kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the economic crisis has demonstrated the need for urgent changes in the economy and the need to consider our growth model. without new policies we will put even more pressure on the environment we will not deliver on our climate change targets and we will expose our economy and well being to systemic risks.
i will be following today's debate with very keen interest.
we need to mobilise actors at all levels and in all relevant sectors to do their part.
we should try to ensure that our natural capital and the ecosystem services this provides are used efficiently in the short and long term as they are the foundation of our economy and our quality of life.
first of all we highlight the need to provide the horizontal conditions for transformation of the economy. we address consumption and production emphasise the importance of measures such as eco design and highlight the importance of research and innovation and the crucial need to phase out inefficient subsidies and shift to environmental taxation.
thirdly we target the economic sectors that are responsible for the greatest share of environmental impacts namely food buildings and mobility.
by. two thousand and thirteen naturally we also need the full implementation of european union environmental legislation coupled with actions at international level to ensure a level global playing field.
governance is the key element of the strategy because resource efficiency is an integration agenda and eu member states have a key role to play in bringing about the necessary changes.
we will also launch a process to define the appropriate targets with solid effective and science based indicators with a view to agreeing on a lead indicator a dashboard and thematic indicators
integration of resource efficiency into the european semester will ensure that member states are moving along a sustainable path.
turning waste into a valuable resource is key to boosting the resource productivity of the eu economy and also enhancing growth. full implementation of eu waste legislation alone would save eur seventy two billion a year increase the annual turnover of the eu waste management and recycling sector by eur forty two billion
i am glad to see that you also put these as a first priority in your report.
this reflects the broad definition of resources that the commission seeks to promote.
i count of course on your support for this.
as always the commitment of all stakeholders is fundamental to the success of any programme.
ranging from energy to transport to climate water and biodiversity.
sustainable resource use is the condition for the long term resilience and competitiveness of our economies.
i hope that the outcomes of the legislative process will match the ambition you show today so that we can address the scale of the resource challenges we really face.
it reaffirms the political importance of the resource efficiency agenda and the urgency of the need to take action in order to respond to the economic and environmental challenges we face. resource constraints are a real global trend that we must certainly address.
i believe our resources should be managed in an environmentally sound manner.
this is clearly unacceptable and i support measures to encourage more recycling and reusing.
the rapporteur has made some useful suggestions but his report contains some impractical recommendations such as the general ban on landfill waste.
however we need to set realistic targets with a gradual transition away from landfill.
this house needs to learn that taxation is not the solution to every problem.
perhaps when we try to appeal to citizens as the commissioner suggested when we try to mobilise them we need to use less words and make it a little bit friendlier for people. when one reads some of this report it would paralyse rather than mobilise but i accept your very good intentions. in particular around the issues of dietary change and land use i agree absolutely with paragraph fifty six about
to do that we need to produce more using less resources within the european union. i think paragraph fifty seven is very reasonable on improving consumer awareness but i am afraid that paragraph fifty two is less so.
if we look on page seven of the commission's two thousand and ten document europe two thousand and twenty it says that europe has many strengths and we can count on the talent and creativity of our peoples. this was a rare admission.
that would usually have prevented ideological thoughtcrime from being committed but not on this occasion.
mr president even climate change sceptics must accept that mineral resources are finite and that the demand for resources will rise exponentially.
the achievement of the peoples of europe in science technology and the arts have been unparalleled.
of course the one resource that we sometimes overlook is the human resource the quality of our peoples.
we might ask why we are so intent on replacing europe's populations with the populations of other parts of the world that have been less fortunate in their blessings.
perhaps the author's orwellian crimestop button had been left unconnected.
that will improve the quality of life for our citizens and make us more powerful and more influential on the world stage.
particularly we need to develop a very strongly resourced cap to ensure that we have security of food supply and also that everything is done in as environmentally friendly a way as possible.
firstly we should try to eliminate the huge amount of waste that takes place from households right across the spectrum.
that brings me to the importance of research.
as of now we are too dependent on imports of resources and we need to look at what we have ourselves and develop it.
i think the conditions are there now to really work on this.
mr president one of the most important things for europe in the future is to remain economically competitive.
we need broad definitions of resources so that all ecosystem services are included.
