kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
so i think after the european election this parliament with the new commission could have a huge opportunity to frame the activities of the next five years using the strategic development goals sdgs. i think we have this opportunity now and i think there is growing consensus also in member states to do that.
that would be my first remark.
my second remark is this those who in general terms deny climate change you even have people who deny all the scientific evidence those who want to say that if you want to have a sustainable society we all will have to live in caves munching on grass should understand that this project fear is not going to fly
because there is a way if we are consistent and if we move quickly to have high levels of well being and still not use the planet as though we have two more planets waiting for us.
but the issue is the longer you wait the more difficult it's going to be and i believe the only way we can get our societies to embrace the idea is to put social sustainability front and centre.
there i fully agree with mr marias when he says you have to make sure you can convince the people there is a sustainable future for them in this with a decent job with decent salaries with decent social protection.
if they have the feeling that they're going to be the ones living in caves munching on grass they will stop.
they will not give the political support we need to go in that direction.
so i think we need to put this front and centre.
but i have to say the way ms ska keller recently said somewhere that better regulation has led to lowering of standards i think better regulation has given us the possibility to have the european's view for instance on the nature directives.
we could not have protected the nature directives if we did not have this public consultation which said very clearly that the vast vast majority of europeans want the nature directives to protect nature.
so in that sense better regulation helped and it helped us to move with lightning speed on the plastic strategy which is unique in the world and mr gerbrandy knows this very well.
it also helped us move with lightning speed on the first steps of the circular economy which is something also commissioner jyrki katainen has done a lot of work on and which is very good for our collective future.
so you know all the fears we had at the beginning that this would lead to lower ambitions and a lowering of standards this did not happen.
this is not what this commission did.
i think we really moved forward.
finally one remark on cultural sustainability.
isn't it ironic isn't it ironic that the political movements who do everything to cut cultural subsidies and say this is for the elite are the same movements who are pleading for us to safeguard our culture and foster our culture.
for me culture is not an exclusive thing.
for me culture is not a weapon to exclude other people. for me culture is the way to develop pride in who we are and curiosity in who we are not and curiosity is the way forward for our development.
without curiosity without critical thinking we will not be able to go forward and those who want to make us prisoner of a culture in fear of other cultures will kill curiosity will kill creativity and will not help us move forward.
it does not necessarily improve social and environmental conditions it does not necessarily promote human rights. i believe that a black and white approach of withdrawing tariff preferences from a whole country also has not proved effective.
we have examples such as myanmar and cambodia and i think the options have to be increased.
i believe that instead of a whole economy the eu should be able to target certain economic sectors with gsp instruments.
moreover it should be able to use targeted sanctions against companies that breach human rights or other obligations.
so we should be able to blacklist companies or exporters that are found guilty of abusing human rights.
mr president unfortunately racism is still a reality in europe with widespread discrimination against people of african descent.
black women and lgbtiq people face a particularly bleak situation as they find themselves at the intersection of discrimination based on race and gender.
access to employment housing education and other opportunities remains much more difficult for people of african descent.
this is made worse when it comes for instance to trans women of colour who are also the target of unparalleled levels of violence.
racism in europe is rooted in centuries of colonisation and the bullying of african countries by the west.
we need to address these historical trends and accept that they are still at play today as we have seen in this very debate.
however as the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination approaches i know that thousands of anti racist activists will march on the streets calling for a world against racism.
it's time to stop ignoring the daily reality of life for europeans of african descent and mr dzhambazki needs to understand that we all are from the same dna.
the only causal link we can find is with integration into the world economy and to some extent with governance.
there are people here who give the impression that we don't do anything but that's not true.
first of all sri lanka is one example of the fact that that you do actually lose your preference if you don't behave and what we now are doing with myanmar is also a proof of that. however we have to remember one thing when countries are kicked out of the system the system doesn't deliver anymore.
i would claim that we've improved livelihoods and the situation in terms of observance of human rights for millions throughout this world by stopping things from happening because people want to stay in the system.
if we kick people out too quickly we lose that possibility. therefore i urge my colleagues let's be tough let's strengthen monitoring but let's not punish those already oppressed by making them poorer and kicking them out before we've used every trick in this regulation to pressure
mr president a key principle of the sdgs is that they are universal and that all countries must do their bit at home as well as abroad to meet the targets but i fear that we are failing.
