kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
in this context member states have agreed specific objectives concerning health care systems access to health care quality of health and sustainability of health care policies.
having said this the commission believes that all citizens across the union should have universal access to high quality care. the commission has therefore launched a number of initiatives in this regard and i am happy to answer the question by the honourable member of parliament. in.
last december the commission services further launched a joint action with fourteen member states on reducing health inequalities in the framework of the health programme. universal access to high quality care is also a focus of the open method of coordination
two thousand and nine the commission adopted a communication on solidarity and health reducing health inequalities in the european union' and this communication stresses the need to bridge inequalities in health.
on health and long term care.
in addition with the new directive on patients' rights in cross border health care eu patients will have the opportunity to get information on treatments that are available abroad and will be able to seek possible reimbursement of costs.
however is it not the case that decline might be better than the alternative?
we are very vulnerable.
the reality is that the situation is very fragile.
commissioner you could not rule out the possibility that if we carry on as we are a number of these fisheries will collapse altogether.
again there is certain flexibility for member states to adapt their waste collection systems to the specific national circumstances notably in cases where highly efficient and advanced sorting technologies are available.
greece faces serious problems with illegal landfill disposal and was condemned as you know by the court in two thousand and five due to the huge number of illegal landfills that had been operating in its territory.
therefore waste disposal in landfills that lie at the bottom of the waste hierarchy must be considered by the member states as the least favourable waste management option.
that is why separate collection of recyclable waste streams at source is usually the most favourable method of waste collection.
in addition we are carefully monitoring the implementation of the greek action plan and the process of closing all the illegal landfills including the plan for the eu funded projects. we will also monitor the use of eu funding to ensure that the projects to be financed are consistent with the objectives and requirements defined in our waste legislation.
in the case of greece it is essential to reduce landfill and to increase recycling rates through separate collection and recyclable materials.
the implementation of the waste directive is a top priority both for the commission and for me personally.
this issue has not been resolved yet. nevertheless in december two thousand and ten the greek authorities provided an action plan according to which all the legal landfills will be closed by the end of june this year.
we will monitor the national waste policies through the assessment of the member states' waste management plans. we are waiting for an updated waste management plan from greece.
proper waste management should be seen as an opportunity as it can create business and jobs across the country.
high purity of waste materials such as paper and glass is a prerequisite for the use of waste as a secondary raw material by manufacturing industries.
in the absence of such technologies however separate collection at source is the cheapest and the easiest method to obtain high quality secondary raw materials from waste.
under the waste framework directive member states are obliged to introduce by two thousand and fifteen separate collections for paper metal plastic and glass.
i would also like to say that the commission has taken a lot of measures to ensure the sustainable management and protection of sharks in general beyond shark finning. we presented a plan of action and have since taken a number of measures.
so the problem we are facing with a view to addressing this situation is the need for a public consultation and we have now already had a public consultation for some months. the consultation document presented three of the main options that are currently being discussed by experts worldwide to improve controls and to ensure full compliance. many stakeholders such as the fishing industry scientists managers and ngos as well as the general public have sent us their comments.
i have therefore asked my services to thoroughly study all the contributions received. we will then prepare an impact assessment which as you know is required to modify the regulation.
the european council invited member states to set ambitious and realistic national targets taking into account the initial level of rd investment and the key structural characteristics of their economies.
nearly all of the member states have now set national rd intensity targets to be finalised in their national reform programmes by the end of april. two thousand and eleven on twelve january this year the commission adopted the communication on the annual growth survey.
the innovation union scoreboard shows that the eu is losing ground to the united states and japan while brazil and china are closing the gap with the eu.
an assessment of the national research and innovation policies and achievements will be performed aiming at identifying the main bottlenecks impeding growth and recovery in a post crisis scenario where the financial constraints are still effective.
research excellence by universities and also of course by industry will benefit the wider society.
the innovation union scoreboard uses internationally recognised indicators to benchmark the performance of europe against that of our competitors.
progress is related to the high quality of higher education institutions.
the number of new researchers required is significantly higher as many researchers will retire over the period.
on the three rd intensity target the state of innovation urgency in europe calls for the support of smart growth and a commitment to tackle societal challenges.
