kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the crisis started with the subprime problems when in fact there was a problem in terms of the evaluation of risk by markets and investors.
this is our position.
mr president i have often asked myself the question why would a successful country that has enjoyed a thousand years of independence give up its right of self government to the unelected nonentities that we see sitting before us this morning?
when a british prime minister goes to a summit with a very modest proposal to protect a uniquely important british industry a snarling president sarkozy tells him where to go with german approval of course and we find ourselves without a friend in the room.
something changed though on friday. mr cameron may not know it but we are now on course britain is going to make the great escape.
well you have decided to head off on the titanic towards economic and democratic disaster and we are now in a lifeboat outside the titanic but we are threatened by a bow wave that is going to come and engulf us if we are not careful and it is retribution. we have heard the language of retribution this morning.
we will be the first european country to get our freedom back.
we must have a seat at the top table and we can change things. we have done our best to prove what good europeans we are.
we have given you eighty of the fish stocks that swim in our waters your fleets can come and take that from us and we have applied every directive you have given us absolutely to the letter all of it to gain influence.
we go on paying you gbp fifty million a day. we have helped the euro bailout fund even though we did not join the currency thank goodness.
in fact nick clegg is so deluded he still thinks we can take the lead in europe.
i suspect many others will follow and then what we will have is our democracy back our liberty back and we will have influence in the world as you lot head for disaster. it is going to happen.
financial markets legislation is going to be imposed upon britain and we will have no influence whatsoever over any of it.
the answer that comes back from the foreign office and the great and the good is that we must have influence in europe.
some influence!
it. let us salute that little bit of progress and look for more towards march.
he said that we are on a long road to recovery. we need to change the narrative. there will be no instant or one meeting solution to this crisis. let us not ignore the progress that was made on thursday and friday even though we are disappointed with aspects of
let me say that there is one issue that i am really concerned about. it is the sense in which the franco german axis is the european union. i fear that this is bad for france and for germany.
our aim is to strengthen both fiscal discipline and economic coordination going beyond what we have already achieved in the six pack'.
there is indeed considerable leeway to
allow me to start with the former lest it be overlooked because of controversy about the latter. first for the short term we agreed on immediate action to help overcome the current difficulties.
it was a moment of responsibility and solidarity.
as regards the calendar rather rapidly following consultations with national parliaments we should know the number of participating states.
as you know the main focus was on the future of the eurozone.
it was the case with schengen with police cooperation and in terms of implementing the launch of the euro itself.
days. it will integrate yesterday's important decision on changing our approach to private sector involvement and our ideas on softening the unanimity
as i said there was a broad agreement on the substance.
the euro area and other member states will aim to make available additional resources of up to eur two hundred billion to the international monetary fund. the leverage of the european financial stability facility will be rapidly deployed at the european central bank and the european central bank will act
as you know i put on the table an interim report on strengthening economic and monetary union which evaluated what we have done so far identified weaknesses and suggested various ways in which these vulnerabilities could be addressed. these ways ranged from decisions that can be taken in the context of the existing treaties
union. we reconfirmed the european perspective of the western balkans making clear that our door will not close behind croatia.
four bringing revised qmv to decide on commission proposals at the very beginning of the excessive deficit procedure so that this will apply throughout the procedure.
third automatic adjustment mechanisms to ensure correction in case of deviation must be defined by the member states on the basis of principles proposed by the commission;
some of the decisions that can be taken on the basis of the existing treaties were agreed.
both countries have made remarkable progress on their way to the european
at the meeting there was on the one hand a remarkable degree of consensus on the content and objectives.
our rules on excessive deficit procedure will become more automatic for the euro area members and key elements of this new approach are the following first building on the stability and growth pact budgets must be balanced in structural terms that is over the economic cycle;
it will not be easy also legally speaking.
it became clear in the course of the meeting that such unanimity was not forthcoming.
the entry into force of the european stability mechanism rescue fund will be accelerated so that it can start in july.
an intergovernmental treaty was not my first preference nor that of most member states. however it will make the fiscal compact binding.
to. twenty seven in fact twenty six leaders indicated their interest in this effort.
it has taken huge efforts to remedy the weak infrastructure provided by the maastricht treaty and to correct the policies of the past.
second as regards the medium and longer term we agreed on a new fiscal compact with new fiscal rules. member states will transpose it into their national legislation at constitutional or equivalent level.
