kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
this process also signifies that it is vital that the power of the european union be fully legitimated at the level at which it is exercised the european level.
we may disagree politically but i am sure that we can all agree that european citizens deserve a campaign which clearly outlines the common challenges that europe is facing and the different political alternatives.
it is also crucial to strengthen the transparency and democratic legitimacy of the european union which has suffered from the way the crisis has been handled so far.
having a common candidate for the presidency of the european commission will help to defend the different european political programmes.
it is paramount to have women young people and people from minorities running for the elections at an appropriate position on the list.
what you clearly do not understand is that the people do not want this.
latvian accession to the single currency was approved today by this parliament despite an admission in the appropriately named balz report that the latvian people do not really want it.
mr president i would like to thank parliament for its report and thank most of all the rapporteur for the wonderful work he has done together with his colleagues in the committee.
represented in a democratic way. there has also been some speculation that the financial and economic crisis will further depress the turnout. i must say i do not agree with that.
i suspect that what the political parties will have to do is to articulate a way forward from this profound and protracted economic crisis.
i understand as several of you have said that it is not straightforward for the political parties to find select and sustain candidates for the commission presidency. i understand that.
the question that now arises is what measures other than the statute might the commission propose to allow mutual societies to develop particularly in the countries where they are not sufficiently known or in which there is no legislation covering this type of enterprise.
this month the commission launched a public consultation on the study's recommendations. the text of the questionnaire which is addressed to mutual society organisations national authorities and any other interested parties wishing to participate was drawn up in close collaboration with two
it is for this reason that the communication on the social business initiative contains an action covering mutual societies and cooperatives.
moreover the success enjoyed by cooperatives and mutual societies in both economic and social terms proves that incorporated companies are not the only type of enterprise to perform well on the european market.
given that the mutualist model contributes to diversity in the types of enterprise a vital feature of economic growth.
one of the aspects the study examined in depth was the need to have a study for a european mutual society as a solution to the difficulties mutual societies face when wishing to extend their activities beyond their national frontiers.
the commission cannot decide whether it should present a proposal for a regulation on the statute for a european mutual society or what the thrust of a new policy initiative should be until the results of these consultations are known.
the commission is keen to improve the environment in which mutual societies develop and it is for this reason that it has funded a study on the current situation of mutual societies in europe.
on this point the study concluded that the statute had not been shown to be the only solution to the problems faced by mutual societies.
this study lists a number of legal and political problems relating to the recognition of mutual societies in certain member states and proposes solutions.
as your report very clearly notes there are in certain countries a series of legal and administrative obstacles that mutual societies have to overcome when seeking to act as cross border entrepreneurs or even to form groups.
the available data show that mutual societies are as much an integral part of the market and economy of the european union as other enterprises such as public limited companies.
accordingly the commission obviously shares the viewpoint set out in the report namely that the mutualist model deserves to be promoted in europe. the commission has always held that the european economy would benefit if the mutualist movement were represented in all the member states' markets
this statute if adopted will mean more unwanted eu legislation and probably lead to unforeseen unwanted consequences and unintended consequences.
but they were not intended to be cross border international entrepreneurial businesses.
mr president mutual societies and building societies were an excellent idea that originated in eighteenth century birmingham and the idea caught on and enabled millions of people to buy their own homes when otherwise they would have been unable to do so.
a much better idea is for individual nation states to adopt the idea and adapt it to fit in with their own national requirements.
if there is any case for international cross border operation then there is no reason why this could not be accomplished by sovereign nation states with intergovernmental agreements.
mr president i would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to participate in this interesting discussion on the subject of promoting mutual societies.
as i said in my introductory statement not all the countries of europe have a mutualist tradition.
clearly this means that we have to consider ways of coping with the challenges faced by mutualist societies wishing to trade beyond their national borders.
the most popular idea put forward is to adopt a statute for a european mutual society so as to expand the mutualist movement in europe.
the results of the consultation which we launched will constitute the basis for thorough consideration of the need for and thrust of new policy initiatives and of the need for a proposal to introduce a european study.
i would like to ask all mutualist organisations to reply to the consultation questionnaire.
six i understand there will be a similar request from the socialists and they will also be requesting the deletion of paragraph five which we also support for similar reasons.
