kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
it is an agreement for putting investor rights over people's interests for liberalisation without end and for harming the climate the environment and also social standards.
madam president i will begin by quoting from an earlier speech i made on ttip trade should be about economic benefits not political goals and yet the commission consistently exploits trade agreements in order to advance its own political agenda.
at the confirmation hearings there the commissioner stated in prepared remarks that trade is a powerful foreign policy tool and that it must support europe's wider international goals.
the eu should not manipulate the trade of the member states in order to promote the foreign policy pretensions of a wannabe european superstate.
the intention is clear member states are being forced to barter and if you can forgive the pun trade away their sovereignty in order to support the eu's foreign policy.
and it is a tragedy for the integrity and credibility of our politics that many of those who stand in the way of brexit persist in putting forward this false fact.
it is a fact that the european union has well over one hundred trade agreements if you include gsp and gsp and all of these it is only the efta countries of which there are four whose specific form of trade agreement with the eu has a clause that confers
and i refer you to commissioner malmstrm who is here for once.
as a champion of free trade i welcome this agreement and look forward to seeing a positive vote in this chamber today.
once fully implemented it is expected to increase bilateral trade between the eu and canada by twenty three representing approximately eur twenty six billion per year.
madam president i would like to say this o canada' how long the eu has kept you waiting. after seven long years the champions of free trade have battled through and now we are at the final furlong. to be clear ceta is an ambitious modern and comprehensive trade agreement which will bring tremendous benefits to the eu as a whole and to each one of the member states.
it will lead to the creation of jobs and economic growth allowing small and medium size enterprises access to the canadian market free of barriers.
in times of growing protectionism the eu must not underestimate the benefits of trade agreements like this especially when we are negotiating with reliable and strategic partners such as canada who are and remain our allies.
trade globally has lifted millions and millions of people out of poverty so trade is a good thing but of course trade needs to be regulated in trade agreements and that is what we are discussing here today.
trade with other countries outside the european union has created millions of jobs thirty one million in the export sectors and many many millions in the import sectors.
this is a new type of trade agreement.
this is also an agreement about values about the right of governments to regulate about maintaining our high standards about labour rights about environmental rights about sustainable development about reforming the old isds system because it was not invented in ceta it has existed since one thousand nine hundred and fifty nine it was invented in germany. all countries except ireland have isds clauses.
madam president honourable members of this house it has indeed been a very long and interesting debate. we are here discussing a trade agreement. trade has made the european union the biggest economy of the world.
we know that trade works.
smes benefit from lower tariffs from increased market access from less red tape.
it has economic advantages we are taking away tariffs we are increasing market access we have achieved the recognition of many important geographical indications we are taking away red tape and this is beneficial.
we have made them more democratic more transparent and introduced a more ethical system.
it has benefited the prosperity and welfare of europeans.
the trade agreement with south korea has increased exports by impressive figures and created many jobs.
this is not business as usual;
countries are queuing up to make trade agreements with us but they are of course looking very carefully at what is going to happen today whether we are a reliable partner or not.
this includes the best ever services deal and it will also give european companies access to canadian procurement markets for the first time.
once fully implemented the agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods and services between the eu member states and canada by twenty three or gbp nineteen billion. it has however taken too long to get to this point.
in addition it contains mutual recognition of professional qualifications for midwives architects lawyers and doctors but there is no free movement and no access fees payable either way.
this new system guarantees a government's right to regulate;
trade policy is about opening markets but it is also about our values so ceta is a progressive agreement with a progressive partner upholding our standards and protecting our sensitivities.
to feed into this review i intend to open a broad and inclusive debate on sustainable development provisions in our free trade agreements involving all stakeholders including of course this parliament.
nothing in this agreement affects the safety of food we eat or the products we buy;
it also cuts red tape the lengthy customs and duplicative certification procedures which small businesses can ill afford.
honourable members we are at a time where many stand against what the eu stands for openness international cooperation freedom to trade etc.
canada and the eu pledge to effectively implement major international agreements on labour and the environment.
nothing requires privatisation of water or healthcare and nothing changes the prerogative of eu lawmakers to set eu rules under eu procedures.
against those trends we have the chance to work with like minded partners to show that protectionism does not work that putting up barriers and building walls is not the answer.