that's the current list of the top five items needed at the luton food bank.
it is frankly shocking that this government is content to watch one in five children in britain live in homes that are severely food insecure making it the worst for child hunger in all of europe.
we have had four years to think about how to address the sustainable development goals.
instead the banking union must be combined with structural reforms.
there has been a lot of discussion regarding the term too big to fail' and this week the us also released their volcker rule.
as you know the problem is extremely acute in crisis countries like greece where rates have increased not decreased and where healthy smes are suffering because of lack of liquidity and large corporations often have to leave the country in order to get access to cheap credit.
let me give you two examples in our debates we have consistently raised the issue of the credit crutch in the real economy along the line that the cheap liquidity you are providing for banks has never reached the real economy but was instead used by banks for profits and capital formation.
the situation of banks' balance sheets and the private sector balance sheets is better today in the euro area than it was in japan at that time.
so that is why i am saying we have to think further and reflect more deeply to find out which is the right instrument.
that is why i said in the last press conference that we stand ready to act and we are able to act.
they are struggling both because they do not have credit but also because they do not ask for credit because overall demand is weak and unemployment is unacceptably high.
here. some ongoing discussions have suggested that we should have different risk weights on sovereign
work. finally on the four presidents' report.
let me make a few statements about our monetary policy.
if one does not carry out the structural reforms one would have to do them anyway whether in the euro or outside the euro.
works. the situations in which this mechanism will be used are going to be emergency situations.
now. this is a global task that will be discussed by the basel committee at the proper
so in doing this we have the objective of our primary mandate which is maintaining price stability in the medium term.
that is why the ecb speaks in favour of growth friendly budget consolidation rather than simply consolidation tout court that says let us look at the bottom line no matter how this consolidation is being achieved'.
we cannot supplement banks if they lack capital.
we do not see deflation in the euro area today.
there are several but if i have to look at the ecb certainly it is our monetary accommodation which is gradually finding its way through the economy.
aqr. i have very little doubt that shedding more light and making the balance sheets of the banks more transparent will actually help to restore credit flows to greater levels than today.
having said that let us not forget that if we look back two years ago or even one year ago there has been a substantial improvement in the euro area on all fronts on the structural reforms on the fiscal consolidation even on growth.
but let us keep something in mind we cannot supplement governments in their structural reform policies.
one is on sovereign debt. let me make this point quite clearly.
our situation is different from what it was in japan in the one thousand nine hundred and ninety s and early two thousand. s inflation expectations in the medium and long term are firmly anchored; the monetary stimulus that we have injected in the euro area in the last two years as many of you have acknowledged was not there in japan at that time.
second is the much lower uncertainty that we face today if compared to two years ago.
finally two points.
but as i said more generally this is not the time to return to nationalism and protectionism.
so we have to be aware that we have the same objective as the central banks working in one country having this mandate but we have a completely different institutional set up with seventeen and soon eighteen countries.
there are also improvements in fragmentation and i will not take your time here going through the various details but the financial markets and the banking markets work better today. however i am fully aware that the smes which account for almost eighty of employment are struggling.
there are two issues
i think the ecb should speak up against anything that could threaten the independence of its monetary policy and policies that penalise growth ultimately tend to threaten the independence of the ecb monetary policy.
we cannot supplement governments or systems that are politically broken.
when we talk about price stability we talk about price stability in both directions above two and below.
there are many things that central banks cannot do and very often these many things add the real engines for growth.
we will certainly do everything for this to continue in the future.
at the same time it is well to keep in mind that this is not the time and i repeat it to go back to nationalism.
but when people make comparisons with other countries' ltros let me say one thing the main features of the funding for lending scheme are its long maturity wide collateral and wide set of counterparties and all these last three features have been present in our ltros from the very beginning.
first of all our monetary policy is not run with one country in mind but it is run for the whole of the euro area.
what are the drivers of this recovery?
debt. this is not the task for us or for
this represents a good opportunity to take stock of the progress made over the past few years in strengthening the resilience and stability of the euro area.
the economic recovery that followed the post lehman global recession of two thousand and eight two thousand and nine was aborted in the euro area as the sovereign debt crisis took hold.
