Verbatim report of proceedings of 15 June 2023
Date: 2023-06-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Parliament, parliamentary debate








C_202401470EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C














16.2.2024







            15 June 2023
            VERBATIM REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF 15 JUNE 2023
            
         
(C/2024/1470)

Contents







1.

Opening of the sitting
3










2.

Composition of committees and delegations
3










3.

Ukraine's accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (debate)
3










4.

The water crisis in Europe (debate)
6










5.

Resumption of the sitting
29










6.

Statement by the President
29










7.

Voting time
29










7.1.

Torture and criminal prosecution of Ukrainian minors Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov by the Russian Federation (RC-B9-0268/2023, B9-0268/2023, B9-0269/2023, B9-0284/2023, B9-0285/2023, B9-0288/2023, B9-0290/2023) (vote)
29










7.2.

Humanitarian situation in Sudan, in particular the death of children trapped by fighting (B9-0271/2023, RC-B9-0291/2023, B9-0291/2023, B9-0292/2023, B9-0293/2023, B9-0294/2023, B9-0295/2023) (vote)
29










7.3.

Deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, notably the case of Jimmy Lai (RC-B9-0276/2023, B9-0276/2023, B9-0282/2023, B9-0286/2023, B9-0287/2023, B9-0289/2023) (vote)
29










7.4.

Composition of the European Parliament (A9-0214/2023 - Loránt Vincze, Sandro Gozi) (vote)
30










7.5.

Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (Recommendation) (B9-0664/2022, B9-0260/2023) (vote)
30










7.6.

EU Day for the victims of the global climate crisis (B9-0296/2023) (vote)
30










7.7.

Ukraine's accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (B9-0267/2023) (vote)
30










7.8.

Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community (RC-B9-0270/2023, B9-0270/2023, B9-0274/2023, B9-0275/2023, B9-0277/2023, B9-0278/2023, B9-0281/2023) (vote)
30










7.9.

Situation in Nicaragua (RC-B9-0272/2023, B9-0272/2023, B9-0273/2023, B9-0279/2023, B9-0280/2023, B9-0283/2023) (vote)
30










7.10.

Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (A9-0095/2023 - Niels Fuglsang) (vote)
30










7.11.

Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (A9-0213/2023 - Udo Bullmann, Petros Kokkalis) (vote)
31










8.

Resumption of the sitting
31










9.

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting
31










10.

Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy (debate)
31










11.

Explanations of vote
36










11.1.

Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (Recommendation) (B9-0664/2022, B9-0260/2023)
36










11.2.

EU Day for the victims of the global climate crisis (B9-0296/2023)
37










11.3.

Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community (RC-B9-0270/2023, B9-0270/2023, B9-0274/2023, B9-0275/2023, B9-0277/2023, B9-0278/2023, B9-0281/2023)
37










11.4.

Situation in Nicaragua (RC-B9-0272/2023, B9-0272/2023, B9-0273/2023, B9-0279/2023, B9-0280/2023, B9-0283/2023)
38










11.5.

Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (A9-0095/2023 - Niels Fuglsang)
38










11.6.

Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (A9-0213/2023 - Udo Bullmann, Petros Kokkalis)
39










12.

Approval of the minutes of the sitting and forwarding of texts adopted
40










13.

Dates of forthcoming sittings
40










14.

Closure of the sitting
40










15.

Adjournment of the session
40




Verbatim report of proceedings of 15 June 2023
                  


PRZEWODNICTWO: EWA KOPACZ


Wiceprzewodnicząca

1.   Opening of the sitting

(Posiedzenie zostało otwarte o godz. 9.00)

2.   Composition of committees and delegations

Przewodnicząca. – Krótki komunikat: grupa S&D poinformowała przewodniczącą o decyzji dotyczącej zmian w zakresie powołań do komisji.
               

                  Decyzja ta zostanie przedstawiona w protokole dzisiejszego posiedzenia i wchodzi w życie z dniem niniejszego ogłoszenia.
               
3.   Ukraine's accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (debate)

Przewodnicząca. – Kolejnym punktem porządku dziennego jest debata nad pytaniem wymagającym odpowiedzi ustnej skierowanym do Komisji przez Adriána Vázqueza Lázarę w imieniu Komisji Prawnej w sprawie przystąpienia Ukrainy do Konwencji z dnia 2 lipca 2019 r. o uznawaniu i wykonywaniu zagranicznych orzeczeń w sprawach cywilnych i handlowych (O-000024/2023 – B9-0025/23) (2023/2689(RSP)).
               

Adrián Vázquez Lázara,
author. – Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Ukraine has signed and ratified the convention of 2 July 2019 on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in civil or commercial matters, which is called the Judgments Convention, which has also been signed by other countries such as Uruguay, Israel, Costa Rica, the United States and Russia.
The Judgments Convention enters into force one year after the first two parties deposit their instruments of ratification and accession. The European Union acceded to it and Ukraine ratified it in August 2022. If the European Union tacitly accepts Ukraine's accession to the Judgments Convention, it will enter into force on 1 September of this year.
Parliament understands that the Commission's assessment of Ukraine's accession is positive and that the Commission will be in favour of tacitly accepting it. Nevertheless, the current situation in which two sides of a war happen to be signatories of a new convention, to which the European Union is a party and which is entering into force now, calls for an explicit statement accepting Ukraine's accession.
It is important, dear colleagues, that the European Union uses every occasion we are presented with to stand with Ukraine and to stand against the Russian aggression. Such a statement also will reflect the European Union's geopolitical relevance in the current circumstances and emphasise the political significance of the decision.
In full respect of each EU institution's prerogatives, a statement will allow the Commission to accept Ukraine's accession to the Judgments Convention on the EU's behalf under the relevant provisions of the convention.
Given the deadline set down in the Judgments Convention, the need for the institutions to act without delay to show the EU's acceptance of Ukraine's accession to the convention and Parliament's intention to make an appropriate statement in this regard, could the Commission confirm its assessment of Ukraine's accession to the convention? What steps does the Commission intend to take in the future to ensure that Parliament's prerogatives relating to third countries' accession to the Judgments Convention are always fully and formally respected under the Treaties?

Kadri Simson,
Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, thank you for this debate on the accession of Ukraine to the convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in civil or commercial matters. I am replacing Commissioner Reynders, who could not make it today.
In its written assessment of Ukraine's ratification of the Judgments Convention, the Commission concluded that Ukraine has put in place an institutional and legislative framework that ensures respect for fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary. This would in turn ensure a smooth application of the Judgments Convention. This assessment concluded that Ukraine has the systemic capability to apply the Judgments Convention and to deal satisfactorily with individual problematic cases. Therefore, there are no reasons for the European Union not to establish treaty relations with Ukraine based on the Judgments Convention. The Commission stands by this analysis and reiterates that Ukraine is capable of applying the Judgments Convention.
As regards the procedure to be followed when a third country joins the Judgments Convention, this issue was discussed during the process leading to the EU's accession to the Judgments Convention with Parliament's consent. The Judgments Convention is based on the principle of the acceptance of accessions by other contracting parties and only envisages an objection procedure in exceptional cases.
The Commission therefore takes the view that formal decisions under Article 218 TFEU are required only where the EU intends to object to the establishment of such treaty relations. This approach is in line with the need to implement the EU's obligations under international law in good faith.
At the same time, the Commission is committed to consulting Parliament and to taking its views into account in full compliance with the Treaties and notably the duty of sincere cooperation. This is why, when deciding whether to propose an objection decision, we are committed to consistently informing Parliament of each intended accession of a third country to the Judgments Convention, taking full account of the views expressed. We have delivered on this commitment with a written assessment of Ukraine's ratification and will continue to do so in the future.

Jiří Pospíšil,
za skupinu PPE. – Paní předsedající, dovolte mi, abych vystoupil i s pozicí naší frakce. My velmi podporujeme Ukrajinu v boji za svobodu a jsme přesvědčeni, že každé gesto, i symbolické, je důležité, jak Ukrajinu podpořit. A já tady chci navázat na to, co bylo řečeno předsedou výboru. Je podle mě správné, aby v případě přistoupení Ukrajiny k Úmluvě o uznávání a výkonu cizích soudních rozhodnutí v občanských a obchodních věcech, aby to přistoupení nemělo pouze implicitní, tichý charakter, resp. náš souhlas s přistoupením Ukrajiny, aby neměl pouze implicitní charakter, ale abychom řádně naplnili proceduru a explicitně vyjádřili náš souhlas s ratifikací této úmluvy Ukrajinou.
               

                  Myslím si, že by zde mělo padnout jasné rozhodnutí Komise a že by také Parlament takové rozhodnutí měl projednat. Ten důvod je jak právní, protože jak bylo řečeno dnes, Ukrajina je válečnou stranou a je třeba se ujistit a jasně definovat, že ratifikace proběhla ze strany Ukrajiny řádně a v pořádku. Na druhou stranu vedle onoho právního důvodu jsou to politické důvody, které jsem zde již naznačil. Myslím si, že co nejrychlejší vyjádření našeho souhlasu s ratifikací ze strany Ukrajiny jasně vyjadřuje naši podporu Ukrajině a snaze přiblížit se k Evropské unii. Ukrajina permanentně deklaruje snahu v budoucnu vstoupit do Evropské unie. A právě tato Úmluva je takovým drobným střípkem přibližování se Evropské unii ve chvíli, kdy zkrátka rozsudky občanských a obchodních soudů budou vzájemně uznávány a vykonávány. A ta základní, bazální vazba, která bude mezi Evropskou unií a Ukrajinou, jednoznačně posiluje přibližování právních systémů právě v této oblasti. Jedna věc je politická vůle a ochota přijmout Ukrajinu do Evropské unie a druhá věc je reálná připravenost. A tato úmluva tomu napomáhá.
               

Georgios Kyrtsos,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Madam President, the European institutions are united in accepting Ukraine's accession to the Convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in civil or commercial matters (the Judgments Convention). We have to make the appropriate statements for three main reasons.
First, by recognising and enforcing each other's judgments in civil and commercial matters, the ties between the European Union and Ukraine will become stronger. The preparations of Ukraine to join the European Union and the EU's preparations to welcome such an important and big country will be facilitated.
Second, we consider that there are no fundamental obstacles such as related to the independence and efficiency of the judiciary, the fight against corruption or the respect of fundamental rights, which could prevent the EU from entering into trade relations with Ukraine. We understand, of course, that there are problems related to the post-Soviet period of Ukraine and the rise of the oligarchs, but we are satisfied with President Zelenskyy's and the authorities' admission of the difficulties they face and the determination to overcome them. We fully support them on that.
Third, judging from the way Russia is conducting its aggressive war against Ukraine, we reached the conclusion that we are facing an escalating and protracted struggle. We want to send once again the message that we resolutely stand on the side of Ukraine and that we will do whatever it takes for as long as it is needed so that Ukraine and its European perspective will prevail.
Finally, I would like to commend Commissioner Simson, because she was with us late last night and she is still with us early in the morning.

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel,
im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin! Einmal mehr bekräftigt dieses Haus seine Solidarität mit der Ukraine und seine volle Unterstützung für deren Unabhängigkeit, Souveränität und territoriale Integrität. Die Tatsache, dass sich alle Fraktionen einstimmig auf diesen Text geeinigt haben, der den Beitritt der Ukraine zum Anerkennungs- und Vollstreckungsübereinkommen unterstützt, ist ein klares Indiz dafür.
               

                  Ihre Entschlossenheit zur Integration in die EU hat die Ukraine auch durch die Ratifizierung dieses Übereinkommens im vergangenen Jahr unter Beweis gestellt. Die Aufnahme von verbindlichen Rechtsbeziehungen zwischen der EU und der Ukraine wird eine bessere Zusammenarbeit und wirksamere Unterstützung für ukrainische Bürgerinnen und auch für Unternehmen in der EU bewirken, da Rechtsunsicherheiten hiermit beseitigt werden.
               

                  Umgekehrt wird es auch für EU-Unternehmen attraktiver, in der Ukraine tätig zu werden, da die rechtlichen Risiken gemindert werden. Investitionen in den Wiederaufbau der Ukraine durch die Privatwirtschaft werden attraktiver; sie werden eine weitere Rechtsangleichung durch die Rechtsstaatlichkeit in der Ukraine stärken und die Übertragung von Rechtspraktiken ermöglichen.
               

                  Wir begrüßen daher die positive Bewertung durch die Kommission und durch den Rat und unterstützen den Beitritt der Ukraine zu diesem Übereinkommen.
               

Ангел Джамбазки,
от името на групата ECR. – Г-жо Председател, от една страна и на първо място, всички институции са съгласни, че украинската страна е изпълнила условията за присъединяване към тази конвенция, при това забележете, изпълнила условията в условията на агресия срещу нея и на война. Това е нещо, което трябва да се отбележи.
               

                  От друга страна, присъединяването на Украйна към Конвенцията е необходимо от политическа гледна точка. Това е израз на съпричастност, израз на солидарност и израз на ясна политическа подкрепа от наша страна. Не виждам никаква причина и Парламента, и Комисията, и останалите институции да не одобрят това присъединяване и да не работят за него. Присъединяването към конвенцията е важна и от гледна точка на гражданскоправния оборот и на търговския оборот. Взаимното признаване на съдебните решения ще подпомогне връзките между граждани на Украйна и граждани на държави – членки на Европейския съюз. Взаимното признаване на съдебните решения ще подобри начина, по който работят гражданите на държавите помежду си, и ще помогне на създаването на общи търговски връзки, които ще бъдат необходими във времената, когато украинската държава, инфраструктура и икономика се възстановяват.
               

                  Така че това нещо е необходимо и заслужава да бъде направено, за което участвалите в него заслужават и поздравление.
               

Kadri Simson,
Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, I thank you for this debate. As I made it clear during my introductory remarks, the Commission remains committed to keep Parliament fully informed of each accession decision to the Judgments Convention and to take the Parliament's view duly into account in line with the duty of sincere cooperation.

Przewodnicząca. – Otrzymałam jeden projekt rezolucji złożony zgodnie z art. 128 ust. 1 Regulaminu.
               

                  Zamykam debatę.
               

                  Głosowanie odbędzie się w czwartek 15 czerwca 2023 r.
               
4.   The water crisis in Europe (debate)

Przewodnicząca. – Kolejnym punktem porządku dziennego jest oświadczenie Komisji w sprawie kryzysu wodnego w Europie (2023/2705(RSP)).
               

Kadri Simson,
Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, today's debate shows the strong interest of the European Parliament in securing proper border management across the EU. The Commission fully shares this concern, and I am here in front of you to cover for my colleague, Virginijus Sinkevičius, today.
I would like to dwell for a moment on the word ‘crisis’, which is at the heart of the debate today. Copernicus satellite imagery acts as a sad confirmation that many parts of the Union face intense difficulty. Some regions are suffering from water scarcity due to the droughts, while others are suffering from floods. Most are suffering from the consequences of water pollution.
But none of this is new. That's why, since the 1970s, EU legislators have been putting in place strong and robust law to protect water and aquatic ecosystems.
So why do we speak of a crisis today? The answer is that the solutions we have successively employed to address the problems facing our waters, and the ways and degrees to which we have implemented them, can only take us so far. We have reached the point where we need to take a different approach.
In New York, at the first Water Conference in almost 50 years, we embraced the objective of achieving water resilience by 2050. Following on from that, the European Council acknowledged the need for action and for a strategic approach to water security. We have a good foundation for such action. EU water legislation is already robust and if it will be respected in full, many elements of the current crisis would be less pressing.
But, as we see from the large number of ongoing infringement cases related to water, this is simply not the case. Despite our efforts to improve water efficiency, water demand continues to grow. At the same time, availability is declining and becoming unpredictable, largely due to deforestation, the ongoing loss of natural wetlands, the overexploitation of aquifers and climate change. We have not yet managed to reduce pollution as much as needed – that has negative effects on aquatic species and enormously reduces the amount of water that is fit for use in various sectors.
In this context, the support of the European Parliament and of the Council for the Commission proposals amending the list of water pollutants and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is fundamental. However, we must remember that water is interlinked with all life. It does not exist as an isolated resource. Our policies must take it into account as well.
Our planet, with all its natural ecosystems, is the engine of the water cycle. We must look after that engine. If we want adequate supplies of clean water, we need to nurture and restore the ecosystems that purify water and hold it in store. I am thinking of our soils, our forests, our rivers and our wetlands.
In this context, the biodiversity strategy and the Commission proposal for a Nature Restoration Law of paramount importance. The Nature Restoration Law introduces restoration targets for wetlands and floodplain restoration that help to withstand droughts and floods, as well as contribute to climate change mitigation. The restoration of urban ecosystems is also part of the Nature Restoration Law, and it will contribute to clean urban areas, making them more resilient to all kinds of natural risks.
Ecosystems that are in good condition are better able to reduce the impacts of extreme events such as storms, floods, droughts and fires, while being generally more resilient. Healthy ecosystems and nature-based solutions are therefore our best insurance policy for adaptive adaptation and disaster risk prevention. The Nature Restoration Law encourages development of those solutions in our cities, farmlands, rivers, lakes and forests. And it is important to make sure that the ground we walk on his sustainable, as we are sustained by it.
In fact, soil and water are intimately connected. Soil plays a crucial role in water sustainability; now between 60 and 70 % of EU soils are degraded. Dry, compacted soils are unable to effectively absorb rain. Healthy soils absorb, store and filter water and are therefore key to ensure resilience in the face of climate change and natural disasters. Sustainable soil management and regeneration practices increase water retention and the capacity of ecosystems, plants and crops to withstand droughts and extreme weather events.
On 5 July, the Commission will put forward a legislative proposal on soil with a view to achieve the vision set out in the soil strategy of healthy soils in the EU by 2050. This law will ensure that authorities and stakeholders are provided with updated and timely data on soil health and take timely actions to increase the resilience of soils. Among many other things, this will help us prevent and act on floods, droughts and soil erosion. This law will therefore be an indispensable tool in our response to the water crisis.
As part of our crisis management, we need to take an integrated approach to landscape. That way, we protect and restore natural ecosystems, which are crucial for delivering services like good quality water, which we need all year round.
An exit from the crisis will require firm action by all parties involved, including water management authorities and sectors like agriculture, industry and energy. The focus should be on solving problems at river basin scale. As most river basins are transboundary, this also requires close cooperation between Member States. This principle applies globally.
Indeed, international rivers should be threads of friendship, not the cause of conflict as they sometimes are. Protecting these ecosystems is in the interest of all. Ecological disasters like the one in the Oder demonstrate the consequences of failures to communicate and to make adequate preparations.
Over the last years, we saw that severe droughts hit different parts of Europe. We must recognise that water scarcity is principally driven by our own actions. Shortages are mainly due to increasing demand, not the decrease in supply. The situation is exacerbated by drought episodes and climate change.
Consequently, the focus must first and foremost be on prevention and adaptation. When these solutions have been implemented, there may still be a need to mitigate losses for the environment, society and the economy. Disasters will strike from time to time.
The EU will always be there to support our citizens, our farmers and our industry. That is why we have instruments like the CAP agricultural reserve, the Union civil protection mechanism and the EU Solidarity Fund. And that is also why we have recently adopted the Union Disaster Resilience Goals that will guide us to better disaster preparedness and response.
However, we must work on ensuring that we protect the well that nourishes us all. And that means seeing the role of all the actors in tackling the water crisis. Flourishing forests, protected river basins, healthy soils, sustainable water usage and efficient water treatment.
Let me conclude by highlighting once more the importance of sustainable, resilient water management and protecting both the quality and quantity of fresh water. We need to focus most closely on pollution prevention, water consumption and flood prevention, and we need to adapt to future threats from climate change and biodiversity loss. Increasing the resilience of the water system and of sectors that rely on it will help us move away from crisis management and towards the proactive management of risks. And we need everyone on board. We need all policy departments, all administrations and all actors involved, the private sector included, to understand and uphold integrated sustainable management.
The recent UN Water Conference showed in stark terms that this water crisis is a shared global concern. It was reassuring to see a joint commitment address it. The EU has the knowledge and the ambition to lead this case. Let us not be the continent that learns the value of water after the well has run dry.

