- 2026-06-17 “Liana was 11 years old. She was killed by a pedophile that had been pointed out to the authorities, but it wasn't taken to justice. There is a grooming hypersexualization algorithms, and so kids are trapped in self destructive, downward spirals. We've always been very complacent, and we have relevantized the borderline of sexualization between children and adults. And we mustn't underestimate the danger of this.
There has been so many reports, and this was the case in Paris, but the socialist government looked the other way. There could be thousands of victims. We need the digital platforms to shoulder responsibility, proper parental control, 0 tolerance towards predators, and proper, implacable, judicial proceedings and very harsh sentences.”
Safety features & content control for child protection online · Privacy & detection of online child abuse
- 2025-08-07 “E-003208/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The protection of personal data held by companies in the EU is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 1 . Companies in the EU may only share personal data with third country public authorities if they have a legal basis to do so (Article 6 GDPR) and if the transfer of personal data to a third country complies with the requirements of Chapter V of the GDPR, i.e. if there is an adequacy decision in place for the third country, if the transfer is accompanied by appropriate safeguards or if a derogation applies. This is provided for in Article 48 GDPR and reflected in the guidelines that the European Data Protection Board recently issued on the interpretation of this provision 2 . National data protection authorities are responsible for monitoring the application and enforcement of the GDPR. In case of breaches, these authorities can make use of their corrective powers ranging from warnings and reprimands to the suspension of data processing and significant administrative fines. In the case of Microsoft, it would be for the Irish Data Protection Authority to take action if Microsoft was found to be breaching the GDPR. With respect to non-personal data stored in the EU, the Data Act 3 requires cloud providers to adopt adequate technical, organisation and legal safeguards to unlawful access or transfer of such data to non-EU governments (Article 32). Member States must establish effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, and empower authorities to adopt necessary measures, such as issuing reprimands or compliance orders, to ensure that infringements of the Data Act are effectively addressed. 1 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation). 2 Guidelines 02/2024 on Article 48 GDPR, adopted on 4 June 2025 (https://www.edpb.europa.eu/system/files/2025-06/edpb_guidelines_202402_article48_v2_en.pdf). 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2854/oj/eng.”
GDPR · EU-US data transfers
- 2025-05-22 “E-002061/2025 Answer given by Ms Šuica on behalf of the European Commission The EU Financial Regulation provides that grant beneficiaries shall be excluded from EU funding, in case of ‘incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence against a group of persons or a member of a group, or similar activities that are contrary to the values on which the Union is founded enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) where such misconduct has an impact on the person or entity’s integrity which negatively affects or concretely risks affecting the performance of the legal commitment’ 1 . Specific clauses have been introduced in all grant contracts with beneficiaries managing EU funds in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. Grant beneficiaries shall not engage in activities included in Article 1(1) of the Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA 2 , which include incitement to violence or hatred. This prohibition is without prejudice to the respect of fundamental rights including the right of freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 6 of the TEU 3 . According to the Council Common Position of 27 December 2001 4 , the Commission cannot fund individuals or entities involved in terrorism and listed in its Annex in the current consolidated version 5 . All Commission contracts involving EU funding worldwide contain provisions that no funds or economic resources are made available directly or indirectly to, or for the benefit of, any entities, individuals or groups of individuals designated by the EU as subject to the EU restrictive measures. This includes, but it is not limited to, contractors, subcontractors, all natural persons linked to this contract, recipients of financial support to third parties. Grant beneficiaries are systematically audited after they submit their narrative report, financial report and expenditure verification report (for grants of more than EUR 100 000). The Commission will not hesitate to take appropriate measures if it establishes that any organisation has made inappropriate use of EU funds. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202402509. 2 Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law, OJ L 328, 6.12.2008, pp. 55–58, https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32008F0913. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/teu_2016/art_6/oj/eng. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32001E0931. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02001E0931-20250201.”
Relations with Israel - Palestine · Conditions to access EU humanitarian aid · EU Development & Humanitarian Aid
- 2025-05-21 “E-002049/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU continues to strongly support the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on all outstanding issues. The right to return for displaced persons and refugees is a fundamental human right under international law, which applies to all concerned people, provided it takes place voluntarily, in conditions that ensure the physical safety, human rights and dignity of returnees. In pursuit of achieving lasting and sustainable peace, the EU has been coordinating its efforts with all relevant partner countries, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. In this context, the EU is ready to consider supporting mutually acceptable confidence-building initiatives, should the sides request it. The Swiss Government has so far not proceeded with organising the forum proposed by the Swiss Parliament.”
