kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
and five the two thousand and eight emu ten report is consistent with what was written at the time for instance on the relevance of long term sustainability on the need to set incentives in good times and on the positive role of national fiscal frameworks.
now. we will monitor general state budgets as well as the efficiency of investment.
me. the spring council asked the commission to help the member states to identify suitable indicators underpinning the eu headline target for social inclusion in particular through poverty reduction.
we are doing our best to make sure that parliament has enough time to come to an opinion this year.
last week's communication already constitutes a significant contribution to the task force.
around one third of the beneficiaries of the european social fund are young people.
many governments have neither reduced student support nor scaled back enrolment.
in this communication the commission set out proposals on reinforcing compliance with the stability and growth pact and deeper fiscal policy coordination.
furthermore in order to provide the right incentives for member states to tackle fiscal imbalances the functioning of the excessive deficit procedure could be improved by speeding up the individual procedures in particular with regard to member states in repeated breach of the pact.
the second question concerns the stability and growth pact and the additional instruments the commission may foresee to complement this pact.
in reply to this first question i would like to refer to the commission communication on europe two thousand and twenty in which the commission proposes that the european parliament should play an important role not only in its capacity as a colegislator but also as a driving force for mobilising citizens and the national parliaments.
here i would like to refer to our communication on reinforcing economic policy coordination which we adopted last week.
the commission also emphasises the importance of establishing a permanent dialogue between various levels of government including national regional and local authorities and national parliaments as well as social partners and representatives of civil society.
specifically the commission intends to make budgetary surveillance and policy coordination more forward looking. in the euro area in particular a more far reaching approach to the assessment of budgetary policies seems justified including a more pervasive review of the weaknesses of national budgetary plans ahead of their adoption.
the european parliament in this context is obviously a very important stakeholder in the eu economic governance reform.
as early as the crisis recovery plan of november two thousand and eight the commission called on member states to retain investment in education and training and we will maintain this focus. in general member states have responded positively to the call to target the recovery measures at smart investment in resources of future growth.
the fifth and final question is about the trust that needs to be rebuilt in european banks and financial markets and in the european project in general.
on the contrary many recovery packages have included measures to support wider participation in education particularly in higher education.
at the same time the lessons of more than ten years of emu and the recent impact of the crisis call for an updated but still consistent assessment.
basing itself on the overall outcome of these meetings the commission will compile the results which will then serve as an input for the various council configurations in may and june.
set. the commission is actively exploring the possible solutions.
the policy recommendations that we made in two thousand and six focused on the changes brought about by the reform of the pact in two thousand.
so these elements in my view are equally important in restoring trust in the european project.
after hearing the concerns of the various member states the commission has presented a possible compromise proposal.
in some countries financial constraints will only appear
it also makes detailed proposals against the background of the new opportunities provided by the lisbon treaty.
together they reflect the multifaceted nature of poverty and the range of situations in the member states.
under the proposed mechanism the eu would be able to issue debt to finance emergency loans to a euro area member in distress.
material deprivation;
other member states are exploring ways to diversify the sources of funding.
the fourth question refers to the task force established by the european council in march two thousand and ten in order to improve economic governance in the union. the commission will cooperate constructively in the interest of the union and in full respect of its right of initiative.
way. we need to have all the main eu institutions on board if the political ownership needed is to be there and the strategy is to succeed.
however we do see signs of planned decreases in the education budgets of other countries.
in future structural funds should be properly financed the structural funds should not be renationalised and the transitional status should be made available to those regions that fall out of convergent status.
if we can achieve all these things i certainly believe that the cohesion policy can help us deliver.
for instance i would like to see a target of a twenty five reduction of eu citizens living in poverty as well as ensuring that those who are currently excluded from the labour market can gain access to good quality work and that at the same time we have targets to eradicate undeclared work.
i would also like to see an eu wide target to end street homelessness by two thousand and fifteen by member states and to develop integrated homelessness strategies.
we must also make sure that member states invest in social security and social protection systems as well as guaranteeing access to rights resources and universal services.
in all these areas not only should parliament be consulted more and i was pleased that you did mention that but ngos working in the field as well. as far as the open method of coordination is concerned in the social field it needs to be strengthened.
