unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Mairead McGuinness
Language: EN

I’m glad I was quoted by my colleague to my left, who’s on his left, in relation to cash, and can I just dismiss this idea that is being put out in this Chamber by a very few, that we are doing anything to restrict the right of access to cash? If anything, the European Commission is insisting on the right of citizens to use cash. But, of course, I think all citizens want to make sure that the cash we used is not dirty money, and we have strong support for that in this House. So I will just finish by saying it was a real privilege to work on this package. It was enormously difficult to get it to where it is today, and we will have to see the fruits of it, and I hope the next Parliament continues to monitor all aspects of our anti-money laundering. And to the question raised by Seán Kelly – the truth is in this area, Seán, we will never finish our work because the criminals, the elites, those with deep pockets, will find ways of trying to evade our laws – and it is up to you and this Commission and the Council to keep ahead of them.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Luděk Niedermayer
Country: Slovenia
Language: EN

Let me just say one more thanks to all the rapporteurs that are here, but also thank our team that was negotiating on that remarkable long night when we reached agreement with the Belgian Presidency around 2.30, with our Commissioner, with Irene. Let me very much thank Paul Tang. I guess this is a great success for Parliament. This is a great success for European citizens. But the war is not over. We must make sure that we keep checking the loopholes and we make sure that dirty money has no place in our Union.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Paul Tang
Country: Spain
Language: EN

President, at the end of this debate I would like to also mark the end of my ten years in the European Parliament. I feel privileged to have worked at the heart of a cross-border democracy that is unique in the world, and that stands for the values of liberty, equality and fraternity. I expect the new Members of the European Parliament to defend democracy and to uphold these values, and I wish them the very best in trying to do that.  This Parliament is like a big city to me, where people come from all directions, from different backgrounds, with different beliefs and different opinions, and yet find a way to work and to live together. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to work with many, many of you over those ten years, to my colleagues, assistants, Commissioners, Commission staff, drivers, interpreters and to many, many others and of course to my great team. I would like to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you,
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Marc Angel
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

Thank you very much, Mr Tang. Your ten years here have been very much appreciated by all the colleagues. Good luck for the future of your career.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Eero Heinäluoma
Country: Sweden
Language: EN

Now the time is to go to the vote. I hope that we will get really good figures to accept this proposal, and after that, the thing is the implementation. Here we have one thing which is also worth mentioning, and that is that this Parliament must do its work so that the new agency, AMLA, will have the real resources and real possibilities to really do the work which they have been authorised to in this EU legislation. After that, we can look at the results and be sure that we will have more money in the hands of the welfare societies and not in the hands of criminals and oligarchs.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Damien Carême
Country: Italy
Language: FR

Le Parlement européen est uni dans sa volonté de mettre un terme au fléau que représente le blanchiment d’argent, et je m’en réjouis. Force est de constater qu’il vaut mieux, dans cette assemblée, parler d’argent que d’humanité pour trouver une majorité progressiste. Puisqu’il faut parler d’argent, laissez-moi en conclusion vous rappeler un chiffre: 2 000 milliards d’euros par an, c’est le montant du blanchiment d’argent dans le monde selon les estimations de l’ONU. Ce chiffre nous rappelle que la lutte contre le blanchiment de capitaux est un double impératif et qu’elle est doublement avantageuse: d’une part, elle empêche des activités criminelles, la fraude fiscale, la corruption et les trafics en tous genres; d’autre part, elle permet de récupérer des fonds et d’améliorer ainsi les finances publiques des États. Au vu des montants en question, il y a de quoi financer des services publics au bénéfice de tous, des politiques sociales et économiques généreuses, et la nécessaire transition de nos sociétés. À l’heure où la crise sociale et écologique prend de l’ampleur, il est urgent de récupérer ces sommes. C’est l’autre enjeu du vote de cet après-midi. C’est seulement ainsi que nous pourrons construire une société plus juste, plus résiliente et plus durable pour toutes et tous.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Eva Maria Poptcheva
Language: EN

And the European Union, as we all know, has had a lot of scandals, has had a hands-off approach and it is high time that we cracked down on it. And AMLA will be a game changer in this. So this is why this package is extremely important in the creation, at the European level, of a European authority that is going to tackle precisely this economic nationalism that we have seen by Member States that make it very difficult, also for them, to really crack down on these practices. This is why this is so important. And I just want to again repeat my big thanks to this incredible team of rapporteurs. We have worked very well together. We have been extremely united. Again, thank you very much to Commissioner McGuinness, who has been absolutely key in order to forge this agreement between the Parliament and the Council and also, of course, presenting an excellent proposal on behalf of the Commission.  Also a big, big, big thank you to the staff of the European Parliament of the Commission and also of the Council for supporting us throughout this process. To my assistants, Victoria, Gabriel, Clara and Andres. And also to Luis Garicano, who was absolutely key, who actually asked the Commission back then at the Commissioner hearings to make a proposal, a legislative one, for an anti-money-laundering agency. Thank you very much, Luis. Without you, this wouldn’t be possible.  So thank you again also to the Spanish Presidency, the Belgian and the Swedish one.  And what is extremely important is that the European Parliament, from now on, is going to have a clear say and going to take the decision, together with the Council, on the selection of any seat of any European agency.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Emil Radev
Country: Austria
Language: BG

