kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
clearly the naiades ii package has not delivered on that so far.
given the name of this strategy making better use of europe's waterways' i would also like to ask the european commission what is its action plan to improve the connection between waterways that are mainly used for leisure and tourism and their connections to other forms of transport as well as to ensure that these waterways are also used in the most environmentally friendly way?
wages must be adjusted downwards to make goods competitive with those of the emergent economies.
it would be impossible for developed economies to compete with manufactured imports from these countries without driving our wages down to their levels. indeed this is hinted at in the section on page sixteen on fostering competitiveness. it says there will be assessments of wage and productivity developments and competitive adjustment needs'.
imports from third countries particularly the so called emergent economies are the greatest single cause of trade imbalances and the inability to compete.
a strong commitment to the single market is key to competitiveness in the eu and therefore the euro area.
the very least you can do is to treat risk premiums as collateral and give them back when the risk is gone.
twenty seven the esm facility i fear lacks flexibility and is unsustainable for recovery with a two and a half to three per cent risk premium.
germany even has not recapitalised its own banks nor recognised impaired assets and also relies on the indulgence of everyone else in the eu and worldwide to allow silent participations as core capital otherwise stress tests will be failed.
i understand the need for discipline and risk provision but these rescue mechanisms are not for money making especially when there is self interest beyond eurozone stability such as several member state banks being supported by irish taxpayers as has been mentioned. we have not solved the banking crisis nor will we by being faint hearted.
small mindedness will not save the euro and the markets know that.
do they agree with the president of the european central bank that a far larger european stability mechanism will be needed? if they do not agree is it simply because true professionals can rarely admit in public what they know to be true in private?
since the real stress test in the crisis we face will not be of any bank or any nuclear installation but of the solidarity of european union member states do the presidents of the commission and council believe that there are good chances of greater solidarity than we have seen in the past?
the only participant in the single market which implements the rules one hundred is norway.
i have a question about each.
at least the digital single market topic has made a breakthrough into eu priorities.
i will personally see to it that this does not sink into the sands of a bureaucratic process.
met. the clear need was obvious when the regime stepped up the violence against its own people.
we are also following the events in the rest of the region closely.
we want to make sure that our economies are competitive enough to create jobs and to sustain the welfare of all our citizens and that is what our work is about.
i know that some among you had doubts but we worked hard to secure concrete results.
we must not forget them even while other aspects of the drama in japan are retaining our attention. we are ready as a union to assist in any way
the task is double the banks must do the test and governments must be ready to deal with the outcome of the tests.
regional support was immediately forthcoming from the arab league.
well. it was not on the agenda of the most recent european council but we adopted conclusions in december and have been closely following developments there ever since.
from the beginning of the crisis the european union was at the forefront.
this must stop on all sides. secondly the current situation is a clear result of the lack of respect for democracy. democracy is not only about elections but also respect for the outcome of the elections.
borders. we encourage and support neighbouring countries to do similar stress
as i said they are the result of a long process not a single meeting.
that is perfectly normal in issues of war and peace.
number three we endorsed the position of the council on the six legislative proposals on budgetary and macroeconomic surveillance ahead of negotiations with parliament.
the union also coordinated rescue efforts for eu citizens and has provided and continues to provide substantial humanitarian
let me say once again that the political commitment of the euro plus pact comes on top of all the other measures in the package to improve member states' economic performance the stronger stability and growth pact on fiscal surveillance the new macroeconomic surveillance and implementation of the crucial eu two thousand and twenty strategy on structural reforms to achieve economic growth.
it was and remains an effort of all institutions including this parliament and all the member states.
the wood is more important than the trees. we all know that the decision to take military action was not
necessary. in europe we want the highest standard for nuclear safety because ensuring the safety of nuclear plants cannot stop at our
that is why i am glad that six non euro countries have already announced that they will join the pact.
this is the most important result and deserves the highest attention more so than the decision making process.
be best. mr president honourable members that concludes my summary of what we agreed at this the third meeting of the european council
year. we must be consistent in our position.
we decided that to safeguard the safety of the civilian population member states could examine all necessary options provided that there is a demonstrable need a clear legal basis and support from the region.
we strongly condemn the escalation of violence and we support political and social reforms in our southern neighbourhood.
