kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we welcome the rapporteur's call for more determination in the enforcement of single market legislation and clearer reporting on infringement proceedings being taken. name and shame' is often an ugly tool in politics but it is often a very useful one as is praising those who do well.
we call on the commission to establish the single market act as a rolling programme to be continually reviewed and updated in order to ensure completion of the market.
this should include prioritisation of measures to complete the digital single market including investment in high speed internet and cross border payments.
we also call on national administrations to sharpen up their thinking and their action.
it is important for single market transposition to be treated with urgency and transparency so that as we celebrate this auspicious anniversary we can truly see the single market as the jewel in europe's crown.
madam president i am very pleased to be here rather later than i expected and thank you very much for including me in the speakers' list.
i think the detailed analysis of the issues in this report is an indication of the depth of knowledge and engagement that my committee has for single market issues.
unfortunately because i was not here to hear everybody else's speeches i do not know whether i will be duplicating what people have already said.
but i think the point was nevertheless well made.
the problem that we have colleagues is that we do not know how many lost opportunities are still out there in the single market where businesses have tried to sell goods or services in a country which they are legally entitled to do and are still frustrated by existing barriers many of which should have been cast away by the services directive and the goods package
in this report there is just a short paragraph but a significant one where we ask the commission to include the findings of the eurobarometer surveys in the annual governance check up.
that is my first point.
however it seems to me that if people cannot sell a product or a service because of a government not implementing legislation we have to deal with that quickly.
but there is one boom industry offering unprecedented employment opportunities.
however the intelligent thing to do would not be to set up another institution expanding the power of the eu but to reintroduce border controls to prevent the free movement of criminals in the first place.
every annual europol organised crime threat assessment report since two thousand and nine has said that the root cause for the growth of organised crime across europe is the eu's own open borders policy.
but it is precisely the common european approach that has helped create the problem in the first place.
mr president the economies of europe are in deep crisis and unemployment is reaching record levels.
this report suggests the creation of an intelligence training centre'.
as regards the fight against money laundering we share the recommendations in the report.
this legislation must be properly implemented and applied
the eu. the outcome of this study will be available next year and will enable us to determine the best suitable measures to be adopted in
we will refer to all kinds of corruption in the public and private sector.
month. two commission legislative proposals on precursors are also being negotiated to strengthen control on trade in precursors whether the trade is with countries outside or inside the eu. we also welcome in your report the strong statement on the establishment of the european public prosecutor's office which will be a milestone in the process of improving
i would like to thank the parliament and mr iacolino for the strong recommendations on this important project.
i am happy that i have been able to follow the work of the crim committee by visiting you and talking with you on a couple of occasions.
with regard to the cross cutting aspects of organised crime you referred to the idea of revising the current legislative framework including on mafia type organisations and for stronger sanctions specific witness protection measures and tailor made investigation
with few exceptions the shortcomings in our member countries relate to the unsatisfactory implementation of anti corruption legislation or policies or sometimes perhaps a lack of political will.
let me refer to some of the issues which you mentioned and that are also in the report.
as you know the newly adopted directive on victims' rights means that all victims of crime will benefit from common minimum standards on their procedural rights support and protection throughout criminal proceedings.
to complement the preventive measures in the fourth money laundering directive the commission is preparing a proposal for a criminal law directive laying down minimum rules on the definition of and sanctions for money laundering. we greatly welcome the fact that the mid term report insists on the need for better tools to identify the beneficial owners and the inclusion of beneficial ownership information in company registers as well as recommending limiting the creation of shell companies.
this directive recognises the specific needs of protection for vulnerable victims especially minors and it also pays special attention to victims of trafficking terrorism and organised crime.
the mid term report refers to the need for efficient systems for the confiscation and recovery of the proceeds of crime and i welcome the proposals here. once adopted the proposal which is now being negotiated between the council and the parliament the confiscation directive will need to be implemented properly and promptly. we welcome the report's emphasis on the need for special protection for victims of trafficking especially children.
on corruption and integrity i am pleased to see the large number of recommendations especially with reference to the anti corruption report that the commission is planning to adopt this year. for the time being the commission does not intend to propose new legislation on the definition of corruption the approximation of statutes of limitation for corruption offences or the protection of whistleblowers. long standing international standards such as uncac or council of europe instruments which cover a wide range of corruption aspects are already in place.
