kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
but when suggestions to improve particular situations take the shape of uniform eu diktats we must reject overbearing eu interference no matter how well intentioned.
madam president the thrust of this report on european venture capital funds is how do we reconcile the appeals to professional investors to offer much needed risk capital to smes with the legitimate need to clamp down on tax havens?
the report's compromise will have to suffice for the time being;
tax evasion and fraud must indeed be stopped but at the same time we must do all we can to help finance the small businesses which form the backbone of most of our economies and whose shareholders have frequently borne the brunt of the global financial turmoil.
while the eu's institutions further debate this dilemma over the coming years it is greatly to be hoped that businesses will receive the investment and support they need under favourable conditions for all parties and in a spirit of adequate but not intrusive regulation.
if we are to grow and compete we need investment in our small businesses and in our cleverest businesses. i spent my first year in this parliament trying to stop the commission from shutting down venture capital altogether.
now we have voted on a report just two years later which is intended to help investment and i hope it does.
but we will need to keep a close eye on it because if our european companies are to compete on a level playing field they need access to investors from all over the world and not just to those who are based in europe.
finally i applaud the consistency between this text and other international climate change agreement texts.
surely the most important thing about a measure like this is that it is useful and that it is something that member states and countries across the globe are happy to look at and comply with.
madam president it is now almost three years since commission president barroso announced what he called a silent revolution in terms of stronger economic governance by small steps.
what that meant is using the economic crisis caused by neo liberal capitalism to go further in imposing a model of authoritarian neo liberalism in europe.
it imposes economic partnership programmes and enhanced surveillance whereby countries not in receipt of so called bail outs will effectively be in troika like programmes with cuts imposed and supervised by the commission.
first of all thank you very much for calling me to speak about this report. whatever one's view on climate change and the destruction of our environment or the problems with our environment it is quite clear that it is important that we monitor the use of some of the gases that could damage the environment.
at the same time i would ask our colleagues to be very careful and make sure that we do not use the green agenda as a form of protectionism.
madam president one of the great gifts of europe to human civilisation was the ideal of democratic self government of government of by and for the people.
of course we cannot do that except within units of agreed people and that means allowing people to choose which country they belong to.
i was delighted by the result of the referendum in the falkland islands. i look forward to many referendums on which country people want to belong to in europe and i hope that as in the falkland islands and unlike what we have done in the past we will respect the result of such referendums.
as is so often the case with these difficult social problems well meaning politicians in the eu seek to administer the blunt instrument of more europe' when in reality what is required is a far subtler approach respecting the needs of women as well as the sovereignty and competence of member state governments seeking to resolve this problem.
madam president many of our citizens' main encounter with the eu single market comes from purchasing goods and services from other eu member states. in principle it is an excellent advertisement for free trade and healthy competition and when these transactions operate smoothly it represents a great eu success story. however i have lost count of the number of london constituents from my region who have complained of poor experiences when buying items from vendors abroad and who find themselves without any viable redress at eu level.
this legislation therefore goes some way to repairing a critical deficiency in the single market.
it is to be hoped that all citizens whether traders or consumers will benefit from a cheap quick and efficient pan european way of resolving such disputes with maximum transparency and minimum cost and bureaucracy.
given that the single market is the engine driving the modern european union we must demonstrate that we are serious about increasing its effectiveness and consolidating its value in order to cultivate a genuinely free flow of goods and services.
madam president i just wanted to let the commissioner know that i was shocked and horrified
their behaviour does not represent the views of the british conservative party.
in my amendments to this report i call for consideration to be given to flexibility and robustness and for cost effectiveness.
i am disappointed that the commission could not support my amendments to help investment in infrastructure in the current review we are doing on bank capital ratios but we do need to have public investment which is well targeted. eu money should only be used where there is eu added value.
mr president it is the first time that you have adopted common rules aiming to halt the illegal import and trafficking of cultural goods from outside the eu often linked to terrorist financing and other criminal activity. these new laws will make it harder for criminal elements to profit from the export of cultural goods from conflict areas as has previously happened with treasures looted from iraq and syria.
the russian occupying authorities have registered the illegal appropriation of the thirty two historic buildings of khan's palace in bakhchysarai and launched large scale restoration works in total defiance of international law including unesco conventions.
