kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
finally i would like to thank everyone involved in working on the annual report for their work.
two two hundred complaints in total and this strong upward trend has continued in.
i subsequently sent a special report to parliament to ask for its support for my recommendations and parliament is now working on a report on this subject to be tabled for plenary in january.
our year long inquiry into the ecb president's continued membership of the group of thirty a private group of senior bankers;
in two thousand and seventeen i published a practical dos and don'ts guide for eu officials on how they should interact with lobbyists and how they can protect their institution and the public interest.
dealing with complaints to my office of course is and always will remain the core work of my office two thousand and seventeen.
i would especially like to thank the catering staff who managed to remain calm and cheerful whilst finding food from somewhere that they didn't know they had whilst all the time wondering about their family and friends somewhere else in this city.
to all of them we all say a very heartfelt thank you very much for last night.
also the car drivers who returned to the parliament in the wee small hours to make sure that we all returned to our hotels safe and sound and to the many others that we didn't see but are working behind the scenes.
mr president as chair of quaestors although i wasn't personally caught up in it last night i would like to thank on behalf of all of us in this house and our assistants the staff of this house who stayed behind last night and helped us enormously.
mr president yes there have been missed opportunities for those that say that we should wait for an international solution. remember that in two thousand and fifteen the oecd started a discussion on taxing the digital economy and it was blocked by the united states.
so this is the only thing we are left to the table to bring forward tax justice not in two thousand and twenty or two thousand and twenty one no in.
two thousand and nineteen so that we have tax justice in which everyone pays their fair share everyone pays also the multinationals also the millionaires and most certainly the tech giants like google and facebook.
we need a european initiative to bring the americans to the table and discuss taxing the digital economy.
today thanks to the czech pirate party who was the first to notify the commission there is no doubt that czech prime minister babi and czech minister of agriculture toman are seriously violating the financial regulation.
this is why i call upon you to take swift and strict measures to control the flow of eu financial resources to the czech republic and to implement the necessary corrective measures to end this illegal conduct.
mr babi became minister of finance already in two thousand and fourteen at the time when he already owned agrofert. agrofert is today the biggest receiver of eu subsidies in the czech republic and operates in several other eu countries.
mr president it is good to see you commissioner oettinger facing our questions tonight because the conflict of interest of prime minister babi cannot be ignored any longer.
such shameful conflict of interests of executive powers who will actually participate in the european council this week have to be solved urgently in order to avoid further damage to the czech republic and to its people as well as to the european union.
there are still some uncertainties about the relation of mr babi towards the czech legislation on conflict of interest so the reasons to adopt new european financial regulations are clear to definitely avoid these types of conflict of interests.
national authorities of member states are obliged to secure preparatory measures audit and control of financial resources from the eu budget but we can't expect the authorities in the czech republic to be able to properly comply with such rules in a situation where both the prime minister and the agriculture minister have confirmed relations to companies drawing agricultural subsidies.
recently in the tax three committee we had google one of the big tech giants at our hearing and they told us bluntly that they pay eighty five of their global income tax in their home market as they call it the usa.
we need an overhaul of the whole corporate tax system.
this is why the commission particularly appreciates the ombudsman's initiative for an award for good administration that she launched in. two thousand and sixteen as we already heard the ombudsman conferred the overall award to a commission service namely dg health and four out of seven specific awards to other commission services.
the commission's ethical rules enshrined in the staff regulations prevent the risk of conflict of interest and ensure that commission staff act impartially and for the public good.
i would like to emphasise that in these areas the commission lives up to very high standards often higher than in many other administrations. in the area of lobbying transparency the commission has led by example.
in our proposal for an interinstitutional agreement we have suggested to extend this principle to the parliament and the council.
the commission is always ready to find solutions whenever it can. the figures speak for themselves. only five of the ombudsman's inquiries end in a closing decision of maladministration.
there is a high willingness on the side of the eu administration to correct mistakes to improve where necessary but also to take new initiatives in the general interest of the union and the citizens.
the commission takes swift action to address cases of maladministration and complies with the ombudsman's recommendations whenever possible.
the compliance rate of eu institutions and bodies in general with the ombudsman's recommendation is also high at around eighty showing how effective the work of the ombudsman is.
