unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: The Three Seas Initiative: challenges and opportunities
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Kadri Simson
Language: EN

Connectivity with our neighbours in the east through energy, digital and transport infrastructure is highly relevant in the context of Russia’s unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine.  Allow me also a few words on Ukraine, a country bordering those of the Three Seas Initiative. Ukraine has long been a privileged partner of the Union, and this illegal invasion has strengthened the ties between us and accelerated the rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU. That’s why our REPowerEU plan also includes a REPowerUkraine initiative. It is a particular initiative aiming to ensure security of supply and a proper functioning of the energy sector, paving the way for future trade in electricity and renewable hydrogen. As a clear signal of tangible support, we have also invited Ukraine along with Moldova, Georgia and the Western Balkans to the EU Energy Platform, and we are working within the framework of the energy community to integrate our energy markets, enhancing our energy security and resilience. In view of electricity, already in March, the Ukrainian electricity grid was synchronised with the European continental grid and this happened with an unprecedented speed and efficiency. And as the next step, last week we started electricity trade with Ukraine. So despite the war, we managed to synchronise Ukraine and also Moldova and their electricity grid is a European one. But there are still three EU Member States who remain in this acrimonious area with Russia and Belarus. These are the three Baltic countries, and the projects of the synchronisation of the three Baltic States with the European continental grid has been a priority for Commission. This is high on our political and financial agenda. The support is very strong and we hope that with co-financing – significant co-financing – from the Commission, this process of synchronising three Baltic States will be completed at least by the end of 2025.
Debate: The Three Seas Initiative: challenges and opportunities
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Mikuláš Bek
Language: EN

In the case of the Czech Republic, you can still see the orientation of the transport routes towards the past capital, Vienna. It’s a relatively fortunate occasion because we are members of the EU and the connections are very useful these days. But if we look at the eastern part of Europe in general, we can still see the Russian centre of gravity, which played an important role. The Three Seas Initiative for me is obviously a way how to get rid of this past, which does not correspond to the present geopolitical situation.  Thank you very much for this debate and all the views shared by the different political groups. Indeed, this debate is highly relevant in the current geopolitical situation. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine gave the Three Seas Initiative a new, very topical substance. First, energy security, one of the initiative’s priorities, and the question of reducing our dependence on Russian fossil fuels, diversification of energy supply and transit routes. Or, secondly, the development of digital infrastructure and connectivity. All these are on top of the agenda.  The investment in new infrastructure projects in the context of the Three Seas Initiative will be highly beneficial not just for intra-EU connectivity, but also to develop better links to our neighbours to the east and south-east. Here I’m thinking of the expansion and modernisation of our highway and railway connections to Ukraine. New projects linking Three Seas Initiative members to Ukraine will certainly be instrumental for the future rebuilding of the country, but also to ensure that Ukraine can benefit from alternatives for its food exports – the issue which we just discussed an hour ago.  In this respect, the Three Seas Initiative can be seen as a real contribution to the further integration of our neighbours in the EU and to the stabilisation of the continent. Thank you very much for your attention.
Debate: The Three Seas Initiative: challenges and opportunities
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Joachim Stanisław Brudziński
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: PL

Należy podkreślić, że dziesięciolecia zaniedbań w zakresie rozwoju infrastruktury łączącej zachodnią i wschodnią część kontynentu europejskiego udało się w dużej mierze uzupełnić. Tym, czego jednak nadal brakuje, są połączenia pomiędzy krajami regionu Europy Środkowej i Południowej. Brutalna agresja Rosji na Ukrainę uwypukliła fundamentalne znaczenie założeń, które legły u podstaw powołania 3SI. Budowa niezależności energetycznej, skuteczne zabezpieczenie infrastruktury przemysłowej oraz pogłębianie wzajemnych połączeń transportowych pomiędzy krajami 3SI są gwarantami bezpieczeństwa i dobrobytu w naszej części Europy.  W regionie Trójmorza konsekwentnie realizowaliśmy i nadal realizujemy projekty mające na celu dywersyfikację dostaw i integrację energetyczną. Uruchomienie gazociągu Baltic Pipe (planowane na październik 2022 r.), rozbudowa interkonektorów między Polską a krajami sąsiedzkimi i zwiększenie przepustowości terminalu LNG w Świnoujściu dla dostaw gazu w pełni wpisują się w koncepcję dywersyfikacji i niezależności energetycznej w UE.
Debate: The Three Seas Initiative: challenges and opportunities
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Anna Zalewska
Political group: ECR
Country: Poland
Language: PL

