kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we have to look at what can be done in this area to improve the legislative framework in europe.
it is true that until this financial crisis is over member states especially those on the periphery of the european union will continue to drift towards social crisis and potentially social catastrophe.
eu housing markets differ significantly in terms of tenancy conditions quality of housing services for the homeless and so on. what we need is more policy coordination as liz lynne pointed out information exchanges and statistical evidence and also a better exchange of best practices. nevertheless the commission has already embarked on working
we have to continue working with the member states.
i am grateful to the honourable members because this debate confirmed that the house is committed to addressing homelessness and housing exclusion.
some of them instead of working on a social housing strategy open the way for evictions.
i believe that until this is really turned around this can not only destroy the european social model but can also destroy the european union itself.
so is the commission.
member state governments and local governments have to intervene to correct this very severe market failure. homelessness and housing exclusion are primarily member state competences and some are very jealous of this.
this problem is not about an absolute shortage of housing in europe.
homelessness has increased in member states which experience population decline so it is not about an absolute shortage of housing.
i believe that priority must be given to the integrated approaches which mr ry explained. i would like to open doors for this under the new umbrella of social innovation.
this has to be looked at from various angles and also from the legislative side.
it is truly unacceptable if for example as a result of the financial crisis people who took out a mortgage loan lose their apartment or house and then still owe money to the bank after losing the house.
homelessness is one aspect of this very negative tendency.
of course the member states are responsible for much of what needs doing but the eu can encourage and support the member states in their efforts for example by helping to improve our understanding of the problems and possible solutions finding better tools to measure them and disseminating knowledge better. eu funding can also help.
the european regional development fund provides funding for social housing for marginalised communities and should continue to do so in the future.
it is also a key area of work under the european platform against poverty and social exclusion which covers areas highlighted at the consensus conference.
we are continuing our work on homelessness indicators in conjunction with the social protection committee.
the commission is actively engaged in work at eu level.
we have to look at the social consequences of the financial and economic crisis but in this particular case it is also important to understand that homelessness existed before and the crisis just aggravated this situation in a number of member states.
the european social fund provides support for the social and labour market reintegration of homeless people.
last month i met key stakeholders to talk about how to step up our work on homelessness and what framework would help ensure that enough attention and energy are put into doing what is needed.
similarly parliament's declaration of sixteen december two thousand and ten on an eu homelessness strategy highlights a number of priorities including the need for better statistics.
we have promoted social innovation based on housing led approaches which we would like to see applied more widely.
we have just commissioned a new study on the links between homelessness and migration.
there is however also a growing understanding of what is needed to tackle it. the member states need to continue developing national or regional plans for action to deal with homelessness along the lines identified in the two thousand and ten joint report on social protection and social inclusion.
instead of more money for the bankers and the bond holders i call for a massive increase in funding to care for those who find themselves homeless.
the crazy logic of a system built on profit rather than people's needs is exposed in ireland whereby you have forty eight zero families on the housing waiting lists and three hundred vacant housing units and yet they are not used.
two thousand and twenty we should recognise reality here the reality is that instead of approaching that target we are moving further and further away from it and it is a direct result of the cuts and attacks that are imposed on working people right across europe.
instead you have a reliance on the private sector and because of that only two hundred and ninety six out of a target of one two hundred housing units were secured in ireland over the past year.
the wages and conditions of those providing those services have also been attacked.
these can be both social and economic as we have already heard very eloquently espoused in this house tonight.
i can look to some facilities which have opened just in the last year which are good examples of helping young people to gain long term independence through the provision of temporary accommodation and adequate support services.
i am particularly encouraged by an emphasis on those young people who find themselves homeless many through difficult problems and some through no fault of their own.
while i recognise that this is an issue for the member states it is also an issue to which this parliament and this house can give greater political importance through this kind of recognition and this kind of debate.
in two thousand and ten two thousand and eleven in my constituency in northern ireland the number of people who registered as homeless increased by eight on the previous year.
now you might say that adds up to over. one hundred of course it does because a lot of people had more than one some of them had drug alcohol and mental health problems combined.
