kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
they show the best of british through their perseverance in the face of adversity.
you may have tried to wear us down dampened our spirits through the emotional rollercoaster of our negotiations but my belief in them is unwavering and resolute.
a no deal' which is mandated by the people and a general election. parliament does not have a democratic mandate for a second referendum or cancelling brexit and yet they are amending their way to it.
so i would like to celebrate millions of voters who stood up for what they believed in in two thousand and sixteen and still have the courage not to give up.
but we do not give up.
this is a clear breach of the uk government commitment to a joint report in two thousand and seventeen to allow unfettered access to the market in great britain for northern ireland businesses.
boris johnson has reheated theresa may's deal and would commit the uk to paying full budget contributions without proper representations in.
two thousand and seventeen if we want to remain serious about the discharge granted by the european parliament we cannot arrive at a different conclusion following the adverse opinion issued by the court of auditors and the issues identified by the olaf investigation.
this is why we call on the new management to continue its determined and transparent efforts to develop a more accountable trustworthy and efficient governance structure and related procedures.
lastly while recognising all efforts made to remedy the shortcomings of the past we cannot assume political responsibility for approving the budgetary and financial management of the agency in.
however when taxpayers' money is lost or spent without fair procurement and competition the european parliament must point out such cases so that they can be prevented in the future.
their commitment to reform has shown results at both financial and human resources level.
you should be ashamed of your party.
indeed the question of the legal basis calls into question the very applicability of the ordinary legislative procedure in this file.
i commit to keeping you informed of any further developments and i hope that we'll be able to find a way to reach a council position.
consultations with delegations are ongoing with a view to achieving further progress on this file but you will understand that i'm not in a position to make any specific commitments today.
i am very much aware of the importance of this file for the european parliament which adopted its first reading position in march this year.
mr president honourable members of parliament let me first thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss this topic. this is an important topic indeed and this proposal presented by the commission in two thousand and sixteen is one of the numerous legislative proposals aimed at fighting base erosion and profit shifting.
however there were and still are unsolved political issues which still prevent an agreement in the council.
we have had the opportunity on several occasions to exchange views on the progress the council has made in the area of taxation and indeed there has been significant progress.
i must emphasise that public disclosure of information does not automatically mean increased tax revenues. solid tax laws and well equipped tax authorities are key in this respect.
the toolbox already includes country by country reports by the largest multinational corporations and these reports can be accessed by tax authorities.
the competent working party has examined the proposal since april two thousand and sixteen and further meetings are planned under our presidency.
whereas the parliament is in favour of keeping the legal basis proposed by the commission our legal service is of the opinion that the legal basis should be article one hundred and fifteen of the treaty on the functioning of the european union which is a taxation article and therefore requires unanimity instead of article fifty paragraph one which is a single market article and requires qualified majority.
work has advanced well under the successive council presidencies that preceded us and we intend to move forward as much as possible.
on the council side we will probably still need more time in order to clarify our position.
we know johnson cannot be trusted.
two thousand and sixteen seventy four out of seventy five polls in the last year show a majority for remain so please friends be in no doubt about the strength of pro european feeling in the uk.
he wants the council and this house to increase the pressure in westminster but the deal raises very serious questions.
that is the will of the people.
i too believe it's been a waste of time and energy and i agree with so many of you that things should not be artificially rushed now.
it has changed since;
on saturday i marched with hundreds of thousands of people through my capital city london to call for a people's vote on any final deal. you will have seen the pictures a sea of pro european sentiment on the streets of london.
we know the aim of the brexiteers is to undermine social and environmental standards so hard won not to increase them.
and yet here we are our new prime minister who has lost every single vote in the house of commons so far an historically unprecedented record of failure is asking the eu to help dig him out of his own ditch.
i too deeply regret this.
ten cents more per person per week might well be worth that.
because we achieve a great deal more together than we will ever achieve as individual member states.
it is equivalent to slightly less than one percent of gni. the rest of public expenditure in the united kingdom above that one is.
but let's be clear about what we're talking about in this budget.
we need to ramp up research we need to ramp up innovation and we need to ramp up investment in the areas which will gear us to a modern green economy that can address the future and address climate change adequately.
because it's essential that the budget authority works together well.
we know and the commissioner has said that it is a question of implementation and as our colleague just mentioned implementing such complex legislation is also very difficult.
