9.ª legislatura Costas MAVRIDES

I stand in favour of this Regulation that works towards establishing the Strategic Technologies for European Platform (‘STEP’), acting as structural answer to the investment needs of its industries. The EU industry has proven its inbuilt resilience but is being challenged. High inflation, labour shortages, rising interest rates, and spikes in energy costs are weighing on the competitiveness of the EU industry. The EU has already put forward several initiatives to support its industry, such as the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
While these solutions provide fast and targeted support, the EU needs a more structural answer to the investment needs of its industries, through STEP. It will work to better channel the existing EU funds towards critical investments (including non-bankable investments) while supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies, and preserving a level playing field in the single market.

I stand in favour of this directive that aims on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings.
Manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings against public participation (commonly referred to also as strategic lawsuits against public participation or ‘SLAPPs’) are a recent but increasingly prevalent phenomenon in the European Union. They are a particularly harmful form of harassment and intimidation used against those involved in protecting the public interest. Their purpose is to censor, intimidate and silence critics (often journalists and human rights defenders) by burdening them with the cost of a legal defence until they abandon their criticism or opposition.
A healthy and thriving democracy requires that citizens are able to participate actively in public debate without undue interference by public authorities or other powerful interests. In order to secure meaningful participation, citizens must be able to access reliable information, which enables them to form their own opinions and exercise their own judgement in a public space in which different views can be expressed freely.

I stand in favour of the above motion, which aims to eradicate the huge discrimination and social isolation that Roma children face in education.
More precisely, Roma pupils, forming part of the biggest EU ethnic minority, remain seriously discriminated and prejudiced against at all levels of education. This educational segregation takes different forms, including the attendance of disproportionate numbers of Roma children in special schools for children with mental disabilities, segregated classes or sections for Roma pupils within mixed mainstream schools.
These, in combination with the lack of political will and the failure of several Member States like Hungary and Slovakia to address effectively and overcome inequalities and their root causes, make the situation even worse.
We need to address the situation of Roma children in education in a comprehensive and effective manner, with appropriate short and long-term policies, supported by sufficient EU and national funding. Similarly, Member States should eradicate practices of continued segregation of Roma children, implement comprehensive desegregation strategies with clear targets, and promote the adoption of inclusive learning methods.