kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
madam president i too wish to speak about the current economic crisis but from a different perspective. today we heard jean claude trichet and olli rehn speaking of the need for fiscal rectitude and calling on ireland and portugal and other countries to adhere to the stability and growth pact.
we are not responding to citizens' concerns adequately and i think we need to review our priorities.
to focus on just two issues one question asked citizens to rank in order of preference how we could rapidly move out from the crisis.
a question on policy priorities showed that over fifty of both eu and irish citizens reckoned we should tackle poverty and social exclusion first.
these people squandered the wealth created by an energetic and innovative population and they must be held accountable.
however the crisis was also caused by lax regulation of the banking sector. that failure also extends to europe.
one should remember last july's banking stress tests when the commission effectively signed off on the future of the very banks in ireland that are at the heart of the crisis.
how could this happen?
i am very angry that my country has reached this point very angry indeed.
i very much welcome the solidarity that has been shown by our colleagues across europe particularly in providing finance to stabilise our economy. however i do believe we are at a crossroads for the future of the eu.
ireland is very much a sovereign nation and any diktats from europe about ireland's taxation policy would i believe cross a dangerous line when it comes to the treatment of smaller nation states in the union.
let me emphasise once again that the commission's approach is to reinforce schengen to improve the evaluation as we already proposed before christmas to clarify the rules to identify the tools to assist member states in need and possibly to introduce a mechanism which would bring a coordinated community based response to exceptional situations for instance when a member state fails to control its internal borders.
this is the purpose of the european border surveillance system which has been progressively developed since two thousand and eight and for which the commission will present a legislative proposal during this year.
there is a framework programme this year that takes into consideration the management of migration flows.
the spirit of schengen is a spirit of trust and solidarity.
of course we now have a large consultation process and we are under budgetary restraints but you can count on me to ensure that there will still be money under this fund for the future as well. those member states most exposed to migratory pressures and located at the external borders of the eu must receive adequate financial compensation for the tasks they are carrying out in the interests of the schengen area as a whole this by fair burden sharing in order to support those member states
these controls could lead to recommendations to the member states for immediate actions and deadlines for implementing them.
it must be clear that any decision on the relocation of irregular migrants and beneficiaries of international protection depends on the council and on the willingness of the member states.
the member states have not yet expressed any support for such an approach on a general basis with however one notable exception the pilot project on relocation to other member states for persons who have received international protection on malta.
affected by large inflows of persons in need of international protection.
this solidarity can take different forms by assisting for instance where the external border is under pressure.
it is important that the eu show concrete solidarity to the member states most affected by large scale inflows of migrants and persons in need of international protection.
we have a financial mechanism to improve the management of these flows at the european level and to strengthen the solidarity between member states.
we must also foster daily cooperation between national authorities in the field of border surveillance.
we can also show solidarity by showing financial solidarity.
the commission's main objective is to have a preventive approach. the proposed changes to strengthen the monitoring mechanism which is designed to maintain mutual trust between the member states and their capacity to apply effectively and efficiently the accompanying measures will make it possible to maintain an area without borders. this will be done through more on the spot visits to check the application of the schengen acquis to member states.
free movement is also a great boost and a benefit for the internal market so safeguarding this achievement is key to the commission and an absolute priority for me personally.
at the same time we will work on the preventive measures which should help us to avoid infringement procedures.
the member states that play the biggest role in the applicant's entry into the eu should be responsible for examining his or her application for asylum.
in the commission proposal for a recast of the dublin regulation this principle remains untouched.
the basis of our work needs to be the existing legislation.
we are currently considering whether and how to complement this evaluation mechanism in order to create mutual trust and ensure a coherent application of the rules.
the commission will continue to make sure that the schengen rules are correctly applied and respected by everybody.
we are also planning to follow a parallel approach.
it is therefore not an instrument designed to respond to the challenges related to irregular migration.
in the question ms ludford expressed concerns that the negotiations on the new schengen evaluation and suspension rules might be lengthy and difficult to agree upon and asked the commission to prioritise launching infringement procedures against member states in breach of schengen rules instead.
with due regard for the relevant international obligations of greece including the relevant conventions of the international labour organisation.