it's eleven years i think that we've waited for this to happen.
this is a very special directive president and i really congratulate the finnish presidency for putting it on the epsco council on thursday.
good anti discrimination legislation changes society and helps the individual and good horizontal eu discrimination legislation will change the european union if we publicise it and we implement it.
this is the prospect that we have here and i hope we take this opportunity in hand.
i want to leave these two messages for colleagues today.
it's not ten years;
when we have the european union we currently have and we say we are a european union of values to have such a directive on such big areas such as age discrimination disability lgbt is very special.
i'd just like to remind you that your slogan in two thousand and sixteen was take back control' and that's what our parliament's doing.
it proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the eu is not here to make life difficult for the uk.
in fact we were able to negotiate agreements with three different prime ministers in the uk mr cameron mrs may and now mr boris johnson.
and of course an agreement will allow us to promote an orderly brexit and avoid the risk of a catastrophic nodeal.
now the position of this parliament and the position of our group is completely clear we will not proceed with any consent vote until the uk parliament has approved the agreement.
and when we say the agreement has to be approved we mean the final ratification in the uk parliament after all amendments have been considered including the one that is asking for a final say of the people in a second referendum.
and if an extension becomes needed the position of this parliament was already stated and it's clear we will support such an extension and we do support the most important political statement made here today by president tusk that our decision will never be nodeal.
if so the council will have for sure the support of our political group but also indeed the support of this parliament.
mr president some people have to go over more hurdles in life than others do and i think it's shocking that one in five europeans have been subject to discrimination in their lives.
i'd like to know from the commission how many people with a disability work in the european institutions and how more job opportunities can be created for all of them because i think it's important that europe works for all.
so i think if we are to be honest with ourselves if we are to talk about the challenges facing europe demographics aging population environment the lack of research and development and innovation in the european union and the many other areas that we have failed to invest in not necessarily the european union itself but national governments there must be an obligation on us to revisit how we assess
future investment how we assess investment in infrastructure and in development and in areas of the economy for long term development.
i genuinely believe that the european union budget is a small aspect of an overall challenge that we have to face.
so i would call on others to look at this particular issue and for us to revisit that particular pact to unshackle governments in terms of long term investment in environment education and infrastructure and the other critical areas that will make this european union more dynamic.
it's a messy and an ugly compromise and if the british mess further and ultimately give a unionist consent veto there will never ever again be a stormont assembly.
this deal as agreed mitigates the worst damage of brexit.
but cows and sheep get eu standards whereas people get potentially lower british standards on workers' rights consumer rights environmental protection no level playing field.
we're allowed to hang around the eu house but it's still only a half way house.
people want the real thing.
irish unity is the agreed way forward for the people back into the eu.
this house should recognise that.
there are a lot of good things that you should be commended for and the work of your team too should be appreciated like making efforts to strengthen the single market increasing the security of our energy supplies
these initiatives should not go unnoticed.
the eu as i see it was always supposed to be about bringing peoples and countries closer together not pushing them further apart.
without sufficient resources to monitor the commitments we risk leaving with empty words and that is absolutely not what we intend as a parliament.
when we think about these commitments it's about eradication of child labour freedom of association fighting climate change commitments on gender equality and of course human rights.
at times when multilateralism and the wto is under very firm attack we as a union should do everything within our power to strengthen that and in that sense the wto parliamentary conference is a very useful tool in discussions on shaping global trade policy.
north macedonia and albania have done everything we have asked of them.
they have made important changes at real political costs.
for those who oppose negotiations they must make clear what further actions are needed and moreover they must help north macedonia and albania to complete these actions through financial and political measures. we cannot leave these countries without a clear path forward.
ms phillips describes the reduction in standards which would ensue in the event of the united kingdom leaving the european union.
does she have no belief no self confidence and no understanding of the great british values that we have instilled across the globe for the betterment of mankind and indeed the freedom of the continent in which we now sit?
madam president there is currently a tale being told in the uk and to be honest some of the statements of people also here in this room haven't really helped it.
and this tale is that the eu is tired of us they want to get rid of us and they want to mind their own business.
and we have to make absolutely clear this parliament is still also the parliament of the british citizens.
the eu is not tired of british people and also the eu is not tired of having sensible and constructive negotiations.