Salvatore De Meo,
a nome del gruppo PPE. – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, in Italia l'anno scorso c'è stato un film di Paolo Virzì dal titolo ‘Siccità’. Un film ambientato in una Roma dove, non piovendo da tre anni, la mancanza d'acqua ha stravolto le regole e le abitudini di tutti. Se fino a qualche anno fa la sua trama avrebbe potuto essere surreale, oggi questo scenario potrebbe diventare sempre più verosimile se non si agisce tempestivamente.
               

                  Non credo che serva ribadire come l'acqua sia una risorsa essenziale per la vita e quali siano gli effetti devastanti della siccità sulle persone, l'ambiente e l'economia. Sicuramente l'agricoltura è uno dei settori più colpiti, perché la carenza di acqua compromette la produzione di cibo e la nostra sicurezza alimentare.
               

                  Purtroppo, l'acqua, da tutti immaginata come una risorsa naturale infinita, di fatto potrebbe non esserlo. È passato quasi un anno dal dibattito chiesto dal Partito Popolare europeo sull'emergenza siccità in Europa, dove abbiamo chiesto alla Commissione europea proposte concrete per scongiurare e affrontare nuove emergenze che ormai, lasciatemelo dire, non possono più definirsi tali, poiché si tratta di fenomeni più che prevedibili.
               

                  Nei giorni scorsi l'Italia ha approvato una legge con cui ha disposto una serie di misure per il contrasto della siccità e per il potenziamento e l'adeguamento delle infrastrutture idriche. È un primo passo, ma non basta, perché anche per la siccità è necessario avere un approccio comune, come abbiamo ascoltato poc'anzi dalla Commissaria. C'è bisogno di un piano straordinario a medio lungo termine che preveda l'ammodernamento delle vecchie infrastrutture, la realizzazione di nuovi invasi, l'incentivo ad un maggior uso delle tecnologie dei dati spaziali per il contenimento e il miglioramento dell'efficienza idrica.
               

                  A fronte di uno scenario produttivo così mutato, abbiamo bisogno anche di una legislazione comunitaria sulle tecniche di evoluzione assistita, da non confondersi con gli OGM, al fine di garantire colture resistenti ai fenomeni climatici e nuovi agenti patogeni.
               

                  Nel frattempo, le immagini della drammatica alluvione in Emilia-Romagna, così come quelle dei terreni secchi e aridi in Francia e Spagna, mostrano la faccia della stessa medaglia rappresentata dall'acqua e dalla sua gestione, da cui dipende la nostra quotidianità e in particolare la nostra sicurezza alimentare.
               

Beatrice Covassi,
a nome del gruppo S&D. – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, l'acqua è un elemento essenziale per la vita umana e per ogni civiltà. L'Europa soffre ormai di una grave siccità dal 2018. Più di un quarto del territorio dell'Unione europea si trova attualmente in condizioni di allarme siccità e l'aumento delle temperature aggrava questo deficit e crea un pericoloso ciclo in cui l'acqua diventa sempre più scarsa.
               

                  Questo è un elemento di novità per l'Europa. Ci siamo abituati a considerare la risorsa idrica come abbondante e oggi, invece, dobbiamo guardare ai bacini idrici e alla distribuzione dell'acqua con la consapevolezza di doverci adattare. Quest'anno la Francia ha vissuto il suo inverno più secco degli ultimi sessant'anni. In Italia non nevica e in assenza di nevicate le piogge primaverili possono arrivare a creare disastri come la tragica alluvione in Emilia-Romagna.
               

                  Questi dati meteorologici ci dicono oggi che siccità e alluvioni sono sintomi del cambiamento climatico in atto. Questo deve spingerci a ripensare la gestione del territorio con opportune strategie di adattamento e a intervenire sulle infrastrutture idriche per evitare dispersioni e ottimizzare lo stoccaggio.
               

                  Vanno anche fatte delle scelte, a partire dal primato del diritto dell'accesso all'acqua potabile fino a pratiche agricole più sostenibili. Ci siamo concentrati a livello europeo sulla tutela e promozione degli standard sanitari. Ora però, di fronte all'evidente sofferenza idrica di tante regioni europee, dobbiamo fare un passo avanti e dare avvio a una strategia idrica europea, a cominciare da interventi per l'adattamento al cambiamento climatico e investimenti in infrastrutture.
               

                  Le buone pratiche esistenti vanno sviluppate su scala europea, penso alla raccolta delle acque meteoriche in ambiente urbano e al riutilizzo di quelle reflue per l'agricoltura, e dobbiamo puntare sulla razionalizzazione della domanda d'acqua e quindi dei prelievi e degli usi in tutti i suoi settori.
               

                  Cari colleghi, è arrivato il momento di dare una dimensione europea all'acqua.
               

Vlad-Marius Botoș,
în numele grupului Renew. – Doamnă vicepreședintă, doamnă comisară, țin să vă felicit pentru analiza dumneavoastră introductivă. Stimați colegi, este foarte bine că avem această dezbatere aici, în plenul Parlamentului European. Ne confruntăm în ultimii ani cu o criză, o criză a apei de la secetă accentuată, temperaturi peste medie, soluri uscate în unele regiuni, la o creștere a nivelului apelor și inundații în alte regiuni.
               

                  Nu putem doar să constatăm că există o problemă și să atenționăm statele membre. Avem nevoie de o strategie pentru gestionarea apei la nivelul Uniunii Europene. Mai mult decât atât, avem nevoie de soluții pe termen scurt, mediu și lung pe care să le aplicăm adaptat pentru fiecare regiune în parte.
               

                  Poate că pe termen scurt unele constrângeri pot funcționa, dar în agricultură, unde apa este esențială, nu merge acest lucru, iar pe termen mediu și lung este nevoie de soluții viabile pentru care să asigurăm fondurile necesare. Din fericire, datele științifice arată că nu toate regiunile europene se confruntă cu această problemă în acest moment, deci presiunea nu este asupra întregii Uniuni Europene, însă tot datele arată că problema se extinde.
               

                  Tocmai de aceea este important să acționăm acum, cât mai putem opri sau încetini acest proces de extindere, fiindcă această problemă a crizei apei în Uniunea Europeană trebuie să ne intereseze pe toțim decidenții locali, regionali, naționali, dar și pe noi, cei europeni.
               

Benoît Biteau,
au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, mes chers collègues, quand toutes les lois abordant le sujet de l'eau affirment dans leur article 1er que ‘l'eau est un commun’, ce postulat convoque au moins une dimension centrale: celle du partage.
               

                  Pour que ce partage soit possible, nous devons absolument assumer la hiérarchie de ses priorités et réaffirmer des fondamentaux: accès à une eau potable de qualité en quantité suffisante – c'est un droit essentiel et fondamental –, restauration de la nature pour garantir le bon état des milieux aquatiques – éminemment stratégique – et le bon fonctionnement du grand cycle de l'eau, afin de recharger les nappes souterraines – lesquelles constituent le seul stockage pertinent de l'eau – et de permettre la satisfaction de la première priorité, l'accès à l'eau potable, mais aussi de la troisième, l'accès à l'‘eau économique’, celle qui sert à la fourniture d'électricité ou encore à l'irrigation agricole.
               

                  Pour que ce partage soit possible, nous devons mobiliser l'ensemble des politiques publiques vers ces objectifs, loin des solutions technicistes telles que les mégabassines, qui engloutissent des volumes financiers publics pharaoniques dans des fuites en avant et ne font qu'accentuer la confiscation de l'eau par une minorité.
               

                  Pour que ce partage soit possible, nous devons intégrer une gestion transfrontalière des fleuves qui traversent l'Europe et harmoniser les politiques publiques à l'échelon des bassins versants, et ainsi dépasser le corset des limites administratives.
               

                  Pour que ce partage soit possible, nous devons avancer sur l'émergence d'une conférence européenne de l'eau, comme je l'ai sollicité en septembre dernier dans une résolution, pourtant très largement soutenue.
               

                  Nous avons donc rendez-vous avec l'histoire sur les sujets du climat, de la biodiversité, de la santé et du partage de l'eau, ce commun, cette ressource vitale qui serait la première victime de notre inaction.
               

                  Alors, mes chers collègues, il y a urgence. Nous devons être responsables pour les générations futures et tout mettre en œuvre pour sortir du désert des partages.
               

Ангел Джамбазки,
от името на групата ECR. – Г-жо Председател, обикновено не е нужно да се изричат очевидните истини, но да, управлението на водните ресурси е изключително важно. Важно от гледна точка на това, че населението и селското стопанство в държавите – членки на Европейския съюз, ще изискват все повече и повече количества чиста питейна вода и такава за напояване.
               

                  Свидетели сме на аномалии като продължителни суши, следвани от сериозни наводнения. Бяха споменати такива в Италия, от няколко дни такава е картината и в България. Градове като Берковица, Етрополе са залети от необичайно големи количества валежи, които водят до тежки наводнения. Затова ресурсът трябва да бъде управляван разумно и мъдро и това е една от областите, в които може да се прави планиране на европейско ниво за това как да се води напояването, как да се организира селското стопанство, така че да не се разходват тези количества вода, които са разходват в момента и да могат да бъдат напоявани необходимите площи, за да посрещнат нуждите на населението от чиста храна, произведена тук в държавите – членки на Европейския съюз. Това може и трябва да бъде направено.
               

                  Разбира се, трябва да отчетем и ролята на залитания като ‘Зелената, климатична сделка’, така да го кажем, която подпомогна в много от държавите членки, включително България, да бъдат построени множество малки водноелектрически централи по реките, където може и където не може, където трябва и където не трябва. Малки водноелектрически централи, които разбиват нормалния поток, водят до засушаване и в края на краищата под маската на нещо хубаво и природно всъщност правят точно обратното. Така че това е още един пример за това, че не винаги зелените утопии са полезни.
               

André Rougé,
au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, un tiers des Français des Antilles et de Mayotte n'ont pas accès à l'eau. Faute de réponse pertinente du gouvernement français, c'est aujourd'hui l'ONU qui, de façon humiliante et sortant de son rôle, parle d'urgence sanitaire et rappelle à la France ses obligations en la matière à la Guadeloupe.
               

                  À chaque rencontre entre les Français d'outre-mer et Marine Le Pen, les mêmes craintes surgissent: qu'un jour l'eau cesse tout simplement de couler au robinet. Depuis trop longtemps maintenant, le Rassemblement national lance l'alerte sur cette crise et ses conséquences pour la France du large. L'agriculture, l'éducation, la vie quotidienne et, bien sûr, la santé sont concernées. La crise est la conséquence essentiellement de réseaux d'eau défaillants, voire absents, et de la contamination des sols, notamment par le chlordécone.
               

                  Les solutions existent et doivent venir d'une politique de l'eau réellement ambitieuse, favorisant principalement une rénovation des réseaux d'adduction. Pour l'heure, le manque de moyens des collectivités et le manque d'engagement du gouvernement mis en place par Emmanuel Macron condamnent toujours nos compatriotes ultramarins aux coupures récurrentes et aux restrictions.
               

                  À ce titre, je demande à la Conférence des présidents de porter à la connaissance de la commission REGI ma proposition de résolution demandant à l'Union européenne un soutien à la France, afin de favoriser l'accès à l'eau dans les régions ultrapériphériques.
               

Eugenia Rodríguez Palop,
en nombre del Grupo The Left. – Señora presidenta, el regadío en España supone ya más del 85 % del consumo total de agua y la superficie regada ha seguido aumentando en los últimos años.
               

                  La mayor eficiencia en el riego no ha contribuido a reducir su consumo, sino a aumentarlo, más y más en un mundo en el que cada vez hay menos. Esto es lo que pasa cuando se concibe el agua solo como un factor de producción, que se alimenta su gestión irresponsable y medioambientalmente insostenible.
               

                  La desertificación y la degradación de las tierras constituyen amenazas actuales y crecientes en la Unión Europea y son consecuencias, en buena parte, de esta visión distorsionada y miope.
               

                  Las tres cuartas partes de mi país están en riesgo de desertificación, un proceso que se ha acelerado en los últimos veinte años y en el que influyen las sequías, las altas temperaturas, los incendios, la sobreexplotación de aguas subterráneas, la agricultura intensiva de regadío o un irresponsable desarrollo urbanístico.
               

                  Ahora lo estamos viendo en Doñana, donde una propuesta legislativa del Partido Popular amenaza con desecarlo todo, al declarar regable una zona sin agua para favorecer a unos pocos. Una propuesta fantasiosa que dejará sin futuro a la zona y sus productos.
               

                  Por este tipo de cosas, es vital que, desde la Unión Europea, se tenga una clara idea de lo que supone una mala política del agua y se adopten las medidas adecuadas. Medidas coherentes, como nos exigió el Tribunal de Cuentas, en las que se contemple también el medio y largo plazo.
               

                  No se trata solo de revisar nuestra política de aguas con la Directiva marco o la Directiva sobre el tratamiento de las aguas residuales urbanas, sino que hace falta avanzar por la senda del Pacto Verde que algunos quieren desmantelar.
               

                  Sigue extendiéndose la errónea idea de que los agricultores no se benefician de las prácticas ambientales, pero en las zonas cerealísticas, por ejemplo, el Sol ha quemado la Tierra también por exceso de química y la ausencia de fauna y flora ha roto el ciclo que garantizaba la reservas de agua.
               

                  Es verdad que en España se han hecho algunas cosas bien, pero aún tenemos que acabar con la sobreexplotación de nuestros acuíferos, su contaminación por exceso de nitratos, la degradación del suelo o la pérdida de biodiversidad. Y no engañemos a los agricultores, porque si no hacemos todo esto los estaremos condenando al desierto, más en el sur que en el norte, claro, pero estaremos generando pobreza, desplazamientos y desesperación. Si no conseguimos mirar más lejos, es eso lo que nos espera.
               

Κώστας Παπαδάκης (NI). – Κυρία Πρόεδρε, από τη στιγμή που με τη βούλα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και όλων των κυβερνήσεων το νερό είναι εμπόρευμα και ο λαός πελάτης, με τους επιχειρηματικούς ομίλους του κλάδου να θησαυρίζουν και τις ξηρασίες που πλήττουν την Ισπανία και τη Γαλλία, ο λαός είναι αυτός που τους πληρώνει και ως καταναλωτής και ως φορολογούμενος και ως εργαζόμενος στον κλάδο. Σφοδρό χτύπημα δέχονται και οι βιοπαλαιστές αγρότες.
               

                  Στην Ελλάδα, η κυβέρνηση της Νέας Δημοκρατίας, όπως και αυτή του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, ενίσχυσαν την εμπορευματοποίηση του νερού, τη λειτουργία των κρατικών και δημοτικών επιχειρήσεων με ιδιωτικοοικονομικά κριτήρια, σε σύμπραξη με ιδιώτες στην απελευθερωμένη αγορά του νερού, στη βάση του νομικού πλαισίου των οδηγιών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Απέναντί τους, μια ισχυρή λαϊκή στρατηγική αντιπολίτευση με ένα ακόμα πιο δυνατό ΚΚΕ μπορεί να παλέψει μαζί με τον λαό για φθηνό, ελεγμένο, ποιοτικό νερό, με άμεση μείωση 30 % στα τιμολόγια για ανέργους χαμηλόμισθους, ενάντια στην άμεση ιδιωτικοποίηση, συνολικά την εμπορευματοποίηση και την επιχειρηματική λειτουργία κράτους-δημοτικών επιχειρήσεων, με έργα υποδομής, χωρίς συμβάσεις παραχώρησης, ώστε το νερό να συνιστά κοινωνικό αγαθό και όχι εμπόρευμα.
               

Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (PPE). – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, verano tras verano, Europa sufre una escasez hídrica de mayor gravedad que la anterior. Y este verano es posible que vivamos la sequía que colma el vaso.
               

                  En España, el pasado abril fue el mes más seco desde que guardamos los registros. No hemos comenzado siquiera el verano y las reservas hídricas españolas se encuentran ya por debajo del 50 %, frente al 70 % de apenas hace diez años. Y, además, no se trata de una sequía localizada, que afecta únicamente al sur o a las zonas más áridas. No, la falta de lluvia afecta ya a más del 80 % de todo el campo español.
               

                  La sequía es un fenómeno cada vez más frecuente y severo en toda Europa. La combinación de precipitaciones insuficientes y temperaturas extremas está poniendo en peligro nuestra seguridad alimentaria y la subsistencia de miles de agricultores. Por eso es nuestro deber actuar y ofrecer respuestas rápidas y efectivas para ello.
               

                  A corto plazo, debemos activar los mecanismos de apoyo financiero de los que dispone la Unión Europea para apoyar a los afectados. Mecanismos como la reserva de crisis, de la que ya hemos hecho uso para socorrer a los productores de trigo de los países fronterizos con Ucrania y que ahora necesitan con urgencia los agricultores y ganaderos mediterráneos.
               

                  Y, a largo plazo, debemos invertir en adaptación frente al cambio climático, en tecnología y en sistemas de riego eficientes, y en la modernización y expansión de nuestras infraestructuras hídricas. De las inversiones que hagamos hoy dependerá la supervivencia de los agricultores mañana, y de ello dependerá el futuro de nuestra seguridad alimentaria.
               

                  Por tanto, por nosotros y por la sostenibilidad futura de toda Europa, es hora de que actuemos e invirtamos en contra de la sequía.
               

