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.”
The complete record
Every one of 273 lines we hold for Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 6.
“But it is a pity we see that such a trend is growing, especially in those countries where the far right are trying to violate human rights. Of course, the parenthood regulation is still blocked in the Council. It is also a shame that the Council still, until now, has no chance to solve this problem. It is our duty to implement all human rights. 4-0212-0000 Catch-the-eye procedure 4-0213-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, of course, no child should be discriminated against because of the way they were born or the type of family they were born into. It is crucial. It is enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty, Article 2. Please read this article. We are all obliged to fulfil the requirements of human rights. All. It's not a question of religion. Those who are mentioning Christianity, please read the Bible. Abraham and his first son and, of course, Saint Mary's story. It would be good to listen and to understand about what you are speaking. Of course, you know that all families, including rainbow families, should have the same rights in the EU. This includes, for instance, the right to maintenance and schooling, education and others.”
“I welcome this Mercosur agreement because I was involved in 2019, of course Paris Agreement and trade and sustainable development inclusion is very well done, and we need to go forward and see it. 4-0101-0000”
“Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, I heard a lot of misinformation and lies when we were speaking about sanitary and phytosanitary standards. Colleagues, European sanitary and phytosanitary standards are not negotiable! The EU has very stringent standards to protect human, animal and plant health, and any product sold in the EU must comply with the European Union standards. I have been Commissioner for food safety and health, I know very well that it is to remain unrelated and unaltered regardless of a trade agreement. EU animal, plant and health and food safety import controls are very strict, and we can control all third countries. It doesn't matter which agreement it is.”
“For over seven decades, WHO and the US have saved countless lives, protecting Americans and all people from health threats. Today, Trump's decision is shameful, and 'MAGA' we will call 'MASA': 'make America small again'. 3-0375-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, of course, the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and WHO, and the suspension of US humanitarian aid is a shameful and irresponsible decision. WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including all of us, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot do. I was in the Ebola crisis and now what does it mean? Pandemics and epidemics. I am a medical doctor. The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948, and has participated in shaping and governing WHO's work ever since.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, you know very well, through excellent work, better regulation – not deregulation, not less regulation, but better regulation. We know how it is difficult to achieve, especially keeping in mind that jungles are rooted at Member State level. My first proposal is, yes, it would be good to see, to encourage, Member States, the Council to look into better regulation. Second, we need to have a single market. Now we do not have single market in every area – a lot of tariffs, a lot of barriers between and within Member States. We need to press very much. Third, we speak about investment competitiveness and the Draghi report, but where is our banking union, our capital markets union, which allow us to be much more effective in using investment in our industry?”
“Therefore the EU will do its utmost to protect the vital institutions of international justice that it has contributed to creating, and indeed supporting and sustaining over the years. 2-0514-0000 Adam Szłapka, President-in-Office of the Council. – Madam President, honourable Members, Commissioner, thank you very much for this debate and very important discussion. We fully subscribe to the principles and objectives of the Union and reiterate the Council's support for a rules‑based international order, with international courts at its centre, to ensure justice and accountability. Our support for the international courts is a measure of the Council's commitment to promote international justice, to uphold international law and ensure accountability.”
“It is vital that that work continues uninterrupted, because we must win the fight against global impunity. The debate this evening also shows the importance and complexity of ensuring the protection of international law and the international justice system. We need to make sure that our core values are not threatened by attempts to undermine the key principles of our rules‑based international order on which our international relations, our security, and ultimately our future lie. In terms of multiple ongoing conflicts, alongside an alarming trend to disregard international law, it is essential to remain committed to the rules‑based international order, steadfastly upholding the United Nations and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.”
“I took the opportunity recently to visit the ICC in The Hague to first and foremost show my support and solidarity for the work that they do, but also to listen to those that I met at the ICC. And it was clear that there was a palpable sense of concern and anxiety about the impact of what then they expected to come in terms of an executive order, which has since transpired. We in the European Union absolutely recognise the urgency of providing support for the court, both financially and, as I said earlier on, diplomatically, and we will continue to use the tools at our disposal to protect the ICC. I again reiterate that all feasible tracks of action are being explored by the Commission to support the court, to allow it to continue with its crucial work.”