the commission acknowledges that the greek crisis has a high social cost for sections of the population in greece but that cost is mainly the result of financial imbalances diminishing competitiveness and financial difficulties the very difficulties the memorandum seeks to resolve and not exacerbate.
and in cases of conflicts of interest to take collective action to defend their interests including strike action.
the situation has been highlighted on several occasions recently.
it marked the end of restrictions on the right to work of citizens from the eight member states which joined in two thousand and four who can now work freely in any member state.
two thousand and eleven the end of transitional arrangements means that more eu citizens can take advantage of one of the eu's fundamental freedoms and work freely in another member state.
i know that mobility and freedom of movement for workers are also important to this house.
tackling these problems calls for a broad approach combined with effective implementation of the principle of free movement.
the commission services are currently evaluating eu legislation on the free movement of workers and in particular regulation no one thousand six hundred and twelve sixty eight and are exploring the options for improving the enforcement of eu law on freedom of movement including where necessary by presenting an initiative in.
the commission is pleased with the own initiative report on promoting worker mobility within the european union and is following the debate in the parliamentary committees with great interest.
the monti report of nine may two thousand and ten a new strategy for the single market' points out that while freedom of movement for workers is a success overall from a legal viewpoint it is the least used of our four single market freedoms.
the enforceability of the right of free movement conferred by eu law is particularly relevant in cases of discrimination on the basis of nationality as the individuals concerned need to have suitable mechanisms to ensure such rights are properly protected.
that opens great opportunities for the individual who can move where there are jobs and also for the economy.
together with the free movement of goods services and capital it is a pillar of the single market and has contributed to european integration over the last fifty years.
the body of eu law on free movement of workers gives eu citizens the right to move freely within the union for work purposes and protects the social rights of workers and their family members. as you know one may two thousand and eleven was an important date for the eu.
but we are also aware that despite the large body of eu legislation in the area of freedom of movement for workers most eu citizens still feel there are too many obstacles to working in another member state.
two thousand and twelve parliament's report on worker mobility therefore comes at the right time and will certainly contribute to the debate on enforcement of eu law on free movement of workers and the choice of any further action on this issue.
i would love to think that youth mobility within europe is the answer but most of the countries in europe barring the three you mentioned have unemployment problems.
what we really need is to focus on the fact that europe has an ageing population. we cannot afford this brain drain.
i welcome the fact that the commission is recommending initiatives to the member states.
in addition the number of applications submitted to the fund and thus the overall amount applied for has increased significantly over the last two years.
commission approval of applications to the fund in two thousand and eleven had to be postponed for the first time because sufficient payment appropriations could not be found quickly. i am sure you will agree that this is not helpful to workers who have been made redundant and need assistance quickly.
a lot of time is also taken up with the need to request and obtain approval for each application from both arms of the budgetary authority.
this year will be crucial for the fund's future because the commission intends to make a proposal on the rules governing the fund and the way it will function in the next programming period.
a large part of that time is taken up by assessing the application.
we have great hopes that our proposal will significantly improve the fund after two thousand and thirteen and will in particular solve two problems with the current mechanism for financing.
this has made it increasingly difficult to identify sufficient margins from which to draw contributions.
the commission has taken no decision yet on the best way of addressing these issues but it intends to table a proposal in autumn on the globalisation adjustment fund of the future bearing european workers' best interests in mind.
the first issue is the time it takes for a contribution to be granted once a member state has submitted an application.
the commission is looking at ways of clarifying or simplifying the information that the member states will have to provide to demonstrate that applications are eligible.
i am grateful for the interest you have shown in the european globalisation adjustment fund.
this also holds up payment of contributions from the fund to the detriment of the workers because some member states are reluctant to advance payments for training job search assistance and other measures.
we need to find solutions for these problems and bring the mechanism for financing the fund more closely into line with these objectives.
entrepreneurship and self employment opportunities and i think these dimensions have to be reflected in the forthcoming mff proposal as well.
education and training with the needs of the labour market.
this can qualitatively improve the employment opportunities of young people in a number of member states including spain and others where the situation is the most difficult and where the reform of the education system was either delayed or ignored in the recent period.
