kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
having said that a third country can obviously not enjoy the same benefits as an eu member state and the openness of our markets must directly correlate with the willingness of the uk to align with eu rules and standards.
it remains essential that the eu continues to stand united.
we need to maintain our high standards have clear rules on state aid and competition and strive for a fisheries agreement before the summer.
sad and even shocking. so you don't need to convince me that more needs to be done. now i'm going to restate that the commission and myself personally are committed to look at finding ways to end the illegal trade of cats and dogs.
i do believe that the new animal health law will address many of these issues. it does have compulsory registration finally of establishments breeding cats and dogs and we do now have if not all the necessary measures a great deal more necessary measures to help member states prevent and detect this unacceptable practice. but it is also important that we enforce the rules and i think we all need to understand that these are not being enforced.
all the stakeholders have an important role to play in this by developing guidelines and i was very interested and i agree that we need to also have more public awareness campaigns of this problem. the new official controls regulation provides far stronger penalties
and more tools to address online sales and i believe that by working together we can stop the illegal trade of companion animals.
it is a symbolic issue hence a political project too.
but if we want to see the euro as a global reserve currency and stand competition then we have to deal with the root of the problem and the root of the weaknesses that are mentioned in the report.
the long term stability of the euro as a currency depends on whether the european central bank can tackle the geographic differences and the structural nature of differences that persist between member states of the european union and that manifest themselves in extraordinary wage differences between old and new member states.
these imbalances have a detrimental social effect not only in growth and in competitiveness but in youth unemployment and in extreme labour migration across the european continent.
it's not a democracy and a trade agreement won't make it one overnight.
but the agreement will boost economic development.
it will lift people out of poverty and give them more rights and protection.
the new labour code especially protects vulnerable groups. unions will be allowed and freedom of assembly will follow.
increased transparency and international observation bear huge potential for better protection of human rights.
we are already trading with vietnam.
this is not about if we want trade or not.
this is about improving the circumstances.
so let's send a strong signal of cooperation to the whole asean region to reformist forces that believe in cooperation with the european union and let's not give room to actors that don't want to combine trade and values like china.
let's support the agreement and let's support the people of vietnam in their development.
the syrian government is restoring its own borders and finding troves of us made weapons as the jihadists flee.
if we want the financial sector which is a significant part of the economic infrastructure to work for people we need to revitalise discussion on that.
i would welcome your participation in that discussion too.
madam president free trade is one of the best tools to lift people out of poverty.
with this agreement we ensure that vietnam can go forward on a path of inclusive growth and also with this free trade agreement we set a very high standard as a comprehensive agreement with a developing country.
and as chair of the development committee i'm very pleased that this agreement has a very dedicated chapter also on sustainable development and this needs to be effectively implemented.
i would also welcome the timetable from vietnam on when to ratify the outstanding core ilo conventions and i urge both parties to make full use of the provisions in the agreement in order to contribute to strengthening human rights in vietnam and towards the sustainable development goals.
i also urge the commission to work closely with civil society to ensure that growth in vietnam now also will strengthen environmental protection and labour rights.
because the discontent of the people against the assad government was hijacked by international players to try and achieve regime change.
and ten years on they weren't able to overthrow the government who have regained control.
and as they regained control they settled with people some agreed to come back to the government some didn't and went to idlib.
and there is an irony when we talk about foreign fighters who came from countries here and we won't take them back but we expect the syrians to deal with them.
the key issue here is ending the sanctions sitting down with the syrian government and restoring peace in that country.
take responsibility for europe's role in this disaster and acknowledge the role of the syrian government in stopping the jihadists and the rise of isis.
oppression has become more severe even during the last stage of the finalisation of these agreements.
parliament if giving its consent tomorrow takes a heavy responsibility of making its own demands happen in reality on sustainable development human rights and participation of an independent civil society and as our own committee on foreign affairs demands the commission and its vietnamese counterparts still
must set up an independent monitoring mechanism on human rights and an independent complaints mechanism with the recourse to remedy.
dear colleagues let's be aware let me underline that brexit was tearing apart the uk society for years.
for this i would like to thank colleagues from all political groups which were part of this united majority.
priority number one needs to be citizens' rights. we need to give certainty to students to farmers to researchers about the future relationship.
