Speeches

Mr President, when we talk about the next budgets, as a Canarian, I cannot fail to draw attention to the importance of POSEI and the need to adapt it to the current situation. That is why we welcome the inclusion of our amendment in the report on the general guidelines for the preparation of the 2026 budget. The POSEI financial statement has not been updated for 13 years and it is time for us to amend it to reflect the increase in costs due to inflation and the increase in energy prices, and thus ensure that agriculture in the Canary Islands continues to enjoy the necessary support from the Union. But more importantly, and looking beyond 2026, negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework will start soon and we must ensure that all farmers in the Union receive financial support, especially those in the outermost regions. Parliament is doing its part; even the European Commission has recognised that these regions require a strong commitment from the EU. It is now up to Spain and the other Member States to ensure that this commitment is not in vain. From the European People's Party we will continue fighting to improve financial support to the Canarian agricultural sector, now and beyond 2027, reaffirming our commitment to the agricultural sector, to POSEI and to its...

Mr President, Commissioner, agriculture is a fundamental sector, not only because of its economic impact, but also because of its weight on the way of life of millions of Europeans. And, if this is important in continental Europe, believe me that it is much more so in the outermost regions such as the Canary Islands. After all, we are very far away, even if we feel very close. That is why it is essential that agriculture thrives in the outermost regions, you mentioned, and that those who are engaged in it can continue to do so. This requires the assistance of the European Union. We must understand that the added value of agriculture comes not only from its contribution to GDP, but also from its contribution to our food security, from its role in maintaining our traditional communities and giving life opportunities to the population in rural areas, allowing them to stay with their own. It is therefore essential that, in view of the revision of the programme of options specific to remoteness and insularity (POSEI), the financial statement – which, I remind you, has been stalled for 13 years – be updated in order to be able to respond to inflation and increases in production costs. If we have a system that is giving good results, let's bet on it and give it the financial support it needs to continue meeting its objectives.

Madam President, the EU-Mercosur agreement is not just another trade agreement. It's about talking about the future. We risk our ability to remain a relevant player in global trade, to generate growth and jobs and to open the doors to a market of seven hundred and fifty million consumers. Undoubtedly, it has clear benefits, among others, the elimination of four billion euros in tariffs, access to strategic markets, the greater presence of our industries and SMEs and the protection of more than three hundred geographical indications. Having said that, I understand and share, quite clearly, the concerns of the agricultural sector. We can't ignore them. But let's be clear: the problem of our agricultural sector is not Mercosur, it is the European agricultural policy designed without taking into account the reality of the countryside. If our producers feel threatened by this agreement, it is because agricultural policy does not offer them the necessary tools to compete and this is what must change. That is why, rather than blocking the agreement, what we must do is reform our agricultural policy so that it does not penalise our producers with suffocating rules, ensure effective safeguards that protect vulnerable sectors quickly and effectively and ensure a fair and scalable compensation fund that actually works and adapts when necessary. It is not about choosing between trade and agriculture, it is about doing things right and analyzing with updated data where the source of the problem is and looking for solutions to it. Refusing to ratify this agreement will not solve the problems of the agricultural sector and will send a message that Europe renounces being a leader and prefers to let others seize our opportunities.

Mr President, unfortunately millions of Latin Americans still live under despotic and criminal governments. Nicaragua is one such case. Ortega and Murillo continue to oppress their population, ruthlessly crushing anyone who dares to raise their voices against them. It is a regime that pursues all expression of freedom among civil society, which it cruelly represses. The persecution of the Catholic Church is a clear example of this. It is a regime that just ten days ago approved a constitutional reform that faithfully reflects what Nicaragua is today: a brutal dictatorship. They don't hide and we shouldn't tolerate it. Democracy is not, and cannot be, an empty word. We say to defend it and we must accompany our words with deeds. We must persevere in personal sanctions and make sure that those responsible for the suffering of millions of Nicaraguans know that we are persecuting them. It is time to activate the human rights clauses of the Association Agreement and consider excluding the Nicaraguan Assembly from any interparliamentary meeting. This time, Parliament has the capacity to act and must do so.

