Elena NEVADO DEL CAMPO

Policy topics Elena NEVADO DEL CAMPO is active on

What Elena NEVADO DEL CAMPO has said (33)

• 2026-03-18 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission 21.5.2026 Written question The Commission is aware of the judicial investigations on the health equipment contracts in Canary Islands. In line with the shared management principle governing cohesion policy, the Commission has requested information to the Spanish Managing authorities on the possible support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding to these contracts. Member States bear the primary responsibility for the implementation and control of operations funded by the ERDF, including detecting and correcting irregularities. The Spanish authorities are therefore responsible for ensuring that contracts co-financed by ERDF comply with applicable procurement rules and that funds are used correctly. The Commission’s role is supervisory ensuring that the national management and control systems provide the assurance that resources are used in compliance with EU law and the principle of sound financial management. The procurement procedures for the specific contracts in the Canary Islands were not subject to the Commission’s own verification. However, if irregularities were identified, either through national controls or investigations by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Commission would expect the Spanish authorities to take corrective measures, including financial corrections where necessary [1] . Failing to take action at national level, the Commission would take appropriate action in order to ensure that EU funds are used in accordance with the applicable rules, including through the application of the appropriate financial corrections. The Commission remains in contact with the Spanish authorities. Should new information emerge, the Commission will assess whether further action is required. [1] in line with Article 69 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1060/oj.”
  Rule of law in Spain · Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• 2026-02-25 “E-000792/2026 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission welcomes Spain's plan to launch a feasibility study assessing the reopening of the Ruta de la Plata corridor. However, the Commission has not been updated by the Spanish Government on the status of this feasibility study. As the 'Ruta de la Plata' line is part of the comprehensive network, with a completion date set by the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) Regulation for 2050, the Commission did not require Spain to report on the progress of this project and did not start a comprehensive assessment of the progress of the comprehensive network yet.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration · EU funding for transportation · EU support of rail transport
• 2025-11-28 “E-004731/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission Member States are responsible for organisation and delivery of medical care 1 , including detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The Commission supports Member States in reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) 2 , including conditions such as endometriosis, through the ‘Healthier Together’ EU NCD initiative 3 with the financial support of the EU4Health programme 4 . Together with the Expert Group on Public Health 5 , the Commission also supports the exchange of best practices among Member States via the EU Best Practice Portal on Public Health 6 . Over EUR 2 billion have been invested in research and innovation projects related to women’s health through the EU’s research and innovation framework programmes, Horizon 2020 7 and Horizon Europe 8 . This includes 15 research projects on endometriosis worth EUR 47 million. The current R&I framework programme ‘Horizon Europe’ offers a variety of funding opportunities, including broadly defined calls under the ‘Health’ Cluster 9 . More information about opened and upcoming funding opportunities for research on gynaecological diseases, including endometriosis, can be found on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal 10 . The EU is at the forefront of supporting research and innovation with the aim to improve and protect the health and well-being of citizens by developing innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure diseases. For instance, the project MultiMENDo 11 looks for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as new therapeutic approaches for endometriosis using menstrual fluid. The projects EUmetriosis 12 develops an integrated approach to enhance understanding, diagnosis, tailored management of endometriosis and empowerment of patients with this disease. 1 As per Article 168 (7) TFEU https://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:12008E168:EN:HTML. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/health/non_communicable_diseases/overview_en. 3 https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/eu-non-communicable-diseases-ncds-initiative-guidance-document_en. 4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en. 5 https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/expert-group-public-health_en. 6 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/. 7 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en. 8 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en. 9 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/cluster-1-health_en. 10 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home. 11 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101078556. 12 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101157146.”
  EU competences on health · Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2025-11-28 “E-004732/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Member States are responsible for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care 1 . The Commission aims to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a comprehensive and prevention-oriented approach through the Healthier Together initiative 2 ,the strategic framework to address NCDs in the EU. The Commission supports collaboration on prevention and management of NCDs between Member States and stakeholders through financial support from the EU4Health programme 3 . The Commission also supports best practice exchange among Member States via the EU Best Practices Portal 4 . The Proposal for a European Competitiveness Fund includes a special emphasis on noncommunicable diseases. In March 2025, the Commission adopted its Roadmap for Women's Rights 5 , which includes the highest standards of health. Additionally, Horizon Europe 6 is one of the key instruments that supports the area of medical research and innovation. Projects funded under Horizon Europe will provide new evidence, methodologies and tools for understanding the transition from health to disease, and develop new, personalised approaches on NCDs, including uterine fibroids. Over EUR 1.3 billion have been invested in more than 700 research and innovation projects related to women’s health through Horizon 2020 7 and Horizon Europe. More information about currently open and upcoming funding opportunities for further research on women’s health, including uterine fibroids, can be found through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal 8 . 1 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=EN. 2 https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/healthier-together-eu-non-communicable-diseasesinitiative_en. 3 https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en. 4 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/. 5 https://commission.europa.eu/document/0c3fe55d-9e4f-4377-9d14-93d03398b434_en. 6 https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-andopen-calls/horizon-europe_en. 7 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-2020_en. 8 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home.”
