kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
projects like the european house of history or the parliamentarium also continue to absorb more taxpayers' money. all these costs will not increase the visibility or the credibility of this institution.
mr president this house should be the first to lead by example and cut our own costs in line with the austerity measures being imposed around europe.
the only question is the level of ambition that we want to achieve. my group believes we must be ambitious and ask for the cost of the election to be absorbed within a real terms freeze in the budget.
despite the secretary general's best efforts to find savings an initial budget proposal was for a.
i wanted to vote to withhold my consent to the conclusion of the agreement.
i do not want any agreement or any agreements under the lisbon treaty.
because of this england and indeed the united kingdom is now living under an illegally constituted government.
we voted i believe not to vote and then voted to send the report back to committee.
however i certainly did not want to vote in favour of paragraph two of the report which was to submit recommendations for a long term agreement under the legal framework of the lisbon treaty.
mr president the share of world gdp occupied by old europe is in serious decline.
it now takes four german workers to put in the same amount of hours over the year as three american workers;
fifteen europe is becoming sclerotic arthritic because of the economic and social model which we used to pride ourselves on.
our continent as a whole is becoming sterile sclerotic and old.
as a result us share of world gdp over the last forty years has remained roughly stable.
if we exclude the countries that joined in the last enlargement round the gdp of the world which was occupied by the fifteen old states forty years ago was;
but there comes a moment when reality imposes itself and we have reached that moment now.
this particular initiative targets those who would not normally have access to the credit market;
those to whom the banks and other financial institutions would say no thank you we do not want your business. people for example who have lost their jobs who are at risk of social exclusion people who have difficulty re entering the job market now have an opportunity to set up their own business because they can access loans with guaranteed equity of up to eur. twenty five zero i think this initiative will make a difference to many people and i thank the spanish presidency for their efforts in concluding an agreement and also the rapporteur for her hard work.
it is a tangible expression of an example of one of the measures that have been undertaken by the eu in response to the current economic crisis.
we are looking at a measure where you can point to specific successes that it has had in terms of foiling terrorist atrocities.
concerns that would be shared by people in the united states as well as in the european union.
after the election of barack obama many on the left of this house were talking warmly about a new partnership across the atlantic.
they had two other agendas first to assert the power of the federal parliament against the nation states and secondly their reflexive belief that america is always and everywhere in the wrong.
mr president this was a finely balanced issue and i envy some of the moral certainty expressed by people on both sides of it.
i am afraid i do not think that some of the critics in this house were really interested in civil liberties.
nonetheless i feel on balance that the american administration went out of its way to meet the concerns which were expressed on this side of the atlantic and has come out with a proportionate proposal which takes account of the balance between security and freedom. i have spoken out against many of the measures that were introduced in this place over the past ten years under the cover of security measures which were in fact simply about aggrandising the powers of the state. but in this case i do not think it comes in that category;
of course we had the framework agreement last july between the social partners and today we have this resolution.
it is not reasonable that they should be asked to wait any longer.
indeed it is estimated that there are about one million such injuries each year. it is now crucial that the measures defined in the proposed directive be urgently implemented and adopted first and then implemented.
healthcare workers have waited too long already;
this resolution will be warmly welcomed by healthcare workers across the eu because needle stick injuries and sharp injuries represent one of the most common and serious risks for health workers.
their job is difficult enough and stressful enough as it is and anything we can do to improve the situation will i know be very welcome.
mr president i am pleased with the outcome of the vote here today because back in two thousand and six the employment and social affairs committee adopted a report on protecting european healthcare workers from blood borne infections due to needle stick and sharp injuries.
that said this directive may work if it forces member states and their health providers to look at their services at home and to improve the provision of services to those who need them.
i think it would be wrong for the news to go out from this house that from now on all is well with cross border healthcare.
the truth is that people would prefer to be treated close to home.
they are going to have to pay for them anyway if our citizens take up the rights that this directive will give them.
if they did we would see many more cross border patients moving to get their services.
that is why we have endless protests and very valid protests in ireland about the closure of local hospitals and local services.
we still have much to debate and to put in place to make this work.