as you know with canada we are right now working on the international scene to promote the idea of a multilateral investment court.
only the eu institutions can do that and member states may also adopt relevant legislation for that.
with canada we share the democratic values of openness and tolerance.
the two agreements that we are discussing here today the free trade agreement and the strategic partnership agreement together offer an opportunity to upgrade our eucanada relationship.
we cooperate in tackling common challenges such as migration sustainable development climate change and terrorism.
those agreements strengthen both our economic relations and our geopolitical alliance reflecting our partnership which is both unique and distinctive making that partnership deeper and more powerful reaffirming our fundamental values and political principles and using them to shape globalisation with an institutional framework that allows for deeper exchange to help each side serve its citizens in the twenty first century.
it removes almost all tariffs from day one.
ceta is a modern new kind of agreement promoting our values of free fair and sustainable trade.
in particular decisionmaking in the ceta joint committee cannot circumvent or derogate from eu treaty requirements particularly the role of the eu institutions in making policy.
the commission will fully abide by eu internal processes as defined by the treaties before taking any position in the ceta committee and there can be no doubt that the role of this parliament will be both fully respected and your contribution is also welcomed.
exporters stand to save over eur five hundred million a year and that is a lot of money especially for the small companies.
the strategic partnership agreement accompanies and complements ceta reinforcing our partnership deepening contacts and coordination in areas like foreign security and defence policy migration counterterrorism human rights sustainable development and climate change areas where we can work and where we are already working together to make life better for our citizens and promote a progressive international agenda rooted in our principles.
these provisions are ambitious but they are also binding and legally enforceable and they are having an effect canada is on the path to ratify the last outstanding core labour convention on collective bargaining.
nothing prevents governments from providing public services or bringing these services back to the public domain if they have been privatised;
and those who oppose those principles often also question the foundation and the future of the eu itself.
it opens up markets in services and public procurement on all levels and it protects over one hundred and forty of the most traded geographical indications helping european farmers sell more of their highquality products in canada.
the agreement contains a mechanism to review these provisions notably on enforcement and i commit as i have written to you in letters to set in motion this review mechanism soon after ceta is provisionally applied.
nothing in this agreement undermines a government's right to regulate in the public interest;
it uses public courts qualified judges transparent proceedings an appeal mechanism and a strict code of ethics and this parliament will be involved in selecting its tribunal members similar to its involvement for ecj judges.
your role here has been critical in shaping the new investment court system.
i am looking forward to the debate and hopefully a successful vote.
income gaps are projected to widen between skilled and unskilled workers.
mr president the committee on employment and social affairs in its opinion of eight december last stressed that decent job creation balanced wage increases and expanded entrepreneurship possibilities must be the defining criteria for giving consent for the conclusion of ceta. the committee found however that the agreement seriously fails and falls short on all three scores. real world models and assessments indicate no more than a.
there is no single chapter with specific measures in favour of smes and finally the privileged status of investors under the investment court system stands in stark contrast to the mere consultations envisaged for protecting labour interests and rights.
if i may say so i would point out that at the hearings three political groups voted against the confirmation of the present eu trade commissioner and if only the ecr had joined us she probably wouldn't have happened. as it is we have somebody who is completely unqualified and that is the person who the twenty seven other member states are unfortunately stuck with.
the problem is that the person who went out and negotiated this agreement has said that she does not take her mandate from the people.
what sort of a democracy is this where we send someone out to negotiate on our behalf and she brazenly says to us that she does not take her mandate from the people?
the history of the global economy and trade in the last hundred years teaches us that protectionism is a poor tool.
these are the values that they seek to embody and defend at a time when they need defending more than at any other time in the european union's recent history.
canada with its similar levels of gdp per capita as an advanced economy and a nato member state further cements ties and mutual interests.
the first reads the parties shall implement this agreement based on shared values the principles of dialogue mutual respect equal partnership multilateralism consensus and respect for international law.
i am proud to say that two thousand and seventeen marks the fortieth anniversary of the initial political agreement between canada and the european union all the way back to one thousand nine hundred and seventy seven a testament to the long and enduring links between the two sides.
