GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
After 25 years of the Equal Pay Directive, there are still differences between women’s and men’s pay. It is estimated that 15 per cent of this difference in pay is due to gender and not to other factors such as seniority, management responsibility and such like. The principle of equal pay for work of equal value has therefore still not made itself felt. An extra effort must therefore be made to ensure that it is the job and the responsibilities, and not the individual’s gender, which decide how much he or she is paid. We support the report, which we believe contains a number of sensible recommendations. We wish to emphasise that, if unfair differences in pay are to be successfully stamped out, greater openness and transparency must be ensured in the way in which pay is determined. We also want to emphasise that individual countries must make sure they have reasonable conditions for women’s participation in the labour market (child care facilities etc), if the goal of equal pay for work of equal value is to be achieved.

Political group: PSE
The Danish Social Democrats have voted in favour of the motion for a resolution from the Group of the on the Cologne European Council Meeting because we found the main content to be sound. However, we wish to draw attention to three points on which we do not share the group's position. These are: 1.The points concerning an EU defence policy, since Denmark has a reservation in this matter. 2.The point concerning the statute for European parliamentarians. We abstained from voting on this point, since the European Parliament's proposal for a statute is unsatisfactory. 3.The point concerning the next Intergovernmental Conference, since we consider that the Conference should only cover enlargement and not be hampered by extensive reforms.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I extend my heartiest congratulations to Mrs Rothe for her exemplary work with colleagues in Parliament as well as with the Council and the Commission. She and Mrs Ayuso González have both expressed certain disappointment at the result, but I would say to Mrs Rothe that she should feel relief that what looked possible at one time has not come about. She has made considerable progress. It is eminently sensible to promote renewable energy because it enables us to fulfil our environmental objectives, creates jobs and ensures security of supply. The items enumerated by Mrs Rothe are targets, not yet mandatory. But I am pleased that we have the fall-back position should Member States fail in their duty. There is a definition which excludes the use of municipal waste, gives permission for successful support mechanisms to continue and thereby boosts investor confidence. My own country, the United Kingdom – the windiest country in Europe – has some lessons to learn from work in other countries. We need other measures as well as this directive. I know the Commissioner would agree on the need for a framework for energy support. We need research and development in the Sixth Framework Programme. We need to look at the single market to ensure that it does not contradict the aims of this directive and we need to make sure that renewables take their full place when we consider the Security of Supply Green Paper. Congratulations again to Mrs Rothe. I very much look forward to a positive result tomorrow.

Political group: PSE
Conservative MEPs support cooperation on issues of transnational organised crime on an intergovernmental basis within the framework of the UN. However, we cannot support the growing trend for harmonisation of criminal law at a European level as this is unnecessary and impractical. Because of this, we will abstain on this report.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I would like to start by telling Mr Posselt that my group voted against reducing the number of topical and urgent debates. Moreover, I believe that it was practically the only group to do so, for his group certainly acted differently. In any case, what I wanted to say with regard to North Korea is that, as I said just now, we believe it is important that this House should hold a debate and issue a statement on the withdrawal of North Korea from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and that the Council and the Commission should also issue statements. This is why we asked for the item to be included on the agenda of the Brussels part-session. (Protests from Mr Gollnisch) (Parliament agreed to the request) (continued protests from Mr Gollnisch) President. – Mr Gollnisch, would you please be quiet, otherwise I will have to ask for you to be removed from the Chamber. There is no change to Thursday's agenda in Brussels. (continued protests from Mr Gollnisch) Thank you Mr Gollnisch!(1)

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, we are dealing here with the applicability of the Directive to agreements relating to small amounts of credit or those covering particularly large amounts. The Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party has tabled an amendment proposing that the coverage threshold for microcredits be drawn at EUR 500. I should like to combine this amendment with Amendment No 175, tabled by the Group of the European Socialists with a view to setting an upper limit of EUR 100 000. That would be a sensible joint solution. If it secures a large majority, there is a good chance that it will serve as the basis for further deliberations within the Council.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, two weeks ago Mr Tannock asked you to rule on the status of the STOA report on inedibles in foodstuffs after the STOA Panel voted not to publish it. Can I remind you that the STOA articles of association state that there should not be votes on research projects from that committee which have been commissioned by this Parliament. 'The results ... shall not be adopted, nor voted upon, nor be regarded as a STOA or Parliamentary report.' What are we to tell our constituents who ask for research before reassurance, wherever it leads? What steps will you take to ensure that this report, whether it is troubling or mundane, becomes the property of us all and cannot be expunged by a powerful lobby?

