kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
unfortunately that is not the situation in europe today and i think it's important that the european parliament is not afraid to talk very clearly about this.
it's called democracy.
it is ok to disagree but i think it's very important that we agree that if we leave democratic decisionmaking open to foreign interference we will also lose our selfdetermination.
so i think it's important that we come together in a common resolution in the coming weeks and stand up for european values.
mr president as we've heard this friday around the world young people will spill on to the streets to demand that we all step up action to tackle the climate emergency.
in response to their call there are three things that we can all do.
we must stand in solidarity with the climate strikers first of all.
we must each reflect on our own behaviour and live more lightly on the planet.
but most importantly as representatives we must work for systemic change.
the result has been a world facing a climate crisis and unacceptable inequality.
we therefore have a special responsibility to show leadership in achieving zero carbon and in tackling global inequality.
there's still insufficient ambition both in this house and in our national parliaments to tackle the climate crisis. warm words about a green new deal need to be translated into policies no trade policy that encourages deforestation and no investment in fossil fuels; instead public transport zero carbon buildings green agriculture.
we in europe need to put our money where our mouth is and take this opportunity of zero carbon transition to build the societies and economies that our children deserve.
madam president i would like to thank the commissioners and the finnish presidency and i would like to express my hope that we will negotiate and adopt a strong resolution on this important topic.
foreign electoral interference attacks one of the most sacred and universal principles of noninterference articulated in the un charter.
this interference has different aspects as we have already heard and i would like to underline the importance of tackling attacks against technical infrastructure essential to democratic processes in other words attempts to hack democracy. in order to tackle these attacks we need strong national measures as well as euwide and international cooperation.
here the eu should be a leader vocal united strong and committed.
we should be crystal clear that foreign interference is not acceptable and that appropriate measures will be taken against those who violate it.
she could contact me in person to ask about this rather than taking her information from conspiracy theories on twitter and fbpe hashtag people who want to stir up misinformation. i am proud of the work i did for a progressive african president.
that work is on record with the european parliament.
and can i just say if that is not for political ends why didn't she knock on my office door?
and there is no point in saying it it is profitable at the moment to burn the forests in amazonia it's profitable to burn the rainforests across the globe because we are trying to satisfy the commodity markets.
we have ethical moral obligations to insist that any trade deals comply with the vigours and rigours of the paris agreement and we should insist on that at the very minimum before we sign any mercosur trade agreement.
they service many smes in their home markets which would otherwise struggle to find working capital.
these banks are being burdened with the full weight of centrally established regulations on a one size fits all basis under sgp and banking union procedures.
mr president i declare a personal interest in connection with colombia given that my third son has got a colombian godfather as well as having two friends who are sporting heroes robert farah and juan sebastian cabal who have both won a back to back in the men's doubles in tennis.
after decades of violence it took real courage and leadership to bring farc to the political process and give them ten elected seats in congress.
aided by the thug maduro in neighbouring venezuela and funded by narcotrafficking there is a real danger that colombia could lurch back into the dark days of the past so it is now imperative that president duque remains resolute and does not buckle to the threats of renewed violence from farc.
of one thing i am certain though the eu has no right moral authority or treaty obligation to interfere in the affairs of colombia.
madam president i find a real irony in the idea of electoral interference in the democratic processes of the european parliament when we all know the democratic deficit that exists and you'd wonder why anyone would bother!
the usa has been interfering on a grand scale not just in south america or the middle east but actually in the heart of europe itself.
and the only reason we're now invoking the spectre of russian interference is to blame somebody for the catastrophic electoral failures of the establishment parties in europe and the failure of neoliberal policies that have left millions of european citizens behind have left them demoralised and disillusioned.
these are the real reasons for the election of trump for brexit and for the rise of the far right but of course it's far easier to pretend that it's a conspiracy by an official enemy and that citizens are too stupid to know what's good for them.
if we're really concerned about electoral interference let's address the vast and constant interference in the democratic process by lobbyists by billionaire newspaper owners by transnational corporations.
if you are looking at preventing deforestation in the current mercosur trade deal you will only find it somewhere down the line in the trade and sustainable development chapter.
the only things that are being said is to encourage trade in products from sustainably managed forests and to promote as appropriate and with prior informed consent the inclusion of forest based local communities and indigenous people.