EU-Armenia relations · EU-Azerbaijan relations
- 2025-05-21 “E-002048/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The rule of law and human rights in Azerbaijan remain a priority for the EU and are at the core of the EU-Azerbaijan bilateral relations. The EU also continues to support the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and stands ready to support the parties in their dialogue aimed at achieving lasting peace and addressing humanitarian issues. The EU, including through its Delegation in Baku, is following the issue of Karabakh Armenian detainees held and tried in Azerbaijan. It is of great importance that Azerbaijan ensures the right to a fair trial and adequate detention conditions, in line with its international commitments. The EU also encourages the parties to address these issues as part of confidencebuilding measures.”
EU-Armenia relations · EU-Azerbaijan relations
- 2025-05-07 “E-001839/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) visited Azerbaijan on 25 April 2025, where she met with the President of the Republic, the Foreign Minister, and representatives of civil society 1 . The discussions focused on EU-Azerbaijan relations, regional cooperation, and the normalisation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The HR/VP emphasised the importance of mutual respect, rule of law, and human rights in their bilateral relationship 2 , and reiterated the EU’s strong support for the normalisation process and lasting peace in the region. The EU has called on Azerbaijan to release individuals detained for exercising their fundamental rights, including journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists. The EU’s cooperation with Armenia is strengthening across all sectors. The EU aims to support Armenia’s resilience, economic diversification, and democratic consolidation, contributing to a stable and prosperous South Caucasus region. A new EU-Armenia partnership agenda is being negotiated, which will outline ambitious joint priorities for cooperation. To support Armenia’s socio-economic resilience, the EU has allocated EUR 270 million for the period 2024-2027 under the resilience and growth plan 3 . This plan will increase bilateral EU assistance to Armenia by nearly 50% and provide targeted support in key sectors, including connectivity, trade, and energy diversification. Recent milestones in EU-Armenia relations include the launch of a visa liberalisation dialogue 4 and EUR 10 million in support under the European Peace Facility 5 . The HR/VP plans to visit Yerevan soon to further strengthen ties between the EU and Armenia. 1 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/media-advisory-high-representative-kaja-kallas-travels-azerbaijan_en. 2 https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-271027. 3 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/STR_EU-AM%20Growth%20plan%20V3.pdf. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_4610. 5 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/07/22/european-peace-facility-council-adoptsthe-first-ever-assistance-measure-in-support-of-the-armenian-armed-forces/.”
EU-Azerbaijan relations · EU-Armenia relations
- 2025-03-11 “E-001049/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU is one of the most important and long-standing humanitarian donors helping the refugee population in five camps near Tindouf in Algeria without any interruption since 1993. The EU is committed to addressing both the humanitarian needs and human rights of the Sahrawi refugees in the camps near Tindouf. Ensuring the protection of all civilians, without any discrimination on gender, or any other grounds, is at the heart of the EU’s humanitarian support. The EU strictly adheres to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as laid out in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid 1 . The EU reaches out to all people in need, without discrimination. EU partners in the camps pay particular attention to upholding these principles and to the protection of refugees, in particular to those most at risk. The EU also supports the Security Council Resolution 2756 2 and the mandate of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. The respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are key element of EU-Algeria relations, and the EU addresses human rights in the framework of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement 3 . In accordance with the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 4 , the EU advocates for a human rights-based approach that focuses on persons in vulnerable situations, and works to strengthen the capacity of states, civil society and United Nations partners to implement this approach. 1 Joint Statement by the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission, OJ C 25, 30.1.2008, p. 1–12, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A42008X0130%2801%29 2 http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/2756 3 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/accord_association_fr.pdf 4 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/eu_action_plan_on_human_rights_and_democracy_20202024.pdf”
