Verbatim report of proceedings of 21 January 2021
Date: 2021-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Parliament, parliamentary debate




C_202405154EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series














19.8.2024







            21 January 2021
            VERBATIM REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF 21 JANUARY 2021
            
         
(C/2024/5154)

Contents







1.

Opening of the sitting
3










2.

Announcement of voting results: see Minutes
3










3.

Mitigating the consequences of earthquakes in Croatia (debate)
3










4.

The gender perspective in the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis period - The EU Strategy for Gender Equality - Closing the digital gender gap: women's participation in the digital economy (debate)
10










5.

First voting session
16










6.

The gender perspective in the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis period - The EU Strategy for Gender Equality - Closing the digital gender gap: women's participation in the digital economy (continuation of debate)
16










7.

Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (debate)
30










7.1.

The crackdown on the democratic opposition in Hong Kong
30










7.2.

Human rights situation in Turkey, notably the case of Selahattin Demirtas and other prisoners of conscience
37










7.3.

Human rights situation in Vietnam, in particular the case of human rights journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan
45










8.

Composition of political groups : see Minutes
50










9.

Announcement of voting results: see Minutes
50










10.

Resumption of the sitting
50










11.

Second voting session
50










12.

Resumption of the sitting
51










13.

Announcement of voting results: see Minutes
51










14.

Explanations of vote: see Minutes
51










15.

Corrections to votes and voting intentions: see Minutes
51










16.

Documents received: see Minutes
51










17.

Petitions: see Minutes
51










18.

Associated committees (Rule 57): see Minutes
51










19.

Decision to draw up own-initiative reports: see Minutes
51










20.

Modified referrals to committees (Rule 56): see Minutes
51










21.

Approval of the minutes of the part-session and forwarding of texts adopted: see Minutes: see Minutes
51










22.

Dates of forthcoming sittings: see Minutes
51










23.

Closure of the sitting
51










24.

Adjournment of the session
51




Verbatim report of proceedings of 21 January 2021
                  


Puhetta johti HEIDI HAUTALA


varapuhemies

1.   Opening of the sitting

(The sitting opened at 8.30)

2.   Announcement of voting results: see Minutes
3.   Mitigating the consequences of earthquakes in Croatia (debate)

Puhemies. – Esityslistalla on seuraavana komission julkilausuma maanjäristysten seurausten lieventämisestä Kroatiassa (2021/2504(RSP)).
               

                  Jäsenille ilmoitetaan, että tälläkään istuntojaksolla keskusteluissa ei anneta pyynnöstä myönnettäviä puheenvuoroja eikä sinisen kortin kysymyksiä hyväksytä. Huomautan vielä, että puheenvuoroja voi käyttää etäyhteydellä jäsenvaltioiden yhteystoimistoista.
               

Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, I'm taking this point on behalf of my colleague, Elisa Ferreira, the Commissioner responsible for cohesion and reforms.
Few events have the capacity to shake us to our very core like an earthquake, and for anyone who has experienced it, you know how it feels when your whole world literally starts to crumble around you. Your thoughts go instantly to your loved ones, especially the most vulnerable, who need your help to get safely out of the very building that, up to just a few short seconds ago, provided their sense of security. After the main shock come the aftershocks, which can be equally fatal as the remaining fragments fall. When these terrible moments have passed, attention must turn to rebuilding, because rebuild we must.
I'm proud to say that Croatia does not rebuild alone. I was in Croatia when the earthquake hit. In the immediate aftermath, along with my fellow compatriots, I realised that Croatia was not alone. The solidarity shown in response to Croatia's time of need was again outstanding. I take this opportunity to thank this House for its support and each and every Member State that offered immediate assistance in the form of much-needed housing containers, winterised tents, sleeping bags, beds and electrical heaters.
With my colleague Commissioner Janez Lenarčič, I visited Petrinja and Glina with the Croatian Deputy Prime Minister to assess first-hand the most immediate assistance needed by the people and local authorities. Of course, lives are the most precious of all, and it saddens me to report that eight people lost their lives and many were injured. On behalf of the European Commission and of our European Union, I take this opportunity to send their families and loved ones our deepest condolences. To those injured and recovering from the effects of the earthquake, we stand beside you.
Poštovana predsjedavajuća, u rezoluciji ovog Parlamenta evidentna je zabrinutost oko moguće daljnje depopulacije pogođenih područja a sve kao rezultat ekonomskih i socijalnih posljedica potresa.
Kao potpredsjednica za demokraciju i demografiju, dijelim vašu zabrinutost. Rezolucija s pravom skreće pozornost ne samo na ekonomsku i strukturnu stranu oporavka nego i na psihološke učinke koje ovakav događaj može imati. Nacionalne, regionalne i lokalne vlasti u tome trebaju našu pomoć i podršku. I ovo je prilika za podsjetiti na članak 174. Ugovora o funkcioniranju Europske unije koji govori da će Unija uvijek raditi na jačanju ekonomske, socijalne i teritorijalne kohezije a kako bi promovirala harmoničan razvoj te uvijek težila smanjenju razlika u razvoju pojedinih regija. Taj članak podsjeća da posebnu pažnju treba posvetiti ruralnim područjima koja su izložena negativnim demografskim trendovima. Potrebno je ovim se rukovoditi kada se pristupa obnovi ove regije, što znači da treba paralelno s obnovom stvarati uvjete za ostanak stanovništva, što je i glavna tema dugoročne vizije za ruralna područja koju će Komisija uskoro usvojiti.
Nakon ove serije potresa dopustite mi da u tri točke izložim naš odgovor i podršku. Prvo, europska podrška u neposrednoj opasnosti. Drugo, europska podrška u naporima za oporavak a treće su sljedeći koraci u partnerstvu s hrvatskim vlastima.
Neposredno nakon potresa u Zagrebu 22. ožujka aktiviran je Mehanizam Europske unije za civilnu zaštitu. Komisije je također aktivirala službe za upravljanje izvanrednim situacijama Copernicus kako bi pružile vitalne informacije i logističku potporu spašavanju i operacijama procjene šteta na terenu. Podrška u okviru Mehanizma Europske unije za civilnu zaštitu i satelitskog sustava Copernicus Emergency Mapping ponovno su aktivirane kada je 29. i 30. prosinca 2020. i 6. siječnja 2021. nekoliko potresa pogodilo područje središnje Hrvatske. Solidarnost Europske unije odmah se pokazala te je većina zahtjeva ostvarena u roku od 24 sata od aktiviranja Mehanizma.
Međutim, krizna podrška nije dovoljna pa me to dovodi do moje druge točke a to su europske potpore naporima za oporavak i obnovu. Fond solidarnosti Europske unije mobiliziran je prošle godine nakon potresa u Zagrebu u ožujku. Upravo je ovaj Parlament odobrio 683 milijuna EUR potpore. Ovo je drugi najveći apsolutni iznos ikada uplaćen iz Fonda solidarnosti. Također je daleko najveći ikad u relativnom smislu, što predstavlja 1,26 % hrvatskog bruto društvenog proizvoda. To još jednom dokazuje važnost Fonda solidarnosti Europske unije kao jedinstvenog instrumenta Unije, posebno dizajniranog za prirodne katastrofe. Pružio je bitnu i pravodobnu pomoć Hrvatskoj. Fond solidarnosti podržava hrvatske vlasti i lokalno stanovništvo u oporavku osnovne infrastrukture, u operacijama čišćenja, u pružanju privremenog smještaja te u zaštiti kulturne baštine, ali još uvijek možemo učiniti više. I ovo me dovodi do treće točke a to su sljedeći koraci u partnerstvu s hrvatskim vlastima.
Nakon izvanrednih situacija uzrokovanih prirodnim nepogodama, neposredni prioritet je procjena štete koju je prouzročio potres a Komisija je spremna u tome pomoći hrvatskim vlastima. Na temelju procjene štete, Fond solidarnosti Europske unije može se ponovno pokrenuti kako bi odgovorio na zahtjev Hrvatske za daljnju potporu naporima za oporavak i obnovu.
Šire gledano, moramo usvojiti sveobuhvatan pristup obnovi i oporavku od potresa, uključujući sve aktivnosti i imovinu na koju je potres utjecao. Prirodne katastrofe nasm uvijek podsjete da se moramo usredotočiti na prevenciju, prilagodbu klimatskim promjenama i upravljanje rizicima. Službe Komisije već razgovaraju s nacionalnim vlastima. Dostupni resursi u okviru Kohezijske politike, Instrumenta za oporavak i otpornost, Europskog poljoprivrednog fonda za ruralni razvoj tu su kako bi pomogli građanima Hrvatske. To uključuje ulaganje u mjere ublažavanja rizika od katastofa i mjere prilagodbe klimatskim promjenama, primjerice kao dio nacionalnog plana oporavka i otpornosti razvijana je flagship inicijativa za obnovu zgradu nakon potresa u Zagrebu 22. ožujka prošle godine. Komisija podržava one koji su najviše pogođeni kako bi se oporavili od ove štete, kako bi bili otporniji u budućnosti i kako bismo vratili Hrvatsku na put održivog rasta i bolje budućnosti. Hrvatska nije sama jer Europa je svaki put bila tu u trenutku krize.

Karlo Ressler,
u ime kluba PPE. – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, kolegice i kolege, hladno nedjeljno jutro na samom početku prvog lockdowna u ožujku ostat će duboko urezano u sjećanje svih Zagrepčana.
               

                  Probudio nas je jedan od najsnažnijih potresa u cijeloj hrvatskoj povijesti, koji je u desetak sekundi potpune nemoći pred prirodom, razorio domove tisuća obitelji i teško oštetio društveno-kulturnu jezgru hrvatskog glavnog grada.
               

                  Potresne slike medicinskih sestara i liječnika koji evakuiraju trudnice, majke i novorođenu djecu iz bolnice, među njima i moju suprugu i novorođenu kćer, ostat će duboko urezane u našoj kolektivnoj memoriji.
               

                  Tek kako su se naknadni manji potresi počeli smirivati, a strah polako povlačiti, Hrvatsku su nažalost pogodili novi potresi, ovog puta još jedan razorniji potres u Sisačko-moslavačkoj županiji, odnijevši nove ljudske žrtve i ostavljajući na tisuće obitelji bez svoj domova i sigurnosti.
               

                  Unatoč pandemiji i šoku, hrvatske vlasti, volonteri, zdravstveni radnici, Hrvatska vojska te tisuće i tisuće građana pokazali su pravo lice Hrvatske - zajedništvo u najtežim situacijama i solidarnost prema najpogođenijima.
               

                  Pružanjem najpotrebnije opreme kroz Mehanizam civilne zaštite, i druge su europske države pokazale da Hrvatska nije sama.
               

                  Zahvalni smo svima koju su nam pružili pomoć. Pred nama je ogroman posao i obnova će biti dugotrajna.
               

                  Ali jedino zajedno pomoći ćemo onima koji su nastradali, izgraditi naše domove i obnoviti život u pogođenim krajevima.
               

Tonino Picula,
u ime kluba S&D. – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, zahvaljujem i na ovoj raspravi i dogovorenom tekstu rezolucije.
               

                  To je jasna podrška Europskog parlamenta građanima Hrvatske. Izražavam duboku sućut obiteljima žrtava nastradalima u ovom katastrofalnom potresu kao i podršku građanima bez domova. Navijači suparničkih momčadi zajedno su pomagali nastradalima, vrhunski kuhari koji zbog pandemije ne rade za njih su kuhali od prvog dana, pristižu donacije građana iz zemalja članica, pomoć je na terenu, hvala svima. U katastrofi je teško pronaći išta pozitivno ali taj val solidarnosti, humanizma je izuzetna dimenzija ove tragedije.
               

                  Stradalima dugujemo hitno osiguranje adekvatnog smještaja, transparentno trošenje pomoći, izgradnju boljeg sustava jer je ovaj nažalost u praksi dokazao kako treba biti reformiran. Od iznimne je važnosti da uništeni i oštećeni objekti budu obnovljeni u skladu sa svim sigurnosnim standardima, da budu seizmički otporni a ne kao u nekim slučajevima tijekom poslijeratne obnove, što se mora istražiti. Važno je da u obnovi izgradimo osnovnu infrastrukturu koje nije bilo ni prije potresa te da dobrom razvojnom politikom, zaustavljanjem iseljavanja omogućimo razvoj ovog predugo zanemarivanog kraja.
               

Valter Flego,
u ime kluba Renew. – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, poštovane kolegice i kolege, 2020. godina bila je jako teška za cijelu Europu, za cijeli svijet, naravno zbog borbe s COVID-19.
               

                  Ali za Hrvatsku bila je strašna, bila je užasna jer osim borbe s Covidom Hrvatsku su pogodila dva strašna potresa. Prvi 22.3. magnitude 5,5 po Richteru pogodio je naš glavni grad Zagreb a drugi na sam kraj godine, 29.12. područje centralne Hrvatske odnosno Sisačko-moslavačke županije magnitude 6,4 stupnja. Nažalost, u prvom potresu stradala je jedna osoba, u drugom 7. Ja izražavam najdublju sućut.
               

                  Zato je važna ova naša rezolucija. Zato je važna snažna rezolucija koja traži svu moguću dugoročnu pomoć, da, dugoročnu, jer će obnova trajati neko vrijeme, od Europske unije i Komisija treba naći načina iz Fonda solidarnosti, iz Mehanizma civilne zaštite ali i iz proračuna 2021. - 2027. maksimalno pomoći Hrvatskoj. Hrvatska pomoć treba sada i odmah i zato treba smanjiti birokraciju i administraciju a maksimizirati solidarnost.
               

                  Poštovane kolegice i kolege, potres u Hrvatskoj je potres u Europi a vaša pomoć i solidarnost, pomoć i solidarnost svakog volontera, svakog vatrogasca, svakog građanina je svjetlo u ovoj katastrofi, u ovoj tragediji a mi to nikada, nikada nećemo zaboraviti. I vjerujte da je puno, puno lakše kada znaš da u nevolji nisi sam. I zato vas ja pozivam da podržimo ovu rezoluciju i da napravimo jedan novi, veliki iskorak pomoći pogođenim područjima i da vratimo život, gospodarstvo u ovo područje.
               

Roman Haider,
im Namen der ID-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin, Hohes Haus! Naturkatastrophen treffen Menschen immer wieder hart und unvermittelt. So ist es leider um die Jahreswende auch unseren kroatischen Freunden ergangen. Mitten im Winter haben mehrere Erdbeben große Verwüstungen angerichtet und viele Menschen obdachlos gemacht.
               

                  Um diesen Menschen bei der Bewältigung der Schäden zu helfen, ist auch schnelle Hilfe dringend notwendig. Dazu ist natürlich die Solidarität der europäischen Partner Kroatiens gefragt. Für mich steht außer Frage, dass die EU als Institution rasche Sofortkatastrophenhilfe für Kroatien leisten muss. Angesichts dieser Katastrophe dürfen wir unsere kroatischen Freunde und Partner nicht im Stich lassen, und das tun wir auch nicht. Stellvertretend für alle, die schon geholfen haben, nenne ich und danke den Initiatoren eines Hilfskonvois aus Wels, der größten Stadt in meinem Wahlkreis in Oberösterreich. Angeführt von Bürgermeister Andreas Rabl, wurden schon in der Nacht vom 12. Jänner Hilfsgüter nach Petrinja in Kroatien gebracht. Herzlichen Dank für alle derartigen Initiativen.
               

Caroline Roose,
au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Madame la Présidente, l'année 2020 a marqué profondément la Croatie. Un premier séisme en mars d'une violence extrême, la crise de la COVID, un deuxième tremblement de terre en décembre. Les Croates font preuve de beaucoup de courage, d'entraide et de solidarité. Beaucoup de personnes se sont mobilisées pour sauver des vies alors que les températures avoisinaient les zéro degrés.
               

                  Cette solidarité doit continuer au niveau européen. Nous devons les aider à reconstruire leurs maisons et leurs communautés afin qu'ils puissent vivre dignement et en sécurité. L'Union européenne a débloqué 683 millions d'euros grâce au Fonds de solidarité pour contribuer aux efforts de reconstruction et pour aider la Croatie à faire face aux effets dévastateurs du séisme.
               

                  Dans la résolution qui sera votée aujourd'hui, nous demandons une reconstruction durable, résiliente et antisismique et que l'aide financière puisse être rapidement distribuée afin de permettre à la Croatie un rétablissement rapide. Il n'est pas normal que des maisons reconstruites dans les années 1990, après la guerre, n'aient pas mieux résisté au séisme. Les autorités croates se doivent d'enquêter sur d'éventuelles irrégularités lors de la reconstruction.
               

                  Nous avons aujourd'hui encore une nouvelle preuve importante de ce que signifie véritablement la solidarité de l'Union européenne en tant que projet commun européen.
               

Joachim Stanisław Brudziński,
w imieniu grupy ECR. – Pani Przewodnicząca! Oczywiście chciałbym rozpocząć od przekazania wyrazów głębokiego współczucia wszystkim dotkniętym tą tragedią trzęsienia ziemi w Chorwacji, wszystkim tym, którzy stracili bliskich, i tym, którzy zostali dotknięci również w wymiarze materialnym.
               

                  Sytuacja po trzęsieniu ziemi w Chorwacji po raz kolejny pokazała solidarność międzynarodową w sytuacjach kryzysowych. Uruchomiono pomoc w ramach Unijnego Mechanizmu Ochrony Ludności, a Polska i Turcja zapewniły pomoc bilateralną. W odpowiedzi na prośbę strony chorwackiej mój kraj, Polska, dostarczył wojskowe namioty mieszkaniowe dla kilkuset osób oraz dodatkowy niezbędny ekwipunek, jak na przykład łóżka, materace, śpiwory i komplety pościeli. Dzięki błyskawicznym działaniom ta pomoc trafiła do potrzebujących już w Nowy Rok.
               

                  Nie była to pierwsza ani ostatnia pomoc, która w ramach solidarności europejskiej popłynęła z Polski do dotkniętego tragedią, w tym wypadku trzęsienia ziemi, kraju. W 2018 roku jako minister spraw wewnętrznych i administracji w rządzie premiera Mateusza Morawieckiego podjąłem na prośbę Szwecji decyzję o skierowaniu polskich strażaków do walki z niespotykaną w historii tego kraju plagą pożarów lasów. Do dziś mam w oczach obraz wspólnej walki polskich i szwedzkich strażaków z pożarami. Wspomniana sytuacja, jak również szybka reakcja państw na obecną sytuację w Chorwacji pokazują, na czym polega prawdziwa solidarność międzynarodowa w obliczu tragedii.
               

Younous Omarjee,
au nom du groupe The Left. – Madame la Présidente, madame la Commissaire, mes chers collègues, l'inscription de ce débat par notre Parlement à l'ordre du jour sur les tremblements de terre qui ont frappé la Croatie rappelle ce qu'est l'Union européenne: un espace de solidarité et l'expression de fraternité qui nous anime tous quand l'un des peuples de l'Union européenne se trouve face à l'épreuve.
               

                  Et je veux de nouveau ce matin adresser mes condoléances aux familles et exprimer ma profonde solidarité avec la Croatie, qui a dû faire face à ces tremblements de terre dans une année 2020 déjà terriblement difficile, touchée par la pandémie de la COVID-19 et la crise qu'elle a engendrée. Vous l'avez dit, madame la Commissaire, le Fonds de solidarité de l'Union européenne a été mobilisé, mais l'effort de reconstruction des infrastructures, de relance économique et de réparation sociale est extrêmement important et j'appelle la Commission au déploiement le plus rapide possible des fonds et des aides nécessaires.
               

                  Tous les instruments européens doivent être combinés pour appuyer la reconstruction. Bien sûr, ceux de la politique de cohésion, mais aussi ceux de la relance. Pour conclure, je voudrais dire que les tremblements de terre en Croatie nous rappellent aussi que l'Europe est, en bien des endroits, menacées par des séismes. Ce fut le cas en Italie il n'y a pas si longtemps et nous savons que demain, ici ou là, un séisme majeur pourrait intervenir. Et c'est pourquoi nous devrons mettre en place de véritables stratégies régionales d'adaptation aux risques volcaniques et au risque sismique.
               

Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, kolegice i kolege, 2020. godina nije bila laka za Hrvatsku.
               

                  Htio bih iskoristiti ovu priliku da zahvalim svim narodima Europe i organizacijama na pomoći koju su pružili pri potresu. Potres je pokazao ono najbolje, ali nažalost i ono najgore od Hrvatske. Gledajući sve te volontere u prvim satima potresa, mogli ste lako steći dojam da cijela Hrvatska se spustila tamo na Banovinu ili Baniju da pomogne, ali i mnogo više od Hrvatske.
               

                  Nažalost, birokracija i korupcija ostaju naši neprijatelji te i ovoga časa mnogi još uvijek nemaju kamp kućicu ili kontejner za smještaj. Kratkoročno, ljudima se mora pružiti sve da imaju koliko toliko normalne uvjete, međutim dugoročno te prostore Banije ali ne samo Banije nego od Srijema preko Banije do Dalmacije, koji su devastirani i opustošeni treba ne samo obnoviti nego i naseliti. Svi ti prostori predstavljaju idealne uvjete za razvoj obnovljivih izvora energije, predstavljaju idealne uvjete za razvoj ekološke poljoprivrede. Zašto ne bi i ti prostori postali europska jezgra razvoja ekološke poljoprivrede. Neka se tamo otvore brojni istraživački instituti koji će razvijati te djelatnosti.
               

                  Neka to bude jedan predivan zeleni hrvatski ekološki pojas i neka bude bogat kao što je lijep.
               

Tomislav Sokol (PPE). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, uvažene kolegice i kolege, dana 29. prosinca prošle godine Hrvatsku je pogodio potres magnitude 6,2 po Richteru koji se osjetio diljem zemlje kao i u susjednim zemljama.
               

                  Gradovi Petrinja, Sisak i Glina gotovo su razrušeni kao i okolna mjesta a tisuće ljudi ostalo je bez svojih domova. Nažalost, u potresu je izgubljeno sedam života te ovim putem obiteljima tih nesretnih ljudi izražavam sućut. Situaciju dodatno pogoršava činjenica da je potres pogodio upravo one dijelove Hrvatske koji su teško stradali u Domovinskom ratu i koji zbog toga spadaju u najslabije razvijene dijelove zemlje.
               

                  Međutim, važno je istaknuti da je Vlada Republike Hrvatske, u ovo teško doba pandemije, brzo i na odgovarajući način reagirala nakon samog potresa ponudivši svim ljudima koji su ostali bez krova nad glavom alternativni smještaj. Želim danas zahvaliti Hrvatskoj vojsci, policiji, gorskoj službi spašavanja, vatrogascima, svim medicinskim djelatnicima i volonterima na onoj svoj nesebičnosti koji su pokazali u najtežim trenucima za Hrvatsku od Domovinskog rata.
               

                  Kolegice i kolege, u ključnim trenucima Hrvatska je ostala ujedinjena u solidarnosti. Zahvaljujem i vama, našim europskim prijateljima na potpori koju ste nam iskazali i svim državama koje su uputile pomoć za potresom pogođena područja. Smatram nužnim da europske institucije nastave s pružanjem daljnje pomoći Hrvatskoj, prvenstveno kroz Fond solidarnosti za potresom pogođena područja kao što je već ranije učinjeno za Zagreb te kroz kohezijsku politiku.
               

                  Time će se pomoći u obnovi infrastrukture na razorenom području ali i razvoju gospodarstva kako bi se vratio život na ovo područje, što svi mi skupa želimo.
               

Biljana Borzan (S&D). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, cijenjene kolegice i kolege, najprije bih htjela izraziti duboku sućut obiteljima stradalih a zatim zahvaliti Europskoj komisiji i državama članicama na iskazanoj solidarnosti i pomoći Hrvatskoj u ovim teškim vremenima.
               

                  Pravi prijatelji su oni na koje možeš računati u nevolji. Obnova je sada prioritet, mora se pomoći ljudima koji su ostali bez krova nad glavom. Za tu svrhu postoje brojne mogućnosti koje pružaju europski programi i mehanizmi poput renovacijskog vala obnove te strukturnih fondova. Komisija je u njih uvrstila i protupotresne mjere te modernizaciju stambenog fonda. Pozivam hrvatsku Vladu da maksimalno iskoristi te mogućnosti u najkraćem mogućem roku a Komisiju da iskaže fleksibilnost pri odobrenju projekata i programa koji će služiti obnovi razorenog područja.
               

                  No, da bi se život i ljudi na Baniji vratili moraju imati od čega živjeti. Zato je između ostalog potrebno da se aktivnostima oko obnove prednost da lokalnim ljudima i tvrtkama a nikako se ne smije dogoditi da od toga profitiraju politički podobni i povezani.
               

Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin, Frau Kommissarin! Zwei Erdbeben in einem Jahr, das letzte mit 6,5 auf der Richterskala. Die Schäden sind gewaltig. Die Herausforderungen für die Gesellschaft sind gerade nach einem Krisenjahr wie dem letzten gewaltig. Es ist gut, dass wir in der Union gemeinsam unserem Mitglied Kroatien beistehen, mit Finanzmitteln und mit allem und der Solidarität, die wir aufbringen können.
               

                  Wie kann es aber sein, dass sich das gerade einmal 80 Kilometer vom Epizentrum entfernte slowenisch-kroatische Atomkraftwerk Krško nicht in diesem Dokument wiederfinden darf? Ist es nicht das Gebot der Stunde einzusehen, dass sich hier ein lebensgefährdendes, ein unvernünftiges Projekt im zweiten Atomreaktor, der gebaut werden soll, wiederfindet? Ist es nicht unvernünftig, gerade dort, wo diese Erdbeben stattgefunden haben, in einer Erdbebenregion weiter Atomkraftwerke zu bauen? Sogar die französische Agentur für Nuklearsicherheit – und Frankreich ist ja wohl kein Atomkraftverweigerer – äußert hier ihre strikten Bedenken.
               

                  Ich fordere die kroatische Regierung auf, hier ihre Position zu überdenken und zum Wohle der Bevölkerungen von einem zweiten Block in Krško abzusehen. So sieht erdbebensicherer Wiederaufbau nicht aus.
               