finally i also welcome the recommendations on research.
i know that you are working on the final conclusions with regard to specific measures taken in the field of organised crime corruption and money laundering.
this includes a secure societies' theme dealing with numerous aspects of organised crime listed in the report including money laundering.
we will assess member states' efforts to see what has worked and what has not to recommend further improvements and to disseminate good practices.
by. two thousand and fifteen only this will make victims' rights a tangible reality for all victims and their families. the new drugs strategy was adopted last december and the first of two action plans will be adopted this
tools. the commission is currently carrying out a study on the effectiveness of the tools used to fight organised crime in
i commend the rapporteur for this report.
all member states including my own which have not yet done so should transpose without delay the trafficking directive which was due to be transposed by april.
this fund would be open to pilot projects by citizens' community groups across the eu and should be specifically targeted at communities which have been devastated by drugs and organised crime.
firstly while i welcome the call for member states to promote the use of seized criminal assets for social purposes i believe we could go further. i think we should consider establishing a new eu fund from part of the confiscated assets of transnational organised crime.
secondly human trafficking is a multi billion euro business generating profits in the region of eur twenty five billion annually.
this report provides the basis for a comprehensive eu response.
two thousand and thirteen the commission should also prepare proposals criminalising the use of services of victims of trafficking including for sexual and labour exploitation and i hope that it will bring forward proposals for an eu wide helpline for the victims of traffickers.
i believe that it is a good mid term report and that there is still work to be done on the final report.
this mid term report is a litmus test for the final report and whilst there is much in here that we strongly support most importantly the tough stance on fighting cross border crime i would however urge parliament not to make the final report a veritable christmas tree which collapses under the sheer weight of loads of ideas.
instead we need to create a strong coherent final report with a deliberate focus and targeted set of priorities. most importantly we need to be one step ahead of criminals and criminal activity rather than one step behind.
at the moment we are frankly trailing well behind.
this is a massive problem causing huge economic and social damage to all of us. i strongly believe that the best antidote to cross border crime and indeed cybercrime is the sharing of information but obviously with appropriate safeguards in place and also
speed efficiency and precision in the work that we do.
drugs arms and trafficked people can be more easily moved.
a single currency makes it possible to launder the profits of crime much more easily anywhere in the zone just as lax immigration controls and connivance with bogus asylum claims allow criminals and sometimes their wares to pass from one country and one continent to another.
of course not all organised crime involves crossing frontiers.
the predominance of the same distinct population groups both in ostensibly legitimate cash business such as taxi firms and take away food shops and in drug dealing and prostitution allows the profits of the latter to be laundered through the former.
we need of course not only to protect the victims and make our societies safer but also to get that money and those assets back into the legal economy and this is even more important now in the economic crisis.
they have increasingly done so in europe.
but slowly there is a common police culture growing.
we also have a variety of laws but it is as many of you have said also important that they are implemented. two months ago the deadline expired for implementing the trafficking directive.
only nine countries have done this so far.
this is a very important tool to fight this horrible modern slavery.
ninety five percent sail through with counterfeit goods and all sorts of horrible things some of which are life threatening.
we have to do something about that.
another thing which is astonishing is the lack of cooperation between the member states.
we are being seriously damaged by their failures.
the liberal group strongly supports setting up a permanent subcommittee on organised crime in the next parliament in order to put pressure on the commission to make sure they keep on top of this job. i am sure the present commissioner will do that.
if we fail to react and the member states fail to learn to work together the whole future of a prosperous europe is genuinely at risk.
this travel document will set a uniform european format with enhanced technical and security features.
to maintain trust in the european union's overall migration system and to dissuade more unsafe and irregular migration in the future.
third countries with which a readmission agreement is under negotiation criticise that its unsatisfactory security features and standards make it vulnerable to falsification and fraud.
this situation can be solved using a replacement travel document issued by the competent authorities of the member states.
there has been a model for a standard travel document for the expulsion of thirdcountry nationals since.
but it should be seen as one element out of many.
