What Victor spoke about.

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on the Electrification Action Plan (2026/2764(RSP)). Again, I would like to remind speakers that given the test measures currently in place and the fixed end time of the debate, strict observance of speaking time will be required. This, of course, also refers to our colleagues from the Commission.

Now we will move to the Council and we have the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna. I would also like to thank the Cypriot Presidency for its work. This is your last plenary, so thank you so much.

The next item is the topical debate requested by a political group (Renew) (Rule 169) – Protecting EU citizens' data from hybrid threats: the Lithuanian case. I would like to inform Members that for this debate there is no catch-the-eye procedure and no blue cards will be accepted. You have been informed of the new procedures. I would also like to remind speakers that given the test measures currently in place and the fixed end time of the debate, strict observance of speaking time will be required. So I will be cutting the mic at the end of the minutes allocated to each speaker.

Madam President, colleagues, I decided to take the floor on this point of order, because a few days ago, a child and his mother were injured in their own home in the middle of the night by an explosion caused by a Russian drone. This happened in the European Union. This happened in Romania. This happened in the city of Galați. This is no longer just a security issue; it is a real threat for many European citizens. That is why, together with the S&D Group, we asked for a debate and a resolution on this important subject. Our message today is simple: every European deserves to feel safe in their own home. So I kindly invite all political groups to negotiate constructively this resolution – to come up with concrete solutions to this issue, to show that we are capable to protect European citizens no matter where they live, to show that we are capable in protecting the Eastern flank. I want to thank everyone, and I am confident this resolution will show to all European citizens that we care about them, that we react, and that we protect European sovereignty.

To be clear, no one wants to have an impact on the companies in Malta. But companies present in Malta make their revenues on the Romanian market, on the German market, on the French market. So the single market is important. Do you support the single market for the betting industry? If you do that, then you support also European responsibility.

Dear colleague, first of all, again, Malta is losing money because of the illegal platforms. This is the first element. And what is your opinion on this point? The second element, which I think is relevant: Malta will remain competitive because we are not affecting the national regulations. Not at all. It's not about national regulations. And third and not least – and which I think is crucial – is that this initiative was co-signed by EPP members as well as Renew members, Greens members, from all political sides, and it was voted because it is included in the MFF report approved by this House. So it's a common initiative of the Parliament.

Colleague, you forgot something really important: the data presented by the industry – 71 % of the market is composed of illegal platforms. That means your citizens are going online right now, spending their money on illegal platforms, and those platforms are not taxed. Not taxed at national level. Not at all. So we need to approach this issue at European level. Do you agree with us fighting against those illegal platforms? Do you agree that together we can fight better against illegal platforms? In the MMF report of the European Parliament together with the co-rapporteurs on own resources we are coming with this proposal. So what is your opinion about illegal platforms?

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Europe is entering a decisive debate about its future budget and its capacity to act. Every day in this House, we call for more investments, but also citizens expect us to answer another key question: how do we finance everything fairly and responsibly? This is why I initiated this proposal for a new European-owned resource designed to finance, in particular, education, youth, mental health, addiction prevention, and the protection of minors, by taxing online gambling, online betting and betting-like digital activities. Together with the S&D Group, we requested that this issue be placed on the plenary agenda after formally introducing a question for an answer in order to ensure that the European Parliament starts a serious political debate on this topic. The idea is simple – a fast growing, highly digitalised and increasingly cross-border industry using the added value of the single market should make a fair contribution to support Europe's social priorities and protect vulnerable people. This is not a tax on citizens, it is targeted contribution. Technically, the proposal is similar to national taxing formats. We can discuss a limited European levy – for example around 1 % – applied on the revenues or the turnover generated by major online gambling and betting operators active across the European market. This would not replace the national taxation systems, it would not interfere with the national licensing mechanisms, and it would fully respect Member States' competences in regulating gambling activities. But the potential revenues are significant. If betting-like digital platforms are also included, and if the market continues to grow as expected, the revenues could realistically reach between EUR 2 and 4 billion per year during the next EU long-term budget. This means potentially between EUR 14 and 28 billion between 2028 and 2034. This is equal to the Erasmus+ budget in the current MFF. Let us also be honest when we refer to this topic – according to recent estimates published by the industry, illegal online gambling alone already represents around 71 % of the market in Europe. This means billions lost in public revenue, weaker protection for consumers and minors, growing additional risks and major vulnerabilities linked to money laundering and criminal networks operating across borders. This means that even countries with a big online industry – like Malta, Cyprus and Estonia – are losing money for their national budgets. Europe cannot pretend this problem does not exist – we have to interfere, we have to fight illegal operators. But at the same time we are going to protect citizens. Europe must show that it is capable, not only of deciding together how we spend the money, but also how we can build common resources that will be available as soon as possible. Thank you again to everyone supporting this initiative.

Mr Vice-President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, artificial intelligence is no longer just a technological issue, it is about economic power, competitiveness and global influence. The world is changing rapidly. The United States is investing heavily in digital infrastructure and advanced artificial intelligence models. China treats AI as a strategic state priority. In this context, Europe cannot afford to remain just the space that governs. Yes, through AI Act The European Union has demonstrated global leadership and shown that innovation can go hand in hand with the protection of fundamental rights and democratic values. But regulation is not enough if we do not also build real European capacity. We need massive investment in all components of the AI ecosystem: digital infrastructure, computing centres, European cloud, semiconductor, data, research, education, skills and especially support for European innovative companies. We need European quality standards for artificial intelligence systems, clear mechanisms for transparent governance, including at global level, and strengthening the ethical dimension of artificial intelligence so that technology remains at the service of people. Artificial intelligence must strengthen democracy and social cohesion, not deepen inequalities or fragment our societies. In this regard, we have actively supported the development of European artificial intelligence ecosystems and the strengthening of technological capacity in Central and Eastern Europe, including by promoting the initiative AI Factory in Romania to connect universities, research and industry. But there is one more key issue: access. Artificial intelligence should not become the privilege of a few states, companies or technological elites. Europe needs to build a model where AI is accessible to all. Europe, we must overcome technological dependence and invest in strategic autonomy, move from fragmentation to joint investment, from reaction to global leadership. So let's do all these things together!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Romania risks losing over EUR 15 billion from the NRRP. Yes, we are talking about milestones, we are talking about projects, we are talking about reforms that have not been achieved, but I prefer to be constructive, to focus on solutions. Romania has the opportunity in the coming days to amend the national recovery and resilience plan. It's the last chance. In this sense, we need a national consensus and we need to come up with viable solutions, so that these resources are properly spent, but also to carry out the last outstanding reforms. For some of them, we need consensus, we need dialogue and, in this sense, I invite all political parties in Romania to stop complaining and to work together, if we really want to have government performance and show all Romanians that we manage to use efficiently all European opportunities. Moreover, there is also the possibility to create financial instruments and make essential changes, so that the NRRP is not about Brussels and is primarily about Romanians and Romania.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I had originally prepared a different kind of speech, but I listened to the debate earlier and could only think about my own experience. I come from a family that frequently had to look for medicines that were not found in their own country. And I can tell you that it's an experience that's hard to describe. Unfortunately, we still have tens of thousands of Europeans who do not have access to simple medicines, medicines that are essential for their daily lives. So, dear friends, we need to move from theory to practice. Yeah, we're addicted. And what do we do? Yes, we need to develop European industry. And what do we do? Yes, we need to do more and allocate adequate funding. Where's the money from? And what do we do? So yes, we need to act now. It's a first step, but we need to move on, because I can tell you, from my personal experience, that patients can't wait as long as we can wait.