kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
as a lawyer a democrat and a former interior minister i believe that any such investigations must be through an established process and that process is for fully independent judicial inquiries to be held and investigated at member state level.
these inquiries are already under way in those countries that have been named in connection with these matters.
public confidence is being eroded in the very services that are here to protect us and until we have an opportunity to draw a line under the accusations and provide real proof one way or the other reports such as this are actually feeding terrorists and extremist propaganda.
my own country the united kingdom is one of the countries at whom these allegations are being levelled a country that has long established principles of freedom fairness and the rule of law.
i welcome the opportunity of an investigation in order to reinstate the reputation of our security services currently tarnished with allegations of our alleged involvement.
other member states are also put in the dock accused but not convicted. is that fair?
of course it is important to move forward in a way that encourages cooperation and a good working method in finding a resolution.
unfortunately i do not think that the content of this report its language or its approach helps us achieve either of these things. mr president i come from a country where you are innocent until proven guilty but unfortunately this does not seem to be enough for this parliament.
there is a well known saying what you do not measure you do not take into consideration when you are creating your policies and your decisions.
even if there will be some time between the sixth and the seventh environmental action programmes i can assure you that we are listening to you carefully and are implementing many of the things that you have underlined.
that is why the green economy is inevitable.
there are still some concerns that our current policy framework may not adequately cater for new and emerging threats.
last month the commission presented ideas on how to improve the situation which will be further developed in the seventh eap.
as you know i made this one of my top priorities in my nomination hearing before this house and from the beginning of my mandate.
ongoing reviews of our water and air legislation will help inform the future direction of both policies. i also fully agree with you that the urban environment is an important dimension of our policy.
they cost us around eur fifty billion per year lead to distortions in the single market and make it more costly to tackle environmental challenges down the road.
we need to mobilise actors at all levels and in all relevant sectors to do their
implementation failures are a major stumbling block to delivering the benefits we seek from environmental legislation.
i also agree that the seventh eap should focus on the contribution of environment policy to better health and wellbeing. more needs to be done to tackle challenges arising from pollution that are not yet being adequately addressed.
after all these challenges do not simply resolve themselves.
i was pleased to see implementation as the first priority highlighted in your report.
mr president i think one of the most important points in this debate is the conflict between our long term objectives and the short term concerns of citizens.
when we talk about sustainable production and consumption there is not enough emphasis on what we mean by sustainable'.
if you listen to the debate on jobs and growth which is so important to so many who are unemployed the question of sustainability is not part of that discussion.
we need to convince people that the words we say here will actually be reflected in an increase in jobs if we adopt the sustainability model and the resource efficiency agenda which has already been discussed.
in northern ireland we are moving towards effective implementation of the european research area by.
involvement within inter eu research programmes such as the marie curie initial training network the industry academia partnerships and pathways has proved its worth under framework seven as the commissioner knows from her time there.
it is clear that strong national frameworks are required to ensure that the key era priorities are met. inflexible eu wide targets would however risk undermining the valuable diversity of national research systems and hinder the exciting work that is already under way across europe.
two thousand and fourteen speaking from the experience of queen's university in belfast and the university of ulster there is a strong appetite among academic staff for optimum circulation access and transfer of knowledge across borders.
commissioner your own impact assessment has highlighted additional administrative and compliance costs which could be incurred.
but some countries are significantly more advanced than others and whilst member states who are lagging behind do need to step up their efforts the decision on exactly how they do that needs to be left to the member states themselves.
the possibility of an era framework directive has been discussed but i am concerned that a one size fits all legislation may not be the solution as governments universities research centres and industry need autonomy to achieve the aims of era without jeopardising national and global research priorities.
we keep on generating debates on economic recovery but we have lost sight of the fundamental role of research.
since two thousand and nine the debate has focused on regaining lost competitiveness in business and labour terms.
we have to understand that the future is built today and that research gives a cutting edge to those who do not hesitate to invest in it.
to my knowledge the great economic powers of the world have achieved success by regarding research as a long term investment with high returns.
it does not make sense for the eu to try to prove them wrong.
this message is right but it is not enough.
