kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
as the european parliament supports taiwan's efforts to participate meaningfully in international organisations such as the who and icao we must also celebrate its contribution to world trade because it is a valuable economic partner that upholds democracy and the rule of law.
taiwan has also demonstrated though this year's free trade agreement with new zealand that it can conclude deals even with one china policy countries that do not officially recognise it.
indeed while the population of the people's republic of china is roughly fifty eight times that of taiwan its level of trade with the eu is only eleven times greater.
the eu is already taiwan's largest source of foreign direct investment and taiwan is the eu's seventh biggest trading partner in asia a huge achievement considering the competition from that continent and the relatively small taiwanese population.
certainly the prc is never far from discussions with taiwan and president ma's government must be congratulated for its dialogue and ecfa agreement with beijing that has done so much in recent years to ease tensions and boost trade across the straits.
the eu therefore cannot allow the prospects of free and fair trade with the vibrant and unique taiwanese democracy to be held hostage to intolerable diplomatic pressure from the prc.
forty one thus british capital deferred consumption if you like is financing competition from taiwan.
the rapporteurs are not commending trade with taiwan pragmatically because it benefits the eu they commend it because it advances the wto objective of open trade worldwide.
our surplus in services is diminishing year by year.
the eu is not pursuing european objectives but global objectives.
furthermore that country is investing in low wage economies in the far east that will also compete with all of our industries.
this commission has been engaging actively with asia with the support of this parliament.
in addition we are getting ready to start investment negotiations with mainland china which we have just discussed in plenary.
and pharmaceutical issues.
we have to focus on our current trade agenda first. the time will come later on to assess possible ways to improve our trade relations with taiwan provided that a shared level of ambition can be found.
the mutual understanding we build in these meetings and the concrete solutions we find to issues that would otherwise become barriers to trade and investment help to create a stable trade and investment environment that is protective of intellectual property and conducive to better trade and investment flows.
many of these operations are regionally integrated to improve efficiencies.
now that china the usa south korea singapore and new zealand are either negotiating or have concluded free trade investment and trade agreements with taiwan can the eu afford to be left behind?
taiwan is a rock solid democracy and a vibrant economy that has many benefits to offer to the eu.
with other countries.
the answer to this question should be very clear.
the union is the largest foreign investor in taiwan's free and open market and we hold regular dialogues to address trade and investment matters but bilateral trade volumes are lagging behind and the potential for bilateral investment is huge.
the island is well known to european business and we have traded with it for decades.
the treaties allow us to promote them too through showing support for democratic taiwan. if we have decided that negotiating an agreement with china is the route to increased investment and trade levels then we should think in the same vein in terms of the union and taiwan including allowing the european investment bank to invest there.
madam president our last debate was about the union's first self standing investment agreement since this competence was granted under the lisbon treaty. while the moment is historic we should not allow the first self standing agreement to stand alone.
so i join the calls on the commission to propose a parallel bilateral investment agreement with taiwan a win win for both parties to improve the legal certainty for investors and increase the volume and quality of investment flows.
there is much scope for investment in taiwan right next to mainland china.
the commissioner spoke of promoting europe's values through an agreement with the people's republic of china.
madam president i think my noble friend mr kazak has touched upon something that will no doubt be a fear in the minds of some of the leaders in some of our member states.
but it is for the union to be bold in these matters. china has no official objection to trade with taiwan and therefore it can have no realistic or defensible objection to such an agreement with taiwan.
also it is perfect timing that we should discuss taiwan almost simultaneously with discussing our relationship with china.
they are not mutually exclusive and it is only right that we should try and improve relations with both particularly when it comes to trade.
also we have to be very mindful of the fact that taiwan espouses democratic principles as we do so we have an obligation to try and help it in that regard as well.
what i would like to stress is that we take our decisions in full independence on the basis of what is best for the union and for european citizens.
to put it very clearly we would not refrain from having negotiations with taiwan because the people's republic of china is against this.
taiwan belongs to the world trade organisation most of the states within it do not recognise taiwan as an independent country. we live in a world of constructive ambiguity towards taiwan's status.
it is a democracy it shares our values and whether you recognise it or not and some thirty odd countries in the world do does not matter.
