kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
however we make sure we stay safe in this online realm and that our personal or government data is not hacked into and our democratic processes are not tampered with i believe the cybersecurity package presented by the commission last month takes the right approach to ensure we have a concrete european response to potential cybersecurity threats.
international and operational cooperation amongst member states is key and can only be achieved by bridging the divides between the internal and external the public and private and the civil and military that exist within our member states and the eu. the creation of eu cybersecurity standards and certification frameworks will help businesses and citizens to understand when products are cybersecure and improve trust in digital services. the interconnected world we live in is exhilarating but it also poses potential challenges to every single one of us.
i hope that this proposal will be debated thoroughly in this house.
mr president it is an honour to speak for the first time in this parliament as its newest member and in doing so let me first pay tribute to my predecessor glenis willmott who made a distinguished contribution to this parliament my group and indeed my party.
i speak today on an issue that should unite this parliament the issue of mental health.
this is our first plenary since world mental health day and as we see the impact of austerity bite we see mental health services such as those in the uk stretched to breaking point.
it is time for our member states and their governments and indeed this european union to redouble our efforts to improve that situation to secure parity of esteem between mental health and physical health and to eradicate mental health stigma and discrimination.
together we can address this challenge and make sure those people who need a voice on this issue have many voices in this parliament.
on the screens we then saw that we voted on amendment.
on international agreements and on the delimitation between implementing acts and delegated acts they will come back to this parliament but what has been agreed so far has on the whole been well implemented. we have moved to having greater transparency in the legislative process.
if we adopt legislation at european level it is not as some in the media sometimes portray the european commission spewing out regulations on hapless member states who don't even know that it's being inflicted upon them.
we have moved to improve our legislative procedures.
secondly this is not about deregulation it's about better regulation.
so it is not about deregulating it's about regulating better.
we only legislate at european level where there is a high degree of consensus that it is advantageous to do so.
when we get it right european legislation is an exercise in cutting red tape for businesses because having one set of rules instead of twenty eight different divergent set of rules in a single market makes things simpler for businesses.
it needs the approval of this parliament and of the council the council composed of national ministers members of national governments accountable to their national parliaments who need the high threshold of a qualified majority representing sixty five of the population to approve anything.
this was very much a team effort not just between two co rapporteurs but between two committees and indeed among multiple political groups.
but it's not just how laws affect small and medium sized enterprises as some campaigners seem to sometimes imply it is about how the legislation affects other stakeholders consumers workers third parties government finances the environment.
all this of course is a question of getting the right balance and take impact assessments and the whole issue of what we are trying to do with them.
so the idea that we inflict legislation on hapless member states is nonsense.
it's a question of getting all of these things in balance.
we have improved the consultation of stakeholders and we have looked at and improved the process of impact assessments which are very important.
that is an important political safeguard and i would remind those people usually sat over there but i see none of them are here tonight those people who claim that the eu inflicts all this red tape and bureaucracy on small and medium sized enterprises.
yes we want to be better informed about the potential impacts of laws that we adopt in this parliament on those who will be affected by them.
they don't have to adapt to every single segment of the market adapting their product changing it changing the labelling changing the marketing everywhere. they have life simplified when we get european legislation right.
our task of course was to assess the implementation of this important interinstitutional agreement that we made with the commission and the council two years ago and overall our assessment is a positive one even if there are still two strands being negotiated
no there is a high threshold to adopt legislation at european level.
we have moved towards having better legislative planning.
when we adopt legislation it is usually for good reason and especially at european level.
this will be accompanied by various consultation activities and we will of course be in touch with parliament to hear your views.
as foreseen in the treaty if the commission does not submit a proposal it always informs parliament of the reasons for such a choice.
this information includes indications on the type of act planned adoption legal basis and whether an impact assessment will be carried out.
the first best is that parliament and the council in line with the commitments assess their own amendments.
two thousand and nineteen also as stipulated by the interinstitutional agreement i encourage parliament to pursue the endeavours in their own impact assessment work related to the substantial amendments.
sometimes soft law is just better to achieve the desired policy objective because it is more proportionate and better respects the principles of subsidiarity.
