kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
this is exactly what we have been doing since two thousand and seven through a specific eu joint action that supports the universalisation of the convention and its full implementation.
i think we can be very clear on this point.
the convention on cluster munitions was agreed in december.
its provisions and those of its additional protocols contribute to reducing the suffering of combatants and civilian populations in areas of conflict.
we assist third countries in getting rid of their stockpile of cluster munitions we help them to clear affected areas and we provide assistance to the victims in countries such as afghanistan laos cambodia lebanon or sudan. over the last ten years the european union has devoted more than eur three hundred million
in a way that reminds us of the inspiring dynamic triggered by the entry into force of the ottawa convention on anti personnel landmines we can expect significant progress in our common efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate the production use and transfer of cluster munitions. the european union as a whole is fully committed to tackling the impact of cluster munitions on civilian populations
many eu member states played a very active role as friends of the chair in the discussions.
six the eu will soon sign this landmark convention.
eu member states that have signed should work quickly to put into place national legislation to implement it and destroy their stockpiles as spain has already done.
the tragedy is that she was considered lucky four out of ten cluster bomb accidents result in death. after years of campaigning we finally now have a convention which can help to deliver change.
looking to the future it is important as well that the commission and the council include a ban on cluster munitions in a standard clause in agreements with third countries. i would like to hear the high representative's plans to take this forward.
also important as the high representative has mentioned is the clearance of the millions of unexploded cluster munition remnants that are left behind after conflicts.
we must do all we can to save the lives of thousands who have yet to be killed and injured and to help those who have been. we know enough about the horrific effects of these weapons to know that even those who have not signed the convention should never ever use them again. i urge you all to support this resolution.
the convention also establishes a new humanitarian standard for the assistance of victims in article five calling for guidelines and good practice including in the areas of medical care rehabilitation and psychological support.
article six of the convention calls for each country to provide assistance for clearance and destruction of cluster munition remnants and information concerning various means and technologies related to the clearance of those munitions.
it will be a total contradiction if we then failed to take action on cluster bombs.
it is absolutely vital first and foremost that all eu member states sign and ratify the convention as a matter of urgency.
in two thousand and two i was parliament's rapporteur for its report on the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities which was adopted in two thousand and.
i think in order to get everybody on board the system must be fair for citizens and for member states.
i think the crucial issue for small member states in ccctb will be how the formula is found to apportion the share of profits.
such tax evasion is not acceptable and therefore it is good to see that the commission is relaunching its action plan for fair and efficient corporate taxation.
commissioner thyssen you said that the commission is going back to the drawing board on ccctb and i think this is necessary due to the complexity of some of the earlier proposals.
previous formulae were based on sales employment and capital investment and they favoured large countries over smaller countries.
i think one of the questions that we need to answer is how much can the eu do on its own and how much should we do in conjunction with the oecd for example through its beps project which needs to be fully implemented?
finally i am sorry to say that i do harbour some doubts about the commission's proposed loss adjustment mechanism.
there is also no mention of protections for whistle blowers and whilst a common list of tax havens is better than nothing at all we surely need a common definition of tax havens to give that list credibility. furthermore there must be consequences for those countries and firms which are classified as tax havens or which use tax havens.
madam president colleagues we can wait for the whole world to agree measures against tax fiddling or we can take action now.
nonetheless as many people have already said the package does not go far enough to satisfy the public and the vast majority of tax compliant businesses.
the commission must ensure the loss adjustment mechanism does not perversely promote aggressive tax planning.
they should not be able to profit from eu funds.
personally i am very pleased that the commission has acted now and welcome much of what is within this package.
a two thousand and eleven oecd report indicated how and i quote financial instruments are used to create artificial losses i.
losses which are only generated for tax purposes'.
and finally i and my group believe it needs to be a global not an eu issue.
we are not there yet and we probably will never get there so i even take the yet' away. required though is an eu wide usa style irs system in place and its approach to deliver and i hold that up as a system that works and addresses the issues discussed tonight.
it will have to address tax collection issues so evident in the disparities between north and south member states.
much more though we believe is required.
this is crucial for
importantly initiatives such as the digital agenda and the use of new technologies can aid the transparent collection and control of tax contributions.