i see him nodding in agreement so i have got the quote correct.
these examples show that there is a huge loophole in european law which allows health professionals recognised as unfit to practise in one of our countries the opportunity to work and to put patients at risk in another.
i remember last year when i took up office people told me that negotiations on the directive were at a dead end. the directive is a good example of the need for political leadership it shows that with courage and determination decisions which are important for our citizens can be taken. i believe that legislators must not leave the european court of justice to decide in their place
i would also like to thank the previous two presidencies spain and belgium for the hard work they did to conclude this dossier.
mr president minister honourable members the final compromise which is on the table today reflects the essential spirit and fundamental purpose of this directive to enhance patients' rights to cross border healthcare while taking into account the sustainability of health systems.
i should like to conclude by making the following statement on an institutional aspect of the text the commission has certain doubts that some of the future acts which the commission has been given the power to adopt by the legislative act would be implementing acts.
the main progress achieved by this directive as compared with existing legislation is that patients will be able to choose their healthcare provider and will have access to information on the quality and safety of the care they will receive. i can assure you that the commission will carefully monitor how member states implement the directive in that respect.
patients will be able to seek primary care with the provider of their choice across europe.
allow me now to share with you some views on the directive. firstly the directive makes clear that all member states have a duty to invest at home to provide their citizens with the healthcare they need without undue delay.
lastly the directive lays the foundation for european collaboration on health.
this is a matter of solidarity in europe. i am therefore counting on the member states to launch cooperation initiatives in key areas such as e health and health technology assessments.
while the cooperation networks set up by the directive are voluntary i am convinced that all member states will see that they have much to gain by working together.
this should gradually lead to some convergence across europe on the quality and safety of care.
secondly the directive will give patients access to information on their rights and on cross border healthcare information validated by national contact points and not left to private initiatives on the internet or other media.
i believe such centres can lead to better healthcare for our citizens.
this is a good day for the building of a europe for health'.
the path towards today's successful conclusion was far from easy.
mr president many in this house will remember that at first reading this was an extremely hot topic and i think we are hearing only some of the differences between us.
i think what we have at the end of the day is a reasonable compromise.
as people have said for many patients this will work well but we also need to take care of our patients in our own member states.
i am very pleased to see this directive being adopted.
rather it is an assurance that citizens in need of healthcare can be in a better position to get it freeing them from bureaucratic shackles that sometimes preclude them from doing so.
i believe the directive is a real breakthrough for patients and for reinforcing a europe of health.
i now look forward to working together with the member states to see this directive properly implemented and enforced throughout the eu.
much remains to be done both at european and national level to ensure that cooperation between health systems in europe becomes a reality.
it can have fundamental consequences for member states' health systems.
the areas that are controversial and worrying have been dealt with i am pleased to say and the result is a strong defining directive that will strengthen member state positions in healthcare.
the challenge was to protect the integrity of healthcare systems while offering patients greater choice.
the need for member states to retain control over the policy direction and budgetary requirements of their health services was met by the pre authorisation clause and the fact that member states would choose which services were carried out.
overall we have before us a piece of work that secures member states' autonomy in their health systems while offering patients best service.
the parliament remained united and stayed firm during the negotiations with the council. we stood for patients and for the first time there will be a clear legislative framework in the eu for patients seeking treatment in another member state.
we have to consider the agreement reached as a small step but it is a real achievement for patients in europe which will strengthen their rights while focusing on their needs the information available to them and the quality and safety of care. i am sure however that parliament would have supported a more ambitious result.
though i recognise the need for member states to be able to set up prior authorisation to maintain the sustainability of their health systems i regret that they including the belgian presidency have sometimes put organisational considerations above patients' interests and needs.
the alde group welcomes the future directive but we will be strict about its implementation and make sure proper reporting and monitoring is in place to ensure that the directive is correctly implemented and that the prior authorisation and reimbursement provisions do not become an unjustified obstacle to patients.
finally let me highlight one of my regrets the lack of ambition of the provisions agreed for cooperation in the field of e health again due to strong opposition from the most advanced member states in this area.
