kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we also welcome the possibilities of having greater opportunities to finalise your research if there have been particular problems during the course of it and of course the questions about families being able to stay together is also extremely important.
it is all about attracting the most skilled people intellectuals entrepreneurs and researchers.
the eu must invest in intelligence and this revised directive provides a lot of added value compared to the current directives.
when we talk about migration today we tend to talk about asylum migration but asylum is just one part of the migration scheme. legal migration is the second part and this is one instrument of legal migration that is indeed needed.
we need many more in order to strike the right balance between asylum and legal migration.
today's achievement strengthens the academic status of european union universities worldwide it makes the eu more attractive and it allows knowledge and excellence to flow more freely.
i am happy that this directive is one instrument that will foster growth and prosperity and give us hope for a better future where entrepreneurs innovators and researchers will help us to maintain our welfare all over the eu and also to increase and improve it.
i am also happy that this is the first step in the right direction.
mr president the ppe group also very much welcomes this agreement. europe needs to be attractive in the global competition for talents. we have a knowledgebased economy and facilitating the entry of researchers students and unremunerated trainees to bring their skills to europe is important to sustain european growth
innovation and jobs. we need to train develop and keep talents in europe to match the needs of our companies our academic institutions our universities and other research institutions.
the ppe goal has been to have a system that strikes the right balance between facilitating access and at the same time preventing abuse.
i am glad that we have reached our goal.
with this directive we move from cumbersome long fragmented procedures to common clear and simple rules across europe.
one of the main achievements is the intraeu mobility the possibility for students and researchers to continue their activities in another member state without having to leave europe and reapply again for entry.
this directive is not about letting more people into europe.
the rules are clear.
member states will continue to decide how many entry permits are granted and they will also have the possibility to do labour market checks when deciding on admission.
this is not about students and researchers taking european jobs.
on the contrary it is about them contributing to creating jobs in europe. so students and researchers will be given the possibility to work but the rules of the labour market will remain national.
i see benefits to a country that can harness the energy and enterprise of those who are prepared to cross half the world and make new lives. but the social compact works on the basis that if i am asking my constituents to admit a measure of net inward migration they have to believe in turn that we are in control of who comes in and in what numbers and that is the sense that they have lost as a result of eu treaties.
the reason why many in this house were so tetchy and irritable in the aftermath of the recent vote on this subject in switzerland is that they know very well that their own electorates would have made exactly the same decision.
we were promised in july two thousand and twelve by the european council that it would break the link between the banks and the sovereign.
there is definitely a potential for conflict of interest there.
however i was very disappointed that a majority in this house did not support the amendment that would have seen a retrospective recapitalisation of the irish banks through the esm.
mr president one of the fundamental stores of wealth in the world of course is property.
often we see that people who have a piece of land to call their own are far better able to build sustainable livelihoods than those permanently beholden to often unscrupulous landlords.
i am therefore very happy to endorse my conservative colleague nirj deva's report on the role of property and wealth creation in eradicating poverty and fostering good development.
we must focus more attention on the surveying registration and management of land and the formalisation of property rights everywhere around the globe in order to facilitate more secure business networks and ultimately lasting prosperity unshackled from the ambivalent structures of international aid.
mr president i support improving shareholder engagement and increasing transparency.
this has nothing to do with shareholder rights and it is inappropriate for those on the left of this house to attempt to include this issue in multiple files.
articles three f three g and three h risk revealing business sensitive information with no obvious benefit to the public and i ask why should an asset manager be responsible for reducing his or her investees' social and environmental risks?
i am pleased that recent negotiations have reverted back to the commission's initial comply or explain' approach and i disagree with the obligation for member states to introduce additional measures to support long term shareholding.
finally the inclusion of a far reaching country by country reporting requirement for large and listed companies in every eu country is unacceptable.
but i feel that this report has moved too far away from those aims instead placing unnecessary burdens on business.
instead we should promote the work that the g twenty and the oecd have already done at an international level.
this also means more competitive companies on the global stage.
mr president honourable members let me thank you for your strong interest in this proposal and allow me to recall briefly what our intention was when we tabled this proposal.