Traian Băsescu (PPE). – Doamnă președintă, în primul rând aș vrea să exprim solidaritatea mea cu familiile care au avut de suferit de pe urma cutremurului din Croația, cu poporul croat, cu guvernul croat. Și România s-a aflat printre țările care au răspuns imediat solicitării de ajutor a guvernului de la Zagreb.
               

                  Aș face însă o extindere a dezbaterii. Uniunea Europeană are o zonă largă afectată de cutremure de mare magnitudine. Mă refer la România, Grecia, Italia, Grecia insulară. Va trebui să învățăm din aceste efecte nefericite, și prima lecție este aceea că trebuie să învățăm să construim mai bine, iar cea de-a doua este că a devenit o urgență consolidarea clădirilor vechi care nu sunt construite conform standardelor care să le permită să reziste la cutremure în zone declarate a fi zone de risc și zone de mare risc.
               

                  Am văzut în România cutremure de mari proporții, în 1977, când 33 de blocuri s-au prăbușit în București, când 1 600 de oameni și-au pierdut viața, când 3 000 de oameni au fost răniți.
               

                  Avem obligația să luăm măsuri de prevenire a prăbușirii construcțiilor la cutremur.
               

Romana Jerković (S&D). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, moto Europske unije ‘Ujedinjeni u različitosti’ nikada nije za nas imao više smisla.
               

                  Nevjerojatno brza akcija građana iz Hrvatske i susjednih zemalja jasno nam je pokazala da u globalnim krizama izlaz moramo tražiti u solidarnosti i zajedništvu. Većina građana je smještena i osigurani su im osnovni uvjeti za život ali sada slijedi puno teži dio, a to je obnova Banije. Prilika je to za zelenu energetsku obnovu i tranziciju kojom ćemo utjecati na smanjenje energetskog siromaštva u budućnosti. Proces obnove mora biti sveobuhvatan, kvalitetan, s naglaskom na protupotresnu, ali i održivu gradnju. Prioritet nam treba biti da kroz obnovu aktiviramo lokalne kompanije i pružimo građanima Petrinje, Gline, Siska, ali i svim građanima Banije mogućnost da rade tamo gdje žive. Energetski učinkovita obnova jedinstvena je prilika za postavljanje novih standarda transparentnosti. Pozivam vas s ovog mjesta na transfer znanja i tehnologije prema Baniji. Neka ovaj potres bude novi početak za područja stradala u potresima ali i za cijelu Hrvatsku i neka Banija bude pozitivan primjer implementacije europske renovacijske strategije.
               

                  Hvala svima koji su nam nesebično pomogli.
               

Željana Zovko (PPE). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, prelijepa zemlja Hrvatska srušena je u posljednjem ratu koji se odvijao na europskom tlu.
               

                  Otpor naših građana i spremnost na novi početak dali su nam snagu za obnovu zemlje. A onda je usred hrvatskog predsjedanja Vijećem Europske unije došlo do pandemije. Nažalost, to je bio tek početak. U ožujku iste godine u razornom potresu srušen je povijesni grad Zagreb. Kad smo mislili da će ova nesretna godina završiti s ovom ljudskom tragedijom i prirodnom katastrofom, stravičan potres magnitude 6,4 po Richteru pogodio je hrvatsku regiju Banovinu i potpuno srušio grad Petrinju. Tlo još uvijek podrhtava, donoseći besane noći građanima Hrvatske.
               

                  Želim pohvaliti brzu reakciju hrvatske Vlade koja je između ostalog aktivirala Europski mehanizam civilne zaštite. Ovaj poboljšani mehanizam na kojem sam radila još jednom je hrvatskim građanima ukazao na dobrobit koju pruža članstvo u Europskoj uniji. Nastavit ću promovirati drugi nužni aspekt europskih instrumenata, a to su prevencija i redizajn novih kuća koje stanovništvu nude zaštitu od eventualnih budućih katastrofa. Kroz proračun ‘EU nove generacije’ i nedavno predstavljenu inicijativu ‘Bauhaus’ predsjednice Komisije von der Leyen mogu biti uspostavljeni pilot projekti za sigurnu obnovu potresom pogođenih područja u Hrvatskoj.
               

                  Ovom rezolucijom pozivamo Komisiju da ubrza postupak i pokaže fleksibilnost u pružanju potpore Hrvatskoj u ovoj teškoj situaciji.
               

Sunčana Glavak (PPE). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, kolegice i kolege, potresi su ostavili tužne prizore razrušenih domova nestalih u trenutku a prema prvim procjenama ukupno je oštećeno preko četrdeset i pet tisuća objekata.
               

                  Izgubljeni su životi i izražavam duboku sućut njihovim obiteljima. Vlada Republike Hrvatske uložila je velike napore kako bi se stanje na terenu što prije normaliziralo. Mobilizirano je 120 milijuna kuna pomoći iz državnog proračuna za pogođena područja, osnovan je stožer za otklanjanje posljedica katastrofe uzrokovane potresom. Svi akteri u sustavu civilne zaštite i domovinske sigurnosti bili su na licu mjesta, odradili su i nastavljaju odrađivati odličan posao. Zahvaljujem svima, vojnicima, policiji, civilnoj zaštiti, vatrogascima, Hrvatskoj gorskoj službi spašavanja, predstavnicima lokalne uprave i državnih institucija i tvrtki, ali i velikom broju volontera. Hvala i našoj obitelji u Europskoj uniji na nesebičnoj pomoći, podršci i solidarnosti, ali i svim državama koje su uputile pomoć Hrvatskoj te pokazale važnost brze mobilizacije, snagu ovog instrumenta, ali i zajedništva. I dok govorimo o fizičkoj obnovi i obnovi kuća moramo na umu imati gospodarsku i demografsku revitalizaciju. To je ključno za budućnost ovog područja o čemu računa vodi i Vlada Republike Hrvatske.
               

                  To znate i Vi, gospođo potpredsjednice, bili ste tamo. I na kraju zahvaljujem i vama, kolege zastupnici, što ste tijekom teških dana i danas u raspravi izrazili suosjećanje i pružili toliko potrebnu podršku svim građanima Hrvatske. To pratimo i cijenimo, hvala vam lijepa.
               

Dubravka Šuica,
potpredsjednica Komisije. – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, hvala vam lijepo na vašim istupima.
               

                  Potpuno razumijem emotivnost istupa i hvala vam na svemu što ste rekli. Dragi zastupnici, to me upravo vodi da kažem da Hrvatska nije sama, to je važno danas ovdje ponoviti. Europa je uvijek bila tu kad su bili trenuci krize, pružajući pomoć, od logistike do podrške hitnim službama. Europa aktivno podržava napore za oporavak i obnovu. Europa razumije neophodnost ciljanih mjera kako bi se dobila vrsta pomoći onima kojima je najpotrebnija.
               

                  Fond solidarnosti Europske unije još jednom pokazuje svoju vrijednost. U vezi s Fondom, još jedanput, kad neposredna pomoć stanovništvu i odgovor na potres iz prosinca koji su uslijedili budu pod nadzorom, hrvatske vlasti trebale bi procijeniti nastalu štetu kako bi utvrdile prelazi li relevantne pragove za veće regionalne katastrofe. To je osnovni uvjet za prijavu za pomoć iz Europskog fonda solidarnosti. Hrvatske vlasti imaju 12 tjedana od datuma katastrofe da se prijave za pomoć iz Fonda solidarnosti, a Europska komisija je spremna pomoći.
               

                  Da, dragi zastupnici, gospodine Flego, potres se dogodio u Europi. Potres se dogodio na europskom tlu. Sva ta međunarodna solidarnost zaista budi nadu i još nas više uvjerava u važnost europskog projekta. Zato sam još jedanput podsjetila na članak 174. Ugovora o osnivanju Europske unije koji govori o tome da nijedna regija ne smije ostati zapostavljena i to je vrlo važno ponovno napomenuti, i obaveza je Europske komisije voditi o tome računa.
               

                  Još jednom shvaćamo važnost i stvarnu potrebu za instrumentom kao što je Fond solidarnosti Europske unije. Kao dio prijedloga višegodišnjeg financijskog okvira i Next Generation EU-a, Europska komisija predložila je znatno veći proračun za ovaj instrument. Ali potrebe rastu, kao što znate, a resursi su ograničeni. Unatoč tome, nastojat ćemo mobilizirati sva moguća sredstva, što uključuje i financijsko planiranje, kako bismo osigurali odgovarajuću potrebu Hrvatskoj. Pozivamo hrvatske vlasti da što prije procijene štetu koja je uzrokovana potresom. Postoji više strukturnih mjera, kao što ste i vi napomenuli, u okviru kohezijskog i poljoprivrednog razvojnog fonda, kao i Mehanizam za oporavak i otpornost, koji mogu podržati obnovu i oporavak kao i jačanje otpornosti i bolje pripremljenosti, kao što ste i vi napomenuli, kad se radi i o potresima i o vulkanima i drugim prirodnim nepogodama.
               

                  Prošlog prosinca, obratila sam se hrvatskom Saboru, Odboru za europske poslove i obavijestila zastupnike o našoj podršci prema sljedećem višegodišnjem financijskom okviru. Za sljedećih sedam godina, Hrvatska će imati značajne koristi, kao što znate, od financiranja Europske unije. Upravo će Hrvatska dobiti kohezijsku alokaciju od 8,1 milijardi EUR, što je jedna od najvećih potpora od svih 27 država članica, uz iznosu od 270 EUR po građaninu, što iznosi približno 2 100,00 kuna. Usto, Hrvatska će iz zajedničke poljoprivredne politike dobiti sredstva od 4,2 milijarde EUR što zajedno s Mehanizmom za oporavak i otpornost čini puno više od 20 milijardi EUR.
               

                  Europa će biti tu i u budućnosti. Komisija je spremna pomoći Hrvatskoj na svaki način na putu prema održivom i sveobuhvatnom oporavku. Moji kolege Elisa Ferreira, Janez Lenarčič i ja ostat ćemo u bliskom kontatku s hrvatskom Vladom i nastavit ćemo pomno pratiti situaciju na terenu. I u skladu, još jedanput, u skladu s motom kohezijske politike i Fonda solidarnosti, nijedna regija ne smije biti zapostavljena, nijedan građanin Europske unije ne smije ostati zaboravljen.
               

Puhemies. – Keskustelu on päättynyt.
               

                  Olen vastaanottanut viisi työjärjestyksen 132 artiklan 2 kohdan mukaisesti käsiteltäväksi jätettyä päätöslauselmaesitystä (*1).
               

                  Äänestys toimitetaan tänään torstaina 21. tammikuuta 2021.
               
4.   The gender perspective in the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis period - The EU Strategy for Gender Equality - Closing the digital gender gap: women's participation in the digital economy (debate)

Puhemies. – Esityslistalla on seuraavana yhteiskeskustelu
               






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                        Frances Fitzgeraldin naisten oikeuksien ja sukupuolten tasa-arvon valiokunnan puolesta laatimasta mietinnöstä Covid-19-kriisistä ja sen jälkeisestä ajasta sukupuolinäkökulmasta tarkastellen (2020/2121(INI)) – (A9-0229/2020),
                     










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                        Maria Noichlin naisten oikeuksien ja sukupuolten tasa-arvon valiokunnan puolesta laatimasta mietinnöstä sukupuolten tasa-arvoa koskevasta EU-strategiasta (2019/2169(INI)) – (A9-0234/2020) ja
                     










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                        Maria da Graça Carvalhon naisten oikeuksien ja sukupuolten tasa-arvon valiokunnan puolesta laatimasta mietinnöstä sukupuolten välisen digitaalisen kuilun umpeenkuromisesta: naisten osallistuminen digitaalitalouteen (2019/2168(INI)) – (A9-0232/2020).
                     





                  Taas ilmoitan, että tällä istuntojaksolla keskusteluissa ei anneta pyynnöstä myönnettäviä puheenvuoroja eikä hyväksytä sinisen kortin kysymyksiä. Huomautan vielä, että puheenvuoroja voi taaskin käyttää etäyhteydellä jäsenvaltioiden yhteystoimistoista.
               

Frances Fitzgerald,
rapporteur. – Madam President, nobody left untouched: that's the terrifying reality of this virus. Nobody left untouched, but no equality in how this terrifying disease hits individuals, families, communities, nations or genders. The silent funerals with a sad scattering of masked mourners testify that more men than women are dying from the virus. This gender differential increases with age. Older men, sadly, are dying from the virus in greater numbers than older women. We must examine and learn why and do what we can to keep each other safe.
I suggest that each one of you has felt, perhaps this very minute, that your life has been put on pause, halted, stilled, silenced. The tragedy is that in each of our nations, to a greater or lesser extent, health care has been put on pause, halted, so cancer treatment and access to sexual and reproductive health services have declined. Never again. We must regard this as the opportunity to act like never before in the field of health and build a functioning health union. It's time to get to work, and I have to say that President von der Leyen has made an excellent start.
As we consider those who receive health care, let's consider those who deliver it, the ones who got sporadic applause as they got us through this crisis: the 76% of health-care workers who are women, the 93% of childcare workers who are women, the 95% of domestic cleaners who are women, and the 86% of personal care workers who are women. Sporadic applause for them? No, not nearly good enough. Commissioner, we are asking you to bring forward pay transparency text urgently. No more gender pay gap for the heroes of this COVID story.
But for women workers everywhere, we must do better. We must learn from the last crisis and ensure that Next Generation EU takes account of gender bias. Building and construction are important to turn an economy around in a swift way, but it leaves women behind because men generally do the constructing. Commissioner and Minister, you must put women at the front.
As the Commission examines the national action plans for Next Generation EU, we must make sure they are inclusive of women because, when women lose paid employment, they lose just one of their jobs. They go home and go back to the second job and the third job, caring. We know the stories over the past few months: women struggling to find time to sleep in between working, caring for family, home schooling and housework. We must be crystal clear: working from home is not a substitute for childcare. Implementation of a work-life balance will be required to change this.
But I believe that the EU can do more: harnessing EU funds for care infrastructure, collecting data on the situation of carers across the EU, and sharing best practice. Surely, Commissioner, it is time for a new European care strategy, and we ask you to bring forward a proposal. Let's not kid ourselves that work, home schooling, pastimes and housework are all that goes on behind closed doors in lockdown. The truth is that children and women are particularly often imprisoned with the violent in their own homes.
Member States must pivot services to help and support them, ensuring that law enforcement and courts have their backs, but also that civil society can provide the essential services of phone lines and shelters. It can't wait, this shadow pandemic, it cannot be put on hold. The EU must combat violence against women, ratifying the Istanbul Convention, adding violence against women to the list of Euro-crimes, and putting in place a strong legal framework to tackle all forms of gender-based violence. Women are dying and we must intervene. If Europe is to be a leader in the quest for human rights and equality, we must work with our global partners to support and empower women around the world. We must make Team Europe a shining light for women and girls across the world, a byword for a brighter post-COVID future.
Colleagues, now we must look to the future. COVID has taken so much from us, our daily routines, our moments of joy and so many, heartbreakingly, family, friends, neighbours. Yet we will re-emerge, helped by vaccines. We shouldn't be aiming at normal; we should be aiming at so much better than normal: a greener future, a more digital future, a gender-equal future. That means reaching out and bringing women to the table. It's been said that women's rights are human rights. Similarly, women's contributions are human contributions, lifting all people to a place where they can see a better future.
One final point. This is a comprehensive and detailed report and I ask colleagues to give it wide support across this Parliament today, but a report is just words on paper without a concrete commitment to implementation. So I have two questions. First, Commissioner Dalli, will you pledge to read the report and reflect on the calls to the Commission? Can you pledge to consider follow-up action based on the recommendations? To the Council, Minister, can you pledge to circulate this report for consideration by Ministers as part of your priority topic on gender equality? Can you pledge to hold a discussion amongst Ministers on it? To both the Council and the Commission, I think your promise today to build back better on gender equality will be key post-COVID because, as we know, we are united in diversity.

Puhemies. – Lämmin kiitos esittelijä Frances Fitzgeraldille tästä puheenvuorosta. Ihmettelen, miksi neuvosto ei ole täällä paikalla, koska tosiasiassa tämä keskustelu nimenomaisesti koskee paitsi komissiota myös neuvostoa. Esittelijä on aivan oikeassa, että nämä asiat pitää vähintäänkin välittää komission kautta neuvostolle.
               

Maria Noichl,
Berichterstatterin. – Frau Präsidentin, liebe Kolleginnen, liebe Kollegen, sehr verehrte Frau Kommissarin! Zwei gute Meldungen heute für die Gesellschaft und ganz besonders für die Frauen, zwei gute Meldungen am heutigen Tag: Donald Trump wird zukünftig nicht mehr im Weißen Haus regieren, und die EU bekommt in dieser Woche eine neue Strategie für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter. Ich glaube, das ist ein guter Tag.
               

                  Was ist so eine Strategie für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter? Ich glaube, zuallererst muss man sagen: Es ist wieder eine Art Standortbestimmung fürs Parlament, für uns alle – eine Standortbestimmung. Heute positioniert sich die Mehrheit der Demokratinnen und Demokraten hier im Haus erneut eindeutig und klar. Sie positioniert sich für eine gleichgestellte Gesellschaft zwischen den Geschlechtern. Die Mehrheit hier im Haus positioniert sich eindeutig und klar zu einem Nein zur Gewalt gegen Frauen und Mädchen. Und sie positioniert sich eindeutig und klar zur Verpflichtung, die Partizipation zwischen den Geschlechtern aufzuteilen.
               

                  Sie positioniert sich für Lohngerechtigkeit, Lohngleichheit und natürlich dafür, dass Frauen und Männer in ihrem Wert gleichwertig sind. Und wir als Parlament, wir in der Mehrheit der Demokraten und Demokratinnen hier im Haus, wir positionieren uns ganz klar für den Frieden zwischen den Geschlechtern. Denn das ist auch ein wichtiger Punkt, den wir immer wieder hervorheben müssen: Der erste Frieden beginnt zwischen den Geschlechtern. Und wir positionieren uns für ein humanistisches Menschenbild.
               

                  Die Gleichstellungsstrategie ist ein Bekenntnis dieses Hauses, ein Bekenntnis, dass Gleichstellung ein Wert ist, für den wir kämpfen, aber ebenfalls auch ein Bekenntnis, dass Gleichstellung noch lange nicht erreicht ist. Wir haben eine Verpflichtung als EU, dass wir Treiberin der Gleichstellung werden.
               

                  Ich möchte an dieser Stelle noch mal ganz deutlich sagen: Rechtsstaatlichkeitsverletzungen sind auch zu erkennen in den Verletzungen der Frauenrechte. Wer Frauenrechte verletzt, wer Gleichstellung behindert, verhindert auch die Rechtsstaatlichkeit und die Demokratie. Ich glaube, dies muss in diesen Tagen immer wieder betont werden.
               

                  Neben dieser Positionierung ist die Gleichstellungsstrategie aber auch eine ganz klare Abgrenzung von dem, was wir nicht wollen, nämlich: Wir grenzen uns hier ganz eindeutig und klar gegenüber den ganz, ganz Rechten und den Ewiggestrigen ab. Nein, wir stehen im Europäischen Parlament mehrheitlich nicht dafür, dass Frauen nur auf die Mutterrolle reduziert werden. Nein, wir stehen im Europäischen Parlament mehrheitlich nicht dafür, dass automatisch der Mann der Kopf der Familie ist und dass Familie nur sein kann, wo Mama, Papa, Kind ist, sondern es gibt auch bunte Familien, andere Familienmodelle.
               

                  Wir stehen im Europäischen Parlament mehrheitlich dafür, dass Gender nicht ein Wort ist, das man verbieten kann, oder ein Gedanke ist, den man verbieten kann, nur weil man damit nicht umgehen kann. Wir stehen dafür, dass Ideen Kraft entwickeln, denen man sich nicht entgegensetzen kann. Mir fällt ein alter Liedtext einer bayerischen Frauengruppe ein. Die singen: ‘Nur wer selber ganz, ganz klein ist, das wollten wir euch sagen, nur der kann Frauenwachstum nicht ertragen.’ Das wollte ich zur ganz, ganz rechten Seite hier im Parlament sagen.
               

                  Die Gleichstellungsstrategie ist ein Auftrag für die nächsten fünf Jahre. Sie ist ein Arbeitsplan, ein bindender Arbeitsplan, sie ist ein Fortentwicklungsplan. Es sind konkrete Aufgaben: Es geht um Kontrollmechanismus, und es geht vor allen Dingen auch um Berichtspflichten.
               

                  Doch was ist jetzt genau der Inhalt? Wir kämpfen für Ziele. Die Inhalte in der Gleichstellungstrategie, das sind Maßnahmen, aber darüber stehen die Ziele. Ganz klar Ziel Nummer 1: Nulltoleranz gegen Gewalt an Frauen. Es ist wichtig, dass die Ratifizierung der Istanbul-Konvention jetzt endlich vorangetrieben wird. Und es ist auch wichtig und richtig – und noch mal ganz herzlichen Dank an Frau Dalli –, dass es, wenn es nicht vorangeht, einen Plan B gibt.
               

                  Es ist wichtig, dass zusätzliche Maßnahmen ganz speziell gegen Gewalt an Frauen und natürlich die Genitalverstümmelung in den Mittelpunkt genommen werden. Die Rechte im Bereich der sexuellen und reproduktiven Rechte, der Gesundheit und der Grundrechte der Frauen müssen in allen Mitgliedstaaten verankert sein, und es ist wichtig, Datenerhebung zum Thema Gewalt gegen Frauen immer wieder voranzutreiben.
               

                  Ein Ziel: Nulltoleranz zur Gewalt. Das zweite Ziel: die Vielfalt in den Mittelpunkt zu stellen, die LGBTI-Gruppierungen, die Intersektionalität und so weiter und so fort. Das dritte Ziel: Lohngerechtigkeit zwischen Männern und Frauen, aber auch die Lohngerechtigkeit zwischen den Sektoren.
               

                  Das nächste Ziel: die Partizipation in der Führung. Hier wünschen wir uns so sehr von der portugiesischen Ratspräsidentschaft, dass die portugiesische Ratspräsidentschaft das schafft, was Deutschland nicht geschafft hat, nämlich endlich die Women-on-boards-Richtlinie voranzutreiben und in Europa Wirklichkeit werden lässt und natürlich für Parität in den Parlamenten kämpft.
               

                  Wir haben ein Ziel: Wir haben das Ziel, dass Krisen gemeinschaftlich bewältigt werden, dass Krisen nicht – und meine Vorrednerin hat dazu gesprochen – auf den Schultern der Frauen abgeladen werden – da geht es um COVID, und es ging damals schon um die Finanzkrise –, dieses Ziel steht im Mittelpunkt. Wir haben das Ziel von Steuergerechtigkeit. Steuergerechtigkeit: Ich meine, es geht um das gender budgeting. Die Steuergelder gehören uns gemeinschaftlich, gehören den Männern und den Frauen, nicht nur den Männern allein. Und wir haben zusätzlich das Ziel in der Zukunft, dass es immer auch die Forderung nach regelmäßigen formellen Treffen der Gleichstellungsministerinnen und -minister kommt.
               

                  Abschließend: Ich möchte mich bei allen bedanken, die mitgearbeitet haben. Ich möchte mich bei den Demokratinnen und Demokraten hier im Haus bedanken, die wissen: Es kann keine Demokratie, keine Rechtsstaatlichkeit, keine Fortentwicklung ohne Gleichstellung geben. Ich danke Ihnen für diese gute Zusammenarbeit. Ich danke auch der Kommissarin Dr. Helena Dalli.
               

                  Ich möchte hier zum Abschluss noch mal ganz deutlich sagen: Europa – Europa ist eine Frau!
               

Maria da Graça Carvalho,
Relatora. – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, caros Colegas, é com enorme satisfação que vos apresento este relatório que aborda um dos mais importantes meios de discriminação de género dos nossos dias: o enorme fosso de participação das mulheres na economia digital. Esta é uma questão de justiça social para as mulheres. A desigualdade no digital aumenta o fosso salarial, com consequências negativas também nas reformas, sendo que um dos grandes problemas de hoje são os baixos rendimentos das mulheres aposentadas.
               

                  Por outro lado, está em causa a competitividade da economia europeia, cuja principal barreira é a falta de profissionais nas novas tecnologias, em particular nas tecnologias digitais. Uma enorme bolsa de talento, criatividade, competência e capacidade de inovação está a ser desperdiçada. Apenas 18% dos profissionais de tecnologias de informação e comunicação na Europa são mulheres e, se nada for feito, a situação só tenderá a piorar já que as percentagens de estudantes nesta área são ainda mais frágeis.
               

                  De facto, entre os cerca de 1,3 milhões de pessoas que estudam na área das TIC, só dezassete por cento são raparigas. O relatório faz uma análise dos dados, identifica as potenciais causas para a situação atual e aponta soluções, em forma de recomendações, à Comissão, aos Estados-Membros e à sociedade em geral.
               

                  No que respeita às causas, há dois grandes fenómenos que contribuem para esta realidade.
               

                  Por um lado, pelos mais diversos motivos culturais, as raparigas tendem a evitar esta área não a considerando um percurso profissional viável. Por outro lado, muitos dos que seguem efetivamente esta via acabam por desistir ao longo do caminho, quer como estudantes, quer como profissionais, num fenómeno que já é apelidado de efeito de leaky pipeline.
               

                  Há muito trabalho a ser feito. Assim, propomos um conjunto de ações. Em primeiro lugar, desde logo, solicitando aos Estados-Membros que criem programas de empreendedorismo e financiamento para projetos nos setores das TIC dirigidos às mulheres e ainda, e muito importante, que a diversidade de género seja tida em conta na avaliação para o financiamento de ações apoiadas pelo quadro financeiro plurianual e pelo plano europeu de recuperação. Em segundo lugar, incentivando as empresas e outras instituições nas áreas das TIC a criarem condições para melhorar a progressão na carreira das suas profissionais.
               