Mr President, 'intolerable, but not surprising': That could be the headline every time we talk about the Maduro regime. We have demanded again and again the return of democracy to Venezuela. We have defended and presented the cause of the Venezuelan opposition. We have called for action on countless occasions, because Venezuela concerns us, and we are rightly concerned. We saw with sadness how a tyrannical and criminal regime continues to oppress its population and yet it seems that it does not matter: On January 10 we observed the farce of Maduro's proclamation as president of the country. Maybe some of you were surprised. I've said it a thousand times, but I'll keep saying it: We cannot negotiate with Maduro. There is nothing to dialogue with a tyrant like him. We must continue to support the opposition and increase sanctions, because we are either with democracy and freedom or we are with the dictator and his criminal government. I offer my full support to Maria Corina, Edmundo and the democratic opposition in Venezuela. Know that you are not alone: in Europe we support and encourage them in their struggle to return democracy to Venezuela.

Mr President, today, World Mental Health Day, I would like to remind you that we are in a critical situation. One in six Europeans suffers from a mental disorder. One in two Europeans has experienced some kind of emotional or psychological problem in the past year. And 46% have not sought professional help. Among young people, cases of depression have doubled. This must change. We cannot allow mental health to remain a hidden burden on our societies. Our goal must be more ambitious: reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, improve access to quality services and support the most vulnerable groups. It doesn't matter how many laws, meetings, and debates we have if we don't get that seeking help and wanting to be better are normal things. If we do not act now, the scars on future generations will be irreparable. Mental health can't wait.

Mr. President, dear Vice President, this is the data. More than thirty-five thousand migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands so far this year. Thousands dead and missing and more than three thousand unaccompanied minors. An island, the island of El Hierro, which can no longer. He gives his all, but he can't take it anymore. And an archipelago, the Canary Islands, southern border of Europe, which throws a heartbreaking cry for help. Faced with this, the Government of Spain states that everything is under control and that there are sufficient means. But the tragedy continues. There's no answer. The priorities of the Government of Spain are different, but the drama continues. One dead every forty-five minutes. In their desperation and in the face of the insensitivity of the Government, from the Canary Islands they look to Europe and ask for help. And Europe does respond. Vice-President Schinas went to the Canary Islands to offer the help that the Canary Islands need, and I thank him for that. The Frontex Director offers help. It all starts with the request from the Spanish authorities. You said in this Parliament that the absence of this petition does not allow us to help. But Spain does not ask for it. The European Asylum Agency says it's willing to help, but they can't force those who don't want to. And the Government of Spain does not want to. Europe provides funds for reception infrastructure, for unaccompanied minors, but Spain does not ask for them. Europe is ready to help the distribution of minors, but the Government of Spain rejects this aid. He prefers to impose in Spain that distribution which he denies in Europe. It's not fiction; is the sad reality of abandonment: the Government of Spain to the Canary Islands.

Madam President, Commissioner, if yesterday we were debating Venezuela, today we are debating Cuba, one of the worst dictatorships in Latin America and which, unfortunately, we continue to finance through the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, but today we are also talking about José Daniel Ferrer, a clear example of the cruelty of the Cuban regime in the repression of its population. He has been in prison since his participation in the 2021 democratic protests; Since then, he has spent long periods in solitary confinement and we are currently unaware of his state of health and also of his situation. Like him, hundreds of Cubans remain imprisoned and incommunicado, disappeared, having committed no greater crime than defending freedom and democracy in their homeland; many of them in a very delicate state of health, while the regime refuses to provide them with the healthcare they need. Despite all the excesses of the Cuban regime, despite the fact that we know that it has openly collaborated with the Putin regime by sending thousands of fighters to Ukraine, despite the fact that Cuba is the main support of the rest of the dictatorships in the region ... we continue to deal with them as if nothing happened. It is time for us to stand on the side of freedom and democracy in Cuba. We must suspend the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement by making use of its human rights clauses; We must also punish the criminals who perpetuate human rights violations, as well as demand the immediate release of Daniel Ferrer and the rest of the regime's political prisoners. We always talk about our support for all those who defend democracy in the world: It is time for us to show that these are not empty words, it is time for us to start acting to really get democracy back to Cuba.