that's only talking about encouraging and promoting whereas the rest of the mercosur trade deal is very binding.
this shows you that this trade deal has totally bizarre priorities more trade and when it's about sustainability promoting and encouraging. that's the language that we are having here and that's the question to the commission and to the council do you want to change this language in order to make sure that we have binding rules in place instead of these very weak chapters that we have now in the current mercosur trade deal?
mr president the mostly intentional forest fires in the amazon have been a wake up call and now we know better that they are happening elsewhere to mention the hot spots central africa south east asia just to mention the most important ones.
we also know that to tackle climate change we need to capture carbon dioxide with all possible means and the only viable large scale way available is with the help of forests.
however forests are being converted to agricultural land and let us be clear the mercosur agreement is intended for exports of beef soy coffee and other forest risk products that drive deforestation and endanger the amazon region.
the mercosur deal currently does not have a viable mechanism to ensure that the paris climate agreement and other international environmental commitments would be respected.
there are no sanctions in that sustainable development chapter and let me say that as i understand it the commission's communication on deforestation and forest degradation contains one promise and that is to look into regulatory measures on the demand side because we need badly european legislation which makes it sure for the european consumers that they are not buying deforestation.
we must make every effort needed to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
twenty years after the introduction of the euro the eu and the eurozone are characterised by enormous social differences mass migration of the work force from the periphery to the core countries high youth unemployment and the demographic decline.
if the european union and the european central bank do not deal with structural differences social problems will lead to increased state debt with further instability of the euro and economic austerity will lead to anti eu sentiment weakening european cooperation. this is why i would like to see in this report
against the backdrop of unprecedented climate change and deforestation at levels we have not seen before the earth's lungs are quickly filling with smoke.
we have now moved from a climate emergency to a climate catastrophe and the world deserves a better response than schoolyard political sniping games on twitter.
our habits and our throwaway society coupled with populist political shorttermism will have tragic consequences on the lives and the health of our children and their children.
when all the evidence shows us that the way we are consuming our natural resources on our planet is unsustainable we have to have the courage to take the tough decisions we need.
we managed to push through a ban of some of the worst products but it is time to go further and europe can be the global leader in this.
cyberattacks have risen to an unprecedented level with dangerous access to strategic infrastructure and data.
crucial electoral rules on the financing of political parties by third countries have been either breached or circumvented.
that is only the latest incident and as we know this goes well beyond just russia or just italy.
i'm proud that the s d group managed to gain widespread political support for this important topic to be on the agenda this week.
i'm also pleased to hear that there is widespread support for seeking a strong resolution we need serious answers on how to prevent third parties from undermining our democratic systems.
to address this challenge effectively my group proposes to establish a special parliamentary committee so that european democracy in which elections are always free and fair is and remains selfevident and once again can be taken for granted.
the resilience of our union is based on unity.
it is our obligation to spare no effort to protect our elections and more generally our democratic systems from foreign interference and we have to do it in full respect of fundamental rights such as freedom of speech the media and association.
we will continue working horizontally across sectors across borders learning from each other through the exchange of information and best practices. and progress has been made.
however as commissioner jourov and commissioner king and many of you here said we must remain vigilant and as i reiterated the presidency has placed significant emphasis on hybrid threats. we also look forward to the new initiatives announced by the commission. and let me once again point out that general awareness of the hybrid threats among our citizens is essential. while open societies and public administrations provide correct information there won't
be lasting room for disinformation.
today's vote is an important manifestation of the mechanisms by which the ecb is held to account towards the european parliament. the importance of the debates and the positions expressed by this parliament are evident from the choice of the council to propose christine lagarde as ecb president.
in particular deeper and better connected european capital markets and a completion of the banking union are key building blocks for a stronger and more resilient euro area.
she has particular knowledge on forests so we are very happy that under her presidency we're having this debate and indeed the detail which the commissioner has delivered to us. i dare say many of the visitors in the chamber will have seen the forest fires in the amazon. it's what motivated me to hold this debate and i am glad that the group supported us talking about this issue.
it really is a question of how globally we can work together because no nation on its own can solve this problem.
but at a time when nations want to be sovereign is it possible for multilateralism to be strengthened rather than weakened?
and pointing the finger at countries doesn't help.
we have to show where the failings are but also acknowledge where progress has been made.