even investors such as pension funds whose very mission is to secure a long term return on investment have followed the markets and put short term pressure on companies.
structural weaknesses in corporate governance have become more evident and a broad consensus emerged that short termism has played an important role in causing and deepening the crisis.
it will also contribute to putting the eu back on the path of long term sustainable growth.
as the honourable members know the commission is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax planning and will analyse whether additional disclosure of certain corporate tax information should be introduced.
finally concerning related party transactions the commission notes that the amendments tone down the original commission proposal.
two thousand and sixteen second concerning measures to incentivise long term shareholdings through increased voting rights or dividends while the commission agrees with the overall objective the question is how best to achieve this?
on seventeen june the commission launched a public consultation on possible options which will feed into the impact assessment work that will be concluded at the latest in the first quarter of.
this should make european companies more attractive for investors.
we should avoid discouraging investors especially cross border and foreign investors from investing in european companies and we should not lose sight of the interests of minority shareholders.
i welcome the compromise found and the commission is ready to engage in negotiations with the co legislators.
over the last few years capital markets have become more driven by the prospect of quick trading gains rather than by conscious and engaged investment.
remember the financial crisis hit the world economy and some of our societies very hard.
we need to encourage more long term financing and long term shareholder engagement.
we believe that by enhancing corporate governance we would give investors the necessary tools to engage and protect their rights.
mr president like other colleagues i welcome the provisions for country by country reporting in the directive with the objective of tax justice for our world but as parliament's rapporteur on corporate social responsibility i welcome the recognition in this directive that business responsibility is an issue of corporate governance too.
the move towards long termism is an essential response to the financial crisis but is essential for sustainability too.
the commission produced a communication saying it was in favour of long term investment and i strongly support the directive incentivising longtermism as it chimes with the global move being led by the united nations environment programme finance initiative the un principles for responsible investment and the un global compact.
the aspects for institutional investors to engage with companies on social environmental and human rights issues are important and are an important part of ensuring that the new eu law on non financial reporting is actually used.
madam president honourable members i would like to respond briefly to the discussion on countrybycountry reporting. i would like to be very clear about that. i fully agree with all of you who expressed here the need for more tax transparency. it is also the priority of the commission including the fight against tax evasion and tax avoidance. so the commission says yes but we must address this problem through another piece of legislation.
madam president there are many elements of this report to be welcomed but i also wish to focus on the area of country by country reporting.
as colleagues have said this would require large multinationals to report about their staff levels turnover and tax paid in every eu country in which they are based. this reporting has got to be public firstly because shareholders and other investors need that information to make efficient allocation decisions as many have already told me;
secondly because it is our right as consumers and as citizens to know basic information about the operations of firms within our own countries;
and thirdly because the vast majority of businesses already provide this information because they are only based in one country.
finally we need this information so that academics journalists and ngos as well as tax authorities can help identify instances of abuse.
i am very happy that we have been able to find a compromise in the centre of this european parliament that can gather broad support among pro european and progressive forces.
this has of course meant that all of us have had to make concessions and do so in a spirit of compromise on a number of points but i believe that the end result is acceptable to all of us.
for the liberal group it has been a paramount concern that this directive should improve the ability for shareholders to exercise their rights in cross border situations and not to add unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy because let's face it european entrepreneurs and companies will not flourish because of the additional rules to comply with but rather if we create a good business environment where they can focus on their core tasks.
we do not believe that we can generate long term engagement in companies by investors through legislative proposals requiring various sorts of policy papers or creative tax incentives.
shareholders need access to appropriate information but then it remains their responsibility to engage with the companies that they own.
i think that the focus put to a large extent by the proposals of the commission on requiring a detailed remuneration policy and remuneration report for the director's remuneration is to say the least difficult to understand not to say rather populist.
although i would personally have been happy to remove even more i am happy that the compromise proposals have respected the key points that were problematic.
today i feel a lot more comfortable and i ask my group to support the compromises and the report and i look forward to the trilogues and the continued work on this file fighting for a directive that is fit for purpose and focuses on shareholders' rights rather than shareholders' obligations.
