GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Commissioner, first of all I should like to give Mr Parish my thanks, congratulations and support for his report. In these times when the younger generation can see that the quality of life is no longer closely linked to industrialisation and cities and large commercial centres, we have the obligation in the Union to encourage and help the younger generation to take over from the older so that the cycle of life and people in agriculture may be completed by means of new Community initiatives that have the young farmer as their priority objective. We must put into practice the principles and actions proposed in this own-initiative report so as to make rural life more attractive to young people, thus preventing depopulation of the countryside. This social group is the future basis of the Common Agricultural Policy; we have to increase installation aids and supplementary investment grants for this group, particularly in those structurally less-favoured areas where abandoned holdings and deserted villages are common, where young people can revive the rural economy. All this will be thanks to the development of new products of regional interest, such as agro-tourism and rural tourism, or through repopulating these natural spaces with animal and plant species, contributing to the sustainable and lasting development of the area.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, the issue of Colombia is something that really has not been properly addressed in the European Union. Even the Red Cross is leaving there because neither the paramilitaries nor guerrillas respect international humanitarian law. This highlights that the wrong approach has been taken in relation to Colombia. Signing peace agreements is all very well, but first and foremost we have to have respect for humanitarian law. That is not happening there. Not so very long ago there was a resolution on the situation of the peace community in San José de Apartado. That was less than a month ago. Since then the situation has got even worse for the community there. At the very least five people have been killed. We have to address the role that the paramilitaries are playing and also the role that the state is playing in this. It really is not acceptable that people are being persecuted out of their homes, out of their land and that the world is standing idly by and letting this happen. The state involvement has to be addressed as well.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, first of all, my compliments on the report by Mr Della Vedova: it is a good one. I share his objections to the highly unusual procedure that has been followed here for holding in this House a debate on competition policy. In my opinion, a debate on such an important part of Community law should be carried out through the front rather than the back door. The Commission has undertaken a substantial revision of competition policy, but unfortunately not all its changes are for the better. As rapporteur on merger control, I have already stated my opinion that it is wrong to force the Commission’s powers of investigation under the Regulation on merger control into line with those pursuant to the Regulations on cartels. Mergers are not punishable in themselves, but the formation of cartels is. I hope that the Commission will yet consider reversing this decision. The Commission’s persistence in shifting from the market dominance test to the ‘substantial lessening of competition’ (SLC) test, too, against Parliament’s advice, is most regrettable. The market also needs clear competition legislation and a reduction in administrative burdens. Prior impact assessment of new legislation is a very important means to this end. Looking at the impact that the Regulation on distribution is currently having on the motor vehicle sector in the Netherlands, I can see developments towards the dominance of certain parties, particularly the importers. Of course, that was surely not the intention, and this is why prior impact assessments are potentially very important. I am currently working on a report on institutionalised impact assessments for European legislation, and I am assuming that the Commission will also subject competition legislation to an impact assessment in the future. In view of the imminent enlargement, it is most important for the Commission to examine state aid in the acceding countries and to make it transparent. I have heard reports that, in certain sectors in the acceding countries – the Czech banking sector, for example – the levels of state aid entered in the State Aid Scoreboard are incorrect and should be adjusted upwards. I hope that the Commission can shed some light on the course of action it intends to take if it emerges that candidate countries have given it incorrect information on the state aid they have granted. Finally, Mr President, I can tell you that I do not endorse the amendments tabled by the Group of the . The modifications that they propose relate to policy areas that are not covered by the Commission’s competition policy. These proposals would result in confusion and legal uncertainty.