Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, my teaching as mayor of Portugal has taught me many things, one of which is: “Prevention is better than cure. Better safe than sorry’ The best response to the growing risk of fires and droughts lies in the wisdom of preventing ourselves. It was with a boost from the EPP in the European Parliament that the Union reinforced the rescEU programme with more planes, more intervention teams and more funds for sustainable forest management. This year alone, more than EUR 500 million has been mobilised for the prevention of, and response to, natural disasters. This is the way. A true European Union is a Union that is prepared, resilient and cooperative with each other, ready to share the collective effort for a better tomorrow.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I am speaking to you as a European citizen, but above all as the responsible Member of this House, on a subject so significant that it affects the lives of millions and millions of people. We must take a number of points into account, but I am going to tell you about three. First: interconnectivity is important, especially in the outermost regions. Second: automatism of compensation is appropriate as it could increase the competitiveness of airlines. And third: the minimum limit for compensation for a flight delay should be three hours and not four, so that we do not run the risk of sending the message that we are going backwards rather than protecting European citizens. How can we ensure that we stand by the passengers, that we defend them, when in the eyes of the citizens we present to them what is more like a step backwards than a step forward?

Mr João Oliveira, the government I support in Portugal, with great pride, has done all this and much more than I have said. Much more than Russia does, North Korea, or other countries. I believe in the European Union. I believe this commissioner who's here. I believe that the European Commission will, step by step, make us one of the territories with the highest quality of life. This is the path we are taking and will continue to take in the European Union. I am completely convinced of this, and Portugal, of course, is committed to this commitment.

Mr President, Commissioner and friend, ladies and gentlemen, I come from a country that knows very well the importance of investing in sustainable and intermodal public transport. It is committed to strengthening public transport connections in low-density territories and promoting on-demand transport services to combat precariousness and increase inclusion. It is determined to support the transition to clean and low-emission public transport fleets, including a 90% reduction in transport emissions by 2050. It is a country that advocates public transport as a real alternative to the private car, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. To say that Portugal is aligned with European priorities for competitive, efficient and sustainable public transport services at all levels is a great responsibility. First, because we are aware of its importance for the European Union, leader and pioneer. Second, because we know very well the reality of being far away and the need to bet on concrete and practical solutions to get closer to each other.

Mr Oliveira, in a very synthetic way, the party that I represent and for which I was elected in this Parliament is a pro-European party, which is something that your party is not: pro-European. And what my party does in Portugal is just that: when you're talking about farmers, when you're talking about nature conservation, when you're talking about biodiversity conservation. He does this every day and has demonstrated it in the last 12 months of governance.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, 30% by 2030 is a global commitment to increase protected areas and contribute to the conservation of natural resources. habitats and endangered species. Over the next five years, at least half of the land priority areas for conservation should be integrated into sustainable management networks. 100 million hectares of degraded land will be restored to promote ecosystem restoration and improved environmental services. The European Union and international partners have allocated €20 billion to fund global ecological restoration projects, always focusing on areas critical to biodiversity. Only in this way can we ensure the balance of the planet and the well-being of all generations.

Dear President, Dear Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, without populism, without demagoguery, what matters is that the European Union acts. And that's why we're here. Protecting jobs and workers' rights in Europe must be, and is, at the top of our priorities. Globalisation, automation, the green and digital transitions have put pressure on our labour market, which in turn is pressing for workers to adapt urgently. And the solution is – and we are acting – to invest in reskilling, continuing education and vocational training, strengthen labour legislation and the monitoring of working conditions, invest in regulated immigration with respect for fundamental rights, attract skilled talent to Europe and realise lifelong learning, which is the key to employability and sustainable economic development. Labour restructuring needs to balance innovation and social protection to create a more inclusive and fair labour market.

Dear President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in a European Union with diversified health systems, the Critical Medicines Act allows for a more efficient response to health emergencies and so congratulations. We live in a time when access to essential medicines is more urgent than ever and we cannot, as my colleagues have already said, be dependent on countries such as China or India, which provide between 60% and 80% of the active substances used in the production of medicines in Europe. This dependency exposes us to significant risks, as we saw in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, when supply chain disruptions resulted in shortages of essential medicines. O Critical Medicines Act It plays a crucial role in ensuring that everyone, even everyone, has access to essential medicines, reducing our vulnerability and strengthening our autonomy, public health and safety.

