kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
by supporting information sharing in this field in a consistent way across borders europass documents have already proven their usefulness both for individuals looking for work or study opportunities throughout europe and for employers in selecting candidates with the appropriate skills to their needs.
i think we can agree that in a fast changing global economy the skills and know how of our society are the sole basis for prosperity and for safeguarding our social achievements.
today marks an important step on how we prepare for the future of work and ensure that people have the support they need to grow their skills and put them to best use.
this is not the only way to address the issues but it is an important tool. because this new europass will support greater cooperation among stakeholders in the labour market and in the education and training sectors.
it reaches out directly to people offering them new tools and information to truly serve their needs.
the commission is looking forward to working closely with stakeholders on delivering on this new europass.
in my previous life before i even thought about entering politics i discovered europass and have enjoyed using it ever since.
this included neets and i can report that it was a very empowering experience for them.
now we have the prospect of an improved and updated europass and what is particularly good about the revision of this online tool is the way that it will be more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities for example.
the new version will also enable migrants and refugees to log and showcase their skills and qualifications and their formal and informal education.
we know that they have much to offer.
so we now need to see this excellent tool supported at member state and european level with a raft of socially progressive policies programmes and resources in the area of education lifelong learning mobility and new employment initiatives.
it is for that reason that i abstained on this report. the way to secure proper funding for education is through a struggle of students and education workers in a fight against cuts and privatisation and for free education and grants for all.
even in this largely positive proposal we have the stealth attack of the loan guarantee scheme which will encourage master's students to get into debt just like their counterparts in the us in order to pay for their education.
so while increased funding from the eu is welcome it needs to be put in the broader context of cuts at the national level to our education systems.
at the start of this month the spanish minister for education cut their national contribution to erasmus including scrapping a eur one hundred and twenty per month allowance.
other governments have already cut their national contributions.
this will particularly affect the most disadvantaged young people already struggling to pay for their education.
i think the students in spain will see things differently.
in northern ireland local smes have fought their corner well and it is now time for the eu to reward them by cutting red tape and regulation.
the ban on companies convicted of crimes or professional misconduct is encouraging as is the flexibility granted to regional authorities to shorten deadlines and tailor the use of electronic tools for procurement.
much of this has supported local small and medium sized enterprises allowing them to bring forward innovative solutions and products.
it is in this context that i share the committee's emphasis on bettering personal development and on promoting the active involvement of young people in society. it is right that the focus of erasmus for all should reflect the differing strands of education.
while we continue to support those in higher education it is also vital to facilitate exchange opportunities for students on part time courses and those in vocational education.
in northern ireland the creative and cultural industries are growth sectors in the economy with some leading television and film franchises including games of thrones basing production in our province.
in my constituency northern ireland almost one in five young people aged between sixteen and twenty four are unemployed.
higher education operates on a global scale and it is vital that the uk continues to attract international students if it is to remain in the forefront in this international market.
students from all over the united kingdom benefit as well from the scheme and i have encountered in my professional life many cvs where students have been able to broaden their skills or develop a language as part of this process.
i am therefore pleased to vote for this report which seeks to extend and improve the existing programme as well as boosting the role of sports as part of the scheme.
london the city i represent is home to more of the world's top forty universities than any other major city in europe. in fact there are over one hundred zero students from nearly two hundred countries studying under the auspices of erasmus.
it is an enduring programme that has brought opportunities to millions of students across the thirty three countries in which it operates.
university students participated in the scheme.
i hope this will create a simpler more streamlined system from which more people will be able to benefit. i also welcome the emphasis on lifelong learning and vocational training from which institutions such as walsall college and black country university technical college could benefit.
the insistence on better coordination between education business and civil society is also welcome.
i therefore welcome the commission's initiative to bring together existing programmes under the heading of erasmus for all.
madam president the more we connect europe the more we will connect the people of europe particularly in trying to reduce the democratic deficit that people speak of and the feeling that people do not see europe as being relevant to their lives.
madam president as i and many other colleagues have often said in this house if the european union seeks to sustain popular support at the next european elections in may it must respond to complex economic fiscal and political challenges both carefully and sensitively.