we call it the euro plus pact for two reasons firstly because it is about what eurozone countries want to do more they share one currency and wish to undertake supplementary efforts on top of existing eu commitments and arrangements;
a massive bloodbath has been avoided.
on the positive side we noted the smooth conduct of the constitutional referendum in egypt two weeks
these facts illustrate the great and urgent challenges our union is facing both on the economic and on the diplomatic front.
this will require perseverance and sustained effort. i will not repeat all the decisions we took in detail. you will find them in the conclusions.
indeed in the meeting on which i am reporting today that of twenty four and twenty five march we duly approved a significant set of economic measures that have been prepared and discussed over the last year we stepped up our action with regard to ongoing events in libya and we initiated our response
it also neatly illustrates that meetings of the european council are not just an event they are part of a process.
of course approving measures and procedures to deal with the crisis does not in itself take you immediately out of the crisis.
go. we want a political transition led by the libyans themselves and based on broad based political dialogue.
the international community was clear about the results of the presidential elections in cte d'ivoire last
number four we started the european semester.
without that clear european position the subsequent actions would not have been possible.
knowing that the situation is different in each country we express our utmost concern at the situation in syria yemen and bahrain.
number six we provided for a new quality of economic coordination.
the actions undertaken by a coalition of european arab and north american countries implementing the un resolution have helped protect the civilian population of libya.
i know you are working hard on this;
they are the result of past mistakes and a lack of appropriate instruments both at the european and at the national level. but we now have every chance of dealing with them and not repeating them.
number one we agreed on the treaty amendment needed to give full legal certainty to the permanent stability mechanism.
the commitments in terms of competitiveness public finances and pensions employment and so on must be translated into the national reform and stability programmes. they will also be evaluated annually at the highest level.
it was not always easy not always without drama but the political will has been unflinching our sense of direction is clear and significant results are there.
easy. there are quite naturally questions and hesitations.
the year. it will review existing eu rules on the safety of nuclear installations and propose improvements wherever
and secondly because it is also open to the others.
thousands of lives have been saved.
this year. much of it paves the way for further work in this parliament be it through legislative procedures or through parliament's general right of scrutiny over the common foreign and security
i would like to thank the rapporteurs mr brok and mr gualtieri for working so closely with me to achieve this result. number two we reached a detailed agreement on the size scope and mode of operation for the future stability mechanism and on improving the temporary facility.
as i said to the social partners at the tripartite social summit it is to save these fundamental aspects of the european model.
first of all we condemn the violence particularly violence against civilians in the strongest possible terms.
but any difficulties that we have experienced over that aspect of the libyan crisis should not mask for one moment the full track record of the european union.
the european council in june will draw the necessary conclusions.
those three conditions were quickly
we stand ready to help a new libya both economically and in building its new institutions.
these then were the main elements of our global economic package to help us come out of the crisis.
number five we agreed that credible stress tests for the banks will take place soon.
the legal base was provided when the un security council agreed the landmark resolution on libya a few days after the european council meeting.
we can. in these tragic days as true friends of japan we reiterate the strategic importance of the eu japan relationship.
i can tell you that it will continue to do that because the emergency fund is not allowed to go on the secondary markets. this means that it will continue to do so.
we will not have economic recovery before you have put on the table a european mechanism to clean up the banks. we all know that will take money.
on thursday there will probably be an increase in interest rates in europe from one to.
where is the money?
and have we solved the crisis?
recapitalise the european banks finance investment in europe as has been requested by mr schulz and at the same time cover the bad public finances of a number of our member states.
finally we have to come forward with a plan for the european banking sector.
the first is the efsf and the esm.
for the moment we have eur seventy six billion in government bonds which the ecb has purchased.
is there real economic governance?
this european shock doctrine will be facilitated by a change to the treaties on which the establishment in europe and ireland are determined to avoid a referendum.
with the abject capitulation of the new fine gael labour government to the interests of the bondholders it is clear that it is not the council or the commission that are doing the supporting but it is the working class in ireland and in europe which is being forced to support european banks and speculators through paying for their losses.
the scoreboard on austerity and the proposals for fines of hundreds of millions of euro are designed to ensure that regardless of mass opposition working people pay for the crisis.
