kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
secondly we need to fill the funding gap that was left by president trump but not only in response to him reinstating the gag rule.
but now we need to make sure that these guidelines are actually transmitted through the practitioners in the field so that people know that they have the backing.
if we want to lead it has to be structural.
you have our support because the european union must not only accept standards imposed by third countries;
it is very necessary that the european union gives a strong response and i very much welcome the very positive attitude of the european commission.
we must lead in the world we must set the standards.
but maybe i would rather address the citizens of the european union who should understand that the agenda of the so called populist parties is not just about nationalism anti eu or national sovereignty;
finally we are going to table amendments to the budget this year in order to strengthen the funding.
it sends a very strong signal to the trump administration and women around the world.
women should know what their rights and their options are so i would call on the commission to do this proactively.
first of all i would like to ask the european commission about the two thousand and fifteen letter about women who are pregnant as a result of rape in conflict and you consider that that is covered by international humanitarian law.
first of all you may be assured that the european commission will remain alert on this issue.
and i would like to be clear our policies are driven by our own priorities and by our own values not by what others do or stop doing.
and the legal framework of the country of course which could influence the security of both the woman and humanitarian workers.
aid. over the past decade the commission has allocated around eur two hundred million annually from the humanitarian budget to healthcare including sexual and reproductive health.
in this context decisions on how to treat women and girls are always better left to doctors.
this policy requires foreign non governmental organisations to certify that they will not perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning ' as a condition for receiving us global health assistance. this also includes ngos receiving funds from outside
so the commission is concerned about the possible implications for our objective of achieving universal coverage in health and reproductive health services particularly in developing countries.
people here will not be affected by this decision and certainly the men who surrounded president trump when he signed it into law will not be affected by this decision.
and just a few days after the conference in brussels on she decides'. this is a debate we should not really be having because a woman's access to family planning should not be a political football to be given and withdrawn depending on who is in government.
every day eight hundred and thirty women die from preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth.
we can support the she decides' initiative and i pay tribute here to lilianne ploumen and the swedish danish and belgian ministers who organised that conference and brought over fifty countries together to raise funding.
commissioner you indicated that the commission was willing to do this and will be talking about it in the council on thursday with ministers. i hope you will come back soon and tell us that the funding is being made available and that we will back the she decides' initiative.
so what can we do here in the eu to counter this policy?
we voted for the report by claire moody this morning with a very big majority calling for eu funds to counter the cuts caused by the global gag.
all the evidence from the last period when the gag was in place shows that the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions increased when the global gag came in.
we can also look at our own wider funding and prioritise srhr spending in our own plans. we have got a review of the dci coming up and of the edf in the midterm.
let us look at what we are doing already.
an estimated two hundred and twenty five million women globally lack access to modern contraception.
in particular it does not seem right to me that it is a decision that has been taken by people who will not be affected by it.
the fact of the matter is this is a decision for the government and people of the united states of america and to call it war on feminism as someone did is hyperbole and just demeans their argument. we must look back in history and acknowledge that this legislation is a political football even in the united states.
in the end i believe it is not for the european parliament to tell the us government what to do.
just to clarify one misunderstanding we are not actually debating the us budget here.
we may deplore what the united states has decided but we cannot change it.
madam president donald trump is certainly proving the substance of his misogyny to the world because stifling global funds for women's reproductive health was one of his first acts as president.
therefore i applaud the european governments which have come together and pledged to replace us aid money that is being pulled away worldwide.
let us all commit here to replace every dollar withdrawn with money from europe.
i hope that the commission and all the eu governments will step up to the mark.
however my own uk government has not yet committed to the initiative.
i think that theresa may's holding hands with president trump hoping for a trade deal at any cost shows that she has lost international credibility on issues such as this.
it is only through solidarity and cooperation that we can turn back this misogynist tide.
schuman certainly was a great european politician.
mr kripek can i ask you whether you have ever spoken to a woman who got pregnant even though she did not want to?
mr president thank you so much commissioner for everything you are doing.
today my thoughts really go to all these women and girls who are at risk of losing a very important health programme.
the risk is that women's mortality is going to increase and that there will be more illegal and unsafe abortion.
last week we were marking the international day of women. we met fantastic women from tunisia morocco kosovo all over the world.
