First of all, I am here to defend the relaunch to work in favour for cohesion policy. I was president of one region that used the resources of cohesion, I was Minister of Cohesion and I was a member of the REGI Committee for three mandates. I know well this policy and my goal is to defend the relaunch of this policy, not other ideas and other goals. Vervolg , on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, Onorevole Fitto, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, European cohesion policy has been responsible for billions of investments in kindergartens, in schools, in water supply systems and in energy efficiency projects.

We must also continue to advocate for the protection of prisoners of war, and call on Russia to uphold its long-standing international commitments under international humanitarian law. Every returnee must be fully accounted for and integrated back to the Ukrainian society. This is why the EU continues to actively engage with all our partners in the region in their efforts to address these challenges, be it over the phone or face to face, including visits to the region. We welcome and support the decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council of 7 February 2025.

It’s now 30 years since Jacques Delors laid its first stone, so it’s time to finish the job. And then in the same spirit, we worked with partners across the world, including the United States. We built strong connections that we believed were unbreakable. And trade brought more than prosperity; it brought the idea of a shared way of life. The first item on the agenda today is the debate on the European Council and Commission statements on the Conclusions of the European Council of 20 March 2025. I will start by immediately giving the floor to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa.

We are strong supporters of free and fair trade, and therefore we are naturally concerned about the current global trade debate about tendencies to erect new tariff walls. And I can assure you that, clearly, a negotiated solution is a strong preference for European Union. Therefore, we are in close contact with our American partners and we are pushing for the solution.

We must establish a comprehensive monitoring and reporting mechanism, and we have to hold perpetrators accountable. We must provide stronger support to civil society organisations that are working tirelessly to promote interfaith dialogue. And we must collaborate with international partners, including the United Nations and regional organisations, to enhance our collective capacity to address religious persecution effectively. We want Türkiye to be anchored in fundamental democratic principles and values. – Mr President, cear colleagues, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been a pillar of democratic resilience since the Cold War, reaching into dark corners where propaganda thrives and truth is a threat. Today, it still does in Russia, Belarus, Iran, but also in EU candidate countries and even within the Union itself, where independent media remain under pressure.

And so, the Article 7 procedure is long, long overdue. Viktor Orbán is attacking the very foundation of his own democracy and of our Union. And let me add, dear friends, there was this Signal chat scandal in Washington. A lot of people had fun criticising our American friends about the confidentiality of their communication.

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I therefore welcome your more pragmatic, security-first approach that builds on strict border controls and increased returns of migrants. And thirdly, strengthening the fight against migrant smuggling and human traffickers by criminal gangs, who often are also involved in other crimes, is an absolute priority. This strategy is an important step and it gives hope also to our police forces. To them, I would like to say today, thank you and we shall help you.