kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
this report will not only bring real benefits to real people across the eu but will show that by working together at eu level people can benefit individually wherever they may live and irrespective of their means.
let us move down that road together as fast as we practicably can because after all like the rapporteur colleagues might never know when they may suddenly need such cross border health care themselves.
why should a person waiting in agony for a hip replacement not be able to take advantage of the lack of waiting lists in other member states sometimes at a lesser cost to the country of origin?
that is why i am delighted that the rapporteur has accepted my amendment to make it clear that member states have a responsibility to authorise and pay for treatment in another country. we must not restrict cross border health care just to those who can afford it.
neither must we exclude disabled people which is why i am delighted that many of my amendments on this point have been accepted.
the rights and safety of patients must come first. that again is why i am pleased that the rapporteur supported my amendments on the regulation of health professionals.
his experience shows the importance of cooperation between eu member states.
mr president on behalf of the legal affairs committee we wanted to welcome this proposal and to underscore what it brings in terms of legal certainty which is to be applauded and also in terms of emphasising patient choice. but also we felt as a committee and i think this is important given the concerns that have been expressed this morning
the only area where we depart perhaps from the leading report is that we would have liked to have seen more done for those patients where things unfortunately go wrong.
we feel that the applicable law regime and the jurisdiction rules that are set out are not clear enough it could have been more patient oriented to make sure as we have done in other areas that patients could bring claims in their country of residence and could receive compensation according to the law of their country of residence.
obtaining the best service for our constituents is i am sure in the interests of us all.
however for me it is vital that this directive get the balance right between freedom of movement versus patient safety and accountability. i have no interest in promoting medical tourism and believe therefore that national autonomy over regulatory aspects
must be protected and that we must avoid a harmonisation of standards to the lowest possible denominator.
we must also guard against increased pressure on local services to the detriment of indigenous patients and that is particularly relevant in areas where there are specialisations which people would seek out.
this week we actually updated the regulation that is the part of our system that already ensures cooperation and already ensures that if there is an urgent need health care cannot be refused in another member state.
i would urge members to read what that regulation now says.
this directive is about choice.
it is about money following patients' choices and i would urge people not to confuse the two different systems as certain of the amendments do.
mr president the provision and funding of affordable and quality health care is a responsibility of each member state.
there is of course a strong case for better coordination of our health services across the european union and in particular in border areas but this directive cannot seek to do that.
its purpose should be to ensure that a citizen's right to health care in another member state is carefully framed so that each member state's capacity to fund and organise its domestic services is not undermined by health tourism.
no one in ireland has died as a result of being refused the right to travel to another member state for care in fact there is a fund available for those who need such care.
prior authorisation and a due legal base are essential and unless these are incorporated i cannot support this directive.
this week however there are two plenary reports where the public can genuinely resonate with their content.
the first is the cap on roaming charges in the telecoms package and the second is patients' rights for elective medical treatment in other eu countries. i too would like to support my london colleague john bowis's report.
he cannot be with us today sadly because of his ill health and i wish him a speedy recovery and he will of course be greatly missed in the next parliament. in the uk nhs treatment is often delayed and very expensive compared with other eu countries. a more flexible eu market with reasonable authorisation safeguards in health care is a win win situation both for the general public and also for the national health budgets of the member states.
i regret that mr bowis is not present with us in the house this morning and i wish him a speedy recovery from his illness.
i was lucky enough to be able to afford to pay.
now i want those who are not as lucky as i was to be able to benefit from the right to travel to receive health care without having to worry about costs fully informed as to their rights and as to the quality of care they can expect to receive.
it is thus timely and appropriate that we the representatives of the people define clearly and unequivocally for the people patients' undeniable right to access high quality health care regardless of their means or their geographical location.
we should also have the right to access high quality health care close to home.
however we also need to recognise that this is not always possible especially in the case of rare diseases where treatment may not be available in the patient's member state of affiliation.
if we need to travel abroad for health care we should not have to go through any uncertainty as to our ability to foot the bill for what is often expensive treatment.
therefore i am delighted that this uncertainty and confusion has been cleared up once and for all.
