Plenary focus - October

Inflation is still rising all over Europe and the European Union has been incapable of protecting European citizens for the past year. Our Parliament must put pressure on von der Leyen to implement emergency measures immediately. We need a tax on all windfall profits made since the beginning of the crisis, not only energy companies, and with a rate high enough to collect tens of billions of euro at European level. We’re also pushing for a price cap on gas and electricity as well as demand-side measures targeting the energy-consuming habits of the wealthiest. Our group will also push for structural reform of free market rules, which are directly responsible for the dramatic situation we face. Millions of European citizens are struggling to cover their most basic needs: there is no time to waste!

Innocent people die every day in Ukraine. This condition is unbearable. Ultimately, this war will not end militarily, but at the negotiating table. But the situation is currently escalating. For this very reason, it should now be the EU’s top priority to act as a peace diplomat.

As Chair of the Iran delegation, I demand an independent investigation into the murder of Mahsa Amini. The violence against protestors needs to stop immediately. Our full solidarity goes out to all the courageous protestors and in particular our Iranian sisters. The ongoing repression of women is unacceptable. I urge the Iranian Government to respect the freedom of Iranian women to choose their own dress code.

In the EU, Roma communities face discrimination and antigypsyism every day. When going to school, entering a shop or following a job interview. We need better policies to address the structural racism that criminalises them and hampers their access to basic services. This is the root cause of the violation of their human rights - it drives them into poverty and social exclusion.

Water is a human right, a common good that market speculation wants to take away from us. We will vote against this commodification and for the protection of this human right as the essential public good that it is. Stop water commodification, stop water pollution and stop water overexploitation.

This week we are voting on the last two documents that will create the European Health Union. We are increasingly hindered in the field of public health policy by inadequate primary law meaning the presented solution has its great limits, I believe that it is still a step in the right direction. We must be ready for the next pandemic.

We are laying the foundations for healthier food and a healthier environment. With the new regulation on the statistics on agricultural input and output, we will have on our disposal an effective tool to monitor the progress towards the targets set by the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy and the European Green Deal. For the first time, we will have reliable and up-to-date data on the use of pesticides. This will allow us to better assess and adapt our policies to reduce the risk and impact of pesticides on the environment and on human health.