kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the government can only facilitate this process by creating a business friendly environment and investing in physical and human infrastructure.
the mff should envisage more spending on research and development education and infrastructure and cut back significantly on current subsidies including on agriculture.
as i always emphasise eu budgets are capital budgets and should not pretend to be similar to national budgets.
let me express my gratitude and appreciation for the very close cooperation we have had and for some important achievements probably the most important being today's vote which would not have been possible otherwise. mr president thank you for the trust confidence and spirit of cooperation you have personally shown towards the cyprus presidency.
once again quoting jean monnet nothing is possible without men nothing is durable without the institutions'.
the council notes with satisfaction that the european parliament confirmed the agreement we reached at the trialogue on twenty nine november two thousand and twelve and that the two thousand and thirteen budget as well as amending budget six two thousand and twelve is therefore adopted.
we together the members the persons and the institutions;
mr president please allow me two more minutes as this is the last time that i have the unique honour of addressing the plenary at least in this capacity representing the presidency of the council of the european union.
two thousand and twelve as we now have heard this statement from president schulz and have received the necessary signatures i hereby withdraw all our eleven budgetary amendments that is the amendments on figures while we of course keep our amendment on the resolution.
mr president for the sd group it has been a condition for approving the package on amending budget six and the two thousand and thirteen budget that we get this upgraded joint statement with the signatures of the presidents of the institutions in order to verify the need for an amending budget early in two thousand and thirteen to get the necessary additional resources to pay the outstanding bills for.
we note the valued role statistics can sometimes play but i propose that the plenary today rejects this proposal.
statistics are greatly lacking in many areas but this proposal is something that i hope will be reconsidered with an alternative being brought forward with proper facts in due course where the house can be confident of its added value at that time to the european taxpayer.
mr president after extensive consultation with members of the libe committee in the commission and eurostat the libe committee took the decision to reject this commission proposal on crime statistics.
victimisation surveys present too subjective a basis for this survey to have real added value. i emphasise that we greatly value the work of eurostat.
in these times of austerity and budgetary constraint the justification for a budget of eur twelve million for this proposal was not sufficiently demonstrated.
colleagues with your permission i will now move on to make some announcements and bring to your attention the following the screening of the three contending films for the two thousand and fifteen lux prize has started.
moreover today is a very special day and for the first time ever one of the films competing for the lux film prize mediterranea will be screened simultaneously in eight cities of the european union with the film director jonas carpignano attending the screening here in brussels.
colleagues i think we will express our sympathies just by listening to your fine words and we will also pass on your message about the plenary sitting to the president and his cabinet.
we know the invitation has been sent so we will ask for an update to answer your point.
i would also add something that has not been mentioned that we have also included fair compensation so we are still primarily marketbased and we are of course talking about last resort.
this debate is about security of gas supply. the surest way to do that is to ensure energy is readily available to those that need it most our elderly and vulnerable.
we suffered tens of thousands of excess winter deaths.
millions of brits face the tough choice each winter between heating and eating.
in two thousand and eleven these companies were exposed by a national newspaper as hiking prices in the uk way above and beyond prices in their own countries.
if it means bringing british energy back under british control to reduce prices then so.
in plain english that is folk who would otherwise be alive if they could afford decent heating.
mr president it is quite something when scottish power has its head office in bilbao spain.
i noticed that in your speech you spoke about diversity of energy supplies and during this whole debate people have been speaking about the concern about keeping control of energy supplies flowing.
in some ways the rules of this place and the single market prevent the british government from taking an active role in the economy and mr corbyn will not be able to fulfil his programme if we are still part of the single market or part of the european union.
outside of it we have new opportunities where the government if it wishes to take a golden share or own energy companies will be free to do so.
i think that when we have got tens of thousands of people dying every year because they cannot afford to heat their homes then everything every option should be on the table.
therefore i welcome the introduction of the solidarity principle and i strongly believe that the latter paves the way towards the achievement of a genuine energy union by making one of its cornerstones which is energy security for all more effective.
indeed safeguarding the security of gas supply demands more cooperation more coordination and more transparency in the common energy union.
the document we are discussing today again shows that the european union and closer cooperation among member states benefit european citizens.
