kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
so the commission's six legislative proposals on economic governance are essential and will have far reaching consequences for our union.
this agreement has eluded us for decades and the hungarian presidency made a critical contribution to breaking the deadlock.
i urge parliament and the council to go this extra mile and deliver sooner rather than later on this very important package building on the excellent job done by the rapporteur.
the commission's framework for national roma integration strategies is endorsed by the european council and will help us to end centuries old exclusion in four key areas education employment healthcare and housing.
take for example the twelve priority actions under the single market act.
in today's economic climate the stakes are very high.
by. two thousand and twelve the commission proposals are already on the table. i remain confident that we have the momentum we need to complete this
we have also given definition to the danube strategy helping to connect protect and develop in partnership with six of our neighbours. the overall aim is to improve the quality of life for the one hundred and fifteen million people living in the danube
another important issue during these six months was migration.
let me now note the outstanding progress towards croatia's accession. negotiations were formally concluded last week and we now look forward to signing the accession treaty by the end of this
it is especially important to represent and promote our core european values of human rights and freedom of expression.
thanks to hungary the enlargement process has been kept alive and moved forward a great and historic achievement.
they were over promising and under delivering mr barroso.
they run into troubles of their own making yet blame others as you did mr barroso.
i would say hungary is lucky to have you.
you have shown you are not prepared to be bullied by these eu nationalists.
so i think you have proved to be the secret weapon of the eurosceptic movement.
your six month tenure in this presidency has indeed been historic because in the last six months the peoples of europe have finally woken up to what a completely undemocratic and failing project this is.
in particular one thinks back to the finnish general election and the stunning success of the true finns party.
then of course we were back to greece for the second bail out with people out rioting on the streets.
but perhaps to cap it all the real highlight of your presidency was that the danes tore up the schengen agreement.
so all in all i would say that you have had a remarkable superb six months in office. more has happened to reawaken democracy and the future of the nation state perhaps than ever before. i think there is a growing realisation both here and elsewhere that the worm has turned and we have seen the beginning of the end of this extremely dangerous project.
the ecr group hopes that the brexit negotiations will not just lead to a new eu uk relationship but act as a catalyst for a reformed eu.
we hope that you will help western balkan countries on their journey of reform and on the migration crisis that you will ask eu countries what they can do to help whether giving resources or taking people rather than telling them what to do.
if responsibility lies anywhere it is with the political class in britain who for the last forty years have not been honest about the political dimension of the eu pretending that the eu was only about trade.
i look forward to working with you and your team and we wish you every success in the six months ahead.
we hope the bulgarian presidency will be vocal and resolute in the face of continued russian aggression in ukraine.
i think we can see a lot of things happening there right now looking for example at the mobilisation of thousands of people on the streets protesting for the preservation of a unique centuriesold forest the pirin national park which you are of course familiar with.
that is a great pity.
for example looking at the most recent anticorruption law which will say that whistle blowers i.
thereby it is not just an environmental issue which of course is important but it is also an issue of how we respect european union laws and rules.
eleven years have passed since the accession but we have also had eleven anti corruption reports by the european commission.
i think this is very correct and true we have to be united and we have to be strong in order to address those issues.
we also have to be strong as a european union of values which is fighting for democracy and against racism and xenophobia.
let us know how we can also support you in this very important issue.
the commission cannot ignore all of those issues.
they are protesting against corruption and a very dodgy decision to permit a skiing resort and also commercial logging in this precious natural heritage site which is also protected by european union law.
there i think as a presidency you should really lead by good example and that is one area where i think you can make a big difference.
also looking at the anticorruption measures that have been taken in bulgaria many of them can be seen as ineffective and even counterproductive.
we need to understand how rating agencies create and sell their ratings.
the solutions however appear less straightforward so let us keep level headed and find the right solution being careful not to overreact with serious consequences.
now that the tide has turned and the economic outlook across europe remains bleak they are guilty of overreacting in the opposite direction.
having said that we have to be careful when reacting to this and not appearing to shoot the messenger just because he brings bad news.
this cannot but have political implications which need to be addressed.
the causes of the problem including the conflicts of interest are therefore clear.
the arrangement between the security issuer and the agencies is an obvious problem. secondly there is the question of the number of agencies themselves and the degree of effective competition between them.