homelessness has never been a political priority;
maybe because there are not many votes in it but that is one of the reasons why it is important to involve all people from all parties and no party. we must involve national regional and local policy makers homeless service providers and above all people who have experienced homelessness
how much do drug and alcohol problems contribute to street homelessness?
i know there are many projects that are trying to tackle these issues like one in my constituency funded under the daphne programme dealing with women rough sleepers. also there are many projects dealing with domestic violence which of course can in turn lead to homelessness.
we know that three million people across the eu have no fixed home of their own.
first and foremost we need to know what is already being done and how we can assist in the development of national and regional strategies which would encourage member states to set a clear date to end street homelessness which we called for in the written declaration
how much data do we already have from different member states on this issue?
also how much information is already available from member states on the causes of homelessness?
we need to work towards a homeless strategy that really works a homeless strategy for the future.
it has never been a popular subject.
that information needs to be collected and disseminated far more widely than it is being at the moment.
a comprehensive flood defence strategy for rural and coastal communities is also immediately required.
i also call on the government to put in place a comprehensive scheme for the damage and loss suffered by all our fishermen who have had little or no income during the course of the last three months.
i believe that the government should make an immediate application to the european investment bank where funding is available.
i am calling on the government even at this late stage to submit an application.
mrpresident this debate is important because we are talking about people who are being adversely affected by the unusual weather patterns.
we have had a tragic situation in that the reduction in the solidarity fund was real and is having an impact and that is something we need to take cognisance of.
it was not conceived as such but is rather a financial instrument to help bear the financial burden inflicted on the country as a consequence of a major disaster.
as i said in my introduction the fund can only be activated once a member state has submitted its application.
the reform will make the fund simpler to use quicker to react and more visible to citizens.
health environmental impact assessment ecosystems agriculture food and nutrition security flood risk management major industrial accident prevention and research and innovation.
as such it can help cover the cost of emergency operations retroactively from day one of the disaster.
it is all the more important therefore that member states step up their prevention and preparedness efforts.
first of all i would like to explain that the solidarity fund is often mistaken for an emergency instrument.
in other parts of the uk as well such as somerset and the thames valley thousands of houses and businesses have been flooded and roads and railways have been disrupted or even destroyed.
this bad weather is not just recent it started months ago.
yet we have a minister who is in denial about climate change and dithering about whether they dare call on the european solidarity fund. when the lib dems wrote to point out that the money was there first they were not going to claim for it then they were and last week i was notified by twitter that they had decided that they would not be claiming.
we have to campaign hard to make sure that our ministers claim what is there for the taking.
time is running out and we need you commissioner to help encourage them to work on the preventative work on floods so that we can build up flood defences.
we need a lot more information getting down to the regional governments so that they can also assist in claiming.
they have done a tremendous job throughout the whole of the european union during that time and let us hope that this new package will do an even better job. that is what my hope would be.
those are the areas which i think could be seriously affected by this move.
then i believe there will be a good future for the dairy sector throughout the whole of europe.
i had two amendments one from each of them that i kept to the very last moment and i can assure them that if i could have done anything about it i would.
perhaps we should come up with a better package than the one we have before us today.
the milk market is not working it is not functioning in the best interests of our producers our consumers or our wider society.
we do not believe that this package goes far enough.
there are some points to like and there are others to be rather less enthusiastic about because this is urgent.
we worked hard on this to achieve a balance between supporting quality production and making sure that we did not interfere with competition law or the functioning of the internal market.
we started off with i think i can safely say some very divergent views and positions so it is a testament to their commitment that we found solutions to our differences and ways to incorporate each other's point of view. i must also thank the council and the commission who at all stages of the process adopted a very constructive approach towards parliament. this cooperation was
from the outset i would say that this legislation will not solve all the problems of europe's dairy sector but i do hope that the measures contained within it will primarily help to strengthen the bargaining power of dairy farmers.
so what does the dairy package contain and how will it impact on our milk producers?
although of course the reform will be on a much larger scale we must bear this in mind and i think we all gained some valuable experience in terms of how we should go about finding our internal position within parliament and also how best to negotiate with the other institutions.
the decision to impose contracts will be voluntary which will give member states the flexibility to choose what suits them best.
