kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
mr president honourable members in the middle of this crisis and war which touches all of europe and the european order i regret to share with you the news that the finnish government the government of my country is about to take a decision on thursday to license a russian nuclear power station provided by rosatom which is an
i believe that this goes directly against the spirit of our policy on russia and i would like to draw your attention to this decision.
freedom is not to choose who rules you whose sets of laws you have freedom is to make your own laws. in this debate that we have had today person after person has tried to ask questions to properly debate this issue and due to time and the way this place works we have not even been able to do that properly.
there is no way that this place can properly discuss individual freedoms and the rights of peoples it is not appropriate it is not fit for purpose to do this.
i would ask the commission to look beyond sanctions particularly at major events like conferences world cups etc.
fixed for russia and set a date by which if we do not have a resolution to these problems they should be moved out of russia. in that way only russia would suffer.
i would ask the commissioners would they consider bringing that to discussions.
this policy will be put forward in the middle of this year with recommendations on further strengthening a culture of safety and security among the twenty seven member states. moreover the eu export control system is another key component of our weapons of mass destruction prevention policy.
two thousand and two two thousand and thirteen finally initiatives to build a new model for civil nuclear cooperation should also be encouraged so that countries can get access to nuclear energy without increasing the risks of proliferation. the international fuel bank
the us is preparing its nuclear posture review nato is reviewing its strategic concept and the world is getting ready for the two thousand and ten npt review conference. all of this is happening in a special context.
this is not the time for timidity or hesitation.
this is what this report is all about and this is the spirit of the socialist plenary amendments.
of course us leadership on this issue is welcome. after all the us and russia are the undisputed global nuclear hegemons. however europe cannot sit passively by while moscow and washington discuss its strategic future.
it is our role as parliamentarians unencumbered by the weight and limitations of executive power to show our governments and therefore the council the way in this field.
why not support the model nuclear weapons convention and the hiroshima nagasaki protocol both of which are promoted globally by civil organisations and political leaders?
the us is once again being led by a president barack obama who espouses the vision of a world without nuclear weapons.
our voters would not understand if this parliament prepared a report on the npt which was less ambitious than that of the current us administration.
indeed an estimate from a major insurance company states that the gap between what we are currently providing both public and private and what will be needed to ensure that pension provision remains at the same level in forty years' time for the eu twenty seven is eur.
what systems will they put in place using some combination of the three pillars to ensure that their pension systems are sustainable?
i hope that this debate and the subsequent white paper from the commission will ensure that we begin to deal with this matter in a realistic way.
i think the core issue is how are member states going to finance adequate pensions for their citizens?
there is a yawning gap between current pension provision and what will be needed to provide pensions at current levels for the next forty years.
i think there are real losses potentially to croatia. it is a country with an educated and industrious workforce that could do extremely well pricing itself into the market and exploiting the advantages of relatively cheap exports;
i just raise the question of why some of the existing member states should not also consult their people on the issue of continued membership.
so it is progress of a kind that at least the ordinary people of croatia will have the final word over eu accession.
mr president the history of croatia is in some ways the story of a series of political unions contracted by a ruling elite without the consent of the people first the union with hungary then that with the habsburg monarchy then the short lived kingdom of serbs croats and slovenes and then of course the yugoslav federation.
on a major constitutional issue of this sort it seems quite proper that the existing politicians should not be allowed to make permanent derogations of sovereignty without first asking the permission of those they represent.
they are their temporary and contingent custodians and if they want to alienate power from westminster they should have the courtesy to ask our permission.
under the current constitutional arrangements a referendum must be held within thirty days of the contraction of the accession treaty.
but i am a democrat and of course if the people of croatia vote in favour of eu accession if that is their considered will then i will support their bid when it comes before this chamber.
we talk about sustainable pensions yet at the same time we bring about policies in this place such as the alternative investment fund managers directive which will reduce the returns on savings and investments for tomorrow's pensioners.
mr president i have spent some considerable time in croatia and also taken pains to follow developments there.
croatia is a country which is characterised by endemic bribery corruption crony capitalism and unexplained wealth amongst the political classes.
it lacks the basic infrastructure of a free society.
the rule of law the rights of property and enforceable contracts are all seriously challenged in croatia.
the judicial system is completely log jammed so the citizens and companies operating in croatia cannot effectively appeal for justice.