the viability of banks that had survived the first phase of the crisis was called into question.
the monthly press conferences which were without precedent at the time among major central banks are a telling example. this year has also shown that the ecb stands ready to adapt its communication policy where deemed necessary.
our commitment to accountability and transparency has also become apparent in the agreement concluded between our two institutions on the single supervision mechanism the so called ssm. supervision necessitates a differentiated form of accountability from monetary policy
let me now share my thoughts on the process of completing european monetary union.
that statement was conditional and based on an overall subdued outlook for inflation extending into the medium term given the broad based weakness of the real economy and subdued monetary dynamics.
the interinstitutional agreement strikes the right balance between ensuring high standards of accountability transparency and safeguarding confidential information.
not so long ago the euro area was facing an uncertain future. in the meantime doubts about the integrity of the single currency have dissipated.
let me now turn to institutional developments and focus in particular on measures related to accountability and transparency.
unions; only then can we say we have created a genuine european monetary
our measures addressed those distortions in sovereign debt markets that were due to the redenomination risk and alleviated funding pressures on euro area banks.
an end. these institutions are essential to implement the single rulebook in the years to
in keeping with these anticipations we also reconfirmed our forward guidance in its original formulation. over the past two years our interest rate cuts were transmitted only unevenly across euro area countries due to the fragmentation of financial markets along national borders.
growth. equal borrowing conditions can only be ensured through the joint implementation of other measures.
me the gender balance at the ecb.
and i am happy to report the internal preparations are well underway.
two thousand and fifteen this decision reassures our counterparties that the liquidity necessary to refinance their core activities will be forthcoming at our main refinancing rate.
we will also have a new toolbox for the resolution of financial institutions and we will have stronger national deposit guarantee schemes. banking union however is not a panacea for eliminating financial market fragmentation and fully stabilising the european monetary
weak economic activity and high unemployment have resulted in subdued inflation.
for example we have published the procedures governing the provision of emergency liquidity assistance the so called ela.
this is why the executive board decided this summer to introduce gender targets aiming at thirty five women in management positions by two thousand and nineteen and this is not an empty promise.
to clarify the orientation of our monetary policy going forward in an exceptionally uncertain environment we introduced forward guidance in july.
in this context let me also welcome your positive vote on ms nouy's nomination.
through a concerted legislative effort the euro area and the eu as a whole has been put on a more stable footing.
against this backdrop and in respect of the price stability mandate that was assigned to us by the treaty we have lowered our key interest rates to historically low levels.
we have started internal reflections on how to increase the transparency of the deliberations in the governing council without undermining independent decision making by its members.
the ecb has started to implement a diversity action plan that will help us to attain those targets.
two thousand and thirteen we stated that we expected key interest rates to remain at present or lower levels for an extended period of time.
following her final appointment by the council she will become your main interlocutor on all matters related to the ssm as of one january. i would also like to address an issue which i know is as much a concern to you as it is to
your institution has made a decisive contribution to this effort. the establishment of the single supervisory mechanism represents probably the most significant change to the european union since the establishment of the single currency
as a direct consequence bank lending rates for households and non financial corporations have decreased at the euro area level.
union. it is a necessary but not sufficient condition to break the bank sovereign nexus and restore sustainable economic
at our november meeting we also decided to extend the time horizon for the application of the fixed rate full allotment procedures in our liquidity operations until at least july.
come. looking ahead we will have a stronger set of rules for capital and liquidity.
we have in addition taken direct measures to alleviate the funding situation for smes through our collateral framework and we have worked with the european commission to further improve sme financing conditions.
this not only includes continued fiscal consolidation and implementation of structural reforms but also progress on the other
the purpose of these was and remains a more effective transmission of the ecb's interest rate cuts so that our monetary policy can reach euro area companies and households.
night. swift agreement on the other key component of banking union the single resolution mechanism is of paramount importance. i trust you will succeed in adopting the relevant legislation before your term comes to
to address this problem we adopted a series of non standard measures.
since our creation we have always gone beyond the treaty requirements in making our work transparent and accessible.
since then we have been experiencing a weak recovery.
while preserving the independence of the ecb as a whole.
as this legislature comes to the end of its term it is an opportune time to reflect on what we have achieved in such a short space of time.
