kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
but when the european federalist professor geoghegan states that ninety eight of eu legislation is now done in this way and by his estimation fewer than ten people in this parliament and fifty people outside of brussels understand the system it is no wonder that people consider that eu decision making is undemocratic.
if the eu wants to become relevant to its citizens in their everyday lives this is not the way to go about it.
however there are many different ways of measuring this and given the views within the esrb they are different to those of the commission.
we need to ensure that correct processes are adopted in order to prevent such an imbalance in treatment of a co legislator and ensure some democratic scrutiny in this seemingly opaque procedure.
it does seem that unilaterally deciding to go ahead in this manner without proper consultation is yet another example of the commission thinking it knows better.
the reasoning behind delegated acts and implementing measures is to make the legislation more flexible and to be able to adapt to change which i theoretically agree with and support.
comitology delegated acts implementing measures regulated technical standards these may be terms that my constituents in wales have never heard of.
it is useful to remember that according to that regulation the mip regulation it is the task of the commission to adjust technically the scoreboard definitions.
before entering into the details of the questions i should underline that they have as the honourable member said been addressed in this exchange of letters between you and the vice president at the beginning of this year.
while member states continue to experience macroeconomic imbalances to a different degree a scoreboard that is efficiently designed and implemented is in the eu's wider interests. as we all know no choice is free from imperfections;
in two thousand and twelve there was a technical implementation of the political choice of adding a financial sector indicator to the scoreboard.
two thousand and eleven i would stress this aspect the political choices were made in two thousand and eleven together with parliament.
no single indicator taken in isolation can fully measure the intricacies of the financial sector and its implications for the real economy.
responding specifically to the question yes the commission understands that a consultation took place in two thousand and eleven and that parliament's resolution back then was the political response to the issues in question.
with that in mind a political agreement with the two co legislators regarding the financial sector was reached in two thousand and eleven through the parliament resolution of december two thousand and eleven and the ecofin council conclusions of november.
he was here earlier this week as you know but he is now on his way to washington.
on symmetry the commission has been implementing what it calls intelligent symmetry considering both current account deficits and current account surpluses but the risks they raise are very different. therefore the pressure should not be fully symmetrical.
as i mentioned earlier and as is the line of the whole commission as you know we attach the utmost importance to cooperation with this parliament. in choosing the financial sector indicator the commission by no means intended to sidestep this view.
in retrospect the margin for notification does indeed seem tight.
this is explained on the one hand by the fact that technical work within the commission's departments was only concluded in mid november and on the other by the commission's genuine conviction that parliament had a priori given its green light.
the commission across its departments fully concurs with parliament in that the only valid culture is one of cooperation recognition and thereby mutual reinforcement of our institutions' strength and credibility. in the current situation where surveillance of macroeconomic imbalances needs to be swift and functional every opportunity should be used to build proportional and constructive approaches at interinstitutional level.
where was the rule of law when people were bloodied when people were denied their democratic right?
they had a referendum but you made a very glib statement on it.
it is in that light and on that topic that i have to say that there is one part i am a little bit disappointed about in fact very disappointed because something massive happened during your presidency and a nation did attempt to get free.
as someone who comes from a small country you appreciate the fact that you are independent. in one thousand nine hundred and ninety one with great celebrations and rightfully so you celebrated your freedom from the soviet union and you have done very well since.
you have done well with independence.
why not let them have a voice?
why not mention it here?
why have their leaders exiled?
catalonia attempted to get free.
as many speakers have said here and pointed towards small nations can do very well.
spain is a democratic state based on the rule of law. where was the rule of law when people were being beaten up at polling stations?
is it the case that having celebrated your own freedom and rightfully so and got free and done well out of it that now you have pulled up the drawbridge and you have forgotten about others?
take for example the practices of apple now closing down models.
the advantage in estonia is that liberals are in government and are also leading the opposition.
will be a launching platform to achieve that.
secondly we also need to go further in this digital agenda on the issue of the single regulator. we will never have a single digital market if we do not have a single regulator in europe. that has to be the next achievement and i hope that everything you have done with the estonian presidency
i was confident that everyone working for the presidency would do their best to find consensus in working parties at the council meetings or at trilogues with you.