your resolution states that the commission should complement its original impact assessment when deemed necessary.
there were of course a limited number of cases where typically for reasons of political urgency we have not been able to.
it raises some important issues and will deepen further our interinstitutional cooperation.
we are also still busy working together on various follow up actions such as the criteria to distinguish delegated acts from implementing acts as mentioned already the traceability of the legislative procedure through joined databases and the cooperation and information sharing on international agreements as already pointed out.
we should also recall that the agreement was a delicate compromise between the three institutions and it is important to bear this in mind as we identify how to follow up on issues where parliament now calls for more ambition.
but as you know our agreement contains a monitoring mechanism to which the three institutions are committed. these issues will be for our next three part detailed stocktaking meeting the first of which took place last december in strasbourg and which already addressed some of the issues.
in its short lifetime the agreement has delivered some real improvements in how the institutions work together as mentioned by mr corbett for example the joint declaration on legislative priorities and the new interinstitutional register for delegated acts.
i hope this will also come to fruitful completion this year.
when this is the case we explain the reasons why.
as a general rule the commission is committed to present an impact assessment in support of its legislative proposals and i can assure you that when an impact assessment is necessary we do it.
we have to look at all the possible options and we have specific guidance for that in our better regulation toolbox.
let me use this opportunity to clarify that all responses to parliament's resolution are endorsed by the college and hence are political in nature.
the commission may do this for them if it considers this appropriate.
we intend to publish a report with findings in the first half of.
own initiative legislative resolutions receive a specific attention.
i want to underline that it is not an obligation but a possibility. the commission will launch a stocktaking of its better regulation tools in the course of this year and this will include the regulatory scrutiny board.
to improve transparency and predictability since two thousand and seventeen the commission work programme provides further information as far as available on the initiatives in its work programme.
citizens cannot according to the general court exercise their democratic rights if they are not in a position to even follow the legislative procedures and have access to relevant information and the court ruled that this also goes for the trilogue documents including the four column documents on
the treaty on the functioning of the european union obliges us to work as openly as possible.
if we fail to agree to fulfil our transparency obligations to the citizens we run the risk that the european court of justice will once again condemn us. let's not make it happen.
i am sure that was worthwhile but we must be much more ambitious in implementing the annual burden survey.
the point is we may create a simple piece of legislation at eu level easy for businesses and others to understand and comply with but when it is transposed into international legislation it does not always stay like that additional or completely unrelated elements are added to the legislation.
the abs should identify these cases of gold plating.
member states must always be free to adopt higher standards where only minimum standards are defined in union law.
by using the abs to bring transparency to the legislative process we can ensure that legislation remains simple clear and enforceable and we can make sure that europe is not blamed for unpopular legislation that has in fact been created by member states.
most importantly four hundred and seventeen british dead are the highest price of all and the most obscene because it is a war that has nothing to do with britain.
britain's contribution alone to the afghan farce according to the british ministry of defence is already over gbp eighteen billion plus gbp three billion in aid plus gbp four billion in equipment that is to be left behind plus gbp five billion that will be screwed out of the british taxpayer to run afghanistan for a further thirty years.
i have met with representatives of afghan women on several occasions and did so last in the margins of the bonn conference in december.
two thousand and fourteen with both the afghan government and international colleagues i emphasised the critical role that a uniformed police distinct from the military needs to play in any democratic society so that people can have confidence in the rule of law and the fair administration of justice.
we have begun negotiations with the afghan government on a new framework the cooperation agreement for partnership and development which will provide a legal basis for our cooperation in all civilian fields and assistance to afghanistan.
i stressed that while we would continue our engagement afghanistan's transition could not succeed without a constructive stance by its neighbours and we recognised pakistan's crucial role in this respect.
to improve the management of public finances and to advance human rights especially the rights of women and children.
the problem of drugs cannot be tackled by crop substitution alone.
there has been some real progress more than half the country and half the people are already under afghan security control.
it is crucial that we have confidence that our assistance is being used for the purposes for which it is intended to improve the lives of ordinary afghans.
the european union has much experience on how to advance regional cooperation and we stand ready to offer that expertise and support to afghanistan's neighbours.