in november we acted upon that conditional pledge by reducing two of our key interest rates as price pressures have diminished further and we anticipate inflation weakness to be protracted.
i am confident that the implementation of the interinstitutional agreement will open a new chapter of successful cooperation between our two institutions.
financial stability was threatened;
let me begin by describing the economic environment of the past years.
to introduce the debate i would first like to review the more recent ecb monetary policy decisions.
emu. two zero which will look very different from the
maintaining the reform momentum is key to further progress.
the srm will have to ensure that bank resolution will be orderly and that the european taxpayers will be protected.
thirdly the ecb could benchmark the funding for lending scheme of the bank of england which has substantially supported sme lending in the
i look forward to having a constructive and productive debate with you here today.
we need bank managers who look at your track record your business model your character and then take a calculated risk not a gamble but a calculated risk and i ask that that be made a condition.
ninety per cent of all businesses are directly associated with smes and two thirds of all employment in the euro area and the survey access to finance published by both the ecb and the commission finds that thirteen of sme loan applications were rejected in two thousand and thirteen sixteen of smes received less than they originally applied for and seven of smes were too discouraged to even apply for a loan.
we weathered it because we had the institutions we had the central bank and we had the commission and let us not forget that.
secondly i want to thank you for your strong support for the commission's work on freeing up the necessary and affordable lending to smes in europe. we must now do whatever it takes to get credit flowing into the real economy to the households and businesses especially to smes
the european central bank has been providing the euro area financial sector with unprecedented levels of assistance as was seen with the emergency liquidity assistance channelled through the national central banks and yet the financial sector reprieved due to ecb and taxpayers unconditional support has failed to yield by way of growth and job creation.
public purses small businesses and homeowners have all been treated like delinquents by a sector they had to save from itself and they face stringent conditions to make ends meet.
we need credit lines for our businesses.
instead nutrition comes second to opportunities for industrial agribusinesses with no focus on healthy food but rather on agricultural commodities which of course require monocultures.
crucially this parliament report argues that the new alliance must allow farmers to avoid input dependency.
there will not be food sovereignty if farmers are beholden to corporations for their seeds and then brought into vicious circles of pesticide and fertilizer use.
this increases input dependency and land degradation.
mr president i would like to commend the rapporteur for a lot of what she says about the new alliance for food security and nutrition.
well if you take twenty eight countries and put all of those numbers together then of course it is going to be bigger than any one individual.
in all our programmes under the new alliance we make sure that we are working towards this objective.
together with our partners african governments the african union commission the private sector and g seven members the european union has made a commitment to promoting inclusive and sustainable agriculture based growth.
within the new alliance we have developed guidance for companies on due diligence and risk management for land based investments in agriculture.
this is what the new alliance is trying to do reduce poverty and link smallholders to markets by working with the local and international private sector. the european union has been supporting the new alliance since its launch
we need partnerships with the private sector that encourage businesses to put sustainable development at the core of their strategies.
of course there are many challenges associated with our efforts and we are working hard to solve them.
gender is also a prominent component in the new alliance.
food and nutrition security in our developing partner countries is a priority area for the commission. we want to contribute to job creation stability growth and sustainable development.
if we want to preserve the multilateral system and make it more effective engagement with china is an absolute must.
we raised our position against the death penalty as we always do with all countries that still have that penalty and we discussed the impartiality of the justice system.
first of all i would like to thank the rapporteur mr belder for a very balanced report which accurately reflects the state of eu china relations and the key issues at stake.
our approach is not the same but if we want to promote sustainable development and sustainable security in africa engagement with china is key to achieving results on the ground.
our security cooperation is getting stronger in various parts of the world. for instance we cooperate on the ground in mali and in somalia where we are both present with our security personnel.
we want to deal with these issues within the framework of a rules based international system. we want our trade with china to be based on reciprocity and to be free and
issues. it is also very clear that we will not sacrifice our values in the name of real politics' we are always very clear on
in recent years china has become much more active on the global stage and china looks to the european union as a partner on many issues where our interests converge.
years. of course the most outstanding disagreement we have with china concerns the human rights situation in china as underlined in your report.
we could choose a conflictual approach going for trade wars that would hurt everyone or we can work together with china to make the global economic system more just and fair.