every administration can get better.
please also allow me to say a word about transparency and ethical standards since these topics are addressed in your report as well.
to meet a commissioner cabinet member or director general lobbyists must first sign up to the transparency register.
this also deserves to be said and acknowledged.
this would represent a major step forward towards greater transparency at eu level as the register would become de facto mandatory for lobbyists.
this was reinforced last june by a new decision on officials' outside activities and activities after leaving the service.
first we need to ensure that information on eu law is made available to specific groups of citizens in the most userfriendly way.
some petitions are closed without people getting a concrete reply.
second we need to make sure that petitions manage to bring a mindful impact on eu policies.
petition is the right of any eu citizen but we cannot give a right that does not really empower people.
information on filing a petition should also be made clearer.
when the petition becomes the only one and single tool we cannot allow this single tool to be useless.
but to make it a reality we need to intervene on multiple levels.
a couple of cautionary words the commission is creating a european union agency for the space programme from another agency.
the progress of this departure along with the adequacy of funding for galileo copernicus and the new streams should be reviewed at the mid term of the mff.
the trouble is that there's no such thing as a uniquely european satellite space is global and to approach it any other way may well prove an expensive mistake.
and finally it is worth observing as a cautionary note that some of the discussion has focused on the notion of a uniquely european union space industry.
it enables member states to realise technology benefits that are too substantial for any individual member state and as well as that obvious economy of scale the added value created by the space programme is considerable the direct benefits for example of a competitive space sector worth around eur sixty billion a year providing two hundred and thirty zero high skill high quality jobs.
this carries some risks we believe of duplication with the activities of the european space agency. a tight definition of that agency's brief and diligent scrutiny is the way to mitigate that risk.
first on the economic situation of your country.
the eu is ready to back you in all of these very difficult endeavours.
i think this will be a major breakthrough and the cypriot people deserve that.
i was pleased that the mapping exercise has been published and i will continue to work on it and i take note of the other comments that were made.
i think you have to be a little bit brave and not shy away from difficult recommendations.
on council transparency yes on the opacity of decision making i think ms auken pointed to the fact that this is really about the exercising of every citizen's right to participate in our democracy and of course that is the cornerstone of the inquiry and that is essentially why we're doing it.
but when there are particularly sensitive ones then it is important that i get the support of parliament and i think that that puts pressure on it.
yes i have looked for opportunities that i can appropriately use in my office to support citizens in relation to that.
i think it doesn't mean that you have to make recommendations that are so easy that everybody accepts them;
so thank you again members and thank you president for this opportunity to present my work. i'm really deeply grateful for the support that i get from parliament for the work that we carry out on behalf of the citizens.
people do understand the necessity and the urgency of fighting climate change and they do demand urgent action of europe and the member states.
this should involve governments at all different levels workers and their unions employers businesses and ngos to work and cooperate together.
no for us the social dimension is absolutely clear.
think about our polluting cars and at the same time the new electric cars unaffordable for so many people. these people are not climate sceptics but maybe they will become climate sceptics if we do not make sure that we make a just
and yes we will have to get rid of the combustion engine.
and in that sense i think we need coordinated action to make that a just transition.
this could sound like a contradiction two different manifestations but actually it isn't.
we have to make this transition but by making sure we do this in a just way putting people and social values at the core of our sustainable agenda we will be able to get everybody on board and turn this transition into a successful europe.
investing in clean and sustainable industries and technologies and keeping these investments off the balance sheet because otherwise we will not have enough room to make these investments.
first of all just transition should be a key concept in all policy processes at all levels.
it's actually rather logical and understandable.
we have no alternative.
broadening the european semester with social and ecological indicators which have the same weight as the economic the fiscal and the debt indicators that is also key.
second we need a radical change in the governance of the european union.
and for us the sd group it is not just a necessity or a purely economic process of changing business sectors and securing competition.
yes coal mines they need to be shut down.
but not while at the same time making all these things unaffordable for families and putting territories or families into uncertainty or even poverty.
but they cannot they will not and they should not accept the fact that they are the only ones that will have to pay the bill for that bad air quality health risk diminishing purchase power job losses unaffordable bills when it comes to energy bad housing conditions.