                  No plano da educação, desde os primeiros níveis de ensino, é necessário sensibilizar as raparigas para a importância destas áreas, definir conteúdos que lhes sejam mais apelativos e apresentando casos de sucesso de mulheres que vingaram e que podem servir de referência nesta área profissional. Propomos também medidas ao nível da cultura, dos média e dos audiovisuais.
               

                  Alguns destes meios contribuem inconscientemente para a eternização de certos estereótipos. É importante que sejam estimulados a mudar a forma como retratam a relação das mulheres com as tecnologias, tanto na parte de informação como na ficção. Combater este fosso digital não é uma tarefa exclusiva das instituições e dos organismos públicos. Cabe a todos, a todos os intervenientes, sejam eles titulares de cargos públicos, privados, academia, realizar ações específicas para reforçar a participação e o papel das mulheres na economia digital.
               

                  Uma palavra final para agradecer o trabalho dos meus colegas, de todos os grupos políticos sem exceção, que, com os seus inúmeros contributos e empenho, permitiram que alcançássemos um texto final coeso e humanista.
               

                  Teremos um voto único, sem emendas ou qualquer pedido de split vote.
               

Eugenia Rodríguez Palop,
ponente de opinión de la Comisión de Empleo y Asuntos Sociales. – Señora presidenta, voy a destacar algunos de los puntos que considero acertados en el informe que se ha elaborado sobre la estrategia para la igualdad en un contexto de crisis sanitaria.
               

                  En esta estrategia apostamos por incorporar un pacto europeo de cuidados para que se incrementen los servicios públicos y se mejoren las condiciones de quienes trabajan ahí, superando la precariedad y la infravaloración social a la que están sometidas estas personas. También decimos que el teletrabajo no puede servir de excusa para seguir desmantelando y privatizando guarderías o residencias de mayores, y que la conciliación es determinante si no queremos sobrecargar más a las mujeres y colapsar como sociedad, y si no queremos, además, incrementar la feminización de la pobreza.
               

                  Queremos que no se pospongan medidas que tratan de reducir la brecha de género. ¿A qué espera la Comisión para presentar la propuesta de Directiva salarial? Y las empresas, ¿dónde están?, ¿cuándo van a asumir su responsabilidad? Queremos que se sancione a las empresas que incumplen y que se supedite el apoyo financiero al cumplimiento de la normativa laboral y a la ausencia de prácticas discriminatorias.
               

                  Pero, además, también queremos que la Comisión haga un seguimiento de los casos en los que se ha retrocedido en la protección de los derechos de las mujeres, que haya un sistema de alarma y que se analicen los vínculos entre los movimientos antidemocráticos de extrema derecha y las campañas de desinformación sobre los derechos de las mujeres y el Convenio de Estambul.
               

                  Finalmente, como poderoso caballero es don Dinero, hemos insistido en que se incorpore la perspectiva de género en los fondos y planes de recuperación y en el presupuesto europeo. Si los ejes de la inversión a futuro son —como parece— la transición digital y ecológica, ahí tenemos que estar y no nos podemos quedar atrás.
               

Helena Dalli,
Member of the Commission. – Madam President, I thank the European Parliament for putting gender equality on the agenda today. I also obviously extend my thanks to the rapporteurs and the shadows who have worked on finalising the three reports we are discussing today.
Every day we continue to discover more about the havoc which the COVID-19 pandemic has played, and is playing, on the lives of people who are already in disadvantaged positions in our societies, and about how existing inequalities have been exacerbated. Many women, as frontline workers, were at the deep end of this pandemic and thus impacted by it disproportionately. But this is not only at the place of work. While at home, confinement measures have kept many women in abusive and hostile environments. The situation of closed schools and childcare facilities meant more care work for many women. Many lost their jobs and thus their financial independence.
All this means that we must, more than ever before, step up our work towards equality. It is with this conviction in mind that the Commission continues to work with one goal in mind: to do everything in our power not to leave anyone behind. This Commission has already taken a number of actions in response to the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. In particular, the EU long-term budget 2021-2027, together with Next Generation EU, form the largest stimulus package ever financed, through the EU budget, of EUR 1.8 trillion. This will promote gender equality through gender mainstreaming and specific targeted measures.
In line with its commitment to the Gender Equality Strategy and the Interinstitutional Agreement, the Commission is working on the development of a methodology to track gender-related expenditure at programme level and in the new MFF. This will bring significant progress on gender mainstreaming across all EU policies.
Gender mainstreaming is also at the core of the Gender Equality Strategy, which I presented in March last year. The crisis we are living today has only amplified the importance of this strategy. It has confirmed the need to address core issues such as women's economic empowerment, violence against women and the gender digital gap, which are all priorities of the Gender Equality Strategy.
The first major initiative of the strategy is the proposal to introduce binding pay transparency measures. We are in the final preparation phase and aim to present the proposal shortly. In essence, the purpose is to detect and prevent gender-based pay discrimination or unjustified pay differences and empower those being discriminated against to enforce the right to equal pay.
The Commission will move forward also with new initiatives on gender equality. By the end of 2021, we will present a legislative proposal to prevent and combat specific forms of gender-based violence. This year we are preparing an initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to include hate speech and hate crime, including on the basis of a person's gender. These actions will be followed by a recommendation on the prevention of harmful practices against women and girls, such as female genital mutilation, to address the need for effective pre-emptive measures, acknowledge the importance of education and strengthen public services. Based on work already started, we will establish a cooperation framework with internet platforms to tackle online violence against women and girls. We are preparing initiatives in the area of childcare and long-term care. We will propose the revision of the Barcelona targets on childcare and propose a child guarantee on social inclusion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including through affordable and quality early childhood education and care.
We will also adopt a comprehensive strategy on the Rights of the Child, which seeks to ensure equal rights, protection and support to all children regardless of background, origin, gender or residence status. We will publish a report on long-term care, which will also be adopted this year. The report will also analyse the gender dimension of long-term care, including the impact of the provision of informal care.
It is essential that we follow up and keep monitoring the development and implementation of the strategy. International Women's Day would be a good opportunity to take stock of what has been implemented one year from the adoption of the strategy.
The need to address the digital gender gap is absolute. Empowering women's success in the digital economy opens the doors to growth. The under-representation of women in the digital industries persists, as we have heard. Women are still not involved as much as they should be in our building of a digital future. This is a huge loss of untapped talent to our economies and societies. More women in digital jobs could create an annual EUR 16 billion GDP boost in the EU. For that, we need to encourage girls to study science and technology so that more women choose a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, essential areas for developing our digital sphere.
The Commission has taken various steps to encourage more girls and women in the digital sector by supporting networks and challenging gender stereotypes. These culminated in the ministerial declaration of commitment on Women in Digital, where Member States have now agreed to a number of actions to address the various facets of this problem. The Commission will support these efforts under the new MFF and Next Generation EU.
Our efforts to build a more sustainable economy and society through digital innovation depends to a large extent on women's involvement. Many women's talents and skills remain untapped. This is a waste of human capital. More women get involved if we start at the root. We must break down stereotypes and bias and encourage girls to choose their parts without influencing them with our biases. We must also give the necessary space for women to thrive in the digital economy and support more women as entrepreneurs and leaders.
I strongly believe that this is key to the transition to a resilient and competitive economy, so I look forward now to hearing your remarks and, of course, I remain available to reply to your questions. Thank you again, thank you for being here, thank you for your report, and thank you for participating in this debate.

(Applause)


(Keskustelu keskeytettiin)

5.   First voting session

Puhemies. – Avaan tämän päivän ensimmäiset äänestykset. Äänestämme tämän päivän esityslistalla ilmoitetuista menettelyistä, ja äänestykset ovat avoinna klo 9.45–11.00. Äänestysmenetelmä on sama kuin edellisissä äänestyksissä, ja kaikki äänestykset toimitetaan nimenhuutoäänestyksinä.
               

                  Julistan täten ensimmäiset äänestykset avatuiksi. Voitte äänestää klo 11.00:een asti. Ensimmäisten äänestysten tulokset ilmoitetaan klo 13.00.
               
6.   The gender perspective in the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis period - The EU Strategy for Gender Equality - Closing the digital gender gap: women's participation in the digital economy (continuation of debate)

Puhemies. – Jatkamme nyt yhteiskeskustelua
               






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                        Frances Fitzgeraldin naisten oikeuksien ja sukupuolten tasa-arvon valiokunnan puolesta laatimasta mietinnöstä Covid-19-kriisistä ja sen jälkeisestä ajasta sukupuolinäkökulmasta tarkastellen (2020/2121(INI)) – (A9-0229/2020),
                     










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                        Maria Noichlin naisten oikeuksien ja sukupuolten tasa-arvon valiokunnan puolesta laatimasta mietinnöstä sukupuolten tasa-arvoa koskevasta EU-strategiasta (2019/2169(INI)) – (A9-0234/2020) ja
                     










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                        Maria da Graça Carvalhon naisten oikeuksien ja sukupuolten tasa-arvon valiokunnan puolesta laatimasta mietinnöstä sukupuolten välisen digitaalisen kuilun umpeenkuromisesta: naisten osallistuminen digitaalitalouteen (2019/2168(INI)) – (A9-0232/2020).
                     





Evin Incir,
rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. – Madam President, the gender equality strategy is a product of a struggle of generations of women before us, in Europe and beyond, whose shoulders we are standing on today. I want to thank Commissioner Dalli for the inclusion of intersectional perspective and clearly underlining that discrimination and inequalities are structural and institutionalised. This is the key to break the glass ceiling for all women. This is key to make a true feminist Europe possible.
We, therefore, need to support women's rights defenders and women's rights organisations in the EU and globally, including organisations working on SRHR, LGBTQI rights and anti-racism, not only financially but also institutionally.
It is said that the crisis magnifies already existing problems in societies and so has the current pandemic. The growing violence and exploitation of women and children are two of them. There are, therefore, some proposals and issues the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and I would like to propose: the importance of an EU anti-trafficking coordinator that can closely monitor the implementation of the anti-trafficking Directive by the Member States and act if they don't implement it; to support Member States in training law enforcement and judicial staff on gender-based violence and hate crimes, including those committed online. Victims' rights must be placed in the centre. When we are seeking justice we must do everything we can to prevent discrimination, traumatisation and re-victimisation.

Cindy Franssen,
namens de PPE-Fractie. – Voorzitter, mevrouw de commissaris, collega's, 26 jaar na de Vierde Wereldvrouwenconferentie zetten wij onze krijtlijnen uit inzake gendergelijkheid voor de komende jaren. Want ook in Europa is er nog heel wat werk aan de winkel. De cijfers liegen er niet om. In deze snel evoluerende wereld is het nochtans belangrijk om vrouwen aan boord te houden. Talenten van vrouwen zijn nog steeds een onderbenutte bron van expertise en creativiteit.
               

                  Daarom moeten we de loonkloof wegwerken via loontransparantie. Daarom moeten we vrouwelijk ondernemerschap promoten, de strijd tegen geweld op vrouwen verder aanbinden en genderstereotypen doorbreken. Daarom moeten we de richtlijn betreffende het evenwicht tussen werk en privéleven ten uitvoer leggen. Al deze zaken moeten hoog op de politieke agenda staan. Om dit te realiseren, hebben we vrouwen aan de beslissingstafel nodig. De richtlijn rond vrouwen in raden van bestuur heeft lang genoeg in de diepvries gelegen. Wij zijn er alvast à point voor.
               

                  Terwijl we gisteren een zoveelste glazen plafond aan diggelen hebben geslagen met Kamala Harris als eerste vrouwelijke vicepresident, wil ik ook kristalhelder zijn over onze verdomde plicht om politieke acties te ondernemen voor vrouwen in kwetsbare posities, vrouwen in armoede, vrouwen met een beperking en vrouwen als slachtoffers van oorlogsgeweld. Het is tijd voor actie. De 21e eeuw is aan de vrouw.
               

Heléne Fritzon,
för S&D-gruppen. – Fru talman! Kommissionär Dalli! Ja, kort efter att pandemin var ett faktum för ett år sedan varnade civilsamhället, FN och kvinnorättskämpar runt om i världen för att den här pandemin riskerar att bli en jämställdhetskris. Men varningarna har inte hjälpt.
               

                  Kvinnojourer rapporterar fortfarande om ett ökat våld mot kvinnor. Vi ser förödande konsekvenser för sexuell och reproduktiv hälsa och sexuella och reproduktiva rättigheter. Erfarenheter från tidigare kriser talar för att kvinnors ekonomiska situation kommer att påverkas på lång sikt. Och när kvinnor drabbas, då drabbas också våra barn.
               

                  Därför kräver jag att EU och medlemsstaterna tar jämställdhetsfrågorna på största allvar. Tillsammans med den socialdemokratiska gruppen har jag från pandemins start krävt att kvinnors rättigheter måste respekteras och att alla åtgärder ska jämställdhetsintegreras, inte minst gäller det i budget- och återhämtningsfond.
               

                  Det är positivt och helt nödvändigt att EU nu har en jämställdhetsstrategi. Men det räcker ju inte att vi pratar om strategin. Nu måste vi se till att den följs upp och implementeras med tydliga mål och konkreta åtgärder inom alla politikområden. Om vi vill reparera de ekonomiska och sociala skadorna i denna kris är det viktigt att öka kvinnors deltagande på arbetsmarknaden – kvinnors rätt till ett eget arbete, en egen försörjning. Vi ska också koppla jämställdhetsarbetet till klimatpolitiken och den digitala agendan.
               

                  Nu, en gång för alla, ska vi ta detta på allvar. Vi ska jobba för ett jämställt EU för det tjänar alla på. Jag vill avsluta med att tacka vår föredragande Fitzgerald för ett gott samarbete. Tack!
               

Samira Rafaela,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Madam President, thank you Commissioner, we can already conclude that the pandemic affects women disproportionately in all ways of life, and women are on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic and account for 76% of health-care workers across the EU. Women are responsible for most of the informal and unpaid care as well as educational support at home, and women are prone to fall victim to the rising prevalence of domestic violence which has aggravated the already high pre-COVID numbers. Women are also experiencing difficulties in accessing safe sexual and reproductive health services, as abortion was deemed non-essential, forcing women and girls to seek unsafe abortion elsewhere. And as we find ourselves on the verge of recovering from this crisis, the time has come to decide how we as the European Parliament want to shape post-covid Europe. Do we want women to be equally represented in leadership and decision-making and allow women to be part of the design and implementation of recovery plans? Do we take a gender-sensitive approach in our response to the crisis in order to preserve and protect women's rights? And do we combat domestic violence against women and implement the EU protocols in our emergency response plans? My answer to these questions is yes. Because women's rights are human rights and this pandemic provides an opportunity to make the real progress women and girls deserve, and I count on all of you to help shaping a post-COVID Europe that is really gender equal.

(Applause)


Annika Bruna,
au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, votre stratégie pour l'égalité hommes-femmes s'apparente davantage à une volonté d'indifférenciation qu'à la recherche d'une équité légitime entre les deux sexes.
               

                  Pour vous, toute différence entre hommes et femmes serait des stéréotypes devant être corrigés. Votre idéologie devient même autoritaire. Les nations ou les ONG qui ne partageraient pas vos objectifs ou vos théories du genre ou de l'intersectionnalité sont dénoncées. Vous entendez même imposer des quotas. Une politique contraire aux valeurs d'égalité et de méritocratie et qui nuit à la légitimité de celles qu'elle prétend promouvoir.
               

                  Face à votre vision, le groupe ID propose un texte alternatif. Nous y renouvelons notre attachement à l'égalité entre hommes et femmes, à leurs différences et à leur complémentarité. Nous rappelons ce que devraient être les priorités de l'Union européenne en matière de droits des femmes: la lutte contre les violences domestiques, le harcèlement mais aussi la délinquance qu'elles subissent, le combat contre les différents trafics d'êtres humains dont elles sont les premières victimes et que la politique européenne de frontières passoires favorise, l'obtention partout d'un salaire égal à travail et compétences égales.
               

                  Enfin, la démographie européenne est à un niveau dramatiquement bas. Les États membres devraient encourager la natalité en revalorisant notamment pécuniairement le temps consacré par les mères qui le choisissent à l'éducation de leurs enfants.
               

                  Nous ne voulons pas imposer à nos filles de devenir des hommes comme les autres. Notre objectif est de garantir aux femmes d'Europe la sécurité, mais aussi la liberté de choisir leur mode de vie en fonction de leurs aspirations, parfois différentes de celles des hommes, mais toujours légitimes.
               

Diana Riba i Giner,
en nombre del Grupo Verts/ALE. – Señora presidenta, quiero destacar la actitud constructiva que ha habido durante la elaboración de este informe.
               

                  El resultado es un texto ambicioso que demuestra cómo la COVID-19 no ha hecho más que ensanchar unas desigualdades de género que ya eran inaceptables antes de la pandemia. Este informe hace un buen análisis de las consecuencias de la COVID desde una perspectiva de género y, además, hace propuestas concretas para revertir, o al menos frenar, estas desigualdades.
               

                  Aun así, tenemos que lamentar dos aspectos. El primero, que el informe llegue tarde. Este texto tenía que servir para influir en los fondos de recuperación, pero su votación llega cuando los paquetes y las medidas ya están acordados. El segundo, que hemos perdido una oportunidad de reclamar un pacto asistencial, un pacto para los cuidados que no solo invierta en el sector del cuidado, sino que también fomente una transición hacia una economía del cuidado que ponga el bienestar y la vida de las personas en el centro de todas las políticas. Estoy segura de que tendremos ocasión para debatir sobre el pacto asistencial, porque, de ahora en adelante, debe ser el tema central para la Unión.
               

Jadwiga Wiśniewska,
w imieniu grupy ECR. – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarz! Koleżanki i Koledzy! Naszym wspólnym celem powinna być troska o dobro kobiet, o to, żeby kobiety miały takie same szanse i możliwości bez względu na to, w jakim miejscu świata żyją, takie same szanse i możliwości jak mężczyźni. Naszą wspólną troską, tu w Unii Europejskiej, powinno być poszanowanie traktatów i kompetencji państw członkowskich. Naszą wspólną troską powinno być poszanowanie prawa podstawowego, jakim jest prawo do życia, z którego wywodzą się wszystkie inne prawa.
               

                  Niestety sprawozdanie zostało podlane lewicową ideologią i psuje tak naprawdę wszystko. Stało się tak naprawdę asumptem dla lewicy, żeby zaprezentować swoisty manifest polityczny. A przecież ponad podziałami politycznymi powinniśmy skupić się na tym, by niwelować lukę płacową, lukę emerytalną, ograniczyć, a najlepiej wytępić przemoc względem kobiet: seksualną, cyberprzemoc, przemoc psychiczną. Tak dużo mamy wspólnie do zrobienia. To tu w Unii Europejskiej doszło do 500 tys. przypadków okaleczenia żeńskich narządów płciowych. To tu w Unii Europejskiej dochodzi do małżeństw nieletnich dziewczynek z dorosłymi mężczyznami. Czas to zatrzymać. To tu w Unii Europejskiej łamane są prawa kobiet. Zajmijmy się realnymi prawami kobiet. I odpowiedzią na te prawa jest rezolucja Europejskich Konserwatystów i Reformatorów, która odpowiada na wszystkie te wyzwania. Proszę o jej poparcie.
               

Silvia Modig,
The Left -ryhmän puolesta. – Arvoisa puhemies, digitaalisaatio on meille iso mahdollisuus, mutta vain jos teemme sen siten, että kaikki pääsevät siihen mukaan. Sukupuolten tasa-arvo edellyttää, että tytöillä ja naisilla on yhtäläiset mahdollisuudet käyttää teknologiaa, kouluttautua digitaalisille aloille ja olla turvassa verkossa.
               

                  Pandemia on vauhdittanut digisiirtymää, ja etätyö toi uudet digitaaliset työvälineet monien arkeen. Kehitys onkin nopeaa, ja arvioidaan, että tulevaisuuden työpaikoista yli 90 prosenttia edellyttää tietoteknistä osaamista ja digilukutaitoa. Kaikkialla maailmassa naiset käyttävät internetiä miehiä harvemmin.
               

                  Jotta saavutamme tytöille ja naisille täysin yhdenvertaiset mahdollisuudet osallistua digitaaliseen talouteen, meidän on päästävä eroon sukupuoliin liittyvistä stereotypioista ja sukupuolittuneista asenteista ja odotuksista. Sukupuolistereotypiat vaikuttavat suuresti nuorten opiskeluvalintoihin, ja meidän on saatava tytöt näkemään, että myös digitaaliset alat ovat yhtä paljon heitä varten.
               

                  Valitettavasti vuoden 2019 tasa-arvoindeksi paljastaa, että sukupuolten välinen epätasa-arvo on edelleen yleistä digitaalialalla. Hoivavastuu jakautuu edelleen epätasaisesti, ja pandemia on pahentanut sitä. Naiset kantavat hoitovastuusta suurimman osan, ja tämä on esteenä kaikkinensa naisten tasavertaiselle asemalle työmarkkinoilla ja työelämässä.
               

                  Taloudellinen tilanne vaikuttaa myös kaikkien lasten ja nuorten mahdollisuuksiin päästä osalliseksi digitaalisesta kehityksestä. Koulujen tulisi olla paikkoja, joissa varmistetaan, että riippumatta perheen taustasta tai taloudellista tilanteesta, jokaisella lapsella on mahdollisuus oppia digitaaliset taidot.
               

Dorien Rookmaker (NI). – Madam President, if I am to believe the reports on women's issues we discuss today, the position of women is getting worse by the minute. There seems to be gender gaps everywhere caused by discrimination, digitalisation, COVID or otherwise. We are seeing more problems than we can solve and that is why we'll vote against all reports.
The larger the scope, the less chance of positive results. We have to choose our battles to win the war. Let's concentrate on the important issues: discrimination of women on the labour market, the housing market, the health service, education and above all, discrimination by Member State governments. Let's focus on these five important battlegrounds and stop searching for new topics and new gender gaps.
In der Beschränkung zeigt sich der Meister.
Focus on what is really important and bring the gap to a close.

Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska (PPE). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pandemia COVID pokazała ogrom tragedii kobiet, które zamknięte w swoich domach tak często doświadczają przemocy fizycznej, psychicznej, ekonomicznej czy seksualnej. Pokazała także, że pomimo wszelkich nierówności to kobiety stanęły na pierwszej linii frontu w walce z wirusem.
               

                  Nie rozumiem, szanowni państwo, dlaczego w Europie tak wielu polityków chciałoby pominąć kwestie związane z nierównością i przemocą? Dlaczego tak wielu próbuje nam wmówić, że są to tematy drugorzędne i zastępcze? Zamyka oczy, by nie widzieć, że żyją wśród nas osoby o odmiennej orientacji seksualnej? Dlaczego tak wielu sądzi, że jeżeli usuniemy słowo gender z wszelkich dokumentów legislacyjnych Unii Europejskiej, to wygramy walkę z jakąś wyimaginowaną, niebezpieczną ideologią? Tymczasem równość, szanowni państwo, to nie jest żadna ideologia. Milcząc, dajemy przyzwolenie na przemoc, wykorzystywanie, hejt, seksizm i dyskryminację, których, wydaje się, jest coraz więcej we współczesnym świecie.
               

                  Chciałabym żyć, proszę państwa, w świecie idealnym, gdzie kobiety zajmują kierownicze stanowiska równie łatwo jak mężczyźni, także w sektorach zdominowanych dziś przez mężczyzn, takich jak sektor informatyczny, technologiczny, mechaniczny, a nie tylko stają się ofiarami cyberprzemocy, gdzie nie istnieje luka płacowa i przepaść cyfrowa, gdzie nie usprawiedliwia się przemocy kulturą, zwyczajami, religią, tradycją czy honorem, w świecie, w którym staje się po stronie ofiar, a nie sprawców. Mam nadzieję, że ta nasza debata i nasze działanie pomoże w tym wszystkim i zmieni to, na co czekają kobiety w całej Europie.
               

Maria-Manuel Leitão-Marques (S&D). – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, uma vez ouvi a história de um professor de informática que se orgulhava de todos os seus alunos terem participado na construção de um robô, acrescentando: os meninos programaram e as meninas costuraram os vestidos do robô. Penso que é um bom exemplo para ilustrar a forma como, desde muito cedo, se reproduzem estereótipos sobre a participação das mulheres na economia digital. A sub-representação neste importante setor do presente e do futuro está bem espelhada nos números. Apenas 17 % dos 1,3 milhões de pessoas que estudam tecnologias da informação são mulheres. O fosso salarial entre homens e mulheres é maior nesta área, 19 % contra 16 % e é também na área das TIC que se regista a maior percentagem de conselhos de administração exclusivamente masculinos.
               

                  Assim, a nossa primeira luta tem que ser na escola e, posteriormente, na formação ao longo da vida, como defendemos neste relatório sobre o fosso digital entre homens e mulheres, nomeadamente criando, em todos os níveis de ensino, mecanismos de mentoria que prevejam modelos de referência femininos na área das TIC, mostrando o seu impacto social na qualidade da vida das pessoas ou desenvolvendo programas de formação para upskilling e reskilling especificamente destinados a mulheres, de modo a acelerar a sua inclusão ativa no mundo digital.
               

                  Senhora Comissária, esperemos que este relatório a inspire para a promoção da igualdade da participação das mulheres na economia digital com objetivos quantificáveis e controláveis. Gostaria que, daqui a um ano, estivéssemos aqui a saber o que fez a Comissão e com que resultados. De uma vez por todas, era bom que os robôs fossem vestidos por meninos e meninas e programados também.
               

Karen Melchior (Renew). – Madam President, my sister has two children. One is quiet, careful and thinks a lot about what is going on. One is full of energy, cannot sit still, jumps first, thinks later.
Our bodies have a gender. Our minds, personality and interests do not. My two nieces are very different — but both girls. I often wonder how much of their personality would have been attributed to their gender if one of them was a boy, when really it is just because they are the persons who they are.
We can dress according to the role we want society to see us in, but all too often society imposes expectations on us, just because of the body we were born into.
Ada Lovelace was the first coder in history. She was a woman. She and countless women after her created the digital technologies we're using today. Yet in the digital sector today, we see gender stereotypes and discrimination hinder access for women. These barriers are cultural in our society and it is essential that we tear these barriers down.
We need to show young girls and women they can be, and they can do, anything they want.
We need companies to make sure that they do not push women out. We need a digital transition, a digital economy which provides equal opportunity which empowers everyone regardless of their gender.

