Speeches

The next item is the Commission statement on EU action against Russian shadow fleets to ensure full application of sanctions against Russia (2024/2885(RSP))

Before proceeding to the next point, I would like to announce that, pursuant to Rule 47(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, the Presidency has declared three proposals for Union acts admissible: one concerning the classification of the activity of military personnel, police officers, prison officers and private security guards as dangerous professions in the Union, referred to the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs; one on the need to amend Union legislation to protect households, businesses and the self-employed from rising fuel prices in Europe, referred to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, as the committee responsible, and to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, authorised to deliver an opinion; one on the need to reduce the cost of access to housing, referred to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, as the committee responsible, and to the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, which was authorised to deliver an opinion.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, businesses, large and small, workers, parliamentary trade unions throughout the political spectrum, Draghi and Letta are all calling for a decisive simplification of legislation and bureaucracy. The Commission has taken its first steps, but it is necessary to go beyond the treatment of symptoms and act on the causes. In Italy it is estimated that the annual cost of bureaucracy for companies is around 60 billion euros, equal to the average annual salary of almost 2 million workers and 3.3% of GDP. A shadow tax that distorts the allocation of resources and reduces the overall productivity of the economy. We need to reduce redundant rules by 25%, which is a realistic target to be included in the future Industrial Competitiveness Pact. The principle of "Once only" should become the norm, avoiding unnecessary duplication of data for businesses in administrative procedures. The internal market must function better, with more uniform procedures for doing business, investing, innovating and thus fostering growth. The future of Europe depends on our ability to work concretely, listening to those who work on the ground and must work miracles to find resources and be able to make investments.

The next item on the agenda is the Commission Statement on the Prevention of drug-related crimes, their effect on European citizens and the need for an effective European response [2024/2853(RSP)].

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the lack of decent, sustainable and affordable housing is increasingly worrying the citizens of the European Union and many families are facing excessive housing costs, which are the main expense at the expense of other essential needs. In addition, especially in Italy, there is the problem of illegal occupation of housing. There are currently around 30 000 squatted public-owned dwellings in Italy, in addition to another 20 000 squatted public or private houses, for a total of 50 000 properties. President von der Leyen herself included the housing emergency among the challenges to be addressed, proposing for the first time a European plan for affordable housing, doubling the investments in affordable housing planned under cohesion policy. At present, Regulation 1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down provisions applicable to the European Regional Development Fund does not support housing investments, unless they are linked to the promotion of energy efficiency or renewables. I therefore believe that the European Commission should review this approach, providing for greater flexibility in the financing of renovations or construction of new social housing.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, disinformation is an ancient phenomenon that affects everyone, regardless of political orientation. With the rise of information sources and online platforms, manipulating the truth has become easier, generating confusion and very risky behavior. European and national authorities must take a neutral approach to tackle the problem and protect freedom of expression, a fundamental pillar of our democracy. The use of artificial intelligence in news production leads to new risks and we must pay attention to the sources used. European legislation provides a solid basis for targeted actions and, together with the European Digital Media Observatory and the shield proposed by the President of the Commission, will allow us to better monitor the digital environment, reducing the impact of disinformation and limiting foreign interference. However, we must support publishing and the entire publishing chain with new resources and rules, also to take into account all the technological transformations that have occurred and properly protect journalism and copyright.

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on "The reintroduction of internal border controls in a number of Member States and its consequences for the Schengen area" (2024/2819(RSP)).

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on "One year after the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October" (2024/2864(RSP)).

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is essential to recognise that the European Union has always condemned all forms of racial hatred and anti-Semitism, not least because of its deep roots. The explosion of conflicts last October and the threat of religious and political radicalism have generated a new wave of hatred towards the Israeli people, rekindling hotbeds of anti-Semitism that have never been completely extinguished. We have a duty to develop effective strategies to counter these phenomena and hence the importance of the strategy against racial hatred and anti-Semitism. In addition to preventing and combating hatred, we must promote political dialogue and interreligious dialogue, which is a key element for peaceful and inclusive coexistence. We must create spaces for dialogue and raising citizens' awareness of our common history, using digital technologies in our favour, which too often are used to spread hatred and violence. All these phenomena represent a serious threat to the freedom and dignity of all, so we must encourage all European states to follow virtuous examples of coexistence.