mr president this directive has taken concrete steps to consolidate patients' rights in accessing healthcare services across the eu.
i have taken an interest in this directive as the implementation will have a particular impact in my constituency of wales where despite the uk government negotiating with the eu on health matters the subsequent management and delivery of healthcare is a devolved competence delivered through the welsh assembly government.
my initial concerns are at the potential impact on the welsh healthcare system regarding reimbursement and prior authorisation have been resolved as a degree of flexibility has been built into these proposals.
the ability for member states and regional pairs to have the capacity to decide on eligible treatments with prior authorisation and a setting of a cap on reimbursements will go some way in alleviating concerns about the already overstretched and burdened healthcare systems.
as a result of the work of my colleagues in this parliament past and present especially mr bowis we can be content in having taken a step forward in ensuring clarification for patients improved healthcare choice and greater cooperation between the different eu healthcare systems.
this year it will present a recommendation on media literacy.
i would just underline here the recommendation on the protection of minors and human dignity and on the right of reply which calls for action against discrimination in all media.
the framework decision aims at criminalising international conduct such as incitement to violence or hate towards a group of people or against a person belonging to a group defined on the basis of race colour descent religion belief or national or ethnic origin.
on this basis the commission has taken a number of initiatives legislative and non legislative which seek to prevent discrimination as well as racist xenophobic and anti semitic speeches.
i think parliament well knows the safer internet plus programme with a budget of eur fifty five million for the period two thousand and nine two thousand and thirteen which co funds projects with the following objectives increased public awareness provision of a network of contact points for reporting illegal and harmful content and conduct
in particular on child sexual abuse material grooming and cyber bullying fostering of self regulatory initiatives in this field and involving children in creating a safer online environment establishing a knowledge base of the new trends in the use of online technologies and their consequences for children's lives.
two thousand and ten apart from this legal approach the commission is promoting a set of measures for the safer use of the internet.
it is also worth noting that our neighbour the council of europe has developed a series of international legally binding and non binding instruments on these issues which all show that cyberspace is not a lawless area and that member states are bound to protect individual rights and freedoms through their national laws
the recently adopted council framework decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law sets out a common eu approach to racism and xenophobia.
in its communication on media literacy of december two thousand and seven the commission calls on member states to commit to more effectively promoting media literacy and research in this field.
furthermore the commission had adopted policies that aim at reducing racist content online.
incitement to violence or hatred would also be punishable if committed by public dissemination and distribution of tracts pictures and other materials.
together with the types of hate speech cited by the honourable member in his question.
the commission has also adopted policies aimed at reducing racist content online notably the recommendation on the protection of minors and human dignity and the right of reply which calls for action against discrimination in all media.
i would recall the convention on cybercrime and its additional protocol.
in democratic countries such as the eu member states restrictions on the freedom of speech are exceptional and governed by the rule of law. it is worth noting that the council of europe has developed a series of international legally binding instruments directly and indirectly concerning the internet.
it has been proposed for instance to amend some provisions in order to take better account of the needs of the elderly and those with special needs and those should be general objectives guiding the activity of the national regulatory authorities.
the second was the new communication on e accessibility fostering the use of ict goods and services by older people and by people with disabilities and inviting member states to take all necessary steps to improve the accessibility of public websites.
the first measure is on research and innovation in order to develop and test technologies for social care and independent living for older persons.
the second measure is to raise awareness of the benefits among users and public authorities through the establishment of a best practice internet portal and european award schemes for smart homes independent living applications for instance.
and to enjoy a healthier and higher quality of life for longer.
that is why we have to develop a whole policy in order to bring this barrier down because we will need ict to enable older people to stay active and productive for longer to continue to engage in society with more accessible online services
the third is to reduce the fragmentation of approaches in deploying these technologies in europe. in two thousand and eight the commission adopted two other initiatives.
i must pay tribute to our industries because through these research programmes the industries have developed a whole series of mechanisms services and products which help older people to stay longer in their own homes.
in line with those measures between now and two thousand and thirteen the eu together with member states and the private sector will invest more than eur one billion in research and innovation for the ageing society.