Christel Schaldemose (S&D). – Fru Formand! Tak for det. Denne sommer ser vi konsekvenserne af klimakrisen endnu tydeligere end nogensinde før. Europa tørster. Floderne tørrer ud, drikkevandspejlet synker, landbruget er presset, og naturen lider. Der er kamp om vandet. Klimaindsatsen i Europa er derfor altafgørende. Vi skal gøre, hvad vi kan, for at undgå yderligere klimaforandringer og samtidig kompensere for det, vi allerede har set. Men det er også helt afgørende, at vi passer godt på det drikkevand, vi har. Og alt for mange steder er drikkevandet forurenet. Det sagde kommissæren også. Blandt andet er det forurenet med PFAS. I mit hjemland er der en ø, der hedder Fanø. Og her var drikkevandet så forurenet med PFAS, at det var sundhedsskadeligt at drikke det. Nu har vandværket investeret i et filter, der kan fjerne PFAS fra drikkevandet. Det er godt nyt for borgerne på Fanø. Men det er symptombehandling, men i det mindste gør man noget. Jeg synes, at der er brug for, at vi handler mere aktivt på europæisk plan for at beskytte det drikkevand, vi allerede har. Og det bør vi gøre ved at indføre et fuldt PFAS-forbud. Derfor vil jeg gerne spørge Kommissionen, om Kommissionen er villig til at revidere REACH-forordningen, så vi kan få dette forbud mod PFAS, så vi kan beskytte det vand, vi allerede har. Det her med at handle her og nu i forhold til PFAS er rigtig, rigtig vigtigt. Det drikkevand, vi har, skal beskyttes, og så skal vi på den lange bane med vores klimaforandringer forhindre, at tingene bliver endnu værre.
               

Stéphane Bijoux (Renew). – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, l'immense danger qui nous menace nous interdit d'être naïfs. Il faut bien comprendre que, quand Vladimir Poutine fait exploser un barrage hydraulique en Ukraine, c'est bien l'eau qu'il utilise comme une arme de guerre. Parce que Poutine, comme chacun de nous, sait très bien qu'on ne peut pas vivre sans eau. D'ailleurs, l'ONU lance l'alerte sur le fait que, d'ici quelques années, un humain sur deux va manquer d'eau.
               

                  Comment pouvons-nous éviter la catastrophe? Notre responsabilité collective est engagée. Il faut d'abord faire évoluer nos modes de vie. La sobriété n'est plus une option, elle est aujourd'hui indispensable. Les petits gestes comme les grandes solutions sont importants, et l'Europe doit impérativement miser et investir sur la recherche et sur l'innovation, sur le traitement des eaux usées, sur la lutte contre le gaspillage. Chaque effort individuel doit être encouragé, et chaque initiative collective doit être consolidée.
               

                  Une fois encore, il faut construire le bon équilibre entre tous les usagers de l'eau. Chacun doit faire preuve de responsabilité, mais aussi de solidarité.
               

Caroline Roose (Verts/ALE). – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, c'est un fait: le changement climatique augmente la fréquence des sécheresses et leur intensité. La crise de l'eau ne fait que commencer, et nous aurions tort de penser qu'elle est seulement liée au dérèglement climatique: elle est aussi le résultat de choix politiques, qui mettent en danger les ressources en eau. L'étalement urbain, l'artificialisation des terres ou encore la disparition des haies font que moins d'eau de pluie pénètre dans le sol pour recharger les nappes phréatiques. Le développement de cultures très gourmandes en eau, concentrées dans quelques régions, amène à ce que des quantités encore plus grandes soient pompées. Enfin, alors que l'on demande des efforts à chacun, on continue à autoriser l'arrosage des golfs ou l'utilisation de canons à neige, qui utilisent des quantités d'eau incroyables.
               

                  Face à cela, certains s'enferment dans un modèle dépassé: les bassines, qui permettent à une poignée de gros agriculteurs de s'accaparer deux milliers de mètres cubes d'eau aux dépens des autres. C'est une aberration. Revenons aux fondamentaux. L'eau est un droit humain, l'eau est un bien commun, il faut qu'elle soit gérée et protégée comme telle.
               

Jorge Buxadé Villalba (ECR). – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, la Estrategia de la UE sobre la biodiversidad de aquí a 2030 persigue restaurar el flujo libre del agua de al menos 25 000 kilómetros de ríos europeos.
               

                  El Gobierno socialista ha destruido en España más de 300 presas y azúdes en los últimos tres años, pero seguimos financiando el plan nacional de agua y la construcción de presas en Marruecos. Sánchez no ha sido presidente del Gobierno, sino administrador de una empresa de derribos, cruces, centrales térmicas y estructuras fluviales.
               

                  El ser humano lleva miles de años cuidando, restaurando y cultivando la naturaleza, y adaptándose. La agricultura trajo el sedentarismo y este la ciudad y la civilización. Cuando ustedes combaten la ingeniería, las obras hidráulicas o los regadíos combaten al hombre y la civilización. Cada azud y cada presa es el resultado del esfuerzo, la experiencia y la inteligencia acumulada de años, algo que ustedes y sus expertos desprecian.
               

                  La mayoría de las pequeñas presas en España tienen algo más de sesenta años, justo el momento en que España emprendió el camino de la prosperidad, y ustedes quieren volver atrás. En realidad, no quieren restaurar ni los ríos ni la naturaleza. Almacenar y canalizar agua para repartir riqueza por todo el territorio es lo que ha hecho siempre el hombre civilizado, desde Roma hasta nuestros días. Destruir es lo que hacen los bárbaros.
               

                  En Europa hay agua suficiente y no sobran presas, sobran informes de expertos climáticos. Con infraestructuras hidráulicas, pueden y deben conectarse todas las cuencas para que las excedentarias distribuyan a las que tienen déficit, y hacerse compatibles los usos agrarios con la protección del patrimonio natural en Doñana, en Daimiel o en el Mar Menor.
               

                  Se lo dije ayer, abran paso a la libertad, que nosotros ya estamos aquí.
               

Paola Ghidoni (ID). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, rappresentanti della Commissione, prima di iniziare chiedo di mandare tutti un abbraccio alle popolazioni dell'Emilia-Romagna ferite ma non certo sconfitte.
               

                  Potremmo discutere sulle cause del cambiamento climatico, ma atteniamoci ai fatti. Abbiamo visto le immagini dei disastri provocati dalla siccità, abbiamo visto quelle più recenti di molti territori europei devastati da tempeste e alluvioni. La scienza ci dice che i due fenomeni, siccità e alluvioni, sono in realtà collegati, ma ancora una volta atteniamoci ai fatti e alla scienza, a cui spesso qui molti si appellano.
               

                  Uno studio dell'Università di Berkley sostiene che la produzione di carne sintetica inquina fino a venticinque volte più di quella tradizionale. Non solo, ma richiede anche molta più acqua. Le associazioni di coltivatori sostengono che la PAC favorirà le multinazionali a scapito delle imprese agricole a chilometri zero.
               

                  Alla luce di questo, ben vengano il monitoraggio, lo scambio di informazioni e le iniziative di sensibilizzazione che la Commissione intende realizzare contro la siccità. Ma senza una modifica della PAC e con lo spreco di fondi pubblici per finanziare la ricerca di carne sintetica, già bocciata dalla scienza, le buone intenzioni serviranno a poco.
               

Sira Rego (The Left). – Señora presidenta, hace apenas unas semanas estuve en Córdoba, caminando sobre el fondo seco del embalse de Sierra Boyera, el primero en mi país en el que no quedaba ni una gota de agua. Desgraciadamente, si no hacemos algo, no va a ser el último.
               

                  España sufre la peor sequía en décadas, con temperaturas anómalas. Todo ello ha provocado que los embalses estén en este momento por debajo de la mitad de su capacidad y que tengamos una situación crítica. Por supuesto, este es uno de los síntomas de la crisis climática.
               

                  El cambio climático no es un invento, como pretenden hacernos creer la derecha y la extrema derecha. Es un fenómeno avalado por toda la comunidad científica, que ya nos está golpeando.
               

                  Y aquí nos encontramos ante dos modelos. El primero es el de los bulos negacionistas, que dan pie a que, por ejemplo, el PP en España haga una ley para secar y destrozar Doñana. Con eso penaliza a los agricultores que llevan años haciéndolo bien para favorecer el negocio de los que explotan pozos ilegales. El segundo es el de la sensatez, que apuesta por una gestión del agua que afronte que cada vez va a ser más escasa y que tendremos que adaptar la producción y el consumo a esta realidad.
               

                  Por tanto, tendremos que destinar recursos para modernizar las infraestructuras, garantizar el control público y tener una planificación sostenible, racional y justa. Por eso, el Ley de restauración de la naturaleza es una herramienta imprescindible para el futuro de Europa y también para la gestión responsable del agua.
               

                  Y por eso, el bloqueo otra vez del PP, aliado con la extrema derecha, en realidad revela que frente a los negocios vale todo. Incluso decir cosas tan delirantes como que proteger a las abejas y a los polinizadores pone en peligro la seguridad alimentaria o que regar campos de golf es mucho más importante que dar de beber a la gente.
               

                  Necesitamos medidas audaces, que salga adelante esta ley y que se ponga a freno a quienes contaminan y esquilman nuestros recursos.
               

Maxette Pirbakas (NI). – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, la situation que vous avez décrite il y a quelques instants, celle d'une Europe sans eau potable pour ses habitants, pour son agriculture et pour sa biodiversité, nous la connaissons depuis des années dans les départements français d'outre-mer, par exemple la Guadeloupe. Dans nos départements d'outre-mer, il est très fréquent d'ouvrir un robinet et de ne pas avoir d'eau qui en sort, parce que les canalisations sont défectueuses et que les réseaux sont défaillants. Des pans entiers de la population ont dû apprendre à vivre sans eau courante. Pourtant, nos départements d'outre-mer sont des territoires européens, Madame la Commissaire.
               

                  Quand la France se fait condamner, comme encore il y a quelques jours, par un comité de l'ONU, parce qu'elle ne respecte pas le droit à l'eau et à l'assainissement des habitants des départements d'outre-mer, notamment chez moi, à la Guadeloupe, Madame la Commissaire, c'est toute l'Europe qui est condamnée. Si l'Union européenne n'arrive pas à garantir certains droits fondamentaux de ses citoyens, alors elle passe à côté de sa mission essentielle aujourd'hui.
               

                  Madame la Commissaire, vous avez compris le sens de ce plaidoyer aujourd'hui, mais promettez-nous une vraie politique européenne de l'eau dans la durée. N'oubliez pas nos territoires français d'outre-mer, qui subissent aujourd'hui un problème de santé humaine.
               

Pernille Weiss (PPE). – Fru Formand! Det står værre til andre steder end i mit eget land, Danmark. Men når mit ellers så regnfulde lille land i nord i over to uger nu ikke har set en eneste dråbe vand, hvilket faktisk ikke er sket i 17 år, så siger det noget om den katastrofale tilstand, EU står med i form af decideret tørke. En tørke vi faktisk har kunnet måle siden 2018 altså før, vi fik ‘EU Green Deal’ på bordet og senere gik i gang med Fit for 55-pakken af direktiver og forordninger, som siger rigtig meget om alt det grønne, selvfølgelig, men alt, alt for lidt om det blå. I dag må vi altså tørt konstatere, at vi ikke har forstået, at der er altså ikke nogen grøn fremtid uden en sundere, stærkere og større blå økonomi. Derfor er det afgørende, at vi fra lige nu af, midt i sommerens hede, i frygten for skovbrande og udsigten til en elendig høst og lavere egenproduktion af energi, sætter os sammen her i huset, i Rådet, i Kommissionen og sammen med alle dem, der ved bedre end os og hurtigst muligt får skabt en ‘EU Blue Deal’. Lad os med det samme bruge EIT, Det Europæiske Institut for Innovation, til at få lavet et vand-KIC, et grænseoverskridende og multidisciplinært fællesskab af viden og innovation. Lad os nu begynde at svede lidt mere i de politiske værksteder, for vi er jo ikke uden værktøjer, der kan løse tørken i EU. Vi skal sådan set bare bruge dem nu.
               

Isabel Carvalhais (S&D). – Senhora Presidente, Caros Colegas, já não há como duvidar da presença das alterações climáticas nas nossas vidas. Fenómenos extremos, como cheias e secas severas, surgem de uma forma cada vez mais violenta e devastadora. Pensemos no drama humano e ambiental das recentes inundações em Itália e, no caso da seca, olhemos para Portugal, que no mês de maio já tinha a totalidade do seu território em seca, com 35% em seca severa ou extrema.
               

                  Estes cenários trazem consequências muito gravosas para toda a sociedade, mas, desde logo, para a produção agrícola, para a pecuária extensiva, para todo o nosso mundo rural.
               

                  Por isso, é vital que, no imediato, haja medidas de apoio que ajudem os agricultores e as populações rurais mais afetadas a, pelo menos, mitigar estes impactos.
               

                  Mas a seca é, e vai continuar a ser, sobretudo um fator crítico para a segurança alimentar na Europa. Por isso, não há como ignorar que precisamos de uma verdadeira estratégia europeia para a gestão hídrica. De contrário, corremos o risco de criar desertos populacionais e ambientais em toda a Europa.
               

Valter Flego (Renew). – Poštovana predsjedavajuća, klimatske promjene su tu, sada, danas oko nas, a suša i poplave ili nedostatak i višak vode su, nažalost, sve izraženiji. Posebno su klimatske promjene izražene na Mediteranu.
               

                  Zato postoji problem i u vodoopskrbi i u proizvodnji hrane. Postavlja se jedino normalno pitanje: Kako pomoći vodoopskrbi? Na dva načina. Prvo, gradnjom vodenih građevina za zadržavanje vode, dakle akumulacijom i, drugo, zamjenom starih cijevi koje puštaju vodu novima.
               

                  Naime, znamo da u cijeloj Europi imamo gubitke u vodoopskrbi od 15, 20, 30, pa i više posto. Dakle, to iscuri iz cijevi u zemlju, a s druge strane, kad govorimo o poljoprivredi, znamo da poljoprivrede danas nema bez navodnjavanja.
               

                  Zato, poštovana povjerenice Simson, ako želimo s riječi prijeći na djela, ja molim i tražim da se u europskom proračunu planiraju stavke za takve investicije, i to odmah i sada. I opet treba više planirati na Mediteranu, gdje je tlo stjenovito, gdje je krš. I zato, naravno, te investicije su skuplje nego u ravničarskim zemljama.
               

                  I na kraju, molim vas, kolege, zapamtite uzrečicu: voda nije sve, ali bez vode sve je ništa i uvijek je bilo i bit će voda, pa život. Hvala na pažnji i krenimo u akciju.
               

Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin, werte Kommission, Kollegen und Kolleginnen! Ein Drittel der europäischen Bevölkerung leidet bereits heute unter Wasserknappheit. Steppenseen in Mitteleuropa drohen auszutrocknen, und die Wüstenbildung schreitet voran – nicht nur in Spanien, auch in Ungarn oder Österreich zum Beispiel.
               

                  Niederschläge bleiben aus oder kommen dann innerhalb von wenigen Minuten oder Stunden in Form von Extremwetterereignissen in Massen vom Himmel herunter. Besonders in der Landwirtschaft müssen wir umdenken. Wir können nicht immer weiter dieselben Kulturen anbauen – mit noch mehr Bewässerung und noch mehr Bewässerung. Wir brauchen trockenheitsresistente Sorten und müssen auf andere Arten umsatteln. Wir brauchen Agroforstsysteme mit Teilbeschattung, um das Wasser am Boden zu halten.
               

                  Wir brauchen vor allem die Direktive über die Wiederherstellung der Natur. Die brauchen wir dringend, denn da geht es darum, Flüssen Platz zu geben, Nassgebiete zu erweitern, um das Wasser am Land zu halten, um dem Wasser Zeit zu geben, in den Grundwasserkörper einzudringen. Das ist gut für unsere Bürgerinnen und Bürger, das ist gut für die Biodiversität, und es ist am Ende auch gut für die Landwirtschaft.
               

Андрей Слабаков (ECR). – Г-жо Председател, аз ще се опитам да бъда съвсем конкретен. Аз лично не виждам никакви проблеми в законната сеч. Все пак хората имат нужда от дървен материал. Виждам обаче огромен проблем в утопичния ентусиазъм на Зелените, защото те не взимат под внимание мнението на експертите. Там, където са сечени едни видове, трябва да се възстановяват същите видове дървета. Категорично съм против промяната на видовия фонд. Не може да се садят дървета, които, както се казва на български, пият вода на мястото на дървета, които задържат вода. Това са елементарни лесовъдни принципи за мен.
               

                  За разлика от повечето колеги тука, аз лично съм работил в озеленяването и съм посадил хиляди дървета и все пак съм наясно с основните практики. Радвам се, че Зелените имат огромен ентусиазъм, но трябва да се работи наистина с експерти. В противен случай този комсомолски ентусиазъм ще доведе до екокатастрофа. Устойчиво решение на проблема може да бъде включването на деца до 18 г. като инициатива на държавите членки, които да садят дървета. Аз съм го правил като дете, много дървета съм посадил. За съжаление такива практики не се насърчават. Ако тази практика се осъществи, може да бъдете сигурни, че в държавите членки ще има нови посадени милиони дървета годишно. Държа да подчертая, че тази кампания трябва да бъде постоянна и устойчива, а не спорадична, както винаги предлагат Зелените, един ден в годината да посадим дърво.
               

                  Що се отнася до водноелектрическите централи, ще бъда изключително кратък. Те унищожават цели екосистеми, когато са сложени на места, които не са подходящи. Това, че са еко, не ги прави полезни.
               

Markus Buchheit (ID). – Frau Präsidentin, meine Damen und Herren! Meine allerersten Glückwünsche heute gehen an die Republik Frankreich zum Bau sechs neuer Kernkraftwerke, der da beschlossen worden ist.
               

                  Und Sie finden sich damit natürlich in guter Gesellschaft, denn wir haben immerhin 30 bis 45 neue Kernkraftwerke, die in der EU gebaut werden sollen. Nun gehöre ich ja nicht zu der Klimasekte, wie wir sie hier links finden, aber das finde ich doch wieder als CO2-Reduktionsmaßnahme ganz passend.
               

                  Die Franzosen finden sich also in guter Gesellschaft, ich hier im Hause in etwas schlechterer, denn ich bin umgeben von Kollegen, die schon an der Änderung der Zeitumstellung scheitern, aber gleichzeitig denken, hier aus dem Plenarsaal heraus das Weltklima verändern zu können.
               

                  Meine Forderung ist eine ganz einfache: Lassen wir doch diese Hybris und setzen wir einen Teil des Kapitals von über 1 Billion Euro – für den Grünen Deal vorgesehen – jetzt für Wassermanagement ein. Das betrifft ja nicht nur die Bekämpfung von Trockenheiten, die eben jetzt schon in der heutigen Zeit eintreten, sondern natürlich auch Hochwasserereignisse, Hochwasserschutzmaßnahmen. Das Geld ist jetzt erforderlich. Wir müssen nicht kämpfen gegen den Klimawandel in 100 Jahren, wir müssen kämpfen gegen die Extremwetterereignisse heute.
               