EU policy on Western Sahara · EU-Algeria relations · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- 2024-07-24 “E-001421/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Vestager on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is committed to safeguarding pluralistic and independent media, essential for democracy and the rule of law, and to the functioning of the internal market for media. Independent authorities play a key role in this, as important rule of law safeguards and integral to national systems of checks and balances. The licensing or administrative authorisation of audio-visual media services are a national competence. Member States need to ensure that their legislation, national policies and administrative procedures respect EU law and values, including on a free, independent, and diverse media ecosystem, which is integral to a free and open democratic debate. The European Media Freedom Act 1 , which will apply fully from 8 August 2025, requires that legislative, regulatory, or administrative measures taken by a Member State that are liable to affect media pluralism or the editorial independence of media service providers operating in the internal market have to be duly justified and proportionate. Such measures shall be reasoned, transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory. In the context of the annual Rule of Law Report, the Commission regularly monitors media freedom and pluralism in the Member States, including the independence, resources, and capacity of the regulatory authorities. Regarding France, the Commission refers to the relevant country chapter of the 2024 Rule of Law Report 2 , where it considered that the solid national legal framework permits the media regulator, Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique (ARCOM), to operate independently. In her political guidelines 3 for the new mandate the President-elect of the Commission renewed her commitment to the Rule of Law Report and to investing in upholding the rule of law in the EU. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1083 2 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/27db4143-58b4-4b61-a021a215940e19d0_en?filename=1_1_58120_communication_rol_en.pdf and the relevant country chapter https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/5e07c320-2475-4c0c-bdbd6eda76460cdd_en?filename=25_1_58064_coun_chap_france_en.pdf 3 https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/president-elect-ursula-von-der-leyen_en”
EU Supervision of the Rule of Law · Disinformation & online freedoms
- “You're absolutely right. They also don't have the same views as us on standards. You look at the US farmers and industry and sectors and think about the Green Deal that we are subject to, that they aren't. This leads to a distortion of competition. We have to think about our big competitors globally. They're trying to reduce standards in order to become competitive and then introduce tariffs where necessary. And when we're doing the exact opposite. So this rushed agreement with Mercosur, for instance, we're sacrificing farmers and entire industries. And for instance in German industry and also these mirror clauses, we know they're not going to be respected. When you see that inspections are going to be only at a level of 0.01% of everything entering the EU. So to conclude, it's very imbalanced this deal. So much so that Trump is actually perfectly understood that he could do this and that there was no democratic basis for what von der Leyen did in Scotland at the end of July. Thank you.”
Trade relations with Mercosur
- “Ladies and gentlemen, a few days ago, Spain was in the dark and Europe was on the brink of chaos. Why? Because Mr. Sanchez's socialist government in Spain wanted to play best pupil in the environmentally friendly class. We have more than 50% of renewable energy share and infrastructure didn't follow. And that meant that at least there wasn't contagion on a European level. And of course, what saved us is nuclear power in France, because it makes up 6,070% of our energy mix. It's easy to adjust nuclear power, and it is carbon free. But despite that, the European Commission sanctions us every year because we're not achieving our renewable targets. But I think this Iberian blackout should be a warning bell for those who shy away from nuclear power and others that are constant, such as geothermal power. And I think we urgently need to forget the unreasonable targets that are unattainable in the Green Deal. And that almost sent us into middle age type darkness.”
Nuclear energy
- “In an international context that is increasingly chaotic, the European peoples are waiting for Europe to affirm sovereignty over its nation. Building more solid European defenses does not mean building a federal army outside of our territory. Our force relies on our sovereignty. We need to be masters of our strategic choices and our borders. All useful European cooperation should respect these fundamental principles. Our common aims should be to protect the continent, fight drug trafficking, terrorists, cyber security and protect critical infrastructure. We cannot speak seriously about defence whilst having uncontrolled influxes threatening our security. Europe needs to cut ties with its excessive dependence, be that strategic or industrial, and anchor itself. In European nations, free Europe can act when necessary to protect its people and respect their identities. This is the only credible way to have effective and legitimate European defence.”
EU competences on defence
- “China controls over 60% of global extraction of rare materials and a great deal of its refinery. This is a near monopoly in these resources. These are essential materials for a broad range of different products, such as electric vehicles, semiconductors and the defense industry. So these moves by China are a real threat to our key sectors. Commissioner Sefcovic announced measures a few weeks ago that should be used to combat this Chinese monopoly. Let us bolster our industries and stop being naive. It is unacceptable. The EU has multiplied economic and trade agreements that have profited Chinese partners. We must be strategic in the long term to ensure that our economy can develop independently. We need trusted suppliers, and we need partnerships with other countries that have rare earths to safeguard the provision of these Earths for our industries.”