it must be negotiated as a matter of urgency.
faced with this fact and i feel no need to be controversial myself on this there was no alternative but to go down the route of a separate treaty among the seventeen eurozone members though open to others. indeed almost all of the other members
next year to be confirmed by the european council at the beginning of march. two thousand and twelve montenegro received candidate status a year ago and has undertaken many domestic reforms which now need to be fully implemented.
as its agent in market operations.
the european interest was at stake and the european interest has to be our only criterion.
i am optimistic because i know it is going to be very close
besides that as agreed in october member states under an excessive deficit procedure will have to submit their draft budgetary plans before adoption to the commission.
group. finally we called on the european parliament and the council under the ordinary legislative procedure rapidly to examine the commission's proposals of twenty three november so that they can be in force in time for the next budget
however the possibility of revising protocol twelve and the option of amending the treaties both require unanimity.
union. serbia has taken bold steps to bring europe's most wanted war criminals to international justice.
this will not be the first time that more engaged member states have proceeded by agreement among themselves without waiting for all to join the new initiative.
as regards the form everybody agreed that these new commitments should be made binding but there were different views as to how this could be done.
issues. on enlargement following the consent of the european parliament we signed the accession treaty with croatia thus paving the way for croatia to become the twenty eighth member state of the
we are increasing our financial resources to address the crisis we face.
to a possible revision of protocol twelve by means of a decision of the european council to fully fledged treaty changes by means of either the simplified or the ordinary revision procedure.
in particular the european council identified clear objectives and a clear timeframe for serbia and for montenegro.
or to put it more bluntly our first approach to psi which had a very negative impact on the debt markets is now officially over.
i count on everybody to be constructive bearing in mind what is at stake.
the objective remains to incorporate these provisions into the eu treaties as soon as possible. in the meantime we must ensure that the new procedures remain as closely embedded in the union's structure as possible.
this agreement on the substance was moreover supported not only by the eurozone members but also by the future eurozone members. on the other hand there was more discussion on the legal instruments necessary.
even those with a derogation on joining the euro have now announced that they will join in this process subject to consulting their parliaments.
it is a long way but this european council is an important building block on this way.
mr president dear colleagues i want to report to you today on the main outcomes of last week's european council.
the uk's position on the euro is unique;
it makes sense for existing eurozone countries to strengthen the rules governing the euro in the future and it would seem logical for countries who aspire to join the euro to sign up to those rules also. it not only makes little sense but it seems unfair to make demands on the uk unless safeguards could be secured in major areas such as protecting the city but also protecting europe from the city too.
we need to have a strategy to deal with the greek and the wider sovereign debt problem.
the uk is still a full member of the european union and will remain so.
the united kingdom wants to see a solution to the eurozone crisis but not a solution at the expense of the single market and competitiveness continues to be the key.
we also have a major trading currency to protect.
we believe in our national interests that we should be part of the eu.
mr president british liberal democrats deeply regret the outcome of last week's summit. it is bad for britain it is divisive for europe and it is unsettling for others.
the european union needs to deepen cooperation.
the united kingdom need not fear this.
if it does so it is because a flawed voting system a party with a shrunken mind and the mass media power of an australian american have brought the moment to its crisis.
to restore monetary stability and to return to prosperity we need more discipline in member states and more unity at union level.
we must anchor the new treaty in the structures and methods of the eu.
and there is a message for europe's right wing parties who largely preside over this mess.
we must invest too in future prosperity lest retrenchment lock us into recession.
great britain must come back to the table.
it may be a rock surrounded by water but it is not an island.
can i ask him to help me translate some of the phrases that appear in last week's agreement for example the automatic sanctions' proposed.
one refers innocuously to the strengthening of economic and budgetary surveillance of member states'. is that not the same sort of surveillance as that exercised by colonial powers over their colonies?
mr barroso you have effectively suspended democracy in greece and italy imposing government by the bankers for the bankers.
can i ask you to respect the democratic right of the people of ireland to a referendum and not to wage a campaign of fear and blackmail against them.
surely people not only in ireland but right across europe should have a right to decide freely about such a fundamental change which diminishes democracy and enshrines austerity?
group and on behalf of the epp group that you were indeed threatening that the united kingdom's well deserved rebate be reduced or taken away?
can you confirm that you did indeed make that threat?