Sandra Pereira (The Left). – Senhora Presidente, em Portugal, se considerarmos os últimos dez anos, só em 2014 é que não se registava uma situação de seca no final do mês de setembro. No final do passado mês de maio, 35% do território estava em situação de seca severa ou extrema.
               

                  Os cenários desenvolvidos para Portugal, no que respeita às condições climáticas confirmam preocupações crescentes das populações e dos agricultores e apontam para o aumento da frequência e o agravamento de situações de seca meteorológica, particularmente no sul do país, podendo mesmo intensificar-se no futuro.
               

                  Isto implica um aumento do risco e da vulnerabilidade a estes fenómenos, com impactos importantes ao nível das disponibilidades hídricas e, consequentemente, ao nível do setor agrícola, nos planos e nos planos económico e social.
               

                  A prevalência no tempo e a maior frequência de ocorrência de condições de seca traduzem-se em menores volumes de armazenamento das albufeiras e na escassez de água para diferentes utilizações.
               

                  Os pequenos agricultores, que produzem de forma mais sustentável e respeitadora da natureza, confrontam-se com os aumentos dos custos dos insumos e lutam também contra a falta de recursos hídricos para a rega. E não há inovação e agricultura de precisão que nos valha se a água não existir.
               

                  É, pois, necessário adotar medidas estruturais para assegurar uma maior e mais eficaz retenção da água do inverno e de encontrar soluções de mitigação e de resposta às cada vez mais frequentes e acentuadas condições de seca. É necessário reconhecer as dificuldades que as condições de seca representam na produção agrícola e adotar as medidas necessárias para proteger as produções, garantir a continuidade das explorações e promover a fixação das populações e, no imediato, assegurar as condições aos agricultores e produtores pecuários para que não percam a totalidade das produções, para a salvaguarda dos animais e para assegurar os rendimentos necessários para manterem a atividade.
               

                  É imprescindível mudar o modo de produção, respeitando os limites da natureza, promovendo a biodiversidade e restaurando o que foi perdido. Somente, assim, garantiremos um futuro digno, onde a seca não seja uma sentença de morte no nosso país.
               

Marc Tarabella (NI). – Madame la Présidente, il est plus que temps de prendre conscience que l'eau est une ressource vitale. Sa raréfaction dans de nombreux pays européens est l'une des nombreuses conséquences d'un réchauffement climatique que même les plus climatosceptiques ne peuvent plus nier sans passer pour des dingues.
               

                  La situation est grave, mais pas encore désespérée. Des solutions existent. Elles passent par une réelle prise de conscience de la valeur de l'eau, une meilleure gestion de celle-ci par la recherche de nouvelles ressources.
               

                  Attention également à faire les bons choix. Quand je vois que les États, pour combler ce manque d'anticipation, se lancent aveuglément dans la désalinisation de l'eau, mais avec des procédés extrêmement énergivores – qui plus est avec des énergies fossiles –, je m'interroge.
               

                  Je m'interroge aussi sur le faible intérêt pour le recyclage des eaux usées: 1 % seulement en France, 2 % dans l'Union européenne. Là aussi, il est temps de passer au XXIe siècle.
               

                  Enfin, il ne faut pas avoir peur, comme je le défends depuis longtemps, d'oser le changement dans les méthodes agricoles, d'oser la sélection de plantes mieux adaptées et d'oser l'agroécologie. Ce n'est pas avec des mesurettes au compte-gouttes que nous sortirons de cette crise majeure.
               

Seán Kelly (PPE). – A Uachtaráin, Commissioner, last year, Europe grappled with the effects of the hottest summer on record. We witnessed droughts across the EU, resulting in the second-lowest river flow and the second-largest wildfire burn area on record for Europe. And this year might even be worse. The unfortunate reality we are facing is that there will be hotter and drier summers to come, and water scarcity and drought will become more frequent.
It is therefore imperative that the EU is equipped with strong policies in place to prevent and to mitigate the effects of water stress conditions. I'm calling on the Commission for increased action in safeguarding Europe's water resources. Existing legislation should be monitored regularly to ensure that appropriate revisions are made. Europe's water policy must be effective and respond swiftly to the most up-to-date scientific knowledge.
Water reuse policies offer sustainable solutions to alleviate water scarcity. Instead of relying solely on freshwater supplies, we can maximize the use of treated waste water, thereby reducing the pressure on natural water sources. By reusing water for non-drinkable purposes, we can conserve freshwater resources and ensure their availability for essential needs, such as drinking, sanitation and hygiene. By treating and reusing waste water, we can alleviate water scarcity, enhance water retention and promote responsible water management practices.
Also, at Member State level – especially in my own country, Ireland – there are far too many leaking and burst pipes. It is imperative that this is properly addressed as a matter of urgency. Leaking water is water wasted, and we cannot afford to waste any more water.

Marcos Ros Sempere (S&D). – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, ya está aquí. Hemos pasado las últimas décadas alertando de la amenaza que supone el cambio climático, pero hace tiempo que no es una amenaza, sino una realidad. Es uno de los dos grandes problemas que pueden acabar con nuestro medio ambiente. La sequía que asola a Europa nos muestra la gravedad de la situación. Pero no es solo el cambio climático. La acción humana es otro gran problema. Los usos y abusos del agua a lo largo y ancho de la Unión Europea han provocado un gran daño.
               

                  En la Región de Murcia y otras comunidades españolas limítrofes lo conocemos bien: extracciones ilegales de agua y acuíferos sobreexplotados y contaminados que terminan provocando la degradación del Mar Menor, una joya medioambiental de la Unión Europea.
               

                  Debemos actuar ya, y hacerlo en los dos ámbitos: combatir el cambio climático y poner orden en la gestión de los recursos hídricos. Hay que acabar con las explotaciones ilegales y las acciones que contaminan las aguas, especialmente las aguas subterráneas. Estos problemas ya están aquí y tenemos que afrontarlos cuanto antes.
               

Irène Tolleret (Renew). – Madame la Présidente, mon pays, la France, est en déficit hydrique depuis trois années consécutives. La sécheresse progresse inexorablement du sud de notre Union européenne vers le nord. Elle touche particulièrement les agriculteurs européens, responsables de notre sécurité alimentaire, et risque de mettre en péril la qualité de vie de nos concitoyens, sans parler de l'augmentation des incendies, même en hiver. Les cultures sont déjà très touchées, mais les prairies aussi, car il n'est pas question de les irriguer.
               

                  Face à un changement climatique qui s'accélère à pas de géant, nous avons aussi besoin de solutions très rapides pour améliorer la gestion de l'eau. La nouvelle PAC a introduit de nouvelles restrictions sur les investissements pour augmenter les surfaces irriguées. Il faut donc mettre en place des solutions innovantes. Mon pays, la France, y travaille dans le cadre de son programme ‘Varenne de l'eau’, mais nous avons besoin de solutions au niveau européen.
               

                  Que faut-il donc faire? Tout d'abord, il faut encourager la construction de citernes d'eau de pluie et l'utilisation des eaux usées dans le secteur agricole. Nous devons mieux utiliser cette ressource.
               

                  Deuxièmement, il faut augmenter la résilience des cultures, et pour cela le débat sur les nouvelles techniques génomiques doit être abordé sans tabou et sans délai. À mon avis, la proposition de la Commission que nous attendons arrive déjà très tard.
               

                  Troisièmement, nous devons promouvoir l'introduction de variétés plus résistantes et aider les agriculteurs à passer à des pratiques agronomiques qui sont plus économes en eau.
               

                  Pour finir, j'aimerais souligner la nécessité de mettre en œuvre au niveau européen des systèmes assurantiels efficaces qui limitent le niveau de détresse de nos agriculteurs face au changement climatique. Tous ensemble, réduisons notre consommation d'eau, réutilisons l'eau et substituons les usages de l'eau, en priorisant la consommation humaine et les agriculteurs.
               

Ana Miranda (Verts/ALE). – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, vou falar da seca na Galiza. No país dos 1 000 rios também há falta de água. Os padrões de chuvas estão a mudar num contexto de urgência climática. A disponibilidade de água na Galiza está condicionada pela rede de abastecimento dimensionada em função das condições húmidas.
               

                  Faltam infraestruturas de armazenamento de águas pluviais excedentes e sistemas de rega que poupem água. Os agricultores precisam de captações que lhes garantam poder produzir.
               

                  No meu país, o meio rural produtivo sofre. Há perdas económicas significativas pelo aumento dos custos produtivos de insumos na agricultura e a produção de frutas exige que o Governo galego preste ajuda e compense os efeitos da seca.
               

                  Precisamos, Senhora Comissária, de uma estratégia hídrica, de mecanismos públicos na Europa para lutar contra a seca prolongada e severa que também afeta países húmidos como o meu.
               

Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarz! Polska posiada najniższe zasoby wody w Europie. Jedynie 7% wody przepływającej przez Polskę jest retencjonowane. W wyniku zmian klimatycznych poziom w polskich głównych rzekach spadł w zeszłym roku do kilkunastu centymetrów. W tym roku w moim okręgu wyborczym, to jest w województwie zachodniopomorskim i lubuskim, deszcz nie padał przez ponad miesiąc, co nie jest już anomalią, lecz standardem pogodowym. Cel przyjęty przez polski rząd to program rozwoju retencji zwiększający zasoby wody do 15% do 2027 roku.
               

                  Niestety, nasi niemieccy sąsiedzi, którzy notabene sami uregulowali wszystkie swoje rzeki, blokują nasze działania. My pracujemy w Strasburgu. Każdy z nas może zobaczyć, jak uregulowany jest Ren, rzeka graniczna Francji i Niemiec. Natomiast w przypadku celu przyjętego przez nasz rząd, to ze strony naszych niemieckich sąsiadów wygląda na to, że obrali oni sobie za cel blokowanie wszelkich inwestycji na granicznej rzece, jaką jest Odra. Komisja Europejska, EBOR oraz EBI zablokowały środki na inwestycje przeciwpowodziowe i przeciwsuszowe na rzece Odrze. Zbiorniki, na które zgodziła się Komisja, to tzw. ‘zbiorniki suche’. Przykładem takiego zbiornika jest zbiornik w Raciborzu na Odrze, który miał być największym rezerwuarem wody w Polsce, a jest suchą pustynią. Stopnie wodne na Odrze, podnoszące poziom wody, są notorycznie blokowane przez stronę niemiecką. Projektowany zbiornik Wielowieś Klasztorna na wysychającej Wielkopolsce nie został zaakceptowany przez Komisję Europejską. Skutki tej polityki, prowadzonej – było nie było (wszystko na to wskazuje) – pod dyktando niemieckie, będą katastrofalne dla bezpieczeństwa wodnego Europy.
               

                  Wzywam Komisję do wprowadzenia rzeczywistej zmiany polityki, a nie tylko fikcyjnej walki z suszą.
               

Paolo Borchia (ID). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, la crisi idrica ha evidenziato diversi problemi in Europa: dalla distribuzione disuguale delle risorse alla sicurezza idrica per le attività umane, l'agricoltura e l'allevamento del bestiame.
               

                  Adesso, senza perdersi in soluzioni poco praticabili e avventurose, le priorità immediate sono legate agli investimenti in infrastrutture idriche moderne e a prova di eccessiva dispersione. Parliamo di costruire invasi, bacini artificiali di captazione, parliamo di ammodernamento di condotte e canali per eliminare le perdite. Sono soluzioni concrete. Si investe per risparmiare risorsa e per aggiungere sicurezza.
               

                  Inoltre, e questo è un ragionamento più di prospettiva, è necessario promuovere un uso consapevole e sostenibile dell'acqua. Va aperta inoltre una seria riflessione anche sul tema dei vincoli con cui gli operatori pubblici devono fare i conti. Troppa burocrazia rallenta gli investimenti. Misure locali con un costo elevato per unità di emissione abbattuta sono irrilevanti, costituiscono uno spreco di risorse. Sarebbe preferibile impiegarle dove la riduzione delle emissioni è molto meno costosa.
               

                  Si sta combattendo, colleghi, una guerra santa al cambiamento climatico, con gli alfieri del pensiero unico che sono pronti a mimetizzare l'ideologia con la scienza. C'è chi finanzia la paura, c'è chi finanzia chi imbratta le opere d'arte e blocca il traffico. Ecco, magari dite a questi signori di finanziare anche qualche opera utile per fronteggiare l'emergenza idrica.
               

Antoni Comín i Oliveres (NI). – Madame la Présidente, il y a quelques minutes, j'ai pu voter en faveur de la loi pour la restauration de la nature. Restaurer la nature est indispensable si nous ne voulons pas nous retrouver dans des situations comme celle que nous vivons actuellement: une période de sécheresse historique, qui ne connaît plus des frontières Nord-Sud, parce que les facteurs qui la provoquent nous affectent tous. Les hivers sont de plus en plus chauds, secs et doux dans toute l'Union, et spécialement dans le sud et dans l'ouest de l'Europe.
               

                  Il est inacceptable que certains proposent d'appuyer sur le bouton ‘pause’ quand il s'agit de lutter contre le changement climatique. La loi sur la restauration de la nature, que certains pays et certains groupes politiques de ce Parlement cherchent à arrêter, propose déjà de restaurer les écosystèmes aquatiques, lesquels sont responsables, entre autres, de la lutte contre les inondations et les crues.
               

                  Il est urgent d'adapter la législation-cadre européenne en matière d'eau car nous disposons de moins d'eau, et sa qualité a baissé. Il est vital que toute législation nous permettant d'atténuer les conséquences du dérèglement climatique soit défendue par ce Parlement sans la moindre hésitation. Notre avenir à tous est en jeu.
               

Deirdre Clune (PPE). – Madam President, Madam Commissioner, water scarcity driven by climate change and unsustainable practice poses a significant threat to a way of life here in Europe. The sight of empty reservoirs, stranded boats, previously submerged infrastructure is becoming more and more common. And as of April, over a quarter of the continent was in drought. And it's likely that the situation will further deteriorate in the coming months. And rising temperatures are making it so much harder to recover and creating that dangerous cycle. And we have heard it from many speakers here this morning from their own countries, rising temperatures, high temperatures that have never been seen before being recorded is becoming a daily occurrence in our media in Ireland with our mild climate and our coastal landscape is reaching warning levels of soil-moisture deficits. The deficit does have serious consequences for our agricultural industry as crops so much rely on sufficient moisture in our soils to thrive.
So it is imperative that we take action to address the crisis here to address these challenges. Collaboration between policymakers, scientists, engineers, farmers producing our food is so important. Sharing knowledge, best practices and resources. We can develop sustainable climate-resilient agricultural systems and mitigate against water scarcity. So now so many cities and towns have been told that we have a hosepipe ban being implemented. That's not good enough for our citizens. They need to see water storage facilities being developed. We all know where we are going on this and we need to react.
Here in Parliament yesterday we had the AI vote that will help to address climate change. I, as a shadow, am working on the Wastewater Treatment Directive, we are prioritising the reuse of treated wastewater for agriculture and irrigation. Our Environment Committee is voting on the Nature Restoration Law this morning. All these are things that we can do here to improve our water quality and to address the serious deterioration in standards across Europe. So we need improved infrastructure. We must implement water management strategies because water is a natural resource and, to me, to preserve that is what we need to do for sustainable development for those future generations of our continent.

Brando Benifei (S&D). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, il fiume Po completamente asciutto, fiumi e torrenti scomparsi e assenza di pioggia per mesi. L'Italia questa primavera appariva esattamente così. Solo un mese fa, invece, un altro scenario completamente diverso: l'Emilia-Romagna sott'acqua, fiumi esondati, frane, morti, sfollati. Questo non è un paradosso. Il cambiamento climatico sta alterando i cicli idrologici, allungando i periodi di siccità alternati da frequenti periodi di fortissime piogge.
               

                  Così non va bene, dobbiamo agire. Oggi si voterà la risoluzione sulla Giornata mondiale per le vittime del cambiamento climatico e tra due giorni si celebra la Giornata mondiale contro la desertificazione e la siccità. Questi temi sono delle priorità del Green Deal europeo e dobbiamo continuare quindi a lavorare per la strategia per l'adattamento ai cambiamenti climatici, così come su tutte le proposte della Commissione.
               

                  Dobbiamo essere efficaci, realisti, concreti, ma anche ambiziosi, perché altrimenti non avremo un futuro. Sono fatti quelli di cui parliamo, non opinioni. Serve un'economia efficiente, con maggiore risparmio idrico. Non esiste un pianeta B, non esiste alternativa.
               

Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin, meine Damen und Herren! Sie kennen es bestimmt, wenn ein Küchenschwamm so trocken ist, dass, wenn wir versuchen, ihn zu benutzen, das Wasser einfach wegrutscht und überhaupt nichts mehr in diesen Schwamm hineingeht. Das kennen wir alle. Ein alltägliches Phänomen.
               

                  Was hat das mit der Diskussion hier zu tun? Unsere Landschaften trocknen ebenso aus, und das Problem ist, dass eben, auch wenn es viel regnet – wie jetzt in diesem Frühling –, wir durch die erhöhte Temperatur des Klimawandels auch eine sofortige Ausdünstung haben und wir es nicht mehr schaffen, unsere Landschaften voll Wasser zu halten.
               

                  Was müssen wir tun? Wir müssen erstens natürlich heraus aus dem fossilen Zeitalter. Wir bemühen uns alle, und unsere Diskussionen in unseren Heimatländern zeigen, wie schwierig das ist. Was müssen wir zweitens tun? Wir müssen auch mit der Durchwurzelung unserer Landschaften wieder besser arbeiten. Wir müssen naturnahe Waldwirtschaft, tiefgründige Böden, die Mischwälder nach vorne bringen. Wir müssen auch neue Agroforstsysteme kreieren. Wir müssen auch kleinstrukturierte Landschaften wiederherstellen, und wir müssen unsere Gewässer renaturieren. Das wissen wir.
               

                  Wir sollten jetzt, wo wir die Konsequenzen sehen, mal schnell agieren.
               

Beata Kempa (ECR). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Szanowni Państwo! Europa umiera bez wody. Gdybyśmy tak naprawdę na inwestycje hydrotechniczne wydali 30% kwoty, którą przeznaczyliśmy na przykład na projekty związane z panelami słonecznymi czy wiatrakami, to myślę, że udałoby się przynajmniej powstrzymać proces wysuszania w Europie.
               

                  Przede wszystkim wody potrzebuje superintensywne rolnictwo. Dlatego musimy wprowadzić nowe inwestycje, szczególnie w tereny rolnicze i wiejskie, aby tam pomóc naszym rolnikom w gromadzeniu i oczyszczaniu wody. Więcej środków na oczyszczalnie, zbiorniki retencyjne – to powinien być nasz cel, dlatego że kryzys klimatyczny ma uderzyć w nas, według szacunków, od 2050 do 2070 roku. Ale kryzys wody jest już faktem. Jest aktualny i wymaga przede wszystkim bardzo pilnych środków zaradczych.
               

