kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
it will focus on changes which are expected to bring significant benefits by improving vehicle energy efficiency connections between transport modes as well as enforcement. these changes are first to allow the aerodynamic streamlining of vehicles by adapting maximum lengths and the definition of technical requirements for boat tails and smart cabins;
they also confirmed that a clarification was needed on these points.
a proposal can be expected in the coming months and will follow the ordinary legislative procedure. the revision is needed to adapt the directive to technical developments and societal and economic imperatives particularly in vehicle aerodynamics and intermodal transport.
madam president on behalf of the committee for transport and tourism i introduce this debate this evening on the issue officially of weights and dimensions but on what has become known as mega trucks or gigaliners.
the oral question tabled today is intended to follow up on the legal question which parliament raised last year over the commission's rights to rewrite unilaterally the rules on cross border traffic of mega trucks without involving the co legislstors.
personally i do not support the extension of the use of these lorries as proposed because i believe the infrastructure in many countries cannot cope and this could lead to road safety issues and the effect on the environment and the rail freight sector has not been assessed.
what is clear however is that whether you are pro mega trucks or anti there is a strong consensus within the committee that any change to the present position should be done through the codecision process. we cannot accept that something as important as this can be decided in an arbitrary fashion announced at some conference
on the basis that a legal boffin has had a change of mind and done a spectacular u turn on previous advice.
we were told in the past that the extension of mega trucks could not take place under the present legislation.
indeed the commissioner confirmed this in his response to parliamentary questions raised by honourable members.
but then as if by magic it was the intention of the commission to sneak this change through in the hope that parliament did not notice the change.
well madam president parliament did notice and what has followed since has been a farcical situation of the commission scurrying around trying to find a way out of the mess it has found itself in.
following months of reflection the commissioner decided to uphold his reinterpretation of the present legislation even though in his letter to me he acknowledged that the current directive is not completely unambiguous.
even president barroso in his letter to president schulz acknowledged that a full revision of the legislation would be an opportunity to provide full legal clarity.
i ask the commissioner this evening to agree with me that the present legislation is unclear and that in those circumstances he has a duty to end that uncertainty by putting forward for parliament's consideration a full revision of this legislation which addresses the issues of cross border mega trucks.
i am told commissioner that you do not intend to do that which in my view just compounds the errors that were made last year.
if it is your wish to extend cross border mega trucks then have the courage of those convictions to bring these changes before parliament under codecision for its democratic consideration.
commissioner we need legal clarity and that can only be achieved with the full cooperation of the co legislators and not on a whim of some lawyer tucked away in the commission.
this whole issue has become a mess of the commission's making and the time has come to sort out that mess by allowing this parliament to carry out its constitutional role as enshrined in the treaties governing the european union.
we must not forget that the more profound changes do require a revision of the financial regulation and its implementing rules.
the current control strategy for research expenditure has been designed to detect and correct errors so as to bring the residual error level down to below.
so a higher tolerable risk of errors as supported in your report could allow the commission to modulate the control effort to optimise cost effectiveness and to balance the need for effective control with establishing a more trust based relationship with researchers.
we are fully committed to achieving simplification and adhering to the simplification principles as stated in your report simplicity transparency legal certainty consistency excellence and as mr audy said a more trust based approach towards our research institutions is of course an important guideline for managing the activities. some of the proposals in your report and in the council conclusions can be implemented within the current framework.
similar support was given by the council and on the basis of this very broad interinstitutional consensus we should now turn to action.
the commission's services are now reaching out for solutions which can be swiftly implemented.
two the commission agrees that this is costly and puts a great administrative burden both on the beneficiaries and on the commission.
only then can we really remove some of the big constraints.
we will also work on further reducing delays in providing grants and payments.
we also take very seriously the concerns on inconsistent interpretation of rules and procedures by the different services when implementing the fp.
such as taking on people full time for a number of months to make an application and then not being successful.
in the meantime i am afraid that the financial and economic perspective is only one side of the coin.
but i strongly believe that we need a strong mechanism for control and we need very strict conditions in the field of social policy.
we have to discuss the social perspective as well.
