Barry Andrews
Member of the European Parliament · Renew · IE
“Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, I just want to talk about the debate we've been having about China. I was on the trade committee in the last mandate, and we put an awful lot of effort into developing a whole raft of trade defence instruments around anti-dumping, FDI screening, the procurement instrument and anti‑coercion, am…”
“But on our trade defence instruments, we need to resurface the assumptions around these instruments. We need possibly to have an omnibus on this to make sure that they are actually effective, because they haven't been effective in the last few years. 3-0078-0000”
“Madam President, High Representative, back in May at the last plenary, you and I – you might recall – had a brief exchange about the problem of the mislabelling of settlement goods.”
“So the question is: can we honestly deal with the question of settlement goods without first dealing with the question of the Association Agreement? The sequencing is really crucial here, and I think it's very clear that the expansion of settlements is unlawful, and we must stop supporting settlers through trade. 2-0089-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, every day we see headlines referring to the AI race. And one thing is clear to me: European AI companies are not the frontrunners. US companies have developed 40 advanced AI systems. China comes in second with 15. In Europe we have only developed three.”
“Therefore, what I am asking you to do, HR/VP, is to look at this whole question, find out what the real volume of trade is, look at the rules of origin, and explore the question of whether or not we can properly stand over the labelling of goods that are said to be from Israel, but are most likely to be from the settlements.”
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“Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, the reality is that we have seen the cost of aid cuts in real time in Afghanistan at the beginning of this month and the country that has done most to impoverish Afghanistan – the United States – is responsible for the massive reduction in aid support. Back in 2022, EUR 3.5 billion were distributed in aid in Afghanistan. This year, it is just EUR 750 million, so it is an extraordinary reduction. The good thing is that the European Union, by contrast, has increased its contributions, has provided medical teams, has provided flights full of relief and aid. And we're not there because we want to extract resources; we're not there because we want to win procurement contracts. We're doing it because of fellow feeling, because of that sense of global solidarity for our fellow humans.”
“So let us genuinely hope that this peace process can lead to an end to the violence for peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike, and that the EU can play its role in ensuring that there is a pathway to self‑determination for the people of Palestine. 2-0181-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, 7 October must be repeatedly and unambiguously condemned. I wish to share my sympathy with the bereaved families, with the injured and those taken hostage. The response that followed, aimed at wiping out Hamas, soon warped into a policy of regional vandalism, bombing and occupying neighbours, thrilling in the awesome power of it all, seemingly possessed of a drunken self‑confidence. The sickening policy that sees children being killed by AI drones, by IDF snipers and been starved to death, as acknowledged by President von der Leyen, is not his strategy. Rather, it is an aimless display of military prowess. So much of the current Israeli leadership are so in awe of this that statesmanship, vision and a genuine desire for peace are not valued.”
“So I implore those who consider themselves true friends of Israel to recognise that this is no longer in any way defensible. 2-0090-0000”
“Madam President, High Representative and colleagues, last month, Major General Haliva of the IDF said that for every one person killed on 7 October, 50 Palestinians must die. A leak from the IDF last month also revealed a civilian death rate of 83%. International humanitarian law is clear: civilians must never be a target of war. This is something that used to bother Israel. Back in 2002, the head of the legal unit of the IDF said, and I quote, 'I was present when we diverted a missile because we saw that a target standing on a roof had picked up a child. We had one clear rule. We were all parents. We could never approve of killing children.' And now we have more than 50 000 children killed or injured in Gaza. This is something that Israel used to agonise about – the legal and moral implications of civilian deaths.”
“Given the risks that spyware brings, I would urge the Irish Government to issue clear policy guidelines on all aspects of spyware, including its use and the hosting of spyware companies in Ireland. 1-0216-0000”
“Mr President, colleagues, Cognyte Technologies is a spyware company that has been used to target journalists, politicians and minority groups across the world. The Norwegian Government Pension Fund recommended back in 2022 not to invest in Cognyte for ethical reasons associated with human rights violations. However, last week, we learned in The Irish Times that the Irish police force, the Gardai, paid at least EUR 250 000 at the end of 2024 in spyware purchased from this Israeli company, Cognyte Technologies. Ireland has currently no policy on spyware that is publicly available, despite the controversies associated with the industry. Some spyware companies are established in Ireland, including Intellexa. This laissez-faire attitude has to stop.”
“Even the Professor of Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Amos Goldberg, said the plan was for, and I quote, 'the creation of a concentration camp or a transit camp for Palestinians before they expel them'. I think the one thing that we can agree on in this divided House is that the Nobel Committee in Oslo will not dwell too long on those nomination papers. 2-0332-0000”
“Madam President, Minister, Commissioner and colleagues, yesterday we bore witness to the very grotesque image of Benjamin Netanyahu presenting Donald Trump with his nomination papers for the Nobel Peace Prize. The words that come to mind are 'beyond parody', 'beyond ridicule', 'perversity', 'incomprehensible' – because on the same day, Israel Katz, the Minister for Defence, proposes to move Gazans to an enclosed area in Rafah, perhaps satirically referred to as 'humanitarian city'. George Orwell could not have invented this kind of language, described as well by Israeli academics and lawyers as, I quote, 'a blueprint for crimes against humanity'. Eventually, all Gazans will have to go there.”