Dear colleague João Oliveira, answering in a synthetic way, we can only have better jobs if we produce wealth and then distribute that wealth. But we need jobs, and so that's what's been happening. And this government, in Portugal, has done this and has already demonstrated this in less than a year, this bet on training, both in university education and in vocational training. But above all, we need adequate investments to have jobs and to have better incomes and not to see our young people leaving Portugal and to other countries, not only in the European Union, but for the whole world.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, growth requires innovation. We are facing an ever-changing labour market, with adequate investments, collaboration between the public and private sectors of competitive Member States, able to tackle the skills gap and shortages of skilled labour. We need to think, but above all plan and act in the short, medium and long term. The future of work in Europe depends on our ability to readjust and boost vocational education and training. It depends on new digital and technological skills to encourage lifelong learning. It depends on our adaptation to the needs of the job and it depends on reskilling. This is the way. Coordinate efforts among all to boost sustainable economic growth in the EU, seize the opportunities of the digital and green transition, promote the creation of quality jobs, increase our economic and social resilience in the face of geopolitical changes, secure funding for employment and social policies in the European Union and invest decisively in the areas of R&D. This is the way to lead again in knowledge and innovation and to ensure a skilled and resilient workforce.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are short of more than 1 million health professionals in the European Union. By 2030, we will be short of more than 4 million health workers. And yet, when there is a shortage of labor, they are there. When the geographical accesses are not easy, they are there. Even when working conditions are challenging, they remain there. When we need the most precious good of all, health professionals are there to take care of us. And we, the European Parliament, are here to value all those who provide such healthcare, to encourage career development, to support flexible working hours, to attract, retain and qualify healthcare workers. This means that the Portuguese Government is committed to ensuring that all citizens have ‘...’.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, one in four adults in the European Union has some form of disability. In an inclusive, free and democratic society such as ours, it is our duty to continue to create, maintain and develop conditions for the participation and strengthening of all citizens. The main challenges faced by persons with disabilities are discrimination, unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, early school leaving, unmet care needs and violence. A disability can refer to a prolonged, often invisible, physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment. Now, two things are certain: the first is that the obstacles faced by these people are real, and the second is the increased prevalence of disabilities as age progresses. More than half of European citizens aged 65 and over have some form of disability. And that's where we walk. We urgently need to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, including through accessibility, as an enabler of rights, autonomy and equality, and with a precondition for participation in society and the economy.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, 80% of the European Union's biodiversity is in its outermost regions and Portugal is at the forefront of protecting biodiversity. I can only salute and congratulate the Government of the Azores for protecting 30% of its sea and thus protecting marine biodiversity. This measure increases the network of marine protected areas in Portugal to 17%. Before this decision, it was also an archipelago of Portugal, Madeira, which had the largest marine protected area with full protection in Europe. 15% of European waters are in the Azores. It is the largest network in the North Atlantic. As a result of the action of several Member States of the European Union, the European Union has the best biodiversity protection measures in the world. And this must be a reason for us to act in a united and consistent way in preserving biodiversity and protecting species in order to prevent their extinction. The restoration of ecosystems is advantageous for various economic activities, in addition to strengthening and favoring public health and the valorization of territories, providing new opportunities to create value.

