kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
by the end of june a broad consultation of the public and of the stakeholders will be launched. you are of course invited to participate and also express your views.
however this does not result in an opaque and partial eia process as the directive contains several safeguards which ensure a transparent and objective environmental assessment of projects. these safeguards are to be found firstly in the description of the minimum information to be included in the environmental impact assessment report which is required by the eia directive and secondly in the consultations with the competent environmental authorities and the public.
or omit clearly to conform to the requirements of the eia provisions. the final decision to grant or refuse development consent must take into consideration the results of consultations and the information gathered and must contain the main reasons on which it is based.
the accuracy of this information can be challenged at any point of the consultations before the final decision is taken.
on the other hand the quality of the eia process itself could be reinforced.
by the media.
priorities for the use of structural funds are of course set at national and regional level but the commission will work with the member states on the exchange of good practice and guidelines as to how best to use those funds in order to promote the personal autonomy and the right of persons with disabilities to live independently.
it can also provide training and retraining of staff to facilitate the transition from institutional care to community based services.
the social fund can finance among other things counselling training adapted to the specific needs of people with disabilities rehabilitation job creation in sectors such as social economy special support to promote entrepreneurship among persons with disabilities
i would like to answer the oral question tabled by mrs mcguinness by saying that although the responsibility of organising and administering residential care lies with member states the commission is keen to promote the right of people with disabilities
and awareness raising campaigns to combat discrimination.
to live independently by supporting services in the community as an alternative to living in institutions.
the european regional development fund can be used concurrently to develop social infrastructure to support such new services.
in this regard the commission has drawn up a tool kit for using the structural funds in order to ensure access for and non discrimination against people with disabilities.
i would also like to mention the european social fund as an instrument to eliminate the barriers to the participation of people with disabilities as equal members of society.
providing support for people with disabilities to live independently and de institutionalising all the systems will be among the priorities. in particular it will highlight the potential role of the structural funds in this regard.
and on this basis it will consider appropriate modifications guidelines and assessment methods.
the results from this study will be taken into account in reviewing the existing community strategy on endocrine disruptors and to provide input to the implementation of the existing eu legislation by which i mean both the plant protection products regulation and also reach.
finally the commission has recently launched a major study to consolidate all the latest scientific information and to make recommendations concerning testing strategies and criteria for the identification of substances with endocrine disrupting properties.
concerning the general question of the cumulative effects of chemicals the commission recently made available through the internet a state of the art report on mixture toxicity which was the result of the two year study funded by dg environment.
by early two thousand and twelve at the latest the commission will on the basis of the study and the associated consultation process finalise a report assessing how and whether relevant existing community legislation including reach adequately addresses risks from exposure to multiple chemicals from different sources and pathways
the commission has also participated actively in international initiatives to develop testing methods and testing strategies for the identification of endocrine disruptors.
in particular at the end of two thousand and nine the danish authorities published the results from a number of studies that examined the cumulative impact of different endocrine disrupting substances on sensitive groups such as young children and female workers as you mentioned in your question.
trade unions employers' organisations and so on and so forth.
we have to take care that all the necessary procedures are taken into account necessary procedures which ideally should lead to an independent impact assessment done first hand by the developer checked if necessary and looked at by the member states' authorities. this is what we are guaranteeing.
but you are pointing in the right direction.
if there is a misuse of structural funds in general the commission can intervene but there is of course the primary obligation and responsibility of the member state in order to bring forward their policy agenda and organise their own social protection systems including
the question of course is could we veto it if the member states are continuing to invest in a different way?
you know that the structural funds are spent on a system of shared responsibility between the commission and the member states.
however it is up to the member states and their regions to manage the programmes and to implement them by selecting programmes and projects.
so simply step by step we should increase the quality of the knowledge we have which is lacking in this area.
it is indeed a serious question.
the relationship between the authorities and minorities is going to be raised during my talks in minsk.
as i said in all chambers in all countries question time runs out of time and we have run out of time.
it is very clear that in the area of social policy the member states are responsible for organising their own social protection systems including the design financing and quality control of services provided in long term care
the commissioner and i will share objectives without question and i support the commission in its battle with the council but as we look at conferences like cites i see the japanese apparently going round from one embassy to another with a bag of gold.