Разгледахме стотици изменения, стотици бяха и часовете на преговори, което само потвърждава политическата ни ангажираност и положените усилия да търсим работещи дългосрочни  решения за резултатна борба с изпирането на пари и финансирането на тероризма. Този законодателен текст е еднакво важен за всички държави членки и съм уверен, че AMLA ще докаже своята роля за по-голям надзор, по-добра координация, повече оперативност и в крайна сметка повече сигурност в Европейския съюз.
Debate: The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Marc Angel
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

The joint debate is now closed. I thank all the speakers for their input, and also the Commissioner and everyone who took part. The vote will be held today at 17.00.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Marc Angel
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

The next item is the debate on – the oral question to the Commission on the European Parliament’s right of inquiry by Salvatore De Meo, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Rainer Wieland, Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Damian Boeselager, Helmut Scholz, on behalf of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs ( – the oral question to the Council on the European Parliament’s right of inquiry, by Salvatore De Meo, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Rainer Wieland, Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Helmut Scholz, Damian Boeselager, on behalf of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs Commission (
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Mairead McGuinness
Language: EN

I can speak of my own experience as an MEP, just how important that right of inquiry is. I chaired a committee of inquiry in 2006, on the collapse of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, and our work identified issues around weak financial regulation on which there was follow-up action. But it is also worth noting that this right of inquiry must be exercised by Parliament within the limits of the powers in the Treaties, and in line with the procedures, conditions and objectives set out there. In 2012, the Parliament adopted its proposal to revise the 1995 Decision that now governs the exercise of Parliament’s right of inquiry. Since then, regrettably, there has been little progress. The Commission has never objected to engaging in any interinstitutional dialogue. In fact, it is quite the opposite. As stated on several occasions during structured dialogues with AFCO and in previous debate on this topic in June 2021, the Commission has always been open to constructive trilateral discussions to address any remaining issues before giving its consent according to Article 226 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Just to recall, this is a special legislative procedure. While it is for Parliament to make the proposal, the procedure requires the consent of both Council and Commission. So therefore, in the spirit of sincere cooperation, any Parliament position or proposal, including non-papers, should be transmitted to both Commission and Council. The Commission takes note of the updated non-paper received from Parliament, which aims to take, and I quote, ‘a considerable step towards the Council’s position, after which no further substantial concessions from the Parliament’s side could be possible’. The Commission acknowledges some progress in this updated non-paper; of note, deleting the provision allowing Parliament, in effect, to impose sanctions in the case of a failure to fully cooperate with a committee of inquiry. But there are still outstanding issues which should be further discussed in interinstitutional negotiations. These include the conduct of investigations, hearings of members of EU institutions, hearings of EU officials and other staff, hearings of other individuals, and requests for documents. In addition, the Commission regrets that Parliament recently decided unilaterally to introduce some amendments to its Rules of Procedure that relate to Parliament’s inquiry powers. Amendments like this risk interfering, or even being incompatible, with the procedure established by the Treaties on adopting detailed provisions on exercising the right of inquiry. As I explained, these provisions should be determined by the Parliament in a regulation after obtaining the consent of the Council and the Commission. In any event, I do want to assure you that the Commission will cooperate, and continue to do so, with Parliament’s committees of inquiry, in full compliance with the Treaties and the 1995 Decision on Parliament’s right of inquiry.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Ana Collado Jiménez
Political group: PPE
Language: ES

Por eso, el artículo 14 del Tratado de Funcionamiento de la Unión Europea recoge la prerrogativa de este Parlamento para controlar al poder ejecutivo en las distintas formas que adopta en la Unión: la Comisión, el Consejo, el Banco Central Europeo u otras agencias. Y para eso tenemos distintas herramientas, entre otras las comisiones de investigación, que son una herramienta clave de control político que se usa con total naturalidad y normalidad en los Parlamentos nacionales de prácticamente todos los Estados miembros. Pero especialmente en este Parlamento, el Consejo lleva desde el año 2014 ignorando todos los intentos por conseguir una norma que sea directamente aplicable y totalmente vinculante.  Debo confesarles que mis expectativas durante la Presidencia española a propósito de cualquier cosa que tuviera que ver con separación de poderes o con control no eran muy elevadas. Pero lo que, desde luego, no me explico es cómo podemos estar en esta situación tras dos mandatos enteros, dos legislaturas enteras y más de catorce años desde que entró en vigor el Tratado de Lisboa. ¿Cómo quieren que les expliquemos esto a los ciudadanos?
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Cyrus Engerer
Political group: S-D
Country: Romania
Language: FR