Political group: PSE
Is the Council aware that only in the last few days there has been a further crackdown on the activities of human rights organisations in Aceh. For example, they are now forbidden to talk to the press and to make statements. If the Council is aware of this, what will it be doing about it? Will the Council make contact with the Indonesian authorities? Effectively it is becoming more and more difficult to find out what is happening and whether human rights are being abused as we sit here today in this Chamber.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, my report is about the European Coal and Steel Community and how that fits in with Mrs Stauner's report and the discharge. We have decided to give the discharge on three conditions, and the conditions are clearly spelt out. We hope that by 15 August those concerned will give us the information that is requested. What I find extraordinary is that EUR 2 billion are being managed by this vestige – the last remainder of the European Coal and Steel Community, which, of course, was very important historically but is not important any more. It is being wound up and it is remarkable that such an instrument should continue with that budget and 145 staff. I believe such an instrument should be wound up as quickly as possible so that it is incorporated in perhaps a reformed European Investment Bank: a European Investment Bank that is transparent and accountable. Such investments can and should be made by professional banks rather than the little outfit that we have at the moment. The number of people employed for the amount of money being invested is again quite disproportionate. I am hoping that this can be wound up speedily and incorporated in either the EIB or the European Investment Fund, because that would be a better way of using the money and resources. This is for the social and research fund, but again these objectives could be better addressed by a bank that would ask other banks to manage investments so that we have the highest return. I hope that the three conditions, the conditional discharge and the obligations on those concerned to address these conditions will be taken seriously. Far too often in the past we have found that promises have been made and not kept. So I hope that the answers will be given to Parliament and to the Committee on Budgetary Control. I think that is about all I need to say. On that basis I recommend to this House a discharge.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, if the Council is to maintain the text, the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market was unanimous in wishing to reject this proposal, both for technical and political reasons. It is possible for Parliament to vote to finally reject the text, rather than refer the matter back to committee. I do not think that the committee will change its mind, for technical and political reasons. If the Council is not good enough to be here then we should finally reject it now. (Parliament agreed to close the procedure.) *** Report (A5-0275/2003) by Maurizio Turco, on behalf of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, on the initiative by the Hellenic Republic with a view to adopting a Council Framework Decision concerning the application of the 'ne bis in idem' principle (7246/2003 – C5-0165/2003 – 2003/0811(CNS)) (Parliament adopted the text) *** Report (A5-0256/2003) by Klaus-Heiner Lehne, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market, on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – A more coherent European contract law – An action plan (COM(2003) 68 C5-0210-2003 – 2003/2093(INI)) (Parliament adopted the text) *** Report (A5-0263/2003) by Ingo Schmitt, on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation on the negotiation and implementation of air service agreements between Member States and third countries (COM(2003) 94 – C5-0065/2003 – 2003/0044(COD)) (Parliament adopted the legislative resolution) *** Report (A5-0254/2003) by Mark Watts, on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, on the proposal for a Council decision concluding an agreement on maritime transport between the European Community and the People's Republic of China (6049/1/2003 REV1 – COM(2002) 97 – C5-0062/2003 – 2002/0048(CNS)) (Parliament adopted the legislative resolution) *** Report (A5-0258/2003) by Alexander Radwan, on behalf of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on the adequacy of banks' own funds (Basel II) (2001/2257(INI)) (Parliament adopted the resolution) *** Report (A5-0267/2003) by Emmanouil Mastorakis, on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, on the communication from the Commission 'Second progress report on economic and social cohesion: regional trends, debate on future developments' (COM(2003) 34 – 2003/2095(INI)) (Parliament adopted the resolution) *** Report (A5-0188/2003) by José Javier Pomés Ruiz, on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, on structurally disadvantaged regions (islands, mountain regions, regions with low population density) in the context of cohesion policy, and their institutional prospects (2002/2119(INI)) Before the vote on Amendment No 9:

