Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, officially opens the plenary session giving a statement on the recent floods in Central and Eastern Europe in Strasbourg. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

natural disasters (T)

president's agenda

Resumption of session and order of business: Statement by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, on the recent floods in Central and Eastern Europe

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Dear colleagues, welcome back. We are back to Strasbourg, and we started this plenary session. I have a few announcements before we go to the agenda. So, over the last two days, we have witnessed the consequences of extreme weather and flooding in Poland, Hungary, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany, which have been devastating as all the brutal impacts of major wildfires in Portugal.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We have seen stories of heartache and loss of courage under pressure of survival and hardship. I know that all our thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones, their homes and those missing with the first responders and with all those still battling.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, This is a moment for European solidarity of coming together to play our respective parts however we can. In the worst of times, our people need to see the best of Europe. On behalf of the European Parliament, let me underline that we will continue to do whatever is necessary to help.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, The leaders of the political groups have just agreed to hold a debate in this chamber on Wednesday in order to assess the European Union's readiness to provide immediate, crucial assistance, to provide such assistance to the countries and the regions affected by these catastrophic incidents. When people look to the European Union, they will find us ready.