Madam President, Commissioner: murders, torture, kidnappings, disqualifications, persecution, political prisoners, almost eight million people forced to leave their land. Yes, we're talking about Venezuela. And if they thought they had seen everything, they are very wrong. From a tyrant and his environment you can always expect more. On July 28, elections were held in which, on the part of the regime, all obstacles were put in the way of the opposition led by María Corina Machado and, after her unjust disqualification, represented by Edmundo González. Despite all the shameful maneuvers, Maduro was resoundingly defeated at the polls by a people fed up with the dictatorship and who voted massively for the opposition and for what it represents: freedom, democracy, peace, justice, well-being. Precisely for this reason we cannot admit that the desire of millions of Venezuelans who, despite the difficulties and putting their freedom and even, in some cases, their lives at risk, have clearly said at the polls, "Enough is enough!" And in the face of that we cannot remain impassive. Given that, there is no room for equidistance. Faced with this, we can only be accomplices of the dictatorship or be with democracy. It's clear to me: I am with the people of Venezuela. That is why we ask that Edmundo González be recognized as a legitimate and democratically elected president. That is why we condemn the electoral fraud of Maduro and his main ally, the CNE. That's why we support the International Criminal Court holding Maduro accountable. That is why we strongly condemn the murders, kidnappings, arrests and continuous human rights violations that the regime perpetrates against its people and the opposition. That is why we demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. That is why we ask that sanctions be tightened against Nicolás Maduro's environment and why I join the demonstration convened around the world for September 28.

–Mr President, Commissioner, we are again debating Venezuela and again we have to refer to the atrocities of the regime. Today we are talking about Rocío San Miguel, a European human rights defender, arrested for no reason and kidnapped in El Helicoide since 9 February. Your crime: fight for freedom. We also talk about General Hernández Da Costa, a political prisoner since 2018 and transferred on February 19 to the prison of El Rodeo I, where despite his precarious state of health not only does not have adequate medical treatment, but they make him survive in subhuman conditions. He was not allowed to collect his belongings or his medicines and he is only allowed one family visit every forty-five days. We strongly warn from here of the responsibility of the regime if anything should happen to it. In this scenario, from the European Union we have to take a step further. This cannot continue as it has until now. We demand the release of all political prisoners now, as well as an investigation into the murder of Roldán Ojeda. We need to tighten sanctions against the tyranny of the Venezuelan regime and demand that it comply with the Barbados Agreement. That the disqualifications be lifted immediately and that the people of Venezuela can freely decide whether they prefer Maduro or prefer María Corina Machado, the democratically elected candidate of the opposition. The Venezuelan people deserve to choose their destiny and, above all, they deserve to get out of the situation to which the regime has subjected them. I end by saying what you have heard me say so many times: We will not leave you alone in your struggle for freedom.

Mr President, Commissioner, embezzlement of public funds, prevarication and influence peddling in contracts signed during the pandemic. Let's say we talk about the Canary Islands, under the presidency of the then president of the Socialist Government, and today Minister of Pedro Sánchez, Ángel Víctor Torres. While some died, others were enriched by the plot. Millionaire masks, more than sixteen million euros, with the same protagonists as always. Today it's Koldo. Yesterday it was Uncle Berni or Delcy's suitcases. But always corruption and a common denominator: Socialists. We are facing a fraud in which the Socialist Government of the Canary Islands annulled and remade the contract with the plot to pay it with funds from the European Union and that is why the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the European Anti-Fraud Office are investigating them. In the Canary Islands we need European funds, we need them for agriculture, for livestock and fishing, for ports and airports, to improve connectivity and to promote youth employment, but not for the socialist plot to use them to get rich. Not that.