we have to remember that the most vulnerable in society suffer in any economic recession more than anyone else and that is why we have to put in place mechanisms to protect them.
and here i have some question marks.
i must commend the liberal commissioner neelie kroes on being the first to really outline a clear flagship proposal on the digital agenda and i am looking forward to having the same kind of in depth material on the rest of the flagship platforms before june so that we can also cooperate in the decision making.
for me the direction is clear i want a europe which is open inclusive and green.
we need transparency and we need the same kind of statistics and we need sticks and carrots for member states not only to sign up to promises but also to keep them.
as well as regional funds social funds and the agricultural fund we have to streamline and have coherence in our common tools.
the mistakes that have been made can be corrected and the union can still work for and with its citizens.
that would re establish our trust in you as a commission and maybe if we can cooperate on decision making citizens' trust in us.
unemployment is the main reason why poverty exists.
we have endless opportunities to create green jobs but our policies must be aimed in the same direction.
european integration has until now focused on creating new projects without making sure that they work properly. i believe that the time has now come for us to deal with our problems and instead work hard to deepen the existing institutions.
the flagship proposals in the commission's europe two thousand and twenty strategy are important tools to create that europe provided that we can make them come true.
this is important for the european citizens and for us in parliament.
but mr commissioner we have the eu strategy pointing in one direction and your budget proposal is to be truthful pointing in another direction.
firstly the overarching goal of the strategy is to create a more dynamic and competitive economy.
an energy efficient europe is also a driving force of innovation and the energy equivalent of fast trains supergrids and high tech smart grids is needed to improve europe's competitiveness.
in my own constituency i visited glyndr university which has fostered direct links with hi tech firms in north wales achieving a ninety graduate placement even last year.
we need solutions to work effectively for our citizens.
instead of looking at the billion dollar projects and silver bullet solutions we need to get back to the nuts and bolts of what makes a successful economy. south wales has five significant pharmaceutical development companies with world class technology.
we need to be looking at how to change our economies so that they are fit for those challenges.
the eu should be encouraging a new economic dynamism in the european research area creating networks for excellence research clusters for integrated projects based on innovation in new products and services looking at new processes and technologies and new business concepts.
the only way forward is to look at new industries via research development and innovation.
we should be looking at existing successful projects and using eu links to find best practice.
with a little eu assistance this hi tech company cluster could be elevated to being a world class centre lifting an entire economy that currently qualifies for cohesion funds into a brighter future.
it should be a new strategy that all of our countries should want to follow to re launch and re energise the internal market of the eu.
unfortunately and unfairly the uk taxpayer is caught up in this. the comparatively impoverished uk is the second largest contributor to the eu budget.
voters in other contributing countries will also say no' in the next ten years.
the other fifteen member states are subsidised.
by two thousand and twenty therefore the eu will have become in practice a transfer union which transfers money from twelve contributing countries to twenty three subsidised countries.
none of the new countries are likely to be contributors.
it is not in the uk's national interest for there to be economic chaos across the channel but unless enlargement stops forthwith economic chaos is what there will be.
at the last provincial elections in germany the voters of north rhine westphalia said no' to their coalition and were also saying no' to the transfer union.
i want to refer to some points on that in a moment but i just want to support what mrs bers said about the wide ranging nature of the debate this afternoon.
so the first point i make is please can we ensure that the council does not adopt in detail this proposal at its next meeting in june because it is not ready to be adopted?
my second point is that i think we need to make the relaunch of the single market an eighth flagship initiative.
we need to spend more time on it together to work through the details.
it has lots of great ideas but it is very unfocused and it is also very underdeveloped at this stage.
we have this instrument of huge potential and particularly with public budgets still amounting to sixteen of the european economy why are we not using our public procurement budgets to drive innovation to buy those new technologies to encourage smes to take those up?
colleagues you heard from mr grech that the potential is there to create jobs to encourage more innovation and to move towards a more sustainable economy but we need to get the support of citizens and consumers for this proposal.
however the global economic crisis has led to budget cuts in the education sector in member states across the european union.