we were told terrible stories of a woman that was found with a piece of a television antenna in her uterus because she wanted to interrupt her pregnancy. another one had drunk pesticide and died.
is not whether you are for abortion or against abortion.
we are talking about humanitarian law health safety child protection and women's rights are human rights.
no woman or girl should have to risk her life to have a baby.
that is what we are talking about.
there is a chorus of concern that is coming from ngos save the children and the united nations.
europe has to step in.
this is our opportunity to show leadership.
trump's sexism is as bad as the problem that we have with security in europe and with free trade with the new administration.
i am glad that the she decides' campaign has been so successful.
i am glad that today we have voted to devote european funds to compensate for this setback.
i hope that more pledges will come and the test is going to be next week at the united nations conference on the status of women.
it has also been found that the policy does not reduce abortion.
i strongly believe we cannot make any compromise on gender equality.
the eu has to ensure the effective implementation of its international aid programmes in view of the restrictions imposed by partner donors.
mr president i note that amendment twenty nine has been withdrawn by the socialists for reasons that i cannot understand so therefore to ensure that we can vote on this on behalf of the alde group i confirm that we will take over this amendment.
the euro area must be strengthened yes but not at the expense of the wider union.
they are the principles on which the european union is founded and they reflect the right and proper role of the institutions.
if we want to ensure the viability of our common currency and if we want to prevent in future the kind of crisis europe is experiencing today this is fundamental.
as a result at the meeting of the working group last thursday the commission tabled amendments to ensure that the text is institutionally acceptable.
the necessity of democratic accountability the importance of the european institutions and the need to integrate the agreement into the current european treaties.
second together we are rejecting drafting that could have established parallel intergovernmental coordination of economic policy outside the european union framework.
the commission has always considered that these new norms should be enshrined in the current treaties in the lisbon treaty. for the reasons you all know because unanimity between all member states was not possible that could not happen.
we are insisting first on a correct clause safeguarding primacy of eu law and its full application in particular that of eu procedures whenever the adoption of secondary law is required.
third that the text reflects an adequate openness of euro summits to all member states and recognises the position of the president of this parliament.
we remain confident that reasonable solutions can be found.
the commission delegation will continue to participate constructively but vigilantly in this process.
the heads of state and government therefore took the decision to proceed with this international agreement or as some prefer to say international treaty. the commission left no ambiguity about the priority being an agreement that respects a certain number of principles namely the primacy of european union law
third together we are insisting on language acknowledging the need for the european union secondary legislation to implement key elements of the package agreed at the last european council.
all member states who agree with these principles should be associated with our position and i am very grateful to this house and in particular to the european parliament delegation for its support in working for this common goal.
we must also keep in mind that this agreement is an essential element of a larger package of action to respond to the sovereign debt crisis including a strengthened and anticipated european stability mechanism which is urgently needed for the stability and coherence of the euro area.
second that the member states express their readiness to support a commission proposal that will strengthen the six pack' by introducing for euro area member states a new range of medium term objectives in line with the limits of the agreement.
mr president today we are discussing this international agreement as part and only as a specific part of a wide ranging and comprehensive approach for stronger discipline increased convergence and reinforced coordination and governance particularly in the euro area.
they are the principles that insist on the integrity of the entire european union and all its member states.
working in close cooperation our delegations to the negotiations are achieving important progress. first together we are firmly opposing attempts to develop new institutional set ups.
the principles we are defending are the principles of democracy and accountability.
what is worse if anything is that the european council diverted valuable political energy and resources away from facing the reality of the crisis. in the aftermath what we have seen from many quarters is an attempt to make scapegoats out of those who neither caused the problem nor have the power to implement a solution.
congratulations to him for speaking the truth for a change.
but furthermore let me say a word about the attacks that we have seen in this parliament and from the commission on the ratings agency.
it is a little bit like blaming the weather forecasters for the rain in brussels and when the commission announces that it intends not to tackle the problem but rather to regulate the way in which it is reported then i know we really are in serious trouble!
let us speak plainly because the recommended medicine for many of the eurozone members at the heart of the crisis will kill the patient long before it can possibly achieve a cure.
