kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
in this role of bringing the concerns of citizens forward to this house we have initiated this debate tonight.
as i said we have received a large number of petitions denouncing the violation of fundamental rights and infringement of eu legislation in connection with the lack of accurate consumer information related to practices in mortgage banking.
these petitions highlight a number of abusive clauses and practices in the spanish mortgage sector which have been identified by both national and european courts.
a large number of citizens became victims of financial fraud as their savings banks sold them very risky financial instruments and they were not duly informed about the extent of the risks involved in the proposed investment;
nor did the banks perform suitably tests to determine whether clients had the knowledge to understand the risk that they were undertaking. this has led to cases of terrible personal suffering and huge economic losses where citizens have lost their home and all
however i would like to stress that the aim of this question and the discussion tonight should be seen in a wider perspective.
our aim is to raise awareness and seek clarity regarding a general problem of bad banking practices that can be found all over europe not only within spain.
i would therefore like to stress that transparency and informed consumer protection will be essential components if we want to combat abusive terms in mortgage contracts and thus strengthen protection for borrowers. nevertheless on behalf of my committee i would like to ask the commission some questions related to this situation. i hope that the commission's investigation and conclusions will allow us to improve the situation for the petitioners
and also to ensure that we can avoid this kind of practice in the future and consequently improve the application of european union law.
has spain properly transposed mifid i or have spanish national authorities properly enforced the applicable provisions?
we are also asking what measures the commission has taken or will take to address the abuses committed by companies selling financial instruments that affect small depositors and small owners of financial instruments such as preferred shares
which in many cases have been marketed without full compliance with eu legislation.
i would like to know too if the commission is willing to take measures with regard to unfair clauses in spanish mortgage law in particular with regard to unfair commercial practices and the incorrect behaviour of the banks that provided all these people with the loans in question.
and let me say on a personal note that we should be full of compassion for the people who have suffered terribly but we should also make sure that future legislation is safe and sound for everyone in europe.
madam president as i said before eu legislation must be transposed and enforced in a satisfactory way so that the law fulfils its purpose.
the destruction of these monuments is not just a war crime and should be considered as an imprescriptible crime.
in the mediterranean and an important part of our dialogue with all our regional partners in this region.
two thousand and twelve we condemned this arrest and called for his immediate release.
so humanitarian and non humanitarian aid is delivered both inside syria and in neighbouring lebanon jordan iraq and turkey to refugees and host communities.
this approach is at the heart of the eu regional strategy for syria and iraq as well as the daesh threat which was adopted in march two thousand and fifteen and is currently being pursued and implemented.
the needs are overwhelming and an extraordinary effort is needed to mobilise significant funding ensure access to the people in need and aid efficiency.
it is first and foremost a strong reminder of the urgency to achieve a lasting political solution to the crisis.
the magnitude of the syrian crisis is testing the capacities of the entire international aid system.
secondly from the eu perspective an inclusive political transition in syria and inclusive political governance in iraq are crucial to sustainable peace and stability the fight against daesh and other terrorist groups must be conducted in parallel with the search for lasting political solutions.
humanitarian aid and longer term assistance are and will remain important pillars of the eu's response to the crisis in syria and in the neighbouring countries.
since the adoption of the geneva communiqu of two thousand and twelve and we hope that this will help reignite an inclusive political process on the basis of this communiqu.
on syria our position is clear it is the assad regime's brutal war against its own people massive human rights violations and systematic obstruction against democratic reforms that have contributed to the flourishing of daesh in syria. as a consequence of its policies and actions
there are undeniable reports of thousands of cases of arbitrary detention throughout syria. it is a vital report and documents such crimes to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.
the eu continues to fully support the efforts of un special envoy de mistura to achieve a reduction in violence that may create an environment conducive to a political process. the eu has participated in the geneva consultations on the political and security developments
to contribute to that effort we must remember that firstly while daesh is a single organisation and that a regional approach is needed to tackle it the circumstances in syria and iraq are different.
the fight against daesh and other terrorist groups will require sustained engagement and efficient coordination and more than ever the eu is determined to continue to use all relevant means to contribute to this effort alongside other regional and international partners.
our ultimate objective is to help build a democratic and pluralist syria where all minorities and vulnerable groups have a place.
it must be conducted in parallel with efforts to address the root causes of the political crisis in syria and iraq.