“The Rome Statute must remain in real protection of justice, peace and security. 2-0512-5000 (Koniec zgłoszeń z sali) 2-0513-0000 Michael McGrath, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, I thank all of the honourable Members for their valuable contributions to the debate here this evening. I heard the strong majority of Members present who spoke express their support and indeed their recognition of the vital role played by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice in ensuring accountability for international crimes and also in ensuring respect for international law. At a time when we are witnessing an increasing incidence of violations of human rights, of international humanitarian law, the truth is that we all need to work together to support the pursuit of accountability, justice and the rule of law.”
“Madam President, Commissioner, Council, it is clear that ever since the ICC issued an arrest warrant against PM Netanyahu and a former Israel defence minister, Trump issued an executive order to impose sanctions against ICC staff and their family members. Autocrat Putin in Moscow is very happy with this Trump decision and maybe Salvini and Meloni also. The threat of imminent sanctions is already affecting the work of the ICC. The EU is in a position to at least partially shield the ICC through immediate activation of the EU blocking statute. And of course those attacks against the independence of the ICC and ICJ as a key international justice institution are unacceptable and we need to use all our diplomatic tools, also globally, to act in defending independence.”
“Šita triada yra iš tikrųjų baisi ir šalių narių nesugebėjimas koordinuoti, planuoti sveikatos išteklius, planuoti pritraukti jaunimą į šias profesijas, įdarbinimo klausimą spręsti, išspręsti sąlygų nustatymą yra labai didžiulis iššūkis, ir privalome toliau kartu stiprinti Europos sveikatos sąjungą, atkreipdami į šią krizę didžiulį dėmesį. 2-0206-0000”
“Gerbiamas posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiama komisare, Tarybos nary. Iš tiesų pritariu Europos Komisijos pateiktam situacijos įvertinimui. Deja, šiuo metu Europos šalyse narėse – visose – sveikatos sektorius išgyvena milžinišką darbo jėgos trūkumo krizę – milžinišką. Ir ne tik kad yra netolygiai išsidėsčiusios sveikatos sektoriaus įstaigos, bet mes netgi matome atskirose šalyse medicinines dykvietes, medical deserts taip vadinamas, kur žmonės sako, kad daktarų ten ir seselių, ir slaugytojų yra, pirma, per mažai, antra, jų yra per toli nuo žmonių gyvenamosios vietos ir, trečia, jie per seni.”
“Madam President, the European Union's response to Trump's actions is to take immediate retaliatory actions, both within the WTO and by using our trade defence instruments, imposing tariffs and pursuing remedies through the Enforcement Regulation, the Anti‑Coercion Instrument and the Safeguarding Regulation. We cannot afford to let Trump divide us. Only the unity of our actions will determine the success of our response. We will pursue our own agenda, developing global standards on issues like climate change and clean industry, defending rules‑based multilateral cooperation and developing our trade agreements with Mercosur and other partners, as you mentioned. Now is a very difficult time for our patriots, our sovereign groups, because they see how difficult it is to speak about about the conservative agenda and far‑right ideas.”
“The President of the United States suspending funding for humanitarian programmes deepens humanitarian crises, especially in the area of persons missing in wars and conflicts. The European Union must strengthen the global system. We must ensure that, even in time of military conflict, warring parties respect their human rights and commitments. 1-0182-0000”
“Mr President, Syria. Sudan. Ukraine. Gaza. Coming at the end of a long list of failures by the international community to prevent the abuse of human rights and mass atrocities, makes one thing clear: the direction of the human rights initiative today is no longer a question of advances and setbacks; it is a question of whether human rights will manage to remain relevant to international politics, and whether they can retain their places as rubrics of international law and institutionalised diplomacy between states. The European continent and the Middle East are at war. The authoritarian regimes, the far right and populists are inciting hatred, and social divisions create difficulties in solving humanitarian crises.”
