kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
at this summit progress was achieved concerning key elements of this comprehensive approach first an agreement for a response to the problems in greece; secondly financial stability;
year. more broadly the last three european councils have highlighted taxation as a fundamental component in our recovery efforts.
finally just yesterday i held a meeting with president hoyer of the european investment bank to examine how our support for greece can be made more effective.
issue. the commission is working on concrete measures to toughen our stance against tax evasion and fraud but member states have an important duty to fulfil at european level
financial stability is indispensable but it is not sufficient.
level. this is one element in demonstrating that the path we are taking is a fair one where the burden and the benefits are both
union. together with the six pack and the european stability mechanism it is an important step in this process.
on these points i made clear to the european council that member states must do more to close the implementation gap between political will and decisions taken on the
in europe. commission teams have visited eight member states since
to that end the commission is already taking concrete steps.
social dialogue is vital in this respect;
however its signature not only by euro area countries but by twenty five out of the current twenty seven member states is a political statement that the euro is not just the currency of some countries but of the european union. it is a strong political message about the irreversibility of the euro and it was very well received
the european budget is a budget for investment;
the contracting member states have agreed to integrate the provisions of the treaty into european union law within five years. already the commission has proposed further amendments to the two pack' to make sure that important provisions of the fiscal compact are implemented under community law that means also with the active participation of this parliament.
i also made clear that we need a perspective of social inclusion because there are some situations of social emergency and indeed rising poverty in many of our member
council. together with other priority actions such as accelerating some initiatives under the annual growth survey and completing the single market these measures will create jobs in the short term and make the european economy more competitive in the longer term. our citizens want to see real action that will make a difference to their daily lives. since the informal european council at the end of january the commission has been taking this action with regard to slashing youth unemployment and providing support
these are all areas where we can make real progress in weeks not months or years.
this should not be a surprise.
as you will have seen from my letter we have agreed to concentrate on a number of key priorities improving youth employment promoting a more business friendly environment providing liquidity to smes and sweeping away barriers to the absorption of structural funds.
this is blocked as you know at council level. this is another negative example of the implementation gap i mentioned earlier positions that are taken at the european council but are not afterwards followed up by the council or by the member
but at the same time the focus on consolidation especially in the short term must go hand in hand with further efforts to secure economic growth and improve employment prospects.
this. euro area leaders also confirmed their commitment to reassess the adequacy of the overall ceiling of the efsf esm firewall by the end of the month via the euro
we need a short and a longer term strategy for
we approached the question from many angles.
it is our job to make sure that they are not.
but for several it is because debt levels have accumulated gradually over time leaving most member states with debts well over the agreed maximum of sixty of gdp.
jobs. our strategy is starting to
on the diplomatic front we supported the efforts by the arab league the mission undertaken by kofi annan and the launching of the group of the friends of the syrian
in most cases it is not because of gross profligacy in public spending. in some it is because of large banking sectors insufficiently supervised which collapsed and had to be rescued by the taxpayer.
people. even if the main responsibility lies with the member states the union can give guidance as we have done in the european council conclusions.
they were left with no safety margin when the crisis hit.
the action taken by governments and the ecb is also helping to stabilise sovereign debt markets in the countries under pressure.
euro area leaders support the efforts undertaken by
of course some of the supply side measures take time to have an effect whereas fiscal consolidation has a more immediate dampening effect on demand. but we may be able to avoid an overall contraction in credit and i hope the banks will take advantage of the ample liquidity
we also talked about the situation in greece and we welcomed the progress made on the new greek programme.
making assistance to the unemployed more pro active. looking at revenues for instance by tackling tax evasion and tax fraud. exploiting to the full the single market especially the services and digital markets as emphasised again in a letter by twelve colleagues. reducing the tax burden on labour especially on low income earners. increasing trade.
on the accession of bulgaria and romania to the schengen area we have asked the jha council to adopt its decision in september and in the meantime to identify and implement safeguarding measures aimed at contributing to the success of the process. on syria facing an
sustained effort on several fronts remains necessary.
remains very small.
evidence i remind you that there is more common foreign policy than some
nor do they limit public expenditure they simply provide that this must not be financed by excessive borrowing.
finally i was honoured that all twenty seven heads of state or government of the european council decided to ask me to continue as their president for another two and a half
stimulating investment.