is not about abandoning our social model. it is in fact the opposite. it is about bringing our countries through the crisis with our fundamental values intact
brick by brick represents the spirit of our cooperation within the eu. at the end of the day as we strive to put europe on a path for future growth and prosperity
we are taking today and tomorrow should not be a departure from solidarity. on the contrary we are doing these things to protect our way of life
is what sets the union apart
paper into practical reality. we must find a way to ensure that together member states the commission and the european parliament we roll out the measures contained in the compact. we have a situation in which for the first time in the history of the european union we cannot assume that the coming generations will enjoy more prosperity and better opportunities than we have enjoyed. that of course leaves us with a huge responsibility for the conditions of our
good deal of flexibility patience and hard work on both sides and i would like to thank everyone here who was involved in reaching this significant milestone. without you we could not have done it. this directive is of key importance in our efforts to achieve our two interrelated goals of transforming europe into a competitive low carbon economy and increasing our energy security all at once. in addition the directive will create up to hundreds of thousands of new jobs in europe and it will of course ensure that the eu gets much closer to our target of twenty energy savings by. two thousand and twenty i consider this an excellent result. i would like to underline my appreciation of the dedication high level of ambition and willingness to compromise demonstrated by the european parliament on this road to the green transition. your continued engagement in making our economy greener will be ever more needed in the years to come. underpinning our aspiration for a dynamic responsible and greener europe is the need to ensure a safe europe. denmark's presidency has reached a wide range of tangible results in this field. we have granted candidate status to serbia and are opening accession negotiations with montenegro which will influence the regional dynamics and contribute to stabilising the western balkans. we have also reached agreement on essential elements of the asylum package which will help ensure efficiency legal rights and more uniform asylum procedures in the member states. together with parliament and the commission we have managed to conclude a lot of important business. and today i am pleased to say that we were able to reach important agreements only thanks to constructive cooperation with you the parliament with the commission and of course with the member states in the council. as i see it the achievements of the danish presidency are also the achievements of the european parliament. we all play our part in realising the huge potential of the community method. having different responsibilities playing different roles and on some occasions defending diverging
a strong commitment to deliver on the needs and demands of the citizens. the relentless focus on results stone by stone
was to ensure a more responsible europe. the need for fiscal consolidation and greater budget discipline is crucial if we want to safeguard
citizens and businesses which has been a top priority for our presidency. let me highlight a few of the main results reached during our presidency. under the headline of a more dynamic europe' the danish presidency has pushed for robust eu measures in areas such as research and education infrastructure and the single market and we have done this to boost growth and to kick start a job rich recovery. i am particularly pleased that we have succeeded in achieving a historic compromise in the european council on the patent reform after more than thirty years of negotiations. this could mean drastic cost savings for businesses across europe savings that can be used to promote new jobs. we may not see eye to eye on all elements of this compromise but i truly hope that we can work as co legislators to see the patent reform become a reality to benefit our companies. i am also very pleased that we have adopted the roaming regulation. this regulation will lower prices significantly for cellphone users in member states and will reduce costs to and the burden on companies. in short it can contribute to growth. another important result is the regulation on the european system of standardisation. the agreement reached here will modernise the single market. furthermore we have reached agreement on the proposal on venture capital and social entrepreneurship funds. this will boost access to funding for european businesses and social entrepreneurs. of course this is also an important step in trying to create growth in the eu. we know that the single market has been one of the greatest achievements of the eu and in order to realise its full potential we must continue to reform and modernise it. the second main objective of our presidency
interests the council and parliament will not always share the same view. the heated debate on the legal basis of the schengen evaluation mechanism was indeed a case in point but i drew great encouragement from the fact that our negotiations over the past six months have been characterised by flexibility a willingness to find common ground and most importantly perhaps
for the danish presidency throughout these six months and i am pleased to note that the european council placed strong emphasis on this last week. as you also know the transition to a green economy has been among the most important political priorities for the danish presidency and i warmly welcome the common agreement reached on the energy efficiency directive. this was a landmark result which required a
moving europe beyond this crisis
and what makes our social model so unique. that is what i believe in. that is what has made our economies so successful over the years and
our european social model and our values and we will continue to do
values such as solidarity safety nets and equal opportunities for all. the difficult decisions
we have to be guided by our vision for the society that we want to create. for me this
that is how it will be always and this is how it has also been during the danish presidency.
