Roberta METSOLA, EP President, opens the plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels with an introductory statement on the lift of the covid-19 restrictions in the Chamber and on the Russian aggression of Ukraine.

EU - Ukraine (T)

Brussels

statement

plenary session

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

EU's response to covid-19 (T)

Resumption of session and order of business: introductory remarks by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Dear colleagues, I am pleased to see you all back in this chamber after almost two years of hybrid sessions, can I ask you to take your seats? We have a very heavy agenda ahead of us.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, So as you know, dear colleagues, at the peak of the pandemic, this house continued with its work in a new setting under modified rules. To date, we have successfully concluded over 180 legislative files. We have lived up to the expectations and served our citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Now, as the overall health situation is improving, we are gradually lifting our special arrangements. Reopening this Parliament, as we have seen this week with so much activity to our citizens.

 Of course, lessons from the pandemic will be drawn and in the three upcoming pot sessions, we will be testing some recommendations of the focus groups that were tasked by our late presidents are solely to rethink parliamentary democracy, and our reforms will not stop there.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This Parliament is constantly evolving just as the world around us is, and it is timely that during this session, in full presence, we will vote on the cohesive action for refugees in Europe to assist those persons, humans, individual citizens fleeing Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Later today at 17:30, we will have the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr Justin Trudeau, addressing the House. I encourage you all to be here for the debate. Our teams are currently negotiating more than 40 legislative files with the Commission and the Council, and I welcome the president of the Commission and the president of the European Council here, but this is just the beginning.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Over the coming weeks and months, our legislative activities will further intensify, and I know I can count on your dedication to get our work done. I also want to welcome our former president, Mr. Pat Cox, who is with us in the gallery today. He will be participating, so he will be participating in the solidaridad days with Ukraine. And I would like to thank you for joining our efforts to stop Russia's brutal invasion.