Ľubica KARVAŠOVÁ

Policy topics Ľubica KARVAŠOVÁ is active on

What Ľubica KARVAŠOVÁ has said (9)

• “Commissar. Colleagues, today we're talking about energy security. Certainly, but we're talking about more than that. We're talking about our future. We need to take responsibility for our own future and therefore for the decisions that we need to make. I am glad that this Parliament has finally realised that Russia is not a reliable source of energy, or indeed reliable in any way. Russian gas has been flowing cheaply into the EU for far too long. It's time to put an end to it. Gas and oil has been subsidized for far too long, and it's high time we put an end to that, because I am firmly convinced that if the Baltic countries can manage without Russian oil and gas and Czechia can, so can Slovakia and so can everybody else. What we really need is the political will. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Throughout negotiations. The renew had worked hard to improve Commission's proposal to better serve Europe's regions and its citizens. Cohesion funds now not cover only defence, but also other key investment pillars from electricity grids, civil preparedness and has been mentioned to affordable but also sustainable housing. We defended poorer regions over rich ones. We focused on SMEs. We extended the Just Transition Fund, so important also for our Irish friends. And most importantly, we advanced the respect for the rule of law in relation to frozen funds. We know the outcome of the negotiations is a compromise between three institutions. Of course, we would have wished to go further as reflected in our plenary amendment, but for renew the the mid-term renew sorry for renew the mid-term review is only the start of the discussions on the future of the MFF, where we really want to see stronger and much stronger safeguards for the for the rule of law and the role of the rule of law in EU funds. Let me now switch to Slovak as well. Mid-term review.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• “Thank you. Chair. Commissioner. Leaders made the commitment to phase out Russian fossil fuels back in 2022. And as you say it was some time ago. So I see the commission's proposal as the final call for action, and also an attempt for fair treatment between the pipeline and the LNG imports from Russia. I want to thank both rapporteurs also. Uh, Madam Vadas, with whom I have an excellent cooperation already, uh, in into, uh, for very clear support of your commission's proposal and even considering the time frame too little ambitious. Um, unlike some prominent Gazprom, uh, spokespersons. Some of them sit in the European Council, um, in Brussels from time to time. We know that cheap Russian gas does not exist. Uh, it's not true. And it always comes with strings attached. Uh, coming from Slovakia. Uh, I know what we are talking about. Uh, but, uh, a question over to you, Commissioner. Uh, we hear about the possible review clause, uh, that goes beyond the current article 15, uh, which could mean going back to, uh, Russian imports of gas supplies once the war is over, once we achieve sustainable, uh, and just peace between Russia and Ukraine. Uh, by the way, peace prevented by Russians at the moment, killing civilians by drones and missiles. So we would like to hear a bit more on the reasoning, uh, of this idea. Uh, since we know and we have the experience that Russia is weaponizing the gas. It has been doing it even before the war started a number of times and we should learn the lessons. This is not only about politics, this is about security of our supplies. And that has been mentioned even by the group Patriots in this room. So yes, to support industries that needs to go through this transition to other suppliers. But there is no going back to Russian gas imports to business as usual during the war or after the war, as long as we would have to deal with Putin's regime or anything similar. So I hope and I would like to ask you whether we read this in the same way. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “(10:23:14 – 10:25:43): You. Thank you, chair, and thanks to you to the commission for your presentation. This is a very important debate. And I would like to take the opportunity to raise three questions. First, I would like to ask about the potential consequences of a suspension or termination of the EU Israel association agreement. Could the commission elaborate on how such a step would affect trade flows between the EU and Israel? Have you conducted so far any quantitative assessments or impact studies? And if so, could you share indicative figures on trade volumes, sectors affected, and so on so we have an idea what we are actually discussing? Second, I would like to ask about the feasibility of further trade measures building on the recent initiative supported by several member states in the council. And in particular, how does the commission assess the legal and practical feasibility of introducing a comprehensive ban? That would be very interesting to know your view on. And of course, I mean the comprehensive ban on trade with Israeli settlements in territories occupied since 1967. Finally, I would like to turn to recent reports that already have been mentioned by colleagues that Israel may have imported stolen grain originating from Ukraine via Russia. In light of these allegations, what concrete steps has the commission taken so far? Are there ongoing investigations, coordination with Ukrainian authorities, or consideration of sanctions? I think this is an issue we have to put at the table as well in this context. Thank you very much. Thanks a lot, Karin. Katarina.