creating new specific funds for just transition and dedicating money in existing funds and programmes within the multiannual financial framework.
i want to pay tribute to them in particular for everything they have done.
this we condemn with great firmness. we are grateful for the tireless work of the first responders and we trust in the work of the law enforcement services to bring those responsible to justice.
it has also supported one hundred and twenty four smaller companies or start ups to grow and create jobs locally.
intolerance and hate don't belong in our societies and they don't represent our values.
i see a more stable financial sector with a lower although still too high rate of non performing loans.
the commission will stand ready to assist any efforts.
i remember when we talked about the future of the eu in the prime minister's office in finland many years back. we have continued this discussion during all these years and now we are here in the european parliament to discuss with you honourable members the challenges opportunities and
but we must prepare that future as of today.
it is about deciding what europe should achieve and it is about deciding where to invest in our future on the issues that matter to most to the people of cyprus and the whole of europe.
so it is crucially important that we can agree on our new budget as swiftly as possible.
you have shown this time and again over the years.
the commission will always answer your call to support any negotiations or discussions held under the auspices of the united nations that work towards a fair comprehensive and viable settlement. this would be beneficial for cyprus for europe and for the wider security and stability in the region.
this will be especially important for cyprus as a country that has taken so much responsibility in this area.
the european commission stands alongside france and the french people at this very difficult moment.
a budget that is more efficient and more focused on the issues that matter to most just as cyprus has all along been calling for.
tough decisions made and the commitment to making them work should never be overlooked by anyone in europe.
nevertheless we cannot give up.
it has already provided eur five hundred and twenty million to support the economic integration of the island and improve links and contacts between its two communities.
we will continue to defend our free and open societies by all means available to us. the city of strasbourg is a symbol of european peace and democracy values that we will always defend.
for instance there will be an almost three fold increase in funding for migration and security to make sure that europe can protect its citizens.
i also want to pay tribute to you mr president dear nicos for your commitment to the programme of recovery.
we know there's still a long way to go and the commission will assist you every step of the way including through tailored support offered by a structural reform support service.
the effects will not go away overnight but today i see a recovering labour market and economy growing by over four in two thousand and seventeen and continuing at an impressive rate this year.
when it comes to migration you have always been there and taken much more than your fair share of responsibility.
there would be no more important message for our common future.
funding for research and innovation will be increased by.
i see also investment returning thanks in part to the juncker plan which has helped trigger eur one hundred and nine million of additional investment.
it is about our future.
all of this will make a real difference on the ground in cyprus and across our union.
and nowhere is that more important than when it comes to bringing to an end the division of the island.
i want to thank mr president my good friend nicos for being here today to debate the future of europe.
later this week european leaders including the president will have a real discussion on our future long term budget.
all of these will provide real opportunities for cypriots and further boost the productivity of the cypriot economy.
but if the situation has turned around it is because of the strength and hard work of the cypriot people.
i will visit cyprus at the end of january to discuss further use of the juncker plan in order to help boost growth and job creation.
we need to continue building a better and safer europe for our citizens.
in the coming years the european space sector will also have to deal with major challenges in relation of course with global evolutions on environmental economic security and geopolitical levels and additionally there is a disruptive wave in the making.
the second is to foster an evolution to ensure that our current programmes and projects are responding to the new needs more precise positioning for connected cars for example but also fighting climate change and ensuring more security for europeans.
additionally we want to promote the emergence of the european new space' approach.
we must see the space sector as an enabler of our security.
the impact of the space programme on the whole european economy in particular for small and mediumsized enterprises but also for midcaps and the need to better support space startups the importance of maintaining an autonomous access to space and the impact of the european space initiatives on the other policy areas that was also mentioned before agriculture transport of course environment climate monitoring security and defence.
the first very important one is to ensure the continuity of the existing space infrastructure and the services and at the same time the development of the new and enhanced ones.
climate change digitalisation data economy security safety of people and goods competitiveness of the european space industry strategic autonomy that was mentioned before and technological independence are all issues that are directly linked to the space programme that we are discussing here today.
we are convinced that if we do not reach agreement on the eu interim measure even more member states might consider taking this path.
in this context the austrian presidency devoted considerable efforts to the digital service tax directive.
