Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis
Member of the European Parliament · S&D · LT
“Madam President, today we are debating the 28th regime for innovative start‑ups and scale‑ups. But underneath this report lies a bigger question: what do we do when 27 national tax systems slow down innovations?”
“The question is whether we will act for innovative biotech start-ups today and for patients waiting for innovative treatment tomorrow. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question) 4-0160-0000 Ondřej Dostál (NI), blue-card question. – Dear colleague, I heard your arguments. They are important, but I want to raise a question.”
“An open method of coordination requires cooperation. Mutual recognition requires cooperation, and of course, also possibilities to encourage Member States to understand that a single market can deliver treatment to people and organise access to treatment. This is reality. We need to move into that direction. 4-0162-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, you just saw a lucky mother with her excellent child. But unfortunately in Gaza the hospitals are destroyed. Hospitals are not battlefields; yet in Gaza, the basic principle of humanity has been broken for too long, colleagues.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, I fully agree with what you just said about the situation related to vaccines, antibodies and so on, but what we see is climate-sensitive disease spread.”
“– Madam President, colleagues, thank you for all the contributions. The message to Ukrainians is clear: the commitment for your country stands firm from a large majority in this House. That is also because Ukraine has already achieved so much on the reform path. There is no comparison to 2014.”
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“I do hope that the Hungarian Government will engage in that process, and that we will be able to welcome not only Hungarian students from universities not managed by PITs, but also from all Hungarian universities back to Erasmus+. We are ready to work on that. One last point: Hungarian universities are also part of our European alliances. And I can only regret that the Central European University that is part of the European alliance is not anymore seated in Budapest, and I am sure you cannot blame the Commission for that. 4-0039-0000 Laurence Farreng, rapporteure. – Monsieur le Président, je suis vraiment profondément persuadée de l'atout que représentent ces alliances «universités européennes» et je suis ravie de voir que nous partageons largement ce point de vue au sein du Parlement.”
“I have to say – as you know, I am in charge of the implementation of the conditionality regulation, which is there to ensure the transparency of spending of European taxpayers' money, which is there to protect the financial interest of the European budget. The decision from December is not extremely complicated, it is about increasing the transparency in the public interest trusts. I can only regret that since last December almost nothing has happened, and the dialogue between the Commission and the Hungarian Government is, to be frank, and not because of the Commission, but almost non-existent. There is still time.”
“But I also would like to make a few points on Hungarian students, because we do care. We would like to have Hungarian students from all universities back to Erasmus+. We have Hungarian students from universities not managed by public interest trust benefiting from Erasmus. We are discussing here, and it should not be put into question, the Commission would like Hungarian students to participate in Erasmus+. It is not about the Hungarian students, it is about public interest trusts. It is about the law which is there in place in Hungary. It is about the conditionality regulation and the decision that has been very transparent and clear, transmitted last December also to the Hungarian Government.”
“Now we really talk about a very massive movement of 65 alliances, 640 research institutions involved, and all of them satisfied, all of them seeing value added for their students, for their research activities. We should keep that going, and as I have mentioned, the proposal that we put in the next multiannual budget to increase funding for Erasmus+ is an opportunity, and again, I would count on your support in that respect. We also have right now on the table the package of new generations of programmes. And I have heard many ideas in that debate. That package is an opportunity to have a discussion with the legal text on the table, and with those ideas potentially being translated into the legal text. So I hope that this debate, also from that perspective, is very, very useful.”
“We welcome the report and I think it is a good step forward and we will need to do more strengthening of our university alliances because freedom of investment, research and innovation is impossible without alliances with European universities. 4-0037-0000 (Brīvā mikrofona uzstāšanos beigas.) 4-0038-0000 Piotr Serafin, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, thank you for today's debate. And I think that I haven't heard anybody taking the floor who would question the concept of the European Universities alliances. And I have to tell you that I remember in the Sorbonne speech in 2017, and I remember the debate that took place at that time in the European Council among the Member States. I remember that quite well, but I also have to admit that the scale of alliances exceeded expectations, I think of everybody.”
