Verbatim report of proceedings of 5 October 2023
Date: 2023-10-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Parliament, parliamentary debate








C_202405276EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series














29.8.2024







            5 October 2023
            VERBATIM REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF 5 OCTOBER 2023
            
         
(C/2024/5276)

Contents







1.

Opening of the sitting
4










2.

Financial services contracts concluded at a distance (debate)
4










3.

Urban wastewater treatment (debate)
9










4.

Request for waiver of immunity
20










5.

Action taken following a Parliament decision on immunity
20










6.

The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (debate)
20










7.

Resumption of the sitting
34










8.

Voting time
34










8.1.

Approval of the appointment of Wopke Hoekstra as Member of the European Commission (C9-0335/2023) (vote)
34










8.2.

Approval of the allocation of new responsibilities of Executive Vice-President of the Commission Maroš Šefčovič (vote)
34










8.3.

Schengen Borders Code (A9-0280/2023 - Sylvie Guillaume) (vote)
34










8.4.

Human rights situation in Afghanistan, in particular the persecution of former government officials (RC-B9-0395/2023, B9-0395/2023, B9-0401/2023, B9-0403/2023, B9-0406/2023, B9-0409/2023, B9-0412/2023) (vote)
35










8.5.

The case of Zarema Musaeva in Chechnya (RC-B9-0415/2023, B9-0415/2023, B9-0416/2023, B9-0418/2023, B9-0419/2023, B9-0421/2023) (vote)
35










8.6.

Egypt, in particular the sentencing of Hisham Kassem (RC-B9-0396/2023, B9-0396/2023, B9-0398/2023, B9-0413/2023, B9-0414/2023, B9-0422/2023, B9-0423/2023) (vote)
35










8.7.

European green bonds (A9-0156/2022 - Paul Tang) (vote)
35










8.8.

Scheme of generalised tariff preferences (A9-0267/2023 - Heidi Hautala) (vote)
35










8.9.

Financial services contracts concluded at a distance (A9-0097/2023 - Arba Kokalari) (vote)
36










8.10.

Urban wastewater treatment (A9-0276/2023 - Nils Torvalds) (vote)
36










8.11.

Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan's attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (B9-0405/2023, RC-B9-0393/2023, B9-0393/2023, B9-0397/2023, B9-0399/2023, B9-0400/2023, B9-0402/2023, B9-0404/2023) (vote)
36










8.12.

Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (B9-0407/2023, RC-B9-0408/2023, B9-0408/2023, B9-0410/2023, B9-0411/2023, B9-0417/2023, B9-0420/2023) (vote)
36










8.13.

The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (B9-0386/2023) (vote)
36










9.

Resumption of the sitting
36










10.

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting
36










11.

Poor sanitary conditions, low levels of security and lack of parking places in rest areas for truck drivers (debate)
37










12.

Explanations of vote
44










12.1.

European green bonds (A9-0156/2022 - Paul Tang)
44










12.2.

Scheme of generalised tariff preferences (A9-0267/2023 - Heidi Hautala)
45










12.3.

Urban wastewater treatment (A9-0276/2023 - Nils Torvalds)
45










12.4.

Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan's attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (B9-0405/2023, RC-B9-0393/2023, B9-0393/2023, B9-0397/2023, B9-0399/2023, B9-0400/2023, B9-0402/2023, B9-0404/2023)
46










12.5.

Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (B9-0407/2023, RC-B9-0408/2023, B9-0408/2023, B9-0410/2023, B9-0411/2023, B9-0417/2023, B9-0420/2023)
47










12.6.

The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (B9-0386/2023)
48










13.

Approval of the minutes of the sitting and forwarding of texts adopted
49










14.

Dates of forthcoming sittings
49










15.

Closure of the sitting
49










16.

Adjournment of the session
50




Verbatim report of proceedings of 5 October 2023
                  


VORSITZ: RAINER WIELAND


Vizepräsident

1.   Opening of the sitting

(Die Sitzung wird um 9.00 Uhr eröffnet)

2.   Financial services contracts concluded at a distance (debate)

Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über den Bericht von Arba Kokalari im Namen des Ausschusses für Binnenmarkt und Verbraucherschutz über den Vorschlag für eine Richtlinie des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates zur Änderung der Richtlinie 2011/83/EU in Bezug auf im Fernabsatz geschlossene Finanzdienstleistungsverträge und zur Aufhebung der Richtlinie 2002/65/EG (COM(2022)0204 – C9-0175/2022 – 2022/0147(COD)) (A9-0097/2023).
               

Arba Kokalari,
rapporteur. – Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, I am glad that we have a political agreement on the new law on financial services contracts concluded at a distance. With the digital development and with more consumers buying financial products online, we now are taking steps to make consumer protection rules fit for the digital age.
How consumers use financial services look very different today than it did 20 years ago. It's good that the rules are now being modernised and that the withdrawal function that we are introducing in this law for all goods and services is technology neutral. This will make it easier to withdraw when one buys a product online. We are now making it clearer for companies how the rules apply in relation to product-specific legislations. Companies must give information in good time without misleading consumers. We are also harmonising the rules in the EU single market, with a few exceptions where Member States can go further. And most importantly, we are keeping a high level of consumer protection when our consumers are buying financial products online or over the phone.
I want to thank all the shadow rapporteurs, I want to thank the Commission and I also want to thank the Swedish Presidency for the negotiations that we had in the spring and for a successful result. I believe that this new law will be a win-win for consumers and businesses across the European Union, and we now have modernised rules without extra burden for companies and we are ensuring that consumers have a high level of protection when they are buying in Europe. So, thank you, everybody.

Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I am pleased to be with you today for this debate concerning the Directive on Financial Services Contracts Concluded at a Distance, commonly referred to as the DMSFD. I am replacing Commissioner Reynders, who unfortunately could not be here today.
To begin with, I would like to thank the rapporteur, the shadow rapporteurs and all the Parliament's team for their hard work on this file. We have reached an agreement within a short period of time, thanks to the effective and efficient work of everyone.
This agreement is overall balanced. It preserves the objectives as well as the overall architecture of the Commission proposal, namely establishing a level playing field for financial services concluded online while ensuring a high level of consumer protection. It also clarifies the scope of application of the directive, its horizontal nature and its interaction with product-specific legislation. This includes, namely, the repeal of the Distance Marketing of Consumer Financial Services Directive and the introduction of a new chapter on financial services sold at a distance in the Consumer Rights Directive.
The agreed text also modernises existing rules by introducing a withdrawal function. The right of withdrawal is a key consumer right and it should be easy to exercise it even when the financial service is bought online. Then, for cases where traders sometimes use online, automated tools, we introduce a right to obtain human intervention in case it is needed by the consumer.
The new rules will protect consumers from so-called dark patterns. The agreement also confirms the maximum harmonisation approach, with the exception for pre-contractual information obligations and the new dark pattern provision, where Member States may go further and impose stricter rules. On penalties, the agreement is aligned with the respective provision in the recently agreed Consumer Credit Directive.
In conclusion, the agreement is a win-win outcome for consumers and traders alike. It empowers consumers by providing them with modernised futureproof rights adapted to the digital transformation. It also provides clarity as for the scope of the application of the rules, thereby creating legal certainty for the traders.
Once again, thank you and well done to the rapporteur and her team.

Ivan Štefanec,
za skupinu PPE. – Pán predsedajúci, s rastúcim trendom používania digitálnych technológií rastie výrazne aj podiel finančných kontraktov, ktoré naši občania uzatvárajú online. Či už ide o poistenie auta, dôchodkové poistenie, alebo obyčajné otvorenie bežného účtu v banke. Zároveň sa takto otvára priestor aj pre rozvoj nových a inovačných služieb a projektov.
               

                  Vzhľadom na rýchly rozvoj moderných digitálnych technológií však môžeme pozorovať istú informačnú asymetriu pri uzatváraní kontraktov na diaľku práve v neprospech spotrebiteľa.
               

                  Nové technológie vytvárajú priestor pre nové nekalé praktiky, ktoré môžu aj negatívne ovplyvniť rozhodovanie spotrebiteľov.
               

                  Preto vítam aktualizáciu tejto smernice, ktorá obsahuje dôležité nástroje na posilnenie ochrany spotrebiteľa a limituje používanie nekalých marketingových praktík, prostredníctvom ktorých sa častokrát spotrebitelia zaviažu k rôznym službám, o ktoré ani nemajú záujem.
               

                  Za rovnako dôležité považujem zavedenie práva na odstúpenie od zmluvy, ktoré musí byť viditeľné a dostupné aj pri uzatváraní zmluvy.
               

                  Častokrát seniori, ktorí možno nedôverujú dostatočne, alebo nemajú skúsenosti s chatbotmi pri uzatváraní zmluvy na diaľku, určite ocenia zavedenie práva na konzultáciu zmluvy s človekom, aj pre lepšie pochopenie tohto produktu.
               

                  No a osobitne oceňujem aj zjednodušenie legislatívnej záťaže, čo je dôležité najmä pre malé a stredné podniky vo finančnom sektore, a určite to podporí rozvoj inovácie a digitalizácie.
               

Biljana Borzan,
u ime kluba S&D. – Poštovani predsjedavajući, od 2002. godine, kada smo zadnji puta regulirali ovo područje do danas, digitalna ekonomija doživjela je golemi procvat. Međutim, u takvom okruženju potrošači često ostaju nezaštićeni, sklapajući štetne ugovore na osnovi pogrešnih ili nepotpunih informacija.
               

                  Ovim prijedlogom se osigurava kvalitetna i besplatna informacija o financijskim uslugama prije sklapanja ugovora. U online svijetu svi smo primijetili kako u samo nekoliko klikova možemo potrošiti novac, ali isto tako smo primijetili da je potrebno puno više od nekoliko klikova kako bi nam se novac vratio. U tome je vrijednost ovoga prijedloga, a prije svega takozvanog gumba za odustajanje kojim će se potrošačima omogućiti lako raskidanje ne samo ugovora o financijskim uslugama već i svih vrsta ugovora koji su sklopljeni na daljinu.
               

                  Sa samo dva klika moći ćemo otkazati ugovor ili narudžbu.
               

                  Jako puno ljudi danas kupuje online, ali i skoro polovica europskih građana kaže kako se na njih vršio pritisak da kupe nešto preko telefona ili poruka. Deset posto europskih građana žali se na pritisak prodavača na kućnom pragu. Nažalost, u takvim situacijama oni najranjiviji često budu prevareni i oni će biti zaštićeni ovim zakonom.
               

                  Hvala kolegama koji su radili na ovome prijedlogu i na kraju ovo su jako dobre vijesti za europske potrošače.
               

Billy Kelleher,
on behalf of the Renew Group. – Mr President, many more of us interact with our financial service providers, banks, or insurers online. In some instances, we are forced to because branches are closing, there is less personal contact and, in other instances, we are offered more innovative products by new online-only providers. Regardless of the reason, it is essential that consumers have the same protections online as they have offline. I strongly welcome and support the amendments to this directive to ensure that the consumer protections around contracts concluded at a distance are brought into the digital age and cannot be circumvented. Most important are the rules ensuring that all consumers have a 14-day right of withdrawal if they change their minds.
However, in future, I think we as a legislator are going to have to be more ambitious. We need to seriously look at the right of cancellation. Nowadays, we can conclude a contract online in a matter of a few clicks and providing some basic information. But very often, it's a different story when it comes to the cancellation of a subscription. Just as this directive has done for the 14-day withdrawal period, we need to ensure that the ability to cancel is made clear and not a process hidden in a labyrinth of the provider's websites. So we need clarity at the start of a contract as to how you go about cancelling a contract, because I do find that it is more difficult to cancel than it is to subscribe to very often.

Claude Gruffat,
au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, chers collègues, imaginez votre ‘streameuse’ favorite qui vous fait la publicité de produits ou de services financiers douteux. Imaginez votre chanteur de pop préféré qui vous incite à acheter le tout nouveau NFT tout en vous promettant que ça vous rapportera beaucoup d'argent en très peu de temps. C'est ce qui s'est passé à maintes reprises en France et en Europe, et c'est au détriment des consommateurs et des consommatrices qui ont perdu des milliers d'euros. À l'échelon européen, ça fait des dizaines de millions d'euros.
               

                  Alors aujourd'hui, nous allons voter un texte censé protéger les consommateurs et les consommatrices de l'Union européenne. J'ai bien dit ‘censé’, car malgré plusieurs dispositions très positives, la publicité en ligne faite par les influenceurs reste mal encadrée.
               

                  Parmi les points positifs, nous retrouvons le fait que tout consommateur pourra désormais se rétracter de tout contrat financier conclu à distance d'un simple clic. C'est une grosse avancée. Nous devons nous en féliciter, d'autant plus que nous avons obtenu cette disposition qui s'applique à tous les contrats conclus à distance, pas seulement aux services financiers. Ce rapport fait donc un sérieux pas dans la direction de la protection des consommateurs.
               

                  Mais là où la déception est réelle, c'est que ce texte, qui était aussi l'occasion d'encadrer la promotion de produits financiers par les influenceurs, ne le fait pas tout à fait. Il y a tant de scandales et d'arnaques dans lesquels certains d'entre eux cherchent à refourguer des produits financiers à leur audience sans avoir aucune compétence dans ce domaine. Je le répète ici, les influenceurs ne devraient pas être en mesure de faire de la publicité en ligne pour les produits financiers ou les crypto-actifs, à moins qu'une autorité compétente puisse leur délivrer une autorisation.
               

                  Au lieu de cela, on va se contenter d'imposer un libellé qui indique que tel ou tel influenceur n'a pas de connaissances requises pour pouvoir faire la promotion des produits financiers. Autrement dit, on ne protège pas réellement les consommateurs, surtout quand on sait à quel point l'influence peut être forte sur les réseaux sociaux.
               

                  Parmi les créateurs de contenus, pour la plupart honnêtes, nous continuerons donc à voir des influenceurs rapaces, avides d'argent, qui manipulent leur public avec de fausses promesses afin de vendre des produits financiers douteux, sans même le savoir d'ailleurs, pour la plupart d'entre eux qui se livrent à ce type de pratiques. La promotion de produits financiers exige des compétences et elle doit être mieux encadrée.
               

Dorien Rookmaker,
namens de ECR-Fractie. – Voorzitter, commissaris, rapporteur, dank voor dit goede voorstel. Dames en heren, zoals u weet hebben we in de Europese Unie een reeks richtlijnen en regelgevingen die onze digitale economie ondersteunen. Volledige harmonisatie, precontractuele informatie, het recht op ontbinding en digitale rechtvaardigheid, het zijn allemaal cruciale aspecten en die worden hier goed geadresseerd. Gelukkig hebben we een aantal praktische zaken in ons overleg kunnen aanpassen en is het voorstel nu ook werkbaar. Het is prima zo, maar wanneer is het klaar?
               

                  Geachte collega's, we moeten het simpel en beperkt houden. Alle spelers in de markt zijn gebaat bij rust op het regeltjesfront. Communicatie-experts drukken ons op het hart dat het niet gaat om meer, maar wel om betere informatieverstrekking. Ik heb het gevoel dat daar ook bij deze herziening te weinig aandacht voor is geweest en dat vind ik jammer.
               

                  Maar laten we niet vergeten dat volledige harmonisatie een lopend proces is en dat we moeten blijven streven naar minder regelgeving, meer duidelijkheid en begrijpelijke wetten. Houd het simpel, is mijn devies.
               

Alessandra Basso,
a nome del gruppo ID. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, lo sviluppo delle nuove tecnologie ha sicuramente facilitato l'accesso ai prodotti finanziari e la pandemia ha ulteriormente accelerato questo processo, portando alla crescita degli acquisti online. L'era dello scambio di fax appartiene ormai alla preistoria.
               

                  Per contro, i consumatori che acquistano online sono diventati più vulnerabili a pratiche di manipolazione, come l'uso di interfacce progettate per ingannarli e deviare la loro attenzione verso prodotti o servizi che in realtà non volevano sottoscrivere. Ecco perché è stato fondamentale vietare ai fornitori di servizi finanziari di spingere i consumatori a fare scelte che potrebbero essere contrarie ai loro interessi attraverso il design del sito web.
               

                  Molto spesso per spingere a concludere un contratto si fa leva sul senso di urgenza e sull'invito ad agire immediatamente per non perdere prestiti stranamente vantaggiosi, promesse di guadagni facili e offerte a prezzi stracciati, e poi ci si trova incastrati. E lo sappiamo bene: i contratti poco chiari, una volta firmati, sono difficili da revocare, o meglio, erano difficili. L'obiettivo che ci siamo posti è anche quello di rendere i consumatori più consapevoli del loro diritto di recesso e di garantire che recedere da un contratto non sia più oneroso che stipularlo.
               

Kateřina Konečná,
za skupinu The Left. – Pane předsedající, vážená paní komisařko, i když gratuluji zpravodaji k dosažené dohodě, musím také vyjádřit své zklamání. Je třeba uznat, že tímto začleníme důležitá práva spotřebitelů do horizontálně použitelné směrnice o právech spotřebitelů. Vítám také skutečnost, že jsme změnili text z úplné harmonizace na minimální harmonizaci, což členským státům umožní nejen zachovat již existující práva spotřebitelů, ale také zavést další. Ale ve vyjednávání byl prostor prostě pro mnohem více. Musíme si přiznat, že Rada nepřijala téměř žádný z požadavků Evropského parlamentu. Týká se to zejména textů vztahujících se na tzv. dark patterns či ustanovení o přezkumu a ustanovení o sankcích.
               

                  Moje skupina by také upřednostnila přísnější regulaci reklamy na finanční služby, zejména s ohledem na influencery inzerující online. Nemusím zde asi sáhodlouze vysvětlovat, že role těchto influencerů v investičním poradenství rok od roku roste. Přitom nenesou žádnou, ale žádnou odpovědnost. Proto jsme byli také v poslední době svědky řady skandálů, zejména v oblasti investování do kryptoměn. A to se musí co nejrychleji změnit. Proto je text směrnice v tomhle ohledu velkým zklamáním. Stručně řečeno, bylo dosaženo minima a promeškali jsme příležitost lépe chránit spotřebitele.
               

Deirdre Clune (PPE). – Mr President, thank you to our rapporteur and to all those involved. I welcome these new provisions for the financial services that have been provided in the Consumer Rights Directive. We are all living through digitalisation of our financial services, and we know that consumer protection rules must now be fit for the digital age.
These new rules will provide for stronger protection for consumers when they conclude contracts at a distance or by phone. It will be easier for consumers to make informed decisions. They must be given clear information before they purchase a financial service product, and they must get that information in good time before they finalise the contract.
A major change introduced here will be the introduction of the right-to-withdraw function within 14 days for all digital contracts, and not just financial, as we want to have what's legal the same offline as on the online space. So we now have the principle that it is as easy to withdraw from as it is to conclude a contract.
I'm also glad to see the provision that there will be human intervention for consumers and those of us who can get caught in the labyrinth that can be when you try to deal with these complex services online. So thank you to all involved.

Jonás Fernández (S&D). – Señor presidente, señora comisaria, sin duda, la digitalización de la economía nos está exigiendo una puesta al día del conjunto de las leyes, las regulaciones, los Reglamentos y las Directivas, para intentar mantener los mismos principios y los mismos objetivos, pero a través de instrumentos distintos, en la medida en que ese mundo digital necesita, como decía, una regulación equivalente al resto de la economía.
               

                  En esta ocasión celebramos —y me gustaría congratular al ponente y al conjunto del equipo negociador por ello— la puesta al día de una regulación necesaria para controlar esa oferta de servicios financieros a distancia en la que, en algunos casos, si no existe un control muy claro, puede haber problemas de disminución de los derechos de los consumidores. Me gustaría destacar el trabajo del Grupo S&D para garantizar la presencia física, el contacto humano, en este tipo de contratos.
               

Vlad-Marius Botoș (Renew). – Domnule președinte, doamna comisară Šuica, stimați colegi, în plin proces de digitalizare, cu o multitudine de servicii oferite online, avem nevoie de acest raport privind contractele semnate la distanță, adaptat exigențelor și realităților actuale.
               

                  Condițiile impuse prin acest raport asigură un nivel ridicat al protecției consumatorilor în ceea ce privește contractele la distanță pentru serviciile financiare. Este important ca înainte de încheierea contractului, consumatorul să fie informat, într-un mod cât mai clar, asupra obligațiilor pe care și le asumă, asupra dobânzilor și taxelor pe care ar trebui să le plătească pentru a lua cea mai bună decizie și pentru a nu se împovăra mai mult decât ar putea să plătească.
               

                  Regulile prevăzute în această directivă vor contribui, totodată, la consolidarea pieței unice, creând un cadru legislativ armonizat care poate duce la buna funcționare și la dezvoltarea acestui sector.
               

                  Cred că Parlamentul European a ajuns la o poziție echilibrată, care asigură protecția consumatorilor și cadrul legal adecvat pentru actorii economici.
               

René Repasi (S&D). – Herr Präsident, Frau Kommissarin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Dark Patterns sind eine Pest des Internets. Es ist schon schlimm genug, dass wir Verbraucher im Internet regelmäßig dazu verleitet werden, Entscheidungen zu treffen, die wir eigentlich nicht wollen, Produkte kaufen, die wir eigentlich nicht nötig haben. Besonders niederträchtig sind solche Verhaltensweisen, wenn sie Menschen in Schuldenfallen laufen lassen.
               

                  Es ist gut, dass wir etwas zu Dark Patterns in diese Richtlinie hineinbekommen haben. Es ist mir aber unverständlich, warum wir im Verhandlungsergebnis nicht ein klares Ende für diese Missstände setzen und die Mitgliedstaaten ihr gesamtes Arsenal in Stellung bringen wollen, um Dark Patterns bei Finanzdienstleistungen zu verbieten und zu verhindern – so wie wir, das Europäische Parlament, es in unserer Position gefordert haben. Das ist eine Schande für den Rat, dass er nicht mehr zugelassen hat. Deswegen seien sie aber versichert: Wir, das Europäische Parlament, werden hier am Ball bleiben, um Dark Patterns überall den Garaus zu machen.
               

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Domnule președinte, doamna comisară, stimați colegi, modificarea Directivei 2011 în ceea ce privește contractele de servicii financiare încheiate la distanță era o necesitate. Pe parcursul înaintării în digitalizare, sigur că avem nevoie și de adaptare. Și mă bucur foarte mult că prin creșterea protejării libertății cetățenilor de a alege și în domeniul contractelor încheiate la distanță, crește încrederea cetățenilor de a lucra cu contracte încheiate la distanță.
               

                  Evident că mă bucură faptul (cuvinte care nu se aud) drept al consumatorului de a solicita o intervenție umană, pentru că știm bine că avem nivel diferit în statele membre legat de abilitățile pe digitalizare și este bine că am precizat acest lucru, mai ales pentru persoanele de vârsta a treia.
               

                  Este, de asemenea, important că avem în directivă prevăzute norme privind informațiile precontractuale. Este important să știe consumatorul înainte și, de asemenea, important, că avem reglementat dreptul de retragere.
               

