Speeches

Mr. President! What's the ocean for me? The ocean is not just a resource for me. It is the lifeblood of entire communities. This is all about our daily realities. In Malta, the sea defines our economy, our culture, our food, our identity. We are at the border of the impact of illegal fishing and aggressions by third countries and the impact of climate change. We know what needs to be done and hope that not only will you listen to us, but you will give us what we need. We need an ocean pact that is fair, sustainable and ambitious. But this can only be done if the human being is at the center of this covenant: the citizen; It depends on a clean sea. Dear Commissioner, we spoke many times. I trust in you and believe in your intentions. But now give us ambition. Commissioner Kadis, Commissioner Roswall, tackle pollution from source to sea. The time is now. Gives us action. Dear Commissioner, we spoke many times. I trust in you and believe in your intentions. But now give us ambition. Commissioner Cadiz, Commissioner Roswall, tackle pollution from source to sea. The time is now. Give us action.

President, do we want peace or to continue the war? As a socialist and as a representative from a country, a neutral Member State, I have traumatising worries, working only to create a war economy. From a single European market of peoples, goods, services and capital, we are transformed into one of destroying and non-combining ammunition and armaments. Yes, it is clear that there is a need and a serious fear of invasion on the territory of the Union. Especially now with the uncertainty coming from the other side of the Atlantic. And so I understand that European governments must join in joint efforts when it comes to their personal investment in defence. A sensible argument, but we cannot do so at the expense of the ambitions and hope of European citizens. Friends, at the same time and with the same strength, let's invest in people, in people's lives and not reduce them. Let us base the European economy on well-being and not on war, peace and not destruction.

President, Commissioner, European competitiveness should be a concept that strengthens the position of the Union, but also that lifts our citizens, communities and families, from metropolitan cities to our smallest island. Competitiveness and the environment go hand in hand, indeed, with simplification that strengthens the well-being of the citizen and not simplification without a resulting ecological responsibility, which risks our single market and humanity. A lack of ambition and regression is an attack on future generations. Let's be ambitious in water resilience in the ocean pact and the Mediterranean pact. Let us work together to solve our economic problems, ensure social justice and fight for better well-being for future generations.

Mr President, desertification is not a story from far, far away. Its serious implications have long been affecting the Mediterranean region due to its unique ecosystems, economic dependencies and limited natural resources. In southern Spain, over-irrigation has led to soil erosion. In Crete, aquifers have been overexploited, leading to salinisation. In the neighbouring Sahel region, desertification has displaced millions of people, increasing migratory pressures towards Europe. And in Malta, increased pressure on desalinisation plants raised energy consumption and costs, which are passed on to households and businesses. Today this is not a story only for southern Europeans. It is also a story shared with other Europeans from temperate and humid climates like Bulgaria. In fact, last year 45 % of the EU's territory faced drought, threatening food production and water security. Desertification is about humanity, our dependence on water for survival, and our need for water security and food security. Therefore, our response must be people-centred. The fight against desertification demands global cooperation, but it also starts at home in this very House. We need to dramatically increase our political commitment to water – we need to preserve our lands, help our nature to recover and conserve our water. And, dear Commissioner, we need to act now, with an ambitious European water resilience strategy before it is too late. As rapporteur of the Parliament's initiative, I call for decisive action to protect our people and resources and build a sustainable future of a liveable world for future generations to come.

Mr President, this is a discussion about the people, about the Maltese fisherman who is seeing fewer fish in the traps due to changes in fish migration, about the farmer in the Greek Islands who is seeing his olive trees bury under constant heat, about the family in Sardinia forced to ration water, even during the winter months. For those who regard the Mediterranean as their home, the situation is very severe as the region is warming 20 percent faster than the global average. This is the present history of the Mediterranean. A crisis that requires decisions on water resilience, on our farmers and fishermen, on our livelihoods. Last year was the hottest year in history. This is an existential threat that calls for immediate and swift global action in unfound political rhetoric. Colleagues, cooperation is non-negotiable. Will we be remembered as the leaders who turned the tide or as the ones who let it sweep us away? The clock is ticking, and the thermometer is rising. Let's not delay any further.

