kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
to focus this simply on is we think misses a point and misses a wider agenda that would be addressed by the humanitarian crisis in iraq and syria in particular in the is context' because it is right that we should take account of is of course but there is a much wider picture which this house should really be cognisant of.
we cannot deny that the problem exists and it is a concern of the citizens of europe.
we do not want to pre empt then what colleagues will have to say during the debate and on the resolution. please vote in favour of having that debate.
we cannot deny that the problem exists.
mr president can i make a request to the conference of presidents? one of the most important opportunities for meps is that provided by the one minute speeches where we can raise issues of particular interest to our own constituencies or to the european union.
half an hour at each part session is a very short period of time and i would ask that the rules be changed so that the conference would have an opportunity to extend that to one hour when time allows.
i am also grateful that we were looking at taking the money from the existing budget rather than new spending and using that to leverage even more spending from the private sector.
however i must point out that we have to be very careful here when using state financing and taxpayers' money.
in my own constituency i am aware of some microfinance facilities such as the excellent croydon caribbean credit union which helps underprivileged communities come out of poverty.
these facilities have been squeezed out by local government and other state microfinanced facilities. it is important in pursuing increased accessibility to microfinance that we do not squeeze out the many excellent private providers that are already there.
mr president i want to make it clear that while i feel that helping small business is a very good idea and one that should be pursued it should be pursued at national government level.
i have huge concerns over this proposal about the accountability of the money that will be lent and the payback in relation it.
i would encourage national governments to do all they can to help small business which is the backbone of our economy.
the eu can help by decreasing regulation and making funds available at a national level.
madam president i know we have spent a lot of money on these new machines but my voting machine voted before i had a chance to touch it; very sophisticated but perhaps not appropriate.
zero tolerance towards all forms of violence against women must become a top priority of all institutions throughout europe.
mr president violence against women especially in the domestic environment is an issue that needs to be debated and i congratulate the chair of the femm committee for bringing it to the forefront.
we need however to recognise this issue is not only a gender issue.
indeed it is not only a human rights issue but is a criminal law issue in the first instance.
according to the council of europe one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. the eu can be proactive in this area by providing resources for education and increased awareness and by opening up the debate on violence against not only women but also against men according to the uk home office one in six men will suffer domestic violence. i recently visited elevate a women's refuge in london to talk to victims of domestic violence.
they are from all socio economic groups.
there is no such thing as a stereotype.
violence affects the victim their families and children.
its effects are both insular and outgoing and destroy lives.
the road to rebuilding these lives is long and needs support.
elevate's project offers victims a safe haven and supports them in rebuilding their confidence and ability to function in society.
projects like this need support and need financial support.
the eu can be proactive by breaking down some of the taboos around violence against women and men. it is an area which we as a society can no longer afford to ignore.
in europe today one in four women is a victim of violence domestic abuse rape sexual exploitation or female genital mutilation.
one of the most horrific examples of gender based violence is when rape is used during war as a weapon as is the case in congo.
it is time for a comprehensive eu strategy leading to a concrete action plan aimed at fighting all forms of violence against women including trafficking in women. commissioner i would like to inform you that we have today voted during the resolution on the stockholm programme on an amendment which requests a directive a european action plan on violence against women ensuring the prevention of violence the protection of victims and the prosecution of perpetrators.
like many others i have witnessed the twists and turns in the quest for palestinian statehood in the united nations and like many others i wish them well and hope for a fair and just solution. in speaking today on the koppa report it is for me not a question of being anti israel or pro palestine. no it is more one of championing justice
we must hope that peace soon comes to this troubled region.
i spent a few days in the gaza strip this summer seeing for myself the abject poverty in which gazans have to live.
i listened to the pleas of mothers and fathers unable to feed or educate their children properly and of doctors and workers who have to work with the most basic of materials.
i listened to teachers and their students refugees and ngos and i heard countless stories of stalled business deals of jobs lost through lack of raw materials of social breakdown and the strangulation of trade by the israeli blockade.
it became very clear to me that in gaza and in the west bank economic recovery and social recovery go hand in hand.
we have some misgivings in our group about the nature of the agreement the dislocation of development in social and environmental protection and some of the practical difficulties around identifying the sources of products.