i was very proud therefore that the council managed this year to secure under the prime minister of my country david cameron the first ever budget cut in the history of the mff as it signalled that the eu was serious about reflecting at eu level the economic realities of austerity in so many member states.
such a pragmatic move could only be good for the european union in the longer term and manifests the basic fact that the eu must be held accountable first and foremost to its citizens and taxpayers.
we cannot justify spending increases in the union when national budgets are being slashed.
madam president as a member representing northern ireland a region of the united kingdom that is situated on an island in a cross border context i recognise the importance of developing cohesive transport links to drive the economy and reduce costs for consumers.
i welcome the focus on building a comprehensive network that includes outermost regions and less populated areas.
i find it encouraging that within the guidelines the committee allows exemption from mandatory infrastructure requirements for smaller regions with smaller networks.
this is vital for my constituency where the rail system has isolated network status.
it is also hugely important to recognise and protect regional airports which are central for connectivity.
through projects of common interest investment holds the potential to increase regional mobility improve air links and support the movement of goods and services.
these opportunities stand to attract inward investment increase tourism and reduce travel costs for businesses and consumers across northern ireland.
moving forward however it is essential that this funding be applied on the basis of need and only with the support and cooperation of local and regional stakeholders.
let us focus on the rights of minorities whether they are coptic or female.
in the first place?
egypt is among the countries with the highest numbers about seventy five of girls and women are mutilated.
and of course many egyptians have no such opportunity to return home to a free society with the help of diplomats.
for europe our principles should be clear.
i also do not want to see a military regime restrict people's rights and opportunities under a different banner.
we do not have a whole lot of leverage and we have made mistakes in the past.
in egypt even when governments have changed repression continues and some would argue this is the worst we have seen yet. now do not get me wrong.
that is in our mutual interest as well.
so at least let us act according to our values and have the population of egypt in mind as our main focus.
but we must also be realistic.
the country must urgently make progress and move towards a better future.
as a liberal democrat you will not hear me express a preference for going back to a political islamic regime that was authoritarian.
the position of journalists yesterday a dutch journalist was forced to leave egypt after being accused of membership of a terrorist network.
we must help ensure that they are not wrongfully imprisoned and that they can work and live in freedom. the question is really what does the army have to fear from a free press and from activists like ahmed maher and the april six movement from alaa abd el fattah and from the many many other human rights activists that are now imprisoned and that should never have been tried by military courts
today is international day of zero tolerance for genital mutilation.
life for working people is getting harder with inflation at over eleven and unemployment at over.
they need to build their own organisations and independent trade unions a mass party of working people to redevelop the revolutionary movement and fight for a government of workers and poor people.
the millions of activists who actually made that revolution are seeing its true face the face of authoritarianism the old elites and the forces of reaction. the low turnout for the referendum illustrates that point.
madam president three years after the fall of mubarak the egyptian government incredibly is trying to cling to the mask of saviours of the revolution.
the crackdown on protestors has been vicious and the attack on democratic rights has been incredibly widespread including the jailing of twenty al jazeera journalists for supposedly aiding terrorist groups. its repression has been wielded against workers and socialist activists with many trade unionists being jailed and intimidated.
thirteen the lesson from the past three years for working people is clear they can only rely on their own forces to break the deadlock of authoritarianism repression and social catastrophe.
if you do not do so we will keep on supporting those in your country and in your society who are willing to.
what we have witnessed were hurdles in the revolution but everyone must participate in the new elections.
egypt cannot be a country where people are dying simply for fighting for their ideas or are put in jail because they are alleged to be terrorists or traitors.
after the referendum on the new constitution the voice is being given again to the people of egypt. the institutions coming out of these elections are the ones we will have to work with.
egypt needs all its citizens and movements to live in tolerance and mutual respect.
the new european neighbourhood policy conditions our acts and in order to respect the more for more' principle we have to say to our partners show us that you are embracing the fundamental values of democracy freedom and solidarity and we will gladly keep on supporting your efforts.
it is high time for the european union to say in a clear and unified manner that the current trend towards the consolidation of an authoritarian security regime in egypt is unacceptable.
they continue to be in a particularly vulnerable situation in the current political and social transition. that is why i think the european union should strongly defend women's rights.