“Todėl išties tie, kurie per daug kalbate apie laisvę, atminkit vieną, kai būna skaudžios pasekmės, tuomet ir tenka ieškoti pagalbos ne kitur, o valstybėse ir reguliuojamuose bankuose. (posėdžio pirmininkė iš kalbėtojo atima žodį) 4-0120-0000”
“Moi, je demande la justice pour les centaines de milliers de morts congolais qui se noient dans le sang des intérêts européens depuis 1998, et que nous couvrons par notre silence complice. 3-0415-0000”
“– Madame la Présidente, une condamnation à mort est une sentence que notre Parlement ne peut pas accepter. Mais n’oublions pas que la République démocratique du Congo est un État souverain, avec une justice souveraine. Concernant cette tentative de coup d’État, la RDC a dû faire face à une atteinte grave commise à l’encontre de ses institutions démocratiques. De plus, M. Wondo est condamné en première instance, et il vient de faire appel. La justice congolaise n’a donc pas encore rendu son verdict définitif. Alors, franchement, pourquoi ce Parlement se précipite-t-il pour s’ingérer dans une affaire judiciaire qui ne relève en rien de sa compétence? Vous me permettrez de douter: n’est-ce pas pour cacher ses incohérences?”
“– Voorzitter, er is gesproken over de zaak van Jean‑Jacques Wondo, die geen eerlijk proces heeft gekregen en, samen met 36 anderen, ter dood is veroordeeld. Het Europees Parlement moet zich hiertegen uitspreken en pleiten voor de snelle vrijlating van deze Belgische Congolees/Congolese Belg. Het Parlement moet zich er hard voor maken dat mensenrechtenactivisten, journalisten en andere deskundigen het vrije woord hebben en overal kunnen spreken en kunnen zeggen wat zij willen. Als ze bedreigd worden, moeten wij hen ondersteunen. Het Parlement moet, samen met de Europese Commissie, de vrijheid van meningsuiting garanderen voor deze mensen, hen ondersteunen en de Congolese overheid laten weten dat het steun zoekt en wil dat deze mensen zo snel mogelijk worden vrijgelaten. 3-0414-0000 Thierry Mariani, au nom du groupe PfE.”
“Ein Foto mit dem Drahtzieher des Putschversuchs dient als stärkster Beleg für Wondos Schuld. Ein anderer Beleg sind Anschuldigungen eines Rezeptionisten, der erst monatelang verschwunden war, um dann unter Folter gegen Wondo auszusagen. Ich bin grundsätzlich nicht Interventionist, ich respektiere andere Länder und andere Sitten. Aber was im Kongo geschieht, erfordert eine Reaktion unsererseits, zumal es auch um einen Bürger eines EU-Mitgliedstaats geht. Es kann doch nicht sein: Wir zahlen Milliardensummen an ein fremdes Justizsystem, dessen Militärgericht unsere Bürger zum Tode verurteilt. Diese Form der Entwicklungshilfe ist offenkundig gescheitert. 3-0413-0000 Marit Maij, namens de S&D-Fractie.”
“By standing with Jean-Jacques Wondo, we reaffirm the EU's unwavering commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These are not just European values. These are universal ones deserving of our full support wherever they are under threat. 3-0412-0000 Tomasz Froelich, Verfasser. – Frau Präsidentin, sehr geehrte Damen und Herren! Die EU hat über Jahrzehnte Milliarden an Entwicklungshilfe an den Kongo überwiesen. Dieses Geld diente unter anderem der Verbesserung des dortigen Justizsystems – diese Verbesserung ist offenkundig ausgeblieben. 37 Menschen wurden wegen eines Putschversuchs von einem Militärgericht zum Tode verurteilt. Unter den Verurteilten ist auch Jean-Jacques Wondo, ein belgischer Staatsbürger, der früher an der königlichen Militärakademie in Brüssel gelehrt hat. Beweise gegen ihn? Fehlanzeige.”
“– Madam President, colleagues, Belgian-Congolese national Jean-Jacques Wondo was sentenced to death by a Congolese military court on the baseless accusation of being the mastermind behind the May coup attempt. This is, let me remind you, a civilian. Not a single piece of evidence has been presented to date. His situation in prison is rapidly deteriorating, and he is in urgent need of medical help due to his heart condition and diabetes. We may also not forget that, besides Wondo, 36 others were also sentenced to death. All of them civilians, all of them tried before military court, which is, of course, against international law. This is not only an urgent appeal to the Congolese authorities to immediately give Mr Wondo the medical care that he needs and to drop the charges against him.”