information about quality and standards of care in other member states is another important factor for those of us who may need to travel abroad for treatment.
we have worked hard to ensure that this information will be available to patients should we have to or wish to travel for treatment.
at the same time the idea of creating a marshall plan for the affected countries or restructuring their foreign debt should be dealt with in appropriate fora in the margins of the imf world bank and other international financial institutions.
getting down to and staying at zero is our objective.
in order to reinforce the eu and global preparedness and response to health threats in the light of the experience to fight the ebola epidemic it is important that the commission and the eu member states take stock of lessons learned over the last month.
we need a comprehensive crossborder strategy encompassing health education public services and economic development.
we need to continue our efforts in the immediate response.
together with the european commission we will continue to work with the countries of the region and international organisations in devising the most appropriate recovery and development strategies.
close cooperation establishment of a regional centre for infections preventions and control and the fostering of the economic recovery of affected countries.
secondly it is clear for us that together with affected countries we need to build resilience for the region.
identified by the who.
with the commission and the eeas working together to get things done as we have been doing ever since the ebola outbreak started.
as well as the african union.
first the conference succeeded in bringing together all the key actors in the fight against ebola.
this became one of my top objectives upon my arrival from the ebolaaffected countries last november.
in the very short term there is a need to vaccinate people and provide primary care clean water and sanitation. if we do not invest in these things it will be just a matter of time before another
the presence of the three leaders in brussels last week and their mutual commitment are very encouraging and all actors agree that this is crucial for preventing and containing future epidemics.
of course by shifting from big treatment centres to communitylevel response out in the provinces we have to work even more with communities.
the commission is actively working to achieve this.
you know very well the medical conditions and that we need to further adjust our response in the field.
fourth the conference agreed a framework for recovery of the three countries.
needs to focus healthcare certainly to provide people with basic care and to make sure the three countries are better prepared to deal with future epidemics;
the conference also agreed that a coordinated research effort both in the interepidemic periods and in emergency situations is a crucial element of preparedness.
we have to maintain our attention on the response to the epidemic and prevent any increase in infections.
the valuable support of the european parliament in addressing the ebola crisis.
this conference has shown once again the commitment of the eu and its member states in tackling the epidemic and assisting the countries in need.
assist countries in west africa on prevention containment and preparedness and help them build resilient health systems;
starting from early september the council and the european council provided political guidance for the eu response and worked on the basis of the ambitious objective of mobilising financial aid amounting to eur one billion.
we must also make the response more mobile and flexible;
allow me to conclude by expressing our deepest tribute and appreciation to the constant dedication of health workers and international governmental and non governmental organisations to tackle the ebola epidemics their exceptional courage self sacrifice and professionalism.
it marked a step forward for participants to look ahead discuss the lessons learned and start focusing on recovery and reconstruction of public services enhancement of preparedness alert and response systems health education risk communication social protection and reviving the economies of the affected countries and of other countries
the council is looking forward to the report by charles goerens that will serve as an important element in further discussions on the lessons learned and on the strengthening of health systems in developing countries to prevent future crises.
all the participants shared the opinion that the crisis can only be solved with a common and comprehensive approach addressing critical gaps in essential services allowing the affected countries and countries which are at potential risk to build longterm resilience and protect themselves from future shocks.
today and tomorrow we must work along the lines identified by the conference notably to ensure that funds already pledged are made available and maintain international support until there are no more ebola cases.
and we must also improve governance and accountability of local and national systems. international engagement needs to be maintained and i note that further highlevel meetings will be held in washington next month. the council also welcomes
the eu reacted quickly.
we have surpassed that objective and have provided also inkind assistance and expertise thus giving the eu one of the leading roles in the global ebola response.
our efforts need to focus on the target of bringing the number of infections to zero because even a single case not identified quickly enough can pose a significant threat.
discussions in different committees debate in the plenary and the resolution adopted in september by the european parliament gave an important signal to the international community on the eu's dedication to overcome the epidemic.
therefore the presidency welcomes the commitment of the presidents of the three affected countries guinea liberia and sierra leone to establish coordinated regional recovery plans together with roadmaps and coordinating structures.