Mr President, Commissioner, two decades ago the agreement between Chile and the European Union entered into force. Today, twenty years later and following a negotiation process that began in 2017, I am pleased that we are finally addressing the approval of this modernised agreement with Chile, a crucial partner for the European Union with which we share many values. Hopefully this great news can soon be extended to the agreements of other Latin American partners, such as Mercosur and Mexico. The agreement we are voting on today will bring great benefits, as has already been said: among others, the elimination of tariffs for 99% of the European Union's exports. At the same time, it will improve the access of our companies to public contracts in Chile and vice versa. The specific needs of small and medium-sized enterprises will also be taken into account and we will have greater access to critical raw materials such as lithium or copper. It is also important to highlight that the Advanced Framework Agreement will provide protection for another 216 agricultural geographical indications in the European Union, in addition to the already existing ones on wines and spirits that protect thousands of geographical indications in the Union. In 2011, the European Union was Chile's second largest trading partner. Today we are in third place, although we are still the first investor in the country. I am convinced that with this agreement we will boost our trade relations. I also welcome the modernisation of the Treaty on the basis of the World Trade Organisation's Trade Facilitation Agreement, noting that it is essential to make an effort to minimise red tape for businesses in both regions. I conclude by encouraging all Member States to ratify it without delay so that it can start to be implemented as soon as possible. Please count on my full support for the approval and conclusion of this agreement.

Madam President, Commissioner, Nicaragua, Venezuela and today again Cuba. How long are we going to keep looking the other way while the longest-lived dictatorship in Latin America survives? How long are we going to allow the criminals who rule the island to continue oppressing Cubans? The situation is unsustainable: This year the number of political detainees has increased to 1,066 prisoners of conscience. In addition, more than 11 000 arrests without trial have been detected, the so-called arrests for pre-criminal danger, totally arbitrary and ending with prison periods lasting on average two years and ten months. Given this, what is the European Union doing? Nothing, nothing at all. The regime is in flagrant breach of the 2017 Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. And yet nothing happens. The Cuban regime prevents the delegations of this House from entering the country, while here we welcome them with open arms and nothing happens. To deny repression in Cuba is to deny reality, a reality that has pushed half a million people to leave their homes; a reality that keeps thousands imprisoned without having committed any crime; a reality that we can no longer ignore. It is unacceptable that those responsible for these atrocities should not be sanctioned by the European Union and that the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement should not be suspended. Why? Why isn't it suspended? I tell the Commission, in Mr Borrell's absence today, what they expect to do. What are they waiting for? Why don't you do it now?

Mr President, Commissioner, at a time when the countryside is dying and rebelling against a suicidal policy, it is strange that we are going to adopt a rule that benefits farmers, even more so after this morning's vote on the Nature Restoration Regulation, which is going to have very negative consequences for farmers. In Europe, we have more than 3 500 protected geographical indications, such as bananas from the Canary Islands, which contribute approximately €80 billion in exports. In addition to the clear economic value, it also allows us to protect quality and environmentally friendly products, boosting rural employment, preserving traditions throughout Europe and providing a very important added value to our agriculture. The new scheme simplifies requirements for farmers while protecting our traditional products from third countries. Let's celebrate this new regulation and take the opportunity to continue working for our farmers. Today more than ever they need us.

Mr President, Commissioner, we all agree that reform is needed to make the WTO much more functional. To this end, it is essential that the dispute settlement body be made fully operational and effective again. A clear example of the dysfunctionality of this organization is the dispute between the United States and Spain regarding tariffs on Spanish black olives. Despite the fact that in 2021 the WTO ruled in favour of Spain, the United States has not changed its behavior and continues to seriously damage the sector. The issue remains open in the WTO. We have important challenges ahead and the WTO has a key role to play. I would like to highlight another topic that we need to keep very much in mind at the next conference: negotiations on fisheries subsidies. In this regard, I would like to reiterate that it is necessary to protect and defend the sustainable subsidies granted to European Union operators under Union law and, in particular, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements between the European Union and the ACP countries. Under no circumstances should these agreements be considered as subsidies to the European Union fleet. These agreements are the most transparent and mutually beneficial fisheries agreements in the world. They have proven to be positive and cost-effective both for EU fleets and for consumers and third countries, as well as for the management of fisheries resources. And we must not forget that, if the European Union fleet leaves these waters, they will be replaced by other fleets that have no regard for social or environmental sustainability.