this brings me to my last point competitiveness. with continuity and efficiency we can also support competitiveness for our companies which will do business in a much more clearly regulated environment.
if countries all legislate at a national level wherever in the developed world a company may be located our problem on tax is resolved.
there is a reason why the uk government has led the tax reform agenda at the g seven and g.
a legislative route on the common corporate tax base is not an efficient way of solving the issue of corporate taxation.
all member states individually should now take the necessary steps for early adoption of the oecd country by country reporting which will help tax authorities to spot avoidance and make sure that companies pay what they owe.
it may be a sad reality but it is a reality that people try to lower their tax contributions and often that will mean locating activities in low tax jurisdictions.
the member states need to show leadership within the oecd and in particular press for stronger transfer pricing and permanent establishment rules to ensure companies pay the appropriate level of tax in the countries where they earn their profits.
madam president playing a leading role on fair taxation does not mean legislating in isolation. i understand and share the concerns of eu citizens when it comes to large companies avoiding tax but the eu should not delude itself that the multinational companies can be brought into a fair taxation framework via a single piece of eu legislation.
closer cooperation amongst eu tax authorities and their global partners will ensure that opportunities to avoid tax become fewer. the eu legislative process on vat took ten years to negotiate and then a further ten years to implement.
twenty if we want corporations to pay their fair share we need to work collectively at the level of the oecd so that as many countries as possible work together to solve this problem.
that means companies may relocate outside of the eu to lower their tax contributions and there is very little that the eu can do about it.
the easiest and fastest way to address the issue of corporate tax is to agree a solution at the oecd and then implement that solution urgently in national law.
corporations were playing a game of divide and conquer with eu governments and the losers were the people of europe.
it was only because of the actions of the brave whistleblower antoine deltour that we found out about this. the commission had looked the other way.
to explore the issue of member state collusion in tax avoidance a special committee was set up and last week we visited london.
i must confess i was shocked by the murky and elaborate system of relationships between my capital city and offshore secrecy jurisdictions where money can be hidden and tax avoided.
i think we all have to admit that our countries are involved in these activities that hurt us all and distort the single market.
i welcome the commission's list of tax havens as a first step to map this hidden world although there is much further to go.
two of the clear demands of the green group are that corporations should be required to make public how much economic substance is created in which country so called country by country reporting and that there should be agreement about how and where corporations are taxed the common consolidated corporate tax base or ccctb.
these are the minimum requirements we need to prevent countries shifting their profits in the interests of shareholders while depriving the public of the taxes that are necessary to pay for the roads and internet systems the companies use the schools that educate their staff and the hospitals those staff use when they are ill.
we already have country by country reporting for banks so it is a simple matter to extend this to other sectors.
so do we find this in the commission's tax package?
i am afraid to say we do not.
instead we have merely a viability study a classic example of delaying tactics.
next time we meet as a parliament in strasbourg we will have the chance to vote on this vital transparency proposal and i sincerely hope we will pass it with a large majority.
as for the ccctb the commission is promising to relaunch its proposal beginning with the common part so that we all agree what should be taxed.
but this means they are delaying the consolidation the aspect of the proposal that would effectively control profit shifting and the tax avoidance it facilitates.
the people i represent are appalled that corporations are able to avoid their taxes which gives them an unfair advantage over local businesses that cannot shift their profits abroad as well as undermining the public services we depend on.
however i have a fundamental disagreement with the commission using the five point action plan in order to recommend that member states adopt the common consolidated corporate tax base.
it is absolutely and fundamentally the right of governments serving their people to legislate in the best interests of their citizens including the setting of corporate tax rates.
of course we want transparency and of course we want the larger corporations to pay their fair share of taxation and any measures taken by the european institutions to ensure that this is the case are to be welcomed.
actually i do not because i think it is issues like transfer pricing which cause the problem when it comes to the fact that corporations avoid their tax.
that is what leads to tax evasion.
if we are serious about tackling is then just like in one thousand nine hundred and forty one you have to accept russia and now her ability to reach out to middle eastern states which view the west differently.
it is about understanding how competing countries with competing interests can nevertheless find common ground against this global threat.
so this place has to wake up and smell the coffee.
if we are to forge a genuine coalition against is then you have to stop provoking putins russia as you did so theatrically here in this chamber yesterday.