this conference confirms that despite the stabilisation of the outbreak the international community must keep up the momentum' and continue to provide the international aid which is essential. we cannot afford to become complacent.
the large number of high level speakers and participants representing the affected region the eu and its member states international organisations un agencies and ngos proved that the international community is greatly concerned by and actively engaged against the ebola
the presidency welcomes the high level conference on ebola from emergency to recovery organised by and under the patronage of the european union in close cooperation with the united nations and the governments of the three most affected countries liberia sierra leone and guinea.
this is something that i fully support.
we have important meetings coming up first in washington at the world bank spring meetings and later on in the form of the un pledging conference.
example of public and private cooperation.
not only for tackling the virus transmission across the borders of the three countries but also for the three countries to elaborate compatible national recovery strategies.
we have got to have a health service that is free at the point of use and accessible. it is a scandal that we ask the poorest in the world to pay for their health services. we should get rid of user fees now. in september we go to new york we have the sustainable development goals conference and we have to put universal health care at the top of that agenda.
that report showed that the cost of the emergency response is greater than the estimated cost of building health services in the three countries concerned.
i have some meetings with the ministers from the affected countries.
secondly we need to plan for the future.
what they are looking for in the immediate future are some quick wins to get the children back to school and budget support for the health systems.
so that should be our lesson.
last week save the children published a report.
but the key lesson for me as well is that we have to invest in health for the long term.
the eu and other international actors including the world health organisation need to learn from the ebola case and make sure that conditions are in place to avoid something similar happening again.
they need to be ready and to be able to identify potential emergencies to be coordinated to build up complementarity and compatibility and to be able to give a prompt response including financial resources.
but at the same time my plea is to continue with renewed efforts.
my brother worked as an aid worker in malawi and what he saw there on the ground is often so different from what we get in our almost westerncentric mind set.
mr nbsp president human trafficking is a global scourge but in the sinai peninsula we are witnessing a concentration of human misery which unhappily also coincides with a huge increase in jihadi terrorism in the region partly as a result of the instability in egypt.
the apparent breakdown of law and order and security in sinai allows extremist groups to proliferate and flourish.
these problems must therefore be tackled in tandem with human rights and the rule of law across the entire region.
we must also encourage increased dialogue and cooperation among the middle eastern and north african countries generally and offer political and financial assistance to help them combat terrorism nurture the necessary development and alleviate the suffering of these modern day victims of what amounts to a form of slavery.
we now have a package of three fully fledged training modules on human rights gender and child protection in the context of csdp which are being finalised in. two thousand and twelve we also work very closely with the eu military staff in order to have a good common understanding of all the humanitarian aspects in conflicts but in particular of how conflicts affect the most vulnerable among them women.
we have the eu instrument for stability which is a key instrument that we can apply for stabilising measures and capacity building measures.
thirteen of the eu member states have adopted national action plans.
in this instrument we have fully mainstreamed the gender perspective;
thank you too for the scheduling of this item immediately after we talked about a similar issue here in europe. in the european union we take very seriously the issue of the role of women and in particular the role of women in peace and security through implementation of
while we do a lot on the external side it is also important to perform well internally by appointing women negotiators or mediators. by appointing more women in key positions in the european external action service our member states are the most proactive in the un context.
csdp missions and operations include a human rights and gender exercise.
account of conditions on the ground and of the potential impact on the telecoms industry and consumers.
universal service is not the only means nor the key driver for achieving our broadband for all' objectives and it should take its appropriate proper place within the range of instruments available to us.
the commission is committed to supporting the development standardisation and take up of advanced emergency communication technologies.
we are at the moment in discussion with member states and the industry on the contents of this guidance. we have also consulted berec which is due to give its opinion very soon.
it considers that parliament's proposals to define key performance indicators for the emergency services could be a good way forward in enhancing common performance standards. obviously the commission agrees that the life saving function of the one hundred and twelve emergency number cannot be effective if we do not make people truly aware that one hundred and twelve protects them everywhere in the european union.