Mr. President, tyranny, political persecution, arbitrary arrests, disqualifications, disappearances, lack of freedom, oppression of a people: Yes, once again we talk about Venezuela. Once again Maduro has rejected the hand that was extended to him. On January 22, he gave the order to arrest more than thirty Venezuelan citizens. Your only crime: defend a more democratic and fairer Venezuela. I recognise that I wanted to harbour – an illusion of mine – the hope, shared with millions of Venezuelans, that the opposition could run for a minimally clean election. However, that hope has again been frustrated. The Supreme Court of Justice, imposed by the regime, confirmed in an absolutely irregular way the disqualification of María Corina Machado and other candidates. Not only does this put an end to any hope of change in Venezuela, but the regime clearly and forcefully flouts the Barbados agreements. Our response can only be the strongest condemnation of the regime, as well as convey to all Venezuelans our solidarity and support in their struggle for democracy. To that end, it is imperative that we do not lift sanctions. Quite the opposite. Maduro's attitude requires that we harden them, that we make the criminals who oppress Venezuela notice the pressure on them, that they feel that their actions have consequences.

Mr President, Commissioner, we have already spoken a lot today, but it is clear that the sector is facing a very complicated situation and I am concerned that coastal communities perceive the European Union as an entity that dictates increasingly tough rules without taking into account the economic and social dimensions of fishing. Fishermen complain that the co-legislators are disconnected from reality. However, the fisheries and aquaculture sectors are strategic sectors in the Green Deal and provide healthy food, especially in times of crisis. From the Popular Party we are on the front line to ensure that food security, economic growth and social welfare are fundamental considerations that are better integrated into the decision-making process. And I think it is unfair to exaggerate the importance of fishing as a source, if not of all, of many of the ills and the destruction of marine ecosystems, as can be insinuated in the action plan. I am glad that the Commissioner has clearly pointed out the opposite today. And, speaking of reality, phasing out bottom trawling in one third of the oceans by 2030 is, of course, an absolutely unfair situation. I believe that fish can continue to be extracted in a sustainable way, already increasing the high imports. I believe that banning, in a simplistic way, tailor-made rules, based on the best available scientific advice, is not good legislation. I therefore congratulate the rapporteur, I believe that the report is appropriate as it is and that it cannot be altered by amendments that ignore the needs of fishermen.

Mr President, Commissioner, first of all, thank you very much to all those who have spoken. Dear Commissioner, stability in what does not work, no. What is valuable must be preserved, but what is necessary must be reformed. And the Common Fisheries Policy needs a paradigm shift, moving, as I have said many times, from rigid and unrealistic objectives to pragmatic and achievable goals, adapted to the new reality shaped after the , the COVID-19 pandemic and the war, the Chair of the Committee on Fisheries has said very well, to the real world. The reform of the CFP should aim at achieving a rebalancing between its objectives, strengthening the socio-economic and food security dimensions of the CFP and achieving a level playing field in its international dimension, as also stated by the Commissioner. Fisheries and aquaculture must take their rightful place within the policies of the European Union and within the Commission. The previous Commission identified the need to produce more ocean food as a strategic goal and this is now more relevant than ever, but it has been left on wet paper. Fisheries and aquaculture must also be on the European Union's external political agenda and we must integrate fisheries policy into a broader political context, within European Union policies and relations with third countries. China, Norway, Russia and the United Kingdom have well understood the strategic importance of fisheries from a geopolitical point of view, but the European Union is still timid and still hesitant. As you know, my heart is in the Canary Islands, and I want to reiterate a message to the outermost regions that need our full support. They also need money from the European Union and state aid for the renewal of the forgotten local artisanal fleets. This is not a luxury, it is a question of the survival of coastal communities in these territories and it is a constant request from this Parliament that neither the Commission nor the Council has sufficiently considered. We trust, Commissioner, that you will listen carefully and if not give serious consideration to my views, which, moreover, are those of the whole sector to which we have listened, at least the views and requests of this Parliament.