our presidency has tried to do just that at a very difficult time not least thanks to the work done in this house.
it has been the case and will continue to be so for some time that we act every day against a heavy backdrop of the economic crisis with thousands and thousands unemployed in europe.
political leaders of today are judged by their results not their intentions and what european citizens expect from us is results.
mr barroso's devotion and commitment is crucial and i thank the commission for it.
we have done our utmost to fully respect the powers granted to the european parliament and we have put great emphasis from day one on hearing your views and bringing them to the floor of the council. i dare say that on this dossier we have had the closest cooperation between any presidency and the european parliament
the crisis we have right now and the solutions we find show that even though we did not always agree we did not give up on each other. we showed solidarity and we should continue to do
i would very much like to thank some of those who have mentioned the multiannual financial framework and i would warmly thank everyone who has participated in this house in these discussions.
we all know that the negotiations ahead of us will be very difficult but i hope that the involvement of the european parliament will continue in the same constructive atmosphere as it has started.
i hope that we can all agree to urgently deliver on this compact.
it is of course important that at every step we take in the development of the union we respect the role of the european parliament and i have stated this very clearly in the european council.
let me remind you that europe has waited more than thirty years for a solution and when you wait for thirty years you know that a solution will require a compromise.
but we always share a common goal of serving europe and serving its citizens. let me try to address some of the main topics which you have raised today.
we will continue to do that in the future so that europe after the past gloom and pessimism can again see an area of growth progress and optimism. i believe that this is possible but it is only possible if we are committed to doing it together.
we discussed this also at the european council on thursday and friday and as i said there i have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending to the council that we strengthen cooperation with the parliament in doing this strengthen cooperation in terms of creating growth and jobs and perhaps fast track some
let me also extend special thanks to the commission to commission president barroso when it comes to continuously promoting a green economy.
i understand that the european parliament will continue to discuss this in september and i hope that the european parliament will live up to its responsibility and help reach a final agreement for the sake of creating growth and jobs in europe.
sometimes we agree sometimes we do not.
they expect solutions and we have tried to live up to that obligation over the last six months.
all of you here know that it has not been easy to push the green agenda in a time of crisis but i am proud of the results that we have achieved together in this area particularly when we talk about energy efficiency.
some of you have mentioned the patent regulation and of course i have taken good note of your remarks concerning the patent.
european citizens have the right to expect that from us.
we have had a very close and constructive dialogue on the negotiations and we have had that throughout the presidency at all levels.
many of you have rightly pointed out that we still are in a dire economic crisis and you are right.
some have said this is not good enough;
so. everyone here knows that europe still faces a severe crisis but the decisions that we take together will lead us step by step out of the crisis to a better future. i believe that we will be judged on our capacity to cooperate and find compromises.
that is why i am so happy that many of you have shared my concern in pushing for the implementation of the growth and jobs pact.
he did that very well in rio he has done that throughout these six months and i know that he will continue to do so.
we have taken big steps in the right direction and now we need to make sure that we continue to deliver together and we will continue our efforts in the council to do that.
as i see it this requires full use of the community method.
well sometimes it means that we have heated debates about lines of division.
in all of these very important areas we need more ambition more europe and a clear respect for the community method.
i think that progress on many files was very clear and we in the commission highly appreciate that.
during the european council. the situation will now require an assessment
we want solutions that can work. that is why we believe together with this parliament that we need a schengen evaluation mechanism
agree on a new financial regulation. i want to extend my thanks to the relevant players in parliament and the council who have
budget for growth and cohesion. the european union needs to show that it is able to take difficult
summit for sustainable development. although a number of our most ambitious objectives were not fully achieved the european union remained committed and constructive throughout the negotiations and our positions had a very important impact on the debate. i would like particularly to welcome the very good cooperation
i were present at this rio conference. and let me tell you that without european leadership in this conference we would not have achieved what appears
between the commission
worked closely with the commission. i know we went through a process
of the sensitivity of this issue. as far as the commission is concerned
i am sure he is delighted to be having to spend his birthday listening to us drone on in this chamber.
in particular your presidency should be congratulated for burying the financial transactions tax as an eu wide initiative.