we managed this by forcing cmos to be more transparent by giving creators a stronger role in the governance of the organisations and also by allowing for non commercial licences such as creative commons.
this new directive must not be used to further delay the modernisation and harmonisation of european copyright laws.
the second part of the directive establishes the criteria a cmo has to fulfil to grant multi territorial licences for musical works for online use.
for this house measures to protect the position of smaller cmos and smaller language regions were essential in preserving our much valued cultural diversity.
these proposals are only part of what needs to happen to match copyright management with the opportunities that the digital era brings.
our goal was to give artists more influence and choice over the rights to their works.
although the commission is sadly dragging its feet i am sure the call for reforms from our citizens will only get stronger.
pan european licences will now be available.
two thousand and ten cmos should do what they can to find the rights holders and should be proactive in ensuring good governance throughout.
many major initiatives are planned all of which have the aim of improving access to online marketplaces functioning of the eu intellectual property regime and establishing the structures necessary to support the digital single market.
reform in the copyright sector is one of these major initiatives and on this file we have been able to find a good political agreement and a strong set of transparency and efficiency focused proposals which will deliver growth.
we often talk of the need to create tech companies in europe that rival our american counterparts and even beat them.
i hope that with this piece of legislation we will change this fact and give rise to a whole new set of innovative companies promoting choice for consumers and competitiveness in the sector as a whole.
lastly on the question of collective rights management organisations i feel the reforms made here will be just as important for the future of rights holders across the union.
completion of the digital single market could well add four to eu gdp in coming years.
this is one area where we have such a european based player yet even their services are not available in each member state today.
if we are to capitalise on this potential we must find agreements on tough political issues and promote efficiency and competitiveness as key drivers for reform.
removing barriers to online music services is essential if we are to support more innovation and better services for consumers in this area.
by improving governance and requiring the utmost transparency in their work cmos will really deliver for their rights holders because if they do not the market will offer alternative solutions and that will be easy to assess and compare.
the agreement is good news for artists consumers and all collective rights management organisations committed to equitable and transparent remuneration of music creators and performers.
it will now be possible to put in place a cross border licence for music works while collective rights management organisations such as collecting societies will be bound by transparency and governance rules to guarantee the prompt and equitable distribution of our artists' remuneration.
this is the kind of approach that we need to see emulated in european intellectual property regimes for other collective creative areas to achieve a digital single market worthy of its name stimulating innovation and better consumer access to those works across national borders.
firstly i welcome the introduction of multi territorial collective licensing of authors' online rights in musical works. this is something i have been very supportive of from the beginning as multi territorial licensing will enhance consumer choice in this sector and helps us advance towards the completion of the digital single market. this directive will open up the market and offer greater potential for new innovative services to gain a foothold. from now on it will be much easier for service providers of online music to compete on a pan european level as they will no longer need to negotiate licensing agreements for each territory and there will be fewer legal obstacles for start up phases. i strongly believe that the removal of the current barriers will create better competition and generate growth in this sector.
further i welcome the change of the term collecting society' to collective management organisation' as it is creating a level playing field when this directive covers all forms of entities dealing with collective rights management and not only the member based or member owned organisations.
i support the increased transparency for collective management organisations and this is built on british best practice;
it will help performers and artists to get real value for their rights as well as provide clarity on how their rights revenue is collected and distributed.
finally as much as i support the introduction of the multi territorial licensing for music it should not be seen as the setting of a precedent for all types of licensing.
this is not a one size fits all solution and i am not keen to see the same approach for all tv and sports rights for example especially those with a strong national or territorial importance as they are built on different business models and sensitivities which also need to be taken into consideration.
on foot of inn's demise the newstalk station owned by communicorp which is also a major shareholder in inn has been awarded the contract to provide a replacement service for the next six months.
the national union of journalists has raised important questions over the appropriateness of the involvement of these two bodies in this process in the context of diversity of media ownership in ireland.
mr president the imminent closure of independent network news a dublin based news agency providing a first rate national and international news service to the majority of ireland's local radio stations raises serious and legitimate questions about the ownership plurality and regulation of the media in ireland.
this service has largely been supplied by inn in recent years.