specific projects in the field of economy connectivity and education as well as digital affairs will improve the lives of millions of people and help to stabilise our neighbourhood.
i am proud that in the past six months free trade negotiations with japan have been concluded new negotiations have been launched with chile and we are very close to starting talks with new zealand and australia.
i am proud that the eastern partnership and the euafrican union summits were successful as evidenced by their joint declarations which among other things set practical common goals.
we care about our grandchildren and about the only planet we all share.
still the region we share for a better future is the same.
they all have significant structural and long term effects.
i would like to urge you to make this a priority issue and complete the work on all digital single market files this year.
it is a real challenge but with a joint effort we have made progress and i am convinced that we will find a solution under the bulgarian presidency.
culture and climate.
we reached a common understanding on this issue with european union leaders during the tallinn digital summit.
they are committed to increasing their defence expenditure and carrying out several joint projects such as simplifying and speeding up military transport in europe.
i would like to express my gratitude to you all for showing this solidarity because strength is in unity. it is often noted that eu member states are very different in size
in addition to telecommunications infrastructure markets and cyber security the idea that our future will be digital also underpinned legal cooperation energy internal security defence agriculture space and many other areas.
we are no longer putting out fires but are instead focusing on long term solutions.
i sincerely wish to thank all the eu member states and citizens for that.
i am also particularly pleased that the eu is already developing new rules to allow non personal data to move easily across borders and thus boost the eu data economy.
climate change is slow but it will influence the freedoms and quality of life of future generations.
to be able to enjoy a europe without internal borders and to reduce the threat of terrorists we are focused on cooperation in protecting our external borders.
there were hundreds of sometimes difficult debates but all parties were also always determined to reach an agreement.
with good reason the estonian presidency has been called a digital presidency.
improving border management and handling the aftermath of the migration crisis.
we have finally reached a point where all of europe is feeling the benefits of economic recovery.
european enterprises will continue to be stimulated by the extension of the mandate of the european fund for strategic investments or more simply by the juncker fund as it has become known.
they are essential for maintaining the peace and freedom that we know today.
i was truly moved to see just how devoted the member states the commission and parliament were to the same code.
but if we want to ensure that every european is free to enjoy what europe has to offer in the digital age europe must keep up with technological progress and make it work in our favour.
i have hopes that the bulgarian presidency will continue this work especially in the western balkans region where we can hopefully give a new impetus to our enlargement policy. at the beginning of the estonian presidency we set the goal of reducing immigration pressure on the external borders of the european union
now it is my wish that every european has the freedom to live their lives to the fullest in a safe strong and competitive europe.
this begins with an open and innovationled economy that supports competitiveness jobs and businesses.
i would like to thank president tajani and president juncker for their participation and valuable contribution at the summit. europe has to seize the momentum and make use of new technology to regain our place in the world as a leading digital society.
the european union has demonstrated its determination to implement the paris agreement.
during our presidency we concentrated on closing the central mediterranean route and developed a practical implementation plan for this purpose.
there was a desire to find solutions that would support and develop the freedoms that european citizens enjoy today.
promoting the digital dimension in all eu policy areas was our main priority.
thus we have moved from crisis management to migration management.
there is much to be satisfied with.
at the very end of the estonian presidency we agreed on a mandate to launch negotiations with the european parliament on this important proposal.
today after the one planet summit organised on the initiative of president macron and after depositing our doha amendment ratification instruments at the end of the year we have every reason to be proud of our global leadership.
thanks to our common efforts the european union entry exit system and with some additional work the european travel information and authorisation system will become operational
although the european union is growing stronger and more united let us not forget that after the brexit referendum and before key elections in europe the year was full of confusion and pessimism.
digital europe is now a goal for all of europe.
twentyfive member states have decided to join the permanent structured cooperation in the field of defence.
we continue to work on the reform of the common european asylum system.
the european union has turned a new page.
i would very much like to highlight one of our joint forward looking projects namely the first ever electronic signing of a european union legal act.
together we demonstrated that the european union will continue to play a leading role.
in europe we do not need to present our passport when crossing internal borders.
i want to thank president tusk and president juncker for their hard work and commitment before during and after the summits.
would work towards a europe where every voice is heard and where there is a balance between different traditions and interests.
