kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
two thousand and ten eu sugar prices are rising while world prices are actually falling so it is not a problem of high world prices.
there is no doubt in my mind that there is a real problem in the cane sector and i want to hear from the commissioner here tonight what action she is going to take to ensure there is a level playing field for both beet and cane processors.
two thousand and six according to our cane refiners and tate lyle in particular they claim that the commission forecast in two thousand and six of.
and making them uncompetitive against beet producers in the eu market. they argue that unless the commission takes action to allow more raw material into the eu market sugar refiners are going to close and jobs in many eu countries will be lost.
they also claim that it is the failure of the cane sector to reconstruct and rationalise after the two thousand and six reform that is the real root cause of the problem.
we also have the counter arguments from the beet growers who claim the market is balanced and that the commission forecast of.
three five million tonnes of imports has materialised as it includes both raw and white sugar and the eu must not allow imports of cane from brazil as it would undermine the preferred suppliers in the acp countries.
so the question is who is right and what action needs to be taken?
three five million tonnes of cane imports to the eu from the acp countries has failed to materialise and the commission so far has refused to allow in enough tariff free imports from other countries such as brazil to make up the difference. they claim this has led to rocketing raw material costs and reduced throughput in their factories by up to forty which is driving up costs
they say all they want is fair competition and a level playing field and it is the commission's actions that are preventing that from happening.
mr president vice president reding is not the only person present who rarely ventures into agriculture. the two thousand and six reform promised to guarantee supplies and has clearly not delivered for traditional cane refiners.
raw cane supply has failed to rise not because preferential suppliers sold elsewhere but because they did not expand as expected.
one five million tonnes lost of traditional sugar and the sooner the commission faces up to this the better for all concerned.
the fact that they should even deem such an inquiry necessary should ring alarm bells and i hope that their very critical conclusion will force the commissioners to wake up and smell the cane.
he informed us that this had the potential to increase the gdp of the eu by the equivalent output of a country the size of denmark or austria.
the commission's favourite response when confronted like this is to point to the bilateral trade negotiations that they are conducting with countries in central america and assuming that the sugar trade that results from this deal will compensate for the shortfall from the acp and the less developed countries.
there is another commissioner who also has been caught with his fingers in the sugar bowl.
what twists the knife here is that these tariffs are based on hopelessly inaccurate sugar forecasts made by the commission in.
recently both president barroso of the commission and president van rompuy spoke at the jobs for europe conference.
their words about employment are not matched by their actions one of which is to raise tariffs against imported raw sugar cane for which there is a ready market.
each acknowledged the extreme seriousness of unemployment in eu member states.
mr president we have to compare what the commission is saying about their wider policy aims on employment social living conditions and trade and what they are saying about sugar.
two thousand and five if the commission wished to keep food affordable and to keep individuals out of poverty why enforce a policy that will make sugar more expensive?
our uk house of lords highlighted this very point last week in their enquiry into the eu sugar regime.
a few weeks ago we had a meeting with commissioner ciolo and we asked him to set up a taskforce since there is such a varied debate.
have you heard anything more?
will this be a positive way forward?
that is why we are trying to act now.
the chances of a tangible increase in imports from preferential supplies is low. that is why the commission has to come forward with a plan b at this time to suit the situation.
the latter is planned for mid two thousand and fourteen and will provide a third and final overview of progress in the implementation of the iss. the individual points of the resolution are also taken into consideration in relation to the relevant crime specific or thematic activities of the commission's dg home.
this will go hand in hand with a communication on the future priorities on justice.
regard to parliament's welcome strengthened role in the legislative process and in international negotiations.
the commission has taken the observations and recommendations set out in parliament's resolution of twenty two may two thousand and twelve on the eu's internal security strategy into account in its second implementation report on the iss and this will also influence the forthcoming third implementation report on the iss.
however too often our priorities in this area lack the clear precise and focused suggestions which make for effective solutions.
mr president the recent escalation of violence in the eastern democratic republic of congo has severe humanitarian political and economic consequences in the region which is already extremely unstable.
one of the most important issues is to find a clear solution to the equal and fair distribution of the state budget as well as providing equal access to the vast natural resources.
these supporters must understand that they are actually creating more problems than they solve.