britain not the european union needs to take a lead here not with troops on the ground but with the diplomacy to motivate and galvanise a global community of reasonable people including moderate muslims to put a stop to these murderous fanatics including eu citizens in their ranks who are intent on destroying the tolerance and decency which underpins civilised society.
this threat unusually posed by isis is one rare issue in foreign policy which unites all major powers across the globe both democratic and authoritarian.
the usa china russia india and eu member states are all united in absolutely repelling and being revolted by and opposing this awful menace to global security.
i welcome yesterday's announcement in paris of a wide ranging coalition made up of both western and arab nations against isis.
lastly the eu needs to address the issue of more than one thousand eu citizens who are fighting as isis jihadis and how we prevent their return to commit terrorist acts in our own countries.
although there are those who would call this an islamic state let me state that this is a fight not against islam a great religion of peace but one against terrorism.
as socialists and democrats we emphasise that many muslims in the arab world and within our own borders are appalled by this horrendous violence.
madam president i join all colleagues in this house in proposing a resolution which expresses deep revulsion at the brutal killing spree which has been waged in the name of islamic state and expresses full support for the international coalition to combat it.
i hope that ukip would grow up and realise that the enemy of your enemy is always your friend is not actually the way we should conduct our foreign policy.
unacceptable use of violence against large communities is condemned by the international community.
however we now have the opportunity to change this by dealing with the threat of isis a group that now presents a bigger risk to world security than any other single actor at this moment. it is absolutely necessary for us to act with the utmost haste to destroy isis on both the national and international level and no half measures can be taken. i am very pleased to see that the other arab states are supporting the us led multinational effort to stop the spread of this cancer in its tracks.
britain is now directly threatened by islamic state.
the american airstrikes have made a difference but it is not enough.
to counter this new level of terrorism and crimes against humanity declarations do not suffice. we need concrete actions efficient international coordination and also the use of force because terrorists can be contained only by united political will and better arms.
oppression murder domination and a systematic attempt to extinguish religious minorities.
the new president of iran has repeatedly said that he wants to cooperate with the eu in fighting the violence and the extremism of isis.
iran has officially welcomed the formation of the new iraqi government and backs the principle of iraqi unity as a means of stabilising security in the region.
clearly they will stop at nothing in fomenting their brand of fundamentalism which is rotten to the core.
we are key players in the region.
in short i believe that a new opportunity for dtente exists between iraq and the west.
despite obvious past differences between iran and the european union and iran and the united states i believe we have a common objective now in attempting to destroy isis and in helping the iraqi government to rebuild their country.
defeating isis is also about defeating those brainwashed young european citizens who participate as radical fighters in a part of the world that they know nothing about.
my group stands full square with the other groups in support of this resolution and i thank him for giving me the chance to say that in more detail.
the murders of james foley david sotloff and the british aid worker david haines are truly barbaric.
my thoughts and prayers are with their families as well as with the family of alan henning and alan henning himself who continues to be threatened in the same way.
while media attention is focused on these barbaric actions we must remember and give support to those who have suffered a long campaign of religious and ethnic cleansing those who have faced the threat convert or die' and those who have suffered displacement and injury.
it is disappointing that baroness ashton has not taken the time to contribute to today's debate herself.
be that as it may one day we will need to ask ourselves if the current events might have had a different course had we acted differently.
i hope that one day we will face that question.
my group leader called a long time ago for a military intervention in syria and at the time i honestly recognise it i thought he was exaggerating a little bit.
now a coalition is being put together to take military action against is but if afghanistan has taught us anything it is that groups like the taliban or is are not easily defeated so we will also need political answers political answers and societal answers. political action means supporting a unified government in iraq;
trying to ensure a transition in syria if that is not a completely impossible task and if it is imposing one;
i fully support the arming of the kurdish peshmerga;
i was the first in this house to call for that.
i was delighted that that was responded to and that a number of western governments including the british the americans and the germans are indeed doing just that.
the kurdish regional government of northern iraq has proven to be a stable democratic and secular polity and they are absolutely united with the new iraqi government in baghdad in opposing the isis menace.
but of course i am totally against the arming of any kind of militia if there was any serious danger of arms leaking to islamist jihadis.
more armaments into this hotbed of fighting?