so to brazil for example there is action recently around the leticia pact with seven other south american countries operation law and order guarantee and operation green brazil but this comes after pressure from the international community.
we will all suffer if the amazon dies and it is already under threat.
you have outlined that in great detail.
i think that for us in this house will be key.
we do need a carrot and stick approach to this issue.
we should also as europeans put our own hands up and say that we have not always valued forests or biodiversity or done the right thing for the environment and perhaps in that place of humility we can work better with our colleagues in south america and elsewhere because in the arctic in indonesia in the congo basin there are fires burning turf fires which are releasing massive amounts of carbon.
this debate is timely and i thank all those who take part in it.
yes we are talking about two nuclear armed states but i don't think that is relevant to this particular matter at this time.
the high representative should listen more closely to foreign minister jaishankar and what he had to say because you are getting a very distorted picture from the contributions we've heard in this parliament so far.
i understand that they have now since changed their opinion on that but it illustrates the problem and i hope the commission will look seriously at this.
thirty two it says that it is likely that more and more companies in europe will be dependent on having access to credit card payments and it urges the commission to come up with objective rules to say under what circumstances the big payment providers visa mastercard and paypal may reject a business.
the prince of wales' think tank the international sustainability unit specifies that there is no one size fits all solution to the problem.
short term profit is the only focus for a boat that has travelled far from its own coastline to fish. the report also highlights the importance of managing the marine ecosystem as a whole rather than targeting individual species which can have a knock on effect on other stocks.
mr president the report released by the court of auditors last week laid bare the failings of the common fisheries policy.
through restoring the uk share of fish stocks alone the industry could also employ forty six more people and make an extra gbp four hundred million equivalent to twenty four times the uk annual subsidy. subsidies artificially reduce the cost of fishing allowing it to continue beyond the point of profitability. norway and iceland are leading examples of successful redirection of subsidies and management of stocks.
i am sure that if everyone appealed to common sense and examined the commission's track record they would agree that the best way of protecting the ocean for future generations and safeguarding national fishing industries is to take control out of the hands of the european union.
the sense of husbandry was lost when eu waters were carved up to serve a range of foreign vessels.
only through locally managed real time area closures can we rebuild an ecologically sound profitable fishing industry.
management of stocks must be dynamic and localised.
the fishing sector now includes both the coastal tourism sector and aquaculture.
one is to provide food but another much more important one is that fish are crucial agents in the marine ecosystems.
fish in aquaculture pens die because of it fishing gear gets clogged by it and tourists seek other destinations when they cannot swim because of the green pea soup.
when we speak about fish as a common good it is very important to keep in mind the different functions of wild fish in our oceans.
we need to put this dispute on competences into perspective in relation to the real issue here which is that we have the responsibility to defend and optimise what is really a public good fish and the marine environment.
we have a proposal.
we are going to lose more jobs.
this is an issue we have to handle under codecision for the moment.
i hope that we will have the time to discuss it in this house in the proper way.
this is what we are trying to do through our proposal.
we need regionalisation because if we are going to approve the commission's proposal and i know that you are not happy and not satisfied with this proposal but let me give you this example if this proposal our proposal for reform were in place then the member states concerned could have these decisions
now we have to go through co decision.
you may disagree but at least this is a proposal to move forward.
we have to change things.
the council position is that this plan is not in line with the treaty.
we are ready to work with you on this plan and on other long term and management plans which are at the centre of conservation and of the reform of the common fishery policy. i now turn to the issue of total allowable catch and quota regulation and begin by thanking mr mato adrover for his question on the adoption of the two thousand and twelve fishing opportunities.
the council consistently agreed with the commission's choice of legal basis for the following reasons.
that is why it has made such an effort to unblock the situation for the plan for western horse mackerel.
against this background the council will now be in a position to examine in full parliament's positions in first reading and to that end work is beginning this week.
i am pleased to inform you that the committee of permanent representatives in the council made considerable progress last november on a way forward on the proposed multiannual plan for the stock of western horse mackerel.
to conservation.
that is why the council has adopted ten such plans since two thousand and three covering many if not most of the major stocks in the union waters.
i would like to take this opportunity to thank the honourable members for their positive and pragmatic approach and i hope that results can be achieved. i turn now to the proposed plan for the anchovy stock in the bay of biscay which was also raised by the honourable members.