but it is an important marker along the way.
as the rapporteur states opening the eu market to palestinian products is only the first stage in the construction of a palestinian state.
regardless of whether the palestinian people obtain their legitimate statehood in the coming months or some time later the state of their economy will be a crucial factor which will determine whether there can be sustainable peace between palestine and israel.
organisation hamas but at the same time we are blocking a technical agreement with israel which is not acceptable at all.
this shameful discrimination in some political groups in this house has absolutely no justification.
because otherwise it will be impossible for countries like spain to recover.
you say there are legal problems there are no legal problems.
he is starting the process of unravelling the eu and this note is a smoking gun.
he proposed that british meps should not be allowed to discuss euro matters in parliamentary committee.
the many are stuck in recession and demand more while the few will slip into recession too. the result is growing resentment the old demon of europe.
it is all in here.
you are creating a european transfer economy by which some countries have to support many others.
he intends to exclude them.
what crisis is over?
that is the real reason.
maybe you had better have no summit tomorrow and the day after tomorrow than this type of summit because in the end it will create more problems in the market than it resolves because you are clearly not delivering what you promised six months ago.
more specifically let me recall that during our debate in october when discussing the outcome of the october european council i presented to you in advance the broad lines of this blueprint the key principles the main deliverables in the short and in the longer term and how we want to strike a balance between responsibility and solidarity.
growth is the answer to the current problems of europe.
the european budget is at the european level the most important instrument for this targeted investment.
it is important it is indeed essential that the european council gives a clear message that the individual decisions taken so far and still to be taken are embedded in a comprehensive approach that guarantees the irreversibility and the sustainability of the emu and the euro.
this is why we have put forward ideas against aggressive tax planning to facilitate better co ordination between member states.
promoting growth and competitiveness for today and tomorrow;
i made it very clear last october that the blueprint is the start of a debate and not its end and of course the european parliament must and will be involved and take part in this debate at every stage of the process.
but the commission also has a role to play and will further build on the two thousand and seven defence package and look into ways of mobilising defence related commission instruments to make europe's defence sector more efficient and competitive. if europe wants to be credible and promote its values on the global stage indeed if we want to have a say in promoting peace in other parts of the world then we must also move on with a common foreign and security policy including a defence dimension.
this package is a complement to our existing work on the ground to alleviate youth unemployment.
and modernising public administration. these priorities are structural and it will take time before we fully benefit from their realisation.
whether you look at the proposals which are already on the table like the ssm and the two pack or whether you take the announcements in the blueprint the commission is and will be applying these principles to the full.
this means that measures taken for the euro area must acknowledge the specificities of belonging to a single currency. they should however be open to the participation of other member states wherever appropriate.
we want to ensure that all young people receive a good quality offer of employment or continued education an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.
the objective of the commission's contribution is two fold first we must not lose the sense of urgency as regards action.
it maps out the work not only for the weeks and months but for the years ahead.
through the blueprint the commission is also making its contribution to the european council this week.
particular attention must be paid to convergence between the existing and the future members of the single currency.
above all for reforms to work they need to be fair and equitable.
our generation must not create the vicious spiral of a lost generation.
it is first of all the commission's view that the deepening of the emu must take place within the institutional and legal framework of the treaties and on the basis of the community method.
that is why the commission in its annual growth survey for two thousand and thirteen while underlining the need to urgently address the social dimension or indeed the social crisis has maintained the following five priorities pursuing differentiated growth friendly fiscal consolidation;
but even such a major challenge does not exhaust the agenda.
we need both.
in addition they also open the way for the adoption of the venture capital and social investment fund proposals thus helping business especially small business to invest expand and create jobs.
i therefore welcome the fact that agreement has been reached between the council and parliament on providing much needed financing for this year and on a budget for next year.
area. it is vital that the sector faces up to the challenges of shrinking defence budgets and the fragmentation of european markets. that is why in this sector also the pooling and sharing of scarce resources is essential.
in order to facilitate agreement on such a roadmap the blueprint sets out the main guiding principles on which a genuine emu should be built.
and to take account of the reality of a globalised interconnected world we have recommended strengthening the european union's stance on tax havens to go beyond the current international measures.