the unacceptable terrorist attacks before the military coup and the violence by the radical branches of the brotherhood are not and must not be considered an excuse for this repression.
the vast majority of these men and women have died under the brutal repression of the security forces simply for having sought to exercise their basic freedoms of assembly and expression. the brutal crackdown on the muslim brotherhood has been followed by a crackdown on civil society human rights defenders and media. do not get me wrong
the egyptian interim authorities must combat all forms of gender based violence including marital rape and sexual violence against women participating in protests and demonstrations.
in this regard i find that the latest statement by lady ashton on the constitutional referendum i am sorry to say this smacks of the eu's past failed policy from the pre arab spring era.
we should urge all the military and political actors to avoid any provocations or unjust actions which can cause the ongoing volatile situation to deteriorate.
the authorities should ensure that there is security and stability throughout the country especially in the sinai area.
the international community must also contribute to ensuring that stability and democracy once again govern egypt.
commissioner we and the vast majority of the european citizens we represent have run out of patience.
we were absolutely wrong and have rapidly become desperately disappointed and frustrated.
commissioner the carrot technique has failed gloriously and you have to admit it.
court. in this context the current rules governing the closure of political parties in turkey are not in line with the european convention of human rights and with european practices as was recently stated in an opinion of the venice commission.
the commission cannot interfere in ongoing legal cases.
at the same time the people of south east turkey need peace they need stability and prosperity rather than further violence or confrontation.
it shows a change of mentality and i want to encourage the turkish authorities to take further steps in this direction.
at the same time we have to be firm by applying rigorous conditionality especially as regards fundamental freedoms and democratic principles. these two key elements fairness and firmness only work together and they cannot be separated from each other.
indeed in my view we have to be fair and firm and only by being both at the same time can we achieve results. what i mean is that we have to be fair in the sense of maintaining the eu perspective as the critical driver of reforms in the country
i would be grateful if the commissioner could give us his frank appraisal of the ergenekon affair.
does he agree that it is a welcome sign of the cleansing of the stables and a signal that the judicial process is finally
okay there are some welcoming comments but they are really around the margins of what we're talking about here.
i'd like to start with the positives if i may.
where is the programme in place to ensure that that variety of responses that we're seeing from member states can be collected in one place?
we are talking about millions of jobs across this continent and nobody in their right mind would want to see those jobs go elsewhere.
they will learn from our mistakes.
we cannot allow that mistake to be repeated again and again and again.
we need trust in it and we need it to be sustainable and we've got to get ahead of the curve and what i've heard today doesn't indicate that we're anywhere near being in that position.
the car industry is too important.
where is the commission's approach on having that unified european standard?
they will adapt their technology and then they will be the ones that own the future.
we do need a comprehensive strategy across the board.
i have to agree with the comments that have been made.
this will aim to prepare the industry for the future.
to do so we have to consider again software and hardware measures.
for more than two years both we in the commission and the parliament thank you very much for this have been working very hard to put an end to the scandals and enforce the rules.
this is all about the credibility and reputation of the european industry which is now very weak.
you. i will let you know by how
this is harmful for your citizens for your environment and for your future.
side. without the industry we cannot do it but they have understood that the way they are going now is not a good way forward. this is not the way to the
i want to protect the industry.
all of this future work must involve close and very fruitful engagement from the industry
we really cannot force member states to take proper action.
i can commit for now that i will also reduce the conformity factor of the second rde package by the spring maybe also after discussing it with
in november we will present the next mobility package.
i think that question needs to be answered.
mr president this has been an awful situation. volkswagen have deliberately broken the law and deliberately misled both regulators and customers.
was dangerous and of course it has led to this situation.
but what concerns me as well is that it has been reported that top eu officials were aware of the vw emissions scandal two years before it broke.
it should rightly face appropriate and proportionate penalties.
vw was trying to follow regulatory pressure by moving to diesel power but found that it was unable to meet these emission targets and did the wrong thing.
but the eu knew about it it should have talked about it and that is a scandal as well.
it obviously was wrong to do so.
today i can assure you that our commitment remains strong and that the commission is acting simultaneously on three fronts first better enforcement second better market surveillance and third better rules for the future.
