What Matjaž spoke about.

23

Apr

2024

EN Speech

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Visa exemption for holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (A9-0172/2024 - Matjaž Nemec) (vote)

Mr President, dear colleagues, this vote is an important one, and this is not a political issue, but a technical one. This is a continuation of the visa liberalisation which was adopted for Serbia already in 2009, for Kosovo since the beginning of this year. This decision is about making people’s lives better. In fact, it’s about 18 000 Serbian residents of Kosovo who are holders of the special pa…

22

Apr

2024

EN Speech

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Approval of the minutes of forthcoming sittings

Madam President, I’m the rapporteur of this dossier. I would like just to suggest not to postpone, because in the future, there will be no new elements to do so. We are talking about 80 000 people who were discriminated since the beginning of this year. We are talking about the Serbs from Kosovo and the decision – it’s fully technical; it’s not political. If we’re going to postpone this decision, …

10

Apr

2024

SL Speech

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Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Madam President, honourable and honourable, thank you very much for this debate. This shows very clearly the state of the European Union today and also gives an outline of the dangers that Europe could face if we fail to adopt this package today. We are all aware that the whole package – the solution before us is not perfect, but it is a compromise. There is no alternative to this package. If it i…

10

Apr

2024

SL Speech

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Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Mr. President! Europe is at a turning point. Migration and asylum policy is one of the most divisive topics for our citizens and for politics in general, and often also a means of manipulation, blackmail and excuses. We have felt the consequences everywhere, including in the Schengen area. The reform of the whole area of migration was urgent. In the long run, the survival of the Union as such also…

14

Mar

2024

SL Speech

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Healthy lifestyle and active ageing in the EU (debate)

Madam President. Our health is our greatest wealth. Too often we don't realize it, or it only really irritates us when it's too late. Therefore, physical and mental health should not be taken for granted. Human health is affected by almost everything around us: progress, climate change, industrial food production. In addition, Europe, like most of the Western world, is facing a rapidly ageing popu…

13

Mar

2024

SL Speech

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The immediate risk of mass starvation in Gaza and the attacks on humanitarian aid deliveries

Mr President. In Gaza, people continue to die and starve. Hundreds of thousands of people face chronic food and humanitarian shortages every day, especially children and women. Israel is also committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza through starvation. Enough of the beauty. The people of Gaza do not need our kind words. Above all, they need our actions. We demand an immediate and…

12

Mar

2024

SL Speech

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The adoption of the Special Measure in favour of Tunisia for 2023 (debate)

Madam President. For many years, we have been drawing attention in this house to the difficult situation we are witnessing in Tunisia. The arbitrary president completely abducted the country and dismantled institutions, democracy, suppressed his critics, subjugated justice, and completely silenced civil society. In exchange for controlling migration, the European team led by Prime Minister Meloni …

12

Mar

2024

SL Speech

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European Media Freedom Act (debate)

Mr President. Tomorrow, with the vote on the European Media Freedom Act, the European Parliament is addressing one of the major milestones for media freedom, for democracy and, last but not least, for a healthy society. This is an important day for all of us, esteemed journalists, journalists, dear editors and editors. Without freedom, independence and pluralism of the media, there is no democracy…

28

Feb

2024

SL Speech

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Deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement (debate)

Madam President! The enlargement of the Union is a geostrategic investment in the stability, security, peace, democracy and prosperity of all of us, I am sure of that. I welcome the joint efforts of the two rapporteurs, who have managed to ensure a strong and balanced text on the future of enlargement. There is certainly still a lot of work to be done, but above all the political will both from th…

27

Feb

2024

SL Speech

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War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner Lenarčič! Today's debate on the situation in Gaza will last a good hour, while around 15 people, including six children, will be killed in Gaza. At least 35 people will be injured this hour. About 40 Israeli bombs will fall on the already devastated territory of Gaza, and 12 buildings will be destroyed. This is a terrifying image of today's Gaza, every hour, every day, f…

7

Feb

2024

SL Speech

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The fight against hate speech and disinformation: responsibility of social platforms within the Digital Services Act (topical debate)

Madam President! Dear High Council! Today, we can no longer imagine life without modern technologies and smartphones. The world is already entering the second generation of children, whose lives are almost entirely digital from birth. They are marked by likes, countless mobile applications and social networks. The global companies that develop these modern tools are richer than most small countrie…

17

Jan

2024

SL Speech

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Situation in Serbia following elections (debate)

Madam President! Dear, today I am addressing you, the people of Serbia. I cannot imagine the future of the European Union without you and your country as a full member, but I am afraid that membership of the Union is not a genuine strategic choice of Serbia's state leadership. Finding a balance between the credibility of accession to the Union by opening chapters, on the one hand, and connecting S…

17

Jan

2024

SL Speech

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Situation of fundamental rights in the EU in 2022 and 2023 (debate)

