Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday the deadline for the trade agreement with the EU was postponed to 1 August. Procrastination indicates that there is hope for a deal. These additional negotiations are important to come out together. If this indicates one thing, it is that we as Europe must stand on our own feet as soon as possible. The U.S. can't live without us, and we can't live without them. We are a market where the US has many dependencies. That is why we must not let ourselves get overwhelmed and prepare countermeasures. We need to be willing to show our teeth. We do not want a trade war, that only creates losers and only gives China and Russia more leeway in the field of security. That's what they want: A weak transatlantic bond. We won't let that happen to us.

Mr President, the security situation in Mali is seriously deteriorating. The fighting between Malian authorities, rebels and jihadists is intensifying. It identifies gross violations of human rights. All opposition parties and opponents of the regime are eliminated. Democratic elections seem further away than ever. Political rights must be restored and elections must be called. Russia has used this momentum to expand its influence in Mali. Mali, for example, has started building a Russian-backed gold refinery and is spreading "games" fighting against the neo-colonialism of Europe and America. There is also proactive pro-Russian propaganda, which is spreading at lightning speed. But it goes far beyond that. There are an estimated one thousand five hundred Russian soldiers who are guilty of large-scale human rights violations: They execute Malians and intimidate the population. This violence must stop.

Mr President, Commissioner, being kidnapped, abused and left for dead... This is the story of many child soldiers in Sudan. In the hope of avenging the death of a family member or getting some food, they end up with armed groups. Once inside, they are used as sex objects or human shields or are armed as soldiers. All of these children have been damaged for the rest of their lives. The human rights situation in Sudan is appalling. Civilians and hospitals are being attacked and looted. More than 2 million people have fled. People are raped and killed. At the same time, food prices continue to rise explosively, driving people to despair. As a result, nearly 8 million people suffer from severe food shortages. 2.3 million people are even in an acute food crisis and are really malnourished. Europe must act against this. The cause of all this is the struggle for raw materials and oil and the interference of foreign actors. Peace must be built together with women and men from different Sudanese communities.

Madam President, I am proud the Netherlands will host the NATO summit in The Hague. It comes at a time when we need to commit ourselves to a growth path of the postponed 3.5 %, and an additional 1.5 % defence spending at NATO. We cannot continue to hide ourselves behind Trump's back for our security. Without further increase of our security budget we cannot expect ourselves to be able to defend ourselves when the EU will be attacked. We must innovate in ReArm Europe; use common procurement; use the Ukrainian defence industry to further support Ukraine, as well as harmonise our weaponry. And we need to create resilience among our population. We need to create a long-term commitment to our defence market and industry. But it is not only about defence, it also goes hand in hand with securing our critical raw materials, increasing competitiveness for our defence industry and creating more sustainable and green defence supply chain.

Mr President, Commissioner, our ocean is the blue lung of our planet. Oceans give us more than 50% of our oxygen and take a quarter of our CO2 op. These oceans contribute to biodiversity, food and energy security and the climate. The ocean pact must be more than fine words. The sea gives us so much, it is only right that we deal with it responsibly. Less pollution, less illegal activities and more room for innovation for a good use of this ocean. No overregulation that clamps down on local entrepreneurs, but also no license to pollute. That is why international agreements on how we deal with the industrialization of the ocean are crucial. Think of wind farms, data centers, but also deep-sea mining. Europe can and must take the lead in this, with clear rules, decent scientific evidence and international cooperation. A healthy ocean is vital.

Mr President, the damage of war goes far beyond buildings, beyond infrastructure. The real scars are in people. Men, women and children in Ukraine are victims of unimaginable violence: rape, imprisonment, torture, kidnapping. They are men, women and children who want nothing but to live in peace. They see their futures being shredded away. Yet, in the midst of all this horror, we must not forget that behind every uniform, on any side, there is a human being: a son, a daughter, a father, a mother. On the Ukrainian side, but also on the Russian side. They too have the right to protection. They too have a right to a future. Prisoners of war are not pawns on a chessboard. They are people, and human rights also apply in times of war. The recent exchange of POWs and bodies between Ukraine and Russia shows that these rights are not naturally respected, and this is unacceptable. Europe must not remain silent. We must stand for human dignity, everywhere and always.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, this report is a wonderful example of how climate policy and industrial strengthening can go hand in hand. With this simplification of the CBAM, we are taking an important step towards a system that is simpler, fairer and more innovative. This significantly reduces the administrative burden for our companies. 91% of companies will no longer have to declare, while 99% of the CO emitted will no longer have to do so.2 Just stay within the system. This means less bureaucracy, especially for our SMEs, without compromising on environmental protection. In fact, this creates a level playing field and encourages companies to invest in cleaner and more future-proof production. However, let's be clear: This is just the beginning. In next year's review, we will seize every opportunity to rectify the remaining omissions and make the system truly robust. Not over the heads of our industry, but together with companies we opt for sustainable innovation.

