kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
decision. we need a quick decision and of course we need to work very closely with all national parliaments as well because in the end when we are talking about the head rooms ceilings and own resources we need also the positive ratification of the national parliaments.
this is of course one of the priorities upon which we are going to focus and for us the proper execution of the european budget and proper tax collection is of course one of the key priorities.
request. because i think that we are at a truly historic european moment where we need all of us to show clear political leadership.
therefore what we need is true political leadership which would help europe to overcome the crisis and really to prepare it for the next
at twelve o'clock we in the college adopted these very important proposals and at one o'clock the whole college
for a european problem.
millions of people the future of the internal market and the future of
european funds not to penalise people but the politicians who do not play by the rules. fourth certainly there are many lessons to be learned from this crisis reasons to reform and improve areas where the european union needs to be more present. and that is why the conference on the future of europe our common future should get underway. the road to recovery will be long and hard. the decision we take these days will affect the future of
ahead. it needs courageous action like that of schuman seventy years ago and this parliament has shown it is ready to do
again. they have all benefited as much as and even more than other member states from the single market from freedom of movement and some unfortunately also from a bit too lax tax
and willing to convince them and try to convince them and i am glad we can join forces there and try indeed our common job to convince governments all over parties all over. because that is what we need to do now because i do believe that the commission proposal is a very big step forward and we welcome the focus that you've put on grants to make sure that no member state is left behind in this crisis.
the overall volume might not prove sufficient in time but in any case what we need to make sure is that we don't lessen the ambitions on the mff because we also need to think further ahead. you have mentioned colleagues have mentioned conditions attached to the fund and i would urge us all to not repeat the big mistakes of the past and force countries into austerity and blind market ideologies that have never worked and will not work. instead we need to make sure that the money is well invested into projects that will help in the long term that create jobs and that save the one planet that we have. to be meaningful in the long term both the recovery fund and the mff need to incentivise the social and ecological transformation of our economy and promote gender equality a big problem we've seen in this crisis. they also need to follow our minimum common rules such as the rule of law and democracy. some governments think that they can do it all alone but i think they should think
their expectation is that this fund should be of sufficient magnitude and targeted toward the sectors and geographical parts of europe most affected and be dedicated to dealing with this unprecedented crisis. the commission was therefore tasked with analysing the exact needs and to urgently come up with a proposal that is commensurate with the challenge we are facing. the commission was expected to clarify the link with the mff which according to the leaders will need to be adjusted to deal with the current crisis and its consequences. as a response to this tasking the commission prepared a comprehensive package of horizontal proposals which is presented today. the political guidance was
clear. delegations will assess the package in this light and work on the details starts now. turning now to how the presidency intends to organise the work the key word is urgency. last month the leaders emphasised their commitment to reaching an agreement as soon as possible. we all know that time is running out and we need to move ahead as fast as possible. our economies require it; our citizens expect it. it is therefore the presidency's responsibility to take work forward on the commission's proposal without delay. in line with that the ministers of european affairs held a discussion on the comprehensive economical and social recovery of the eu including an adjusted mff and a recovery instrument at an informal video conference yesterday. furthermore we put this as a topic on the agenda of coreper for a first discussion immediately after the presentation of this package today. technical work will also be required to understand the proposals before leaders can have a meaningful
from technology. throughout we will be attentive to the parliament's views. in this spirit we reviewed carefully the resolution you adopted at the last plenary on the new mff own resources
and recovery plan. as mentioned on that occasion continuous cooperation between the council and the european parliament will be an essential part of the process either at horizontal level or at sectorial level. i take this occasion to remind you that beyond the mmf agreement there are dozens of
other negotiations. they concern programmes that turn eu support into actions
on the ground. there too time
is of the essence. we have to make as much progress as possible
at sectorial level. we need to make the most of the
time available now. we owe it to all the future beneficiaries of these programmes including students small businesses local authorities
and others. now more than ever they will need our support to get their projects
paid back. the involvement of the european parliament will ensure that the recovery package is the best recovery package that we can jointly and together create. this recovery package will have an impact upon the future of the citizens and this is why this house which represents the citizens of the european union needs to be involved in all aspects. we also need to see the whole
this will be one of our proposals and one of our inputs into the global debate on these very important issues.