i hope it will encourage serbia to undertake further efforts in order to meet the political and economic criteria for eu membership and to continue to support regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in the western
meetings. looking forward it will not come as a surprise that my first priority will remain the
that is why the rules agreed in the new treaty on stability coordination and governance which was signed on the occasion of this european council are so important. they do not prevent countercyclical deficits as long as the structural deficit over the economic cycle is balanced or at least
mandate. this view was unanimously supported.
the european council stated that all member states should continue to respect their commitments under the stability and growth pact which has been strongly reinforced by the six pack.
the commission was asked to step up its technical assistance to greece to achieve
years. furthermore seventeen of them from the euro area countries also asked me to chair the euro summit
looking closely at expenditure.
economy. it is our
they applied keynesianism asymmetrically deficits during a slowdown were rarely eliminated during peaks let alone replaced by surpluses.
support provided by the european central bank to pass on some of these resources to businesses and households.
the aim is to put the greek economy back on a sustainable footing both in terms of debt sustainability and competitiveness.
people. we also called on all members of the un security council particularly russia and china to work together in an effort to stop the
however the ability to use this instrument is limited in most member states because of their already excessive debt levels.
as you know the semester is our annual policy coordination tool running from the release of the commission's annual growth survey to the june european council which will adopt country specific recommendations a key moment in the semester.
we look forward to the commission's forthcoming employment package' to take this work further.
crisis. on the humanitarian side we called for an immediate end to the violence against civilians and human rights abuses making it clear that those responsible for atrocities will be held accountable.
opening sheltered sectors such as professional services and retail.
appalling situation we focused on three key aspects of this
but there can be no complacency in facing the enormous economic challenges that still remain before us.
in some others economic growth fuelled by asset bubbles artificially boosted budget revenues which quickly collapsed with the crisis increasing budget deficits and debt.
it is crucial for countries also not to relent in their efforts and to stick to their commitments under the stability and growth pact and the new fiscal stability treaty. alongside this monetary policy the overall policy of restoring confidence in the euro area at different levels will contribute to restored confidence by consumers and investors and will in that way contribute to growth and
greece. and may i just underline for those who claim that the european union is imposing' austerity on greece that in fact euro area countries and the imf are providing another eur one hundred and thirty billion on top of the first package of eur one hundred and ten billion of long term low interest loans to
aside. as soon as a democratic transition begins we are ready to develop a new partnership and provide assistance.
improving the business environment cutting red tape and paperwork thanks to digital public administration. in short making the right choices for jobs and growth in the midst of fiscal consolidation.
funding. on the political side we confirmed the eu's commitment to further increase the pressure on the syrian regime and invited the council to prepare further targeted restrictive
how to do this was the focus of both the european council in the context of the european semester and as i reported to you already the one in january.
group. in addition they agreed to accelerate the payments of the paid in capital for the
so on. in other words in the world's most dangerous region the twenty seven are working hand in hand. this is a fact often overlooked.
work. we have reached a turning point in the crisis while being fully aware of the remaining vulnerabilities.
making sure that at the same time as we bring budgets under control we keep investing in our future in education in research and development in innovation.
also. on serbia we agreed to grant it the status of eu candidate. this is a remarkable achievement a result of the efforts demonstrated by both sides in the dialogue between belgrade and pristina.
that is fine carry on serve the main course.
you are determined but delusional in this attempt to keep the euro propped up.
we pretend there has not been a default when we know in fact that in greece last week there was a very major credit event.
but perhaps the biggest bombshell is the german finance minister saying just yesterday that nobody can exclude a third bail out.
do enjoy the party.
mr barroso when leaders stand up and say that political moves are irreversible history has one lesson you are always always going to be proved to be wrong.
it is being done to prop up a failing project because you know that once greece goes others will go as well.
is this being done to help greece?
that is what people in europe want to know.
but do not worry chaps;
it is going to crucify greece.
why is this happening?
no that cannot be talked about.
indeed listening to all of you this morning reminds me of the great british comedy classic carry on up the khyber where the colonial english go on having dinner ignoring the fact that impending disaster is all around them.
indeed mr van rompuy listening to you i thought perhaps i had got it all wrong. you talked about how positive the last council meeting had been that we have reached the turning point that everything is going swimmingly and i was beginning to believe it.