they are being asked to make ultimately futile gestures and not to pursue serious solutions because their debts in many cases are simply unsustainable and their fundamental uncompetitiveness is not being addressed by any of these measures.
the obligations of continued eurozone membership are strangling the prospects of economic growth for a generation.
in the medium term they need substantial economic reform;
in the short term frankly they need devaluation. the proponents of this treaty are in my view deluding themselves and attempting to delude the rest of us.
mr president there is a very bad case of denial in this chamber this morning a total refusal to accept that the euro project is failing.
it is all on the verge of going belly up and yet when the credit rating agencies tell the truth you try and pretend it is not happening.
you are driving these countries into depression just to save your euro project.
but i must acknowledge that you have lost absolutely nothing when it comes to your powers of deception.
it is to be legislation where you know you have a majority in this parliament and you know under qualified majority in the council you can get everything through.
why are you doing it this way?
the peoples of europe particularly in the case of the south need to get out of the euro to have devaluation and a chance to re establish themselves again.
you are denying them that chance and by pushing the community method' you are destroying democracy in europe.
i hope you are all very proud of yourselves.
it could help us to fund the transition to a renewable energy future and be a catalyst for making industry more sustainable.
but the eib is currently funding projects that do the reverse.
madam president what can a bank like the european investment bank achieve? this year's report from parliament includes suggestions for improving the bank's performance in several areas.
it could help us crack down on tax avoidance by ending loans to companies registered in tax havens and providing full transparency on beneficial ownership.
indeed the parliamentary report includes a green demand to boost investment in sustainable industry.
in the uk the bank is investing gbp five hundred million in the construction of incinerators including the deeply unpopular incinerator in st dennis in cornwall.
then of course we have the enhancement of our advisory capacities within the framework of the european advisory hub and the third pillar is all about removing barriers to investment and structural reforms.
the investment plan for europe the juncker plan with its three pillars is another exceptional response to exceptional needs. negotiations between the council parliament and the commission to finalise the regulation were concluded in may last year. that was in record time and we are very grateful for that. the plan consists of course of three elements.
to do. we also look forward to continuing our very close cooperation with the commission in this crucial effort.
eu. fifteen memoranda of understanding have been signed with the national promotion institutions with an additional seven in the pipeline.
following up with a eur ten billion capital increase in two thousand and twelve we increased lending by eur sixty billion supporting an extra eur one hundred and eighty billion of investment not as was foreseen by the end of two thousand and fifteen but already in march.
the investment plan for europe is important for our economy but europe also has global responsibilities and the council the commission and sometimes parliament remind us of that as well. we need to ensure that in future the eu bank will have the necessary personnel and financial resources instruments and platforms to support eu external policy and development efforts all the way to climate policies in particular.
let me recap on what we have achieved since two thousand and fourteen the year under review.
we have proposed to our board that the eib could do more both in europe to finance the infrastructure needed to cope with the new arrivals and outside europe on private sector development in countries of origin and transit.
higher volumes of traditional lending and advising activities were and are still needed to make an imperative contribution to european goals and to respect the eib's ongoing responsibilities as the eu bank.
we will continue to do so including by using the additional firepower under efsi because we have to address the huge investment
in other words although the institutional setup was only completed at the beginning of this year we have also done more than twenty five of the volumes we have promised within three years.
let me take the opportunity to update
eur. eleven two billion to more than two hundred and twenty projects in twenty five member states which will trigger an overall additional investment in europe of over eur. eighty two one billion.
our plans were ambitious both in form and substance.
at the same time the eu bank took upon itself an unprecedented challenge and gladly accepted to play a central role in the investment plan for europe a role which required a quantum change in the business in the bank's business profile for some years to come. after the crisis began in two thousand and seven we increased our lending by sixty in two years.
union. first among these current pressing issues is the eib's response to the refugee crisis and how the eib can contribute beyond what is already being done both in europe and in the region of the middle east and north africa.
very good close cooperation with the services of the bank and myself. having said this let me start by expressing my appreciation for the support you as the european parliament give us to ensure that the eu bank will continue to deliver benefits for the eu economy and for eu citizens as well as contribute to common european objectives in our external activities.
simultaneously a network of partner institutions keen to work in cooperation with the hub is being established across the
two thousand and fifteen above target and ahead of time.