utv whose withdrawal from inn precipitated the service's demise has also been centrally involved in the efforts to source a replacement service.
since the very raison d'tre for these machines has now been compromised by this legal advice and i address this directly to commissioner barrot is it not now time that the commission ruled that the use of these types of scanner in the eu should not be allowed since my constituents travelling anywhere in the union should not be subject to this indecent and degrading treatment?
recently at manchester airport a new trial was started and legal advice has now been given that to use these machines on minors could be in breach of child safety and protection legislation because of the nature of the image produced. similar cases of this nature took place in two thousand and five and two thousand and six by the action on rights for children group which resulted in the banning of the use of body scanners on under eighteen year olds.
mr president wales is currently a major beneficiary of eu funding under the two thousand and seven two thousand and thirteen structural funds programme.
west wales and the valleys receives the highest level of support under the current structural funds and rightly so.
the valleys have all but been destroyed by the closure of big industries which at one point were the backbone of solid hardworking communities.
the factories that grew up in their place are outsourcing work overseas. the communities that thrived on this employment have not just lost their jobs but also their sense of purpose and belonging.
the money is largely directed towards developing sustainable economic growth and creating jobs.
mr president i welcome the endorsement by the united nations human rights council hrc of the recommendations of the goldstone report and their call for an end to the illegal siege of gaza which is causing so much human suffering.
i propose that our relevant parliamentary committees should now examine without delay what steps the european union should be taking to ensure that the goldstone recommendations are pursued in an effective way.
human rights and international law are not optional extras to be defended or ignored depending on the relevant political advantages.
all our member states must defend international law and human rights without fear or favour otherwise our credibility is undermined as a force for justice in the world and indeed as an honest interlocutor for peace in the middle east.
mr president the missile defence project of the former us administration of which europe has been made part was fiercely contested by russia which chose to see in it a move directed against it and by some europeans who were upset because the russians were upset.
the obama administration is trying to address such a position by shifting defence from the long range to the short and medium range missile threat thus increasing the direct protection of europe and apparently by accepting russian cooperation through providing a radar facility in the caucasus.
however the commission will not compromise quality over speed.
but the truth is accessibility is an urgent issue and it needs to be treated as such.
to me the first and most important is that while we have the un crpd the disability strategy the marrakech treaty and hopefully soon the accessibility act as the commissioner herself pointed out this morning we have to ensure full implementation. other areas that i consider important include reasonable accommodation; the mainstreaming of un crpd in all our legislation and then ensuring compliance with that legislation; and the guarantee that all eu funding programmes will be fully accessible. we need to eliminate the medical model of disability and promote a rights based model. finally we must ensure independent living for persons with disabilities.
by that i mean today now.
parliament gives its perspective on progress to date so that the un crpd you can have real meaning for real persons with disabilities in real time.
this report contains many important recommendations but because of time constraints i can only mention one or two.
otherwise we are saying to people with disabilities we will improve accessibility in the future we will improve accessibility when we have money when we have time when we have dealt with all the other urgent issues that need to be dealt with.
mr president as rapporteur for the opinion on behalf of the committee on culture and education i am glad that the final report on the implementation of the european disability strategy encompasses the main elements that i proposed namely the mainstreaming of accessibility requirements in eu cultural policies
i also consider it useful to adopt a gender perspective in decision making and to collect gender disaggregated data related to the situation of people with disabilities and monitoring policies and actions in the field as well as intersectional data on vulnerable people and those facing multiple discrimination such as women with disability or disabled people
as a member of the disability intergroup and a champion of the rights of people with disability i was happy to work on this extremely important issue in collaboration with civil society and with people with disabilities.
the need to pay special attention to the difficulties young people with disabilities and special needs encounter from early education through to their transition to employment the issue of barriers to mobility the digital gap and the citizenship aspect.
people with disabilities face a much higher risk of social exclusion than the greater population.
it represents a powerful joint commitment to everyone's rights including people with disability to equal treatment and opportunities.
the pillar will also contribute to the implementation of the united nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
we can be proud of our achievements with the web accessability directive with the marrakech treaty and in the field of transport and telecoms.