so let me put a specific question to you as you touched upon the strengthening of the european union's diplomatic abilities.
what meetings have you had or will you have with catherine ashton to discuss how the external action service can be brought into the service of the commission as a whole to ensure that our diplomatic abilities are played to the full?
we did in fact start late because some commissioners and some members were not present.
if you knew at the beginning of this sitting as you clearly did and the sessions secretariat did that time was going to be limited first of all it was absolutely unnecessary to take the two questions at the beginning that were not allocated to any commissioner. members of this house table questions specifically to the commissioners because they are here and so those two could have been dispensed with straightaway.
if this arises again i suggest we have to have a proper change to the rules of procedure on this subject.
secondly it was quite clear what time was available in which case you should have shared the questions between the three commissioners who have taken the trouble and have the courtesy to come here.
mr president i will be very brief. i just want to ask the question as to why you decided to ask five questions from one commissioner and only one question from another.
it is legitimate that we might expect that two to three questions would be asked from each commissioner.
i just want to know what the reason for this is.
particularly in the area where we are discussing the provision of facilities for people with disabilities?
what about commissioner dalli?
i will be extremely brief;
this was the answer that i wanted to hear.
it is also one of the most dangerous sectors to work within.
i would also like to put on record my thanks to the imco secretariat and to the belgian presidency in particular to mr vertessen and mr haerynck for all their dedicated work.
with this proposal we have attempted to make the single market work more effectively we have attempted to have clearer and more transparent systems in place so that products placed on the market are of the highest standards and that the construction industry has a fairer market place to trade within.
along with my shadow rapporteurs i have modified the sections of the report which are no longer relevant or which were so unclear that no one was able to follow them or ensure their application.
we should never forget what an important sector the construction industry is twelve million eu citizens are directly employed in the sector and twenty six million eu citizens are dependent on it that is thirty eight million people reliant on the sector.
the health and safety of those who work at the coalface of construction should always be remembered and it is important to have acknowledgement of this in the report.
for economic growth construction is essential for jobs and employment.
it was with this in mind that we successfully managed on both sides to come to some agreement on the issue of labelling hazardous substances so that the report was in line with reach but also helps those who work with products which in the past have led to chronic conditions and death conditions such as asbestos related mesotheliomia and to an extent
the transparency over processes and the approval of products can only help break down the walls and barriers which exist in the european union today.
currently the construction industry is facing the economic challenges caused by the global financial meltdown of two thousand and eight and exacerbated by the slow economic recovery we face across the eu.
in the european union we should always strive for better regulation.
i would like to start by thanking all colleagues who made this possible for their hard work their thoughtfulness and commitment to making this proposal a reality.
this is why we have managed to create a second stream for smaller corporations to place their products on the internal market and the system should make it cheaper and more practical for smes to reach a larger market place which can only increase their trading potential.
as mario monti in his report on the single market acknowledges europe is still in a phase of market construction' that requires breaking down barriers to cross border activity cutting dead wood of national administrative and technical barriers and overcoming corporate resistance'.
for an industry such as the construction sector it is imperative that the rules are clear and i look forward to seeing the difference these particular changes will make. the scale is huge and the challenges many but today these new rules which will come into force through member states in the next twenty four months will help the construction sector as we attempt to create economic growth and through this jobs.
taking germany whose safety record is second to none one construction worker in five zero will suffer a fatal accident during their lifetime.
in addition approximately ninety two of the manufacturers of construction materials are small and medium sized enterprises this amounts to over sixty five zero individual businesses.
there are many aspects of this report which produced something of a stalemate between many of us such as the nature of eu legislation.
it has been a very long road.
key issues included the declaration of performance or ce marking where a successful agreement was made to ensure micro enterprises do not face the same burdens as larger companies. on tackling and identifying hazardous substances in construction products we managed to broker a compromise ensuring no conflict with existing reach regulations.
i hope that this second reading agreement will have real results and will encourage the free movement of construction products improve standards across the eu and promote the recycling of construction products in future whilst most importantly not increasing bureaucratic burdens on businesses or confusing consumers.
it is not perfect it is a compromise.