“Mr President, we need a clear legal status for alliances, which would make it easier for universities to initiate and lead European projects, pool resources, enhance their autonomy, reduce administrative burdens, attract funding and broaden their governance structure. We ask the European Commission to take further steps towards a European degree that is based on European criteria, as a step towards the recognition of degrees and diplomas at EU level. And, of course, we ask that existing initiatives like the European Student Card be strengthened, while also considering new ones such as enhancing interoperability of digital tools through the creation of virtual European inter-campuses.”
“Todėl šiandien mano ir mūsų visų pareiga – padaryti viską, kad Moldovos kelias į Europos Sąjungą būtų sklandus ir rugsėjo 28 d. pasiektų geriausius rezultatus. 2-0482-0000”
“Gerbiamas posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiama komisare, gerbiami kolegos. Šiandien Moldovos prezidentės Maios Sandu kalba čia, Europos Parlamente, buvo paremta faktais, skaičiais ir neatremiamais argumentais. Putino režimo pastangos paveikti Moldovos rinkimų į parlamentą rugsėjo 28 d. rezultatus ir užvaldyti Moldovą per balsadėžes, pačiu grubiausiu būdu pažeidžiant tarptautinę teisę, – tai mums, pasisakantiems šiandien už Moldovos kelią į Europos Sąjungą, už teisės viršenybę teisinėje valstybėje, yra visiškai akivaizdu. Mes čia visi esame sąjungininkai. Man, kaip Lietuvos atstovui Europos Parlamente, labai svarbu pasakyti, kad Moldova buvo pirmoji respublika buvusioje Tarybų Sąjungoje, 1990 metais pripažinusi Lietuvos Respublikos nepriklausomybę.”
“A budget that barely differs from the current one will not be enough. We need a deep and meaningful discussion about expanding our own resources and create a much larger budget, much more fitting for the current times. 1-0222-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, the EU faces a critical juncture marked by war in Ukraine, geopolitical shifts, transnational crises, EU internal difficulties and new political goals. A few months ago, the Commission presented us with a project for a new budget of almost EUR 1.8 trillion. The amount sounds impressive, but in reality it is not. If we take away the interest of Next Generation EU loans, the budget becomes the same as the current financial framework, while the challenges the EU faces have multiplied. It means that EU is not ready for new challenges, neither institutionally nor policy-wise. Once Ukraine is ready to become a member of the EU, we will need significant resources to support it. We will need to provide adequate protection to all our Member States and support our regional cohesion and agriculture.”
“Mr President, Commissioner, public procurement must drive social progress and sustainability. We need to include in public procurement mandatory social criteria, mandatory environmental criteria and also workers' rights. Of course, we need to promote European preference, to limit the number of subcontractors and to include the 'buy local' approach and, of course, fight against corruption, favouritism and conflicts of interest. It can help us to guarantee transparency and promote social fairness and inclusion. 1-0177-0000”
“Gerbiama Pirmininke, komisijos nary, be galo dėkui už gerą vizitą Lietuvoj ir puikų dialogą su ūkininkais. Aš paliudijo, kad ir ūkininkai, ir jūs esate už tai, kad žemės ūkis būtų progresyvus, tvarus, produktyvus, teisingas, atsparus ir perspektyvus. Ačiū už visas iniciatyvas, bet mums reikia atskiro biudžeto. Bet koks biudžeto fragmentavimas susilpnintų Europos Sąjungos žemės ūkio politiką, bet koks. Mums reikia didesnio biudžeto. Čia teisingai kalbėjo apie ūkininkus, į kuriuos nekreipiame... didesnio biudžeto. Čia mūsų visų užduotis turėti didesnį MFF, nes tai padėtų apsaugoti konkurencingumą, tvarumą. Kaimui reikia taip pat investicijų į infrastruktūrą, bet ir jaunimo reikia. Reikia patvaraus ūkininkavimo, daugiau inovacijų, daugiau pažangių idėjų, kad jaunimas užsidegtų būti ūkininkais.”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, of course, wildfire has no longer affected only southern Europe, but also erupted in northern and central regions of the European Union and wildfires are now no longer a seasonal phenomenon. They are a persistent, systemic threat and they require a systemic response. Over 150 experts from the EU proposed an integrated wildfire risk management strategy. One of the strategy's central ambitions is to help shift the EU from a fragmented, reactive response toward a shared, proactive framework to support long-term resilience and civil protection capacity. In a context where climate change is reshaping geography and the intensity of fire risk, this shift is both urgent and complex. I think we need to include it into our preparedness Union plans. 3-0379-0000”
