kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
this is why the future eu biodiversity strategy will need to address sustainable consumption and production a reduction of the eu's ecological footprint and the integration of biodiversity into our trade policy.
for the european union leading by example means that we should make strong commitments to better protect and climate proof the biodiversityrich areas to restore degraded ecosystems in nature across rural and urban landscapes to sustainably use and manage our agricultural forest and ocean resources and to integrate biodiversity across policies and sectors including in our outermost regions and territories. we need to make sure that we deliver on our commitments this time by creating the adequate enabling environment from full implementation and enforcement of the eu's nature legislation to potentially developing new legislation for restoring nature mainstreaming biodiversity and providing adequate financing.
science is perfectly clear that we need a holistic approach for transformative change to address the climate and environment emergency.
we need to ensure that such funding leverages private funding through investeu.
we cannot allow ourselves to fail again.
this means we have to support for example our farmers forest managers and fishermen and women along this transition.
the quicker we protect the remaining valuable nature and we address the drivers of biodiversity loss the less we will need to restore if possible and the cheaper it will be.
the devastating bush fires in australia the recent fires in the amazon and siberia the droughts in europe last summer as well as the dramatic decline in pollinators this all sadly illustrates the need to act. the european commission has taken it seriously and one of its first decisions has been to launch the european green deal the new agenda for sustainable growth in the european union
the european union and its member states collectively lived up to the international commitment to double international biodiversity financing to developing countries.
preparations for this strategy are currently going on at full speed within the commission and the resolution which you will adopt tomorrow will be an important input and inspiration for our own reflections and upcoming decisions.
a stronger implementation and review mechanism will boost work under many environmental agreements.
secondly restoration of ecosystems is typically more expensive than conservation.
it is essential to ensure the means of implementation.
the european union biodiversity strategy two thousand and thirty which we will adopt by march two thousand and twenty will include proposals for such eu commitments and will set out our ambition for kunming including on global targets.
let me highlight in this context the synergies with our important work on international ocean governance and in particular with our ongoing negotiations on a new international treaty under the un convention of the law of the sea to protect marine biodiversity in the high seas.
finally we need to massively scale up investments in climateresilient nature based solutions which multiply benefits for biodiversity climatechange mitigation and adaptation food security and finally of course health.
this should be the spirit for our preparations for cbd cop fifteen as well as for our work under the european green deal.
we need to ensure a just transition where the necessary transformational change do not leave anyone behind.
we failed twice to achieve our past ten year biodiversity targets;
finally the monitoring and indicator framework should include headline indicators that are common across parties and hence allow an assessment of the national contributions to achieving the global targets.
we also need to avoid exporting the damage of biodiversity outside the european union by consuming unsustainably produced and traded products.
we need a systemic and regular cycle for reviewing implementation of the committed actions and progress in reducing the pressures on biodiversity.
we need to guarantee that adequate resources are provided for the protection restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems through the core eu funding instruments such as the common agricultural policy cohesion and regional funds horizon europe the external action financial instrument and life.
you can count on our full commitment to work hard and achieve our common objective.
we also need to engage much better with our international partners and various stakeholders.
first the world still spends much more on subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity than it spends on pro biodiversity action.
tackling the most serious climate and environmental challenges of our times.
the window of opportunity to achieve our global biodiversity vision to live in harmony with nature is narrowing fast and the next years will be crucial.
we need financial flows from all sources to benefit nature and biodiversity more including by mobilising domestic resources.
i hope at some point somebody else will sit in this seat representing my home.
this is my last speech in the european parliament representing my beautiful and diverse home region the north east of england.
emily you've been an exemplary case of somebody who has advocated for transparency and good governance and at a time when many of us or many of our countries are questioning the eu and on the eve of our departure your work on opening the black box of decisionmaking is needed more than ever.
but in the meantime we're going and i'd like to thank my current staff paul ugo carla matt max and malcolm for their dedication and hard work during the most testing of times and my previous staff as well.
it's been an honour; it's been a privilege.
we need to bring together biodiversity and climate protection as part of a longterm naturefriendly economic development.
the recent failure with struma highway natura two thousand mismanagement and the case of pirin national park are only some of many problems.
