kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
my group knows that rights come with responsibilities responsible transparency means respecting the rules of the game. in particular i would like to congratulate commissioner malmstrm on the excellent job she has done so far to push for and lead this transparency initiative in the area of trade.
again the wording in the framework agreement on this point is unconditional.
as the guardian of the treaties the commission must fulfil this requirement.
transparency is at the heart of commissioner malmstrm's ambition for eu trade policy in the twenty first century but it is now time to turn those words into concrete action so that we are able to fully fulfil our role in terms of parliamentary scrutiny towards the general public and our constituents.
this is why we still have a problem with transparency on ttip even though in reality the ttip negotiations are arguably among the most transparent trade negotiations ever conducted certainly in the case of my member state and definitely in the case of the eu.
for instance meps are not allowed to take notes when consulting confidential documents in the reading room as a result of a decision in this house by parliament's bureau.
sadly this is not the reality today.
as a member of the committee on international trade i know how crucial access information is. this is a fundamental prerequisite for us to be able to carry out parliamentary scrutiny which in turn is our main tool to ensure the legitimacy of the eu's external action and in particular its trade policy.
this is not to say that the commission is the only culprit and i think it is worth mentioning that we have many problems with the council and many problems in terms of transparency around the council.
certainly as a former trade unionist i can see and i think the vast majority of the public would understand that some discretion is needed in any negotiation and that it would be detrimental to disclose certain documents when it is clear that such a disclosure could seriously weaken the eu's negotiating position.
this minimalistic approach by the commission stands in stark contrast with european case law which has always taken a much broader view of what this obligation to inform entails.
ultimately we need to regain the public's trust and this starts with upholding the highest level of transparency not just towards the general public but also crucially towards us as their representatives in the european parliament.
it is therefore absolutely justified for parliament to ask the commission how it intends to fully comply with the treaty and guarantee a regular and comprehensive flow of information on international agreements in all areas.
but most people would also assume that discretion should not prevent proper parliamentary scrutiny and that meps should have access to all confidential information even when the general public does not.
this is just one example of how narrowly the treaty provisions aiming at ensuring the transparency of international agreements have been implemented by the commission.
but this question goes beyond the concerns of the libe committee particularly about readmission agreements.
parliament could also do things better.
the frequent complaints raised by meps and we have heard them today and national and regional parliamentarians that they are being kept in the dark when it comes to negotiations on ttip tisa or ceta are not helping to shift the public perception over what is seen as a series of secretive negotiations.
for instance as the spokesperson on ttip for my national delegation i do not have access to consolidated documents or other restricted documents even in the reading room.
i very much hope that the commission will seize this initiative as an opportunity to push its transparency agenda further.
stories in the media about how limited the access granted to meps in reading rooms is certainly does not help and i strongly believe that it would be in the interests of everyone to improve the situation.
we are stronger as one of twenty eight countries going and negotiating with billion person countries trillion dollar economies around the world. the uk negotiating a deal with china or the us would be effectively accepting the terms of their deal and not pushing our interests.
and that is primarily because we are stronger negotiating with our partners;
within the eu we are able to get a deal which is in the interests of british people and the whole of the european continent.
this debate allows the commission to understand better where members of this house see the need for improving the information about negotiations for international agreements.
but let me also remind you that the obligation to inform parliament on international negotiations falls on both the commission and the council.
this is the point i was coming to.
with twitter facebook all the tv channels and radio stations now there is need for proper information and especially when wrong information is given out we should insist that the correct information is given.
but let me reiterate the importance that we in the commission attach to our obligations under the treaty and to our existing commitment under the framework agreement we are committed to providing parliament with full and immediate information at all stages of negotiations for international agreements.
the commission stands by this commitment and monitors its implementation closely.
the framework agreement established the practice that information concerning international agreements should as a general rule be provided to parliament through the responsible parliamentary committee. in line with this sector specific approach
the commission has instructed its services to arrange directly with the relevant parliamentary committees the modalities for the provision of information and documents to allow for optimal solutions in this area.