“Madam President, dear Commissioner, the European Union faces a critical juncture marked by geopolitical shifts, transnational crises and internal complexities. For geopolitical reasons, the European Union enlargement is high on the political agenda, but the European Union is not ready yet to welcome new members, either institutionally or policywise. You remember the excellent report which shows that we need to do more. And the only one way is to do our homework. To encourage Member States to do their homework, we need a much broader multiannual financial framework budget. We need our own resources. We need to integrate Ukraine into the EU as soon as possible. There is only one way to achieve peace: the integration of Ukraine into the EU. 3-0046-0000”
“We remain united in our support to the brave people of Belarus in their quest for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus as part of a peaceful Europe. 2-0417-0000”
“For instance, Robert Biedroń from the S&D mentioned specific names of prisoners. This is a brutal repression, as said by Adam Bielan from the ECR and also from many others. We have to talk about it and we have to be clear, as several of you said. We will continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and for the end of repression against civil society, independent media and peaceful dissent. The EU will continue to urge the regime to end its violations while supporting the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people. We will remain fully engaged and closely monitor developments on the ground and the issue will remain high on the EU agenda.”
“– Madam President, honourable Members, thank you for your interventions. Yes, let us celebrate the release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski and others, and call for their full rehabilitation and safe return home. But we also insist that true progress will be measured not just by pardons, but by the comprehensive dismantling of a system of repression. We call on the Belarusian authorities to immediately halt all political persecution, to enact meaningful reforms and to adhere to its international obligations. And dear colleagues, let us continue to stand for freedom, justice and the rule of law in Belarus until every single political prisoner is free. 2-0416-0000 Marie Bjerre, President-in-Office of the Council. – Madam President, honourable Members, Commissioners, thank you for your valuable interventions and also very strong comments.”
“Gerbiama Pirmininke, kolegos, aš norėčiau paminėti vieną pavardę – Mykola Statkevič. Tai Baltarusijos socialdemokratų partijos lyderis, kuris visą laiką nuo pat Baltarusijos nepriklausomybės paskelbimo, visą laiką aktyviai kovojo už demokratiją, žmogaus teises ir visą laiką pats buvo aktyviausias pasipriešinimo autoritariniam režimui dalyvis. Visi puikiai žinome, kad Europos Parlamentas ne kartą pasisakė dėl jo, tačiau šį kartą vėl man tenka priminti, nes jo išnykimas... nieko nebežinoma apie jo įkalinimą, nieko nebežinoma, kas su juo toliau yra atsitikę, jokių žinių. Ir aš raginu Komisiją, raginu dar kartą atkreipti ypatingą dėmesį į šį patį vieną iš iškiliausių pasipriešinimo didvyrių. 2-0414-0000 (End of catch-the-eye procedure) 2-0415-0000 Marta Kos, Member of the Commission.”
“Madam President, Prime Minister, your programme calls for a strong Europe in a changing world. But it would be good to enshrine one word: a strong social Europe in a changing world. And I trust the Danish Social Democratic Government, because you can do your best, strengthening the social dimension in the EU, because a social dimension means possibilities to convince European people to have much stronger reforms. We need a more integrated Europe, we need a more effective Europe, and we need more attention in next multiannual financial framework, defending cohesion funds, defending cooperation, defending agricultural funds and not cutting those investments. And of course: enlargement, enlargement, and once again, enlargement! It's one important tool for defending Ukraine and defending peace in Europe.”
