kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
mr president the fishing industry although diminished in size in recent years remains of great importance to my constituents in wales in terms of its contribution to employment and to the wider economy which is why i welcome the report on the european fisheries fund.
this fund is one of the financial tools at the eu's disposal that can be used to help contribute to regional development and also deliver the aims of the common fisheries policy such as ensuring the conservation and sustainability of fish stocks and the long term viability of the fishing sector.
mr president this report calls for collective efforts to help the european economy. what it means in practice is more europe and more money.
i am totally committed to an agenda of growth and jobs.
however i do not believe that the way to achieve it is with more europe.
this parliament has squandered its opportunity to send out a strong signal.
we should have called on the commission to deliver more for less money.
we should have reflected the will of our citizens and called for a freeze on the european budget but as usual we chickened out and that is why i cannot support this report.
mr president following the eu's ban on imports of beef and beef products from the us and canada that have been treated with growth promoting hormones the us and canada were subsequently authorised by the wto to authorise and impose trade sanctions on eu agricultural products. this had a high impact on farmers and producers across the eu.
i am therefore pleased that a resolution has now been found to this trade dispute.
mr president while this is a technical report which updates procedures to take into account the new scrutiny regime contained in the lisbon treaty it will have important consequences for the future content of these regulations.
the new role the parliament now has under delegated acts means that we must take this scrutiny role seriously.
on the issue of commercial policy i am certain that this balance is just as difficult as it is on financial services issues and i am positive that this report as it stands has achieved the right balance.
mr president given the difficult history of transatlantic trade relations in animal products that was started by the dispute on beef hormones and chlorine dipped chicken the adoption of the regulation put forward today in this report is important and my ecr group voted in favour.
we believe that the regulation reinforces the vital trade links that are already in existence across the atlantic and will also improve access to the market on both sides leading to more confidence.
though the products initially affected by the ban on hormone treated beef were few and accounted for a small volume of trade those products affected by the subsequent retaliatory eu sanctions were far more numerous and we hope that these sanctions will steadily be lifted and trade barriers broken down as a result of ongoing negotiations.
the regulation proposed therefore will we believe strengthen the long standing transatlantic economic relationship in terms of trade and bring economic benefits to both sides. usa eu political and trade relations must be our number one priority due to our shared common democratic values.
mr president when discussing the enlargement process in relation to iceland it is very hard to do so solely on the technical level of the copenhagen criteria and acquis as the situation is very different from that of those member states that have joined the eu since the fall of the berlin wall and the end of communism in europe.
yet we must be very careful to be even handed in our approach and ensure that iceland genuinely does fulfil all of the eu criteria before joining.
in the area of financial services we need to be very careful to ensure that iceland's reformed banking system is now truly following all of the necessary eu regulations in this field.
the issue of icesave is still of huge concern in the uk where many individuals and local authorities lost significant amounts of money because of the lax system of regulation previously in force in iceland.
while separating this specific issue out from the accession process might be a sensible approach i believe we must ensure the issue is resolved as soon as possible and appropriate measures are taken to avoid it happening again.
i am convinced that i speak for all of us in saying that we look to the new leadership in ukraine to give new impetus to its reform efforts.
this includes efforts to strengthen the independence of the judiciary to open up the economy and to ensure fair and transparent competition for example by the adoption of a public procurement law in line with international standards
firstly we both agreed that these elections testified the vibrancy of democracy in ukraine;
preliminary election results show a very small gap between the two contestants.
it is in ukraine's own interest not just to please the international community.
however it should ensure that an effective system of checks and balances is in place which avoids the political paralysis that ukraine has experienced in the past.
ukraine has consistently held good elections and has a vibrant civil society and free media.
the comprehensive institution building programme envisaged by the eastern partnership is a case in point as it specifically targets institutions within the ukrainian government which need strengthening in order to deliver on reform.
two thousand and nine action is needed at many levels.
over and above the first reform priorities ukraine needs to continue the extensive task of ensuring regulatory approximation with european union standards.
much more should have been done in the past years.
this is a very significant undertaking including the establishment of a deep and comprehensive free trade area involving extensive regulatory approximation to the european union acquis.
it is also an opportunity for a new start.
we have many tools to do
at the same time it is of utmost importance that the electoral process as a whole continues in a smooth manner demonstrating both the resilience and depth of ukraine's democratic maturity and the candidates' own shared commitment
the weakness of ukraine's constitutional framework has also contributed to this.