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• “Tomorrow there is a historic vote to take. The vast majority among us. Uh, do support what today's debate will demonstrate. It was clear to see how in the final negotiations, we were really united among us here, representing the Parliament. We have decided in the EU we want to cut off, uh, on our dependency on Russian gas in. It's in stark contrast to how the Slovak government is seeing things. Also their representatives, representatives here in Strasbourg and Brussels, they are scaremongering. They're spreading fear that it's impossible to live without the Russian gas. But it's only them who can't live without the Russian powers. They claim that the gas from Russia is cheap, but they want to subsidize 90% of households from our national budget. The companies are paying highest prices among the EU member states. They say that Slovakia has no other options, but more than 70% of our gas in support from other countries than Russia. So we will either continue scaremongering, spreading fear, fighting for Russian interests and uh, being in conflict with EU or we will look into the future. Slovakia can only be successful in this new geopolitical reality if we really pursue Slovak interests. Anything else is a betrayal.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Yes. Thank you chair. On behalf of the Renew group, I just want to underline the importance of today's debate. Uh, of course, Iran represents a nuclear threat to the wider region. Nobody disputes that. But that doesn't mean that, uh, the attacks that Israel is, is conducting at the moment should overshadow the situation in Gaza. And I think it's very important that we are aware of both, uh, topics of urgent importance. Uh, the fact is, the situation in Gaza is dire, and we have followed with grave concern the developments both in Gaza and the West Bank over the last month. Uh, if there is a need to prove the breaches of the article two of the Association Agreement, uh, they are broadcast live every day in front of our eyes. But I think and I understand, and I think it's good that we also, as a committee, go into real work, and that means what the EU can do about it, uh, so that it doesn't seem just a pretentious process that is not leading anywhere. But we are actually serious of considering our options and actions that are part of the Association Agreement and the Association Agreement itself. Give us gives us the right to to question and also to suggest measures. Uh, also on the side of Israel, um, of course, part of the agreements are related to trade aspects and trade measures. Uh, it has been mentioned Israel's, uh, EU is Israel's largest trading partner. Uh, so I think and I would also have the question to the, to the European Commission. I think it's also a time to make an internal, uh, Assessment and evaluation of what are possible interested sectors which for Israel are extremely important. On which we could start discussions on how harmful it could be if we really enter into trade disputes, and if we really enter into a trade barriers between each other. Uh, and I think, uh, from what we've seen so far, it doesn't seem Israel is very willing to sit with us around the table and to work on those aspects. So maybe it would be good to really show that the European Commission and the European Union has leverage over what's also happening in, in the Middle East and in Gaza particularly. Thank you.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• “Thank you, chair, and good morning, colleagues. First of all, I want to thank the rapporteur Van Dijk, with whom we not only share a passion for nuclear energy, but also for the Western Balkans region. Uh, and and for the European path. As you know, Renew Europe as a group has been a long term staunch supporter for the Western Balkans and their European future. Uh, we therefore welcome all the programmes, uh, for candidate countries, potential candidate countries, in order to prepare them for, uh, the future in our family, uh, to prepare them for, uh, for EU related reforms. Uh, but it is also very important to have tangible instruments to achieve those goals. Uh, and obviously, ATMs are among the oldest tools we have at our disposal, very important ones, not only of symbolic or political Uh, nature, but with real, tangible benefits on the ground in the Western Balkans and both in the European single market. So our group views the prolongation of the ATMs as a support to the single market, to the integration of Western Balkans. And that is linked as also the European Commission has rightly pointed out, to the growth plan for Western Balkans, which is a ambitious programme and project that we would like to see developed. Um, and we also, I think, need to recognise and the ATMs helps us to recognise that the EU enlargement is not only beneficial to the region of the Western Balkans, but it is also beneficial to the European Union and member states in our competitiveness. So I can inform you, we will not table as a group any amendments and our full trust and support to the rapporteur. Thank you.”