mr president last year my group welcomed both the commission roadmap and december's council conclusions on resource efficiency and we were broadly supportive of the decision to draw up this own initiative report despite reservations on the number of own initiative reports being
in a report which attempts to list absolutely everything anyone thought of there are inevitably many areas i cannot agree with amongst them environmental taxation the implication that agriculture has only negative impacts and the lack of clear and agreed definitions for so many concepts such as harmful environmental subsidies.
the sensible use of resources is a common aim so i regret that this report has strayed into areas which my british conservative delegation find unacceptable resulting in a vote of abstention.
we continue to monitor countries' debt sustainability through our regular risk assessment and microeconomic analysis.
our objective is to improve transparency and oversight and to progressively strengthen our partner countries' public finance management capacity including investment management and procurement.
the eu member states in line with the commission's position have consistently been in favour of applying the current international practice of encouraging a market based voluntary approach in debt restructuring.
this forum will discuss current challenges of debt policy and management in the context of increasing financing needs for development the growing levels of debt complexity of the debt portfolios and uncertain market conditions.
as regards the international monetary fund the commission welcomes the approach in the parliament's report which underlines the role of the imf as a principal forum for discussing issues relating to the restructuring of sovereign debt and notes that any further work should be carried out in coordination with the imf.
through its political and policy dialogue with partner countries the commission is helping to tackle the most critical weaknesses.
we need well designed and executed debt management strategies as well as improved data recording reporting and analysis.
twenty sustainable public finances are contingent on good public financial management transparency domestic revenue mobilisation and fighting against illicit financial flows.
it points out very relevant issues that need to be addressed and is an important contribution to the international debate.
the european commission is closely monitoring the debt situation in developing countries and is active in supporting partner countries in managing their debt in a sustainable manner.
for this reason the debt management capacity of developing countries needs to be further strengthened.
borrowing and lending should take place in a responsible manner and further work by the international community is needed to create incentives for such responsible lending and borrowing building on existing principles issued by the g.
it will bring together high level policymakers from developing and emerging countries multilateral and bilateral donors providers of technical assistance and civil society.
we are also monitoring debt sustainability in relation to the external investment plan and to blending operations and we respect internationally agreed debt limits.
that is why member states have asked the commission to launch a new generation of trade agreements with key asian economies.
there is consensus in that in two of the three main sectors of our economy the benefits from the free trade agreement are overwhelmingly in our favour first of all our competitive service providers will gain massively from the agreement.
secondly for agricultural products korea will eliminate almost all of its particularly high tariffs they average!
in addition there was a special focus on rules.
and we have negotiated a special clause that would enable us to limit duty drawback efficiently.
but the free trade agreement will also bring major benefits to european manufacturing exporters.
we are aware of the sensitivities of the car sector.
moreover ambitious disciplines have been established on industrial technical barriers to trade notably for cars electronics and pharmaceuticals based on the regulatory model of europe and they respond to longstanding demands by european business in these sectors.
korea will need to changes its domestic regulations to comply with these commitments whereas no such change would be needed in europe.
there are also provisions by which korea accepts the equivalence between european and korean environmental regulations.
our car exporters are by far the strongest importers on the korean market with strong growth rates.
the agreement negotiated includes the most ambitious disciplines for non tariff barriers ever negotiated with a third country.
duty elimination will also allow our exporters to strengthen their foothold in the korean market and thus expand sales. korean customers buy some eur twenty five billion worth of eu goods every year.
this is important and it is a clear signal of our determination to pursue market access interest in key emerging asian economies.
we should remember the significant korean investment in the car sector in europe.
i underline the strength of support from european manufacturing sectors as well as agriculture and service organisations for this agreement.
tariffs will only be eliminated in year five of the agreement and that allows time for adjustment.
they can develop this further since they will benefit from the combination of elimination of tariffs eur two zero saved on a car worth eur twenty five zero and the removal of technical obstacles.
korea will accept from day one that a car that conforms to international standards will be considered as complying with those korean regulations that have been signalled by our industry as representing significant obstacles.
the agreement includes transparency on regulation efficient enforcement of commitments better protection of intellectual property rights and wto plus' rules on subsidies which will all be to the benefit of all manufacturers selling in korea.
concerning the car industry specifically i want to signal first of all that we also have an interest in enhancing market access for european cars in korea.