the european commission has to guarantee the biodiversity objectives effectively monitoring key projects funded by the european union. in my home country bulgaria the natura two thousand safeguard mechanisms are practically not implemented due to inadequate governmental policies in the field of tourism transport energy agriculture and forest protection.
they are some of our spouses or parents of british people.
they include many of our teachers nurses doctors and farm care and construction workers.
what kind of government makes people who have lived somewhere for years contributing to society under laws that said they always could now ask for permission to stay?
it's the government of boris johnson in power on a minority vote and leading us from four years of stagnation into disaster.
i am appalled by the bureaucratic and threatening way in which the uk government is choosing to treat european citizens.
i know there are risks in this project having this debate in twenty four languages possibly not breaking out of the brussels bubble maybe not delivering the kind of reforms that citizens expect from us but i think the worst thing we could do is to not even try.
so i think the answer that we have to deliver is that we give the european union the tools and the competence to actually address the major challenges of our time.
our ambition is to have a grand debate with citizens from all across the european union with national parliaments with the eu institutions.
let's start building a stronger and truly united europe today and let's take another step towards a european federal republic.
we have to cooperate because otherwise we perish small and alone.
being squished between a less reliable united states and an ever stronger china is not small mindedness is not national selfishness.
he would call this the federalist plot but it's happening right here in the open.
it's a democratic process and not for some old ideology but because solidarity is stronger than hatred and because cooperation is stronger than nationalism.
so it's a shame that he hasn't joined us here today.
mr president i think this debate that we're having today here is the absolute best going away present for nigel farage.
while nigel and the band of lying brexiteers are driving the uk over the cliff edge we start a much needed debate on the next steps of european integration a debate that will lead to a stronger and a more democratic union and because we think what is needed in a time of climate crisis of large corporations not paying their taxes of
the big challenges of our time we can only face as europeans so the proposals that the european parliament is putting forward today are strong based on the good examples that we have seen in ireland the citizens' assemblies.
let's stop letting populists and eurosceptics dominate the debate on european integration.
i have to say to my colleagues from the social democrats and the conservatives that it's not enough to also bring the social partners business europe to bring european trade unions to the table but we also have to include european ngos in in this debate as well.
so we have seen in the euro and in the migration crisis that we always get stuck when integration is done only half way.
it means equality;
finally let me salute the courage of the polish judges who are with us here today.
ultimately it means europe.
before this is spun as a partisan manoeuvre let me be absolutely clear standing up for the independence of judges to perform their function without fear or favour is not an attack on the polish state or far less on the polish people.
polish citizens are european citizens just as polish judges are european judges.
it is both give and take.
it means freedom;
poland joining the european union meant that we could start to move past five decades of historical division and suppression.
we cannot be silent when an electoral majority is used as an excuse to justify the unjustifiable.
mr president poland's place is at the very heart of the european union. poland is the beating heart of europe.
we share history and we must share a future and it is because of that shared future that we cannot be silent when the rule of law is under threat in poland or anywhere.
we cannot be silent when polish justice is put under threat and we will not be silent. the term rule of law' is not a phrase bandied about that means nothing.
being a member state of the european union is about both rights and responsibilities.
without the protection of the rule of law our treaties risk becoming nice words printed on expensive paper and without a truly independent judiciary there cannot be rule of law.
it is about protecting the european way and about protecting the people of poland.
it means rights.
we will not let you down. we will not let poland down.
every year the commission agrees with around three quarters of the european ombudsman's proposals be they proposals for a solution suggestions for improvement or recommendations.
as every year these reports provide all eu institutions agencies bodies and offices with the views of parliament on the issues that it considers as being noteworthy and important.
in other words the ombudsman after diligent inquiries in an overwhelming majority of cases closes complaints with no conclusions of maladministration on the side of the commission either because there was indeed no instance of maladministration or because a satisfying outcome could be achieved.
this explains why at the end of the day only around six of the inquiries end with finding of maladministration.
in two thousand and nineteen the commission won the overall prize which recognises initiatives having a visible and direct positive impact on the lives of people in europe and beyond for its work on the reduction of plastic pollution and awarenessraising about singleuse plastics.
the commission is also aware that it has to continue to pave the way assess improve even more and where necessary correct its administrative practices.
the commission is indeed dedicated to the values of service independence responsibility accountability efficiency and transparency and it strives to put the citizens' right to good administration into practice and to avoid instances of maladministration.
