15 Written explanations of Cristian GHINEA

. – I have voted in favour of this Resolution because we need to strengthen the human rights fight at an international level. We all need to be involved in actions to stop the increase of the number of attacks against people who stand up for their rights, who are vocal worldwide relating all human rights, we need to secure the freedom of speech and media, to protect our children against all types of exploitation, to have these rights as the core of our discussions with non-EU countries because this is key to protect these rights. I fully agree with the establishment and development of a new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, because I think this will represent a fresh start for good practice.

. – I strongly believe that with the new European Parliament political class the game has changed and we need to shift and shape our perspectives and actions accordingly. That is why I voted in favour of this Resolution, because the common foreign and security policy is subject to change and we have to do it based on our current needs. We need strong security policies, we need to have multilateralism as key to everything related to security and our main focus should be on maintaining the peace. I am glad that this Resolution states these matters clearly.

. – Our political engagement in implementing regulations that will allow us to react and adapt when needed is a fundamental step to play a decisive role in external crises and we need to play an important role in the security area. We need to tackle external destabilisation, to secure our continent’s safety, to protect the security legislation and to work with the external actors to achieve these goals. My vote was in favour of this Resolution.

. – The European Union’s administration needs to be reformed. We need a new Europe, one that can be a powerful support for its citizens, that promotes the inclusion of its citizens in the decision-making, one that can deliver its promises for a prosperous and inclusive society. We now have an agreement between all three EU institutions, so the much needed conference can bring a fresh restart and concrete actions. We need to work together.

. – My vote was in favour of this resolution. We need a strategy from the Commission that will address the main drivers of biodiversity loss, both in the EU and worldwide. The resolution calls for an EU-wide legally binding target to restore degraded habitats by 2030, and I believe that a special focus should be given to the restoration of natural forests.

. – I believe in an open, transparent and independent European administration for the EU, including institutions and agencies. ECA should undertake a detailed analysis of the approach of institutions and agencies regarding the management of situations where there are potential conflicts of interest. I voted in favour.

. – The CAP has provided tools and resources to support the forestry sector and should continue to do so in the post-2020 CAP. However, there are some measures that are used against this aim. Something peculiar is happening, in my country, many farmers are not keen on growing forest on their land, because they are losing the European subsidies for pasture and hayfields. I think we have to rethink this policy, to think of eco-schemes dedicated to forests, both for pillar one for subsidies and for pillar two, so as to encourage people to plant more trees, and not the opposite. I voted in favour.

. – We have to make sure the EU remains a community of values. The EU should be at the forefront of defending the rule of law and should use all its tools to defend democracy, freedom of speech, and respect for the rule of law. Renew Europe defends free speech and the free press. We call for strong and comprehensive mechanisms to protect and strengthen freedom of speech, the freedom of the media and enhance the protection of journalists. We can’t talk about rule of law without a proper independence of the judicial system, including a properly functioning General Prosecutor’s Office.

. – This report aims to analyse the main regulatory challenges regarding the development and extension of digital finance at EU level. We need a framework for crypto-assets, namely the adoption of a common definition of crypto-assets, an appropriate classification, a common approach to cyber resilience of the financial sector. There is also a need for strengthening information sharing and coordination between regulatory and supervisory authorities and for an appropriate management of data in the financial sector.

. – The capital markets union is an EU initiative which aims to deepen and further integrate the capital market of EU Member States. The capital markets union aims to provide new sources of funding for businesses, especially SMEs, at the same time reducing the cost of raising capital. I voted in favour of this report. I believe that there is a need for a further integration and improvement of European capital markets to make them as competitive, and resilient as possible, especially also in the context of Brexit. I think MiFID II should be revisited to include incentives for research on investment in SMEs.

The Internet has been a major driver of economic growth. Search engines, e-commerce websites sites, social media sites, ad networks, and payment processors are nowadays playing a vital role in our society and economy.How to regulate those platforms and how to maintain a free and open internet are legitimate questions. The report calls for a tailored regulatory approach to address the differences existing between online and offline and the diversity of actors and services. Illegal content online and cyber-crimes should be tackled based on the same principles as illegal content and crimes offline. Moreover, there should be a common regulatory framework regarding how to address and remove illegal content online, including via a harmonized procedure.I voted in favor.

I endorsed this report. Deforestation is happening worldwide at an increasing rate. Consumers need to be informed about the products they buy, if they are the result of this process or not. As a first step, the Commission should propose legislation that would bring transparency into supply chains and establish clear rules for buying or selling commodities that are the result or can lead to deforestation. Commodities being put on the Union market should include sustainability criteria and human rights protection that go beyond those that are imposed in the country of origin. Commodities should not have originated from areas that can be classified as natural forests or natural ecosystems.

I endorsed this report. Our message is that we need European agriculture with simplified procedures and fewer rules for a market-oriented sector. The proposal includes measures to improve the current system of vine replanting authorizations and the School's scheme for fruit, vegetables, milk, and dairy products.

The Common Agricultural Policy is one of the EU’s oldest and most important European policies.The Commission proposal introduces a new delivery model under which Member states will be able to tailor their programmes. Member states will have to draw up a Strategic Plan covering the whole period, setting out how it intends to the objectives, using both in the area of direct payments and rural development. This means more responsibility for the Member States.The Commission will approve each plan, and monitor progress towards objectives and targets using a set of result indicators agreed at EU level.The changes to the Common Agricultural Policy bring new obligations and incentives for farmers in the field of environment and climate action, encourage organic farming by supporting small and medium-sized farms, and provide protection to seasonal workers in agriculture by making the payment of the subsidy to farms conditioned by respect for workers' rights. I voted in favour.

I voted in favor of this report, one of the most important features introduced is a new complaint mechanism. Those who receive European funds for rural development will have a direct line with the European Commission for unresolved issues in the country. Beneficiaries who consider that they have been wronged in any way in matters related to the development of projects, the settlement of expenses, or even in the process of public tenders, will be able to file complaints directly to the European Commission.