not only the Russian dictators, but also Belarus. Nearly one and a half thousand political prisoners in Belarus are being held in inhumane conditions. I would therefore like to ask that in the Council, together with the European Parliament's call, we do everything we can to release the political prisoners, including Alexej Beliacki, Maria Kalesnikava, Mikalai Statkevich and others. Nevertheless, the crisis caused by the Russian aggression in the economy, in other sectors and in the resilience of our citizens, some have benefited from that crisis. We have seen tremendous excesses in the energy sector, in some parts of the pharmaceutical and banking sectors. I believe that a joint effort should be made to curb these excesses and distribute the funds to the most necessary defence and the building of a welfare state. We also see the importance of ensuring food production. And here my colleague mentioned that it is indeed time to make a joint effort once again to ensure that European farmers receive equal support and that direct payments reach the farmers of the Baltic State, so that we can live in a socially just Europe.

– 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 directly to this question we are talking about in this stage.

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 in Eastern Europe are also suffering from small direct payments, which are wrong and which, Commissioner, you promised to clarify. I also contacted you about the Lithuanian dairy farm because the Lithuanian government is not reacting. I look forward to hearing from you and the Commission. The main objective of agriculture is to provide people with healthy food. In addition to organic farming, fertilizers are necessary to achieve this goal. Of course, fertilizers can not be abused. One of the objectives of the European Green Deal is to reduce fertiliser consumption by 20%. However, we must ensure that, while setting ambitious targets for farmers, we also give them the tools to achieve them. In particular, any requirements to reduce the use of fertilisers must be fair. Fertiliser use in European countries, as you have said on several occasions, varies considerably, so the reduction in consumption should not be based on percentages, but on absolute figures per hectare. We also need to open our hands to European scientists. New genomic plant breeding technologies have the potential to create plants that are more resilient and have better agronomic and nutritional properties. Unfortunately, so far, our scientists and farmers cannot fully exploit this potential, so we need to improve regulation and open up access to scientific advances as soon as possible. (The speaker agreed to hear Bogdan Rzońca's reply under the Blue Card procedure)

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 Commission and the European Council to include into the sanction list those who are responsible and involved in these fake trials. We also should work more and better with our international partners in Americas, Africa and Asia to support our approach in isolating the regime of Lukashenko. Even more, everybody who is responsible for the violence and the human rights violations should be tried in absentia, and the criminal arrest warrant should be waiting for them as soon as they cross the Belarussian border.

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 conditions for Alexei Navalny and later they are denying proper medical care. It should be made clear that each prison official and their master minders for this action can and will be tried in the future. Yet again, I strongly believe that the fate of Alexei Navalny and other political prisoners in Russia or Belarus strongly depends on the success of the Ukrainian army against Russian invaders on the battlefield. Only by losing the war, Russia will have a chance to break free from that totalitarian grip.

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 Commission said, we need to implement a new sanctions package. But this is not enough. The EU also need to take a stronger position on any individual or entity that is helping Russia to avoid imposed sanctions. Any company in Europe that is trying to profit from the war situation should be placed under criminal investigation, have its assets frozen and confiscated, and its owners tried in the court as supporters of terrorism. At the same time, we must show that EU is ready to start negotiation with Ukraine for accession to the EU process this year. Slava Ukraini!