kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
it is the responsibility of member states and devolved governments such as we have in wales where full powers over education are devolved to implement reforms but the eu can assist their efforts.
this report presents excellent recommendations on how to do that.
one point that i especially welcome and one that has been mentioned by several colleagues is the importance given to the teacher as a guarantor of quality teaching.
teachers there are highly trained and highly respected.
to become a teacher candidates must have passed at least a master's degree and many students try to be accepted on training courses for teachers and fail.
it was clear that the status of teachers within society also changed the view of the value of education itself.
so i am very glad that this report calls for measures to raise the status of the teacher.
i hope that wales the country that i represent will play its full part in these developments and i will work towards that aim.
following that by september the commission will prioritise and organise ideas in order to prepare the draft communication on the strategy and the accompanying action plan.
then finally by december the commission will prepare the adoption of these documents.
between now and june we shall continue to gather ideas and proposals from the member states from stakeholders and from other interested parties through position papers meetings conferences and also a public consultation exercise via the internet.
this strategy is an opportunity to put into practice the valuable principles of solidarity and cooperation.
so real ownership of the process is needed here.
they aim at strong socio economic development and endeavour to have higher living standards for their citizens.
thanks to these strategies there is a chance to have more and deeper cooperation and cohesion in the union and through this more growth and jobs improved competitiveness and better quality of life for our citizens. we in the regi committee of the european parliament expect that the danube strategy will be an action oriented strategy based on better coordination amongst stakeholders as well as on better exploitation of synergies between policies and funds available on the ground.
the majority of member states already have in theory measures in place to deal with the situation of irregular migration and you would think that would signal an apparent commitment to action.
fifteen it is to be hoped that those inspections will not just pick off small businesses but will actually look at some of the larger enterprises that rely very heavily at the bottom end on vulnerable workers.
for many of us this issue about payment for work done is a question of principle; it is also that companies and economies have benefited and that this is not supposed to be a legislative measure to punish the irregular migrant.
we do not feel that member states are showing much commitment and therefore we will not be supporting this proposal.
we have no guarantee that member states will ensure that people are paid.
some may take the view that individuals take a chance and there is a risk but if we are looking at questions of human dignity and where this fits in the overall goals of a common immigration policy this is a serious issue.
some of us consider that what we are left with is again a watered down version of the commission's original proposal. people have mentioned the issue of the residence permit where member states may choose to make this available for particularly severe cases where complaints have been brought.
that is why the issue of subcontractor liability was extremely important to many of us in this house.
we have an assurance that mechanisms will be in place so that claims can be made but not that money will be paid out. there is thus no guarantee that payment will be made.
that i suppose is a step forward at least from where some member states were.
so for my political group the balance of this proposal is no longer clear either on inspections or remuneration and other areas have been watered down.
it is also if you are looking at this as part of an overall policy part of a sustainable return that people will actually go back with what they have earned.
the prospect of british taxpayers funding foreign workers is frankly unacceptable.
for twenty years british trade unions having being seduced by jacques delors thought the european union was in their interests. well now the penny has dropped and they have realised that a british government is unable to put british interests first.
as we embark upon a round of massive public spending projects such as the olympics and council house building thousands of european workers are set to benefit.
british jobs for british workers cannot be guaranteed all the while we are inside the eu.
lord mandelson is still getting gbp seventy eight zero a year from the european commission and of course gets a dependent pension on this in just a few years' time a conflict of interest if ever i saw one.
however the current wave of unrest that is spreading rapidly through britain is of course being caused by legal migration and by the european union's own rules.
but the government is holding firm saying that the european union is a wonderful thing.
we in ukip will put a non racist agenda to the british people at the european elections saying that it is time to put british interests first. we are not protectionists but we want good common sense.
there are numerous damaging consequences including the exploitation of immigrants through underpayment or in some cases non payment.
it creates negative pressures on the wages of legally resident workers and distortion of competition between companies that comply with employment legislation and those who flaunt it.
how much local fishing does not happen because europeans steal the fish?
instead you take from him his living his food his livelihood and you line the pockets of the political class of the country concerned.
let me thank you again for today's opportunity to debate these fisheries agreements with
it provides fishing opportunities to up to ninety eight eu vessels from eleven member states and is therefore of crucial importance for the european union fleet. the new protocol is the result of intense negotiations.