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, I would like to start by thanking the rapporteur, Mr van Velzen, who has worked so hard and with his customary thoroughness to get us to the stage of this compromise. I particularly want to draw attention to some things that are in the compromise and some things that, quite properly, are no longer there. Firstly, I draw attention to the special needs of the trading bodies that apply particularly in the United Kingdom, such as the Meteorological Office, the Ordnance Survey and the British Geological Survey, which, unless they had been protected with the ability to get a reasonable return on investment, would have had their own work and their own positions seriously jeopardised. I am grateful to the rapporteur for the way in which he has accommodated this. Secondly, the cost calculation method is included in the criteria. That is important for all sorts of people and organisations which, we hope, will make use of the ability to re-use public sector documents. It is right that libraries, museums, universities and other archives, which would have been covered in the original proposal, are now excluded from the directive. Once we all realised what a serious disadvantage they would have, there was an agreement that such a proposal should no longer be included. When I took over as shadow rapporteur on this report, I did it with little knowledge of how interesting it would be and how, very soon, it would become apparent that the re-use of public sector documents would prove to be such an important economic motor. We can see the limited re-use which currently exists, how it can be extended and how important it is going to be, as the previous speaker said, in the Lisbon conclusions. I want to draw attention to just one other thing, namely the review of this directive, in which I hope this Parliament will be involved in future. One of the things that rightly concerns many of us is the extent to which this directive would encourage cross-border re-use. If we discover in our review period, when the Commission does this, that cross-border re-use has either not happened or been very limited, then we might well have to revisit some of the elements in this particular proposal. Otherwise, I commend to you Mr van Velzen's work and the compromise for which my group will happily vote. We look forward in the future to seeing how the fruits of this work are going to bring immediate benefits – long-term benefits, employment benefits and business benefits – to the citizens of the European Union.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, clearly the House will want to make its own decision on this very important issue but I should like to stress that at no point has the British Government not accepted that this is a crisis facing not just British farming and rural communities but potentially the whole of the farming industry in the European Union. However, the outbreak is not out of control, as the remarks by some people here might give the impression. Indeed, when Commissioner Byrne spoke in front of the House, he congratulated the UK Government on its swift, direct handling of this issue. Cooperation is continuing to take place between the British Government and the relevant authorities in the Commission and throughout the Union, to ensure that the outbreak is controlled, contained and eradicated as soon as possible.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, you have before you a joint motion for a resolution on the recent acts of violence perpetrated in Upper Egypt, in which more than 20 Egyptian citizens were killed. You may know that I am also the rapporteur on the association agreement between the European Union and Egypt. The negotiations on the technical files were completed last June and we should very soon be dealing with the finalised text. This agreement will, I hope, mark the advent of ever closer relations between Egypt, which is an essential force in the Middle East and the Mediterranean area, and the Union. The political situation has now reached a favourable point in the Middle East and I should like to stress this fact in order to place our action in the wider context. Through this resolution, the Parliament seeks to express its feelings about the events that have occurred but also to point out that it will be very vigilant with regard to the matter of human rights in the context of negotiations with our Mediterranean partners, as we are with all our partners. Our action has focused on protecting human rights and democracy, and I believe it is essential to show that we shall continue to take a hard line on these matters and encourage those who take steps in the right direction. It has not escaped the attention of this House that the Egyptian authorities reacted quickly, quite rightly, in order to undertake an on-the-spot enquiry and especially to organise aid for the victims of this violence. President Mubarak himself intervened at the height of the crisis. It is therefore quite clear, in my view, that this resolution should be considered as a positive sign and as encouragement on our part and I would ask all my colleagues to approve this text which is the result of a compromise. In this vein, I should like to thank those members who jointly signed this motion for the goodwill they showed in order to arrive at a joint text. I should like to conclude, Mr President, by saying that it is true that this text has evolved, what is more, in association with the Egyptian authorities, which is a very good omen.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I voted in favour of this Charter, not least because of the influence which our colleague, Ingo Friedrich, and Professor Herzog have exerted on its content. I would thank both of them for their magnificent efforts. Of course there are some things which I have to fault. There is no reference to God in the preamble, no clear definition of marriage and the family, no rejection of all forms of human cloning and no rights on native countries or ethnic groups. But it has to be said that this Charter is a step in the right direction. The achievement of the colleagues whom I named just now and others has been outstanding here. Hence our 'yes' in the hope that this is only a first step and that improvements can be made in the next few years.