the principle is clear please respect the rules and the outcome needs to be in line with today's mandate of the european parliament.
this is the first really comprehensive agreement we will be doing with a developing country and that's very important.
because it's one thing to do it with a developed economy and it's another thing so it's a very positive message to be doing agreements with developing countries like vietnam.
to those who oppose it i would say to them will any of the issues that you have be improved by opposing this agreement? the answer is no.
now phil tell me in god's name when did you ever allow any concerns about human rights to interfere with our business interests?
these trade deals don't do anything for the people from these regions.
they decimate indigenous industry they impoverish small farmers. the people of vietnam will not benefit from this.
big business in vietnam will benefit from it.
the main problem with this type of agreement is that it guarantees enforceable rights to foreign investors and multinationals through the arbitration clause but doesn't provide a mechanism for sanctions for noncompliance with social and environmental standards.
so what is necessary is actually to follow what we originally approved as the european parliament also and to push for the reforms and for what we want.
as i said we are now giving a blank cheque on our trade because they didn't do anything that we wanted from them and that they promised to us.
madam president it is with mixed feelings that i make this first contribution to the proceedings of this chamber because naturally it has been difficult to see the departure of the uk for any irish person given the very close political social and cultural affinity that we have with the uk.
i'd much rather be here in very different circumstances but it is fitting that i should speak for my first contribution on brexit because essentially it is one of the reasons i put my candidacy forward a year ago and ironically one of the reasons that i've ended up here in the difficult circumstances.
we're at a delicate stage in proceedings and there is no example in history where negotiating parties are seeking to impose trade barriers.
it is amazing to continue to hear uk government officials expressing astonishment that the eu would exercise power leverage and influence in trade negotiations given the fact on the one hand that the uk were one of the architects of this system and that they have benefited from it so much.
i think that was a very important trip and as you said it's a continent full of youth confidence and potential.
i think it's very important at this stage that we would review and have a look at the cooperation and the operations between the european union and africa.
i think there has been success there but now in times when we have developed sustainable development goals when we have the paris climate change agreement it is time for a renewed focus on that relationship.
i particularly think the issues around high level unemployment is somewhere where europe can act in facilitating and supporting job development and creation. i have visited the continent myself on a number of occasions in the previous mandate and there is certainly a lot that europe can do in supporting indigenous industries in developing jobs there and certainly through education also.
discussion of the subject is constrained because many would not like it to sound as an attack on the ecb's monetary easing policies.
but they're also causing collateral damage to banks.
other very significant factors are adding to the damage like an overload of regulations raising operational costs.
yet while the capital markets union is being promoted in europe the reliance on banks for business financing has grown. banks are curtailing their services to cut costs and to remain profitable with negative economic and social consequences.
it is illusory to hope that this will lead to the emergence of european champions in the banking sector.
mr draghi might not have been perfect but his legacy was that he was determined to save the eurozone and in fact i would say that maybe he has also saved the european project.
some people cannot forgive him for that.
i think that the major challenge for all of us is to deliver to deliver to the european citizens and to improve their lives in certain specific ways completion of the banking union completion of the capital markets union and much more.
with your vote on the resolution on the proposed mandate for negotiations for a new partnership with the uk you will provide a timely and useful input into the finalisation of this mandate.
we should aim to build a relationship that is comprehensive based on high standards and that guarantees a level playing field.
the very comprehensive nature of the proposed mandate and likely long negotiations that may ensue in certain sectors will probably call for further debates in the coming months and years.
we think that the doom loop' is alive and well.
we think that it is still the case that if we have a big bank fail there will only really be states behind that bank and that our construction will not be sufficient.
the first pillar which is supervision is in place. the second pillar which is resolution is kind of in place but not really in office in office but not in power' i guess is a better way to put it.
it is not really acting to resolve most situations and most banks which are failing.
we believe that we need a banking union that cuts this knot between the banks and the states. we think that we need this principle of bailin rather than bail out to be enforced.
and that means that the commission has a lot of work to do.
the approval of independent unions;
an enforcement mechanism for the paris agreement which we wouldn't have without the agreement.
what a great success.
colleagues from the greens and the left are generally against trade agreements.
they share this in common with the right wing populists by the way.
the question you have to answer is now how do you want to implement european standards worldwide?
through speeches in this house?
demonstrations?