my husband a farmer wants the time to continue to change for winter and summer.
on the other hand patrick brennan yes please change this ridiculous change.
on the other hand i do not want my children coming home in the dark and going to school in the dark'.
so i was going to suggest maybe a referendum but we might get a very close result and that might be dangerous.
before we start maybe someone should discover why this change was discarded. if it was not practical then it may not be practical now'.
it would be most welcome in industry such as pharma especially where standalone instrumentation might be used and which might not be synchronised to a network clock.
madam president it was worth getting up early for this debate because i have learned about banana flies and all sorts of very interesting things that i really did not know about.
as the commission committed before this house my services have reassessed all available evidence.
this includes the very balanced and complete overview made by the european parliament's research services.
the evidence is conclusive only on one point that letting member states free to apply uncoordinated time changes would be detrimental for the internal market.
conversely the findings are inconclusive on human health. some people seem to suffer from the twice yearly changes but this might be well compensated for by the positive health effects induced by increased leisure and outdoor activities.
while i am open to consider the summer time issues further i would like to stress an important point.
there are two options that would allow for a continued harmonised approach stop time changes for all member states by amending the directive or leave the summer time rules unchanged. if one were to select the first option
it would also have to be established when to abolish time changes after the last change to winter time or after the last change for summer time.
we discussed the summer time issues at the last council sitting in december at the request of one member state.
apart from the one member state that put the question on the agenda nobody has done so until now.
today it is your turn.
i very much look forward to the forthcoming debate and welcome the vote on the resolution which will give parliament the opportunity to voice its opinion in this matter.
i am sure it will give rise to valuable elements for reflection.
uncoordinated national time change in the course of the year would create very significant problems for the good functioning of our internal market notably in the transport sector.
if we ever decided to stop changing the clock it has to be done throughout the eu in a synchronised and unified manner. regarding health problems it is true that the body has to adapt to the time change in march and october.
some people are more vulnerable and have more issues with the change than others.
that is true.
on the other hand as some of you pointed out other studies show that longer exposure to daylight and more opportunities for leisure and sport have a positive effect on people's health.
whether these gains compensate for the disturbance remains unclear but i can see that this is an important topic for you and the citizens that you represent.
jet lag is something completely different. i think the original directive was quite logical in terms of harmonising the biannual change so clearly at least we changed the time at exactly the same time throughout europe and throughout the european union.
i'm personally totally unconvinced by the scientific reports which quite frankly are inconclusive.
furthermore on the grounds of subsidiarity this must be a member state decision and should not be a decision made by the european union and imposed on member states.
a proposed assessment by the commission in my view is a complete waste of taxpayers' money at a time when there are far more important issues which we should be focusing upon in europe.
madam president it was about time to stop unhealthy practices in europe practices which cause harm to children grown ups and domestic animals.
let common sense prevail and let's accept that the laws of nature are more powerful than the laws made by man even by women and men in this powerful parliament.
and to those who believe that by changing the time on our clocks and on our wrists that's a shamanist way of thinking that it can influence the sun to create more light they are wrong.
we should not underestimate how important it is for citizens to be guided to the most appropriate complaint handling body from the outset and to be spared the frustrations and delays associated with having to identify the right institution on their own.
the four hundred and sixty five inquiries opened in two thousand and twelve represent an increase of eighteen compared to the previous year. this again follows a similar increase of eighteen.
they touched me deeply.
in thirty cases i made further remarks to help improve future performance. in two thousand and twelve we were able for the first time to provide a concrete answer to the question of how well the institutions cooperate with the european ombudsman in seeking to improve their performance.
above all however promoting a culture of service demands of the ombudsman institution the intellectual commitment and administrative capacity to adopt citizen focused strategies geared to the maintenance and observance of the highest ethical standards.
that. finally i would like to acknowledge the central role of parliament in general and its committee on petitions in particular in providing generous support to the ombudsman institution.
in two thousand and twelve the number of such complaints stood at one seven hundred and twenty which is the lowest in ten years.
promoting an administrative culture of service to citizens requires a moral investment on the part of the ombudsman and on the part of parliament and the other institutions and bodies of the
bank. a further source of satisfaction is that the agencies of the eu have in their overwhelming majority cooperated fully with me in promoting the principles of a culture of service in their relations with citizens.