it comprises the list of national rd targets which are generally both ambitious and realistic and marks the start of a new cycle of coordination in this field.
the catching sector as a whole will have profits close to zero or even worse.
two thousand and thirteen this status quo has been used as a benchmark for comparing the impact of other possible options. this status quo scenario takes into account new long term management plans the control regulation and the regulation on illegal unreported fisheries.
two thousand and twenty this should be compared with our obligation to achieve maximum sustainable yield by.
under the status quo scenario only some fleets will be economically viable.
one of these options was to continue the current policy beyond.
employment in the catching sector would continue to decline at the same pace as is the case now;
this communication has been received in a very positive way by all the member states and i hope by parliament.
two thousand and eleven as regards the surveillance of external borders the commission is in constant contact with frontex which has launched the hermes two thousand and eleven joint operation to control the eu external border in the region.
by the time this massive evacuation was completed there were only around two hundred people left who wanted to be evacuated.
comprising concrete measures with immediate and retroactive effect on fp seven projects.
in view of this the commission issued in april two thousand and ten a communication putting forward possibilities for the simplification of research funding rules and procedures.
the main risk is that beneficiaries include ineligible costs in their costs statements.
for the seventh framework programme for research and technological development or fp seven two thousand and seven two thousand and thirteen' the first reporting period takes place eighteen months after the start of the project.
two thousand and ten moreover the commission's control strategy for research is designed to provide reasonable assurance on the legality and regularity of research expenditure on a multiannual basis over the whole period of the framework programme.
a precondition for carrying out the ex post auditing activity is the availability of a sufficiently important number of cost claims submitted by the beneficiaries.
research framework programmes are implemented mainly through cost sharing grants based on the reimbursement of eligible actual costs.
as a consequence the number of fp seven cost claims available to be audited reached critical mass only in.
as of thirty one december last year the commission has closed three hundred and forty five fp seven audits covering four hundred and thirty two participations in fp seven projects.
the risk is exacerbated by the conflict between the eligibility criteria and the usual cost accounting practices of certain beneficiaries in particular the requirement for beneficiaries to allocate personnel and indirect costs to projects while deducting various items considered ineligible for eu co financing.
simplification and clarification of rules and procedures can reduce the scope for error and increase assurance of the regularity of expenditure but also facilitate the participation of researchers in the framework programmes and the achievement of eu research policy objectives. following the overall consensus on a number of issues that could still be implemented under the current overall legal framework on twenty four january this year the commission took short term simplification actions
for the future important elements to consider in this context are a single entry point with common it platforms more standardised rules a streamlined set of funding instruments that cover the full innovation chain and simpler and more consistent procedures for receiving funding.
the budgetary share of smes is forecast to grow from the current.
this is a priority for the commission as stated in the communication on innovation union adopted on six october last in the small business act for europe adopted in june two thousand and eight and in the review of the small business act adopted on twenty three february this year.
smes need support on their doorstep.
more precisely based on agreed guidelines this network together and in cooperation with the national contact points of fp seven assists smes by providing support for awareness raising capacity building for participation in the framework programme engaging new smes in the proposals partner search joint actions
easier access to fp seven is provided by the enterprise europe network a partnership between the commission and nearly six hundred business organisations such as chambers of commerce of industry chambers of crafts innovation agencies and regional development agencies.
in addition the green paper from challenges to opportunities towards a common strategic framework for eu research and innovation funding' identified the key questions for future eu research and innovation support including a number of specific questions on how to better meet the needs of smes. an overall aim of the common strategic framework is to make participation in eu programmes more simple and attractive in particular for smes.
following the green paper consultation the commission will bring forward its legislative proposals for the common strategic framework by the end of this year. we have already introduced in the latest seventh framework programme work programmes a number of measures specifically targeting smes including earmarked budgets.
we need to put in place a regulation banning this practice completely.
with the lions disappearing from africa and the sharks disappearing from our seas i commend the commissioner for what she is trying to do but this is very much market driven.
the only way of ensuring that we are properly able to police and quantify what is going on is to ensure that fins are landed attached to the shark's body.
but we have to take measures consistent with our legal framework so let me explain.