Nicolaus Fest (ID). – Frau Präsidentin! Wir hatten bereits in diesem Hause im letzten Jahr Gender und der Krieg in Syrien. Wir hatten Gender und Klima. Wir hatten natürlich Gender und Digitalisierung. Jetzt haben wir Gender und COVID. Ich wundere mich ehrlich gesagt, dass die intellektuelle Überfliegerin hier im Raum, Frau Noichl, noch nicht auf den Gedanken gekommen ist, Gender und das Erdbeben in Kroatien ebenfalls auf die Agenda zu setzen.
               

                  Nie allerdings haben wir hier im Haus das Thema Gender und wissenschaftliche Forschung oder auch Gender und gesunder Menschenverstand. Gender ist ein ideologisches Fake, wie Gender und COVID ein ideologisches Fake ist. Wir haben es bei Frau Fitzgerald gehört: Am meisten sind Männer betroffen, sie sterben nämlich am meisten an COVID. Und insofern ist diese ganze Debatte Unfug.
               

                  Wir sind alle für die Gleichberechtigung. Wir sind nicht für Gleichstellung jenseits von Qualitätsnormen, von Differenzierung, und deshalb ist Gleichstellung nichts anderes als die Diskriminierung von Männern. Und dagegen sind wir. Wir sind für Gleichberechtigung, aber gegen Gleichstellung.
               

                  Liebe Frau Dalli, ich weiß natürlich, dass es für Frauen Sonderrechte gibt und dass Sie vor allem diese verfolgen. Aber wenn Sie fünf Minuten Sprachzeit haben, dann wäre ich doch dankbar, wenn Sie sich auf fünf Minuten begrenzen und nicht um das Doppelte überziehen, zumal Sie ja inhaltlich ohnehin wenig zu dieser Debatte beizutragen haben.
               

Puhemies. – No niin, tässä oli kollega Nicolaus Festin puheenvuoro, ja sitten annan puheenvuoron kollega Alice Kuhnkelle, olkaa hyvä.
               

Alice Kuhnke (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, the Commission's gender equality strategy comes at a time when we are witnessing a backlash against our common European values. The pandemic, as we all know, has made things worse and has deepened existing inequalities, in particular for those most marginalised in society. Member States, such as Poland and Hungary, have used the pandemic as an opportunity to introduce new measures to limit access to sexual and reproductive health care, to attack transgender and intersex people's rights and to roll back on important work to combat gender-based violence.
The report we are voting on today sends a strong signal to the Commission and to the regressive Member States of our union. We need to go beyond nice words to deliver real change.

Andżelika Anna Możdżanowska (ECR). – Szanowna Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarz! Koleżanki i Koledzy! Dziękuję za podjęcie tego ważnego tematu podczas sesji Parlamentu Europejskiego. Likwidacja luki cyfrowej i udział kobiet w gospodarce cyfrowej jest niezwykle aktualnym tematem w dobie wyzwań konkurencyjności gospodarki. Ale nie tylko, bo szczególnie dziś to ogromne wyzwanie wobec walki z kryzysem gospodarczym wywołanym pandemią koronawirusa. To właśnie dziś ten kryzys gospodarczy oraz długotrwała walka z nim uderza ze zdwojoną siłą w sektory, w których dużą część zatrudnionych stanowią właśnie kobiety. To od lat właśnie cyfryzacja zasadniczo zmienia większość aspektów naszego życia.
               

                  Wiemy już dziś, że kryzys COVID-19 i jego następstwa spowodują trwałe zmiany w życiu w całej Europie, w życiu wszystkich Europejczyków, zwiększając szczególną konieczność posiadania kompetencji cyfrowych w każdej dziedzinie życia społecznego i zawodowego. Nie tylko stereotypy dotyczące płci stanowią poważną przeszkodę, ale również rozwiązania i możliwości godzenia życia zawodowego z życiem rodzinnym. Bo nie możemy sobie pozwolić na pogłębianie różnic w sektorze cyfrowym, na uniemożliwianie uczestnictwa kobiet. Musimy wykorzystać pełną możliwość roli kobiet jako użytkowników, innowatorów, twórców, uczestnictwo w życiu, wyzwań gospodarki, szczególnie tej cyfrowej. Niestety jeszcze dziś, w XXI w., kobiety wykazują mniejsze zaufanie do własnych umiejętności cyfrowych, a to właśnie one dają szansę na równy i sprawiedliwy dostęp, o czym dziś bardziej niż kiedykolwiek, w miesiącach lockdownu, przekonujemy się każdego dnia, w naszych rodzinach i w miejscu pracy. A nie może być żadnej zgody na wykluczenie cyfrowe. Już teraz przerażają dostępne dane, według których większość zatrudnionych musi zdobywać umiejętności cyfrowe, by utrzymać miejsca pracy. W skali świata 75 mln miejsc pracy może zniknąć w wyniku automatyzacji. Dziękuję bardzo za podjęcie tego tematu i proszę o (słowa niedosłyszalne) zapewnienie dodatkowych środków na dostęp i podnoszenie kompetencji cyfrowych.
               

PRZEWODNICTWO: EWA KOPACZ


Wiceprzewodnicząca


Sandra Pereira (The Left). – Senhora Presidente, qualquer estratégia para a igualdade tem de assentar em políticas de emprego que eliminem discriminações no acesso ao trabalho e que reforcem o emprego com direitos, a contratação coletiva, a proibição da precariedade. Exige a valorização das condições laborais, nomeadamente por via da regulação e da redução dos horários de trabalho e da exigência do aumento geral dos salários e das pensões e das condições de vida. Tem de se traduzir em medidas que erradiquem a pobreza e a exclusão social e que combatam as suas causas, em medidas de defesa e de promoção de serviços públicos universais e de qualidade, como a habitação e a justiça, o acesso gratuito à educação e à saúde, incluindo o acesso aos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos, em medidas de proteção da maternidade, alargando os períodos de licença e garantindo o seu pagamento a 100%, e de proteção na doença consagrando, efetivando-se ou ampliando direitos em lei.
                  

                     Tem de assegurar investimento público na ampliação de uma rede de equipamentos públicos em todos os níveis de cuidados, desde as creches e jardins de infância até redes de cuidados que atendem as necessidades dos mais dependentes. Tem de promover, junto dos Estados, a garantia de implementação de mecanismos e de instrumentos de combate a todos os tipos de violência, seja no contexto familiar, no contexto laboral ou noutros contextos, medidas que as políticas da União Europeia têm contrariado, ou mesmo impedido, mas que continuaremos a exigir.
                  

                     Por fim, não podemos deixar de lamentar que uma estratégia para a igualdade se refira à prostituição como trabalho sexual e não como violência e exploração.
                  

Vladimír Bilčík (PPE). – Vážená pani predsedajúca. Téma rodovej rovnosti nie je politickým príveskom. Týka sa každého z nás, žien a mužov rovnako. Sám si želám, aby o postavení žien v spoločnosti tak prirodzene, zanietene a intenzívne ako ženy hovorili aj muži. Aj na pôde Európskeho parlamentu máme v tomto bode čo zlepšovať. Často diskutujeme o potrebe posilniť rodovú rovnosť v súvislosti s platovými rozdielmi medzi mužmi a ženami. Áno, v každej profesii musí platiť princíp, že za rovnakú prácu si každý zaslúži rovnakú plácu. A je jedno, kde v Európe pracuje a či prácu robí žena alebo muž. Ak sa však pozrieme bližšie na priestor strednej Európy, podobne akútny a navyše životne existenčný problém ako s platmi sa s rodovou nerovnosťou spája problém chudoby. Vedeli ste, že dve tretiny ľudí nad 65 rokov, ktorí materiálne strádajú a majú problém viesť dôstojný život na Slovensku, sú ženy? Áno, je to tak. Je dôležité, aby sme za rodovú rovnosť bojovali rovnako nahlas na pracovnom trhu, ako aj v súvislosti s dlhodobým rizikom, že viac žien ako mužov končí v Európe svoju starobu v extrémnej chudobe. Súčasná pandémia problém rodovej nerovnosti len prehĺbi. Každému, kto je ochotný vnímať realitu, pandémia ukazuje, ako veľmi závisíme od práce žien, nielen v ťažko skúšaných systémoch zdravotnej starostlivosti, ale aj doma. Recepty, ako spoločenské postavenie žien zlepšiť, roky poznáme. Školy, škôlky či jednoducho zobrať vážne všetky tie pekné slová, ktoré zvykneme o ženách hovoriť, keď máme ženské výročia a pamätné dni. Vtedy sme plní obdivu. Tak ten obdiv pretavme aj do konkrétnych politík. Obnova po pandémii nám dáva dobrú príležitosť.
                  

Evelyn Regner (S&D). – Madam President, I wish you all a happy and healthy 2021. A lot of work is ahead of us, above all, the gender pay and the gender pension gap. These gaps are ranging from 3% to 23% and from 1% to a crazy 43% in the European Union. So there's a lot to do. And in addition, both pay and pension gaps are intrinsically linked to the care gap, mostly women doing all this unpaid care work. What do we do about these gaps? We build bridges. And those bridges should look like binding measures like pay transparency, where we are eagerly waiting the proposal from the Commission, minimum wages benefiting mostly women in the low income sectors and care deal for Europe, radically rethinking the value of paid and of unpaid work. So let us build those bridges, so that we can finally achieve gender equality in 2030 as planned.

Martin Hojsík (Renew). – Vážená pani predsedajúca. Ženy sú hrdinky pandémie. Stojíme na sestrách a opatrovateľkách, ktoré sú viac pri starých a chorých ako s rodinou. Na učiteľkách, ktoré zachraňujú vzdelanie našich detí. Ženách, ktoré sa popri svojom zamestnaní stali aj učiteľkami a kuchárkami, aby sa postarali o svoju rodinu počas lockdownu. Napokon, i kariéra utrpela alebo sa ocitli v násilnom väzení. Ženy boli hrdinkami aj dávno pred pandémiou. Stále tolerujeme, že nie sú spravodlivo ohodnotené. Tolerujeme, že majú dve zamestnania, ale platené sú len za jedno. Tolerujeme, že naša susedka žije s násilníkom, alebo tolerujeme, že hlas žien je umlčiavaný a ich práva potláčané. Akoby to nestačilo, na Slovensku, ale aj v Poľsku, vlády situáciu žien zhoršujú. Namiesto riešenia domáceho násilia sa snažia obmedziť reprodukčné práva žien. Strašia Istanbulom a škrtajú slovo ‘rod’ z vládnych politík. Akoby sa vrátil hon na čarodejnice a rukojemníčkami sú ženy a ich práva. Stačilo. Rodová rovnosť je tradičnou európskou hodnotou, pretože všetci sme si rovní.
                  

Filip De Man (ID). – Voorzitter, eerst mijn verontschuldigingen. Ik ben als Filip De Man geboren. Sorry daarvoor. Maar goed, de genderresolutie dus, met maar liefst 92 consideransen en 128 aanbevelingen. Gender lijkt wel het prangendste probleem in Europa. Quod non. Nergens in de wereld genieten vrouwen zoveel rechten. De belangrijkste posten hier zijn voor Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde, Angela Merkel. Ik vind dat het gendergedoe moet stoppen. Onlangs las ik zelfs dat het kaartspel genderneutraal moet worden, want de heer is meer dan de dame. Straks moet het Europees volkslied herschreven worden want Alle Menschen werden Brüder. Waarom geen Schwestern?
                  

                     Terwijl men zich buiten de EU bezighoudt met speerpuntrobotica en quantumcommunicatie, houden wij ons, zoals in Constantinopel, bezig met het gender der engelen, met de Ottomanen voor de deur. Het kadert in de cultuuroorlog waarbij de kapitalistische globalisten en de multiculturele linksen onze unieke beschaving ondermijnen, onder meer door deze genderwaanzin, de cancelcultuur, de woke activisten …
                  

                     Maar goed, collega's, ik zal een toegift doen en besluiten zoals de zwarte predikant in het Amerikaans congres: A-men en A-woman.
                  

Terry Reintke (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, if I'm allowed, just give me five seconds to say: aren't we all overly joyful about the historic moment that happened yesterday, where for the first time a woman became US Vice-President, and on top of that, a Black and Asian-American woman. To me, it was really a moment of shattering of glass ceilings and a great moment of joy.
Now, talking about the gender equality strategy: I was born in 1987 in western Germany. My mother always wanted to work and for that, a lot of barriers were put in her way. Last week, my sister became a mother for the first time, and the fact that for her, it's going to be much easier to combine her work life and her family has a lot to do with the European Union, with a very proactive anti-discrimination policy that has really shaken up conservative countries like, for example, Germany.
But today, if we're being honest, the women in Germany are not as equal in their rights, as for example, women in France or Sweden. That is why, especially for conservative countries like Germany, we need a strong European Union. Be it on equal pay, on the fight against gender-based violence, or for sexual and reproductive rights. We need a push from Brussels, Madam Commissioner.

Jessica Stegrud (ECR). – Fru talman! Kommissionär Dalli! När man lyssnar på debatten om EU:s nya jämställdhetsstrategi, får man ibland intrycket av att den typiske EU-medborgaren är en vit medelålders man med toppjobb som inte gör annat än förtrycker, diskriminerar och misshandlar kvinnor. När man sedan granskar åtgärdsförslagen inser man att kommissionen vill flytta mer makt och resurser till Bryssel men inte göra något åt de största problemen.
                  

                     För medan allt fler män i dag är jämställda och pappalediga, och kvinnor basar över centralbanken, EU-kommissionen och Europas mäktigaste land, finns de verkliga utmaningarna någon annanstans. Det är inte i företagens styrelserum som jämställdheten utmanas i dag, utan i kvarteren där könsstympning, hedersvåld, tvångsäktenskap och sexhandel utgör en hemsk realitet – något ni av ideologiska skäl blundar för.
                  

                     Förslagen må gynna en del, men adresserar inte de största hoten mot jämställdheten i dag. Tack!
                  

Henna Virkkunen (PPE). – Arvoisa puhemies, haluan kiittää kaikkia kollegoita näistä erinomaisista tasa-arvoa käsittelevistä mietinnöistä. Digitalisaatio muuttaa hurjaa vauhtia taloutta, yhteiskuntia, työelämää ja ihmisten arkea. Covid-19-kriisi on vain nopeuttanut tätä kehitystä. On siirrytty etäopiskeluun ja etätyöhön. Harrastuksia, liikuntaa ja kulttuuria harjoitetaan yhä enemmän verkon välityksellä. Nettikauppa on lisääntynyt.
                  

                     On todella suuri huoli, että naiset ottavat takapakkia tässä kehityksessä, jos emme saa innostettua lisää tyttöjä ja naisia tietotekniikan aloille. On todella huolestuttavaa, kuten mietinnössä todetaan, että vain 18 prosenttia ICT-alan ammattilaisista Euroopassa on naisia. On iso menetys eurooppalaiselle taloudelle, ellei naisten potentiaalia oteta täysimääräisesti käyttöön. Se on myös iso menetys naisten työmarkkina-asemalle, ja totta kai se vaikuttaa näiden digitaalisten palveluiden sisältöihin, jos naisia ei ole niitä tekemässä.
                  

                     On siis erittäin tärkeää, että kannustamme kaikkia tyttöjä ja naisia valitsemaan digitaalisia aloja, ICT-aloja, ja tämä lähtee jo hyvin pienestä sieltä alakoulusta saakka. Tässä tarvitaan roolimalleja, kuten tässä mietinnössä on todettu. On lisättävä myös täydennyskoulutusta ICT-aloille – nimenomaan naisille, jotka ovat jo työelämässä – ja ennen kaikkea uudistettava työelämää niin, että naisilla on mahdollisuus täysimääräisesti kaikkialla Euroopassa osallistua työelämään ja tuoda se tärkeä potentiaali myös digitaalisten palveluiden osalta.
                  

Robert Biedroń (S&D). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Ubóstwo, przemoc, dyskryminacja, bezrobocie, nierówności płacowe mają swoją płeć. Wszystko to dotyka w większości kobiety. Reguła jest prosta od wieków – tam gdzie jest troska, opieka i ubóstwo ekonomiczne, tam są kobiety, tam gdzie jest pieniądz i władza, tam są mężczyźni. Widać to wyraźnie w Parlamencie Europejskim: w komisji FEMM jest 91% kobiet, w Komisji Budżetowej – 28% kobiet. Widać to także w naszej dzisiejszej debacie.
                  

                     Chciałbym zadać pytanie: gdzie są ci wszyscy rycerze, dżentelmeni, feminiści, gdzie są ci wszyscy, którzy na co dzień mają usta pełne frazesów, żeby stanąć obok kobiet i razem z nimi walczyć? Dlatego apeluję do moich kolegów: to jest także nasza sprawa, bo dotyka to nasze babki, matki, żony i córki. Chciałbym was ostrzec: w piekle naprawdę jest specjalne miejsce dla mężczyzn niewspierających kobiet.
                  

Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (Renew). – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, on parle de digitalisation, télétravail, transition écologique, mobilité. La crise du coronavirus provoque des changements socioéconomiques et culturels accélérés et nous sommes amenés à nous adapter.
                  

                     En sera-t-il de même pour l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes? Voilà la question, car je constate au quotidien des hommes qui pensent, des hommes qui proposent, des hommes qui décident. Ma crainte est que nous soyons en train de reconstruire nos sociétés à l'identique, avec de vieux schémas.
                  

                     Le monde a besoin d'un plan de relance économique féministe, avec des femmes qui pensent, avec des femmes qui proposent et avec plus de femmes qui dirigent. Madame la Commissaire, nous exigeons des garanties juridiques, des leviers, des sanctions ou des récompenses. Il le faut pour atteindre l'égalité. Mes chers collègues, nous avons un monde à réinventer. Cette fois, nous devons en être et nous en serons protagonistes.
                  

Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, these inequalities between men and women we bear in everyday life, these inequalities that have shaped our societies, could be even worse in the digital space. Algorithms have been overwhelmingly designed by white men. Amazon has discovered that one of the algorithms they were using to hire staff was simply penalising all female candidates. Facial recognition systems are dramatically and dangerously discriminatory because they are built out of data from white men's faces. So if you present these tools with non-white or female features they will simply get all confused and will mistake one woman for another.
Neutrality of technology is a sad fairy tale, a nasty one, and if we do decide to stay ignorant to these biases, the digital world will simply reproduce and amplify all the discrimination, injustices and sadness we are fighting against elsewhere. So we need public policies to prevent this from happening.

Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (ECR). – Señora presidenta, ¿qué significa igualdad de género en el marco de la ideología de género y la perspectiva de género?
                  

                     Pues no se sabe, porque no es coherente, ya que a veces se utiliza el concepto de género para referirse a la mujer. Eso sí, victimizada. Otras, para disociar el sexo biológico de la persona, inventando tantas categorías como formas de sentir. Es una teoría emotivista, sin base científica alguna y contra natura.
                  

                     Estamos hablando de una ideología que dice defender la igualdad, pero luego resalta solo las diferencias, crea brechas, nos compara, enfrenta a la mujer contra el hombre, generando soledad y desesperanza.
                  

                     Admiremos la belleza de nuestra complementariedad, las relaciones de confianza, la unidad. ¿Por qué no escuchamos los anhelos de las personas respetando nuestra identidad natural?
                  

                     Ensalcemos la feminidad, la maternidad. ¡Protejamos la vida! Todas las civilizaciones lo han hecho. No nos manipulen. No somos productos de ingeniería genética.
                  

Danuta Maria Hübner (PPE). – Madam President, 2020 was tough for women. It pushed women out of the labour market more often than men and we know that job losses during a crisis have long-term lasting effects. Women might never get back what they have lost in terms of their professional careers and salaries. The pandemic created a situation that might require new ways of moving toward labour opportunities and getting women involved in the digital transition.
As the Commissioner is aware, we are at a moment when an important gender skills gap could further grow, we must go the extra mile and multiply efforts to ensure that the digital upskilling of women is not just an afterthought, but a clear priority. If the gap grows, it will be a loss for an entire society, not only women. We are now in the crucial time of planning for the New Generation EU. This strategy must be inclusive of women's talents, gifts and skills, but we do not have a critical mass of women in decision-making bodies so we must remain particularly vigilant, and ensure that reforms and policies in response to the crisis put an emphasis on engaging women in digital technologies because that gap must not grow.
Let me conclude by underlining that digital skills should be seen in the context of a fast-changing society, emerging new needs, new patterns of relations, the growing importance of social skills and a more collaborative society. We must remember that this is an environment where women thrive.

Lina Gálvez Muñoz (S&D). – Señora presidenta, comisaria Dalli, la crisis de la COVID, como cualquier otra crisis, está teniendo un impacto muy desigual en las personas en función de los distintos ejes de desigualdad, muy especialmente el de género.
                  

                     Sabemos que la peor parte de los mercados de trabajo se la están llevando las mujeres que, además, seguimos sosteniendo la mayor parte de todo el trabajo doméstico y de cuidados, que se ha intensificado mucho durante los confinamientos.
                  

                     Por eso, necesitamos que Estrategia Europea para la Igualdad de Género sirva definitivamente para garantizar la transversalidad de género en los planes de recuperación, transformación y resiliencia; en las leyes, las políticas y el presupuesto; y, sobre todo, para que avancemos en un pacto asistencial. Que añadamos a las transiciones gemelas verde y digital, que vertebran nuestra acción política ahora en Europa, una tercera transición hacia una nueva organización social de los cuidados, donde estos no recaigan de manera naturalizada, no reconocida y no pagada en las mujeres.
                  

Radka Maxová (Renew). – Paní předsedající, aktuální pandemie koronaviru zasáhla celou společnost, ale muže a ženy odlišně a v rovnosti pohlaví určitě neposunula Evropu vpřed. Ženy mají stěžejní roli v řešení aktuální krize a jejich ekonomická síla bude klíčovou, pokud se chceme vypořádat s následky pandemie. Připomínám proto naši výzvu na rychlou implementaci směrnice o skloubení rodinného a pracovního života v jednotlivých členských státech, na odblokování jednání o klíčových dokumentech, jako je výzva k ratifikaci Istanbulské úmluvy a výzva k větší podpoře zapojení žen v rámci digitalizace, ve studiu technických oborů a v rámci Green Deal. V neposlední řadě žádám Komisi, aby bez dalšího prodlení předložila návrh závazných opatření týkajících se transparentnosti odměňování.
                  

                     Věřím, že máme šanci se z krize dostat jako společnost bez stereotypů, která nevymezuje ženám určitou úlohu a nevyšlapává cestu k marginalizaci nebo domácímu násilí, které bohužel v této krizi značně vzrostlo. Musíme ale chtít my.
                  

Sylwia Spurek (Verts/ALE). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarko! Przemoc wobec kobiet to pogwałcenie podstawowych praw człowieka. Będę powtarzać to tak długo, aż każda kobieta w Unii Europejskiej będzie bezpieczna we własnym domu. Tymczasem skala przemocy domowej wzrosła w ostatnim czasie prawie trzykrotnie. Te dane to nie tylko skutek pandemii COVID-19. To dowód na naszą nieudolność w zwalczaniu przemocy wobec kobiet.
                  

                     Cele sformułowane w strategii na rzecz równości płci mogą to zmienić. Potrzebujemy jednak nie tylko słów, nie tylko deklaracji o zaangażowaniu i determinacji, ale działań: ratyfikacja przez Unię konwencji stambulskiej, poszerzenie katalogu europrzestępstw o przemoc ze względu na płeć, wzmocnienie gwarancji dyrektywy o prawach ofiar. Te i inne postulaty przedstawiłam w liście do pani przewodniczącej Ursuli von der Leyen i będę zobowiązana za możliwość porozmawiania o nich z panią komisarką Dalli. List ten podpisało prawie 60 tys. Polek i Polaków. To razem z nimi, powtarzam, trzymam stronę kobiet.
                  

Isabel Benjumea Benjumea (PPE). – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, desde que he llegado a este Parlamento no ha habido una sola sesión en la que no se haya debatido o votado algún asunto relativo a la igualdad de género. Y yo me pregunto si esta saturación no puede llevar a la devaluación de un asunto tan importante como es la libertad y la igualdad de oportunidades, propiciando a la vez una falsa percepción de que en Europa las mujeres seamos víctimas y, por lo tanto, necesitemos una protección especial.
                  

                     Y no. En Europa las mujeres no nacemos víctimas. No nacemos víctimas, porque en Europa disfrutamos de la democracia liberal y de su régimen de libertades y derechos. Es importante señalar este contexto europeo para entender lo afortunadas que somos las mujeres que hemos nacido en este continente y en este tiempo, lo privilegiadas que somos de vivir un espacio de libertad donde cada una de nosotras puede alcanzar sus sueños —los sueños que desee según su mérito y su capacidad—, donde cada una de nosotras puede competir en igualdad de oportunidades con cualquier persona.
                  

                     Por agradecimiento a la historia, por agradecimiento a los hombres y mujeres que trabajaron por construir este proyecto europeo, y también por respeto a las mujeres que aún hoy en día sufren persecución, marginación y desigualdad en otros lugares del mundo, yo no me puedo sentir víctima en Europa ni me puedo sentir inferior. Y como no me siento víctima de nada ni inferior a nadie, no necesito que se me imponga por cuota o que se me beneficie con una discriminación positiva.
                  

                     En Europa no nacemos víctimas. No nos victimicemos las mujeres y defendamos la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres, la igualdad de oportunidades y los derechos y libertades.
                  

Pina Picierno (S&D). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, siamo di fronte a una responsabilità enorme verso le future generazioni, verso le future bambine e le future donne.
                  