we have country specific recommendations which are very fair very honest and very detailed for each member state but now we need the cooperation of the national authorities and of the national governments to actually deliver and to carry out the reforms in the member states. only by this will we change the quality and competitiveness of the european economy for the better and put the european economy on new wheels. i would like to confirm once again that a financial transaction tax will be proposed by the european commission.
europe is solidarity and europe can help if the country is in such distress.
i think we can all do it now and the commission is ready to proceed in that way. we are prepared to put together technical assistance programmes which will accompany the difficult austerity measures the greek authorities have to go through.
several of you referred to the schengen area and to the importance of having high quality immigration policies in place.
after recent developments we also have to acknowledge that we need a complex solution for all aspects of migration and that we need to consolidate trust in the system.
i am absolutely sure that the european union and the commission can do that.
i think we know what to do;
so what we are doing with the solidarity that we needed from the beginning of this crisis but which was not there is not only for greece;
we did not join the euro thank god.
we were part of the exchange rate mechanism. we were trapped trying to peg ourselves against the deutschmark with interest rates that were double what they should have been. it cost one million british people their jobs unnecessarily. mercifully we crashed out of exchange rate mechanism interest rates came down and we had a happy time during the one thousand. nine hundred and ninety s you cannot fuse together different economies with different rates of growth and with different patterns of trade across the world.
you have stripped them of their democracy.
then and only then can real austerity packages work.
they have to accept cutting their economy to a level that will put them in total economic depression.
we must continue down this route.
we must ignore the fact that the spanish bond market is telling us that they are going to be next. what a fine mess you have got us into. you have a one hundred record for being wrong with every single prediction about the euro and you say today that this package will put greece on the road to growth but no it won't.
i have to say i find it a truly sickening sight to see the country that actually invented democracy being bullied by you and the increasingly appalling international monetary fund and its people being told they have to accept this austerity package.
mr barroso every time i predict that another country is on the verge of a bail out you say no no there is no problem'. here we are on the verge of the second greek bail out and you say there is no alternative'.
they are told there is no alternative to this;
they are on the streets and there is violence and frankly this can only get worse. you have stripped them not just of money;
only then will the greek people accept they have got to make these cuts. if we carry on down the current road it is the path to social and economic disaster.
what good europeans really good europeans would do is provide an alternative to help the greeks re establish their own currency to allow them to devalue to let them renegotiate their debts because their debt to gdp ratio has passed the point of no return.
the risk of contamination of every single member state is a real one. while greece shares its burden of responsibility in its crisis our european leaders share theirs as well.
we do not need more technical solutions.
what we need is cohesion determination and unity because what we are playing is a psychological war and what the market is testing is europe's unity not the greek austerity plan.
it is crucial to send an unequivocal message of support and encouragement that europe is standing behind greece.
in addition we should lower the interest rate and show more flexibility in accessing eu funds.
we must go back to the basics encourage investment and promote growth. i hope that tomorrow no european leader will default on solidarity because greece is just a page in the book which is europe;
the two concrete questions were about the financial tax and about our position on reverse qualified majority. on the financial tax i want to confirm that the proposal that the commission will put forward probably in october will be on a financial transaction tax.
i want to make it clear that the commission supports parliament on reverse qualified majority voting.
we have been supporting your ambitious position.
at the same time and olli rehn will have the opportunity to address you later this afternoon we will make a strong appeal to you and to the council to see if it is possible to come to a final agreement.
the commission supports the community approach.
but people do not become asylum seekers simply because they live in a dangerous country. there must be something about that particular person that places that person in jeopardy. the argument seems to be about whether italy or malta should accept them for settlement because they are the first country they reached or whether they should be accepted for settlement by other member states.
my answer is that neither should accept them for settlement and they should sooner or later be returned to north africa.
member states have been changed beyond recognition by migration.
the time has come to stop the flow and encourage its reversal. the accession of croatia is also on the agenda.
mr president the big question facing eu leaders tomorrow is whether they are up to the task of saving european achievements in the common currency and free movement zone.
more europe' is not the answer to everything but on key issues like these we do need strengthened ability for european decision making.