“First of all, South Sudan is very much a fragile state affected by conflict, disease outbreak, etc., and it really underlines how urgently we need a fragility framework. Secondly, I would call on the Commission to push back hard on the proposal to downsize the EU delegation in South Sudan. As violence and famine spread across the country, I am sure you will agree, Commissioner, that it sends out a very bad signal that the EU will withdraw after the US withdrawal. 3-0433-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, I've been to South Sudan a couple of times and it's really striking: the inaccessibility and remoteness of the country, areas with no paved roads about the size of Belgium. It's really quite an extraordinary place. And it's great that we're having this debate, but we have to be realistic, and we're having this debate in the context of US withdrawal – this has impacted NGOs that are delivering humanitarian aid on the ground – and the withdrawal of EU Member States cumulatively and individually. That has had a massive impact. And there's very little that the Commission can do, the European Commission has really stayed the course here. But there are two things that I would call on the Commission to do.”
“I would like to commend the book Supergrid – Super Solution by the late Eddie O'Connor and Kevin O'Sullivan, which sets out plans for efficiently transmitting vast amounts of cost‑competitive, regionally produced energy to where it's most urgently needed. And I'm delighted to see many of those ideas contained in the excellent report of my colleague Anna Stürgkh. 3-0368-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, wind now supplies a third of Ireland's electricity, and by 2030 we might be able to exceed domestic demand and be able to provide up to 2.5 % of Europe's electricity needs by 2050. But all of this depends on significant investment in our grids and robust adherence to planning timeframes. According to the Draghi report, it can take three years for the most efficient Member States to deliver grid permitting and nine years in the least efficient ones. And, of course, sadly, Ireland ranks in the latter category. For Ireland, it's like having a huge free supply of water, but only a few small buckets in which to carry it away – an abundant renewable resource held back by a grid that cannot handle it.”
“The EU cannot continue funding aid for Palestinians with one hand, while maintaining privileged ties with their occupier with the other. 3-0160-0000”
“Madam President, High Representative, colleagues, the highest court in the world, by an overwhelming majority ordered Israel to refrain from acts that could fall under certain articles of the Genocide Convention. Israel were further ordered to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Instead, in the week that followed, a thousand people were killed in Gaza. From March to May of this year, a complete humanitarian blockade was imposed. Yesterday, the shooting gallery that is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation resulted in more than fifty Palestinian deaths. This is a policy of well-fed corpses. We must move beyond empty statements. As I have previously argued, that means sanctions on those responsible for atrocities, and at least restrictions on trade and arms transfers.”
“So, I encourage ministers on 23 June to take a leaf out of the book of the UK, of Norway, of Canada, of Australia and New Zealand and to take action finally. 2-0538-0000”
“Mr President, High Representative, colleagues, we really live in a strange world. The EU isn't sure whether Israel's murderous attacks on Gaza meet the threshold for a review of the human rights article of the Association Agreement. But many leaders in the EU are sure that Iran's behaviour meets the threshold for a pre‑emptive strike, even while negotiations on non‑proliferation are going on. Unfortunately, what has happened is that Israel's security needs have created a parallel set of international humanitarian law rules. These rules are considered superior to and separate from existing international humanitarian law. We know that Iran and its mullahs have very little regard for human rights, but Israel doesn't get to decide unilaterally when standards of governance have fallen below a threshold, justifying a strike.”
“If this is the way European diplomats are treated, imagine how Palestinians are treated in the West Bank! And it is unavoidable to conclude that it is the IDF that are conducting a barbaric campaign. 1-0099-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he is engaged in a war of civilisation over barbarism. But the civilised world has concluded that it is the IDF that are conducting a campaign of barbarism. A majority of European countries have finally concluded that it is barbaric to use starvation as a weapon of war. That it is barbaric that Minister Smotrich is determined to 'cleanse Gaza'. That Gideon's Chariots is a barbaric and brazen rejection of international humanitarian law. But we cannot just focus on access for aid. We also have to make sure that violence has to come to an end. What hostage has ever been released as a result of a military action? And today we read that the IDF fired warning shots at French and other diplomats visiting the West Bank.”