Mr President, Commissioner, you know that I appreciate you and you have heard me tell you many times - and I know that you do not like to be told - that you have benefited ecology over the economy, environmental protection over the protection of fishermen in the European Union, local ocean governance over good governance within the Union, where fishermen should be at the heart of local management. They have neglected the need for a fair playing field for EU and imported products, imposing restrictions only on EU fishermen and aquaculture producers. Many opportunities have been missed: the opportunity to make the European fisheries sector a leader in sustainability, also a leader in competitiveness against powerful fleets such as those in China, Russia or Norway; the opportunity to recognise and promote the strategic role of fisheries and aquaculture in the context of the Green Deal; the opportunity to adapt the European Union's ill-conceived and outdated Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to current challenges and needs, such as ensuring food availability and security and attracting young people for the continuity of this profession vital to society. His categorical opposition to opening the debate for a reform of the CFP has created unprecedented unrest in the fisheries sector, a sector heavily affected by crises and in need of Europe's support more than ever. The current CFP is not well conceived. In 2013 we introduced, perhaps hastily, rigid political objectives. It is true that no one then had the answer to the questions about its possible effects on practice. The problem is that today we discover that in real life they are impossible to achieve. The result is the mistrust of fishermen. The objectives of the current CFP are too focused on environmental protection. While no one disagrees that we need healthy ecosystems for economic prosperity, what the current CFP overlooks is the need to ensure that fish is caught sustainably and not wasted on the altar of environmental protection. The current CFP is outdated. The reality facing the fisheries sector today could not be foreseen in 2012, when the CFP was designed. In parallel, new difficult objectives and priorities were set, such as decarbonisation, the landing obligation or maximum sustainable yield. But the current CFP does not provide the right tools to achieve these goals. The current CFP does not take into account the specificities and challenges of small-scale fishing, shellfish harvesters, brotherhoods or fishermen from the outermost regions, such as my region, the Canary Islands. However, they play an absolutely vital socio-economic role in the coastal communities to which they belong. The fisheries and aquaculture sectors and the entire value chain are strategic in the context of the Green Deal and contribute to food security and also to the cultural, tourism and gastronomic heritage of Europe’s coastal and island communities. In addition, its strategic value has been demonstrated especially in the context of the Brexit during the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. But fishing is also strategic from a geopolitical point of view. Through its long-distance fleet, the European Union is present worldwide. Given all this information, as we continue to implement the current CFP, where necessary, we need to reform and adapt it accordingly. Let us not be afraid to address that reform or adaptation. Finally, I would like to end by thanking the shadow rapporteurs, including the Council and the Commission, for the frank discussions we have had and the contributions they have made to me during the lengthy preparation of this report.

Mr President, we are concerned about the loss of pellets that occurs in Portugal and that affects the Spanish coasts of Asturias, Galicia, the Basque Country and Cantabria... Of course we're worried! But the left and the nationalists are only interested in the Galician elections of February 18. And that is why we have this debate today. We are very concerned that the Spanish Government has abandoned its obligations and responsibilities. The left and the nationalists are only concerned about trying to discredit the Galician government – 18 February. We are concerned about false statements and testimonies. The left and the nationalists are not concerned about this at all. The left and the nationalists are only concerned about February 18. We are concerned to find solutions for all the coasts affected and prevent situations like this from happening again. The left and the nationalists are not concerned about the damage that their campaign against the Xunta could cause to Galician fishermen and consumers - 18 February. But do you know one thing? Fortunately, his shameful campaign has an expiration date, precisely that February 18. Until then, we will continue as always, despite the socialists and nationalists, working for the welfare of the Galicians and all Spaniards, without exception.

Mr President, Commissioner, the events of recent days in Ecuador are extremely worrying and, from here, I want to show my solidarity with Ecuadorians and the strong support for the Government to confront drug trafficking and organized crime with determination and always respecting the rule of law. The criminals, feeling unpunished, have reached extremely dangerous quotas of power, as shown by the extent of their attacks against the State and society of Ecuador and against those politicians who have refused to play along with them. Ecuador is a priority partner in the region with which - in addition to raising the need to eliminate short-stay visas that I reiterate today - we enjoy a beneficial trade and with which we share values. We can and must help. And I am not just referring to economic support, but also to political support. We can help with police training programs in prisons, for the workers of the port of Guayaquil, engine of the world cocaine trafficking. Police cooperation is also needed. We have always boasted of seeking the best relations with Latin America. Well, now is the time to support our words with deeds. From Parliament – but also from the High Representative, the Council and the Commission – we have the opportunity to act as the global actor we claim to be. We can and must go beyond mere words and we must not miss the opportunity. Today more than ever, the people of Ecuador need our support. Let's not let him down.

