What Paulo spoke about.

7

Oct

2025

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Common agricultural policy (joint debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, today is the day to congratulate you and our rapporteurs, Céline Imart and André Rodrigues, on having these two important proposals. We are strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain and making life easier for them. I take the view that predictability, a balance in negotiations for farmers and respect for the cooperative model are also guaranteed if commercial relations are based, as a matter of principle, on a written contract with the existing derogations. As we have done for the milk sector, meat-related designations must indeed be meat. Priority must be given to what is produced in the European Union and, where there is public procurement, priority must also be given to PDO and PGI products. On simplification, we do not accept taking money from farmers to finance crisis situations. We have increased support for small farmers to €5,000 per year, and their investments up to €75,000 now have a highly simplified scheme. We also make the management of permanent pasture more flexible, and farms of up to 50 hectares are exempt from the crop diversification rule. We have reduced red tape and controls for organic and partially organic farms and the Natura 2000 network. We have introduced flexibility between the EAFRD and POSEI for the Azores and Madeira, for the first time accepted – and I am grateful for the support of all colleagues for my proposal. This also reflects our commitment to European farmers: less red tape; less paperwork; more justice; more income; more time on the ground doing what they know best – producing quality, sustainable and affordable food for Europeans. More time in the field, less time in the offices and, I hope, firm positions of the European Parliament.

10

Jul

2025

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Post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, there is nothing more important for security and defence than putting food on the table of Europeans without relying on others, and it is our farmers, so often mistreated and unloved, who do so. That is why the Commissioner's positive message from agriculture and the rural world is so important. The CAP must return to its origins, with a focus on sustainable food production, and all other services that farmers provide should be remunerated by other means, with incentives rather than obligations. It has to maintain its structure with a robust budget and I recall that Member States only contribute 0.36% of their GDP to this larger goal and it has to stay out of any single fund. Attracting more people to the sector has to be a priority and we achieve this with research, innovation and digitalisation. It is important to have European insurance. And I will end with POSEI, for the outermost regions, which has already depreciated by more than 40% because it has not been updated for about 20 years. Its increase is to correct an injustice also towards the farmers of the Azores. We are counting on you, Commissioner.

9

Jul

2025

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EU-US trade negotiations (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, 50 % yesterday, 10 % today and tomorrow what will it be? In the face of this instability, I must praise him for his democratic patience. But the successive postponements of the conclusion of trade negotiations with the United States are already having a significant impact on businesses and citizens on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as on the perception that both Europeans and Americans have of each other. Together, we account for almost 30% of global trade and 43% of global GDP. Instability and uncertainty are bad for business, but they are even worse for transatlantic relations that were once untouchable. But our history would not forgive us if we gave up our transatlantic relationship, for sharing the same values, but also for economic and strategic reasons, with the Atlantic that unites us and makes us the center of the world. This is a political necessity. We must not and cannot give in hastily or accept what we do not allow Europeans. We must maintain the three premises that have guided us: negotiate as much as is acceptable with the United States, diversify our trade partnerships with the rest of the world, regaining a place of influence that we have lost, and strengthen our internal market so as to increase our strategic autonomy.

17

Jun

2025

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European Ocean Pact (debate)

Mr Oliveira, I was indeed present at the United Nations Conference in Nice, and a EUR 1 billion package for the Blue Economy was announced by the President of the European Commission herself. The focus of his intervention was precisely on small-scale fishing – artisanal fishing and coastal fishing – which we must preserve, as it is a cultural heritage and so characteristic of our coasts. Let me also note that, in fact, our country, Portugal, and in particular the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, have been essential in the defence of fishermen, but also in the creation of marine protected areas, which it is essential that we preserve today in order to have resources tomorrow. Thank you very much for your question, Honourable Member.