Que dira la Commission dans ses rapports sur l’état de droit si un gouvernement refuse un tel dialogue au niveau national? Est-ce la peur d’un nouveau scandale à la Santer? Le Conseil a-t-il peur que ce Parlement mette au jour des éléments problématiques? En effet, votre collaboration avec notre commission d’enquête sur les logiciels espions a été déplorable. Davantage de transparence et de contrôle institutionnel sont essentiels dans une démocratie.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Maite Pagazaurtundúa
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Lo que está en cuestión es la cooperación leal del Consejo con respecto a unas especialísimas atribuciones del Parlamento Europeo. La Comisión de Asuntos Constitucionales ha sido paciente y ha mostrado buena fe durante más de dos mandatos —doce años. Y en los dos mandatos y pico —y en la parte que a mí me toca, diez años—, nos han tomado el pelo y nos han entretenido hasta llegar al punto ciego del final de cada uno de los mandatos. Es mi percepción personal, pero a mí me parece que a ustedes solo les interesa rebajar nuestras competencias investigadoras y, en algunas cosas, parece que quieren que seamos como un rebaño de corderos. El Parlamento no puede tolerar violaciones de sus prerrogativas en materia de investigación. Ni tan siquiera se cumple plenamente el marco legal vigente desde 1995. Y en lo demás, el rechazo a las tres propuestas sin negociar. Y hoy nos han dicho lo mismo.  El Parlamento debe actuar con una sola voz, y el nuevo Parlamento —esta vez sí— no puede dejar pasar otros cinco años con buena fe. Si no hay un acercamiento por parte del Consejo, deberá activar el procedimiento para llevarlo ante el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea por la violación del principio de cooperación mutua sincera entre instituciones. Es bueno que esto se sepa fuera de la Comisión AFCO, es bueno que se sepa en toda esta Cámara.  Sin más, me despido de todos ustedes porque hoy es mi último día. Esto ha sido todo, amigos.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Damian Boeselager
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Slovenia
Language: EN

But I have to tell you, this is a priority. This is about our right, our right of inquiry. And about – many, many years now – we haven’t been given the right to summon people here. This is a crucial right of a parliament, to be able to ask people to come here, to ask company CEOs, but also ministers and national governments, to come here and to explain themselves. We have cases amongst ourselves where we have team members taking bribes from Russia, where we hire, apparently, Chinese spies. All of these topics, we need to be able to follow up with a commission of inquiry. And this is what this is about. We are being denied a crucial right: the right of inquiry. And so I think next mandate, we need to sue the Council for inactivity, for not providing this right of inquiry, for not working on our electoral law and for not opening the Treaties as they should under our treaty obligations.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Gilles Lebreton
Political group: ID
Country: Germany
Language: FR

Je vous mets cependant en garde contre deux dérives auxquelles un tel renforcement exposerait l’Union. La première consisterait à dévoyer le droit d’enquête pour le transformer en moyen de pression politique sur le Conseil ou sur certains États membres, comme la Hongrie et la Pologne en ont déjà fait l’expérience. La seconde consisterait à l’utiliser pour diffamer des adversaires politiques, comme la commission d’enquête sur les ingérences étrangères, présidée par M. Glucksmann, l’a déjà fait à l’encontre du Rassemblement national, sans voir le Qatargate, qui impliquait des socialistes. En conclusion, chers collègues, je comprends et partage les réticences du Conseil à vous accorder l’augmentation de pouvoirs que vous réclamez.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Helmut Scholz
Political group: The Left
Country: Luxembourg
Language: DE