they have given proof of the fact that in the european union small nations can be just as big as big nations through efficiency and decisiveness.
but let me also make a personal reflection.
this is a long term task and a long term challenge for us all but estonia has taken the lead because it are one of the most digital nations and one of the most modernising countries in this respect.
these are not only its priorities they shall be our priorities for a long time in the future because we need to be successful.
so once again thank you very much. and may i say in my brilliant estonian tnan'.
the eu and japan should be proud to cement their partnership in a free trade agreement japan. is not only a key european ally and a liberal democracy but also the third largest economy in the world with highly advanced systems of production and levels of consumption.
in the twenty one years since the first eu japan joint declaration was made on trade and other issues it is clear that political relations between the european union and japan have gone from strength to strength.
japan is our second largest trading partner after china with the eu and japan has invested heavily in the european union.
we need to assure our citizens that they benefit from eu membership and that they all belong to the same community.
the accession negotiations will be a very demanding process for montenegro but i am sure that with our common support and montenegro's strong commitment to the country's future in the european union montenegro will continue to implement european union related reforms for the benefit of its citizens
action plans and the opening benchmarks for both chapters.
following the screening meetings held in spring last year the commission has prepared the screening reports for negotiating the chapters on the judiciary and fundamental rights and justice freedom and security chapters twenty three and twenty four and montenegro was invited by the council in december to prepare the required
in other words when there are elections and after elections they should not be distracted by other local issues in the country.
the ability of journalists to freely criticise those in power is a fundamental right and a european value.
after all free and critical media provide the kind of feedback that is necessary for effective governance.
this would be very helpful.
i have reservations about the independence and accountability of the judiciary and some of the training of the judiciary in addition to the length of court procedures.
all attacks against journalists must be rigorously investigated and prosecuted.
there are concerns about the freedom of the media.
i know that there have been complaints and allegations about the results but i have not seen any evidence that firmly suggests anything other than a close free and fair election.
indeed the smooth conduct of the science and educational chapters in the negotiations so far is not only a testament to montenegro's progress it also offers a real signal to the western balkan neighbours that enlargement does not stop with croatia's accession and that eu membership can be extended to several other countries provided they meet the right conditions. despite the overall positive outlook however we cannot overlook some problems in montenegro's accession process.
finally i congratulate president vujanovi on his re election as president of montenegro.
the montenegrin parliament in general must be more involved in the negotiations as must the ngos and civil society.
the legal framework through chapters twenty three and twenty four in the negotiations must also be strengthened to target corruption and organised crime and one idea is to introduce an enforceable code of conduct for all elected politicians.
the election result must be beyond reproach. i am confident that montenegro's political leaders will take measures to reinforce the credibility of public institutions as well as their independence from party political interests.
the decision to open accession negotiations last june opened a new chapter in the history of the country's place in europe. in the meantime we have entered the substantive stage of the accession negotiations.
secondly some progress has been made in the fight against corruption and organised crime but the number of investigations prosecutions and indictments remains low.
it reflects well the findings of the two thousand and twelve progress report on the country.
the protection of media freedom needs to be ensured.
and of displaced persons by ensuring access to their civil and political rights and their economic and social rights.
firstly priority needs to be given to the completion of the ongoing constitutional reform to ensure the independence and accountability of the judiciary in line with the recommendations of the venice commission.
we call on the montenegrin authorities at all levels to step up their efforts to investigate and prosecute current and past cases of violence against journalists. fourthly further efforts are needed to improve the situation of the roma ashkali and egyptian communities
our dialogue with montenegro on these outstanding challenges will continue and intensify during the negotiations.
thirdly full compliance with european standards in the area of fundamental rights is essential for montenegro to move ahead with its european integration.
the screening process of all chapters is under way. we were able to provisionally close chapter twenty five science and research in december and chapter twenty six education and culture just three days ago.
any complaints need to be dealt with swiftly.
overall the accession negotiations have got off to a very good start.
anti corruption policy human rights and the protection of rights of persons belonging to minorities.
the council has welcomed europol's report on the issue of organised crime in montenegro.
montenegro has also continued to implement smoothly its obligations under the stabilisation and association agreement and to play a very positive role in the region including through constructive involvement in developing regional cooperation. many of these issues are also reflected in your resolution and i would like to take this opportunity to particularly thank the rapporteur charles tannock for his report and his very positive contribution to advancing montenegro's accession process.