i would like to raise one specific point the priority for gas supplies goes to households and essential social services so we know that we are protecting our citizens against any unforeseen and sudden disruption of gas supply.
but in indonesia as in europe we see that extremists and fanatics are sowing bigotry hatred and intolerance.
it is that which makes indonesia strong and appealing and inspiring throughout the world. i would say like europe the europe that i want.
i know well the extraordinary progress that indonesia has made since the first free elections in one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine in practising democracy and respect for human rights and civic and political freedoms.
we are not dealing with theories now.
one of the things that we do agree on is the need for better coordination between regulators and supervisors across borders so that they can act quickly.
we can also agree that where there is abusive behaviour in short selling that should be banned.
but that is banned under the market abuse directive so we have to be clear about what we are trying to achieve with this directive.
the problem is that if we ban this what will we end up with?
let us tackle the real problem of transparency ifrs standards and the way these instruments are dealt with by banks.
europe is in a demographic place where we will have fewer people in europe without immigration over a longer period of time and our economy will ask for people to come for a while and work here and then go back or not etc.
i think that this august parliament has a huge responsibility in taking back the message to the member states that there is no simple solution to this very complex problem but that there is one thing that is assured there is no national solution to this problem.
so you cannot have the naive answer of saying just let everybody in.
so we all share that problem and there will only be a collective solution to that problem based on a discussion where the responsibility lies and that is with the member states.
but that is not the only dimension of this issue.
i do not think at this stage that the finances are the most acute problem but if they are on a year to year basis the commission has always made sure that we had enough financing for frontex.
those of you who reject european integration that is fine that is up to you;
just look what would happen to the fabric of our societies if we were to do that.
you know if you have seen the reports of the informal councils that there is a long and deep debate about this issue.
' no! i would look for a way to save my children and i think that is completely justified.
this issue is not an issue where you can say that putting an end to free movement will help us to solve the challenge we face with people migrating to europe.
this is not a conspiracy of big corporations in a capitalist world to create migration flows.
that is why the commission will present a holistic approach to the migration issue because at the same time europe is struggling with illegal immigration it is struggling with the need for solidarity between european nations in tackling the issue of illegal migration and asylum seekers.
as part of that we will have to look at the way forward with frontex and the european asylum support office.
is there not?
migration is an issue with daunting complexity all sides of the migration issue and therefore i would warn against politicians who have very simple one dimensional solutions
if i were a father with children in homs or in damascus and i wanted my children to survive a terrible war and therefore i would try and flee to europe do you think that for one second i would ask myself is there free movement in europe or
come on let us not try and sell people this sort of nonsense.
this is a consequence of the world as it is today with many facets.
it is one of our absolute priorities.
member states by now understand that it is no longer possible to simply say that we should let the countries that are closest to the problem solve it by themselves because germany alone had more than two hundred zero refugees last year.
we would kill the fundamental values we share as europeans if we would deny people the right if they have to flee to flee to a safe haven.
this is not a competence of the commission or even of the european union.
these two organisations are part of the solution but not the only part.
just imagine what would happen to our inner cities if we were to have a completely open door policy in terms of migration.
the other dimension is that this is also an economic activity exploited by very dangerous criminals.
but sometimes you give me the impression of being a hammer and hammers only see nails.
but at the same time europe will need migration for our economy for our sciences for the structure of our societies.
there is only a european solution to this problem.
so we need to have a clever policy that addresses all these issues and that is why the commission will come up with a holistic migration policy.
in this regard i must note that the new legislative instruments of the common european asylum system will come into force this summer. this means that we will first have to assess the impact of these instruments. only then in the light of the results of that assessment could the issue of mutual recognition be discussed.
we will have to see if sufficient mutual trust exists among member states to introduce a mutually recognised eu protection status.
we should all continue this work.
i share the view that the tragic loss of life in the mediterranean is closely linked to the problem of human smuggling and organised crime.
this financial framework provides the basis for eu financial support on asylum migration and borders including allocations to eu agencies.
the union has numerous tools that should be more intensively applied and where necessary adapted to new realities.
honourable members several remarks have been made about the efficiency of the european asylum system.
as being potential departure or transit areas for illegal immigration or cross border crime.