the only realistic way to promote european influence globally in an age of shifting geopolitical distribution of power is through trade agreements.
those who vote against it will have to explain how they want to realistically achieve our common goals while at the same time following an agenda which is isolating and disabling the european union as a trading partner.
of course there is due political interest in syria but as we all saw there was a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of thousands of civilians in syria demanding freedom and democracy and that cry for help was met with brutal oppression from the assad regime.
the eu must stand on the side of the kurds and the pro democratic forces in syria to fight for democracy and freedom.
that's the only way we can have stability and peace in syria and in the middle east.
we have had an election in ireland and one of the big issues there was in relation to housing. mr kelleher referred to the interest rates but not only the interest rates but also the rules of borrowing.
we have a situation now where people who are well educated with very good jobs cannot afford to buy a house.
there are other issues in relation to the supply of housing but even where the supply is available this is causing a huge concern for them. and many people are now living with their parents because while having been well educated as i said good jobs well paid they cannot afford to buy a house because of the rules
implemented by our banks.
a fresh wind is blowing through the ecb. no public spats but a constructive dialogue how can we prop up eurozone growth?
how can the ecb stop funding polluting activities?
how can we promote gender equality among ecb decision makers? and of course every new job starts with credit and the trick is don't waste it.
that is why ms lagarde i call upon you to make real progress now that you can.
the ecb needs to get in gear to implement the eu taxonomy and avoid activities that do significant harm'.
besides you should encourage governments to invest substantially in sustainability reaping the benefits of the low interest rate and pushing that rate upwards and in that way restore the full potential of monetary policy.
madam president as an irish citizen we've obviously always had a very close and intertwined history with the uk not all of it welcome but that's another story.
but that relationship will continue and it is in our mutual interest that it should be a cooperative one.
now ms von der leyen talked about there needing to be rules to bring fairness to the heart of business.
because if the rules continue to favour big business the big corporations the arms industry the big farmers and so on then citizens will be left behind.
that was one of the reasons for brexit and it was one of the key reasons for the almighty trouncing that leo varadkar's team got in the irish election this weekend.
now i wish you well in your negotiations.
you have a number of issues to deal with not least the situation of the medical profession and the need for you to work inter institutionally to deliver progress.
we have a legal framework in place which needs to be effectively implemented in practice but we also need to support it with targeted measures to prevent and tackle intolerance such as education public debate and counter narratives.
do you not accept the fact that this is a war made by interference by these powers?
commissioner hogan for our good cooperation and for rightfully underlining the importance of this trade and investment agreement with vietnam.
i totally agree with your conclusion mr hogan and i take note of your clear commitment to oversee all aspects relevant for the implementation of the agreement and the continuous assistance of the commission in order to help vietnam pursue its reform process
however i think we have sufficiently addressed most of the concerns during our preparatory work. i believe these agreements will serve as an effective instrument to promote fundamental values and create a more level playing field.
vietnam has committed to a series of important measures and i agree with you mr lange thanks to the clear political messages of this parliament i'm happy to say that during the negotiation process ahead of this debate and during my own interactions the vietnamese government has demonstrated a trustworthy and clear political will to deliver on important issues.
we will continue to closely follow up on the proceedings of the independent organisations taking part in the domestic advisory groups.
after ratification we are also looking forward to strengthening political dialogue with our vietnamese colleagues through the establishment of a joint parliamentary cooperation framework.
i believe these agreements will further contribute to the improvement of its prosperity labour human rights and living standards.
the eu needs to support this aim fully in order to bring forward this positive agenda for change in vietnam and therefore i passionately call upon all my colleagues in this house to vote tomorrow in favour of the consent for both agreements
so that the eu can take up its role as a geopolitical actor in the region and show vietnam that we are a genuine and reliable partner today and for the future.
it is not fair and even handed it does not follow the basic principles of international law and its drafters only managed to engage one of the two parties to the conflict.
whatever domestic political ends in the us or in israel the plan's launch may have served its chances of revitalising the peace process are unfortunately virtually non existent.
the eu must stick to its principal position of holding firm to international law.
but in addition to having a clear and principled understanding of where we need to be at the end of the process the eu also needs a credible plan of its own on how to get there from where we are today.
my god right now sub saharan africa loses three times as much in capital flight each year as it gains in aid investment and loans.