                  Cred că este însă foarte important, doamna comisară, ca statele membre să adauge la ceea ce noi facem acum în legislația națională și sancțiuni dacă nu se respectă.
               

Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, once again, thank you for this debate and I want to thank Parliament for the work you put into this proposal.
It is a key step to achieve a high level of protection of consumers in Europe. It is also a crucial piece of legislation to ensure that businesses understand which laws to apply when concluding financial services at a distance.
It is obvious from your debate that we need clarity at the beginning of the contract as well as at the end of the contract. All of us know that the online world is vulnerable to manipulation. This is what all of you said. So the Commission stands ready to deploy all efforts to facilitate the transposition of this new piece of legislation to ensure that it can be implemented quickly and properly by all stakeholders.

Der Präsident. — Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.
               

                  Die Abstimmung findet am Donnerstag, 5. Oktober 2023, statt.
               
3.   Urban wastewater treatment (debate)

Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über den Bericht von Nils Torvalds im Namen des Ausschusses für Umweltfragen, öffentliche Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit über den Vorschlag für eine Richtlinie des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates über die Behandlung von kommunalem Abwasser (Neufassung) (COM(2022)0541 – C9-0363/2022 – 2022/0345(COD)) (A9-0276/2023).
               

Nils Torvalds,
rapporteur. – Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to start by thanking my shadow rapporteurs for the good spirit during the negotiations. Despite very different circumstances, we were able to bridge most of the dividing issues. For the issues where we didn't, I'll try to explain my concerns.
First of all, energy neutrality. I'm more than able to understand the challenges we have in European cities, where human beings have been building structures, houses, arenas for the last two thousand or three thousand years. When you try to go in and build something in circumstances like that, you are sure to run into difficulties.
In the middle of a Finnish nowhere, it's much easier to find solutions to some of these challenges, because the circumstances are so different. In some places, you're just boxed in – as in the case of Brussels – between the railway trunk lines and a factory. If you have to go to tertiary or quaternary water treatment in some cases, you either have to go down or up. And when you go down or up, you're going to get more cost and demand more energy.
The biggest issue during the negotiation was the extended producer responsibility. Here I personally ran into a moral conflict. In my extended family, we had a case of severe cancer. The person was given a life expectancy of three months. This is something very many people in my age, and many much younger, are facing every day.
Today, many cases of severe cancer are treated, and what one day seemed to be a remaining lifespan of three months is then turned into a normal life. This was also the case in my example from Finland. What looked as the end of life turned into a flowering possibility. In this understanding, the pharmaceutical industry is fulfilling a societal task and that has to be taken into account when we divide the responsibility. This was what I tried to do and I would very much like to see this issue being taken care of.
We have similar cases in the history of COVID. The record-breaking time scientists and pharma companies succeeded in finding a remedy actually saved lots of lives. We don't know how many thousands or millions of lives they saved, but the fact is that lives were saved. We cannot calculate it. But we know for sure that this is a fact. At the same time, the pharma industry in the European Union is under severe pressure from both the US and China. Therefore, we had to find a middle ground in the negotiations, and I would be more than happy to see this coming true.

Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, let me start by thanking the rapporteur, Mr Torvalds, the shadow rapporteurs from the ENVI Committee and the rapporteur of the AGRI Committee, Mr Huitema, for the excellent work done to advance on this file. The report presented here today preserves both the main elements of the proposal and the spirit of the directive. This directive is more than 30 years old. It has served Europe very well. It has clearly helped improve the quality of our rivers, lakes and seas. The opportunity to revise it comes once in a generation. It is vital that we get it right. Our task is to ensure that its scope and ambition are adapted to the challenges of today and of the years to come. It needs to be strengthened. It needs to help us tackle the accelerating and intertwined planetary crisis addressed by the European Green Deal. The widespread eutrophication of our water bodies, to take one example, calls for a stronger approach to nutrient management. My plea is that you do not allow exemptions, especially in areas where eutrophication continues to be a major issue.
On energy neutrality. Let me be clear. This goal can be achieved. We know this because it is already happening in several Member States. Steering and accompanying the wastewater sector towards the goal with financial measures, if necessary, without necessarily opening the door to energy purchases from other sources, has many advantages. It will also be a more cost effective path to the strategic autonomy and independence from fossil fuel sources that Europe needs.
On extended producer responsibility, I remain convinced that the industry should cover the full cost of the additional treatment needed to treat the residues of their products. The studies supporting our impact assessments are clear. Applying this system will not make pharmaceuticals and cosmetics less accessible or more expensive. Over time. It would give producers a greater incentive to deliver greener, toxic-free products while also improving the governance of the sector. This is in line with the polluter pays principle, a core principle of the European Union Treaties. This is a great opportunity to apply this principle in practice, and let's take it.
At a time when too little or too much water is becoming a major issue in all Member States, we have a chance to help tip the balance. The revision we propose will help modernise the European Union waste water sector. With these proposals, we can make it a major provider of a high-quality reusable water, critical raw materials, clean energy and nature-based solutions for water-related impacts of climate change. This is in line with the climate neutral, pollution free, nature positive and circular objectives we have for the European economy and for citizens across the Union.

Deirdre Clune,
on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, I'd like to thank the Commission for their proposal here and thank you to our rapporteur and the other shadows for their work bringing us to this point.
So this Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will mandate countries to step up their efforts in removing harmful micro-pollutants. And we know that there is growing concern from consumers and from our citizens about the rising level of these pollutants in our waterways. It's one of the most significant overhauls in EU water policy in over 30 years, and it does form the cornerstone of the EU zero-pollution package.
The revision focuses on tackling new pollution threats, increasing the availability and transparency of pollution data, and requiring countries across Europe to alert each other about pollution events. This proposal will also see the wastewater treatment plants across Europe becoming energy-neutral by 2040, contributing to our Green Deal ambitions.
So it's a crucial new piece of legislation reducing pollution and improving water quality in European lakes, rivers and coastal areas and will significantly benefit our environment while improving the well-being and the health of our citizens. And it will be challenging for many areas, given the difficult terrain and also the scattering of our population settlements. So as part of the new legislative proposal, Member States, including Ireland, will now have to remove micro-pollutants from urban wastewater as well as routinely monitor for pathogens such as COVID-19. The principle of the polluter pays has been introduced here, and I welcome that. Up to 92% of the pollutants do come from pharmaceuticals, and the cosmetic industry has been identified by the Commission.
I think we have reached a balance in our proposal as to how we move forward in this area, because we do need ambitious, pragmatic laws to continue to improve Europe's water quality, and that exactly is what this legislation will do. So I welcome it and hope we'll be moving on to the next stage and look forward to working again with my rapporteur and with the other institutions.

Der Präsident. – Herrn Kollegen Marek Paweł Balt sehe ich nicht, deshalb spricht jetzt für eineinhalb Minuten Herr Kollege Max Orville.
               

Max Orville,
au nom du groupe Renew. – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, chers collègues, Mayotte est frappée par une crise de l'eau inacceptable. Cette crise est une plaie béante dans nos valeurs, car il est de notre devoir d'assurer à chaque Européen un accès à l'eau. Le traitement des eaux usées peut apporter une solution à Mayotte et à tous nos territoires, car ce traitement permet un environnement exempt de pollution et la prévention de risques sanitaires majeurs.
               

                  Je souligne ici l'importance des nouvelles obligations d'accès à l'assainissement et aux installations sanitaires pour tous, mais en particulier pour les groupes vulnérables et marginalisés. C'est une avancée majeure pour nos concitoyens. L'eau est une ressource précieuse, nous devons l'économiser et j'encourage les États membres à lancer des campagnes sur la sobriété d'utilisation de l'eau.
               

                  Les nouveaux plans de gestion des eaux urbaines doivent contribuer à notre objectif de réutilisation des eaux usées. Encourageons le recyclage des eaux résiduaires pour l'agriculture, l'industrie ou encore pour produire de l'hydrogène. Il est aussi crucial de mieux surveiller la présence de certains virus dans les eaux usées. Cela nous permettra d'anticiper les foyers de contamination et de prendre les mesures sanitaires adaptées.
               

                  Je me réjouis enfin de l'inclusion de deux mesures de bon sens, le principe du pollueur-payeur, afin que les industries responsables de la pollution de l'eau contribuent à son traitement, et le droit à l'indemnisation des citoyens en cas d'impact sur la santé ou sur l'environnement. Voter pour ce texte, c'est voter pour plus de justice sociale et plus de justice environnementale.
               

Margrete Auken,
for Verts/ALE-Gruppen. – Hr. Formand! Tak til Nils og til kollegerne for et godt samarbejde! Kommissionens forslag var faktisk fint, og det har gjort vores arbejde meget nemmere. Men der var stadig plads til forbedringer, og det er lykkedes at komme igennem med en hel del. Et par vigtige punkter: I det store hele har vi kunnet bevare, ja endog hæve ambitionsniveauet. Vi har fået mere opmærksomhed på at reducere energiforbrug, øge energieffektivitet, og udnytte overskudsvarme samt sikre et større fokus på metan og lattergas, og altså nødvendigheden af klimaneutralitet på længere sigt. Vi har også styrket bidraget til den cirkulære økonomi både i forhold til næringsstoffer og vand, og vi har fået ekstra fokus på problemerne med mikroplast og PFAS, og vi har forbedret forvaltningen og samarbejdet mellem medlemslandene og Kommissionen, harmoniseringen med relevant miljølovgivning samt skærpet kravene til åbenhed.
               

                  Men noget er desværre også blevet forringet. Det er vi Grønne ret bekymrede over. For det første synes vi, at det er smadderærgerligt, at forureneren-betaler-princippet i artikel 9 udvandes. Kommissionens forslag om at finansiere rensning af forurenende mikrostoffer gennem et udvidet producentansvar var den helt rigtige vej at gå. Det er kun rimeligt, at de berørte sektorer er med, og de er altså ikke fattige. Medicinalindustrien f.eks. har fint råd. Vi er også skuffede over, at man vil tillade, at op til 25 procent af områdets energineutralitet skal kunne hentes fra elnettet. Der er allerede heftig efterspørgsel på grøn strøm, og skal vi nå klimaneutralitet, bør alle sektorer lægge sig i selen. Det er heller ikke i orden, at der er forslag om at hæve grænsen for størrelsen på byer, der skal forpligtes til at rense for mikroforurening, jf. artikel 8. Det vil betyde langt mere forurening i en række halvstore byer. Og så bliver jeg nødt til at nævne et helt bizart ændringsforslag 253, der vil fritage et bestemt land for at skulle fjerne næringsstoffer med henvisning til, at et område er sårbart over for den ekstra forurening. Undskyld mig! Alle borgere i EU har ret til at leve i et sundt miljø, selv om det kræver en ekstra indsats!
               

Pietro Fiocchi,
a nome del gruppo ECR. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, un grazie all'onorevole Nils Torvalds, che è un grandissimo relatore su queste cose. Soprattutto, sono stato colpito dalla sua esperienza personale sul cancro. Io, come relatore ombra della commissione speciale BECA, sono convinto che la qualità dell'aria e dell'acqua in Europa sia fondamentale per ridurre il numero di casi di cancro, per cui sono veramente dalla tua parte.
               

                  Da questo punto di vista, ci sono due problematiche sul trattamento delle acque. Una è un problema fisico, e parlo dell'Italia, parlo del mio lago, il lago di Como, in cui non c'è lo spazio fisico per fare il trattamento quaternario, e questo è un problema che dovremo gestire. L'altro problema che vedo, sempre da un punto di vista tecnico, è il fatto che non abbiamo ancora le tecnologie per gestire in maniera efficace il trattamento delle microplastiche, delle nanoplastiche e dei PFAS. Per cui, da questo punto di vista, vedo tutta una serie di problemi, ma sono sicuro che l'Europa riuscirà a portare a casa i risultati, magari dando anche dei bei fondi a chi vuole fare questa iniziativa.
               

                  L'ultima cosa è l'extended producer responsibility, che è problematica perché bisogna capire da un punto di vista giuridico come fai a far pagare a un'azienda farmaceutica il fatto che una persona butta l'antibiotico nel gabinetto. Per cui, anche su questo dovremmo un attimo chiarire le regole.
               

Danilo Oscar Lancini,
a nome del gruppo ID. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, la rifusione di questa direttiva, il cui impianto iniziale risale al 1991, era un'opportunità per affermare il tema delle acque reflue urbane alla luce dell'evoluzione della ricerca, ma purtroppo, qui, la scienza lascia il passo all'ideologia.
               

                  Nonostante il testo che votiamo oggi rappresenti un passo avanti rispetto alla proposta della Commissione, ritengo inaccettabile istituire un sistema di responsabilità estesa del produttore, che non è conforme e soprattutto non è proporzionale al principio ‘chi inquina paga’.
               

                  Stiamo sottovalutando i costi eccessivi del trattamento quaternario obbligatorio che i produttori dovranno affrontare, costi che poi graveranno sugli utilizzatori finali. Non stiamo tenendo conto delle caratteristiche dei sistemi di raccolta nei vari Stati membri. In Italia, ad esempio, esistono depuratori consortili che raggruppano più comuni. Questo renderebbe il trattamento quaternario obbligatorio a tutti. Inoltre, infine, non giustificano i costi, sebbene sarebbe stato più idoneo prevedere un trattamento quaternario nei soli casi in cui il trattamento terziario non sia sufficiente a eliminare le sostanze microinquinanti.
               

                  Chiudo: per questi motivi voteremo ‘meno’ alla relazione in votazione.
               

Nikolaj Villumsen,
for The Left-Gruppen. – Hr. Formand! Ilten slipper op. Havene dør. Livet i vores vandløb er væk. Det lyder som en gyserfilm, men det er virkeligheden i Europa i dag. Vores vandmiljø er i dyb krise. Livet i vores søer, vandløb og havområder skal genoprettes. Derfor skal flere kobles på kloaksystemet. Mere spildevand skal renses, og vi skal indføre et nyt fjerde rensetrin, som også fjerner mikroforurening. Men hvem skal betale for det? Det skal selvfølgelig være dem, der forurener. Hvem ellers? Når medicinal- og kosmetikgiganterne er ansvarlige for langt, langt hovedparten af de partikler, vi fjerner i det fjerde rensetrin, er det også kun rimeligt, at de betaler regningen. Men her har vi konflikten lige nu. Det er tydeligt, at højrefløjen, og desværre også Socialdemokraterne, hellere vil tørre regningen af på skatteborgerne ved at give medicinalindustrien rabat på regningen. Undskyld, men det holder jo ikke! Vi har brug for en social retfærdig grøn omstilling, hvor forureneren betaler. I Enhedslisten og på venstrefløjen, der står vi på befolkningens side, ikke big pharmas'. Så lad os se at komme i gang!
               

Maria Angela Danzì (NI). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, l'approvazione di questa revisione rappresenta un passo avanti importante nella direzione giusta e necessaria della salvaguardia della salute umana, ambientale e degli animali. Era necessario che il settore delle acque reflue fosse soggetto alle regole della neutralità energetica ed è un bene incentivare il riutilizzo di acqua e fanghi per la produzione anche di biogas.
               

                  È importante, però, che anche gli impianti che sono in corso di costruzione si adeguino fin da ora ai principi di efficienza e anti spreco previsti in questa norma. Penso all'impianto di Chiavari, che sarà fortemente impattante e non prevede in corso di progettazione, appunto, la neutralità energetica e il riutilizzo integrale delle acque.
               

                  Bene la responsabilità dei produttori, soprattutto nei settori farmaceutico e cosmetico. Un plauso anche a quello per i servizi pubblici igienici per i cittadini.
               

President. – We have installed a watch for everybody.

Christian Doleschal (PPE). – Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Wenn wir über die Abwasserbehandlung in unseren Städten und Gemeinden reden, dann betrifft das jeden einzelnen Bürger von uns. Ein guter Gewässerzustand ist nicht nur für den Umweltschutz, sondern auch für die Gesundheit unserer Bürgerinnen und Bürger von zentraler Bedeutung. Deshalb ist es richtig, dass wir diese Richtlinie nach 30 Jahren noch einmal aktualisieren und den gegenwärtigen Herausforderungen anpassen.
               

                  Bei der Überarbeitung der Kommunalabwasserrichtlinie ist mir aber vor allem eins wichtig: eine ausgewogene Balance zwischen Umweltzielen, Bezahlbarkeit und praktischer Machbarkeit auf kommunaler Ebene.
               

                  Was wir nicht brauchen, ist eine unverhältnismäßige Informationspflicht für die Öffentlichkeit ohne großen Mehrwert oder eine Beweislastumkehr, die bei Behörden zu einer Flut von Sammelklagen führt. Stattdessen sollten wir uns auf das fokussieren, wofür die Kommunalabwasserrichtlinie in erster Linie da ist: die Reinigung unserer Abwässer.
               

                  Meine Damen und Herren, durch strengere Standards wollen wir unsere Wasser noch gründlicher vor Mikroschadstoffen schützen; das ist richtig. Die damit verbundene Aufrüstung bedeutet aber auch größeren Energiebedarf. Eine pauschale Verpflichtung zur Energieneutralität für alle Anlagen ab 10 000 Einwohnern halte ich daher für falsch. Alleine der Bedarf für die vierte Reinigungsstufe erhöht den Energiebedarf um 30 %.
               

                  Deshalb wollen wir, dass auch für Anlagen über 10 000 Einwohner der Strom aus externen erneuerbaren Energiequellen möglich ist. Ich bitte Sie, das in meinem Änderungsantrag heute zu unterstützen.
               

Milan Brglez (S&D). – Gospod predsednik, spoštovana komisarka, kolegice in kolegi! Skupna politika upravljanja z vodami na ravni Unije je v tridesetih letih pokazala dobre rezultate. Ne glede na to se naše delo šele dobro začenja, saj so pritiski na vodne vire vse večji, dodatnemu zaostrovanju razmer preskrbe z vodo pa prispevajo podnebne spremembe.
               

                  Zato pozdravljam pobudo Komisije za revizijo nekaterih ključnih zakonodajnih aktov na področju upravljanja z vodo v Evropski uniji, da bomo kot Unija pripravljeni in zmožni odgovoriti na tovrstne izzive.
               

                  Prepričan sem, da je predlog nove direktive o čiščenju komunalnih odpadnih voda korak v pravo smer ter priložnost za bolj ambiciozno in odločnejše ukrepanje zaradi novodobnih onesnaževal ter v podporo bolj krožnega kmetijstva in energijske učinkovitosti čistilnih naprav.
               

                  Pritiski na vodne vire pomenijo tudi vse večji finančni izziv za ljudi in države članice. Zato mora zakonodaja s predlogi ukrepov dosledno upoštevati načelo, da plača tisti, ki onesnažuje, in ne nalagati dodatnih bremen prebivalkam in prebivalcem.
               

Ondřej Knotek (Renew). – Pane předsedající, dámy a pánové, já jsem před pár lety slyšel, že voda je vzácná samozřejmost a to je vlastně krásné tvrzení. A určitě musíme vodu chránit a chceme, aby se voda do prostředí vracela čistá. Proto podporujeme tento návrh jako takový, je tam spousta dobrých ustanovení. Zároveň ale si musíme uvědomit, že všechny cíle, které v tom návrhu jsou, musí být ekonomicky i technicky přijatelné. A bohužel, opět jsme se dostali do situace, kdy některé dílčí cíle jsou díky přehnané zelené ideologii, která chce co největší ambice, nesplnitelné. Konkrétně jeden příklad za všechno. Pro Českou republiku jako rozvodí Evropy, střechu Evropy, jsou požadované koncentrace na fosfor a dusík v podstatě nesplnitelné. Takže prosím, podpořte pozměňovací návrh 253, který tuto situaci napravuje a tento problém vyřeší.
               

Malte Gallée (Verts/ALE). – Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Der Fisch ist männlich, aber wenn wir uns die europäischen Gewässer anschauen, dann müssen wir davon ausgehen, vielleicht müssen wir bald davon sprechen, dass es die Fisch ist, weil die Bestände verweiblichen. Das liegt in erster Linie daran, dass unglaubliche Mengen an Mikroschadstoffen in die Gewässer eingeführt werden. Die hormonelle Belastung auf die Bestände ist immens, und deswegen ist es so wahnsinnig wichtig, dass wir das Problem angehen.
               

                  Jetzt ist kommunales Abwasser nicht wahnsinnig sexy, aber ich glaube, wir hier im Europäischen Parlament bringen hier gerade richtig gut etwas auf den Weg, indem wir dafür sorgen, auch eine vierte Reinigungsstufe einzuführen, die genau diese Mikroschadstoffe herausfiltern soll.
               

                  Ich muss sagen: Ich bin wahnsinnig froh, dass wir dieses gesamte Konzept jetzt auch in die erweiterte Herstellerverantwortung mit hereinholen. Das heißt, diejenigen Unternehmen, die Pharmakonzerne, die letztendlich dafür verantwortlich sind, dass diese Schadstoffe in das Wasser kommen, die werden für diese Reinigung zahlen. Das ist ein riesengroßer Erfolg für uns als Europäisches Parlament. Das bringen wir jetzt auf den Weg, darüber bin ich froh.
               

Alexandr Vondra (ECR). – Mr President, I don't see the urban wastewater treatment only as a mandatory part of the circular economy concept, but above all, an important civilisation achievement that we should be rightly proud of. And that's why I am glad that Nils Torvalds has done a lot of work on the proposal we have on the table today.
Unfortunately, as always, the devil is hidden in the detail. The revised directive will not affect everyone equally. An example: when it comes to the treatment of phosphorus and nitrogen, the text places high demands, especially on those countries that mostly or entirely fall into the sensitive areas. Coincidentally, these are the same countries that only built wastewater treatment plants in recent years following their entry into the Union. In other words, although the treatment plants there meet best available technologies, there is a risk that the Member States concerned will have to reconstruct them again and thus spend billions and raise the water price for people. And that's why I tabled the Amendment 253 and ask please for your support.

Aurélia Beigneux (ID). – Monsieur le Président, la capacité de gérer les eaux usées est un des marqueurs d'une société développée. À l'inverse, dès lors que cette capacité se dégrade, c'est tout notre environnement urbain, sanitaire et écologique qui est menacé. Les eaux usées contiennent des polluants, des produits chimiques toxiques et accentuent l'antibiorésistance.
               

                  Notre pouvoir de traitement doit donc se renforcer chaque année sans lésiner sur les budgets, proportionnellement à l'augmentation de ces substances polluantes. C'est pourquoi nous devons mettre en avant l'ensemble de notre système technologique et le pouvoir politique doit renforcer la recherche sans aucun compromis.
               

                  Grâce à la recherche, les pratiques de gestion modernes ont considérablement amélioré nos capacités de traitement des eaux usées. Des processus tels que la filtration, la décantation et l'oxydation avancée permettent d'éliminer efficacement les contaminants tout en récupérant de précieuses ressources telles que l'énergie et les nutriments.
               