as far as the commission is concerned i would like to assure you that the commission is very much committed to ensuring good administration in our relations with the citizens associations and businesses with whom we interact. this is a fundamental part of our work and we attach great importance to the quality of these relations.
it also won several awards in different subcategories.
this is why the commission will pursue the very constructive relationship it has built with the ombudsman over the years first and foremost in the interest of the european citizens and other interested parties.
the commission's high standards of good administration have been highlighted by the european ombudsman notably on the occasion of the european ombudsman award for good administration.
thus in most cases where the ombudsman issues recommendations proposals for a solution or suggestions for improvement the commission and the ombudsman agree in the end.
and by spending eur sixty billion of taxpayers' money on subsidies that mostly fund factory farms while family farms are being destroyed and high nature value farms are struggling to survive.
there are concrete measures on the circular economy and important references to microplastics and support for upskilling workers. however i couldn't support the resolution as a whole.
too many red lines are crossed it completely undermines the fight for real emergency level action on both the climate and inequalities it completely ignores mercosur it praises gas as a transition fuel which is madness it refuses to call for a new common agricultural policy proposal and this is the cap from the green deal. the cap is doing serious damage
indeed the logic of the comitology regulation is only blocked from adopting an act if there is opinion in the committee against
the commission is fully committed to respecting the criteria when preparing legislative proposals and during legislative negotiations.
unless there is a bold move that would help unblock this file it is unlikely that progress will be made any time soon. the new commission will factor this and your views today into ultimately deciding on how to proceed in the framework of the assessment of all pending proposals ahead of the adoption of the commission two thousand and twenty work programme.
let me also refer to some concrete steps we are taking to improve the transparency of comitology which i believe are also very important for this house.
the juncker commission therefore decided to propose as a priority to change these rules and put forward targeted amendments on the functioning of the appeal committee with the objective of allowing for greater accountability on the part of the member states in the decisionmaking process.
as regards the twelve implementing acts in the areas of health and consumer policy the respective substantive legal framework not the comitology regulation actually obliges the commission to take the decision based on the procedural requirements and solid evidence gathered.
there was no negative opinion and there were thirty two socalled no opinion' cases in. two thousand and eighteen this no opinion' means that there is no qualified majority in favour or against draft implementing acts in the committee because of either the contrasting positions of the member states or abstentions.
the regulation also provides for the right of parliament and the council to be fully informed of the draft implementing acts submitted by the commission to the committees of member states.
it is precisely this very limited number of cases that have led to discussions mainly because they have so far occurred in the politically sensitive areas of the authorisation of genetically modified food and feed and to a lesser extent in relation to the approval of active substances for plant protection products.
in two thousand and eighteen this was the case for twelve draft implementing acts in the areas of health and consumer policy.
in all of these twelve cases the appeal committee also delivered a no or lack of opinion.
it lays down the mechanisms for control by member states over the commission's exercise of implementing powers.
when the appeal committee also delivers no opinion the commission may adopt the implementing act proposed.
the proposed amendments were the following first to calculate the qualified majority out of member states which are present or represented and which do not abstain and that means not all of the member states;
in these cases of a lack of qualified majority in the committee the commission has therefore been legally bound to take at times very unpopular decisions.
we were very successful here in agreeing on the first package last year but work needs to continue on the remaining parts of the package.
in any case the commission intends to continue to use all existing means to encourage member states to take on their responsibility in the comitology process and to come to the solutions with member states that find the widest possible support in the committee.
on the council side there has been no support whatsoever for this proposal.
on the parliament side the lead committee on legal affairs has not yet presented a draft report and only some opiniongiving committees supported the proposal.
and third to make individual member states' representatives' votes at appeal committee level public this is what we discussed a few minutes ago and to provide for the possibility to refer the matter to the council for a non binding opinion and overall political guidance.
it. this has been a guiding principle in comitology from the very beginning and ensures efficient implementation.
in ireland even if we had a government with the mindset to tackle our terrible housing crisis which we don't have at the moment they would be hampered by the fiscal rules. likewise our road infrastructure has been built not by the state but by public private partnerships costing twenty times the money that it would cost if the state were allowed to borrow it itself.