continued reform is needed to generate sustainable growth and jobs.
we must reform our structures and our instruments certainly but we must also refine our policies.
if we want to deliver growth across europe we must have a budget that can deliver investment across
secondly we must make sure that discipline and responsibility go hand in hand with solidarity and convergence.
the commission will work actively with member states to ensure that they are fully implemented and i count on the support of this house to maintain the momentum for change.
in the short term we need to complement these efforts with investment.
of course we know that these measures are specific measures.
i share parliament's concerns that the agreement might not be sufficient to fulfil our legal obligations and economic objectives. that is why i signed a declaration together with the president of the parliament and the rotating presidency making clear our expectations. at the same time i want to congratulate the budgetary authority for its capability in finding compromise solutions which are defendable and give stability.
the blueprint sets out the commission's vision and concrete ideas as well as possible legal options towards a genuine economic and monetary union.
lastly creating a deep and genuine emu will require commensurate steps towards a political union.
inequality is not sustainable and that is why we must also strengthen social cohesion.
this is why the blueprint has chosen the transparent approach and a commitment to present explicit ideas for treaty changes in advance of the next european parliament elections so as to enable the necessary broad public debate and decisions building on it.
as the blueprint states and i quote it is the european parliament that primarily needs to ensure democratic accountability for any decisions taken at eu level in particular by the commission'.
let me therefore draw your attention to two initiatives which the commission adopted just last week and which make it crystal clear that the commission regards social justice and fairness in our societies as a key element of today's policy priorities.
this is a call for all economic actors to mobilise their potential to make sure that the current crisis does not sow the seeds of the next.
that is why rapid political agreement on the single supervisory mechanism and its endorsement at this european council is crucially important. the ssm is the single most important step for the further deepening and completion of economic and monetary union.
we really need this capability because we also need the same spirit to reach agreement on the multiannual financial framework. i have said it before and i will repeat it again today the european budget is essentially an instrument for investment and across europe we cannot speak about the need for growth without recognising the critical need for targeted investment.
that is why i want to thank parliament for its timely and constructive cooperation on this important dossier. secondly we must not lose the overall perspective that lends credibility and purpose to this urgent action the definition of a roadmap towards emu for the future.
part of this task as we all know is intergovernmental.
it is not a question of choosing between solidarity and responsibility.
what is very important for the commission and we are making this point very clear in our discussions with the council as well is appropriate financing.
i belong to those who think that this is a miraculous development that we have seen.
i think that if history is to remember these days we need to give priority to keeping the union together for political as well as economic reasons because the only way out of the crisis is to have a strong european union using the opportunities of being the world's biggest economy and the world's biggest market and being able to do all the things we need to do.
the last fifty years and not least the last twenty years when we have unified europe with a european union of twenty seven members soon to be twenty eight have been a miracle. but i must say that we have a reason to be concerned that in exactly the same week
madam president could mr barroso explain why the troika overseeing the adjustment programme in portugal does not say a word as it sees the portuguese government legalise tax evasion tax fraud and money laundering by individuals corporations and banks who are identified stacking more than eur four billion in switzerland alone by allowing them to pay
seven five and not having to repatriate the assets not having to disclose the possible criminal origin of such assets and on top of all outrageously guaranteeing them the protection of secrecy?
to you the ideology of a european superstate supersedes the need for people's voices to be heard.
the british people do not want to be governed by a faceless unanswerable power in brussels.
this is why my party is making so much ground.
without a doubt this is why you used the platform of a controversially awarded nobel peace prize as an opportunity to undermine domestic sovereignty over national budgets.
you replaced it with another plan.
it broadly aimed to make europe by two thousand and ten the most competitive and the most dynamic knowledge based economy in the world.
they had dignity and we are not seeking to create some useful diversion to problems so destructive to the peoples of europe.
millions across europe are in despair and now you are scurrying around looking for another plan. you cannot accept the political reality that your project is fundamentally flawed.
now your beloved political project is in dire straits.
how did that go for you? not well.
do you remember the lisbon agenda? let me refresh your memory. it was adopted for a ten year period in two thousand by the european council.
he publicly states again and again that he wants britain to remain a member of the european union and surprisingly he has supported every one of your moves towards a fiscal union and banking union.