“Gerbiama Pirmininke, norėčiau pritarti Komisijos pateiktai pozicijai ir išties paraginti, kad derybose, atnaujintose derybose, būtų iškeliami tie klausimai, kurie būtų apibrėžti kaip tarptautinės teisės prioriteto palaikymas visuose santykiuose. Šiuo atveju ypatingai svarbu atkreipti dėmesį Kinijos į tai, kad karas, kurį Rusija tęsia prieš Ukrainą, turi būti sustabdytas, nes tai kenkia pasaulinei tvarkai, daugiašališkumui ir tarptautinės teisės viršenybės principui. Priešingu atveju mes iš tiesų turėsime labai sudėtingus santykius. Aš skatinu būtinai pragmatiškai, dalykiškai, bet apsibrėžiant tuos principus, kurie šiandien yra numeris vienas. Šalies teritorinis integralumas, tarptautinė teisė yra tai, apie ką turi būti pasakyta labai aiškiai, kad Kinijos parama Ukrainai būtų sustabdyta. 2-0061-0000”
“Madam President, the Union is facing the urgency of change. The Danish EU Presidency is just beginning. Denmark has named its programme 'A strong Europe in a changing world'. This programme extensively discusses strengthening EU security, increasing competitiveness, emphasising the need to help Ukraine in political, economic and military terms. However, the EU stands at an obvious crossroads. Can it simultaneously take steps forward – increasing the EU budget, expanding its own resources, implementing necessary institutional reforms – and at the same time prepare to accept new members, especially Ukraine? Unfortunately, such ambitions are not on the presidency's agenda. We are unforgivably losing time and leadership. The EU cannot close its eyes to the problems that we discussed at the Conference on the Future of Europe.”
“Sie haben gesprochen vom Sieg der Ukraine, und der Sieg der Ukraine hängt von deren Mitgliedschaft in der EU ab. Ist Ihnen eigentlich bewusst, dass Sie dort eines der größten korrupten Regimes derzeit an der Regierung haben, die zusammen mit Bandera, also mit ehemaligen Faschistenverehrern, die Regierung bilden? Wollen Sie wirklich dieses Land um den Preis dieser Gemeinschaft in die … (Der Präsident entzieht dem Redner das Wort.) 4-0074-0000 Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (S&D), atsakymas į pakėlus mėlynąją kortelę pateiktą klausimą. – Atsakau labai aiškiai: Ukrainos žmonės nori būti Europos Sąjungoje. Aš ten buvau prieš dvi savaites. Ir aš tikiu, kad, jeigu aš atvažiuočiau į jūsų šalį, aš įtikinčiau jūsų žmones taip pat, nes jie irgi įstojo į Europos Sąjungą būnant visokiai korupcijai ir jūsų šalyje. Korupcija yra visame pasaulyje.”
“Ir čia nacionalistai ir patriotai nesupranta šito ir patys kalba niekus tam, kad Europos Sąjungą atvestų į dar didesnę krizę. Todėl mums reikia žengti abu žingsnius – ir sutarčių keitimą, ir plėtrą, sinchronizuoti, daryti pagal kriterijus. Ir tik toks kelias sustiprins Europos Sąjungą kaip pasaulinį žaidėją. (Kalbėtojas sutiko atsakyti į mėlynosios kortelės klausimą) 4-0073-0000 Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN), Frage nach dem Verfahren der „blauen Karte“. – Herr Kollege, danke, dass Sie die Frage annehmen! Ich weiß nicht, aus welchem Land Sie kommen, aber ich komme aus dem größten Mitgliedsland, dem stärksten Mitgliedsland der EU, und ich stelle nicht fest, dass die Bürger meines Landes in der Mehrheit mehr EU wollen. Also das zur Einordnung.”
