3 Written explanations of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

By establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing an additional exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, we are one step closer to ensuring that Russia pays for the massive destruction it continues to cause throughout Ukraine. The EU macro-financial assistance will cover €35 billion of the €45 billion agreed between the EU and the G7. Moreover, this loan will be covered by windfall profits from interest on frozen Russian assets, meaning that Ukraine will be able to use these funds for immediate needs, including restoring critical infrastructure, without worrying about having to repay the loan. I voted in favor of these proposals, which should allow the EU to provide Ukraine with a much-needed financial loan by the end of 2024.

I deeply regret the situation that prevents me from voting in favor of granting discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2022. My decision is based on the recommendation of the European Ombudsman, who indicated that the Council’s practice with regard to transparency in the legislative process constituted maladministration, and on the Council’s refusal to cooperate with and provide information to Parliament’s body responsible for scrutinizing the implementation of the Council’s budget and the Council’s management. I would like to recall that Parliament is responsible for granting discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the Union. The Council’s actions not only contradict this, but also risk creating mistrust among citizens in the transparency of the Council and the rest of the Union.

I voted in favor of this resolution in response to the fact that, despite the availability of 500,000 different medical devices on the EU market, there are certain disparities in access to these devices in the Member States, jeopardizing citizens' access to proper medical care. The resolution calls on the Commission to propose solutions on how to further improve the existing legislation on medical devices, in order to alleviate the situation where manufacturers are overburdened with certification and authorization procedures for medical devices, and where shortages of devices end up compromising patient safety. Given its importance, such a review must be carried out without delay, by the first quarter of 2025.