the pace at which ukraine and the eu come closer together in the future depends on the quality and depth of ukraine's own reform efforts.
most importantly it demonstrates ukraine's attachment to european values.
eu macrofinancial assistance.
at the same time essential sectoral reforms in areas such as energy in particular the gas sector transport and the environment need to be undertaken and implemented.
we look forward to working with ukraine's new leadership to achieve our common goals.
the eu's message to ukraine's leadership is consistent and clear now is the time to act.
a constitution needs to stand the test of time and its reform should not be tied to short term political considerations.
it is clear that ukraine's democracy is continuing its process of consolidation. the population of the country goes to the polls makes its choice freely and expects to be heard.
it also congratulated the people of ukraine for their continued commitment to the democratic process.
we welcome the positive assessment made by the osce odihr led international election observation mission that the elections were conducted in accordance with international standards and that there has been further progress in ukraine's already good electoral track record since.
to its neighbours.
two thousand and four the statement issued by the high representative on monday expressed this sentiment.
the high turnout on both election days was particularly encouraging.
this is a significant achievement.
pre election politics also got in the way of the implementation of the imf standby arrangement with ukraine failing to meet required conditions.
elections have winners and losers.
in the weeks and months to come we will see a new administration being formed in kiev.
we have also consistently encouraged ukraine to revisit constitutional reform to bring stability and put in place functioning ground rules for political life.
it is logical and legitimate that any possible problems are investigated.
we expect to see concrete steps forward. reform is essential for ukraine's own long term prosperity and security.
it is up to ukraine to choose the model it wants to adopt.
more generally in negotiations with ukraine on a new ambitious eu ukraine association agreement we have set out our goals clearly political association and economic integration between the european union and ukraine.
area it is our task to encourage ukraine on the way forward and to support kiev's own leadership in a process of far reaching reforms and modernisation.
to the country's development.
in the past years we have seen political instability characterised by competition between the president and prime minister exacerbated by a lack of clarity in the constitution.
the eastern partnership has brought additional tools.
on the economic front ukraine needs to take urgent action to tackle corruption and to improve the business and investment climate.
this is a prerequisite to ensure that ukraine can enjoy the full benefits of the new and ambitious eu ukraine association agreement which we are currently negotiating with ukraine including a deep and comprehensive free trade
it is now vital for ukraine to move forward.
so. through the european neighbourhood policy we have the means to support ukraine's own reform efforts.
as we meet here today in strasbourg official election results have not yet been certified by the central election commission.
as a first priority in order to address the effects of the global financial crisis and ensure future economic stability ukraine needs to get back on track with the imf programme without delay. this is also a precondition for the disbursement of possible
secondly we are committed to deepening the relationship with ukraine and supporting it in implementing its reform agenda;
this message was also already conveyed at the eu ukraine summit of four december.
the help and advice of the venice commission will be important in ensuring that this is done in a manner corresponding to european standards availing of the best experience available.
we must ensure the greatest possible flow of people across our frontiers with ukraine. as one of my constituents wrote to me recently help one zero people to travel to the eu from eastern ukraine and one hundred zero will hear about their favourable impressions
the election campaign confirmed that the ukrainian political elite wants to continue the process of integration with the european union and to maintain good neighbourly relations with russia.
what is most important at this moment is that the eu finds a way of liberalising the entry visa regime.
the new president will be governing in the face of robust opposition and free media.
everything i saw was peaceful transparent and in many ways curiously more robust than in my own country the uk with transparent ballot boxes and photo id required in order to allow you to vote.
however i was of course disappointed by the result because president yanukovich is no western style democrat. he will now formally drop all nato aspirations and pay only lip service to eu membership for his country which of course is now also formally opposed by russia his close friend and neighbour. he will content himself instead with an fta and a visa liberalisation regime.
it probably will not happen but if it does it must be peaceful and by consensus.
what we must do here in the european union is to support the legacy of the orange revolution and our common shared democratic values with ukraine.
eu ukraine relations have deepened considerably in the past years. i firmly believe that this dynamic should continue in the future.
this should be of concern to everyone in this chamber because cars on the road today are not wholly covered by eu only approvals.
i believe that this report can serve as a lasting reform of the whole vehicle approval process.
a common sense approach would allow for a deeper system of mutual recognition here along the lines of what is foreseen with other third countries such as japan under the new economic partnership.