Trade relations with China
- “Thank you very much Chairman and Missus Gregory. The report says that a million asylum requests are currently waiting a decision at the end of twenty twenty four, nine hundred thousand odd dossiers that are clogging up our institutions and causing us a lot of money.
You said that seven hundred and ninety five thousand decisions were made last year but that suggests that there's a big problem. There's a problem with the Dublin system but also with the migration pact which was supposed to be a magic formula that would solve the problem.
No, you see the situation is getting worse. There are more and more asylum requests and when an illegal migrant arrives at Europe they cannot be certain that they will be expelled because they entered illegally and don't have a right to asylum because the vast majority have no right to asylum.
Then they're basically creating a pull factor and you'll get more and more migrants arriving on the European continent. You said that eight hundred thousand requests were dealt with in twenty twenty four but the question is how many were actually accepted, how many were rejected and when they were rejected when asylum was not granted how many actual expulsions took place in practice in the member state.
So that's where the failure is. If people who don't have a right to asylum are not expelled okay they might not enjoy the legal protections linked to asylum but in practice their situation is pretty much the same as those who actually got asylum. They're still situated in Europe and we have the ensuing consequences.”
Asylum & border control
- “Colleagues. Simplification. Protection. Competitiveness. It sounds like the Commission is in the midst of an election campaign. You say that you want to simplify, but what about the Green Deal and all of the crazy rules which plunge our industry, farming and, um, and the whole of our sectors into difficulty? And look at the invasion of our continent as well. You want competitiveness in Europe? Well, then perhaps you should put an end to own resources which add to significant burdens for member states. And you've done exactly the opposite of what you said you would do. You are still sticking to the combustion engine ban for 2035, and you still want to have subsidies to LGBT activists, migrants. You sign free trade agreements with the countries of Mercosur, which is killing our agricultural industry. You should listen to how angry people are. You need to completely change tack. And the risk for Europe is that we may end up being relegated to history. Thank you.”
- “Thank you. President. War is at our border. The world is unstable. We're losing time. The council tackled a number of issues vital for security and our interests in Ukraine. We need a just and lasting peace swiftly. We need negotiations. We welcome yesterday's announcement that Patriot Systems will be sent by President Trump. Middle East now Israel is entitled to defend itself with all the means available to with. In face of terrorism, it is vital for stability in the region and security in Europe that Iran and its regime never secures nuclear weapons like Italy, Italy and Sweden. The council is starting to open its eyes on migration. We need a partnership agreement with partners in the Mediterranean, as Giorgia meloni did, signing partnership agreements with third countries. We need to be inflexible when it comes to the return regulation. We need mass expulsion of illegal migrants. It is vital to protect Europeans. Finally, Mrs. von der Leyen, you will be judged on the basis of action. We need to free up competitiveness, simplify procedures, reduce taxes, get rid of the Green Act and make our businesses more competitive in a cutthroat economy. We've secured some victories here in this chamber. We need to go faster and do more. Thank you.”
Asylum & border control
- “Colleagues, our group, the ECR, has supported the withdrawal of this directive by the commission and we stick to that. There's a big problem. It doesn't define what is covered by the notion of discrimination. We know why the left is asking for this debate. They want to add more ideologically ideology to Europe, supposedly to fight discrimination. The Charter of Fundamental Rights, article 21 talks about all discrimination based on sex, color, religion, political opinions, sexual orientation, religion, etc.. So what would be discrimination? Additional discrimination, which you want to add to this directive. National legislation in member States also have protection against discrimination. In reality, you don't want to fight against discrimination. You want to make people guilty. And the the whites, the heterosexuals, the Christians will be discriminated against. It's it's imaginary and certain minorities will be affected by this.”
EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
- “Finally, Brussels is agreeing that the Green Deal is a catastrophe for our businesses and our economy. But you don't know how you're going to get rid of it without losing face. Processes are slow. Action takes a long time. Now we need to repeal it. That's simply what needs to happen. We need to help our businesses. They need freedom. They're suffocating under administrative burden and fiscal burden. The council is asking for the states to take actions. But what we need to do is do away with the Green Deal entirely. We've got an administrative burden which has now gone over the top, which is damaging our business owners and our farmers. If we don't get rid of this, the EU has got simply no hope when it comes to international competition. We need to remove it in order to be competitive. We don't need a compass. We need to get rid of the Green Deal.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Miss von der Leyen. We. This work programme has nothing for. You're talking about competitiveness and but you've sacrificed, uh, competitiveness. Um, with the Green deal. Macron is trying to stay in office by reforming presidents. Xi is trying to save face, but she won't go fast enough. We have to cut bureaucracy for companies so that our companies can breathe. They have to be free them from the bureaucratic straitjacket. And we have all these regulations because it costs them 2.5% of their GDP, of of their turnover. And it weighs on investments in 50% of SMEs. Think that the European environmental rules is a major hurdle to their development. We have to leave our farmers in peace, they are suffering from these standards and these free trade agreements where we're at the same time, where people are putting up customs barriers, we have to have a pragmatic and efficient approach. We have to urgently we need to have more simplification on buses to have more innovation and flexibility, less regulation and standards and bureaucracy.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “In Nantes, a few days ago, a 15-year-old was shot to death in a fight connected to drug trafficking. Two more, aged 13 or 14, were injured. This is the reality of Europe today. For far too long, some people wanted to believe that recruitment of young children by cartels only existed in Latin America or in Africa, but that is wrong.
This is something which is infecting our European cities as well. 11-year-olds, 12-year-olds have become lookouts for organized crime, and they are recruited because they know that the criminal legal systems are not fit for purpose. Drug trafficking is not any old crime. It is, by design, they recruit young people as child soldiers with the skill of a multinational.
We have to unravel these networks and stop the influence of foreign criminals. There have to be increased criminal penalties for recruitment of young children. Behind every minor recruited by drug traffickers, there was a failure of the state and increased the power of the mafia. Speaker is Serena Martins. For president”
EU policy on criminal justice
- “Thank you. President. At the last meeting of the European Council, they broached the subject of competitiveness. It is one of our greatest challenges. And the Council still does not take it seriously. Mario Draghi drew very serious diagnosis. It is worrying. On the economic and technological level. And growth is suffering. So what can we do to give our businesses and economic players in general their competitiveness back? Well, the answer is simple. They need to be freed of the stifling regulatory environment. Instead, we continue to apply suicide regulation. The Cbam mechanism, for instance, which forces European importers of raw materials to pay for the emissions of foreign polluters. This will not free our European companies. We need sustainable decisions and not just temporary patches. We must go further and faster in order to receive sustainable efficiency and legal certainty in EU policy as a whole must change. If we want to face up to China and the US, we need to free businesses from useless standards and fight against unfair competition. The EU continues to sacrifice its economic power on the altar of ideology, while the rest of the world moves forward, either with or without it.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Thank you. We're talking about internet governance. The internet needs to be protected rather than governed. If it is to be a space that is used properly rather than in a malevolent way, if it's to be used for the freedom of citizens, for them to access information and to express themselves. But what reality do we see in France and in Europe? We see exactly the same as what the authoritarian governments are doing. They're using cyber methods to exercise control over their people. We've seen what's happened in France under Macron. We've seen what's happened with fake news and being decried and people being told that they are making statements which are politically incorrect and they have to be taken down. We're paving the way to mass surveillance tackling pedo pornography. Child pornography is simply a pretext for trying to exert control over people's opinions. Europe should be a civilization of freedom of expression. Please protect us rather than the reverse. Thank you. Thank you very.”
Disinformation & online freedoms
- “(17:18:44 – 17:20:58): You very much. Thank you very much. The suggestion from the commission is to have €12,000,000,000 for AMIF, and that is a higher amount than in the previous period. The goal is to give, member states the funds that are necessary to tackle migration challenges depending on their needs, which, of course, vary from member state to member state border control, asylum returns, and the fight against illegal migration.
The integration of this tool in architecture of NRPPs aims to inject more flexibility, reactivity, and effectiveness in order to deal with migration crisis. The minimum, spending quotas for certain areas, including migration and asylum, flies in the face of this reform and the principal subsidiarity. Migration realities vary across the EU, and they're constantly. So member states should be able to reallocate, funds freely between the different, planks without any pressure.