  EU enlargement
• “(11:22:44 – 11:29:58): Thank you, chair. Good morning, colleagues. If you allow me, I would start, as Reggie renew shadow rapporteur, and then I would put Lucia Yar's head on as renew budget, shadow for her intervention, that she's supposed to share today with you. First of all, on regional dimension, I will not repeat many things that Andre as our reporter from Reggie has shared, agree with most of the points. He summarized it really, really well. But what I want to stress is that, really, with the NRPP, now as a proposal, the regional policy has undergone a major shift into a more centralized model regardless what who, is saying that it's not the case. It is the case. This is not what we ask for as the European parliament. We asked for the regions to be at the heart of our work, and this is what we got. So I think the European parliament's role here and in the negotiations going forward is extremely clear and very transparent. We need to bring regions back, back with dignity and back with concrete tools in order for the regional policy and the cohesion policy to really fulfill its main objective, which is investments into regions and investments into people that are living in the regions. Many of those lagging behind still today. Renew lies fully behind this ambition. Also, the ambition of the rapporteurs, which made a quite ambitious draft report. I want to thank them all for a great work, and I'm glad to hear that it works well as a team that is extremely important also vis a vis the council and the European Commission later on. In the negotiations, several of our renew priorities have already been reflected in the draft report, be it horizontal condition for partnership principle, mandatory regional chapter, eastern border regions as a specific category. So I thank you very much for having it included already there. Going forward, also in the discussions, renew, within the regional dimension will focus on 4 central pillars. First is, continue strengthening the partnership principle, by further asking more obligation from the governments to respect it. So it can further be strengthened including by the code of conduct of on partnership. Second dimension is securing dedicated funding for all categories of regions and including for a specific category that are the Eastern border regions given the current geopolitical implications and impact that the war in Ukraine has on the Eastern front. Third point, very important, is securing a more direct access. It is not new for the European parliament for this house, a more direct access for local and regional authorities into the EU funds where we see integrated territorial investments as a key tool in this new architecture. So we want to see a more robust framework here as well. And the last but not least, which is a strong renew priority as well is smart conditionality. We need to secure funding for local and regional authorities even in case the funds are suspended for a certain government, in case the government does not comply with the rule of law principle. So we need to protect the money that are directly allocated to regions and local authorities from any suspension, and we will present proposal in that direction as well within the amendment. So looking forward to further work. And if you allow me, as I don't see my time much, I will switch I hope it's 3 minutes, and I will switch over to Lucia as budget shadow from Renew. So, obviously, she thanks all co reporters for their work. She believes it's a good basis, and she also see a number of priorities of our group, renew reflected, in the draft report, be it the commitments, and the n plus 3 rule, be it higher prefinancing rate or a specific focus on eastern border regions. She's also happy with this direction of this point, and we and she will make sure they stay and remain also in the final text. When it comes to the amendments in the draft report, she also thinks the amendments on the charter and the rule of law con horizontal conditionalities are going into the right direction, but this is something that the renew, obviously, we want to strengthen as it is 1 of the key priorities for our group. I would say horizontally, AGRI, REGI, and batch teams altogether in their own perspectives. In a similar way, our group will also prioritize amendments aimed at improving competitiveness, innovation, and investments into strategic autonomy while also maintaining our ambition on environmental aspects. When it comes to batch point of view, Lucia would like to focus on key horizontal points in the amendments, namely, first of all, ensuring integrated and synergistic NRP plans to ensure that all elements reinforce each other. Second, clear criteria for the assessment of the ERP plans and for assessing the fulfillment of the milestones and targets that is in order to ensure predictability and certainty for member states and beneficiaries. Third point, clear rules on suspension of payments and financial corrections to establish a very streamlined cascade with clear timelines to avoid politicization of this topic. Smart conditionality as an important point, as I set horizontally through all the committees involved in NRPP from the renew perspective, again, to ensure that final beneficiaries are not victims of the governments that are not complying with the rule of law principles and when they breach those so that the funding is continuing flowing into civil society organizations and both local and regional authorities. As I mentioned also earlier, we will present a proposal and a procedure in that respect as well. And the last but not least, higher rates for technical assistance and the initiative of member states. That is also linked to Reggie, I believe, perspective in order to be able and ready and increase capacity and absorption in member states. Thanks a lot. I'm hope I hope I'm within time frames, and looking forward to working with all court reporters and all shadows to achieve a very strong and united parliament's position. Thank you.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Three years ago, Bucha showed a true face of Putin's brutality. I was there two weeks after Russian troops withdrew. 8th April 2022. Standing at the mass grave, together with the Slovak Prime Minister and with president von der Leyen at that time to honour the victims and support Ukraine. But we also deliver the first air defense system, S-300. I am a proud Slovak and a European. I am still today we prepare to take our defense to a whole new level. Not because we want. Because there is no prosperity without security. But some so-called leaders rather bow to Putin or Trump than to work with their European partners. History will remember those who stood up for Europe, for its security and defence and economy, and those who looked away. So let us lead the way. Thank you.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)