unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Luke Ming Flanagan
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

In relation to the Commission, the ECA issued again an adverse opinion to the Commission, which is parallel to the long-term negative evaluation of The Left group of the way the Commission implements and manages the EU budget. So I can’t support that. In relation to the Council, as you know, the refusal of cooperation in the discharge procedure has led Parliament to refuse discharge to the Council for many years. The decision to postpone the discharge was unanimous in CONT. Numerous media outlets reported the increase in the budget of the President of the European Council, and in particular its travel budget, which exploded compared to its predecessors, showing a preference for expensive and polluting means of transport. My group has tabled an amendment on this, which I hope you’ll support. In relation to the eu-LISA agency, because of the ECA’s qualified opinion based on several payments which were non-compliant, I can’t support the discharge. In relation to the EASO, now the EUAA: because of serious claims of misconduct on recruitment by the agency’s new hierarchy, which led to the opening of an OLAF investigation. On the IHI Joint Undertaking: because of recurrent governance and transparency issues. In relation to F4E and ITER Joint Undertaking: because of regular concerns about delays and increase of costs in the ITER project, which points to serious problems in the governance of the joint undertakings. Concerning Frontex – despite the big group being in favour of the discharge – I, along with my group, will continue our strong criticism of the agency, which, despite some changes, needs deep reform to tackle its structural reforms. It should be noted that one OLAF report was closed last year revealing serious misconduct and mismanagement taking place in 2021, exactly the financial year the discharge will be voted on. I cannot support discharge of this agency.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Tamás Deutsch
Political group: NI
Country: Hungary
Language: HU

Elnök Asszony! A tavalyi esztendő végén robbant ki a brüsszeli korrupció legsúlyosabb botránya. Az Európai Parlament baloldali alelnöke előzetes letartóztatásba került. Házkutatás az Európai Parlament irodáiban, több százezer eurónyi korrupciós pénz lefoglalása, további baloldali európai parlamenti képviselők mentelmi jogának a felfüggesztése, majd előzetes letartóztatásba helyezése. Európai parlamenti képviselők családtagjai eurótízezrekkel zsúfolt bőröndökkel szaladgáltak Brüsszel utcáin az őket letartóztatni akaró rendőrök elől. Majd utána az Európai Bizottság háza táján derültek ki újabb korrupciós ügyek. Különböző igazgatóságok munkatársai fogadtak el méregdrága repülőjegyeket éppen azoktól, akiket ellenőrizniük kellett. Korrupció, korrupció és korrupció. 2021-ben történtek ezek az esetek. Jelenleg az asztalukon fekvő előterjesztések a 2021-es uniós gazdálkodásról szólnak. Egy árva szó nem szerepel ezekben a dokumentumokban a brüsszeli korrupcióról. Tisztelt Hölgyeim és Uraim! Az Európai Parlament bolondnak nézi az európai polgárokat, elhallgatja és letagadja a brüsszeli korrupció felháborodást keltő eseteit. Ilyen előterjesztéseket jó érzéssel nem lehet támogatni.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Siegfried Mureşan
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, dear colleagues, I would like to say a few words on the discharge of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which is part of the discharge of 2021. And it is for the first time that this happens, because in 2021, the largest package of economic support that we ever created at European Union level, entered into force. And because it is so large, you have to make sure that money is well spent, that the money really reaches the beneficiaries that it is intended for and that the expected results are being achieved.  The Recovery and Resilience Facility is a new element in terms of set-up, in terms of functioning, in terms of financing, and it’s performance-based and money is being paid based on the achievement of milestones and targets. This is why it is so important that adequate control mechanisms are being put in place.  It was following the pressure of the European Parliament that the Commission has finally put forward a methodology to evaluate milestones and targets and to make partial payments. And this is important because the one single payment that we saw in the year 2021, the European Court of Auditors has told us that one milestone and target for the one single payment made in 2021 for Spain, one milestone and target was not sufficiently met. And let me say very clearly, based on the current methodology, the Spanish Government should not have received that payment in full. It is good that we have this methodology now.  I also welcome the recommendations of the report asking the Commission to further develop this methodology, and I call on the Commission to apply a strict approach and particularly equal standards to all Member States.  And, last point from my side, Madam President, the biggest 100 beneficiaries in each Member State have to be published, but we are calling for Parliament to be given access to all lists of beneficiaries from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Ilan De Basso