in this context we are happy to see that after the first round of national negotiations in the emissions scandal in two thousand and sixteen a second round was launched in early.
according to the information available to the commission at the end of july two thousand and seventeen more than half of the.
year. with this package we will present an integrated and futureoriented approach to mobility.
i trust we have a shared responsibility to make this agenda for a socially fair transition towards clean competitive and connected mobility a reality.
but we have to keep in mind that the measures proposed by the industry have to lead to an effective reduction of emissions on the road and not only in the laboratory.
however concerns have been expressed by consumer associations and individual car owners about the full compliance of the remedial measures with the typeapproval legislation and their impact on vehicles' durability and fuel consumption.
we expect to be able to lower them already with the upcoming new real driving emission regulation.
i hope that we can work together and use the political momentum to establish a strong set of rules and control mechanisms in order to regain consumers' confidence and improve the quality of the air they breathe.
to put it simply we want to make sure that it is europe that produces the best lowemission connected and automated mobility solutions equipment and vehicles.
as foreseen by law we pursue work to review and possibly to bring down the conformity factors used to translate the measurements on the road to those in the lab.
to this end the commission has already presented the first part of the mobility package. the second part will be delivered later this
i can assure you that we will continue to monitor vw's action plan on the affected vehicles.
in this context on seven september two thousand and seventeen the eu consumer authorities together with the commission urged volkswagen to properly retrofit all affected cars and to inform consumers in a fully transparent and detailed manner about what has been achieved and what remains to be done.
that is the only way to avoid so called diesel bans that are being discussed in some member states as a reaction to the scandal.
eight four million vehicles of the vw group affected across the eu had already been recalled. together with the member states the commission will continue to monitor the repair of the remaining vehicles of the vw group so that all affected vehicles will eventually be brought to conformity by autumn.
we salute the co legislators' ambition to finalise this revision by the end of the year. the new framework will reinforce the independence of testing which will remain a national responsibility but at the same time reinforce its european oversight.
let me be very clear we are determined to pursue these infringement procedures so as to ensure proper enforcement of the current typeapproval legislation and to avoid additional noncompliant cars entering the european market which would aggravate the existing air quality problem. second regarding better market surveillance in addition to these enforcement actions the commission also urges member states to do their part and ensure compliance of the existing diesel fleet with the typeapproval rules.
these member states had either omitted to lay down sanctions for breaches of the obligations on the car manufacturers or had not effectively applied such sanctions even after the manipulations were discovered. since then a further infringement procedure was launched in may two thousand and seventeen against italy for failure to take action against fiat
the report concluded that the responsibilities of the member states and the commission as regards the binding emission limits were not respected.
two thousand and nineteen furthermore work on an overhaul of the european vehicle type approval framework is under way.
on the basis of the general approach adopted by the council on twenty nine may this year the presidency is firmly committed to taking forward negotiations on the proposal on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers and we are working constructively with parliament.
these initiatives are being strongly supported by the european union institutions including the commission the european investment bank and the committee of the regions and the presidency welcomes all efforts by public transport companies that will join in these actions.
that is one of the reasons why we need very ambitious laws and the political will to put them into practice.
the emissions scandal has shown that we need in particular better car testing and good market surveillance.
of similar importance is that the strategies that have been developed to accelerate the effective emission reductions move from the stage of policy incentives to large scale market activity.
many actions have been taken at national but also at union level first of all to investigate the proceedings.
one of the openers will be urban bus fleets which are mostly diesel based today and have the power to make a difference on the market.
the commitments undertaken by european cities and agglomerations during this summer to progressively convert their bus fleets into alternative fuel fleets are more than impressive as the launch of the clean bus deployment initiative by the commission and the committee of the regions on thirteen july this year clearly shows.
the shock wave resulting from this large scale deception is still felt everywhere.
the presidency is putting its best efforts forward to achieve progress in these areas.
mr president it is now almost two years since it was revealed in september two thousand and fifteen that based on the findings of the united states environmental protection agency
what came out of that diesel summit was that maybe there might be some software updates that lower the emission results by twenty five to thirty.
is that the solidarity that mr juncker was talking about this morning?
we have to do something about the millions of cars that are not complying with european law and that is the task of the commission.