this project is built on multilateralism so we love negotiating and finding common solutions.
but what we are tired of is prime ministers that are giving promises that they cannot live up to.
what we are tired of are prime ministers that are using divisive language at a time especially like this.
you've been a true friend to the united kingdom.
i didn't expect to be proven right as quickly as i have been. even overnight we saw very worrying moves that a delegated legislation committee stuffed with government mps has approved ending the rights of residents of eu nationals in the uk self employed and business owners.
eu nationals were told in advance of the referendum that nothing would change.
it's changing now before the text has even been ratified.
so what to do?
you must deal with the interlocutors you're dealt.
i respect that.
mr johnson's government hangs by a thread and its word cannot be trusted even if there was good faith and an intent to implement it.
we have not consented to this.
let's be real colleagues.
there is no possible way that westminster can conclude proper ratification of this deal this week.
we should not lend the credibility of this parliament or the council to collude in that shabby deception.
time is the great healer.
an extension has been requested albeit through gritted teeth by a prime minister who is desperate to pretend he hasn't but an extension has been requested.
grant it for a year longer.
we will not.
we are trying to find solutions.
there is a refugee crisis in jordan lebanon and in many countries in africa but here in europe we have a crisis of solidarity which means that some member states have had to bear more responsibility than others.
i want to thank those that have shown compassion moral compass and leadership by shouldering this responsibility when others have shrugged their shoulders turned their back and forgotten true european values.
we do need to have a better common european asylum system by facilitating coordinating and strengthening practical cooperation among member states on the many aspects of asylum and i include my country the uk in that list due to the hostile environment created by theresa may when she was home secretary and which continues today.
contrast salvini's cruel policies of turning away migrant vessels in italy and criminalising those who gave aid and assistance with the brave actions of pedro snchez who opened the spanish ports to refugees just a few days after taking office.
madam president as i'm hopefully soon to be an exmep allow me to offer this house some advice.
the eu is seen by many as closed bureaucratic and opaque a place where citizens have no influence over the decisions being made.
the eu is perceived as an institution that spends vast amounts of taxpayers' money as we can see in this budget on things of little interest to ordinary people.
as sure as the turning seasons the european parliament proposes a budget which will see more money than ever before flow into the eu coffer.
however democracy is about people feeling that they have influence over decisions that affect their lives and i believe this was the original intention of the principle of subsidiarity. may i therefore suggest that this house switch off the auto pilot stop the ever increasing centralisation respect the principle of subsidiarity and let national governments decide whether decisions are better taken by them or whether to refer it to brussels.
this way you might find that the popularity of the central government and the engagement of the citizens improves dramatically as i expect will happen in the uk after we have left this institution.
in exactly that vein would he like to apologise for his oft repeated quote that nobody is talking about leaving the single market' which he said repeatedly during the leave campaign and indeed his subsequent conversion to the view that eu citizens' rights are not going to be the same?
mr president madam minister this proposal related to large multinational global companies aims to increase transparency and therefore discourage profit shifting.
this is not only beneficial for national tax authorities but also for local businesses many of them smes who compete at home against such companies yet do not have the advantage of being able to spread their tax as expenditures across multiple jurisdictions.
it is also a tool to promote transparency when it comes to digital economy.
there is a general consensus that the current taxation landscape is not fit for the global digital economy.
it is important that our rules are modernised in order to reflect this.
the eu can act most effectively to address concerns with aggressive tax planning when it is unified not only within its single market but also at international level.
can you dispute the concept that america has thrived since leaving an undemocratic union?
it also talks about the importance of climate action young people and human rights.
growth is increasing emissions are increasing but climate action is not even running at a standstill.
i also believe that more budgetary margins should be mobilised.
you talk about human rights.
the right to housing; the right to health care.
you talk about european values and helping ngos that that would underpin democracy and the rule of law.
rule of law!
what about the imprisonment of the catalonians?
madam president although johnson is trying to bounce the westminster parliament into rubber stamping the brexit deal our parliament should do its job properly.
we need to accord this treaty which is so crucial to the interests of the eu and the uk sufficient scrutiny.
since brexit was clearly intended as an attack on european standards and on the integrity of the single market we must not allow brexit fatigue to weaken our resolve. we must defend those standards.