Political group: S-D
Country: France
Language: SV

Fru talman! EU:s utvecklingsarbete är viktigt både för oss, och för våra partner ute i världen. Samarbetet har bidragit till att fler får förutsättningar att resa sig ur fattigdom och förbättra sina livsvillkor. Men för att behålla ledartröjan måste vi leva upp till våra löften och använda de medel som har beslutats. Det är en fråga om legitimitet och trovärdighet.  Jag är starkt oroad över att många organisationer nu får strypta anslag. Jag ser det inte minst i Sverige, där högerregeringen kraftigt har skurit ner på biståndet och stödet till civilsamhället. Högern attackerar ideella organisationer i en tid då vi behöver dem som mest – detta är helt oacceptabelt! Därför måste EU fortsätta driva på för ett utvecklingsarbete med fokus på jämlikhet, utbildning och klimatomställning. Utan samarbete med ideella organisationer, kommer EU:s utvecklingsarbete att tappa kraft.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Viola von Cramon-Taubadel
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, President of the European Court of Auditors, the 2021 Commission discharge was a special one, as we start looking for the first time at how one EU Member State spends its Recovery and Resilience Fund. Despite the volume of the discharge, as we look at the spending of EUR 170 billion, it is more a dialogue of the deaf rather than a constructive exchange. Error rate is still above the 2% target, and for the 27th time the Court of Auditors is unable to grant a positive statement to the implementation of the EU budget. The financial sustainability is at risk. The outstanding budgetary commitments are now more than EUR 340 billion. Yet not everything is in the numbers; key issues for us are transparency and rule of law. That is what we owe to our taxpayers. It is the Commission’s primary task as the guardian of the Treaties to protect these norms and values. To put it simply: no EU money if no EU standards. The Commission never seriously used its tool to uphold the rule of law across the Union. If we compromise on the fundamentals, then the whole European House will fall apart. The first step against Hungary must not become the fig leaf for inaction excuses, but a booster that will strongly show our determination. No EU money if no EU standards. Then we have another crucial occurring challenge: the list of all final beneficiary. The Commission needs to set up a system that allows to see the complete list: who gets how much and how often. That is how to find conflict of interests, land grabbing, misuse of agri and cohesion funds as we witness the growing oligarch structures abusing EU funds in some of the Member States. It is not in the interest of either us here in the European Parliament or taxpayers’ interest to create the next oligarch generation with the NextGenerationEU money.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Bert-Jan Ruissen
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, geachte commissaris, beste collega’s, opnieuw zijn we erin geslaagd in het kwijtingsverslag over de Commissie een duidelijke aanbeveling op te nemen over de Palestijnse schoolboeken. We vragen kritisch te kijken naar de Europese uitgaven voor deze schoolboeken, omdat die vol staan met antisemitisme. Opnieuw hebben we echter ook te maken met de S&D, de Groenen en The Left, die met een amendement proberen de antisemitische feiten te verdoezelen. En opnieuw staan we tegenover een Commissie die op dit punt vooralsnog geen enkele bereidheid toont om in beweging te komen, terwijl de EU toch de pretentie heeft een bijdrage te leveren aan het vredesproces. Een lovenswaardig streven, maar laten we dan hier beginnen, ervoor zorgen dat het onderwijs deugt, dat kinderen leren de ander te respecteren in plaats van te haten, dat kinderen niet langer wiskunde moeten leren door slachtoffers te tellen die je kunt maken met een terroristische zelfmoordactie. Daarom ook vandaag mijn oproep aan de Europese Commissie: zorg ervoor dat de Europese geldstroom richting de Palestijnse gebieden niet langer wordt gebruikt voor het betalen van foute schoolboeken. En voor wat betreft de algemene begroting, de jaarrekeningen over 2021, is het foutenpercentage wat ons betreft nog steeds duidelijk te hoog. 3 %, dat is meer dan 1 % boven de grens. Nu kwijting verlenen is wat ons betreft dan ook niet terecht.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Jordan Bardella