existing cooperation between canada and the eu and its member states spans a number of key policy areas for example the europol agreement active since two thousand and five which provides a valuable vehicle for the sharing of data and information in the fight against international crime and terrorism;
to focus on some of the main headlines of the spa in the areas where coordination of efforts is envisaged i will take a few areas of particular interest.
such questions can be answered only by concrete results. this means increasing trade creating economic growth providing jobs and creating a safe and secure world.
ensuring the effective working of the international criminal court now increasingly challenged;
enforcing consumer protection;
furthermore the visa liberalisation agreement in place since two thousand and fifteen will now be completed and extended to the entire european union as agreed.
tackling cybercrime;
fighting the trade in illicit drugs;
strengthening counterterrorism efforts and combating the financing of international terrorism;
whether we look to the election of president donald trump in the united states or in my personal view the regrettable decision of my country the united kingdom to leave the european union or the rise of populist protectionist parties across europe it is clear that the merits of free trade multilateralism and the liberal international world order are unfortunately being questioned by many and we must stand up and fight for them.
the spa and ceta will hopefully do exactly these things and i can illustrate what can be achieved by defending these values that they are based on.
much of what we see in the spa is in fact the development of longstanding links and coordination.
it was only a year later that as a student i found myself living for several months in one thousand nine hundred and seventy eight in canada and appreciating at first hand the strong bonds and common culture that bind us together.
for example there are two extracts from the spa that to my mind sum up exactly what this is all about and what it stands for.
mr president canada enjoys one of the closest possible relationships with the european union.
' the second extract reads recognising that sustainable globalisation and greater prosperity can only be achieved through an open world economy based on market principles effective regulations and strong global institutions.
ceta will help create jobs and economic growth which is very much needed.
it is also an important deal geopolitically. the eu and canada must strengthen and hold their alliance in this changing unstable environment.
it is about new jobs created by polish fruit exporters or italian tie makers facing lower barriers to selling their products in canada it is about cheaper prices and more choice for consumers and it is about allowing our small businesses to bid for public procurement contracts in canada.
my ecr group supports ceta and other trade agreements because international trade is between willing sellers in one country and willing buyers in another country.
opponents of international trade will often highlight the losses but they fail to point to the often larger gains which are dispersed across a nation or across international borders.
i am not saying that we should ignore these legitimate concerns.
we should encourage lifelong learning programmes for workers in declining companies and sectors to retrain for new roles in the face of globalisation and new technology.
we should address the concerns of both canadians and citizens of eu countries who accuse each other of having lower environmental and labour standards. both cannot be right.
and we should also remind the anti capitalists over there and the anti globalisation movement over here that they are in fact the true friends of the multinationals for it is often the multinationals with their armies of lawyers and lobbyists who call for or shape the regulatory barriers which keep smaller businesses confined to their local markets.
applause so the ecr group will vote for ceta as an opportunity to show the world that the eu is open for business an opportunity for small businesses to create more jobs and opportunities for everyone not just a privileged few or the large multinationals to benefit from open trade.
madam president is it in order for members to absent themselves from the debates and leave big placards rather than actually take part in the debate?
i hope that eventually comes to fruition. there is also the creation of a joint ministerial council and joint consultative council for the first time which will enable senior policymakers on both sides of the atlantic to exchange ideas.
on how to mitigate the effects of climate change canada and the european union will have to look at this very carefully particularly with the risk of the melting of the ice sheets in the high north and the increased migratory pressures from subsaharan africa impacting on the eu with climate change a very important common shared challenge.
president trump's repeated threats to pull america out of the paris climate change agreement means an additional threat to global stability which the eu together with canada will have to face together.
when the united kingdom eventually leaves the european union and embarks on its own trade policy i hope it takes a balanced approach.
madam president even when i disagree with them i normally understand where my colleagues in the greens and my friends on the left are coming from but frankly in relation to ceta i just do not get it.
ceta defends our right to regulate so no frankenstein foods in our market no threat to food safety.
i hear a lot of words but i hear no substance in their objection to ceta and that is what they should be standing up for.
we live in a world that faces real dangers of protectionism.
with this progressive deal canada and the eu are not only keeping markets open they are keeping those markets open on the basis of common values and that is something we should applaud.
colleagues let me just say that the commissioner was approved by parliament and that is why she is in this position.
