kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
i hope you will endorse this compromise agreement as a way forward and you will continue keeping up the pressure to optimise the full potential for environmental improvement and stimulate the design of eco friendlier products.
two thousand and twelve we will certainly not contest the fact that we need to change our consumption and production patterns by switching to cleaner products.
the eco design directive represents a big opportunity for industry to build more competitive businesses based on green technologies.
by building a low carbon and resource efficient economy we can give a new impetus to competitiveness.
from my consultations with stakeholders i realise that forward thinking businesses do not wait for regulations in order to become compliant but take proactive measures.
it also provides flexibility for the industry as self regulation measures can be recognised as alternatives to regulatory implementing measures.
but we could not have any firm commitment for an extension of the scope to all products after the review of the directive in.
sometimes even small steps can lead to big achievements.
in this sense i believe we missed the opportunity to do more for the environment with less bureaucracy.
and i insist on the fact that giving these examples does not mean that these products will be covered automatically.
then the compromise provides for the assessment of the methodology used for preparing the implementing measures to better cover resource efficiency and the life cycle approach.
a legislative proposal where parliament can hardly change anything is not the appropriate framework for codecision.
however i am pleased that despite these challenges we managed to reach a compromise that confirms the basic principles of the commission's proposal such as the extension of the scope to energy related products but also brings more clarifications and more emphasis on all relevant environmental parameters.
but why stop there?
the problems we face in terms of resource use go beyond energy.
the commissioner should know that.
the problem is the overall pressure on ecosystems and the natural resource base. many scientific reports bear witness to this not least our own thematic strategy on natural resources.
an estimated two thirds of major ecosystems in the world are over utilised and we are depleting natural capital.
the fact is that the current growth model and concept is not sustainable.
who but the european union could help transform the concept to a more sustainable one?
as with energy efficiency we could establish standards and norms for how to source materials how to design products to facilitate recycling and reuse and enhance resource efficiency.
having seen earlier drafts of the commission proposals which included resource efficiency it is a mystery to me why such proposals were not followed through. tell me where else in eu legislation do we have measures that encourage resource efficiency?
we need policy frameworks that encourage resource efficiency across the board that encourage companies to try new business models like functional thinking offering services rather than products and where revenues obtained through quality of service and not only via increased volumes from sales are taking place.
look at what happened last year the greening of the cap was watered down.
it is about resource efficiency energy efficiency and changing our economy from a linear to a circular one. that is what this action plan is about.
this is not about labour efficiency;
i would also like to be honest about the rather uninspiring and also misleading title of the seventh environmental action programme and particularly the subtitle living well within the limits of our planet' which is far too defensive.
the main elements of the commission's proposals to improve implementation were all endorsed including the need to further develop inspection support capacities at eu level and find effective solutions to access to justice.
finally we simply cannot afford to continue letting our natural capital degrade further at the risk of losing out on the valuable and often irreplaceable services that nature provides. investing in nature is investing in our future.
since then you have had several discussions in this house about what the programme should focus on and why it was needed.
tomorrow's growth will depend on making resource efficiency natural capital and low carbon technologies a much more central part of our economic policy. our competitiveness depends on eliminating waste and cutting costs and moving away from an economic model based on extraction production consumption and throwing away.
i am therefore encouraged to see that the outcome of the negotiations between parliament and the council sets out a number of important objectives and targets to be achieved by two thousand and twenty for instance that we have to step up our efforts to implement the european union biodiversity strategy.
the new environmental action programme provides the medium term framework for eu institutions and member states to join forces and implement the vision that we have defined.
but thanks to the work of parliament and the council the programme itself has improved in many ways.
only by working together at all levels will we be able to deliver the improvements in the environment the economy and society that we need to continue living well within the limits of the planet.
that is the title the commission proposed and it has not changed.
the political agreement reached in june sends a clear signal that the european union and its member states support a strong and smart environmental policy in europe as a key condition for healthy living and a competitive resource efficient and low carbon economy.
from the beginning there was wide agreement on the environmental challenges we face their importance for the economy and the priorities that should guide our efforts to tackle them.