cultural appropriation modification or destruction as a result of occupation is never acceptable. i wish to mention a specific example from occupied crimea where culture is a matter of great concern especially regarding the conservation of ukrainian cultural heritage the illicit trafficking of cultural property and illicit archaeological excavations.
with the commission's proposed new delivery model will it lead to the much touted simplification at farmer level?
we must resist the urge to focus solely on error rates in this sector which may have the unintended consequence of lowering ambition in order to comply with targets in this vital sector.
how will fragmentation of one of our oldest policies under the banner of subsidiarity lead to better outcomes in an area where we must work together across the eu namely climate change mitigation?
the fact that five hundred million citizens of the eu have access to quality affordable food is perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the eu.
we should bear in mind that pillar two schemes focusing more on environmental issues are inherently more error prone and less easily quantifiable.
look at it closely.
the error rate in pillar two is higher and while we must be aware of this and work to improve it it should come as no surprise.
we face huge challenges in this area and we must continue to set the bar high and assist our farmers as they take on new challenges in climate change mitigation.
and finally from an auditor's perspective there are hard questions to be asked of the direction of this cap reform.
these things must be kept in mind in the upcoming cap.
cars are responsible for the lion's share of external costs twothirds of co two emissions in road transport which is sixty of all emissions in transport so we cannot simply ignore that. next we propose to extend the scope
for example if the uk imposes a charge on uk hgvs today this is the result of a uk decision.
allow me also to stress that road charges are not a tax as this is a way to pay for a service access to the infrastructure and for externalities. the commission has actually proposed allowing member states to have some
for zero emission vehicles we propose incentives and i'd like to be very clear on that a special discount on infrastructure charges of seventy five so that is a very strong incentive. let me also insist one more time
i do believe that common principles agreed at eu level are needed and justified and all the more so as member states remain fully free to decide whether to charge or not but if they do there are certain rules they should respect common rules.
some of you suggested that the eu should not regulate road charging for passenger cars.
so this can be already done and this is part of the proposal.
my answer is that we cannot ignore the impact of cars on infrastructure wear and tear and on the environment at local regional and even at the global level.
the commission receives also numerous complaints about discrimination against foreign motorists especially from border areas and recurring complaints against national charging schemes.
at the same time i hear of course the concerns regarding the more controversial elements of the proposal and let me briefly react to some of your concerns.
it is also worth mentioning that common principles are an important element of seamless mobility models that we are foreseeing in the forthcoming years. as a final remark let me express one more time my real appreciation for the work you have done.
on the fact that the directive tomorrow just like today will not force member states to charge for infrastructure.
of the directive to high vehicles including ldvs where there was a comment that this is not the case.
i would like to thank again all of your members who have contributed to this discussion.
but do not believe the bulletins brought to you by has beens from the uk political class the likes of heseltine blair and clegg who tell you that by keeping the punishment up you can bring britain to heel.
mr juncker and mr timmermans have been full of bonhomie in their personal style but the content of their politics has brought the eu into constant conflict with democratically elected national governments.
so from the moment the commission was chosen as the eu negotiator for brexit it's been determined not to agree a velvet divorce and continued friendship but to administer a public punishment to the british people for daring to vote for a future away from the constraints of european union law. it's not been motivated by a desire to keep trading ties smooth with its largest customer. it's shown no understanding of the character of our island nation inhabited by the proud descendants of those who saved the countries of continental europe twice in the twentieth century.
the sad truth is that his commission is behaving like an obsessive smothering goodwill and suffocating affection for her.
there can be no democratic choice against the european treaties'.
the latest victim is italy whose governing coalition has been told its economic policies for which it has a mandate are unacceptable to the brussels commissars.
and i'm sorry to say it's been aided in its mission by a weak and uninspiring british prime minister who neither supported nor even understood our desire for national independence.
the ordinary patriotic british people are in fact appalled by your antics and will not buckle.
she was the one who laid the foundations and she i think deserves our special recognition.
as president lehne said earlier had the member states done that the overall result would have been significantly better.
therefore i take this opportunity to call on the member states and ask them to accept their responsibilities but i also ask them to act on their responsibilities.
as in previous years the auditors have commented on the high number of instances where the member states did have sufficient information with which to identify and intercept errors at a much earlier stage.