Political group: ID
Country: France
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, à l’occasion du vote de la décharge budgétaire de Frontex, permettez-moi de dire ce que j’ai vu à Menton, à la frontière entre la France et l’Italie. Ce que j’ai vu à Menton, c’est une double faillite: celle du gouvernement français d’abord, et celle de l’Union européenne ensuite, qui a vidé Frontex de son rôle initial de lutte contre l’immigration clandestine. À Menton, les habitants et les pouvoirs publics sont confrontés à un afflux massif de migrants qui pénètrent chez nous sans aucun contrôle, et pour s’y installer contre la volonté du peuple français. En faisant de Frontex une agence de voyages pour migrants, en envoyant le signal désastreux que l’on peut venir en Europe sans y avoir été invité, vous avez transformé nos frontières en passoire et nos pays en hôtels. Les contribuables européens ne veulent pas que vous utilisiez leur argent pour les submerger, mais pour les protéger. Face au défi migratoire, la naïveté n’est plus possible. Le temps est venu d’une action ferme et d’une action déterminée pour protéger les peuples d’Europe. Je vous appelle à en protéger les frontières.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Marc Botenga
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, collega’s, een pensioen van 13 700 EUR per maand, 13 700 EUR per maand in de pocket. Na slechts twintig jaar carrière. Dat is wat een speciaal pensioenfonds hier aan ongeveer 900 Europese parlementsleden garandeert. Zo’n beetje tien keer meer dan wat een gewone Europese werknemer krijgt na zo’n veertig jaar carrière, pure graaipensioenen en betaald natuurlijk door de belastingbetaler. En bij die graaiers, die pensioengraaiers, zowat alle fracties, ook extreemrechtse, hé collega De Man van de Fractie ID, Vlaams Belang. Uw voormalige voorzitter Frank Vanhecke: blijkbaar een van de pensioengraaiers. Ongelooflijk. Altijd tegen Europa, behalve als het is om uw eigen zakken te vullen blijkbaar. En wat is nu de kwestie? De kwestie is nu dat dat pensioenfonds failliet is, een gat van 313 miljoen EUR. En dan wordt er hier serieus gedebatteerd over de vraag of de gewone belastingbetaler dat moet bijvullen. Nee, dat moet de belastingbetaler niet. Dat fonds moet geschrapt worden. Stop met graaien.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Ivan Vilibor Sinčić
Political group: NI
Country: Czechia
Language: HR

Poštovana predsjedavajuća, danas govorimo o razrješnici za proračun.  Prvo ste u proljeće 2020. na COVID odgovorili kontraproduktivnim i neznanstvenim  Onda je predsjednica Komisije osobno dogovorila kupnju 5 milijardi doza cjepiva ili jedanaest za svakog stanovnika vrijednih 70 milijardi eura. Lagali ste o njihovoj sigurnosti i učinkovitosti, što znamo iz rada odbora COVI i Revizorskog suda. Znali ste barem od prosinca 2020. da ne sprječava širenje bolesti.  Ta cjepiva sada više nitko ne želi i ona se moraju uništiti. Imamo tisuću milijardi eura štete zbog lošeg koruptivnog upravljanja.  Cijelo jutro se ovdje raspravljalo kako zakrpati tu financijsku COVID rupu i najviše se pričalo o uvođenju novih zajedničkih poreza, pored ovog za plastiku kojeg imamo. I nakon što ste tako savjesno i stručno upravljali proračunskim novcem ovdje imate hrabrosti tražiti razrješnice za proračun za 2021. godinu da svojim glasom potvrdimo da je sve bilo u redu. Nije bilo u redu i od mene sigurno nećete dobiti tu razrješnicu. Glasat ću protiv za sve točke.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Tomáš Zdechovský
Political group: PPE
Country: Slovenia
Language: CS

Paní předsedající, vážený pane komisaři, dámy a pánové, jako stínový zpravodaj pro absolutorium agentur jsem nesmírně šťastný z jedné věci, že se nám podařilo napříč politickým spektrem najít shodu zejména ohledně agentury Frontex. Frontex je jednou z největších a nejdůležitějších agentur a dobré fungování Frontexu znamená bezpečí našich občanů. Není čas hrát s Frontexem nějaké ideologické hry. V tomto chci poděkovat především socialistům a i zástupcům levice, komunistům, za to, že podpořili udělení  Ohledně ostatních agentur jsem velice spokojený, že všechny výrazným způsobem přispívají k tomu, co mají za svůj cíl, a vedou dobrou rozpočtovou politiku. Ve spoustě agentur vidím velikánský potenciál pro zlepšení, popřípadě slučování, nicméně do rozpočtové politiky tam nevidím žádný problém. Takže vám všem děkuji za vaši práci na agenturách a pevně si přeji, abychom je všechny podpořili v zítřejším hlasování.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Evin Incir