“Therefore, we are looking forward to the Commission proposals for the next MFF in July and to expect that protection and security of critical energy infrastructures – including physical, digital and cyber‑related components, as well as reserves of essential elements required for a rapid restoration of the power system which are key to secure energy supply – will remain an important EU priority in the next MFF. 3-0409-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, may I remind you all of the joint declaration by Jacques Delors and Jerzy Buzek for a new European energy community. It was declared on 5 May 2010 – and still we are debating a European energy union. Can you imagine? 15 years – we are very slow! An energy union that delivers competitiveness, security, decarbonisation and a just transition will provide end users with cheaper energy, primarily benefiting our industries and households. Ensuring a secure energy supply is a key to achieving this goal.”
“We are speaking about 5 % of GDP, but we need to understand that the cost of non-EU in defence spending, in other words, the cost of not leveraging European economies of scale, is estimated to range from EUR 18 billion to EUR 57 billion per year – this was the estimate set out in a European Parliamentary Research Service study. We need to think about the necessity to spend also in social areas much more efficiently. 3-0103-0000”
“Mr President, I would like to wish the Commissioner a happy birthday. In the run-up to the upcoming NATO summit, the building of the European defence union is at the top of the European Union policy agenda and is essential to shielding European Union citizens' security and wellbeing from current geopolitical threats. This is a part of the EU Member States' solidarity – those who are also in NATO. The European defence union should be a pillar of NATO. And we see that it is only one way to strengthen our security. European security, as argued in the Niinistö report, is a public good and that readiness is a common responsibility, and one way to respond to future challenges is to deepen cooperation across Member States, to leverage European economies of scale on defence and spending activities.”
“Gerbiamas pirmininke, Moldova ypatinga tuo, kad tai yra labai aiškus Europos Sąjungos sąjungininkas tiek buvusioje Rytų kaimynystės politikoje, tiek dabar, jai stojant į Europos Sąjungą. Kuo daugiau Europos Sąjungos Moldovoj, tuo mažiau Putino propagandos ten. Ir rudens rinkimuose mums ypatingai reikalingas šiandien Europos Parlamento balsas, siunčiantis aiškią žinią, kad Moldovos sėkmė rudenį yra ir jos greitesnės integracijos į Europos Sąjungą kelias. Mums reikia kuo daugiau padėti – daugiau pilotinių projektų, daugiau dvišalių projektų, Europos Parlamento atstovybės, daugiau investicijų. Mes neturime padaryti tokios klaidos, kokią Europos Sąjunga padarė dėl Gruzijos. Europos Sąjungos silpnas buvimas Gruzijoje štai ką padarė su Gruzijos ateitimi. Reikia būtinai paremti Moldovos stojimą. 2-0399-0000”
“Gerbiamas pirmininke, komisare, išties išsakyta labai daug įvairių argumentų dėl vienų ar kitų Juodkalnijos, tarkim, galimų ar nepadarytų darbų, ar daromų, bet ne taip greitai, darbų. Tačiau iš esmės puikiai žinau ir žinau gerai, kaip teko daug kam dėti pastangas, kad Kroatija būtų priimta. Puikiai žinau, teko dalyvauti diskusijose su Šiaurės Makedonija. Teko pačiam būti Juodkalnijoje kaip komisarui. Išties mes turime būtinai padidinti techninę paramą, padidinti savo įtaką, sustiprinti Juodkalniją ir palengvinti Juodkalnijos kuo sklandesnį įstojimą į Europos Sąjungą. Tai yra ir visos Balkanų istorijos sėkmė. Nėra jokių abejonių. Religijos laisvė, visi kiti dalykai bus ir toliau labai jautrūs, bet sėkmės istorija reikalauja dėti pastangas priimti ją į Europos Sąjungą. 2-0370-0000”
“Ir aš ypatingai adresuoju tai tiems radikaliems dešiniesiems ir nacionalistams. O direktyva reikalinga mums visiems. 2-0065-0000”
“Gerbiama posėdžio pirmininke, komisare, pranešėjau. Išties sveikinimas tiek pranešėjui, tiek visiems šešėliniams pranešėjams – puikiai padarytas dokumentas. Direktyva sudaro sąlygas, ją perkeliant šalyse narėse, dar daugiau sustiprinti ir atkreipti dėmesį į tas vietas, kur iš tiesų dar reikia šalims narėms pačioms apsispręsti sustiprinimo ir prevencijos kryptim. Tačiau aš taip pat noriu pastebėti, kad čia, šioje salėje, kalbant apie vaikų seksualinį išnaudojimą, apie pedofiliją, kalbant apie tokį žiaurų nusikaltimą, staiga imama savo kalbas nukreipti prieš žmogaus teises, prieš seksualines mažumas, nesuprantant, kad heteroseksualūs žmonės taip pat daro baisius nusikaltimus, kaip ir maža dalis homoseksualių žmonių. Čia mes turime drąsiai pasakyti: bet kokios neapykantos kalbos kurstymo pasekmės bus negatyvios.”