madam president every time the eu is confronted with a specific problem it falls into the trap of devising a complex bureaucratic heavy handed solution which is often completely disproportionate to the severity of the issue.
the opportunity is being seized on by many to launch plans for permanent economic governance with intervention and control as its guiding principles.
the solution we are told is firstly to abuse the existing rules such as article one hundred and twenty two of the treaty which was never intended for the bailouts that it has been used to pay for my hope is that some country will have the courage to challenge this in the european courts and to impose more limitations on our member states which in reality means constraining the democratic choice of many of the electorates.
this is the mistake that we are now making with regard to the current financial crisis it is serious it does require action but many of the proposed solutions will have far reaching and in my view highly damaging effects for the long term future of europe.
are you serious about saving the eurozone and the european project?
the bank stress tests have just concluded based on the most pessimistic scenarios in ireland.
it has to everyone's surprise in ireland decided that there will be no haircuts for senior bond holders in the allied irish bank and the bank of ireland.
the short answer is short term electoral calculations and doctrinaire economics.
the irish economic crisis is an integral part of the european crisis.
the failure of the irish economy would not only be a failure for europe but would be a failure of europe.
ireland is a democracy just like france just like germany just like finland we govern at the will of the people. ireland's electorate has accepted severe austerity through gritted teeth and seething anger.
they need to see fair play in europe otherwise quite soon the window of tolerance currently opened to the irish government will shut with a bang.
madam president there is much to commend the council conclusions as we look to the future perhaps less so when we deal with the present and the past.
i hope that does not mean each of us individually and i hope that given the results of the stress tests and the very strong action of the new government the shine will come back to ireland.
i hope too that it comes back to our people who are very depressed and disillusioned by a feeling that they carry a very heavy burden for the rest of the european union.
i would ask those who wag their fingers in anger about incorrect behaviour by individual countries and citizens to please remember that there were others who also joined in at the party i speak of european banks who tried to profit from the boom that existed not just in ireland but elsewhere.
by illegal immigration and our european products are being replaced by contraband products imported from labour intensive countries in the east?
the stimulus is coming from the south but it is important for our overall neighbourhood policy.
i can tell you that the victims of lockerbie in scotland and the victims of ira atrocities in my country knew very well what sort of scoundrel this man was.
well the chickens have come home to roost.
not only to reach the aims and targets but also to have credibility in the economies of europe.
we also need to tackle the problems of the lack of competitiveness and economic growth.
that is the main task we need to deal with in order to fight poverty and create jobs but also to secure prosperity.
we must have the same level of preparedness to restructure the budget of the european union as we are demanding from member states ensuring that we give priority to growth and investment research and science and open markets.
the future of the european economy lies in the service sector and the knowledge economy.
on economic governance i already see colleagues wanting to water down the stability pact and when it comes to supporting businesses we are not much better.
meps flock to sign up to campaigns for cyclists and horse welfare but when it came to campaigning to cut red tape for small businesses only a third of us joined in and there was only one uk labour signature.
nine heads of state have signed a letter on specific actions for business trade innovation and investment.
madam president the council deems centralised regulation of national budgetary agendas essential to aid economic recovery in particular the proposal of multiannual consolidation plans addressing deficit revenue and expenditure targets to be reached within stipulated time frames with associated penalties if obligations are not met.
the uk deficit is largely structural and must be addressed internally.
portugal would rather turn to brazil suggesting lisbon's reluctance to become an economic protectorate with austerity measures that stifle growth.
does this encompass legislation for which europe has been the architect for decades such as the working time directive and extended maternity pay?
you may also be aware that the recent public debate on the future of eu development policy has clearly identified agriculture and food and nutrition security as the key areas in which the eu should promote inclusive and green growth.
we believe that there is much potential to be utilised in developing countries to speed up progress towards the mdgs. stepping up effort is becoming ever more pressing as we continue to face mounting challenges.
this is the only way to promote food and nutrition security in a sustainable manner for the most vulnerable populations and to increase their resilience.
the commission believes that sustainable fisheries and aqua culture also have an important role to play in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
in any event we must encourage better market transparency in order to contribute to the better functioning of markets and to be able to react quickly and in a coordinated manner.
effective national land policies and laws are essential requiring governments to take priority action on land.
in addition food and nutrition assistance should be as efficient and as effective as possible.