if this country croatia is considered a suitable country for joining the european union then heaven help all of us.
whatever else we say about the leaders of the eu no one can fault their lack of ambition.
not only are we talking about tax harmonisation about a european debt union about automatic fiscal transfers but we are also talking about the harmonisation of pensions. we are talking about the harmonisation of public sector salaries.
we are talking about the full machinery of single eu economic governance.
i am sure you can spot the logical flaw here.
this is being done as a result of the failure of monetary union.
european monetary union has not worked so let us have european economic and fiscal union.
closer integration has failed to deliver so let us have more integration.
in the process what we are doing is condemning the peoples of several of the member states to preventable poverty and preventable emigration in order to sustain our own conceit.
i get many letters from constituents from member states who joined many years ago in particular the rights of property holders in spain as many of my constituents see their property rights undermined and often lose their life savings.
in june it will become clear if i am an incurable optimist.
if on these matters we are really effective we will be close to a lasting solution to the migration crisis.
prevail. i would like to remind all those in power all the member states that by signing the treaty you have also signed this
as for the brexit negotiations we have managed to build and maintain unity among the twenty seven but ahead of us is still the toughest stress
lists. i am aware that this will be our common decision since parliament will be proposing and co deciding on this
brexit. but in each of these scenarios we will protect our common interest only by being together.
world. our openness and tolerance cannot mean walking away from protecting our heritage.
matter. this is why i would like you to take such a possibility into
on this issue consensus is as unlikely today as it was many months ago. but i do see a real chance of full agreement by june on matters like protecting external borders;
our quest must be accompanied by a constant and profound reflection on the essence of our community.
test. if we fail it the negotiations will end in our defeat. we must keep our unity regardless of the direction of the talks. the eu will be able to rise to every scenario as long as we are not divided.
go alone. if you want to go far go
i did so being aware that there are also ideas that put member states in a permanent conflict.
first of all we are a territorial community which means that we have a common territory and common external borders.
proud'. this is why the first point on the leaders' agenda for our meeting in gothenburg in november is culture and education.
i will do everything in my power to take the first very concrete steps by june towards establishing the european monetary fund and strengthening the stability of the banking union.
it is high time we renewed our vows in the name of our political values enshrined in article two of the treaty on the european union. let me quote the eu is founded on the values of respect for human dignity freedom
the problem is member states' conflicting interests.
fact. finally i would like to refer to an issue it would be hard to avoid being here in strasbourg the future composition of the european parliament.
on this most important issue to me we reached full understanding right from the start.
about being ambitious and staying together at the same time.
unfortunately this was not enough for the brits. after brexit i worked towards creating unity of the twenty seven in the negotiations with the united kingdom. we have shown also during the last european council that no one can divide the twenty seven in these negotiations.
two thousand and fifteen and it is also why i pursued a common position of the eu vis vis russia during the conflict in ukraine. for many months i was building agreement among the twenty seven in order to give prime minister cameron arguments to stay in the eu even though this meant that each of the twenty seven had to make a sacrifice.
striving for unity is also the main reason for creating the leaders' agenda. last friday all the leaders agreed that the priority for them is unity among the. twenty seven this was voiced in unison.
one of the first effects of the leaders' agenda is the agreement to find potential solutions in the nearest possible future despite these differences.
for this reason we want to launch permanent structured cooperation on defence the so called pesco by the end of this
democracy equality the rule of law and respect for human rights including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
as regards emu reform following the publication of the five presidents' report no one should have any doubts what we need to do everything is crystal clear.
article. so either you respect it or you clearly say you reject it with all the consequences of this
when it comes to the migration crisis i appealed from the very beginning to build europe's response on what connects us on the protection of our external borders.
it is in fact up to london how this will end with a good deal no deal or no
mff. secondly we are a cultural community which does not mean that we are better or worse we are simply different from the outside
together'. today i feel we have a real chance to go together far and faster.
thirdly we are a political community.
but one thing i can promise you today if we do not reach agreement by june i will say precisely why it was not possible and who is responsible.
but it does not mean that we should not stand up with courage to the issues that are or could be divisive so that we can find common solutions to them.
we continue to look for the best way towards a europe that is united solidary and sovereign.