  EU competences on health · Sexuality and reproduction
• 2025-10-24 “E-004200/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The competence to regulate professions and organise healthcare systems belongs to the Member States, within the limits of EU law and the principle of proportionality 1 . The Commission is working to complete the Single Market by removing all barriers, including those related to recognition of professional qualifications. Under the Union of Skills 2 , the Skills Portability Initiative envisages actions to further facilitate, expand and modernise recognition processes for regulated professions. Under the Professional Qualifications Directive 3 , several healthcare professions are covered by the automatic recognition system, based on minimum training requirements, while the Commission is exploring which other regulated healthcare professions fulfil the conditions to benefit from automatic recognition through Common Training Frameworks (CTF). CTFs can be established by the Commission in accordance with the conditions in Article 49a of Directive 2005/36/EC and must be based on existing commonalities in regulation and training. They are not a harmonisation measure as such; they provide a route of automatic recognition where the CTF minimum standards are met, but access to and pursuit of the profession remains possible (under the general system of the Directive) even when the CTF standards are not met. 1 Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0090. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02005L0036-20250710.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2025-05-22 “E-002082/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission As explained in the Commission’s reply to parliamentary question E-1043/25 1 , the Commission is committed to improving road safety, and takes note of the upcoming introduction in Spain of a light-signalling device that is connected to the national traffic control centre and that is to replace the advance warning triangle. However, the Commission would emphasise that traffic rules and provisions on parking and on warning devices to be carried on board motor vehicles are not regulated by the Union. Instead, they are regulated at national level and their use in international traffic at United Nations level, for instance in the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 2 . 1 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/-ASW_EN.html. 2 Cf. Article 23(5) of that Convention in connection with paragraph 56 of Annex V and paragraph 6 of Annex I to that Convention. https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/conventn/Conv_road_traffic_EN.pdf.”
  Driving licences
• 2025-05-07 “E-001838/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission On 26 June 2025, the Commission organised a meeting with Member States authorities on the appropriate follow-up to the Council conclusions. They concluded that the organisation of trainings for professionals is a key priority, and in particular trainings covering the development of national donation after brain death (DBD) programs, the development of national donation after circulatory death (DCD) programs, the support of international organ exchange and the development of national living donation programs. This is necessary since many of the recommendations of the first EU Action Plan are still relevant today, and Member States should therefore still aim at achieving the objectives set in the EU Action Plan. The Commission has foreseen a budget of EUR 2 million under the EU4Health 2025 work programme to support this request. The Commission also continues to promote cooperation and coordination between Member States in the field of organ transplantation in several ways. This includes working with and supporting the work of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare of the Council of Europe on organ transplantation, in particular through a focus on supply and quality management for deceased organ donation programmes. The Commission also provides EU4Health funding to improve transplantation systems and develop know-how on newest technologies or approaches. Finally, it is a Commission priority to step up the work on preventive health, health promotion and disease prevention. Investing in effective prevention measures will reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases lowering the demand for organ transplantation.”