                  To jest problem przede wszystkim transgraniczny. Dotyka wszystkich. Dlatego środki proponowane przez Komisję Europejską powinny mieć charakter dotacji pilnej i nie powinny być ograniczone decyzjami politycznymi. To jest nasze bezpieczeństwo, nie tylko ekonomiczne, ale przede wszystkim również zdrowotne, żywnościowe i w każdym rozmiarze jedno z najważniejszych wyzwań, z jakimi przychodzi w tej chwili zmierzyć się Europie.
               

Marie Dauchy (ID). – Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, la question de la crise de l'eau est un problème éminemment transversal, car l'eau est partout et elle sert à tous les usages. Elle est nécessaire à notre alimentation et à notre hygiène, elle conditionne notre production agricole et industrielle, elle se répercute sur l'attractivité et la vivabilité de nos territoires, et elle est elle-même grandement affectée par nos modes de vie et par le changement climatique.
               

                  Nous ne surmonterons pas un problème d'une telle ampleur par des incantations, c'est-à-dire avec des solutions prônées par l'écologie politique telle qu'elle est actuellement développée. Comment faire confiance à des politiques qui, prétendant répondre au changement climatique, prônent la mise en place d'une mobilité tout électrique, quand on sait que la production d'une seule batterie équivaut à la consommation annuelle en eau de 500 personnes? Comment faire confiance à des politiques qui, prétendant restaurer la nature, veulent détruire les retenues d'eau essentielles à la régulation des flux aquifères? Le temps est évidemment trop court pour aborder ici toutes les absurdités des politiques pseudo-écologistes mises en place à Bruxelles ou pour développer l'ensemble des solutions viables.
               

                  La crise de l'eau sera surmontée par un changement radical et logique, par la mise en cause du modèle libre-échangiste toujours prôné par les institutions européennes, par l'orientation de nos politiques environnementales vers davantage de localisme et par une réelle confiance dans la science, en lieu et place de l'idéologie.
               

José Manuel Fernandes (PPE). – Senhora Presidente, Caras e Caros Colegas, a água é um bem essencial e um recurso limitado e, por isso, tem de ser gerido com competência, à escala nacional e à escala europeia.
               

                  Desde logo, temos de combater o desperdício. No meu país, em Portugal, 190 mil milhões de litros são desperdiçados anualmente da água destinada ao consumo humano. Há que combater este desperdício e investir na eficiência e na manutenção dos nossos sistemas.
               

                  Além disso, é necessária a interligação dos sistemas de abastecimento público de água e, se necessário, apostar e investir em centrais de digitalização. Além disso, porque sabemos que é uma competência nacional, mas ainda que o seja, a União Europeia não se pode, no entanto, demitir das suas obrigações e tem de incentivar os Estados-Membros a cumprir objetivos no combate ao desperdício.
               

                  Por isso, sugiro à Comissão um plano europeu para a utilização eficiente deste recurso da água. É, ainda, necessária uma coordenação eficiente e uma coordenação europeia para a gestão hídrica.
               

                  A água é essencial ao consumo humano, mas também à agricultura. E no meu país, 35% do território, em maio, estava numa situação de seca severa e extrema. É necessário investir no armazenamento da água para darmos a possibilidade aos agricultores de continuarem a produzir alimentos a preços acessíveis.
               

                  E não faltam recursos aos Estados-Membros: os planos de recuperação e resiliência, o FEDER, o Fundo de Coesão, o FEADER. É necessário que a Comissão Europeia incentive os Estados-Membros a usarem os milhares de milhões de euros, a tempestade de milhões que têm, para gerir bem este recurso essencial à vida humana, essencial à agricultura e essencial, também, até, em termos da diversidade.
               

                  É o futuro dos cidadãos que está em causa. Não podemos perder esta oportunidade que os fundos europeus nos dão.
               

Monika Beňová (S&D). – Vážená pani predsedajúca, voda je to najdôležitejšie, čo máme. Potrebujeme ju každý. Potrebuje ju pôda, potrebujú ju zvieratá, vtáky, potrebujeme ju my, ľudia. Podľa dostupných výskumov, aj keď ostatné týždne síce zapršalo, zostali minimálne od roku 2018 hladiny podzemnej vody na celom kontinente nízke. Všade je sucho, v ktorom sa nachádzame, a toto sucho môže byť najsilnejšie v zaznamenanej histórii. Najviac postihnutými sú síce krajiny na juhu Európskej únie, ale aj časti mojej krajiny Slovenska, a to hlavne počas minulého roka, boli veľmi silne postihnuté nedostatkom vody. Musíme myslieť na našich občanov a na naše poľnohospodárstvo. Apelujem na predstaviteľov Európskej komisie, aby sme našli financie a investície do civilnej infraštruktúry s vodou, ako sú napríklad studne či vodné rezervoáre v najviac postihnutých oblastiach. Komisia a Európska rada by mali taktiež navrhnúť konkrétne kroky a riešenia aj preventívneho charakteru a bezodkladne začať pripravovať Európsku úniu na najhoršie scenáre vo vodnom hospodárstve. Pretože vyhráme len vtedy, keď budeme dobre pripravení. Z tohto miesta by som chcela apelovať, ale aj na súčasnú slovenskú úradnícku vládu, aby výrazne posilnili kapitolu v pláne obnovy k udržateľnému hospodáreniu s vodnými zdrojmi.
               

Nicolae Ștefănuță (Verts/ALE). – Doamnă președintă, secetele din 2022 au redus substanțial recoltele noastre. Nici iarna nu a fost mai bine în Europa. Rezultate: seceta solului, debite scăzute ale râurilor și stocare redusă de apă în rezervoare. Proiecțiile climatice indică faptul că în sudul și în centrul Europei vor deveni verile și mai uscate, și mai calde pe parcursul secolului nostru, iar consecințele vor fi devastatoare pentru sectorul agricol.
               

                  Deja se calculează că pierderile economice sunt de 9 miliarde acum, pe un scenariu de creștere de 1,5 o, pe un scenariu de 2 o ajungem la 31 de miliarde, iar la 3 o ajungem la 45 de miliarde. Și acolo mă întreb chiar despre viitorul speciei umane și despre viitorul continentului european.
               

                  Însă votul, chiar de astăzi, din Comisia de mediu arată că oamenii politici sunt încă iresponsabili și nu le pasă de aceste scenarii. Ce le pasă, sunt aceste retorici populiste care nu ne încălzesc și nu ne țin de foame. Să ne fie clar, fără natură, nu vom avea viitor, nu vom avea ape curate, aer responsabil și soluri fertile și nu vom avea nici oameni.
               

Bartosz Arłukowicz (PPE). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Szanowna Pani Komisarz! To, co wydarzyło się na Odrze w Polsce w ciągu ostatniego roku, było największą katastrofą ekologiczną, jaką widzieliśmy w ciągu ostatnich kilkudziesięciu lat w Polsce. To był dramatyczny widok. Mieszkam w Szczecinie, w mieście, wokół którego widzieliśmy tysiące kilogramów, a w całym kraju setki ton śniętych ryb. Wędkarze, organizacje pozarządowe, służby, wszyscy alarmowali rząd o tym, że Odra jest zatruwana. Mimo wszystko doszło do tej niewyobrażalnej katastrofy. Widok wędkarzy, zwykłych obywateli, którzy odławiali własnymi siatkami śnięte ryby, te które wypłynęły, był widokiem wstrząsającym. Ciszę nad Odrą po jej zatruciu zapamiętałem na bardzo długo.
               

                  Do dzisiaj nie mamy wyjaśnienia, kto, dlaczego i w jaki sposób zatruł Odrę. Media donoszą, że winne tej sytuacji mogą być wielkie firmy, być może państwowe – tego do dzisiaj nie wyjaśniono. Minęło wiele miesięcy od pierwszego zatrucia Odry, a tymczasem zapowiada się, że będziemy mieli powtórkę z tej tragicznej sytuacji. Jak wynika z kontroli przeprowadzonej przez posłów do polskiego parlamentu Dariusza Jońskiego i Michała Szczerbę, już pierwszego marca tego roku odnotowano pierwszy stopień zagrożenia złotą algą, a dwa dni później był to już trzeci stopień. Zaobserwowano także śnięte ryby, pierwsze 200 kilogramów w starorzeczu Odry. Kontrola w polskich wodach ujawniła aż 1122 nielegalne wyloty do Odry. Tylko 117 zostało czasowo zamkniętych. 151 spraw trafiło na policję. Uwaga: od września tamtego roku wydano aż 138 nowych pozwoleń prawnych na zrzucanie ścieków przemysłowych do Odry.
               

                  Wszystko to pokazuje, że rząd nie radzi sobie z tą sytuacją, która dotknęła Odrę, naszą rzekę, ale również wspólną rzekę. Dlatego apeluję jeszcze raz do wszystkich: zróbmy wszystko, aby uratować Odrę. Zwracam się także do Komisji o pilne wyjaśnienie tej sprawy.
               

Clara Aguilera (S&D). – Señora presidenta, todos coincidimos. Nadie pone en duda que hay una gran sequía. Yo soy española y en mi país padecemos de primera mano la sequía. Hemos tenido grandes olas de sequía. La última, que se está produciendo ahora, es la peor.
               

                  Por tanto, necesitamos que este recurso limitado y esencial se gestione mejor. Que lo gestionen mejor los Estados miembros. Yo critico la gestión de las cuencas hidrográficas de mi país. Creo que no ha habido una gestión adecuada.
               

                  También la Comisión puede hacer más. Hace falta una estrategia europea del agua porque, como hemos dicho todos, el agua es un recurso limitado y esencial, pero que necesitamos de primera mano. Son necesarias propuestas concretas de acción directa. De acción directa. Si no, lo pasaremos mal. Hay que fomentar una cultura del ahorro del agua entre las personas. ¿Cómo es posible que no estemos ya diciendo, en mi país y en otros, que se debe ahorrar agua y que el grifo hay que cerrarlo para no tirar agua?
               

                  Pero la agricultura, señorías, también necesita el agua. Si no hay agua en la agricultura, la agricultura no tiene futuro. Démosle mejores infraestructuras de ahorro y de futuro.
               

PŘEDSEDNICTVÍ: DITA CHARANZOVÁ


místopředsedkyně


Martin Häusling (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Ja, wir haben es mit einem sehr ernsten Problem zu tun. Ein Drittel der Menschheit leidet schon unter Wassermangel, und demnächst wird es die Hälfte der Menschheit sein. Auch in Europa haben wir eine ähnliche Situation, und wir müssen umdenken in vielen Bereichen.
                  

                     Vor allem müssen wir umdenken in der Landwirtschaft. Müssen wir wirklich Feuchtgebiete trockenlegen, um Erdbeeren und Avocados anzubauen? Das ist doch eine Frage, die man sich stellen muss.
                  

                     Wie geht Landwirtschaft eigentlich mit Böden um? Wir müssen die Wasserspeicherfähigkeit unserer Böden verbessern. Wir müssen umdenken. Wir müssen Schwammlandschaften schaffen. Und wir müssen Permakultur und Agroforst in den Mittelpunkt stellen. Wir müssen aber auch die Versiegelung stoppen. Und wir müssen ganz dringend auch die illegale Wasserentnahme stoppen, was in vielen Regionen ein Problem ist, und Bewässerungssysteme optimieren.
                  

                     Aber ein Punkt ist hier viel zu wenig diskutiert worden: Wir müssen unsere Wälder schützen. Die Wälder sind der größte Wasserspeicher. Wenn wir uns nicht daranmachen, Wälder naturgerecht umzubauen, werden wir auch diesen Wasserspeicher verlieren.
                  

                     Aber der Kernpunkt der Politik ist: Wir müssen ganz, ganz dringend den CO2-Ausstoß beenden, sonst kommen wir aus der Katastrophe nicht mehr heraus.
                  

Daniel Buda (PPE). – Doamnă președintă, Leonardo da Vinci spunea că apa este forța motrice a întregii naturi, iar astăzi vedem că resursele de apă din Europa sunt din ce în ce mai limitate. Extragem de opt ori mai multă apă decât făceam acum un secol, iar mai mult de o treime din populația lumii se confruntă cu o lipsă acută a apei. Anul trecut am avut cea mai secetoasă vară din ultimii 500 de ani. Vedem țări precum Spania, care, din cauza secetei și a lipsei de apă, are aproape întreaga recoltă de măsline compromisă.
                  

                     În același timp, fenomene de secetă extremă se manifestă peste tot în Europa, concomitent cu existența unor inundații greu de controlat, cum ar fi în Italia. Dacă nu inversăm această tendință, problemele legate de apă vor afecta 17 % din populația europeană și 13 % din PIB ul Europei până în 2050.
                  

                     Un procent semnificativ de apă este folosit în agricultură, iar în acest context solicit ferm Comisiei Europene să aloce resurse financiare considerabile sectorului agricol, astfel încât fermierii să aibă acces la sisteme inteligente de utilizare a apei. Trebuie să fim realiști și să înțelegem că sistemele de irigații în agricultură sunt greu accesibile din punct de vedere financiar pentru fermieri, ceea ce poate să pună în pericol inclusiv securitatea alimentară.
                  

                     Așadar, haideți, dragi colegi, să abordăm urgent această problemă prin măsuri care pot fi implementate de către toate statele Uniunii Europene și nu numai, deoarece această criză a apei cu care ne confruntăm va avea efecte dezastruoase în viitor.
                  

(Vorbitorul a fost de acord să răspundă unei intervenții de tip ‘cartonaș albastru’)


Bogdan Rzońca (ECR),
pytanie zadane przez podniesienie niebieskiej kartki. – Ja się w zasadzie zgadzam z Pana wypowiedzią całkowicie, natomiast brakło mi propozycji pomysłu z Pana strony. Otóż jest Pan członkiem największej grupy politycznej w Parlamencie Europejskim. Ta grupa ma przemożny wpływ na to, co dzieje się z pieniędzmi unijnymi, z budżetem Unii Europejskiej. W tej chwili trwa przegląd wieloletnich ram finansowych, czyli budżetu Unii Europejskiej. Chciałbym poznać Pana zdanie, Pana stanowisko. Czy będzie Pan poprzez grupę działał tak, żeby znalazły się większe środki finansowe na właśnie kwestie wodne?
                  

Daniel Buda (PPE),
răspuns la o întrebare adresată în conformitate cu procedura ‘cartonașului albastru’
                        . – Mulțumesc foarte mult pentru întrebare, stimată colegă. Evident că am venit aici cu soluții și m-am referit la ceea ce înseamnă investițiile în agricultură, și anume în sistemele de irigații, pentru că peste 65 % din apa utilizată astăzi este în domeniul agriculturii. Și eu cred că investițiile cele mai serioase trebuie să fie canalizate în această direcție, deoarece fermierii au nevoie să aibă acces la resurse financiare care să le permită dezvoltarea unor sisteme de irigații în așa fel încât să putem utiliza cât se poate de rațional apa.
                  

                     Și evident că, ați văzut, fermierii, nu pot să facă singuri acest lucru și au nevoie de resurse financiare care trebuie să vină de la Comisia Europeană. Să fie foarte clar!
                  

Paolo De Castro (S&D). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, dopo un inverno siccitoso, le violente precipitazioni delle scorse settimane hanno causato vittime e sommerso centri abitati e decine di migliaia di ettari coltivati, mettendo in ginocchio imprese e aziende agricole in molte regioni europee.
                  

                     In Emilia-Romagna in solo due settimane sono caduti oltre quattro miliardi di metri cubi d'acqua, il triplo del fabbisogno annuo dell'intera regione. Risulta evidente come la frequenza delle precipitazioni stia progressivamente diminuendo, aumentando la concentrazione in periodi brevissimi.
                  

                     Per far fronte a questa situazione l'Unione europea deve mettere in campo azioni di prevenzione, inclusi investimenti per lo sviluppo rurale finanziabili con i fondi di Next GenerationEU, a partire da uno straordinario piano per la realizzazione di piccoli invasi a livello aziendale, in grado di garantire un'adeguata indipendenza idrica ai nostri agricoltori, oltre alla possibilità di utilizzare questi bacini come casse di espansione nel caso di eventi calamitosi.
                  

                     Anche questa volta i nostri cittadini si stanno dimostrando pronti a rialzarsi nonostante le enormi difficoltà. Tocca a noi non farci trovare impreparati di fronte alla futura crisi idrica.
                  

Manuela Ripa (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin! Trinkwasser wird immer knapper. Durch den Klimawandel war die Situation in vielen Teilen Europas bereits im Winter dramatisch – dadurch Ernteausfälle in Spanien, Trinkwasserknappheit in Südfrankreich, Tote durch sintflutartige Regenfälle nach einer Winterdürre in Italien. In Deutschland kündigen Landkreise jetzt schon Wassersparen an.
                  

                     Dem müssen wir entgegenwirken. Die Maßnahmen kennen wir. Einige davon: die massive Versiegelung unserer Böden stoppen, mehr Grünflächen schaffen, damit der Regen versickern und ins Grundwasser gelangen kann; und wir dürfen keine Industrieansiedlungen in Wasserschutzgebieten zulassen, wie es bei der Tesla-Ansiedlung in Brandenburg geschehen ist! Wir müssen dem Thema Wasserknappheit endlich höchste Priorität einräumen und deutlich machen, dass sauberes Wasser ein Allgemeingut ist und bleiben muss.
                  

                     Das Dürremanagement in den europäischen Ländern ist sehr unterschiedlich. Im Klartext heißt das: Die EU hat noch keinen Plan gegen Dürre. So wie ich schon lange auf EU-Ebene ein Bodenschutzgesetz fordere, so fordere ich auch eine Dürreschutzverordnung.
                  

Stanislav Polčák (PPE). – Paní předsedající, vážená paní komisařko, více než čtvrtina kontinentu je od dubna postižena suchem a je to už několikáté jaro. Mnoho zemí se připravuje na opakování toho loňského suchého léta i v tomto roce. A možná dokonce ještě v horší podobě. Chránit přírodu, lesy, půdu, naši krajinu, to si myslím, že je jednoznačně v našem jasném zájmu. Je to i v zájmu našich dětí. Proto jsem rád, že návrh na zamítnutí Nature Restoration Law neprošel. Letos v létě budou Španělsko, jižní Portugalsko, Itálie, Francie zřejmě obzvláště zranitelné, ale také Polsko a další regiony, rovněž Bulharsko, Rumunsko, Řecko. Všechny tyto země vykazují jasné signály zranitelnosti z hlediska právě hrozby sucha. Evropská observatoř sucha indikuje nedostatek vody dokonce i v severských zemích. Jedná se o politicky stále citlivější téma, přičemž nedostatek vody má ničivé dopady na následující odvětví – zemědělství, energetiku, průmysl, dokonce i jaderné elektrárny. Jsem přesvědčen, že krize nedostatku vody by se měla dostat na vyšší místo v našem seznamu politických priorit. Vlády i Komise by se tímto problémem měly skutečně zabývat a zvážit ještě další reakce na současnou i v budoucnu očekávanou, možná ještě vážnější krizi nedostatku vody v přírodě.
                  