the council considers that article forty three represents a self standing specific legal basis that applies to clearly identified measures to be adopted under the common fisheries policy.
two thousand and twelve the commission presented two proposals for adoption of measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities for two thousand and twelve one on the internal aspect and the other on the external aspect.
the council at the level of the committee of permanent representatives therefore asked the commission in the autumn of two thousand and ten to withdraw the proposal.
i would like to start by restating that the council continues its commitment to adopt measures that are fully in line with the relevant legal provisions.
the commission has consistently limited its proposals to fishing opportunities and conditions functionally linked to them.
we also want to support producer organisations and improvements in working conditions safety hygiene and training.
let all of us be reasonable here.
we can give a lot of subsidies a lot of money taxpayers' money but if we do not have healthy stocks then there is no way to have a healthy sector.
this is something we all need to understand because healthy stocks can improve profitability and the wages and employment of fishermen and also of people working in processing;
i can understand the situation.
we are talking about fishing opportunities and we have to respect the treaties so these conditions are functionally linked to fishing opportunities as they have a direct bearing on them.
we cannot invent any other way.
we have to realise that the only way to have a healthy fisheries sector is to have healthy stocks.
we have special measures for all of this in our funding.
we are trying to cooperate with everybody and i think that citizens watching us in the context of the crisis would like to see all the eu institutions cooperating in the best way we can.
this will be resolved by negotiation between the two institutions.
these are gladiatorial contests where ministers come to stand up for national interests over fishing and setting limits.
the minister has referred to article forty three of the treaty which says that the council should adopt measures on fixing quantitative limitations and the allocation of fishing opportunities but article forty three says that the european parliament in partnership with the council shall establish the provisions necessary for the pursuit of the obligations of the common fisheries policy.
whatever other disputes there may be amongst members of this parliament i suspect we will mostly be united on standing up for the position of parliament as we see it in the treaty. it is not as though the council has a very good record to defend.
we have to keep delays to a minimum so this matter must be resolved.
if we are to achieve maximum sustainable yield by two thousand and fifteen we have got to get the reformed fishing regulation through as quickly as possible and the commission is going to have to come forward with long term management plans in rapid succession which must clear the parliamentary process in rapid succession.
this debate is important because it sets a precedent for the future for the setting of long term management plans which has been recognised as crucial to the whole reform of the common fisheries policy and showing that we have sustainable fish for the future.
the sooner we do that the sooner we can put in place the measures necessary to ensure that we have healthy fish stocks for the future.
i think it is important that we also recognise the urgency of this.
i welcome the fact that the danish presidency has this high on its agenda and i thoroughly support the commissioner in what she is saying which is let us go for a second reading let us have our debate let us make absolutely clear what are the lines of difference between the council and the commission and then let us negotiate.
in relation to the other matter i confirm that we will work closely together to try and move on within the next number of weeks or months.
the other contentious issue referred to the harvest control rule.
the proposed management plan addresses these difficulties by establishing a formula for vessels in the horse mackerel fishery known as the harvest control rule.
the lisbon treaty provides additional powers in the area of fisheries to the european parliament under article forty three and the establishment of long term multiannual plans is a core pillar of the reform of the common fisheries policy.
the presidency suggested a proposal which provided the council with a degree of flexibility in terms of the total removable amount when setting the total allowable catch in relation to the harvest control rule.
otherwise an amendment to the technical conservation measures regulation will be needed which will have to go through the co decision procedures.
there were two principal issues which proved to be contentious when parliament reviewed the dossier in.
however the legal advice from our services is very clear.
in november two thousand and ten parliament adopted my report by an overwhelming majority six hundred and fifty one in favour and fifteen against.
i hope that all three institutions will take a pragmatic and a sensible attitude going forward.
the proposal put forward by the belgian presidency was subsequently adopted by this parliament.
this rule provides a mechanism for calculating an additional ceiling of maximum allowable landings of horse mackerel harvested from the defined area.
it was correct to do so as the scientific advice is clear on this matter this is one stock which covers the entire geographical area.
in two thousand and ten i met with representatives of the belgian presidency prior to the adoption of the report by the committee on fisheries.
we must find a solution together with the council for all future management plans.
this amendment was acceptable to the council at the time and to the pelagic rac.