Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, Representative of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, the European Union budget, being small, has enormous added value and is essential for the competitiveness of the European Union, for research, for productivity, for entrepreneurship and, at the same time, for our territorial, economic and social cohesion. Moreover, and we are not always aware of it, we are the world's largest donors, those who help the most globally, who finance the most humanitarian aid. But this budget urgently needs to be re-implemented quickly, and here is a concern and I turn to the Council: Member States are not doing their part. In 2021, there will be no euro that will be implemented from the new cohesion policy, and the economy needs it, youth needs it, small and medium-sized enterprises, local and regional authorities. Do your part, quickly adopt the partnership agreements, because about one third of the budget, which is cohesion policy, must reach the economy quickly.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, European values oblige us, bind us to solidarity, de facto solidarity and the uncompromising defence of human dignity. The solution for refugees must be a European solution where all Member States cooperate, where all Member States cooperate. In addition, we need transparency in the financial resources that we make available and that these resources are within the European Union budget. I am sorry to say this, Commissioner, but there is at least one Member State that has received European funds for refugees, that has withheld them, and that has not made them properly available. This must not happen or be repeated. In addition, the European Commission needs to be more proactive. The European Commission knew that the refugee problem would continue, not least because it would be exacerbated with Afghanistan. In the Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations, it did not put forward any proposal to support refugees. And now an important point: Refugees are not to blame. Refugees cannot be used as an excuse to cut essential funds, programs and policies. And we can't give populists arguments. Refugees are victims. Refugees are not to blame and it is our obligation to help them.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Brexit was a bad decision, with negative repercussions for the European Union and very bad repercussions for the United Kingdom from a social, economic and political point of view. Fortunately, the European Union approved timely instruments that are now available to Member States, namely the Multiannual Financial Framework, NextGenerationEU and the recovery and resilience plans that derive from it. On top of all this, we have an additional Brexit adjustment reserve of around €5.5 billion. In good time, we have this extra help. Now, Commissioner, it is important that these resources are well used for the most affected regions and for small businesses. We have greatly improved the Commission's initial proposal. It is now essential that Member States do their part, make good use of these resources and that the European Commission monitors them.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the values of the European Union are imperative. They must be respected by all institutions and, in particular, by the Member States. They are a condition of access to be in the European Union. They are a condition of belonging, but then they are also an obligation for those who remain in the European Union. The values of the European Union are non-negotiable. They are undeniable. These are values that are irrevocable. They are in the treaties, so we should not even need a rule of law regulation. A regulation that is basically a budgetary conditionality for those who violate the rule of law. In addition, Commissioner, this regulation has been in force since 1 January 2021. It must be applied, it is clear enough. It does not need guidelines and applies to the Multiannual Financial Framework also 2014-2020 and in particular to outstanding commitments and payments also arising from these commitments. It also applies to Next Generation EU, it applies to the Multiannual Financial Framework, obviously 2021-2025 and a Council, the Council of the European Union, cannot amend this regulation or the guidelines and the challenge is: apply it now.