the package also includes provisions for eu contracts to be implemented at member state level.
however no matter what the focus of the industry we have a responsibility to ensure dairy farmers have the opportunity to achieve the best possible price for their milk.
it definitely gave us some insight as to how the process will evolve.
that is the question which everyone is of course very keen to know the answer to.
this is i believe a good balance between boosting their negotiating power and protecting against distorting competition.
the establishment of the eu recognised producer organisations and the interbranch organisations for the sector is a step forward.
i am sure that my southern counterparts will have more to say on this issue and will outline how it will particularly help milk producers in their countries which are those member states which have high levels of quality production.
northern ireland has a unique milk trading system and a cooperative structure but also trades a large amount of milk with another member state.
mr president firstly i want to thank the rapporteur my colleague from northern ireland jim nicholson for all of his efforts in getting this report to this stage.
member states should be given the flexibility to decide what is best in their own interests and in the interests of their producers.
we need real tangible progress on this now and such an ombudsman must have the teeth and power to deal with the unfairness within the market.
any organisation which would have jurisdiction in two member states must not affect the current structure or disturb the balance in trading relations.
the penalty is extremely severe whereas europe is actually not filling its entire quota over all of the member states. the last point relates to the power of the retail sector not for this report but an issue that will not go away and i know the commission will have something for us by june of this year.
that report indicated that a soft landing may be not guaranteed in a number of member states.
date we need to consider the position of those member states which are not enjoying a soft landing and where there are penalties being imposed on producers for supplying a product for which there is a market.
dairy farmers in ireland see a situation where their product is in demand where europe is below quota and where they would wish to be able to produce without a penalty.
for others there are no issues because there is a cooperative structure.
i rise on behalf of one of those member states ireland which has a problem in relation to this much promised soft landing.
the issues i want to raise today are wider than just the report that is before us which i will be supporting and relate to the report of december two thousand and ten which spoke of the soft landing for the dairy sector.
i welcome this as an initiative and might i suggest to mr nicholson that he should write the layman's guide to codecision in agriculture.
but as jim himself pointed out this is no silver bullet to solving some of the problems that there are in the market place.
however in an area of current eu competence we would reluctantly support a measure that was unambiguously in the interest of a sector of the uk economy. to oppose it because we are opposed to eu membership would be to betray the interests of our fellow nationals.
nearly all uk milk producers already have written contracts although it must be said that they do not generally meet the standards stipulated in this milk package.
dairy farmers do need to be able to cooperate on a sufficient scale to confront the cartel of milk buyers to which they sell their milk without fear of investigation by the competition authorities.
the gap between farm gate prices and retail prices must be narrowed.
we are concerned about the abolition of milk quotas which might lead to the competitive dumping of milk from one member state to another.
the recommendation for improving transparency is limited to collating the volume of raw milk delivered to dairies.
the uk is already more advanced in the collation of such market information.
my constituency the south west of england is the premier area for dairy production in the uk and i think one of the best in europe.
our dairy farmers are forward looking and increasingly efficient. most welcome competition.
they do not want or expect protection by market distorting measures.
they expect support through sensible regulation.
however it is clear that the balance of cost and income between producers processors and retailers has become distorted over the years.
at a time when dairy farmers face increasing costs through amongst other things our demands from here on nvzs greening measures etc.
let us look at the positive in this report the ability of member states to make decisions on contracts and the flexibility that has been left there.
third get the political dialogue back on track acknowledge that you have a shared responsibility to secure a more positive future for albania.
we all witnessed the tragic events that ensued.
democratically elected representatives must act as such represent the people and find democratic compromise.
let us turn these priorities into a european framework to address the current political challenges in albania.
a clear identification in the two thousand and ten commission opinion of the twelve priorities whose effective implementation would enable albania to begin accession negotiations with the european union.
fourth begin the important task of implementing the twelve priorities outlined in the two thousand and ten commission opinion. the government and opposition must do it together.
the reactions of the political leaders and the general public to miroslav lajk's visit were encouraging and positive respectively.
albania must meet all the copenhagen criteria including interactive political dialogue and a functioning parliament or nothing.