  EU competences on health
• 2025-01-22 “E-000267/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Spain has confirmed its plans to phase out nuclear energy by 2035 in the recently submitted National Energy and Climate Plan 1 . The choice of the energy resources in the energy mix, including the decision to use or not use nuclear energy, remains within the remit of each Member State in accordance with the provisions of the EU legislation 2 . The Commission does not intervene in such decisions while it recognizes that securing supplies of clean and affordable energy is critical for European competitiveness, security, and EU’s future climate neutrality. As reflected in the recently announced Competitiveness Compass 3 , the Commission’s aim is to ensure that the transition to a decarbonised economy is competitiveness-friendly and technology-neutral, while the shift to cleaner and cost-efficient sources of energy must reduce energy costs and price volatility. As part of the proposals to accompany its Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission presented on 26 February 2025 an Action Plan for Affordable Energy 4 . 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/211d83b7-b6d9-4bb8-b0844a3bfb4cad3e_es?filename=ES%20-%20FINAL%20UPDATED%20NECP%2020212030%20%28Spanish%29.pdf 2 Article 194 of the Treaty on Functioning of the European Union. 3 A competitiveness compass for the EU: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/10017eb1-47224333-add2-e0ed18105a34_en 4 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7e2e6198-b6b8-46fe-b263984b437da3ab_en?filename=Communication%20-%20Action%20Plan%20for%20Affordable%20Energy.pdf”
  Nuclear energy · Energy (green transition)
• 2024-11-27 “E-002682/2024 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission In accordance with Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, the EU’s competence regarding organ donation and transplantation is limited to setting high standards for safety and quality. This is done through a dedicated directive 1 . The recently adopted Council conclusions on enhancing organ donation and transplantation 2 , also call on the Commission to support national organisations of transplant services. The Commission will continue supporting Member States for knowledge sharing, training and collaboration, building on the achievements and insights gained from the 2009-2015 action plan 3 . To that end, the Commission has initiated discussions on the Council conclusions between the 27 national competent authorities on organ transplantation, to identify the way forward and possible actions and deliverables. While this could possibly include actions focusing specifically on paediatric transplants, many horizontal actions are also expected to benefit these. For example, the FOEDUS Joint Action 4 , which among others delivered an exchange platform for ‘difficult-to-match’ organs, regularly allows for the exchange of organs for paediatric transplants. In addition, a specific European Reference Network (ERN) 5 was established in 2017 for paediatric transplants, namely ERN TRANSPLANT-CHILD 6 . It thus benefits from funding dedicated to the 24 ERNs and their registries under the EU4Health Programme. It is also involved in EU-funded research projects such as PROTECT-CHILD 7 and benefits there from funding from the EU research and innovation framework programme Horizon Europe. 1 Directive 2010/45/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation (OJ L 207, 6.8.2010, p. 14–29). 2 Council conclusions on enhancing organ donation and transplantation approved by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Health) at its meeting on 3 December 2024: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-16568-2024-INIT/en/pdf 3 Action plan on Organ Donation and Transplantation (2009-2015): Strengthened Cooperation between Member States. COM(2008) 819 final https://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0819:FIN:EN:PDF 4 https://www.foedus-eoeo.eu/#/public 5 https://health.ec.europa.eu/rare-diseases-and-european-reference-networks/european-reference-networks_en 6 https://transplantchild.eu/ 7 A PRivacy-prOTecting Environment for Child Transplants health-related and genomic data integration in the European Reference Network: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101137423”
  EU competences on health
• 2024-11-08 “E-002480/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission On 8 November 2024, Spain requested assistance 1 via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Several Member States expressed their solidarity and intention to support Spain and responded accordingly 2 . The Commission deployed two liaison officers to Spain to help coordinate the assistance coming from offering Member States. The EU Copernicus satellite mapping system has also been proactively activated. The Spanish authorities informed the Commission about their intention to apply for the EU Solidarity Fund 3 , where the application will be submitted following proper damage assessment, within the 12-week regulatory deadline; and the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds, where technical exchanges are ongoing to finalise the application. The Commission adopted on 21 October a proposal RESTORE 4 . It was agreed by the colegislators and entered into force on 24 December 2024 5 . Member States will have six months starting from the entry into force, to submit programme changes to the Commission and will receive subsequently additional pre-financing and reimbursement of expenditure with a Union financing of up to 95%. It will be up to programme authorities to make use of the support and flexibilities provided. Under the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans 6 , Member States may programme investments in the restoration of agricultural and forestry potential. A new specific measure was also put forward under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 7 to provide additional assistance to farmers, forest holders and small and medium-sized enterprises affected by natural disasters which can be implemented through the Rural Development Programmes. Other EU funding instruments, such as the Agricultural Reserve, may also provide support under certain conditions. 