we will not be able to restart our economies counting on the available research.
one of the best examples is the joint programming process and the cooperation on initiatives to address some of the main challenges we face in our society today.
we also support member states and the regions in developing smart specialisation strategies to enable them to use structural funds for research and innovation.
both the european council and council have played a key role in giving direction to the range of measures which have been required to put the era in place.
monitoring all these initiatives is of course the key.
i am sure that we all agree that the european research area with its strong links to innovation and education policy is of fundamental importance to the future development and prosperity of the european union.
it underlined the importance of research and development to the generation of economic growth employment and social cohesion and it launched the first steps on the path to establishing a european research area.
it enables us to track progress and where necessary identify areas where further work is needed or where new initiatives might be required.
in december last year the council adopted conclusions on a reinforced european research area partnership for excellence and growth in which a number of specific points for action were identified. as we all know at times of austerity it is a challenge to maintain high levels of public investment
these are essential if we are to attract talent and stimulate innovation through science and education.
it is a vital tool to help us compete globally to expand our knowledge and expertise and to help deliver prosperity and progress for our citizens.
we remain fully committed to achieving an effective european research area.
that is why we opted for open national level competition which is essential if we are to derive maximum value from public investment in research.
back in two thousand the european council recognized the importance of ensuring that europe was able to compete globally and that a key to this was to develop a knowledge based society.
another example is the focus on developing world class facilities and research infrastructures.
an era can only work effectively if we can achieve economies of scale through cooperation between member states.
may i compliment the commissioner on the unstinting work which she has done in this area over the past four years and of course wish the lithuanian presidency well in the future.
madam president completion of the european research area by two thousand and fourteen is central to strengthening eu member states' research systems increasing their competitiveness and allowing them to work together more effectively to tackle major challenges.
it is clear that significant work remains ahead to achieve these goals.
that is how we will create better quality jobs and it will ensure that the eu can attract the best researchers around the world to work in europe.
obviously we will look at that when we have the interim evaluation to see how well that is working.
one of the aspects that we worked out at the time was that we would have a specific package of proposals that would help to counteract this innovation divide this difficulty that particularly newer member states and indeed regions within europe have.
of course we are not in the business of doing this but we would like them to align their rules so that we can have this great interaction that we want to see happening in a genuine european research area.
next year obviously we are going to have this major reflection that i talked about so in other words it is crunch time for era next year and as i said at the beginning and i repeat again nothing is off the table everything is on the table.
i think that is a really great step forward.
another question was is it the intention of the commission to standardise european research systems?
johannes hahn and i have worked really closely to ensure that we have this synergy and you know mr van nistelrooij that for the first time ever in horizon two thousand and twenty you can match structural funds with horizon two thousand and twenty funds in the same project for different aspects of it but in the same project.
the jrc giving scientific advice to all of our policy must be based on the best most excellent scientific advice that is available and that advice is given right across the commission in all the different directorates general.
remember that whatever we decide to do the european parliament is going to be a very important partner with us in going forward. i was asked a number of specific questions.
i would say that president grybauskait who has long experience in the commission will understand the kind of impetus that a strong conclusion from the european council can give both the commission and indeed the european parliament.
so we have this whole package of era chairs of the teaming of the twinning actions of the bonus in salaries of up to eur eight zero all designed to help combat the brain drain.
the ministerial discussions confirmed our shared commitment to the successful completion of
specific points raised included the need for better and increased use of public administration tools to foster innovation particularly through public procurement procedures;
i very much welcome the commitment of this parliament to help support the creation of a fully fledged european research area. lithuania has had research and innovation high on its presidency agenda. together with the commission we will launch the horizon two thousand and twenty
better circulation of data and results of research projects that could have multiplier effects; and finally the stepping up of coordination of national research programmes of course the completion of era will require the support of all the member states and
the promotion in national education systems of the development of specialised skills for young people in order to fill the gaps in demand on the labour market;
more targeted funding of future oriented projects while also bearing in mind the need to be able to transform these into commercial solutions;
era. many ministers underlined the importance of promoting research and innovation as a driver of the economy and as potential provider of new jobs.
