What Sunčana spoke about.

Dear Chairman, Commissioner, although EU measures have been crucial in efforts to preserve jobs and to breathe that strength into tourism and hospitality in the first place and to keep them above the surface, we have noticed how bad or insufficient it has been for many years to ignore investments from EU funds and programmes in such a financially and economically propulsive sector. We have already heard, 27 million people directly or indirectly participate in the tourism sector. It is important to take measures to support the tourism ecosystem, in particular to avoid the uncertainties faced by tourism-related businesses, travellers in travel restrictions. In this context, I stress the importance of measures to make it easier for micro-enterprises to access European Union funding. Addressing the pandemic is very important for the recovery of the tourism sector. Let's say my country Croatia was among the first countries to adopt and launch the EU Digital COVID Certificate system. Also, with more than 12 million overnight stays after that, we can be satisfied that in September we reached as much as 94 percent of the September 2019 turnover. From the Croatian perspective, the national recovery and resilience plan plans to invest 300 million euros, or 4.5 percent of the total value. However, tourism needs a specific strategy and we need to think about this sector globally and avoid the situation of finding ad hoc solutions.

Dear Chair, Honourable Commissioner, colleague and colleague, colleague Picula, thank you for your report. The Transatlantic Partnership is key to building an international order based on the common values of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and upholding the rule of law, but also the new challenges of the green transition where we must work together. Today, the global situation has changed, we all see it, and the transatlantic bond has been weakened. We have seen this on the examples of the previous US administration, but also the recent actions of the Biden administration that will certainly have an impact on our relations in the future. The European Union, I agree, needs to strengthen its own capabilities in order to maintain strategic relevance in the international sphere. But we won't be able to do it alone. I would like to take the opportunity at the end to highlight the recent lifting of the visa regime between the United States and the Republic of Croatia as a positive example of the development of transatlantic relations, expecting to establish a full visa regime and reciprocity with the remaining Member States of the European Union. Our partnership is strongest when we face major challenges together, and the common past is a guarantee of close cooperation and a future.

Dear Chairman, Commissioners, colleagues, I would like to thank you for the report and I would like to say that it very realistically, but somewhat critically indicates the situation of those whose votes we may not hear loud enough. We have already heard that almost a quarter of the European adult population has a certain degree of disability or disability and the protection of people with disabilities is, of course, what the European Union and each of its member states should work on. More than a decade ago, the European Union acceded to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and of course we committed to promoting, protecting and monitoring the rights of persons with disabilities in all segments of implementation. These commitments were implemented in the European Strategy 2021-2030. I strongly support the EU's accession to the Convention and all international instruments promoting the protection of persons with disabilities, but the fact is that implementation is not the same in all Member States. Therefore, I have a great example from Croatia, the country from which I come, which as a third country in the world, before many more economically developed countries, ratified the Convention and its protocol. The Ombudsperson for Persons with Disabilities has existed since 2008. In 2017, we adopted a national strategy to include people with disabilities in the community, make everything more accessible to them and of course introduce them into the labour market. The past five years have seen the greatest progress in the quality of life of persons with disabilities, and there is also a clear vision for the coming period. Protect the rights of people with disabilities, I will say in the end, and work hard to improve their quality of life ... (Chair took the floor)

The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, has further updated the topic of platform work, a new form of employment linked to digital development. Of course, we are witnessing a digital transformation of work and society, and we are all aware of that. I agree, platform work needs to be regulated in more detail to ensure fair working conditions, rights and, of course, social protection for workers. Platform work is on the rise and 60% of Europeans say they will not give up on online services even after the corona crisis. However, there is some legal uncertainty as those working through platforms in different Member States or combining a regular employment relationship with platform work are often subject to completely different rules for the same work. Such legal uncertainty must of course be addressed with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity and the different approaches taken by the Member States. I share the same concerns about algorithm regulation. The importance of digital competences should be emphasised. In this context, I welcome public investment in vocational education and lifelong learning, which is extremely important to prepare workers for the digital age. According to Eurofound data, 10.7% of the population in Croatia, the country from which I come, i.e. 440 thousand inhabitants, have encountered platform work. Also, since Croatia is a tourist country, I am committed to the special protection of platform workers in the tourism and transport sector. The traditional organization of labor has radically changed. The future of workers depends on us, and that's why I agree that we need to think about it further.

The abolition of internal border controls is one of the essential practical elements of what citizens identify as a European idea and is crucial for the functioning of the internal market. I support the calls for the normal functioning of the Schengen system not to be equated with border control between Member States. I would like to highlight one important part of this report, namely the accession of Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen. The report supports this and points out that Croatia has fulfilled all the preconditions for entry. During 2020 Croatia has performed over 226 million checks in the Schengen Information System, which ranks it among the top five Member States. Croatia is making exceptional efforts to prevent irregular border crossings and migrant smuggling. In accordance with the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, Croatia has established an independent monitoring mechanism that will have the task of supervising the work of police officers and the behaviour towards illegal migrants and applicants for international protection. I am confident that 2022 will be the year of the start of our membership in the Schengen zone. I therefore believe that the recommendations of the European Commission and the European Parliament will also be accepted by the Council. Colleagues and colleagues, we need to see Schengen as a security, but also as a mutual trust.

Dear President, Commissioners, colleagues, European elections, elections in the Member States are the centre of democratic processes in the European Union. Foreign interference and the spread of disinformation pose a particular threat to our democracies and the integrity of the electoral process is undermined by the rapid growth of disinformation and disruptive online campaigns. Disinformation destabilises and threatens European democracy and we need to understand that this is not a short-term threat. The European External Action Service’s STATCOM working groups have proven to be a very valuable tool. However, checking and opposing that, but also coordination, which we may have lacked, we also need to provide support in human capacities as well as real financial support for their actions. I would like to stress in particular the importance of focusing also on the European Union's neighbourhood so that we can respond adequately and comprehensively to the challenges and threats we face. The six Western Balkan countries share the perspective of Europe's future and we must not forget about them. And I will end if we know that the legitimacy of the European Union rests on democratic foundations, then we must preserve them by suppressing undemocratic methods and that means doing more for those on whom democracy depends, who are informed citizens.