it will help informal carers often women to better balance professional and care responsibilities.
the last area i would like to mention is free movement.
after two years it is now high time to take another leap forward with the adoption of my proposal for a european accessibility act.
parliament has already adopted its mandate and i remain confident the council will also reach a general approach next thursday.
adequate support services are certainly another.
they may not be used for building or renovating residential institutions.
while our progress report confirms many of your concerns with regard to the situation of people with disabilities in the european union it has also shown areas where european action has made a difference.
in february two thousand and seventeen the commission published a detailed progress report under the european disability strategy two thousand and ten two thousand and twenty assessing progress in its eight areas up to. two thousand and sixteen i am very
i have noticed that this initiative raises interest and expectations and i am grateful for the support you express.
the european commission remains firmly committed to the un convention and to its human rights approach to disability.
next year the commission will also evaluate the pilot project on a european visibility card which is now up and running in eight member states.
european funds offer significant resources to developing the communitybased care and services that are essential for independent living.
the right to affordable long term care services of good quality in particular home care and community based services is also emphasised in the european pillar of social rights.
we must now see that these instruments are fully implemented.
accessibility and non discrimination are important building blocks for independent living.
i would also like to mention the work done under the estonian presidency on this topic which should lead the member states next week to adopt the joint council conclusions on enhancing community based support and care for independent living.
promoting accessibility in all policy areas is certainly one of them.
lastly i want to say that today's discussion and your resolution will also enrich our reflection on the shape of future eu disability policies.
the cross border healthcare directive contributes to breaking down barriers to the free movement of all european citizens including people with a disability. the same counts for my proposal to clarify social security coordination applying to long term care benefits.
this is a situation we cannot accept;
in some countries it is affected by organised crime groups such as in slovakia. in some others such as my own country hungary governmental corruption distorts the proper use of eu funds.
but if our amendments are passed it will mean that there will be renewed effort going into research and the alternatives to animal testing which is particularly critical in basic and medical research.
mr president i cannot hide the fact that this report has been a serious disappointment to those of us who thought that a rapporteur who was also the president of the animal welfare intergroup might have reflected that concern for animals rather more diligently in his report. it is therefore essential that some crucial amendments are adopted when we vote on this.
if we fail to ensure that it will mean that many procedures causing pain distress or suffering would no longer be subject to a centrally monitored ethical review and that in turn would effectively undermine the enforcement of many of the measures set out in the proposal as a whole.
madam president it is a necessary evil of our times that unfortunately human and animal health research requires as a must animal experimentation.
such research must of course at all times be as humane as possible to the animals involved.
it is right to refine reduce and replace animal testing wherever possible.
we are right to keep the momentum going.
both industry and animal welfare organisations believe this is necessary.
this is an issue which i believe goes well beyond politics and is very much a moral issue that we must get right.
we have put serious work into it and we have good compromises.
i have sought to bring all sides together to deliver a report which is right for parliament right for research and industry and right for animal welfare.
so i would urge all members to support it.
if there are groups here that decide to vote against it i think in the long run all it will do is delay what is a good proposal one which will help to make sure there is research available in the european union to help with disease control and new medicine while at the same time reducing the number of animals we need to use and
mr president the transfer of jurisdiction in civil service disputes is part of an important reform of the court of justice.
so far parliament has supported the court reform and has kept its promises to the court and to the council but member states need to do the same and i refer to what colleagues have already raised.
last october the council and parliament made a joint statement saying that at the end of the reform process in order to achieve equality between women and men the member states should to the greatest possible extent appoint women judges to ensure an equal presence of women and men in the eu court.
i am absolutely convinced that every eu member state has talented and brilliant judges both men and women and i will make sure for my part that this parliament will remind the council of its promise which seems to be broken also in the future.
we also subscribe to parliament's call on member states to transpose the waste framework directive without further delay and to ensure full compliance with all its requirements and in particular to establish and implement comprehensive waste management plans so that the goal of european waste laws is put into practice quickly.
we will continue to provide guidance to member states on practical aspects of implementation and we intend to streamline resources by identifying and focusing on the most problematic member states and to address existing deficiencies together with those member states.