Speeches

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Sophia in 't Veld, on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the definition of criminal offences and sanctions for infringement of Union restrictive measures (COM(2022)0684 – C9-0401/2022 – 2022/0398(COD)) (A9-0235/2023).

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the assassination of Alexei Navalny and the need for EU action in support of political prisoners and oppressed civil society in Russia (2024/2579(RSP)).

The minutes of yesterday's meeting and the texts adopted are available. Are there any objections? The protoll of yesterday's meeting was approved.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Sandro Gozi, 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 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising (COM(2021)0731 – C9-0433/2021 – 2021/0381(COD)) (A9-0009/2023).

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Johan Van Overtveldt, on behalf of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on the 2023 annual report of the European Central Bank (2023/2064(INI)) (A9-0412/2023).

The minute is over. I would now ask you, ladies and gentlemen, not to allow the debate to take over as far as speaking time is concerned. I overdraw the percentage of speaking time for everyone, but I can't overdraw more than five to ten seconds for one minute speeches, otherwise it's unfair to everyone. I want to treat everyone the same, and we'll be there later. Therefore, I have to select the blue cards and can only allow one question, and that includes one minute. Please follow the Rules of Procedure!

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on ‘Strengthening farmers and rural populations – a dialogue towards sustainable EU fair-income agriculture’ (2024/2545(RSP)).

Second, On the decisions of several committees to enter into interinstitutional negotiations pursuant to Rule 71(1) of the Rules of Procedure, announced at the opening of the meeting on Monday 5 February 2024, the President received a request from the Greens/EFA Group to vote on the LIBE decision to enter into negotiations on the following text, reaching at least the medium threshold: Temporary exception: Combating child sexual abuse online. The vote will take place today, 7 February 2024. As regards the other decisions to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, the President has not received requests to vote in Parliament from Members or one or more political groups reaching at least the medium threshold. The committees may therefore start negotiations on the basis of these reports. I wish the negotiations all the best and the hoped-for success for the position of the European Parliament.

I have two communications to make to you at the beginning of this meeting. Firstly: Nicolas Bay became a member of the ECR Group with effect from 7 February 2024.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the Russia Gate and alleged Russian interference in the democratic processes of the European Union (2024/2548(RSP)).

I come to a message. In accordance with Rule 241(4) of the Rules of Procedure, I would like to inform you that no request for a vote has been made on the JURI Committee's corrigendum, which was announced to the plenary yesterday at the opening of the meeting. The correction is therefore deemed to have been accepted.

The next item on the agenda is the statements by the Council and the Commission on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risk of regional escalation (2024/2508(RSP)).

The minutes of yesterday's meeting and the texts adopted are available. Are there any objections to this? That is not the case. The minutes have thus been approved.

It is an unacceptable notion from one colleague to another in our House. I would like to give a call for order, and I give the floor to Mrs Rasa Juknevičienė.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on "Compliance and military support to Ukraine" (2024/2510(RSP)).

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, This debate shows: Defend the beginnings! Fico is the latest example of how our liberal parliamentary democracy, the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, the independence of the media, the protection of journalists from outside and inside are under pressure. These values are not divisible. It is not a question of national sovereignty. These values and European law are the basis of European cooperation and the European Union's capacity to act. They must be respected, they must be respected, they must be enforced. We do not have to wait until authoritarianism has created facts, but we have to publicly and democratically resist the hustle and bustle of Fico, Orbán and Co. It is about the future of European democracy, the independence of the European Union and our capacity to act. We must not watch, we must not move on to the agenda, and we must not wait until it has happened, but must hold the public debate from the outset. Where the public debate is held, there may be changes. We saw that in Poland.