we have the right and obligation to care for what distinguishes us from other cultures not in order to be against someone but to be ourselves.
i would like to say a few words on three of its dimensions.
pride. i remember a great hashtag by one of your leaders which said i am european and i am
ideas. i personally believe that the most natural solution would be to adopt a simple rule fewer countries fewer
' these values are common to the member states in a society in which pluralism non discrimination tolerance justice solidarity and equality between women and men
european management over return and readmission policy;
the leaders' agenda is not about changing the community method.
we have learned that insufficient progress should be translated as give us more money'.
and too much for those of us who wish nothing more than to be good friends neighbours allies and partners of those we leave behind.
the fact this government is slowly backtracking on its commitment to the british people must stick in the craw of those who voted for it.
the meaning is that the british prime minister is conceding ever more ground to the eu rather than standing up for that which the people of the uk voted. the people of my nation voted not just to leave the eu twenty eight but to regain our sovereignty.
you are only pursuing your perception of the interests of your project.
and to secure from it advantages of any kind.
the fault lies with her majesty's government for not having the courage of our convictions and saying enough is enough'.
for this i condemn the uk government.
and indeed its own treaty commitments to sincere cooperation and the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade.
although the eu is in the way it is conducting these negotiations breaking the united nations declaration on principles of international law which clearly states that no state may use or encourage the use of economic political or any other type of measures to coerce another state in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights
what mrs may is doing is quietly surrendering so that we will end up neither leaving nor sovereign.
for those ideologues no punishment is too great for those who seek self determination.
because this extortion will poison uk eu relations for years to come.
but that is the moment of truth.
one two trillion and we after nine years are still debating all this because of unanimity.
so that is the first thing to do.
for once they have voted in the council and have reached a position.
are we ready to finish this europe la carte instead of continuing it as we still do? finally the third disease we need to cure is what i call the potemkin syndrome' of the european union that we always make beautiful plans but without creating the necessary instruments the necessary tools or the necessary budget to make it happen.
and it will be if everybody is of that opinion a proposal in which we create a european democracy with transnationalists securing the spitzenkandidaten.
the moment of truth will not be the whole list of summits;
we decided here in two thousand and fourteen that it is an enormous achievement of european democracy.
with the european patents we had to wait more than twenty five years because of the unanimity rule;
i have to tell you that.
on both migration and uk negotiations we may all find that while idealism may be a wonderful way to view the world and sequencing may appear to be perfectly logical it will be pragmatism that delivers the solutions that we all want to see.
that remains the uk's main motivation for its current relationship with the eu and it will be a major motivation in creating the uk's future relationship with the eu and vice versa.
for there to be real progress we must take a step back and look at the process as a whole.
these proposals will not increase solidarity but they may increase voters' frustrations with politicians. please let us rethink the unintended consequences of parliament's proposals in a pragmatic way.
maybe if they had been introduced at the time then maybe there would be more confidence in our migration and asylum system today. instead this parliament appears to have a position on adopting a regulation that throws out the rulebook and long established asylum laws to pursue a relocation system which has not exactly been a success with proposals which mean that an asylum seeker would no longer have their application processed or even have a first admissibility check in the country that they arrive in and continuing to force quotas on countries which have already said that they do not support relocation.
two years ago the ecr published these papers that called for exactly these kinds of sensible measures.
last week's council meeting highlighted one simple fact that the eu is sometimes in danger of allowing idealism to get the better of pragmatism. this is certainly true when looking at the european council's and parliament's positions on the migration package and negotiations with the uk.
so perhaps the more the eu talks about the issues that resonate with the uk it may find that the uk is more willing to give concessions on the issues that the eu twenty seven care most about and prioritise.
just as there needs to be an understanding from the uk as to where the eu twenty seven are coming from there also needs to be an understanding from the eu twenty seven as to where the british people are coming from. the uk joined the eec forty years ago because more than anything it believed in open trade.
as a british mep who leads one of the largest political groups in this house who enjoys good relations with people on both sides of the negotiating table and who like jean claude wants a mutually beneficial deal i hope that we avoid becoming trapped by the sequencing of negotiations.
the european parliament has delivered and it is now high time that you do the same.
we now need to create a fair system that works for all of europe with all its member states.
now i think it is high time that you in council do exactly the same listen to each other and start paying respect to each other leaving national egoism behind. this belongs to history and not to the current situation in europe.