                  Pendant la pandémie de COVID, nous avions demandé de mettre en place une surveillance des eaux usées afin d'obtenir des données clés sur la présence de certains virus. Sans une connaissance parfaite de nos eaux usées, le pouvoir politique ne pourra pas mettre en place de mesures cohérentes.
               

                  Pour conclure, je tiens à réaffirmer notre soutien aux habitants des territoires d'outre-mer français qui souffrent d'une gestion de l'eau catastrophique de la part du gouvernement français d'Emmanuel Macron. Je rappelle aussi que la majorité parlementaire ici présente a refusé, par pur sectarisme, d'ajouter un débat sur la situation critique que traversent actuellement les départements d'outre-mer. C'est une véritable honte. Alors comptez sur nous pour que partout, dans chaque territoire métropolitain ou d'outre-mer, les Français aient accès à une eau potable.
               

Der Präsident. – Frau Kollegin Eugenia Rodríguez Palop sehe ich nicht, deshalb folgt Frau Kollegin Pernille Weiss für eineinhalb Minuten.
               

Pernille Weiss (PPE). – Hr. formand! Denne valgperiode rinder snart ud, og det er godt, især for vanddagsordenen. Okay, drikkevandsdirektivet er blevet færdigrevideret, og det gælder også forordningen for genbrug af spildevand til markvanding. Og med lidt held, så når vi at blive færdige med at revidere grundvandsdirektivet, direktivet for industriens udledninger og nu også spildevandsdirektivet. Men ellers så får vandet ærligt talt en noget usammenhængende behandling i øjeblikket, hvor jagten på CO2-reduktioner – på trods af en pandemi, krig i Europa, energikrise og generel økonomisk afmatning – dominerer. Jo, vi har fået præsenteret strategier, og jo, flere af os har knoklet for at få hældt vandet ind, hvor det ellers spiller en overset rolle, eksempelvis energieffektiviseringsdirektivet. Men derudover har vandet fået en noget stedmoderlig behandling uden strategisk synkronsvømning mellem de tæt på 30 forskellige love og direktiver, der faktisk har indflydelse på Europas vand. Og imens dør havbunden, i hvert fald lige nu omkring mit eget land, og landmændene hænges ud som de særligt skyldige. Imens kæmpes der med unormalt tørke, eller veje og huse ødelægges af oversvømmelser, og imens går vi glip af innovations- og forretningsmuligheder. Det kan vi godt gøre bedre, og derfor skal vi altså i næste valgperiode have en ‘EU Blue Deal’, ligesom vi har en ‘EU Green Deal’. Det er vi heldigvis flere og flere, der siger højere og højere. Forhåbentligt højt nok til, at Rådet forstår, at vi rent faktisk mener det og vil bakke op om, at det kommer ind i arbejdsprogrammet for den nye kommission.
               

Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D). – Mr President, this is about striving for cleaner lakes, rivers and seas in Europe. And it's to recognise that urban wastewater treatment is an important investment for the future. Water is one of our most important resources. Bringing a fourth level of wastewater treatment that includes pharmaceutical products, cosmetic ingredients and microplastics is a significant step and sign that we now better understand the risks posed by these emissions. There is also good reason to try to find solutions for the polluter pays principle. It is also important that this directive takes into account the unique aspect of different climate and landscape conditions. For example, that due to cold waters, nitrogen does not always cause eutrophication in inland waters. We should ensure that the directive acknowledges wastewater treatment facilities as critical infrastructure so they can operate even in exceptional circumstances. For example, independent of the source of electricity.

Emma Wiesner (Renew). – Herr talman! Utan friska vattendrag, välmående sjöar och hav och god vattenrening kan inte livet så som vi känner det fortsätta. Vatten är avgörande, inte minst för Östersjön. Ibland i det här huset klagar vi över bristen på nationell anpassning i lagstiftning.
               

                  Därför tycker jag det är extra viktigt att också erkänna när vi har fått god anpassning till de nationella förutsättningarna som råder. I det här direktivet som handlar om vattenrening har man tagit hänsyn till Sveriges kalla klimat, många sjöar och våra effektiva reningsverk. Därför är jag väldigt glad att det här direktivet ser till att vi får effektiv vattenrening både i Åre och i Uppsala.
               

                  VA-system är kanske inte riktigt lika sexigt som kärnkraft, men jag betackar mig för klimat- och miljöpolitiker som inte inser att vi måste göra både och. Vi måste både prata om kärnkraften och VA-systemen. Inte minst eftersom vi i Sverige har stora utmaningar och stora investeringsbehov framför oss.
               

                  Jag har flera gånger lyft att vi behöver en ‘blue deal’, en grön deal fast för vatten, och det här hoppas jag är första steget på den vägen.
               

Johan Nissinen (ECR). – Herr talman! Om nu reglerna för rening av avloppsvatten ska ändras så att det verkligen gör skillnad för människor, djur och miljön, ska det då inte vara en förändring som är positiv? Nu har vi i stället ett förslag från kommissionen som kommer att innebära att svenska reningsverk med bästa tillgängliga teknik straffas.
               

                  Som vanligt presenterar EU-byråkraterna en modell som ska passa alla när det inte alltid funkar. Man tar inte hänsyn till regionala och lokala behov, särskilt i områden med olika miljöförhållanden. Till exempel det föreslagna kravet om att avlägsna kväve passar inte in i det naturliga kvävekretsloppet i svenska sjöar och floder.
               

                  För Sveriges del skulle det leda till mycket ineffektiva lösningar, till och med vara kontraproduktivt för miljön. Det skulle dessutom bli väldigt dyrt för svenska kommuner, särskilt för små kommuner som redan har det svårt med det ekonomiska läget. Det här förslaget kommer därmed att bli ineffektivt och dyrt och inte hjälpa miljön. Så gör om, gör rätt!
               

Sylvia Limmer (ID). – Herr Präsident, verehrte Kollegen! Generell ist eine Richtlinie über kommunales Abwasser sinnvoll. Nur, was hat sie in den Händen einer EU-Kommission zu suchen? Diese vom Bürger bestens alimentierten Technokraten müssen nicht die milliardenschweren Mehrkosten, die eine unsinnige und flächendeckende vierte Reinigungsstufe verursacht, fürchten; es ist jedoch katastrophal für die Bürger, die bereits jetzt durch den Grünen Deal, Preistreiberei und Inflation an den Grenzen ihrer monetären Belastbarkeit oder darüber hinaus angelangt sind.
               

                  Aber genau das ist ja auch der eigentliche Grund für die Neufassung der Richtlinie: Der Energieneutralitätsschwachsinn soll bis 2040 nun auch den Kläranlagen übergestülpt werden. Die Realität, dass innerhalb der EU erhebliche Unterschiede bei der Abwasserbehandlung zwischen den Mitgliedstaaten bestehen, und das eigentliche Problem, nämlich Leckagen in einer maroden Kanalisation, interessieren hier niemanden. Letzteres lässt sich ja auch prima als landwirtschaftliche Bodenbelastung den Landwirten in die Schuhe schieben. Also alles wie immer.
               

João Pimenta Lopes (The Left). – Senhor Presidente, Senhora Comissária, a proposta que a Comissão apresenta faz os favores aos grandes grupos económicos, nomeadamente da indústria das tecnologias de saneamento.
               

                  Trata por igual realidades que são muito distintas. Estabelece exigências que implicarão avultados investimentos em termos de infraestruturas e de aquisição de novas tecnologias, com o correspondente aumento dos custos de operação e manutenção, e que, em vários casos, não trazem ganhos evidentes. Tudo num curto espaço de tempo, sem os meios financeiros necessários para a sua concretização.
               

                  É clara como água a opção de aprofundar o caminho de fazer refletir nas tarifas os custos dos sistemas de saneamento e os avultados investimentos que se exigem nesta proposta, imputando esses custos às populações.
               

                  O melhor caminho para se atingirem elevados níveis de qualidade das águas residuais será o caminho de inverter a liberalização e privatização dos sistemas de abastecimento de água e de manter esses sistemas e a sua gestão na dimensão pública.
               

                  Só assim se garante uma gestão próxima das populações que dê resposta às suas necessidades e interesses e o controlo democrático sobre estes serviços públicos fundamentais.
               

Günther Sidl (S&D). – Herr Präsident, geschätzte Frau Kommissarin! Die Verschmutzung unserer Süßwasserressourcen durch industrielle, chemische, pharmazeutische, kosmetische und landwirtschaftliche Einbringungen ist besorgniserregend.
               

                  Kommunale Abwässer sind eine dieser Quellen, wobei hier vor allem Mikroschadstoffe aus Rückständen von Arzneimitteln und Kosmetika eine große Problematik darstellen. Die Überarbeitung der bereits 30 Jahre alten Richtlinie ist überfällig. Neue Ziele müssen definiert werden und die Herausforderungen an unsere Zeit angepasst werden.
               

                  Wenn wir jetzt einen Standpunkt des Parlaments verabschieden, dann ist es auch wichtig zu betonen, dass es nicht sein kann, dass manche Mitgliedstaaten in der Erfüllung der alten Vorgaben noch säumig sind. Ich begrüße die erweiterte Herstellerverantwortung, wobei diese noch strikter gefasst werden könnte und auch sollte. Das würde einen notwendigen Anreiz schaffen, mit unseren Ressourcen und Rohstoffen sorgsamer umzugehen und Verunreinigungen zu vermeiden.
               

Veronika Vrecionová (ECR). – Pane předsedající, pitná voda z kohoutku není ve světě samozřejmostí. Stejně jako čištění odpadních vod na takové úrovni, jakou máme zajištěnou v Evropské unii. Já jsem za to velmi ráda a doufám, že v tom budeme pokračovat. Zpráva Nilse Torvaldse jde principiálně správným směrem. Jsou v ní ale věci, které mohou disproporčně dopadnout jen na některé členské státy. Typicky ty, jejichž území z velké části spadá do tzv. citlivých oblastí. Důsledkem pak mohou být nehospodárné investice do relativně nových čistíren, aniž by se přitom výrazně zvýšila kvalita vody, kterou vypouštějí zpět do řek.
               

                  Za mnohem horší však považuji to, že to někdo bude muset zaplatit. Nepřeji si, aby to byli spotřebitelé. Musíme zajistit, aby vodohospodářské služby zůstaly sociálně dostupné pro všechny občany. Proto jsme spolu s Alexandrem Vondrou a Pietrem Fiocchim předložili pozměňovací návrh 253, který tento problém řeší, a já vás tímto žádám o podporu.
               

Matteo Adinolfi (ID). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, la questione delle acque reflue urbane è di fondamentale importanza, ma va analizzata con occhio critico e realistico. La proposta avanzata dal collega Torvalds sembra infatti ignorare il principio di sussidiarietà, lasciando molta autorità decisionale all'Unione europea a discapito delle nazioni sovrane. Dovremmo chiederci se questa è veramente la strada da percorrere o se dovremmo dare agli Stati membri la flessibilità necessaria per affrontare questa sfida in modo adatto alle loro specifiche esigenze e risorse.
               

                  L'innovazione tecnologica, purtroppo, non è la panacea per tutti i problemi legati alle acque reflue urbane. Dobbiamo essere consapevoli dei limiti delle tecnologie attuali e dei potenziali effetti collaterali, come l'aumento dei costi spesso difficilmente sostenibili o l'impatto ambientale delle nuove soluzioni proposte.
               

                  Pertanto, pur riconoscendo l'importanza del trattamento delle acque reflue urbane, ritengo che la questione vada affrontata con un approccio più critico, bilanciando le esigenze ambientali con quelle economiche e considerando attentamente il ruolo dell'Unione europea e dei singoli Stati membri in questo processo.
               

Beatrice Covassi (S&D). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, a oltre trent'anni dalla prima direttiva europea, è ora di aggiornare le norme contro l'inquinamento delle acque reflue urbane.
               

                  Oggi le acque reflue di oltre 22 000 città europee sono trattate in sistemi centralizzati a beneficio di laghi, fiumi e mari. Tuttavia, la legge vigente si applica solo alle città sopra i 2 000 abitanti e stabilisce valori limiti ormai datati. Restano ancora fuori microplastiche e microinquinanti, nocivi per l'ambiente e per la salute anche a livelli molto bassi. Le nuove norme estendono il campo di applicazione e rafforzano i livelli di trattamento delle acque per includere anche i prodotti farmaceutici, gli ingredienti cosmetici e le microplastiche.
               

                  In tempi di emergenza idrica, anche nel mio paese, dobbiamo spingere per il riutilizzo delle acque reflue, che hanno un grande potenziale per il settore agricolo e le applicazioni industriali.
               

                  Colleghi, l'acqua è vita, ma sta diventando sempre più scarsa. E tempo quindi di lavorare a un Blue Deal europeo per combattere l'inquinamento e usare al meglio la nostra risorsa più preziosa.
               

Sara Cerdas (S&D). – Senhor Presidente, Caros Colegas, Comissão, congratulo a revisão desta importante diretiva relativa às águas residuais. Destaco o princípio do poluidor-pagador nesta revisão, pois não é justo que os contribuintes paguem os custos da poluição maioritariamente causada por indústrias, o reconhecimento da abordagem ‘Uma Só Saúde’ e o alinhamento com a ameaça global da resistência aos antimicrobianos.
               

                  Mas, Colegas, faço esta intervenção com o objetivo de alertar para a introdução de uma derrogação específica para as regiões ultraperiféricas. Esta derrogação respeita o artigo 349.o do Tratado (TFUE) e os constrangimentos que estas regiões, como a Madeira, enfrentam face à sua orografia.
               

                  Sublinho que esta derrogação é sustentada por evidência científica e não retira a responsabilidade ambiental. Apelo aqui ao vosso apoio e voto favorável à emenda 266 apresentada pelo PPE, que considera as especificidades das nossas regiões ultraperiféricas que tanto acrescentam ao projeto europeu.
               

Der Präsident. – Meine Damen und Herren, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, ich werde jetzt entgegen meiner Gewohnheit zwei Redner, die ihren Slot versäumt haben, noch ihre Redezeit nachtragen lassen.
               

                  Aber das gibt mir jetzt schon den Anlass, mal zu sagen, dass dieses Parlament ein Parlament ist und nicht Speakers' Corner und dass eine Debatte eine Debatte ist und nicht das Abspielen von einzelnen Redebeiträgen und dass man anschließend wieder verschwindet. Also wenn ich mal gucke, wer die Kommissarin zu Beginn angehört hat, und wenn ich jetzt sehe, wer am Schluss die Kommissarin noch anhören wird und wer tatsächlich da ist – wir reden oft von der Würde des Hauses, und ich verteidige überall, dass hier nur diejenigen Kollegen oft da sind, die sich im Auschuss betätigt haben. Aber jeder sollte sich hier einrichten, und es ist eine Frage der Prioritäten, ob ich einen Ausschuss parallel habe oder etwas anderes, dass man sich sortiert. Und man kann erwarten, dass man bei der Debatte pünktlich da ist, und eigentlich kann man auch erwarten, dass, wenn jemand in der Debatte spricht, dass er sich die gesamte Debatte anhört.
               

                  Das war mir wichtig, das einmal grundsätzlich zu sagen, denn sonst herrscht hier ein munteres Kommen und Gehen, und dann kann ich eigentlich die Reden auch zu Protokoll geben.
               

Marek Paweł Balt,
w imieniu grupy S&D. – Panie Przewodniczący! Dyrektywa dotycząca oczyszczania ścieków komunalnych z 1991 roku już dawno powinna zostać zmieniona. Dzięki temu przeglądowi dążymy do wysokiego poziomu standardów środowiskowych i zdrowotnych przy jednoczesnym zachowaniu osiągalności i przystępności dyrektywy. Przede wszystkim chcemy, aby nasze wody były czyste, a ścieki lepiej oczyszczone, a teraz dzięki 4. poziomowi oczyszczenia szkodliwe mikrozanieczyszczenia zostaną usunięte z systemu. Oczyszczanie 4. poziomu jest przykładem niezbędnej modyfikacji, ale ciężar kosztów nie może być przeniesiony bezpośrednio na obywateli poprzez rachunek za wodę. Rozszerzony system odpowiedzialności producenta musi odgrywać tutaj główną rolę zgodnie z zasadą ‘zanieczyszczający płaci’. Potrzebujemy również wsparcia finansowego na poziomie Unii Europejskiej, aby rozłożyć koszty i nie pozostawić nikogo w tyle, ponieważ wody nie znają granic. Mikrodrobiny plastiku to kolejne wyzwanie, które zidentyfikowaliśmy, i poprosiliśmy o znalezienie narzędzi, które utrzymają je z dala od naszej wody i żywności.
               

                  Po drugie, zgodnie z naszymi celami neutralności klimatycznej chcemy, by branża oczyszczania ścieków stała się neutralna energetycznie, podobnie jak wszystkie inne sektory naszego życia. Aby uczynić to osiągalnym i realistycznym na tym etapie, wzywamy do wytwarzania zielonej energii w miejscu oczyszczania ścieków, a także na wspólne wytwarzanie energii przez właścicieli i operatorów oczyszczalni ścieków komunalnych. Ponadto w przypadku udowodnionej konieczności będzie istniała możliwość pozyskania do 25% energii odnawialnej ze źródeł zewnętrznych. Ale cel neutralności klimatycznej musi zostać osiągnięty na końcu.
               

                  Głęboko wierzymy, że obywatele Unii Europejskiej mają prawo do czystego środowiska, a my mamy obowiązek im to zapewnić.
               

Eugenia Rodríguez Palop (The Left). – Señor presidente, señora comisaria, espoleada por el cambio climático, la Unión Europea se enfrenta a una auténtica crisis del agua, en forma de sequías e inundaciones, pero también tiene un grave problema de contaminación, porque los vertidos sin depurar afectan a la flora, a la fauna e incluso a la salud de las personas.
               

                  Algunas comunidades autónomas y entidades locales en España son un buen —mal— ejemplo de ello. Y es que la situación, en comunidades autónomas como Andalucía o Extremadura, ilustra cómo la insuficiencia de las infraestructuras de depuración posibilita agresiones medioambientales graves sobre las masas de agua.
               

                  De ello puede ser también un ejemplo un fenómeno como el de la eutrofización del Mar Menor, provocado por la conjunción de procesos intensivos de agricultura con la turistificación y el urbanismo descontrolado, y que solo la respuesta ciudadana está logrando enfrentar gracias a la movilización de los murcianos.
               

                  La nueva Directiva plantea, pues, importantes desafíos para las depuradoras, en términos de adaptación a las infraestructuras, y eso hay que financiarlo. Por eso, me gustaría insistir en la necesidad de no diluir el sistema de responsabilidad ampliada del productor previsto en la propuesta inicial de la Comisión.
               

                  Se trata, en definitiva, de que la financiación necesaria para asumir las nuevas obligaciones recaiga, principalmente, en las empresas, en las que se originan la mayor parte de macrocontaminantes y microcontaminantes, y no en el precio del agua. Porque el camino hacia una economía circular tiene que ser también socialmente responsable.
               

Spontane Wortmeldungen


Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (PPE). – Senhor Presidente, quero agradecer, em primeiro lugar, o excelente trabalho que foi desenvolvido pelos colegas neste dossiê sobre as águas residuais urbanas.
               

                  No entanto, é fundamental reconhecer que a realidade das regiões ultraperiféricas – e apelo também à Senhora Comissária para que reconheça o artigo 349.o do Tratado –, em particular da Região Autónoma da Madeira, requer uma ação e uma abordagem diferenciadas.
               

                  Apelo, pois, a este Parlamento e a todos os grupos políticos para que apoiem a alteração, a derrogação 266, que foi proposta pelo nosso grupo político, o PPE, e que visa exatamente este tratamento diferenciado para uma região ultraperiférica.
               

                  A Madeira está atualmente a investir no tratamento primário de águas residuais, um investimento de cerca de 18 milhões de EUR, grande parte destes fundos proveniente de fundos europeus. Portanto, não vamos comprometer estes investimentos e vamos apoiar também os benefícios que vão trazer, benefícios ambientais, para as nossas regiões europeias.
               

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Domnule președinte, doamna comisară, stimați colegi, revizuirea Directivei după 30 de ani este o necesitate. Tratarea apelor uzate urbane ține de sănătatea oamenilor și de aceea cred că este foarte binevenită revizuirea și cred că trebuie să se pună accent pe principiul poluatorul plătește. Nu trebuie să se ajungă ca cetățeanul să plătească pentru a avea acces la o apă curată, pentru că este un drept al cetățeanului de a avea acces la apă curată, și neutralitatea energetică pe care noi am propus-o în 2040 ține și de acest lucru. Responsabilitatea statelor membre ca să adapteze directiva în legislația națională este majoră, pentru că aici avem clar responsabilitatea Big Pharma, responsabilitatea până la urmă a tuturor sectoarelor industriale și chiar și a cetățenilor pentru a gestiona deșeurile și a nu polua apele.
               

                  E de datoria noastră să adoptăm această directivă și sigur, felicitări celor care au lucrat și sper să se implementeze cât mai repede în legislațiile naționale.
               

(Ende der spontanen Wortmeldungen)


Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, Members, we were listening carefully to your contributions and I want to thank you. It is clear that all of us value clean waters and that we all understand the crucial role this sector plays. Your interventions show diverse views on the level of ambition and on extended producer responsibility. There are concerns that deadlines are too tight, that the ambition is too high, or that the pharmaceutical industry and vulnerable group of patients will suffer from what we have proposed. Others believe that the proposal lacks ambition. They call for stronger provisions on access to sanitation and above all, for access to justice and compensation.
What we propose is a significant modernisation of the urban wastewater sector, bringing higher levels of environmental protection, energy neutrality and extending the responsibilities of producers. While we understand the fears about pharmaceuticals, our studies point to a different conclusion. With an ambitious text from the Parliament, we can ensure that the sector stays fit for the purpose for decades to come. According to our estimates, there will not be major specific investments needed in the countries having joined recently the European Union. On the contrary, their infrastructures are more recent and perfectly able to reach the proposed nitrogen phosphorus standards without major investments. This is confirmed by the official reports from these Member States.
Honourable Members, let us do our utmost to ensure that the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive becomes fully fit for another 30 years.

President. – Mr Torvalds, you have now the pleasure to conclude the debate and possibly you react on the 7 speakers out of the 29 speakers which are still in the room, to react and to tell them which conclusions you draw out of that debate.

Nils Torvalds,
föredragande. – Herr talman! Och ett tack till kommissionen för den aktiva insatsen här för att styra det hela. Diskussionen handlar egentligen om tre olika saker: kostnader och fördelningen av kostnader, mikroföroreningar och PFAS, och det här hänger egentligen ihop. Ju mera mikroföroreningar vi har, ju mera PFAS vi har, desto sjukare kommer människorna att bli och det betyder kostnader, bara på ett annat kostnadsställe.
               

                  Så den här diskussionen om att någonting blir för dyrt är av den orsaken lite skev. Det blir dyrt och eventuellt ännu dyrare att inte sköta om det här och av den orsaken försökte vi öppna upp för den här diskussionen om PFAS. Om ni tittar på instruktionen om vad allt vi vet om PFAS i det här skedet så kan vi säga att det påverkar vår fertilitet. Jag kanske är befriad från det här, har ändå fem barn och sex barnbarn. Men vi kommer att behöva arbetskraft i fortsättningen. Det påverkar frekvensen av cancer. Det påverkar blodtrycket och vi vet att blodtrycksjukdomar är en av de största vi har.
               