1 This request consisted of water, sanitation, hygiene items, heavy machinery including pumps and vehicles, and expertise. 2 This includes Belgium, France, Lithuania, Portugal, and Romania by 21 November 2024. 3 Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3) as amended by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 May 2014 (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 143) and by Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 March 2020 (OJ L 99, 31.3.2020, p. 9). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32002R2012 4 RESTORE - Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction is a Commission’s proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), published on 21 October 2024. 5 Regulation (EU) 2024/3236 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1057 and (EU) 2021/1058 as regards Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3236/oj/eng 6 Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013, OJ L 435/1, 6.12.2021. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2024%3A495%3AFIN”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2024-11-08 “E-002481/2024 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The European Medicines Agency (EMA), together with the Member States, continuously monitors and investigates signals of potential supply disruptions escalated to EU level by national competent authorities to prevent their occurrence and mitigate their effects as far as possible. The potential impact of the situation in Spain on the supply of medicinal products is closely monitored. Thus far, no critical shortage requiring EU coordination actions has been identified in this context. In the context of the flood emergency and upon request from the Spanish authorities, the EU Copernicus satellite mapping system 1 was activated on 29 October 2024, and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism 2 , on 8 November 2024. As a result, 83 maps were produced, and several Member States offered in-kind assistance, in the form of heavy vehicles and pumps. The Commission deployed two liaison officers to help coordinate the assistance. The EU’s strategic reserve, rescEU, 3 was not mobilised as the requests were fulfilled by the offers of Member States. A virtual warehouse for data on vaccine needs and stocks has not been set up yet, apart from the existing IT tool CECIS 2.0, in the area of civil protection. As part of the implementation of EMA’s extended mandate 4 , the European Shortages Monitoring Platform, launched in November 2024, will be used to report shortages and monitor supply, demand, and stock levels of medicinal products for preparedness activities, and during a public health emergency or major event. As part of the pharmaceutical reform 5 , the Commission has proposed to further expand the platform to cover structural shortages and security of supply of critical medicines. 1 https://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/#zoom=2&lat=13.56036&lon=33.82273&layers=0BT00 2 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en 3 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/resceu_en 4 http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/123/oj 5 https://health.ec.europa.eu/medicinal-products/pharmaceutical-strategy-europe/reform-eu-pharmaceuticallegislation_en”
  Vaccination · EU policy against medicines shortages
• 2024-10-11 “E-002039/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission In her political guidelines, the President of the Commission underscored the need for a policybased budget that is more focused, more impactful, and simpler with fewer programmes and a stronger linkage between reforms and investments. It should build on the lessons learned from the implementation of EU programmes financed through the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) budget and NextGenerationEU. The future budget will include a strengthened cohesion and growth policy and build on the commitment to defend a fair and sufficient income for farmers, with a common agricultural policy that finds the right balance between incentives, investments and regulation. The Commission will engage with the EU institutions, including the European Parliament, and stakeholders in this process. 2. In her political guidelines, the President also emphasised that regions are at the centre of the strengthened EU’s cohesion and growth policy. In its Communication on the ninth Cohesion Report 1 , the Commission underscored the importance of partnership and multi-level governance and highlighted that people on the ground have more knowledge of the exact needs of their territory. With a view to the MFF post-2027, these founding principles will need to be preserved. The future cohesion policy will be designed in partnership with national, regional and local authorities. The Commission will address regional and social disparities. Specific challenges of rural areas need to be acknowledged - while responding to the concerns of people in rural areas including through the follow up on the report of the Strategic Dialogue. 1 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the ninth Cohesion Report (COM(2024)149, adopted by the College on 27 March 2024): https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information-sources/cohesion-report_en”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Yes, Commissioner. Today we're speaking about a framework conditions for a public and sustainable public transport in the European Union. But allow me to speak about the reality a little bit with the wonderful example of Estremadura, where I come from in Spain, where there is a terrible absence of all of this. It takes 12 hours to get to certain parts of Estremadura from one to the. So how can we speak about sustainability and efficiency in certain regions where there is no train connection whatsoever and no safety? Furthermore. So we ought to oblige national governments to come to terms with the situation and to really take measures in order to deal with these particular lacunae. They exist in the transport system. Um, and of course, we can't allow for further delay on this front. In 2010, promises were issued. And of course, millions of Europeans have been affected by this. Extremadura is not asking for privileges. It wants a dignified, if you like, transport system allowing for connections to different areas. Of course, Madrid and Paris are wonderful examples, but what we have in these particular provinces is certainly not sustainable, and it isn't efficient either. And we really don't want any more of these promises which are not met. Of course. Some will say, of course, that the European Union ought not touch our national infrastructure. