What Maria Angela spoke about.

24

Apr

2024

IT Speech

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Forging a sustainable future together: economic, social and territorial challenges for a competitive, cohesive and inclusive Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I was born in a small village in Sicily and looked to the rest of my continent, which was Italy, and to Europe, with confidence, with hope. I wonder today if our young people see perspectives as I did, I don't think. Reading their needs is not on the agenda. We move by slogan. I do not believe that our young people today want to go to live in citie…

24

Apr

2024

IT Speech

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La Hulpe declaration on the future of social Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, on the one hand, Europe places social rights at the centre, with priority on the agenda of the new legislature, but at the same time it approves a stability and growth pact that imposes cuts of 13 billion on a country like mine. These cuts will affect social rights, people's right to health, because that's where those rules take away that right. La…

23

Apr

2024

IT Speech

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Production and marketing of plant reproductive material - Production and marketing of forest reproductive material (joint debate - Plant and forest reproductive material)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, seeds and plant reproductive material are a fundamental pillar for our food security and agricultural biodiversity. Over the past 100 years, we have lost 75% of the crop varieties available. No further misstep is tolerable. To accompany our farmers in the challenge of transition, we must allow them to exchange a minimum amount of plant reproductive…

22

Apr

2024

IT Speech

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Preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we must prevent the dispersal of plastic. Microplastics are dispersed everywhere: in the air, in the water, in the soil, in agricultural land and we ingest them by eating contaminated food. Dealing with this problem means dealing with health as a whole. A recent Italian study shows that many diseases, such as the risk of stroke and heart attack,…

14

Mar

2024

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Promised revision of the EU animal welfare legislation and the animal welfare-related European citizens’ initiatives (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, safeguarding animal health and preventing animal diseases serves to protect public health, animal production, food safety and supply, as well as rural economies and the environment. Behind the great promises we gave birth to a mouse and this betrays everyone's expectations. Enough abuse and unnecessary suffering on farms: Providing animals with mor…

12

Mar

2024

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Council and Commission statements - Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21 and 22 March 2024 (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe today appears even more confused and uncertain in the war scenario that surrounds us. But do we really believe that sending more weapons to Kiev can defeat a nuclear power such as Russia? And in the face of violence and the violation of every rule of international law in Gaza, are our ambiguous conditions enough? Pope Francis has hit the mark and inter…

11

Mar

2024

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Substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (Green Claims Directive) (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, painting green does not undermine the right of consumers to make informed choices and empties the meaning of the term sustainability. Too many products, passed off as ecological and natural, then turn out to be anything but healthy and ethical; the commitment to plant 90 000 hectares of trees does not make a multinational company environmentally fr…

29

Feb

2024

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Next steps towards greater patient safety by swiftly ensuring the availability of medical devices through a targeted transitional period (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the shortage of medicines and medical devices harms the national health systems of European countries and poses a risk to the continuity of treatment for patients undergoing treatment. These scenarios cannot be effectively addressed by Member States: The pandemic has taught us that we need more Europe in health and for health. Therefore, supply cha…

28

Feb

2024

IT Speech

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Preventing work-related deaths following the Florence tragedy (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, they are still dead in Florence. It is a daily massacre for Italy that holds a sad record: In our country every 8 hours a worker dies. As regards procurement and subcontracting, common rules should be laid down both for public procurement and for private procurement. Let's not confuse: That's what we're asking for. Competition law and the protectio…

8

Feb

2024

IT Speech

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Working conditions of teachers in the EU (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, low salaries, disproportionate workloads, few guarantees and precarious contracts: In Italy, as in other Southern European countries, teachers are mistreated, although education is the backbone of our society. Their working conditions and wages are not worthy of the responsibilities they bear. In Italy, then, the constraints of a three-year stay in…

6

Feb

2024

IT Question

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EU2040 climate target (debate)

Ladies and gentlemen, since you accuse us of not being rational, do you want to suggest what measures are being taken to tackle climate change and the risk facing the new generations? Or do you deny, together with your party, that this is a necessity of our Europe, of future generations? Please be on time. It is too simple to accuse others of being irrational when you have no proposals or deny evi…

6

Feb

2024

IT Speech

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EU2040 climate target (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 is the right thing to do and you are delivering on your commitments to us. The European Union must confirm, indeed accelerate, the achievement of this objective. However, we must be realistic and with our feet firmly planted on the ground. Our economy, unfortunately, today depends on fossil fuels, an…