measures will be targeted at enhancing the transparency integrity and stability of financial markets which also includes agricultural derivatives markets.
the commission has just signed a statement of intent that will enhance cooperation between the commission and the three rome based un agencies. the commission also shares the concerns of the parliament that secure access to land and secure land tenure and user rights should not be jeopardised by large scale land acquisitions.
let me assure you that the commission is carefully monitoring the situation of rising food prices and the effects on developing and vulnerable economies and is going to take action.
in this regard the commission supports the development and application of appropriate land policies and international guidelines.
agricultural research for development has been a priority as well and it will continue to be one. in response to concerns raised in the motion for a resolution regarding the contribution of financial speculation to excessive price volatility i would like to underline that the commission is looking into the role of speculation on the level and volatility
the current situation in the horn of africa provides the most recent and harrowing justification that now more than ever we must act together and provide a response both to the immediate crisis and to longer term food security in the horn and worldwide.
we should not focus on competition quite the opposite we should enable developing countries to feed themselves. what are we doing at the moment though?
we should not try to compete on the global market via our european agricultural policy.
in future there needs to be more communication with the surgeons the clinics and the patients. these companies must be checked and the findings should be open to inspection by health professionals.
so i welcome the balanced approach of the commission in relation to improving our regulatory system.
what we are trying to strike here is a balance between what is good for patients and improving the quality of life of those who need medical devices.
we do not allow prescription medicines to be advertised in the european union yet we do allow magazines women's magazines mainly to publish adverts like this pages and pages of glossy full colour adverts urging women to get breast implants.
not one website mentioned this fact not one.
it tells you how much you will pay and how to get a loan to have the surgery.
commissioner i do not know what your competence is but as we have laws on advertising prescription medicines i consider it about time we regulated this industry which is encouraging people to take risks.
when people have major surgery it is a risk to their health and i do not think there is enough information out there.
we need informed patients.
i am looking forward to hearing commissioner dalli tell us how the revision of the medical devices directive will take on board the lessons we can learn from the pip scandal which as ms auconie has said has affected so many women in the european union and beyond.
if you look at the websites of these same companies they have these frequently asked questions about breast surgery on them.
it does give you some facts about the surgery but nowhere does it say that thirty of women will have to have a new implant within ten years and that nearly all implants have to be replaced at least every ten to fifteen years.
do we really think that by nitpicking over the toxicity of everything from elastic bandages to pacemakers people will stop breaking the law?
although the committee resolution contains plenty of positive measures that will improve the regulatory framework for medical devices the text also includes demands for a pre market authorisation. this duplicates existing laws and standards and is needlessly disproportionate in my view.
paragraph twenty two for example tabled by the greens calls for toxicology assessments on all medical devices.
it is staggering to comprehend how pip once the world's third largest supplier of breast implants could disregard the law for almost ten years.
care should always be taken not to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut and i caution against knee jerking responses that could fundamentally alter a regulatory system that has been protecting patients for more than twenty years.
this was a criminal offence that involved manufacturers placing a substandard product on the market.
however it is also vital that we examine all the facts before drawing conclusions on how a system might need to change to prevent such malpractice happening again.
last but not least we want to improve the traceability requirements for medical devices for instance by means of a unique device identification and a single registration system.
these proposals will concern the audit activities of the notified bodies. particular attention will be paid to the obligatory unannounced visits to the manufacturer testing of products and rotation of auditors.
to mention but a few we want to strengthen the designation monitoring and functioning of notified bodies and ensure that this is carried out in accordance with the same high standards across the eu;
the commission intends to adopt its proposal shortly after the summer break.
the system can only be efficient if we make the best use of the limited number of experts available.
i do believe that the set of measures already foreseen combined with additional measures deemed necessary in the light of the result of the stress test will considerably reinforce the system favour innovation and ensure that only safe and performing medical devices are placed on the european market for the benefit of european citizens.
i have therefore written to the health ministers of all the member states to ask for their support and together we are now putting these actions in place.
these cards have to be given to every single patient who undergoes any type of procedure involving such implants.
this mechanism will allow a committee composed of member states' experts to check certain notified bodies' assessments before the devices can have access to the market.
second it will allow member states to be informed of products coming onto the market so that they can ensure targeted controls of these products.