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you, I’ll be speaking Spanish. After hearing what has been said, I'm a bit concerned because I'm from a region where over sixty percent of the constituents are in rural areas and they contribute greatly to the GDP and forty five percent of these people are women. So one of my first questions is what are the specific measures that the Commission is proposing to support women in rural areas because what I've understood is that the ideas that mayors have have not been particularly effective. So what are the proposals that the Commission has? What are the concrete ideas and can the Commission include in the next MFF what will they, are they proposing to help women stay in these areas? And then the DG AGRI in regards to the DG AGRI fund, when we're looking at the central government and then we who will be deciding what happens in these rural areas, is it the central government, is it the urban world that is governing the rural world? We don't think that that makes too much sense. So we're paying close attention to the strategy that has been announced and the strategy with regards to the talent in the rural areas but we really would like to know what the Commission is proposing for the MFF. **Dragoş Benea (Romania, S&D) @Chair: Marcos Sempere. **Marcos Ros Sempere (Spain, S&D): Thank you, Cherry. Good morning. I will speak on behalf of my colleague Miss Sabrina Repp who is not able to be here this morning and I will read her statement on two questions. As socialists and democrats, we firmly believe that everyone in Europe should have the opportunity to live, work and thrive in their home region. Yet in many rural and remote areas young people and particularly young women continue to leave because they lack job opportunities, infrastructure and cultural associates, prospects. This growing imbalance is not only an economic issue but a question of equality and justice. Cohesion policy must remain a strong decentralized tool to address these disparities and to ensure that prosperity and opportunity reach every corner of Europe, not just its urban centers. And once that two questions, considering the upcoming multi annual financial framework and the ongoing debate about central leasing cohesion funds, how does the Commission intend to preserve local expertise and empower regional actors to design solutions that truly reflect the needs of young women in rural areas? And secondly, centralization risks weakening the very core of cohesion policy. It is proximity to people. How will the Commission ensure that local and regional voices remain central when shaping measures to foster women's entrepreneurship, digital inclusion and access to equality jobs in rural Europe? Thank you. **Dragoş Benea (Romania, S&D) @Chair: Miss Sberna.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you. President. I will speak in Spanish. Thank you to the Commission for being here. I won't repeat the questions that have been asked, because I think we all agree in this committee on our concerns and questions. I would ask if this merger of the funds is not really hiding cuts to the cap and the Cohesion Fund are suffering in this new MFF proposal Because I think responding to such specific questions as my colleagues have put before me, it appears that we are not getting any kind of transparency or clarity. Another specific question on the new rural goals. You were forced to change the initial proposal due to the protests of the European farmers. Uh, at our doors here of the Parliament and the commission itself, I'd like to get some clarification on the current proposal. What type of interventions would be acceptable in the new rural proposal? And even more specifically, could, uh, infrastructures be included in this as well?”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you. Chair. Well, it was finally my turn. I'd like to thank the Court of Auditors for presenting their brave report. And I'd like to thank Mr. Blanco, because his doubts are our doubts. And he's one of my. He's a fellow Spaniard as well. Now, what I'd like to point out here is that we need some clarity about how we're going to evaluate the content of these reforms, because in Spain, we've already had experience with the next generation forms and with the reforms of the labour market and pensions. There are serious doubts then about how they were evaluated by the Commission, so that then afterwards the Court of Auditors could do its audit. What I'm most concerned about in the EPP is how those funds are going to actually be received by the various beneficiaries, because here we're talking about the youth guarantee. Then cohesion policy policies to combat poverty. And is this going to happen at a national level or a regional level.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• “Thank you, Madam Chairman. I will try to be quick. I'd like to thank the Commissioner for coming to us and and for giving answers. And, uh, you came an hour after the press conference with Mrs. von der lion, but. And you spoke with Commissioner Seraphin, and there's a rather I must say that simplifying wasn't for the commission, but for beneficiaries, simplification is not exhausting. And the taking functions from Parliament. We need room for negotiations and dialogue to try to deal with the red lines in this budget that Parliament said the single national plans were very important because all the figures that you've given that we've looked at very carefully, uh, really have to include national plans. If not, it won't be good for Europe.”