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the issue of the financial participation of employees in companies is a matter of intense debate. Recent events relating to the collapse of various companies that had systems of employee participation in capital demonstrate the potential risks linked to this system. The case of Enron and others like it show how crucial it is to study the consequences of applying existing systems, to look more closely at the various alternatives for participation, whether they are associated with pension plans or linked to participation in capital, profits or share options. Previous experiences not only warn us of the risks but also raise many doubts about the incentive that employee participation schemes might provide for job creation and about the dangers of these being used in order to get around labour legislation and to call into question workers’ rights, specifically in the field of pay, work organisation and hours, equal opportunities for men and women and maternity and paternity rights. We must all bear in mind the increasing volatility of the financial markets. Applying the private profit approach to the financial resources of national pension systems and, to some extent, the salaries and savings of employees, which is what the financial participation of employees entails, means increasing the risk of financial crises and the socio-economic consequences of these, as the rapporteur in fact states: it means putting employees at a dual risk because in the event of the company’s bankruptcy they will lose both their job and the value of their shares. There are obviously various types of financial participation that could generate management schemes. The discussion is not, however, about the ‘how’ but more about the basic ‘aim’ of the proposal. We cannot allow it to be used to interfere in the process of setting salaries and to exert pressure for making the labour market more flexible. Our fellow Member Mr Menrad has sought to establish some rules, specifically on collective bargaining, arguing that pay increases should not be conducted at the same time as negotiations on financial participation or even that employee participation must be an additional element and must not replace the normal salary or other pay components such as pension schemes. The option of signing up to participation schemes must clearly always be voluntary and never lead to discrimination between employees or call into question other forms of participation in company life, particularly in the field of union activity.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Madam President, at the beginning of the last parliamentary term, and as the result of a misunderstanding, there was a public incident between myself and Mrs Díez de Rivera. I am not going to comment on her political career for you have just done that admirably, but I must highlight, in public before this House, her human qualities, her personal values, her dignity and the fortitude and courage with which she faced her illness right to the very end. I must also emphasise what she did to overcome a difficult situation between us which ended in a warm and loyal friendship which allowed us to sign initiatives together before this House. I now feel proud to have been able to put my signature next to hers on those initiatives adopted by this House. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, co-operation in the field of law is without doubt essential in free market Europe, but it must hinge on the strictest respect for those principles which lie at the very heart of our civilisation: the fundamental human rights and freedoms, laid down in the European Convention on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We can but thank the parliamentary committees, which have – via the introduction of numerous amendments – made far-reaching modifications aimed at providing guarantees to a report which, in its initial format, we did not find at all convincing. I turn to Mr Schulz in confirming that we always submit amendments not on a personal basis or for personal motives, but in connection with general political concerns. If it is then a question of listing the areas investigated or researching these, they can be found with the rapporteurs, among them the author of the report on this convention. I thus believe that Mr Schulz could have spared himself the effort of making certain remarks. As I have said, numerous amendments have been incorporated which guarantee the rights of the defence – I am thinking here of the obligation for interceptions to be requested by a judge – or the prohibition on holding both an investigative and a judicial mandate as part of a joint investigation team. In brief, this Parliament wanted the convention to apply solely to criminal matters; the restrictions on freedom and on fundamental rights set out in the convention can but be limited to criminal matters. We need hard and fast rules. The Council has behaved in an unseemly manner, changing tack in mid-course, and is nowhere to be seen. We would, on the other hand, like to thank Commissioner Vitorino for attending the debate held in this Chamber. As I have said, we need hard and fast rules if we are to have fair trials in Europe – without intrusion from interceptions, without the illicit use of video conferences – because we in Europe should no longer have trials run by magistrates who play politics rather than administer justice, and because punishment should be meted out to the real perpetrators of crime and not to innocent people who someone finds inconvenient.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the gap with the poorest countries is widening instead of narrowing. Over the past decade, aid to developing countries has fallen by 24% and that to the poorest by as much as 45%. This is absolutely unacceptable. The UN Conference is pointless if it remains bogged down in fine promises and vague declarations. The poorest countries only benefit from concrete and binding agreements. Trade concessions on their own are not sufficient. The rich countries must ease their burden of debt by a substantial amount. Repayment means that in many countries, any form of development is frustrated even before it gets off the ground. It is of the utmost importance that we should pursue a separate discharge policy for each developing country individually. It is entirely reasonable to prescribe conditions in our debt and aid policy with regard to the fight against poverty, sound administration and sound management of public finance. Debt relief has no meaning if debts keep mounting up. The European Commission’s policy should therefore be aimed at developing capacity and sensible financial management. Only then can countries develop education and health care; only then can investments be stimulated. In many of the poorest developing countries, power, as well as available resources, are very badly distributed. If political and economic power are not distinctly separated, only corruption can reign supreme. It is hopeless to fight poverty if countries remain trapped in violent conflict. Let us call a spade a spade: tyranny and unbounded greed on the part of irresponsible leaders are just as important in terms of causing inadequate development as is a drop in aid. The chasm between rich and poor can only be bridged if our aid effort is stepped up considerably and if the countries are better governed.