kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the european union will continue to support the efforts of the united nations assistance mission for iraq as well as other partners to help strengthen iraq's democratic institutions and processes promote the rule of law facilitate regional dialogue and to ensure the protection of human rights.
of course the situation of the christian minority is a cause of particular concern.
resettlement of the camp residents in a third county remains the best permanent solution.
we are also extremely concerned about iraq's increased use of the death penalty and we make regular statements and dmarches to reflect our position that this form of punishment is inhuman and does not serve as a deterrent to crime.
high on our agenda.
the positive feedback from market participants provides confidence about this new way of financing infrastructure projects in the eu and more generally on the use of innovative instruments in support of the europe two thousand and twenty strategy. we consider that a major challenge for the eib in the years to come
will be to refine its business model in light of the new market circumstances notably the deleveraging of the private banking sector the limited investment budget available to member states and the growing relevance of public investment banks. in this context the eib should use its catalytic capacity to attract resources from the capital markets
following the finalisation of the tendering procedures.
over for me this crisis will not be over until there are signs that the situation is also easing on the labour markets in those countries that have been hit hardest by this crisis.
we need to convince the private capital markets to provide us with the necessary means which we are then able to lend out to our final recipients.
way. so the key message here is clear.
the quality of our portfolio and excellent hedging of the risks it is to take are vital to our own and to our investors' survival.
besides that our business is designed on four pillars more or less equally distributed between strategic infrastructure projects investments in research and development climate action activities and the support of small and medium sized enterprises.
we have a special role.
this enables us to be selective in countries where other investors have already left the markets or are heavily reducing their business. let me therefore take the opportunity to thank the european commission for its excellent cooperation on these joint measures.
enhancing our activities was in accordance with the macroeconomic convictions of our shareholders as well as of the management of the bank.
we are not the esm which is so important for dealing with the debt situation.
this has created the conditions that will enable us to carry out this task over the next three years. i thank the european parliament for its support and i also thank the members of the national parliaments who supported this because we needed unanimity in twenty seven member states and in many member states we needed the support of the national parliaments in budgetary decisions.
so where do we stand now?
we are not the european central bank which is taking care of the liquidity of our monetary system.
this was given on the last day of two thousand and twelve so it was not a given thing that it would work in.
we are ready to perform this in this
consequently the bank had to reduce its lending volumes after those critical years.
we are not a bailout bank we are not the bank of the programme countries or the bank of the eurozone we are the bank of the twenty seven member states of the european union.
but the european institutions are giving a coherent answer to the crisis together with the commission and the eurogroup.
this was made possible because of the decision of our shareholders to strengthen our capital base by increasing the paid in capital by eur ten billion.
economic conditions in the investment environment vary from country to country and we need to provide the right instruments to ensure the maximum impact of eib activity in lending leveraging eu budgetary funds with our loans or technical advice.
funds. the eib is ready to step up its lending activities and its lending efforts to co finance these funds and allow the member states the maximum possible intake of this cash to kick start their economies but we would ideally like to see some changes to the current rules to allow for the redeployment of structural and cohesion funds to ensure their best possible utilisation.
but as we all know the lehman brothers crisis was followed by a deep sovereign debt crisis.
we positioned it for another three year phase of increased funding and lending operations. to put this into figures we plan to lend around eur sixty billion in additional money over the next three years bringing the annual lending for two thousand and thirteen two thousand and fifteen to a volume of about eur sixty five billion to eur seventy billion per year.
to ensure all this our performance must be differentiated creative on the tools and at the same time conservative on the substance and on the risks involved.
in the present situation it is important that we concentrate on the work within the european union to restart growth employment and innovation.
however what we are seeing is that some stability has been achieved and also most definitely a number of successes.
so the eib pays even more attention than before to the quality of the projects that we finance.
two thousand and twelve those changes prepare us for the years to come at least the next three years as outlined in our corporate operational plan which was decided by the board in december.
we are seeing the first good signs that we might be seeing light at the end of the tunnel but we still need to perform in a very difficult situation. that means that the european investment bank with its instruments can together with the commission and the european institutions make a difference.