where do you think things will be in the spring?
if one economy suffers the others will suffer as well.
david cameron did what he had to do; he was forced into an impossible position but you are right mr smyth he has gained no concessions whatsoever and he has actually now left the united kingdom even more vulnerable than it was before.
we are in a permanent voting minority we simply have not got a friend in the room and we have heard this morning that they want to have our rebate they want financial market legislation.
the european debate has now started in earnest. cameron does not know what he has unleashed.
i think the momentum for us to have a referendum to divorce ourselves from these failing structures and to replace them with a genuine free trade agreement now has an unstoppable momentum and that is good for the uk and it is good for scotland.
i abhor the veto deployed by cameron. his demands were not moderate; they were a mix of an attempt to reverse agreed positions disguised as inaccurate invocations of ecofin conclusions and interference in current legislative dossiers. it was a power grab reneging on agreed legislation. crafted as a wolf in sheep's clothing it maybe fooled some lib dems in london but it did not fool us or me.
asked to save the euro cameron gave in to his eurosceptic party.
he has jeopardised uk interests including those of the legitimate city when there is nothing remaining in the agreement threatening the uk.
in this crisis there is no worse time to have turned his back.
his veto has made the summit result harder to deliver more intergovernmental and less integrated with this house and the community method.
but i am sure that together we will find ways to mitigate that effect and do more.
nobody expected the lib dems to do the dirty and they have.
mr president the first lesson you learn if you are doing a lifesaving course is that a drowning person will try to drag his rescuer underneath.
i felt rather like that this morning on the receiving end of this minute's hate because of the united kingdom having kept the pound being threatened with the terrors of the earth.
of course it was very reminiscent of what we told when we stayed out of the euro in the first place.
how is that working out for you by the way gentlemen? there was overwhelming public support for the prime minister standing aside from this new fiscal union.
you are greek and you are thinking that devaluation might be preferable to this constant crisis fu.
mr verhofstadt with that olympian authority born of long banquets and long euro summits said that the only possible reason to walk away is if the others will follow you.
no mr verhofstadt there is a better reason to walk away to preserve your democracy to secure your independence to keep fast the freedoms that you inherited from your parents and to pass them on intact to your children.
but such negotiations are not possible with the european union a union that blatantly and negligently disregards sensible economic rules.
in your negligent actions you cause financial hardship for people across europe people you constantly ignore in referendums. you deny them even the opportunity to have their say.
democratic integrity demands nothing less.
where does that leave us?
funded to the tune of usd thirteen billion with less than half the kilometres of borders to actually patrol and manage but it has invested in infrastructure and resources.
let us go through some figures everybody.
eu policy has subverted the ability and the very will of member states to control their borders and secondly this state of affairs is a product quite clearly of the failings of eu policy on freedom of movement and labour and persons.
you do not have to be an economic migrant to actually want to come here and create a problem.
the traffickers yes they can continue to line their pockets with vast amounts of cash.
it leaves us with two very clear problems.
therefore anyone reading those figures understanding those figures would recognise that frontex is a complete and utter irrelevance.
two eight a day per kilometre and a detection rate of one in ten. look at the us and i heard the comment about fortress europe and such but just look at the us.
you can be somebody quite legitimately getting hold of genuine papers but from somebody who is producing and supplying them unlawfully or illegally.
we are going to see more tragedies like we saw today. frontex is not fit for purpose and it never will be.
i was involved in the trialogues and negotiations for the asylum support office and many colleagues here were involved in frontex a serious committee trying to work with these serious people and serious agencies. over fourteen years since these agencies were created the estimate is that over twenty two zero lives have been lost. in the last few months it is not lost lives it is a more brutal form of trafficking these ghost ships a much more calculated and cynical way of killing people when they cannot get their money.
now the issue is that saving lives in the mediterranean is a resource rich issue which goes far beyond frontex and the asylum support office.
of course every day the european asylum support office does its dedicated work.
so let us be very clear there are some people in this chamber who will want to talk about a more existential threat to immigration and they will want to talk about immigration in their own national spheres.
there are good people in these agencies and i have met them.
strong support for the concept of asylum do you not realise clearly from the comments you have just made that this whole concept of free movement within the european union actually places such great constraints on the member states that the ability to offer asylum as much as possible cannot be given?