while eu member states already provide considerable official development assistance to the nations the challenges in the developing world need a more coordinated approach and the financial instruments that we use to leverage private capital within the european union every
and i think we can prove that.
needs. the last year has been particularly intense and challenging with the eib under sharp scrutiny because what we do matters and people and parliaments care. the message we get from your report is one of support encouragement and urgency and i take the remarks also on transparency the remarks on ncj policies very seriously and i think we will report to the relevant committees separately on this very
wish. your bank the eu bank is nowadays the world's biggest international financial institution in terms of lending volume operating in many different sectors in parts of the
so you can see that the pace of our delivery has taken up speed.
ground. thank you very much for your attention.
we only talk about one normally the efsi the european fund for strategic investments backed by a eur sixteen billion eu budget guarantee and eur five billion of cash from the european investment bank in order to increase the risk taking capacity of the eib group. i take it from the rapporteur that we do indeed have an obligation to demonstrate that with this additional manoeuvre space we are targeting investments which make a difference and which are additional to what we would have been able to do at least on this scale under normal circumstances.
i see that my time is up so i will name only two other urgent considerations.
again i believe that there is room for a rapid conclusion of the interinstitutional agreement and for the introduction of a regular process of parliamentary oversight where the bank can make its case and give information and we can work out a positive way of going forward. i would like to thank
i would invite the president to ask for a meeting of the commission and really take the initiative in addressing questions which have been on the table for a number of years.
one of my colleagues has said that this call for a greater spread of resources goes against the activities of the bank as a bank.
i would simply like to refer to protocol twenty eight to the treaty connected to article three which has to do with cohesion and which very clearly states that the contracting parties reaffirm their conviction that the european investment bank should continue to devote the majority of resources to the promotion of economic social and territorial cohesion
commissioner moscovici has pointed out that this after all is the weak link in the expectations for a more rapid upturn in the growth rate and in general improving the employment and growth situation.
the first of course has to do with investment.
two thousand and fourteen those are the facts. the disappointments that have been voiced are a reflection that there is not a feeling that the activities of the investment bank are addressing vigorously enough those parts of the european union where the crisis has had its severest consequences.
and declare their willingness to review the capital needs of the european investment bank as soon as this is necessary for that purpose.
active engagement by the bank and the services of the commission in generating them in the proper investment mode.
this cannot be so to speak a business as usual' development of projects.
one of these companies mentioned as having loans under consideration is the wuhan iron and steel corporation the world's eighth largest producer based on tonnage.
let us take a look at steel a hot topic in the uk on which the commission has admitted its responsibility for banning rescue and restructuring aid unless it is driven by the market i.
this situation has been branded insane by a director of a uk steel company although the words i would use are an absolute disgrace'.
the north of england in particular is suffering from higher and higher unemployment lower wages and fewer career opportunities yet our own taxes are being given to chinese steel plants which has helped put our workers on the dole.
the eib has been making loans to state owned chinese steel companies who are then able to sell back to the eu below cost price and our own uk government has been powerless to stop it.
the loan was to reduce the cost of energy.
and to social economic and territorial cohesion.
so both to the shadow rapporteurs and to all those from the secretariats that worked on this report i would like to extend my very heartfelt gratitude.
regarding parliament bank cooperation parliament repeats its call for regular dialogue between its relevant committees and the bank similar to the practices with the ecb and strongly encourages that an interinstitutional agreement be concluded without further delay.
in this regard there is an urgent request for the bank to substantially step up its technical assistance and financial advice in order to overcome insufficient project generating capacity and low levels of borrowing in some member states.
regarding transparency and work with intermediaries already in two thousand and thirteen parliament called on the eib to refrain from cooperation with financial intermediaries having a negative track record in terms of transparency tax evasion or aggressive tax planning practices and abusive transfer pricing or concerning substantial local ownership.
so far it remains to be demonstrated that the fund is in fact generating additional investments beyond the usual financing arrangements.
as you have seen this is a comprehensive analysis it takes a lot of technical work.
the draft resolution also notes the lack of meaningful follow up to previous parliament resolutions.
in this regard i would like to highlight some such issues and invite president hoyer and commissioner moscovici to respond.