“Mūsų pažadai turi remtis konkrečiais namų darbais, kad mes tikrai paspartintumėm Ukrainos integraciją į Europos Sąjungą. Tai yra vienintelis realus taikos planas. 1-0153-0000 (Koniec zgłoszeń z sali) 1-0154-0000 Marta Kos, Member of the Commission. – (start of speech off mic) ... for the efforts to end the war through a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace and, of course, to ensure accountability. The diplomatic efforts to stop the war, as presented by the representative of the Council, are indeed essential to ending the ongoing suffering of the people to Ukraine. We join Ukraine and international partners, including the US, in calling for a full, unconditional ceasefire of at least 30 days. Alongside this track, it is no less important to continue the work of ensuring accountability for war crimes.”
“Gerbiama posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiama komisare, kolegos. Čia daug pasakyta teisingų žodžių apie tai, ką, kokius nusikaltimus daro Putinas ir jo agresyvus ir nusikalstamas režimas. Bet mano klausimas yra kitoks. Mano klausimas yra Europos šalių, valstybių ir vyriausybių Vadovų Tarybai. Ar iš tiesų galime ir toliau elgtis taip, kaip elgiamės? Yra šalių, kurios labai smarkiai padeda Ukrainai. Bet yra didelis skaičius šalių, kurių pagalba Ukrainai yra maža. Reikia kelti klausimą [dėl] solidaraus ir vieningo pagalbos dydžio Ukrainai. Reikia didesnio biudžeto ir Europos Sąjungos valanda dabar akivaizdi. Ukrainos žmonės, kaip niekas – aš ten visai neseniai buvau ir vėl važiuosiu, – kaip niekas laukia integracijos į Europos Sąjungą.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, you know very well Manuel Heitor's report – align, act, accelerate. The report is based on the Letta Report proposing a fifth freedom, but a fifth freedom for research and development requires infrastructure and an ecosystem at pan-European, supranational level. And of course, Draghi mentioned the necessity to build a research and innovation union. A union requires a lot of effort and a whole-of-Commission approach and a whole-of-government approach. We are just proposing to establish a pilot project using European reference networks, using artificial intelligence fabrics, using a health data space, using biobanks and one million genomics to build an ecosystem and a reduction in the area of rare diseases, rare cancers and low prevalence diseases.”
“The EU should encourage Member States to integrate mental health at work into all policies and move forward with a common, comprehensive strategy. 1-0339-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, among people of working age, half of all illnesses are mental health disorders. They account for half of all disability benefits and absenteeism. According to a systemic review covering 65 economic evaluations, investments in mental health services can yield greater economic growth and national well-being than investments in new road infrastructure. Can you imagine? A strategic approach to public mental health policy at work at the EU level should begin with a unified framework that emphasises prevention, early intervention and mental health promotion across all Member States. This framework must align with broader public health goals and recognise mental health as a cross-sectoral issue affecting education, employment, social inclusion and human rights.”