i would like to stress the recommendation of this house to the twenty fourth un human rights council which is taking place at the moment to adopt a strong resolution re establishing the monitoring mechanism concerning the human rights situation in the democratic republic of congo.
the european parliament calls on all stakeholders to participate in the dialogue with the country's communities and go ahead with the peace talks that continued last week.
it is regrettable that there is still external support to the rebel forces which is prolonging the conflict.
we cannot ignore the vital importance of the security sector reform and the need to fight the illegal exploitation of national resources.
now we all know that the situation is of great concern and it merits attention.
i am glad to say that the eu is addressing all these points through political dialogue with national and regional actors.
the humanitarian situation is appalling the human rights violations are widespread and i would like to add to this specifically the sexual violence.
a few days before the eu united nations general assembly during which there will an important side event among the countries of the region it is essential that the international community not only speaks up but is seen to work in unison.
respecting the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the democratic republic of congo is of primary importance.
the european union will continue to give its full support to the national regional and international commitments of the political security and development framework.
we also express our strong interest in the success of the national dialogue in kinshasa which was recently opened at the initiative of president kabila.
furthermore the resolution of the crisis in the east of the country implies support in the region.
together with international and regional partners we are determined to find lasting solutions to the root of the causes of the problems at the local national and regional levels.
it has already led to the adoption of the council conclusion on the great lakes region in july two eu statements in august and a high level mission by the great lakes envoys to the region led by mary robinson.
we also share the call to put an end to the activities of the rebel groups and to re establish the state authority.
mr president we welcome the motion for a resolution by the european parliament regarding the situation in the democratic republic of congo in particular in eastern congo.
i am convinced that they will prove their work is well prepared and they will deliver at the highest possible level.
they help people in distress at sea even though vessels are neither built nor equipped for these large scale search and rescue operations;
it was this house that first sponsored this idea of european cooperation on coastguard functions in the area of maritime safety and ship pollution prevention and we are not starting from scratch.
its ship reporting systems have become today the main european platform for digital maritime services.
and it already supports member states and frontex to address their maritime surveillance needs to support intervention and search and rescue operations.
thanks to the pilot project proposed by parliament for two thousand and sixteen the agencies are engaging in very concrete work to test the future common activities of coastguard cooperation.
in good understanding with the dutch presidency the european parliament has managed to negotiate this text in record time. i understand that it was sometimes a procedural headache. i am therefore very glad that the co legislators succeeded in retaining an identical text on coastguard cooperation for all three agencies involved
this is an important achievement.
the three agencies will now be mandated to cooperate on an equal footing as has been stressed by the chairs.
they will be provided with a firm legal basis and additional resources to implement operational activities with great european value added. this cross sectoral approach will allow synergies between the agencies and in particular it will allow jointly planned surveillance operations streamlined sharing of information and
the agencies will now be equipped to make a decisive contribution to reinforcing european capability for maritime security and surveillance including the protection of eu external borders. as was extensively discussed earlier this afternoon the refugee crisis is one of the biggest challenges for the union. our agencies will do their part in addressing this challenge contributing to the new european border and coast guard and saving lives.
the report discussed the search and rescue operations at sea and praised the contribution of merchant shipping. it also acknowledged the responsibilities of member states and of the eu for organising a permanent response.
at this point i would emphasise that the enhanced services to be provided by the agencies will also serve fully other objectives maritime transport safety security and environmental protection as well as fisheries control which are the respective missions of emsa and efca.
the agencies are ready to
we strongly believe in their capacity to help us find efficient solutions and coordinate our efforts.
we have a long standing and robust relationship with tunisia and close links between our peoples and our business communities.
the european union has condemned the violence of the repression during the last days of the regime.
we are ready to provide immediate assistance in preparing and organising the electoral process as well as lasting support for a genuine democratic transition.
we are also working on a broader package to assist as soon as the situation stabilises with inter alia economic development close attention to the social problems faced by tunisia's youth and consolidating the rule of law and the judiciary.
the european union has never ceased to remind tunisia of its international obligations in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
as catherine ashton and i stated this morning the european union stands ready to support a truly inclusive electoral process with appropriate guarantees.
respect for the constitution and the steps being taken as we speak to bring together a national solidarity government are moves in the right direction.