secondly at the moment external evaluations of both easo and frontex are being conducted.
once more it has become clear how important it is to talk to each other and the more we cooperate the more successful we will be in face of the serious challenges that lie ahead.
in the coming years easo should continue to provide support and develop practical cooperation tools on issues relating to children and unaccompanied minors.
madam president i have no objection to genuine cooperation between sovereign nation states and it would make sense for all european countries affected by illegal immigration to contribute financially to external border controls.
but this is not what we are discussing.
everything here leads to an increase in eu power and dominion.
the commissioner said that frontex should lead to a common border control system.
he said that the council intends to focus on implementing a common immigration and asylum system and the harmonisation of asylum application rules.
these harmonised rules can be guaranteed to be more lax than the existing national rules.
the eu wants to decide how many migrants should be allowed in and to which countries they should be sent.
britain's representative on the council is of course david cameron.
our toolbox is limited but we need to use all the tools we have before talking about new routes.
we need to increase humanitarian aid and help the neighbouring countries that are receiving millions of refugees and support regional protection programmes.
those here who are demonising the great job that frontex is doing without offering any alternatives are just irresponsible as people are dying. member states should also fully implement dublin but that requires a eurodac function and again i would like to know what the commission and the member states are doing
how can we implement dublin which has just been revised in these circumstances?
again it is irresponsible.
we are talking about combating criminals who are smuggling women and children fleeing for their lives.
thirdly we are focused on mediterranean countries but looking to the east we should be prepared for a possible immigration flow. the situation in ukraine is deteriorating and the number of internally displaced people is nearly one million.
that is why both agencies should also be strongly involved in the activities in this area.
which are serious problems and therefore we started to fight them by closing the borders and starting to be protectionistic.
nevertheless commissioner i feel that a social pillar might be just partly about it.
some improvement of the necessary living and working conditions gender equality etc.
i believe issues such as this and the work life balance are extremely important particularly from a female point of view.
most of all i think we need to make sure that economic and social developments go hand in hand and that europe continues to be a world class place to live and to work. the proclamation of social rights by the social partners is very much welcome.
we have plenty of opportunities but we also have challenges and we need to shape these developments and to make very good use of them.
i also think the social scoreboards are very welcome because we know there is a wide divergence between member states when it comes to social rights yet we must respect individual states to make decisions for themselves.
we need a pillar of social rights for a social market economy to be successful and competitive now and in the future as well and that the living and working conditions in europe converge for the better for all.
further initiatives are included in the two thousand and eighteen commission work programme more specifically the social fairness package with proposals on a european labour authority access to social protection for atypical workers and a european social security number.
the tools for delivering on the pillar are in the hands of the member states the social partners civil society and the eu institutions.
your strong impetus helped to make the social pillar happen.
on seventeen november at the social summit for fair jobs and growth in gothenburg our three institutions the european parliament the council and the commission proclaimed the twenty rights and principles of the social pillar.
we look forward to working together as co legislators in an endeavour to promote the social dimension hand in hand with further deepening of economic convergence implementing and enforcing the single market in all its dimensions by june two thousand and eighteen
we must all do our utmost to make the pillar a reality for our citizens.
the european pillar of social rights also ties in with the discussion on the social dimension of europe taking place in the framework of the broader debate on the future of europe.
this is our shared political commitment and responsibility.
during the estonian presidency the council adopted political commitments to reduce gender segregation in education and employment to facilitate independent living and to respond to the ongoing changes in the world of work.
the pillar has rightly attracted a very high level of attention.
i would like to thank the european parliament for its strong commitment to a more social europe.
the council is also looking forward to working with you on the proposal to revise the written statement directive.
as far as the implementation of the pillar is concerned another very important instrument is the european semester for economic policy coordination.
we must respect national competences as well as the diversity that exists in europe.
we all agree on these principles it is now time to put our values into practice.
the purpose of the pillar is to serve as a guide towards more efficient social and employment outcomes while taking into due account different socio economic environments and the diversity of national systems.
the time has come to make sure that the pillar's rights and principles are effectively guiding our actions at european national regional and local level.
the joint employment report includes the new social scoreboard to monitor areas covered by the pillar such as the share of school leavers the youth unemployment rate or the impact of social transfers on poverty reduction.