it's important that the public have confidence in the integrity of european expenditure so audit reports do matter.
mr president this two thousand and seventeen audit marks one of the largest yearonyear improvements and i think for that we should give credit to the commission and to commissioner oettinger. but especially i want us to give credit to former commissioner georgieva.
at a technical level there have been detailed discussions on the next multiannual financial framework but in general terms we are far from reaching any sort of consensus.
some of them should be seen in the context of increased concerns and risks of hybrid cyber as well as chemical biological radiological and nuclear threats.
of course this is especially important in light of the european elections next year and the active threat posed by malicious outside interference in our democracies.
it. knowing your sensitivity and determination i believe that you will not allow for europe the member states or the institutions to become involved in any ambiguous game.
the objective of the meeting was to keep up the pressure for concrete results in december.
us. it is not my role to state who wants to protect whose interests here.
leaders also held a short debate on external relations including on the fight against climate change ahead of cop twenty four in katowice. we adopted conclusions on taking our relations with africa to a new level an issue of great importance and in this context agreed to organise a summit with the league of arab states
it was made clear by the uk that more time is needed to find a precise solution.
since prime minister may mentioned the idea of extending the transition period let me repeat that if the uk decided that such an extension would be helpful to reach a deal i am sure that the leaders would be ready to consider it positively.
but i know one thing the only european interest is to reveal all the details of this case regardless of who is behind
therefore there is no other way but to continue the talks.
the focus last week was also on increasing cooperation with countries in north africa and a tougher approach to people smuggling networks. leaders noted the union's achievement in stemming mass arrivals of irregular migrants over the past three years even if more remains to be done.
the european council also adopted a number of decisions on internal security.
this was such a horrible crime that even the slightest trace of hypocrisy would bring shame on
this is why i will propose a political discussion at the december european council. i welcome the intention that the consolidated position of this parliament is to be known by then.
i think that a deal can be reached in the coming weeks in the interest of the union and in the interest of the uk and my question to you mr tusk is this can you also make a decisive last push on citizens' rights that is to offer unlimited onward movement for the british citizens who are living in the eu twenty seven in exchange for a right of lifelong return to the uk for european citizens?
today we are in the middle of a migration
i want to tell you something.
so let there be no misunderstanding i think that the attitude of the italian government in not following the rules of the stability and growth pact is completely irresponsible. but at the same time i'm also saying that a big share of the responsibility rests on our shoulders in relation to the strategy that is coming
nothing has been decided not on brexit that was expected;
i was in downing street and they are ready to go for such a trade off and if you with the council were to push for such a solution it is a trade off that is possible. so do that at least for our citizens so that they have no negative fallout from this brexit tragedy that we are living through today.
not on the eurozone governments no progress.
where is the euro budget?
we need common rules to ensure effective protection against the loss of cultural goods and the prevention of terrorist financing through the sale of looted cultural heritage to buyers in the eu.
especially archaeological objects in countries affected by armed conflict.
this will be possible through the establishment of an economic threshold in addition to the two hundred and fifty year threshold which means that not all goods with zero value will be covered by this regulation.
luckily we managed to achieve a good compromise covering all those goods that deserve special protection but at the same time limiting the scope as much as possible to those cultural goods most affected by illegal trafficking.
i believe that it is extremely important not to overburden market actors and disturb the licit trade of cultural goods in the eu therefore i am very happy that red tape for the art market will be avoided in particular for smes.
to give you an example without an economic threshold books from the eighteenth century which are worth nothing would fall under the scope and administrative costs would probably be higher than the value of the book itself and that would kill the market.
mr president during our work on this file our objective was to prevent the import into and storage in the eu of cultural goods illegally exported from third countries but also to reduce trafficking and combat financing of terrorism and obviously to protect cultural heritage
this is the reason why the second review was carried out and arising from that review there were recommendations made and i just want to tell you about some of them that have been implemented.
but we want to ensure that the processes do work and can work in parallel and importantly to address the groups of substances where appropriate.
we have an implementing regulation supporting the implementation of reach article twenty two being considered by the commission and this work is ongoing. enhanced enforcement is very important and you and other speakers have raised this.
so by the first quarter in two thousand and nineteen the commission will consider further measures that are necessary in order to ensure that we have better enforcement.