“Le 1er août 2023, le président de la République démocratique du Congo a demandé au docteur Lusadisu Kiambi de prendre la direction des services secrets congolais. Il était professeur, chirurgien et avait fait l’école militaire. Ce monsieur, ce docteur, a demandé à Jean-Jacques Wondo, lui-même professeur à l’École royale militaire de Bruxelles, de venir l’assister. Bien entendu, quand M. Wondo s’est rendu sur place, il s’est retrouvé dans une mare aux crocodiles. Des événements, qui ont été qualifiés de tentative de coup d’État, ont ensuite eu lieu, et on l’a dit impliqué. Mais, comme l’a dit M. Beke, nous n’avons aucune preuve crédible que c’est le cas, et il est condamné à mort. Ce que nous demandons, c’est sa libération, faute d’éléments crédibles que l’on peut vérifier. 3-0410-0000 Catarina Vieira, author.”
“Laten we samen stilstaan bij dit leed en een duidelijk signaal afgeven tegen de doodstraf, marteling en oneerlijke processen en voor de vrijlating van deze gevangenen tenzij er geloofwaardige bewijzen opduiken. Het gaat immers niet alleen over Jean‑Jacques Wondo, maar over de fundamentele waarden van universele rechtvaardigheid en de mensenrechten, die wij verdedigen. Een eerlijk proces en medische zorg zijn geen gunsten maar rechten die iedereen zou moeten hebben. De herinvoering van de doodstraf druist daar volledig tegenin. 3-0408-0000 PRZEWODNICTWO: EWA KOPACZ Wiceprzewodnicząca 3-0409-0000 Elio Di Rupo, auteur. – Madame la Présidente, en addition à ce que vient d’indiquer mon collègue Wouter Beke, je dois vous donner les faits.”
“– Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über sieben Entschließungsanträge zu dem Fall von Jean-Jacques Wondo in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo (2025/2510(RSP)). 3-0407-0000 Wouter Beke, auteur. – Voorzitter, al ruim acht maanden zit de Belgisch-Congolese Jean‑Jacques Wondo in een Congolese cel, waar hij wordt gemarteld en waar hem alle medische zorg wordt onthouden. Hij is ter dood veroordeeld zonder grote bewijslast, omdat hij betrokken zou zijn geweest bij een couppoging. Niet enkel hem, maar nog 36 anderen hangt de doodstraf boven het hoofd. De doodstraf wordt namelijk sinds kort weer uitgevoerd in Congo, na een jarenlang moratorium. De medische toestand van de heer Wondo gaat dagelijks achteruit en hij krijgt geen noemenswaardige medische hulp.”
“150 Regulaminu PE) (debata)" \f "I"TC "16 - Debates sobre casos de violação dos direitos humanos, da democracia e do primado do direito (artigo 150.º do Regimento) (debate)" \f "J"TC "16 - Dezbateri privind cazuri de încălcare a drepturilor omului, a democrației și a statului de drept (articolul 150 din Regulamentul de procedură) (dezbatere)" \f "K"TC "16 - Rozpravy o prípadoch porušovania ľudských práv, demokracie a zásad právneho štátu (článok 150 rokovacieho poriadku) (rozprava)" \f "L"TC "16 - Razprave o primerih kršitev človekovih pravic, demokracije in načela pravne države (člen 150 Poslovnika) (razprava)" \f "M"TC "16 - Keskustelut ihmisoikeuksien sekä demokratian ja oikeusvaltion periaatteiden loukkauksia koskevista tapauksista (työjärjestyksen 150 artikla) (keskustelu)" \f "N"TC "16 - Debatter om fall av kränkningar av de mänskliga rättigheterna samt av demokratiska och rättsstatliga principer (artikel 150 i arbetsordningen) (debatt)" \f "O"Aussprache über Fälle von Verletzungen der Menschenrechte, der Demokratie und der Rechtsstaatlichkeit (Artikel 150 GO) (Aussprache) TC "16.1 - Случаят на Жан-Жак Уондо в Демократична република Конго" \f 1TC "16.1 - Caso de Jean-Jacques Wondo en la República Democrática del Congo" \f 2TC "16.1 - Případ Jeana-Jacquese Wondoa v Demokratické republice Kongo" \f 3TC "16.1 - Sagen om Jean-Jacques Wondo i Den Demokratiske Republik Congo" \f 4TC "16.1 - Der Fall von Jean-Jacques Wondo in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo" \f 5TC "16.1 - Jean-Jacques Wondo juhtum Kongo Demokraatlikus Vabariigis" \f 6TC "16.1 - Η περίπτωση του Jean-Jacques Wondo στη Λαϊκή Δημοκρατία του Κονγκό" \f 7TC "16.1 - Case of Jean-Jacques Wondo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo" \f 8TC "16.1 - Le cas de Jean-Jacques Wondo en République démocratique du Congo" \f 9TC "16.1 - Cás Jean-Jacques Wondo i bPoblacht Dhaonlathach an Chongó" \f ATC "16.1 - Slučaj Jean-Jacquesa Wonda u Demokratskoj Republici Kongu" \f BTC "16.1 - Il caso di Jean-Jacques Wondo nella Repubblica democratica del Congo" \f CTC "16.1 - Jean-Jacques Wondo lieta Kongo Demokrātiskajā Republikā" \f DTC "16.1 - Jeano-Jacques'o Wondo atvejis Kongo Demokratinėje Respublikoje" \f ETC "16.1 - Jean-Jacques Wondo ügye a Kongói Demokratikus Köztársaságban" \f FTC "16.1 - Il-każ ta’ Jean-Jacques Wondo fir-Repubblika Demokratika tal-Kongo" \f GTC "16.1 - De zaak van Jean-Jacques Wondo in de Democratische Republiek Congo" \f HTC "16.1 - Sprawa Jean-Jacques'a Wondo w Demokratycznej Republice Konga" \f ITC "16.1 - O caso de Jean-Jacques Wondo na República Democrática do Congo" \f JTC "16.1 - Cazul lui Jean-Jacques Wondo, Republica Democratică Congo" \f KTC "16.1 - Prípad Jeana-Jacquesa Wonda v Konžskej demokratickej republike" \f LTC "16.1 - Primer Jean-Jacquesa Wondoja v Demokratični republiki Kongo" \f MTC "16.1 - Jean-Jacques Wondon tapaus Kongon demokraattisessa tasavallassa" \f NTC "16.1 - Fallet Jean-Jacques Wondo i Demokratiska republiken Kongo" \f O16.1Der Fall von Jean-Jacques Wondo in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo 3-0406-0000 Die Präsidentin.”
“cikke) (vita)" \f "F"TC "16 - Dibattiti fuq każijiet ta’ ksur tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem u tal-prinċipji tad-demokrazija u tal-istat tad-dritt (Artikolu 150 tar-Regoli ta’ Proċedura) (dibattitu)" \f "G"TC "16 - Debatten over gevallen van schending van de mensenrechten, de democratie en de rechtsstaat (artikel 150 van het Reglement) (debat)" \f "H"TC "16 - Debaty nad przypadkami łamania praw człowieka, zasad demokracji i państwa prawa (art.”
“Poslovnika) (rasprava)" \f "B"TC "16 - Discussioni su casi di violazione dei diritti umani, della democrazia e dello Stato di diritto (articolo 150 del regolamento) (discussione)" \f "C"TC "16 - Debates par cilvēktiesību, demokrātijas un tiesiskuma principu pārkāpumiem (Reglamenta 150. pants) (debates)" \f "D"TC "16 - Diskusijos dėl žmogaus teisių, demokratijos ir teisinės valstybės principų pažeidimo atvejų (Darbo tvarkos taisyklių 150 straipsnis) (diskusijos)" \f "E"TC "16 - Vita az emberi jogok, a demokrácia és a jogállamiság megsértését érintő ügyekről (az eljárási szabályzat 150.”