however i would say that it has always been well known to every investor that this potential for conflict existed and that credit ratings are themselves not a recommendation to buy or sell.
we do need to look at our rating agencies but please remember that they have not got everything wrong.
when ratings work they increase capital markets' access for borrowers lower interest rates and thus for sovereign issuers save taxpayers' money.
even in this crisis the level of aaa defaults in structured credits in europe is less than.
we should also remember that to achieve our two thousand and twenty goals the eu needs investment and that needs market confidence and rating agencies are a vital part of market confidence.
they also serve to give investors some guidance but as i said not buy and sell decisions. please remember that in europe no aaa rated sovereign or corporate issuer has ever defaulted.
we do need this investor confidence.
mr president i welcome the debate on rating agencies. we do need to look at the reliance on ratings and how to encourage more agencies so that there is more competition as well as the issue of conflict of interest with respect to borrower paid ratings.
updating the directive to cast responsibility for the eu activities of the predominantly us based agencies is to be welcomed as a move to monitor their activity more closely here in europe. credit rating agencies are extremely powerful organisations and have the ability to move the markets with a change of rating.
their independence needs therefore to be ascertained and maintained at all times.
however any rating decisions that trigger a flow of billions of euros should not come as a surprise to the market.
for example credit rating agencies should publish their ongoing stress tests and scenario analyses so as to improve market transparency and minimise shocks.
however we must remember what it is credit rating agencies are set up to do to assess the risk of default of an entity be it a product or a corporation especially a publicly listed company including financial institutions or even sovereign states.
in the same way that we should not blame credit rating agencies for responding to legitimate information on the state of our banks we should not use them as an excuse for the market's reaction to the dire state of our public finances.
although monitoring their activity more closely is to be supported a more critical proposal needs to be framed around a different question namely why have the markets investors corporations and sovereign states relied so heavily on credit rating agencies rather than conducting adequate due diligence and collecting information for themselves?
in particular why is the credit rating market dominated by three names when there are many more available to the marketplace?
when we have answered these broader questions then the way credit rating agencies are held to account will become more meaningful.
with their great power and influence in the markets there should also be significant responsibility.
he who pays the piper calls the tune.
most credit rating agencies employ children who can barely read a balance sheet.
but the truth about numbers can be unpopular especially here which is why we hate them.
our own credit rating agency paid for by us guaranteed to dance to our tune.
it can stick aaa ratings to junk bonds issued by the eurozone's failed economies. the question is who would these fool?
i suggest with the exception of some english county councils and the bbc economics correspondents virtually nobody.
then this morning in the debate on statistics commissioner rehn said yesterday's downgrade by moody's was not conveniently timed' and that that would influence commission thinking on credit rating agency regulation.
i am sorry i do understand frustration but my thoughts were have you gone mad? i do not want ratings that are convenient' whether that be convenient' for investment banks or convenient' for central banks.
indeed ratings have been a bit too convenient' for regulators to lean on too driving out proper due diligence.
now a public agency for non sovereign assets has some attractions but how do we get over the implied guarantee?
how do we get over political interference if bank capital is at risk with the macro economic consequences of that?
we have some way to go in the search for capacity independence and integrity but of one thing i am sure and that is that corporate governance principles play a part be it in the public or private sector and that should apply to esma and the other esas too.
on the other hand and let me stress this it is also necessary that the country's level of preparedness and the reform efforts that have been made over the past year are judged objectively and fairly.
in june the council will decide whether to accept the commission's recommendation to open accession negotiations.
number two you are saying it is completely wrong to open accession negotiations without solving the name issue.
i welcome the supportive stance you have taken towards the country's efforts in the accession process.
the signature of a cross party memorandum of understanding confirming the will of all parties to continue on the european path;
i also share your concern about the risk of prolonging the status quo.
this is an opportunity that the region and other countries should not miss.
these included the legislative framework for elections freedom of expression and public administration.
in the meantime it is vital that the political leadership in the country sustains and develops the eu integration process despite the difficult background and circumstances.
the high level accession dialogue has acted as a catalyst for reform.
with a view to a possible decision on opening accession negotiations with the former yugoslav republic of macedonia the council invited the commission to report on progress.