this is something we have in mind.
i would like to say that the member states around this area were very cooperative and our fishermen and our industry had to suffer a lot of sacrifices in order to secure the sustainability of the stocks.
that is why we were very upset when iceland and the faroe islands came with unilateral approaches and increased their own quotas by themselves.
be productive on this.
would the commissioner consider looking at that?
it also spoke about a number of roadblocks that are there for example the absence of a european ip patent and the need to reduce the fragmentation of the regulatory framework already in place.
at the end of the day we accept i think everyone has to accept that researchers are not interested in being involved in the misuse of eu funding.
so we make things as uncomplicated as possible as simple as possible for stakeholders.
we have repeatedly said that the eu was willing to engage with the government in order to use the opportunity of elections to begin a new and positive phase in the history of the country.
we will continue to use all the means at our disposal dialogue and engagement united nations channels and restrictive measures but also assistance to help persuade the new government to improve its record.
we acknowledge the decision of certain opposition parties not to participate but also the fact that some other parties including from ethnic groups did participate. their resolve to seize what they saw as an opportunity was commendable.
whether the new institutions will ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and whether they will deliver better policies to improve the economic and social situation of the citizens.
nevertheless they can offer the opportunity for a new beginning and they do at least introduce a degree of pluralism into the system.
such a dialogue should usher in apart from the long overdue transition to a civilian legitimate and accountable system of government a political system based on the rule of law and on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
from now on we need to observe closely how accountable the new parliament and government will be to society;
elections in themselves do not make a country democratic.
to improve the human rights situation in the country a meaningful dialogue between all stakeholders must be established.
in spite of the evident flaws if the elections mark the beginning of a positive process this will be a welcome development.
the eu has repeatedly stated that it stands ready to support such a process.
people should not live in small or big prisons for their thoughts.
the welcome move of her release needs to be reflected in further expansions of freedoms to all citizens which are systematically curbed through the two thousand and eight constitution and the military junta.
madam president on thirteen november less than a week after the disputed national elections had been held aung san suu kyi was released from house arrest after spending fifteen of the last twenty one years effectively imprisoned for her pro democracy thoughts.
however any government derives its legitimacy from providing for the wellbeing of its citizens and democracy is always more than one man one vote'.
as an iranian woman said in the movie the green wave after being released from evin prison in tehran the moment i stepped outside i realised i had just moved from a small prison to a bigger one that prison is called iran'.
the eu will see to and encourage further freedoms for all burmese citizens and remains concerned about aung san suu kyi's wellbeing and safety as she is being kept under surveillance by state security services.
urban sustainable mobility plans and in general the completion of the internal market in transport.
the single european sky;
we are fully committed to this agenda.
i will continue based on the wide support given in your report to several key proposals such as the internalisation of external costs of transport;
now i want to be fair to the commission document; it does make some positive suggestions about the need for a fully functioning multimodal network and the importance of modernising our air traffic management system via sesar.
however the report has a major flaw in my opinion.
yet again the commission believes more regulation and more eu intervention are the answer.
indeed at a time when confidence is one of the most important factors for our businesses across the eu the last message we should be sending is one of stifling growth.
as such the proposals in this report to harmonise work and social conditions and various other measures in that sector are beyond reason.
what we should be doing is repealing punitive legislation not adding to it.
moreover the suggestions in the report for increased taxation on certain transport modes send a damaging message to industry.
the report also calls for an increase in road charging.
i must ask how the commission believes this could possibly not be a contradiction of their stated aim not to curb mobility.
the same applies to the idea of banishing vehicles with traditional combustion engines from city centres.
it is as unachievable as it is undesirable especially in these times of economic difficulty.
the report is interventionist to its core and holds no regard for the principle of subsidiarity.
here we have the opportunity to send out a positive message to business that we will boost the internal market and support growth.
this means that we do need a long term vision for transport policy. ensuring that future growth in the sector is sustainable is a major challenge and we should discuss ways to encourage and assist industry in reaching those objectives.
however i am concerned that the report now lacks a balanced approach.
it seems to only offer one solution to improve the sustainability of the transport sector and that is legislation legislation or more legislation.