particular attention needs to be paid to the further development of a solid track record in the area of the rule of law.
montenegro has been invited to prepare the required action plans which constitute the opening benchmarks for these chapters.
we are satisfied that in parallel with the negotiations the screening process is continuing to make very good progress.
i would like to end by acknowledging and expressing again my appreciation for the work of parliament and of your rapporteur in helping to take forward montenegro's accession process.
we would hope to see montenegro submit the required action plans during our presidency in order to allow for consideration of these issues by the council and we are certainly urging them to do that.
the preparatory work needed must be of a very high quality and this means that it will take some time.
we do not expect to open negotiations on these chapters during the irish presidency.
the cyprus presidency was able to open the first of the negotiation chapters with montenegro namely science and research.
it is important to keep up the very positive momentum that we have seen in recent months and i can absolutely assure you of the irish presidency's commitment to making as much progress as possible in these negotiations.
however we will continue to encourage montenegro to take this work forward as quickly as possible. this should allow it to tackle these chapters at an early stage in the enlargement process and to start developing a solid track record on the reform agenda which of course is very important to the council and i believe to parliament as well.
i very much welcome the close cooperation between our two institutions and i look forward to continuing to hear your views and taking into account your particular expertise as we move these negotiations forward.
in december the eu completed its screening of the key rule of law chapters which cover the judiciary and fundamental rights and justice freedom and security.
we will do our utmost over the coming months to achieve further progress in the negotiations including if possible the opening of a further chapter.
the council also noted that ongoing constitutional and public administration reforms had advanced.
montenegro now needs to build on the progress it has achieved so far and consolidate its reform process.
sustainable and lasting reform is needed in particular with regard to tackling organised crime and cases of corruption including at senior level.
further efforts are needed to ensure the accountability and independence of the judiciary and to strengthen the administrative capacity to implement the acquis.
it has diverse landscapes diverse peoples and diverse traditions. it is rich in diversity but it also needs to work at preserving this beauty.
it has the term ecological country' in its constitution but i think it still needs to work more on for example renewable energy and energy efficiency and also on tourism to preserve the beauty in its country.
it needs to thrive on its diversity and to make sure that democracy and the rule of law are working in the best interests of its citizens.
it is very important that the next country is already lining up and i hope others will come soon.
one is the independence and freedom of the media.
the second is the reference to the recent presidential elections.
accession is obviously a very complex difficult demanding and sometimes frustrating process; that is clear. there is no denying that the new applicants for eu membership are being held to a higher account than their predecessors not least due to the increase in the scope and depth of the acquis.
but i believe that this is not something to fear;
the negotiating framework for montenegro puts into effect this new approach which sees progress achieved on the rule of law chapters linked to overall progress in the accession negotiations.
for this reason the rule of law chapters are being tackled early in the negotiations in order to allow the maximum amount of time to establish the necessary legislation institutions and of course a solid track record of implementation before negotiations are closed.
however we stand ready to help in every way we can.
we look forward to continuing close cooperation with you our friends in the european parliament during the presidency not only with regard to montenegro's accession process but also with the other candidates.
indeed we will continue in that cooperative spirit i hope long beyond our presidency.
we count on your support here in the european parliament and your partnership in particular to maintain the support of our citizens in what is a very important common endeavour as i mentioned earlier.
thank you again for an excellent debate thank you for the spirit of cooperation and positivity here in the chamber and thank you for your attention.
mr litvinenko was murdered by elements of the russian state in an act of state sponsored terrorism.
this is the least that he and his family can expect or should be entitled to.
and formally identify those wanted in connection with the police investigations for murder.
so far no coroner's court has been convened to investigate the death as would be the usual practice in the event of such a violent death. i therefore take this opportunity to call on the british authorities to convene a coroner's court as soon as possible to establish and publicly state the circumstances and cause of death
the not fit for purpose single currency founded upon idealistic ideology and not economic sense.
portugal does not appear to suffer greatly from either yet it is still struggling to keep its head above water as is spain.
a rescue of portugal would push the combined bill to the eur three hundred billion mark exhausting the eurozone's entire capital.
so there is a real divergence between those two sets of views.