mr president the eu two thousand and twenty strategy proposes action to enhance the performance of education systems reinforce the attractiveness of europe's higher education open up more mobility and training programmes for young people modernise labour markets boost labour mobility and develop skills and competences to increase labour market participation.
some member states such as france have been doing well but the problem is that there is a divergent level of funding across member states.
this has been endorsed by the spring council which stated that key objectives requiring action at eu level included better conditions for research and development improved education levels a reduction in early school leavers and increased participation of youth older workers and low skilled workers in the labour market.
in order for the eu two thousand and twenty strategy to work we need a strong coordinated approach. i am therefore asking for the commission to explain firstly how it intends to ensure that member states make good on their commitments to the educational goals in the two thousand and twenty strategy by ensuring that this area receives sufficient support and funding and is not forgotten amid the rush to balance the books in the light of the economic crisis
for instance latvia is suffering a deep economic crisis and it has faced severe budget cuts in the country's thirty four higher education institutions with a threatened fifty cutback to the higher education budget. irish universities face a six cut and britain is not exempt from this because in england the higher education funding council
i believe we need to take more smart decisions now and make sure the current crisis does not become a mortgage to the youth and the young generation charging an interest that they can never pay back.
we have to cut budgets but let us do so with a twenty first century attitude because where is half of the eu budget going now?
it should go to the young generation and their development.
i regret to say that europe is becoming a more stupid continent every day even though knowledge is our most fruitful and rich resource. investing in it bears no risk.
entrepreneurship excellence and a sustainable future of the european economy can only be fostered if we are willing to invest in knowledge because whoever thinks knowledge is expensive does not know what stupidity costs.
yet member states are not meeting the necessary commitment in fostering an ambitious knowledge economy.
short term measures will have a high long term cost.
europe thus punishes the next generation of europeans by not allowing them to develop their talents and ambitions to their full capacity and it allows china india and the united states to become more attractive places for talent research creativity and innovation.
today commissioner kroes presented her vision for europe's digital agenda one of the eu two thousand and twenty flagship programmes. it is an ambitious yet concrete strategy which seeks to make europe's digital market stronger in a global economy as well as connecting many europeans to an open internet.
not just a traditional education but one that focuses on e skills and entrepreneurship for example. we know that the higher one's education is the lower the chances of losing a job.
does the commission support a coordinated approach moving away from the intergovernmental procedure in decision making and giving a stronger role to the commission and parliament to ensure that member states fulfil their commitments?
the young generation of europeans pays the price of the crisis however as youth unemployment grows and education and innovation budgets are frozen or cut.
to agriculture!
furthermore it might even produce at least a proportionate increase in those talented and creative people who are so necessary for economic and cultural development.
a commission document issued yesterday confirmed that youth unemployment in the eu stands at twenty which is twice that forecast for overall unemployment. this crisis is every bit as real and as immediate as the economic crisis and while i heard the commissioner's comments on youth initiatives and i welcome them there must be real coordination between and strong influence on member states to translate those initiatives into concrete jobs.
they are looking for support from member states and they are looking to the eu to put in place a framework that is conducive to job creation to entrepreneurship and to the support of smes but crucially that framework must link growth in the economy with the creation of decent jobs and an improvement in the well being of all citizens especially those below the poverty line.
secondly for the past eighteen months member states and the eu have focused almost exclusively on the stabilisation of financial institutions.
so to ensure that not only do we survive but thrive it is crucial that member states deliver on commitments and promises already made.
it is about restoring a competitive european union capable of ensuring the sustainability of its unique social model a competitive eu that is a global leader in terms of tackling climate change an eu that invests more in its people through more and better education
way we will have the necessary weight to be successful on the global stage as well.
let me also be very clear about the objectives of the strategy.
of course as outlined in the commission's conclusions during this morning's debate this return to strong growth is only possible if we make sure that in the coming years our member states undertake the necessary fiscal consolidation taking account of their respective starting points
first and foremost it is an essential pillar of the response of the union to the current crisis. it is an essential tool for strengthening coordination of economic policy inside the eu twenty seven and of course within the euro area.
while we are discussing this new strategy most of our main trading partners have not only already put in place ten year long term social economic development strategies but they are already implementing them.