the fisheries agreement with mauritania is the european union's biggest sustainable fisheries partnership agreement in financial terms.
the protocol to the agreement will last for five years and will allow up to twenty eight eu tuna seiners and six surface long liners to fish in the liberian fishing zone.
therefore the agreement with liberia will contribute to extending the geographical coverage of fishing activities without increasing the fishing capacities.
the new sustainable fisheries partnership agreement with liberia is not one of our largest agreements in terms of fishing opportunities and in terms of financial layout.
let me now say a few words on each one of the agreements.
it is a significant improvement compared to the previous protocol and can be considered an example to be followed for the negotiation of future sfpas with other countries.
i can assure you that the commission will monitor closely the state of all the stocks covered by the protocol in order to ensure the sustainability of fishing activities. we will also check whether mauritania respects the principles of transparency and non discrimination.
this agreement with liberia also fully respects the principle of sustainability of fishing activities. it is based on the best and latest scientific data and the principles of transparency and non discrimination with other foreign fleets. a human rights clause has also been included. the agreement also sends a strong signal that liberia is open for business despite the difficult situation in the country
i know many of you are interested in the first meeting of the joint committee scheduled to take place at the end of
it respects the principle of sustainability and confirms the principles of transparency preferential access for the eu fleet and nondiscrimination between foreign fleets.
it will ensure better implementation of sectoral support through more conditionality.
in a country where approximately half of the population lives on the coastline and where the fisheries sector is an essential part of the economy it is very important to achieve the objective of developing responsible and sustainable fishing activities while ensuring that the sector reaches its full potential. a key element in my opinion will be the monitoring of the implementation of these measures in order to make sure that the money is well spent that it achieves its purpose and that no fraud with eu funds takes place on the ground.
the new agreement will provide a framework for taking into account the priorities of the reformed cfp and its external dimensions with a view to establishing a strategic partnership between the european union and liberia.
the protocol offers opportunities to thirty four tuna vessels from spain and france based on the reference tonnage of six five hundred tonnes per year.
the aim is also to enhance cooperation between the eu and liberia to promote a sustainable fisheries policy and a sound exploitation of fisheries resources in liberia's fishing zone in the interest of both sides.
in return the eu will pay an average annual contribution of eur six hundred and fifty zero split equally between access rights and sectoral support for liberia's fishing policy.
the main objective of the new protocol is to provide fishing opportunities to union vessels in the liberian fishing zone.
the eu and liberia already cooperate through multilateral agreements such as the united nations convention on the law of the sea. in addition to that liberia cooperates with the eu in terms of fighting against illegal unreported and unregulated fishing.
mr president i would like to thank everyone for contributing to our debate this evening.
from more predictability and from the better access and agreements that they will bring about. they provide the value for taxpayers' money that you have called for.
moreover mauritania confirmed its intention to reserve this fishery for its national fleet thus no surplus is available and no fishing opportunities could be negotiated. however the european union will continue working with mauritania towards the adoption of adequate management measures for the recovery of
this stock.
there was no evidence of a willingness to take tough choices the kind of choices which are being taken by governments all over europe at this time.
smarter europe is.
all over europe governments are imposing austerity budgets and this house would be exceedingly unwise if it does not take on board that message if it chooses to ignore the letter from the five heads of government because what those five heads of government were saying
that will help create jobs and growth.
we agree investment in research and development in trans european networks for transport energy and telecommunications should be increased.
he would have noticed that economies are stagnating jobs are being lost and industries struggling to compete in a fast changing world.
there is a saying if you do not change direction you finish up at the point you were heading for when you started out'.
what europe needed is a budget that is relevant that is adding value and that engages with the people but what mr verhofstadt and his colleagues are offering is more of the same.
this budget needs to change direction. we and her majesty's government agree that spending should be increased in those areas that add value.
if he had read the report he would have seen that her majesty's government said that this is a time of crisis in europe.
we agree education small businesses and encouraging the single market is wise sound investment and should be encouraged.
but we do not agree that it is acceptable for this house to take that as a reason to demand a bigger budget.
is more europe is not the answer;
more than forty of the budget continues to be invested in the common agricultural policy while only.
