. ‒ Recent terrorist attacks in Europe exposed the need for a strengthened Union which safeguards its citizens. I voted in favour of this proposal as it seeks to put in place updated EU-level legislation establishing minimum rules on the definition of terrorist offences, offences related to a terrorist group or terrorist activities, as well as penalties in this area.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

I did not support the report on the future of the EU since I do not believe that the proposal in the report will address properly the current challenges. Challenges like growth, jobs, security and migration require more than just an adjustment to the current institutional set-up.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

I did not support this report since some measures restrict significantly Member States sovereignty and competence on fiscal and financial issues. Such measures can be detrimental to small Member States that need control of their taxation policy to maintain a competitive edge which is necessary to maintain a level playing field in the single market due to disadvantages emerging from size, differences and country specificities.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

I voted in favour of this report since I believe that the growth of intelligent robots is going to have as profound an effect on our societies as the industrial revolution. We need to think urgently about the legal, ethical and societal ramifications of this new robotic revolution. This revolution can bring huge benefits to our societies as robotics can perform dangerous tasks which are currently done by humans, which leads to lower risk of car accidents by excluding human error and smarter energy consumption. We need to ensure that the robotic revolution does not bring about unemployment and widen the gap between the rich and poor in our societies.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

It is crucially important to recognise the importance of making the European Union a centre for global research, gaining critical mass and creating clusters of excellence and this why I welcome the Open Science approach and the role it plays in building a European knowledge economy, as it further stimulates the quality of research and its development in the European Union. I am in favour of this report and I believe that specific focus should be given to SMEs in this context, thus creating the necessary legislative and administrative framework to allow them to prosper.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

The European Structural and investment funds are the main public investment tool in the Member States. I am in favour of this report as maximising the impact of this investment tool is essential. We need to maximise the input of the ESIF in favour of jobs and growth and to really and truly have a European Cohesion policy to the benefit of our citizens.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

Aviation is a key industrial sector and economic driver in the European Union, making a major contribution to research and development, manufacturing and connectivity. I voted in favour of this report as the measures proposed seek to keep the EU sector globally competitive while contributing to cross-border mobility in the internal market. We need to ensure that any developments in the aviation sector safeguard our environment while safeguarding passenger rights and strong social protection.

Date issued: February 16, 2017

The ESI funds investments aim to contribute to reduce the economic, social and territorial disparities in the EU while helping to achieve EU2020 goals. They are often the main investment source of public investments and thus late implementation and delays negatively impact the achievement of these goals. I am in favour of this resolution as delayed implementation has led to significant reduction of payments, and thus a closer cooperation between the Member States and the European Commission is needed.

Date issued: February 16, 2017