Carmen Avram (S&D). – Doamna președintă, acum două zile vorbeam aici despre securitatea alimentară. Azi discutăm despre elementul principal care asigură această securitate, apa. Criza europeană a apei nu e determinată însă doar de schimbările climatice și de lipsa de investiții, ci și, uneori, de aritmetica ciudată a Comisiei Europene.
                  

                     De exemplu, țara mea, România, are a șasea cea mai mare suprafață agricolă utilizată din UE, aproape 15 milioane de hectare. Dintre acestea, peste 2 milioane au nevoie de investiții în sisteme secundare de irigații și management sustenabil al apei. Totuși, în pofida încercărilor repetate ale României, Comisia nu acceptă să finanțeze decât o treime din această suprafață.
                  

                     Solicit deci reprezentanților Comisiei să ne spună, nu neapărat pe baza căror calcule au decis să priveze de apă trei sferturi din suprafața care poate fi irigată, ci când au de gând să reanalizeze situația, să refacă aritmetica și să le dea României și fermierilor ei un drept care li se cuvine, acela de a produce hrană sustenabilă la adevăratul potențial pentru zeci de milioane de oameni.
                  

Alice Kuhnke (Verts/ALE). – Fru talman! Vattenbristen är en global kris. Vi vet att cirka två miljarder människor inte har tillgång till dricksvatten i länder långt borta från oss. Men nu är krisen också här. Europa håller på att torka ut i solen. Från norr till söder lyser det rött på kartorna.
                  

                     Förra sommaren var den varmaste sommaren på 500 år som uppmätts i Europa, och i år håller vi redan på att slå det rekordet. En stor del beror på klimatförändringarna, men inte allt. I EU förbrukar vi mer vatten än någonsin, både i hushåll och inom industrin, och enorma mängder vatten förorenas och slösas bort. Det är oacceptabelt.
                  

                     Vi måste göra allt vi kan i EU och globalt nu. Vi har verktygen. Det som krävs är politisk vilja.
                  

Henna Virkkunen (PPE). – Arvoisa puhemies, arvoisa komissaari, kuivuus on yhä paheneva ongelma myös Euroopassa. Viime kesä oli EU:n ilmastonmuutospalvelun Copernicuksen mukaan mittaushistorian kuumin Euroopassa, ja nyt alkanut kesä enteilee samaa. Euroopan hellejaksot pidentyvät ja ankaroituvat tulevaisuudessa. Se tarkoittaa yhä uusia lämpöennätyksiä, pahenevaa kuivuutta, maastopaloja ja myös tulvia.
                  

                     On selvää, että samaan aikaan kun meidän on toimittava ilmastonmuutoksen hillitsemiseksi, meidän täytyy entisestään parantaa toimia ilmastonmuutokseen sopeutumiseksi ja varautumiseksi kaikilla tasoilla. Erityisesti nyt tänään keskustellaan veden osalta. EU:n tasolla kuivuuteen voidaan reagoida nopealla aikavälillä hätätoimenpiteillä unionin pelastuspalvelumekanismin kautta. Euroopan laajuisia varoitusjärjestelmiä on jo käytössä, mutta ennen kaikkea on tärkeää, että jokainen jäsenvaltio varautuisi nyt systemaattisesti ja jatkuvasti veden niukkuuteen kansallisella tasolla.
                  

                     Erityisen tärkeää tämä on ruokaturvan osalta. Meillä tuhlataan vielä liikaa vettä. Ruoan tuotannossa tarvitaan paljon nykyistä parempaa veden uudelleenkäyttöä. Samoin on lisättävä ilmastokestäviä lajikkeita ja viljelyjärjestelmien monimuotoisuutta.
                  

                     Myös energian ja liikenteen alalla täytyy nyt vakavasti varautua lisääntyviin häiriöihin esimerkiksi rahtiliikenteen vesiväylillä, vesivoimaloissa ja voimalaitoksissa. Tästä meillä on jo viime kesältä huonoja esimerkkejä ydinvoiman osalta. Jouduimme isoihin vaikeuksiin kuivuuden vuoksi.
                  

                     Juomaveden osalta on tärkeää edistää veden säästöä kotitalouksissa ja samoin lisättävä toimituksiin ja varastointiin liittyvää infrastruktuuria. Myös metsäpalojen osalta tarvitaan parempaa varautumista. Siinä aktiivisella metsänhoidolla on iso rooli, ja tämä vaikuttaa myös ilmastonmuutoksen hillintään.
                  

Lídia Pereira (PPE). – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, Caros Colegas, há seca e ela vai piorar. Por termos água sempre disponível nas nossas torneiras, não temos a maioria da população preocupada. E, ao não termos a maioria da população preocupada, os governos e a Comissão também estão pouco preocupados. E, se têm pouca preocupação, têm ainda menos ação.
                  

                     Afinal, por exemplo, em Portugal, 30% da água captada escoa para o solo sem ser utilizada, porque as redes de abastecimento estão obsoletas. Mas ninguém parece realmente preocupado com isso. Um luxo a que nenhum país se devia dar, muito menos numa altura de seca severa e extrema, como acontece em muitas áreas dos países.
                  

                     O ano passado foi extremamente difícil, com uma situação de seca extrema e pergunto: o que é que foi feito? O que é que mudámos? O que é que aprendemos?
                  

                     Precisamos de reduzir as perdas de água nas redes de abastecimento público, reforçar a capacidade de armazenamento das albufeiras e as reservas públicas de água, potenciar o aproveitamento de águas pluviais, aumentar a eficiência na rega, aumentar a sensibilização para a poupança de água, entre muitas outras coisas.
                  

                     Infelizmente, muitos governos, como o de António Costa, só se preocupam com duas coisas: a manchete de hoje e a manchete do jornal de amanhã. Precisamos de mais e precisamos de muito melhor.
                  

Dan-Ștefan Motreanu (PPE). – Doamnă președintă, doamnă comisară, seceta provoacă daune de nouă miliarde de euro anual în Uniunea Europeană, iar acest cost va crește semnificativ odată cu intensificarea schimbărilor climatice. Ieri am adoptat în plenul parlamentului o rezoluție referitoare la asigurarea securității alimentare, prin care solicităm imperativ Comisiei Europene instituirea unui program specific pentru a sprijini statele membre în dezvoltarea de noi sisteme de irigații eficiente, inteligente, precum și în finalizarea și modernizarea instalațiilor existente.
                  

                     Apa dulce reprezintă o resursă din ce în ce mai limitată și mai prețioasă. Tocmai de aceea, noul program ar trebui să sprijine statele membre în utilizarea în agricultură a apelor urbane reziduale tratate, în construirea de rezervoare și de sisteme de captare a apei de ploaie, precum și în utilizarea unor surse alternative de apă, precum apa subterană sau desalinizarea apei marine.
                  

                     Reamintesc faptul că încă din 2020, am solicitat, într-o rezoluție, Comisiei Europene să elaboreze un plan clar și să asigure finanțarea necesară pentru combaterea deșertificării în cele 13 state membre afectate, însă, din păcate, cel puțin până în acest moment, constat că măsurile și rezultatele concrete au întârziat să apară.
                  

Catch-the-eye procedure


Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D). – Señora presidenta Dita Charanzová, muchas gracias a la comisaria y al resto de colegas por el debate.
                  

                     Yo me sumo a los llamados en favor de seguir combatiendo el cambio climático como principal herramienta para combatir la sequía, así como otras medidas como la racionalización en el uso del agua, las medidas de ahorro y el uso de depuradoras.
                  

                     Pero también creo que es preciso, desde la Comisión, un apoyo más claro y más rotundo al instrumento de los trasvases entre cuencas excedentarias y cuencas deficitarias. Este instrumento tradicional forma parte también de nuestro arsenal y no debe ser estigmatizado. Seguramente, es incluso una mejor herramienta, por ejemplo, que sobreexplotar los acuíferos subterráneos.
                  

                     Recordemos: trasvases como el del Tajo-Segura, que es fundamental para el consumo humano y el desarrollo agrícola de la provincia de Alicante, tienen que recibir un apoyo claro por parte de la Comisión Europea.
                  

(End of catch-the-eye procedure)


Kadri Simson,
Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, this heated debate shows the importance of this topic, but it also shows its complexity. There are no easy solutions, but we need our action to be bold and decisive. The approach we recommend is proactive and based around preparedness and adaptation. Success will depend on how willing Member States are to act, how willing they are to involve all stakeholders, how willing they are to support the Commission's proposals for new legislation and how willing they are to improve the implementation of the existing rules.
Member States are implementing integrated river basin management through the Water Framework Directive, and some have adopted trout management plans for vulnerable river basins. These practices must be promoted and improved. Adaptation solutions will be required in every aspect of life, in every sector, and in the short, medium and long term. In agriculture, this means a more efficient use of water, waste water reuse, soil management, vegetation cover, drought-resistant crops, or even the restoration of damaged areas.
In energy and transport, this includes preparing for disruptions to waterways as regards transport, hydropower and cooling for power plants. For drinking water, this means promoting leakage reductions or, as a last resort, additional infrastructure for supply.
Nature-based solutions are particularly well suited for climate resilience to water impacts, and must be upscaled. Let's think about nature-based solutions first and, where that is not feasible, let's opt for a mix of hybrid solutions.
Adaptation is one part of the story. We must also be committed to climate mitigation because it is still possible to avoid the worst predictions for climate change. The Commission will continue to contribute to research, guidance, promotion and the supporting of good practices with a view to preventing and reducing any possible effects caused by water scarcity and droughts.

President. — Thank you very much, Madam Commissioner.
The debate is closed.


Written statements (Rule 171)



Milan Brglez (S&D),
pisno. – Kriza preskrbe z vodo je resna. Ne zgolj zaradi izsuševanja vodnih virov, temveč tudi njihovega onesnaževanja. Zgolj 40 odstotkov rek in jezer ima ocenjeno dobro kemijsko stanje, medtem ko je 30 odstotkov podzemnih voda, ki v večji meri predstavljajo vir pitne vode, onesnaženih!
                  

                     Vse večji pritiski na vodne vire pa pomenijo tudi vse večji finančni izziv za ljudi in države članice, ki že sedaj na letni ravni porabijo kar 100 milijard evrov za zagotavljanje oskrbe z vodo ter sanitarne ureditve. Zaščita voda pomeni varovanje naravnih habitatov, pomeni varovanje zdravja ljudi in je nepogrešljivo sredstvo za zagotavljanje varne preskrbe s hrano, še zlasti v boju z dolgotrajnimi sušnimi obdobji.
                  

                     V tem pogledu je okvirna direktiva o vodah prelomen dokument, ki je v dvajsetih letih veljavnosti pomembno spremenil naš odnos do vode in vodnega okolja. Kljub temu nam trenutne razmere narekujejo, da moramo storiti več.
                  

                     Prav zato kot poročevalec Evropskega parlamenta pričakujem, da bo Svet pod španskim predsedstvom pričel z resnim in odločnim delom na področju revizije predmetne zakonodaje. Ob tem bi pa želel še posebej poudariti, da moramo za doseganje dobrega statusa voda v skladu s predpisi narediti ključne premike tudi pri sprejemu področne zakonodaje, kot sta zakon o obnovi narave in uredba o trajnostni rabi pesticidov.
                  

Estrella Durá Ferrandis (S&D),
por escrito. – Tanto la sequía como las inundaciones están directamente relacionadas con el cambio climático, un fenómeno cuyos efectos son ya muy tangibles en Europa. La creciente escasez de agua está generando problemas y tensiones cuya resolución requiere acciones resolutivas. La actual situación de sequía en Europa es preocupante y anticipa lo que podría ser la nueva normalidad en el continente. España es un país en el que la sequía está siendo particularmente dura. El sector agrario español está siendo gravemente afectado por esta sequía, en concreto los cultivos de secano como los cereales o el olivo han sufrido pérdidas dramáticas. Alrededor de un 75 % del territorio español está en riesgo de desertificación. Es necesario desarrollar medidas para avanzar en la adaptación al cambio climático y la lucha contra fenómenos como la sequía, las inundaciones y la desertificación. La restauración de llanuras aluviales y humedales y la gestión sostenible de los suelos son medidas cruciales para este fin. Evitar la sobreexplotación de acuíferos y buscar una mayor eficiencia en todos los usos del agua son pasos de vital importancia para posibilitar que España esté en una mejor posición de cara a un futuro con una menor disponibilidad de recursos hídricos.
                  

Lina Gálvez Muñoz (S&D),
por escrito. – Tanto la sequía como las inundaciones están directamente relacionadas con el cambio climático, un fenómeno cuyos efectos son ya muy tangibles en Europa. La creciente escasez de agua está generando problemas y tensiones cuya resolución requiere acciones resolutivas. La actual situación de sequía en Europa es preocupante y anticipa lo que podría ser la nueva normalidad en el continente. España es un país en el que la sequía está siendo particularmente dura. El sector agrario español está siendo gravemente afectado por esta sequía, en concreto los cultivos de secano como los cereales o el olivo han sufrido pérdidas dramáticas. Alrededor de un 75 % del territorio español está en riesgo de desertificación. Es necesario desarrollar medidas para avanzar en la adaptación al cambio climático y la lucha contra fenómenos como la sequía, las inundaciones y la desertificación. La restauración de llanuras aluviales y humedales y la gestión sostenible de los suelos son medidas cruciales para este fin. Evitar la sobreexplotación de acuíferos y buscar una mayor eficiencia en todos los usos del agua son pasos de vital importancia para posibilitar que España esté en una mejor posición de cara a un futuro con una menor disponibilidad de recursos hídricos.
                  

Alicia Homs Ginel (S&D),
por escrito. – Tanto la sequía como las inundaciones están directamente relacionadas con el cambio climático, un fenómeno cuyos efectos son ya muy tangibles en Europa. La creciente escasez de agua está generando problemas y tensiones cuya resolución requiere acciones resolutivas. La actual situación de sequía en Europa es preocupante y anticipa lo que podría ser la nueva normalidad en el continente. España es un país en el que la sequía está siendo particularmente dura. El sector agrario español está siendo gravemente afectado por esta sequía, en concreto los cultivos de secano como los cereales o el olivo han sufrido pérdidas dramáticas. Alrededor de un 75 % del territorio español está en riesgo de desertificación. Es necesario desarrollar medidas para avanzar en la adaptación al cambio climático y la lucha contra fenómenos como la sequía, las inundaciones y la desertificación. La restauración de llanuras aluviales y humedales y la gestión sostenible de los suelos son medidas cruciales para este fin. Evitar la sobreexplotación de acuíferos y buscar una mayor eficiencia en todos los usos del agua son pasos de vital importancia para posibilitar que España esté en una mejor posición de cara a un futuro con una menor disponibilidad de recursos hídricos.
                  

Romana Jerković (S&D),
napisan. – Drago mi je što raspravljamo o ovoj temi jer su vode ključan strateški resurs bez kojeg nema života na Zemlji. Hrvatska prema izvješću Europske agencije za okoliš spada u skupinu od tri europske zemlje s najvećim kumulativnim udjelom šteta od ekstremnih vremenskih i klimatskih događaja u odnosu na bruto nacionalni proizvod.
                  

                     Hrvatska ima sreću jer je prema UNESCOV-om izvješću o vodnim zalihama, na europskom visokom trećem mjestu po bogatstvu vodnih resursa. Hrvatska raspolaže s 32.818 prostornih metara godišnje obnovljive pitke vode po stanovniku te je stoga među 30 vodom najbogatijih zemalja svijeta, a oko 90 posto vodoopskrbe u Hrvatskoj osigurava se iz zaliha podzemnih voda koje su iznimne zdravstvene čistoće.
                  

                     Hrvatska ima veliku obavezu očuvati ovaj ključan resurs, a to je u ovim kriznim vremenima moguće samo discipliniranom provedbom projekata prilagodbe klimatskim promjenama, odnosno sustavima ozelenjivanja poljoprivrede, melioracijom, koja u Hrvatskoj, nažalost, nije razgranata, te sustavima obrana od poplava, kojima smo također izloženi.
                  

                     Tu bih htjela posebno naglasiti i važnost implementacije projekata agrošumarstva te europske suradnje na ranom uzbunjivanju od ekstremnih vremenskih promjena.
                  

Javi López (S&D),
por escrito. – Tanto la sequía como las inundaciones están directamente relacionadas con el cambio climático, un fenómeno cuyos efectos son ya muy tangibles en Europa. La creciente escasez de agua está generando problemas y tensiones cuya resolución requiere acciones resolutivas. La actual situación de sequía en Europa es preocupante y anticipa lo que podría ser la nueva normalidad en el continente. España es un país en el que la sequía está siendo particularmente dura. El sector agrario español está siendo gravemente afectado por esta sequía, en concreto los cultivos de secano como los cereales o el olivo han sufrido pérdidas dramáticas. Alrededor de un 75 % del territorio español está en riesgo de desertificación. Es necesario desarrollar medidas para avanzar en la adaptación al cambio climático y la lucha contra fenómenos como la sequía, las inundaciones y la desertificación. La restauración de llanuras aluviales y humedales y la gestión sostenible de los suelos son medidas cruciales para este fin. Evitar la sobreexplotación de acuíferos y buscar una mayor eficiencia en todos los usos del agua son pasos de vital importancia para posibilitar que España esté en una mejor posición de cara a un futuro con una menor disponibilidad de recursos hídricos.
                  

César Luena (S&D),
por escrito. – Tanto la sequía como las inundaciones están directamente relacionadas con el cambio climático, un fenómeno cuyos efectos son ya muy tangibles en Europa. La creciente escasez de agua está generando problemas y tensiones cuya resolución requiere acciones resolutivas. La actual situación de sequía en Europa es preocupante y anticipa lo que podría ser la nueva normalidad en el continente. España es un país en el que la sequía está siendo particularmente dura. El sector agrario español está siendo gravemente afectado por esta sequía, en concreto los cultivos de secano como los cereales o el olivo han sufrido pérdidas dramáticas. Alrededor de un 75 % del territorio español está en riesgo de desertificación. Es necesario desarrollar medidas para avanzar en la adaptación al cambio climático y la lucha contra fenómenos como la sequía, las inundaciones y la desertificación. La restauración de llanuras aluviales y humedales y la gestión sostenible de los suelos son medidas cruciales para este fin. Evitar la sobreexplotación de acuíferos y buscar una mayor eficiencia en todos los usos del agua son pasos de vital importancia para posibilitar que España esté en una mejor posición de cara a un futuro con una menor disponibilidad de recursos hídricos.
                  

Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D),
por escrito. – Tanto la sequía como las inundaciones están directamente relacionadas con el cambio climático, un fenómeno cuyos efectos son ya muy tangibles en Europa. La creciente escasez de agua está generando problemas y tensiones cuya resolución requiere acciones resolutivas. La actual situación de sequía en Europa es preocupante y anticipa lo que podría ser la nueva normalidad en el continente. España es un país en el que la sequía está siendo particularmente dura. El sector agrario español está siendo gravemente afectado por esta sequía, en concreto los cultivos de secano como los cereales o el olivo han sufrido pérdidas dramáticas. Alrededor de un 75 % del territorio español está en riesgo de desertificación. Es necesario desarrollar medidas para avanzar en la adaptación al cambio climático y la lucha contra fenómenos como la sequía, las inundaciones y la desertificación. La restauración de llanuras aluviales y humedales y la gestión sostenible de los suelos son medidas cruciales para este fin. Evitar la sobreexplotación de acuíferos y buscar una mayor eficiencia en todos los usos del agua son pasos de vital importancia para posibilitar que España esté en una mejor posición de cara a un futuro con una menor disponibilidad de recursos hídricos.
                  

(The sitting was suspended at 11.01)


IN THE CHAIR: MARC ANGEL


Vice-President

5.   Resumption of the sitting

(The sitting resumed at 12.16)

6.   Statement by the President

President. – The President has asked me to make a short statement, before we vote, on the tragedy that unfolded yesterday in international waters off the coast of Greece.
79 people are reported to have lost their lives. Around 100 have thankfully been rescued so far, and rescue operations by the Greek Coastguard are ongoing.
Details are still being established. However, there are suggestions that over 750 people were crammed on to a small fishing boat, with children in the hold. None of the people on board were wearing life jackets.
The European Parliament pays its respects to the victims and praises the ongoing rescue efforts.
7.   Voting time

President. – The next item is the vote.

(For the results and other details of the vote: see Minutes)

7.1.   Torture and criminal prosecution of Ukrainian minors Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov by the Russian Federation (RC-B9-0268/2023, B9-0268/2023, B9-0269/2023, B9-0284/2023, B9-0285/2023, B9-0288/2023, B9-0290/2023) (vote)
7.2.   Humanitarian situation in Sudan, in particular the death of children trapped by fighting (B9-0271/2023, RC-B9-0291/2023, B9-0291/2023, B9-0292/2023, B9-0293/2023, B9-0294/2023, B9-0295/2023) (vote)
7.3.   Deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, notably the case of Jimmy Lai (RC-B9-0276/2023, B9-0276/2023, B9-0282/2023, B9-0286/2023, B9-0287/2023, B9-0289/2023) (vote)
7.4.   Composition of the European Parliament (A9-0214/2023 - Loránt Vincze, Sandro Gozi) (vote)

— Before the vote:


Loránt Vincze,
rapporteur. – Mr President, no need to take the floor. We agreed with the co-rapporteur that in this given situation, when there are so many divergences on this file, we would rather proceed with the votes.

— After the vote on Amendment 2:


Sven Simon (PPE). – Mr President, colleagues, I think with this vote on the composition of the next Parliament, we send different messages in different Member States. In some Member States, increasing the number of seats will be understood as a free-for-all at the expense of the taxpayer. In other Member States, taking seats away from them will equally not be understood, and will strengthen Eurosceptics in these places.
As pro-Europeans, we can do two things at the same time: be mindful of our responsibility towards the taxpayers and stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the East and South-East who are affected by demographic changes. In our time, colleagues, European unity is more important than decimal points on a distribution scale.
That is why I ask for the following amendment to Article 3(1): ‘The composition of the European Parliament remains as it is.’
                  
I ask you to allow the vote on that amendment. Those who rise against it, rise against a solution that would unite us all.

(The oral amendment was not accepted)

7.5.   Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (Recommendation) (B9-0664/2022, B9-0260/2023) (vote)
7.6.   EU Day for the victims of the global climate crisis (B9-0296/2023) (vote)
7.7.   Ukraine's accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (B9-0267/2023) (vote)
7.8.   Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community (RC-B9-0270/2023, B9-0270/2023, B9-0274/2023, B9-0275/2023, B9-0277/2023, B9-0278/2023, B9-0281/2023) (vote)
7.9.   Situation in Nicaragua (RC-B9-0272/2023, B9-0272/2023, B9-0273/2023, B9-0279/2023, B9-0280/2023, B9-0283/2023) (vote)
7.10.   Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (A9-0095/2023 - Niels Fuglsang) (vote)
7.11.   Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (A9-0213/2023 - Udo Bullmann, Petros Kokkalis) (vote)

President. — That concludes the vote.

(The sitting was suspended at 12.57)


VORSITZ: RAINER WIELAND


Vizepräsident

8.   Resumption of the sitting

(Die Sitzung wird um 15.00 Uhr wieder aufgenommen.)

9.   Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

Der Präsident. – Das Protokoll der gestrigen Sitzung und die angenommenen Texte sind verfügbar.
               

                  Ich sehe keine Einwände.
               

                  Das Protokoll ist damit genehmigt.
               
10.   Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy (debate)

Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Erklärung der Kommission zur Forderung nach einer europäischen Strategie gegen Geiseldiplomatie (2023/2734(RSP)).
               

Kadri Simson,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members of the European Parliament, the recent release of EU citizens, including EU-Iranian dual citizens unjustly detained in Iran, is very positive news. In the past few weeks, six European citizens unjustly detained in Iran came back to Europe and their families, two Austrian-Iranian citizens, one Belgian, one French-Irish, one French and one Danish citizen.
However, these recent releases happened in the context of a growing number of illegitimate detentions involving EU citizens in Iran. The EU continues to urge Iran to release all of EU citizens under arbitrary detention. Our thoughts are with those still in the country and their families.
The European Union made clear its united position and coordinated approach on EU citizens detained in Iran in the conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council in December 2022 and in the statement of the High Representative on behalf of the EU of 20 February 2023.
In order to have consular access, be able to intervene and work for the release of all EU citizens, we must keep our critical engagement with Iran. The EU and Member States must keep diplomatic channels open. At the same time, the EU Member States are also recommending to their nationals to avoid travelling to Iran, in line with their respective national risk assessments due to the acute risks.
It is worth reminding that these consular cases are under the national competence of each Member State. This is why we have strengthened our coordination with the Member States but let me stress that the High Representative and his team are using every opportunity to express our firmest disapproval to the Iranian authorities towards this new, disturbing and unacceptable trend of detentions. It is also worth stressing that these consular cases are all quite different, often require discretion and that, unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
The EU will continue to intervene and support whenever deemed necessary by the Member States involved. For instance, we have used every official opportunity, as well as more discreet channels, to discuss the EU cases with the Iranian authorities, always in full coordination with the consular efforts by Member States who have primary consular responsibilities.
We will continue to work relentlessly for the freedom of unjustly detained EU citizens.

Seán Kelly,
on behalf of the PPE Group. – A Uachtaráin, Commissioner Kadri, I welcome this debate and call on the Commission to bring forward a European strategy on hostage diplomacy. Hostage diplomacy – the calculated detention of foreign citizens by state actors in an attempt to gain leverage over another country – is worryingly becoming more and more frequent, as Commissioner Kadri Simson pointed out. Notably, hostage diplomacy appears to have become a tool of foreign policy for certain states, notably Iran.
Individual liberty and our freedom of movement are things that we take for granted until the moment they are gone from us. We can only imagine the fear and hopelessness that citizens who are detained unlawfully as hostages must feel. Hostages are often placed in prison, in poor conditions, under fabricated charges and even under the threat of execution. We think also of the pain and suffering that their loved ones would feel back home.
The use of individuals as pawns in geopolitical games is wrong. It is a violation of human rights and must be thoroughly condemned. What is more, the nations that perpetrate these heinous acts rely on the fact that Western politicians will cave in to their demands due to the pressure of family members and civil society groups calling for the hostages release. This is a cruel attempt to use our much-valued democratic freedoms against us.
In January, we call for the release of Belgian national, Olivier Vandecasteele, a humanitarian worker taken hostage by Iran. He was released in May, thankfully. The same month, Bernard Phelan, an Irishman originally from County Tipperary, was also released after six and a half months of unlawful detention in an Iranian prison.
I would like to commend the hard work of the Irish consular services and their European counterparts in securing the release of these two hostages, as well as the liberation of other victims of hostage diplomacy.
In recent years, collaboration through our diplomatic networks bilaterally and multilaterally, as well as economic and political measures, for example, on sanctions, is key towards developing a European approach to hostage diplomacy. Together we are stronger. We should use our combined diplomatic weight and knowledge to protect our citizens from harm and try and put an end to hostage diplomacy.

Evin Incir,
on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, to take innocent people hostage by arbitrarily detaining them and threatening them with execution is unacceptable, a violation of all kinds of rules and bases of international law. It is evident that the EU Member States, at this moment, unfortunately, do not have enough leverage to combat this practice. We cannot let ourselves be put in a situation where we pay large sums, or release terrorists, or become silent because of a lack of a strategy on countering hostage taking and blackmailing.
We have all witnessed how the oppressive regimes, such as the one in Iran and others, use hostages as diplomatic tools. While some European citizens have been released through lengthy negotiations – which is important, of course, and which saved lives – our Member States, however, lack the leverage to effectively combat hostage diplomacy. I have myself recently met with a lot of the family members of hostages taken in Iran and learned about the unbelievable human suffering that the Iranians' hostage diplomacy causes.
To be silent and continue with the status quo cannot and must never be an option for us in the European Union, because these horrendous regimes are bullies: when they know that one certain behaviour is successful for them, they continue to practice the same. But I also want to say that I do believe that one of the core problems is also the lack of a joint EU foreign policy in some fields. The only way the EU can really become stronger in that, against the oppressing regimes, is when the latter know that the EU is not talking with 27 different votes on foreign policies, but rather with a joint one.
Nevertheless, the EU must respond against authoritarian regimes that are using innocent human beings as a means to pressure our freedoms and human rights. I therefore think it is essential that we have a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy and improve our cooperation to release all EU citizens and to ensure that the regimes cannot continue using this hostage diplomacy as a tool over and over again. It is only when we have a real and clear strategy jointly, and we act in cooperation with each other, that we can ensure that hostage diplomacy belongs to the past and is not used in the future.

Samira Rafaela,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Mr President, after 456 days of illegal imprisonment, I am very happy with the news that Olivier Vandecasteele, together with two Austrians in one day and have been freed from their Iranian cells. Unfortunately, their cases are not the only ones. There are dozens of European citizens from many Member States detained by Iran and other regimes, and since 2010, over 66 people with an EU or double nationality have been detained in Iran. A prime example is the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, of which I had the pleasure to meet her husband in 2020. In the case of Vandecasteele, the Belgian Government exchanged him for a convicted Iranian terrorist and in the case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the UK Government paid a sum worth hundreds of millions of euros to achieve her release.
This is part of a larger trend that these regimes are implementing, a trend which is called hostage diplomacy. Regimes like Iran use our European citizens as bargaining tools to get these things done. And this is completely unacceptable and unethical. So this House has strongly condemned this phenomenon and called for the immediate release of the detainees, most recently in the European Parliament resolution of January 2023 on the executions and protests in Iran. However, the Member States alone often do not have enough leverage to combat the horrific violations of the rights of EU citizens as they find themselves obliged to pay large sums of money or exchange convicted terrorists for their citizens.
So therefore, I call on the Commission to implement a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy, including a specialised task force that can effectively respond and coordinate when EU citizens are being held hostage by Iran and other regimes because the consulates and the embassies cannot do it alone. The practice has shown that. So there is a special task force needed with special expertise coordinated among the 27 Member States to respond to hostage diplomacy and the blackmailing, of course, of these EU Member States. So Iran and other regimes using hostage diplomacy can only be stopped through cooperation at EU level and we can only protect our citizens if we work together. We must realise that the impact is for the whole EU and not only one single country. So let us work together and protect our citizens from hostile regimes.

Ангел Джамбазки,
от името на групата ECR. – Г-н Председател, разумно е предложението да има обща политика по отношение на дипломациите на държавите – членки на Европейския съюз, когато става дума за заложници, за такива кризи и за обща политика, която да отговаря едновременно, еднакво и координирано, и това би трябвало да бъде общата политика на Европейския съюз. Това е една от разумните области, в които може да има такава обща политика.
               

                  Но когато си говорим за такава обща политика, нещо, което е разумно, би трябвало да си отговорим имат ли обща политика Европейският съюз, Европейската комисия, Европейският парламент, когато трети държави се опитват да използват своята дипломация в ущърб на някои от държавите членки? И мога да ви разкажа един такъв пример. Примерът е с доклада, който трябва да се гласува в комисията по външни работи и се отнася до напредъка на Република Северна Македония към Европейския съюз. Там в момента буквално имате държани за заложници хората, които се самоопределят като македонски граждани или северно македонски граждани с българско национално самосъзнание, и продължава натискът върху тях, и продължава тормозът върху тях, и продължава да им бъде отказано правото да се самоопределят така, както искат. А това право, правото на самоопределение, е не само европейско, то е основно човешко право във всички харти, всички документи.
               

                  И тук въпросът ми е какво правим ние в този Европейски парламент и какво прави Комисията, какво прави върховният представител по външната политика по отношение на защитата на правата и законните интереси на тези хора, които буквално са държани като заложници от властите в една държава, която е много по-близка до Белград и до Кремъл, отколкото до каквато и да било европейска позиция, европейска ориентация. И ние сме свидетели как в тази зала има наши колеги, които сигурно също са държани като заложници от тази власт по един или друг начин, които предлагат и променят текстове в документи на Европейския парламент. Много по-скандално от ‘Катаргейт’, много по-скандално от всички други вмешателства във вътрешните работи на Европейския съюз, на държавите членки и на този Парламент.
               

                  Как ние като Европейски парламент да реагираме, когато наши колеги, заложници тук, по някаква причина синхронизирано предлагат текстове, които искат да изтрият защитата на човешките права, правото на самоопределение, да изтрият факти, които се случват в Република Северна Македония и в които виждаме ясно отношение към хора, които се самоопределят като българи, въпреки че имат своето гражданство на Република Северна Македония. Ето на това нещо би трябвало да бъде обърнато внимание. Кажете, г-н Председател, с какво ви разгневих? (председателят отнема думата на оратора)


President. – Colleague, you are bright enough to know that you are far away from the issue of this discussion.

Angel Dzhambazki (ECR). – No, I am absolutely not. We are talking about counter hostage diplomacy and this is the very centre of …

President. – Yes, but we are talking about hostage in a criminal way and not disputes between states, which is your case.

Angel Dzhambazki (ECR). – Well, I am talking about a third state interfering in a European Union problem.

President. – No, sorry, but we are clearly not discussing that. You heard the previous speakers. You are misusing a debate and I call you to order. So you are, anyhow, at the end of your speaking time.

Angel Dzhambazki (ECR). – So you are asking me not to say what I want to say?

President. – No, no, no. We have clear Rules of Procedure. Here everybody in the House has the freedom of the world, and we have enough opportunities, particularly with the one-minute speeches, to take the floor. But you used an issue which has another title for a thing which is …

Angel Dzhambazki (ECR). – Which is the same.

President. – Which is in the interest of your Member State, which is your home affairs policy, and which concerns a dispute with another state. Therefore, I call you to order and do not intend to discuss it with you.

Angel Dzhambazki (ECR). – Okay, but human rights and the right of self-determination is not an issue of the Member States?

President. – Sorry, you cannot discuss it with me. I conduct the session here and I call you to order and your speaking time is finished.

Angel Dzhambazki (ECR). – So I will finish here, but I won't …

(The President cut off the speaker)


Joachim Kuhs,
im Namen der ID-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident, Frau Kommissarin, werte Kollegen! Es ist natürlich erschreckend, dass es in Ländern wie dem Iran mehrfach zu Vorfällen gekommen ist, bei denen Bürger von Mitgliedstaaten als Geiseln gehalten und inhaftiert oder sogar getötet wurden.
               

                  Ich denke, jeder hier, wie am Donnerstagnachmittag ja üblich, kann dieser Bewertung zustimmen. Allerdings bin ich nicht der Auffassung, dass es die Aufgabe der EU ist, etwas gegen diese Verbrechen zu unternehmen. Denn, werte Kollegen, wir sind doch kein Staat, und es gibt Gott sei Dank auch noch keine Vereinigten Staaten von Europa, zumal ja kein europäisches Volk existiert. Dieses heute diskutierte Problem müssen wir daher von den jeweils betroffenen Staaten lösen lassen.
               

                  Jeder Mitgliedstaat muss sich um seine Bürger kümmern. Er muss Maßnahmen gegen diese Unrechtsstaaten ergreifen, keine Frage – und im Fall des belgischen Staatsbürgers Olivier Vandecasteele also Belgien, im Fall von Cécile Kohler und Jacques Paris Frankreich usw. Deshalb fordere ich diese Länder auf, sich um ihrer Bürger zu kümmern und rasch Maßnahmen zu ergreifen.
               

                  Und sorry, liebe Kollegen, es macht leider keinen Sinn, dass wir nach Brüssel schauen und auf die Kommission schauen und Lösungen fordern für dieses Problem. Das können nur die Mitgliedstaaten lösen.
               

Mick Wallace,
on behalf of The Left Group. – Mr President, brutal regimes who torture, murder, execute and bomb people on a daily basis. The Israelis, the US, the Saudis, for example. They are our business partners, so we don't care what they do. Countries that resist Western imperialism, who fight back against regime-change operations or even overthrow Western puppet regimes, countries like Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Yemen, Syria, Palestine. These countries we attack.
The US, NATO and their partners when not bombing these countries are strangling them to death. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of people are dying each year from illegal Western sanctions and embargoes, from lack of access to medicine and functional infrastructure. The hostility against Iran is intense. Iranian scientists are assassinated by Israelis. The US drone bombed the revered General Soleimani, the man who did most of defeat ISIS in Iraq. Infrastructure is targeted and destroyed. The Israelis routinely blow up oil tankers destined for other sanctioned countries. The US imprisons individuals suspected of violating their illegal sanctions against Iran, taking them hostages. The US wouldn't even relax the sanctions regime during the Covid-19 crisis. Weapons are being smuggled into Iran to arm forces hostile to the government.
You could possibly understand the Iranian Government's paranoia about spies and infiltrators. The murder of Palestinians, the bombing and starving of Yemenis, the beheading and the brutal treatment of women in Saudi Arabia, Syrians dying from cholera. This meets silence. But for Iran, we pass countless resolutions about every human rights violation, real or imagined. We call for sanctions while engaging in unhinged, blatant racist discourse. The groups are calling for a special task force to deal with so-called hostile foreign regimes. What you need to do is stop being hostile to foreign governments. You need to stop promoting NATO lies and stop interfering in other countries, stop behaving like colonialists. Because we don't use our platform to parrot narrow talking points, this allowed us to be instrumental in securing the release of Irishman Bernard Phelan from an Iranian prison on humanitarian grounds last month. This is what is possible if you engage with countries in a spirit of mutual respect. Iran wants normal relations with the West. That is what the entire JCPOA deal was about. It was the US who did not want normal relations with Iran. That the EU has sat by and let things deteriorate to this point is an indictment of the concept of European diplomacy, as is their failure to look for peace in the war in Ukraine because it does not suit US-NATO.