i want to extend my personal condolences to the families of the four french soldiers who were killed on saturday.
as the transition advances it is right that we look to the government of afghanistan to set out its own long term strategy for the country.
on fourteen june we will have an important conference in kabul which will focus on increased regional cooperation advancing the heart of asia' initiative that began in istanbul last year.
in line with the recommendations of the report the eu will press for better coordination of donor support and a better alignment between the afghan government and donors on priorities.
of course we are now in the midst of three different conferences that will determine the relationship between the international community and the afghan government.
this will be a critical issue in any peace talks but equally we must continue to focus on afghanistan's governance and in particular the justice institutions they are key to ensuring that the afghan government is able to respond to the commitments it made in london in kabul and in bonn. this is one area where the eu can and must play a strong role.
the arlacchi report and i pay tribute to mr arlacchi who is here with us this evening is right to insist that we must and i quote ensure transparency and accountability in relation to the assistance provided to the afghan government international organisations and ngos'.
cooperation with the nato training mission is working well and as suggested in the report we continue to aim for a more complementary division of tasks at both strategic and operational level.
i welcome the fact that a full investigation has been announced and we will await the conclusions of that investigation and take action as appropriate.
i have read the allegations of mismanagement of the law and order trust fund by undp with grave concern.
our eupol training mission provides important support to this role training police and improving the links between the police and justice.
but equally insurgency remains a major threat to security across the country.
that is why we have laid such emphasis on the transparency of public finances.
honourable members will know that i have just returned from pakistan where i raised these issues with the prime minister the foreign minister and other leaders.
the afghan government is doing a lot but it needs to do more to fulfil those key commitments to hold credible and transparent elections;
we are working with the government member states and others in the international community to put in place a strategic framework and agreed priorities.
that meeting will highlight the important role countries in the region have to play in supporting conflict resolution better security and development.
we will consider joint programming of eu and member states' assistance as circumstances allow.
we expect that assistance from the eu budget will focus on where we can add most value on health agriculture governance and civilian policing.
then in tokyo next month there will be the opportunity for the afghan government to set out its development strategy for the country.
ten years after two thousand and one we have embarked on what the bonn conference called last december a transformational decade' sustaining our engagement but changing its nature and putting afghans more and more in control.
provided the government of afghanistan meets its obligations the eu and member states have committed to enhancing their assistance in afghanistan for the next ten year period.
that means the political will to drive through difficult reforms and it also means having the necessary security to allow development to take place especially outside of kabul.
public finance management; justice and human rights.
their stories and their leadership are remarkable.
last month i attended the nato summit in chicago where we set out plans to sustain and develop the afghan national security forces.
i believe that in many respects afghan women hold the key to the future of their country and we need to do our utmost to support them as the transition unfolds.
continued and increased afghan leadership will be vital to meeting these challenges.
i know that you met with our chief operating officer a few weeks ago and i hope that was a useful meeting.
the commitment though is there.
it requires us to continue to push hard on ensuring that what we believe should be done by the afghan government is indeed done and that we ensure that our resources are well spent.
but we have to recognise that this is a long term commitment and a commitment that moves us beyond two thousand and fourteen into the work we need to do on development.
justice and the rule of law can be not only talked about but can be seen to be effective across the country.
it means rural development it means health it means law enforcement and it means border management.
i believe you agree with me on that because only then will this process be truly inclusive representing the legitimate interests of all the people of afghanistan regardless of gender regardless of social status.
access to healthcare at a primary level which used to be less than ten is now more than.
sixty these are important alongside many of the other ways in which we can try and support this country into the future.
we said in bonn that we must see the region respect and support the peace process and its outcome.
mr president let me begin by saying that those in this house who believe that we need to commit to afghanistan will recognise that this is a long term commitment and that the stability and security not just of the region but way beyond the region are partly dependent on the success that afghanistan can achieve and the way that its people can be supported
but we have chosen to try and back the structures that we have actually got in place on the ground to try and work with the ministry of counter narcotics the ministry of rural development and the ministry of the interior because in truth trying to eradicate the cultivation of drugs is about a whole raft of programmes.
in addition eur one billion are spent by member states across the european union to try and support these efforts.