Mr. President, Mr. High Representative, how long will the Maduro regime continue to persecute and imprison the opponents? How long will he continue to trample on citizens' rights and freedoms? And how long are we going to continue to allow it? One more debate, this time – regrettably – without a resolution, and Venezuela’s horizon remains bleak. Whether through an armed conflict or the arrest warrant of politicians and activists, all accused of treason, Maduro's only purpose is to continue persecuting those who defend democracy and freedom in the country. In the Barbados agreement, some wanted to see a small glimmer of hope, but it has lasted very little. Do you still think, Mr. Borrell, that it was a positive step? Don't be fooled. Maduro has no will to release political prisoners or lift disqualifications, to stop harassing opponents, or to allow free elections that he knows he will lose. She panics Maria Corina Machado and what she represents. Given this, it is time for the European Union to leave the good words. Faced with the stubborn reality, one cannot contemplate ending sanctions, or even limiting them, while tyranny continues to oppress Venezuela. What's more, we must continue to persecute Maduro and his henchmen like the criminals they are. Venezuelans are willing to risk everything for freedom and democracy, and our obligation is to help them in their struggle.

Madam President, Commissioner, fishermen are not criminals; fishermen are decent men and women who work hard to provide high-quality food, even in unprecedented crises such as COVID or war. Difficulting the lives of fishermen by imposing more bureaucracy and controls makes the profession less attractive to young people, with generational renewal being one of the main challenges facing the sector. Imposing inflexible and disproportionate controls on already rigid and ill-conceived rules such as the complex landing obligation rather than reforming the rules themselves is not a solution. The text adopted is not, in some respects, the text we would like. But thanks to the unceasing work of my colleague Paco Millán, the agreement reached is more nuanced and less rigid than the Commission's initial proposal. Harmonised rules for sanctions, safeguards to make cameras as intrusive as possible, flexibility in rules related to errors in catch estimation, differentiated rules for small-scale fishermen or strengthened import controls are some of the improvements introduced that we hope will make the control more acceptable to operators. Now and in the coming months, we will be vigilant that the gradual implementation of the new rules through delegated or implementing acts by the Commission will under no circumstances lead to more bureaucracy for operators.

Madam President, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have made us see that we must be self-sufficient and, at the same time, that we must diversify our sources of supplies. In this sense, the agreement with Mercosur is key to contribute to the strategic autonomy of both regions and strengthen our political, economic and cultural ties, establishing a market of more than 780 million people. But the truth is that ratification of the agreement is being impeded by the reluctance of certain Member States. We should not be having this debate today if we had been reasonable and had not added so many pitfalls to its adoption. Trying to impose the additional instrument is far from this: We have made demands on Mercosur that are clearly excessive, especially when the agreement was already finalised. If we do not ratify the agreement, we will lose any improvement, we will be hindering the relationships we need to be able to raise it in the future and we will be depriving ourselves of a strategic partner. Flexibility in negotiating this additional instrument is essential. Without it we will have no agreement. Mercosur has been very clear and I think we must respond. Either we sign the agreement now, or we will have missed a unique opportunity to build our strategic autonomy.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, Europe's borders are absolutely overflowing. In the Canary Islands we are sadly aware of what these arrivals mean. We are forced to receive thousands of people to whom we cannot give attention or solutions. Just yesterday, a cayuco with 280 people arrived on the island of El Hierro. So far this year, more than 15,000 people have arrived in the Canary Islands. And how many will have died in the attempt? Thousands of human beings, let's not forget. Human beings who arrive on our islands without measures or infrastructure to welcome them. Nor is there a plan or means to integrate them into Europe. It is imperative that the new legislative package be adopted as soon as possible, because it is not acceptable that, after so many migration crises, the European Union does not have a cohesive system to respond to this phenomenon. And it is not fair that border regions – especially outermost regions such as the Canary Islands – take care of a phenomenon that affects us all alone. The arrival of irregular migrants is not a comfortable matter, but acclaimed European solidarity must exist for the easy and also for the difficult. Enough of the banner solidarity.