“TC "16 - Разисквания по случаи на нарушаване на правата на човека, демокрацията и принципа на правовата държава (член 150) (разискване)" \f "1"TC "16 - Debates sobre casos de violaciones de los derechos humanos, de la democracia y del Estado de Derecho (artículo 150 del Reglamento interno) (debate)" \f "2"TC "16 - Rozpravy o případech porušování lidských práv, demokracie a právního státu (článek 150 jednacího řádu) (rozprava)" \f "3"TC "16 - Forhandling om tilfælde af krænkelse af menneskerettighederne, demokratiet og retsstatsprincippet (forretningsordenens artikel 150) (forhandling)" \f "4"TC "16 - Aussprache über Fälle von Verletzungen der Menschenrechte, der Demokratie und der Rechtsstaatlichkeit (Artikel 150 GO) (Aussprache)" \f "5"TC "16 - Inimõiguste, demokraatia ja õigusriigi põhimõtte rikkumise juhtumite arutamine (kodukorra artikkel 150) (arutelu)" \f "6"TC "16 - Συζητήσεις σχετικά με περιπτώσεις παραβιάσεων των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, της δημοκρατίας και του κράτους δικαίου (άρθρο 150 του Κανονισμού) (συζήτηση)" \f "7"TC "16 - Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 150) (debate)" \f "8"TC "16 - Débats sur des cas de violation des droits de l’homme, de la démocratie et de l’état de droit (article 150 du règlement intérieur) (débat)" \f "9"TC "16 - Díospóireachtaí ar chásanna a bhaineann le sáruithe ar chearta an duine, ar an daonlathas agus ar an smacht reachta (Riail 150) (díospóireacht)" \f "A"TC "16 - Rasprave o slučajevima kršenja ljudskih prava, demokratskih načela i vladavine prava (članak 150.”
“This is not the line of the Commission. The last reflection which I had also listening to this debate is that it is our common responsibility: the responsibility of the Commission, of the European Parliament, but also of the NGOs, to protect the high quality of public debate in the EU. Everyone has the right to express their views and advocate for their cause. At the same time, we must respect those who hold different opinions. But I believe it also really matters how we express our views and and I believe we can do better. 3-0403-0000 Die Präsidentin. – Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.”
“Indeed, we are talking about the LIFE programme today, but if our guidance – and I believe our guidance is effective – if our guidance is to be followed, then you will not find contracts like those we are discussing today, either in the LIFE programme nor in any other programme, because the guidance was already issued last year. And it was issued, I also have to openly admit, because of the debates that took place between the Commission and the European Parliament, in the context of the discharge procedure. So I would like to repeat what I have said also at the beginning: it is important to have the voice of the NGOs heard also here in Strasbourg and in Brussels. There is no question of cutting financing to the NGOs that are engaged in the European public debate, including in the context of specific legislative initiatives.”
“– and this is fact number three – because, indeed, in the agreements which were signed, there were clauses which were obliging NGOs – obliging them – to carry out very detailed specific activities targeted at specific MEPs or specific services in the Commission. It is not illegal, according also to the assessment of our legal services, but simply it is inappropriate. That is why – and this is fact number four – we have issued guidance, we have carried out the review of the contracts which were in place, and we have called also on NGOs to cooperate with the Commission and to change those contracts.”
“Ir taip yra mažas finansavimas nevyriausybinėms organizacijoms, nesvarbu kokios jos bebūtų, jos yra silpnos ir akivaizdu, kad nepatinka, kad jos mane atakuoja, bet tegul atakuoja. Ir čia joks lobizmas. Lobizmas yra industrijų, nes jos siekia pelno, jos siekia rinkos, jos nori iškreipti konkurenciją. Čia yra problema, o NVO to nedaro, todėl iš tikro G. Gerbrandy pasiūlymas yra logiškas. Išplėskime kontekstą ir tada kalbėkime. (posėdžio pirmininkė iš kalbėtojo atima žodį) 3-0401-0000 (Ende der spontanen Wortmeldungen) 3-0402-0000 Piotr Serafin, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, well, I believe that it is important to clarify a few facts so that we, indeed, carry out a debate which is based on facts. Fact number one: there is a LIFE regulation in place. There are operational grants foreseen in that regulation.”
“Gerbiama posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiamas komisare Petrai Serafinai, gerbiami kolegos, kaip buvęs komisaras, atsakingas už maisto saugą ir visuomenės sveikatą, aš dirbau Europos visuomenės sveikatos platformoje su vienuolika tūkstančių nevyriausybinių organizacijų, kurios ten užsiregistravo. Vienuolika tūkstančių. Kaip Animal Welfare platformoje dirbau su daugeliu organizacijų, kurios irgi šimtais užsiregistravo. Ir galiu jus patikinti, kad dirbu ir su aplinkosaugos organizacijomis. Mane atakavo ir už glifosatą, ir už Animal Welfare standartus, ir alkoholio strategiją, už daugelį kitų. Nepainiokime dviejų dalykų: lobistų ir nevyriausybinių organizacijų. Bet jeigu jūs nevyriausybines organizacijas apkrausite tais biurokratiniais reikalavimais, šimtai ir tūkstančiai jų išnyks.”