Mr President, Commissioner, imagine: You are less than ten years old and in the middle of the night you are taken out of bed. Not because you're being taken to safety, not because help is on the way, but because you're being kidnapped. Far from home, far from your parents, far from anything familiar. To the country that dropped bombs on your village, to the country that killed your parents. This is the harsh reality of some 20,000 Ukrainian children. Kidnapped, deported, illegally adopted. Not only their childhood is stolen, but also their identity, their language, their future. They are forced to live according to their oppressor's ideal. As if their past never existed. It is an attack on the soul of a people. We must not forget these children. The European Union must continue to identify and tackle the perpetrators. As long as these children are imprisoned, it is our moral duty to be their voice, for their right to youth, to home, to future.

Mr President, Commissioner, under pressure from Trump, Ukraine has already had to make substantial concessions to maintain the support of the United States. A commodity deal in exchange for a sense of security, but without real guarantees, that's what it comes down to. There is no quick road to peace with Russia, but we will have to continue to work towards a just peace deal for Ukraine. Giving up is not an option. It's our war. Our support for Ukraine must continue unabated and we must also make Europe resilient to the growing threats from Russia. We need to be vigilant about that. These are uncertain times and this is certainly not going to change anytime soon. At a time when the international legal order is under pressure, we as Europe must not give in or support an unjust peace in Ukraine. Putin will not stop after Ukraine. Let us not be naive.

Mr President, if someone is very rich, we say in the Netherlands: He or she has money like water. Is it because we have so much water? Or because clean water is becoming increasingly rare? Is clean water in Europe still there for the happy few Or for everyone? Climate change is increasingly causing problems with our water: Too much, too little, too polluted. It is a growing problem, from Greece to Groningen. I welcome our call to the Commission for a European strategy for water resilience, because this problem affects everyone. Families rely on clean drinking water. Farmers rely on clean water for a good harvest and our companies are looking for smart solutions for water reuse. I call on the Commission to see water safety as a real top priority. After all, water is crucial infrastructure and without water nothing works. That is why it is essential to protect our water from sabotage. We need to better absorb water surpluses and shortages by strengthening dikes, building locks and giving water space. If someone in Europe pollutes the water with toxic substances such as PFAS, it must be tackled harshly. We keep our water safe and clean together. Because rivers, rain showers and floods do not stop at our border.

Mr President, since Trump's installation, the terms "import tax" and "trade tariff" have never been more popular. His protectionism and unpredictable policies have sharpened the global economy. The United States under Trump is no longer the stable partner that Europe was used to. We have to be honest: Trump is unpredictable and will remain so. Its tariff policy has no deterrent effect, but has now become the standard. Then why would we stick to an unreliable partner? We need security and stability. It is up to us, to politics, to be reliable and predictable. If not, companies will not be able or willing to invest, while this is much needed for our competitiveness and climate investment. Europe and the Netherlands need to review their trade strategy. We need to look further at other markets, such as Ukraine, India, Africa and South America. These regions offer opportunities for new trade agreements. This is not a luxury, but a necessity. If we want to maintain access to critical raw materials, if we want to maintain our prosperity, we need to think more broadly. The future of our economy does not depend on one unreliable president, but on stable strategic alliances worldwide.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the humanitarian crisis in the Congo continues. In less than three months, more than one hundred thousand Congolese have fled to their neighbours due to the ongoing violence. The shelters where people lived were completely destroyed. Humanitarian aid is limited, also due to the lack of funding. There is a silent disaster. Conflict minerals, such as coltan, are still being mined. Not only by Congolese, but also by Russians, Chinese and Rwandans. People work in dangerous conditions with the risk of conflict and fighting that can break out at any time. When armed groups invade villages, the goal is usually to destroy and systematically use sexual violence and recruit child soldiers. The richness of Congo – the raw materials – is causing a total disruption. The illegal trade and exploitation of the mines must really stop. As the European Union, we should work to protect those critical raw materials and keep humanitarian organisations running. This conflict must stop.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the fall of Assad offers hope to many Syrians whom I speak. It is difficult to trust the new de facto government, also given the history and the escalating violence of last weekend. We must realise that stability in Syria increases stability throughout the region. You want Syrians themselves to be ready for reconstruction. This requires space, opportunities to invest and international cooperation. That is why we must look pragmatically at the suspension of sanctions. We will also be open to reopening diplomatic posts in Syria. The Syrian de facto government will have to show that it represents all population groups, all ethnic minorities, including religious minorities, women and children. Violence eruptions like last week's, where more than a thousand people died in targeted attacks on population groups, we will not and cannot accept as an EU. Syria has a long way to go. For example, democratic elections will have to be organised, aid will have to be started and there will have to be access to care, education and clean water as basic services for everyone in Syria. It is now up to the EU to see in which areas we can cooperate with Syria and under what conditions.