clearly the construction sector is vital for the european economy and we have a responsibility to the industry to help support it especially after the economic crisis.
as mrs rhle in particular pointed out we had some disagreements with them.
as you pointed out there are important aspects of comitology here and my committee is absolutely behind the need to follow up these proposals very seriously.
once this regulation is applied in spring two thousand and seventeen it will give us the right framework for this to happen first of all by making europol an information hub for law enforcement in the union.
i consider therefore the outcome of our work on this file to be positive.
nonetheless i would like to refer you to the two declarations that the commission made in council already which i would like to highlight today as well.
we remain convinced of the benefits of establishing an executive board as part of the governance structure of europol and other agencies.
complex investigations have to be supported by sound analysis.
europol's legal basis has been aligned to the treaty of lisbon and the objectives of the europol reform to make europol more accountable effective and efficient have been fully achieved.
we will keep following the situation on the governance of europol and within the next two years we will examine whether further proposals on this point are necessary.
our law enforcement authorities are responsible for the security of our citizens. to effectively track the perpetrators they need a true hub for information exchange with full operational and analytical support. with the improved framework we are putting in place europol will be able to connect the dots and give member states the support they need to fight terrorism and serious crime.
let us put in motion what we have discussed together for years and let us make it work for our citizens.
europol will be able to do this more efficiently and more effectively. it will now be more accountable and will work in full respect of our data protection rules. i encourage you today to vote in favor of the compromise text.
europol has made europe and the uk a safer place for nearly twenty years and mr daz de mera garca consuegra i congratulate you on your hard work and your persistence in making sure we get a quality regulation which will aid europol in its continued fight against human trafficking child exploitation terrorism and of course smuggling.
it allows meps and national parliaments to keep watch over their actions to ensure accountability something which can only strengthen trust in our law enforcement cooperation across the union.
under the excellent leadership of rob wainwright europol has become a critical hub for cooperation operational support and intelligence exchange throughout the eu.
it should continue to operate as a hub for information exchange and for cooperation and coordination amongst all of those in law enforcement. our fight against terrorism and serious crime is one where we are too often several steps behind our enemy.
with terrorist organisations increasingly using social media as a recruitment tool and thousands of twitter and facebook accounts being created for recruitment purposes we need to work together to take down this material as soon as it is posted.
through this regulation europol can work directly with social media providers providers who have frankly too often washed their hands of responsibility for the propaganda posted on their platforms. europol is not a european fbi and it does not need to be.
today after a long period of negotiation we are finally providing ourselves a renewed mandate to tackle the huge security challenges we all face.
this regulation is an important step in closing that gap.
more importantly this regulation gives a solid basis for the work of europol's internet referral unit to be stepped up.
this regulation gives europol the legal tools needed to respond more swiftly to threats and it gives our constituents and our member states confidence that europol is conforming to extremely high standards of data protection and transparency.
well you know the point of view of the alde group we really want to go one step further.
there will be the data from member states but also from non public parties which is important for effective prevention and investigation.
otherwise the agency will not be able to work within its full capacity.
we in sinn fin understand of course the need for enhanced cooperation between countries especially when it comes to tackling terrorism drug dealing and human trafficking.
this is deeply unfortunate particularly as this report aims to mandate europol with handling substantive amounts of personal data and seeks to empower europol to determine what online content is legal.
not unanimously but broadly.
times. we're doing our
i could continue with a list that i am sure is reflected in the documents you are going to discuss and vote on and on which the european union is and continues to be the first player.
this. are you asking me if this always
today. so are we doing enough?
to see. i think we are doing the right things the things that are in our capacity to do and there are many of
to unite the international community in sustaining or trying to sustain intrasyrian talks. we are the only ones supporting the united syrian opposition in geneva in brussels everywhere and giving concrete support to their preparation for entering into direct negotiations in geneva.
not only were the europeans united but we managed to unite the international community as we will do again in brussels on twenty four and twenty five
i put this first because i keep insisting on this.
we are the only ones that have no hidden agenda other than the end of the war in a way that is possible and inclusive which means with a transition.
i could continue. we are doing this every single day and we are the only ones apart from the united nations and this is why we are working so closely together who are talking to everyone with the same agenda which is not our agenda. it is the syrian's people agenda.
