Speeches

Mr President, the increasing mental health challenges in Europe are a silent pandemic, affecting people who often suffer alone and out of sight. One in six persons is affected by mental health problems, and one quarter of the population suffer from loneliness and the second leading cause of death of young people is suicide. If we look beyond mere statistics and numbers, the reality becomes even harder to bear, with millions of individual tragedies. And this year's World Mental Health Day theme is 'prioritise mental health at the workplace', a topic which is very dear to me and my political group, the Socialists and Democrats. Common risk factors in the workplace include extreme workload, toxic work culture, AI surveillance, discrimination and blurred lines between private and professional worlds with little or no right to disconnect. The impact is also very high on our economy: every year, around 12 billion working days are lost due to depression and anxiety. Commission Vice-President, the challenges are massive and we need to tackle them together without taboos and combating discrimination. The EU has an important role to play to support Member States and also this Parliament will prioritise this important subject.

Mr President, Vice‑President of the Commission, colleagues, in Europe and all across the world we are confronted with a glaring injustice: the super rich are amassing grotesque amounts of wealth due to paying little or no taxes, and to due to avoiding measures and the tricks they use. They also disproportionately contribute to climate change. At the same time, ordinary people, small businesses, are diligently paying their taxes and are increasingly facing difficulties to make ends meet and are receiving insufficient support to master the many challenges they face. We can no longer accept this status quo. At a time when poverty is on the rise, when tackling climate change is super-urgent and rampant inequality is corroding our societies, we need to ensure that the super rich pay their fair share. As Socialists and Democrats, we welcome the G20 presidency proposal to elaborate a tax on the super rich, and polls show that the public are equally supportive. We now have to move towards a fairer society, with more revenues for governments to fight poverty and climate change and to invest in public services. The EU and all its Member States should lead by example in combating tax avoidance and ensuring adequate taxation of the super rich, and should play a leading role in this process in the appropriate fora.

The next item is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the recent attempts to deny dictatorships and the risk of Europe returning to totalitarianism (2024/2709(RSP)).

The next item is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on forging a sustainable future together: economic, social and territorial challenges for a competitive, cohesive and inclusive Europe (2024/2705(RSP)).

Dear Sylvie, as a member of this great family of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, I would also like to thank you for your commitment and above all for your courage.

Thank you very much, dear colleague Agnes Jongerius, and thank you for your 10 years of engagement in this House. I’m sure you will continue your work with a lot of competence for a just Europe in different arenas than this Parliament.

The next item is the debate on Council and Commission statements on the La Hulpe declaration on the future of social Europe [2024/2707(RSP)].

The next item is the debate on – the oral question to the Commission on the European Parliament’s right of inquiry by Salvatore De Meo, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Rainer Wieland, Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Damian Boeselager, Helmut Scholz, on behalf of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (O-000006/2024 - B9-0013/24) (2024/2598(RSP), and – the oral question to the Council on the European Parliament’s right of inquiry, by Salvatore De Meo, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Rainer Wieland, Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Helmut Scholz, Damian Boeselager, on behalf of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs Commission (O-000007/2024 - B9-0014/24) (2024/2598(RSP).

The joint debate is now closed. I thank all the speakers for their input, and also the Commissioner and everyone who took part. The vote will be held today at 17.00.

Thank you very much, Mr Tang. Your ten years here have been very much appreciated by all the colleagues. Good luck for the future of your career.

The next sitting is tomorrow, Thursday 11 April, at 9.00 in the morning. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament website. I would like to thank all the interpreters, the ushers, all the Secretariat members, all the staff of Parliament still here, and all the Members who are still here.

The next item is the one-minute speeches on matters of political importance (Rule 172). I would like to inform you that for the one-minute speeches you are invited to take the floor from your seat.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, for many years, European citizens have been asking for a revision of the EU animal welfare legislation. Some 84% of Europeans believe that the welfare of farmed animals should be better protected, and 90% consider that farming and breeding practices should meet basic ethical requirements. And at the same time, millions of signatures have been collected for the Citizens’ Initiatives ‘End the cage age’ and ‘Fur-free Europe’. And the message that these citizens are sending us is very clear: the current EU animal welfare situation must change, and it is regrettable that the Commission has failed to implement such important instruments of participatory democracy, and that it has given priority to business interests. The way we treat animals mirrors the kind of humans we are. Animal welfare is essential for a civilised, healthy and sustainable society, and the European Union needs to push for the highest possible standards. Time is running out. It is time for the Commission to deliver on their promises. To conclude, I would like to pay tribute to my friend Tilly Metz and all the colleagues who participated in the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport.

The next sitting will take place tomorrow, Thursday, 14 March, at 9.00. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament website.