  Conditions to access EU budget
• “Thank you very much, chair. I'd like to thank all of the work that's been done by the rapporteur, as well as all of the shadow rapporteurs. More than 1000 amendments. That's a lot of amendments. And it shows how important this topic is and how much work has been doing has been is happening on cardiovascular diseases. I would also like to say that many of the amendments affect some whole areas in in Spain, that's a the province that I'm from, because you can also die from other things. You can die of hunger. And often there's a lot of hypocrisy within the governments now. The life expectancy in Spain is the highest in the European Union. That has a lot to do with the Mediterranean diet, our lifestyle. And so we don't, uh. Well, there's a lot of alarmist, uh, discourse around wine. I mean, we're not going to go back to those old narratives, but we need to talk about moderation and responsible consumption. And so I would encourage everyone to continue working in that direction. Again, highlighting that the first cause of death of women is breast cancer. And we would like to have the best report possible with consensus, bearing in mind all of these specific issues.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• “Economic insecurity, pandemics, war—all these are silently scarring millions of Europeans every day. Without action is a day lost. This is the second leading cause of lasting disability in Europe. It is a gaping wound undermining productivity and social cohesion in the European Union. The problem is not just social networks. We need to do more to tackle mental health. We need to look at the socioeconomic factors, recognize the effects on education, stability of our welfare systems. We need to protect citizens' mental health and their ability to innovate, move forward and shape their own future. We need a European action plan for mental health. Thank you.”
  EU policy on mental health
• “Vice president, Commissioner for energy. Here. You're facing an enemy in your own house, Miss Ribera, we need to ensure that families and businesses have sustainable, stable and affordable energy. We need renewables and nuclear if we're going to reduce emissions and protect our planet. The US is extending the lifespan by 80 years of its nuclear power plants. Meanwhile, Pedro Sanchez is closing nuclear plants and that affects those who live in Extremadura up to Catalonia. The Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant provides electricity to 4 million households and prevents over 7 million tons of CO2 being spewed out each year, but he's closing that. It's a sacrifice that we can't allow. I therefore turn to all of you say no to the closure of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant. Say no.”
  Nuclear energy
• “Thank you very much, Miss Garcia, for that question. Absolutely. We have to work together, and certainly in our group, we recognise the need to respect the principle of partnership as well as multi-level governance, the role of regions and local authorities, absolutely key in cohesion policy if we are to achieve this convergence. And where I'm from, Extremadura. We continue to need these funds if we are to compete on a level playing field with the rest of the European Union. So absolutely, of course we will join together in this struggle.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you very much, chair. Firstly, thank you very much. Can you hear the interpretation? This is the English booth. Perfect. Firstly, thank you very much for being here today and for your presentation as also, thank you for your passion when you are defending these systems. I fully share everything you've said. And I'd also like to point out that when we talk about women's health, this is something that has historically been pushed to the background. So it's really a pleasure to hear women talking about this very important topic. And men as well, when we're talking about clinical studies, this is very important. And clinical studies unfortunately have always focused on men. And this has led to a major shortcoming in diagnostics as well as prevention of illnesses that mainly affect women. This lack of focus on women, I think, has also had other consequences. And I'd like to know what you think on this. For example, when it comes to ovarian cancer. In fact, it's one of the most commonly occurring cancers in women, and it's only detected at a relatively advanced stage. The symptoms are often confused with other pathologies. They're not clearly identified because they're quite they're not very specific. This leads to very high degrees of mortality because of late diagnosis. And this is a major concern. The European average is 12.1 Are deaths for a 12.1% death for every 100,000 women.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “President. Commissioner. The European Union is the global leader in the wine sector, and this is a key sector for our rural areas. And that's certainly the case in my region, Extremadura. It's very closely linked to our cultural identity and the sector is now undergoing difficulties. Now from our side, the popular party, we've always said it's crucial to protect our producers and our farmers. And this is a clear example of Commissioner Handsome complying with what the PPE has always said. But I want to make a link here with cardiovascular health. It's crucial to maintain a sensible and proportionate focus here, because we defend the moderate consumption of wine as part of a healthy lifestyle. We're talking about moderation, not abusive consumption. I mean, basically we're talking about the Mediterranean diet. We believe that Europe shouldn't be punitive and simplistic in its approach. It should be science based in what it does, and it should respect our traditions. It should respect those who produce high quality wine and those who consume responsibly. Thank you.”