your administration should also be thanked for refusing to reopen negotiations on the pregnant workers directive which would have raised costs for businesses reduced women's choice and made it harder for many young women to find jobs.
you should also be congratulated as a member of the eu net contributors club for pushing for budget restraint within the eu as well.
in fact when i look at many of the policy areas it seems there are many lessons that you could teach the wider socialist family about the responsibilities of power should you ever choose to come back to this parliament.
regarding the row over the schengen evaluation mechanism i have to say you have my sympathy on this. after all the decision to change the legal base was made unanimously by the council a council which as mr daul and others often remind us is made up predominantly of leaders of the epp.
he sat there tirelessly day after day in this chamber having to listen to a lot of brickbats and criticisms.
i think he has done it extremely well extremely courteously and i am sure he has a great future ahead in your government.
mr president those who advance the european project see themselves as good europeans. in fact the project itself is geared towards the destruction of europe's distinct identity.
it sought to facilitate legal immigration claiming that europe is somehow in need of yet more immigrants.
it has paid lip service to a returns policy for illegal immigrants but we know from frontex that they are not detained long but are released and given an order to leave that is neither checked for compliance nor enforced.
we need to maximise the added value and shared the expertise of all member states.
together we will be able to achieve more than any member state acting alone.
it is important to use this window of opportunity through the next multiannual financial framework and in particular the neighbourhood development and international cooperation instrument to promote our unique european competence to act effectively together.
madam president i speak as labour's spokesperson on culture in the eu and as someone who worked in the creative sector as the founder of a small to medium enterprise working in the digital sphere.
it rewards creativity and stimulates investment in the creative sector and i want to thank organisations such as uk music directors uk and the writers guild of great britain who.
this reform package will address the unfair situation that means a song needs to be streamed fifty million times on youtube before the artist can expect to earn the average uk salary.
this is the biggest reform of the eu copyright law for fifteen years and it will curb the tech giant's power over online content including news and current affairs.
but i want to pick out two people tonight for a special thank you my two researchers up in the public gallery. they told me that tonight is the first time they've had time to come here because they're always so busy working.
it is its own distinctive policy based on values rooted in the fight against extreme poverty and the fight for global justice.
firstly the period in which the new instrument will operate is going to be a crucial one.
they make an improvement to the text and i hope the council will accept them.
country strategy papers which represent specific planning documents made for each beneficiary for a seven year period.
if theresa may survives in the short term and continues the brexit betrayal she says she will meet all financial obligations to the eu despite there being no legal obligation.
if we look at the european parliament budget for two thousand and twenty it will be increased to over eur two billion.
no bad thing in principle as it is one of the few ways to hold these shadowy behind the scenes agencies to account but the procedure i would argue lacks some actual clout. one of the biggest talking points has been the european asylum office which has a budget of eur eighty six million. the court of auditors gave an adverse opinion on the legality of its payments.
so under the tories if the withdrawal agreement deal goes through the british taxpayers are on the hook for gbp thirty nine billion.
mr president just as a recap for those in the real world watching this debate we are discussing the discharge procedure where meps have a look through the budgets of all the different eu agencies and institutions and give political approval whether to sign off on their financial activities.
all these matters and policy areas handled by eu agencies should be operated by democratically elected national governments either on their own or bilaterally.
on top of that in the committee on budgets last night you approved over eur three million for fifty one contractual agents to boost media relations and digital communications activity in the member states in order to build a so called pan european community ahead of the european elections. this sort of statesponsored propaganda machine is exactly what i oppose and will continue to oppose to protect taxpayers' money.
it has had a bad recent history with high ranking officios being removed and replaced due to alleged harassment misappropriation of funds and breaches of data protection to name but a few.
for this reason i ask for your support to open the directive to the amendments and request a vote on these amendments that so many of us have signed.
two hundred thousand people went on the streets and five million signed the petition.
last week the rapporteur's own national party publicly announced that the directive as it stands is unclear on upload filters.
it's our duty to fix issues of great concern at european level and not in the national legislation.
i have always said that i believe in policymaking that pushes change. policies need to move the shift towards cleaner transport and we as policymakers need to encourage and stimulate this move as i believe we'll be doing in this legislation.
understanding the concerns of trade unions the legislation allows for the allocation of excess emission premiums to a fund that would help the reskilling and upskilling of workers.