the european external action service costs an extra five hundred million each year and has not yet demonstrated its raison d'tre.
taxpayers' money was wasted and we should not repeat this mistake.
let us recall what happened with the lisbon strategy;
the european court of auditors reports a significant percentage of irregularities affecting different policy areas averaging.
it was an epic failure.
all these examples should certainly justify not a budget increase but a budget reduction. i would like to think that the uk government will take a stand will say enough is enough and call for a reduction.
projects have seen costs grow by up to three times their original estimates; others suffer delays while being superseded by better technology.
the one it is said will take us out of the crisis.
the guys are going to be very tough out there. be careful.
the european budget should assume new functions as a toolbox for disciplining the member states' public finances but it cannot be blamed for mismanagement of public finances at national level.
the report is asking for a reform of the financing side and we are to respond by indicating new resources.
show me the evidence of where transferring that support makes for greater efficiencies through spending by the european union.
the united kingdom government is asking for better spending not more spending.
the two institutions would like to back each other to have a similar approach to the multiannual financial framework.
mr president i would like to ask my colleague if he does not accept that transferring from the national to the european budget some key items of expenditure is going to produce
the wider eu latin american cooperation project is also one which is a natural fit of like minded continents with shared history culture and largely respect for democracy with sad exceptions like cuba and venezuela. but latin america by and large is a democratic continent; we need to respect that and we need to work closely with it. i would just like to briefly mention my two amendments
access to water is of course a human right everywhere but the economic model that is employed is a chilean national sovereign matter not for interference by the eu or by our report. water companies are often privately owned within eu member states so it would be totally ridiculous for us to prescribe an economic model to chile and interference in their domestic affairs.
so please support amendment.
amendment one which is to change the word dispute' to the word matters'.
we are supporting this recommendation and the report calls again on the council to open the negotiations immediately.
the report is of significant importance for the future of the country and its eu integration process.
it must continue on the path towards europe as the rest of the region moves forward.
they will have all our support in this endeavour.
let me tell you my personal view; it is unacceptable. i think all the aspirant countries and candidate countries need to use the democratic institutions to strengthen them and not undermine them.
the leadership of the country needs to focus on the future for the benefit of its citizens.
they need to learn that democracy needs to be exercised within the democratic institutions and not outside.
i am grateful for the support of the european parliament for the commission's recommendation to start accession negotiations.
the commission will support and monitor the process including through a regular accession dialogue between the commission and the government.
for most ipa components the choice of projects is the responsibility of the national authorities.
and i know that the two prime ministers in their direct contacts have already invested considerable efforts in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.
in this context your suggestions are very valuable input for our ongoing programming dialogue. in conclusion i believe the commission and parliament are very much in agreement on the achievements of the country and the remaining challenges. i very much hope that the name issue will indeed be resolved in the near
yet i must share with you my preoccupation with recent developments.
furthermore for the period two thousand and eleven two thousand and thirteen we are introducing together with the authorities of the country a sector based approach.
two thousand and eleven is an important year for the whole region.
lastly on the post visa liberalisation monitoring we need a review of the measures taken to prevent abuses of the visa regime.
the commission expects due process and non selective application of the law.
both parties have repeated their commitment to finding a solution.
secondly the european perspective has been a great incentive for progress.
the timing is totally up to them.
ipa is the concrete demonstration that we do not only assess and criticise countries but we in fact support them very practically in their efforts.
it can either take the path towards europe to our mutual benefit or stand by as the rest of the region moves forward.
i have consistently raised the matter encouraging both parties to remain fully engaged.
over the last twenty years the country has made significant progress for two reasons.
developments so far this year have not shown the expected progress.
a solution would be a major breakthrough in turning two thousand and eleven into a promising year for enlargement.
the challenge today is to use the very same formula great efforts combined with a european incentive to take the country forward.
i continue stressing that freedom of expression is fundamental and that journalists must be able to express their views freely.
therefore i fully agree with you that this instrument must be used as efficiently and effectively as possible. i take note of your requests for further funding in the areas of unemployment transport and the environment to add to our ongoing efforts.
this is a time for all of us to fulfil our responsibilities and our commitments.
i would have hoped that this would be more substantially reflected in the recent round of negotiations in new york.
firstly great efforts had to be made to overcome difficult problems and even conflicts.