                     Questa crisi ci dà l'opportunità di riparare i divari sociali, economici e strutturali che ci portiamo dietro da tanto tempo, di rinsaldare l'Europa e di porre finalmente termine e fine a tutte quelle discriminazioni che sono inaccettabili, che minano lo Stato di diritto e i valori fondanti dell'Unione. Lo voglio dire ad alcuni colleghi che sono intervenuti qua stamattina: le discriminazioni minano i valori fondanti dell'Europa.
                  

                     E allora noi abbiamo un'urgente necessità, Commissaria, di misure concrete e vincolanti. Queste misure noi le conosciamo già: sono la ratifica della Convenzione di Istanbul da parte dell'Unione, l'inserimento della violenza di genere tra i reati di competenza europea, la direttiva sulla trasparenza salariale – di cui ancora attendiamo la proposta e di cui oggi rinnovo la richiesta, Commissaria – lo sblocco della direttiva ‘Women on boards’ e tante altre. Non possiamo permetterci altri ritardi.
                  

Sylvie Brunet (Renew). – Madame la Présidente, chère Madame la Commissaire Dalli, chers collègues, enfin une stratégie de l'Union européenne en faveur de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes se déploie, je m'en félicite. Cette stratégie doit pouvoir se mesurer concrètement dans un renforcement des normes européennes en matière d'informations non financières.
                  

                     À présent, parlons calendrier et priorités, d'autant que la COVID-19 a touché particulièrement les femmes: 70 % du personnel de santé et des services sociaux dans le monde sont des femmes et nous avons constaté avec tristesse l'augmentation des violences intrafamiliales.
                  

                     Nous attendons toujours la proposition de la Commission sur des mesures contraignantes de transparence des rémunérations. Elle devait être présentée avant la fin de l'année 2020 et aujourd'hui, elle ne figure pas à l'agenda du collège de la Commission pour les deux prochains mois, alors qu'il y a toujours 16 % du salaire horaire de différence en moyenne entre les femmes et les hommes en Europe. Il faut noter que certains États membres nous montrent déjà la voie. La France, notamment avec l'index de l'égalité professionnelle, mais aussi l'Allemagne, la Finlande et d'autres.
                  

                     L'Union doit faire avancer davantage l'émancipation économique des femmes et les droits des femmes, avec, bien sûr aussi, le déblocage de la directive Women on boards et la création d'un conseil à l'égalité des genres.
                  

Henrike Hahn (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin! Die Corona-Pandemie trifft die Menschen in Europa gerade schwer, aber Frauen trifft sie ganz besonders hart. COVID-19 vertieft Ungleichheiten. Die Hauptlast der Pflege für Kinder und ältere Menschen tragen Frauen.
                  

                     Und das gilt jetzt noch mehr als zuvor. Frauen verdienen weniger, sie können weniger zur Seite legen für die Vorsorge, und sie haben ein höheres Armutsrisiko. Millionen von Jobs verschwinden gerade in der Wirtschaftskrise. Und ja, wir brauchen in Europa Maßnahmen, um die Wirtschaft resilient, wettbewerbsfähig und nachhaltig zu machen. Aber diese Maßnahmen müssen für eine gleichberechtigte ökonomische Situation von Frauen sorgen. Wenn wir jetzt die Wirtschaft ankurbeln, dann müssen gerade Frauen davon profitieren. Wir brauchen gender budgeting. Schluss mit dem gender pay gap und her mit der Lohntransparenz! Wir haben jetzt einen Grünen Deal, aber was wir auch brauchen, ist ein care deal for Europe. Das ist zeitgemäß. Denn die Zukunft Europas ist weiblich.
                  

Λευτέρης Χριστοφόρου (PPE). – Κυρία Πρόεδρε, η ισότητα των φύλων δεν είναι απλά ένας μεγαλεπήβολος στόχος, δεν είναι ακόμα μια στρατηγική, μια πολιτική της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης· είναι ένα θεμελιώδες δικαίωμα, κι αυτό το δικαίωμα δεν μπορεί κανένας να το παραβιάζει. Κι όλοι εμείς έχουμε καθήκον και υποχρέωση να το προασπιζόμαστε. Άλλωστε, οι πατέρες και θεμελιωτές της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης μερίμνησαν να εντάξουν στη Συνθήκη της Ρώμης, δηλαδή πριν 64 χρόνια, την ισότητα των φύλων.
                  

                     Το ότι εδώ και 64 χρόνια δεν έχει επιτευχθεί στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση 100% πλήρης ισότητα των φύλων, αποτελεί ένα τεράστιο έλλειμμα και στίγμα για την ίδια την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Είναι προσβλητικό και προκλητικό ταυτόχρονα να καταγράφει το Ευρωπαϊκό Ινστιτούτο για την Ισότητα των Φύλων ότι βρισκόμαστε στο 65,7%, στα μισά ακόμη του δρόμου για την υλοποίηση του αυτονόητου: της ισότητας των δικαιωμάτων, της ισότητας των φύλων, της ισότητας των αμοιβών. 16,3% λιγότερες αμοιβές για τις γυναίκες είναι το ποσοστό που καταγράφεται στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Πιστεύω ότι η πιο ευτυχής στιγμή της ζωής μου θα είναι εκείνη που θα βρεθώ στο Ευρωκοινοβούλιο, κυρία Επίτροπε, και θα ανακοινώσετε ότι όλα αυτά εφαρμόστηκαν στο 100% για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση.
                  

                     Δεν μπορεί μια Ένωση αρχών, αξιών, πολιτισμού να έχει αυτό το τεράστιο χάσμα και έλλειμμα, να το κουβαλά στους ώμους της και να μην παίρνει αποφασιστικά και δραστικά μέτρα για να το καλύψει και για να το επιλύσει. Ένα βασικό και σημαντικό μέτρο θα ήταν να ενταχθεί στον προϋπολογισμό η διάσταση του φύλου· στα 750 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ για το Ταμείο Ανάκαμψης να ενταχθεί η διάσταση του φύλου που δεν υπάρχει. Μιλάμε για ψηφιακό χάσμα. Η ψηφιακή μετάβαση γίνεται με αυτά τα χρήματα που δίνουν οι ευρωπαίοι πολίτες, άνδρες και γυναίκες, και δεν συμπεριλαμβάνεται η διάσταση του φύλου.
                  

                     Επιβάλλεται να στείλετε, όμως, και μια αυστηρή οδηγία προς όλα τα κράτη μέλη: σε όσους δεν εφαρμόζουν την ισότητα των φύλων, θα επιβάλλονται αυστηρές κυρώσεις από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Μόνο έτσι θα κάνουμε πράξη την ισότητα των φύλων και μαζί πραγματικά θα νιώσουμε περήφανοι Ευρωπαίοι πολίτες, περήφανοι… (η Πρόεδρος αφαιρεί τον λόγο από τον ομιλητή).
                  

Vera Tax (S&D). – Voorzitter, commissaris, ik kan niet tegen zaken die oneerlijk zijn. Daar probeer ik verandering in te brengen. De loonkloof dus. In Nederland en in de EU krijgen vrouwen voor hun werk ongeveer 15 % minder betaald dan mannen. Op een werkzaam leven is dat ongeveer 300 000 euro. Dat is zo oneerlijk dat Commissievoorzitter Ursula von der Leyen in haar allereerste speech het volgende beloofde: ‘In de eerste honderd dagen van mijn mandaat zal ik voorstellen doen om loontransparantie te verplichten’. Superfijn! Maar we zijn nu meer dan een jaar verder en haar belofte is nergens te bekennen. Nergens. Ook niet als we het herhaaldelijk vragen. Een stilzwijgen is tot nu toe de reactie.
                  

                     Ik hoor de commissaris vandaag zeggen, met overigens alle respect, ‘binnenkort’. Maar het staat niet op de agenda van 2021. Dus, geachte Commissie en geachte voorzitter Von der Leyen, geef eens antwoord op de eenvoudige vraag: wanneer komt de wet voor loontransparantie in de EU op tafel? Want dat verdienen alle vrouwen en alle mannen.
                  

Στέλιος Κυμπουρόπουλος (PPE). – Κυρία Πρόεδρε, αξιότιμη κυρία Επίτροπε Dalli, αγαπητοί συνάδελφοι, μιλάω στα ελληνικά σήμερα γιατί το μήνυμα της ισότητας των φύλων πρέπει να ακουστεί σε κάθε πολίτη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, ώστε να το κατανοήσει. Η ανισότητα είναι μια πραγματικότητα που βιώνεται, παρατηρείται, μελετάται· δεν μπορούμε να στρέψουμε το βλέμμα. Η ίδια η Συνθήκη για τη λειτουργία της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης το αναγνωρίζει στο άρθρο 8: η Ένωση πρέπει, σε όλες τις δραστηριότητές της, να στοχεύει στην εξάλειψη των ανισοτήτων και να προωθεί την ισότητα ανάμεσα σε άνδρες και γυναίκες.
                  

                     Η πολιτική συζήτηση για την ισότητα των φύλων είναι ένα ζωτικό όργανο της δημοκρατικής διαδικασίας που λαμβάνει χώρα σε αυτό το δωμάτιο, αλλά και στο σπίτι μας, στα εθνικά κοινοβούλια. Η εκμετάλλευση και η βία ενάντια των γυναικών μέσω της αντικειμενικοποίησης και της περιθωριοποίησης είναι ένα φαινόμενο που κανείς σε αυτό το δωμάτιο δεν μπορεί να αμφισβητήσει. Οι γυναίκες πρέπει να λειτουργούν επί ίσοις όροις στην κοινωνία, κυρίως μέσω της οικονομίας, καθώς η οικονομική συμμετοχή είναι κλειδί για να αποκτήσουν τη φωνή τους σε μια δίκαιη αγορά εργασίας και κοινωνία.
                  

                     Το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο εργάζεται οριζόντια με στόχο την ισότητα των φύλων, προωθώντας τη στηλίτευση της βίας ενάντια των γυναικών, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της διαδικτυακής παράνομης γλώσσας μίσους. Όλοι πρέπει να είναι ίσοι μπροστά στο νόμο· ίση πληρωμή για ίση εργασία, σύμφωνα με το πλάνο εργασίας για όλους. Το πορτοφόλι τους είναι δικό τους. Υπερασπιζόμαστε τη συμμετοχή τους στις τοπικές και εξωτερικές πολιτικές της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση μιλάει με μία φωνή για την θέση της γυναίκας παντού. Η ισότητα, σε όλα τα επίπεδα και σε όλες τις πτυχές της καθημερινής ζωής, είναι το εύφορο έδαφος για την ευμάρεια μιας κοινωνίας και το εφαλτήριο για την ανάπτυξή της. Αυτό πολεμάμε να κάνουμε από εδώ.
                  

Alessandra Moretti (S&D). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, anche la COVID-19 non ama la parità di genere. Tuttavia la ripresa ci sarà solo se sapremo sfruttare le capacità femminili, rompendo finalmente quel tetto di cristallo di cui si parla da troppo tempo.
                  

                     Ecco perché Next Generation EU dovrà prevedere che metà delle risorse vengano investite nelle politiche di genere, come ci chiedono i movimenti #HalfOfIt o del Giusto mezzo. Non avremo altre opportunità per garantire alle ragazze di vivere in una società women friendly, quella società in cui ancora oggi ci sono troppe discriminazioni.
                  

                     E noi, che abbiamo il privilegio di stare in quest'Aula, abbiamo il dovere morale e politico di essere un esempio, avviando un vero processo di emancipazione in favore delle donne. I fondi europei dovranno essere utilizzati nei servizi per la conciliazione tra lavoro e famiglia, scuola, formazione, ricerca, lavoro e parità di salario, che rappresentano entrambi la prima vera forma di libertà e autonomia.
                  

                     Se vogliamo che il gender mainstreaming, avviato dalla prima Presidente donna della Commissione europea, rappresenti davvero una svolta dobbiamo passare all'azione con un forte spirito di lobby trasversale.
                  

                     La pandemia è la crisi peggiore che l'Europa affronta dal dopoguerra. Serve il contributo di tutti per superarla, soprattutto quello delle donne.
                  

Helena Dalli,
Member of the Commission. – Madam President, I would like to thank all Members for this insightful debate today. We can say that we are really one voice on this important matter.
The Commission welcomes these reports and discussions and I thank all of you involved for the great work done and for your commitment to gender equality. Your suggestions and insights buttress the Commission's work in its fight for equality. We must ensure that every step we take is a step forward towards a more gender-equal Europe.
I thank you again, and I look forward to a year of work where we shall implement all that we have spoken about today in order to strengthen equality so that we will really have a union of equality.

Przewodnicząca. – Zamykam debatę.
                  

                     Głosowanie odbędzie się w czwartek 21 stycznia 2021 r.
                  


Oświadczenia pisemne (art. 171)



Christine Anderson (ID),
in writing. – This report seeks to highlight the idea that the small percentage of women involved in ICT / STEM is primarily due to ‘gender stereotypes’. This reasoning is missing two crucial elements: Choice: Graphs and figures, don't tell a person's full story. If lack of self-confidence may play a part in the professional path taken by women, we can't overlook the fact that education and career are first of all the result of a personal choice, based upon preferences and competences. Forcing women to engage in career paths that they might not feel particularly interested in is counterproductive and anti-democratic. In addition, it is in contradiction with Article 15 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, which enshrines the freedom to choose an occupation and right to engage in work. Focus on sexual harassment: though cyber violence is addressed in Articles 28 through 31 of the report, it is overrun by ideology. The portion of articles suggests to combat cyber violence through ‘comprehensive sexual and relationship education’. This is yet again a way of pushing for more ‘gender ideology’ under the guise of protecting women, and ultimately putting the needs of the digital labour market above women's choice of career.

Vilija Blinkevičiūtė (S&D),
raštu. – Mes labai džiaugiamės, kad Komisija priėmė komunikatą ‘Lygybės sąjunga. 2020-2025 m. lyčių lygybės strategija’ per pirmąsias šimtą dienų nuo Komisijos darbo pradžios. Tai yra stiprus politinės valios įgyvendinant ES lyčių lygybės politiką ženklas ir įtikinanti, aiški ir plataus užmojo politikos sistema, kuria siekiama toliau įgyvendinti moterų teises ir lyčių lygybę bei kovoti su išpuoliais šioje srityje. Mes palaikome Komisijos tikslą sukurti Europos Sąjungą, kurioje žmonės, nepaisant jų įvairovės, nepatirtų diskriminacijos ir struktūrinės nelygybės. Iki šiol turime daug neišspręstų problemų lyčių lygybės srityje. Moterys ir toliau uždirba mažiau nei vyrai, jų pensijos yra gerokai mažesnės nei vyrų ir senatvėje jos patirią skurdo riziką. Ant moterų pečių ir toliau gula priklausomų asmenų priežiūra, namų ūkio našta ir už šias veiklas nėra atlyginama. Tai yra neteisinga ir tai turime išspręsti. Tinkamas Profesinio ir asmeninio gyvenimo pusiausvyros direktyvos įgyvendinimas yra ypatingai svarbus, todėl tikimės, jog Komisija atidžiai stebės šios direktyvos tinkamą perkėlimą į valstybių narių nacionalinę teisę bei jos tinkamą įgyvendinimą. Stambulo konvencija yra didelė gėda visai ES, nes iki šiol kai kurios valstybės narės jos nėra ratifikavusios. Tai siunčia labai blogą ženklą ir sumenkina mūsų pastangas kovoti su smurtu prieš moteris. Tikimės, jog Komisija aktyviai bendradarbiaus su valstybėmis narėmis, kad jos kuo skubiau užbaigtų ratifikavimo procesą.
                  

Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE),
kirjallinen. – On selvää että koronapandemia on iskenyt erityisesti naisiin ja ikäihmisiin. Vakavaa huolta aiheuttaa lähisuhde- ja perheväkivallan nousu Euroopassa, erityisesti yhteiskunnan sulkutoimien aikana. Kaikille koti ei ole turvallinen paikka. Vihapuhe verkossa on myös hälyttävässä nousussa, ja naiset sekä tytöt joutuvat sukupuolitetun väkivallan uhreiksi myös verkossa. Kaikki vihapuhe tulee kriminalisoida.
                  

                     Tasa-arvovaliokunta ehdottaa lukuisia toimenpiteitä tänään keskustelun aiheena olevissa mietinnöissä: lainsäädäntöä kaiken sukupuoleen perustuvan väkivallan torjumiseksi, toimintasuunnitelmaa sukupuolten välisen palkkaeron poistamiseksi sekä toimintasuunnitelmaa palkkojen ja työolojen parantamiseksi naispainotteisilla aloilla, kuten terveydenhoitoalalla. Hälytysjärjestelmä ja jatkuva seuranta naisten oikeuksien etenemisen takapakin varalta tulee toteuttaa. Viime vuodet ovat osoittaneet, että emme voi pitää tasa-arvon etenemistä itsestäänselvyytenä, vaan meidän tulee tehdä työtä sen edistämiseksi joka päivä. Myös Euroopassa on olemassa voimia, jotka pyrkivät rapauttamaan jo saavutettua kehitystä esimerkiksi seksuaaliterveyden ja -oikeuksien saralla. Odotamme vaikuttavia tasa-arvotekoja komissiolta, neuvostolta sekä jäsenmailta.
                  

Ελισσάβετ Βόζεμπεργκ-Βρυωνίδη (PPE),
γραπτώς. – Αγαπητοί συνάδελφοι, συζητάμε σήμερα στο Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο τρεις κρίσιμους φακέλους της Επιτροπής Γυναικών και Ισότητας των Φύλων, που καλύπτουν ένα μεγάλο φάσμα ζητημάτων ανισότητας σε βάρος των γυναικών σε διαφορετικούς τομείς, θέτοντας σημαντικούς στόχους για τους οποίους πρέπει να αγωνιστούμε με συνέπεια, μακριά από στερεότυπα και κοινωνικά κατάλοιπα.
                  

                     Δυστυχώς, η πανδημία έχει οδηγήσει σε οπισθοδρόμηση και οι οικονομικές συνέπειές της αναμένεται να πλήξουν τις γυναίκες πιο σκληρά από τους άνδρες. Τις σοβαρότερες ανησυχίες εγείρει το γεγονός της αναφερόμενης αύξησης της βίας σε βάρος των γυναικών σε ολόκληρη την Ευρώπη και ιδίως της ενδοοικογενειακής βίας, όταν τα θύματα έχουν κλειδωθεί με τους κακοποιούς τους για εβδομάδες ή μήνες λόγω των μέτρων καραντίνας και περιορισμού των μετακινήσεων.
                  

                     Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, και ως αντιπρόεδρος της Επιτροπής Γυναικών και Ισότητας των Φύλων, ζητώ και θεωρώ επιβεβλημένο να ενσωματωθεί η διάσταση του φύλου στα νέα οικονομικά εργαλεία της Ένωσης για την αντιμετώπιση της κρίσης με προσανατολισμό στις ανάγκες των γυναικών. Κυρίως, όμως, καλώ όλες τις γυναίκες που υφίστανται ή έχουν υποστεί βία ή οποιαδήποτε μορφή σεξουαλικής κακοποίησης ή παρενόχλησης να καταγγέλλουν με θάρρος τέτοια περιστατικά και αξιόποινες πράξεις, χωρίς να φοβούνται τον κοινωνικό στιγματισμό από αρρωστημένες συνειδήσεις και ξεπερασμένες νοοτροπίες. Οι αξίες και ο πολιτισμός μας επιτάσσουν μηδενική ανοχή στη βία.
                  
7.   Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (debate)
7.1.   The crackdown on the democratic opposition in Hong Kong

Przewodnicząca. – Kolejnym punktem porządku dnia jest debata nad siedmioma projektami rezolucji w sprawie represji wobec opozycji demokratycznej w Hongkongu (2021/2505(RSP)) (*2).
                  

Marco Campomenosi,
autore. – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, ringrazio la signora Commissaria Dalli per essere qui con noi oggi, perché la situazione a Hong Kong è molto grave.
                  

                     Il concetto, che noi abbiamo a lungo difeso, di un paese e due sistemi è concretamente in pericolo: credo che su questo molti colleghi siano d'accordo con me e credo che tutte le risoluzioni presentate dai gruppi vadano nella stessa direzione. Avvocati, giornalisti, attivisti politici e giovani vengono privati della loro libertà soprattutto a seguito dell'entrata in vigore della legge sulla sicurezza nazionale che mette in pericolo l'autonomia di Hong Kong, che era difesa dall'accordo di uscita della Gran Bretagna stipulato fra Gran Bretagna e Cina.
                  

                     Quindi invito alla collaborazione proprio con il Regno Unito e con l'Amministrazione americana che, immagino, seguirà un po' il passo sui rapporti con la Cina seguito dall'Amministrazione uscente.
                  

                     E poi non posso che sottolineare, come membro della commissione per il commercio internazionale, il disagio che molti di noi hanno subito, anche molti governi, rispetto a un'accelerazione nella conclusione del negoziato sugli investimenti fra UE e Cina, che ci ha un po' sorpreso alla fine dell'anno. Non era probabilmente il momento giusto per concedere alla Cina un risultato di questo tipo.
                  

                     Concludo con le parole di un missionario da quarant'anni in Cina, Franco Mella, che protesta da tempo di fronte alle carceri dove sono rinchiusi molti attivisti e che ci invita a non far perdere la speranza a queste persone.
                  

Manu Pineda,
autor. – Señora presidenta, no voy a entrar desde aquí en el fondo del debate, porque entiendo que ni para los que lo han impulsado es importante. Tienen ustedes acceso al texto que hemos presentado.
                  

                     Se trae aquí por enésima vez el tema de Hong Kong, que dejó de ser una colonia europea hace ya treinta años. Es solo una excusa. En cada Pleno se encuentra una para hablar sobre China.
                  

                     Este debate refleja la vocación colonial de algunos grupos que actúan como si Europa aún fuera la metrópoli que puede imponer sus decisiones a China, y ponen su servilismo a Estado Unidos por encima de los intereses de los trabajadores y empresas europeos.
                  

                     No parece muy inteligente agredir e insultar a la República Popular China en cada Pleno. Si realmente queremos construir un mundo multipolar, necesitamos estrechar nuestras relaciones con Pekín. Porque los peligros del actual modelo unilateral los conocen bien, por ejemplo, los 12 000 trabajadores y trabajadoras de Airbus en Europa que pueden quedarse en la calle por el chantaje de Estados Unidos al sector aeroespacial europeo.
                  

                     La Nueva Ruta de la Seda, un proyecto que parece destinado a transformar cómo los países se relacionan entre sí, nos brinda una oportunidad que no deberíamos despreciar. Es urgente pasar del actual modelo, en el que el más fuerte se apropia de los recursos ajenos imponiendo su ley, a uno basado en el beneficio mutuo y las relaciones horizontales.
                  

                     Celebramos el acuerdo estratégico Unión Europea-China y esperamos que, frente a los exabruptos de algunos de aquí, podamos seguir trabajando por un orden global basado en el Derecho internacional, la lucha contra el cambio climático, la paz y la soberanía de los pueblos.
                  

Nathalie Loiseau,
auteur. – Madame la Présidente, en quelques semaines, nous avons appris beaucoup de choses sur la Chine. Nous avons appris que le Parti communiste chinois a peur de la liberté, même dans un petit territoire de 7 millions d'habitants, Hong Kong. Le pouvoir chinois préfère la liberté de réprimer à la liberté de s'exprimer.
                  

                     Nous avons appris que la Chine ne respectait pas ses engagements internationaux sur Hong Kong, pris au titre de la déclaration conjointe avec le Royaume-Uni. Nous avons appris que le parti communiste chinois a peur de la transparence. Combien de temps et quelle négociation difficile a-t-il fallu pour que l'OMS puisse envoyer enfin une mission à Wuhan pour enquêter sur les origines de la pandémie de la COVID-19, dont la dimension planétaire et les conséquences désastreuses justifient pourtant que toute la lumière soit faite partout où c'est nécessaire? Nous avons appris enfin que la Chine nie l'évidence, celle du sort atroce réservé au peuple ouïghour.
                  

                     Tout cela, nous l'avons appris sans aucun doute possible au moment même où la Chine conclut avec l'Union européenne un accord sur les investissements. Cet accord suscite chez nombre d'entre nous des doutes, car ce que nous avons appris, nous ne pourrons pas en faire abstraction, car dans cet accord, il y a un texte que nous attendons encore, mais il y a aussi un contexte. Et dans ce Parlement, il y a une démocratie, la démocratie européenne qui s'exprime et qui dira ce qu'elle a à dire.
                  

Bert-Jan Ruissen,
Auteur. – Voorzitter, commissaris, het wordt steeds duidelijker dat China de draconische nieuwe veiligheidswet in Hongkong gebruikt om de democratische oppositie monddood te maken en de vrijheden van de Hongkongers ernstig in te perken. Onder het mom van ‘het tegengaan van staatsondermijnend gedrag’ wordt iedereen die zich kritisch uitlaat, het zwijgen opgelegd. Hoe ver gaat dit nog door?
                  

                     In China hebben religieuze minderheden het zwaar te verduren door aanklachten op basis van de nationale veiligheidswet. Gaat deze inperking van religieuze vrijheden ook werkelijkheid worden in Hongkong? Dat is onze grote vrees. De EU moet samen met de internationale gemeenschap de handen ineenslaan en krachtig stelling nemen. Dus niet een investeringsakkoord sluiten met daarin vage beloftes over mensenrechten op het moment dat de mensenrechtensituatie in China in het diepste dal zit sinds decennia. Maar gerichte acties nemen tegen alle verantwoordelijken voor de schendingen van fundamentele rechten van Hongkongers en Chinezen.
                  

Evelyne Gebhardt,
Verfasserin. – Frau Präsidentin! Die Entwicklungen in Hongkong müssen uns wachrütteln. Die Unterdrückung der Oppositionsbewegung und das strukturierte Vorgehen gegen prodemokratische Organisationen sind ein massiver Eingriff in die Grundrechte der Bevölkerung Hongkongs.
                  