we are also determined to continue supporting the syrians and the neighbours of syria affected by the crisis.
the threat of deliberate destruction that daesh is exerting in archaeological and cultural sites such as palmyra may amount to a war crime according to the rome statute of the international criminal court.
efforts to reignite a political process must be inclusive involving women and civil society and must be accompanied by confidence building measures such as the end of indiscriminate bombing and arbitrary arrest or detention
the ancient site of palmyra right next to tadmor is also a symbol of syria's rich cultural heritage and identity.
the community is facing acute problems such as shortages of food water and medicine. in addition they could become targets of assad's airstrikes not to mention the brutal acts of isis militants.
however i want to emphasise again how crucial heritage sites are as testimony to the continuous presence of diverse communities in these regions.
the destruction of religious and historical patrimony goes together with the violence that is directed against these groups.
this resolution highlights how these acts can be considered as crimes against humanity and as cultural cleansing.
a destabilised state where any attempt to uphold free speech is doomed to personal disaster with heroic individuals concerned such as mr darwish consigned to imprisonment and worse.
mr darwish and people like him deserve our support in their time of need and by speaking up for the free flow of information they uphold that most fundamental tenant of democracy. however we must also recognise that all too often instances such as these arise due to countries such as syria becoming merely the stage for bigger and nationally vested battles.
i trust that any proposed intervention will be measured and in the context of protecting individuals and not furthering other interests that merely exacerbate the situation and contribute to the further abuses that we have already seen.
the ground offensive however clearly has a lot further to go.
relying on an ill prepared unwilling iraqi force and iranian backed shia militias can only achieve so much and in some cases is proving to be counterproductive in the campaign for sunni hearts and minds in iraq.
the fall of palmyra is of huge concern as we witness one of the world's greatest ancient ruins a testament to the great civilisations that have flourished in the middle east throughout the millennia being subject to the whims of a band of barbarian philistines.
tragic as this is however it is nothing compared to the loss of life the sexual violence enslavement and monstrous brutality that isis daesh is perpetrating across the region and we will do all that we can today to remember that as part of the debate.
as we think of the human cost of the crisis in the middle east it is apt also today in this chamber to discuss the case of mazen darwish who is a victim of the totalitarian run state that assad has left to administer.
it serves in some sense to remind us where much of the story began.
i very strongly endorse the comments from all corners of the house in respect of mazen darwish who we certainly do want to see released as quickly as possible.
in the eyes of the people of syria it is the same evil as isis and one man with a gun looks very similar to another.
as the commissioner said in the meantime we have seventy road deaths every day on roads in the eu. in the uk the latest annual figures show a four increase in road deaths from the previous year.
the commissioner is right what we actually need is a comprehensive approach. technical vehicle safety measures are important but are only part of the answer.
the commission has been expected for some time to put forward revisions to vehicle safety pedestrian protection and infrastructure safety rules as well as new targets and measures to reduce serious road injuries.
yes we need our passengers and goods to be able to move around our cities but prioritising pedestrians and cyclists and segregating them from other traffic wherever possible must be our ultimate goal.
pedestrians and cyclists are particularly at risk as the statistics show all too clearly.
as a representative from london i do want to focus on urban areas.
the commission is working hard to adopt the proposal to amend the general safety regulation and the pedestrian safety regulation.
notably they called on the commission to enhance the protection of road users and especially vulnerable road users by ensuring the deployment of new safety features for vehicles.
in the same package we will also present a proposal to improve infrastructure safety.
this is why we added road safety as an important part of the spring mobility package where it will be addressed in a very systemic
some of the issues you highlighted should be addressed at national and regional level but when it comes to leading the world with a highly ambitious and effective approach to improve road safety across the board you can rest assured that the commission will make every effort needed.
i hope i can count on your support.
member states certainly need to work on those issues. please encourage them.
on proper tyre pressure tyre pressure monitoring has been mandatory for all new passenger cars sold since two thousand and fourteen but light and heavy commercial vehicles as well as buses are currently not subject to tyre pressure monitoring requirements. the commission report suggests that tyre pressure monitoring should also become mandatory
but the good news is and this is worth mentioning that we have also engaged our neighbouring countries including the six western balkan countries turkey and the eastern partnership countries to join us in our efforts in an active manner because we travel in our neighbouring countries as well. on affordability
thank you for a constructive cooperation in the future as
our impact assessment will consider in particular the impact on consumers.