                  De här kostnaderna kommer på oss i vilket fall som helst och då är det kanske bra att vi hittar ett sådant sätt att fördela kostnaderna som inte tar livet av vare sig industri, av enskilda medlemmar i samhället eller av samhället som sådant. Vi har ett visst ansvar att fördela de här kostnaderna.
               

                  Av den orsaken är jag jättenöjd över att mina kollegor har visat stort intresse för den här saken och egentligen drivit på en längre gående lagstiftning, och vi återkommer säkert i något skede till alla de här utmaningarna.
               

Der Präsident. — Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.
               

                  Die Abstimmung findet am Donnerstag, 5. Oktober 2023, statt.
               


Schriftliche Erklärungen (Artikel 171)



Laura Ferrara (NI),
per iscritto. – L'aggiornamento della direttiva sul trattamento delle acque reflue urbane è di importanza fondamentale per l'UE al fine realizzare gli obiettivi del Green Deal europeo. Dobbiamo adattare le nostre politiche alle sfide ambientali del nostro tempo, compresa l'azione per il clima, la promozione della circolarità dell'economia e la riduzione dell'inquinamento.
               

                  È quindi essenziale implementare un monitoraggio e un trattamento più rigoroso delle sostanze inquinanti nelle acque reflue. Inoltre, dobbiamo promuovere attivamente il riutilizzo delle acque reflue trattate per una migliore gestione delle risorse idriche.
               

                  Il sistema di responsabilità estesa del produttore per farmaci e cosmetici, sulla base del principio ‘chi inquina paga’, deve incoraggiare l'industria ad adottare pratiche più sostenibili.
               

                  Con queste misure non solo contribuiremo ad avere fiumi, laghi e mari più puliti, ma miglioreremo anche la tutela della salute e la preservazione delle biodiversità.
               

                  Nel nostro impegno per un ambiente più sano e sostenibile, bisogna garantire l'accesso ai servizi igienico-sanitari per tutti, in particolare per le persone vulnerabili ed emarginate, assicurando che nessuno sia lasciato indietro. Solo attraverso azioni concrete possiamo creare un futuro migliore.
               
4.   Request for waiver of immunity

Der Präsident. – Ich darf Ihnen bekannt geben, dass die Präsidentin von den zuständingen portugiesischen Behörden einen Antrag auf Aufhebung der parlamentarischen Immunität der Kollegen José Manuel Fernandes und Paulo Rangel erhalten hat.
               

                  Dieser Antrag wird an den Rechtsausschuss überwiesen.
               
5.   Action taken following a Parliament decision on immunity

Der Präsident. – Im Anschluss an den Beschluss des Europäischen Parlaments vom 30. März 2023, die Immunität von Frau Kollegin Anna Júlia Donáth in einem vor dem Bezirksgericht Kecskemét anhängigen Verfahren aufzuheben, haben die zuständigen ungarischen Behörden gemäß Artikel 9 Absatz 10 der Geschäftsordnung unterrichtet, dass die Strafverfolgung eingestellt wurde.
               
6.   The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (debate)

Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Anfrage zur mündlichen Beantwortung an die Kommission über die neue europäische Strategie für ein besseres Internet für Kinder (BIK+) von Sabine Verheyen im Namen des Ausschusses für Kultur und Bildung (O-000030/2023 – B9-0029/2023) (2023/2670(RSP)).
               

Sabine Verheyen,
author. – Mr President, dear Vice-President Šuica, dear colleagues, in the past decade, children have started using technology more intensively and at an ever-younger age. They are real digital natives. Digital tools and devices are everywhere around them. This creates opportunities, but also challenges.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children must be protected in the digital environment. Violence, sexual abuse, cyberbullying, grooming and other forms of abuse against children have increased to a worrying extent recently, and with a major impact on the physical and mental health of the younger generation. At the same time, social services and protective institutions have become more and more inaccessible.
On 11 May 2022, the Commission adopted the communication on the European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), which tackles several issues that were missing from the 2012 BIK strategy and aims to address persistent challenges. This strategy has three pillars: first, safe digital experiences for children; second, children's digital empowerment; and third, active participation of the children. The Commission has invited the European Parliament and the Council to endorse the strategy and work together on this implementation. In this context, I would like to ask the Commission today, on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education, several questions.
First, how does the Commission intend to help the Member States and industry to implement the objectives set out in the BIK+ strategy? How can we ensure that adequate funding is allocated to support hotlines, helplines and safe internet centres, so that they can achieve the objectives set out in the strategy, in particular in relation to prevention, awareness-raising campaigns, and support to victims.
Second, how will the strategy foster an inclusive and holistic approach, in order to bridge the digital divide and enhance the digital skills and competencies, including media literacy of children, parents and educators, including people with disabilities and those from vulnerable backgrounds?
Third, how is the Commission planning to ensure that pan-European data collection and research will be carried out on prevention and victim-assistance programmes, and on the digital activities of children? How will it guarantee that future digital policies and initiatives take new technological developments into account?
And fourth and not least, how does the Commission intend to involve children of all ages in the monitoring process and the effective implementation of this strategy?
We would like to hear some answers from the Commission on all these questions, because it is a very important issue that we protect our children in the digital environment, to give them the opportunity not just to face the challenges, but really to use in a safe environment the opportunities and chances that lie in digitisation.

Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, thank you for putting this important topic on the agenda today. As you said, children are digital natives. They play, they create online, they learn, they interact. The time children spent online almost doubled between 2010 and 2020 in many countries. A majority of children report to use their smartphones daily or almost all the time. One in six children are reportedly on social media sites on a daily basis. The past decade has seen the emergence of unprecedented opportunities for children, for digital education, entertainment, social contact and active participation in society. It can also generate unprecedented risks. In this digital decade, it is a priority for this Commission to ensure that children are protected, respected and empowered online.
This is why it was so important to revise and reinforce our Better Internet for Kids strategy, which was first adopted in 2012. The new Better Internet for Kids+ strategy, presented by Commissioner Breton and myself in May last year during the European Year of Youth 2022, addressed the multifaceted challenges of the digital era with children's best interests at its heart.
As you already said, the strategy has three key objectives: first, a safe, age-appropriate digital environment; second, digital empowerment; and third, the active participation of children.
With regard to a safe digital environment for kids, the Digital Services Act put new rules in place for the digital world with strong provisions to protect minors. Targeted advertising based on profiling towards children is no longer permitted. In addition, we are launching the development of a code of conduct for age-appropriate design in spring 2024, ensuring that digital services and content is tailored and suitable for children.
The co-funded network of Safer Internet Centres, which are the backbone of Better Internet for Kids+, operate in nearly all Member States, offering localised resources and helplines. At national and local level, the network organises campaigns and activities fostering digital skills and confidence. Last year, Safer Internet Centres visited over 12 000 schools across Europe, supporting teachers with their expertise. The Safer Internet Centres should be seen as one-stop shops for child online safety. They are a very valuable asset and we encourage the Member States to promote them as such. This network is helping us gather evidence on how industry implements – you asked about the industry – how industry implements the Digital Service Act provisions on protection of minors. In 2022 last year, the network of Safer Internet Centres and the Better Internet for Kids platform reached more than 31 million European citizens. As every child matters and no child should be left behind, we are directing these centres to focus on children with special needs from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds and we will measure this outreach.
Upcoming features on the Better Internet for Kids platform include a parent space and the Teacher Corner. This will help us raise a digitally literate and informed population. But there is more: the Better Internet for Kids strategy goes hand in hand with the Digital Education Action Plan, which presents a strategic vision for an effective and high-quality digital education for all. In this vein, I would like to recall the Commission's two proposals for Council recommendations. The first one on key enablers for effective digital education and training, and second one on improving the provisions of digital skills through education and training.
Whatever technology and devices children use in the coming years, the European Union needs up-to-date knowledge on the trends, risks, but also on opportunities these present. It is key to continue to invest in European research, as we have done in the past. Under the ‘Safer Internet’ programmes, we started ‘EU Kids Online’, which has since become a global standard for research in the field. We also set up CO:RE, a knowledge platform which offers publications and studies from across Europe on children's digital lives. We are now exploring funding opportunities to carry out new research, including pan-European surveys. In addition, Better Internet for Kids+ knowledge hub and the Better Internet for Kids platform will allow easy access to evidence and practical insights on how the digital transformation is affecting children.
We cannot discuss the Better Internet for Kids without mentioning the role of young people. Last year, over 470 events were organised throughout Europe by the Safer Internet Centres with youth participation, including peer-to-peer learning and intergenerational learning. Young people will also help shape the code of conduct of Better Internet for Kids+ and monitor the implementation of the strategy. As announced in the Rights of the Child strategy, the European Children's Participation Platform is now up and it is running in partnership with the European Parliament and child rights organisations. This platform will systematically involve children and young people in decision-making.
And finally, if we want children to exercise their rights, they must be able to understand the language we use. The child-friendly version of Better Internet for Kids+ is available in European languages and in Ukrainian language and a child-friendly explanation of the Digital Service Act will soon follow. So, this is for the beginning. I listen to your comments and maybe I have some more replies.

PŘEDSEDNICTVÍ: DITA CHARANZOVÁ


místopředsedkyně


Асим Адемов,
от името на групата PPE. – Г-жо Председател, интересите на децата трябва да са от първостепенно значение за всички действия и решения в сферата на цифровите технологии, които засягат тяхното физическо и психическо здраве, безопасност и благосъстояние. Затова съм горд, че съм докладчик в сянка по две от най-важните досиета в нашата институция, които се борят за по-добър и по-безопасен интернет за нашите деца.
                  

                     В резолюцията ‘Европейска стратегия за по-добър интернет за децата’ наблягаме на овластяването на най-младите, защото знанието е най-голямата сила. Призоваваме за изработване на специфични мерки и образователни програми, които да повишат техните дигитални умения и грамотност.
                  

                     В дългогодишната си работа като учител се убедих и в ключовото значение на родителите в образователния процес. Родителите трябва да бъдат информирани за всички налични дигитални инструменти за безопасно сърфиране и комуникация онлайн. Основна роля тук имат и учителите – те са партньор на родителите и трябва да се работи активно в посока увеличаване на дигиталните компетенции и медийната грамотност не само на децата, но и на техните родители и учители. Семейството и училището трябва да вървят ръка за ръка, за да се справят с основните предизвикателства пред младото поколение, защото обединени можем да възпитаме отговорни, овластени млади европейци.
                  

                     В резолюцията наблягаме на нуждата от адаптирани и специфични наказателни мерки срещу ужасните престъпления, свързани със сексуалния тормоз над деца, но също и феномена кибертормоз и тежките психологически и физически последствия от него.
                  

                     Смятам, че с текущата резолюция ще направим още една важна крачка към създаването на една безопасна, приобщаваща и по-достъпна цифрова среда за всяко дете в Европейския съюз. Благодаря и се надявам на вашата подкрепа при гласуването на резолюцията по-късно днес.
                  

Alex Agius Saliba,
f'isem il-grupp S&D – Sinjura President, wieħed minn kull tliet persuni li jużaw l-Internet huma tifel jew tifla, u kuljum, eluf ta' tfal jidħlu online għall-ewwel darba. It-tfal qed iqattgħu aktar u aktar ħin fuq l-Internet – jużaw il-midja soċjali, jilagħbu logħob online u jużaw l-apps fuq l-ismartphones tagħhom. U minkejja l-opportunitajiet kollha li l-Internet joffri, id-dinja online għadha mhijiex post sigur għat-tfal tagħna. It-tfal jistgħu jiġu esposti faċilment għal kontenut mhux xieraq, imġiba ħażina, bullying, fastidju sesswali, pornografija jew vjolenza. Il-ħtiġijiet psikoloġiċi, il-vulnerabilitajiet u x-xewqat tat-tfal jiġu sfruttati faċilment permezz tad-disinji ta' dipendenza u prattiċi ta' reklamar immirati li ma jirrispettawx il-privatezza u s-sigurtà tat-tfal tagħna. Biex ma nsemmux ukoll issa l-kumplikazzjoni taċ-chatGBT li qed jippreżenta dilemma ġdida għal dawk illi jfasslu l-politika, għall-ġenituri u għas-sikurezza tat-tfal tagħna.
                  

                     Nittama li l-istrateġija Ewropea l-ġdida tkun tista' tipproteġi lit-tfal mill-perikli tad-dinja diġitali, tissalvagwardja t-traċċa tal-informazzjoni tal-attivitajiet online tagħhom, u kif ukoll iżżid l-aċċess tagħhom għal kontenut online li huwa sigur, li huwa ta' kwalità. Neħtieġu wkoll strumenti regolatorji u standards tal-industrija dwar is-sikurezza billi niddisinjaw servizzi, niddisinjaw prodotti diġitali mmirati direttament għat-tfal.
                  

Laurence Farreng,
au nom du groupe Renew. – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Vice-présidente, chers collègues, 13 ans, c'est l'âge minimum pour s'inscrire sur les principaux réseaux sociaux qui sont utilisés par les jeunes. Et pourtant, par exemple en France, 63 % des jeunes Français de moins de treize ans sont présents sur les réseaux sociaux et 80 % des parents déclarent ne pas savoir ce que font leurs enfants sur ces réseaux sociaux.
                  

                     En Europe, ce sont 23 % des enfants européens qui ont déjà fait l'expérience du harcèlement en ligne. Ces enfants n'ont conscience ni de leur visibilité, ni de leur vulnérabilité en ligne. Depuis leur chambre, sur Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, ils naviguent sans surveillance dans un monde dont ils n'ont pas les codes et dont ils ne mesurent pas la portée. Si les outils numériques sont bien évidemment une opportunité pour eux, c'est aussi un très grand facteur de risque: exposition à des contenus violents, pornographiques, cyber-harcèlement ou encore risque de pédopornographie.
                  

                     Je salue donc la volonté de la Commission européenne de mettre en place d'ici à 2024 une norme européenne de vérification de l'âge en ligne. C'est une question complexe sur laquelle la France a déjà commencé à travailler dans le cadre de sa loi de juillet dernier sur la majorité numérique. Un cadre européen sera donc plus que bienvenu. Oui, nos enfants doivent pouvoir bénéficier des outils numériques. Les en priver serait contreproductif, mais Internet pour les enfants doit avoir des règles et des mesures de surveillance.
                  

Diana Riba i Giner,
en nombre del Grupo Verts/ALE. – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, internet es una herramienta fundamental en nuestras vidas, también en la de los niños y adolescentes, pero, ¿podemos asegurar que, a día de hoy, disfrutan de un espacio en línea seguro?
                  

                     Aquí algunos datos: en mi país, Cataluña, cada día se denuncia un caso de ciberacoso a un menor y ocho de cada diez menores han sido víctimas de violencia virtual. Las principales víctimas son, con diferencia, las niñas y los jóvenes adolescentes. Ellas suman casi el 66 % de las denuncias de menores y cada vez más estudios apuntan una vinculación entre el número creciente de agresiones sexuales entre menores y el consumo de determinados contenidos en línea, desde el discurso reaccionario y misógino de algunos influentes hasta la pornografía. Estos datos son un ejemplo de por qué la Estrategia Europea para una Internet Mejor para los Niños es una iniciativa crucial. Porque el mundo digital está moldeando las experiencias, las emociones, los valores y las relaciones interpersonales de adolescentes y niños.
                  

                     Por eso, para nosotras, la educación digital es un pilar fundamental de una mejor internet. Necesitamos que niños y adolescentes, especialmente aquellos más vulnerables, tengan las herramientas y la información suficiente para tomar decisiones informadas. En definitiva, educación digital para formar a niños y jóvenes empoderados, con pensamiento crítico y capaces de ser sujetos activos. Una educación que va más allá de las competencias estrictamente digitales y que también garantice una educación sexual efectiva y sana. Internet debe ser una herramienta útil que ayude a sentar las bases de una futura sociedad tolerante, diversa y feminista.
                  

Margarita de la Pisa Carrión,
en nombre del Grupo ECR. – Señora presidenta, señorías, nuestros hijos, nuestros niños, están al borde del abismo en internet. El impacto de contenidos inapropiados para su edad afecta a su desarrollo, arriesgando su integridad psicológica y emocional. El control y la persecución de la pornografía infantil, del abuso de menores en línea deben ser una prioridad para todos.
                  

                     La edad media de inicio de consumo es de once años. Un contenido que los menores se encuentran, de manera persistente y reiterada, también involuntaria, cuando navegan en juegos o plataformas. Cuando sabemos que el consumo de pornografía puede funcionar como una droga: que secuestra la voluntad y genera adicción. Especialmente en un cerebro inmaduro, en una etapa inmadura como es la adolescencia. Las plataformas que permiten este tipo de contenidos —las páginas porno— superan en visualizaciones a las redes sociales más utilizadas, tienen más de cuarenta y cinco millones de usuarios. En cambio, la Ley de Servicios Digitales no les impone exigencias. Yo le pregunto a la Comisión: ¿por qué no están en la lista?
                  

                     Necesitamos un bloqueo y una verificación eficaces. Existen. Debe haber voluntad. Lo que es un delito fuera de línea tiene que serlo también en línea.
                  

Catherine Griset,
au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, mes chers collègues, la question de la protection en ligne des mineurs, et en particulier des enfants, est un enjeu fondamental qui me tient bien évidemment à cœur.
                  

                     Si l'entrée dans l'ère de l'Internet a de nombreux aspects positifs, elle a également mis la pornographie à portée de clic des enfants. Les chiffres attestent que ce phénomène est massif. Alors que leur cerveau est en plein développement, les enfants vont confondre la sexualité et les images pornographiques qu'ils visionnent. Les conséquences sont terribles: violences sexuelles, symptômes dépressifs, addictions, etc.
                  

                     Pour réglementer et restreindre cet accès à la pornographie chez les plus jeunes, il existe plusieurs solutions, qui sont d'ailleurs déjà mises en place dans certains pays européens: l'apposition de messages d'avertissement et la vérification obligatoire de l'âge des utilisateurs; la création, sur le modèle français, d'organes nationaux chargés de la protection des mineurs; la répression de l'accessibilité des contenus pornographiques aux mineurs; l'activation par défaut de logiciels de contrôle parental; enfin, la sanctuarisation des établissements d'enseignement.
                  

                     La stratégie européenne pour un Internet mieux adapté aux enfants doit prendre en compte dans ses priorités ce fléau. Et surtout, il faut prendre des mesures adaptées, car il y a beaucoup à faire.
                  

Niyazi Kizilyürek,
on behalf of The Left Group. – Madam President, we are discussing one of the most important and sensitive issues of the digital era. It is our duty to protect our children and put in place a strong framework that will provide to youngsters all the necessary skills. It is of great importance that digital skills and competencies, including media literacy, be recognised as mandatory skills and should be included in school curricula across the European Union.
We must focus on educating children, parents, teachers and the general public on online safety and how to recognise and report online solicitation of children. The EU and Member States need to invest in supporting victims of online child abuse or solicitation, including anonymous public reporting and in mental health and psychological services for victims and their families. Finally, I would like to underline that children need to be empowered and public investments in education are investments to the whole society.

Dino Giarrusso (NI). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, è inutile prenderci in giro, è inutile girarci attorno. Oggi i minori, i bambini, fin dalla più tenera età, utilizzano le nuove tecnologie, utilizzano i telefonini, utilizzano i device, l'iPad e il digitale. Tecnologie che non sono cattive o buone in sé. Peraltro, anche quei bambini che non le hanno utilizzano, quelle degli amici, dei compagnetti ecc. Il problema sono i contenuti che vengono veicolati grazie alle nuove tecnologie e l'educazione all'utilizzo delle nuove tecnologie. Naturalmente c'è preoccupazione per la diffusione della pornografia tra piccolissimi, tra minori, ma c'è anche il bullismo online, che è un problema enorme che non dobbiamo dimenticare.
                  

                     Io credo che l'unica strada possibile per evitare danni e per evitare di crescere generazioni abituate alla violenza online senza controllo sia quella di un'educazione fin dalla più tenera età all'utilizzo delle nuove tecnologie. Quindi auspico un regolamento, che possa essere adottato da tutti gli Stati membri, per l'educazione, fin dalla scuola primaria, alle nuove tecnologie.
                  

Tomasz Frankowski (PPE). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Dzieci są naszą przyszłością, dlatego zapewnienie im środowiska, w którym będą zdrowe i bezpieczne, jest niezwykle ważne. Dzieci są obywatelami Unii Europejskiej i przysługują im takie same prawa przyznane w traktatach, Karcie Praw Podstawowych i Europejskiej Konwencji Praw Człowieka, w tym prawa cyfrowe. Technologia otacza nas z każdej strony i dzieci mają z nią nieustającą styczność. Dlatego tak ważne jest, by uczynić internet strefą bezpieczną i przyjazną dla dzieci. Kluczowe jest, aby dzieci nie były jedynie pasywnymi konsumentami treści internetowych. Należy zachęcać je do aktywnego i świadomego korzystania z dostępnych im technologii. Do tego wymagana jest odpowiednia edukacja w tym zakresie nie tylko dzieci, ale również rodziców i nauczycieli. Należy również podkreślić znaczenie ochrony dzieci w przestrzeni internetowej. Wszystkim dzieciom należy się ochrona, jednak musimy pamiętać, że niektóre z nich wymagają ochrony wzmożonej, w szczególności te z niepełnosprawnościami lub z mniej uprzywilejowanych środowisk. Dzieci muszą być stale edukowane, wzmacniane i informowane nie tylko o korzyściach, ale również o zagrożeniach związanych z internetem, takich jak cyberprzemoc.
                  

                     Dlatego wprowadziliśmy poprawki – dotyczące potrzeby solidnej ochrony prawno-karnej w całej Unii Europejskiej w celu zwalczania cyberprzemocy – na wzór ustawy Coco w Irlandii, którą określiliśmy jako dobrą praktykę. Uważam, że Komisja Edukacji i Kultury bardzo dobrze identyfikuje istniejące problemy i wydaje konkretne rekomendacje w celu ich rozwiązania i skutecznej ochrony dzieci.
                  

Victor Negrescu (S&D). – Doamna președintă, doamna comisară, dragi colegi, internetul trebuie să fie un spațiu sigur pentru copiii noștri. Trebuie să găsim un echilibru între oportunitățile și libertatea oferite de mediul online și provocările legate de internet. Ce este ilegal în societate trebuie să fie ilegal și în spațiul online. Nu mai putem tolera să cadă victime agresiunilor online copiii noștri, să fie manipulați de persoane rău intenționate sau să fie supuși unui conținut inadecvat, iar datele lor să fie folosite ilegal.
                  