                     Die chinesischen Behörden untergraben damit die vereinbarte Autonomie der Sonderverwaltungszone immens. Es ist bezeichnend, dass das nationale Sicherheitsgesetz genutzt wird, um unliebsame Personen festzunehmen und die Meinungsfreiheit zu zensieren.
                  

                     Mit der heutigen Entschließung hat das Europäische Parlaments seine Position untermauert, dass das Vorgehen der Machthaber in China und der Verwaltung Hongkongs nicht unbeobachtet bleibt. Wir beharren darauf, dass das nationale Sicherheitsgesetz, das mit seinen weitreichenden Kompetenzen die Grundrechte der Hongkonger Verfassung massiv beschneidet, zurückgenommen werden muss. Zusätzlich müssen alle der zu Unrecht inhaftierten Oppositionellen unverzüglich freigelassen werden und die auf dem nationalen Sicherheitsgesetz basierenden Vorwürfe fallen gelassen werden.
                  

                     Im Hinblick auf den steigenden Druck auf die demokratischen Kräfte in Hongkong muss der Rat als nächste Maßnahme gezielte Sanktionen gegen die Entscheidungsträger in der Hongkonger Verwaltung in Betracht ziehen. Und wir erwarten, dass die Fragen der Grundrechte auch bei den kommenden Abkommen mit China zum Tragen kommen. Denn Handel ist wichtig, ja, aber nicht um jeden Preis.
                  

Jordi Solé,
author. – Madam President, we stand by the people of Hong Kong, by the many struggling for democracy, for their fundamental rights and for the right to keep enjoying a high degree of sub-government. It has become crystal clear that China is overly using the national security law as an instrument to suppress dissent and political pluralism.
We have witnessed incarcerations, disqualification of lawmakers, pressure of the media and even prosecution abroad. All this in clear violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the basic law. It's time for the EU to take further actions, for instance, by using the new human rights sanctions regime.
And, one last remark. With increasing human rights violations happening in China, rushing to reach an agreement on investments as the Council did, might harm our credibility as a global human rights actor. When scrutinising the agreement and voting on it, this Parliament cannot ignore the worrying situation of human rights in China.

Miriam Lexmann,
author. – Madam President, let me first of all thank colleagues from all across the political groups for the excellent cooperation on this urgency resolution.
Article 21 of the EU Treaties clearly states that the Union's external action shall be guided by the values and principles on which the Union was founded – in particular, democracy, rule of law, the universality of human rights, fundamental freedoms, and respect for human dignity.
Dear colleagues, the Chinese Communist Party and its collaborators in Hong Kong continue to strip away the city's high degree of autonomy and suppress Hong Kongers' freedoms, including political rights. They are using the so-called ‘National Security Law’ as a pretext to destroy Hong Kong's democracy and put in jail pro-democratic activists and politicians.
These developments are highly worrying. It is no longer sufficient to be concerned. We also have to learn a lesson that pure economic engagement is not a way of supporting democracy and human rights, as we used to think. If the Union wants to be a credible actor, and truly engage in value-based foreign policy, we must use our economic position as the leverage to support those who are oppressed, rather than to reward human rights abusers. Otherwise, we might become morally co-responsible for these crimes and abuses.
To support the people of Hong Kong, our steps must include: implementing the July 2020 Council Conclusions on Hong Kong, including the lifeboat scheme, suspension of extradition treaties and support for civil society; using the Magnitsky Act to sanction Carrie Lam and other Chinese and Hong Kong officials; and make it clear to the Chinese Communist Party that this House will take human rights into consideration when asked to endorse the investment agreement and any future agreement with China and other regimes supressing human rights.
It is time for the European Union to act. It is time to defend freedom. It is time to stand with Hong Kong.

Seán Kelly,
on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, good morning, Brussels and good morning, Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong police arrested 53 representatives of the democratic opposition and activists on charges of subversion under the national security law for Hong Kong, freezing many assets relating to these individuals. This is the latest in a long series of arrests of the democratic opposition and other actions aimed at undermining democratic institutions in Hong Kong. It's not just on the streets where censorship is taking place, but over the internet as pro-democracy websites are blocked, further limiting freedom of expression and access to information, which have damaging consequences for both civil liberties and democracy. The unilateral introduction of national security legislation by the Government in Beijing is an attack on the city of Hong Kong's autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms, and degrades the integrity of one country, two systems, which is a breach of China's commitments and obligations under international law.
With my colleague, Barry Andrews, I would also like to highlight the case of Richard O'Halloran, an Irish citizen and father of four from Dublin, who has been refused permission to leave China since March 2019. Richard has not been arrested, charged or personally accused of any wrongdoing; he was just unfortunate enough to be caught up in an investigation into another individual, whom he had never met during the period on which to investigation is focused. I would call on the Chinese Government to allow Mr O'Halloran to come home as there is no legitimate reason for him to be kept against his will.
I also call on the Chinese Government to listen carefully to what the Members of Parliament are saying today and to act accordingly. That is in the best interests of everybody and good relations with the European Union. Good morning and the best of luck to the people of Hong Kong.

Isabel Santos,
em nome do Grupo S&D. – Senhora Presidente, os piores receios expressos nesta Câmara há 7 meses realizaram-se. A entrada em vigor da Lei de Segurança Nacional no território de Hong Kong causou uma vertiginosa degradação dos direitos e das liberdades fundamentais dos habitantes da região.
                  

                     Desde então, e apenas neste curto espaço de tempo, mais de 400 políticos ativistas foram alvo de intimidações, detenções arbitrárias e condenações. Chamo a vossa atenção para o caso dos 12 militantes pró-democracia capturados pela China, dos quais 10 foram condenados a pena de prisão por travessia ilegal das águas continentais. Entre esses encontra-se Tsz Lun Kok, um jovem cidadão de Hong Kong, também com nacionalidade portuguesa, logo, cidadão europeu.
                  

                     Junto a minha voz à do Alto Representante no pedido da imediata libertação de todos estes jovens, mas impõe-se à União Europeia uma abordagem firme e sem tréguas, com consequências, de todas as violações de direitos humanos em Hong Kong e também na China continental, no Tibete e em Xinjiang.
                  

Svenja Hahn,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Madam President, we parliamentarians have been very vocal. We support the people of Hong Kong fearlessly standing up for their democracy. The democracy that is being cracked down on by China day by day, with the utmost disrespect for the struggle for freedom, by breaking international law.
It's time that the Commission and the Member States acted. It's time you turned words into action. So, here's a reminder: work with the US towards defending liberal democracy against a systemic rival. Use the human rights mechanism to sanction responsible individuals in China and their accomplices in Hong Kong. Insist that civil and political rights are restored. The democratic opposition must be freed and allowed to run in the next elections.
Brave people of Hong Kong, the European Parliament will keep fighting for you with the tools of democracy that you are deprived of. Freedom will prevail. We stand by your side.

Gunnar Beck,
on behalf of the ID Group. – Madam President, this House has a habit of debating matters in faraway places of which we know little and about which we can do nothing. Human rights in Hong Kong is such a topic and for once, you're right. The situation does raise concerns. Yet as we speak, the EU is concluding a new investment treaty with China, and Germany depends on exports to China to bankroll the euro area. The EU cannot even afford imposing sanctions on China. So why are we discussing human rights in Hong Kong at all?
The EU is censoring free speech and social media are silencing dissent. Some Member States are imprisoning their own citizens for holding referenda. Others don't allow referenda at all, and in Germany the biggest opposition party is placed under surveillance for opposing immigration in a year of major elections, and in Germany too, a law is passed to punish vilification of the EU's flag and symbols, with three years in prison.
Countries used to start wars to overcome internal strife and dissent. Today, the West finds fault with the rest to exert soft power, yet Western liberal democracy is no longer liberal and long ceased to be democratic. The West is trying to pull a trick that's no longer working.

Reinhard Bütikofer,
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, this resolution that we're debating sends one clear central message: the European Parliament will continue to stand with Hong Kong. We're underscoring this stance by clearly saying that the EU must act upon our words. We must make use of the newly introduced global human rights sanctions mechanism to sanction those people, including in particular Carrie Lam, that are violating human rights in Hong Kong. When we debate the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), we will take human rights into account, and I can't see how the present text suffices to our standards.
One last sentence to some panda huggers from ID and GUE: if you hate your own political system so much that you think you have to find excuses for acting on behalf of a foreign aggressive power, that's not positive, that's not progressive, that is despicable.

Ryszard Czarnecki,
w imieniu grupy ECR. – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarz! Szanowne Panie i Szanowni Panowie Posłowie! Dwukrotnie byłem w Hongkongu już w czasie, kiedy była to część Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej, aczkolwiek oczywiście z dużą autonomią. Przypomnę też – bo to nie wybrzmiało w dotychczasowych wystąpieniach – że w naszym Parlamencie istnieje specjalna grupa przyjaźni EU Hong Kong Friendship Group. Mam zaszczyt być jej członkiem. Myślę, że szczególne prawo do krytyki tego, co dzieje się w Hongkongu, mają ci politycy, te osoby publiczne, które krytykowały fakt, że w czasach, gdy Hongkong był częścią imperium brytyjskiego, gubernatora mianowała brytyjska królowa. Ci, którzy tego nie robili wtedy, dzisiaj, szczerze mówiąc, brzmią nieco hipokrytycznie. Uważam, że trzeba działać na rzecz praw człowieka w Hongkongu. To rzecz oczywista.
                  

Emmanuel Maurel,
au nom du groupe The Left. – Madame la Présidente, un pays, deux systèmes, c'était l'engagement que la Chine avait pris devant la communauté internationale au moment de la rétrocession de Hong Kong en 1997.
                  

                     Cet engagement n'a pas été respecté, cette parole n'a pas été tenue, mais on ne découvre rien. Ce n'est pas la première fois que la Chine viole délibérément les règles qu'elle s'était engagée à respecter. C'est le cas à l'OMC ou à l'OMS et ce le sera aussi demain à l'OIT. Et malgré cela, des dirigeants européens pourtant si prompts à dénoncer les dictatures étrangères détournent le regard, soit parce qu'ils considèrent qu'on peut faire confiance aveuglément à la Chine — et ils se trompent -, soit parce qu'ils sont cyniques et considèrent que la taille et la richesse du pays justifient cette amnésie collective. Et c'est le cas au moment où on signe un accord d'investissement en catimini.
                  

                     Ce n'est pas seulement une erreur économique, c'est aussi une faute politique au regard de la situation à Hong Kong, au regard du sort des Ouïgours persécutés, au regard aussi des lanceurs d'alerte de Wuhan qui ont été réduits au silence. Alors, il faut que l'Europe se réveille et qu'elle cesse de fermer les yeux.
                  

Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, già il 30 giugno 2020, data in cui la tristemente nota national security law veniva imposta dalle autorità di Pechino, uno dei volti più conosciuti degli attivisti dell'ex colonia britannica, Joshua Wong, ci avvisava che questa avrebbe rappresentato la fine di Hong Kong e l'inizio del terrore.
                  

                     Da allora, infatti, la situazione non ha fatto che peggiorare: da dicembre Joshua è per l'ennesima volta in carcere, insieme a molti altri attivisti, e poche settimane fa abbiamo assistito all'arresto da parte del governo di 53 politici pro-democrazia sulla base delle disposizioni estremamente ampie e vaghe di questa legge draconiana.
                  

                     Gli abitanti di Hong Kong hanno espresso chiaramente le loro richieste pacifiche di libertà e di autonomia ma le autorità hanno sempre scelto di rispondere con una repressione e una violenza crescenti, e la totale asimmetria di potere fra Pechino e Hong Kong rende questa situazione ancora più complessa.
                  

                     La mia domanda è, allora, come abbiamo fatto a dimenticare questo tema nell'ultimo accordo sugli investimenti con la Cina? Come abbiamo permesso che il nostro impegno divenisse retorico? Questa lotta di Hong Kong non è soltanto una lotta che appartiene alla popolazione ivi residente, è una lotta di tutti coloro che credono nella democrazia e nella difesa dei diritti umani a livello globale.
                  

Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D). – Señora presidenta, ayer la amplia mayoría de este Parlamento Europeo celebró como una buena noticia y una ventana de esperanza la llegada de Biden a la Casa Blanca y celebró la salida de Trump, cuya negación a la cooperación con la Unión Europea y al multilateralismo es seguramente el contexto de la autonomía estratégica, la diplomacia de la Unión Europea de la que trae causa el Acuerdo global de inversiones que la Unión Europea firma con China en diciembre de 2020.
                  

                     Pero en ningún caso ese contexto puede perjudicar la apuesta clara de la Unión Europea por los derechos humanos y su protesta ante la detención arbitraria e ilegal de periodistas, estudiantes, abogados de derechos humanos y candidatos a las elecciones locales, que viola claramente el Derecho internacional, el acuerdo sino-británico de 1984 y el estatuto de Región Especial para Hong Kong concedido por China en 1997, que le garantiza elecciones plurales y un poder judicial independiente.
                  

                     Y, por tanto, este es el momento en que el Parlamento Europeo tiene que alzar la voz para decir que ningún acuerdo puede justificar mirar hacia otro lado. Y que este Parlamento toma muy en serio su apuesta democrática por los derechos humanos. En China y en todas partes.
                  

Bernard Guetta (Renew). – Madame la Présidente, appelons un chat un chat. En débattant ce matin de la répression politique à Hong Kong, nous parlons d'une puissance ascendante qui s'assied sur l'accord ‘un pays, deux systèmes’, détient un million de Ouïghours en camp de travail forcé, menace Taïwan, se projette en mer de Chine méridionale et affirme sans honte que la dictature serait préférable à la liberté.
                  

                     Pour la démocratie, le régime de M. Xi est un défi à nul autre pareil, et se pose donc à nous la question de l'accord sur les investissements. Nous débattrons des mois durant de ses clauses économiques et de son principe même mais notre devoir politique, à nous, parlementaires, est de dire dès maintenant à M. Xi, que nous ne pourrons en aucun cas ratifier cet accord tant que son régime n'aura pas ratifié les conventions internationales contre le travail forcé.
                  

                     C'est une condition sine qua non sur laquelle nous pouvons nous accorder en un rien de temps. Alors mes chers collègues, faisons-le! Ce clair message, délivrons-le maintenant!
                  

Yannick Jadot (Verts/ALE). – Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, cette résolution dit combien le Parlement européen ne s'est jamais résigné à la répression à Hong Kong et dans le reste de la Chine. C'est aussi un terrible aveu d'échec puisque malgré nos dénonciations, jamais la dictature n'a été aussi brutale, violente, cynique en Chine.
                  

                     Et puisqu'on parle de cynisme, comment accepter qu'Angela Merkel et Emmanuel Macron oublient la pire dictature du monde, oublient ses dénonciations, oublient les valeurs de l'Europe pour vendre des voitures, des maisons privées de santé ou des systèmes de surveillance? Chers collègues, on ne peut pas d'un côté dénoncer un régime politique et, de l'autre, faire des affaires en cynisme.
                  

                     Ce Parlement aujourd'hui ne doit pas simplement s'interroger sur l'accord d'investissement avec la Chine: il doit le dénoncer! C'est une erreur de souveraineté démocratique, économique, numérique, énergétique de l'Europe. C'est, comme cela a été dit, une faute politique! Donc suspendons dès maintenant toute discussion, toute négociation avec la Chine.
                  

Assita Kanko (ECR). – Madam President, when it comes to human rights, the EU has two faces. It's happy to issue statements of concern, passing its judgment on countries around the world, but our support for democracy and human rights is less vociferous when it comes to selling German cars.
Brave young men and women stand on the front lines of the battle between freedom and autocracy. They include Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, currently in jail for defending the democracy that we all take for granted here. What are we doing to support them? What signal are we sending to them, when we close our eyes and sign an investment agreement with the very regime that is trampling over democracy in its neighbourhood, murdering Uighurs and threatening democratic Taiwan? What actions will the EU take regarding that investment agreement with China if the PRC continues to break human rights and international labour laws?
Know that Hong Kong is a test of the resolve of the free world. Right now, the EU is shamefully failing that test and I deeply feel ashamed for that?

Clara Ponsatí Obiols (NI). – Madam President, the democracy movement of Hong Kong has the genuine sympathy and solidarity of the Catalans. Their fight against authoritarianism for democracy and self-determination is our fight.
But the people of Hong Kong are enduring massive arrests, exile, the criminalisation of fundamental rights like the freedom of assembly and interference in their electoral processes — this is all too familiar to us as well.
While Beijing crushes democracy in Hong Kong, what message do they get from the EU? A rushed conclusion to the investment agreement! This sends a very clear message that human rights and violations are perhaps unpleasant, but they are not going to be an obstacle for businesses.
The EU must stop sending these mixed messages, just paying lip service to their commitment to democracy and human rights. This Parliament must put on hold the EU investment agreement, and this Parliament must support the Uighur people and declare it a genocide.

Evin Incir (S&D). – Madam President, the Chinese regime never hesitates to violate human rights and international law. The case of Hong Kong is one of the many violations of human rights and international law. The speedy deterioration in Hong Kong is worrying. The oppressive Chinese regime must immediately release all political prisoners, including the immediate and unconditional release of the opposition members of the Parliament of Hong Kong and also the release of the Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai in prison in the PRC.
Introduction of the national security legislation in Hong Kong is a shame. The ‘one country, two systems’ principle must be respected. It is time for the EU and the Member States to act. How much more should the people of Hong Kong suffer until the world acts? It shouldn't matter how big a country is geographically, demographically or economically: human rights and international law are universal and must always apply.

PRESIDÊNCIA: PEDRO SILVA PEREIRA


Vice-Presidente


Markéta Gregorová (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, China has shown us enough. It showed us everything we Europeans fought in the past: concentration camps, genocide, taking one's country for its own, sending people to jail for their opinions, creating causes to subdue the population. Ring any bells?
Let me apologise to Hong Kong citizens for talking mainly about China when all our eyes should be on you. But this is simply not enough. We have another resolution condemning Beijing's actions, while our EU colleagues are shaking hands with Xi Jinping, striking pompous investment deals. Later today, we will talk about the deteriorating situation in Vietnam.
Some tried to persuade me last year that a trade deal would help human rights. Man, were they wrong. Are we really making the same mistake again? Do you really not care? Ms von der Leyen, Mr Macron, Ms Merkel, Mr Michel, this is not my European Union. Our values are not for sale.

Helena Dalli,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, thank you to the honourable Members of this Parliament. The situation in Hong Kong is deteriorating very fast, as you all rightly pointed out. On 6 January, the authorities conducted mass arrests under the National Security Law. The 53 arrested stand accused of subversion for participating in the pro-democracy primary elections held in July 2020. The criminalisation of legitimate political activity is aimed at stifling pluralism, pro-democracy voices and the exercise of political and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.
The arrests on 14 January of 11 individuals implicated in the attempted escape to Taiwan of 12 Hong Kongers further compounds the impression that the criminal justice system is being deployed to punish dissent. Since the imposition of the national security legislation by Beijing over Hong Kong, the EU has conveyed with the great unity its strong concerns publicly in a serious of declarations and directly to the Chinese leadership at the summit in June and the leaders' meeting in September. The leaders' meeting of December was not only the occasion to conclude negotiations in principle on a comprehensive agreement on investment with China but also to raise concern on Hong Kong.
The EU will continue to stand firm on its values and principles, while pursuing its interests. And the same effort in July, the Council adopted an EU response package comprising a mix of measures at EU and national level, such as further scrutinising exports of sensitive equipment, suspending extradition agreements, stepping up scholarships and academic exchanges, further engaging with civil society and observing trials of pro-democracy activists. There is consensus on continuing to apply the measures and to consider additional steps in case of further deterioration.
Unity and solidarity continue to prevail. We cannot let any Member State, any citizen, any Member of Parliament be singled out with respect to Hong Kong, Xinjiang or more broadly, China. By calling for the release of Swedish citizen, Gui Minhai, the EU will continue to stand firm on protecting its citizens.
Coordination with like-minded democracies on Hong Kong and addressing other challenges brought along by China will continue to be a cornerstone of our approach. Hong Kong remains high on our political agenda and will be discussed at the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council on 25 January.

Presidente. – O debate está encerrado. A votação realizar-se-á a seguir aos debates.
                     
7.2.   Human rights situation in Turkey, notably the case of Selahattin Demirtas and other prisoners of conscience

Presidente. – Segue-se o debate sobre sete propostas de resolução sobre a situação dos direitos humanos na Turquia, especialmente o caso de Selahattin Demirtas e de outros prisioneiros de consciência (2021/2506(RSP)) (*3).
                  

Miguel Urbán Crespo,
autor. – Señor presidente, a pesar de las sentencias del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos, Demirtaș lleva injustamente detenido desde el 2016.
                  

                     Desde entonces, decenas de políticos y miles de miembros del HDP han sido detenidos o encarcelados. Sus alcaldes —legítimamente elegidos— han sido destituidos y reemplazados por amigos del Gobierno. Y parece que la estrategia es no parar hasta conseguir aplastar al HDP.
                  

                     Como Demirtaș, hay miles de presos y presas políticas en Turquía, porque a Erdoğan le importan bien poco los derechos humanos o la normativa internacional, y parece que su papel como guardián de las fronteras europeas le otorga carta blanca para hacer lo que quiera.
                  

                     Por eso, pedimos que se demuestre lo contrario: que se reaccione contundentemente, que Borrell exija una reunión con el ministro de Asuntos Exteriores para exigir la libertad de todos los presos políticos y del señor Demirtaș, que se apruebe un embargo de armas y que se congelen las negociaciones de adhesión hasta que se respeten los derechos humanos en Turquía. En definitiva, que se demuestre que violar los derechos humanos tiene consecuencias.
                  

Thierry Mariani,
auteur. – Monsieur le Président, la Turquie serait soudainement redevenue fréquentable. Nous savions hélas que cela arriverait, tant l'Allemagne de la chancelière Merkel a toujours cédé à la pression d'Erdoğan.
                  

                     Lundi dernier, c'est le ministre des Affaires étrangères allemand qui se rendait en Turquie. Fin décembre, c'est le même Heiko Maas qui refusait la demande légitime de la Grèce, qui voulait imposer un embargo sur le commerce des armes avec la Turquie. C'est le même qui renvoyait dos à dos Grèce et Turquie dans la montée en tension en Méditerranée à l'été dernier, à l'occasion d'une énième visite à Ankara.
                  

                     C'est encore Mme Merkel qui recevait les louanges du ministre turc des Affaires étrangères lors de la réunion de l'OTAN en décembre. La présidence de l'Union européenne par Mme Merkel a donc été l'occasion d'une victoire diplomatique de la Turquie d'Erdoğan, et ce n'est pas en prétendant aujourd'hui défendre quelques opposants injustement poursuivis, que nous le ferons oublier.
                  

                     Pendant ce temps, la Turquie continue de persécuter ses opposants et les minorités religieuses, je pense par exemple au meurtre du couple chrétien Simoni et Hurmuz Diril en janvier 2020. La Turquie ne fait rien pour élucider ce meurtre.
                  

                     Islamisme politique, persécution des minorités chrétiennes, chantage aux migrations, la Turquie est un danger pour l'Europe. Nous nous abstiendrons sur cette résolution. Elle ne doit pas dissimuler la réalité: la présidence allemande de l'Union nous a fait capituler devant Erdoğan.
                  

Hermann Tertsch,
autor. – Señor presidente, desde aquí vamos todos, todos a recordar la necesidad de la liberación del señor Demirtaș y de todos esos presos políticos que se hacinan en las cárceles turcas. Pero quiero también recordar que todas estas lamentaciones que tenemos sobre Turquía desde hace años —y, desde luego, en la última legislatura estamos continuamente con ellas— no tienen una respuesta real. Jamás hemos pasado de lo que son palabras.
                  

                     Pasa lo mismo con China. Estamos llorando aquí por el aplastamiento de la oposición en China. O pasa con Venezuela. Estamos con eso y, sin embargo, no vamos avanzando en lo que tiene que ser, en una serie de sanciones que restablezcan la credibilidad de la Unión Europea.
                  

                     Hemos hablado mucho de Turquía, pero nadie ha planteado —como tiene que hacerse, de una vez por todas— la paralización de las negociaciones de adhesión, la suspensión sine die de ese absurdo que tenemos ahí, con una dictadura que va cayendo cada vez más profundamente en la represión —como pasa con China—; y, sin embargo, hacemos acuerdos, hacemos planes y continuamos con toda la exportación, como si no pasara nada, hasta el lloriqueo siguiente.
                  

Sergey Lagodinsky,
Verfasser. – Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Vorgestern hielt ich an dieser Stelle eine Rede über Alexei Nawalny. Ich habe damals schon erwähnt, dass wir viel zu wenig über die Helden der Demokratie und über politische Gefangene reden.
                  

                     Es ist eigentlich unglaublich für mich und noch vor Kurzem unvorstellbar, dass ich zu diesem Thema über ein Land sprechen muss, mit dem wir eigentlich eine gemeinsame europäische Zukunft aufbauen wollen und wollten. Auch da gibt es politische Gefangene. Und auch über dieses Land müssen wir jetzt genauso reden wie über andere Länder, auch über Russland.
                  

                     Es ist unglaublich, dass wir eine solche Sitzung zur Türkei abhalten müssen. Aber die Namen sprechen für sich: Selahattin Demirtaș, Figen Yuksekdağ, Osman Kavala, aber auch weniger bekannte Namen wie Cihan Erdal oder eine deutsche Staatsbürgerin, Gönül Örs, und ihre Mutter, die aus dem Land nicht herauskommen und denen auch Gefängnis droht.
                  

                     Unsere grüne Position und meine persönliche Position ist klar: Die Zukunft der Türkei ist eine europäische Zukunft, und wir brauchen eine Normalisierung unserer Beziehung. Aber diese Normalisierung fängt mit Menschenrechten an, fängt mit Rechtsstaatlichkeit an, fängt auch mit der Normalisierung des völkerrechtlichen Verhaltens an. Bis diese Fortschritte da sind, werden wir mit der Normalisierung nicht vorankommen. Es ist schade, aber das ist die Tatsache.
                  