Zacieśnianie współpracy powinno obejmować inwestycje infrastrukturalne w każdym z trzech filarów – cyfrowym, energetycznym i transportowym, a cyberbezpieczeństwo musi stać się ich nieodzownym elementem i stanowić kluczowy wymiar współpracy. Należy realizować wspólne projekty infrastruktury transgranicznej, w tym autostrady cyfrowe (np. 3 Seas Digital Highway), wspólne projekty chmur danych, które uzupełniałyby i integrowały regionalną infrastrukturę transportową i energetyczną (w tym centra przetwarzania danych) oraz rozwijać dojrzałą gospodarkę opartą na danych i przemysł 4.0. Należy budować innowacyjny ekosystem, aby wzmocnić zdolności technologiczne krajów 3S, w tym w przełomowych technologiach (AI, quantum, cyber), także z zastosowaniem ich dla bezpieczeństwa i obrony, oraz dążyć do polepszenia pozycji regionu w cyfrowym łańcuchu wartości, stymulować potencjał przestrzeni cyfrowej i budować odporność cyfrową.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Eva Kaili
Country: France
Language: EN

The next item on the agenda is the joint debate on: – the Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2021 ( – the Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2020 (
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Angelika Winzig
Political group: PPE
Country: Greece
Language: DE

Geschätzte Besucherinnen und Besucher! Die Europäische Investitionsbank ist die einzige internationale Finanzinstitution, die im Eigentum unserer Mitgliedstaaten steht und die mithilfe unserer europäischen Gesetzgebung dazu beiträgt, die gemeinsamen Ziele der Europäischen Union zu erreichen. Die Europäische Investitionsbank hat in diesen krisengeschüttelten Jahren hervorragende Arbeit geleistet. Im letzten Jahr, mit 95 Milliarden Kreditvolumen, konnten viele KMU in ihren Investitionen unterstützt werden und – Herr Präsident hat es schon erwähnt – auch diese wichtige Impfstoffforschung und -produktion von BioNTech/Pfizer.  Ja, jetzt im Februar kamen dann natürlich auf die Europäische Investitionsbank neue Herausforderungen zu, die wir jetzt in Zukunft lösen müssen. Die Europäische Investitionsbank hat sich schon lange dem Green Deal verpflichtet. Bereits 2025 sollen 50 % des Kreditvolumens in diese Klimafinanzierung gehen. Wichtig für die Zukunft ist mir vor allem, dass Digitalisierung, Innovation und Forschung gerade bezüglich des Green Deals oberste Priorität haben. Denn Nachhaltigkeit bedeutet auch, dass der Transformationsprozess gelingt, das Beschäftigung und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der europäischen Betriebe auch in diesem Wandel gesichert ist. Begrüßen darf ich die vom Europäischen Investitionsfonds durchgeführten Investitionen in Bildung und somit direkt in den Arbeitsmarkt. Wir sollten mit diesen Investitionen in Zukunft auch viel mehr die duale Ausbildung, sprich: die Lehre, unterstützen. Denn Deutschland, Schweiz und Österreich zeigen, dass dieses System das beste Mittel für Beschäftigung und vor allem gegen Jugendarbeitslosigkeit ist – nicht mit dem Europäischen Fonds für die Anpassung an die Globalisierung zu reparieren, wie wir das jetzt gerade in Spanien und Frankreich gemacht haben, sondern proaktiv in duale Ausbildung zu investieren; ich glaube, das hilft den Bürgerinnen und Bürgern Europas am besten. Herr Hoyer, ich gratuliere Ihnen und bedanke mich bei Ihrem Team für Ihre hervorragende Arbeit.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Maria Grapini
Political group: S-D
Country: Portugal
Language: RO