it is now too prescriptive and too burdensome and most of this will lead to extra spending at both national and eu level. where is the money coming from?
why not look for alternatives to regulatory options such as the sharing of best practice?
we must also take into consideration the efforts made by many sectors to reduce their carbon footprint. for example in the aviation sector huge efforts have been made to improve technology through manufacturing and operational changes but this is never recognised certainly by some members of this house and the single european sky which we hugely support in ecr
we just need to get the member states cracking on that and i am sure the commissioner will agree.
once. the legislation builds on the experience of establishing the european market infrastructure regulation.
it will help us to manage the risks in the shadow banking sector in line with financial stability board recommendations endorsed by g.
they are an important source of funding on europe's financial markets.
a detailed implementation table will give european markets time to adjust.
this should help reduce domino effects when a default on one transaction can cause other defaults if the same collateral has been used more than
during the financial crisis it became clear that we did not know enough about what was going on in these markets.
the introduction of new systems of surveillance as with this report covering security financial transaction markets may be necessary.
such a leap could falter if the eu seems to be sending mixed messages on the one hand telling banks and the financial institutions to be proactive in their approach to proposals for economic expansion and on the other hand also telling them that they must follow new prudential ways of doing business.
the underlying reason for the securities financing transactions report is to make our banking system safer increase transparency and improve supervision. these instruments play a significant role in the financial sector in that they ensure liquidity in the secondary debt market contribute to an efficient settlement and allow for better employment of capital.
this agreement not only strengthens the reporting obligation it also improves the collection of data on the transactions enabling better monitoring of risk concentrations and identifying counterparty exposures. i welcome this report on shedding light on the shadow banking sector because in my opinion you cannot just regulate the banking sector alone and allow other means through which highly risky activities continue within our financial services sector which is critical for the success of the capital markets union.
we have also made a technical change which is expected to make it easier for the commission to declare the supervisory arrangements of a third country as equivalent under emir.
at the end of the day we wanted to ensure that the reporting is actually being used and is useful for its intended purpose.
the proposed regulation delivers binding transparency and reporting requirements in three key areas.
first all securities financing transactions have to be reported to trade repositories and here the burden for non financial parties such as smes was reduced by allowing their financial counterparties to do the reporting for them.
second we have ensured transparency towards investors.
funds have to inform investors of their sft activities in the prospectus and this will enable them to assess the risk as part of their investment decisions.
third the report addresses transparency around re use of assets.
parties have a responsibility to communicate the risks and consequences in the event of a default.
another important point is that we came up with a realistic implementation timeframe.
we wanted to avoid the mistakes that we have seen with the implementation of emir and we rectified some of the shortcomings.
all parties should now have sufficient time to implement the necessary requirements.
to conclude i believe that we have come up with a very balanced approach.
we have created transparency in a difficult and technical market both towards supervisors and investors with a minimal burden for all the stakeholders.
another area that requires our attention is scientific and technical progress.
ensuring traceability of donated material between donors and recipients is essential in order to guarantee the safety and quality of the transplanted tissues and cells.
it is up to the member states to define such compensation which may vary according to the specificities of the healthcare systems in the different member states.
it is important to ensure that good quality cord blood samples are available for patients.
your report highlights key elements to build and maintain that trust.
the commission is developing tools to support traceability and vigilance at eu level. an eu code will be applicable to all tissues and cells exchanged between member states as from two thousand and fourteen and the communication platform for competent authorities' rapid alerts for tissues and cells will be operational before the end of this year. discussions with member states are ongoing to define equivalent standards of safety and quality for tissues and cells imported from third countries.
the commission will be pleased to share the results of the survey with parliament by the end of next year.
european and international cooperation can bring much added value in particular in medical fields like stem cell transplantation where finding the right match of cells for the right patient is difficult.
this is why i believe member states need to strike the right balance so as to help improve the availability of tissues and cells without in any way compromising voluntary and unpaid donation.
the commission has also supported several projects fostering the sharing of best practices and providing training for tissues and cells authorities under the health programme.
such developments are being evaluated by the commission in collaboration with the member states.
another issue that requires thorough reflection by member states concerns the delicate balance between compensation and remuneration.