it is a tax haven and it has a network of tax havens to work with.
brexit should be used as an opportunity to move towards a system in which capital is embedded in local economies and not moving all over the planet at the expense of the environment and the people of the planet.
thirdly to our citizens and businesses that we are dedicated to expanding better conditions for business to thrive grow and generate more jobs.
by having this framework in place we will now have a way to constructively engage on topics ranging from human rights to the environment and as with any agreement implementation will be the key.
i've been very open in my criticism of the spanish government in different situations so now when they do something that's correct i will be equally forthright in welcoming the initiative that they took and in their stance in supporting dialogue in this situation.
we should be discussing here actually the situation where we have supported the imaginary president juan guaid the chosen one of a nakedly us backed coup a defeated attempt a crowd who have been exposed for embezzling the humanitarian aid and squandering it.
we should be dealing here with the impact of the sanctions on the people of venezuela the hardship that that has caused the difficulties there.
that is not something that any of us should be standing over we should be working to end that nightmare.
i salute the efforts that have been taken and i condemn the initiatives taken here to derail that project.
africa and europe are at a crossroads and we need to change our mindset it is time to see each other as equals.
we have the most promising continent right at our doorstep.
highly promising initiatives are being taken and the african continental free trade area is the latest example of this. this ambitious project can transform africa into a bastion of multilateralism.
i call on the european commission to do everything it can to support and facilitate the creation of the african continental free trade area.
the upcoming paper from the commission should reflect this and contain a number of concrete measures on this.
it is very much in our own interest to have a united african union.
we should embrace it when others seek to unite themselves especially in times when certain forces are out there to defeat us.
the partnership between the european union and the african countries should be one of equals.
they are like mutating viruses becoming active in the dirty environment of angry nationalism. we must root them out.
one of the external causes wasn't mentioned today.
madam president i have to be honest it's a very special moment i think because it's the first time that we discuss brexit here in this house without having our uk colleagues being here and i must say that apart from a bunch that was sitting over there i really truly miss them and i think it shows again how sad it is that this brexit is happening.
still when i go there today i really feel at home and i think these are really the ties that we have to cherish also for the future.
and the economic and trade relationships are going to be absolutely crucial in the future.
but if we want to build strong foundations we also have to look at other issues and that is why i think we have to fight to keep the united kingdom in the erasmus programme.
young people did not vote for brexit and i think it would be wrong to take away the opportunities from them that i and many millions of europeans had in the past after brexit.
and that is why if we want to build a strong relationship for the future we should fight for a strong erasmus programme with the uk in it.
your last report encouraged the commission and the ecb to study schemes such as a central bank digital currency and digital base money and to liaise closely.
also i'm glad to hear that the commission is moving rapidly with the sustainable finance package and a plea for both actors please ensure that indicators the metering system and the lifecycle analyses there is harmonised and overall used in the same methodology in different institutions so that we duly know what we are doing.
madam president i think the eu strategy on africa can be loosely summed up as a lot of very nice soft language we talk about empowerment we talk about development we talk about equality but really in many ways they are just a figleaf for the imposition of neoliberal globalisation.
we see it in many of the trade arrangements where the least developed countries in the acp lose their non reciprocal tariff exemptions and preferences but meanwhile european particularly the agricultural file and so on keeps its protectionist mechanisms that we have adopted for ourselves.
i think that neoliberal trade agreements aren't the only feature of an unbalanced eu africa relationship.
i think of particular concern is the growing military presence in that area particularly in the sahel led by the french backing up as a permanent aid to dictators in that region in order to try and support their french interests in raw materials and cheap labour.
mr president just to say at the outset madame lagarde i want to raise the issue of the stability and growth pact and the restrictive practice that it has on european economies and their ability to invest in both the green deal but in just normal fiscal stimulus that is required to stimulate the broader economies of the european union. and i think in that context
the eu commission is carrying out a review of the stability and growth pact in the near future and i'm wondering whether or not the ecb will have an official role in observing that particular review and having input into that particular review.
because we have to accept that if we want to create a dynamic european economy i believe that the stability and growth pact is too restrictive on the ability of governments to invest in the economic aspects of economies across the eurozone.
finally i would ask that you would also look at irish banks and the interest rates that they are charging for mortgages and small and medium sized businesses.