Hilde Vautmans,
author. – Mr President, Selahattin Demirtas has been detained for over four years, based on unfounded charges and despite two rulings of the European Court of Human Rights calling for his release.
His case for me is just an example of the widespread human rights abuses and the misuse of the judiciary in Turkey. Colleagues, this resolution is yet another sign of our concern with the situation in Turkey, but it's also a sign of solidarity with those who suffer the repressive measures taken by the Erdoğan regime. You all know that this Parliament will soon deal with the annual report on Turkey and, there too, we will repeat our concerns.
My main message to the Turkish authorities today, ahead of their visit to Brussels later this week, is to remind them of our resolution. I will talk to Mr Erdoğan. Mr Erdoğan, better relations are fully dependent on tangible improvements in the respect of democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental rights inside your country. If you're serious about turning a new page in your relations with Europe, you know what to do.

Nacho Sánchez Amor,
autor. – Señor presidente, el HDP fue un partido muy vinculado, en su origen, al movimiento kurdo. Y hoy, sin embargo, es un partido con una amplia base sociológica en otros sectores progresistas de Turquía.
                  

                     El HDP y el propio Demirtaș han representado la decisión de muchos activistas prokurdos del abandono de la violencia armada y la apuesta por la actuación dentro de las instituciones. Es un proceso que en España conocemos muy bien, porque está en el origen de la victoria democrática sobre el terrorismo de ETA.
                  

                     Sin embargo, en Turquía este movimiento es acusado continuamente de terrorista. Hemos intentado convencer a nuestros colegas turcos de que mantener al HDP en las instituciones es vital para que la democracia turca pueda sobrevivir como tal. Es un partido que por méritos propios y en contra de todos los elementos —como ha recordado Urbán— tiene ahora un notable apoyo popular.
                  

                     El caso de Demirtaș es particular, no solo porque sea un líder, no solo porque fue candidato desde la cárcel a presidente del país, también porque el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos ha dicho varias veces —la última vez, hace pocas semanas— que no existían razones para su detención y su permanencia en prisión y que debía ser inmediatamente liberado.
                  

                     Estos días, los dirigentes turcos y, seguramente hoy, el ministro turco aquí en Bruselas, quieren demostrarnos que las relaciones con Europa tienen que retomarse, que desean retomar esas reformas democráticas largamente pospuestas.
                  

                     No queremos más declaraciones. Por favor, no nos manden más cartas de amor. Mándennos hechos, decisiones que demuestren la sinceridad de esa —al parecer— renovada apuesta europea. Cumplan los compromisos que tienen con la legalidad internacional y liberen a Demirtaș, que es un buen ejemplo de la sinceridad de esa apuesta europea.
                  

Peter van Dalen,
Auteur. – Voorzitter, daar staan we weer. Weer een debat over de mensenrechtensituatie in Turkije, weer over de schending van rechten van gewetensgevangenen. Hoe vaak hebben we dit soort debatten al niet gehouden, terwijl talloze journalisten, politici en geestelijke leiders in Turkije achter de tralies zitten?
                  

                     Wereldwijd zijn er zo'n 270 journalisten gevangen. 47 van hen zitten vast in Turkije en talloze andere zijn al gevlucht. Advocaten die die journalisten willen bijstaan, hebben nauwelijks toegang tot processtukken. Ook gebruikers van sociale media worden regelmatig opgepakt en eenzelfde lot treft Erdoğans politieke tegenstanders, zoals Demirtas. Spirituele leiders in Turkije zijn hun vrijheid niet zeker. Er zijn schijnprocessen tegen kerkleiders en goederen van kloosters worden regelmatig onteigend. Daarnaast papt Erdoğan aan met schurken zoals Hamasleider Hanija. De nieuwe omroep van Hamas, die wordt gefinancierd door Turkije, heeft als doel Erdoğan te promoten in het Midden-Oosten.
                  

                     Voorzitter, voor mij is het duidelijk: geen woorden, maar daden. Al die resoluties over de situatie in Turkije maken weinig uit. Met al die teksten op papier steekt Erdoğan slechts zijn gouden open haard aan. Het is tijd voor forse sancties tegen het regime in Ankara. Dat betekent mogelijk minder verkoop door Europese bedrijven van producten aan Turkije. Dat is dan jammer. De koopman wint het hier al vaak genoeg. Mensenrechten, en zeker die van gewetensgevangenen, zijn belangrijker dan geld verdienen aan handel met dubieuze landen zoals Turkije.
                  

Tomislav Sokol,
u ime kluba PPE. – Poštovani predsjedavajući, Europska unija okuplja države članice predane europskoj ideji i europskom načinu života, a to uključuje demokraciju i vladavinu prava.
                  

                     Međutim, političke okolnosti su takve da u neposrednom susjedstvu imamo državu koja nije predana opisanim vrijednostima. Dok bi činjenica da Turska još od 1999. uživa status kandidata za članstvo u Uniji trebala značiti da ona dijeli našu viziju temeljnih vrijednosti, napose vladavine prava, to nažalost nije slučaj. Da je tome tako svjedoči višegodišnja pravosudna farsa vezana uz neosnovano pritvaranje oporbenog vođe Selahattina Demirtașa koji je lišen slobode još 2016. Europski sud za ljudska prava svojom odlukom iz prosinca nedvojbeno je potvrdio da zatvaranje Demirtașa nije bilo temeljeno na pravu te naložio njegovo trenutno puštanje na slobodu.
                  

                     Kolegice i kolege, izražavam ovim putem žaljenje što Turska, kao naš dugogodišnji partner u očuvanju međunarodnog mira, ne poštuje odluke propisano ustanovljenih sudova. Kad tome dodamo sve agresivnije ponašanje u istočnom Mediteranu, sve teži položaj kršćana, progon političkih protivnika i povezanost s Muslimanskim bratstvom, možemo nažalost ustvrditi da Turska ne ide prema naprijed nego sve više i više ide unatrag.
                  

                     Drugim riječima, vrijeme je da Europska unija konačno razmotri kakav dugoročan oblik suradnje s Turskom želi s obzirom na učestalo kršenje vladavine prava u ovoj državi.
                  

Kati Piri,
on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, 1 500 days – that's how long Selahattin Demirtaș has now been in jail, ripped away from his wife, Bașak, taken away for more than four years from his children, his two daughters, from his family and from his friends. Just to add to the torture, they have put him in a detention facility 1 600 kilometres away from his house. That's as far as from here to Rome. What is his crime? His crime is to represent the voiceless people, it is to enter politics and to speak out against the authoritarianism of President Erdoğan.
Is that my personal opinion? No. This opinion is shared by the highest authority on human rights in Europe. The European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber has come to the conclusion that he must be released immediately. What is happening with HDP in Turkey? We have seen their leaders being put in jail, and their Members of Parliament, their mayors and their activists, for four years now.
I understand that the Foreign Minister of Turkey is coming for a visit to Brussels. I urge everyone entering into talks with him to put the case of Selahattin Demirtaș and Osman Kavala at the top of the agenda. It's useless to continue to talk if there is no action from the Turkish Government side. I believe it's time to apply pressure, which Erdoğan does understand. Selahattin, Bașak – em bi te re ne, we are with you!

Ramona Strugariu,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Mr President, while we were preparing this resolution on Mr Demirtaș and other prisoners of conscience, a journalist named Melis Alphan was charged with terrorist propaganda and now risks 7.5 years in prison because six years ago she shared on her Instagram account a photo from a public celebration of an event broadcast by the national television during the peace process. In that photo, one could see a Kurdish flag.
This is one of the most absurd attacks on free journalism and on democracy that I have ever witnessed. I wonder for how long we can continue to keep our eyes closed and our pockets open to such blatant injustice, while Erdoğan continues to send people to jail. Millions of people did what Melis did back then. Should they all go to jail, President Erdoğan?
If Turkey claims to be a democracy, then political prisoners should be released, fundamental freedoms should be respected and free journalists should be honoured. Then we can have a dialogue. I stand with you, Melis Alphan, and with Mr Demirtaș and other people who deserve a European life, not a dictatorship.

Susanna Ceccardi,
a nome del gruppo ID. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, anche in questa tornata all'ordine del giorno discutiamo di Turchia e del suo concetto di diritti umani.
                  

                     Negli ultimi anni l'atteggiamento di Erdoğan nei confronti dell'Europa e degli altri Stati sovrani non è stato affatto meno belligerante ed ostile. Nonostante questo l'Europa e alcuni governi europei, compreso quello italiano, continuano a voler portare avanti le trattative per l'ingresso della Turchia in Europa, come se potessimo sorvolare sull'aggressione del Nagorno, sulla guerra in Siria del nord, sulle trivellazioni al largo di Cipro, sull'oppressione degli oppositori politici, sui discorsi di odio nei confronti dell'Occidente europeo. Hanno trasformato la basilica di Santa Sofia in una moschea, un affronto a un simbolo di tutto il mondo cristiano.
                  

                     Quanti soldi abbiamo dato e stiamo continuando a dare alla Turchia? Tra sussidi, aiuti e incentivi per bloccare l'immigrazione, dal 2002 ad oggi la Turchia ha incassato più di 15 miliardi di euro nonostante la sua svolta islamista.
                  

                     Smettiamo di finanziare e armare un nemico dell'Occidente che si fa beffe di noi. Interrompiamo immediatamente le trattative per l'ingresso della Turchia in Europa e spendiamo quei soldi per la nostra gente, per le nostre imprese e per le nostre infrastrutture.
                  

                     Certi dittatori non capiscono la lingua della diplomazia, quella delle nostre risoluzioni per i diritti umani. Hanno solo brama di espandere il loro potere, anche a danno degli altri popoli. Per quanto ci riguarda, la Turchia non è mai stata, non è e non sarà mai Europa.
                  

François Alfonsi,
au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Monsieur le Président, la situation politique en Turquie donne des signes chaque jour plus inquiétants.
                  

                     Toute l'opposition démocratique y est menacée de ne plus pouvoir se présenter à une élection car ceux qui les remportent sont sous la menace d'une inculpation pour complicité de terrorisme, puis détenus de longues années, comme M. Selahattin Demirtas, brillant candidat du parti kurde HDP à la présidentielle de 2015, puis emprisonné en 2016 alors qu'il avait été réélu député et toujours en prison depuis cinq ans. Face à de tels scandales démocratiques, le premier devoir de l'Union européenne est de s'assurer qu'elle n'en porte aucune responsabilité.
                  

                     Aussi, le temps est-il venu de s'interroger sur la pertinence de l'inscription du PKK sur la liste des organisations terroristes, alors qu'on ne peut lui reprocher aucun acte de cette nature depuis fort longtemps. Il s'agit bien d'une organisation armée engagée dans un conflit territorial, il n'est pas pour autant justifié de la classifier comme terroriste, sauf à remonter plusieurs décennies en arrière. Cela a d'ailleurs été acté par une décision de justice rendue en Belgique en 2020.
                  

                     En retirant cette couverture politique à la répression de M. Erdoğan, l'Europe donnerait ainsi un signal positif à toute l'opposition démocratique en Turquie.
                  

Ангел Джамбазки,
от името на групата ECR. – Г-н Председател, колеги, като Ви слуша човек, ще си каже, че в тази зала е пълно с борци за човешки права, с хора, които смело се опълчват на диктатурите, и хора, които нямат никакъв страх да кажат в очите на диктатора Ердоган, че е диктатор. Уви, уважаеми колеги, това изобщо не е вярно. Седем години Ви повтарям от тази зала и от онази в Страсбург, че Ердоган е диктатор, че нарушава човешките права, че хвърля журналисти в затвора, че води незаконни войни навсякъде, и 7 години по-голямата част от Вас се правят, че не виждат и не чуват, какво се случва. И когато искаме от Вас истински действия по тази тема, чуваме отговора, че Ердоган и Турция били стратегически партньор.
                  

                     Е как едновременно, колеги, Ердоган Ви е стратегически партньор и го критикувате тук за нарушаване на човешките права. Едно от двете е вярно, не могат да бъдат верни и двете. Затова това, което трябва да се направи, е да се прекратят празните приказки тук и да се вземат истински действия. Това означава санкции, означава прекратяване на преговорите за членство, защото Турция не е европейска държава, както знаем, означава най-сетне да се види истината и да се действа. Другото, пак казвам, са празни приказки.
                  

Özlem Demirel,
im Namen der Fraktion The Left. – Herr Präsident! ‘Wir sind keine Häftlinge, wir sind Geiseln! Ziel ist es, den Oppositionsblock zu zerschlagen, zu verhindern, dass wir zusammenkommen. Die AKP kämpft vehement um ihr Überleben. Bei den nächsten Wahlen werden die HDP und andere Oppositionsparteien den AKP-MHP-Block in den Müllhaufen der Geschichte schicken! Wir werden die Demokratie aufbauen’, so Selahattin Demirtaș im Herbst 2020 aus dem Gefängnis.
                  

                     Ja, Demirtaș und unzählige andere sind Geiseln. Sie sollen mundtot gemacht werden. In der Türkei geht es um die Frage: Demokratie oder Autokratie? Derzeit finden unzählige Treffen zwischen Vertretern der EU und der Türkei statt. Selbstverständlich braucht es in internationalen Beziehungen den Dialog. Doch es braucht auch Transparenz. Deshalb frage ich: Was hat Heiko Maas besprochen? Was konkret verhandelt heute Herr Borrell mit Herrn Çavușoğlu? Werden weiterhin geopolitische und ökonomische Interessen die EU-Türkei-Beziehungen bestimmen, oder nimmt die EU endlich eine klare Position an der Seite von Demokratie und Menschenrechten ein? Selahattin Demirtaș, Gültan Kıșanak, Osman Kavala und viele, viele andere politische Gefangene müssen endlich freigelassen werden!
                  

Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, per l'ennesima volta siamo qui a parlare della Turchia.
                  

                     Dal fallito colpo di Stato del 2016 le purghe del governo di Ankara non hanno conosciuto alcuna battuta d'arresto. Erdoğan continua a usare l'evento come giustificazione per colpire tutti i suoi critici, per bloccare e detenere i suoi avversari e per consolidare il suo governo. Da quattro anni il governo turco arresta, anzi sequestra, persone affiliate ai gruppi di opposizione e alla società civile, in particolare i membri del Partito democratico del popolo, senza soluzione di continuità. Ora, con la pandemia di COVID-19, ha avuto anche l'ennesimo pretesto per rafforzare il dominio autoritario, approvando nuove leggi restrittive per limitare il dissenso.
                  

                     Quello di Selahattin Demirtas, in carcere ingiustamente da quattro anni in spregio delle sentenze della Corte di giustizia europea, così come quelli degli altri coraggiosi deputati dell'HDP e dei sindaci democraticamente eletti sono tutti casi emblematici, che dimostrano ulteriormente non solo la sordità della Turchia agli appelli internazionali e l'attitudine provocatoria del suo presidente, ma anche lo sprezzo, anzi il disprezzo, per lo Stato di diritto e le istituzioni internazionali.
                  

                     Onorevoli colleghi, l'UE è stata finora sin troppo indulgente nel tentare la via di un dialogo, di fatto unilaterale, con la Turchia. Urge un sussulto di dignità del mondo libero, urge capire che le parole ormai non bastano più. Abbiamo a disposizione un nuovo strumento sanzionatorio efficace e mirato, il cosiddetto Magnitsky Act: se non saremo pronti a usarlo, se continueremo a usare doppi standard e a farci ricattare sulla questione migratoria, non perderemo solo la credibilità, ma sarà anche la nostra dignità a svanire per sempre.
                  

Στέλιος Κυμπουρόπουλος (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, αγαπητοί συνάδελφοι, η Τουρκία και το καθεστώς του Erdogan μας απασχολεί για ακόμα μία φορά. Ο Selahattin Demirtas παραμένει φυλακισμένος από τις 4 Νοεμβρίου 2016 σε φυλακές υψίστης ασφαλείας στην Αδριανούπολη, χωρίς να έχει διαπράξει κάποιο αδίκημα. Δεν είναι η πρώτη φορά που ο πρόεδρος Erdogan φυλακίζει ανθρώπους που δεν συμφωνούν με τις απόψεις του ή πιστεύει ότι τον απειλούν. Συνολικά έχει απολύσει 150.000 ανθρώπους και έχει φυλακίσει 80.000 ως δήθεν συμμέτοχους στο πραξικόπημα του 2016 και υποστηρικτές του Gulen. Στην Τουρκία, το κράτος δικαίου και η διάκριση μεταξύ των εξουσιών έχει καταλυθεί εδώ και χρόνια και τα δικαιώματα των Τούρκων πολιτών καταπατούνται.
                  

                     Δεν μπορεί το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο να ζητάει από την Πολωνία, τη Βουλγαρία και την Ουγγαρία να ενισχύσουν το κράτος δικαίου και την ίδια ώρα να επιτρέπει στην υπό ένταξη Τουρκία να διολισθήσει σε δικτατορικές πρακτικές. Μέχρι πότε, ως Ευρώπη, θα το ανεχόμαστε και θα συνηγορούμε δια της σιωπής μας σε ένα αυταρχικό καθεστώς; Η φωνή του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου είναι δυνατή και ένα σαφές μήνυμα προς τον πρόεδρο Erdogan.
                  

Evin Incir (S&D). – Mr President, the case of Selahattin Demirtaș is a story about a father, a human rights lawyer and a well-respected politician, but it is also a story about people, the Kurdish people and many other people in Turkey under oppression by different governments, and currently the national conservative AKP government. Thanks to the European Court of Human Rights many have got restoration, some through economic compensation, others through freedom from imprisonment. The case of Selahattin Demirtaș is the story of a person, but also of a people.
That the Turkish Government refuses to respect the 22 December 2020 ruling of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights is unacceptable. Commissioner Dalli, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs is here these days. Will you and the High Commissioner receive my challenge to raise the issue of immediately releasing Mr Demirtaș and all other political prisoners. And will you also accept my challenge to put this on the table at the next meeting of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers?
Finally, I just want to quote my colleague Nacho Sánchez Amor: ‘That's enough with the love letters.’ It is time for action. It is time for democracy.

Barry Andrews (Renew). – Mr President, I visited a pediatric hospital in Gaziantep in southern Turkey, and in the incubators were many tiny Syrian babies. I was amazed at how little social unrest flowed from the impact on public health services in that area, despite the large Syrian displaced population.
When we criticise the Turkish Government, and we should, we should also remember the incredible welcome and, ultimately, vindication of human rights provided by the Turkish people to their Arabic-speaking neighbours in the decade since the Syrian uprising. I wonder if that welcome would be provided in every EU country. I know that in my own country, there are instances where reception centres for asylum seekers were burned down mysteriously before refuge could be provided to anybody seeking protection and fleeing a well-founded fear of persecution.
I have no illusions about the Turkish Government. I will continue to campaign for İlhan Sami Çomak. He has been in jail since 1994. His case was found unsafe by the European Court of Human Rights in 2007 and he's still in jail in 2021. It's an outrage. But if we are to keep alive the dream of a common European future, we have to draw distinctions between the Turkish Government on the one hand, and the Turkish people on the other hand.

Bernhard Zimniok (ID)… – err Präsident! Wieder und wieder ist Erdoğan Thema hier im Parlament. Heute prangern wir erneut die eklatanten Missachtungen von Grund- und Menschenrechten in der Türkei an, klagen den türkischen Despoten an. Zu oft haben wir das bereits getan und nichts ist passiert.
                  

                     Aber warum in die Ferne schweifen, das Schlechte liegt doch so nah! Auch in Deutschland gibt es erhebliche Demokratiedefizite. Auf der einen Seite wird da die Unterdrückung der kurdischen HDP und anderer angeprangert, und auf der anderen Seite wird mit Propaganda, der Instrumentalisierung des Verfassungsschutzes und den zwangsfinanzierten öffentlich-rechtlichen Medien gegen die AfD – die einzige Oppositionspartei in Deutschland – vorgegangen. Das Ziel: Die Ausgrenzung und letztendlich die Vernichtung eines lästigen Gegners im politischen Spiel.
                  

                     Und genauso wird die ID-Fraktion hier im Europäischen Parlament behandelt. Haben wir einen Vize- Präsidenten, einen Ausschussvorsitzenden, welche uns laut Geschäftsordnung zustehen? Nein. Zu Beginn der Legislaturperiode haben alle Fraktionen hier in diesem Hause stolz den cordon sanitaire verkündet, statt sich der politischen Auseinandersetzung zu stellen. Und warum? Weil wir dem europäischen Bürger dienen und nicht auf Basis einer verwirrten Ideologie dem Rest der Welt.
                  

                     Ich will Erdoğan nicht verteidigen. Nichts läge mir ferner, wie meine zahlreichen Reden hier zu diesem Thema belegen. Aber was hier in diesem Hause betrieben wird, ist pure Scheinheiligkeit, eine offen gezeigte Doppelmoral. Deshalb, liebe Kollegen, bevor Ihr Demokratiedefizite weltweit beheben wollt, fangt einmal hier an!
                  

Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR)… – anie Przewodniczący! Dobrze, że rozmawiamy o Turcji, bo to bardzo ważny kraj, bardzo ważny partner Unii Europejskiej, też niesłychanie istotny członek NATO, który w swoim regionie na pewno stabilizuje sytuację w kontekście tego, co dzieje się chociażby w Iraku czy Syrii. Dziesięć dni temu na spotkaniu z ambasadorami krajów członkowskich Unii minister spraw zagranicznych Turcji zapowiedział, nazwijmy to, pewną liberalizację i stwierdził, że przez ostatnie parę lat walczono w Turcji z terroryzmem, ale teraz czas skupić się na sprawach gospodarczych. Jakie to będzie miało konsekwencje? Zobaczymy. Myślę, że jest to krok w dobrym kierunku.
                  

                     Myślę, że trzeba z Turcją rozmawiać, trzeba przedstawiać nasze argumenty, trzeba szukać tego, co łączy, i oczywiście upominać się o te sprawy, które tego wymagają. Myślę, że trzeba przede wszystkim dialogu.
                  

Isabel Wiseler-Lima (PPE)… – onsieur le Président, la Turquie a un statut de pays candidat à l'adhésion à l'Union européenne.
                  

                     Avec ce statut, la Turquie a pris l'engagement de respecter la liberté, la démocratie, l'état de droit, les droits de l'homme, le pluralisme, la justice, ainsi que de se mettre en mesure d'appliquer le droit européen. Le rappel est nécessaire puisque les autorités turques ne suivent même pas les jugements de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme auxquels elles sont soumises.
                  

                     Un jugement de 2018 de cette Cour, confirmé en décembre 2020, oblige les autorités turques à la libération immédiate de Selahattin Demirtas. La Cour a jugé que la détention de M. Demirtas avait des motivations politiques et exprimé ses craintes quant à des interférences gouvernementales dans les affaires judiciaires.
                  

                     Si le président Erdoğan veut donc donner un début de crédibilité à ses engagements récents de procéder aux réformes nécessaires pour relancer le processus d'adhésion de la Turquie à l'Union européenne, il pourrait commencer par mettre en œuvre les décisions de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme et faire libérer M. Demirtas. Un geste minimal qui devra être suivi de beaucoup d'autres pour que nous puissions commencer à croire à des promesses jusqu'ici jamais tenues.
                  

Νίκος Ανδρουλάκης (S&D)… – ύριε Πρόεδρε, ο Selahattin Demirtas είναι όμηρος του Erdogan. Βρίσκεται εδώ και 4 χρόνια στη φυλακή χωρίς δίκη. Η σύλληψή του είναι το τίμημα του αγώνα για ειρηνική επίλυση του κουρδικού ζητήματος, είναι το τίμημα για μια δημοκρατική Τουρκία που θα σέβεται τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα. Μαζί του διώκονται και άλλοι βουλευτές, εκλεγμένοι δήμαρχοι και στελέχη του HDP· γιατί το HDP δεν είναι μόνο ένα φιλοκουρδικό κόμμα αλλά μια παράταξη που συσπειρώνει γύρω της ευρύτερες προοδευτικές δυνάμεις, που δεν ανέχονται τον αυταρχισμό του σημερινού προέδρου της Τουρκίας. Για αυτό, ο Erdogan τους χτυπά ανελέητα. ‘Ξέρω τι με περιμένει, αλλά δεν μπορώ να μην επιστρέψω στο πλευρό του λαού μου’, είχε πει στην Επιτροπή Εξωτερικών Υποθέσεων την τελευταία φορά που επισκέφθηκε τις Βρυξέλλες πριν από τη σύλληψή του ο Demirtas. Τώρα είναι η δική μας σειρά να σταθούμε στο δικό του πλευρό, όχι με λόγια, αλλά με πράξεις· για αυτό θα κριθείτε στο Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο του Μαρτίου. Το Ευρωπαϊκό Δικαστήριο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων έδειξε το δρόμο που οφείλουμε να ακολουθήσουμε.
                  

Anna Bonfrisco (ID)… – ignor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signor Alto rappresentante e signora Commissaria, io trovo ironico che il presidente Erdoğan ci inviti a fare la scelta ontologica di ammettere la Turchia nell'Unione europea. È ironico politicamente, ma tragico e doloroso per le sue vittime, i suoi cittadini, i suoi legittimi oppositori politici, che in una democrazia hanno il diritto e lo spazio pubblico di esprimersi liberamente.
                  

                     La Turchia di oggi è una sfida strategica per l'Europa perché il modello di filosofia politica e di Islam politico proposto non è democratico, non è tollerante, non è aperto al dialogo e non promuove i diritti inalienabili. Il modello politico di Stato turco che lui ci offre è quindi antieuropeo ed è grottesco che ci chieda di porre fine a quella che lui chiama la ‘retorica contro la Turchia’. Non è retorica, è la voce della dignità umana calpestata, oggi è la voce di Selahattin Demirtas.
                  

Andreas Schieder (S&D)… – err Präsident, Frau Kommissarin! Wir fordern die sofortige und unverzügliche Freilassung von Selahattin Demirtaș, von Figen Yüksekdağ sowie von vielen anderen Inhaftierten der Opposition: Abgeordnete, Bürgermeister, Journalistinnen und Journalisten, Mitglieder der oppositionellen HDP und anderer Parteien.
                  