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, I must begin by congratulating Mrs Miguélez Ramos on her splendid report. I must also reiterate that I am in favour of the broadest interpretation of the concept of maritime security. Consequently, I welcome the fact that the regulation before us today does contain the preventive measures required to deal with potential risks of all kinds. Such measures should not apply only to passenger vessels. Ships transporting containers, chemical products, gases, oils or other hazardous cargoes must also be covered. It is now the first anniversary of the tragic incident involving the Prestige. That tanker ended up at the bottom of the sea, having caused the worst maritime pollution and environmental damage on record. Further, the thousands of individuals who demonstrated yet again last Sunday in Galicia believe that the scale of the damage was so great because those responsible at government level in Spain grossly mismanaged the crisis that arose on the vessel on 13 November. This all confirms the urgent need to put in place security plans to ensure future crises can be dealt with a minimum guarantee of success. It is also important to monitor application of the security measures and train teams through practical experience and simulations involving staff responsible for the safety of ships, ports and both international and domestic maritime transport. We shall support Mrs Miguélez Ramos’ report, because we believe there is an urgent need to adopt all possible measures to prevent further disasters like the one involving the Prestige.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Therapeutic cloning, which opens up new opportunities for the treatment of certain diseases, entails the destruction of embryos and, although it has been more researched (and is therefore more accessible) than other techniques, it is not the only one and is certainly not ideal. It would therefore be a mistake if legislators were so eager to give the green light to this technique that they gave up their obligation to pass robust legislation that would last for many years, which, in a field that is evolving so rapidly, is even more necessary. They should send the message to scientists and industry that they should choose to develop other techniques, some of which are as yet poorly developed and very costly, such as the use of adult cells, but where there is still plenty of room for research. We must not give up the fight to find techniques that have the advantages of human embryo work but without its ethical drawbacks. Furthermore, the creation of embryos by transferring cell nuclei would facilitate cloning for reproductive purposes, which is generally considered to be aberrant. Thus, at a legal level, I support the Europe-wide ban on the cloning of human embryos for both therapeutic and reproductive purposes. There should, however, be two exceptions to this ban: supernumerary embryos and the 64 available cell lines. Nevertheless, with regard to research funding, and especially in the context of the Sixth Framework Programme (the subject of the Caudron report), I believe priority should be given to the Community funding of research projects that provide for the use of adult stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, it is not the first time that NGOs and human rights organisations have sounded the alarm with regard to the human rights situation in Cameroon. They are referring to disappearances, extra-judicial executions, tortures, mass graves and overcrowded prisons. The special unit that controls banditry, in particular, is reported to indulge in the systematic violation of human rights. The UN Committee against Tortures called for the swift dissolution of this unit, with good reason, in fact. However, that is not enough, of course. Cameroon suffers from an enormously huge problem of lawlessness. We welcome the fact that the President, Mr Biya, set up an inquiry committee which led to the arrest of a number of suspected officers. It will take more than that, however, to restore the confidence in the rule of law, such as an independent inquiry into the disappearances and into the mass graves, and especially into punishing the guilty. Europe could help in this by making resources and expertise available to the legal system in Cameroon. Without wanting to let the Cameroon leaders off the hook, I would, by the by, like to draw your attention to one of the fundamental problems of Cameroon and, in fact, of large parts of Africa, namely the dramatic slump in the price of raw materials. Oxfam presented a report today in which it is assumed that the reduction in those prices of raw materials costs the developing countries more than the total amount that they receive in development aid. I would therefore urge the Council and Commission to take the recommendation of the Oxfam report seriously, and perhaps we can organise a debate on this issue before long. It is at any rate promising that the Belgian Presidency announced today that it wants to make Africa one of its priorities. We welcome this, and will give our full cooperation.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, you have just said that we will be starting at half past eleven tomorrow. That is a most unpleasant surprise because many of us have flights which we can only just make with the earlier voting time, the standard voting time here in the House. It is a huge problem, it is immensely difficult to find seats on other flights in the evening or even on the following day. I should therefore like to request that we either keep to a standard voting time or, if not, that we be given more notice. I should like to request that we keep to a standard voting time, i.e. eleven o’clock.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, when discussing the topical and urgent subjects of major importance, we usually vote in favour of including an item on Human Rights. I wrote to you when you first took up your post, just as I wrote to Mrs Fontaine, to suggest that, in our work, we use the terminology that we agreed to use in the Charter and that we should speak of ‘rights of the individual’. I am well aware that this terminology is not yet in use within in the United Nations. We must, however, set an example and we must speak of ‘rights of the individual’, as we did in the Charter and as, I hope, we can do within the institutions of the European Union.

Political group: PSE