therefore this is a very good opportunity for me to thank you for the support we have received from the european parliament over all these years in particular in the very difficult time which we had to go through and which we are still going through.
together because we definitely need incredible amounts of private money for the financing of the interest structure in europe and not just for old fashioned roads not just for power lines but also for
was rejected. this is why we voluntarily went under the umbrella of the central bank of luxembourg. this is why we are ready to think about all kinds of new developments in this field and we are going to see the new regulation very soon and we will be ready to be part of that european
capital markets. last year it was eur seventy billion this year much more. that means we need the trust and confidence of the participants in the international capital markets. triple a is not a fetish it is not an objective in itself but it is one of the keys for gaining and retaining the confidence of the participants in the international
to address these issues. that is what we are trying to do both in micro finance
to happen today and tomorrow. we hope that
bank because we are under particular scrutiny from the public and the european institutions including the european parliament. in this context the question of supervision is very relevant. of course it is necessary to be supervised and to be under strict control. now there is a history to it because there is
and also in inclusive banking. let me conclude by saying that we are now waiting for the decisions
of the european council. we do not know what is going
important initiative. we are addressing them with enthusiasm and resolve. but let us be clear they are one more instrument in the toolbox which we you the commission and the council have. this new instrument must stand the market test because it is private investors at the end of the day whom we want to lure into this business and they need to be convinced by the
it goes without saying that the commission is of the view that financing of fossil fuels should be ever more limited.
the commission just wants to emphasise that the current extraordinary economic and financial situation requires decisive policy action and that the eib's activity is crucial to fight the financial and economic crisis in europe.
this is an ongoing debate but i also think that it is fair to draw your attention to the significant increase in the eib's projected activity in the area of climate change and what has been going on in recent years.
in this difficult environment the eib has to assume its role of a policy driven bank to act as a counter cyclical institution and continue to provide financing to the real economy.
unfortunately from the point of view of some of us the ecj found in the wrong way but nevertheless it upheld two of the issues not least about children joining their families.
as someone said the whole goal of this directive was in favour of family reunification as a measure of integration.
in two thousand and eight they said this directive was inadequately transposed and inadequately implemented in a number of member states.
we look forward to support from some unusual sources in terms of women's rights on this. there is flexibility in the directive.
the eu has programmes in third countries looking at the empowerment of young women and girls and indeed trying to change family attitudes on the issue. there are also measures that you can take at interview stage to try to establish whether it is a forced marriage or not.
what has happened since to improve that situation?
i am really interested that people are so concerned about this because a number of us in this house want to bring forward measures looking at the question of forced marriage.
as i say we have seen ecj rulings that have tried to put a limit on certain parts of the flexibility but i think that rather than looking to open up the directive we need to ask the commission what it has been doing in terms of infringement proceedings.
we know that.
integration measures were meant to be part of the goal not a barrier to family reunification.
mr president as the debate so far has shown family reunification of which i am a product i joined my family in the european union as an immigrant is something which is extremely important and fundamental and i think eu law and regulations in this area understand that this is a fundamental right.
it is a fundamental right to be joined by your family but of course you cannot divorce it from the context of immigration to the european union.
what we are doing today is perhaps not debating current eu migration policy but ensuring that we do not have the inconsistencies and unfairness that accompany the right for non eu citizens who are already legally residing in a member state to be joined by their families.
this is a basic human right and we should always remember this.
the discretion used by member states has been so wide as to create some unfair practices.
this green paper therefore is a chance to strengthen the guarantee of family reunification to non eu citizens but we must have what mrs guillaume talked about in terms of a proactive approach by the commission to ensure that those inconsistencies where they are deeply unfair are ironed out.
some member states have called for more restrictive conditions to be added to this directive in order to tackle fraud and abuse.
we really need to assess all of this and to ensure that what we are delivering here are basic human rights but obviously in a realistic context of immigration to the european union.
mr president whatever the ostensible topic of debate in this house the real objectives are first of all a steady incremental transfer of power from member states to the centre and secondly a dilution not only of our national identities but also of a more general european identity.
the rights to family life to marry and to found a family taken from the european convention were not drafted to facilitate the colonisation of europe by the third world.