“So, we need to approach the TCA review from a position of maximum ambition, including, obviously, SPS, the emissions trading scheme and youth mobility. We need to widen the scope to include finance, given the questions raised about the role of the US. I believe it is in our towering mutual interest to work together to make our respective economies as strong as possible. 1-0108-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, I made my very first speech in the hemicycle in February 2020, and I called on the Commission to treat the UK not as a rival but as a partner. Given that we had two more years of Boris Johnson to deal with, that was probably a tall order. But, I believe, together with the voices of so many Members today in this debate, that we need to go even beyond partnership and talk about a like-minded strategic ally. I believe the time has long passed to continue to punish the UK for Brexit, or to make an example of the UK, to discourage them. I believe that way of thinking is long over, and I believe it's a very much a minority view among in the European Commission.”
“And if the darkest hour is the one before the dawn, then let us hope that the Israelis will wake up to the fact that there is no military solution that will resolve the question of Palestinians right to self-determination. As you say yourself, High Representative, both sides lose. Violence feeds only more violence. 2-0524-0000”
“Madam President, High Representative, just when you think it couldn't get any worse, you see the scenes coming out of Rafah this week. I think it's fair to say that most of us were absolutely stunned at the images. We know how hostile the IDF is towards UNWRA. We know how dangerous it is to deliver aid in Gaza, and we know how little respect there is for international humanitarian law. Targeting the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Civil Defence is bad enough. And I use the word targeting advisedly, given the sophistication of the IDF military, but then seeking to bury the evidence, evidence that bizarrely included an ambulance and a UN vehicle. And victims still wearing medical gloves. This has to count as one of the darkest episodes in the war.”
“To conclude, let me also add that we need to be mindful of the challenges that lie ahead of us, especially in a context where the EU will need to step up its efforts to support Ukraine's defence and financial needs. Thank you for letting have the opportunity to participate in this very important debate. 3-0417-0000”
“For this reason, the assets of the Central Bank of Russia shall remain immobilised until Russia pays for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. The Commission fully supports exploring all possible avenues to aid Ukraine in obtaining compensation from Russia, consistent with our respective legal systems and international law. We need to continue to signal to Russia that our support to Ukraine will be sustained, broad-based and steadfast. Looking ahead, our priority is to work closely with international partners to ensure the successful completion of the IMF programme to guarantee that Ukraine has sufficient resources to counter Russia's aggression. This includes ensuring the full implementation of the G7 ERA loan initiative by all G7 partners in the coming months.”
“I have to say that I am informed that the Irish Government will bring forward legislation in the next two weeks called the Criminal Justice Violation of EU Restrictive Measures Bill. The legal basis for the use of these assets is sound and made out by other speakers. All that remains is for us to send a strong political signal reinforcing the international norm against aggression. 3-0415-0000 (End of catch-the-eye procedure) 3-0416-0000 Christophe Hansen, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I believe that the discussion today has clearly shown that we need to continue to show our unwavering support to Ukraine. With the support by Europe and our partners, Ukraine will be in a position to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
“Mr President, Commissioner Hansen, I want to add my voice of support to the argument for the use of immobilised Russian assets for Ukraine. At the very least, we should assert the legal right to seize those assets and apply them to the reconstruction of Ukraine. I have to say, I find it very hard to take seriously the sovereign right argument made by Russia and its sympathisers, in circumstances where Russia has demonstrated a complete and consistent disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours. It would be a proportional response by the EU to apply these assets to Ukraine, given the estimated EUR 500 billion in damage done to Ukraine's economy.”
“My plea to you, Commissioner, is to concentrate on the agricultural industry, to concentrate on replanting, on irrigation, on bakeries, on the core of the regrowth of the Syrian economy and the pathway to that sustainable peace. 2-0561-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, the path to a sustainable peace in Syria will, of course, not be a straight one. We all know that. But there are positive signs. We saw yesterday's announcement in relation to the SDF and the government, and that is very, very welcome. However, the horrific violence in the coastal area must not go unpunished, and making sure that there is transitional justice is essential for that sustainable peace. The EU needs to invest in the political economy of reconciliation as a matter of urgency. The Syria conference that takes place next Monday is the ninth one, but different from every other – for some very obvious reasons and some less obvious reasons. The most obvious is the change in regime. The less obvious is the fact that international aid has collapsed in the last 12 months.”
“But I would ask that the Commission would take seriously the concerns that were expressed at the negotiation by developing countries, because naturally, developing countries will require finance to make sure that they carry out the responsibilities that are given to them under the treaty, if it is negotiated, and, of course, to implement the terms of the treaty. So at the EU level, we have to push for a unified and ambitious plastics policy that leaves no room for loopholes, but we also need to expand the High Ambition Coalition and persuade those developing countries that it is in their interest to achieve the outcomes of the treaty. 3-0271-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, we have heard from our colleagues already during the course of this debate about the extent of the problem and indeed, on a business as usual basis, plastic production is estimated to increase by 70 % by 2040. So the urgency for this negotiation on this treaty could not be greater. We have seen as well in this debate the conflict between the diverging national interests of the oil producers and to the great credit of the Commission, the high ambition countries, the High Ambition Coalition, which has sought binding agreements.”