Virginie Joron (ID). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, ce mandat von der Leyen restera dans l'histoire comme un ouragan institutionnel. L'administration de Bruxelles avale tous les sujets régaliens: le nucléaire, les vaccins et notre santé mentale, la répartition des migrants pour qu'ils arrivent près de chez vous, les livraisons d'armes – avec, au passage, la création d'un ‘Titanic’ financier de 800 milliards d'euros. Et, pour le digestif, Bruxelles s'imagine grand chambellan de la diplomatie européenne, avec la porcelaine qui va avec.
               

                  Aujourd'hui, vous venez donc nous parler d'une stratégie européenne de diplomatie des otages. Mais qui, dans le monde, peut vous faire confiance? À part les secrets de Pfizer, vous n'avez jamais rien su garder – pour ce qui concerne nos intérêts vitaux. Faillite industrielle, faillite numérique, faillite sécuritaire: vous importez l'asile au lieu de laisser les fous chez eux. L'horreur d'Annecy, la torture de Lola: quand tout cela va-t-il finir? Allez-vous demain décider que l'on peut échanger un terroriste chez nous contre un Européen chez eux?
               

                  L'histoire a démontré que ce sont les services de l'État français, la DGSE, qui sont allés sauver nos otages français par la force ou par la négociation. Qui, ici, partirait mourir dans une nuit froide pour sauver les nôtres?
               

Spontane Wortmeldungen


Clare Daly (The Left). – Madam President, Bernard Phelan, an Irish citizen, was released from Iran in the last weeks, and that is very much to be welcomed. It was, of course, a product of diplomacy by Irish state services, but also by Iranian diplomats. And diplomacy by national Member States is the way in which we deal with this.
To listen to some colleagues, you would think they want to ape the American model, which is: ‘We don't pay for hostages’. Which means that people end up getting dead, or their families go into debt secretly paying the hostages by taking out massive loans. Now, the real question here is: why does this happen? Countries that we will not allow to have normal relations with us resort to abnormal tactics in return. That does not make it right, but it does help to explain it.
We have had the exclusion of Iran from many different situations. The consequences of the sanctions, felt throughout Iranian society, are deep and painful. If we want to treat countries with respect, we have to treat them as equals, and diplomacy is the only way to resolve matters.

(Ende der spontanen Wortmeldungen)


Kadri Simson,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, the debate today testifies to Parliament's continued interest and solidarity with European citizens detained in Iran and I will share your input with my colleague, High Representative Joseph Borrell.
While our support and solidarity is crucial, it is also important not to disclose here more details regarding specific individual cases. We must always be aware of the risks of undermining ongoing consular efforts. Let me stress, once again, that the EU will continue to follow these cases in full coordination with the Member States involved and to use open channels to urge for the release of all detained EU nationals in Iran.

Der Präsident. – Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.
               
11.   Explanations of vote

Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgen die Erklärungen zur Abstimmung.
               
11.1.   Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (Recommendation) (B9-0664/2022, B9-0260/2023)

Mündliche Stimmerklärungen


Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, this was a very good report. It pointed out and was clear that Pegasus hacking and spyware is an attack on democracy and human rights. It's sensitive to the power imbalance between those carrying out surveillance and those under it. It denounces stockpiling of zero day exploits. It does not spare EU Member States. It calls out Ireland for playing host to the cyber arms trade. And it is unequivocal that Israel is the global hub for spy companies.
But I had to abstain because it does not ban this spyware outright. The problem is bigger than spyware. There's a nexus between it, state hacking, disinformation and electoral interference. Israel leads the world in all the dark arts. The Foreign Interference Committee heard from experts recently that Israel is a global disinformation epicentre where the companies operate on the basis that as long as you don't meddle in Israel, the US or Russia, you can do what you like. And yet we call Israel our friend.
Unless there's consequences, this will keep happening. We need to change the relationships between the EU and Israel.

Γεώργιος Κύρτσος (Renew). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, θεωρώ μεγάλης σημασίας τη σημερινή υπερψήφιση της σύστασης για διερεύνηση της χρήσης του λογισμικού Pegasus και αντίστοιχου κατασκοπευτικού λογισμικού παρακολούθησης και μάλιστα με ψήφους 411 υπέρ, 97 κατά. Με βάση το σκεπτικό της έκθεσης της επιτροπής PEGA, καταδικάζεται ρητά η παράνομη χρήση κατασκοπευτικού λογισμικού από κυβερνήσεις των κρατών μελών ή μέλη των κυβερνήσεων. Επισημαίνεται ότι υπάρχουν στοιχεία για διαφόρων ειδών και βαθμών παραβιάσεις ή κακή διαχείριση των νόμων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης από την Πολωνία, την Ουγγαρία και την Ελλάδα.
                  

                     Έχοντας υποστεί παρακολούθηση των τηλεφώνων μου από την Εθνική Υπηρεσία Πληροφοριών με εντολή της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης, επειδή υποτίθεται ότι ήμουν κίνδυνος για την εθνική ασφάλεια, αξιολογώ σαν μεγάλης σημασίας τη σημερινή ψηφοφορία. Ένα μεγάλο ευχαριστώ στη συνάδελφο Sophie in 't Veld, του Renew Europe, που αναδείχθηκε σε πρωταγωνίστρια αυτής της επιτυχημένης προσπάθειας.
                  
11.2.   EU Day for the victims of the global climate crisis (B9-0296/2023)

Mündliche Stimmerklärungen


Ангел Джамбазки (ECR). – Г-н Председател, убедено гласувах против тази инициатива на Европейския съюз за жертвите на световната криза в областта на климата. Това е някаква поредна безумица, да правим ден за жертвите на климата. Смятам, че това е една истерична, алармистка, невярна политика, която се опитва да вмени, да вмени вина на европейските общества за това, че са индустриализирани, че имат някакъв напредък, че произвеждат нещо, че нещо правят. Дори самият г-н Тимерманс, който много силно липсва в тази зала, според мен не може да ни покаже нито една жертва на климатичните промени, но би трябвало тук да защити тази безумна идея.
                  

                     Това, което представлява този акт и което се опитват да ни пробутат алармистите в климатичната политика, не е нищо различно от това да ни кажат за пореден път как не трябва да има индустрия в Европа, как всичко трябва отиде в Китай, как всичко трябва да отиде в Русия, как всичко трябва да отиде в Турция, те да си правят каквото си искат, без да отчитат, че ние живеем на една единствена планета. И ако се замърсява в Китай, то все едно се замърсява навсякъде. Така че гласувах против. И също така искам да Ви кажа, уважаеми г-н председател, преди да сте чукнал с чукчето, че съм твърдо против нарушаването на човешките права на българите в Македония.
                  
11.3.   Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community (RC-B9-0270/2023, B9-0270/2023, B9-0274/2023, B9-0275/2023, B9-0277/2023, B9-0278/2023, B9-0281/2023)

Mündliche Stimmerklärungen


Ангел Джамбазки (ECR). – Г-н Председател, за разлика от предишния доклад за този гласувах убедено ‘за’. Безспорно украинският народ и нация искат да се откъснат от сфера на влияние, която е извън европейската, и да бъдат част от Европейския съюз и от НАТО.
                  

                     Този процес започна преди 10 години по времето на управление, което беше предизвикало много силни протести в тази държава, така че и Украйна, и хората в Украйна заслужават да имат правото на избор и да живеят според този избор. По тази причина гласувах в подкрепа на този доклад и вярвам, че когато и както се възстанови мирът в тази част на Европа, той трябва да бъде в териториалните граници на Украйна, международно признати с Будапещенското споразумение, протокола от Будапеща от 1994 г., защото това е волята на хората, които живеят в Украйна.
                  

Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, of course I believe that the European Union must contribute to Ukraine's reconstruction, but I had to vote against this resolution because practically every single thing in it about Ukraine and European security is wrong. It trumpets the 2008 Bucharest decision that Ukraine will join NATO, a decision which was warned could lead to a war, which it has. It pushes to integrate Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community, the very circumstances which caused the civil war in 2014, because, of course, while some Ukrainians want this, others don't. And this resolution just doubles down on all of this. And even if Ukraine won back all of its territory, this plan would leave the country permanently divided and unstable. It talks about securing peace by expanding NATO – seriously? NATO, the instrument of US empire in the post-Cold War period, the arms industries pimp, NATO, which makes more war more likely everywhere. The only viable peace in Europe is a different security setup in which the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of all is guaranteed.

Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI). – Poštovani potpredsjedniče, guranje Ukrajine u NATO je upravo ono što je i započelo ovaj sukob. Odnosno, nije bitno samo članstvo, nego infrastruktura koja dolazi s tim članstvom.
                  

                     Moja politika je ista od početka. Protiv sam ratnohuškačkih izjava koje dolaze, nažalost, sa zapada. U Ukrajini se mora postići mir i može se ići ili u diplomatske razgovore, u mir ili u još veću katastrofu.
                  

                     Ono što vidimo je da je, nažalost, već preko 300 tisuća ukrajinskih vojnika stradalo. Vidimo da je zemlja zadužena za mnoge generacije, da je razorena, a nastavkom ovakve politike, ne uviđajući kakvo je pravo stanje na terenu, nastavljamo, nažalost, putem nestanka ukrajinskog naroda i nestanka ukrajinske države.
                  

                     To ne mogu poduprijeti. Uložimo ove napore koje dajemo na oružje u mir da se napokon riješi trajno ovo pitanje.
                  

Piernicola Pedicini (Verts/ALE). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, oggi si è votata questa importante risoluzione, ma paradossalmente, e anche ironicamente, alla fine di questo voto tutti i parlamentari sono andati tranquillamente a mangiare. E perciò io voglio leggere alcune frasi di questa risoluzione affinché i cittadini si rendano conto di quello che si è deciso in quest'Aula.
                  

                     L'obiettivo finale della comunità internazionale dovrebbe essere il collasso militare delle forze russe, il pieno ripristino dell'integrità territoriale ucraina, la necessità di ulteriore intensificazione dell'assistenza finanziaria e militare, un immediato dispiegamento di ulteriori attrezzature moderne, tra cui aerei da combattimento, missili ed elicotteri occidentali, la richiesta di un piano di azione accelerato per l'adesione alla NATO dell'Ucraina.
                  

                     Insomma, questa risoluzione sembra scritta da folli. Chi scrive questa risoluzione pensa davvero che eventualmente la Russia accetti il collasso militare senza ricorrere al nucleare? Stiamo facendo credere agli ucraini che davvero sia possibile ripristinare la sua integrità territoriale senza portare il mondo a un conflitto nucleare? Pensate davvero che sia una buona idea che l'Ucraina sia integrata nella NATO? Noi stiamo andando dritti alla terza guerra mondiale.
                  
11.4.   Situation in Nicaragua (RC-B9-0272/2023, B9-0272/2023, B9-0273/2023, B9-0279/2023, B9-0280/2023, B9-0283/2023)

Mündliche Stimmerklärungen


Mick Wallace (The Left). – Mr President, the recent report on human rights in Nicaragua makes a series of allegations and grave ones against the Nicaraguan Government, and these should be taken very seriously. But if you actually care about the people of Nicaragua, we wouldn't be sanctioning them because sanctions hurt the ordinary people the most. I would like to commend Mr Borrell for going to Cuba, but I don't understand why he can't have as good an attitude to Nicaragua. Instead of demonising Nicaragua, we should engage with them and show them some respect and we might make some more progress. We engage with Cuba, a country that excels in the field of medicine, health care, sustainable agriculture and education. Recently, Cuba has been going through a series of political reforms, democratic participation in the March legislative elections was higher than most EU countries could possibly achieve, and in September, the population voted to approve the most progressive family code in the world. But Cuba's biggest challenge is US sanctions. And I wish Mr Borrell would challenge those US sanctions, which have gone on for over 60 years and are illegal and violent.
11.5.   Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (A9-0095/2023 - Niels Fuglsang)

Mündliche Stimmerklärungen


Ангел Джамбазки (ECR). – Г-н Председател, досиетата ‘Пандора’ показаха много неща. На първо място, уязвимостта на системите ни да бъдат укривани огромни средства в офшорни зони и данъчни убежища. Това е възможно, защото Европейският парламент и редица европейски институции са обект на външно влияние. Такъв беше ‘Катаргейт’. Това беше какво? Външно влияние да бъдат променяни документи на Европейския парламент.
                  

                     Аз питам обаче кога и къде ще се види и кога Европейският парламент, Европейският съюз ще започнат да разглеждат по-сериозно външните влияния и начина, по който външните влияния влияят върху тази зала, за да бъдат променяни документите на тази зала. Защото, уважаеми г-н Председател, си мисля, че е време да се разгледа начинът, по който се получават проекти за промяна на документи, например докладът, за който говорих преди малко.
                  

                     И се чудя след ‘Катаргейт’ дали няма да има ‘Скопиегейт’, и се чудя документите ‘Пандора’ дали няма да покажат наши колеги някъде, които трябва да обясняват защо и как внасят предложения за промени в някои закони? Защото за разлика от много колеги в тази зала, аз мисля, че човешките права, като тези на българите в Македония, не са двустранни отношения, а са европейски въпрос.
                  

Piernicola Pedicini (Verts/ALE). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, i sistemi democratici occidentali sono in piena crisi, perché ormai è evidente a tutti che la politica non rappresenta la volontà dei semplici cittadini. La politica rappresenta sempre di più gli interessi dei poteri finanziari, delle massonerie, dei fondi internazionali, dell'industria del petrolio, di quella dei farmaci e dei pesticidi, e di quella delle armi.
                  

                     Perciò, per ridare fiducia ai cittadini nel nostro sistema democratico, il ruolo del giornalismo investigativo deve essere protetto di fronte alla denuncia per elusione, evasione fiscale, corruzione, criminalità organizzata e riciclaggio di denaro, ma soprattutto devono essere protetti quei giornalisti investigativi che denunciano crimini di guerra. E l'Unione europea non dovrebbe considerare sopportabile la persecuzione a cui viene sottoposto Julian Assange per il fatto stesso che abbia rivelato gli sporchi segreti delle guerre e abbia rivelato il fallimento sistemico delle nostre istituzioni democratiche secondo i principi dello Stato di diritto.
                  

Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI). – Poštovani, potpredsjedniče, priča o Pandora papirima nije prva takva priča. Imali smo prije Panama papire i razne druge.
                  

                     Radi se o tome koliko je naš svijet raslojen i kolika je razlika između bogatih i siromašnih, između elita i običnih građana. Radi se o izbjegavanju poreza. Dakle, ljudi nose novac iz zemalja u kojima su ga zaradili offshore u neke druge zemlje. U ovom konkretnom slučaju radi se o Švicarskoj, Panami, Emiratima i nekim drugim zemljama.
                  

                     Da biste uopće otvorili račun u tim bankama, možete to pronaći na internetu, treba vam polog. Znači, to vam je višak. To vam nije prihod koji trošite. To vam je višak od 100 tisuća eura, 250 tisuća franaka, pola milijuna dolara.
                  

                     Tko ima taj novac? Radni ljudi, obični ljudi, građani taj novac nemaju. Dakle, imaju ga samo pripadnici elita ili državnici ili kriminalci ili možda neke slavne osobe.
                  

                     I sad, kako stati na kraj tome da oni ne plaćaju porez i da iznose taj novac? Nalazim rješenje jedino u tome da se strogo prati kakav novac i kada odlazi iz zemlje te da se kontrolira porijeklo imovine, što bi ne samo spriječilo novi kriminal nego bi ga i preveniralo prema budućnosti.
                  
11.6.   Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (A9-0213/2023 - Udo Bullmann, Petros Kokkalis)

Mündliche Stimmerklärungen


Piernicola Pedicini (Verts/ALE). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, l'Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile è uno strumento chiave per affrontare le sfide globali dal punto di vista sociale e ambientale, ma vi sono importanti mancanze di dati per il monitoraggio regionale del Sud dell'Unione.
                  

                     Allora mi corre l'obbligo di riportare le vere ragioni per cui l'Italia, il paese dal quale provengo, mostra i risultati peggiori in termini di povertà, disoccupazione, disuguaglianze, crisi dei prezzi alimentari, degrado ambientale e perdita di biodiversità. Tutto questo avviene perché l'Italia è un paese che fa gli interessi di solo una parte del suo territorio. In Italia è normale che la spesa pubblica al Centro-Nord sia 17 000 EUR, mentre al Sud 13 000 EUR. È normale che per un bambino del Nord si possa spendere 3 500 EUR per l'istruzione, ma al Sud 19 EUR. In Italia è normale che l'alta velocità ferroviaria sia 84 % al Nord e soltanto il 16 % al Sud. Allora, Presidente, l'Unione europea deve intervenire per impedire che i governi italiani usino una parte del paese come colonia e per assicurare pari diritti sociali e civili a tutti i suoi cittadini.
                  

Der Präsident. – Damit ist dieser Tagesordnungspunkt geschlossen.
                  
12.   Approval of the minutes of the sitting and forwarding of texts adopted

Der Präsident. – Das Protokoll dieser Sitzung wird dem Parlament zu Beginn der nächsten Sitzung zur Genehmigung vorgelegt.
               

                  Wenn es keine Einwände gibt, werde ich die in der heutigen Sitzung angenommenen Entschließungen den in diesen Entschließungen genannten Personen und Gremien übermitteln.
               
13.   Dates of forthcoming sittings

Der Präsident. – Die nächste Tagung findet vom 10. bis zum 13. Juli 2023 statt.
               
14.   Closure of the sitting

Der Präsident. – Wir sind am Ende dieser Plenarwoche angelangt. Ich darf mich bei allen Diensten bedanken, dass sie uns so gut durch die Woche begleitet haben – trotz der Hitze und trotz so mancher Unrundigkeiten und Unvorhersehbarkeiten, die wir diese Woche hatten. Deshalb ist mein Dank in dieser Woche besonders.
               

(Die Sitzung wird um 15.43 Uhr geschlossen.)

15.   Adjournment of the session

Der Präsident. – Ich erkläre die Sitzungsperiode des Europäischen Parlaments für unterbrochen.
               


ELI: 
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)