the commission is therefore planning to issue a communication as has been mentioned on the role of universal service in a broadband environment following the public consultation last year. we have also shown our willingness to help member states in the implementation process by developing and providing guidance on the application of the existing universal service rules as called for in the report.
given the potentially significant costs involved in ensuring broadband roll out across europe we need to ensure that the burden of legal obligations does not fall unfairly on the telecom industry or result in increased consumer prices. the flexibility given by the revised telecom rules should be exercised in a coherent manner right across the eu and take appropriate
that is why the commission will keep pushing member states to step up their efforts in promoting.
the commission has been actively promoting the exchange of technical expertise and best practice within the expert group on emergency access mainly on the implementation of the revised telecom rules on one hundred and twelve and next generation emergency access including standardisation.
so ideas about universal service are being fundamentally changed and recalibrated but clearly broadband is now moving in as being an entitlement.
i think that mrs rapti is right in her approach to this in saying that the current universal service provision is entirely outdated. i should know because i worked on it way back in.
are aware of this facility then you have to ask what are we going to do about it and whose fault is it.
let me end by once again thanking parliament and the rapporteur mr krasnodbski for your very valuable input and your strong support for our joint efforts in this field.
your voice will be important to further develop this dimension.
the bologna process which supports the provision of high quality education in all member states makes a positive contribution to addressing these challenges.
we have taken good note of your concern about a brain drain and imbalanced mobility for example.
it covers learning in all contexts whether formal or non formal and at all levels from early childhood education and schools through to higher education vocational education and training and other learning. thanks to the joint report which the commission and council adopted last november we defined our new common priorities in the field of education and training which all contribute to the current top priorities of the eu. we now have a much more focused agenda which concentrates on key issues
sustainable investment in education and training.
these elements have been much reinforced in the new priorities under education and training.
twenty education and training two thousand and twenty is important it is the umbrella under which all eu level policy exchanges on education and training between member states take place.
education and training are not only important for acquiring skills for jobs education is equally important to ensure social inclusion and to make certain that our human and civic values are safeguarded and passed on to future generations.
two thousand and twenty i am proud to announce that one of the working groups is specially dedicated to the follow up of the paris declaration and we play a key role in exchanging with member states on how to strengthen inclusive education and our common values a very relevant development in the light of the recent action plan for the integration of migrants and the new commission communication to support the prevention of violent extremism which were adopted some days ago both highlighting this dimension.
namely the provision of relevant and high quality knowledge the recognition and transparency of skills inclusive education including the promotion of civic competences the promotion of innovative approaches fully embracing the digital era strong support for our teachers and last but not least
we have made sure that education and training two thousand and twenty is firmly embedded in the union's overall political priorities and actively contributes to the development of skills and employability.
of course there are larger structural issues behind this which go beyond the education dimension such as varying employment opportunities across europe.
your report also highlights a number of problematic issues on the european education scene.
also the new education and training two thousand and twenty working group on the modernisation of higher education will address the issues of internationalisation recognition and mobility in a balanced perspective.
i am very pleased that the european parliament is strongly supporting this increased attention to social inclusion civic competences and common values in our work with member states.
that is what we are doing and in this process the et two thousand and twenty monitoring and assessment system is a very important highly appreciated instrument highly appreciated by the member states because they take part in the working groups they accept the results of the working groups and they follow the recommendations from the et two thousand and twenty
there is a consensus that european education and training systems have two objectives to produce employable people and to produce good citizens.
we have tangible and concrete proposals and actions.
that is why we have to concentrate on all those issues which were raised here and we have to find a good solution for that.
mechanism and that is why i think it is a very important instrument in our hands to generate change in european education and training systems.
it is not the european commission that can direct the member states in those fields.
better cooperation between member states is needed on the establishment of new innovative and interactive methods of teaching training and learning where individuals are active participants in the educational process.
that will increase the attractiveness and effectiveness of the educational process and will enhance the development of students' creativity.
better cooperation between the eu and the national authorities is required in order to find the right approach to swiftly fully and sustainably integrating refugees migrants and asylum seekers into education and training systems and ensuring that those who have already obtained qualifications
this is not diplomacy this is stupidity.