Madam President! It is very telling that every year we are still adopting a report on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union, even though the European Union is supposed to be based on the principle of respect for fundamental rights. But even in Europe, we are still witnessing an attack on journalists, the erosion of institutions and the erosion of the rule of law. We are also st…

16

Jan

2024

SL Speech

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Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation (debate)

Dear President, Dear High Selection! There is no end to the conflict in Gaza. It gets more dehumanized every day. Nor can we see the end of the duplicity of the West. While, on the one hand, America is trying to prevent the conflict from spilling over into the wider region, Israel is attacking targets in Lebanon and Syria. The West has attacked positions in Yemen. Instead of the cause of the confl…

13

Dec

2023

SL Speech

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EU strategy to assist young people facing the housing and cost of living crisis (topical debate)

Mr. President! The lack of affordable housing affects more than 80 million Europeans. Despite the construction of new housing, the crisis remains, as these are built primarily for the market, but not for people. This business misguided tactic is short-sighted and causes devastating consequences. As a result, the centres of European cities are increasingly becoming an investment opportunity for the…

23

Nov

2023

SL Speech

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International day for the elimination of violence against women (debate)

Dear President-in-Office, Honourable High Council! Europe must stand clearly on the side of women and girls and become a safe space where there is no room for violence, no space for sexual exploitation and abuse. To achieve this, honourable one, we need a coherent European legal framework, which is currently the subject of negotiations between the institutions of the European Union. We have a dire…

22

Nov

2023

SL Speech

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30 years of Copenhagen criteria - giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy (debate)

Mr President, honourable High Council. Three decades ago, enlargement policy made a commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, economic development and prosperity. It was a promise of unity, of security, of progress for all those who are part of our European community. Twenty years ago, we also gave a commitment to the European perspective to the Western Balkans. Too often, however, w…

22

Nov

2023

SL Speech

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This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Nikolay Denkov (debate)

Madam President. Dear Prime Minister, Honourable High Assembly, welcome to the European Parliament. Dear Prime Minister, a series of crises in recent years – from health, energy, financial and security – have had a profound impact on Europe and the world as a whole. Once again, resilience, on the one hand, and the credibility of the Union, of course, on the other, has proven to depend on the coope…

8

Nov

2023

SL Speech

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Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes (debate)

Madam President! Dear High Council! Free and fair elections are a prerequisite for the health of any democracy. This is one of the foundations on which our European Union was founded. However, elections in illiberal and authoritarian systems can often be abused or simply a formality and sand in the eyes of the public and the system. The international community, including the European Union, can pl…

8

Nov

2023

SL Speech

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EU enlargement policy 2023 (debate)

Madam President. In the enlargement process, we must not forget the ten-year efforts of the Western Balkan countries. The tactics of the waiting room in the Western Balkans do not seem to work. Conditionalising the opening of negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina sends the wrong signal to the country and the region that war is a generator of enlargement policy for the Union. The Commission's de…

8

Nov

2023

SL Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 26-27 October 2023 - Humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause (joint debate - Conclusions of the European Council and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause)

Madam President. The war in Gaza has been going on for over a month. The main victims are innocent civilians, especially women and children. This war is also the deadliest for humanitarian workers. In less than a month, more Palestinians have died as a result of the conflict in Gaza than all the victims in Srebrenica. The attack by Hamas on 7 October was a war crime and a reprehensible act, which …

18

Oct

2023

SL Speech

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A true geopolitical Europe now (topical debate)

Madam President! Dear High Council! Our responsibility is clear: Peace must be our first word and action. As the consequences of conflicts reach every corner of the world, the European Union must become a stronger global actor with a policy based on international law, human rights and multilateralism. In the current geopolitical context, the Union needs to act faster, stronger and, above all, more…

17

Oct

2023

SL Speech

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2022 Report on Montenegro (debate)

Madam President! Montenegro, which until recently was considered the leading country in the Western Balkans, in its accession to the European Union, is experiencing a deep political and institutional crisis. High political tensions and polarisation over the years are slowly but continuously weakening the Montenegrin engine that is driving the country on the path of progress on key reforms. In addi…

17

Oct

2023

SL Speech

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Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure - Schengen area: amending the Visa Sticker Regulation (Joint debate – Schengen area)

Madam President! Dear Commissioner, Honourable Colleagues. Thanks for the encouraging words and all the comments. The debate has shown how important the topic we are talking about today. With the final step in the European Parliament, tomorrow with the vote, we are completing the project of digitalising European visas. Ministers in the Council will then have to vote on the agreement. Finally, let …

17

Oct

2023

SL Speech

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Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure - Schengen area: amending the Visa Sticker Regulation (Joint debate – Schengen area)

Mr. President! Dear Commissioner, Honourable Presidency, Colleagues. Today is the end of a positive story. And in these difficult times for the world and for humanity, such stories are especially welcome. Since the Commission proposal, we have been able to negotiate an agreement with the Swedish Presidency in just over a year. Both in terms of content and speed, I think we've done a great job. Dig…