i have stressed in all meetings with the tunisian authorities on behalf of the european commission that they had to deliver on their democratic and human rights commitments.
and by the way if there were still sceptics on both sides who thought that these values were shared only in theory they should listen again and again to the voice of the tunisian street over the last days and weeks.
with its strong middle class high level of education closeness to europe and overall moderation tunisia is well placed to take the leap towards democracy that people have now asked for with such force and courage
despite some uncertainty the message of the tunisian people is loud and clear tunisia wants to be a stable democracy that fully respects fundamental rights and freedoms. it wants free and fair inclusive elections.
and i think everyone should agree that the european union also has a strong interest in a democratic prosperous and stable tunisia.
the people want to write a new page in their history and we want to support them in that endeavour.
ever since the start of my term of office since my hearing before this house in fact i have repeated that enhanced status clearly means enhanced commitments in all areas of our relationship including fundamental freedoms and human rights.
at the very first session of negotiations on the action plan for statut avanc i insisted personally in an unprecedented and extremely clear way that any use of the new article sixty one a of the penal code would be seen by us as incompatible with statut avanc and with our shared values.
of course this is only a start.
what was this if not a solemn demand for democracy and for more economic justice?
less than a month later nationwide protests have brought about the definitive departure of president ben ali.
we will of course continue consulting closely with this house and with the member states on this process.
it is a doctrine of internal security services that any population is only three days away from riots and civil unrest when the food supplies run out.
are there any parallels to be drawn between what is happening in tunisia and the european union?
the eu gives undemocratic and incompetent government.
it has a political class that is increasingly detached from the wishes of its people.
there is high youth unemployment in many countries in europe as a direct result of eu policies.
there are already riots and civil unrest in greece due to its purely ideological commitment to the european single currency.
countries like spain portugal and ireland may soon follow greece as their economies become untenable in the straitjacket of the euro.
do not think that it cannot happen in european countries.
when governments become the enemies of their own people then the people will eventually rebel.
former president ben ali paid the supreme price for failing to meet the expectations and aspirations of his people but i do not agree with some assessments particularly in the green group that his government was one of the most repressive in the arab world.
tunisia has been an example in some ways of a modern secular and progressive arab country.
tunisia's new political leadership also needs to understand that poor governance and gross inequality offer a fertile breeding ground for violent radicalism.
i am encouraged that the interim leadership has promised substantial reforms because embarking on such a path will greatly strengthen tunisia's relationship with the european union. in the meantime my group calls for maximum restraint by the security forces and for the arrest and trial of the ancien regime 's presidential guard leadership responsible for the shooting in the last few days of innocent bystanders in a futile attempt to destabilise the country.
regimes derive their legitimacy from providing for the wellbeing of their citizens not from closing universities and access to information and free communications.
with regard to access to information the tunisian opposition used the internet and the internet is becoming more and more important for peaceful opposition across the world.
i learned about the uprising by the citizens' movement in tunisia through the internet and eyewitness accounts that were posted there but it took about a month of the struggle before mainstream media and political leaders woke up to the realities of the street.
in the same week last week the french minister for foreign affairs offered help to the tunisian government in the form of riot police and assistance in policing. what is the commission's reaction to that offer and where was the help for citizens in support of their rights?
and over the past month it spared no efforts to repress people through these technologies.
repressive regimes across the world continue to use technologies to silence free speech.
today is martin luther king day and it was martin luther king who said that a time comes when silence becomes betrayal.
but the young freedom loving generation across the world is looking to the symbolic example that tunisia has given and is looking to the eu for support and there is no reason why we should not lead in defending people's freedoms including on the internet.
non eu companies are welcome to compete on our market subject to the same conditions as european companies.
we are currently involved in very important trade negotiations and we need to be fully equipped to handle these.
i remain persuaded of the usefulness of the commission's proposal but this does not mean that it is written in stone.
but cross sectoral trade offs remain difficult in practice and our trading partners should not take our openness for granted and should look for concessions elsewhere in return for opening their procurement markets.
even companies with long records of fruitful cooperation and joint ventures in third country markets can be threatened by upcoming protectionist measures.
i remain fully committed to such efforts to make the procurement initiative as well balanced and efficient as possible and i therefore warmly welcome parliament's support.