Am citit cu atenție raportul și apreciez în ansamblu activitatea BEI. Însă ca un om care vin din producție spun că și băncile, nu numai BEI, toate băncile trebuie să își adapteze instrumentele de lucru la situația concretă. Și iată, am câteva cifre aici. În 2020, și 66,1 miliarde, spune raportul, s-au concentrat în trei țări: Italia, Franța și Spania.  Ce înseamnă asta ? Înseamnă că țări din est, așa cum este și țara mea, România, are capacitatea administrativă și capacitatea financiară de a se împrumuta, dar nu are aceste capacități de a se împrumuta. Și asta ce înseamnă ? Înseamnă că disparitățile regionale cresc, înseamnă că nu avem acea coeziune pe care ne-o dorim, de fapt, toate instituțiile europene.  Consider că BEI trebuie să acorde prioritate în activitatea de creditare pentru proiecte sociale, pentru IMM-uri. Da, domnule președinte, ați spus că 850 de mii de IMM-uri au fost creditate în 2021, dar nici a 20-a parte, dacă ne gândim câte IMM-uri avem în Uniunea Europeană, nu au primit aceste credite și cred, de asemenea, că instrumentele pe care trebuie să le folosiți acum trebuie să sprijine în mod special proiectele sociale, proiectele IMM-urilor, microîntreprinderilor.  Iată, sunt țări, cum este și țara mea, în care dobânda de referință la bancă a ajuns 4,6 %. Înseamnă că întreprinzătorul, IMM-ul nu poate să suporte un cost al împrumutului la acel nivel. Și asta cred că trebuie să facem Comisia împreună cu BEI și cu statele membre, evident, să găsim soluții pentru a putea să ajutăm acum, în acest impas, în aceste crize suprapuse, mediul economic, pentru că, până la urmă, fără funcționarea mediului economic, nu avem buget nici la nivel național, nici la nivel european.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Bas Eickhout
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: EN

For the rest, we are, of course, always very thankful for the transformation that you have put into the EIB from an investment bank into Europe’s climate bank. I think the current energy crisis also very clearly shows the errors of the past that we are suffering from at this moment, because our failure to get rid of fossil dependency is something that we are paying for now on a daily basis still. Energy independence is the answer to a strong geopolitical union. Meanwhile, climate change is still having very much effect on our daily life. I think these two together – energy independence and climate change – should be addressed together, and I think the EIB is on its way to that. Still, though, you know very well that quite some Member States are pushing also the EIB to replace Russian gas with new long—term fossil investments, and that the EIB should help with that. You said: ‘we will not backtrack’. But I just would like to hear very clearly from you that when you are having your mid—term evaluation of the Bank’s energy lending policies, and the climate roadmap, that you will not put into question the end of fossil subsidies for gas, and stand up to those Member States pushing for new openings for EIB support for fossil fuel investments. Thank you very much, and we keep on fighting and supporting you in the fight against climate change as the climate bank.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Joachim Kuhs
Political group: ID
Country: Greece
Language: DE