“Pirmininke, komisare. Tikrai akivaizdu, kad, kalbant apie CBAM mechanizmą, turime suprasti, jog Europos Sąjunga buvo lyderė priverčiant ir pasiekiant rezultatų Paryžiaus klimato susitarime. Ir šiandien tie, kurie bando gąsdinti, kad CBAM čia pribaigs pramonę ir taip toliau, tai tegul atsisuka į vieną paprastą dalyką: žinoti, kiek nuo oro taršos kasmet turime ankstyvų mirčių. Dėl oro taršos – pabrėžiu kaip medikas, kaip Pasaulio sveikatos organizacijos buvęs ekspertas. Tai jeigu norite ginti, kad oro tarša toliau būtų, ir nedaryti nieko, kad mes nesustabdytume šito dalyko, tai atminkite, kad mūsų darbo jėgos mažėjimas bus didžiausias iššūkis pramonei. Todėl CBAM korekcija yra reikalinga.”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, I fully agree with your proposal related to the single market strategy. But may I repeat once again: we need to complete the digital union, energy union, banking union, capital market union. Without those unions, we have no chance to move forward, for sure. We also need a railways union, and also – a very important dimension – the social dimension. A social union should be implemented and a social pillar should be implemented in every Member State. We need to have in mind a health union also. Investment in human capital is a main asset in our single market and we need to do more, so completing a European health union – also proposing a research investment and innovation union, as Letta just mentioned, I discussed with you about that. It is a very important asset moving forward. 1-0223-0000”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, you rightly mentioned that we are still 20 years speaking about the same problems. But now the digital union is not completed. The energy union is not completed. I know our railway infrastructure is in difficulties, and when we are speaking about the necessity to do something more, first of all, we need to stress very much that we need to develop pan‑European infrastructures in digital, in energy, in transport. And, of course, also Letta rightly mentioned the 'fifth freedom': freedom for research, investment and innovation. But it requires also infrastructure in our research and innovations. It means the life sciences strategy should be connected with the internal market strategy hand in hand, otherwise we can lose once again competitiveness, investment and progress.”
“For Free and United Europe – taip vadinosi Altiero Spinelli manifestas. Ir šiandien reikia aiškiai pasakyti: istorija man neskolinga, aš skolingas istorijai, kad būtų taika, demokratija ir laisvė. 4-0074-0000”
“The 1 % of gross national income limit is outdated. We need minimum 2 % of GDP, and it is only one way to fulfil our promises about enlargement, policies, defence, health and other issues. 2-0256-0000”
“Mr President, colleagues, as in the previous European Parliament Jutta Haug, Alain Lamassoure and Guy Verhofstadt stated, gross national income-based contributions from Member States are complicated, full of various rebates, compensations, exemptions and full of indigestible calculations. Lack of transparency is clear, and I fully agree with this position. Member States conceive of it as transferred from their national treasuries to Brussels. The European Parliament has no say in the decision on European Union resources. This goes against democracy. Fully funding the European Union's policies with independent sources of revenue – this is only one way to put an end to the practice of Member States' so-called 'fair return' approach. We need an autonomous European Union budget composed mainly of EU own resources.”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear Maroš, I welcome your statement today. The predictable unpredictability of Trump's policies is a challenge, and Trump's brutal tariff war and nationalist protectionism are a real threat. We must stay united and determined in promoting and defending rule‑based global trade and multilateralism, and, of course, we need to intensify trade with other markets like Mercosur, and modernise and capitalise on the benefits of existing free trade agreements, as with Canada and Mexico. But we must also urgently complete our single market, urgently provide EU‑wide targeted support for impacted European industries and our affected regions. State aid to our industries and small and medium-sized enterprises is necessary. We must buy European goods and services and promote Made in Europe products.”
“We possess the tools: the multiannual financial framework, the upcoming EU life sciences strategy and the EU Biotech Act. Let us build a pan‑European ecosystem for rare diseases that harnesses technological breakthroughs, invests in pan‑European data‑driven infrastructure for multicentre clinical trials, scales up newborn screening for early detection, and delivers personalised and innovative treatments for our patients. Let's encourage the Commission to act in this direction. 1-0239-0000”
“Madam President, we stand at a pivotal moment. The SANT Committee has heard a clear call to forge a competitive, knowledge‑based European Union, and where better to ignite this ambition than the urgent realm of rare diseases? We have about 35 million patients, but only 5 % of identified rare diseases have a therapy. No country can treat those patients alone. Rare diseases can be our pan‑European pilot, a launchpad for Draghi's vision of a cutting‑edge research and innovation union empowered by Letta's 'fifth freedom' for researchers and driven by the transformative paradigm shift Letta envisions. Our current trajectory is not enough. Our policies – fragmented and sometimes overlapping – hinder the crucial leap from pre‑clinical promises to clinical reality.”
“Posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiamas Komisijos nary, malonu iš tikrųjų matyti ir džiaugiuosi Jūsų pranešimo akcentais. Jie iš tiesų nuteikia optimistiškai. Tačiau noriu atkreipti dėmesį į tai, kad socialinė Europa turi kartu apimti sveikatos Europą. Ir universali sveikatos aprėptis, sveikatos gydymo prieinamumas, viešųjų paslaugų teikimas sveikatos sektoriui yra didelis iššūkis, ypač neturtingiems žmonėms. Labiausiai pažeidžiami žmonės gyvena trumpiau ir daugiausiai serga. Ir jie susiduria ir su medicinos problema, medikamentų trūkumu, ir su gydytojų trūkumu, ir infrastruktūros trūkumu. Ir todėl mes iš tikrųjų turime atkreipti dėmesį, kad Europos Komisijos pastangos su šalimis narėmis turi derėti ir Europos sveikatos sąjungos tolimesnis plėtojimas ir tolimesnis vystymas yra taip pat sudėtinė skurdo mažinimo dalis.”
“And we must stop ignoring noncommunicable diseases and mental health, which silently erode resilience every day. They are not secondary. They are core security threats. Europe must act now by investing in prevention and in the public health system as our first line of defence. I will welcome that strategy. 2-0356-0000 Procedura "catch-the-eye" 2-0357-0000”
“Madam President, dear Commissioner, a resilient Europe is not built through force. It is built through trust and is based on a long-lasting holistic approach. We must embed civil, military and public health cooperation with the public health workforce as a strategic bridge between institutions, citizens and armed forces. By empowering people, by investing in citizen-led resilience hubs, we will achieve whole-of-society resilience and co-create local responses. Preparedness must start long before the military is called. The goal is civilian deterrence, building such a strong public health system that threats are absorbed, not amplified. We must train law enforcement and the military in public health, so they support, not replace it.”
“Madam President, we are now starting discussions on the 2026 budget and upcoming new MFF, the budget of our Union. Unfortunately, the budget for the EU4Health programme, a key component of the European Health Union, was reduced by EUR 1 billion following the last MFF revision. This is completely unacceptable. We are now facing a range of new challenges, including the urgent need to strengthen our security, defence and so on. For this, we need the strongest, most resilient, autonomous and biggest European Union budget based on consistent and stable own resources. Health, security and the European Health Union are priorities that must be adequately funded to prevent premature deaths, create a strong and resilient workforce and society, and invest in human capital.”
“Posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiamas komisare. Norėčiau atkreipti dėmesį vizijoje į tuos du sektorius: į sektorių Competitive and resilient sector ir į sektorių Future-proof sector. Jiedu abudu be galo susiję vienu ypatingai svarbiu aspektu. Tai dalykais, kurie vizijoje turi būti aptarti kompleksiškai, kai yra baisūs iššūkiai, kurie nepriklauso nuo žemės ūkio, nuo fermerių, nuo ūkininkų situacijos – karas, klimato kaitos katastrofos, baisūs sutrikimai grandinėse. Ir tada reikia ieškoti, kad vizijoje būtų kompleksinės priemonės harmonizuotos tarp abiejų šitų sektorių, kad mes galėtume užtikrinti ir kompetentingumą, ir ištvermę. Ir aš noriu pasakyti, kad kalbant apie viską, labai svarbu atkreipti dėmesį, kad tiesioginių išmokų suvienodinimas šiandien visiems ūkininkams yra tiesiog būtinybė. 4-0072-0000”