and you will have seen yesterday that one hundred and ten german bondholders of greek bonds are now going to take legal action against the banks and against the greek government.
it is unacceptable that young people in particular feel more excluded and rejected instead of being encouraged to play a full part in building the kind of europe that we want to see.
mr president the series of european summits we have seen since may two thousand and ten has taken place against the backdrop of massive protests against cuts in public spending and job losses and yet the result of this march council has shown once again that government leaders are focused on spending cuts as the way forward.
we need a long term plan for financial social and environmental recovery.
it is a time to seize new opportunities to learn from past mistakes and make sure that we do not repeat them.
but the response that we have now is one in which the costs are borne by the most vulnerable in society those least responsible for causing such havoc in the economy.
the european economy has to be put on a path that will equip it for future challenges for example investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that we know will create thousands of sustainable jobs as well as protecting the environment.
we have to show solidarity with all the people of europe.
we all know the magnitude of this crisis but i believe that crisis demands radical rethinking;
to do this we need a real programme investing in people jobs and infrastructure to kick start economic recovery.
measures are required so that greece can organise an orderly default but a default that needs to be complemented by leaving the euro so that devaluation can save its economy in the short term while structural reforms are taken to rebuild it in the medium term.
perhaps when you asked the council to put jobs on the agenda you were in fact only referring to yours congratulations on your reappointment by the way.
the global competitive challenge requires a determined policy response from the whole commission not just from one or two commissioners who understand what is at stake.
perhaps the commission should spend a little more time on pursing real reform and a little less time on producing silly racist martial arts videos.
well i am a foreigner in france and i say to him that i would be very happy not to have to come back to this parliament in france every month and it is his government that actually makes us come here in the first place.
we should be abolishing trade barriers not erecting more of them.
there was a letter signed by twelve heads of government from three political families in this house which was presented to the council.
surely the time has now come for you to stop behaving as if council communiqus have been delegated to the foreign ministries of france and germany.
before the ink was even dry on the treaty spain and the netherlands said that they were not going to comply with its provisions.
mr president i am becoming increasingly concerned that a sort of corrupting complacency is starting to take hold in eu corridors of power.
the european council has wasted considerable energy on a treaty that will make no practical difference to the fundamentals whilst taking decisions at the same time that will condemn the greek people to a generation of poverty. greece now faces the prospect of one of the longest recessions in recorded history a collapse in living standards and levels of unemployment unseen in europe since the one thousand.
the underlying economic weakness is a problem shared by the whole of our continent and the new treaty is simply an irrelevance to most of it.
but the complacency shown when it comes to the fundamental state of the eu economy is equally profoundly shocking.
it was an opportunity to relaunch a constructive growth agenda in europe but the initial reaction was very cool as you know mr van rompuy.
there are several hundred foreigners who would be very happy not to come back to france every month if that is really what president sarkozy wants.
mr barroso should this not be the kind of growth agenda that is the centre piece of the work of your commission and should define its purpose? is that not what we were promised?
i hope that you will also take this opportunity to condemn sunday's remarks from the president of france calling for restriction calling for more protectionism on trade.
nine hundred and thirty s the solution of course is not easy and it is not without cost but a new course must surely now be followed.
why did you not immediately face the opportunity to focus on a positive forward looking agenda for real economic growth?
he should also know that there is no stability and confidence without growth and a dynamic economy.
on one side we have fiscal measures that are entering into the legislation and that bring severe penalties as a consequence.
i want to say this in response to the debate here as it sounds as if we could solve our problems by increasing public spending and increasing the deficits thereby achieving social cohesion and economic growth.
we have seen the contrary that uncontrolled public spending and big deficits are undermining social security and hindering growth and creating the austerity of increasing interest rates. that is the reality and those who believe that increased public spending is the solution to our problems should just look around and take a look at our problems.
on the other hand what we need to do is to create a new way of stimulating the economy.
i think it is important for the commission to understand that the way to social cohesion and social security does not run parallel to the policy for economic growth.
economic growth and new jobs are the key issue in order to achieve social development in europe that we can all be satisfied with.
mr president last week the british government's joint committee on national security strategy warned that ministers should draw up plans to deal with the break up of the eurozone.
this important committee warned of economic instability political unrest on the continent and a rise in the number of economic migrants fleeing the chaos of the eurozone and arriving at our borders.