Erstens den starken Rückgang der Transparenz, der schon erwähnt wurde. Im Jahr 2010 wurden 96 % aller Projekte drei Wochen vor der Genehmigung durch den Verwaltungsrat veröffentlicht. Im Jahr 2020 werden es nur 60 % sein. Das ist eine sehr bedenkliche Entwicklung, die nicht die klaren Forderungen unseres Parlaments nach Verbesserungen widerspiegelt. Zweitens: Die Vereinbarung vom 11. November 2021 zwischen EIB, Kommission und Rechnungshof bietet keine zufriedenstellenden Lösungen. Der Status quo wird ohne nennenswerte Verbesserungen einfach aufrechterhalten. Es fehlt insbesondere die Erweiterung der Prüfungsbefugnisse des Rechnungshofs in Bezug auf die Tätigkeit der EIB, was ich übrigens schon seit Jahren einfordere. In diesem Zusammenhang möchte ich aber noch auf eine fragwürdige Investition hinweisen – die wurde auch schon erwähnt: Die EIB investierte in den COVID-19-Impfstoff von BioNTech/Pfizer, indem sie im Juni 2020 eine Darlehensfazilität von 100 Millionen Euro unterzeichnete. Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, Herr Präsident Hoyer, dass Sie nach Ihren Richtlinien befugt waren, da eine Entscheidung zu treffen und in einen experimentellen Impfstoff, der zudem noch keine Marktzulassung hatte, zu investieren. Und falls Sie diese Entscheidung aufgrund des politischen Drucks getroffen haben, dann stellen Sie damit die Unabhängigkeit der EIB infrage. Wenn die EIB aber nicht mehr unabhängig ist, dann müsste sie vollständig der Kontrolle durch den Haushaltskontrollausschuss und durch den Rechnungshof unterstellt werden. Ich bitte, das zu bedenken.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Ryszard Czarnecki
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: PL

Chciałem również podziękować za to, co zrobiliście dla naszego kraju, mojego kraju, dla Polski: wypłacone rekordowe 6,4 mld euro w zeszłym roku, w tym roku podobnie, dla sektora publicznego, dla samorządów, dla sektora prywatnego. Ale mam wrażenie, że w jednej sprawie nie będzie między nami zgody. Są ważne priorytety, a więc wojna i covid, jednak przesłaniają, Panie Prezesie, kwestie ekologiczne. W tej sprawie będzie protokół rozbieżności, ale za inne sprawy bardzo dziękuję.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Dimitrios Papadimoulis
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EL

Αντίθετα, η Ευρωπαϊκή Τράπεζα Επενδύσεων πρέπει να κάνει περισσότερα για να στηρίξει την επιτάχυνση των επενδύσεων για την ενεργειακή ασφάλεια της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, τη μείωση της ενεργειακής φτώχειας και την προώθηση της αρχής της ενεργειακής αποδοτικότητας. Να μη μείνει κανείς πίσω, να στηρίξει τις μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις αλλά και τη δημόσια υγεία και τις κοινωνικές πολιτικές και να κάνει περισσότερα πράγματα και στο εσωτερικό της, κύριε Hoyer, για την προώθηση της ισότητας των φύλων, της διαφάνειας και της βελτίωσης και των εργασιακών συνθηκών εντός της Ευρωπαϊκής Τράπεζας Επενδύσεων, όπου υπάρχουν κάποιες γκρίζες ζώνες που πρέπει να βελτιωθούν.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Andor Deli
Political group: NI
Country: Germany
Language: HU

Tisztelt Elnök Asszony, Biztos Asszony, Hoyer Elnök Úr! Amikor idén januárban a Költségvetési Bizottsághoz látogatott, még nem is sejtettük az előttünk álló nehézségeket és kihívásokat. Időközben a partnerség, az összefogás erősítése még inkább felértékelődött, a Beruházási Bank szerepe pedig folyamatosan növekszik. Ez igaz az új tagjelölteknél, Ukrajnában és Moldovában és a Nyugat-Balkán országaiban is, ahol máris komoly infrastrukturális beruházások valósulnak meg, ezzel is segítve az európai stratégiai érdekek megvalósulását. De a hatékony európai kapcsolattartáshoz elengedhetetlen az EU külső határátkelőinek fejlesztése, kapacitások bővítése. Erre égetően szükség van, hiszen jelenleg az utasok gyakran több órát, a kamionosok pedig akár napokat is várakoznak a határátkelőkön nagyon nehéz körülmények között. Ezúton is kérem Elnök Urat, hogy a bank befektetési prioritásainak meghatározásánál fordítsanak kiemelt figyelmet a határátkelőkre, és nyisson a különálló hitelvonalat erre a célra.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Sirpa Pietikäinen
Political group: PPE
Country: Italy
Language: EN