we have set the goal of three rd investment in the eu by two thousand and twenty but we cannot have increased investment without reform to ensure that our science systems spend the money usefully and efficiently.
two thousand and twelve we redoubled our efforts identified the reforms and shortcomings that must be tackled and established the broader reinforced partnerships so that we could give era our best shot.
for example national research programmes still operate according to different rules for example on reporting which makes transnational research cooperation difficult.
open transparent and merit based recruitment practices are still not broadly implemented for all research positions.
on the basis of this we will take a long hard look at what progress has been made and on that basis i will make recommendations to my successor on what needs to be done.
we will need to take some very tough decisions next year.
on gender very disappointingly only thirty four of research performing organisations responding to our survey offer flexible careers and only eighteen have recruitment and promotion practices specifically designed to combat the waste of female talent. this report is the first comprehensive analysis of era but it is very much a work in progress.
we are pushing the member states to provide the data and information that we lack to carry out a more robust exercise next year.
the bottom line is that era is at a crossroads.
as i have said before all options are on the table and nothing is ruled out.
for example only ten of vacancies are advertised at european level via the euraxess jobs portal.
rd that underpins the entire knowledge economy in europe.
there are a host of barriers to research and mobility including very limited accessibility to grants by non nationals or portability of grants across borders.
era has been around as a concept as mrs sartori and the president said since two thousand but when the european council set the deadline of two thousand and fourteen for the completion of era this concentrated our minds and acted as an impulse and impetus for the commission's communication on era published in july.
the first era progress report as you heard was adopted on twenty september in time for the european council meeting this month where innovation is on the agenda. that report comes to some very interesting findings.
there is no doubt that schengen has been a success in many ways but europe is facing challenges which simply did not exist to the current extent when the system was first created.
rather than pushing for more legislation in the area of immigration and migration we should be making the legislation that we already have work better and harder for all the citizens of the union.
this is a problem best solved through communication and cooperation but europe's immigration and schengen policies urgently require review reflection and then sensible reform.
it is not an unfair assessment to say that the current system is now shown to be flawed and ill equipped for the new circumstances we find ourselves in. we need to create an effective tool representative of the modern needs of europe's member states and able to improve the situation for all.
this needs to be complemented by renewed strength in making sure the other agencies of the eu like frontex are there to support states in securing their own eu external borders and that the problems are not exacerbated by further countries which may join the eu and therefore the schengen area that are both ill prepared to face the challenges and also to assume the burdens that accompany the obvious benefits.
now is the time to focus not only on providing free movement but also on better guarding the borders of member states and the eu itself.
large scale unemployment migration from north africa terrorism organised crime and people trafficking have provided us with problems far more complex than those envisaged in the policies for free movement of european citizens.
however current concerns from member states are not reactionary but instead the inevitable consequence of over twenty years of ever changing circumstances in europe and around the world.
the eu's migration and asylum pressures ought to be capable of effective management by competent governments. unfortunately we have too many governments now which are playing to the extremist right wing gallery. the european commission must indeed defend eu internal free movement and not throw gestures to the likes of president sarkozy
lastly the commission must investigate allegations about sixty one migrants being left to die despite their making contact with italian coastguards a nato warship and a military helicopter.
and prime minister berlusconi for electioneering purposes. it should highlight the failure of member states to implement eu migration rules.
this is and must be a broad range of measures built on the foundations of a strong and successful european policy defining the best interests of the european union and its citizens now and into the future.
tomorrow. it is not about abandoning citizens' rights of free
by reminding all of us that yesterday was the sixty first anniversary of the schuman declaration which laid the foundations of the european union and from that day began a process in which european people have been willing to come together and put aside their differences to build a european continent without borders where our citizens can move freely
in the wake of these exceptional circumstances we urgently need to reinforce the governance of schengen and of the external borders.
we need better coordination between the commission and member states and above all between member states themselves.
solidarity and responsibility are the key words in our response.
later. they should be an absolute last resort. moreover we all know that internal controls can be sporadically useful but they are not part of a constructive approach to european integration nor do they represent a cost efficient long term solution to monitoring movement and coping with immigration pressure.