indeed even before the agreement enters into force korea has agreed to apply certain transitional derogations from the korean environmental standards important for our exporters and we are monitoring very closely discussions in korea about new regulations to limit co two emissions in order to make them show that they are not an impediment to trade.
this makes korea one of our most important export markets in asia.
such policies are legitimate under the world trade organisation. duty drawback also does not create a significant competitive disadvantage for our car producers since our tariffs on car parts are generally very low and will be further reduced.
we will also secure the protection of european geographical indications such as parma ham rioja or tokay.
we defended long transition periods for the liberalisation of our most sensitive car segment namely small cars.
apart from the multilateral talks an important way to overcome these barriers is through the leverage available to us in free trade agreement negotiations.
for example in areas such as telecoms transport construction and environmental services doing business in korea will be much easier in the future.
these free trade agreements should be ambitious in creating new exporting opportunities for many sectors.
this is the most ambitious free trade agreement ever negotiated by the european union.
in two thousand and six the swiss federal government commissioned a report on all aspects of existing and possible relationships with the european union.
the swiss being the swiss decided that they were better off by not joining or achieving full eu membership.
but more importantly we will make sure that we give you more and more detail because it is important that you look at the facts rather than the assertions that will have been made.
was supported by parliament by the commission and by the council and that is indeed the way we have gone forward.
this deal was put in play in order to achieve the best for european industry including i would say to colleagues from the ukip british industry.
this is about serious negotiations to get a serious outcome and as the details of this unfold i hope that colleagues will look at it in the spirit that we have tried to set it up.
the textile industry i am confident that there is little to worry about.
i especially make no apology for doing it at a time of economic crisis because if ever there was a time when my responsibility was to provide as much support for the businesses and the workers of europe i believe that time is now and that is what this deal does.
do i think that if you want a serious trade deal you have to recognise that actually it is a deal where both sides benefit?
so i am not going to make apologies politically economically or in any other way to parliament for having gone out and invested in negotiating this important trade deal.
if there are other ways that equally solve the problem but in fact invite us to get a better trade agreement then i will explore them.
you will be lobbied i have been lobbied but actually when you look at what we have achieved i believe it is a very concrete result that will hugely benefit the economy of europe. that in the end is what we set out to do and that in the end is what we have achieved.
if you want to have trade agreements if we do believe which i think we do that trade is the engine that will take us out of recession then it means you have serious tough negotiations with industries and with countries that we care about having a deal with.
but i still want to solve the same problem and i believe the mechanisms we have in place in this agreement do precisely that.
indeed i would argue that what we have got before us is very important for all the industrial sectors.
the textile industry safeguards that we have will indeed make sure that we retain european jobs.
and those of you who think that you have evidence to prove it i ask you to supply it to me because the rhetoric is one thing the reality is a different thing and we really have got to get beyond the rhetoric and into the reality of what this deal provides.
it provides real opportunities for chemicals pharmaceuticals other industries. we need to recognise the value and importance of doing this if we want serious trade agreements.
it is not some thing that we hold up as being for ever enshrined as the only way of achieving what we want to achieve to prevent effectively imports via the back door and i believe we have resolved the problem in a different way.
i could not disagree more with my colleagues from the united kingdom when they talk about switzerland and try and equate that somehow with the relationship that we are trying to form in europe with korea or maybe i just missed the point.
i do urge colleagues as i said earlier on to look at the reality of the deal.
i make no apology for that and i make no apology for putting forward to this parliament what i believe is a serious twenty first century free trade agreement of enormous benefit across the economy of the european union.
the question is is it the only way of solving a problem?
the car industry gave us at the beginning a list of things that they wished us to achieve.
they were genuinely very concerned to keep the market in korea open and we have achieved all that they asked at the beginning.
it is absolutely in the interests of europe in my view to move forward with this deal otherwise i would not be standing here suggesting that we move forward in the way that i have. now in doing so there was a clear modus operandi a clear approach that the commission took which as has been said
my colleague mr arif will not mind i think if i say that to suggest that i would sacrifice any industry i find alarming or perhaps a little depressing because that is certainly not the approach that i would take.
let me just make some general points about the approach on this deal first.
so i will try and address the concerns.