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, I would like to make it clear to the President-in-Office of the Council that it is not permitted in all States for governments of the constitutional regions to participate in the meetings of the Council of Ministers and, therefore, we are unrepresented, as is the case with the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. I believe that this is a genuine problem for Europe and we must deal with it. We cannot be taking decisions in the European fora on competences which the laws attribute to regions which are not present to defend them.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I was driving along the Brescia-Bergamo-Milan motorway with my friend, Ugo Gustinetti, who has been an articulated lorry driver all his life. It was Sunday, there were no cars on the road, only articulated lorries and trucks, and Ugo said to me, ‘How nice it is to travel on Sunday without all the holiday traffic! I am really enjoying my job, and you know why? Because the European Parliament has adopted a directive by Mr Savary, who, in his wisdom – suggested even by his name – has laid down that work must come before play on Saturdays and Sundays. In other words, articulated lorries have priority on the roads and holiday-makers are not allowed to travel.’ Was I dreaming, Mr President?

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, I am not going to repeat what has already been said, and said very well, and with very laudable intentions. Rather, I am going to try to talk about facts. I think the facts, today, are simple. The facts are access to treatment and patient care. UNAIDS itself acknowledges the ineffectiveness of the programme announced by the pharmaceutical laboratories, which were only trying to improve their image, in fact, and are now withdrawing when it comes to genuine negotiation of a reduction in the price of treatment. The issue is no longer donations of medication, necessarily limited in time and subject to the selective interests of the laboratories, but adapting treatment price to purchasing power in the developing countries. The European Union must urge the pharmaceutical multinationals to grant voluntary licences, a first step towards access to treatment for the deprived populations. If that is not done, the European Union should impose respect for the agreements in case of medical emergency, and require the granting of compulsory licences, which would finally mitigate the problem of the price of treatment. I think the agony of a whole continent takes precedence over special interests.

Political group: Verts-ALE
I have a very specific question: When will the treatment of waste water in Brussels comply with the legislation?

Political group: PPE-DE
I would like to thank my colleague, Mrs Ludford, for tabling this question. I would like to ask the Commissioner to expand on a genuine cross-border problem in the theft of mobile phones: their extensive use in a form of carousel fraud on the VAT authorities in different Member States. This is being used by sophisticated organised criminals and is therefore something that, I hope, he will be taking a serious interest in. The issue of using the IMEI numbers is clearly a first step, in that bulk transactions of mobile phones should only be authorised if the IMEI numbers are checked to make sure those phones have not already been subject to a previous fraudulent transaction. Second, I suggest that measures should be taken that would allow VAT on mobile phones to be paid directly to the tax authorities so that criminals cannot get their hands on the proceeds. Finally, I am happy to send the Commissioner documentation from a major mobile phone trader in my region. This undertaking is being discriminated against by the German VAT authorities. This is actively discouraging legitimate business and will simply be handing this business to fraudulent traders. I hope that he will be able, with the assistance of DG Tax, to take some serious action to stop the German authorities penalising legitimate trade in this area.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, first of all I would like to congratulate the rapporteur on this report which not only highlights the importance of the Structural Funds but also a series of problems. I would firstly likely to remind you that the objective of the Funds is to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union and that, while it is true that the GDP per capita in the regions with the lowest rate increased by 9% between 1986 and 1996, over the same period the income per capita in the four poorest countries rose by 8%. Nevertheless, the difference when compared to the 25 richest regions continues to be the same: two and a half times. These figures should lead us to consider the fact that, while the level and quality of life in the poorest regions is increasing, we have not managed to reduce the disparities between the richest and the poorest regions of the European Union. A second factor is that only 10% of the interventions from the Funds correspond to local development measures, despite the fact that most population and poverty is found in urban centres. To this data we must also add a factor which will distort the statistics and will change the landscape of the European Union in the next few years, i.e. the incorporation of the new Member States. All of these issues point to the need for a series of criteria to be taken into account in the future. Firstly, we must leave room for prioritising the interventions relating to urban development. Secondly, we need to develop policies which will reduce the disparities between the richest countries and the poorest countries. Thirdly, we must show greater sensitivity towards phenomena which have been ignored in the European Union, such as insularity and isolation. Lastly, we must take account of all sections of the population with the real objective of creating ever more employment, especially in the least-favoured regions.