the commission believes that our obligations are generally speaking well respected and that commissioners and their services are doing their part to ensure that parliament is well informed. this includes the provision of confidential information
likewise practical arrangements for informing parliament about re admission agreements have so far included regular presentations by senior commission officials to the civil liberties committee in ordinary meetings.
the commission is ready to provide such information whenever requested be it in public or when appropriate in a restricted meeting.
the commission is also open to discussing with parliament whether and how practice can be improved.
i think your question is not connected to what we are actually discussing here.
my point here is to ask the commission to treat this house the european parliament which represents the people of europe to treat us on an equal footing because i want to serve my citizens and in order to do so i need full information but at the same time as the council.
two thousand and seven several of them replied positively showing interest in the project based on the available prospects at the time. this is additional evidence that private investors also consider investment in the project at market terms to be justified.
the information showed that the capital injection was performed in the light of considerations and prospects and under conditions that would have prompted a private investor to carry it out.
as regards past financing the commission has investigated the matter following a complaint.
furthermore the project was subject to an invitation for expressions of interest from strategic investors addressed to prospective private co investors in may.
the commission has not been approached either formally or informally by the bulgarian authorities concerning possible notification of a potential state aid issue regarding the future financing of the belene project.
will carefully encourage other players to enter into the irish banking system gradually.
i myself expressed these concerns over the medium term.
the following monday morning.
you will also be aware that the director general for competition is working in close cooperation with the national competition authorities within the european competition network.
eu competition policy can contribute to this goal to the extent that article one hundred and one of the treaty allows farmers to develop sustainable and pro competitive forms of cooperation to become more efficient innovative and better equipped to face competition both within and outside the eu.
what exactly do you mean by encouraging them?
can you be a little bit more precise about that?
let me start by saying very clearly that there is no leniency in the commission in any form whatsoever on such grave matters.
in the specific and tragic case of mrs crdoba the colombian government has not only unequivocally condemned her killing but has also offered a reward for any information leading to the identification of her killer.
on every possible occasion the eu is actively raising the issue of human rights and in particular the need to guarantee the personal safety of human rights defenders in colombia.
if we were to do so we would fail to support the transition of this country from a culture of conflict and violence to a society of freedom and opportunity.
article one of the agreement states that respect for fundamental human rights as laid down in the universal declaration of human rights constitutes an essential element of the trade agreement.
it is clear to me that our fundamental objective to consolidate and support democracy the rule of law and human rights will be fully safeguarded thanks to these strong provisions.
in addition our agreement includes a number of binding commitments to effectively implement core labour and environmental conventions and makes provision for a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of labour standards which allows for the participation of civil society organisations.
in the coming months you will soon have the opportunity to give your consent to this agreement.
sustainable improvement of the human rights situation in colombia requires us to address the root causes of the violence in the country.
the eu trade agreement coupled with our efforts in the development cooperation field will further this economic development create jobs and reduce poverty.
there is indeed not a single doubt in my mind that the trade agreement through the incentives it creates will have a positive effect on colombia's civil society its governance structures and the human rights situation in general.
these include poverty social exclusion and a lack of economic opportunity in some parts of the territory.
in the event of violation of this essential element the eu will be in a position to immediately unilaterally and without prior consultation suspend the agreements.
i assure you the colombians know that the commission means business when it comes to approving their human rights record. now as regards the agreement with colombia it is the view of the commission that the eu would be overlooking its responsibilities if it were to walk away from an enhanced economic partnership with colombia.
in particular our contribution will be significant in creating the means of income generation that provide viable alternatives to drug cultivation whose stranglehold has been a main driver for colombia's internal conflict and for the human rights violations that it entails. if this overall approach were to fail the human rights provisions that we negotiated in the trade agreement fully address the human rights challenges that colombia is facing.
it is also taking measures to strengthen the safety of victims as well as activists and their leaders.
two weeks ago i personally raised the human rights issued with president santos to tell him how close this is to the heart of the people in the eu and their elected representatives.
the commission will subject any proposal to amend current regulations to a thorough impact assessment taking into account economic social and environmental aspects.