on the contrary there is a need to engage fully in a process where the merit of the different tools we proposed is examined and where amendments could be introduced.
this is not a theoretical threat india indonesia brazil and russia have all recently introduced such protectionist measures.
procurement policies in major emerging economies are evolving quickly.
the proposed instrument would be an important addition to our toolbox.
the proposal for an international procurement initiative is aimed at ensuring further opportunities and greater fairness for eu businesses competing internationally to the benefit of growth and jobs.
for china alone this means more than usd nine hundred billion;
throughout this process i have given my reasons why the eu should not pursue what i see to be a protectionist trade measure.
but this has been identified as at best completely over exaggerated with evidence showing that chinese and us markets have gradually become more open and have remained more open than both the german and french markets since.
madam president colleagues i wish today to express my complete rejection of the commission's proposal and as such i alongside a number of colleagues from across the chamber have tabled an amendment to do just that.
i believe that would be taking a major risk and it is fair to say that the commission also has no idea as to how third countries will react to being left out of the eu's public procurement market.
the damage to our international trade relationships across the world could take years to repair while those countries build relationships elsewhere not to mention the risk to our own single market and increased public procurement costs for our taxpayers.
while the rapporteur has been open to a number of discussions surrounding the proposal and has understood our concerns i cannot join him in voting through this very dangerous piece of legislation.
firstly the proposal itself is based on the view that the eu currently offers unrestricted access to its own procurement markets while eu member states struggle for reciprocal access.
instead of pursuing this protectionist policy we must keep our markets open.
the question which has not been asked is whether it is in the interests of any country or trading bloc if you will to open its public procurement market to other countries or blocs.
public expenditure is ultimately funded by domestic taxes but if it generates economic activity and it does it should be for the benefit of that country or those countries' own peoples.
the report confirms that market access by companies from third countries is part of the common commercial policy which falls under the exclusive competence of the union.
it may be tempting to some to answer protectionist measures such as buy american' with buy french' or buy european' but we must resist such a race to the bottom where one protectionist measure leads to another.
this means we have to act strongly together and leverage the european single market while seeking free trade and access also for our businesses to public procurement globally.
the amendments before us are the start of a process in which we must think broadly about the appropriate trade defence instruments while striving for global growth and development and trade.
we are of course particularly aware of the importance of public procurement and reciprocity in our dealings and negotiations with the united states over the transatlantic trade and investment partnership.
madam president i see this proposal as being about fairness.
i entirely reject my conservative colleague's rather naive view of rampant unbridled liberalisation and the idea that simply by virtue of the european union doing the right thing our foreign competitors will also do the right thing.
it is simply about rebalancing our trading relationships where they have tilted too far from the european union towards our competitors.
so this is not a tool which can be used on the whim of protectionists.
i should also like to add that there are important measures in this which balance what we have just done in the previous debate and bring our foreign trade rules into line with the internal market rules.
the commission's proposal aims to create a new instrument which seeks to redress the lack of leverage in the eu's international trade negotiations and to gain substantial market access commitments for the benefit of eu business.
opposition leaders and students who participated in last year's protest are unacceptable.
we have called for the government opposition leaders students and venezuela's civil society to work together to engage in peaceful dialogue and reject violence and overcome the situation.
in this context the imprisonment of political figures and opposition leaders as well as the restrictive environment for the media are truly regrettable.
the government should have confidence in the wisdom of the electorate to assess their performance and vote accordingly.
we are well aware that venezuela is confronted not only by political challenges but also by very serious economic social and security problems.
it is worrying that much needed conciliation has made no progress.
yesterday while protesting against a corrupt government and a worsening economy he was brutally shot dead by the police and my condolences go to his family.
the people of venezuela and the media are being oppressed by maduro's government;
the rise of the far left chavismo model based on the rotten discredited cuban castro communist dictatorship model is a threat in my view and my group's to the whole of latin america.
their basic human rights are being impinged on. the european union does have a duty to stand up for venezuelan democracy or what is left of it.
mr president with pleasure; as you said there was no question. but i think that we have been discussing this issue for a while in this parliament.
for genuine reconciliation in the country.
we have a long shared history and close cultural ties with the country. we speak out of concern and friendship for venezuela when we say that the only way back to stability and progress in the nation is through inclusive dialogue