17

Jun

2025

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European Ocean Pact (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, congratulations on what you have achieved. The Oceans Pact will mark a new era and reassume the European Union's leadership in protecting the ocean, in a unique ocean approach. The oceans are transatlantic relations. They unite us with other continents, peoples and cultures. And in times of geopolitical tension, the focus on the ocean that is common to us is essential to overcome the differences, so I advocate a new strategy for the Atlantic. The ocean is also a source of food and this Pact puts fishermen at its centre: resource sustainability, fair incomes, fleet renewal, multi-annual quota setting and consideration of the three pillars of environmental, social and economic sustainability. Given that we still import 70% of the fish consumed in the European Union, we must combat unfair competition from products outside our Union. It is fundamental to our food security and to our coastal communities and artisanal fishing, so characteristic of our culture and our coasts. It is also important to highlight the issue of marine protected areas, which, contrary to what some want to pass, can be allied with fishermen, increasing biomass and yields. However, in the transition, these should be compensated for any losses. Portugal is a good example of European leadership, taking into account that the Azores, Madeira and now the Bank of Gorringe at national level, five years on target, has already achieved exactly 20% of what was intended. This must be acknowledged. It is therefore also crucial in the outermost regions to restore POSEI Fisheries. The ocean is also security and defence, because we have to protect the undersea infrastructure, first and foremost the submarine cables that connect us to various continents. The ocean is science, research and observation; it is essential to coordinate and integrate research on the sea and the deep sea, which will be done at our European Deep Sea Observatory on the island of Faial in the Azores. Finally, I support the Compact presented by the United Nations Ocean Conference and welcome the European Commission's proposal to invest €1 billion in the sector...

16

Jun

2025

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Strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy (debate)

Madam President, Mr Vice-President, the European Union is much more than its capitals, and it is because we do not understand this that we are losing many defenders of the European project. Rural areas represent more than 80% of the territory of the European Union and are home to about 25% of Europeans and 33% of Portuguese. This indicates that the lack of conditions leads many of our young people to migrate to big cities, often staying on their peripheries without fulfilling their dreams. Depopulation, an ageing population, a lack of economic and social opportunities and significantly lower incomes than in urban areas undermine the cohesion of the Union. We therefore need a more robust, flexible, multilevel and simplified cohesion policy focused on promoting territorial equality and combating regional disparities. To fulfil the right to stay, it is essential to have the necessary infrastructure and connectivity, adequate accessibility – in the case of the outermost regions, through a POSEI Transport – and dignified access to education and healthcare. This is also why cohesion policy is an essential tool to address the specific challenges of these regions. And I thank you for your efforts, Mr Vice-President, to save her. There is no cohesion without a fully developed and territorially just Europe. And I'll finish: rural areas have to be recognised as de facto, i.e. strategic territories for food security, agricultural production, energy transition and environmental sustainability and central actors in the future in the European Union.

6

May

2025

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A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the next multiannual financial framework will decide the future of the European project and of the European Union itself. We need simplification, de-bureaucratisation and also flexibility not only for the final beneficiaries, but also for the administrations of the Member States. And I believe that the European Court of Auditors should be an integral part of the definition of the next framework, so that they are not just the overseers, but supporters of this implementation. In cohesion, I was pleased to see these national and regional partnership frameworks, which is crucial to have in this multi-level approach, ensuring the involvement of all – a robust budget, respecting the principle of subsidiarity and also partnership. In agriculture, we need to maintain the CAP budget in a robust way and ensure its two-pillar structure. The first pillar, direct payments, is fundamental to stabilising farmers' incomes, and also to ensuring what is the European Union's strategic autonomy in food, because it is also security and defence. And I will end with a reference to the outermost regions: we need to strengthen POSEI Agriculture here – I thank the rapporteurs and the more than 100 MEPs who have signed up to the amendment strengthening this role – and also a POSEI Fisheries and a POSEI Transport.