Mr President, a strong European competitiveness should go hand in hand with a Green Deal that is both ambitious and fair for all. The Green Deal reflects our collective commitment to a sustainable future for us and our children. But we cannot ignore the fact that its impact exists on small economies and vulnerable communities. Small countries and islands face unique challenges. Impact assessments are a crucial tool, but unfortunately they often fail to reflect Malta's specific realities: our limited space and resources, dependence on imports by air, sea, and direct effect from extreme elements. And so, dear Commissioner, that several Maltese and Gozitans feel that the Green Deal has ignored us. And so, looking to the future, I am calling for comprehensive and fair impact assessments to be carried out for each Member State in order to truly reflect the realities of the country. A green deal that is for all means inclusion, balance and safeguarding to our local communities. Let's build a Europe with a future, sustainable and competitive where no one is left behind.

Mr President, then, explain to me a few of you: is it saying that the right to freedom of speech should not have any structure of responsibility for our actions on social platforms? Tell me, do you want to have a right without responsibility for your actions? Do you want a false profile to have a right, without responsibility, to spread lies, to spread half manipulative truths and to spread distantly without any accounting? Do you think that our young people were ruined as I was when I was younger? Cyberbullying throughout childhood! That's what you want?

Madam President, access to clean drinking water is a human right. Yet this right is increasingly under threat. Across Europe, pollution, climate change and deepening inequalities are putting this right at risk. We must act now to improve access to drinking water while safeguarding sustainability and equity for all citizens across the EU. Research now reveals the alarming presence of PFAS – the 'forever chemicals' – in 94 % of EU drinking water samples. Malta, like other islands and peripheries, tries to balance unique challenges while still maintaining EU standards. We are water-stressed and we must acknowledge that we have areas in the EU which do not have clean drinking water or drinking water at all. Dear Commissioner, I have said it before and will repeat it again: we need a holistic and legally-binding European water resilience strategy. The time is now to establish robust EU standards, but with the needed flexibilities to adapt to local realities. We must act boldly, tackle pollution at source, effectively implement EU water quality standards across all Member States for both surface and groundwater, invest in resilient infrastructure and ensure affordability. No one should have to choose between paying their rent or their water bill. No one should have to choose between water and their health. Water is not profit – it's a lifeline for people. Europe must lead in safeguarding this fundamental right.

Mr President, plastic is everywhere: it is in the food we eat, the water we drink and the seas that once symbolized freedom and purity. The world is drowning in plastic, and we are running out of time to act. I just had lunch before this debate, and I can’t even be sure if what I ate is free from plastic. Every single day, the equivalent of 2.000 truckloads of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean. By 2050, our ocean could have more plastic than fish. That is where we are at, right now. Think about that for a moment. It is not just about visible litter, it is about invisible poison. It is about the toxic chemicals leaching into our soils, our ocean and yes, our bloodstreams. It is also about the carbon emissions from plastic production, which today are even higher than those of aviation. We must take tangible action now: the Global Plastic Treaty, which is being negotiated right now in South Korea, is our chance to turn the tide. This is not just a meeting, it is our world’s defining moment. But it can only be so if we take bold action with tangible action. We need ambitious, legally binding targets to cut plastic production. We need to end single-use plastics globally, ban harmful chemicals and hold accountable those who profit from this crisis and I call on those few states blocking this from happening to be ambitious and think about our common future and that of generations to come. And yes, a one-size-fits-all approach will not work, but I believe that good governance and sustainable mechanisms must guide this treaty. We must ensure equal access to alternatives and avoid creating additional burdens on our consumers and businesses, particularly our SMEs. An upstream approach is critical, addressing the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production, to use, to its disposal. And as you said, dear Commissioner, by focusing on product design and linking production with pollution, we can prevent waste before it even happens, and we can only do this together and for everyone. A just transition must ensure that no one is left behind: from waste pickers, that collect around 60 % of recycled plastic, to the impacted communities bearing the burden of our waste and our activists fighting the good fight, such as the Maltese swimmer Neil Agius, who is beating plastic one stroke at the time. This is not a European problem, this is a global crisis, but Europe has the power to lead and we have shown that bold action on climate is possible. Colleagues, this is not just about protecting our ocean, it is not about cleaning up our beaches, it is about protecting our future, our health, our humanity. Let us fight for a global treaty that does not just manage plastic pollution, but ends it.