Political group: S-D
Country: Hungary
Language: EN

Madam President, colleagues, it’s essential that we ensure that all our finances are used in a correct way. No single cent should go where it shouldn’t go to and every single cent should go to the purpose. All our efforts should therefore go to ensuring this.  However, I am amazed how some people in this Parliament has made it their purpose in life to spread disinformation and year after year bring the same issues up; every year, the same issues related to UNRWA and the Palestinian authorities are put on the table. Even when they have received an EU-funded independent report as the one by Georg Eckert Institute that clearly contradicts their claims, they don’t give up. I seriously wonder if they really want to see a peaceful two-state solution or they are trying to undermine it through weakening the Palestinian authorities, through freezing the support.  There is, of course, a lot we should demand from the Palestinian side as well as from the Israeli side, but to weaken the Palestinian Authority will for sure not lead to a peaceful two-state solution.  Colleagues, I hope we are more people in this Parliament that want to see a peaceful two—state solution than those struggling for polarisation.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Bas Eickhout
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, I’m here to discuss the discharge of our agencies, and I have to say that most of our agencies are delivering a terribly good job – also quite often with a very low number of staff working for those agencies. And every time we’re piling up more priorities and more issues and more tasks to our agencies, but without giving them more staff, and this is probably still something for the Council to debate and certainly the Swedish presidency, by the way. However, there are two agencies that that we still have issues with. One that has been mentioned a couple of times already is Frontex, and indeed a lot has happened and a lot has improved. We have a new Executive Director, which is a good thing and to be very honest, it’s always funny to hear the EPP ‘let’s not play’, but that’s what they also said with the former Executive Director, of course, and now he’s gone, they say ‘ah, good, we solved the issues because he’s gone’. Well, you were not in favour of that either, so there is never any idea for action there, but we are happy that we acted on it. But this is important towards the Commission as well. Structural problems remain and need to be investigated on participation in pushbacks and all that, and that is something that we need to be very vigilant on, and for that we cannot grant discharge still. The same goes for the EU Agency for Asylum: as long as an OLAF investigation is ongoing, we cannot grant discharge. For all the other agencies, we will grant discharge.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Filip De Man
Political group: ID
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, collega’s, ik wil het hebben over Frontex, onze Europese grenswacht. Het jaarlijks budget stijgt naar 1 miljard EUR. Het personeelsbestand klimt in de komende jaren van 2 000 naar 10 000. Die agenten beschikken over drones, over satellietbeelden, over terreinwagens en patrouillevliegtuigen. En men zou dus denken: “Oké, het gaat de goede richting uit.” En toch werkt het niet. Er zitten in onze landen al zo’n 5 à 6 miljoen illegale vreemdelingen en jaarlijks komen er nog vele honderdduizenden mensen zonder papieren bij in de Europese Unie. En waarom? Frontex wordt op alle mogelijke manieren tegengewerkt door de linkse partijen in dit halfrond, die constant met mensenrechten zwaaien om het terugdrijven van illegalen te bemoeilijken, en door linkse, door u gesubsidieerde ngo’s, die proces na proces inspannen tegen Frontex. Zo gaat het niet verder. Wij pleiten voor veralgemeende pushbacks en voor de opvang van vluchtelingen in hun eigen regio. Europa vangt nu al miljoenen Oekraïense vluchtelingen op. Wij kunnen niet ook nog eens alle gelukzoekers uit andere continenten hier onderhouden. Wij zijn niet het Openbaar centrum voor maatschappelijk welzijn van de hele wereld.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Marc Botenga
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: NL

Dus jarenlang zegt u dat Europa te duur is, te veel geld uitgeeft en dat u ervoor gaat zorgen dat er wordt bespaard. En dan lekt er een lijst uit van mensen die geprofiteerd hebben van graaipensioenen op kosten van de belastingbetaler, en uw voormalige voorzitter staat op die lijst. Hoe legt u dat uit? Is dat dan pure demagogie, alleen maar voor het theater, terwijl u als u hier komt zelf uw zakken vult? Is dat de bedoeling? Kunt u daar alstublieft eens op antwoorden?