i would rather more crudely call it i will scratch your back if you scratch mine'.
thankfully the ep and the commission see that we are being unjustly and unfairly treated.
every member state has to take responsibility for the ownership of our union and start acting for the common good of europe.
we do need more europe and more europe means more discipline including concrete measures against those who continue to violate the rules.
to restore the euro zone's credibility the commission's role has to be to become both stronger and more independent in exercising economic governance and conducting surveillance.
cutting expenses hurts but remains the only way back to growth and stability.
they are basically at the level of the nineteenth century.
we also have to realise that our trade statistics are totally outdated.
the study will examine the social and economic impacts both in mexico and in the eu especially with respect to employment wages household income labour standards poverty reduction and human rights.
it is positive that chile signals its readiness to discuss areas not covered by the evolution clauses on agriculture and services. for its part the commission would also be in favour of including a sustainable development chapter with clear legally binding commitments and of considering improvements to the financial services chapter especially in the light of updated eu legislation on banking. at this stage of the process further in
for example there is a high level of protection for names used in geographical indications while provisions in the sanitary and phytosanitary field go beyond world trade organization rules.
a decision by the commission to recommend opening negotiations will depend on the outcome of these exploratory talks with mexico on the completeness and the level of ambition of the joint vision report and on the results of the evaluation study.
turning to chile the bilateral trade relationship is based on a highly successful agreement.
key areas for discussion will be government procurement competition investment protection trade and investment in energy trade defence instruments dispute settlement and sustainable development. on the basis of these two meetings a joint vision report will be produced to take stock of the situation.
recent reforms in mexico have created interesting perspectives for european companies in areas such as telecommunications and energy.
a second meeting is foreseen in february in mexico city where the parties will continue exploring the possibility for modernising the agreement.
it will also assess the environmental impact and in particular whether it has contributed to the greening of the economy. the study will also aim to quantify all remaining trade barriers especially non tariff ones and assess the extent to which they could be addressed in a modernised agreement and the related social and environmental impacts.
if a modernisation of the agreement is decided the commission would be in favour of considering possible improvements to the financial services chapter and including a sustainable development chapter with clear legally binding commitments.
overall it is a comprehensive agreement which has been implemented in a satisfactory manner to the mutual benefit of both parties.
depth work between chile and the eu is necessary.
it is now a fully functioning democracy and has put aside all its past troubles but i think we must be very strong with the human rights element throughout latin america.
what we got was partly a name and shame report which i fear will alienate many of the stakeholders.
mr president over a year ago a group of meps the rapporteur and myself got together in brussels for an informal meeting with a common aim to do something about h one.
it proposes a role for the ecdc which is not feasible and it could lead to a false sense of security.
what was needed was a lessons learned' approach and a basis to build on that.
there are many points in this report that are of questionable value.
n one as the meetings continued i found that our objectives were the same but that we had a different approach. the own initiative report was an opportunity for parliament to take positive action in preparation for an epidemic.
we believe we need to continue to pull together towards our common aim of ensuring that we are better prepared to protect our citizens against future health threats.
this would strengthen solidarity within the eu by guaranteeing a minimum level of equitable access to vaccines.
the commission welcomes the support expressed by the rapporteur for such initiatives.
these include the procurement of pandemic vaccines the need to better coordinate vaccination strategies the need for greater flexibility in our preparedness plans and the need for better communication with the public.
these challenges will be addressed by us under two initiatives.
in the field of research alone the european commission has funded over fifty projects on influenza since two thousand an investment of eur one hundred and fifty million.
first the commission will present a health security initiative before the end of this year reinforcing our coordination capacities and second the commission will also initiate a joint procurement mechanism for pandemic vaccines and antivirals for those member states who wish to join.
i agree with you that we have to learn from this pandemic and also that we need to critically review our response. to ensure the protection of european citizens against such health threats we need to improve our preparedness and planning
the commission with the support of the scientific agencies and with the member states because this is a shared competence with the member states is committed to moving forward on these issues.
the commission and the relevant agencies will work together to improve our procedures on declarations of interests and potential conflicts of interest.
the commission also plans to fund additional research addressing behaviour aspects and communication strategies notably to improve vaccine update.