it is also important to stress that many actions are supported by the financial instruments of the eu especially in this context the european social fund but i should also mention the new microfinance facility that provides programmes and in the latter case
youth labour mobility will be promoted in particular through a new eu job mobility scheme your first eures job which was launched with the support of this house and the council.
the bruges communiqu of december two thousand and ten on enhanced european cooperation in vocational education and training for the period two thousand and eleven two thousand and twenty is an important european achievement in this area.
youth unemployment rates are relatively low.
this is due at least in part to the comprehensive vocational education and training systems in those member states which facilitate young people's labour market integration.
it outlines objectives and identifies the action needed to improve the quality of vocational training and make it more accessible and relevant to the needs of the labour market.
its aim is to help young people find a job on the european labour market and assist employers in recruiting young european mobile workers.
that is why it is so important to promote freedom of movement for workers within the union.
if ever there was an example of bureaucracy at european level this surely is it. in my country it takes the department of agriculture five years from the time that you actually make an application until you are registered.
given the crisis in germany we need more food labelling we need more standards;
so if you are in a position to do that i would appreciate hearing it and also if there were to be a merger would you see an increase in budgetary appropriations for the social fund?
finally my other question relates to the timing and you spoke about the difficulty with the commission and the budgetary authority.
the concept of geographical indications was thus familiar and names had already been registered at national level.
this is because the applicant group has to draw up specifications and have them approved at national level and then by the commission.
the single document summary of the specifications for geographical indications or the specifications themselves for traditional specialties are then published in the official journal of the european union in order to allow objections to be made.
if an objection is lodged the interested parties have six months to reach agreement.
this procedure explains the time required for registration to take place.
on the other hand once a name has been registered it enjoys strong protection and international recognition and benefits from communication tools particularly use of the logo.
proposals to this end have been made in the context of the quality package including reducing the time for the commission to scrutinise applications received to six months and reducing the objection period to two months. awareness of the system varies greatly from country to country often depending on the number of registered names in a country.
this conference will take place with the involvement of the social partners and other stakeholders in september.
we have said all the time that there are two key issues remaining in order to engage in such a dialogue sound readmission and reintegration policies in line with the eu standards.
we receive regular updates from kosovo and i also meet with the responsible ministers and once all these elements are in place we are ready to launch a new mission to go there and see what steps can be taken in order to open the visa liberalisation dialogue.
as you know the esf is implemented through shared management and i believe that the management system of the current esf is not compatible with the objectives of the egf.
we can only try to improve the trust between member states by having a more vigorous governance over schengen;
of course we need to distinguish between irregular migrants and migrants in need of international protection.
this is all being done on facebook using the system and it is being bragged about. surely it is possible for europol and the service providers perhaps even coordinated by the commission to identify some of these people. the more they feel that they are immune the more their numbers will grow.
i suppose my question refers to the fact that there is a low level of awareness among producers in many countries and in some countries it is very low.
is the commission taking any steps to try and increase that level of awareness not just amongst consumers but amongst producers?
it is going increasingly mobile and recent threat analysis suggests that organised crime is getting increasingly involved in criminal activities in cyberspace.
so the commission is pursuing various activities in the field to improve overall cybersecurity and to prevent and to tackle cybercrime.
at the policy level specific objectives and road maps have been set in recent policy documents.
in that strategy cybercrime is clearly identified as one of the priorities for us to work on for the future.
last year we also tabled two legislative proposals one in march a directive on child online exploitation was adopted by the commission and i know it is now being negotiated and also a proposal for directives on attacks against information cybersystems.
international cooperation is also key to fighting cybercrime and that is why we are engaging with international partners on these issues.
we have the working group between the eu and the united states created last november where we have had a series of different expert meetings.
we will report on progress for the next eu us summit in november this year.
cybercrime is directly influenced by rapid technological advances quickly emerging in new business models but also by the ability of law enforcement and wider society to come to terms with such fluid environments as cyberspace. cybercrime is becoming a volume crime. it is for this reason that we need jointly to get our systems
if there is reason to believe that organised crime groups are behind more and more crimes on the internet the same investigative measures applied in the detection and prosecution of offline organised crime should be applied coupled of course with an improved coordination mechanism.