in the current crisis illegal immigration has become such a problem that as we have heard many times this morning this week president sarkozy has threatened to withdraw france from the schengen agreement. in the long term the committee has stated that eurozone countries may be unable to maintain their national defences jeopardising the security of europe and the integrity of nato.
mr president the decision of the european council to endorse serbia's candidacy has a two fold significance.
serbia can now be regarded as having returned to the european family and this has its long term significance.
after all stability in south eastern europe is inconceivable without serbia and stability here has to extend to all policy areas notably crime. without serbia's full commitment in the fight against organised crime the balkans would continue to constitute an easy prey for transnational mafias.
but the step has a second possibly greater significance.
it makes it clear that eu enlargement though moving forward only slowly has not stalled.
this obviously has implications for the rest of south eastern europe.
what is equally noteworthy is that despite the economic crisis the eu continues its commitment to enhancing the stability of its neighbourhood relying on soft power to achieve this.
the encouragement of the countries of the eastern partnership and the planned elaboration of a road map are evidently steps in the direction of ensuring that objective.
all these strategies and policy objectives however depend on overcoming the long drawn out economic crisis the central concern of the summit.
here the decisions point in the right direction and it is absolutely crucial that fiscal discipline goes hand in hand with the recognition of the importance of economic growth.
mr president the treaty on fiscal discipline is not concerned with the wellbeing of its signatories but with the wellbeing of the euro and of course the project.
it addresses the problem of sovereign debt but with inflexible diktats rather than with practical solutions.
with an overvalued currency employment is the only thing they can export.
they also need to reflate their economies by government directed investment financed by quantitative easing and not borrowing. this would not of course be possible within the eurozone.
i can have an opinion on whether it is wise for them to stay in the euro or not and i have expressed that opinion but the actual fundamentals of it are for them themselves to decide for elected politicians in greece to make that decision.
we will need to continue to work but not to label somebody that is fighting against energy efficiency because labelling is the easiest way to bring about our goals for energy efficiency.
in this sense we hope that the ongoing exchange between the romanian authorities and the commission will continue to prove efficient in addressing these issues in a manner that leaves no doubt about our core values.
of great value too are the widely acknowledged opinions of the venice commission. the presidency is aware that the romanian authorities are in constant contact with both the venice commission and the european commission to find solutions to the issues raised.
i trust that all sides are taking the issues raised in this dialogue seriously as they go to the heart of our commitment to this union.
two thousand and seventeen the council reiterated the importance for romania of focusing on further consolidation and fully addressing the concerns in the recommendations set out by the commission in its report on progress achieved in romania under the cooperation and verification mechanism.
it is of great importance to stay in constant dialogue and to cooperate in order to ensure the best standards and conditions for all citizens.
we have also facilitated portability of cloud service providers.
ffod has the potential to create efficiency throughout the value chain to enable economies of scale and to boost innovation paving the way for artificial intelligence cloud computing and big data analysis.
companies and public administration will have the possibility to outsource data processes anywhere in the eu but it is not an obligation.
with the new rules any data that is non personal can be stored and processed anywhere in the eu sales data revenues profits stock prices balance sheets product design price lists to name but a few. we have succeeded in keeping just one exception in the case of a threat to public security
in cases where personal and non personal data are inextricably linked in a mixed data set ffod will not prejudge gdpr.
we are removing national data localisation requirements and facilitating portability of cloud service providers.
movement of data will grow in volume and importance and my vision is for an open safe and global internet for all.
step by step we are creating a legal framework for the future digital economy.
the general data protection regulation will remain untouched.
the time has come to stand up against the data protectionism that is threatening our digital economy and society.
it is a good example of better regulation with the clear added value of a europe that delivers concrete results.
lastly competent authorities with a legitimate reason can access company data stored in another member state via a simplified procedure and a point of single contact.
the market players which are the ones best suited will have eighteen months to develop and implement codes of conduct to ensure easy switching between cloud service providers.
as guardian of the treaties when it comes to the application of eu law and respect for the eu's fundamental values the commission intervenes on the basis of accurate and thorough legal analysis.
many romanians are worried that the proposed changes to these laws may undermine the longstanding efforts in the fight against corruption and the independence of the judiciary.
in these matters the commission is politically colour blind and clinical in our approach.