however maintaining good neighbourly relations is essential and that has to include a negotiated and mutually accepted solution to the name issue under the auspices of the un.
the main conclusion of the commission's report is that the reform process is largely back on track after the political crisis of january february.
both institutions very much share the same assessment of the situation and that helps us collectively in our ongoing contacts with the authorities in skopje.
the country is important in the region being fully involved in regional initiatives such as the regional cooperation council and the south east european cooperation process.
the former yugoslav republic of macedonia has been a candidate country since december two thousand and five but of course has had very close relations with the eu since well before then.
the council largely shared the commission's assessment that the political criteria continue to be sufficiently met and took note of its recommendation that accession negotiations be opened with the former yugoslav republic of macedonia.
i know this parliament shares our view that the long standing discussions on the name issue should be brought to a definitive conclusion as soon as possible.
this momentum has to be sustained and particular attention is needed in the area of the rule of law including on issues such as freedom of expression the fight against corruption and inter ethnic relations and reconciliation.
i would also like to thank this parliament and your rapporteur richard howitt in particular for his valuable work on the issue and for your excellent resolution.
the council also took note of the review of the implementation of the ohrid framework agreement and as you do in your resolution encourages the government to move swiftly to the next stage of the review.
the eu needs to show that it stands behind this commitment;
the commission in line with its commitment to the integration process confirms that macedonia is ready to start accession negotiations.
now it is time for the eu to make good on its commitment.
two thousand and thirteen there was a political crisis and incidents of inter ethnic tensions but as on many occasions in the past the country has overcome to a large extent many of these problems and is working to restore its democratic credibility. a cross party agreement was reached a boycott of local elections was averted and the parliament is functioning again.
we will see it in this parliament tomorrow.
the vast majority of meps in this chamber from the left of centre the right of centre the centre from the vast majority of member states of the european union support the consensus.
it is perhaps not helpful to point the finger of blame too much on this point but my group would urge greek government movement on the interminable name issue. there have been encouraging signs from athens in recent months but much more needs now to be done to see practical steps taken which will be acceptable to both sides.
there have been worrying developments recently in macedonia in its bilateral relationship with bulgaria. there are delicate issues to be addressed here for sure particularly regarding the issue of the handing out of bulgarian nationality but i would urge the bulgarians to offer the hand of friendship to their macedonian neighbours and to support their quest for eu membership which they so much desire.
to my mind it would be nothing short of absurd for macedonia if the issue of the country's name choice prevented it from realising its european ambitions.
i therefore welcome richard hewitt's sensitive and comprehensive two thousand and twelve progress report and commend his work in helping to break the domestic political deadlock in skopje earlier this year.
the deadlock has now lasted eight years and it must be extremely galling for the government in skopje to see croatia which gained that status only a year before macedonia in two thousand and four set to join the european union in less than six weeks' time while skopje remains totally unable to move on and has now even been overtaken by montenegro.
this is at a time when everyone is concerned about the decrease of popular support for the eu.
have to contemplate postponing its june decision possibly a better outcome than yet another rejection. indeed by the end of this year i cannot predict whether this will be a country in which eu accession negotiations have begun or one which may have lost its candidate status altogether.
so concerning the commission of inquiry the memorandum of understanding and the dialogue for freedom of expression i appeal to you to make substantive progress far beyond where you are today.
looking at the past year does the european council accept its own responsibilities resulting from the delay and rejection?
have you really considered what will happen if this country slides back towards conflict and fragmentation?
are you using the challenges of the country as a convenient excuse?
mr president once again i put before you the clear recommendation that accession negotiations for this country should start without further delay.
i say the same concerning the name issue too. europe is rightly welcoming progress between serbia and kosovo.
what i do know is that this country and its people deserve a chance.
there is nothing that says that a name issue needs to be resolved before accession negotiations are opened.
present you are just stopping reforms that are badly needed.
you are stopping a process that is really good for macedonian citizens and in general.
it has of course been beneficial.
it has brought about democratic and economic transformation for the country and that is a good thing.
i hope we can achieve that objective but we need to facilitate that.
we need to see concrete progress on the issues which have been well rehearsed here today in order for that to be achieved.
a firm commitment to good neighbourly relations is a particular priority for the council as you well know and indeed it has been articulated as a priority by many members here this evening.