we are certainly not going to abandon kosovo.
i have emphasised how important schengen is what a gift it is to the european union and that we must strengthen it and not weaken it.
we need to be better at issuing guidelines.
dublin is of course related to this but it is a parallel process.
he turned to me and said those telephone companies those private companies have done more to take people out of poverty in this country than any of your white western ngos'.
we must not forget that china's history exceeds ours by thousands of years. china has maintained her cultural traditions and her values.
we want to have china as a part of our international community but china is very important for the eu as a trading partner and the way we should treat china is as an equal partner with respect.
if we do that then china will not only listen to us but will trade more with us we will be able to invest more in china and china invest more with us.
at the moment china has an enormous amount of money which will have to be invested outside china.
overall it was a very balanced report and i am very pleased that the rapporteur on the whole was able to stick to the issue which was trade rather than focus on a number of other issues that i know a number of colleagues wanted her to focus on.
we have to recognise that consumers in my country britain and in many other countries across the european union have benefited from open trade with china.
we should make sure that we get the right balance and do not ignore the benefits of trade with china for consumers companies with globalised supply chains and the retail sector.
i wanted to draw attention to a very positive development in the committee on foreign affairs.
they voted an opinion which calls on china to respect women and children's rights by ending forced abortion and forced sterilisation. it also calls on china to end political persecution and other human rights abuses.
used to encourage human rights abuse.
mr president thank you again for giving me the floor. i supported this report because it makes good sense that we should have a regulation that protects farmers' interests and the interests of those who produce their feed.
i think what we now need is to communicate with the stakeholders what it means for them as either feed operators or as users of animal feed because it will not be enough that we have this regulation in place until there is good communication between all stakeholders.
i am happy to note that the parliament supports the negotiations of a comprehensive forward looking and legally binding new agreement which would allow furthering the development of relations with russia in the upcoming years.
extensively here in parliament on the political use of justice in russia echoing many of the concerns that have been raised in this
as you all already know we agreed in two thousand and eight to put our relations on a solid basis of an updated and upgraded new agreement.
we are well aware that we have been observing political developments in russia over the last month with increasing concern and mr swoboda's speech and report is a reminder of a continuously worrying trend in russia which seems to be aimed at limiting the scope of action of civil society organisations.
now after four and a half years the diverging views regarding the trade and investment chapter has led to a difficult stalemate and for the eu an agreement without solid trade investment and energy provisions is simply not an interesting option. so we need to get this right.
these themes are embedded in all the activities and many commissioners are involved here in the partnership for modernisation human rights consultations visa and migration issues as well as in our financial cooperation and this will be strongly embedded in our new agreement as
the external action service and the commission pursue a consistent approach in promoting the rule of law respect for human rights and participation of civil society as integral parts of the eu russia relationship.
between july two thousand and eight and december two thousand and ten there have been twelve rounds of negotiations good progress has been achieved in all areas with the exception of trade and investment.
agenda. the sources of concern prominently described in the report and discussed here today will also be raised. russia is our third most important trading partner and is also an indispensable partner when it comes to ensuring security on our continent and to tackling a number of global challenges.
the agreement should cover all areas of our engagement security research enterprises customs judiciary and human rights and given the central place of trade in cooperation with russia the agreement has naturally to include substantial legally binding commitments on trade and investment.
here regulatory convergence is crucial; for example alignment with technical regulation fairness transparency in agricultural trade clear entry conditions in government procurement markets transparent rules of competition intellectual property rights and customs procedures are all in our mutual interests. in the energy sector it is in our mutual interests to lay down the basis of closer contact between our regulators and network operators and to establish common basic market principles which can help us to make serious progress on developing a strategic energy partnership.
it is in our economic interests to have an economically successful modern and democratic russia at our borders.
while focusing on the negotiations on a new agreement the report as the rapporteur says also looks into the wider context and the best ways to promote eu interests and eu values in particular when it comes to rule of law and human rights.
our people our business and our investors expect this from us. now let me say a few important words on the political context in which negotiations are taking place.