6

May

2025

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A unified EU response to unjustified US trade measures and global trade opportunities for the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the European Union and the United States account for around 30% of global trade, so the imposition of tariffs has a direct impact on our businesses and, above all, on consumers, as they are reflected in final prices, which have already increased by around 12%. There are three premises that must be followed by the European Union. Negotiate, because we cannot give up our usual ally, and transatlantic relations are more than economy and trade balances and require commitments, because they are based on values, security and strategic and transatlantic cooperation, with special importance for the Atlantic axis, where Portugal and the Azores have a relevant role. Encourage new opportunities for diversification of trade partnerships, and I highlight the agreements with Mercosur, Mexico and South Africa. Every time Trump closes a door, the European Union has to open a window. Strengthening our internal market, as a recent study by the International Monetary Fund estimates that the costs of regulatory barriers within the European Union amount to tariffs of 44% on goods and up to 110% on services. Reducing these barriers will more than mitigate the impact of external tariffs. A strong and coordinated position of the Union in defending its interests, with strategic autonomy and a robust internal market, is the best guarantee against external threats, wherever they come from.

5

May

2025

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Ninth report on economic and social cohesion (debate)

5

May

2025

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Ninth report on economic and social cohesion (debate)

2

Apr

2025

Answers PT

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European oceans pact (debate)

Honourable Member, in fact, we must guarantee here the protection of small-scale fishing and coastal communities, which are vibrant and are also characteristic of many Member States, first and foremost Portugal for its cultural heritage. No, I don't share your view. I even think that, at European level, we have here the EMFAF, which has worked very well and has reached – unfortunately not in the way we wanted, but has reached – some of the operators in the sector. But we also have here a strong position of the national government in what is the defense and multipolarity of economic activity also of the ocean and thus ensuring the maintenance of activity in these coastal areas. Therefore, I do not share his vision, but I agree that we must protect, above all, coastal and fishing communities.

2

Apr

2025

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European oceans pact (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the Ocean Pact must put the European Union back at the forefront of this agenda, combining the protection of the oceans, and I highlight the example of the Azores with the definition of 30% of its sea, classified as marine protected areas, with economic activities such as fisheries and blue economy sectors. This balance is crucial when the European Union imports 70% of the fish it consumes and when 80% of world trade takes place by sea. We need to increase our food security by also fighting illegal fishing and promoting a level playing field with ours for those exporting to the Union. But for this, we need scientific knowledge, because we can only protect what we know and, in this context, the creation of the European Deep Sea Observatory in the Azores is central and will promote cooperation and synergies between the European Union in these areas. Added to all this is the geopolitical dimension we are going through, so we must have a new strategy for the Atlantic, including defence, also, for example, in the protection of our submarine cables crossing the Atlantic. And I will finish, Commissioner. We must protect coastal and small-scale fishing communities, starting with the outermost regions, such as the Azores and Madeira, which give the European Union the largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. This requires restoring POSEI-Fisheries and enabling fleet renewal, modernising and attracting new generations to the sector.

1

Apr

2025

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Improving the implementation of cohesion policy through the mid-term review to achieve a robust cohesion policy post 2027 (debate)

Mr President, Executive Vice-President, cohesion policy is the largest investment policy in the European Union and benefits, directly or indirectly, all Member States and regions. We were faced with the need to close the previous multiannual financial framework with the RRP, with the current financial framework and also with an inflationary crisis, with the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which created disruptions in the supply chains of raw materials and labour. Therefore, the low implementation rate cannot be the sole responsibility of the Member States and the 6% is certainly not the result of policy failure, quite the contrary. I am pleased to see that this mid-term review makes it possible to reduce complexity and red tape and here increases the principle of trust in the Member States in order to be able to develop cohesion policy in a way that is better adapted to these new pillars. I highlight the success of the Azores, which leads the implementation rate of the European funds of Portugal 2030, which demonstrates that a multilevel decentralised management is fundamental to the success of this policy and I also highlight the idea of having here a new strategy for the outermost regions, announced in the document, and which I hope will be much closer and that will allow us to build a POSEI-Transport programme for the issue of competitiveness and the decarbonisation of accessibility.