Seitdem haben wir viel daran gearbeitet und haben immer wieder versucht, den Rat in die Frage mit einzubeziehen, wie wir gemeinschaftlich einen wichtigen Pfeiler für die demokratische Ausgestaltung und notwendige transparente Arbeit der EU-Institutionen verankern können. 14 Jahre später, nach meinen ersten Arbeiten an diesem Thema, werde ich mit der kommenden Wahl aus dem Europäischen Parlament ausscheiden. Und noch immer hat der Rat – und leider auch die Kommission – es nicht geschafft, angemessen auf den Vorschlag des Parlaments zu reagieren. Das ist nicht akzeptabel, und nach all den Jahren ist es mehr als überfällig, dass das Parlament nach den Europawahlen zu seiner 10. Legislaturperiode ernsthaft und verbindlich alle politischen und rechtlichen Wege prüfen muss, um mit – oder juristisch gestützt auch ohne – den Rat die Umsetzung der Vertragsverpflichtungen hinsichtlich des vollen Untersuchungsrechts zu gelangen.
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Hannes Heide
Political group: S-D
Country: Slovakia
Language: DE

Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Als Mitglied im Pegasus-Untersuchungsausschuss habe ich in der heutigen Debatte ein Déjà-vu. Das Parlament hat eine Entschließung mit unbedingt notwendigen Maßnahmen zum Schutz unserer europäischen Bürgerinnen und Bürger, zur Sicherung und Stärkung von Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit beschlossen. Wie haben Kommission und Rat reagiert? Sie haben gebetsmühlenartig festgestellt: Es sind keine neuen Rechtsakte erforderlich. Parlamentarismus ist Fundament der Demokratie. Dazu gehört das Recht auf Kontrolle. Abgeordnete sind von den europäischen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern gewählt, und ihr Mandat muss ihnen Zugang zu Dokumenten sicherstellen, auch wenn diese als Verschlusssache eingestuft werden. Grundlage für effektive Aufklärung ist es auch, Zeugen vorladen zu können, die unter Eid auszusagen haben. Seit zehn Jahren drängen die Abgeordneten auf eine neue Verordnung über das Untersuchungsrecht des Europäischen Parlaments. Die aktuellen Befugnisse reichen schlichtweg nicht aus. Das wird in unserer Kontrollarbeit, zu der wir als Mandatare verpflichtet sind, immer wieder deutlich. Wann handelt der Rat und wird endlich dem bindenden Grundsatz der loyalen Zusammenarbeit der Organe gerecht? Und wann können wir als Abgeordnete unser Untersuchungsrecht auch wirklich handlungsfähig ausüben?
Debate: The European Parliament's right of inquiry
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Mathieu Michel
Language: EN

Allow me once again to reaffirm the importance that Council attaches to the role of parliamentary committees of inquiry in our European democracy. An adequate level of control and political accountability is essential, and the current legal framework is a solid foundation. Let me be very clear. The Council has always acted in full respect of the duty of sincere and loyal cooperation on this file. Over the last 12 years, it has duly and carefully examined each and every Parliament proposal, and has continuously acted in a constructive spirit with a view to achieving progress. Parliament and Council are therefore not co-legislators here and they are not meant to enter trilogue negotiations. It is in fact up to Parliament to put forward a proposal that has reasonable chances to obtain consent from its counterparts. In this perspective, the European Parliament is well aware of the serious political and legal concerns which the Council and the Commission raised very early on. I acknowledge the many proposals the European Parliament has made over the years, but those have unfortunately resulted insufficient to alleviate many of the concerns raised. As set out in our last letter, the latest Parliament proposal fails to address many of the serious political and legal concerns previously raised by the Council. These relate in particular to incompatibilities, Article 5, conduct of investigation, Article 12, and despite investigations and fact finding missions, Article 13, hearing of officials and other servants of the Union, Articles 15 and 17, of members of Member States governments, Article 16, and of natural persons, Article 18, requests for documents, expert reports. I will not go into more detail here, although I wish to further convey, as expressed by many Member States, that the prerogatives proposed by the European Parliament would go much beyond those of many EU national parliaments. In that sense, the powers which the European Parliament is willing to confer upon its committees of inquiry would go beyond the spirit and scope of Article 226 of the TFEU, which is a fundamental red line for the Council. Our dialogue may continue and the Council stands ready to examine any further Parliament proposal. There is always room for improvement, and I hope that the next legislature will enable us to make progress on this issue. It is certainly in our common interests to guarantee all stakeholders a clear, up-to-date legal framework in keeping with the rule of law and the treaties.
Debate: Simplification of certain CAP rules
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Benoît Biteau
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Sweden
Language: FR

Hélas, cette réforme votée en catimini, sans débat, dans l’urgence, bien loin des normes démocratiques, à la limite de la légalité si j’en crois cette note des services juridiques, ne fait que vider la PAC de ses quelques mesures de protection de la nature. Chers collègues, à qui profite votre croisade contre le Pacte vert? En tout cas, pas aux paysans, car sans nature, plus de paysans et plus de souveraineté alimentaire. Alors, avant que cette assemblée ne commette l’irréparable, je demande, Madame la Présidente, le report du vote au nom du groupe Verts/ALE.