we can never create a functioning common european asylum system as long as every member state is obsessed with their own national situation.
i have managed to gather behind me and to unite this house in a very bold proposal creating a truly european asylum system and we have managed to do so through long negotiations and by listening to each other.
and such a system has to include automatic relocation of asylum seekers and must be based on the principle of solidarity as in article eighty of our treaties. the goal has to be to fix the asylum system not merely to find some watered down compromise that can reach unanimity in council. it is high time that you take
negotiations in trilogues will be long and difficult but i look forward to opening those trilogues sooner rather than later.
on the other hand this need not be a bad thing considering that the hyperactivity of the european institutions usually creates more problems than it solves.
carries out this impossible and politically dangerous project?
yes we are a political community.
i really hope that the council is now going to move forward on the files that have been adopted here dublin the reception conditions because we have been waiting. we voted on reception conditions almost half a year ago.
we are one legislator and the council with twenty eight individuals is totally unable to reach agreement on one of the most important challenges of this moment.
we need a decision by the council now;
the council is completely paralysed and we cannot wait until next summer for a solution.
i think that is totally irresponsible and only shows the total bankruptcy of the intergovernmental method.
fortress europe that is what the council is trying to build keeping people out and it is remarkable that this house with seven hundred and fifty one meps representing more than two hundred political parties is able to come to agreement.
mr president what our citizens expect of us is that we provide european answers where european answers are necessary that we provide the answers that will allow them to regain control of their destinies individually and collectively that we provide the answers for issues that are manifestly beyond the control of individual member states.
i think the work programme will contain the concrete steps that will allow us to deliver on the promises we are making to our citizens and it will allow us to use the eighteen months that we have left in our mandates to effectively show that europe can come up with answers when it is called upon to do so.
two of the institutions now represented here today only have limited time left before the next elections and before the next commission will come in. we need to make the best use possible of that limited time.
if we are successful in providing answers that work for our citizens europe will be rewarded for it. if we are not successful in providing these answers we will all share the blame.
they will say that europe has failed.
madam president the good friday agreement recognises that there are unique circumstances that require special arrangements regarding the north of ireland.
that accord essentially conferred a special status regarding the political and constitutional framework on which the six counties of the north operate.
that agreement is the basis on which we have been building peace in ireland.
anyone who now says that there must be no special provisions for the north of ireland in any brexit deal is not only ignoring the realities of the good friday agreement but is in fact trying to undermine it.
it is disappointing that the british government is cherry picking the peace agreement but it would be worse it would be a travesty if eu negotiators allowed them to do so by agreeing to the removal of european legal protections for the north of ireland.
as someone from the border region i tell parliament today i tell the council and the commission that our community will not accept any return to the days of physical manifestations of the border in ireland knowing as we do the economic political and social catastrophe that that would be.
all of ireland must remain in the customs union and the single market and all of ireland must have the protections of eu law.
the eu must stand firm on these positions.
these are very concrete measures to deliver on the road map with credibility but the main test will be the next european budget because all this ambition needs to be matched by a real overhaul of the community budget in a way
which must be completely respected.
this is our wish and our warning.
the united kingdom seeks a deal that is mutually beneficial.
it seeks a deal that recognises a strong independent united kingdom cooperating and working beside a european union.
that cooperation can be in areas of defence areas of the economy and things that are important to all of us.
can i say in respect of northern ireland that i fear that these institutions are in danger of overreach?
the guarantors of the belfast agreement are the british and irish governments not the european institutions.
yet when this parliament said the same thing just two weeks prior to that with most british meps voting in favour of parliament's resolution two conservative meps were suspended by their party for daring to tell the truth.
this gives us a clue as to why progress is so minimal in the negotiations the divisions within the governing conservative party.
theresa may spends more time negotiating with her party than negotiating with the european union.
and some of her party actually want brexit without a deal.
those people want a brexit without a deal because they want to create maximum distance between britain and its neighbouring countries.
nobody should have any illusions as to where the responsibility lies and i think that president tusk was quite right when he said it is up to britain.
this is why we strongly welcome what we hope can be considered a promise that by the end of this year pesco will become a reality.
on such an important topic it would have been good to start seeing strategic thinking on the part of our heads of state.