when thousands of people arrive on the shores of one country it is not because they dream of living in malta or lampedusa; it is because they are seeking a better life in europe.
the rules. i am confident that this house will support our approach and
we will now update and complete these proposals and we will do all we can to achieve swift results.
alone. only if member states face the situation together can a lasting solution be found. the proposals we put forward one year ago to strengthen schengen through an evaluation mechanism and intensified coordination of border surveillance will help create a sense of union wide discipline and shared guidance in the
it is the duty of all countries to support those countries that come under particular pressure at one time or another. this means that burdens have to be shared equitably. it also means that all member states need to take their responsibilities seriously.
and crisis; and second on ensuring on this basis full respect for human rights and the humanitarian principles on which our union is founded. the people are ready to exercise solidarity internally and externally if they are confident that their security concerns are addressed decisively and comprehensively.
moves. i emphasise once again that this is part of an overall approach.
the future. it is not a proposal intended simply to deal with short term events but there can only be real confidence in long term solutions if we show that we can effectively address the short term issues
its aspects. this is not i insist about caving in to pressure from any part
this is not a knee jerk reaction. this is not improvisation.
as well. it is not about turning back time it is about getting the governance right today for the challenges europe will surely face
of europe. by enhancing our capacity to deal with crisis situations it will put a more robust governance system in place that will equip decision makers with better tools to resist populist or extremist pressure in
the rules on free movement of citizens benefit all countries in the european union.
going to do. we will resist all these kinds of pressure but to succeed in this we need to give citizens the confidence that we stand firm on two things first on correcting the shortcomings of the existing system so that effective relief can be brought to situations of pressure
system. they will ensure that in the future countries will not feel pressured to take decisions alone that affect all schengen signatories.
i count on the support of this house in calling on the member states to take the necessary decisions
remove it and the whole structure is undermined.
when looking at burden sharing all the pressures and all the contributions need to be taken into account and this is the very spirit of the european union the management of crisis by solidarity and responsibility.
drugs. these exceptions should remain exceptions for i cannot emphasise strongly enough that reintroducing border controls is not a desirable development for europe neither in the current circumstances nor in relation to the future challenges that we will face sooner or
countries that are more directly exposed to massive migrant inflows cannot be expected to deal with them alone.
our efforts. we are united in our determination to uphold the principles on which our union is founded against any populist
well before the recent developments the commission had already identified some problems in the governance of schengen.
immigration is a european challenge.
this has always been the case. the fact is that when faced with a massive arrival of migrants no member state will ultimately be in a better position if it tries to deal with them
at the same time the aim is to give relief to those member states who are trying to cope with an unfair share of the migration burden.
movement. it is about valuing their integrity by strengthening
while recent events have provided a spark of urgency in bringing this matter to the table the commission is taking this opportunity through the communication to address the long standing underlying inconsistencies and unresolved issues that have provided scope for some member states to act unilaterally and not necessarily with a european union perspective.
in this area. this is why we think the best way to avoid putting schengen at risk is precisely to reinforce the rules of governance of schengen and clarify some of
it has been planned for a long time.
it. i am happy that i can count on your support in this. however the system is not perfect.
there has to be an assessment of the shortcomings in all other ways possible such as providing financial and operational support.
evaluation has not worked because member states are evaluating each other and that is not a good thing.
we are also working together with you on strengthening frontex. the point of departure is strengthening current legislation.
we are trying to have a coordinated responsible and coherent response to everything relating to migration and borders because it all goes together.
them. we need to strengthen the rules based on european law on our values and on international commitments.
we cannot have credible protection of people who ask for asylum if we do not have a common asylum policy in the european union. we cannot have legal migration that works if we do not also work with integration and we cannot fight irregular migration if we do not have a proper and decent return and readmission policy.
this. but we need to strengthen the european dimension of this and to prevent member states from unilaterally taking action.
no of course not.
there are particular circumstances where there might be a need to reintroduce border controls.
the commission has therefore presented this communication.
turning to schengen i agree with you or most of you who have said that schengen is a fantastic achievement. the fact that we can travel from finland to malta from portugal to estonia without ever showing a passport is a wonderful symbol of european integration.