with the conclusion of these negotiations we are going to prove that during difficult geopolitical times when populism triumphs we can set and support good international trade practices.
if we can agree with canada if we can push forward to improve trade relations with canada if we can show the positive impact on citizens on industry and on employment this agreement will show that this is the way to go. i believe that is why we should support it because it is just one step towards reshaping the world in a positive manner.
i hate to say this but your last words were wasted and with respect i did give you extra time.
sorry commissioner please take a breath for one moment.
i am not going to resume this debate until we have some semblance of order and silence because the commissioner is responding in detail to questions raised during the debate.
before i give the floor to our next speaker could i just say that there were two requests for blue cards.
i think it weighs heavily on the side of enterprises and investors but having said this i look very much forward to working with the commissioner on the new trade agreements where this balance will be set right.
i did not get the entire english translation and i gather colleagues had a problem.
was there a problem with the english booth and could we have a translation of the question please?
could i get some guidance from the booths as to whether they heard the question or do i need to repeat it?
it is also thanks to you that we can today take this important step and give our clear yes' to the economic and trade agreement between the eu and canada the most comprehensive agreement concluded so far.
not only that it will facilitate access to public tenders at federal provincial and local level in canada.
it will take care of european geographical indications including czech beer.
madam commissioner the eu needs to show now more than ever that it has not resigned unlike some others on the liberalisation of trade at international level but not only that the eu should stand ready to shape it.
thank you for that question because indeed i do believe investors are very normal people they need to have rights like everybody like all of us like everyone in europe and in canada and elsewhere.
that is why investors should have exactly the same rights as people and also be able to claim those rights before the courts courts that we can all go to but not special courts where only investors can go because investors have rights but they should have not have more rights than us normal people the people in europe and in canada and elsewhere.
as the eu's legal order interacts with diverse national legal traditions and systems often built upon continual layers of history this requires first of all well informed and well trained legal practitioners.
two thousand and twenty this involves the use of all available resources at local national and european level.
there have not been any unusual delays in the implementation of the pilot project.
as regards the specific questions i would like to highlight the following.
this includes judges prosecutors court staff lawyers and other legal professions.
the first training content will be available online in a matter of weeks.
however we need to keep in mind that organisation of the judiciaries is a matter for member states alone.
regarding the fourth question on broadening the scope the commission communication of september two thousand and eleven makes it clear that it intends to target training activities at all legal practitioners.
since two thousand and eleven the commission has been taking action with national authorities and with the support of the european networks such as the european judicial training network the european law academy and the european law institute.
we welcomed the debate on having eu law court coordinators within the national court structure.
we should also avoid duplication of tasks with the established european judicial networks in civil and commercial as well as in criminal matters.
personal contact is necessary to build mutual trust and to exchange ideas.
the pilot project was published on time applicants were given the usual deadlines and three out of the four contracts are in the process of being signed this month.
the commission also supports future knowledge partnerships between universities judicial schools and bar associations to develop innovative training solutions. however the eu has no competence to regulate the curriculum and teaching of law at european universities.
we can indeed bring these different legal cultures together without eliminating the differences. european judicial training is a crucial tool to achieve that goal.
in september two thousand and eleven the commission set out its objective to enable half of the legal practitioners in the european union to participate in european judicial training activities by.
they will also be called upon to live up to common minimum standards so that authorities in other countries will be able to trust those decisions. meeting these challenges requires first of all well informed and well trained legal practitioners.
they must be capable of interpreting and effectively enforcing eu law alongside their own domestic law and in the union's decentralised legal system national judges must become true union law judges to be able to comply with their responsibilities.
the commission will in close cooperation with parliament continue working on the tracks laid down in the communication of september two thousand and eleven to meet the objective of enabling half of the legal practitioners in the european union to participate in european judicial training activities by.
therefore i would like to thank him.
the creation of a true and effective area of freedom and justice in europe cannot be completed without the introduction of a deep judicial culture based on mutual trust within the different national systems.
there has been a fundamental change in parliament's approach towards judicial training in this legislature.
the stockholm programme outlines in particular the importance of strengthening the establishment of a truly european judicial culture which fully respects the principles of subsidiarity and judicial independence.
this is a top priority of the socialist group in the area of freedom security and justice.