we welcomed mr barnier's idea of the level playing field preventing the uk from undercutting the single market and its standards on environment workers' rights and tax.
but in this deal johnson has moved those restrictions from the withdrawal agreement to the political declaration which will not be legally binding.
this is a clear signal that they are preparing the uk to become singaporeonthames and is a threat to the integrity of the single market.
our european parliament has already agreed that we will not agree the deal before the westminster parliament does and we must stick to that in spite of any pressure that might come from the council to make hasty and risky decisions. our job is to ensure that we protect the european project and the interests of present and future eu citizens.
there is a risk of divergence on everything from workers' rights to environmental standards to taxation due to the decision to scrap the level playing field from the withdrawal agreement and place that in the political declaration.
the eu would walk away from free trade negotiations if there is too much divergence and it is unrealistic to think that such negotiations could conclude in only a year.
this is a task set up to fail by a british prime minister who won't need to clear up the mess because he'll probably be removed from power in a general election soon.
his self imposed deadline should not dictate the futures and freedoms of young people our fellow europeans in the uk and brits living elsewhere in the eu.
president tusk has acknowledged receipt of the letter requesting an extension.
madam president just to say at the outset i again accept the fact that the united kingdom voted to leave the european union. but in that context i think it's important that those that were supporting the uk leaving will acknowledge that by leaving without a deal it will have profound implications on the island of ireland and it will have profound implications for the peace process.
the fact of the matter is that this particular issue was not debated during the referendum itself and it has now become a key issue in the context of the withdrawal agreement and the discussions between the european union and the uk.
but let us be very clear it is not the european union that is stalling the uk leaving the european union it is the uk parliament itself and they are involved in a process and whatever comes from that process it has to be close to the withdrawal agreement that has been agreed to ensure there's no diminution of the impact on the island of ireland that this particular agreement is there to protect.
so i would say that we need to ensure that we have proper democratic scrutiny in the house of commons and for that to come to a conclusion and here in the european parliament.
and finally may i say there can be no diminution of european citizens' rights in northern ireland people from the european union that have made northern ireland their home.
it will be a shameful process if we have deportation of european citizens from the island of ireland.
but we can see that sometimes dedication and effort is not enough.
they were quite happy to go along with boris johnson's timeline for brexit but not to follow the long held eu line encouraging north macedonia and albania to join our european project.
the council were willing to accept the promises of a liar prime minister in the uk but not willing to keep their word when it comes to good neighbours in the balkans.
we have made a promise to north macedonia and albania and not honouring that promise could be a historic mistake.
regarding the uk what kind of international treaty should be rushed through without proper process or scrutiny?
the council has tried to bounce this issue back onto the european parliament without allowing sufficient time for consideration and reflection before rejection or ratification.
brexit will not magically go away. if the deal passes this is just the end of the beginning rather than the beginning of the end.
most labour voters even in leave seats voted remain at the time of the referendum.
that is now even more the case because labour leave voters have now seen that brexit is a right wing neoliberal project driven by the right wing of the tory party that will harm workplace rights that will harm their economy that will cost jobs that will do no good whatsoever to britain.
and that's why the labour party has rightly taken the position that any brexit outcome now should go back to the public to decide.
i thank you for this change of policy which now has made possible for finland to propose to open the blockage that we have had for several years.
i would like to say that this friday you as the presidency have a golden opportunity to live up to these worthy words that were written into the government's programme.
i would like to say to those member states who have been and who may still be against the proposal shame on you!
it is a disgrace that the european parliament needs to remind the council of its duty to conclude their first reading so i wish you very good luck.
let me also say that since finland is a frontrunner in transparency it would be very important if you would publish the outcome of the working group on friday including the names of the member states and their positions on this very important matter.
madam president the border in ireland is already too hard. it has frustrated the economic social and political development in our country and resulted in a conflict for which too many paid too high a price.
the good friday agreement and our shared membership of the eu have together been the instruments that have allowed us to undo some of the damages of partition over the past two decades.
that is why brexit has been such a dangerous development.
it has risked our peace process and our all ireland economy.
even the deal that was negotiated last week will create new problems for and relating to the border in ireland.
we support it because it is better than the alternative but the deal cannot be further diluted.
there can be no veto no opportunity for any one party to hold every business every farm every worker every community across the island of ireland to ransom.