on frontex firstly i should stress it has only a supporting function in coordinating operational cooperation between the member states especially in support of the requesting member states facing the highest migratory pressure.
it will help improve the quality of asylum decision making and harmonise practices across the eu by monitoring the quality of asylum decisions and ensuring that member states are able to access up to date country of origin information to assist them in their assessments.
a code of conduct has been established.
frontex needs also to provide structural support to all member states to help them better control all external borders of the eu.
the establishment of close and well functioning practical cooperation and the continuous exchange of best practices is of utmost importance to build mutual trust between member states and between the member states and the eu.
furthermore where there is proof of the violation of fundamental rights the executive director of the agency can suspend or terminate the ongoing joint operation.
easo and frontex will have a prominent role in the implementation of the eu agenda on migration which is currently developed as announced in the commission work programme for.
examples are training of border guards and developing tools such as eurosur which contribute to saving lives at sea.
we have made the study public.
the commission is very grateful for the support provided by the european parliament and the council in the development of both agencies and for ensuring they have the necessary funding.
here i think a number of very very cynical criminals prey on people in desperate situations and they need to be tackled.
our objectives cannot be successfully met without further engaging third countries and better combining our external policy instruments.
with an unstable geopolitical environment and evolving threats easo is playing and will play an important role in crisis management;
it is expected to be ready by the summer of this year.
the price that people are prepared to pay is so high that i think we need to refocus on our obligation also to take away the reason why people feel the need to flee.
we can never become indifferent to that level of human suffering and we will always be under an obligation to try to find a solution even though a solution will have to be comprehensive and will not only be controlling our borders in a more efficient way.
are our senses becoming numb are we becoming involuntarily indifferent to what is happening?
it will always have to entail taking away the reasons why people feel they need to flee knowing all too well that they risk dying on a boat somewhere between africa or the arab world and europe.
my reaction to that is we can never let that happen.
at the same time i think it is necessary that we discuss the way forward for the european external borders agency frontex and the european asylum support office we.
thought do we still have words to express what we feel when these things happen?
internally the common european asylum system must be implemented in a coherent and effective way by all participating member states and associated countries.
easo further needs to contribute to enhancing the capacity of national asylum systems with training and exchanges of best practices between the member states.
a study on the feasibility of a system of european border guards has also been carried out for the commission by an external contractor.
two thousand and fifteen since they were established both agencies have faced the increasing challenge of supporting member states especially those with high migratory pressures while having limited resources at their disposal.
since the last revision of the frontex mandate in two thousand and eleven great progress has been made regarding fully respecting fundamental rights during frontex coordinated joint operations.
based on the findings of these two studies the commission intends to initiate a debate on how to further strengthen the agency which will have an important role to play in the coming years.
the management of migratory flows to the eu including the protection of refugees requires close collaboration both at policy level where the eu institutions operate and in terms of practical cooperation implementation and support from easo and frontex.
the time is gone that we could just leave that problem in the hands of a few member states and ignore it.
all offices participating in joint operations are obliged to have the appropriate training concerning the rights of apprehended persons and their access to asylum.
frontex devotes its resources to the hotspots and shifts those resources around as pressure shifts from one section of the external border to another. this fire brigade role is important for emergency support but it cannot be the only function of the agency.
in line with the respective mandates of the agencies the cooperation between europol and frontex is ongoing and will be further enhanced in the near future especially regarding the common fight against the use of ghost ships to smuggle persons into the eu.
easo will continue to play an important role in this endeavour.
i am saddened that sometimes particularly with children they remain very vulnerable in the process that takes place.
too many migrants slip through the net unprocessed.
of course the european asylum support office and the frontex agency have a large and important role to play in the challenges we face to manage migration into the eu and to secure our external border. these are two agencies whose work i support but my overall concerns remain the same as ever.
the terrible news of the further three hundred fatalities underlines why more must be done to save the lives of those who tragically go to sea seeking a new life and much more must be done to catch detain and prosecute the actual perpetrators of the human trafficking itself.
more must be done to assist member states who receive large numbers of migrants.
more must also be done to assist member states in the integration and resettlement of asylum seekers and more must be done by the commission to ensure that those countries where migrants first arrive can properly deal with them as soon as they arrive in the right conditions.
we have talked about it here for many months.
they remain in europe vulnerable to exploitation and are undocumented.
the situation faced by the european union as a whole is a very serious one regarding immigration and asylum.