the commission has been consistently asking for political dialogue judiciary and public administration reform fight against corruption freedom of expression and implementation of the ohrid framework agreement.
i also thank you for your comments and requests related to the ipa programme.
we are at a critical juncture with the country.
for me the tenth anniversary of the ohrid framework agreement this summer is an opportunity to take stock of implementation to bring all the communities of the country together and to renew the commitment to address the ongoing challenges.
the fight against corruption also needs to be pursued vigorously. i fully agree with the emphasis placed on this subject in the european parliament's report and i welcome your suggestions regarding strengthened monitoring in this field.
it is therefore essential that the name issue is solved.
our recommendation confirmed that the country has sufficiently met the political criteria but underlined that further efforts are needed in most areas.
it means we will focus on sectors where the help is most needed and plan for several years ahead.
countries benefiting from visa free access to the european union need to take all necessary measures to limit unfounded asylum applications.
president barroso and i will be visiting the region together starting tomorrow and concluding in ohrid on saturday. we will be showing our commitment to the countries of the region and at the same time underlining that they should spare no effort in creating a positive momentum for enlargement.
we believe the country is ready to engage in a higher level of integration with europe. in fact the accession negotiations are our most powerful instrument to support reforms.
concerning elections we expect that the leaders will spare no efforts to ensure that elections will be fully transparent and in line with the best international standards.
this is very important for the country's ownership.
the report is comprehensive accurate and sets out the challenges ahead.
we agreed to step up our efforts to bring the eu agenda back to top priority for the country.
i hope that they are able to capitalise on these efforts this year.
future and before the judgment of the international court of justice which is awaited in the autumn.
china is today a key player in the international arena and a fundamental partner for the eu with different views on many issues of course but there is no doubt that cooperation and coordination between the eu and china are fundamental for both.
the strategy identifies opportunities such as concluding an ambitious and comprehensive agreement on investment a chinese contribution to the investment plan for europe joint research and innovation activities as well as creating new connections inside the eurasian continent both physical and digital to make trade investment and people to people contacts faster and easier.
trading and investing with china is first and foremost an opportunity for europe and for european firms.
we are their biggest trading partner and we are an important security provider in asia from afghanistan to the philippines so we have a lot to discuss and we have a lot on which we can and should work together. there is no doubt we need to step up our engagement with china and this is the core principle of our strategy.
on our side we have to strengthen our trade defence instruments in particular through the swift adoption of the commission's trade defence instruments modernisation proposal.
china is also an essential player in other issues. i have witnessed first hand the positive impact of china's responsible engagement in the negotiations on iran's nuclear programme and more i think of beijing's role during the paris conference on climate change compared with their attitude just a few years ago.
only if we engage will we be able to safeguard our interests and also our values in all sectors from trade to human rights.
this is very clear when we look at the second and third pillars of the communication.
china must make significant and verifiable cuts in industrial overcapacity notably in the steel sector but also on aluminium ceramics and wood based products.
asia's security environment today looks more unstable than a few years ago but china has also sought stronger cooperation with other world powers including with the european union on many different global issues.
we must adapt to change and most of all we must drive the change or at least try to do that. we need better rules to serve our citizens' interests and we can promote reforms through constant engagement with the wider world.
we will work together on this also in view of the conference on afghanistan we will have in brussels in october.
first the prosperity and reform agenda;
this is the aim of our human rights dialogue with china and of the recently launched eu china legal affairs dialogue to support and accompany china's legal reforms.
on climate action on migration on development aid on all this the question is not whether we need to engage with china but rather what is the best way to do
china is becoming a more integrated member of the global community and this means it has to accept the obligations and not simply the benefits of it.
let me start with the economy.
and third global governance and the multilateral context.
clearly our relationship with china one of the world's great powers is a crucial issue for our future but actually it is a crucial issue for our present.
for us as europeans isolation is not an option and our action cannot be fragmented cannot be unstrategic so we need to either update or to develop common visions and common paths for action that are in connection with the reality of today.
eu strategy on china.
it is more confident more outward looking and more assertive.
first and foremost china is much more of a global player than it was a decade ago.
some of you might wonder why we are working on so many different strategies or new strategies and this is for a very simple reason. the world has changed and is changing very rapidly.