“Gerbiama posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiamas komisare, kaip matote, prisiklausėte labai tokių aistringų kalbų čia po prezidento Trumpo turbūt įkvėpta daug mažųjų Trumpų čia, salėje mažųjų Trumpų frakcija. Bet man tenka tikrai apginti Komisijos pasiūlymus ir vis tik agituoti jus už tai, kad kuo skubiau prioriterizuojant klausimų sprendimą būtų detaliai pasiūlytas legalios migracijos kelių infrastruktūros sukūrimas. Ir į tai reikėtų įtraukti visas šalis nares, šalių narių ambasadas ir Europos Sąjungos atstovybes ir taip pat Jungtinių Tautų pajėgumus, nes tie legalios migracijos keliai tikrai galėtų palengvinti tiems žmonėms, kurie turi viltį ir turi teisę migruoti. Nesusidurti su šitais spekuliantais ir organizuotu nusikalstamumu. O kiti visi pasiūlymai tikrai yra neišpasakytai reikalingi ir lauksime Jūsų pasiūlymų paketo. 3-0338-0000”
“And, of course, we depend on the Council and Member States whether they will support the idea or not. I don't know whether it's mature enough at this moment, but it could be during the course of this mandate, I hope that I will be able to offer the idea of creating a European agency. Thank you very much for this very interesting debate, and let's stay in touch. 3-0250-0000”
“So the disparities are great, are huge, we have to work on it, and this is all about the economy and competitiveness in the end. So how to solve this competitiveness? On differences like urban and rural, east and west, young and old, we want to quit with this. Of course, not to make Europe really be convergent and cohesive. This topic should be mainstreamed. And I hope you understood that this is not an easy job. But I told you that my final ambition would be creating one focal point; it could be an institute or agency or bureau, I don't know, but someone has to deal with this in a very organised and serious manner. We are doing it, but this in the Commission is not enough. I really want to thank you for creating the intergroup on demography. This is also something, but little-by-little maybe this could be also a committee.”
“Someone said that we need demographic indicators: yes, we inserted demographic indicators in the European Semester. So we have now demographic indicators there. So the European Semester, every half year, you can find the figures there which is I think super. So let me be clear, having children is a personal choice, it's not something which we can impose. Having a family is also a personal choice. Of course, as I said indirectly, we are creating an environment. Cohesion policy is key here. But otherwise, of course, someone mentioned the freedom to stay. This is part of Enrico Letta's report, when he said this is the fifth freedom: freedom to stay. Freedom to stay means that you have decent wages, that you have decent housing, and then you decide whether you migrate because you want to get to another country or you stay in your region.”
“So this is the reason why we badly need human capital and this is what it is all about. So why am I saying this? I'm saying this because when I talk about demography, I'm talking from the angle of competitiveness. This is all what we have been talking about. This is the first priority of this new Commission. And knowing what's going on, even with our allies in the States, but knowing what's going on with India, China, we have to stay competitive. And this is all about human resources, about us. So I just wanted to share with you that I was listening carefully and I understood what it is all about. But we somehow need to understand that Member States have to play their part there. They are different due to political realities and political landscape, so you cannot impose, but we can recommend.”
“We somehow try to find in all these three pillars maximum, but it's not enough. Then we have to talk about legal policies, legal migration. As I said at the beginning, many SMEs and others – I don't want to repeat – they need people. They need labour. Of course, how are we doing this? It's not about randomly using these people, but we are creating talent partnerships, talent pools. We already have talent partnerships with 4 or 5 Member States. And this is what my colleague, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, has been working on. So this is how we think about this. Otherwise we cannot solve the problem of Europe. Yes, you can tell me there is artificial intelligence, there is robotics, that some of these services can be replaced. But you can't replace humans with all of this.”
“You know what happened in some Member States – I mentioned France – when they wanted to change the pension age. So we cannot impose anything from the Commission side. But it's about thinking about longevity. If we know that we live in the last five decades, in the last 50 years, we live ten years more, that means that we may have to work more. But I know that this is, for some people, blasphemy. But I'm saying this without any problems, you know. So some of those who want to work, let them work. Those who want to retire, let them retire. So this is something we have to flexibilize: working hours. And we have to think about this and to recommend to Member States, as I already said. Then we come to the fourth pillar, because this human capital is not enough. We have human capital.”