the two albanian leaders welcome the attention given to them but they are stuck in their own internal impasse and european union goodwill and assistance cannot replace dialogue between the leaders. we can help to bridge the gap
a clear united message from this house and the whole european union with the readiness to engage would make all in albania reflect upon the best course of action. let me use this opportunity
however we cannot do so before both sides signal a genuine willingness to put the european future of albania above party politics and personal mistrust.
the political crisis must be resolved.
these investigations should be conducted by the judicial authorities without political interference.
if we receive irreversible signals that there is a mutual willingness to use this european framework to gradually overcome the political stalemate and the recent crisis then we will respond positively.
rather they bring clear measurable benefits for citizens.
other political forces and civil society organisations would benefit from european integration.
his messages on behalf of the high representative and vice president of the commission cathy ashton and myself were clear first stop the violence and investigate the events of twenty one january correctly.
it is not too late.
if the solution to the crisis lies in domestic hands we as outsiders must do all we can to help facilitate such a solution.
of human rights. these twelve priorities and the copenhagen criteria are not just an exercise for politicians.
through our active engagement.
this is the shared responsibility of the political leaders in albania.
in the near future this means jointly ensuring the conduct of free fair and transparent local elections.
there is some momentum which can and should be used to turn the crisis into opportunity.
the following is on the table for albania an eu perspective in line with the council conclusions and based on the copenhagen criteria;
second stop the verbal abuse and the implicit and explicit undermining of state institutions.
for this reason i sent a letter to prime minister berisha one week before the january demonstrations in which i set out a road map based on these twelve priorities to help albania emerge from the current impasse.
that is what the citizens of albania expect and they are right.
let me also call on the leader of the socialist party mr rama to ensure that his party is a truly constructive opposition one which enjoys the benefits but also the responsibilities of this inclusive political environment we wish to see in albania.
the increasingly bitter political stalemate has resulted in four needless deaths.
these twelve priorities include among others improving the functioning of democratic institutions and the political dialogue the rule of law and reform of the judiciary the fight against organised crime and the protection
what we need now is to send a common message that we want to have albania as a candidate country but political leaders on both sides must show the will to solve political problems in full respect for the rule of law the constitution and on the foundation of democratic institutions.
it is hurting the reputation of the country its citizens and their ambitions for a european future.
this will be another check on democracy in the country.
we should not allow this political crisis and tensions to go any further.
we have tried for too long to help find a solution to the situation without any tangible results.
that the citizens of albania have aspirations that require attention.
these include addressing the fundamental principles of democracy such as the proper functioning of parliament separation of powers the conduct of elections and respect for the rule of law.
all of this will only be possible once the current political situation has taken a fundamental positive turn with the resumption of a full and constructive political dialogue in parliament respect for all state institutions and the realisation
new local elections will take place soon. in the present circumstances they will be a political test for all political stakeholders. we ask commissioner fle and managing director lajk to do their best in order to assure international assistance and international monitoring of these elections in such a way as to make sure that they will be free and fair or at least that we could assess their freedom and their fairness.
i have spoken to the representatives of the two main political parties there.
i asked both of them to share ideas on how to move the country forward and how to break the political stalemate to focus on problems affecting all citizens fighting organised crime ending corruption creating employment and opportunities for the young generation.
none of them was able to come up with an answer.
the blame game seemed more important.
it occurs to me that the political establishment in albania is more concerned with itself than with its people.
i do not have to tell you how difficult it is for us to convince our constituents to join us when we are making the case for eu enlargement.
we must call on the albanian authorities to do the same and not be suffocated by the shadows of the past but to step into the light of the future.
and let them not forget that it is their responsibility first and foremost to provide for the wellbeing of citizens and not to deny them a european future because it is crystal clear that the political crisis hampers any and all progress.
new elections will take place in may and the preparations are under way.
they should be supported by all political parties.
but democracy is a long process and it is certainly more than just one man one vote'. it requires democratic institutions the rule of law and its strength is determined by respect for minorities.
democracy is not winner takes all'. eu accession is a long journey which requires hard work and shared commitment and the reforms albania has made are best served by collaboration and continuing commitment to the eu process.
last month's violence was a reminder of the inherent instability of albanian politics.