i'm very pleased that we've got this report today and i thank everyone for the support they gave me but just a word of warning there to the commission that we need to make sure that we continue this cooperation and success in this area going forward.
it has been a success story for european cooperation over the last forty years.
for example a czech car built in the czech republic by czech workers couldn't be sold in the czech domestic market if it had a uk type approval.
instead under the flag of providing business certainty changes to the system affecting uk vehicle approvals would have huge repercussions all over europe.
there is an international mechanism for mutual recognition of vehicle approvals which is maintained in this report.
that will continue after the uk leaves the eu.
i would just leave one word of warning because i am a little bit concerned to hear of plans from the commission to present amendments to the type approval framework in the context of the brexit process.
it's important of course that we adopt the report tomorrow.
the regulation of motor vehicles is a success story for international cooperation globally.
i am especially happy that the main pillars of our commission's proposals were confirmed.
i am pleased that the final outcome upheld most of the proposals from the commission and improved some of them.
at the last trialogue in december as part of our discussion on penalties parliament asked the commission to make a declaration referring to the adoption of the new deal for consumers package to better protect consumers and ensure a more effective consumer redress mechanism.
the emis committee and the commission's own investigations revealed the shortcomings of the present system. what we have discovered is not only about volkswagen.
we are faced with a systemic failure of the typeapproval system in europe.
the whole industry operated in a grey zone.
enforcement of the typeapproval framework is the responsibility of the member states as all of us know but the last two years have shown that only a few of them have taken serious action against emission cheating. no car manufacturer has been fined for cheating so far and only a few member states have issued mandatory calls for noncompliant
this is one of the reasons i have consistently called for a reshuffle of the whole approval system more checks on the ground and more eu governance.
it proposes legal instruments on representative actions and possibilities for consumer redress.
they are reinforcing the independence and quality of approvals that allow a car to be placed on the market introducing an effective market surveillance system to ensure that cars placed on the market comply with eu rules not only at the time of approval but also when they circulate on our roads and reinforcing the whole system with greater european oversight to ensure a coherent implementation throughout europe.
even more importantly this regulation will ensure that the health of our citizens and the environment are protected from these harmful emissions causing up to four hundred zero deaths per annum as ms danti said.
i am pleased that random market surveillance will be introduced testing one in five types every year. this new system will test emissions but also safety standards of cars.
i was not convinced of the supposed benefits of introducing an agency as the commission can do the job well and costeffectively.
i believe that the changes introduced in this regulation will do much to re establish consumer confidence in the car industry after the scandals of the past often known as dieselgate'.
the reform is also important to pave the way for connected and automated cars to reduce air pollution and to reach our climate target which is extremely important.
it will be the key as many of you mentioned to restoring public confidence.
thank you very much for the support and the cooperation.
this legislation will make cars safer and cleaner and combined with the rde testing will ensure that a future dieselgate' can't happen again. we have a unique system in europe national type approvals which are mutually recognised across all eu countries.
but dieselgate' exposed some of its limitations due to the testing process lack of enforcement and lack of market surveillance.
for years motorists have suspected that the advertised fuel performance of their vehicles was inaccurate and exaggerated.
they were a joke in fact.
no one believed them and dieselgate' proved them right.
to many it appears that dieselgate' affected everyone apart from the manufacturers to blame.
those affected are still waiting for proper compensation whereas in the us compensation has already been paid.
so motorists in europe are angry and they're rightly asking what we're doing about it.
we should all be concerned as well about the environmental damage of this particularly in cities with poor air quality.
overall it has undermined trust in diesel vehicles. this package creates a rigorous and transparent framework for approving and checking the cars on our roads for emissions and safety.
while emissions have caught the headlines recently our new rules also guarantee safety standards.
new testing too will ensure that environmental protections are upheld.
transparent testing is essential to ensure that cars are safe and clean.
test results will for the first time be easily available for third parties online who can check and verify results for cheating.
when something goes wrong there must be a capacity to act and under this regulation there are for the first time proper requirements for national authorities to significantly fine manufacturers at fault. if the national authorities fail to act the commission can levy fines instead.
that european involvement and oversight is repeated in many parts of this regulation.
i am naturally sceptical of giving power to the commission but this scandal showed an umpire was needed to renew the trust that is needed in a system of national mutual recognition.
