Speeches

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.

The debate is closed. I have received one motion for a resolution1 to wind up this debate. The vote will be held tomorrow. _______________ 1 See minutes.

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on the time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents (2023/2941(RSP).

Thank you very much, Commissioner. I thank all the colleagues for this debate. I thank those who stayed in the room for the whole debate. I also thank those who reminded us of Zach Kostopoulos, whose mother was here, and brought a petition to this House – to the Committee on Petitions – drawing attention to the killing of her son and to police impunity. The debate is closed.

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence: recent attacks in Thessaloniki (2024/2654(RSP).

The next item is the debate on the report by Brando Benifei and Dragoş Tudorache, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on laying down harmonised rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union Legislative Acts (COM(2021)0206 – C9-0146/2021 –2021/0106 (COD)) (A9-0188/2023).

Before we come to the next ground-breaking topic of the AI Act, I have to make an announcement. On the proposal of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Parliament verifies the credentials of Patricia Caro Maya with effect from 30 November 2023, of Esther Sanz Selva with effect from 21 December 2023, of Michael Kauch with effect from 1 January 2024, of Krzysztof Brejza with effect from 3 January 2024, of Guy Lavocat with effect from 12 January 2024 and of Niels Geuking with effect from 5 February 2024.

The next item is the debate on the report by Sabine Verheyen, on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market (European Media Freedom Act) and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (COM(2022)0457 – C9-0309/2022 –2022/0277 (COD)) (A9-0264/2023).

Mr President, dear Commission Vice-President, dear colleagues, today, in 2024, we are still far away from a Union of equality, far from ending the patriarchal architecture of our society. One in three women in the European Union have experienced a form of physical and/or sexual violence. And while the European Union has delivered progressive legislation over the last years to promote women’s empowerment, such as the Work-Life Balance Directive, the Women on Boards Directive, the Pay Transparency and Gender-Based Violence Directives, much still needs to be done. For example, one third of the women who have faced sexual harassment in the European Union have experienced it at work. The ILO Convention No 190 is the first international treaty to recognise the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence. It sets the obligation to respect, to promote and to realise this right, as well as minimum standards for tackling harassment and violence, to realise a healthy, safe and equal work environment for all. We are at the crossroads when it comes to the Union of equality. Everywhere in Europe, populist and far-right forces attack women’s rights and in order to preserve and strengthen the core values of our Union, we must support the ILO convention by ratifying it in all 27 Member States. Women deserve it and all workers will profit from it.

The next item is the recommendation by Ms Franssen and Ms Peter-Hansen, on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, on the draft Council decision inviting Member States to ratify the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No 190) of the International Labour Organization (COM(2020)0024 –13106/2023 – C9-0396/2023 – 2020/0011 (NLE)) (A9-0040/2024).

Thank you very much, Madam Minister. I would like to thank all the colleagues for their contributions, and also the Commission and the Council for commenting and answering the colleagues’ remarks. The debate is now closed. Written statements (Rule 171)

The next item is the debate on the report by Nicola Danti, on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (COM(2022)0454 – C9-0308/2022 – 2022/0272(COD)) (A9-0253/2023).

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear Ambassador, dear colleagues, first of all, I would like to thank the rapporteurs, the shadow rapporteurs and also the Chilean side for the good work done on this long-awaited file. This modernised EU-Chile agreement is of extreme political importance. Chile is a like-minded, a trustworthy and a reliable partner, and it is also important to underline that the EU relations with Chile are not only important for a few Member States, but they are important for the 27 Member States, for the Union as a whole. The agreement will finally deepen our relations and will create new opportunities for trade, jobs, investments in both regions, and I hope it will also enhance the people-to-people relation. Cooperation on access to raw materials and clean energy are crucial to tackle some of the most pressing current global challenges. Investment in competitive Chile and green hydrogen are an important opportunity for the European Union to promote decarbonisation and support our green transition. I am very glad to see a social dimension included into the agreement, with clear trade and sustainable development provisions, a gender chapter, binding commitments on labour rights and rights for indigenous people. And I especially would like to thank the colleagues from the S&D Group for their efforts in enshrining the social dimension into the final text and the dialogue they had in Chile with civil society and with the indigenous population.

Concerning spyware, dear colleague, in fact we had an intensive discussion in last Monday’s Bureau and this discussion will continue. Thank you very much, rapporteur, for your excellent work, and dear colleagues for this excellent discussion. The debate is now closed. The vote will be held in a minute. Written statements (Rule 171)