we from our side will make full use of the european semester.
we proposed an initiative on work life balance and i welcome the estonian presidency's efforts to make progress on our proposal and i count on you to deliver on this important file within the mandate of this parliament.
we. can only build a fair and a more social europe by working together. our common goal is to improve the life chances of every european.
in europe we share important social values and we stand ready to defend a shared vision for a fair society now and in the future.
we want to ensure clarity for workers and employers on their contractual relationship irrespective of the type of the contract.
the aim of this proposal is to increase the rights for the most vulnerable workers.
as the commission president rightly said if we want to be credible we have to deliver.
we are also working on a social fairness package to be launched on seven march. two thousand and eighteen this social fairness package will include a proposal for a european labour authority and one on a european social security number to ensure that european union rules on labour mobility
i strongly encourage member states to continue their efforts to make the pillar a reality on the ground in close cooperation with the social partners and the civil society at large.
this is the message that i have just sent to all ministers social partners and all the stakeholders.
the employment guidelines as you know the legal basis for the country specific recommendations have been aligned with the principles of the pillar.
the european pillar of social rights should be a compass to guide us also in these negotiations. we count on the support of the parliament for working in this direction and to make the social dimension of europe visible also in the next multiannual financial framework
now after the proclamation the time for delivery has come and let me be precise on the expectations from the sd group.
but let me also say that we believe that updating social standards and social law is not enough.
mr president social europe is back in european debates and political initiative and the proclamation of the social pillar is indeed a very important moment to make sure that the roadmap for the future of the european union will be guided by this ambition to update our social dimension to cope with the new challenges.
we need to redirect social policies and economic policies and that is why the european semester is so important because the european semester must become a powerful process to coordinate these policies for upward convergence.
we are now really focused on making sure that all people in employment whatever the kind of job can count on two very important things.
do not deceive yourselves.
more the social fairness package promised by the commission as a concrete followup on the pillar has totally disappeared.
but this is woefully inadequate.
the joint declaration on the eu's two thousand and eighteen nineteen legislative priorities just being adopted mentions only at the very end and almost as an afterthought that progress is also needed on social protection and social rights referring to the twenty pillar principles.
its articles state that delivering on the pillar is a shared political commitment and responsibility while for the proclaimed principles and rights to be legally enforceable they first require dedicated measures and legislation.
this sort of delivery has shown the whole pillar exercise to be no more than a feeble excuse for further aggravating austerity including by injecting the so called fiscal pact into the treaties thus in actual practice delivering another severe blow to social europe.
the people will not fail to notice.
i noticed in your speech you were talking about this social chapter as being an important tool to be used against political parties in their own countries.
do you think that is the primary purpose of legislation and ideas coming out of strasbourg and brussels to interfere with the democratic process and to combat parties that you personally don't agree with?
thank you very much for your question.
as i said the social pillar is necessary to fix the things that have not been fixed. minimising the influence of extreme right parties is not something that i will be sorry about and if this is done i will be happy.
it will bring about tangible improvements in the living and working conditions of our citizens thanks to the engaged involvement of all stakeholders at all levels. when it comes to the implementation of the social pillar account needs to be taken of the different starting positions and situations of the member states.
the country specific recommendations in the framework of the european semester offer essential instruments for ensuring that all member states strive towards the same goals.
the european pillar of social rights gives a solid embodiment to our common values within the eu.
terms like social protection' economic convergence' and it's all tied in to the single market.
well the europhiles and faint hearts back in the uk when they tell us about soft brexit and staying in the single market what they really mean is staying in this having this kind of stuff imposed upon us and told what we can and cannot do.
what this is about is no control of our personal working lives no control over our businesses no control of us over our society.
the answer that must ring clear certainly from the united kingdom to this and i would urge all of our friends in europe to say the same is no no no.
only a true and clean brexit for the united kingdom will allow us a true independent democracy.
and we will then free the individual from the ever growing ever grasping deepening clutches of this superstate.
i absolutely want to make that clear to everyone in this room and around the world and especially in europe because over five hundred million people european taxpayers are being held in contempt by this ridiculous answer from the commission tonight.