april. we have to continue playing this role because there is no one else left doing this. is it
we are the only ones that talk to all the international and regional players.
it is thanks to the european union member states and the work we have coordinated in new york that unanimity was reached in the security council.
it is a tragedy but it is like
not all the results we would like
we are already doing that.
best. i think we are achieving some results.
works? no this doesn't always
i don't know if you noticed but common sense is not necessarily the natural thing to apply in this world
we have to understand that the goal of turkey is to expand its borders and wipe out the people of northern syria and iraq.
if we continue with turkey the same way we will have no argument left to judge anyone else based on human rights issues.
with the adoption of chapter seven measures and all measures possible to achieve a real cessation of hostilities and bring lasting peace.
yesterday there was a special area formula meeting of un security council members with testimony of the syrian negotiating commission members urging un security council members for a binding resolution
there is only one rational and moral thing we can do.
we believe the most urgent task now is to stop the fighting and bring relief to the civilian population.
with every new escalation a new level of horror is reached.
in my letter i called on them to contribute to the full and immediate implementation of the security council resolution and this includes taking all necessary steps to ensure that the fighting stops that humanitarian access is ensured and to allow for lifesaving deliveries of assistance and medical evacuations.
this is not because we are naive or blind on the contrary after seven years we know how difficult it is to end this war and even those that have tried partial political avenues to gather different formats have realised very clearly the limits of this exercise.
and right after we met the same day i wrote to the foreign ministers of russia iran and turkey the three guarantors of the astana process because they have committed to creating four de escalation zones in syria and let me recall that eastern ghouta is one of these four zones.
support in geneva will be one of the key goals of the second brussels conference we will host on the future of syria and the region at the end of april.
i know it is difficult to talk about peace negotiations and even more to engage in peace negotiations while thousands are still dying but let us keep in mind two things.
but we know that it would simply be impossible to bring peace to syria without everyone's contribution.
and second that peace can only come from a comprehensive political agreement under un auspices.
syria needs a full cessation of hostilities as agreed by the un security council and it is also unacceptable that the syrian regime removed critical medical items from the convoy in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
limited agreements do open windows of hope and bring limited improvement but have always collapsed owing to the lack of broader political agreement on the future of syria.
this is why we continue to work also to prepare for peace as the most powerful leverage we have to encourage a positive dynamic and outcome of negotiations.
at the end of february as i mentioned the un security council adopted unanimously thanks also to our work the work of our member states in the security council the resolution two thousand four hundred and one demanding a thirty day cessation of hostilities all around syria with the only exception of operations against daesh and alqaeda.
second we will work on the recovery of areas where the fighting has ended particularly the areas liberated from daesh bringing back services and normal life to communities men women and children that aspire to a sort of normal life.
we need to concentrate all our energies in supporting and revitalising the unled negotiations in geneva in a determined and consistent manner gathering the efforts of all the partners in the region and the international community.
it was the first aid convoy since november and it brought some muchneeded relief to thousands of people trapped in eastern ghouta. our first concern is always saving lives;
reconstruction as we said several times and very clearly and we will repeat in brussels at the end of april will only begin after a credible and inclusive political agreement has been reached but the perspective of reconstruction can help the geneva process.
the new escalation of violence in eastern ghouta but also in afrin can push further away the chances for a political solution to the conflict and can easily lead to an even more dramatic escalation even in these hours.
but the shelling resumed while the operations were still ongoing and the convoy had to leave before the aid could be fully unloaded.
this shows that a daily fivehour truce can be a first step but it is clearly not sufficient.
i believe we should have learned that by now.
as our diplomatic work for a truce continues every single day as our humanitarian support to syrians continues we must also keep focusing on peace talks on a political solution in geneva.
this is why we are insisting on strong political commitment to negotiations to be expressed in a united manner at the brussels conference coming up in a couple of months from now because we cannot afford to stop working for peace and it is exactly in the darkest moments that the work for peace is most needed.
first that peace is all the more urgent when the fighting gets worse;
it is only through collective un effort that we can get there.
so they have taken a clear responsibility and we expect them to fulfil it.