the programme itself is a joint commitment of the union institutions and the member states to deliver the benefits of environmental action to people and businesses all over europe.
two thousand and fifteen implementation is a cornerstone and a supporting theme of the seventh eap.
we will work closely with the member states so that each of us faces up to our respective responsibilities to deliver the environmental outcomes agreed as part of this programme.
two thousand and fifty this will create a stable environment for investment and help us to have jobs and growth and particularly to nurture the green economy.
of us. that is our competitiveness if we want to protect
statement. it is not showing another way it is actually the
living. so if somebody thinks that when we are talking about those issues we are talking long term issues they are simply
i do not think that it would be proper for us to leave it for the next seven years on the table like a kind of a sleeping beauty because it is not of any help to the soil if we keep it for ten or fifteen years more.
resources. at the same time we are seeing the volatility of those prices increasing.
mistaken. europe is a densely populated continent. we are locked into many resource intensive industrial models business models financial models structures of the
but it is important that we agree among ourselves whether we mean seriously to do the things to which we have committed in the seventh environmental programme which we are discussing today. i would just remind the european parliament that you have consistently supported the european soil directive from the first moment when it was proposed by the commission.
mistaken. this is here
weeks. that is the world in which we are
but given the vigorous debate in the scientific community and also the claims by industry of the potentially high impact of the criteria on the availability of plant protection products we are now carrying out both steps simultaneously. as a consequence the commission will present proposals for the introduction of criteria to identify endocrine disrupters for biocides and plant protection products rather later than foreseen.
it is time to abandon our obsession with co two and start to prioritise reliable and affordable energy supplies.
unnecessary because the theory of man made climate change is increasingly disputed and there has been no global warming for nearly two decades.
it is absurd to think that man made co two is the only driver of climate.
ineffectual because with one two hundred new coal fired power stations in the global pipeline nothing we do in the eu will make a scrap of difference.
the earth's climate system is complex chaotic and poorly understood.
madam president the eu's climate and energy policies are probably unnecessary certainly ineffectual and ruinously expensive.
and their carers in order to make them aware of the care principle and best practices that have been identified.
the council also called on the social protection committee to continue to promote the sharing of experiences and exchange of best practice regarding the quality of long term care assistance to carers the organisation of long term care and the importance of integrated care.
and that provision in a residential or community setting is to be preferred to an institutional setting.
in addition the council also invited the member states to establish in cooperation with the stakeholders concerned a national strategy action plan or any other measures aimed at improving the quality of life of patients and their carers as well as to improve the distribution of useful information to patients their families
by our ageing societies.
the conference will pay special attention to growing employment opportunities in social services in the context of population ageing support for informal carers and the role of social services in active social inclusion and reconciliation of care and employment. priority attention will also be paid to independent living in the community. the conference should contribute to the exchange of best practices. let me conclude
would he agree that while the employment conference is welcome we need some new thinking and something as dramatic as what happened at the end of the second world war?
employment situation.
moreover the presidency has decided to organise the employment summit so as to maintain a platform for the debate and eventual decisions and that will be held on seven may.
it should also be mentioned in this context that during this year the european parliament and the council as the co legislators are evaluating and considering amendments to the european globalisation fund an instrument aimed at the elimination of negative globalisation impacts where
responsible for designing and implementing their employment policies. however the council has a number of responsibilities in the field of employment including the annual adoption of the employment guidelines in accordance with article one hundred and twenty eight of the treaty. especially now that europe is facing a financial and economic crisis
based on the assessment of the european council the council will adopt the guidelines on the member states' employment policies.
the european council undertook to evaluate the implementation of the plan at its upcoming march spring council indicating that additions or amendments to it could be made if necessary.
job losses certainly belong as well as decreasing the risk that redundant employees will become long term unemployed.
topics for discussion will be confirmed after the spring european council so we are planning to have the orientation debate on this next week.
i would like to recall for the presidency in office that at the summit meeting last december all heads of state and government agreed to a declaration which stated that in the context of an international agreement on climate change in copenhagen in two thousand and nine for those who wished to do so part of the auction revenues would be used to enable and finance actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change in developing countries which have ratified the agreement in particular the least developed countries. my question is very simple. because summit declarations do not appear in any official journal or on the record before the end of your presidency minister could you put the full content of that declaration at last december's summit on the record here in the house?