                     Am 4. November 2016 wurde Demirtaș mit acht anderen Mitgliedern des Parlaments in der Türkei, mit acht anderen Abgeordneten, verhaftet. Seit vier Jahren sitzt der ehemalige Abgeordnete und Präsidentschaftskandidat unschuldig in türkischen Gefängnissen. Der Europäische Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte hat mehrfach festgestellt, dass die Verhaftung menschenrechtswidrig war und dass Demirtaș und die anderen unverzüglich freizulassen sind.
                  

                     Immer wieder werden Abgeordnete, auch der oppositionellen CHP wie zum Beispiel Kaftancıoğlu und andere, immer wieder werden Journalistinnen und Journalisten verhaftet und unrechtmäßig verurteilt. Menschenrechte sind in der Türkei unter Druck. Daher fordern wir die Freilassung und dass die Türkei endlich Menschenrechtsstandards und den Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte anerkennt.
                  

Helena Dalli,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, the European Union has repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns about the continued negative developments regarding the human rights situation in Turkey, along with specific recommendations in the Commission's annual report on Turkey to urgently, and credibly, address all relevant shortcomings.
Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights issued decisions confirming our concerns and calling for immediate action. It concluded that Mr Demirtas's extended detention violated the European Convention on Human Rights, including its Article 18. Moreover, the Turkish Constitutional Court stated that his right to freedom and security was violated during his trial and on remand beyond a reasonable period. What more can I say?
Also, this House knows very well the situation of human rights defender, Osman Kavala, who has been held in pre-trial detention since November 2017, as well as the tragic case of Ebru Timtik. Moreover, decisions and actions taken by the Turkish authorities against mayors from opposition parties remain deeply concerning. Hundreds of local politicians, elected office holders and thousands of members of the People's Democratic Party have been detained on terrorism-related charges, since the local elections in March 2019. Investigations were launched against others. Some even considered banning the HDP, which would clearly send a further very worrying signal.
We have always acknowledged that the Turkish Government has a legitimate right to fight terrorism. But it is also responsible for ensuring compliance with the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are enshrined in Turkey's Constitution and its international commitments. Concerns for the freedom of assembly in Turkey have also risen recently due to an amended regulation, which gives the Turkish police and intelligence access to military weaponry. We also cannot underestimate the threat that the recent law on preventing financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction presents to Turkish civil society, which already operates in a hostile environment.
The EU will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground and to support Turkish civil society and human rights activists who face continuous pressure. We have made clear in our statements, most recently on 30 December, that, as a candidate country and long-standing member of the Council of Europe, Turkey urgently needs to make concrete and sustained progress in this and the respect of fundamental rights, which are a cornerstone of EU-Turkey relations. Progress on the cases of Mrs Demirtas and Kavala and other human rights cases is of the essence.

Presidente. – O debate está encerrado. A votação realizar-se-á a seguir aos debates.
                  


Oświadczenia pisemne (art. 171)



Κώστας Μαυρίδης (S&D),
γραπτώς. – Η Τουρκία είναι σήμερα μια τεράστια φυλακή με ομήρους εκατομμύρια ανθρώπους που διαφωνούν πολιτικά με το νεο-οθωμανικό καθεστώς, ανάμεσά τους ο πολιτικός ηγέτης Ντεμιρτάς. Yπό το καθεστώς Ερντογάν, υπήρξαν 27 493 θύματα βασανιστηρίων και άλλοι 86 έχασαν τη ζωή τους. Το μεγαλύτερο κυβερνητικό έργο των τελευταίων χρόνων είναι η οικοδόμηση φυλακών 300 εκατομμυρίων ευρώ. Ο πρόεδρος της αρμόδιας επιτροπής του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης περιέγραψε την Τουρκία ως ένα αυταρχικό-δικτατορικό καθεστώς, τονίζοντας ότι δεν υπάρχει ανεξάρτητη δικαστική εξουσία, αλλά πρόκειται για κυβερνητικό εργαλείο στις αυταρχικές της πολιτικές. Επιπρόσθετα, είμαστε μάρτυρες της τουρκικής επεκτατικότητας στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, στη Λιβύη, στη Συρία, στο Ιράκ και στον Καύκασο.
                  

                     Αν τα πιο πάνω αφορούσαν μια άλλη χώρα, θα είχαν ήδη επιβληθεί αυστηρές κυρώσεις (εμπόριο, αμυντικός τομέας κ.ά.) αλλά για την Τουρκία συγκεκριμένες κυβερνήσεις κρατών μελών τις εμποδίζουν. Ιδιαίτερα η Γερμανία προχωρά στην πώληση υπερσύγχρονων υποβρυχίων στην Τουρκία, για να χρησιμοποιηθούν ενάντια στα ευρωπαϊκά συμφέροντα και σε κράτη μέλη στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο. Απευθύνομαι στους νουνεχείς, που αντιλαμβάνονται τους κινδύνους για τα ευρωπαϊκά συμφέροντα. Η επιβολή αυστηρών κυρώσεων αποτελεί μονόδρομο για έμπρακτη συμμόρφωση της Τουρκίας στις αποφάσεις του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου για τερματισμό της καταπίεσης και της φυλάκισης των πολιτικά διαφωνούντων.
                  

                     Στο πρόσωπο του Ντεμιρτάς, τιμάμε τη συνείδηση της ανθρωπότητας που αγωνίζεται για ελευθερία, δικαιοσύνη και τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα. Γι' αυτό και τον πρότεινα για το βραβείο Ζαχάρωφ.
                  
7.3.   Human rights situation in Vietnam, in particular the case of human rights journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan

Presidente. – Segue-se o debate sobre sete propostas de resolução sobre a situação dos direitos humanos no Vietname, em particular o caso dos jornalistas defensores dos direitos humanos Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy e Le Huu Minh Tuan (2021/2507(RSP)) (*4).
                  

Marco Campomenosi,
autore. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, ringrazio la Commissaria Delli.
                  

                     L'area del sud-est asiatico ha delle tensioni geopolitiche forti, su cui probabilmente le nostre istituzioni dovrebbero concentrarsi. Le tensioni fra Cina e Vietnam, l'assestamento geopolitico di paesi come Laos e Cambogia, però, non giustificano cosa sta avvenendo all'interno del regime vietnamita, con arresti di giornalisti e blogger, un ruolo dei social media che, come abbiamo visto anche nel mondo occidentale, è molto problematico e forse in alcuni casi, su quanto avvenuto in Vietnam, è anche complice di una situazione che ovviamente riguarda la libertà di espressione.
                  

                     Negli emendamenti del mio gruppo politico inseriamo dei riferimenti anche al problema importante della libertà religiosa, che vede una limitazione forte anche nei confronti dei cristiani, che non sono una minoranza molto piccola: rappresentano ben il 9 % circa degli abitanti del paese.
                  

                     Quindi è chiaro che il nostro ruolo qui è molto in difficoltà: l'accordo commerciale che abbiamo raggiunto – che piace molto alle multinazionali, che cercano lavoratori a basso costo, e che penalizza gli agricoltori, per esempio, nel mio paese, quelli del riso – contiene delle clausole che il Vietnam, lo sapevamo, non applica sui diritti umani, per cui dovremmo renderci conto se non danneggia poi alla fine anche la nostra credibilità di istituzioni europee che lavorano su accordi che non vengono poi mai applicati.
                  

Mick Wallace,
author. – Mr President, today we have our third resolution this term in support of Western-backed anti-China protesters in Hong Kong, where police have killed no protestors yet.
Why don't we want to talk about Yemen, or Ethiopia? We have not had one resolution on the Saudi-UAE genocidal war being waged against the people of Yemen. The UN says the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world is taking place there. Millions are being intentionally starved to death.
The UN says the number of people in Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, in need of life-saving assistance is at least 2.3 million, as a result of the war crimes of the unelected Abiy Ahmed. The changing of the guard in Ethiopia in 2018 was considered by the US as an opportunity for disrupting Chinese influence and now the US and the EU turn a blind Abiy's war crimes, and all we want to talk about it in here are US-backed protesters in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the EU and our friends are immune from criticism and when you have armed contracts with totalitarian regimes, who carry out terrible atrocities, you look the other way. I will take seriously the concern expressed in here for US-paid journalists imprisoned in Vietnam when you deal with the millions of starving and dying children in Yemen and demand they be free from Saudi-UAE aggression and free from the fear of the weapons of the US, Canadian, UK, French, German, Swedish Spanish and Belgian countries blowing them to pieces.

Saskia Bricmont,
auteure. – Monsieur le Président, il y a deux ans, ce Parlement a adopté une résolution sur le sort des prisonniers politiques au Viêt Nam. Il y a presque un an, ce Parlement votait les traités de commerce et d'investissement UE-Viêt Nam.
                  

                     Je me rappelle que, face aux sceptiques comme moi, les défenseurs de l'accord affirmaient qu'il permettrait de faire évoluer la situation des droits humains au bénéfice de l'ensemble de la population. Si, en effet, des engagements ont été pris en matière de réforme du droit du travail, la question des droits humains au Viêt Nam dépasse la seule ratification des conventions de l'OIT. Depuis, la répression s'est en effet accélérée.
                  

                     Politique commerciale et droits humains seraient donc deux éléments distincts. Pas pour Pham Chi Dung, président de l'association des journalistes indépendants, arrêté quelques jours après s'être directement adressé à nous avec un regard critique sur le processus de ratification de l'accord commercial. Condamné à 15 ans de prison pour cela, il fait partie avec Nguyen Tuong Thuy et Le Huu Minh Tuan, condamnés à 11 ans de prison, des trois journalistes pour lesquels nous exigeons aujourd'hui à une large majorité, la libération inconditionnelle.
                  

                     La délégation du service européen d'action extérieure à Hanoï continue de s'inquiéter de la condamnation de centaines d'autres militants pacifistes, confirmant une réduction préoccupante de l'espace de liberté d'expression, de rassemblement et d'association dans le pays.
                  

                     Notre résolution demande donc la libération des journalistes et des militants, l'amélioration des conditions de détention, en particulier dans le contexte de pandémie actuel, l'adoption d'un moratoire sur la peine de mort ainsi que le rappel au Viêt Nam de ses engagements envers sa propre population, l'Union européenne et la communauté internationale.
                  

Adam Bielan,
author. – Mr President, the EU has recently extended its hand to Vietnam with a free trade agreement (FTA) widening the horizons for companies both in Vietnam and in Europe, but we cannot continue to ignore the violation of fundamental rights currently happening in our economic partner.
So today we call on the Vietnamese authorities to immediately release the three journalists recently incarcerated, as well as all journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders currently unfairly detained for having tried to express their opinions.
Over recent years, the safety of journalists and whistle-blowers has taken a dramatic turn. Last year, while we were concluding our FTA, Reporters Without Borders ranked Vietnam 175th in the World Press Freedom Index. That is one place below Syria. This is why we urge the Vietnamese Government to also end the arbitrary censorship of independent news and media and delete the restrictions on online information sources.
Through our new-found economic friendship, we probably have some tools to further bring this issue to the core of our exchanges with our partner country. Fundamental rights should definitely not be compromised with.

Marianne Vind,
forslagsstiller. – Hr. formand! Vietnam og EU's forhold er historisk tæt, og vores samarbejde har aldrig været vigtigere. Sammen løfter vi tusind mennesker ud af fattigdom, udbreder grøn teknologi og fremmer arbejdernes rettigheder. Hver for sig står vi svagere, sammen er vi stærkere.
                  

                     Derfor er det også så meget værre, at menneskerettighedssituationen i Vietnam er på tilbagetog. Den seneste tid er flere uafhængige journalister og menneskerettighedsforkæmpere blevet tilbageholdt og dømt for deres politiske aktivitet. Dung, Thuy og Tuan er blevet idømt mellem 11 og 15 års fængsel for såkaldt propaganda mod staten. Det er fuldstændig uhørt og uacceptabelt. Den slags handlinger er ikke kun åbenlys undertrykkelse af fri og uafhængig journalistik, men også et klart forsøg på at afskrække borgerne fra at kritisere magthaverne.
                  

                     Vietnam bør løslade de uretmæssigt dømte med det samme og revidere sin straffelov og bringe den på linje med internationale standarder. I samme ombæring bør Vietnam ratificere ILO-konventionerne 87, 98 og 105, hvilket det jo har forpligtet sig til i frihandelsaftalen med EU. Samarbejdet mellem EU og Vietnam er tæt, og det skal det blive ved med at være. Men Vietnam må altså forstå, at vores relation bygger på en fælles aftale om respekt for menneskerettigheder og frihedsrettigheder. Derfor er jeg glad for, at vi i dag sender et stærkt signal med denne beslutning, som jeg ser frem til at stemme igennem i Parlamentet.
                  

Petras Auštrevičius,
author. – Mr President, Vietnam might be and is a rapidly emerging economy, but it also leads the track of human rights violations.
We are observing an intensifying crackdown on basic civic and political rights in the country. Press freedom is squashed by state ownership of media sources. Censorship is thriving, as the new cybersecurity law enables control of the global social media networks. Any criticism of the government is a ticket to prison.
The three journalists whose case we are discussing today chose to carry out their professional duties despite any risks. One of them – Pham Chi Dung – reached out to us and warned about the false promises the Vietnamese Government makes in order to secure the trade deal with the European Union. We should have listened better!
The European Union must use every available tool to assist and support these journalists along with hundreds of other civic activists imprisoned for simply doing their job while serving the public interest.
Vietnam's economic growth is dependent on the free trade agreements. Since the language of economic gains and losses might be the only language that the Vietnamese Government understands, we should consider reinstatement of tariffs for Vietnamese goods.

Seán Kelly,
Údar. – A Uachtaráin, a Choimisinéir, Dia daoibh ó Bhaile Átha Cliath. Bhí áthas orm turas a thabhairt ar Vítneam nuair a bhí an idirbheartaíocht faoin gcomhréiteach saorthrádála ar siúl. Tír álainn is ea Vítneam le daoine iontacha flaithiúla míne, agus tá nasc tábhachtach trádála idir an tAontas Eorpach agus Vítneam againn anois. É sin ráite, ní féidir linn fanacht ciúin agus staid chearta daonna ag dul in olcas ann.
                  

                     Tá ar rialtas Vítneam cloí le gach píosa reachtaíochta, náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta, atá bainteach le cearta daonna a chosaint agus a chur chun cinn.
                  

                     Le mo chomh-Fheisirí, táimse ag lorg go scaoilfear leis an triúr iriseoirí atá ainmnithe sa Rún seo, láithreach agus gan choinníollacha. Cuireadh i bpríosún iad toisc gur bhaineadar leas as a saoirse cainte.
                  

                     Tá ar údaráis Vítneam, tá orthu, stop a chur le gach srian ar iriseoirí agus ar ghníomhaithe agus dlíodóirí atá ag obair ar son chearta an duine agus stop a chur freisin le cinsireacht. Ba cheart go mbeadh na daoine seo ábalta a bpoist a dhéanamh gan eagla a bheith orthu roimh na póilíní.
                  

                     Impím ar údaráis Vítneam beart a dhéanamh de réir ár dtuarascála anseo inniu agus an triúr iriseoirí, Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy agus Le Huu Minh Tuan, a ligean saor láithreach bonn. Agus impím ar an gCoimisinéir brú cuimsitheach a chur ar údaráis Vítneam chun é sin a dhéanamh.
                  

                     Bhí áthas orm, a Uachtaráin, a bheith mar údar ar an tuarascáil thábhachtach seo. Go raibh míle maith agaibh ó Bhaile Átha Cliath.
                  

Antonio López-Istúriz White,
en nombre del Grupo PPE. – Señor presidente, la degradación de los derechos humanos en la República Socialista de Vietnam es grave, pública y notoria. El Partido Comunista único de Vietnam lleva años sin convocar elecciones. No hay respeto por los derechos humanos y no hay inconveniente en eliminar a cualquier opositor, activista político o periodista que denuncie la falta de estos derechos.
                  

                     Seguiré con interés cuál será el voto de mis colegas comunistas en esta Cámara sobre este particular. Ya han oído —y se lo digo a los periodistas europeos— a algún colega comunista europeo decir que no tienen la misma prioridad el asesinato y la persecución de periodistas en Vietnam que otras cuestiones en el mundo.
                  

                     Vietnam tiene una relación comercial privilegiada con la Unión Europea. No así países con una democracia establecida, como Nueva Zelanda, u otros en vía de desarrollo, como Camboya y otros países.
                  

                     Espero que en la próxima votación nos unamos todos claramente y sin distinción de grupos políticos en favor de la denuncia y los cambios que se tienen que operar en Vietnam, que es este país que tiene esta relación comercial con la Unión Europea.
                  

Maria Arena,
au nom du groupe S&D. – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, je ne m'adresserai pas au régime autoritaire communiste vietnamien, car je ne crois pas en sa volonté de changer en matière de droits de l'homme, mais je m'adresserai à la démocratie européenne.
                  

                     Le 12 février 2020, ce Parlement ratifie un accord commercial et d'investissement entre l'Union européenne et le Viêt Nam, et ce, malgré tous les rapports qui étaient formulés depuis 2018, 2019, 2020 par Amnesty International ou Human rights watch qui dénonçaient les crimes et les violations contre les droits des Vietnamiens.
                  

                     Le rapporteur de la commission du commerce international en charge de ce dossier, M. Bourgeois, s'y était pourtant rendu en 2018 quand il était ministre belge. Il devait savoir. Et pourtant, il n'a pas abordé la question des droits de l'homme. Et ce même rapporteur qui s'est retrouvé dans ce Parlement nous chantait que si nous enregistrions des violations des droits de l'homme graves et systémiques, nous suspendrions les préférences commerciales.
                  

                     Eh bien, je m'adresse à M. Bourgeois, je m'adresse à la Commission, ces violations graves existent, elles existaient et elles continueront d'exister. Et donc, je demande qu'il y ait une suspension des accords préférentiels avec le Viêt Nam.
                  

Karin Karlsbro,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Mr President, the free trade agreement with Vietnam is the most ambitious that EU's ever negotiated with a developing country.
When we adopted it, we expected it to be not only an economic win-win for both parties, but also an opportunity to advance sustainable trade, to advance democracy and human rights. Initially, we did see some positive results, especially on human rights. But the human rights situation is unacceptable, and the development so far has been very disappointing.
We ask now for the immediate release of the journalists and political prisoners.
Now is the time to step up our pressure, and use the agreement as the platform for supporters and civil society as we promised. When we adopted the trade agreement we also called upon the Commission and the European External Action Service to swiftly carry out a comprehensive human-rights impact assessment of the agreement. Today we repeat that call.

Patryk Jaki,
w imieniu grupy ECR. – Panie Przewodniczący! Komunizm zawsze się właśnie kończy tak, jak widzimy to w tej chwili przez realizację polityki władz komunistycznych w Wietnamie. Ponieważ jest to ideologia, która przeczy prawom człowieka, zdrowemu rozsądkowi i logice, to prędzej czy później musi dławić wolność słowa, gdyż nie znosi wolnej debaty. Właśnie dlatego dobrze, że dzisiaj mamy ten projekt rezolucji, gdyż to, co się wydarzyło, co się dzieje zresztą tam już od dawna, ale to, co ostatnio się wydarzyło, tzn. kara od jedenastu do piętnastu lat więzienia dla dziennikarzy za krytykę komunistycznej władzy, to coś nieakceptowalnego. I dobrze, żeby instytucje unijne podjęły bardzo stanowcze działania w stosunku do Wietnamu. Nie można się na tego typu działalność zgodzić.
                  

                     Ale naprawdę niepokojące jest to, że w cenzurze biorą udział również firmy Big Techu, jak Facebook i Google. Tutaj również Parlament Europejski i instytucje europejskie powinny zająć twarde stanowisko, dlatego że te firmy bardzo dużo zarabiają również na terenie Unii Europejskiej i nie można pozwolić na to, żeby brały udział w cenzurze.
                  

Isabel Wiseler-Lima (PPE)… – onsieur le Président, il y a un an, le Parlement européen approuvait des accords de libre-échange et de protection des investissements avec le Viêt Nam.
                  

                     Toutefois, de fortes préoccupations persistaient quant au respect par ce régime communiste des engagements que ces accords impliquaient en matière de respect des droits de l'homme et de respect du droit international du travail. Aussi, Madame la Commissaire, avons-nous assorti ces accords de la demande de la mise en place d'un mécanisme indépendant de monitoring des droits humains et d'un mécanisme de plainte indépendant afin que les citoyens aient effectivement accès à un recours. Ces mécanismes n'ont toujours pas été mis en œuvre. Nous lançons un appel pressant à la Commission et aux autorités vietnamiennes pour qu'ils soient mis en place.
                  

                     De même, nous regrettons de constater que les groupes consultatifs internes inscrits dans l'accord de partenariat et de coopération ne sont toujours pas opérationnels. Il est inacceptable que le Viêt Nam ne respecte pas une partie intégrante des accords sans que cela ait des conséquences.
                  

                     Nous ressentons particulièrement comme un affront que Pham Chi Dung ait été emprisonné et le soit toujours pour avoir contacté les députés européens dans le cadre des accords de libre-échange et d'investissement. Le Parlement européen demande aux autorités vietnamiennes sa libération immédiate ainsi que celle des autres journalistes et défenseurs des droits de l'homme si injustement emprisonnés.
                  

Pascal Durand (Renew)… – onsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, moi non plus comme mon excellente collègue Maria Arena, je n'ai pas envie de m'adresser à la dictature totalitaire vietnamienne. J'ai envie de m'adresser à la Commission, à la gardienne des traités.
                  

                     Et que nous disent les traités? Il est parfois bon de revenir au texte. L'article 21 du traité sur l'Union européenne est très clair. L'action de l'Union sur la scène internationale repose sur les principes qui ont présidé à sa création, qu'elle vise à promouvoir dans le reste du monde: la démocratie, l'état de droit, l'universalité et l'indivisibilité des droits humains et des libertés fondamentales. Il ajoute: l'Union s'efforce de développer des relations et de construire des partenariats avec les pays tiers qui partagent les principes visés au premier alinéa.
                  

                     Alors, Madame la Commissaire, faites-en sorte que ces principes soient appliqués et respectés ou alors, à défaut, par souci d'honnêteté intellectuelle, ajoutons un alinéa au traité et disons que ces principes ne s'appliquent pas dès lors que les marchés, les profits et les intérêts financiers des entreprises européennes sont en cause.
                  

Helena Dalli,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, we repeatedly expressed to Vietnam our concerns over limitations to freedom of expression, both online and offline, as reflected in increasing cases of intimidation, arrest, detention and sentencing of journalists and human rights defenders who express their opinions. The space for dissenting voices is shrinking and the sentences of Mr Pham Chi Dung, Mr Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Mr Le Huu Minh Tuan show a deterioration of the civil and political rights situation.
The EU has called on the authorities to respect fundamental rights enshrined in their constitution and in international conventions to which they are party, most recently in a statement issued by the spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on 6 January. At the same time, we aim to constructively engage the authorities to ensure alignment with international standards, by offering assistance in implementing the recommendations which Vietnam accepted under its latest Universal Periodic Review.
Political and civil rights and rule of law are regularly raised at the human rights dialogue with Vietnam. During the last session in February 2020 the EU reiterated its request for all Vietnamese citizens detained for exercising their freedom of opinion and expression to be released. The EU also referred to a number of individual cases and stressed that the negative trend of limiting freedom of expression must be reversed, especially when Vietnam and the EU are engaged in closer partnership. Additionally, the EU has supported projects by, and with, civil society organisations, enhancing citizens' engagement in policy advocacy and promoting human rights.
Reform and modernisation allowed Vietnam to make continuous progress in economic and social rights, steadily opening up to international standards. The EU has supported Vietnam in moving from limited regional economic integration to broader international integration, including international standards. This includes ongoing reforms in the area of labour rights.
Against this background, we will continue to reiterate at every occasion that citizens' opinions expressed peacefully are a critical part of prosperous societies and are essential for sustainable development. We will continue to work together with Vietnam to achieve a more inclusive society and be very clear about our expectations.

Presidente. – O debate está encerrado. A votação realizar-se-á a seguir aos debates.
                  
8.   Composition of political groups : see Minutes

(A sessão é suspensa por alguns instantes)

9.   Announcement of voting results: see Minutes

(A sessão é suspensa às 13h12)

10.   Resumption of the sitting

(A sessão é reiniciada às 13h45)

11.   Second voting session

Presidente. – Segue-se agora o segundo período de votação de hoje. Votaremos os dossiês conforme indicado na ordem do dia. O período de votação decorrerá entre as 13h45 e as 15 horas.
               

                  A votação será realizada segundo o mesmo procedimento utilizado nos anteriores períodos de votação. Todas as votações serão realizadas por votação nominal.
               

                  Declaro aberto o segundo período de votação de hoje. Podem votar até às 15h. Os resultados do segundo período de votação serão comunicados às 16h30.
               

(A sessão é suspensa às 13h46)


PRESIDENZA: ROBERTA METSOLA


Viċi President

12.   Resumption of the sitting

(Ħin li fih tkompliet is-seduta: 16.30)

13.   Announcement of voting results: see Minutes
14.   Explanations of vote: see Minutes
15.   Corrections to votes and voting intentions: see Minutes
16.   Documents received: see Minutes
17.   Petitions: see Minutes
18.   Associated committees (Rule 57): see Minutes
19.   Decision to draw up own-initiative reports: see Minutes
20.   Modified referrals to committees (Rule 56): see Minutes
21.   Approval of the minutes of the part-session and forwarding of texts adopted: see Minutes: see Minutes
22.   Dates of forthcoming sittings: see Minutes
23.   Closure of the sitting

(Ħin li fih ingħalqet is-seduta: 16.33)

24.   Adjournment of the session

Il-President. –– iddikjara interrotta s-sessjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew.
               


(*1)  Ks. pöytäkirja.

(*2)  Patrz protokół posiedzenia.

(*3)  Ver ata.

(*4)  Ver ata.


ELI: 
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)