Mr President, Commissioner, a city of more than a million people is being invaded and set on fire. Men are murdered, women are raped and children are forced into soldiers. Most people have never heard of this city. It is the tragic fate of the people of Goma, a city in Congo, on the border with Uganda and Rwanda. And this is the harsh reality of the situation in Congo. Russia would have supported the Congolese government in the fight against M23. Rwanda, with the help of the rebels, would smuggle mineral from Congolese mines. And the rest of the world is watching. Everyone has an eye for their own interests, but forget what it's all about: human lives. Masses of people are fleeing and there is too little humanitarian aid. And the help that is there is not coming. Organizations that want to offer help fear for the lives of their own employees. We must ensure that aid organisations can reach people and that peace returns to the country. This will only be possible if other countries stop funding military organizations for their own interests and if we actually get an eye for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people.

President, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria: The Middle East is upside down. War, conflict, tension. This threatens the lives of millions of people. All these terrible images affect us as human beings, while the consequences affect us as a society as a whole. Are you for one or against the other? In Europe, too, people are diametrically opposed to each other. And as if it's not bad enough, Donald Trump talks about the Middle East as if he's developing the next golf resort for multinationals. War in the Middle East affects us here. The attacks on ships in the Red Sea, large groups of people fleeing, seeking food and shelter. Peace, security and trade are under pressure. The European Union needs a strategy for the Middle East, just as the Middle East needs Europe. I ask the Commission to work on this as soon as possible.

Mr President, in Italy a sperm whale washes up with 20 kilograms of plastic in its stomach, including shopping bags, fishing nets and lighters. Every year we also receive thousands of microplastics through our drinking water and food. Plastic pollution harms the health of people and nature. The UN summit in Busan, South Korea, should have delivered a groundbreaking international treaty against microplastic pollution. It is deeply disappointing that this did not succeed. If we don't act now, plastic production will triple by 2060. The consequences for our health and that of future generations are simply too great. We need to drastically reduce the use of plastic by designing products smarter and developing better alternatives. Products need to last longer and recycling and repairing should become a habit to prevent plastic from ending up in our waste as much as possible. Furthermore, what we produce must be reused as much as possible. Currently, less than one-fifth of plastic is recycled. The plastic has to stay in the chain. We must continue to work on enforceable and enforceable rules for more efficient waste management. Although the challenges are great, together we can take the step towards a circular economy that is good for people and the environment, and for our future. Let Europe remain a leading example for the rest of the world. We hope to continue to inspire other countries.