if some progress could be achieved to bring more satisfaction to the eu car industry then employment levels strong gdp and expected standards of living would really benefit and be preserved.
a strong precedent may be established for other ftas waiting in line and coming up soon in the near future.
in advance of this debate i looked back on what we had decided to ask for what we asked the commission to go into in these negotiations and achieve on our behalf and i actually think the commission has achieved what we asked them to achieve.
clearly in any free trade agreement by definition and in any negotiation there are winners and losers but if you look at the global impact of this agreement there are big winners in europe and there are big winners in korea.
at this current time in this present crisis anything that sends a positive signal about two units as big as korea and as big as the european union that we want to keep trade moving and we want to keep trade open has to be a good thing.
i have to say that if the european parliament and the council of ministers cannot move this agreement to a final signed agreement between korea and the eu we might as well send a note to dg trade to stop negotiating all other free trade agreements because if we do not deliver on korea forget asean forget the gulf states forget the whole other
let us send a positive signal to the rest of the world that europe is open for business and that in the teeth of this recession we are keen to keep our markets as open as possible.
i was talking or i started to talk about human rights civil rights and democracy and i cannot deny that we are deeply concerned by recent revelations about us surveillance and data gathering operations under the prism programme.
increasingly we are pushing the boundaries and tackling new frontiers in the transatlantic relationship.
aim is to tap the potential of further liberalising the transatlantic market in goods and services in order to create jobs and growth and to set high standards in terms of removing regulatory barriers.
at the same time more efforts should be taken in the field of foreign policy. i support the idea of creating a transatlantic political council which would serve as a common consultation and coordination body led by the high representative and by the secretary of state.
that we are trusted partners for ever and ever and that nothing can come between us.
i believe that the truth is somewhere in the middle.
but neither do i share the defeatism that i note in several reactions to the prospect of the start of negotiations on the trade and investment partnership.
i do not share this pessimism but of course the recent revelations about prism are not exactly reassuring.
i would say to the commission to the high representative to everybody involved start negotiations but please do not be nave.
mr president with discussions on the ttip negotiations still in progress there is a need to continue to strengthen and expand the partnership between the eu and the usa to include subjects such as global governance social issues human rights security and energy.
there is also the growing importance of the entire atlantic basin in which the eu should aim to establish relations and help those states to deal with the problems including democracy rule of law and respect for human rights.
this will encourage further cooperation between eu and us programmes that already promote democracy universal human rights and free and fair elections.
under the changing circumstances described above europe will have to assume a larger role in its own defence through both nato and the eu.
we can be in no doubt that such a transatlantic trade and investment partnership agreement is a few years away and it will be subject of course to the most vigorous and intricate negotiations.
indeed the next few years present a truly unique opportunity to develop a bloc of liberal free market democracies which can exchange goods and services without encumbrances and promote jobs and economic growth.
we must however be vigilant that narrow protectionist concerns do not disrupt this project.
in particular on the audiovisual issue france cannot hope to turn back the cultural tide.
in any case there is no evidence that france's rightly celebrated film and media industry would be imperilled by a free trade agreement with the americans.
in a world in which china with its uncertain intentions becomes ever more powerful we need a strong economic alliance of liberal democracies across the atlantic.
the high representative must as a priority place forced abortion and forced sterilisation at the top of the agenda of the next eu china human rights dialogue.
regrettably sex selective abortions and even female infanticide persist in china despite campaigns and incentives aimed at preventing and prohibiting these horrendous practices.
feng jianmei was subject to arbitrary arrest and detention by local officials in zengjia and after allegedly being assaulted was subject to a horrific forced abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy.
we urged the chinese authorities to take measures to avoid harassment and physical violence by the police against her.
after his release from a four year prison sentence mr chen and his family were placed under illegal house arrest and subject to violent acts by their guards.
the eu also expressed its concern about the fact that individuals activists and lawyers who publicly criticise such punitive enforcement tactics face repressive measures.
the eu has taken note that the chinese authorities have condemned such practices in the case of mrs feng jianmei and have announced that an investigation has been launched and that the responsible officials would be punished. it has also taken note that a large scale inspection will be conducted in nineteen provinces where problems in the implementation of the family planning policy
forced abortions forced sterilisations and other instances of violence and coercion against women are illegal in china but implementation of the law remains an entrenched problem on the ground.