                     Așa cum am propus în raportul meu privind digitalizarea educației, aprobat de Parlamentul European, avem nevoie de o digitalizare prietenoasă cu tinerii și copiii. Prin educație digitală, instrumente adaptate copiilor, consiliere și mecanisme de suport, dar mai ales prin responsabilizarea platformelor digitale și a furnizorilor de internet, putem face ca spațiul digital să fie din nou sigur.
                  

                     Copiii sunt în mod natural atrași de inovație și nu îi putem ține departe de tehnologie, însă este de datoria noastră să le explicăm cum pot să folosească internetul în interesul lor, într-o manieră sigură, plăcută și chiar utilă.
                  

                     Cu siguranță, acționând la nivel european, putem găsi soluții la toate aceste provocări.
                  

Vlad-Marius Botoș (Renew). – Doamna președintă, doamna comisară, stimați colegi, internetul este o tehnologie cu care copiii noștri sunt deja obișnuiți. Au crescut cu el și navighează mai ușor decât mulți adulți. În unele cazuri, își depășesc cu mult părinții în cunoștințele și utilizarea lui.
                  

                     Tocmai de aceea, este absolut necesar ca școala să includă programe în care copiii să fie învățați să aibă o gândire critică în ceea ce privește informațiile pe care le pot lua de pe internet, în modul în care trebuie să utilizeze rețelele sociale și, nu în ultimul rând, cum se pot proteja de hărțuire, de agresiunea din mediul online, de dependența digitală.
                  

                     Trebuie să impunem reguli pentru a le asigura o mai bună protecție copiilor, dar trebuie să îi învățăm pe ei cum să reacționeze și cum să ceară ajutor, făcând totodată ca acest ajutor să fie foarte ușor de accesat.
                  

                     Ca orice tehnologie, internetul poate aduce multe lucruri pozitive, dar și multe lucruri negative. Copiii noștri trebuie să se bucure însă de cele pozitive și să le cunoască pe cele din urmă, să le conștientizeze și să le îmbunătățească.
                  

Patrick Breyer (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin! Der beste Weg, Kids und Teens im Netz zu schützen, ist, ihnen zuzuhören und ihre Meinung zu respektieren.
                  

                     Anders als die EU-Kommission haben wir Piraten europaweit 8 000 junge Menschen unter 18 repräsentativ befragen lassen. Das Ergebnis ist: Junge Menschen wollen lernen, sich wirksam vor Risiken im Netz zu schützen. Sie wollen nicht wie ‘Zensursula’, dass ihre privaten Chats und intimen Fotos per Chat-Kontrolle gescannt und an Unbekannte weitergeleitet werden.
                  

                     Kinder und Jugendliche fordern wirksame Meldemechanismen bei Fehlverhalten. Sie wollen aber nicht bevormundet werden durch Instagram- oder TikTok-Verbote, weil sie zu jung seien, also eine Art digitalen Hausarrest wie ihn dieses Parlament per Alterskontrolle fordert.
                  

                     Junge Menschen wollen zu ihrem eigenen Schutz das Netz anonym nutzen können, zum Beispiel, um sich politisch zu vernetzen oder ihre Sexualität zu erkunden. Eine Alterskontrolle per Ausweis, Gesicht oder eID zerstört unser aller Recht auf Anonymität. Übrigens: 85 % der Jugendlichen sagen, sie könnten leicht einen Erwachsenen finden, um einen Account für sie zu eröffnen. Es ist also auch völlig unwirksam.
                  

                     Deshalb, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, lassen Sie uns junge Menschen im Netz stark machen, statt sie online zu entmündigen.
                  

Adam Bielan (ECR). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Panie Komisarzu! Internet jest dziś wszechobecny. Korzysta z niego według statystyk zdecydowana większość młodzieży, ale również coraz młodsze dzieci. Niesie to ze sobą bardzo wiele korzyści, korzyści przede wszystkim edukacyjnych, ale co pokazują rozmaite skandale w poszczególnych państwach członkowskich, również niesie to ze sobą bardzo wiele zagrożeń. Dyskutujemy kilka dni po ujawnieniu w Polsce, w moim kraju, gigantycznego skandalu, gdy okazało się, że przez lata grupa bardzo wpływowych influencerów internetowych wykorzystywała internet do kuszenia, a później wykorzystywania, również seksualnie, osób nieletnich. Wokół tego skandalu, wokół tej afery przez wiele lat panowała zmowa milczenia i tak jak powiedziałem zostało to ujawnione dopiero kilka dni temu. Ten skandal pokazuje, że bardzo często prawo nie nadąża nad rozwojem nowych technologii. Do tego muszą się dostosować również instytucje państwa, instytucje unijne. Ale do tego potrzebna jest również zmiana społeczna. Nie może być tolerancji dla tego rodzaju zachowań ze strony osób znanych i wpływowych. I do tego potrzebna jest również większa świadomość rodziców.
                  

                     Mam nadzieję, że nowa strategia unijna, o której dyskutujemy, będzie uwzględniać konieczność zmian w tym zakresie, tak żeby internet stał się jak najbardziej bezpieczny i przyjazny dla najmłodszych.
                  

Aurélia Beigneux (ID). – Madame la Présidente, en dix ans, le nombre de contenus pédopornographiques a augmenté de 6 000 %. Quinze ans d'accès démocratisé à Internet n'ont pas fait disparaître la pédocriminalité en ligne. Bien au contraire, elle menace toujours nos enfants. Et même au moment où je vous parle, les prédateurs sexuels se camouflent sur des plateformes populaires comme TikTok, pour ne citer qu'elle. Se faisant passer pour des adolescents, ils manipulent nos enfants, gagnent leur confiance et les incitent finalement à partager des images intimes.
                  

                     Avec la multiplication des réseaux sociaux, ce fléau s'est propagé de manière insidieuse. Il est donc temps de prendre des mesures concrètes. Nous devons renforcer la collaboration transfrontalière entre les forces de l'ordre et les associations de protection de l'enfance. La surveillance et la régulation d'Internet nécessitent une coopération accrue avec les fournisseurs de contenus qui ont une responsabilité évidente dans la signalisation des contenus déviants.
                  

                     Avec 750 000 prédateurs sévissant actuellement sur Internet, il est impératif d'agir rapidement, avec détermination et fermeté pour protéger nos enfants de ces délinquants sexuels.
                  

Marc Tarabella (NI). – Madame la Présidente, bien qu'Internet soit un espace formidable où il est possible de s'instruire, d'échanger, d'informer et de s'organiser, de militer et de prendre conscience de son pouvoir d'agir, c'est aussi un espace ambivalent. Les plateformes en ligne ne sont pas des espaces neutres. Toutes les discriminations et les oppressions que l'on peut constater hors ligne sont décuplées en ligne.
                  

                     Le constat est sans appel: près d'un enfant sur trois est victime de cyber-harcèlement au moins une fois dans sa vie en Europe. Chaque année, de nombreux jeunes sont jetés dans le désarroi, la détresse, certains allant même jusqu'au suicide. Le harcèlement à l'école trouve un relais facile dans les technologies en ligne et se poursuit ainsi en dehors de l'école.
                  

                     Il est essentiel de mieux outiller ces écoles pour prévenir et gérer les cas de harcèlement, multiplier les canaux où une communication ouverte est possible, être capables d'écouter les victimes, de sensibiliser les témoins, d'identifier les harceleurs. Bref, cette approche doit s'inscrire dans une politique globale de lutte contre le harcèlement afin de prévenir le phénomène qui a déjà brisé trop de destins et de vies.
                  

Ewa Kopacz (PPE). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Dla naszego najmłodszego pokolenia internet jest częścią rzeczywistości, a bycie online jest tak samo naturalne jak codzienne mycie zębów czy chodzenie do szkoły. Od najmłodszych lat uczymy nasze dzieci, co jest dobre, a co złe. Uczymy zasad funkcjonowania w społeczeństwie i tak samo powinniśmy uczyć je, jak w bezpieczny sposób korzystać z możliwości, które daje wirtualny świat. Po co? Po to właśnie, by umiały rozpoznawać zagrożenie. Po to, by umiały z szacunkiem traktować innych użytkowników sieci i nie bały się zwracać o pomoc, gdy dzieje się coś niepokojącego.
                  

                     Cyberprzemoc dotyka coraz młodsze dzieci. W badaniu przeprowadzonym w moim kraju w 2020 roku co trzecie dziecko w wieku wczesnoszkolnym doświadczyło hejtu i otrzymało obraźliwe wiadomości. Poniżany lub ośmieszany w sieci był co piąty nastolatek, co dziesiąty był niestety szantażowany, a spora grupa młodzieży przyznała się do rozpowszechniania treści kompromitujących kolegów. A doskonale wiemy, że cyberprzemoc rówieśnicza prowadzi do stanów depresyjnych, niskiej samooceny, wycofania, a w skrajnych przypadkach do okaleczania się i prób samobójczych. Dlatego potrzebujemy szeroko zakrojonej edukacji cyfrowej oraz skutecznych programów prewencyjnych. Musimy także zadbać o łatwo dostępne programy wsparcia psychologicznego dla dzieci, które doświadczają przemocy w internecie. Bez takich kompleksowych działań będzie nam coraz trudniej chronić dzieci przed szkodliwymi treściami, hejtem, przemocą i wykorzystaniem. My, dorośli, bądźmy czujni i wrażliwi na zmiany w zachowaniu naszych dzieci. Pytajmy, słuchajmy i pomagajmy.
                  

                     Dziękuję pani komisarz za strategię BIK+, która została przygotowana przez Komisję. Wiem, jak pani osobiście się w to angażuje, i jeszcze raz bardzo dziękuję.
                  

Patrizia Toia (S&D). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, questa strategia è senz'altro un passo avanti lungo una strada su cui abbiamo già fatto molte cose. Penso al regolamento dei dati e penso al regolamento per l'intelligenza artificiale, che pure ha delle disposizioni per quanto riguarda i minori, ma penso anche che dobbiamo fare molto, molto di più, non solo parlarne, ma mettere in pratica tutte le misure necessarie per questa strategia.
                  

                     La tecnologia ha pervaso le nostre vite, le ha pervase in tutti i campi ormai, e ha un potere, soprattutto per quanto riguarda i giovani, di essere accattivante, pervasiva e dunque anche utile, ma anche potenzialmente dannosa. E noi, in questo spazio di potenziale danno, dobbiamo intervenire per prevenire, reprimere e controllare.
                  

                     Io penso che sull'ambiente digitale dobbiamo fare di più, soprattutto in quest'ottica dei giovani che spesso diventano vittime, come è stato detto, non solo protagonisti troppo esposti, ma vittime e destinatari di azioni di bullismo e di altre forme.
                  

                     Penso che all'ambiente digitale dobbiamo dedicare un po' di quell'attenzione che noi dedichiamo all'ambiente naturale, dove non abbiamo paura di porre target, divieti, limiti e regole anche stringenti. Così dobbiamo fare in questo campo, senza avere remore che questo possa essere un intervento troppo restrittivo, perché si tratta della salute mentale e psicologica di molti ragazzi.
                  

                     Ultima annotazione: dobbiamo fare di più sulla formazione. Abbiamo tante competenze tecniche ma poca consapevolezza di tutte le implicazioni che il digitale comporta. Quindi, non solo reprimere e controllare, ma anche fare tanta formazione, anche nelle scuole.
                  

Maite Pagazaurtundúa (Renew). – Señora presidenta, la revolución tecnológica nos ha sorprendido a los adultos sin un manual de instrucciones para proteger a los menores de sus riesgos, así que doy las gracias a la comisaria. La Resolución sobre la Nueva Estrategia Europea para una Internet Mejor para los Niños nos pone ante esta responsabilidad y debemos ser rápidos y acertar.
                  

                     Citaré un ejemplo de mi país: se producen delitos terribles relacionados con el uso de imágenes falsas, generadas por inteligencia artificial, que representan —falsamente— a menores en conductas sexuales explícitas o que afectan a su intimidad, y que, además, llevan aparejados la extorsión sexual. Es una muestra de los riesgos a los que nos enfrentamos.
                  

                     En cuanto a las adicciones a la tecnología, las grandes empresas tecnológicas conocen las adicciones de los menores y evitan intencionadamente publicar y compartir datos al respecto —de hecho, llevan un año evitando compartirlos con este Parlamento— porque no quieren que este asunto afecte ni en un céntimo a su modelo de negocio. La colaboración con el legislador en algo así, que también es muy importante, no puede ser voluntaria u optativa.
                  

                     Asimismo, la alfabetización mediática también debe combatir el riesgo —ya mencionado— de tener generaciones de fanáticos, da igual de qué signo, como consecuencia del refuerzo de los sesgos derivado de los algoritmos. Esto también afecta al modelo de negocio de las empresas tecnológicas, y es algo que vamos a tener que resolver porque la democracia también está en juego. Me alegro de que estemos de acuerdo mayoritariamente.
                  

Kim Van Sparrentak (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, ask any youngster or teenager on the street to show you their screen time, and they easily spent seven hours on their device. While kids are glued to their devices, there's a big chance they are constantly being shown more shocking content just to keep them online, and even slowly being dragged into funnels of extremism, hate or misogyny.
The super addictive design of games and online services impacts children's ability to focus in schools. Problematic use can have serious mental-health effects, like risks of depression, anxiety, and even effects on brain development.
A better and safer internet for kids shouldn't only be about restricting children with age restrictions or better parenting. Because no one can beat the armies of psychologists and strategists that design manipulative big-tech tricks to keep us online at all costs. We need to fundamentally tackle the system behind it, because the internet should be safe for everyone. Therefore, I call upon the Commission to present rules against addictive design of online services and stop dangerous recommender systems.

Chiara Gemma (ECR). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, l'esposizione a contenuti inappropriati, il ciberbullismo e i pericoli della connessione alla violazione della privacy, alla disinformazione e alla manipolazione delle coscienze ormai non rappresentano più delle eventuali possibilità, ma, come è stato già richiamato, costituiscono dei rischi concreti a cui quotidianamente i nostri bambini sono esposti.
                  

                     La nuova strategia europea per Internet, con i suoi tre pilastri intesi a garantire maggiore sicurezza nelle esperienze digitali, un più elevato senso di responsabilità collettiva e una partecipazione attiva dei minori nell'attuazione e nel monitoraggio delle soluzioni adottate, sicuramente va nella direzione giusta.
                  

                     Tuttavia, se per un verso bisogna insistere, come indica la strategia, nel supportare le scuole, i genitori e i bambini nell'acquisizione di consapevolezza dei rischi e nella capacità di utilizzo degli strumenti per evitarli, per l'altro verso occorre incrementare le azioni di contrasto nei confronti di chi gestisce i contenuti immessi nel web e le modalità di accesso a essi.
                  

                     Non è coerente auspicare un sano e responsabile uso di Internet da parte dei bambini senza pretenderlo innanzitutto da noi adulti. Proviamo allora a essere noi adulti, prima di tutto, di esempio.
                  

Michaela Šojdrová (PPE). – Paní předsedající, vážená paní komisařko, kolegyně a kolegové, internet, sociální sítě, digitální dovednosti, to je dnes samozřejmá součást života mladé generace. To má své výhody pro vzdělávání, získávání informací, zábavu a komunikaci. Ale víme dobře, že to má velmi velká rizika. Odhaduje se, že až 23 % dětí ve věku od devíti do šestnácti let zažilo online šikanu. Je to průzkum z roku 2020. Proto chceme, aby děti byly chráněny. Shodneme se na tom, že tato strategie pro lepší internet pro děti je strategie dobrá, užitečná, ale nám velmi záleží na tom, jak bude konkrétně uplatňována.
                  

                     Smutným příkladem je příběh dívky Nicole Fox. Ta si kvůli kyberšikaně vzala život. A bohužel to není ojedinělý případ. Teprve poté začal v Irsku v únoru 2021 platit zákon trestající kyberšikanu. A já myslím, že bychom neměli čekat na další podobné případy, smutné osudy a měli bychom začít také legislativu měnit na úrovni Evropské unie. Proto vyzýváme Komisi, aby v koordinaci s Evropským prostorem pro vzdělávání vypracovala strategii proti šikaně a kyberšikaně ve školách a vytvořila balíček opatření ke zlepšení sběru údajů ve spolupráci s členskými státy. Její součástí by mělo být také postihování těch, kteří kyberšikanu páchají. Je to tedy výzva vůči Evropské komisi.
                  

Marcos Ros Sempere (S&D). – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, nuestros hijos utilizan la tecnología cada vez más, y cada vez antes, de forma más intensiva y a una edad más temprana. Esto genera oportunidades, pero también problemas. Los abusos sexuales en línea y el ciberacoso han aumentado exponencialmente y afectan a la salud de los más jóvenes.
                  

                     Ante esta situación, la prevención y la educación son herramientas clave: respecto a los abusos sexuales en línea, para detectar si están en peligro y hacer de las redes un lugar más seguro para todos; y, respecto al ciberacoso, para crear conciencia de esta pandemia silenciosa. Una pandemia que se ha agravado con la generalización de los móviles y las redes sociales.
                  

                     Esta Resolución recoge de forma oficial algo que hemos pedido en muchas ocasiones. Necesitamos una estrategia europea contra el acoso y el ciberacoso en las escuelas, un paquete de medidas contenido en el Espacio Europeo de Educación, coordinada con la estrategia Una Internet mejor para los niños.
                  

                     Miles de alumnos, que afrontan un nuevo curso escolar con miedo a ser acosados, esperan soluciones a este problema. Nosotros, en las instituciones europeas, debemos actuar con firmeza.
                  

Karen Melchior (Renew). – Madam President, Commissioner, the internet can be an incredible, limitless, empowering resource, allowing kids to socialise, learn and play, to meet like-minded friends. This is important, particularly if their parents or school friends do not understand or accept them. For the well-being of LGBTQI+ kids this is especially crucial.
We need to empower our children, not put them under surveillance. Yes, the internet and its platforms can be dangerous, but when teaching kids to ride a bike, we don't stop access to the bike because they may fall. No, we give them stabilisers and a safe environment to learn. We don't stop kids going to church or sports, but we talk with our kids about their experiences. The same should be true of the internet. We have to ensure a safe environment, and children's privacy and autonomy.
Recent laws in the US and the UK enabling parental surveillance are already harming LGBTQI+ kids and putting them at an even higher risk. We must build trust with our children, provide guardrails and empower them to seek advice from trusted adults. So, let's build an internet where kids can explore independently in a space that offers agency, privacy and safety.

Javier Zarzalejos (PPE). – Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, si en este momento ya pensamos que internet es un espacio que plantea riesgos serios para nuestros niños, imaginemos cómo pueden evolucionar las cosas con la aplicación masiva de las nuevas herramientas de inteligencia artificial o el manejo del lenguaje natural.
                  

                     Tenemos una serie de problemas, ya muy concretos, que hay que afrontar. Debemos establecer un mecanismo real y eficaz de verificación de la edad durante la navegación para evitar el acceso de los menores a plataformas de distribución de pornografía. Y este mecanismo tiene que ser legal, y puede serlo. Debemos establecer, a nivel europeo, una respuesta legal a estos fenómenos que sea uniforme. Debemos establecer mecanismos reales para dos fenómenos que se encuentran en ascenso y que adquieren una gravedad extraordinaria, como son el ciberacoso y el acoso sexual.
                  

                     La educación es importante, pero precisamente por ello debemos dotar de recursos a quienes tienen que actuar como verdaderas señales de alarma en nuestras escuelas y en nuestras familias para evitar que esto se convierta en la plaga con que amenaza en convertirse.
                  

Paul Tang (S&D). – Madam President, which parent would let their kids walk unsupervised along a busy highway? But in fact, we all do. We let our kids walk around the busiest highway in the world, the internet. Every day our kids use online services where predators, often disguised as other kids, scout for vulnerable potential victims with numerous examples of sextortion and child sexual abuse. It has become very clear that for our children, the internet is sometimes a dangerous place. And this is why we need online age verification. But to be clear, not in any form, but privacy protected. And that is certainly possible. Zero knowledge proof protocols allow for selective disclosure of attributes. It's a simple question: Are you older than x? That's all, with a simple verified answer.
The highway of the internet has been built and our children will use it and will have to use it. So let's install the safety barriers, so that our kids can enjoy the online world without getting hit hard.

Seán Kelly (PPE). – A Uachtaráin, leis an réimse leathan teicneolaíochta faisnéise, mar shampla na meáin shóisialta agus aipeanna teachtaireachtaí, tá deiseanna cumarsáide agus comhair ann nach bhfacthas a leithéid riamh roimhe seo. Mar sin féin, leis na teicneolaíochtaí céanna sin, tá ábhar dainséarach á scaipeadh freisin. Le linn na paindéime, chonaiceamar méadú 50% ar an am a chaitheann páistí ar scáileáin, rud a fhágann go bhfuil siad níos leochailí ó thaobh camscéimeanna, cibearbhulaíochta agus mí-úsáide de. I staidéar a rinneadh le déanaí, fuair UNICEF amach go ndearnadh bulaíocht ar líne ar dhuine as gach triúr déagóirí agus chomh maith leis sin, mheas 71% díobh go raibh an baol sin do dhaoine óga níos tromchúisí ná an foréigean, an bhochtaineacht nó an t-athrú aeráide. Dá bhrí sin, tá géarghá le dlí nua cosúil le Coco's Law in Éirinn chun daoine óga a chosaint. Úsáideann leanaí an t-idirlíon agus na meáin shóisialta níos minice agus ó aois níos óige anois agus mar sin, is gá dúinn gníomhú go práinneach.
                  

Sara Skyttedal (PPE). – Madam President, rules that apply offline must also apply online in a world that feels just as real to many young people growing up today. While most kids cannot picture a life without internet, the bullying and abuse that take place online can be constant and literally accompany children into their homes. We must find means to put an end to this.
It is also clear that we must find new tools to stop grooming, violations and the spread of sexual abuse material online. The internet cannot be a safe haven for predators. This is the ambition with a new regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, commonly called ‘chat control’.
However, rules of privacy clearly protected in the real world must also apply in the online world. The principle of secrecy of correspondence is clearly jeopardised by the proposed EU regulation. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. We must not allow the well-intentioned ambition to make internet safe also mean the end of free communication and the open internet as we know it.

Caterina Chinnici (PPE). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, sfruttamento e abusi sessuali, violazione della privacy, violenza, ciberbullismo e profilazione a scopi commerciali sono solo alcuni dei rischi che, accanto alle tante opportunità, il mondo digitale crea per bambini e ragazzi.
                  

                     Certo, Internet non è stato concepito pensando ai minori, ma questi sono oggi un terzo degli utenti europei. Occorrono allora regole precise e interventi puntuali di legislatori e provider per impedire che l'evoluzione digitale produca conseguenze, spesso gravi, sulla vita reale, la salute psicofisica e lo sviluppo dei più giovani.
                  

                     La strategia BIK+ è importante per costruire un Internet più sicuro e a dimensione di bambino, ma ora va tradotta in azioni concrete per far partecipare attivamente i minori, educarli e renderli consapevoli dei rischi, e coinvolgere genitori, famiglie, scuole ed educatori e rafforzare prevenzione e protezione delle vittime. E le imprese, signora Commissaria, devono investire in strumenti di safety by design per garantire dall'inizio la sicurezza dei minori. Proteggere i più piccoli anche in rete è compito di tutti noi. Per loro e con loro dobbiamo lavorare a questo obiettivo.
                  