if it was the eu would care about the peoples of europe who lose the chance of a house or a job or see the areas in which they live transformed beyond recognition.
a telling phrase in the wording of the question is that member states have been left with too much discretion. this directive and this question are about more power to the centre so that we can have more immigration beyond the headline figure which is fed to the electorate.
is it desirable to reunify families?
the point i was trying to make in my speech is that it is good to have standards but we have to make sure that it is possible for all member states to implement them.
on the peaceful use of nuclear energy the eu will reaffirm its support for the right of all parties to the treaty to develop research production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with the
we will welcome the considerable reductions made so far taking into account the special responsibility of the states that possess the largest arsenals and we will welcome indications of progress reported by the united states and the russian federation in implementing the new start treaty and strongly encourage them to seek further reductions in their nuclear arsenals including strategic non strategic deployed and non deployed weapons and in this atmosphere i guess this will be the most challenging
we will welcome and encourage the nuclear weapons states' conferences on the follow up of the two thousand and ten npt review conference including confidence building transparency verification activities and discussions on reporting.
say. but i was encouraged first of all by the fact that during the recent conference in london the five npt nuclear weapon states reconfirmed their commitment to achieving a world without nuclear weapons in accordance with the goals of the npt and made further contributions to developing the mutual confidence and transparency which is essential to making progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament.
it is an ongoing debate.
this is very evident to us and must be addressed in a resolute way in order to maintain the credibility and the effectiveness of the npt
end. as i said i have been and i will stay personally engaged in the efforts made by the ctbt organisation regarding the dialogue with the annex two states whose ratifications are needed for the treaty to enter into
it is also an important element in the further development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes. we as you know support the universalisation and the effective implementation of the npt. i believe that we will have to continue to promote a more comprehensive balanced and substantive implementation of the action
it is something i appreciate very much. now coming to this year's review conference there is a mixed outlook as you know very well. there are different views on the level of implementation of the two thousand and ten action plan and these views are probably quite difficult or increasingly difficult to reconcile.
on one side the ongoing negotiations with iran that the european union as you know is facilitating i am personally facilitating following a un security council resolution and which could demonstrate that a peaceful solution to a serious issue is possible and mutually profitable for all. another element that is likely to influence the outcome of the review conference is the fact that the conference on the weapons of mass destruction free zone in the middle east which was one of the key elements of the two thousand and ten action plan has
however i believe that we will also call on all npt states parties to live up to their commitments of two thousand and ten and to do all that we can to ensure that the conference delivers a common vision on how to implement these commitments.
we will stay committed to treaty based nuclear disarmament and arms control and stress the need to renew multilateral efforts and revitalise multilateral negotiating bodies in particular the conference on disarmament.
regime. i would stress the primary responsibility of the un security council for maintenance of international peace and security including the cases of non compliance.
i think it is time to call for the immediate commencement and early conclusion of the negotiations in the conference on disarmament on a treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
while some want to elaborate a legal ban on nuclear weapons others advocate a building block approach to disarmament with step by step nuclear reductions taking into account the current security environment.
force. on non proliferation the european union view the international community continues to be faced with major proliferation challenges.
i think that the conference even if as i said we are still in the process of shaping our formal position on that should deliver a vision first of all on how to strengthen the treaty as a whole.
as you know the european union has different member states with different histories different positions and different sensibilities we would
along with political representatives from more than one hundred and sixty countries i attended the vienna conference hosted by the austrian government to discuss the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.
the concerns of these organisations and the people they represent must be taken into account regarding non proliferation and an eventual ban.
this was preceded by an equally significant civil society forum.
for many of my generation and those of younger years it seemed like a problem of the past conjuring images of a cold war thought long gone.
whilst our american allies consider weapon deliveries the european union must press on for de escalation of conflicts and for non proliferation of nuclear weapons.
the eu must do all it can to ensure that the npt framework does not evolve into another forum for conflict.
the end of the cold war did not bring relief from the threat posed by nuclear weapons and in many ways with their potential proliferation to more states and even terrorist organisations the situation is worse.
tragically brexit potentially represents the first instance of people losing these valuable rights.
we will not accept a reduction in rights and we refuse to allow people's lives to be used as bargaining chips for any longer.