“When I was speaking about young people, we are speaking about upskilling, reskilling because they have diplomas, but the problem is that education is slower than the development of technologies and the labour market. They have diploma and then they have to upskill or reskill because their diploma doesn't match to the needs of the labour market. This is the problem and we want to change it. Of course, within these two pillars, it's about housing also. Housing is a key problem nowadays and we have to deal with it. And this is why I said at the beginning, cohesion policy as of 2027 and even earlier, we'll deal with this phenomenon. When I was speaking about older people, this is the third pillar, it doesn't mean that we can impose 'you have to work after 65'.”
“We are trying to do everything in order to make young people feel that they can have children. But we are doing this indirectly. We are not doing this directly because this is Member States who can support the different measures, what we heard from different MEPs. So it's about parents. It's about women. 8 million European women – I don't know whether you are familiar with this – are not in the labour market. Not because they don't have their CVs, they don't have their diplomas, because they cannot afford care: either a nursery home for their parents or childcare for their kids. So this is what we have to change. This is also about gender. Only 450 000 men are out of work and 8 million women, which means that we have big disparities in gender. This is also about gender.”
“Of course, I will need your support for this. I will need the support of the 27 Member States, which is not easy, and, of course, my institution, which is the Commission. Just to let you know, because I have been listening about this wherever I went to the 27, I visited almost all Member States during my mandate, and everybody was talking about what you have been talking today, but in fact, we need one central place. We have one in the Commission, but this is not enough, and this is the reason why I want you to share this with you today. Once again, today's discussion is not a discussion about migration, but migration is part of the equation. It's not about migration. It's about parents – I mentioned parents in the first pillar. It's about families.”
“We are sticking to the Treaty. But, when we talk about creating conditions, and this is what we have been doing all the time, this is the reason why many of you mentioned cohesion policy here. Cohesion policy is key, of course. What is my key ambition? Trying to insert into the budget – someone was speaking about budget – a demography budget line. Although it's scattered all over different lines. This is one. And to be totally open to you – this was not in my speaking points, but I want to make you aware of what is going on – my initial ambition as of the beginning of my former mandate – although I know that you might not be in favour of creating new burdens, new institutions – but my final ambition would be in the mid-term, not to say long-term, to create an EU agency for demography because someone has to deal with it in one place.”
“This is the reason why we have now a new portfolio and we will be dealing with this. This is very important to repeat again. When we started this demography portfolio, we started with Demography Report I, with Demography Report II, after COVID, after Brexit, this was the reason, after the migration crisis and so on. Then we came out with the Green Paper on Ageing. Then we came out with the Child Guarantee. Then with the CARE package. Then with the long-term vision for rural areas. Then with the talent harnessing initiative, the so-called brain drain initiative. And then the last document was the demography toolbox. It was, as I said, at the request of the Council. I highlighted at the beginning that demography – when we talk about mortality rates, fertility rates and birth rates – it's about Member States' competences.”
“I understand that this is a political arena and all of you are speaking either from your own political background or from your party background, but I want to go back to my introductory statement just to repeat some issues. First of all, now I am even more convinced than I was at the beginning of the debate how broad the issue of demography is, how horizontal it is, and how important it is. Just to say a few words on the Commission, five years ago, President von der Leyen decided to establish a new portfolio and demography because we were aware that there is a problem in Europe. Now, 2 or 3 months ago, she decided to establish a new portfolio on housing because we understood that this is a big problem not only in Lithuania or not only in France, but also in Ireland, everywhere across the board.”
“More than 600 000 deaths could have been prevented by public health intervention, focusing on behavioural issues, lifestyle factors, socioeconomic status and environment. Preventive strategy must be part of demographic policy, dear Commissioner. To ensure better treatment and public health, we need to be more active, including prevention in demographic policy, saving 500 000 lives. (The President cut off the speaker) 3-0248-0000 (Încheierea intervențiilor la cerere) 3-0249-0000 Dubravka Šuica, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I have been listening carefully to all of the debates since 09:00 this morning, this being the most important one, of course, due to my portfolio.”