Mr President, Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu, ladies and gentlemen, it is time we defended a better European Union for all our workers. It is time for us to commit to providing a decent life for our citizens and quality work. It is time to ensure a Europe where the rights and interests of workers in sectors such as food, agriculture, tourism and domestic work are prioritised, and where the European institutions put justice, sustainability and social rights at the top of our agendas. Among the many things we can and must do, I would like to highlight, for example, the fight against abusive subcontracting and the regulation of labour intermediation, so that there is equal treatment and fair and decent working conditions. Establish a protection framework for the nearly 10 million domestic workers in Europe who continue to have the most vulnerable and undervalued jobs, despite playing an absolutely crucial role in our countries' care economy. Ensuring a just green transition that benefits workers in our sectors and provides them with opportunities for more and better jobs, stability and fair wages. Defending the strongest social elements in the next CAP reform, so that we have a fair and balanced policy, capable also of defending small farmers and agricultural workers. It's time to look at the labor market that shows us the reality that our countries face and it's even high time to strengthen ourselves through empowerment and autonomous initiative.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, tourism is changing more than ever. It is changing to adapt to local communities living under increasing pressure in major European cities such as Lisbon or Porto, Athens or Santorini. It is changing to align with the transport sector, which is crucial for the flow of tourism. It is changing to offer the consumer solutions aligned with sustainability. As our colleague Mr Giménez said, tourism accounts for 10% of the European Union's GDP, it involves 2.3 million businesses, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, which employ more than 12 million people. Europe is the first tourist destination in the world. This is a great responsibility for us as Europeans. We must ensure that the measures implemented in the tourism sector contribute to more efficiency, a viable and economically more sustainable management, more comfort, safety and public health, qualification and training of the workforce, promotion of applications in virtual tourism. It is therefore important for the European Union to promote access to finance and facilitate investment. Dear Commissioner Tzitzikostas, for the cohesion of Europeans and the world, it must be said that tourism is changing and will change. Hands to work.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in 2023, Europe suffered more than EUR 13.4 billion in damage due to extreme weather events, which are increasingly common and are increasingly present. These natural disasters do not only cause material damage, but essentially human damage. They impact sectors such as agriculture, water supply, health, energy and food security, infrastructure, tourism and pose serious threats to our economy and, above all, pose serious threats to our populations. Nevertheless, I can only congratulate the European Commission, through the hands of the Commissioner, for the support it has provided to recover and rebuild the worst-affected areas. And I cannot fail to salute the Portuguese Government of the DA, led by the Portuguese Prime Minister, Dr. Luís Montenegro, who, in eight months, has already done more to prevent natural disasters than the left-wing socialist government, in more than 100 months.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today in this plenary we are talking about increasing energy prices and combating energy poverty. Portugal and Spain are currently an energy island. The amount of energy flowing from the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of the Member States is less than 5%. Ladies and gentlemen, I appeal to the European institutions to make this a European issue and not just a question of Portugal and Spain with France. Electricity and hydrogen interconnections are of utmost importance for the countries of central Europe. We need a real energy union, an integrated single market, which will allow businesses to become more competitive and achieve more affordable prices for people to heat their homes. We are here, with cheaper green energy, available to share with everyone.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, a special greeting to Luena, to Miguel, to all those who took part in COP16. Our entourage from ENVI, to Dora, to Heiki. It was a pleasure to be in Cali, Colombia, to participate in COP16. These were difficult, challenging negotiations, but it is worth highlighting an achievement that should have happened a long time ago: the creation of the Cali Fund for the financing of biodiversity projects in a fair way and the importance given to indigenous peoples and local communities, who will be permanently and directly represented. An indigenous leader, who participated in the closing session, said and I quote: We don't just want to be included. We want to be part of the decisions and solutions. In Portugal, as in many of your countries, some of us have a habit of listening to older people, charged with wisdom. And also because the voice of experience, the voice of those who care and are used to caring must have a say in the challenging situation we face. 26% of European citizens see biodiversity as a priority. Unfortunately, at COP 16 there was a lack of agreement on funding to support the ambitions of Montreal's global biodiversity structure. We need to involve the big economies, the emerging economies in this commitment, especially the big polluters, like India, and those who are not yet part of it, like the United States of America. Let us have the courage and wisdom to find solutions that preserve biodiversity; to strive for a prosperous nature that allows us a sustainable tomorrow for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Whoever elects us wants us to assume our responsibility. This is a decision of all of us.

Dear Colleague João Oliveira, for the last nine years, my country has been ruled by the left. A contraption between the Socialist Party, its party – the Communist Party – and the Left Bloc. For nine years, it has divested itself from the public education system, it has divested itself from health, it has divested itself from what public services were, and this government, in the last – only – six months, has already shown that it is betting on education, which is fundamental for people to grow. We can only redistribute if we are a richer and more prosperous country.

Dear President, Dear Commissioner, Dear colleagues, in Portugal we have a proverb that teaches us that we should not cry over spilled milk, which is why we should talk about solutions to the challenge we face. Let me share with you three priorities for action, because no one grows in stagnation. I repeat: No one grows in stagnation. First: We need to invest in lifelong learning. Learning is the basis for being more productive and competitive in our territories. Learning anytime, anywhere will prepare us for the professions of the future and ensure inclusive growth. Second: we need to focus on the digital transition and make better use of data and artificial intelligence, especially in the areas of health, energy and biotechnology. Third: we need to move towards a greener economy, to develop a true energy union in a true European Union. We need to be closer. It's tempting to think we're all too far away from each other. In my country, Portugal, I have also been far away, but the distance is close. We are all more than 27. If we all work together, no one is left behind.