the eu's cap on national borrowing as laid out in the stability and growth pact and the fiscal compact is a grinding austerity policy that has completely undermined rights to education food health and housing as well as rights to decent work fair wages and social security.
irish citizens born in the north will now be able to exercise their eu family reunification rights addressing the emma desouza case.
this resolution deals importantly with the rights of irish citizens in the north of ireland to enjoy access and exercise our eu rights where we reside.
as part of last week's stormont deal to establish the executive the british government committed to change its immigration rules.
first we have conservative adviser tim montgomery call for a special relationship between london and budapest and then orbn praises johnson as one of the bravest european politicians.
this is deeply worrying not only for the uk but also for the eu.
this government is politicising media relationships as never before.
orbn endorses brexit because it represents a move towards authoritarian government and illiberal democracy. johnson's tories have fallen over themselves to roll out the red carpet for the hungarian leader.
with the government opposing any parliamentary oversight of the process of negotiating our future relationship with the eu are we seeing the uk on the way to becoming a fake democracy on the hungarian model? since two thousand and ten orbn's government has attacked media freedom limiting access to certain sympathetic journalists. johnson is threatening to abolish the bbc licence boycott the today programme and castrate the lobby system that holds government to account.
let me finish by saying that i really hope the croatian presidency is going to follow the finnish example in standing up for the rule of law but just be assured that no matter what is going to happen this parliament will continue to stand up for the rule of law and democracy in the future.
this parliament and the eu institutions have taken steps in order to defend the rule of law and european citizens in poland but i believe that the article seven procedure has actually proven to very often come too late and be too inflexible to meet all these attacks that have been happening.
judges prosecutors and lawyers are one of the fundaments of this tripartite system and that is why protecting them really also means protecting the separation of powers and thus our democracy.
one of the representatives said i swore an oath on the polish constitution when i started my job and with all i do i'm trying to stay true to this oath and defend the rights of polish citizens'.
indeed and colleagues have mentioned it what we have seen in poland in the past years is an organised campaign against that very important backbone and the commissioner has mentioned the latest developments in this field.
to me this really encapsulates what kind of people we have to protect in situations like this these are the kind of people that defend the rule of law defend our democracies and are the backbone of our democracies and of the systems that all of us have been profiting from in the past.
i think we need to have a more holistic vision and the rule of law mechanism that is going to be proposed is one of the instruments that we need together with budgetary measures and of course enabling civil society enabling these representatives to work together.
to be honest there was one sentence said in that meeting that impressed me a lot and that i wanted to repeat here in this parliament.
so we need implementation we need a legally binding process so that all countries will increase their protected areas and will change the way their economies work.
we need legally binding targets because none of the previous targets we've had globally have been met.
in a trading agreement with some sort of political cooperation with a totally noble ideal that that would somehow promote peace.
and therefore if you want a future not for europe but for the european union which is a different thing learn the lessons of what has happened in the uk.
but that did not happen.
sovereignty morphed into a superstate.
and if that had remained the vision and was still the vision i venture to say that i don't believe that britain would now be leaving.
and that is why britain is going and i believe that when we have made a big success of being a competitor on your doorstep others will follow us.
they may not be happy to simply play the role of a rubber stamp.
we all know that in some capitals treaty changes are being drafted.
perhaps those old habits are exactly the reason why we have to reconnect with our citizens today.
if we say that we need to hear from them then we must be ready to listen and also to implement.
the preparation of those conferences should be focused not on assigning posts and inventing mechanisms to steer the public debates but on how to hear what our citizens have to say and implement that.
madam president the idea of reconnecting with our citizens is an essential tool and not a recreational toy and no one should be playing with it. we should ask our citizens what europe they envisage and we should do it sincerely honestly and truthfully.
projects like a europe of various speeds or blockages like the one of north macedonia may not be what the people want.
it has been the biggest direct democracy exercise of europe for the last decade and we cannot initiate it with a prepared vision for the end and final results.
these opinions underline the importance of keeping the comitology framework as it stands since it's working properly but they also agree that the transparency aspect should be further enhanced.
i particularly regret that the part of the proposal provoking this controversy among member states also affects the rest of the suggestions which are otherwise valuable and forwardlooking in themselves.
now we have an opportunity to reflect with citizens to listen to them to connect and engage to answer and explain to build trust and confidence in each other between the european union and citizens.