  Drinking regulation
• “Thank you. President. Commissioner, if you've listened to the Parliament today or what you have heard people insisting on is that for the next budget, cohesion should be the cornerstone, because cohesion policy is recognized in our treaties and its use is to promote convergence, territoriality and social cohesion. It isn't a way of dealing with crises or imposing on solidarity. It is a policy for growth where all Europeans can have comparable life, lifestyles and enough money, but without enough resources for this. This instrument for growth. There is a serious impact on policies of the EU. We can't allow and this is something we've said, to have a single national plan where the Cap and the cohesion policy go together. Because regional authorities would be too involved with this, such as what Sanchez wants in Spain with his sectarianism. We're looking to the next decade. Let's not forget people that are involved in this.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you very much to the rapporteur for her work and the shadows for their work as well. We are talking about the leading cause of death in Europe and also for women. If we want to really tackle the burden of cardiovascular diseases in Europe, we need to look at prevention. I think that's something we all agree with. And one of the best prevention tools with scientific backing is the Mediterranean diet. We're not talking about a fad or a cultural tradition. Simply, this is something that's backed by decades of evidence. It's based on fruit, vegetables, pulses, cereals, uh, fish, olive oil. And all of this, uh, significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. And Spain, in fact, has the highest life expectancy out of EU countries, A balanced diet also means a balanced approach. So I think it's important, uh, that we are careful when we look at alcohol consumption. Uh, looking at the Becker report from the previous legislative period, I don't think we can talk to citizens as if they were children or teenagers. We need to talk to them in a mature way and talk about the excessive consumption of alcohol and talk about moderation. And I think it's important to think about cardiovascular diseases that aren't in the report as well. Uh, cardiomyopathy, for example, inflammatory heart diseases, uh, amongst others, uh, that we're seeing more and more with an ageing population in Europe, and will be tabling amendments in that direction. Thank you.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to speak Spanish now with respect to connectivity of transport and the infrastructures, energy infrastructures are hugely relevant relevant for regional development. We've got to continue to be the voice for regional development. For example, there are regions like mine that need immediate report support for connecting in my region. We have projects which take years. We've been trying to develop our connection with Ten-t to connect. Madrid and Bilbao, and these projects have been delayed and delayed, and we've got projects with respect to mobility of military mobility, and I think national planning plans can work, along with European instruments to try to ensure this regional interconnectivity, which is so necessary. And we've got to find a way to complement these instruments to complete them so that this. Scenario does not undermine, uh, good captivity. We cannot postpone our projects for a decades. Again, these projects which have been so important to us, the.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. President. Commissioner. Investing in transport infrastructure and cross-border infrastructure is needed more than ever. But the failure to comply with train deadlines, with train infrastructure, building deadlines means that we're facing a lot of uncertainty. If you want to go from Madrid to Lisbon and that goes through Extremadura, well, that high speed rail network is lagging behind by 20 years. We can't accept any more delays to the building of that line or any more fragmentation. We need to step up. We need to have better management of any EU funds and funds, and we need to push for the modernisation of our strategic connection points. It's very important for the economy. Mobility is so important to the economy and it's so important to employment, but it's also about security. And security takes precedence and that's why infrastructure is so key now in Extremadura. We want this train infrastructure, and we want Europe to force the member states who are behind, who are not respecting the deadlines to take action. And Europe can't take can't turn a blind eye anymore. Thank you very much.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Now, I'd just like to know, is there a difference from member state to member state? Portugal, for example, said 7.6% in their report and it's 18.7% in Lithuania. So given this divergence, member state to member state, I think this should be a warning. This clearly means that we need to improve access to health care for all women. This should be equal. These disparities cannot continue. We need to continue to fight for women's health and equality in this domain. So we have to fight for equal access to health care as well as advanced oncological protocols and diagnoses. I think that these are topics that should be a priority among the European agenda. I think the coordination has improved here. And so I would like to thank you for raising this point. Also with the committee, um, I'd also like to share the concerns you've raised in terms of coordination at European level, and especially when we're talking about health issues that can be treated, we must act immediately. So thank you very much for your input here today. Thank you very much. The goal that you've outlined about fighting gynaecological issues and ovarian cancer, I fully share that. But of course it's a major task. I mean, you're an NGO, what sort of funding do you receive? What sort of support? Uh, from the commission do you receive? And, uh, what is your budget look like simply and how exactly can people feed into your work now in terms of the content itself.”
  Sexuality and reproduction
• “I'll speak Spanish. Thank you. Chair. I'd like to thank the organizers of this initiative who are present here today in the European Parliament, I think. Talking about language is a key part of culture. And as a vehicle for understanding, I think they've hit the nail on their head is very important to conserve our languages with respect, harmony and awareness of the fact that languages are there to build bridges and not create obstacles within my own decentralised region. We have Falla, we have olive in town, Portuguese, we have casta, We have a whole range of linguistic variations in my own region, and article three does provide for protection not only of the Spanish language, but of three official official languages Basque, Catalan and Galician in their respective regions. So you can see that Spain does recognize linguistic diversity as part of its cultural heritage. The problem comes when people start using languages to divide and separate rather than to unite. Such nationalist ideologies that weaponize language run entirely counter to the European spirit. It runs entirely counter to fundamental rights such as the right of all Spaniards to use the Spanish language in all territories. There are Spanish nationals who are deprived of the right to use their own official language in legal contexts. In Catalonia, a marginalisation of the Spanish language itself in Spain. So what we are calling for is exactly what the petitioners have been saying. Language is a vehicle for understanding, not language, being perverted and weaponised for exclusion and intimidation, and much less when there are already constitutional safeguards in place to protect those other languages.”