one five million uk citizens live in the rest of the eu.
neither eu nationals in the uk nor uk nationals abroad for more than fifteen years were able to vote on the decision which affected their lives the most acutely.
these people have built their lives in good faith that their rights would not be infringed or jeopardised and we in this house have a moral responsibility.
as the brexit negotiations reach a critical juncture a strong signal must be sent to those on both sides of the negotiating table that we take citizens' rights seriously.
at the same time we will be raising awareness of our eu citizens' right to consular protection by the authorities of any member state.
the aim is to improve the security of eu documents used to cross our common external borders.
our citizens are protected by the union's legislation and actions against discrimination based on sex racial or ethnic group religion or belief disability age or sexual orientation.
secondly on free movement rights and security the commission's two thousand and eighteen work programme will include two specific initiatives to enhance eu citizens' rights to consular protection when traveling outside of the eu.
firstly as regards both promoting eu citizenship rights and enhancing participation in the democratic life of the union our research showed that on average only fifty four of eu citizens were aware of their right to vote and stand in municipal elections in their country of residence.
moreover eu citizenship brings with it a range of rights including the much cherished right of free movement and rights of democratic participation.
the commission citizenship report two thousand and seventeen priorities include the promotion to the status of eu rights and values of participation in democratic life simplification of the daily lives of our citizens and strengthening security.
the aim is to improve the security features of such documents to address security gaps and document fraud and to help remedy practical obstacles faced by eu citizens.
raising awareness and encouraging our citizens to use their rights is part of the challenge but we also need to remove obstacles to improve the operation of such rights and to ensure effective enforcement.
to conclude promoting protecting and strengthening eu citizenship is a challenge for us all.
in relation to each priority the commission has set out in the report its ongoing and future activities for delivering. my short intervention does not allow me to do justice to all the activities but let me say a few words on two particular areas of action.
we are committed to improving this figure by raising awareness on electoral rights and developing best practices to make it easier for eu citizens to vote in both local and european elections.
it gives us the opportunity to reflect together on what the eu can do better to improve and strengthen the rights of eu citizens.
we are looking at options to improve the security of eu citizens' national identity cards and residence documents.
we are currently looking at improving the security features of the eu common format emergency travel documents.
the regular eu citizenship report is a demonstration of the union's continuing commitment and outreach to its citizens.
mr president i deeply regret that this report took place not at a time of togetherness and idealism but at a time when the threat of the uk leaving the european union is dominating our discussions about what it means to be a citizen of europe today.
and despite the recent movement in negotiations many details and questions are still unresolved.
i would like to remind you that every single person in the united kingdom is currently still a citizen of the european union and we must question what is being done to protect the.
what is being done to protect young people whose citizenship will be stolen from them?
what is being done to protect us all about the serious threat that these rights will be removed?
conducting this report through feedback from petitions has highlighted the strength of feeling in the uk about eu citizenship and i am not at all surprised about the strength of feeling as day on day i receive distressing messages from eu citizens in the uk and uk citizens living in the eu as well as their friends colleagues and loved ones who are demanding that negotiators stop playing with their future.
the lengthy wait for people's futures to be determined is causing psychological and emotional distress and the eu has a duty of care towards these citizens.
this report says it seeks to restore citizens' confidence in the eu.
this ignores and overrides the widelyheld view that national governments have higher obligations to their own citizens.
you won't do that by trampling over the primacy of nations and brexit will ensure the uk will not be trampled over in any case.
in the uk our welfare state is funded by national insurance and includes our national health service.
while some rights are well known and implemented effectively gaps and misunderstandings remain.
it is very important to deliver concrete tangible solutions for european citizens to continue living and enjoying an area of longstanding peace security and prosperity of shared values principles of fundamental rights and freedoms.
indeed behind the immense symbolic value of common citizenship binding people into one european community there is a complex legal and political foundation.
eu citizens' covers many areas of immense importance starting from the much cherished freedom of movement via democratic participation in local and eu governance to protection outside eu borders to name only a few.
nothing highlights better the value of these achievements and the problems painfully exposed by the brexit process for the lives of millions of citizens facing great uncertainty and anxiety regarding their future.