the commission needs to take into account all critical factors including future traffic generation facilitation of intermodal transport infrastructure capacity and upgrading and maintenance costs in its policy making on the dimensions and weight of trucks.
the commission's task is to ensure that eu law is correctly implemented and enforced by the member states by constantly monitoring their activity.
the commission also announced an impact assessment in view of a possible revision of the regulation which would also cover enforcement issues.
in this context all interested parties will be able to contribute to a public consultation scheduled for the autumn.
they have to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the rights of passengers are fully respected.
the question of the senior bondholders is a different one given that because of the way the decisions were taken in the recent past at the beginning of the crisis these senior bondholders have a strong state guarantee.
i hope that normal service will resume once the presidential race is over.
multinational companies moving to a town first sell at very low prices to eliminate smes local businesses and so forth and then raise prices again.
in particular i welcome your comments that you are encouraging other players to enter the irish market.
can i say that i am very pleased with the reply that i have received from the commissioner?
but what is crucially important is that the commission keeps its eye on the situation because we are in the early stages of an experiment that we have never had before in which stressed assets are being taken over by nama.
two thousand and ten the budgetary review should be seen as an integral part of our reflection on how to make europe more competitive dynamic inclusive and sustainable.
we need unanimity on the next financial perspective.
goals on innovation on climate on poverty eradication on employment.
finally on own resources.
innovation and unemployment.
as for the european investment bank yes try to include the eib but the democratic accountability of the investment bank is crucial.
how can we make sure that their investments are also delivering?
i have to say that this issue of private investors has been addressed before but we know from the iter experience and from the galileo experience that they are not there so we have to make sure that we are not building on them if they are not forthcoming.
what is the position of the commission on the financial transaction tax because the commission is vague and inconsistent here?
that is again i think very important.
these targets should be given a central place and these targets should also be used for the budget review.
but let us look to the future.
have these sums been delivering on the targets that we aimed for?
thirdly and very importantly the whole question of creating own resources is most desirable. i think our president mr daul said it very well when he said that a euro spent at european level is better value than a euro spent at member state level. i think we should be going along that line and particularly encouraging
three this is absolutely vital for europe if we are to be competitive and create the jobs we need.
if we can achieve all that we will eventually have a four increase in gdp and.
venture capitalists looking at euro project bonds to finance the various projects we need.
mr president i think it is too early to summarise whether the document is good or bad but it is good that we have a document because it was a long time in the process of being created.
i would have some concerns about the language used in the section about agricultural policy.
for example a more radical reform' and i quote the document would suggest moving away from income support and market measures and giving priority to environmental and climate change objectives rather than the economic and social dimensions of the cap'.
farming comes way below the average and that has got to be addressed in any future direction in which we reform the common agricultural policy but i welcome the document.
be it carbon tax a bank levy or whatever it is certain that the taxpayers will be taking more pain.
the elimination of the rebate and the creation of a new european tax let us call it by its correct name will not require a change in the treaty.
however the agreement reached between the german chancellor and the french president about imposing political sanctions to ensure financial stability will require those changes.
if eu politicians want a new treaty they must first give the people a referendum.
or the next crisis.