it is most important that we have a record of such important declarations.
on the basis of the commission communication.
the first signals coming from washington are in any case encouraging so it will be crucial to ensure good cooperation between the eu and the us in order for our positions to be as ambitious as possible and to ensure that consequently the major emerging economies will follow suit.
last week thereby further developing the eu position on a comprehensive post two thousand and twelve agreement. the forthcoming european council is also expected to agree key political messages. in addition to the shared vision of the long term action on mitigation and adaptation as well as technology
as you know as a follow up to the commission communication called towards a comprehensive climate change agreement in copenhagen' and on the basis of the input of the temporary committee on climate change set up by the european parliament the council adopted conclusions on this issue
the identification of appropriate means for financing effective and long term climate policies is key in the eu's position and will determine to a large extent the success of the copenhagen conference.
for the eu's efforts to fight climate change to deliver it is absolutely crucial that we bring other major world co two producing economies on board.
as far as the climate and energy package is concerned by reaching agreement on this package in december two thousand and eight the eu sent a very strong political signal to all its negotiating partners in the world.
furthermore the council has just started the examination of the commission's action plan for the deployment of intelligent transport systems in europe and the associated proposal for a directive laying down the framework for the deployment of intelligent transport systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport. both items have as one of their goals
in the context of the preparation of a new action plan on road safety.
the improvement of road safety through the application of information and communication technologies to the road transport sector.
they may take measures which result in higher standards only if there is a scientific justification for doing so.
however we must ensure that the required standards are not in conflict with the agreements mentioned above.
we all know that there are different viewpoints on these issues and that the european community has been many times on the defensive side of a dispute over such measures.
the european community imposes high level standards through which we protect our consumers.
members of the wto are therefore encouraged to use international standards guidelines and recommendations where these exist.
the sps is a separate agreement containing basic rules on food safety and animal and plant health standards.
what would question time be without our irish colleagues and their effective and articulate contributions?
i am not asking the world but i should like to say please always be aware that they are not mutually exclusive objectives. many of our younger constituents across the eu are telling our presidencies this very thing.
the development of high quality education is a key factor for improving the quality of care as are temporary replacement care and special leave for employees who look after family members.
given that eu producers particularly of food have the extra costs of meeting eu standards and at the same time compete with imports from countries that do not in those circumstances could i ask you whether you are persuaded that the cap should be used to fund
without that funding we are going to suffer exactly the fate that mrs mcguinness has referred to.
however the system will still be used outside of our borders and we will import liquid egg or powdered egg from those cages that are banned in the european union and producers wonder at the logic of all of that.
i ask you as a man who is quite logical and detailed in your responses how do you argue the case for that type of system unless we say that you cannot import the liquid egg or the powdered product coming from a caged system?
the commission's report on demography which shows that we have an ageing european population is subtitled solidarity between the generations' but it is really within the family that we learn solidarity and that this is based on love and care.
i am also very glad that the czech presidency has identified respect for human dignity because that principle is at the heart of care.
the commission plans to propose modernised legislation to cover medicated feed in the near future to curb the risk of the development of anti microbial resistance arising from residues of antimicrobials in feed and to set common production standards.
we are actively implementing the amr action plan and are making progress.
the development of new antibiotics has already been encouraged through new research and innovation related actions and partnerships.
we all know that resistant microbes can spread between humans animals and the environment and through food and this highlights the need for a coordinated approach across human and animal sectors. control of antimicrobial resistance will require the joint efforts of all actors at eu level the member states healthcare professionals industry veterinarians and eu citizens as consumers of antibiotics. resistant microbes do not respect borders.
borders are for human beings.
feed can now only be used on the basis of a prescription.
the commission has also further reinforced research activities in this field by supporting the joint programming initiative with member states and by making eur one hundred and forty seven million available for antimicrobial resistance research in the last call again under the seventh framework programme for research.
i want to see significant progress on the cooperation agreement.