the new format and more secure features of the european travel document for return should help facilitate the acceptance of this document by third countries.
in order not to create additional administrative burdens the security features will follow those already applied to our very european union's official documents in relation to visas.
this is an important technical instrument which will help to strengthen the particular challenges in the european union's return policy.
however to be valid and used in practice this document needs to be recognised by third countries.
that is why the commission proposed a regulation to address these issues by establishing a new european travel document for the return of third country nationals.
i would like to conclude by thanking the presidency the commission and all the shadow rapporteurs for their cooperation and their contributions to and efficient work on this legislative proposal.
the agreement also reflects the current thinking on delegated acts under the inter institutional agreement on better law making.
an important element of the agreement was securing a full review of the document outside of the normal review process two years after the entry into force of the regulation at the latest after which it is to be incorporated into the normal returns directive review.
parliament managed to retain a reference to the need for the recognition of the travel document to be part of negotiations with the diplomatic representatives of third countries when discussing re admission.
the aim is to ensure more efficient implementation and enforcement of the existing legislation and decisions.
it also contributes to reducing the administrative and bureaucratic burden on both member states and third countries.
at present part of that challenge is ensuring an effective return rate.
for the desired effect to be achieved it is important that the new document be put to use by all member states.
the commission proposes to harmonise the format security features and technical specifications of the document.
one part of the failure is the lack of an effective returns policy the inability to send back those whose application has been rejected and who do not have the right to stay or enter the eu.
i have been asked whether this means that it will no longer be possible to seek protection in europe or whether all immigrants will now be deported.
this regulation establishes an improved and uniform european travel document for the return of illegally staying third country nationals.
it goes without saying that this seriously undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the asylum system in the eyes of our citizens.
it also encourages the abuse of the asylum procedure by those who are not entitled to international protection which in turn prevents us from using our limited resources on those in genuine need.
by updating the instruments we have we are we hope moving towards a european asylum system which is better equipped to deal with the challenges we face.
the agreement stresses the need to seek the recognition of the return document in the readmission agreements concluded by the european union and by the member states with third countries.
this regulation is a small but important element of the eu asylum system as it might improve the effectiveness of our cooperation with third countries on return matters.
this is a technical proposal and does not affect the rules concerning asylum staying in the eu or the issuing of the travel document.
parliament also kept its reference to the rights of the child through a reference to article nineteen of the charter of fundamental rights and the need to respect international and eu legal obligations notably the charter.
this agreement is a good result for parliament and has hopefully produced a better travel document for the future a document that is more widely used by member states and more widely recognised by third countries.
the travel document is not a magical solution to our difficulties with return.
it is not known to what extent the lack of a harmonised document is a real reason behind the reluctance of some third countries to take back their citizens rather than merely an excuse.
i believe most of us agree that the existing legislation must be implemented.
this regulation is about just that we have rules concerning asylum and residents.
if a person can de facto stay regardless of whether they meet the conditions then those rules are just dead letters.
as i said this is detrimental to the credibility of our legislation and encourages more and more people to cross the mediterranean.
while i am eurosceptic and do not support for example the centralised processing of asylum applications and while i do not necessarily agree with everything in this text because it is a compromise i believe this travel document is an example of cooperation that can bring added value to member states
regardless of what political decisions they make at the national level.
this support should be made available immediately it is a priority for us and for me personally.
madam president you might very well think from looking at the title of this debate that i'd be all in favour of this report.
after all it is about making sure that those who have come to countries of the european union illegally are not then able to stay here.
at first glance it's about the rule of law and i can see exactly what this is intended to achieve.
and i'm not convinced frankly that that will provide anything more than cosmetics or actually result in a real difference being made.
it is not going to overturn the decisions which have been made which lead to even more illegal immigration.
we have a moral duty to assist one another but i do not believe that this assistance should undermine the key international principle of humanitarian and asylum law that an individual should be able to seek sanctuary in the first safe country reached.
economic migration and asylum are two very different issues with separate challenges and this joint strategy blurs lines which should be clear. we do agree on the important role of frontex easo returns and eurodac and the need for increased funding in tackling the issue at source and we look forward to working with the commission on this important issue.
i do not believe that quotas and forced relocation are sustainable democratic or fair to the individuals in question.