allow me to point out one more time that road safety is a shared responsibility.
the cost effectiveness of each specific safety device and technology is a key element of our preparatory work.
we have determined that this will be a costeffective measure to include in the package of measures so you can look forward to that.
we will only succeed if member states also adopt an integrated approach. on infrastructure safety let me restress that this topic will also be addressed in our third mobility package to be adopted in the first half of next year. our objective is to approach road safety in a very comprehensive holistic manner.
on medical prescriptions this is a perfect example of the need to raise awareness through appropriate training courses and information campaigns.
i certainly treat road safety as a top priority when it comes to my portfolio.
you rightly highlight in your report that we need to improve the state of road infrastructure to increase its safety. but before i conclude please allow me to address some of your comments.
our objective is to do this as part of the third mobility package in the first half of next year but this is not all.
the report rightly concludes that these are areas for improvement.
with these two steps together we are looking at a revolutionary approach to make trucks in cities a lot safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
thousands of lives were saved.
this was not explicitly developed in the report but it deserves our attention too.
but the second step is the most important one designing larger windows.
speeding is one the main killers on our roads.
but there is more good news. commission services have been preparing a revision of the general safety regulation and a pedestrian safety regulation.
we have received very broad support from the european parliament in this report but also from the member states' road safety advocacy groups and last but not least the automotive industry itself.
it detects that that car has drifted out of its lane for whatever reason on a collision course and steers the car back into its own lane.
advanced technologies can help us a lot in preventing traffic accidents from happening all together. one of the most effective technologies available today is automatic or autonomous emergency braking.
the second item i would like to discuss with you is the protection of pedestrians and cyclists in traffic.
we expect that other actors will play their part as well especially member state authorities when it comes to education training enforcement and infrastructure safety.
this way a collision between two cars can be prevented.
enforcement of rules by member states on speeding drink driving safety belts and other unsafe driver behaviour has already had a positive effect.
these measures already have a huge potential to protect eu citizens as standard equipment on all passenger cars.
in some countries the numbers are even on the rise and this is unacceptable.
this is why we are also looking into a ground breaking technology such as intelligent speed assistance.
it is time that we recognise the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to protect the most vulnerable road users against current truck designs such as blind spots. a first step is to add special detection systems to heavy duty vehicles that will know when pedestrians
seventy people.
thank you for the outstanding job that you have done.
over the last decades we made a lot of progress in road safety reducing the number of deaths quite significantly.
and even worse every year about twenty five five hundred people die on eu roads.
every year too many families have to deal with the terrible effects of the severe injuries inflicted to a quarter of a million people because of traffic accidents.
it recognises that road safety is a pan european issue that needs to be addressed through an integrated approach.
we must act and be more robust in our response because the outlook is not that good at all.
that is a bus load every single day.
this is also the case for improving driver training and road infrastructure.
but we should not stop there.
it is our responsibility to do more.
we do have to find a new way forward.
another major challenge for road safety is how to effectively deal with drivers who are too distracted to drive safely by themselves.
let us focus now on the accident avoidance technologies.
the car stops completely by itself when it sees that an accident is about to happen.
this has been done in a totally transparent and open manner by involving all relevant stakeholders from day one.
in essence we performed the ultimate peer reviewing exercise before deciding on what we should do and how.
another technology that we are looking at is emergency lane keeping system.
the commission fully agrees with those conclusions and this is why we have recently proposed new measures for example on the training of professional drivers.
the eu will absolutely be at the forefront of car safety when these safety measures are out into effect.
the work to draft the new proposed vehicle safety legislation is now in progress and we aim at including it in the third mobility package coming next year.
but in recent years this reduction has stagnated.
we know about the increase in road fatalities due to growing use of smart phones while driving.
our analyses show that when a driver can see the danger directly accidents with pedestrians and cyclists are prevented.
in fact these two advanced systems will also be used for automated and connected driving.
we have much common ground on the issue of car safety improving the safety of vehicles reducing road deaths and as you have said yourself commissioner on numerous occasions reducing the number of serious injuries on our roads because as we know from so many people these can have a horrific effect on individuals and their families. many
mr president i welcome the report and i welcome the inclusion of the circular economy in cohesion policy post.
i along with my colleagues will continue pressing for that because if you want a model of how not to do transition from one economy to another it exists in the way the united kingdom got out of producing coal.