Madam President, the European Investment Bank has a pretty good track record for the last years and commitment, willingness and capability, including in environmental matters and considerations on its worth. For that, I would like you to continue, to raise the bar, with the ambition – you have  Parliament’s support on that – to stay tight that none of the Bank’s funds should go to ‘significant harm’ nor fossil fuel investments. Avoid incineration and start taking into account circular economy principles, low toxicity as well as the huge demands that we have on the biodiversity side. Because you have the capabilities, you have the money, you have Parliament’s support, and you have the duty to do it.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Margarida Marques
Political group: S-D
Country: Cyprus
Language: PT

Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, o BEI desempenha um papel essencial enquanto banco público da União Europeia: o Banco do Clima. O Banco Verde. Queria congratular a Instituição na pessoa do seu Presidente.  O BEI esteve bem. Dou exemplos: financiamento sustentável como modelo operacional, com 43% dos empréstimos relacionados com o clima; quase 95 mil milhões de euros em matéria de alterações climáticas, coesão social e transformação digital; apoia mais de 430 000 PME que empregam 4,5 milhões de pessoas; apoia projeto-chave de investigação e inovação; em resposta à invasão da Ucrânia pela Rússia, foi aprovado um pacote de solidariedade de emergência. É uma instituição financeira que se quer guiada pelos princípios e pelas prioridades e objetivos políticos comuns da União Europeia. Mas o Parlamento Europeu quer mais: quer que tenha um papel nos esforços de reconstrução após a guerra na Ucrânia; quer maior investimento na segurança energética e no reforço da autonomia estratégica da União Europeia; quer que contribua para prevenir e conter crescentes desigualdades, seguindo políticas de crescimento sustentável e criação de emprego.  Finalmente, o Parlamento Europeu continua empenhado em reforçar a sua capacidade de escrutínio do BEI. É um elemento fundamental para assegurar mais transparência e mais
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Alin Mituța
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: RO

Doamnă președintă, s-a spus deja aici, ultimii ani au fost dificili, iar Banca Europeană de Investiții și-a făcut datoria de a contribui la combaterea efectelor pandemiei și acum ale războiului. Banca a investit în găsirea de vaccinuri și tratamente anti-Covid, dar și în păstrarea economiei pe, să zicem, linia de plutire. Și vă mulțumim pentru asta, domnule Hoyer. Sunt însă câteva domenii în care este, în mod clar, loc de îmbunătățiri. Avem nevoie de mai multe investiții ale băncii în agricultură și dezvoltare rurală pentru asigurarea securității alimentare și a tranziției la o agricultură verde. Avem nevoie ca banca să asigure, de asemenea, un nivel înalt de transparență și etică prin adoptarea unui registru de transparență și prin măsuri proactive de prevenire a conflictelor de interese.
Debate: Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report  - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022
Speaker: Matteo Adinolfi
Political group: ID
Country: Italy
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, sicuramente va dato atto alla Banca europea per gli investimenti di essere stata in prima linea nell'affrontare la crisi legata al Covid.  La BEI, con un programma di sostegno incentrato sui settori maggiormente colpiti dalla pandemia, ha offerto un aiuto fondamentale alle imprese che sono state particolarmente gravate dagli effetti della crisi. Va sicuramente apprezzato, inoltre, l'invito a sviluppare misure volte a introdurre nuovi strumenti finanziari che promuovano l'accessibilità per il settore agricolo e per gli agricoltori più giovani. Per contro, credo che vadano evidenziate alcune criticità. Nella relazione, infatti, si invita la BEI a dare priorità, attraverso le sue attività di prestito, ai progetti sociali, verdi e sostenibili. Il testo inoltre invita la BEI a sostenere il raggiungimento della neutralità climatica entro il 2050 per allineare le sue azioni al Green Deal europeo.  L'enfasi con cui la BEI viene investita del ruolo di banca climatica dell'UE in un momento storico nel quale dobbiamo fare i conti con il costo esorbitante dell'energia e con il caro bollette sembra quasi fuori luogo, considerando che tra gli obiettivi della BEI dovrebbe esserci la lotta alla disoccupazione giovanile, alla povertà e all'esclusione sociale, che paradossalmente sembrano lasciate indietro a vantaggio della transizione energetica.