What Christel spoke about.

Madam President! Preparing the EU for the next health crisis is a serious matter. That's why I'm glad we're having a discussion about HERA here today. The way we have dealt with the coronavirus pandemic was indeed reactive. We were naturally acting backwards. Therefore, we need to be better at seeing the health crises before they hit. And we must ensure that we have the necessary production of medicines and protective equipment, etc. All of this is something we all agree on, and that is why it is also good that we are discussing it here today, because we need to be better prepared when the next pandemic strikes. But – it is therefore also a great pity that the Commission chooses to treat HERA as a matter of urgency and chooses to keep the European Parliament out of the discussion on how to organise it. We have been affected by this for over a year and a half. It takes time to find out what we can learn from it, and then it also requires better solutions. And for better solutions, the European Parliament should be involved. We're not. We owe it to each other to do this properly.

Mr President! The world needs all democratic forces to stand together, and the EU must therefore keep close to everyone who shares our values. This is not the time to push anyone away. The European Union and the United States share history and values, and there is no doubt that we also share the future. That is why the US is and must be the EU's closest trading partner, cooperation partner and security ally. But the United States is not the only ally of the European Union, nor should it be. As chairman of the Japan delegation, I must stress how important it is that the European Union also strengthens ties with all our democratic allies throughout the world, including in the Pacific region. We must maintain close contact with all those who share our struggle for democracy, fundamental human rights and multilateral cooperation. With increased European strategic autonomy, we can ensure that the EU becomes a strong and equal partner with everyone, including the United States. The two things go hand in hand, they are not each other's opposites.

Mr President! We have learned from the coronavirus crisis. The pandemic exposed and underlined both the strengths and weaknesses of the European Community. When the coronavirus hit Europe, we were too slow to react. We were too poorly prepared and had too few protective equipment, and a large part of our health production was distributed to countries outside the EU. This aggravated the situation. Never before in the history of the European Union has our cooperation faced such a great challenge. But over the last year and a half, we have gained new insights into what we can do in the collaboration. Both what we can do in the community and what responsibility the member states have for the community. We cannot politically decide how or whether the next pandemic will affect us, but we can politically ensure that we are better equipped. That's what we need. The initiatives we are voting on this week improve our European health cooperation, and that is necessary and good. We are strengthening the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC. This means that we can detect health crises faster and better respond to them in time together. We are improving coordination between EU Member States. We are connected, and it makes sense that we coordinate the procurement of protective equipment, vaccines and such things together. Together we can ensure a better supply all the way through the production chain, and I think that is quite crucial, necessary and a good lesson. This week, therefore, we are voting to better equip the European Union against new health crises, and I am voting in favour of that.