this would also reinforce our purchasing power to obtain better contractual terms.
our work for gender equality is not only consistent with our principles and values but it is also a matter of stability and resilience and it is a matter of economic growth. no country can achieve its full potential if half of its people do not have the same opportunities to work and of course to learn and to have a say.
they are not subjugated they are not resigned and they are proud of what they have achieved with much hard
we will continue to ask the saudi leadership to demonstrate that it takes gender equality seriously.
let me add that saudi women are very well organised and with an international platform i am sure that they can manage to make their voice heard.
a useful first step would be for saudi arabia to ratify the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.
is it because some of those member states export arms to saudi arabia despite an eu code against arms exports to countries that wage war against others like saudi arabia against yemen?
or is it because they have good business relations and don't want to harm them?
we want an answer to that we want transparency about how eu member states vote.
we need to keep that dialogue and at the same time confront them confront them in the un and here for the violation of human rights and of women's rights in particular.
in this way we will be giving a very clear sign to those who are fighting for human rights and for women's rights in saudi arabia because they exist there and they need our support.
women are forced to do domestic chores wear complete cover up clothing head dresses that act like blinkers on a horse;
they cannot travel drive shop or even eat and drink without a man's permission.
they are entirely the property of men with no legal identity of their own.
the programme is described by its producers as set in a dystopian future a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship'.
well no this is fiction right?
it is not because almost exactly these conditions exist in modern saudi arabia.
this is not a country that we should be listening to on the un commission on the status of women.
this is a country that we should be condemning and we should condemn this appointment in the strongest possible terms.
mr president we can all agree that saudi arabia being elected to the un body that is supposed to promote and defend women's rights is both preposterous and absurd.
but whenever something like this happens on the international stage we get a chorus of right wing nationalists bashing the un and international cooperation when in fact the opposite is what we need.
unfortunate situations like saudi arabia's election come about because governments do not assume their responsibilities on human rights and gender equality and choose to follow narrow national interests.
the un similar to our european union cannot function effectively without the political will of governments.
so instead of simply bashing the un let us ask ourselves if we have done enough to promote women's rights and gender equality in the world and in the middle east. have our own governments stepped up to the plate to promote these values at home and abroad and how can we strengthen international collaboration and cooperation?
mr president the election of saudi arabia as a member of the un commission on the status of women is akin to something that you would read in a parody publication. at least three possibly five eu countries voted in favour of this shameful position voted for a country where women are effectively legal minors their entire lives where they require a male guardian's approval to travel to attend education to access some health care.
shame on those member states!
a freedom of information request from me to the irish department of foreign affairs was refused but it did show a flurry of email activity on the matter.
ireland is like the others who chose to hide behind the excuse of the secret ballots.
but then in ireland women's rights and dirty secrets are nothing new.
but what possible justification could there be for eu member states to endorse the world's leading oppressor of women now as a promoter of gender equality? in one word trade!
from this perspective i do not believe that saudi arabia's election as a member of the un commission on the status of women will promote women's rights empower women or bring about gender equality in the world.
therefore i call on the eu to monitor the human rights situation in the country closely and to become more actively involved in guaranteeing the rights of women.
this will not work;
it is an absolute must to exercise democratic control of an instrument the dci with tremendous potential for development and empowerment of people worldwide.
we do not accept those tactics particularly the threat of defaulting on the commitments made under the banana accompanying measures.
i agree with many of you who said that even now we need protection to be provided to those defending human rights.
for the banana accompanying measures the commission wants to state clearly that funds are not available from any other source such as the european development fund.
each side can see things it likes and things which it does not like.
if parliament does not adopt this legislation tomorrow the commission will have no basis to implement the budget for ici plus and the banana accompanying measures.
honourable members i would like to remind you that the commission is sensitive to the european parliament's requests and has already made the formal commitment to fully comply with the new provisions of the lisbon treaty.
for the ici plus we will be unable to promote our interests and value abroad.
if it fails to adopt the banana accompanying measures the european union will be seen as an unreliable trade partner and what is even more dramatic unreliable for our poorest acp partners. this is not what our citizens are expecting from the european
i am confident that they will be met in the next multiannual financial framework when the commission presents its proposals for the new instruments in the coming weeks.