What Marc spoke about.

9 Mar

2022

EN Speech

European Semester for economic policy coordination: annual sustainable growth survey 2022 – European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the annual sustainable growth strategy survey 2022 (debate)

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Madam President, the review of the EU’s economic governance framework must come up with an ambitious proposal that recognises the need for far—reaching investments. The European Semester remains far from being obsolete and will remain a crucial instrument for Member States to coordinate economic, fiscal, social and employment policies. However, it should also be more than that. We must generally m…

17 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Protection of workers from the risks relating to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxins at work (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, the Socialists and Democrats welcome that today we can take another step forward in the protection of workers from exposure to harmful substances, which can cause cancer, infertility and many chronic diseases. We are also happy that beating cancer is at the top of the European agenda. We expect the Commission and the Member States to be ambitious in their measures against cancer at t…

15 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Tackling non-tariff and non-tax barriers in the single market (debate)

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Mr President, first of all, I would like to thank our rapporteur, Mr Sadowski, and also the shadow rapporteurs for the constructive negotiations and the good compromises. I believe that we achieved a correct balance between economic freedoms, social rights and the interests of consumers, workers and businesses, as well as the general interest, instead of focusing only on the economic benefits that…

14 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2020 (debate)

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Madam President, I want to thank our ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, and her office for her tireless fight for transparency. Transparency and information strengthen the rights of our citizens and let me remind you that without access to documents, there is no information and there is no transparency. And this becomes even more true in COVID times. Giving access to documents increases the accountability…

20 Jan

2022

EN Speech

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the European Union (continuation of debate)

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Madam President, let me recall, in this year of 2022, the European Year of Youth, that sexuality and relationship education in school is an international human right for children and adolescents. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children and young people have the right to receive comprehensive, scientifically accurate and age—appropriate sexual health educatio…

16 Dec

2021

EN Speech

Barriers to the free movement of goods (debate)

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Mr President, unilateral national measures taken in response to the COVID—19 pandemic often hindered the free movement of goods and seriously affected especially small Member States, relying more on a proper functioning internal market. This is especially when we are talking about medicines and medical devices, for instance. But I also want to profit from this debate to recall that we should not f…

14 Dec

2021

FR Speech

European framework for employees' participation rights and the revision of the European Works Council Directive (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in the face of the environmental and digital transition that our businesses and workers are facing, a new path must be opened to make this transition inclusive. This includes more democracy and transparency at work. Indeed, giving employees a voice will guarantee better support towards a just transition that will leave no one behind. That is why we…

25 Nov

2021

FR Speech

The International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and the State of play on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, this is a scandal! Today, six Member States – Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Czechia – have still not ratified the Istanbul Convention, which protects women, girls and the LGBTI community. In addition, the Polish government is threatening to withdraw. This is why ratification by the European Union remains blocked in the Council. Refusing this life-sa…

18 Oct

2021

FR Speech

Employment and social policies of the euro area 2021 (debate)

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Madam President, I have been in constant contact with young people for 15 days in the context of the European Youth Event and the Conference on the Future of Europe. One and the same observation: young people do not feel sufficiently taken into account in Europe. Precarity at work, difficulty in accessing affordable and decent housing, and so on. Europe needs to be more responsive to them. And yet…

4 Oct

2021

EN Speech

The protection of persons with disabilities through petitions: lessons learnt (debate)

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Mr President, in January 2011, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) came into force here in the European Union, but Member States, but also a little bit the European Union, have failed to fully promote, protect and assure equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities. Efforts must be made, and I am very co…

13 Sep

2021

EN Speech

Fair working conditions, rights and social protection for platform workers - New forms of employment linked to digital development (debate)

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Madam President, in the European Union too many workers are living in poverty and they suffer because of social exclusion. Work, platform work included, must become the tool again for all to combat poverty. Today this is not yet the case. The growing digital economy has great potential for job creation, but these jobs must be quality jobs instead of precarious jobs. New forms of work must become a…

7 Jul

2021

EN Speech

Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament - The outcome of 22 June hearings under Article 7(1) of the TEU regarding Poland and Hungary (debate)

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Mr President, conflating homosexuality and transidentity with paedophilia is yet another episode of the Hungarian Government looking desperately for election topics to distract from corruption. It is yet another attack on fundamental rights, and as the EU, we have the tools to protect our values. But what is missing is the political will in the Council to use them. Signing statements at Council is…