13

Mar

2025

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A Vision for Agriculture and Food (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, this vision has put in writing what we in the PSD and the farmers out there have advocated so much. We have finally been heard, and thank you for that, Commissioner. The CAP needs to be strengthened, because agriculture is also cohesion, security and defence. What is the point of having territories if we do not develop them, or armies if we cannot feed them and depend on third countries? I welcome the strategy for generational renewal, and the figures are impressive: the average age of a farmer in the European Union is 57 and in Portugal 64. In five or ten years, who will produce what we eat? It is crucial to preserve the two pillars of the CAP, enhance transparency in price formation and a fair distribution of value in the food supply chain. The price on supermarket shelves is too far from what farmers get. Water resilience, and Portugal with the ‘Water that unites’ action plan, is an excellent example: simplification, replacing obligations with incentives, digitalisation and innovation, promotion and reciprocity, and mental health, among others, represent new hope for farmers. I will end by acknowledging its defence of agriculture in the outermost regions and of POSEI, which needs to be strengthened and updated. The outermost regions face unique challenges and are supported.

22

Jan

2025

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Stepping up international action to protect whales following Iceland’s decision to extend commercial whaling until 2029 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, we see with deep concern the extension until 2029 of Iceland's authorisation for whaling, one of the last three countries in the world still resisting the ban on commercial whaling, which was initiated in 1985-86 through a moratorium by the International Whaling Commission. The European Union has adopted measures to protect whales, but as whales are migratory species, their protection will only be effective if equivalent conservation measures are adopted at international level. That is why, Commissioner, I welcome this constructive vision and the dialogue that I will engage with the Icelandic authorities. In view of the fact that we have only one ocean, I also challenge the Commission to include the defence of whales in a future ocean pact. It is a responsibility of all of us. Nearly four decades after the moratorium, large whales continue to face serious and growing threats, from climate change to accidental capture, pollution, collision with vessels and lack of available food. It is estimated that large whales today store 9.1 million tonnes less carbon than was stored by the large whale population before the start of whale hunting. In addition to the admiration and respect that we must all have for these majestic mammals, preserving them, I also highlight the value estimated by the International Monetary Fund that each whale is worth more than two million euros, and the entire existing population is equivalent to one trillion euros. They can individually capture an average of 33 tonnes of carbon, and when they die naturally, they descend to the seafloor, capturing carbon for hundreds of years. It was with this environmental awareness that many countries chose to transform the whaling activity, so present and characteristic of so many European coastal areas, into whale watching. Let me mention here the success of the case of the Azores, in which around 60 000 people observe cetaceans every year, generating more than EUR 200 million in revenue per year, a figure greater than that achieved by hunting them. We must increasingly move forward with a non-lethal global approach to these marine animals, as this is the only way we will bring valuable socio-economic and scientific benefits. We also contribute to ocean literacy, as it motivates the public's interest in protecting marine life and ecosystems and the environment in general. And I will conclude, Madam President, by saying that it is time to put an end to whaling for good. Iceland, Japan and Norway: Follow the example of the Azores.

19

Dec

2024

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Recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women - EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (joint debate - EU priorities for the upcoming session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women)

Honourable Member, what we have to bet on is precisely the achievement of these rights, through education and training, not only thinking about what women's education is, but also about what education for the sensitivity and, above all, the awareness of men and the male sector is. It is essential to have this increased care in promoting and, I would even say, in creating conditions so that women can effectively enter the labour market and not depend financially on other personalities or other people to ensure their empowerment and, above all, guarantee their rights. That's what we stand for and that's what we want: access to education in order to have a more inclusive society.

19

Dec

2024

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Recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women - EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (joint debate - EU priorities for the upcoming session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women)

Mr President, Commissioner, there are still many challenges to achieving gender equality in some parts of the world. At this rate, in the European Union, we are 60 years away from this goal and, in the rest of the world, we still need more than 300 years. It's impressive! The participation of the European Union in the 69th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is crucial. We need to defend our priorities and lead by example, contributing in our external action with policies and adequate funding, to achieve this which is one of the objectives of the sustainable increase of the 2030 Agenda. Thirty years after the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and after reviewing the results of the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly, we recognise the progress, but regional disparities are still very evident. We must be uncompromising in opposing issues such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, just to give a few examples. The socio-economic context and accessibility to regions are categorical in achieving gender equality and it is only by ensuring opportunities for all these regions, including access to resources and education, healthcare and employability, that we can remove barriers that disproportionately affect women and ensure effective equality.