the commission will be carrying out regular reviews of type approval authorities who allow cars to drive on the road to make sure that they are doing their job.
there will also be a forum chaired by the commission providing greater oversight and sharing best practice of national authorities.
once cars are on the road national authorities who failed to do so in the past now have to check them.
hundreds of cars a year will be checked with the spread of models and types to ensure that cheating will be caught.
the european commission is also mandated to undertake spot checks on cars across the union targeted based on information member states have to provide on their surveillance programmes.
a double check system to ensure that if another volkswagen ever happened it would be discovered quickly.
consumers also rely on an independent and healthy aftermarket for local and good quality service and this has been an issue for me and i am grateful to colleagues here for their support on this.
i am pleased to have achieved improved access to manufacturer information for independent repairers.
this makes the market stronger for the benefit of consumers.
in conclusion this regulation delivers a stronger more transparent system to ensure cars on our roads are safe and clean.
it delivers for car owners for the environment and for manufacturers with standards fairly applied and appropriately applied across the board.
i want to thank all the shadow rapporteurs for their work. and to cameron smith and alex davis in my office for the immense work that they have done. i put this report to the parliament and i look forward to hearing your views in today's debate.
i am convinced that the trilogue negotiations were able to reach this goal and i hope this house sees it in a similar way.
personally i am glad that this new law will help to fix the system by introducing clear rules on market surveillance with specific targets for the member states to meet.
this set of measures is in my view a major benefit of this regulation which should help to solve the situation on eu roads.
there will be enhanced control over member states' authorities both issuing type approvals and carrying out market surveillance as well as technical services and other relevant stakeholders.
in general i believe that this outcome meets adequately our expectations and provides a robust and reliable framework which fits with our ambitions in the area of protection of the environment and protection of consumers' rights.
we will also continue to raise with the government the need to apply the law evenly and fairly to all and the need to ensure that freedom of association expression and due process are fully respected.
the high representative also recalled that the eu's development cooperation and trade preferences were reliant on cambodia's respect for fundamental human rights.
it is therefore very worrying to see over the last months a significant narrowing of the democratic space in the country.
our development cooperation with cambodia is long term and any consideration regarding a suspension of cooperation would have to be carefully evaluated in terms of its impact.
suspension of aid could be detrimental to the population.
we have underlined that the decision of the cambodian government on sixteen november to dissolve the main opposition party the cambodian national rescue party is a significant step away from the path of pluralism and democracy enshrined in cambodia's constitution and supported for more than two decades by cambodia's international partners including the european union. we reiterate that an electoral process from which the main opposition party has been arbitrarily excluded is not legitimate.
the principle of democratic inclusion and dialogue is key to lasting peace and stability.
the eu will continue to reaffirm its commitment to protect and to promote the universality of human rights whenever they are violated or questioned whether inside or outside its borders.
we are currently assessing the situation in terms of development cooperation assistance.
respect for fundamental human and labour rights is also part of our trade policy and underpins the legal basis of our trade preferences.
these commitments are enshrined in the cambodian constitution. the european union and its member states have put and continue to put huge efforts and very significant resources into supporting the development of cambodia.
she insisted on the expectation that the continued detention of the opposition leader kem sokha and the dissolution of the cnrp would be swiftly reversed.
removing opponents is the text book move of a typical tyrant. the people of cambodia after the genocidal khmer rouge regime last century deserve democracy;
one hundred and eighteen cnrp politicians were banned from political activity for five years. kem sokha president of the cnrp is currently being held in prison on trumped up charges and an arrest warrant is out for the leader of the opposition sam rainsy.
this is one of the basic tenets that the eu member states hold dear and yet cambodia is a country that continues to enjoy tariff preferences to the eu market as part of the preferential everything but arms' scheme.
they deserve an independent and impartial judiciary.
credible and transparent elections are vital to the health of the nation and the legitimacy of its government.
basing its decision on vague accusations and legal provisions cambodia's highest court dissolved the cambodia national rescue party the main opposition party to prime minister hun sen.
eu member states now have a key role to play to urge the cambodian government to protect democracy and pluralism as enshrined in their constitution.
they deserve better.
if this situation is not reversed then prime minister hun sen will be effectively uncontested at next year's general elections giving him unfettered power.
cambodia's obligations under the convention should be immediately reviewed and all possible pressure should be put on the government to drop charges against the leaders of the opposition and to re establish the cnrp party.