18

Jan

2024

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Recent ecological catastrophe involving plastic pellet losses and its impact on micro plastic pollution in the maritime and coastal habitats (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, plastic pellets are one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution: they are dispersed in air, water and soil; They inhabit our bodies and those of animals. The Commission's ambitious target of reducing plastic release by 70% is a breath of fresh air for our marine and terrestrial ecosystems that suffocate under the weight of pollution. Best …

17

Jan

2024

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Addressing urgent skills shortages and finding the right talents to boost job creation (European Year of Skills) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, skills shortages, the flight of young talent, precarious contracts, insufficient wages, unsustainable rent and house purchase prices, inaccessible loans: faces of the same coin. An emergency that is forcing many young people to give up their professional and family future and businesses to relocate. The training and the first home must be includ…

17

Jan

2024

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 - Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (joint debate - European Council meetings)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today's stalemate on financial aid to Ukraine and the European budget stems from an original sin: The right of veto granted to only one country. It is not decided unanimously, neither in families nor in condominiums, especially when it comes to international politics and institutions. Orbán's right to vote must be removed by activating Article 7, but this is not…

14

Dec

2023

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Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we went to Dubai aware of what disasters climate change brings: floods, heat waves and desertification of our territories. During COP28 we listened to the cry of pain of the representatives of the small islands, which are in danger of disappearing swallowed up by rising sea levels. Their battle is our battle! Is the agreement reached at COP28 the best? No, we co…

13

Dec

2023

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

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, no, we are not dealing with the new generations. Hunger wages, skyrocketing rent costs... yet we wanted to be the Commission of the new generations. We need a new European housing policy: the first accommodation of our young people must become an economic service of general interest. We need to involve the business world in order to recover derelic…

22

Nov

2023

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Reducing regulatory burden to unleash entrepreneurship and competitiveness (topical debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a Europe that does not produce, a Europe that does not innovate is destined to die. Defending businesses, but especially small businesses, therefore means defending the work and the future of our society. But the business world must not cling to an ivory tower, defending as the last of the Mohicans a model that is no longer sustainable, neither …

21

Nov

2023

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Packaging and packaging waste (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, free water in restaurants, the possibility of reusing food containers, the stop to waste packaging for a single apple: Here are examples of the benefits for the environment and citizens. Recycling will not disappear but recycling alone is not enough: We need to intervene at the source. To reduce the huge amount of waste, reuse is also needed. Plast…

21

Nov

2023

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Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the protection of public health depends on food safety. Sustainable use of pesticides is crucial for limiting impacts on human, environmental and animal health. Let's not forget: Health is only one. The Commission's proposal is a good starting point, but we must not forget that the quality of our products depends on the training and support we c…

19

Oct

2023

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European Citizens' Initiative 'Fur Free Europe' (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission has announced that it does not intend to propose legislation to protect animal welfare by the end of the parliamentary term. This betrays the principles of the Treaty. This betrays the will of 1.5 million citizens who signed an initiative to say "enough fur in Europe". Fur farms are cruel and unworthy, unethical and pose a threat …

18

Oct

2023

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Mental health at work (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, work is in itself a strong driver of health and well-being, but at the same time the working environment has an important impact on the physical and mental well-being of workers. Precariousness for young people and the need to reconcile care work with careers for all women are sources of stress and insecurity. Investing in people has become an i…

17

Oct

2023

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Water scarcity and structural investments in access to water in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, according to UNESCO, water is our common future and it is essential to act together to share it fairly and manage it sustainably. There is an urgent need to establish international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiralling out of control. Access to water has become a source and instrument of war: The blockade of Gaza is proof of…

5

Oct

2023

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Urban wastewater treatment (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the approval of this revision is an important step in the right and necessary direction of safeguarding human, environmental and animal health. It was necessary for the wastewater sector to be subject to the rules of energy neutrality and it is good to encourage the reuse of water and sludge for the production of biogas. It is important, however, t…

4

Oct

2023

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Decent Housing for All (topical debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, rising prices are desertifying our historic centres. Cops, nurses, teachers and drivers do not find affordable housing. Our companies do not find workers. Labour mobility is strongly affected, as is the efficiency of public services. Young people with low wages and precarious work cannot take out a mortgage. I call on the Commission to review th…