altogether i strongly believe that there is no alternative for europe but to launch this strategy and to launch it very quickly.
we owe it to the citizens to provide them with solutions to exit the current crisis and enhance the coordination of economic policies while at the same time preparing a return to smart sustainable and inclusive economic growth. by acting together in a coordinated
but besides this short term objective this new strategy is about equipping europe with a strategy actually as michel barnier outlined in his opening statement a programme for action to enable the european union to exit the economic crisis by restoring economic growth and making sure this growth translates into more and better jobs. but we must aim for a different kind of job creation than in the past
however at this time let me concentrate my answers on some of the key aspects of the discussion with a few concluding remarks.
these are all very important elements.
a more sustainable one not only in ecological terms but also economically socially and financially sustainable.
i would like to stress once again the importance and the complexity of the fiscal problems that are currently on the agenda but i would also like to draw your attention to the fact that this financial and economic crisis is much more complex than just speaking about budget deficits.
it is therefore urgent to launch europe two thousand and twenty at the june european council and make sure that both the eu and its member states start the implementation immediately thereafter.
of an industrial policy and to some extent the lack of a complete success of our previous strategies to achieve a knowledge based economic growth and spread this growth to every region every corner of the european union.
it has a dual objective.
and not forgetting thirdly the next multiannual financial framework to make sure the future eu budgets better reflect the priorities set for the european union through the europe two thousand and twenty strategy.
however to achieve this the eu must not just talk the talk we need to walk the walk. for example when undertaking the essential reforms of financial services we must remember that innovative businesses and those employers need access to capital in global markets.
our member states also need to access those global capital markets and whilst all eyes are focused on the european stabilisation fund and whether it has achieved any current reduction in the immediate volatility fundamentally long term confidence will only be achieved if as well as this ambitious growth our deficits are brought under control and public finances themselves
member states cannot neglect to expand improve and implement the barcelona targets in all member states. we need the true commitment of the european union and all member states by involving all people when working towards a smart green progressive society.
following its review process the commission is proposing that for purchasing agreements as long as the market share of participants is twenty or less it will be presumed to be in line with the competition rules.
the commission approach is to give standard setting organisations incentives to have clear rules on disclosure of patents.
the two main elements of the new competition rules are on standard setting and information exchange.
at one end of the spectrum you have the pure innovator and at the other the pure manufacturer each with different priorities and needs.
a well functioning system for standard setting is vital for the european economy as a whole and in particular for the information and communication technology sector.
in order for standard setting agreements to avoid having to be assessed under the competition rules and to fall within the so called safe harbour meaning where they are presumed to be in line with the competition rules there are three general conditions that need to be met.
but there is also a risk that this kind of agreement can lead to serious competition problems for example where the parties agree to fix prices share markets or limit output.
the commission has consistently believed that joint purchasing groups amongst small retailers can be beneficial for competition especially vis vis large suppliers.
the new rules which should be adopted by the end of this year will be much more detailed user friendly and clear providing better guidance on what kinds of cooperation are allowed.
in response to strong stakeholder demand the guidelines contain a new chapter setting out general principles for competition assessment of information exchange.
the commission has spent the past two years reviewing the competition guidelines for horizontal agreements with in depth assessment and wide consultation.
as always the commission has had to strike a careful balance between the needs of different stakeholders.
however there are also situations where the exchange of market information can be misused for instance when companies use sensitive information to coordinate behaviour.
the first is that a standard setting organisation needs to have a balanced ipr policy requiring good faith disclosure of the relevant iprs and a commitment to licensing these on fair reasonable and non discriminatory terms.
the third is that the standard setting process must also be transparent in a way that ensures that stakeholders are able to inform themselves of upcoming ongoing and finalised work.
the horizontal guidelines promote a standard setting system that is transparent and that leads to predictable costs when licensing intellectual property rights. this requires attempting to find a balance between the sometimes contradictory interests of companies with different business models involved in the standard setting process.
case experience both in the eu and in the us shows that patent ambush can be a real problem by preventing industry from making an informed choice on the potential costs of the technologies chosen in the standard.
the horizontal guidelines have since two thousand provided for a positive assessment for this type of cooperation up to certain limits of market share.