18

Dec

2024

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Challenges facing EU farmers and agricultural workers: improving working conditions, including their mental well-being (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, studies indicate higher suicide rates in the European Union among farmers and farm workers compared to other professions, concluding that about 20 % of farmers have already had suicidal thoughts. Risk factors include long working hours during all 365 days of the year, financial uncertainty with changes in incomes and subsidies, regulatory pressures, dysfunctional social relationships, climate change, farmers' prejudice and stigma associated with the public belief that farming practices are harmful to animals and the environment. bullying children in schools and access to lethal means. Agricultural work is also ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations in Europe, with the sector among those with the most fatal accidents in 2021. Stress, fatigue, depression, burnout Anxiety is the most common problem. Mental health has a financial, but above all a personal and social cost. And this is all that we will have to decide again in the future common agricultural policy, Commissioner. The social conditionality introduced in the current CAP strengthens protection for farm workers, but we need to do much more. In a sector undergoing profound transformation, we need to facilitate access to mental health care and focus on stabilising and predicting farmers’ incomes and regulations, reducing the psychosocial risks of the activity. But let me highlight one point that I consider fundamental: European public recognition of the value of agriculture and farmers. This is also a responsibility of all of us and we must make peace with European farmers. I will end by launching the challenge for the new CAP to once again finance the early retirement of our farmers and agricultural workers and genuinely promote generational renewal, given the rapid and sharp wear and tear of the profession.

17

Dec

2024

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The situation in Mayotte following the devastating cyclone Chido and the need for solidarity (debate)

Madam President, Mr Executive Vice-President, I express my solidarity and deep sorrow to the bereaved families and people affected by the horror and devastating passage of Cyclone Chido, in the outermost region of Mayotte and also in Mozambique. As has already been done by the president of another outermost region, the Regional Government of the Azores. Human tragedy and the trail of destruction are overwhelming. Mayotte's vulnerabilities also indicate the need to strengthen cohesion policy, decentralised and with increasing involvement of regional and local authorities in its design and management. Unfortunately, these kinds of phenomena are becoming more and more frequent. Today, we are talking about Chido, but I could also talk about Dorothea, which is affecting the Azores and has caused huge damage on the island of São Miguel, Lorenzo, Isaac, Kirk, Leslie and Gaston, among many others, which leads to us no longer being able to speak in exceptional situations, but in a new reality, with human losses, destruction of infrastructure and housing, which seriously undermine the local economies and the future of their communities. Local and regional authorities often struggle with no means to restore normality, so the European Union must ensure that resources reach affected communities quickly and directly. However, Mr Vice-President, I cannot fail to note that the Solidarity Fund is exhausted and quickly needs to be adapted, in its financing, eligibility criteria and definition of emergency situations, to the specific reality of the outermost regions and to unexpected phenomena other than those related to natural disasters. Commissioner, the people of Mayotte need us now. We must rise to the occasion and show European solidarity with this outermost region. And I support the principle you mentioned that we need to rebuild better, thanking you for your swift intervention in this whole process. My sympathy to Mayotte.

28

Nov

2024

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Need to adopt an ambitious international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment

Yes, nothing to oppose, the point here is that I come from an outermost region, an oceanic region, the Azores, and we there suffered well what is the impact of plastics and microplastics. We've got our dive sites under threat. We also have here the plastic that drifts and floats with the currents, which affects our own biodiversity. That is why, more than just talking about the consequences here, I am also talking about the causes and, of course, that is why I highlighted here, in my speech, the need to involve the whole sector, all sectors, from the outset also the producers themselves, in solutions that are obviously appropriate to our need.

28

Nov

2024

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Need to adopt an ambitious international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment

Mr President, Commissioner, around 11 million tonnes of plastic and microplastic waste flow into the oceans each year, contaminating our coasts and diving sites, and these are one of the greatest threats to the conservation of ocean marine biodiversity and ecosystems. And we all remember the tide of pellets that washed up on our shores recently. More than 800 marine and coastal species are affected by this pollution through ingestion and entanglement, but humans can also be affected as their exposure can harm their health. In Portugal, we recently adopted the National Action Plan for Marine Litter and our electoral manifesto includes the creation of the Marine Litter Observatory, which results from synergies with several non-governmental environmental organizations, which have done a fantastic job in the defense of our ocean and coastal areas. But I also welcome the collaboration and commitment of fishermen and maritime operators, who often fish literally for plastics, helping to clean up our Atlantic Ocean and saving many of our marine species. We must invest in the reduction, reuse and recycling of plastics, in international cooperation, in this collective effort that must have mandatory and ambitious targets, involving the producers of plastic polymers themselves, who must finance their collection and also be held accountable for their use and transport.