not of course that that will pose you a problem tomorrow because there are no leaders in those southern european countries who frankly have got the courage to stand up to the might of brussels and challenge the euro zone project.
the great debate in britain has always been that the single market has been the victory of our membership of the union and that we have great influence over that single market.
in fact it is barely worth him turning up tomorrow.
well increasingly we are going to be excluded from the key decisions that affect that single market. given the hostility and i am sorry to disappoint my conservative friends here but there is hostility towards britain in this place now where people blame their economic problems on our city of london frankly the argument that the single market benefits britain and that we have any influence over it is now disappearing
europe is now split from north to south with increasing violence and enmity between the peoples of the north of europe and the south of europe so i do not think the peace prize was really very appropriate.
mr verhofstadt indeed called mr cameron the greatest federalist outside the euro zone. yet on the other hand he cannot go along with any of this because politically the financial transaction tax and the banking union are quite impossible in britain.
he resists having a referendum.
we are in the deepest of crises at the moment in europe; we are facing a monetary financial and economic crisis.
the only criticism i had is that it should have been given to ordinary citizens right away and not to the presidents of the three institutions.
what is the future showing us?
they are meeting this afternoon to give a final and hopefully successful push.
furthermore this stage should also see the launch of the idea of contracts' between member states and the european union institutions.
the economic and monetary union is unique among modern currency unions in that it does not have fiscal capacity.
you will all have seen the report published last week by the president of the european council in close collaboration with the presidents of the commission the eurogroup and the european central bank.
further reflection on these longer term issues will take place after the election of the new european parliament and the appointment of a new commission. throughout the entire process which i have described we will move forward on the basis of the european union's institutional and legal framework. we will also ensure that the process will be open to all member states and that the integrity of the single market is preserved. an essential element of this process will be the need to ensure
this implies greater integration and may well require treaty change.
finally the european council is expected to take stock on enlargement as well as adopt conclusions on several external relations issues and on csdp.
on the basis of this report the european council will determine the next steps required to complete economic and monetary union as part of a comprehensive and staged process.
our aim is to implement this within the framework of the two thousand and fifteen european semester.
any reinforcement of the capacity of economic and monetary union to take executive economic policy decisions would in particular require further reinforcement of the capacity of the european parliament to exercise accountability and oversight.
definitively replaced the fight with bullets by a fight with words.
these stages comprise the following elements the first priority is the completion strengthening and implementation of the new enhanced economic governance as well as the adoption of the single supervisory mechanism and of the new rules on recovery and resolution and on deposit guarantees.
the next step which covers two thousand and thirteen and two thousand and fourteen will complete the integrated financial framework in particular through the establishment of a single resolution authority and the development of contractual arrangements on those reforms to which member states commit themselves underpinned by financial support.
i hope this will done in the course of the next semester.
the third step looks to the longer term after two thousand and fourteen and after the european elections and is concerned with creating a common stabilisation function and further coordination of national economic policies.
act. it will also address the important issue of how to tackle youth unemployment.
may i however call on this parliament to help us reach an agreement on this matter as soon as possible.
as you know the main issue for discussion concerns the completion of economic and monetary union.
it is very difficult at this very emotional moment after the nobel prize today to fight even with words.
the most immediate priority must be the adoption of the ssm proposal. i would like to thank the european parliament for the speed with which you have worked on this.
mr president can i first of all make a reference to defence which is going to be on the agenda tomorrow. the eu should not be meddling in defence. it adds nothing to capabilities and merely duplicates and undermines commitment to nato but this is a debate for another day.
on the matter more immediately in hand it seems to me that there are two competing visions of the future of europe.
one is inward looking wasteful bureaucratic dismissive of real democracy and sucking the life from our nations and the other is an outward looking flexible europe that respects the sovereignty of our nations and that focuses on economic growth and competitiveness and which does less costs less and ensures that all countries have an effective role in all the decisions that affect their interests.
there is a clear choice.
i want to echo the words of my prime minister david cameron. we want a fresh settlement for the united kingdom with fresh consent either in an election or in a referendum.
that consent i have to say will depend on the path ahead that is chosen.
i am afraid that there is a problem with this.