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, it is not a point about the Minutes but about the problem that was mentioned in the Minutes. It does seem to me that the difficulties that many of us had yesterday were to do with the fact that the Vice-President in the chair was too quick to close the vote. And people who had their fingers on the button discovered that it was not registering. Could the President and the Vice-President take careful note and discuss with the sessional services the need for a reasonable space between calling the vote and counting it. (The Minutes were approved) ***

Political group: Verts-ALE
The ban will remain because new GMO approvals are not acceptable until an adequate EU biosafety framework has been completed and been implemented by all Member States. Such approvals would, in fact, contravene the precautionary principle to which the new directive makes explicit reference and they would put the environment and consumers' health at risk. The Member States should resist any attempts to lift the de facto moratorium by ‘gentleman's agreements’ with biotech companies. Due to Green efforts, the new directive will also require all locations of GMO releases to be recorded in a public register. It will also ensure new and higher safety standards for the protection of the environment and human health, it is based on a broadened risk assessment approach and introduces new concepts of traceability and monitoring which might help to identify and remedy adverse effects of GMOs at an earlier stage. However, elements of this framework, the traceability and labelling of GMOs and their derivatives, the liability for damage caused by GMOs and the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety have not yet been addressed through any legislation. To vote in favour of the directive would be like buying a pig in a poke. More than 6 000 hectares of farmland in four Member States of the European Union were sown last year with oilseed rape varieties contaminated by genetically modified plants. Under the directive Member States are required to terminate such unauthorised releases.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, as you will see there are very few people here. The situation was the same last month. I made the suggestion last month that we could use the additional two or three hours on Monday evening for debate so that Members could attend this vote as well. Could you tell me if that suggestion has been looked into and what the response of the Bureau or the Conference of Presidents was?

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, thank you for your contributions. In actual fact, this is not perhaps the best time for this discussion. It would have been better either to have adopted a resolution before the assembly on ageing that is taking place right now under the auspices of the UN and so have been able to influence it, or else perhaps to have adopted a resolution subsequently once we had been able to assess the assembly’s conclusions. However, it is encouraging that the European Parliament is so unified in its view of ageing. All too often, we see ageing as a problem. I, for my part, cannot see it as a problem that people live longer and are more and more healthy at ever more advanced ages. Rather, it is very encouraging and an asset to our societies. However, we in the Member States of the EU are very bad at making use of the skills possessed by the older portion of the population, particularly in the world of work. In the majority of the Member States, the formal pensionable age is approximately 65 while the actual pensionable age is very much lower. People are thrown out of work for a variety of reasons. It is the result of discrimination against older people, something which does in actual fact occur and must be got to grips with, as to some extent it has been. It is also the result of poor working environments that cause people to become exhausted before their time. Last but not least, it has to do with the fact that, in our knowledge-based society where it is increasingly important to develop one’s skills and engage in lifelong learning, older people are not given the opportunity to do just that. If they were to be given that opportunity, there would also be a very much greater opportunity to make use of their skills. It is important that we retain the European social model, that is to say a social security system with high-quality, developed health care and medical services. This is crucial, especially for the most elderly people of all who have a great need for health care and medical treatment. In the future, the need will become greater because women, who have previously assumed responsibility for providing a large part of that care, have now entered the labour market and will continue to do so to an ever-greater degree. This demands even more of society in terms of developing resources so that the elderly receive dignified care when they become really old and have greatest need of it. We must also adopt a global perspective, as the Commission has done. It is important that we monitor developments beyond our borders and try to form a global strategy covering the status of the elderly throughout the world.

Political group: PSE