Verbatim report of proceedings of 18 October 2023

Table of Contents

• VERBATIM REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF 18 OCTOBER 2023 (C/2024/6172) 1
• 1. Opening of the sitting 4
• 2. The despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, Israel's right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law and the humanitarian situation in Gaza (debate) 4
• 3. Composition of political groups 35
• 4. Composition of Parliament's political bodies 36
• 5. Welcome 36
• 6. Preparation of the European Council meeting of 26-27 October 2023 (debate) 36
• 7. Resumption of the sitting 48
• 8. Welcome 48
• 9. Voting time 49
• 9.1. Election of a Vice-President of the European Parliament (to replace Michal Šimečka) (vote) 49
• 9.2. Election of a Quaestor of the European Parliament (to replace Christophe Hansen) (vote) 49
• 10. Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading (Rule 71) (action taken) 50
• 11. Voting time (continuation) 50
• 11.1. Draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - all sections (vote) 50
• 11.2. General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - all sections (A9-0288/2023 - Siegfried Mureșan, Nils Ušakovs) (vote) 51
• 11.3. Draft amending budget No 3/2023: Update of revenue (own resources) and other technical adjustments (A9-0287/2023 - Fabienne Keller) (vote) 51
• 11.4. Objection pursuant to Rule 111(3): Additional technical screening criteria (B9-0431/2023) (vote) 51
• 11.5. Objection pursuant to Rule 111(3): European Sustainability Reporting Standards (B9-0426/2023) (vote) 51
• 11.6. 2022 Report on Montenegro (A9-0277/2023 - Tonino Picula) (vote) 52
• 11.7. Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure (A9-0025/2023 - Matjaž Nemec) (vote) 52
• 11.8. Schengen area: amending the Visa Sticker Regulation (A9-0268/2023 - Matjaž Nemec) (vote) 52
• 12. Resumption of the sitting 52
• 13. Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting 52
• 14. A true geopolitical Europe now (topical debate) 53
• 15. Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2022 (debate) 77
• 16. Outcome of the SDGs Summit (18-19 September 2023, New York) – transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030 and beyond (debate) 90
• 17. Rule of Law in Malta: 6 years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the need to protect journalists (debate) 101
• 18. Composition of Parliament 114
• 19. Composition of committees and delegations 114
• 20. Fighting disinformation and dissemination of illegal content in the context of the Digital Services Act and in times of conflict (debate) 115
• 21. Mental health at work (debate) 133
• 22. New European innovation agenda (debate) 145
• 23. Islamist terrorist attack on French schools and the need to protect people and promote social cohesion (debate) 152
• 24. Explanations of vote 163
• 24.1. General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - all sections (A9-0288/2023 - Siegfried Mureșan, Nils Ušakovs) 163
• 24.2. 2022 Report on Montenegro (A9-0277/2023 - Tonino Picula) 163
• 24.3. Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure (A9-0025/2023 - Matjaž Nemec) 164
• 25. Agenda of the next sitting 164
• 26. Approval of the minutes of the sitting 164
• 27. Closure of the sitting 164