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Andrey Novakov
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, dear Commissioner, Members of the Court of Auditors, dear colleagues, I know it feels like a very long time ago, but 2021 was not that far in our calendar. I’m sure that you all remember how tough it was, and probably it is quite easy from the distance at the time to judge what is wrong and what is right.  But the truth is that all European institutions, including the European Parliament, were facing a lot of challenges. I think all those who were taking decisions in that difficult period deserve our respect and our applauses. This is why I have a pledge towards you to keep the discharge focused solely on procedure and in mind proportionally with the situation of 2021.  Of course, I understand why some political groups were tabling amendments for the events of December 2022 related to Qatargate. I stand strongly to all our efforts to recover the trust of the European Parliament and the European institutions and work for more transparency. I am proud that the EPP is supporting our President of fighting to recover the good image of the European Parliament.  As a Bulgarian, but also as a European, I’m here to work for a more transparent parliament, leading a modern democracy to represent the views of all EU citizens, and I sincerely believe that this is what this Parliament is standing for.  Finally, I think during that crisis, that tough period for all of us, the Parliament managed successfully to maintain the representation of people, and we did it good and served as a good example.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Pedro Silva Pereira
Political group: S-D
Country: Bulgaria
Language: PT

Senhora Presidente, participo neste debate sobre a execução do orçamento de 2021 também na minha qualidade de vice—presidente do Parlamento, responsável pelo orçamento do Parlamento Europeu. E quero começar por recordar que o ano de 2021 foi ainda um ano marcado pelos constrangimentos da pandemia, em que o Parlamento teve de continuar a mobilizar recursos extraordinários para fazer face a uma situação extraordinária. E, por isso, continuámos o investimento em ferramentas e equipamentos tecnológicos de informação e comunicação, para que o Parlamento pudesse cumprir as suas funções, ao mesmo tempo que reforçámos o investimento na cibersegurança. Mas queria sobretudo sublinhar que o orçamento do Parlamento de 2021 foi também um investimento na democracia europeia, em que apoiámos a Conferência sobre o Futuro da Europa – uma conferência em que os cidadãos nos pediram uma Europa mais próxima e mais participada, com mais informação sobre a Europa e os valores europeus. E, por isso, é tão importante que o orçamento do Parlamento para 2021 tenha permitido aprofundar o projeto «Europa Experience», um programa do Parlamento Europeu que visa instalar em cada capital europeia um centro de informação inovador, interativo e pedagógico, para que os cidadãos conheçam melhor o Parlamento Europeu. Nove desses centros já abriram, tiveram mais de 2 milhões de visitantes e, por isso, podemos dizer que o projeto «Europa Experience» é já uma fórmula de sucesso para uma democracia mais participada e mais forte.
Debate: Discharge
Date: TUESDAY, 9 MAY 2023
Speaker: Virginie Joron
Political group: ID
Country: Estonia
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, mes chers collègues, vous avez vu ce reportage de France Télévisions où la présidente de la Commission et Albert Bourla, de Pfizer, rasent les murs à Davos et à Strasbourg? Et pourtant, aujourd’hui, vous donnez un satisfecit à la Commission pour 2021, l’année de tous les records: 71 milliards d’euros de contrats aux «Big Pharma». Donc bravo à la Commission d’avoir commandé dix doses par personne. Bravo d’avoir caché les contrats, les SMS et les prix. Bravo d’avoir acheté les doses presque 20 euros alors qu’elles coûtent 80 centimes à Pfizer-BioNTech. Bravo d’indemniser Pfizer pour les doses qu’ils ne produiront pas. Bravo d’acheter des doses aussi jusqu’en 2026. Bravo d’avoir déchargé Pfizer-BioNTech des indemnisations en cas d’effets secondaires. L’expertise de cette Commission, c’est comme les 95 % d’efficacité de Pfizer: qui peut encore y croire? Parlons de votre emprunt jusqu’en 2058, à taux variable. Combien de milliards perdus au profit des banques? À taux variable, quelle prescience!