Speeches

Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, at the end of this debate, allow me a moment on my own merits. This is my last Presidency here in the European Parliament, and I will be chairing this debate in a few minutes. In the last 25 years in this house I have learned, experienced, experienced a lot, I have been traveling a lot in Europe. My answer to the question ‘What is the European Union?’ has changed over the last few years and over time. But in 2000, the European Union gave itself a motto, and I always wonder how appropriately it answers this question: United in diversity. Because we're not all the same, and that's a good thing. We – you, the European Parliament – make rules for 450 million citizens with different languages, traditions, cultures, stories, experiences. Let's never forget that. Let us be aware of this responsibility. We are European legislators. We are contributing to the future of Europe with our interests. Europe is always compromise, Europe is always listening to each other, wanting to understand each other, talking to each other and looking for good common solutions. My request to you all is: Create honest, sincere, courageous politics! Get up every day and act according to your convictions, not according to day-political party tactics. And fight with all your strength against stupid nationalism. We need a strong parliament. As the Chamber of Citizens, as the strong beating heart for European liberal democracy. We need a more courageous Europe, a more efficient Europe, a strong Europe. Many thanks for all the encounters, for all the support and for the many good conversations and friendships that I have been able to develop with many of you. Everything, all the best and thank you very much. (The meeting adjourned at 11.42)

Dear President Buzek! I should like to express my sincere thanks to our former President of the European Parliament, on behalf of all those who will leave this House at the end of this legislative term, for their work in this House and their contribution to strengthening European liberal democracy. Parliament thrives on personalities who carry out and take seriously their duties and responsibilities. Thank you very much, Jerzy Buzek, and all my colleagues. (Applause)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! A common currency that wants to be globally credible needs a strong, secure, resilient financial market, common tools and a comprehensive package of measures. In the 25 years that I have been a member of the European Parliament and in the more than 50 reports that I have been allowed to negotiate, we have been constantly working on this great project. We have achieved a lot together, but we are far from finished. We can't get stuck halfway. Because we do not yet have a completed banking and capital markets union, 320 billion euros in savings do not remain in Europe, but go largely to the United States of America. If we had a complete banking and capital markets union, we could invest an additional €470 billion per year in the European Union. The reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi on internal market and competitiveness must not be left in the drawer, but must become the cornerstones of the next Commission's work programme. The European Parliament, as has already been mentioned, is proceeding swiftly. Last week in the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, after a long discussion process, we adopted the report on the third pillar of the banking union, deposit insurance. Today we launched the banking settlement in CMDI, and in the evening we decide on the banking package. We reduce risks, take into account our structural peculiarities, expand proportionality and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. Dear colleagues, my heartfelt wish for the future is: Let us not play off national interests against Europe. Let's finish what we've been doing for a long time. Together, let us become more courageous, more determined, more efficient. Let's go with 100 % instead of only 50 to 70 %. I would like to thank Jonás Fernández, Mairead McGuinness, all the negotiating teams for the progress we have made together.

Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! Before we get to the vote, I have a message to make. The Polish competent authority has forwarded to the President a request for waiver of the parliamentary immunity of Mr Ryszard Czarnecki. That application shall be referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.

The next item is the debate on five motions for resolutions on the case of Rocío San Miguel, General Hernández Da Costa and other political prisoners in Venezuela (2024/2618(RSP))1. _______________ 1 See the minutes.

The debate on this point is therefore closed. Six motions for resolutions were tabled at the end of the debate. The vote will take place on Thursday 14 March 2024.

The debate now follows on six motions for resolutions on the repressive environment in Afghanistan, including public executions and violence against women (2024/2617(RSP))1. _______________ 1 See the minutes.

The debate is thus closed. Six motions for resolutions were tabled at the end of the debate. The vote will take place on Thursday 14 March 2024. Written declarations (Article 171)

It is my decision how many people get the floor. I said nine people. I had much more. Nine people – balanced politically, balanced regionally – and that was the decision. I mentioned it before.

Dear colleagues, we now come to catch-the-eye. As I have a long list of colleagues who are interested in speaking, I will take nine people, and only those who were present for the whole of the debate. There is a clear order. (Catch-the-eye procedure)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am speaking now because citizens, businesses and many of us are always right to demand very specific measures to reduce bureaucracy. This report, which we are about to vote on, gives a consistent, clear, comprehensible answer: no double reporting obligations, no national over-regulation – keyword: , –, no unnecessary legal barriers to the necessary exchange of data and thus a strengthening of our internal market and the competitiveness of European companies. Unfortunately, in the absence of an agreement in the Council and therefore in the absence of a negotiating mandate from the Council, we cannot achieve this objective – which hopefully unites us all here – at first reading. In our committee, and this is the opposite, the negotiating mandate was given unanimously. I therefore ask the Council of the Member States: Overcome your internal problems, endorse the Parliament's position at first reading or finally work out a common position so that we can start negotiating and conclude this great package of de-bureaucratisation later this year! Those who take de-bureaucratisation seriously must not only talk, they must act; I therefore ask you all to give your broad support to this report. (Applause / other comments)

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of the report by Laura Ballarín Cereza, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2013/11/EU on alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes and Directives (EU) 2015/2302, (EU) 2019/2161 and (EU) 2020/1828 (COM(2023)0649 – C9-0384/2023 – 2023/0376(COD)) (A9-0060/2024).

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of the report by Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Maritime Safety Agency and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 (COM(2023)0269 – C9-0190/2023 – 2023/0163(COD)) (A9-0423/2023).

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of the report by Maria Grapini, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 as regards digital labelling of EU fertilising products (COM(2023)0098 – C9-0030/2023 – 2023/0049(COD)) (A9-0330/2023). Mrs Grapini as rapporteur has arrived here on the way from Romania to Strasbourg, but not in time. I am glad that the Commissioner is here and I can ask him to make the remarks for the Commission.

The next item on the agenda is the brief presentation of the report by Vlad-Marius Botoş, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and Pascal Arimont, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs, on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on liability for defective products (COM(2022)0495 – C9-0322/2022 – 2022/0302(COD)) (A9-0291/2023).