all the provisions having to do with shareholders' and stakeholders' rights the necessity for clear reporting both of remuneration and costs and profits the country by country provision all these are very well aimed at achieving a new quality of corporate governance which very much favours
it is one of the first co legislative files where we as a parliament have a say on tax issues and i think companies have to be transparent about the taxes they pay.
if they follow the rules what exactly is the problem?
i agree with another set of experts who actually say country by country reporting is a way of achieving this.
what is crucial for major shareholders is to continue questioning the tax policies of their management.
we all want greater transparency on tax matters especially given that ordinary citizens have to declare their earnings and pay taxes and accept deep cuts in all their services while the multinationals still get away with paying very little.
there will be a dedicated specific trade sustainability impact assessment for the bilateral fta that will incorporate many issues including this one but also human rights dimensions as well as impact assessment and sustainability impact assessments.
of course concerning the sovereignty issues themselves we have no position;
as you know in the asean region the philippines are very important to us;
the european union is a contracting party to the united nations convention on the law of the sea and we have really full confidence in the proceedings underway and are looking forward to the tribunal rendering its work public this summer. a negotiated solution on the code of conduct between china and asean underway for quite some time
the trade in services between the european union and the philippines was worth also substantial figures over three billion in.
i think this will be one of the yardsticks especially for the people of the philippines to what extent also the new incoming administration will be able to make progress in peace negotiations both in mindanao and with the npa.
first of all the issue of the country's stands on the south china sea and the permanent arbitration court.
i have listened carefully to most of your points actually to all of your points and taken good note of your expectations and concerns regarding the implementation of the partnership and cooperation agreement and beyond that regarding the overall relationship between the european union and the philippines.
you have referred to different issues there and i think they are around the issue of human rights free and fair trade the situation in the chinese sea and the issue of the peace process in the philippines.
i think from this debate with you that we both share a common desire to further develop european union philippines relations but to continue to ensure that this deepening remains based on our global common values and interests.
the eu's assessment of the human rights situation in the philippines has been described notably in the report on the generalised scheme of preferences covering two thousand and fourteen two thousand and fifteen submitted to you in january two thousand and sixteen and i think we are planning to continue to
in two thousand and seventeen the universal periodic review will look at the implementation of the international commitments made by the philippines while under the pca as you know a human rights dialogue will be established.
let me just say what the european union's position is.
we will of course promote this. we will support that.
supported by confidence building measures is the best solution and we encourage asean and the philippines to continue on this path.
then you were all talking about the external and internal strategic situation in the philippines and outside the philippines.
it is an important country as you mentioned because of its strategic location in southeast asia.
i am pleased to announce the expected signature in the near future of a horizontal agreement on air services between us and the philippines.
it is far away but it is a key partner for the european union.
then development the philippines is also a country with a lot of inequality. there are a lot of development issues including on the area of sustainable development goals.
the entry into force of the pca is expected to be followed by the conclusion of a free trade agreement in the coming years.
some groups and in particular abu sayyaf have claimed allegiance to isis and of course the european union wishes to work closely with the philippines in the most intelligent way possible to see how the philippine government can deal effectively with this internal threat. just to give an example
the result was clear and the outcome is largely thanks also to the electoral commission of the philippines and to the cooperation of the outgoing aquino administration.
since december two thousand and fourteen gsp is granting better access to the european union market for the philippines based on its commitment and i think that is important to implement core international conventions on human and labour rights sustainable development and good governance.
we have to judge the new administration by their deeds.
over the last quarter century our ties have grown into a partnership with many different elements including trade development i think probably at its core but also increasingly encompassing political and security cooperation and with which i think is important extensive peopletopeople contact.
the eleven march statement on behalf of the european union on recent developments in the south china sea as well as the european union's continued support to the important mindanao peace process has also been welcomed by the philippines.
i can assure you that the european union is determined to uphold the values of democracy rule of law and human rights in its relationship with the philippines.
i think it is important now that we work together with the philippines chairmanship of asean next year and i think the philippines have been extremely important to us in their willingness to engage on our aspirations to join the east asia summit. of course it is important to note and to say something and mr brok you did this as well in the general elections that took place on nine
we have a relationship the philippines and the european union as you know grounded in a very long history and strong mutual interests.