it is a mistake to have a strategy which addresses all kinds of migration in one document.
true solidarity is offering assistance because it is the right thing to do not through compulsion.
mr president in saving lives addressing the criminality of human trafficking and stabilising the eus external borders through cooperation are vital factors.
we cannot say it is the european union which is at the source of this problem.
i would like to conclude by noting that this is at least the fifth time under our presidency that we have had a migration related debate at the plenary.
the issue of broadening the development migration linkage will be addressed during the meeting of eu development ministers on twenty six may.
efficient response to the migration related challenges is an issue of highest priority for the council.
at breaking the business model' of human smugglers and traffickers in the mediterranean.
the roadmap and the agenda contain a number of proposals with a view to strengthening the european presence at sea fighting traffickers preventing illegal migration flows and reinforcing internal solidarity and responsibility.
last week it presented the expected european agenda on migration earlier than initially planned.
all contributions are therefore welcome and deserve thorough examination. this is what we will do in the coming weeks.
i am very proud that today i can speak about concrete actions the european council and the council have taken recently in response to the dramatic loss of lives of those seeking shelter in europe and i am sure that the commission will complement that by presenting its view.
let me recall that this monday at the joint meeting of foreign affairs and defence ministers the council decided to establish an eu military operation eunavfor med as a part of a comprehensive approach to solving the migration crisis in the mediterranean. the operation aims
yesterday the general affairs council held a thorough discussion on the follow up to the special meeting of the european council and a first exchange of views on the european agenda for migration.
the policy debate covering both immediate and mid term measures would serve as a contribution to the debate of the heads of state or government in the june european council.
the input and support this house gave us in your resolution last month was very important to us in finalising the agenda. we have reacted with more funding and resources for triton to help it manage borders and save lives. we are taking measures to disrupt the brutal people smuggling trade and we are proposing hotspot teams to give support on the ground in member states where the pressure is worse
it means securing our borders and saving lives but it also has to mean applying our common asylum rules properly.
the commission agrees with this house that we must do more to make a reality of the commitment to solidarity and to open up legal channels for those who are most in need of international protection.
effective action on return and limiting the scope for abuse are crucial for the credibility and societal acceptance of migration policy.
under the relocation scheme people of identified nationalities who are most desperately in need of sanctuary will be distributed to other member states who will then take care of their reception and asylum processing.
an example of the benefits of the new working methods under the juncker commission.
but also development policy needs to be put in place to address the root causes of migration as well as a coherent and united foreign policy to bring migration management onto the agenda in our relations with key third countries.
these are complex matters and we need to act on all aspects if we want to be effective.
but in our view it is not acceptable for people to say yes we want you to stop people from drowning' but at the same time stay silent on where these people should go once they have been rescued.
in parallel we want to create safe and legal channels for those who really need protection to get to europe without risking abuse exploitation and their very lives in the hands of smugglers.
third countries sometimes do not do what they need to do in taking back their nationals who do not have the right to asylum.
it is about extreme crisis situations that demand a clear response.
we are putting an extra eur fifty million into the scheme which should result in resettling an additional twenty zero people into the eu over two years.
i know these are challenging proposals;
if our people do not trust our asylum policy they will not trust a policy of legal migration.
this parliament will be formally consulted and we count on your support and later on we will come back to you to co decide a standing mechanism for relocation that is automatically triggered whenever there are these extreme crisis situations.
getting these rules working correctly is also a necessary precondition for the serious debate we need to have on the legal migration europe will need in the future.
we are setting out today a set of targeted and balanced measures and we will work closely with this parliament and each of our member states to match words with action.
we will only get citizen support for legal migration if we get all the aspects of a comprehensive migration policy working together.
next week the commission will propose a temporary relocation mechanism by triggering the emergency clause in article seventy eight of the treaty to help relieve the immediate and exceptional pressure on frontline countries.
all too often in our countries people who deserve asylum because they flee war or prosecution are seen as profiteers because we have not been effective enough in having people who do not deserve asylum return to their countries of origin and this needs to change.
we are therefore proposing a humanitarian resettlement scheme working with unhcr.
it is a holistic agenda;
let me underline that this is not about migration in general;