we have a situation here where we have to look at the wider picture and the influence that putin does have in parts of the middle east that western countries and indeed this organisation do not have.
its murderous onslaught against minorities and sectarian groups women and children has been deeply disturbing.
in fact a letter signed by muslim imams and leaders is going out today asking for the release of mr henning.
the real challenge is moving thinking from the traditional inflexible base load model to the variable decentralised local production model using electricity grids that use data and ict technology to make electricity distribution smarter.
we can bring down electricity bills we can distribute energy generation and with eu wide standards for interoperability we can ensure that the connecting europe facility is promoting these smart energy projects.
the problem with renewables of course is their variability and one of the solutions as the rapporteur points out is local smart grids encouraging people to use less when supply is less and letting people sell their own production back to the grid.
out. moreover the commission is currently working with smart grid stakeholders on the development of a data protection impact assessment template and on best available techniques for smart metering and appropriate security measures for the smart grid.
together with the other actors and stakeholders regions and cities can work to find local tailored solutions as the covenant of mayors has clearly illustrated.
public investments in local and regional smart grid pilot projects will substantially help to remove existing technical and non technical uncertainties associated with the full deployment at national and eu level.
the commission has been closely following and coordinating the related activities via the smart grid task force.
facilitate the access for new entrants and new business opportunities.
the assessment of two smart grid projects green me which is france and italy and the north atlantic green zone uk and ireland has been concluded positively. both projects are now on the list of projects of common interest and could potentially benefit from support from the connecting europe facility.
for the period two thousand and fourteen two thousand and twenty there will be a significant concentration of efforts on supporting the shift towards a low carbon economy in all sectors that is a large focus in renewable energy energy efficiency and smart grids at the distribution level as well as sustainable urban mobility and research and innovation in these areas.
the commission is already working along the lines of several of the main recommendations of the report.
despite a couple of good examples there is a considerable gap between actual and optimal investments in europe which can only be partly explained by the current economic downturn.
there are also still some uncertainties regarding whether consumers will embrace these new technologies how to choose cost effective technologies and which technical standards should apply to smart grids in the future.
investors are still struggling to find the optimum model for sharing costs and benefits along the value chain.
they will enable improved energy efficiency and the integration of vast amounts of renewable energy. the eu is still in the early stages of the actual deployment of smart grids.
going beyond the twenty twenty twenty target poses a serious challenge which will require further transformation of the energy system continuous research and innovation and radically novel solutions. as you know the new cohesion policy period just starting now is more result oriented and follows a more targeted approach focusing on fewer priorities and translating the euro two thousand and twenty strategy into concrete investment in member states and regions. in this context cohesion policy is placing even further emphasis on supporting investment linked to the energy targets of the eu.
the respective discussion was initiated in the two thousand and twelve internal energy market communication and this will be a focus area for the commission in the next months. in shaping this new open competitive and transparent retail market we need to incentivise network operators to invest in new technologies and lay out clear roles and responsibilities for market actors;
to maximise european added value member states and the commission have to ensure that cohesion policy interventions are planned in close cooperation with the support provided from the connecting europe facility so as to ensure complementarity avoid duplication of efforts and ensure the optimal linkage of different types of infrastructure at local regional and national level as well as across the union. the horizon two thousand and twenty research and innovation programme also includes activities to facilitate the development of smart grids.
the report mentions several challenges which must be addressed in order to achieve a smarter energy system in the eu regions and in particular regulatory and legal challenges and challenges linked to data protection and privacy. the commission agrees on the need for consumers to have access and power of decision over the use of their metering and personal data and for lifting any concerns for data protection and privacy
in this context the development of urban sustainable energy action plans and mobility action plans should be encouraged and supported as part of broader low carbon and urban development strategies.
finally the commission recognises that timely development of standards is crucial for the market uptake of smart grid related technology and has therefore issued specific mandates in recent years to all three european standardisation organisations.
such projects need to involve at least two member states.
the use of financial instruments for sustainable energy investments in particular in the urban context will be further encouraged.
the commission has also proposed the reform of the existing data protection legislation striving to achieve maximum protection with minimum red tape.
in this respect the commission has already given due attention to the subject in its recommendation on preparations for the roll out of smart metering systems setting clear guidelines for member states on data protection privacy and security on the preparation for the smart metering roll