the ombudsman has also participated in multiple ways in decision making and opinion forming at the european level and in strengthening cooperation with the european network of ombudsmen.
known. the challenge for the european ombudsman is to be both responsive to the changing needs and demands of citizens and at the same time be aware of the pressures and constraints that the institutions
the five principles represent a succinct statement of what citizens and civil servants alike expect of the eu civil service.
we have achieved tangible results in many fields especially as regards transparency ethical issues such as conflicts of interest and citizens' rights.
these challenges are leaving their deep imprint on the evolving relationship between the eu and its citizens.
these principles take account of best practice in the member states and among other things should help civil servants to understand and apply correctly the plethora of codes and regulations governing their activities.
last but certainly not least as the very first female european ombudsman she brings to her task the ingenuity emotional intelligence and intuition especially associated with her gender.
blame which tends to breed a defensive mentality in the institutions and
in basic numbers over the last ten and a half years the european ombudsman dealt with more than thirty zero complaints and opened almost three five hundred in depth investigations into alleged maladministration by the eu institutions. during the same period the eu administration has become more transparent more citizen friendly and more service minded.
one such challenge is the economic situation which both the citizens whom we serve and the institutions we are tasked to help have to face in all likelihood for quite some
most of the other cases were closed with a finding either of no maladministration or that no further inquiries were needed.
union. it is important to acknowledge that little progress would have been possible without the good cooperation of the leadership and staff of the eu institutions.
this has been a collaborative endeavour which i believe has achieved notably good results for citizens.
important parts of my work have involved adapting the ombudsman's office to take account of enlargement the reform of the ombudsman statute advising on the establishment of the ombudsman institution in turkey agreeing the memorandum of understanding with the european data protection supervisor in the european investment
with respect to the commission i wish here to acknowledge the support of successive commissioners for administration international relations and fundamental rights.
i found maladministration in fifty six cases. the institutions accepted a draft recommendation either in part or in full in nine of these while the other forty seven were closed with critical remarks.
meaningfully creatively and proactively engaging in a regular and structured dialogue with the institutions for which the ombudsman serves as an external mechanism of control constitutes a central element of my deeply held view that the ombudsman should not be regarded as an institutional expression of a culture of
i will conclude with some reflections on the challenges for the future.
bank enhancing the ombudsman's role in relation to the protection of human and fundamental rights strengthening the european network of ombudsmen and not least providing parliament with information and recommendations in a number of fields.
we have also built an excellent framework of cooperation with the european investment
internationally she played a central role in the growth and development of both the british and irish ombudsmen association and the european network of ombudsmen as vibrant and more professional groups.
staff. rather my objective has been proactively to promote a culture of service to citizens and of active respect for their rights.
since i will be retiring at the end of this month i wish also to use this opportunity to provide you with a short overview of what i think have been the notable achievements and important experiences of the institution which you elected me to lead three times over the past decade.
as such she comes superbly prepared for the challenges facing her institution.
eighty two helping to ensure the highest standards of behaviour in the institutions constitutes a key element of the ombudsman's mission.
during two thousand and twelve following a public consultation we formulated and published a set of public service principles.
ahead. during her ten years in office in ireland she distinguished herself on both the domestic and international fronts.
i am convinced that the independent and impartial work of the ombudsman has contributed to this notable progress towards an administration culture of service to citizens.
time. another challenge will be to cope with and adjust to technological change environmental economic and financial problems increasing but also ageing populations and many others including migration.
such attributes constitute the necessary foundation on which to build the moral and political capital that is needed to make it possible for the ombudsman to live up to the added responsibilities and heavy expectations associated with being viewed as an important institutional counterweight to executive power capable of speaking truth to power and endowed with moral authority allowing him or her to contribute substantively to the deepening of the rule of law and to the enhancement of the quality of democracy within the european
parliament has ensured that the ombudsman has the budgetary and human resources needed to work effectively and has provided firm political support for the ombudsman's efforts to achieve progress and good administration in the defence of citizens' rights.
union. it asks of the ombudsman to be proactive to be imaginative and to be creative in thinking of ways to bring about changes in the mindset of the institutions.