Mr President, the arrival of Trump creates a debate about how we should deal with America. After the inauguration, Trump's first pile of decrees has already been signed. These have international implications, such as withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, withdrawal from the WHO and the review of trade with Europe. These are developments that I am seriously concerned about. On the other hand: We're gonna have to do it. It is extremely important for Europe to stay in good contact with America and not to shy away from these topics of conversation. America is and remains our most important ally. At the same time, the new Trump administration is making Europe a target. I expect our European leaders to be united and to stand firm on our rules, our values and our democracies.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the anti-EU and anti-Ukrainian propaganda machine is running at full speed in Russia to justify the war in Ukraine. Putin is doing everything he can to break Ukraine's morale. Ukraine should not exist. It would not be a legitimate country. However, the truth is different: 92% of Ukrainians wanted to become independent. 92% of Ukrainians also do not want to hand over occupied land to Russia. A war that has been raging for almost eleven years, with the illegal capture of Crimea. A war between a dictator and a now democratic country. The differences between these two countries could not be greater. Ukraine is not Russia. Ukraine is a democratic country. A country with a European history that goes back many years. Putin does not stop at Ukraine. Let us not be naive. Slava Ukraini!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, what if rape in a conflict is normal and you have no way of arming yourself against it? Moreover, if you become a victim, you can't tell about your pain and sadness either. If you do, you run the risk of being rejected, of being excluded from your own community. This is what happens to girls and women in Congo and Sudan. Girls, children, they are sometimes only nine years old. I saw this with my own eyes twenty years ago in Congo and unfortunately it is still the reality today. Sexual violence is an effective and reliable weapon to humiliate an entire population and disrupt entire communities. This weapon is always available free of charge to military groups and is therefore often used. Sexual violence causes not only lifelong mental damage, but also almost always enormous physical damage. For example, the UN recently announced that an eleven-year-old girl died from the injuries she suffered from rape. A woman has been detained and raped by groups of men for more than 35 days. Women should never be the tactical weapon of an opponent, to humiliate and control the other in war. And when peace initiatives arise, let us ensure that women are always at the negotiating table and that sexual violence is a topic of conversation, so that the perpetrators are held accountable and the victims are supported.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, we cannot imagine the atrocities that have taken place in Syria. More than fifty years of dictatorship and a heavily traumatized country remains, which is still very divided. The minority has ruled the majority for years. This brings with it a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability. We do not know how the new regime will develop, but we must be hopeful and give it a chance to develop this just state. For the new Syria, there must be a constitution that gives the various Syrians rights: women and ethnic and religious minorities. The European Union must work to provide this support on the basis of the rule of law. Part of this should be to strengthen diplomatic ties, as France is currently doing to reopen embassies in Syria in due course. This is the moment when Europe must be on top of it. Especially now that all those different countries with less good intentions are getting involved in the conflict. Now is the time for change. As Europe, we must strengthen diplomatic ties, ensure stability in the region and provide support where necessary.

Mr President, you turn on your tap in the morning and brown water comes out. Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental right. Yet polluted drinking water is the reality for more than 14 million Europeans. Bottled water is not always available, is not sustainable and is often expensive. You would think that in a water-rich country like the Netherlands we do not know this problem. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In the Netherlands, too, we are experiencing more and more periods of drought and in the delta of the Netherlands, keeping our drinking water clean is particularly difficult. Due to pollution, purifying the water costs more and more energy. What we need to do is really address it at the source. Establish clear and strict rules for the pollution of our drinking water. This is the only way to keep our drinking water clean, now and in the future.

Mr President, Commissioner, a smoke-free generation in 2040, that is what we are going for. But it doesn't happen by itself. And we know: see smoking, do smoking – see vaping, do vaping. This resolution, as part of the Beating Cancer Plan, helps us to achieve that smoke-free generation. And as a former alderman in the Netherlands, I have introduced stricter measures, such as this one, and have seen that they actually work. It would be good if we could work together at European level. The same goes for the price of cigarettes. At the moment, the cigarettes in Poland are so cheap that flying there for a weekend to buy them there is cheaper than buying these cigarettes in the Netherlands. It would be good if the whole of Europe worked together on the price. Let's work together on that smoke-free and vape-free future. All young people in Europe deserve the same protection.

Mr President, beaten up, tortured and even raped, purely because you take off your headscarf as a 14-year-old girl. That is the reality for girls in Iran if they are arrested by the morality police. Since the protests two years ago and the death of Mahsa Amini, the situation for women and protesters has only worsened. In Iran, as a woman, you are a second-class citizen. Don't want to wear a hijab? Do you want to choose your own clothes? Then you run the risk of being beaten up, end up in prison or even get the death penalty. This year alone, 27 women have been executed for their choice of clothing. What about the perpetrators, the rapists, the abusers, the oppressors? They go free. Violence is institutionalized. Women are second-class citizens in Iran. We must continue to raise this issue, because as long as women are oppressed, it is our duty to continue to fight for their rights, anywhere in the world.