i support that need for transition but a need for transition requires money.
some things might be better of course.
the agreement between the eu and ukraine is in force.
we have the mutual assistance we have the reform that shows considerable progress in the country and we have the ukrainian citizens who have been granted visas for short visits to the eu.
four years later we have to say yes we have delivered a bit.
mr president i believe support for today's report is important and my party has always stood firmly behind the collective defence of europe.
it is indeed a dangerous collection of forces that we face and i find it remarkable that we have a very very strange form of patriotism going on when people are prepared to sit behind the flag of their country and seek to demolish the structures that have defended their country over the last seventy years.
we can't on the one hand suggest that we should be relying on the united states and on the other hand suggest that we shouldn't step up to the plate and contribute to our own defence.
and at this time which is a dangerous time in our history i believe that it's important that european nations step up to the plate and contribute that two that is essential to our future defence in the face of isolationism in the united states.
we've heard an awful lot of that in the debate about the circular economy.
they have every right to regulate final outcomes.
if we think that there is environmental damage caused by waste or by pollution it is absolutely our role to say this is the minimum level now over to you to see how to meet it'.
during the debate i heard a really rather remarkably daft remark and it was that nation states have to be given the means and equipment to defend their cyberspace their cyberspace something which by definition has no borders.
and if we have something that by definition has no borders but is the public space it is incumbent on cooperation and the economies of scale that we have through the european union to contribute to that defence.
those who seek to exclude the united kingdom from future security arrangements will in future be seen as what they are putin's useful idiots.
the european union through its delegation in kathmandu and the embassies of the eu member states has been monitoring these developments in close contact with the tibetan community and the government.
this is not the first time this has happened.
on twenty march more than ten zero of them were effectively stopped from voting by the authorities.
the eu takes the view that tibetan refugees should be allowed to exercise their right to freedom of association in accordance with international human rights standards.
the fact that china has sought to interfere with an unofficial election taking place in another sovereign neighbouring state is an indication of its leaders' contempt for democracy and their paranoia about tibet. it is obviously irrelevant to china that time and time again the dalai lama tibet's spiritual leader has stressed that he seeks maximum autonomy for tibet not independence.
i hope that the high representative who is not here today will raise this episode with china and also with nepal whose own nascent democracy is kept afloat partly by eu taxpayers' money in the form of financial aid.
i also wish to take this opportunity to salute the courage fortitude and peaceful resistance of the tibetan people whose example is an inspiration to us all. nepal is indeed in a delicate position geopolitically and geographically speaking but it should seek inspiration from its democratic neighbour to the south india rather than from the repressive dictatorship which exists to its north namely the prc. democracy will i hope one day be the norm throughout the whole of asia.
i fear that if we go on treating turkish interests in this way we risk losing a key ally in a strategic area of great importance and encouraging all the wrong tendencies in turkey itself.
this is an aspect of our negotiations with turkey that will have to be dealt with in a particular and robust way.
we should also remember the may two thousand and four promise of the european union to end the isolation of northern cyprus a promise which was never fulfilled.
the eu has a moral duty here.
two thousand and four it was rejected by the south.
if i had time i would also make reference to croatia and other countries in south eastern europe which urgently need to address corruption organised crime and abuse of certain private property rights before accession in the case of croatia or candidacy can be taken forward with confidence.
of course many of us are deeply concerned about migration problems in relation to our nations.
there is a real opportunity between now and the presidential elections in northern cyprus in april which should be seized and this is a matter for all sides.
we all know that the process has not been entirely easy.
it is our hope that he is satisfied with the current level of efforts although it is of course also critical that these efforts are maintained.
sometimes you need to go to other parts of the world as i have the duty to do quite often to be reminded of how enormous this achievement really is.
commissioner rehn will go into more details concerning the commission's assessment of the progress of all these countries concerned and the presidency does share the assessment made by the commission.
indirect talks facilitated by the european union and the united sates in close cooperation are under way as we speak today.
some of them will have to travel a long and difficult road of reforms but were that door to be shut other doors would immediately open up to other forces and we might well see those parts of europe moving off in directions which over time will have negative consequences for us all.
there have been both the difficulties of the new members implementing our ever increasing policies and acquis and our difficulties in adjusting to our own success in the form of new members but when we look back it is easy to see that periods of enlargement have been periods in which we have also deepened our cooperation.