  Rule of law in Spain
• “Thank you. Thank you very much. I'd like my first words to express my condolences to for the for those 3 people who've lost their lives on the Hondius vessel. And I hope that those who are suffering in hospitals, I hope they get well soon. Now as you said, the alert for the outbreak of this hantavirus on the vessel when there was individuals from 23 different countries was sent out via the early warning system. We need to say this quite clearly. International and national coordination was conducted by the European Union. It wasn't Spanish authorities. It wasn't prime minister Sanchez who did this. There was a a very rapid report sent by European authorities. The operational responses which were organized, came from the ECDC. It wasn't prime minister Sanchez, and and it's been the civil protection mission from the European Union, as the commission, explained to quite clearly, which co financed this and and other European member states have been involved in this evaluation. France, Netherlands, Greece, Ireland supported this, but it was not Sanchez. There is another threat to global health now and the spread of infectious diseases, and we have seen quite clearly that there is a European response to this, and that's been very, beneficial. But we've also seen, that the president prime minister Sanchez is trying to use any, opportunity to to promote themselves.”
  EU competences on health (internal-competence axis, sharpened)
• “Thank you. Chair. Well, it was finally my turn. I'd like to thank the Court of Auditors for presenting their brave report. And I'd like to thank Mr. Blanco, because his doubts are our doubts. And he's one of my. He's a fellow Spaniard as well. Now, what I'd like to point out here is that we need some clarity about how we're going to evaluate the content of these reforms, because in Spain, we've already had experience with the next generation forms and with the reforms of the labour market and pensions. There are serious doubts then about how they were evaluated by the Commission, so that then afterwards the Court of Auditors could do its audit. What I'm most concerned about in the EPP is how those funds are going to actually be received by the various beneficiaries, because here we're talking about the youth guarantee. Then cohesion policy policies to combat poverty. And is this going to happen at a national level or a regional level.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• “Vice president ombudsperson. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. We're debating a report on the Ombudsman's activities for 2024. Now, this shows that there is a A fundamental commitment to democratic institutions, good administration, accountability within the EU institutions, and strengthening the trust of citizens in our institutions. We tried to find a consensus between right and left. Unfortunately, polarization has meant that we were not able to do that for our institutions. When it comes to the voice of the citizens, citizens must have trust, accountability, transparency, visibility. Despite the importance of this institution, it is not well known by many of our European citizens. The role, however, is not something that comes down just to access to documents and making sure that there is administrative transparency, but also it is a point of contact with citizens to hear their concerns. The report that we are looking at Shows clearly that we need to strengthen the presence of our institutions and our member States via communication and via networks of ombuds people in the member states, and to make sure that this institution is close to citizens as possible, that is the most important task that we have, I believe. I'd like to wish our new Ombudswoman the best of luck and success. Miss Angelino, who took up her functions last February in this extremely important mission in defending the rights of citizens in the EU.”
  Activities of EU Ombudsman
• “Thanks and thanks. Likewise for presenting this report. I only heard it in dribs and drabs because I had to go out. You've touched on important points, such as the right to stay, the right to remain. It's more important than ever to have this point flagged. We talk often about rural areas and. There are also small urban centers, which are under ever greater threat. And we can't neglect that fact. We are facing a demographic and population related challenge. This is not just a matter of distributing funds. It's a disaster across the board in economic, social and territorial terms. And the report flags, among many other facts, that inland territories such as my region suffer transport poverty. And this really undermines progress and increases geographical isolation. And this has a serious trickle down effect on the funds which actually reach these regions. These regions are less attractive economically, and therefore we see a whittling away of social services as a result. Is it really enough to have 218 billion for less developed regions. Is that a large enough allocation given the extent of the challenge? And this 10% figure, how can we face this demographic challenge? And I'm very sorry. Once again, I came in late due to duties elsewhere.”
  Cohesion and rural funding