the european union spends eur two hundred million a year in afghanistan on a range of different programmes to try and support stability economic growth the role of women healthcare rural development a whole range of different projects and especially to support the building of a civilian police force so essential to the state's future when
we have to be clear that we need respect for the afghan constitution including its human rights provisions; i believe that is indispensable.
the eu and nato commitment to the stability and development of afghanistan but also to its security goes beyond two thousand and fourteen with perhaps a shift from combat mission to new training advising and enhanced assistance along the lines you have just described madam high representative.
two thousand and fourteen in the meantime we encourage an afghan led and afghan owned process of peace and reconciliation for a stable afghanistan which breaks ties with international terrorism and complies with the afghan constitution including its provision of human and women's rights.
the afghan police force has to further develop and professionalise. it should evolve towards a credible law enforcement force for the protection of the civilian population and the system of the rule of law.
as many colleagues said today we have to urge the eu member states and the dutch presidency for an immediate resolution or an immediate response. before blaming china we have to name the council and i hope to name but not to shame.
you said that if the uk had the power to decide on its own it would not be stopped by the other.
twenty seven now are you aware of the fact that it was not the other twenty seven that held back the uk but it was rather the uk that held back the more progressive countries in the eu?
on the instruments themselves there are potential areas we can cover without bypassing the wto framework and where we can truly help eu businesses especially small and medium sized ones.
my call to the presidency is to deliver not as soon as you can as you said but as soon as possible.
we should further investigate possibilities of using alternative methods in calculations of trade defence measures while taking into account special conditions of the third country market or while evaluating the level of damage to domestic industry.
while discussing the revising of our trade defence instruments we should continue to follow wto provisions which are per se non protectionist.
on the other hand we need to be able to make use of a variety of suitable instruments which would provide the eu economies and their sensitive industries with relevant and efficient levels of protection against unfair practices.
mr president first of all yes we need modernised trade instruments as soon as possible and not only because of the market economy status of china but also simply because there has not been any overhaul of the instruments for over fifteen years.
ninety nine and we know that as mr frdric bastiat concluded two hundred years ago when he wrote the candlemaker's petition many industries are willing to go to considerable extremes to get even more protection.
but there are many myths when it comes to trade defence instruments.
the most predominant one is probably that they do not deliver any protection at all and do not work to protect industries. but let us look at steel.
you have to find a balance between the producer industries' competitiveness and the user industries' competitiveness and the interests of the consumers.
therefore we as lawmakers have to take the responsibility to guarantee that we strike a balance in the broadest public interest and that is what i expect from you.
measures that have delivered rapid sustained and substantial degrees of import to the european union from eighty five to.
global overcapacity across industrial sectors in particular steel.
the debate clearly confirmed that there is an urgent need for progress on this legislative file.
we need to take this seriously and address these concerns.
we are therefore looking forward to the commission proposal.
this includes countering unfair trade practices while fighting protectionism and making the argument for trade as a means to create economic opportunities for workers consumers and companies.
however it is still too early to say which of the ideas put forward by the commission as well as by some member states will ultimately be acceptable for the council.
although the leaders' declaration refrained from mentioning china by name the g seven recognised the negative impact of global access capacity across industrial sectors especially steel on our economies trade and workers.
while being tough on trade defence we therefore need to engage china in a discussion on the global economy and its place in it in particular now that it holds the chair of the g.
last month during our debate regarding the market economy status for china we also addressed the issue of modernisation of the european union's trade defence instruments.
in the current crisis facing the european union's steel industry the european union has already been robustly applying existing trade defence instruments such as renewing anti dumping duties and applying new measures for certain categories of steel products investigating anti subsidy action launching new investigations and taking pre emptive action such as the new steel prior surveillance scheme.
the council is divided as is this house on certain elements and particularly on the disapplication of the lesser duty rule.
trade needs to be both open and fair.
as we indicated on that occasion the council has restarted technical discussions on the commission's two thousand and thirteen proposal and although these discussions are still at a preliminary stage it is worth noting that member states recognise the need for the modernisation of our trade defence instruments also in the context of the current situation of
for instance we need to ensure that the benefits of the global economy are widely shared.