the first was a new joint programme to support joint research with member states in the area of ambient assisted living those are the technologies for home applications and for mobility assisting older users in their daily lives and providing social care applications.
first of all i have clearly signalled that i am ready to use the management tools that we have available.
between two thousand and two thousand and two is now incorporated into the direct payment.
in this report the commission shall reflect developments in the medium term economic position in particular potential growth prevailing cyclical conditions the implementation of policies in the context of the lisbon agenda and policies to foster research and development and innovation.
the provisions of the relevant factors to be considered indicate that determining the incidence of special circumstances should be based on an overall assessment of such factors.
these recommendations will include deadlines which will have been decided according to the stability and growth pact i.
at the same time and taking into account its assessment of these programmes the commission adopted reports for ireland greece spain france latvia and malta.
taking into consideration the existence of special circumstances where appropriate.
it shall also reflect developments in the medium term budgetary position in particular fiscal consolidation efforts in good times the level of public debt and sustainability issues external financing needs public investment and the overall quality of public finances. it shall also take into consideration any other factors which in the opinion of the member state concerned are relevant in order to comprehensively
however when preparing a report under article one hundred and forty three of the treaty triggered by the existence or the planned excessive deficit the commission is required by the treaty to take into account what are known as relevant factors'.
it should be pointed out however that the commission proposal of july two thousand and eight already provides an option for member states to apply these reduced vat rates on services involving the renovation repair alteration and maintenance of housing places of worship and of cultural heritage and historical
we now have some studies on the potential of tax incentives for energy and environmental purposes and the commission is preparing a proposal to amend the vat directive to allow reduced rates of vat to apply to certain environmentally friendly goods and services.
you are aware that in the council there are different opinions concerning this issue and you know that there is no unanimity concerning the position of the council on this issue. so as i said in my answer we the commission fully share the opinions of the council and i
as the honourable member states there is currently no specific eu legislation dealing with the issue of origin labelling for the sheep meat sector.
i definitely think that european farmers can be proud of their standards and the commission favours any initiative that helps farmers not least in the livestock sector to communicate with consumers about the origin of
on food information to consumers introduced a framework for voluntary origin indications.
if the whole supply chain could agree on such a labelling system it could add value to their products to provide consumers with extra information. for the internal market to function smoothly the commission's proposal for a regulation
it is not the commission's view that there is a general problem of consumers being misled about the origin of sheep meat.
the commission is currently carrying out a review of the existing community tax legislation.
in addition to the above fiscal initiatives the commission seeks to enhance the use of other financial instruments to promote energy efficiency in particular in buildings.
the initiative aims at mobilising funding from capital markets to be used via the participation of the covenant of mayors.
the commission has also proposed the modification of regulation no one thousand and eighty two thousand and six on the european regional development fund which would allow use of this fund by all member states for increased expenditure on energy efficiency improvements and the use of renewable energy in existing housing.
for two thousand and nine a budget of eur fifteen million can be expected to be made available.
it is in its european economic recovery plan which has by the way been endorsed by parliament and the council that the commission supports the promotion of the rapid take up of green products.
a sustainable energy financing initiative is being developed jointly by the commission and the european investment bank.
furthermore the commission encourages member states to provide further incentives to consumers to stimulate demand for environmentally friendly products.
i can promise you that we are closely following the situation in the dairy market. this can be seen from the fact that two weeks ago we actually increased the export refunds in the dairy sector and we will be willing to take all the necessary
of course the sector itself also has a responsibility to adapt production to demand in order to try to restore profitability and mrs harkin wants to know if the commission has similar plans for other sectors.
i do not underestimate the difficulties in the dairy
at the same time this may also alleviate the imbalance within the dairy market. in response to the specific question that mr neachtain put forward the irish dairy sector with a relatively high share of
than we normally do.
with the introduction of the export refunds however we should see a situation where we can increase the chances for the european union's dairy producers to be present in the world market.
milk processed into butter and into skimmed milk powder and a relatively high share of export outside the european union will in particular benefit from the measures taken by the commission.
we have as members challenged the operational and cost implications of the compulsory electronic identification and the disastrous consequences for an industry already in serious decline.