Jarosław Duda (PPE). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Bardzo dziękuję za dzisiejszą owocną debatę. Chciałbym podjąć i wzmocnić jeszcze jeden wątek, a mianowicie wątek zagrożeń dla zdrowia psychicznego dzieci i młodzieży, a zwłaszcza rosnącej liczby samobójstw. Uważam, że potrzebujemy strategii przeciwdziałania cyberprzemocy, ale także pilnego zajęcia się kwestią nakłaniania do samobójstw w przestrzeni cyfrowej. Konieczne jest innowacyjne podejście do pomocy dzieciom i młodzieży, dla których internet jest często głównym kanałem komunikacji. Cyberprzestrzeń wymaga aktywnej obecności specjalistów, psychoterapeutów, streetworkerów umiejących wejść w to środowisko, nawiązujących kontakty i budujących relacje z osobami zagrożonymi.
                  

Catch-the-eye procedure


Ljudmila Novak (PPE). – Gospa predsednica, spoštovana gospa komisarka! Internet je koristen, privlačen, hkrati pa še kako nevaren za otroke in mladostnike. Z vzgojo za pravilno uporabo interneta je potrebno začeti že v vrtcu in predvsem pri starših, ki so prav tako že digitalna generacija.
                  

                     Žal so mnogi otroci, že dojenčki, prikrajšani za nežne poglede, prijazne besede in ljubkovanje staršev, ki se na sprehodih preveč ukvarjajo s telefoni in premalo z otroki. Za zbujanje pozornosti in občudovanja sovrstnikov se mladi izpostavljajo tudi nevarnostim in se pri tem celo snemajo.
                  

                     Svojo odgovornost za vsebine na spletu morajo prevzeti tudi upravljavci različnih platform, za kar pa je potrebna ustrezna zakonodaja. To pa je naša odgovornost.
                  

Laura Ballarín Cereza (S&D). – Señora presidenta, la edad media de inicio del consumo de la pornografía es a los once años. El 85 % de los padres con hijos de esa edad creen que sus hijos no consumen pornografía. Puede que no queramos creerlo, pero ellos sí lo están viendo.
                  

                     Estos datos recogidos por la asociación Dale Una Vuelta son tremendamente preocupantes y tienen unas consecuencias muy claras en España: el aumento de las agresiones sexuales en manada por parte de menores, el uso de la inteligencia artificial para crear pornografía sintética y una educación sexual afectiva completamente distorsionada basada en la violencia. Y es que las estadísticas nos dicen que el 80 % de los jóvenes que consumen porno tienen conductas sexuales agresivas.
                  

                     Para frenar este abuso hacia los menores, saludamos la nueva Estrategia de la Comisión Europea para una Internet Mejor para los Niños, que pretende asegurar proteger a los niños y las niñas frente a los nuevos retos digitales. También frente al ciberacoso, del cual es víctima uno de cada tres niños a escala mundial.
                  

                     De la mano de la Ley de Servicios Digitales, del Espacio de Educación Europeo, de los Estados miembros, de las familias y de los educadores, debemos abordar con recursos y determinación el enorme reto que supone la internet para los niños.
                  

Beata Mazurek (ECR). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Szanowni Państwo! Zapewnienie bezpieczeństwa dzieciom w internecie jest dla nas wszystkich sprawą priorytetową albo przynajmniej powinno tak być. Aby tego dokonać, konieczne jest wprowadzenie konkretnych środków i programów edukacyjnych skierowanych nie tylko do dzieci, ale także do ich nauczycieli, rodziców i opiekunów. Mniej więcej jeden na trzech użytkowników internetu to dziecko, które korzysta z niego w bardzo młodym wieku. Często dzieje się to bez nadzoru dorosłych.
                  

                     Dlatego tak ważne i pilne jest podjęcie działań na rzecz stworzenia bezpiecznego, chronionego i godnego zaufania środowiska cyfrowego dla dzieci. Nasze starania powinny koncentrować się na opracowywaniu i wdrażaniu technik prewencyjnych oraz kampanii na rzecz świadomości i umiejętności cyfrowych. Musimy chronić nasze dzieci przed szkodliwymi i nielegalnymi internetowymi treściami, zachowaniami oraz kontaktami. Musimy zapewnić im bezpieczeństwo. Z tego względu naszym priorytetem jest podnoszenie świadomości, inwestycje w edukację i szkolenie, tak aby dzieci nabyły umiejętności i kompetencji niezbędnych do dokonywania właściwych wyborów w środowisku internetowym w sposób bezpieczny i odpowiedzialny. I to powinno być zrobione jak najszybciej. Ważne, że o tym mówimy, ale jeszcze ważniejsze powinno być jak najszybsze działanie, by zapewnić bezpieczeństwo najmłodszym, tym, których wszyscy jako dorośli powinniśmy chronić.
                  

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Doamna președintă, doamna comisară, stimați colegi, astăzi este Ziua Mondială a Educației și permiteți-mi să transmit felicitări și ‘La mulți ani’ tuturor celor care se ocupă și se străduiesc pentru educația copiilor: profesori, învățători, educatori și părinți, și să le dau speranța că astăzi, chiar de Ziua Educației, noi discutăm aici despre un lucru extrem de important – cum să avem o strategie pentru un internet sigur pentru copii.
                  

                     Situația de fapt arată că violența a crescut în școli. Cazurile de suicid sunt îndemnuri pe internet la violență. Uitați-vă la filmele de desene animate, conținutul lor, limbajul personajelor din filmele de desene animate. Niciodată nu o să putem să punem profesorii sau părinții să-i supravegheze minut cu minut. Este important și cred că cheia succesului este conținutul. Nu trebuie să apară în online ceea ce nu este permis în actul educațional, în offline. Nu trebuie să apară conținut cu violență, nu trebuie să apară îndemnuri la consumul de droguri. Au crescut actele de violență între elevi, dar și între elevi și profesori.
                  

                     De aceea, doamna comisară, cred că trebuie să ne gândim serios cum putem să reglementăm conținutul.
                  

Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D). – Arvoisa puhemies, on tärkeää, että Eurooppa päivittää strategiaansa paremmasta internetistä lapsillemme. Tuo vanha on jo kymmenen vuotta vanha, eivätkä ongelmat ole ratkenneet korona-aikana, kun internetin käyttö lisääntyi. Valitettavasti myös rikollisuus on lisääntynyt.
                  

                     On tärkeää, että meillä on myös lainsäädäntöhankkeita käynnissä, kuten lapsiin kohdistuvan seksuaalisen häirinnän estävä laki. Tuo täytyy saada maaliin. Osana tuota lakia voidaan hyödyntää myös nytkin keskustelussa ollutta ikärajan käyttöä, mutta tärkeää olisi, että kaiken kaikkiaan erityisesti lapsiin kohdistuvat suositukset ja addiktoivat mallit tulisivat myös kieltojen piiriin ja sitä ennen jo alustojen omaehtoisen toiminnan kautta.
                  

                     Kaikenikäiset lapset tarvitsevat koulutusta internetin käyttöön, kun tuo laite löytää jo pienenä käsiin. Kotona täytyy opettaa ja myös kouluissa, mutta samalla meidän tulee katsoa, että ihan jokainen eurooppalainen lapsi pääsee internetiin pariin ja sitä myötä lähes rajattoman tiedon ja maailman halailun makuun.
                  

(End of catch-the-eye procedure)


Dubravka Šuica,
Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, we heard a lot. I want to thank you for this rich debate. Let me comment on some of your comments. Many of you mentioned cyberbullying, and just to clarify, with the entry into application of the Digital Services Act, the European Union now has powerful new tools to tackle mental health risks online, in particular for minors and young people. Many of you mentioned the risk to psychological health. The Commission will work in close cooperation with the national digital service coordinators in the supervisory framework established by the Digital Service Act.
Some of you mentioned also effective age verification. So we are working on it. Just to mention a few ongoing actions. The Commission is preparing an age verification toolkit on the Better Internet for Kids platform to raise awareness of existing, effective and privacy preserving methods of age verification. This will include an age verification self-assessment tool for digital service providers and the child family friendly explanation of relevant solutions. The first meeting of this age verification toolkit will take place in November, around the Safer Internet Forum for this year. The Commission is also issuing a standardisation request for European standards on online age verification. And also the Commission is exploring the development of a European Union wide recognised digital proof of age based on the date of birth, within the framework of the electronic ID proposal and building on preliminary work such as the EU consent pilot projects. The topic could also be addressed in the better internet for Kids+ code. So there is much of ongoing work.
Many of you mentioned also sexual abuse. Since sexual abuse will be an extra legislative piece, I don't have enough time to explain this, but as all of you know, for us, child sexual abuse is a serious crime with long lasting, actually lifelong consequences. And it has both offline and online components, as all of you mentioned and it knows no borders. So our firm position is that children have the fundamental right to have their best interests assessed and taken into account as a primary consideration in all our actions that affect them. But on sexual abuse, we will talk separately.
Regarding the role of school in education, which I already mentioned in my introductory remarks, for us, safer internet for kids centres are the strategies, direct connection and influence with schools across the European Union. We are enlarging and strengthening this network. Member States have to ensure that digital education and awareness rising become part of the education curriculum. For us, schools play a crucial role in implementation and implementing the BIK+ strategy. We are launching large-scale media literacy campaigns, also targeted at schools and teachers who can act as multipliers.
The Commission seeks to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities the digital age offers children. We will continue to provide a safer and better online space for children in line with the broader legislative framework and other policy priorities. We will involve children along the way, providing them space to express their views, involving them in the policymaking and delivering child-friendly communication. As I said, the network of safer internet centres will continue to be one of the most important tools. Of course, we aim for all children, including those in vulnerable situations, to benefit from this BIK+. I wanted to tell you that we cannot act alone. This requires the active engagement and commitment from Member States, from industry, from civil society, and from users themselves and also from international cooperation. So we really greatly appreciate the European Parliament's support for the new strategy for a better internet for kids and for this resolution.
Regarding empowering children, we fully recognise that the importance of empowering children and giving them the skills to navigate the online world confidentially themselves. This is why Better Internet for Kids seeks a balance between empowerment and protection with children themselves being involved in all work streams. Online protection, digital empowerment and digital inclusion are European as well as global challenges. It's not only European, so we have to bear this in mind. By joining forces, we can address these issues more effectively and more efficiently. Finally, our goal must be nothing less than a safe, secure and trusted digital space as a cornerstone of our digital society, for every child and for everyone, everywhere.

President. – The debate is closed. I have received one motion for a resolution to wind up the debate1. The vote will be held today.
1 See minutes.


Written statements (Rule 171)



Karol Karski (ECR),
na piśmie. – Kwestia lepszego i bezpiecznego internetu dla dzieci jest niezwykle ważna. Dotyka nas wszystkich – rodziców, nauczycieli, władz publicznych oraz przede wszystkim samych dzieci. Ochrona i edukacja naszych najmłodszych użytkowników internetu musi stać się priorytetem, aby zapewnić im bezpieczne i odpowiednie dla nich środowisko online. Internet stał się nieodłączną częścią życia dzieci i młodzieży. Jest źródłem wiedzy, rozrywki i komunikacji, ale niesie ze sobą również zagrożenia. Potrzebujemy spójnej strategii, która zagwarantuje, że internet stanie się miejscem, gdzie dzieci mogą rozwijać się i uczyć, nie narażając się przy tym na niebezpieczeństwo. Musimy podjąć kroki w celu ochrony dzieci przed treściami nieodpowiednimi dla ich wieku oraz przed cyberprzemocą, wykorzystywaniem seksualnym i innymi zagrożeniami w sieci. Ważne jest zapewnienie dostępu do wsparcia psychologicznego dla dzieci, które zostały zranione w przestrzeni cyfrowej. Rodzice powinni posiadać narzędzia i wiedzę, która pozwoli im na efektywną kontrolę dostępu dzieci do internetu. Informacja i edukacja rodziców są kluczowym warunkiem zapewnienia bezpieczeństwa dzieci w sieci. Europejska strategia na rzecz lepszego internetu musi uwzględniać współpracę wszystkich zainteresowanych stron – rodziców, nauczycieli, firm technologicznych, organizacji pozarządowych i rządów. Wspólnie możemy stworzyć internet, który będzie bezpieczną i inspirującą przestrzenią dla dzieci, zachęcającą je do nauki i kreatywności, jednocześnie chroniąc przed niebezpieczeństwami.
                  

(The sitting was suspended at 11.36)


VORSITZ: OTHMAR KARAS


Vizepräsident

7.   Resumption of the sitting

(Die Sitzung wird um 12.00 Uhr wieder aufgenommen)

8.   Voting time

Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Abstimmung.
               

(Abstimmungsergebnisse und sonstige Einzelheiten der Abstimmung: siehe Protokoll.)

8.1.   Approval of the appointment of Wopke Hoekstra as Member of the European Commission (C9-0335/2023) (vote)
8.2.   Approval of the allocation of new responsibilities of Executive Vice-President of the Commission Maroš Šefčovič (vote)
8.3.   Schengen Borders Code (A9-0280/2023 - Sylvie Guillaume) (vote)

— Vor der Abstimmung:


Jean-Paul Garraud (ID). – Monsieur le Président, alors que la submersion migratoire de l'Union européenne s'amplifie dans des proportions jamais connues jusqu'à présent, alors que plus d'une dizaine d'États membres de l'Union européenne réclament des financements pour protéger leurs territoires et leurs peuples contre ce qu'il convient d'appeler une invasion organisée, ce Parlement se prépare à faire tout l'inverse en rendant quasi impossible tout contrôle aux frontières intérieures des États membres de l'espace Schengen.
                  

                     Selon la même procédure et la même volonté que celles utilisées pour le pacte sur la migration et l'asile, qui accentuera l'arrivée de millions de migrants, notre Parlement s'apprête donc à négocier le plus rapidement et le plus discrètement possible la réforme du code Schengen.
                  

                     Le plus rapidement possible, pour qu'elle soit adoptée avant les élections européennes de 2024 et l'arrivée probable d'une nouvelle majorité qui bloquera ce texte. Le plus discrètement possible, c'est-à-dire sans vote et sans débat public immédiat dans l'hémicycle, afin d'éviter que nos concitoyens ne découvrent la disparition presque totale des frontières nationales qui se prépare ici, et ce, en l'absence même de frontières européennes extérieures solides, promises pourtant dès la création de l'espace Schengen.
                  

                     Car la Commission européenne refuse toujours de financer des barrières physiques à ses frontières, rejetant par là même les appels à l'aide d'une dizaine d'États de l'Union. La Commission est cependant beaucoup plus rapide pour instituer une répartition des clandestins dans nos États, avec de lourdes pénalités en cas de refus. Les frontières extérieures sont pourtant la plus belle démonstration de solidarité avec des pays comme l'Italie ou la Grèce, en première ligne, et sont la condition première de l'existence de l'espace Schengen.
                  

                     La politique que vous voulez mettre en œuvre, nos peuples, majoritairement, n'en veulent pas. Vous voulez imposer encore une fois une politique contre le peuple. C'est la négation même de la démocratie et le début de l'autoritarisme. Vous ne pouvez refuser un débat et un vote sur un sujet qui engage l'avenir de l'Europe, de nos peuples et de notre civilisation. C'est pourquoi je vous engage à soutenir l'objection que je présente au nom des groupes ID et ECR et donc de voter contre l'entrée en trilogue.
                  

Sylvie Guillaume,
rapporteure. – Monsieur le Président, mes chers collègues, ce que présente ici M. Garraud est une réécriture du texte, une réalité alternative. Ce sont des conjectures, des extrapolations, j'allais dire une instrumentalisation politique par rapport au contenu réel du rapport.
                  

                     L'extrême droite a donc décidé de remettre en cause le large accord trouvé en commission LIBE sur la réforme du code frontières Schengen, accord rendu possible par l'engagement et la compréhension politique d'une majorité de rapporteurs fictifs que je tiens à remercier pour leur collaboration.
                  

                     Voter contre ce mandat, c'est en fait accepter des décisions incohérentes ou erratiques de fermeture des frontières intérieures. Ce que nous voulons à travers ce rapport, c'est protéger l'espace de libre circulation et c'est aussi permettre une prise de décision coordonnée et réfléchie quant à la réintroduction de contrôles aux frontières intérieures.
                  

                     Soutenir ce mandat, c'est prendre la défense de l'une des plus belles réalisations de l'Union, qui n'existe nulle part ailleurs: la libre circulation de plus de 400 millions de personnes inscrite dans les traités. C'est précieux en soi, mais c'est aussi précieux pour les citoyens européens. Je suis certaine que nombreux sont aujourd'hui les partisans raisonnés d'un espace Schengen rénové. C'est pourquoi je vous serais reconnaissante de soutenir ce mandat et de voter en sa faveur.
                  
8.4.   Human rights situation in Afghanistan, in particular the persecution of former government officials (RC-B9-0395/2023, B9-0395/2023, B9-0401/2023, B9-0403/2023, B9-0406/2023, B9-0409/2023, B9-0412/2023) (vote)
8.5.   The case of Zarema Musaeva in Chechnya (RC-B9-0415/2023, B9-0415/2023, B9-0416/2023, B9-0418/2023, B9-0419/2023, B9-0421/2023) (vote)
8.6.   Egypt, in particular the sentencing of Hisham Kassem (RC-B9-0396/2023, B9-0396/2023, B9-0398/2023, B9-0413/2023, B9-0414/2023, B9-0422/2023, B9-0423/2023) (vote)
8.7.   European green bonds (A9-0156/2022 - Paul Tang) (vote)
8.8.   Scheme of generalised tariff preferences (A9-0267/2023 - Heidi Hautala) (vote)
8.9.   Financial services contracts concluded at a distance (A9-0097/2023 - Arba Kokalari) (vote)
8.10.   Urban wastewater treatment (A9-0276/2023 - Nils Torvalds) (vote)

— Nach der Abstimmung über den Vorschlag der Kommission:


Nils Torvalds,
rapporteur. – Mr President, thank you all, colleagues, for the support in this slightly difficult file. Based on Rule 59(4) of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, I kindly request to refer this report back to the ENVI Committee for interinstitutional negotiations. And for that, I would like to have a vote.

(Das Parlament nimmt den Antrag auf Rücküberweisung an den zuständigen Ausschuss an.)

8.11.   Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan's attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (B9-0405/2023, RC-B9-0393/2023, B9-0393/2023, B9-0397/2023, B9-0399/2023, B9-0400/2023, B9-0402/2023, B9-0404/2023) (vote)
8.12.   Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (B9-0407/2023, RC-B9-0408/2023, B9-0408/2023, B9-0410/2023, B9-0411/2023, B9-0417/2023, B9-0420/2023) (vote)
8.13.   The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (B9-0386/2023) (vote)

Der Präsident. – Damit ist die Abstimmungsstunde geschlossen.
                  

(Die Sitzung wird um 12.27 Uhr unterbrochen)


IN THE CHAIR: MARC ANGEL


Vice-President

9.   Resumption of the sitting

(The sitting resumed at 15.00)

10.   Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

President. – The minutes of yesterday's sitting and the texts adopted are available. Are there any comments? I see that is not the case, so the minutes are approved.
11.   Poor sanitary conditions, low levels of security and lack of parking places in rest areas for truck drivers (debate)

President. – The next item is the Commission statement on poor sanitary conditions, low levels of security and lack of parking places in rest areas for truck drivers (2023/2872(RSP)).

Johannes Hahn,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, on behalf of Commissioner Vălean, who was unfortunately not able to be here this afternoon (like many others), I would like to reaffirm that the development of safe and secure parking areas with adequate sanitary facilities continues to be of high priority for the Commission. And I can say this with my own personal experience.
The COVID pandemic was a stark reminder that road transport drivers are essential. When transport came to a halt, truck drivers proved to be crucial in providing us with vaccines and essential goods to fill the shelves of our supermarkets in bringing food to our tables and keeping our economies running. The daily job is crucial for our society, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they can both work and rest safely and securely.
Deployment of safe and secure parking spaces is one of the elements contributing to the improvement of driver working conditions, which is key to sustaining and attracting workforce to the sector, which is facing significant driver shortages.
Let me guide you through the different measures that the Commission has taken in the last years to address this important topic. First, when it comes to legislation, EU standards for safe and secure parking areas have now become law, thanks to the Delegated Act, which was adopted in April 2022 and is in force since July 2022.
The standards have been carefully drafted in coordination with representatives of drivers, road transport companies, parking operators, etc. They include: four levels of security (brown, silver, gold and platinum) with the necessary security deterrents; these different levels will allow operators to choose according to the value of the goods they carry. Further, a common level of service regardless of the level of security; this includes important facilities for the comfort of drivers, such as showers, toilets, shops to purchase food and drinks, internet connections, etc. Finally, certification rules to ensure compliance with the union standards, which include an independent external auditor and regular audits.
We believe these new EU standards will greatly incentivise the development of a much-needed EU-wide network of safe and secure parking areas across Europe. I am glad to see that the market is interested and, since its entry into force, 20 new parking areas have been certified.
As came out clearly from the debate on Monday on ensuring European transportation works for women, safe and secure parking areas are especially important for female drivers. But we can't wait for the market to develop the secure parking areas. We want to accelerate the rollout and this is why we are providing financial support.
Under the Connecting Europe Facility, we are supporting the upgrade of existing parking areas or the construction of new ones that meet the union standards. Since 2019, 52 projects were selected for funding, providing more than 7 000 additional safe and secure parking spots in Europe. Under the CEF Transport calls for proposals published last week on 26 September, the Commission will continue to make available EUR 150 million for this priority under the cohesion envelope, and another EUR 100 million under the general envelope. In the previous call, we selected four projects with high maturity and quality that concern parking areas in Belgium, Slovenia and Spain, and we expect more interest this year.
Financial support to accelerate new parking areas is important, but the Commission believes we need to go one step further. Unfortunately, today there is No EU-wide legal requirement for Member States to provide safe and secure parking areas on their territory. This shouldn't be a problem if there were a sufficient number of parking areas. But the sad reality is that it's not the case, with notable differences between Member States. There is a general lack of appropriate spaces where drivers can have reasonable facilities in all Member States.
This is why, in the context of the revision of the TEN-T Regulation, the Commission proposed to introduce a clear obligation for Member States to have safe and secure parking areas on the TEN-T core network at a maximum distance of 100 km by the end of 2040, extending the obligation to all of the TEN-T network by 2050. The general approach of the Council removed this legal obligation and instead called on Member States to give their best effort, and completely deleted the 2050 target.
Parliament's position goes even further than our proposal by bringing forward the deadlines by ten years. The Commission is of the opinion that this is an opportunity we cannot miss. I call on the legislators to at least agree on the legal obligation during the trilogues. This is a crucial element for the well-being and good working conditions for drivers. But it should also be one for businesses, which will have reassurance that the drivers are safe and the goods are being transported safely. If we are not able to provide drivers with basic needs for doing their work, then we should not be surprised that people don't want to come and work in this sector.
With that, I thank you for inviting the Commission on this crucial topic concerning the well-being of our truck drivers, and I'm looking forward to the debate and your comments.