we also all agreed that in the long term this requires a global solution. it becomes more and more evident that global changes in economic models might require a larger overhaul of agreed international tax rules.
therefore as the presidency we will try to take discussions forward on that basis.
international rules have to be adapted and this has to be done preferably in an orderly way by reaching international agreements with a wide scope both in terms of ambition and in terms of the number of economies adhering thereto.
let me start with digital taxation i would like to give you a brief overview of the work of the austrian presidency and i would like to summarise the ecofin council outcome and the next steps as we see it.
in our view that compromise was balanced and legally sound representing elements with the most support.
we have not yet had indepth discussions of this new suggestion since delegations need to study it in their capitals.
the european union is actively contributing to these discussions.
keeping in mind the wider global context it is our firm belief that when it comes to interim levies a common eu approach is preferable to unilateral national measures.
two thousand and twenty i believe this is a realistic deadline and the oecd should be given a fair chance to negotiate and implement revisions to the international tax framework by that date.
until now eleven member states have announced that they have or shortly will have a national digital service tax in place.
on the second topic that you have proposed to discuss today the need for a majority rule for taxation i can be very brief.
unfortunately before the ecofin meeting we could see that we would not have unanimity on the text.
during the meeting two delegations germany and france in an effort to constructively contribute to the discussions suggested that we should continue discussing the directive but with a narrower scope.
there are discussions currently ongoing at the level of g twenty and the oecd.
the incoming romanian presidency is closely associated with these discussions and will be ready to seamlessly take over as from one january.
however many delegations confirmed their willingness to discuss it.
if we design specific rules targeting only some of the digital business models we risk not capturing all and not making the rules futureproof.
we could see a proliferation of different national taxes with different rates and scopes. this could lead to the fragmentation of the single market and could harm the competitiveness and growth of the eu economy.
all technical and legal aspects of the proposal were examined in great detail.
our request to you is to have a really constructive and rapid negotiation between the council the commission and parliament on this really important instrument for european industry and not only for big companies.
this is important data and we all need to keep this in mind.
we are not removing any competition from the european space agency.
it might have been more decent if you had started with that little propaganda speech in the first place because what you said before really destroyed any credibility that you might have had even in the eyes of your own voters because you punted for a corrupt person and you laid your credibility on the table for that.
we have to provide as much transparency and communication as possible to our citizens but we have to keep in mind that this transparency should not undermine the negotiating positions of the european union so finding a proper balance is very important.
the european ombudsman performs therefore not only efficient work with regard to complaints but also takes own initiative inquiries regarding current eu policy areas. finally i would like to mention a very important thing.
mr president i would like to a congratulate madam ombudsman and her team on another fruitful year of work that was outlined in her balanced and well structured annual report. first of all i would like to mention the interactive guide as an example of using available resources efficiently.
the eu is a pioneer in research and innovation but our digital single market witnesses a growing demand for advanced digital products services and professionals without us having the european capacities to answer it.
member states are multiplying public and private commitments to acquire state of the art technology and to make it easily available for companies as well as for citizens.
the european union needs to count on its own digital serenity when confronted with cybersecurity.
the programme will also ensure that citizens get the opportunity to acquire advanced digital skills to be able to use the new tools at their disposal especially in the public administration and public services. as rapporteur i would like to highlight the key elements that will ensure the success of the programme. we will have in place a network of european digital hubs across europe that will act as a one stop shop for our companies
we will counteract the skills gap in our labour market offering targeted high level training to upgrade our professionals' competences thus unleashing the creation of new job opportunities.
we need to catalyse investment to develop within the union hardware and software applications that ensure a high level of security and also not to be forgotten data protection.
to easily benefit from the programme.
in this respect i would like to remind you that of the top twenty super computers on this planet only four of them are at the moment located within the european union.
and we will promote our european liberal values by prioritising solutions that are fully in line with eu legislation especially on data protection that are based on open licensing policies and open standards and that respect union ethical principles as we wait for the release of a set of ethical guidelines by the commission next
since the beginning i very much welcome the commission proposal as the long awaited answer to the lack of eu coordination in the digital race with other global competitors such as the us china and japan.
however these efforts are too small on a global scale and they can result in overlapping actions which we cannot allow since resources would be wasted.