Speeches

Madam President, Mr Vice-President Fitto, ladies and gentlemen, the housing crisis today is one of the biggest social emergencies in Europe. The numbers speak for themselves: According to Eurostat, more than 7% of Europeans spend more than 40% of their income on housing and in some countries the percentage is much higher. Without an accessible and dignified home, young people do not build families, workers do not take root and territories are emptied. That is why cohesion policy has a decisive role to play in this, and thanks to your work, Commissioner Fitto, the Structural Funds are becoming more flexible, less bureaucratic and able to respond to people's concrete needs. Today we have a great opportunity, which is to harmonise all the instruments available, from the revision of the NRRP to the mid-term review of cohesion policy, up to the wider European programming for housing. In Italy, the government led by Giorgia Meloni has launched a national house plan, which wants to transform living into a lever of growth and cohesion. I believe that this intuition must and can also become a challenge that we can all face in Europe: a European home plan, supported by cohesion policy, capable of countering the depopulation of inland areas and strengthening demographic resilience, because Europe's true strength will not be measured by buildings and institutions, but by the homes in which families can take root.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European Citizens' Initiative, which we are debating today, raises an issue that thousands of people have brought to our attention with force and conviction: European instruments must be structured to serve territories more and better, with particular reference also to inland areas. Cohesion policy, for example, already has important instruments, such as the partnership principle, the non-discrimination clause and support for cultural heritage, all of which help preserve distinctive cultural, linguistic and historical identities. This policy, in preserving the richness of our regional cultures, is not only an economic instrument, but a social and cultural commitment, which aims to bridge territorial gaps by ensuring equal opportunities for development and quality of life. Strengthening existing instruments, simplifying procedures and valuing diversity as a resource means building true, concrete, decentralised cohesion based on shared responsibility. The work that awaits us is to ensure that there is a more homogeneous and effective application, so that no territory is excluded or neglected, because only through a balance between sustainable economic growth and respect for cultural specificities will we be able to build a fairer, more inclusive and stronger Europe. And the next post-2027 budget will necessarily have to take these needs into account, making cohesion even closer to citizens and their identities.

I have received six motions for resolutions to wind up the debate, in accordance with Rule 136(2) of the Rules of Procedure. The debate is closed. The vote will take place on Thursday 10 July 2025.

The next item is the joint debate. - the Council and Commission statements on the preparation of the EU-China Summit in 2025 (2025/2757(RSP)), and. - the Commission statement "Tackling China's restrictions on exports of critical raw materials" (2025/2800(RSP)).

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on the escalation of violence and aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan (2025/2751(RSP)).

The ECR Group informed the President of a decision to amend the appointments to a committee. This decision will be included in the minutes of today's sitting and will enter into force with effect from this announcement.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, according to Eurostat, almost one in three Europeans lives in areas with low population density: more than 137 million citizens living in rural, mountainous or peripheral areas. This is not an exception, but an extraordinary resource common to the whole of the European Union. In Lazio, for example, from where I come, there are small municipalities that every day demonstrate an extraordinary vitality. But to unleash their full potential, an essential prerequisite is needed: the concrete possibility of moving. The new European regulation on Public Service Obligations, in force since December 2023, strengthens the possibility for public authorities to define transport services that meet not only economic criteria, but also general interest objectives, such as territorial cohesion, accessibility and inclusion. However, in order to make public transport services at all levels truly competitive and efficient, it is necessary, in my view, to focus on three levels: regulatory, establishing minimum standards also for long-distance routes considered to be low-profitable but with high social potential; financial, providing for a structural share of European funds for the mobility of underserved areas; and institutional, promoting multilevel governance between the European Union, States and Regions, capable of planning in an integrated and fair manner. Above all, it is necessary to involve small municipalities, especially those in inland areas, often passive recipients of reforms that have never been shared, in addition to cities, as you rightly mentioned. A just mobility is built with the territories and not only for the territories. Commissioner, connecting small towns to the rest of Europe means investing in cohesion, growth and freedom.

The next item is the report by Victor Negrescu and Siegfried Mureşan, on behalf of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on the report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (2024/2085(INI) (A10-0098/2025).

I have received a request for a personal statement from Mr Maréchal, pursuant to Rule 180 of the Rules of Procedure, referring to a comment made yesterday at the opening of the part-session.

The next vote concerns financing for development (in view of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville) (see point 7.9 of the Minutes).

The next vote concerns amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning the declaration of contributions (Rule 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure) (see point 7.7 of the Minutes).

The next vote concerns the resolution of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (resolution) (see point 7.5 of the Minutes).

The next vote concerns the resolution of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the Union (see point 7.4 of the Minutes).

The next vote concerns the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of goods by road of 29 June 2022 (see point 7.3 of the Minutes).

The next vote concerns combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast) (see point 7.2 of the Minutes).