Marian-Jean Marinescu,
în numele grupului PPE. – Domnule președinte, domnule comisar, mulțumesc pentru prezentare. Da, este un subiect extrem de complicat și important. Este și o consecință a Pachetului Mobilitate votat în condiții destul de, să spunem, controversate în Parlament, nerespectând unele reguli. Acel pachet de mobilitate a adus probleme pentru sector, pentru că a introdus celebra prevedere de întoarcere a camionului acasă, plus reguli de cabotaj și a introdus în același timp obligația de a avea timpul de odihnă nu în cabină, ci în hotel.
               

                  E adevărat că s-au introdus atunci și reguli pentru parcări, însă consecințele sunt cu totul altele în realitate. În primul rând, primele două n-au determinat o îmbunătățire a situației companiilor din Vest, ci mai degrabă s-a văzut că a fost o măsură de protecționism pentru statele din Vest, și bineînțeles că a crescut cantitatea de emisii, pentru că, să duci un camion acasă la opt săptămâni, asta înseamnă foarte multe emisii.
               

                  A doua consecință legată de timpii de odihnă este implementarea acestei prevederi foarte diferit în statele membre. Sunt companii care suportă consecințe grave, cu amenzi foarte mari, diferite de la stat la stat. Unele aplică, altele nu aplică acest sistem. Deci toată această problemă a creat mari probleme pentru companiile de transport și în același timp, pentru tot sectorul.
               

                  Cred că ar trebui să existe reguli foarte clare care să poată determina și posibilitatea de infringement pentru ca aceste parcări să existe sau, până nu există parcările, în special securizate, să nu se aplice amenzi, pentru că altfel este o implementare diferită, inegală și care afectează foarte mult sectorul.
               

                  Vă mulțumesc pentru participarea la această dezbatere și sper ca în curând să avem niște reguli foarte clare.
               

Thomas Rudner,
im Namen der S&D-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident, sehr geehrter Herr Kommissar, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Wenn wir von den konkreten hygienischen Bedingungen auf Raststätten sprechen, müssen wir feststellen: Es fehlt immer noch der Zugang zu kostenlosen, sauberen sanitären Anlagen wie Duschen und Toiletten. Es gibt außerdem zu wenige Parkplätze auf Autobahnen und Fernstraßen, sodass es für die Fahrerinnen und Fahrer sehr schwierig ist, die erforderlichen Pausen einzuhalten.
               

                  Diese Bedingungen machen es immer schwieriger, Menschen für diesen Beruf zu begeistern. Das aktuelle Beispiel aus Gräfenhausen in Deutschland zeigt uns klar, mit welch miesen Bedingungen wir es hier zu tun haben. Fahrerinnen und Fahrer aus Nicht-EU-Ländern haben vom 17. Juli bis 30. September gestreikt, um überhaupt bezahlt zu werden.
               

                  Denn es geht nicht nur um die Hygienebedingungen. Schlechte Arbeitsbedingungen und Sozialdumping im Straßengüterverkehr fördern die geringe Attraktivität des Berufsbildes. Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer aus Nicht-EU-Ländern werden systematisch diskriminiert. Wir haben es hier mit unhaltbaren Zuständen im internationalen Güterkraftverkehr zu tun.
               

                  Der offensichtliche Mangel an Lkw-Fahrerinnen und -Fahrern in der EU führt zu steigenden Transportkosten und einer geringeren Verfügbarkeit von Laderaum. Dieser Mangel bedroht die wirtschaftliche Integration auf europäischer Ebene.
               

                  Zahlreiche empirische Studien beschreiben die Arbeitssituation der Fahrerinnen und Fahrer als moderne Sklaverei, die im industriellen Maß stattfindet, wobei zahlreiche Straftatbestände erfüllt werden und Verstöße gegen EU-Standards vorliegen. Geltende Vorschriften des Mobilitätspakets I werden in der Praxis unzureichend eingehalten. Neben der Diskriminierung der Fahrerinnen und Fahrer führt dies zu Wettbewerbsverzerrungen für den gesamten europäischen Transportmarkt.
               

                  Die bisherigen Anstrengungen der Kommission und des Rates haben keine Verbesserung der Lage herbeigeführt. Bestehende Herausforderungen werden nicht oder nicht ausreichend adressiert. Als Sozialdemokratinnen und Sozialdemokraten haben wir hart für die Rechte der schwer arbeitenden Lkw-Fahrerinnen und -Fahrer gekämpft. All das würde zunichtegemacht werden, wenn die verbindlichen Regeln einfach nicht kontrolliert werden. Die Kontrolldichte und Bußgelder sind in der Praxis zu gering, um Lenkungswirkungen zu entfalten. Nationales Arbeits- und Sozialrecht in einzelnen Mitgliedstaaten ist nicht immer kompatibel mit Vorgaben in anderen Mitgliedstaaten, zum Beispiel was die Mindestlöhne angeht.
               

                  Meine drei konkreten Forderungen hierzu sind: Verstöße gegen Sozialvorschriften brauchen angemessene Konsequenzen. Nur so können sie Lenkungseffekte auf europäischer Ebene entfalten. Bußgelder müssen deutlich höher sein als der wirtschaftliche Erfolg. Dies ist in vielen Mitgliedstaaten nicht der Fall. Eine wirksame Durchsetzung ist der Schlüssel zur Umsetzung des Mobilitätspakets I. Derzeit sind viele Behörden mit unterschiedlichen Zuständigkeiten mit den Kontrollen beauftragt, was zu mangelhafter Durchsetzung der Vorschriften führt. Die Höhe der anwendbaren nationalen Mindestlöhne und der anrechenbaren Lohnbestandteile zur Einhaltung des Mindestlohns ist für Transportunternehmen und Behörden oft nicht transparent.
               

                  Die Kommission sollte daher Leitlinien für Sozialstandards im europäischen Kraftverkehr definieren; bestehendes Arbeitsrecht in einzelnen EU-Mitgliedstaaten sollte auf seine Zulässigkeit überprüft und den Mitgliedstaaten die Anrechnung von Lohnbestandteilen wie Spesen auf den Mindestlohn untersagt werden. Dabei bedarf es einer europäischen Gesamtlösung, die nicht den einzelnen Mitgliedstaaten überlassen werden sollte.
               

Izaskun Bilbao Barandica,
en nombre del Grupo Renew. – Señor presidente, señor comisario, uno de los mandatos que contiene el paquete de movilidad es la mejora de las áreas de descanso de última generación, digitalizadas, con servicios para hombres y mujeres, accesibles, vigiladas, seguras. Esto supone una mejora de las condiciones de vida y trabajo para este colectivo, y contribuye también a la seguridad vial. Asimismo, fomenta el relevo generacional y la captación de nuevos y nuevas profesionales en un sector del que depende hoy el 70 % del transporte de mercancías en la Unión.
               

                  Aunque cumplamos las previsiones de crecimiento del tren, las organizaciones del sector fijan en 100 000 el déficit de plazas en nuestra red principal de carreteras y animan a resolverlo para el año 2030. Tenemos las normas, los estándares y los servicios que deben incluir las áreas según las cuatro categorías establecidas. Estamos desplegando infraestructuras para combustibles alternativos y para servicios inteligentes de transporte, apoyándonos en los fondos de recuperación y el Mecanismo ‘Conectar Europa’. La sinergia entre todos estos objetivos y herramientas financieras deja sin excusas a los Estados que incumplen sus obligaciones sobre aparcamientos seguros que, con razón, reclama un sector tan importante para nuestra competitividad.
               

                  Y sí, señor comisario, estamos de acuerdo con que la obligación de construir aparcamientos seguros aparezca en el Reglamento RTE-T.
               

Francisco Guerreiro,
em nome do Grupo Verts/ALE. – Senhor Presidente, Senhor Comissário, Caros Colegas, este debate tornou-se fundamental quando passámos por uma crise pandémica e verificámos a importância dos trabalhadores que trabalham e laboram neste setor, não só porque eles são fundamentais para distribuir os bens necessários à nossa existência, mas porque sem eles grande parte da nossa economia não funciona. Portanto, as propostas de que aqui estamos a falar, assim como as palavras do Comissário, são, creio eu, bem-vindas para todos.
               

                  Há, contudo, algumas matérias que é preciso focar. Quando falamos nestes parqueamentos mais digitalizados, com mais segurança, com mais qualidade para os motoristas, temos de ter em atenção também a questão das novas tecnologias que vão emergir; e, portanto, estes espaços deverão incluir, além de tudo o que foi dito aqui pelo Comissário, a capacitação dos próprios camiões e das próprias estruturas físicas para poderem gerar ou distribuir energia limpa e renovável.
               

                  Por conseguinte, tal é também fundamental, tendo em conta que vai haver uma transição neste setor e, portanto, esta transição ambiental também se motiva e se foca nesta especificidade.
               

                  Há que garantir também que existe uma renovação da força laboral e que estas pessoas podem ter a garantia de que este mercado, este setor, é atrativo, para atrair mais jovens e mais mulheres, com garantias de segurança, com garantias higieno-sanitárias, com garantias de mobilidade, e reduz o stress que estes trabalhadores têm devido aos longos períodos de viagens. É igualmente necessário garantir a segurança jurídica para que os trabalhadores que vêm de fora do mercado único não sejam explorados.
               

                  Desta forma, é possível garantir também uma coesão: garantias não só para os trabalhadores que estão legalmente e operam legalmente dentro do mercado interno da União Europeia, mas também para os trabalhadores que são de outros países e trabalham cá.
               

                  Gostaria só de referir que a automatização deste setor, ou seja, dos transportes coletivos de mercadorias, está também em marcha e que, por conseguinte, teremos de ter em atenção o impacto social desta transição.
               

                  É por isso que – e, curiosamente, estando aqui presente o comissário que debateu os orçamentos plurianuais da União Europeia – poderá ser interessante, num futuro próximo, pensar em mecanismos de rendimento básico para estes trabalhadores, porque o stress e a pressão que existirá com a automatização do setor automóvel requererá novas soluções e novos pensamentos fora da caixa.
               

Ангел Джамбазки,
от името на групата ECR. – Г-н Председател, пакетът ‘Мобилност’ е един от големите провали на Европейската комисия, г-н Комисар, и Вие го знаете отлично. Пакетът ‘Мобилност’ беше лобистко законодателство, чиято единствена цел и задача беше да премести водачите на тежкотоварни автомобили от България, от Румъния, от периферните държави към фирмите в Централна и Западна Европа.
               

                  Темата, която разискваме днес, показва, доказва без всякакво съмнение този огромен провал. Покажете ми един паркинг в Белгия, който има тези санитарни условия, който има охрана, където има къде да заспи човек и къде да се изкъпе. Няма такива паркинги. Няма такива паркинги и в Южна Франция, няма такива паркинги и в Германия. Повечето паркинги са едно отклонение от пътя, на който спираш, а във Франция е добре да не спираш, защото новите европейци, които ги покани вашата колега фон дер Лайен и онази предишната, която (неразбираеми думи), се качват в движение и разтоварват камионите. Това е огромен проблем.
               

                  Всъщност става ясно, че ставаше дума за една огромна лобистка история, която гледаше да премести работна ръка и да докара източните фирми да работят в Западна Европа. Не, нищо не се подобри, никакви условия не се подобриха и го знаете прекрасно. Няма какво да отговорите, защото това е абсолютно видимо. Българските и румънските фирми и останалите от периферията бяха принуждавани да си правят европейски, да си правят белгийски регистрации и те да строят своите паркинги. Мога да ви покажа Маасмехелен, Антверпен. Мога да ви покажа български фирми, които са направили своите паркинги, само че хората им плащат данъците в Кралство Белгия, а не в България. Това е разликата. Това е огромен проблем, защото пари, направени от наши работници, отиват в бюджета на Кралство Белгия, а не в нашия бюджет. И там помагат за здравеопазване, социални дейности, а не при нас. Нашите работници работят за Белгия благодарение на пакета ‘Мобилност’, който беше тежък лобизъм, то това му беше целта. Вие прекрасно знаете тези неща. Да не говорим, че в тази зала се говори страшно много за екология, за емисии, а задължихте хиляди камиони да се разхождат празни нагоре-надолу, празни курсове, да горят гориво, това гориво да отива във въздуха и да замърсява въздуха, г-н Комисар. Замърсява се въздуха благодарение на лобизма на Европейската комисия. И тук, много странно, някои колеги говорят за чист въздух. Какъв чист въздух, като с ваше решение се замърсява въздуха страхотно, тежко, видимо. Така че няма никакви условия. Това е ясно. То нямаше да има, няма кой да го направи, щяхте да отчуждавате имоти, да строите хотели. Какви хотели ще строите? Искате да правите камиони без шофьори и строите хотели? Изобщо една объркана е тази история, но тя едно показва: Европейската комисия, Европейският парламент отидоха много надалеч от това, което трябва да бъде Европейският съюз – свободен пазар, конкуренция, успех, доходи, добър живот за всички граждани. Много далече от това, но това го признавате в момента пред 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 колеги, 15 с председателя. А когато беше пълна залата, си говорихме други работи. Което е признание за позор. Това е тежък позор, тежък провал.
               

Joachim Kuhs,
im Namen der ID-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident, lieber Herr Kommissar! Wir haben uns heute ja schon öfter gesehen – in anderer Funktion –, aber ab und zu am Donnerstagnachmittag haben wir ja immer schöne Themen, mit denen wir uns beschäftigen, bei denen wir uns auch meistens einig sind, also da gibt es wenig Dissens.
               

                  Ja, Lkw-Fahrer sind knapp. Wenn ich nur an Deutschland denke, da gibt es eine Studie von 2022, die geht von einem Fahrermangel aus, dass 60 000 Lkw-Fahrer allein in Deutschland fehlen. Und wenn es um die Parkplätze geht, da sind wir uns auch einig: Es sind einfach zu wenig. Wir können noch so viele Mobilitätspakete schnüren, es wird einfach nicht reichen, weil der Transport so viel erfordert. Eine Studie des Bundesverbands Güterkraftverkehr, Logistik und Entsorgung in Deutschland kam zum Ergebnis, dass derzeit wohl 40 000 Parkplätze nur in Deutschland fehlen. Wie viele es dann EU-weit sind, die Zahl habe ich nicht. Also wir sehen, wir haben ein riesiges Problem.
               

                  Dann kommt dazu, dass sich eben alle auf diese Parkplätze drängen und dass wir dann diese großen Probleme mit den sanitären Anlagen haben, dass dann alles einfach nicht reicht. Es reicht hinten und vorne nicht, und da können wir noch so viel versuchen zu machen.
               

                  Natürlich müssen sich die Firmen, die Unternehmen in der Logistikbranche darum kümmern, dass der Beruf des Lkw-Fahrers attraktiver gemacht wird, indem sie die Arbeitsbedingungen verbessern und die Löhne anheben. Aber da sind Sie ja auch gefordert, denn Sie machen ja durch die Vorschriften vieles einfach auch schwerer, und das ist letztendlich auch mein Petitum an Sie: Wir können so nicht weitermachen.
               

                  Ich habe oft den Eindruck, dass wir uns um die Lkw-Fahrer weniger kümmern als um die lieben Tiere, die Hühner, die Schweine, die Kühe usw., denn dafür haben wir unglaublich viele Regeln und kümmern uns darum. Aber die Lkw-Fahrer, wo bleiben die denn?
               

                  Ich weiß, Herr Kommissar, Sie können hier nicht die ganze Welt retten, das ist unmöglich, das kann keiner von uns. Aber bitte sorgen Sie dafür, dass die Arbeit dieser Menschen erträglicher, dass sie lebenswerter wird und dass es vor allem eben nicht noch mehr Vorschriften gibt. Es gibt schon zu viele Vorschriften, und wir können nicht jetzt noch da draufsetzen und noch mehr Vorschriften machen, damit machen wir das Leben der Lkw-Fahrer nur noch schwerer.
               

Andor Deli (NI). – Elnök Úr! Sajnos azt kell mondanom, hogy egyáltalán nem vagyok meglepődve azon, hogy ma a kamionos parkolókról kell vitáznunk. Már évekkel ezelőtt, a mobilitási csomag körüli tárgyalások alkalmával felhívtuk a figyelmet arra, hogy a pihenőidő kötelezően kabinon kívül töltése nem tud majd működni a valóságban, hiszen már akkor sem volt elegendő kiépített parkoló, pihenőhely. Abban az időben azzal seperték le ezeket az aggályokat itt, a Parlamentben és a Bizottságnál is, hogy a jogszabályok hatálybalépésének az időpontjára az uniós támogatások segítségével gyorsan meg fog oldódni a helyzet.
               

                  De láthatjuk, hogy nem történt változás, ezért is vagyunk ma is itt. Ezért most ismételten arra kérném a Bizottságot, hogy vizsgálja felül a jogszabályi keretet, és álljon elő olyan konkrét jogszabályi javaslatokkal és támogatási eszközökkel, amelyeknek köszönhetően gyorsan és hatékonyan változást lehet elérni a hivatásos sofőrök munkakörülményeinek a javításában, ahhoz, hogy a szakma becsületét helyreállítsuk.
               

Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold (PPE). – Herr Präsident! Vielen Dank, Kommissar Hahn, für die heutige Aussprache. Der Transport über die Straße ist noch immer ein Schwerpunkt im Güterverkehr, doch Lkw-Fahrerinnen und Lkw-Fahrer haben oftmals auf europäischen Straßen und Rastplätzen keine sicheren Arbeitsbedingungen.
               

                  Allein in Deutschland fehlen derzeit laut dem Bundesverband Güterkraftverkehr Logistik und Entsorgung, das wurde bereits angesprochen, circa 40 000 Lkw-Parkplätze. Zur Wahrheit gehört auch, dass zusätzlich alleine in Deutschland nach aktuellen Zahlen sogar 100 000 Lkw-Fahrerinnen und Lkw-Fahrer fehlen, die on top Parkplätze benötigen würden. Die Stellplätze, die vorhanden sind, sind häufig unhygienisch und gefährlich.
               

                  Ich verbringe selbst viel Zeit auf der Autobahn. Ich glaube, gerade als Frau möchte man nachts nicht auf Lkw-Parkplätze fahren, und man möchte auch grundsätzlich momentan nicht auf Rastplätze fahren, das gehört auch zur Wahrheit dazu. Das heißt, sowohl Männer als auch besonders Frauen sind von dem Bereich betroffen.
               

                  Stellplätze gehören im Transportgewerbe zum Arbeitsplatz. Eine andere Wahl gibt es nachts, an Sonn- oder an Feiertagen häufig nicht. Sorgen wir endlich dafür, dass gefährliche und verzweifelte Parkmanöver, nächtliche Übergriffe und unhygienische Zustände der Vergangenheit angehören. Sorgen wir dafür, dass Lkw-Fahrerinnen und Lkw-Fahrer denselben Schutz am Arbeitsplatz genießen können wie andere Berufsgruppen und wie er ihnen rechtlich zusteht.
               

Vlad Gheorghe (Renew). – Domnule președinte, camionagii, tiriști, șoferi, toți cetățeni europeni, disprețuiți sau ignorați în Uniunea Europeană, deși alimentele, medicamentele, toate produsele de care noi avem nevoie sunt livrate de ei! Îi lăsăm pradă hoților în parcări nesigure, îi abandonăm la cozi interminabile în vămi, îi punem să suporte singuri toate dezavantajele muncii lor.
               

                  Șoferii pleacă de lângă familii cu zilele și traversează Europa. Sunt puși să descarce mărfurile, dar nu sunt plătiți pentru asta, ba chiar plătesc ei pagubele după ce sunt atacați de hoți. Uneori își pierd chiar viața. Acum doi ani, românul Mihai Spătaru a fost ucis într-o parcare din Franța. În ciuda petiției cu zeci de mii de semnături pe care am transformat-o aici în rezoluție, situația șoferilor europeni s-a schimbat, dar prea puțin.
               

                  Este intolerabil să nu ne apărăm cetățenii. Este rușinos că în Uniunea Europeană, meseria îți pune viața în pericol. Este datoria noastră să îmbunătățim acum viața șoferilor de camion.
               

Catch-the-eye procedure


Jiří Pospíšil (PPE). – Pane předsedající, ta debata byla velmi zajímavá a ukazuje případ, kdy my na jedné straně přijímáme legislativu, kterou třeba vylepšujeme pracovní podmínky určitých pracovníků, nutnost spát v hotelích, zkracujeme lhůty, po kterou musí řidič kamionu jezdit, ale na druhou stranu neděláme nic potom pro to, aby tato pravidla byla naplnitelná, aby to byla reálná pravidla. A to mně připadá jako velký problém, pane komisaři. A takový obraz a takové případy bohužel poškozují obraz Evropské unie. Přijmeme legislativu, kterou v praxi nelze realizovat. Co si občané a nejen řidiči kamionů potom mohou myslet o Evropské unii? A já tedy moc prosím, ve chvíli, kdy přijmeme legislativu takto ambiciózní ve vztahu k sociálním podmínkám řidičů kamionů, musíme logicky řešit i situaci, jak ji reálně naplnit. To znamená stav parkovišť, stav odpočívadel atd. Asi by to mělo být věcí soukromých investorů, případně členských států, ale když legislativu upravujeme my, je třeba, aby nás i tato druhá stránka zajímala.
               

Mick Wallace (The Left). – Mr President, Commissioner, you said that if we don't provide good facilities, we're going to struggle to attract drivers to the industry. And you're right. At the moment, the average age of lorry drivers in Europe is 47. Young people are not attracted to the industry and one of the main reasons is because the facilities are so poor. I mean, you've only to drive around Europe yourself. I mean, apart from France, facilities are so poor across most of Europe. Likewise, I mean the lack of safe space and good facilities is one of the reasons as well why there are so few women involved. In Ireland only 2% of heavy goods vehicles drivers are women.
Now, in the last 30 years, we have built an awful lot of motorway in Europe, in Ireland, with the help of EU money. How come they were allowed to build motorways with EU money without putting in proper rest areas? Because they're almost non-existent in Ireland. It's crazy. And I'm just wondering, going forward, should people get planning permission to build a motorway without providing the facilities?

Seán Kelly (PPE). – A Uachtaráin, I have great admiration for truck drivers. They play an integral part in maintaining economic activity and ensuring that the goods we need are delivered and appear on our shelves. Yet, truck drivers, as has been said, face dangerous conditions in their rest areas, in addition to poor sanitary conditions. This just is not good enough.
According to the International Road Transport Union, Europe is lacking 100 000 parking places for truck drivers to take their rest, while most of the existing parking areas for 300 000 trucks are below acceptable standards. As truckers are obliged to take legally mandated risks, we should protect them during these periods. Issues remain with the number of rest stops. So it's not surprising Europe is facing the most acute driver shortage in history, with over 20 % of the jobs unfilled. If we do not address these conditions quickly, young generations will not enter the sector, and we only have to look at the experience of United Kingdom post-Brexit to understand the havoc this can bring to a country's economy.

Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, I think there's no doubt about it that there is a massive shortage of truck drivers across the EU, which is having a major impact on the economy as a whole. And, as colleagues have said, one of the key reasons for this is the deterioration in working conditions, which is a significant factor on the recruitment problem that we have with new drivers – a situation fuelled by the drive for profits and the liberalisation taking place in the industry. The result of these problems and policies is a massive fatigue among transport workers, whether it's a pilot in the cockpit or a lorry driver in the cab, long working hours, long periods away from home and poor rest conditions are contributing factors.
Now, in 2021, the ETF stated that 60% of lorry drivers say they regularly have to drive while tired, and a third say they've fallen asleep at the wheel. These people are literally taking their lives and the lives of others into their own hands and we have shown ourselves unable to properly regulate. The state of rest areas is alarming. Roads are busier, schedules tighter, but there's little being done to improve drivers conditions, and we have to do an awful lot more.

Johannes Hahn,
Member of the Commission. – Mr President, first, I would like to thank the honourable Members for this exchange, in particular as I have not lived very often here in this House, but also in other parliaments that all speakers who took the floor from the very left to the very right shared the same opinion about the topic. And I think this is something which should guide us in all our efforts to indeed improve the situation for truck drivers. And therefore, I can reassure you that I have taken good notes of your comments and suggestions. And in order to foster the development of safe, secure and, may I say, well cleaned parking areas and will pass them, of course, onto my fellow colleague, Commissioner Vălean.
I have already explained how the Commission is aiming to increase the availability of such parking areas through financial support via CEF and through a legal obligation on Member States to build the appropriate infrastructure along the TEN-T network. At least, as a starter, I would say in parallel we need to continue our efforts to support the development of such parking facilities. This is a key aspect on which our services are working in the Commission expert group on safe and secure parking areas. In the following weeks, the Commission will also launch a specific study on the availability and development of EU safe and secure parking areas that take stock of the current state of play. We will also map further needs and should include a list of recommendations to increase the number and quality of safe and secure parking areas. The results of this study will be presented in a report to the European Parliament and the Council by the end of next year.

President. – This interesting and important debate is now closed.


Written statements (Rule 171)



Kosma Złotowski (ECR),
in writing. – Road freight transport is a key component of the European economy. Any disruption to this sector has an immediate impact on the price and availability of many goods. One of the biggest problems that discourages people from working in the sector is the disastrous state of parking and rest facilities for drivers. When the Commission and Parliament look to the distant future, truck drivers who drive through France, Belgium or Germany every day cannot find a rest area with a clean shower or toilet, or fear robbery and assault by illegal immigrants. The EU does not want drivers to be able to sleep in a clean and safe cabin of their vehicle, but the fact that the only option is a dingy hotel with no safe parking or sanitary facilities is of no concern to anyone in Brussels. Is the Commission keeping its promise to support investment in modern rest places? I heard a lot about this during the work on the mobility package. We warned then that the legislation was out of touch with reality in many places. What does the Commission intend to do to change this before there are no more people willing to work in this profession?
12.   Explanations of vote

President. – The next item is the explanations of vote. I have 20 colleagues who have asked for the floor and if we are very disciplined we can take them all.
12.1.   European green bonds (A9-0156/2022 - Paul Tang)

Oral explanations of vote


Seán Kelly (PPE). – Mr President, green bonds play a vital role in making the objectives of the European Green Deal a reality. Financial markets have the power to address climate challenges by meeting the demand for low-carbon projects. The issuing of green bonds allows for the financing of green projects, while also allowing investors to diversify their portfolios with green investments. I would particularly highlight the role of green finance in enabling the development and innovation of social housing. Public grants and revolving funds are central to the viability of sustainability plans and key in increasing housing affordability.
By supporting a strong, regulated green bond market, we also support the EU's battle against climate change. This is why I voted in favour of this report, as it supports a harmonised standard for European green bonds. This will all streamline the process of investing in green bonds, as well as improve the functioning of the single market.

Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, I voted for this file because the intention is clearly to stop greenwashing and speed up decarbonisation, which we support. But we have to be honest about it. Climate change, social inequality, and the democratic crisis are all linked to an economic system dominated by financial markets. Global financing is causing a lot of the dispossession of rural and urban communities, destroying lands, rivers and homes. But for the EU, big finance is the solution. And as the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, made the point at a meeting in Brussels in the summer, it's naive to think that a problem caused by capitalism is going to be solved by it. And that's the problem with these bonds. They're designed to finance investments that contribute and address climate and environmental problems. But it's within the framework of taxonomy where there are problems with clearly including gas and nuclear as environmentally sustainable activities and, crucially, entrusting responsibility for supervision to external auditors. It's not good enough. The planet is burning, but we're given the keys to the arsonist.
12.2.   Scheme of generalised tariff preferences (A9-0267/2023 - Heidi Hautala)

Oral explanations of vote


Seán Kelly (PPE). – Mr President, the EU GSP mechanism removes import duties from products imported into the EU from vulnerable developing markets. This is critical in assisting developing countries and alleviating poverty, while also fostering sustainable development through the promotion of human rights and good governance.
Although the current scheme lasts until 31 December, the ordinary legislative procedure has yet to be concluded despite seven rounds of trilogues, leaving beneficiaries uncertain of the scheme's future. As a former standing rapporteur for the GSP scheme, I supported MEP Hautala's report as it provides GSP beneficiaries with legal certainty and predictability through recommending the extension of the current scheme while negotiations are underway. That's the least we can do.
12.3.   Urban wastewater treatment (A9-0276/2023 - Nils Torvalds)

Oral explanations of vote


Seán Kelly (PPE). – Mr President, I presume you won't be calling me again to repeat what I said! But if you do I will.
So I am pleased to support MEP Torvalds' proposal and in particular, I would like to highlight the excellent work done by my colleague Deirdre Clune. The current Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is over 30 years old. Despite its success in reducing pollution from wastewater, I support my colleague's aim to adapt this directive to new challenges we face today. The revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will also ensure the consequences of climate change are better addressed. The frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall represent a threat to the efficiency of sanitation systems. I am glad to see that this directive shifts the burden away from Member States and back onto the polluters themselves, as well as recognition of the key role sanitation plays in public health.

Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, uzalud brojne direktive kad je provođenje politike zaštite okoliša i voda u praksi katastrofa.
                  

                     U Hrvatskoj imamo pročistač voda u Sisku, gradu od 40 tisuća stanovnika, koji ima kapacitet 60 tisuća ekvivalentnih stanovnika i sad se još hoće proširiti na 80 tisuća. Projekt je neadekvatan i neće se moći jednoga dana održavati i sanirati. Bit će ekološka katastrofa i bankrotirat će lokalnu zajednicu.
                  

                     To nije jedini primjer. U Grčkoj imamo Grammaticos, imamo zatim primjer iz Rumunjske gdje su uloženi brojni novci u sustav gospodarenja otpadom. Brojni su projekti promašaji. U dalekom Libanonu uloženo je 100 milijuna eura u sustav gospodarenja otpadom. Nije se dogodilo ništa, projekti su katastrofa. Tamošnje ministarstvo odbija odgovornost.
                  

                     Naravno, za Hrvatsku sam govorio beskonačno puta u ovome domu. Čak je i Državna revizija na kraju potvrdila da sam bio u pravu. Dakle, dok god ekipa u JASPERS-u i u Komisiji koja potvrđuje ovakve loše projekte ne podnese odgovornost ili dok ih se ne rastjera, direktive su uzaludne.
                  

Mick Wallace (The Left). – Mr President, the new level four treatment of wastewater requirement will mean treatment services will have to screen out micro-pollutants for the first time, including pollution from pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. These new requirements will require water services in many Member States to dramatically improve their service provision, none more so than in Ireland. Irish Water operates over 1 000 wastewater treatment plants in Ireland, yet 180 of these plants are still only providing level one treatment.
In Ireland, there are still 32 towns and villages discharging raw sewage untreated into the sea and rivers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, just 51% of wastewater was treated according to the existing EU standards last year. Water infrastructure in Ireland has suffered from massive underfunding for decades. The cost burden shouldn't be on households. It should be a human right. The Irish people have emphatically rejected water charges before now. What we do need is adequate public investment in our water infrastructure and the referendum in Ireland to make sure water remains in public ownership.
12.4.   Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan's attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (B9-0405/2023, RC-B9-0393/2023, B9-0393/2023, B9-0397/2023, B9-0399/2023, B9-0400/2023, B9-0402/2023, B9-0404/2023)

Oral explanations of vote


Ангел Джамбазки (ECR). – Г-н Председател, нашествието в Арцах на азерските войски беше нещо, което трябваше да се очаква. За съжаление, нито в Европейската комисия, нито в Европейския парламент слушаха. Това по съществото си е едно военно престъпление, това по съществото си е повторение на събитията от 1913–1915 г., извършени от Османската империя. Това за целия арменски народ и арменската общност се нарича геноцид. Днес сме свидетели на нещо подобно, на етническо прочистване. Азерските войски извършват етническо прочистване в една чисто арменска исторически област. И това се знае от всеки един. Само че, когато ви предупреждавахме за тези неща, тук колеги си играеха на големи дипломати и си играеха на това да купуват някакви газ, нефт и така нататък от азерския диктатор, който сега откриха, че е диктатор. Това също е доста срамно и доста позорно, защото това беше ясно още в момента, в който се видя как действат азерските войски срещу народа на Арцах, срещу арменците там. По тази причина гласувах в подкрепа на тази резолюция и смятам, че всеки един трябва да осъди това незаконно нахлуване.
                  

Mick Wallace (The Left). – Mr President, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is a humanitarian disaster that we just watched unfold. For over nine months, Azerbaijan blockaded the corridor connecting the region with mainland Armenia. Over 100 000 Karabakh Armenians were cut off from basic goods and services, gas and electricity in a clear effort to ethnically cleanse them from the area. The international community abandoned them – the US, the EU, Russia, everyone. Why? Because of a vested interest in not falling out with Azerbaijan. Israel and Azerbaijan trade weapons and oil. The US partners with them against Iran. President von der Leyen was in Baku in July last year, showing the world that some authoritarian regimes make great business partners.
Since Russia cemented an alliance with Azerbaijan two days before the invasion of Ukraine, they have next to nothing to offer in support of their traditional ally, Armenia. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh are victims of geopolitical tensions connected to the war in Ukraine. It's all the more reason why we should try and bring this war to an end and stop further destabilising the region.

Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, two weeks ago, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive into Nagorno-Karabakh, where most of the people are Armenian. Reports of detention, torture, attacks, 100 000 people, two-thirds of the population have now fled in the space of a week. Caravans of desperate people filling the roads, trying to get out. Ghost cities with abandoned pets left to roam the streets. And last week, the Commission announced that they'd support those who ‘decided’ to flee. 100 000 people don't ‘decide’ to flee overnight at the drop of a hat. It's not a road trip. It's ethnic cleansing. And why do we refuse to call it that? Politics as usual. Because Baku spent USD 2.9 billion on caviar diplomacy to buy influence in Brussels in recent years, von der Leyen jetting off to sign a gas deal. Azerbaijan is our most reliable energy supplier in the game against Russia. The products of our arms industry sold to Türkiye end up in the hands of the Azerbaijani military. We might be playing the peacemaker now, but I don't think the people of Armenia believe us.

Jiří Pospíšil (PPE). – Pane předsedající, já jsem podpořil to usnesení. Chování Ázerbájdžánu je naprosto skandálním porušením mezinárodního práva. Útok na Náhorní Karabach. Je třeba zvažovat, jak pomoci Arménii, která bohužel je dnes opuštěná a ta pomoc je minimální, to si přiznejme. Stejně tak je třeba říci, že je třeba odsoudit pozici Ruska, které vytvářelo dojem, že se snaží v daném regionu udržovat mír a zachovat tak určité příměří, byť jaksi v napjaté situaci a v zásadě tyto ‘mírové síly’ Ruska neudělaly nic proti té agresi Ázerbájdžánu do Náhorního Karabachu. Smutná situace podpory usnesení, ale bude to chtít ze strany EU nějakou akci a pomoc, a to i humanitární, zbylým Arménům, pokud nějací ještě zbyli v Náhorním Karabachu.
                  

Tatjana Ždanoka (NI). – Mr President, I have supported via roll-call vote some statements of this resolution, in particular the following one: ‘The Parliament calls on the Commission to quickly reconsider the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the field of energy in the light of Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia in September 2022 and its unjustified use of force against and forced displacement of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. Developing such a strategic partnership is incompatible with the objectives of EU foreign policy.’
                  
But I could not vote for this resolution as a whole since it ‘commends Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for his commitment to peace.’ I consider this man a traitor and the main culprit in the tragedy of Nagorno-Karabakh.
12.5.   Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (B9-0407/2023, RC-B9-0408/2023, B9-0408/2023, B9-0410/2023, B9-0411/2023, B9-0417/2023, B9-0420/2023)

Oral explanations of vote


Ангел Джамбазки (ECR). – Г-н Председател, няма никакво съмнение – пътят към Европейския съюз е цивилизационният избор за Молдова. И това е редно, и така трябва да бъде. Защото в края на краищата и гражданите на Молдова са част от европейската култура, история и цивилизация. Това обаче, което трябва да бъде ясно показано и казано на властите в Молдова, е, че трябва да уважават правата и законните интереси на всички общности на територията на Молдова и да не се опитват да ги раздробяват по някакъв начин административно, да не се опитват по някакъв начин да ги асимилират.
                  

                     Тук говоря, разбира се, на първо място за българската етническа общност. Там има и хора, които се определят като гагаузи и други общности, които властите в Молдова в момента се опитват да разделят административно, да изнесат от Тараклия, а и да преместят в Комрат и в други населени места административните центрове и административната тежест, което не е европейско и не отговаря на стандартите на Европейския съюз. Европейският съюз, европейските ценности, за които всички тук говорим с уважение понякога, а понякога не толкова, предвиждат всички общности да имат запазени права и законни интереси. Така че властите в Молдова трябва да съблюдават тези на българската общност.
                  

Mick Wallace (The Left). – Mr President, the case of Moldova and Georgia has brought into stark relief just how politicised the accession process is. It was clear Georgia was making better progress on alignment with acquis. Moldova was granted candidate status though, ahead of Georgia, not on merit, but because the Government of Moldova was perceived to be anti-Russia enough. You have the accession negotiations starting at the end of 2023. They have fulfilled just three of the nine recommendations. The massive deregulation of the economy is celebrated. It's bad enough the hoops that accession candidates are put through, their economies further opened up to predatory Western financial capital, but the JAMR reads like we're driving full speed ahead without the usual checks and safeguards against corruption and so on, because they are a geostrategic investment.
You are playing political games with these countries and it could ignite further destabilisation in the region. We are not doing this region any favours at the moment.

Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, I'm in favour, in principle, with Moldova or any other country, for that matter, joining the European Union if they want to, but I abstained on this proposal because it contains a lot that is objectionable: demands for deregulation of the economy; banging on the geopolitical drum against Russia when Moldova has been traditionally neutral; expediting the timetable for access talks prematurely. None of this is doing anybody in Moldova any favours. They are pawns, like citizens in the other countries, in a geopolitical game.
We all know that of the three countries – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – it is Georgia which has met the conditions closer than anybody else. Yet it is Georgia against whom the barriers are being put up because the European Union wants to interfere in the internal affairs of that country, demanding that they must be more anti-Russian. They look to what has happened in Ukraine and they don't want that. They deserve EU accession. They deserve to have the right to elect their own government and to have good relations with their neighbours.

Jiří Pospíšil (PPE). – Pane předsedající, já bych se chtěl vyjádřit k Moldavsku, které bylo předmětem hlasování. Já jsem to s radostí podpořil, ale chci tady ještě veřejně vznést apel, abychom opravdu to nebrali pouze jako formální věc vyjednávání přibližování se Moldavska Evropské unii. A měli bychom opravdu mít reálný scénář, jak v řádech deseti let by tato země mohla vstoupit do EU, protože pokud budeme pouze formálně vyjednávat a každý rok zde projednáme nějakou zprávu o stavu připravenosti přístupových dohod, tak je to málo a Moldavsko zkrátka necháme na holičkách ruskému vlivu. Takže vítám to, zprávu podporuji, ale současně apeluji, nemůže zůstat pouze u formálních zpráv, chce to konkrétní činy, konkrétní pomoc Moldavsku, které je pod tlakem Putinova Ruska, a konkrétní pomoc k přibližování se k EU.
                  

Vlad Gheorghe (Renew). – Domnule președinte, am votat și voi vota mereu în favoarea sprijinului pentru Chișinău pe calea sa europeană.
                  

                     Dar vreau să fie un lucru foarte clar, ca să înțeleagă și cei de aici, din Parlament. Nu facem nimănui nicio favoare. Asta este dreptul moldovenilor, pentru că Moldova este o țară europeană, pentru că Moldova este sub atacul lui Putin și pentru că Moldova ține granița Uniunii Europene, pentru că dacă nu ar fi Moldova, nu ar fi Ucraina, Putin nu s-ar opri acolo, și este datoria noastră, o dată, pentru că este dreptul lor să-i ajutăm și, în al doilea rând, este o alegere strategică, dar este o alegere deșteaptă să avem Moldova în Uniunea Europeană. Asta nu este nicio îndoială. Și dacă nu se vede așa de la Budapesta, dacă nu se vede așa de la Viena, să știți că se vede foarte clar de la București și ar trebui să se vadă și de aici, de la Strasbourg, pentru că lucrurile sunt limpezi.
                  

                     Așa că noi trebuie să continuăm să îi ajutăm pe moldoveni până când îi avem aici, în Uniunea Europeană, unde le este locul, nu alături de Putin, unde-i vor alții.
                  
12.6.   The new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (B9-0386/2023)

Oral explanations of vote


Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, pričamo o boljem internetu za djecu, a što je sa sigurnijim internetom? Naime, prema riječima stručnjaka, 49 tisuća djece u Hrvatskoj ima teškoće mentalnog zdravlja, odnosno ima neki od mentalnih poremećaja zbog prekomjernog korištenja mobitela, ali i drugih uređaja.
                  

                     Tu je i opasnost od digitalne demencije. Radi se o nizu simptoma koji utječu na smanjenje kognitivne funkcije i slični su klasičnoj demenciji. Tu je i opasnost od neionizirajućeg zračenja, pri čemu smo izloženi sve većim dozama, a osobito djeca.
                  

                     Švedski Karolinska institut priopćio je nedavno kako postoje jasni znanstveni dokazi da digitalni alati ometaju, a ne poboljšavaju učenje. Pa ne čudi stoga da tamošnje ministarstvo mijenja politiku obaveznih digitalnih uređaja u predškolskim ustanovama te u potpunosti želi prekinuti digitalno učenje za djecu mlađu od šest godina, te su odlučili poticati svoje učenike da koriste klasične tiskane materijale poput udžbenika.
                  

                     Razlog tome, naime, je strah od prekomjerne digitalizacije djece koja trpe pad sposobnosti u raznim vještinama poput na primjer čitanja.
                  

                     Zaključno, tehnologiju treba koristiti razumno, s mjerom i ne treba pretjerivati.
                  

Jiří Pospíšil (PPE). – Pane předsedající, já jsem podpořil tuto strategii pro lepší internet pro děti. Nicméně konstatuji, že vedle strategie bude třeba potom rozpracovat konkrétní kroky. Mě třeba hodně zajímá téma zneužívání sociálních sítí internetu v neprospěch dětí, sexuální zneužívání dětí právě v tom online prostoru. A tady chci upozornit na to, že zde byl před už delší dobou připraven nový právní předpis Evropskou komisí a že jsme se v jeho projednávání zatím dále neposunuli. A pokud se tak nestane do roku 2024, pak ta současná právní úprava, která má fakultativní charakter, přestane platit a tady nebude žádná regulace v té trestněprávní rovině zneužívání dětí při chatování na internetu atd. Takže je to určitě důležitá věc, ale je třeba, aby se pak promítla do konkrétních kroků. A právě s tím souvisí ta trestněprávní ochrana dětí proti negativním jednáním na internetu, to já osobně považuji za důležitý krok.
                  

Luke Ming Flanagan (The Left). – Mr President, I supported this resolution, because we do need a better internet for kids and we do need what it says in the resolution. We need to educate children as to what's safe on the internet.
But educating children in itself and doing it in schools, while it is important, children aren't in schools all the time. Sometimes, a lot of the time, they're outside school, and they're with their parents and with other people who might not know or might not understand exactly what they're doing on the internet. Because of that, I think it's so important to educate parents as well.
As the father of three children brought up in this era where it seems there is a preference for choosing the small screen, as opposed to the massive screen when you take your head away from it, I would be worried about it. A bit like fire, you can play with fire and you can get burnt, but you can do good things with it as well. We are at the moment playing with fire. I'd be worried about all the anxiety it seems to be causing for children. I'd be worried about how it seems to be making them less happy.
So I agree with this strategy and we've got to do something, because we are carrying out an experiment with our children at the moment, and we've got to be bloody well careful. I don't think we're being careful enough, though.

Ангел Джамбазки (ECR). – Г-н Председател, разбира се, подкрепих доклада, въпреки че най-доброто, което могат да направят Европейският парламент и Европейската комисия по тази тема, е да не се намесват и да не пипат. Аналогови човеци да правят стратегия за интернет е, меко казано, неуспешно и неразумно по много причини и то се вижда – каквото се пипне от чиновниците, то след него трева не никне.
                  

                     Но по отношение на темата с безопасността на децата в интернет, това, което липсва в доклада, е ясното определяне, дефиниране и задължаване на доставчици, на всички, които се занимават с темата, да изобличават, да намират и да правят всичко възможно да няма разпространение на педофилски мрежи, на педофилски коментари, на хора, които злоупотребяват със социалните мрежи, да стигат до децата. Това е огромният проблем. Той тук се заобикаля по ясни причини и по гузни съвести, но той трябва да бъде прицелен много точно и когато се води този разговор, трябва да се казва ясно – заплахата в интернет идва от тези среди и от тези хора. Те трябва да бъдат преследвани. Не да се занимаваме тук с разни пропаганди, да губим времето на данъкоплатците с измислени проблеми, а това са съществените проблеми и на тях трябва да се обърне внимание.
                  

President. – That concludes the explanations of vote. I am happy that you were so disciplined that we could give the floor to everyone, so thank you very much.
13.   Approval of the minutes of the sitting and forwarding of texts adopted

President. – The minutes of this sitting will be submitted to Parliament for its approval at the beginning of its next sitting. If there are no objections I shall forward forthwith the resolutions adopted at today's sitting to the persons and bodies named in the resolutions.
14.   Dates of forthcoming sittings

President. – The next part-session will take place from 16 to 19 October 2023.
15.   Closure of the sitting

(The sitting closed at 16.01)

16.   Adjournment of the session

President. – I declare adjourned the session of the European Parliament.


ELI: 
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)