26

Nov

2024

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Prison conditions in the EU (debate)

9

Oct

2024

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Prevention of drug-related crimes, their effect on European citizens and the need for an effective European response (debate)

Madam President, trafficking networks are not looking at ways to increase the number of consumers, destroying families and lives. The use of highly addictive drugs results in craving and the need to buy more and more, leading to the exhaustion of financial costs and, inevitably, to the entry into the world of crime, either by the practice of small thefts to buy these substances, or by the fact that they become completely oblivious to reality, in a parallel world in which nothing and no one can stand between themselves and access to drugs. In particular, I would like to highlight the new psychoactive substances known as synthetic drugs and their impact on the outermost regions of the Azores and Madeira. The low cost and easy access to these substances, which are designed in home laboratories, coupled with their highly additive characteristics, are devastating these communities. Added to this are the obvious consequences for consumers and their families, the increased feeling of insecurity in communities and the number of people begging. Local, regional and national authorities cannot and cannot respond to this scourge on their own. Recognizing the complexity of this issue, I believe that the intervention involves the creation and improvement of policies and legal instruments that, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, police and border authorities, in ports and airports, aim to limit access, but also by preventing and promoting measures aimed at the rehabilitation of consumers at the level of mental health, since the levels of debilitation are evident, in particular of cognitive functions, but also the bet on the monitoring of families and the recapacitation of communities. I welcome all the professionals who work every day to combat this scourge that affects all Member States. And I will end with an appeal, Commissioner: we need a European strategy on synthetic drugs.

19

Sep

2024

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Droughts and extreme weather events as a threat to local communities and EU agriculture in times of climate change (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, if in one part of Europe we have floods that leave a wide trail of destruction, in Portugal fires and drought threaten human lives and destroy forests and fields. Such events put enormous pressure on farmers, who experience significant drops in production, ever-increasing costs and put their own animal feed at risk. In many cases, reserves for the winter have already been consumed and farmers look forward to the coming months with uncertainty. This is also the reality on the islands where I come from, the Azores, on islands such as Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge, among others, despite the constant support of the Regional Government. The consequences are severe: less food production, prices will rise and we will have to increase imports, putting food sovereignty in the European Union at risk. There is an urgent need to create new crisis management tools in agriculture and to increase the agricultural reserve allocation, which is insufficient to cope with the quantity and severity of the extreme events we have witnessed. The Union’s food security and sovereignty depend on sound water management, science and innovation, precision farming and digitalisation, in order to increase water efficiency and develop plant species and varieties that are better adapted to the new soil and climate conditions. Water abstraction and storage must also be increased, because there is a lot of water flowing into the sea. Studies by the Joint Research Center indicate that if nothing is done, grain corn yields will contract by 22 percent and wheat by 49 percent by 2050. Let me end with a word of encouragement and hope for our farmers.

18

Sep

2024

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The devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change (debate)

Mr President, at this painfully difficult time, I express my sorrow to all the bereaved families and communities affected by the devastating fires raging in Portugal. I also express a deep appreciation for the tireless and even heroic work of our firefighters and operatives. I express, of course, my solidarity with the victims of the floods affecting Central and Eastern Europe. In Portugal, more than 102 000 hectares were burned and are still burning in just four days, with 25 municipalities affected, more than 40 injured and seven deaths. The unpredictability and frequency of these events require rapid responses and adequate funding from the European Union. That is why we must make the use of the European Union Solidarity Fund more flexible and increase it already, and work on its vision, because situations such as floods in the Azores, fires in Madeira and on the mainland and floods in various Member States cannot be denied aid.