the positive effects of the gsp are seen in growing philippine exports to europe.
this year we celebrate the twenty fifth anniversary of the european union philippines partnership.
air transport is another crucial area for our relations with the philippines as it links people cultures and businesses.
we are looking forward to engaging with the new administration constructively on all issues;
the new agreement that you were mentioning mr brok will provide political momentum i hope in a modern and comprehensive framework which will allow this relationship to grow even further over the coming decades in particular when it comes to politics and political ties.
i am aware as you are of a number of statements made during and after the election campaign by the winning candidate but also by others and notably the stated intention to reintroduce the death penalty.
on these political ties that we are working on this cementing as you mentioned it the philippines have accepted to co chair together us an asean regional forum on the prevention of violent extremism in two thousand and sixteen seventeen so that we can work on different parts of this not only the repressive part but also on the prevention and the deradicalisation part.
many people voted.
it is a country which has a very complex situation both internally and externally you mentioned and correctly so the importance of the mindanao peace process and the need to underpin this peace agreement to invest in it and to hope also that it will lead to further legislation in the philippines itself.
i think this will bring existing bilateral air services agreements between the philippines and the eu member states into conformity with european union law.
mr president i welcome the partnership and cooperation agreement with the philippines as a vital basis for strengthening relations with the country and region that is fast gaining its geopolitical importance.
the eu is a major partner for the philippines in trade and investment but how much clout will we have once the tpp a major us trade deal with the region which philippines is eager to join is fully ratified and implemented?
so if we want to stay ahead of the game it is key that we move forward on negotiations for an fta which should serve as a stepping stone for a regional deal with south east asia.
finding a solution is not only key for global stability but also for our trade routes.
this means that we can cover it at no cost to member states' budgets.
we simply have no possibilities for redeployment and several budget lines have been fully exhausted.
at the same time the commission has also presented amending budgets requesting additional expenditure of eur.
out of the seven amending budgets six are still outstanding. two of them concern the mobilisation of the eu solidarity fund.
taking this decision will only increase the eu's credibility and allow us to gain control over the eu budget.
the council must see how irresponsibly it is behaving.
that is the way it has to stay because if you unravel that you could set things back twenty years.
madam president the european union has always been a project of peace democracy and human rights keeping the peace on this continent for decades yet now within days of triggering the uk's exit process senior tories are already threatening to go to war with spain.
how utterly foolish. it is imperative that we continue to speak out to the british people about the eu's role in promoting peace and human rights.
one year ago today british iranian citizen nazanin zaghari ratcliffe was imprisoned in iran on unknown charges but together with many fellow meps i have sent a letter to key iranian leaders urging her release as well as that of eu iranian prisoners dr
the eu must continue to be a pillar for human rights in the world to take a stand when children are imprisoned in bahrain for example or when lgbti people are rounded up and killed in chechnya as is being reported.
it is true that working together we can achieve more than alone and we must continue to speak that truth.
at the same time i would like to point out that the electoral campaign has now ended and it is time to leave nationalism aside.
the eu hopes to have a partner in president vui.
we expect serbia to remain a stable and trustworthy partner in enlargement talks and contribute to regional stability with an euoriented government.
forty now those are shocking statistics and i suppose the questions that we must answer here this evening are first of all how can we narrow the current pension gap and secondly what can we do to ensure that the pensions of those now in employment are adequate and sustainable?
for example you mentioned survivors' pensions and also the idea of minimum pensions or some kind of minimum income for those past retirement.
i think we have a very fundamental question to answer at eu level and national level and it is this is it acceptable that those who take time off to care for those who need care will be condemned to a much greater risk of poverty in old age?
therefore as a society we have to integrate caring responsibilities into our social security and pension systems.
health systems would collapse without them and social security systems would be unsustainable.
in my own country ireland the gender pay gap is just over fourteen the overall earnings gap between men and women is almost thirty five and the pension gap is.
in my view it is not acceptable because society as we have constructed it relies on family and unpaid carers.
i was very pleased to hear you mention a number of possible solutions.
the consultation with the social partners and the open public consultation on these issues have been launched.