so it's not that there's nothing happening.
the commission has requested echa to significantly increase the efficiency of the evaluation procedures by two thousand and nineteen that's not far away by identifying reasons for noncompliance and developing the necessary remedies to improve the procedures and the worksharing with the member states. this is not happening in the best possible way at the moment
mr president allow me to thank all those members who took time from within their small amount of numbers to speak to set the record straight from other political parties as to the historic role social democracy has played
the european union is the best guarantee that no british soldiers will have to be sent to battlefields in europe again as they have so valiantly done in our common history.
has what churchill predicted when he talked about appeasers happened the only thing you get by feeding a crocodile is that the crocodile will eat you last? has the conservative party finally been eaten by ukip?
i quote auschwitz is outside of us but it is all around us in the air.
i want to say that in this house but given that decision we are all under an obligation to do as little harm as possible in the process.
that's not for us to judge.
i want to end with a quote from one of my favourite writers primo levi.
let's have a rational debate let's understand that we build bridges not walls in this european union.
i say this also because i don't want to hide my deep sadness regarding the decision taken by the british people in the referendum to leave the european union. the european union is not a market.
the plague has died away but the infection still lingers and it would be foolish to deny it.
the european union is an instrument to help european people solve their differences around the negotiating table instead of at the battlefield.
i say this because i will make no secret of my deep admiration and affection for the united kingdom and everything it has achieved during european history.
rejection of human solidarity obtuse and cynical indifference to the suffering of others abdication of the intellect and of moral sense to the principle of authority and above all at the root of everything a sweeping tide of cowardice a colossal cowardice which masks itself as warring virtue love of country and faith in an idea.
but i want us to be clear about our obligation as the commission european parliament and council that we should do everything in our power to make sure we do as little harm as possible.
as a democrat as a human being who in this house has never ever changed their minds on anything?
we'll leave that with the british people.
let's be clear about that.
the european union is the best guarantor for peace in europe for the ages to come and for one of the biggest member states to leave that european union is an incredibly sad moment.
i say this because of what was said this morning.
what is new to me is that the leader in this house of the party of churchill and thatcher would appropriate that narrative.
what has happened that they are now using the same narrative that mr farage and others have been using for many years a narrative that they've always distanced themselves from?
this is what we've seen happening just go on the internet for years on the extreme right where they try and rid themselves from their own heritage by saying that nazism belongs to the left or to social democracy.
the damage to the environment otherwise would be in the region of eur twenty two billion by.
as the epp negotiator for the committee on fisheries on singleuse plastics i am conscious of the wide ranging effects of our excessive plastic production and pollution.
we have to take advantage of the alternatives to singleuse plastic.
on discounts counts for frequent users the commission is also open to consider appropriate discounts with respect to frequent users who might be most affected by tolls and it is understood that this has to be done with sufficient safeguards to avoid discrimination against occasional and transit traffic
these measures can help member states to finance transport infrastructure of critical importance and thus reduce congestion and environmental damage.
to be very clear we would leave it to member states to decide whether or not to charge for any infrastructure but if they decide to do so they would have to conform to common principles.
at the same time we would simplify the application of external cost charging to address also other forms of pollution.
as actual costs differ between member states the commission favours reference value rather than minimum.
this could ensure fair and efficient road pricing which is a key element of our policy aiming at the decarbonisation of transport.
in some cases.
this should help them to tackle the problems of air pollution and noise generated by road transport.
i very much welcome the wide support for the commission's proposal behind the changes proposed by ms revault d'allonnes bonnefoy. i also know that many amendments in her report aim to go beyond the commission's proposal.
for maintenance of transport infrastructure.
at the same time in some cases we need to be cautious as amendments might be difficult to implement. let me highlight just five key points.
even though the council might favour a different approach i am convinced that the earmarking of toll revenues and the more detailed reporting you propose could contribute a great deal to acceptance of tolls by the users as well as of course ensure badly needed financial means
i believe that your position could ease the discussion later on with the council.
on the second point on external cost charging we consider that the simplification proposed should make external cost charging more appealing to member states.
at the same time one should be careful when setting minimum charges both for external costs and for congestion.
more regular and thorough reporting on the revenues generated by charges should ensure transparency and importantly improve access by users.