since the lisbon treaty entered into force in two thousand and nine and the charter of fundamental rights became legally binding the ombudsman has become increasingly active in the area of citizens' rights in relation for example to the european citizens' initiative the institutions' obligation to conduct an open and regular dialogue with civil society and other ways of increased citizen participation including public consultations.
in turn the expectations which citizens hold of the eu that serves them are a function of two central parameters the problems they face and the tools they have at their disposal in order to make their demands
in two thousand and eleven the trend towards more people turning to the european ombudsman for the right reasons is confirmed by the continued fall in the number of complaints received that are outside the mandate.
in two thousand and twelve i also received a total of two four hundred and forty two complaints from citizens enterprises ngos associations and others.
i have repeatedly consulted with linguists and authorities particularly in the scandinavian countries and have been told repeatedly that in sweden and iceland the term ombudsman' is gender neutral.
the commission can make an enormous contribution by simplifying that because ultimately as you know from your own experience simplicity does not mean banality.
however i choose to interpret and internalise all that praise as a further indication to the ombudsman by this august body of the increased obligations that the ombudsman must
on the occasion of the launching of the turkish ombudsman institution which had been in the making for fifteen years and in which i have been personally involved for the past fifteen years.
i will leave it to my successor to be able to work with you in helping and advising you on how this can be done.
two thousand and four i will say to you that i have no recollection of my office having received a complaint concerning this matter at the national level in latvia.
i would like to underscore that by a very brief reference to something that the european ombudsman has been able to continue to do in terms of widely promoting the institution. last week i was in turkey and had occasion to meet with the president of the republic the prime minister and senior ministers
for me the important thing ms reding is to be able to provide citizens with greater clarity and to avoid the kind of overlap and confusion that comes from multiple structures multiple codes and multiple instruments governing and trying to regulate good administrative behaviour.
it means clarity.
i can only say that i am profoundly grateful and again overwhelmed and again humbled by that.
and also your booklet problems with the eu?
you have made many progressive moves and i think you can be very proud of doing that.
i also think this is a very important point the ombudsman has asked complainants to make observations when dissatisfied with an institution's reply whereas previously they had to make a new complaint if they were not satisfied.
i think that is very important as well.
who can help you?
i am pleased to say that in the committee on petitions we are keeping along your line holding to those petitions like the ones in southern spain on illegal builds and on urbanisation that still have not been resolved. but mr diamandouros i know your activism and your passion will remain.
can i also say that the fact that emily o'reilly is to be our next ombudswoman can we please start saying ombudswoman' is a brilliant reminder that the position must not only be politically neutral but must be perceived to be. so yes you will leave
the work that you have done on the convention for people with disabilities is incredible.
the tireless way that you have held us accountable will not be forgotten.
it is sad that a great number of the complaints are still about access to documents openness and transparency. but in your work and with your staff you have ensured that all of the institutions are much more accountable to our citizens than they were before.
and i think one of the best things we can say is that having taken over from jacob sderman your legacy will ensure that the work of the ombudsman under ms o'reilly will continue.
us. yes you have done ten years of brilliant work.
trend. i also note that most of the inquiries opened concerned the commission.
the action to make european decision making more transparent and more responsible is a much needed one.
i can tell the house that between the commission and mr diamandouros there has always been open loyal and fruitful collaboration marked by mutual respect.
an answer. this is very important for all our institutions.
their service.
matter. the commission has submitted a proposal for an amendment of directive two thousand and eleven ninety two on the assessment of certain public and private projects on the environment.
concerning now the rules for good administration the commission has set in motion the analysis of the existing eu law in this domain to see if all the areas
and based on this stocktaking the commission will decide if there is a real need for a regulation based on article.
but for the rest i think that a strong office of the ombudsman is good for all institutions.
but only if there is a necessity and if from the study it appears that not everything has been covered.
in order to be in full transparency i would like nevertheless to explain to this house that such a regulation cannot be used to set rules that are based on other articles in the treaty articles other than; two hundred and ninety eight for instance access to documents staff regulations or financial regulation.
so here we are only speaking about good administration and this we are looking at. all the other problems have to be solved at a different point and i see from the body language of the ombudsman that he does agree with this approach.
thank you once more for having been a strong ombudsman.