Migration, migratory pressure on our external borders is still very strong, So EU funds should be able to also be channeled into innovative structures to carry out returns, cooperation with 3rd countries, and the fight against smugglers and traffickers. So any attempt to curtail funding solutions linked to returns would reduce the EU's ability to protect itself and to make sure that its rules are respected.
Civil society, of course, is useful, but member states should be the main decision makers. A migration asylum and integration should not become an ideological tool focusing on, reception and integration. It has to be a flexible tool at the disposal of the member states so they can tackle the challenge of migration, including tackling illegal migration, external border protection, and effective returns of those who either entered the EU illegally or have stayed illegally. Thank you.”
Asylum & border control
- “Well, these things are going beyond us. Uh, basically, uh, we heard the speech from president von der Leyen beforehand. Behind that speech, there's a pretension that the EU or the European institutions can intervene in all areas, even though we don't have a joint vision from member states. There's no strategic independence, particularly in terms of conflict resolution, whether we're talking Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, then we've got the MFF, an increasing budget for the EU and therefore increasing contributions from member states. And there, particularly for the net contributors, they're going to have to dig deeper into their pockets. As our fellow citizens, the European Commission is completely deaf to the will of our people, um, refusing physical barriers on the external borders. Uh, the overseas territories have to be respected because they spread the word of idea of Europe. They're calling for the protection of European identity. Uh, and, uh, you're supporting Oxfam, uh, uh, Islamic Relief, all of these associations which are playing according to an Islamic agenda. It's time that the European Commission came out of its ivory towers and listened to what the people are really saying.”
EU political integration
- “Thank you. Chair. I broadly support what was said at the beginning of the meeting about the European Commission and how systematically they are sidelining the Parliament and sometimes member states in trade agreements. We had an example this summer with the US trade agreement. The conditions are unacceptable and the terms are unacceptable. I'm going back to our Moroccan agreement. There's a 2018 agreement on fisheries and agriculture that showed how useful it is 43 billion. That's the trade balance we're talking about between the EU and Morocco. 63% of Moroccans transactions were carried out with the EU in 2023. And that shows the importance and how solid this partnership is. This is the only country in the region that we can have such a privileged, close relationship with. We're talking about this a waste of time, this scandalous ruling from the Court of Justice that gave in to EU, to leftist demands and to arguments put forth by the Polisario Front, which is funded by Algeria. There is a contrast between Western Sahara that has been developing economically. There are ports there and then on the other side, total middle age Poverty, torture, different links with Islamist militia in the Sahel, as well as the misuse of EU and humanitarian funds. There is a contrast here. We need to address Morocco as a key, trustworthy partner and not to say that it is a dictatorship and corrupt and so on. Morocco is showing goodwill and it is showing a commitment to standards on labelling, indicating the territory of origin as the Western Sahara. And we've heard this said by the left here. Which is undermining the territorial sovereignty of Morocco and its claim to Western Sahara. Thank you.”
Trade relations with Morocco
- “(17:00:49 – 17:02:48): Yes. Thank you very much. I just wanted to thank our speakers today. The theme of our debate today is the impact of Islamic extremism on the European way of life. Now there's a lot of talk about the terrorist threat, and that has been an issue. It remains a big threat, and it's the consequence of the development of political Islam on European soil.
But there is an impact on our way of life. You can see that in France. There are a lot of people who are Islamic, and you've seen that the proportion wearing the veil has increased. A lot of more Muslims were not wanting to shake the hand of someone of the opposite sex, for example. Something like 20% didn't want to go and mix swimming pools.
So there's a tendency of reducing these issues to individual choices about clothes or food. But at the end of the day, it's a question of equality between men and women. It's our values. It's European values which are being threatened because it puts a question mark over the equality of the sexes and people's individual freedom.
Now I was wondering about the responsibility of the European Commission and the coherence of European policies. You're providing money to finance against the radicalization on the Internet. That's a good thing. There are platforms that are virtually radical digital mosques. We have to combat that.
But at the same time, if you're funding feminist or Islamic relief, the campaign against Islamophobia in Europe, which are openly linked to the Muslim brotherhood, they're linked to Turkey. We're we're funding them with European structural funds, and we're creating a favorable trade and cultural environment for Turkey, speaker is interrupted. But at the same time Let the commission reply. Want to make any further comment on that?”
EU policy on Islam