Madam President, this is embarrassing. We are discussing the future of our ocean when the plenary has practically already ended, when most MEPs have already gone. Is this the attention our future deserves? This is a clear statement that our ocean, our future, is not a priority for the leadership of this Parliament. Dear colleagues – whoever is left – the ocean is in peril, with climate change, unruly destruction of our biodiversity and our fishers desperately trying to survive. It is vital to have a properly‑managed international network of marine protected areas, not just for biodiversity, but for the survival of our coastal communities that rely on a healthy ocean for their livelihood. We can't let this failure continue. The time to act is now. Let us deliver an Ocean Pact that truly protects our ocean and safeguards our livelihood. Empty promises won't cut it. We need binding targets like real funding, and the international political will to deliver, through marine protected areas, for our ocean, our communities and our future.

Mrs President, when a journalist dies, part of democracy dies. These were the words of my colleague, the Honourable Ruotolo. This is because journalism is an integral part of upholding the right. Malta is the first Member State to adopt anti-SLAPP rules and has made steps forward aimed at protecting journalists. But we can never say that enough has been done. There is always something to strengthen. There is always something to improve. Malta should therefore continue to strengthen its work so that freedom of expression is never threatened, and should do so for as long as it takes. The European Union must also protect journalists, and we can do this by promoting factual and dignified journalism that is under threat in a global context. Colleagues, my call is to upgrade our tools in a context of reality capable of undermining serious journalism. As much as social media help spread the news, increase the risk of misinformation, and in the context of artificial intelligence, our efforts must look at new realities so that truth is conveyed, so that truth is our justice.

Mr. President, we often feel comfortable talking about mental health only when it is something far away from us and our family. But today I would like to say to you that I go through moments of sadness and anxiety. If you're feeling like me, if you're suffering in silence, I understand you. But we need to learn to talk. Many times I thought I was alone, but the numbers say otherwise. According to this year's Eurobarometer, two out of three people in Malta felt that they had emotional or psychosocial problems. Then more than half of them, did not seek professional help. Why? Because there is still shame, there is still fear. Let us be the voice of those who are afraid to speak up. Let us offer a hand to those who are silently suffering, and so I call on you friends to ensure prevention. How? By legislating in all sectors, we put the well-being of every individual at the centre of our work. By legislating to make a better world for future generations.

Mr President, I am the son of Gozo, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The Maltese and Gozitans are directly affected by the impact of climate change. Extreme weather events are no longer just environmental issues, but now also have a major social impact. Climate change is having a disproportionate impact, especially on vulnerable people. Basic rights that we are used to, such as access to water and electricity, are no longer guaranteed. And this situation is evolving into a social crisis that is seriously impacting our communities across Europe and beyond, in particular our farmers and fishermen. Malta is not alone in this situation. All European islands and peripheral regions are in a very precarious situation, because our already limited resources are now being impacted to a much greater extent by climate change. As a Gozitan, I appeal to the European Union not to leave any island alone in this situation.

Mr President, today we are facing an urgent public health challenge. One that knows no borders and calls for a joint European response. The spread of Mpox has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. This situation should not be overlooked, even though experts are currently saying that the risk in Europe is still low. We have already seen the devastating impact of this virus in other regions, especially in the Congo, where children account for more than seventy percent of reported cases. This should remind us of the vulnerability of marginalised populations and the urgent need for global solidarity. We need to do more in Europe. European Mpox cases are a warning that we must act now to ensure our preparedness and prevent further spread. The lessons learned from COVID-19 are clear. Proactive and coordinated measures save lives and even resources. The Union shall ensure transparency and facilitate cooperation between all Member States. In addition, we must combat the stigmatisation of patients. This virus should not become a source of discrimination or fear, especially among the LGBTIQ+ community. We want to ensure support for all those seeking diagnosis and treatment. This is more than a medical challenge. This is a European challenge of solidarity, resilience and respect.