so i would encourage the former yugoslav republic of macedonia to intensify bilateral discussions in order to reach a successful settlement on the outstanding issues and not least on the issue of the name.
i urge both parties to genuinely engage and to do so intensively in the weeks ahead.
it is really crucial from the council point of view.
you have been extremely hard working and extremely active in working to bring the political parties together to create a compromise to create the atmosphere and the environment which will allow european integration to come closer to the country and to its people which is what this process is all about.
again well done to you and thank you very much for your hard work.
thank you also to the members for the very fruitful debate this evening.
they need to do their utmost to secure a european future for their country by reaching a compromise on the name issue with greece.
macedonia badly needs to continue its euro atlantic integration process in order to kick start economic recovery and regain the trust of foreign investors.
the most pressing concerns in the country are the alarming state of media freedom and democratic dialogue between the ruling coalition and the opposition.
a fair number of countries have actually signed agreements with macedonia and this is the name that they will use when referring to the state in question.
of course in the spirit of democracy if others wish to use the idiosyncratic neologism fyrom they should be free to do so.
this has led the government to launch a process of creating a pedigree for the country by giving it maximal antiquity converting classical heroes like alexander the great into proto macedonians.
on top of that there are deep divisions within the communities as well.
overall it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the long delay in the opening of the negotiations with the european union has played its part in the tensions that have beset macedonia so it really is time to start the negotiations.
it is really high time that negotiations were opened. do tell all your colleagues next time you see them and i mean all of them.
the name issue must be either removed from the enlargement process or it must be resolved post haste.
let us all admit that this is really the only possible solution and let us call for this offer to be taken up. meanwhile macedonia has a lot to do internally. i am very glad the opposition and the coalition have come to an agreement but parliamentary procedures obviously badly need revision.
now member states are dragging their feet and implementing only reluctantly and late.
they are a lack of ambition and political will.
where are we now commissioner?
if not i think that is pathetic.
at times of economic crisis we cannot afford to waste opportunities for growth and job creation because while the european union is navel gazing and preoccupied with our internal borders the rest of the world moves on.
if we want to make eu two thousand and twenty a reality the member states will have to step up implementation of the services directive.
today more than a year after the deadline have all twenty seven member states implemented the directive?
the obstacles to implementation are not of a technical nature;
i agree but it also has to be timely. in june two thousand and ten only about half the member states had implemented the directive more than half a year late.
the services directive was in itself a very meagre compromise and less than the bare minimum needed to bring about a true internal market.
many colleagues including myself being involved is absolutely indispensable to the creation of future growth and jobs in the european economy. i say to mr canfin and others that there has been a huge amount of investment in time and resources and indeed in systems like the points of single contact in order to generate those jobs and growth but they now have to come. the issue with this report is the fact that we have done a huge amount of work already
colleagues will remember that this is targeted very much at small and medium sized enterprises.
we now need to really make that work.
part of that is to overcome all the ingrained suspicion and problems that they have had and to make it clear that what we have achieved here is probably the biggest single set of deregulatory measures in opening up markets that has ever happened as a result of one single directive we have heard about the thousands of measures that have been changed
and similarly the first major investment by member states in promoting the single market to businesses.
that is what the points of single contact are all about.
they are actually about providing the simple information that a business needs if it wants to go and deliver a service in another country that essential research before they start.
this is just the first of many reports and many investigations that my committee will continue to make because this is a long term project. we are just at the beginning of something absolutely crucial for the future of the european economy.
the advent of degradable plastic is a significant breakthrough and is the obvious solution to the problem of waste plastic that becomes contaminated by soil and vegetative matter.
the exemption of degradable plastic bags from this legislation will encourage the use of this product without thinking through what is likely to happen to degradable bags in the real world.
their customers will turn to china or elsewhere for the supply of a reliable product.
the thirty employees of this longstanding firm could quickly be recycled into ex employees if their product does not perform to specification.
meanwhile large stocks of plastic waste will accumulate because the recyclers cannot trust its provenance but only a proportion of these stocks will actually degrade.
the road to hell is paved with good intentions and the green lobby in the european union demonstrate this time and time again.
furthermore there is space on farms to store the massive bulk of this material as it undergoes the degradation process.