i think russia enjoys and prefers to be able to speak with all.
i am going to just concentrate on the few key points that i think a number of honourable members have raised and to begin with the relationship between the partnership for modernisation and the political cooperation agreement.
it is very important that we continue to work in geneva to find a resolution on this and i pay tribute to pierre morel for the work on our behalf.
it is certainly not just about the technical advantages that russia would like to see.
yesterday i met the ukrainian prime minister specifically to discuss ways in which we can further the relationship between the european union and ukraine.
i am very conscious that ukraine is an important state for us. it is very important in the context of what we are doing for example on visas and the regional dimensions that mr brok mentioned at the beginning of our debate that we are working absolutely coherently with our neighbours in the eastern partnership ensuring that we move forward in a way that does not create
an inappropriate imbalance for them.
in terms of the ability to speak with one voice as mrs oomen ruijten particularly mentioned we are in a position where we are beginning to see the eu operating much more coherently and consistently in a range of areas.
but certainly we do keep in touch with russia on those issues and are now in touch with a range of partners.
mr kurski it does include issues of human rights.
we have some issues particularly concerning the sections on trade and economic matters but there is no doubt in my mind that we do need to complete this agreement alongside the launching and it was only the beginning of the partnership for modernisation approach.
it is of enormous significance as too is in my view the move of russia with the world trade organisation to now consider again the possibility of joining the wto without the full customs union whether that is just with kazakhstan or on its own.
it is clear that the markets are regional and so we need more regional cooperation between regulatory authorities.
we need to ensure that consumers are protected.
we have advised that we will insert a declaration in the text indicating that we will place particular emphasis on recital twenty three which refers to the application of the penalties in accordance with national law' as there could be a constitutional issue in relation to the separation of powers.
we are not convinced that the wording of article thirteen would not impact on this issue.
i am pleased that long term contracts are included in the information that has to be reported.
i think that to exclude often secretive contracts would continue to distort the market.
we must now take this transparency one step further. we should move towards more transparency in international gas agreements.
they are often contradictory to the law and values of the european union so i very much welcome the commission proposal for a decision on information for international agreements.
the commission should also work towards greater transparency of the ownership of energy firms.
we should know more of course it is impossible to control everything and to know everything but we should know more about who is actually controlling market activities.
i am especially glad that our idea to take into account damages caused to consumers when determining penalties for breaking the rules was included in the final compromise.
this overhaul of the eu's financial architecture has been a huge undertaking for the committee on economic and monetary affairs.
we must now ensure that the three institutions have the staffing and resources they need to be able to do the job properly. in conclusion parliament has put enormous effort and political will into a compromise with the council to ensure that this urgently needed package of reforms has now been agreed and should be in place in early.
i am particularly happy to see the establishment of the european systemic risk board whose mandate is to act as an early warning against systemic risks or imbalances.
with regard to the esas i am satisfied that a balance has been found that does not weaken the role of member states.
the crisis has demonstrated that our regulatory framework was not robust enough that markets do not always self correct and worse that they were exposed to unmonitored systemic risks.
mr president the distant rumble we can hear is the eu's barrage its opening assault on the prosperity of the city of london whose prosperity sustains the surrounding economy of my constituency.
the new supervisory architecture which this house has just voted through with an enormous margin is not a proportionate remedy to an identified problem.
no one has convincingly demonstrated no one has even seriously tried to argue that the measures we are putting in place would have prevented the financial crisis two years ago.
what we are seeing rather is measures driven by envy by resentment of london's position and by hostility to capitalism as a model.
you can blame an awful lot of people for the credit crunch you can blame the banks you can blame the regulators you can blame the governments for keeping interest rates too low for too long but you cannot blame managers of private equity who were rather among the victims and who took their losses on the chin and who did not come bleating for bail outs.
mr president today's vote on the two pharmacovigilance files will give us a safer and more effective system for the monitoring of medicinal products.
the compromise helps secure the financing of the system with a possibility for the european medicinal agency to charge fees for its services.
of course this is a compromise but compared to how divergent the views were from the outset i believe that this is a sensible solution.