in front of us. after the crisis we want to see a united europe where all parts of our union will
your words in mind. we have to be clear on this and we have to be motivated by the courage we saw from the nurses from the doctors and from all those who delivered
are needed. europe has to give the
to underline this. we must be
is to fight for a democratic budget a budget decided by the people represented here in this chamber a budget based on solidarity among people and nations in the european union a budget that is honest with the people and a budget that cares for the
as common activities. and we must not forget our
people. we want to have our sovereignty back' was one of the main messages in the brexit campaign. i tell you that this successful message reflected on the problem that people don't feel involved in the european decisionmaking process. and that's why it is so important that it is not brussels that decides about the recovery fund a kind of external power deciding. no my mep decides about the future of the european union and about the recovery programme. it must be in the hands of those who are elected for this. no budget without democratic legitimacy. that is one of the principles in the european way of life. this promise was given by the european commission and i would say that now is the time to deliver. to the council i want to say that now is not the time for institutional battles in this field. i think it is the time to guarantee also from a council point of view a democratic europe as a principle for the future. a second consideration for us the epp group is that people don't care about procedure. they only care about concrete projects and concrete support. in this spirit of the past weeks a spirit of solidarity among europeans we also have to focus on the ones who really needs our help the most the most affected regions and especially the young generation. i want to put this at the centre of my second point namely that we have already faced in the last twelve years a kind of lost generation in the european union where millions of young people welleducated well prepared people had no chance to really succeed in the labour market. and i want to underline that europe cannot again allow us to have a lost generation facing the future of the european union. that's why the investments
european union. that's why it must be properly
we need flexibility. we need own resources. we have to create tools for a quick and decisive response if there is an unexpected situation
text. our next mff should be the cornerstone of the recovery of the european economy of the rebuilding and the re establishment of the functioning of the single market in the post covid period to ensure the massive public and private investments needed. it should have greater investment potential especially in the initial years of the new financial perspective. the post crisis european union economy should become resilient and more self sufficient and for the recovery to be swift and successful
cohesion convergence as well as solidarity will be of utmost importance.
the proposals will have to be analysed in the appropriate fora and guidance from the european council will be needed for the council to form its position on the
what we need to do is create a new headroom and a new headroom that is new own resources. that is not an invention.
all our member states will be in debt. you cannot increase the national contributions of the member states by asking for more guarantees in the future.
our scientists. and we would never forget the very important social aspect of our work for the
member states. it's very clear that if we have to deliver on this challenge we can deliver only with your full involvement and with clear oversight and scrutiny from the european
for the future. so once again i repeat this is definitely not business
boost the financial firepower
in this debate. we are going to present proposals which we believe will be acceptable to all and which could be approved by your votes and by the
certainly not because action is postponed the plans are postponed week after week. well only the expectations are rising with that. so we expect a plan and we as a parliament are guiding the way. we are showing that with five political groups from the different sectors of the political spectrum that we are offering solutions. and this is already co signed by members from romania to germany from italy to the netherlands from spain to belgium. this shows that we can overcome our differences and that we can find solutions that make sense that make political sense that make economic sense. what we are proposing are bonds. and with these bonds you can finance a recovery and transformation fund. and that is very important. we don't want to go back to business as usual. we want that these are being covered by own resources and these own resources are not only covering the interest but are also covering the entire repayment. that is what we call real mutualisation and that is what we are looking for. and the investment should go into digital in the green new deal. and if you look at all the programmes that need to be democratically checked we make very clear that it should go to alignment with the paris agreement. it should deliver on our biodiversity targets. it should deliver on gender equality. and it should go to those people that are being hit hard by the crisis being people in poverty being women and being also workers consumers and families. and last part we also say that the state aid rules need to be
and beyond the creative europe programme we will very soon launch a targeted support to the disproportionately hit music sector through the music moves europe initiative and there we plan to shift about eur. two five million in this year to help the sector become more sustainable after the crisis.
i count on your support so that we keep supporting helping assisting our dynamic communities of artists and creators.
let me now quickly come to the recovery and the next generation eu chapter.
some cultural actors have indeed developed their own promising initiatives to overcome the crisis and through this dialogue and synergies between member states the sector the commission parliament and others we want to bring about specific initiatives.
culture is our european way of life.
many member states if not all of them have already used this instrument for the creative and cultural sectors.
but beyond the recovery package and that's how i wanted to conclude this initial presentation one should not forget that we also have possibilities coming from different avenues like for example horizon europe where we have a cluster two culture creativity and inclusive society programme which has fantastic opportunities for the sectors.
privilege. honourable members madam president in these difficult times culture is not a luxury it is becoming a necessity.
this is a scheme designed to protect jobs and workers affected by the pandemic and here again it is for member states to make the best possible use of this instrument and money and bring the much needed relief to creators artists and writers.
into having a strong new start after the difficult pandemic sectors without forgetting tourists.
we have a multitude of instruments in the new package and we can use it effectively.
a few weeks ago a conference with representatives from the commission the parliament the council president and the sector was precisely organised through this platform of creatives unite.