unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Pascual Navarro Ríos
Language: ES

Gracias a nuestra unidad hemos podido prestar apoyo político, económico y militar a Ucrania y adoptar un conjunto de sanciones sin precedentes contra el régimen ruso. El actual régimen de sanciones contra Rusia es el más amplio y contundente jamás aprobado por la Unión Europea. Tal y como manifestaron nuestros dirigentes en la Declaración de Versalles en marzo de 2022, la Unión Europea está dispuesta a aumentar la presión sobre Rusia y Bielorrusia incluso adoptando nuevas medidas restrictivas. Nuestras sanciones están concebidas para disminuir la capacidad de Rusia de llevar a cabo su guerra ilegal contra Ucrania. Reducen los ingresos del presupuesto estatal e impiden el acceso a tecnologías clave relevantes para el sector de la defensa. Su eficacia queda demostrada por las tendencias actuales de la economía rusa con el declive de las industrias de defensa, aviación y sectores manufactureros y la pérdida de competitividad y productividad prevista a medio y largo plazo. Pero debemos aplicar nuevas medidas para aumentar la eficacia de nuestras sanciones y atajar las posibles vías de elusión. Los instrumentos antielusión recientemente adoptados en el undécimo paquete de sanciones tienen precisamente ese propósito. Esto reviste importancia para todos los bienes y tecnologías sancionados, pero especialmente para los bienes de combate que pueden ser utilizados con fines militares por Rusia para continuar su agresión contra Ucrania. Dada la magnitud de las medidas adoptadas es muy importante una aplicación correcta y uniforme. Para ello, debemos empezar predicando con el ejemplo; y la Unión Europea no ceja en sus esfuerzos de aplicación gracias a una buena cooperación entre las autoridades de los Estados miembros y la Comisión.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Andrius Kubilius
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

First of all, of course we need to see that those sanctions are working: Russia gets two times less income from exports of gas and oil than they were receiving before the war. The most painful sanctions were established last December with the introduction of the oil price cap, since the oil is bringing the biggest amount of income. Despite the fact that the price cap sanctions hit Russian incomes very heavily, still Russia is able to get around EUR 700 million a day from its fossil fuel exports, and the EU is still sending to Russia around EUR 2 billion per month for the import of oil and gas. It is time for us to look at how we can increase the effectiveness of our sanctions policy, especially on gas and oil. I would like just to name the next steps what we need to do. First, to further lower the cap on the crude oil price from the current USD 60 per barrel to USD 30 per barrel. Second, to impose an embargo on Russian LNG imports. Third, to introduce restrictions on fuel imports if fuels are produced by third countries using Russian oil. Fourth, to introduce a price cap on Russian ammonium fertiliser exports. Fifth, to prohibit trans-shipment of Russian oil and LNG through EU territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. Six, to introduce restrictions on European tanker services, on sale of tankers, as well as on European insurance services for tankers, if these are used to export Russian oil. And seventh, to introduce an enforced and centralised EU-level oversight of sanctions implementation. In addition, let’s introduce sanctions on companies which are building the Russian Arctic-2 LNG terminal. Let’s introduce sanctions on exports of Russian aluminium and on Rosatom and exports of nuclear fuel. It depends on us if Russia will continue to be able to finance its war.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
Political group: S-D
Country: Ireland
Language: PL

Rosja dość skutecznie reorganizuje gospodarkę. Państwa nieuznające sankcji Unii i innych krajów Zachodu, takie jak Chiny i Indie, korzystają z okazji do nadzwyczajnych korzyści. Dość powszechne jest obchodzenie sankcji technologicznych, także z udziałem firm europejskich. Szereg dużych firm z naszych krajów kontynuuje  Czy ograniczona skuteczność sankcji jest argumentem za ich zniesieniem? Oczywiście nie. Nie wydarzyło się nic, co uzasadniałoby takie posunięcie. Jest wprost przeciwnie. Konsekwentne postępowanie jest miarą wiarygodności naszej polityki. Potrzeba nam jednak większej determinacji i jedności. Wyjątki uczynione dla niektórych państw członkowskich nie mogą mieć charakteru trwałego. Należy poważnie rozważyć stosowanie sankcji wtórnych wobec krajów, które lekceważą nasze wysiłki. Wojna toczy się przy naszej granicy i wspieranie agresora oznacza lekceważenie naszego bezpieczeństwa.  Wreszcie coraz bardziej pilna staje się kwestia zastosowania najpoważniejszej sankcji, jaką powinna być konfiskata zamrożonego majątku państwowego Rosji. Nie jest prawdą, że nie można tego zrobić legalnie. Można. Stanowisko Komisji w tej sprawie, dotychczasowe przynajmniej, jest błędne, zarówno prawnie, jak i politycznie. Pieniądze te powinny trafić do Ukrainy. Wzmacnianie ofiary agresji jest też formą osłabiania agresora.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Bernard Guetta
Political group: Renew
Country: Austria
Language: FR

C’est le cas de la Russie de M. Poutine, et c’est pour cela qu’il est absurde – totalement absurde – de parler d’une inefficacité des coûts économiques que nous lui portons. Le poutinisme en est blessé. Le poutinisme en souffre, mais il y a bien évidemment des failles dans notre dispositif, de nouvelles mesures à prendre, mieux ciblées et qui fassent plus mal encore à l’agresseur. Nous avons à établir le bilan de ce qui a très bien marché, moins bien marché ou pas marché du tout. C’est ce que notre Parlement fera le mois prochain en appelant le Conseil et la Commission à faire encore mieux, encore plus et encore plus vite. Car la fin de cette agression en dépend.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Sergey Lagodinsky
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: EN

This Council and this Commission have lost sight of the main priorities: our priority is to prevent Russian government and Russian machinery from continuing to be able to finance this genocidal war. The goal of sanctions is not collective punishment of Putin’s opponents in the EU. Just recently, the interpretation of sanctions by the Commission – according to which Russian dissidents cannot bring personal items such as shampoo or soap from Russia to the EU – is frankly an embarrassment and is self-ridiculing the sanction instrument, one of the most important instruments of our foreign policy. Cars with Russian plates should not be allowed in the streets of the EU? Come on, listen to that. Are those our priorities? At the same time, while EU customs officers were hunting down Russian dissidents and their personal cars, we have heard about lifting sanctions from key actors of the media landscape in Russia, based apparently on two articles in the media. Is that the professionalism that we want in our sanction policies? We hear reports about sanction lists that are created based on Wikipedia articles. Is that the professionalism that we have? We still do not have a clear understanding of how sanctions are imposed, lifted and implemented. Dear Commissioner, dear Council, we must increase pressure, we must enact more sanctions, and our colleagues were right about that. We must close the loopholes. But please do it with a clear view of helping Ukraine through restricting the Russian state, and do this by driving a clear, transparent and professional strategy.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Anna Fotyga
Political group: ECR
Country: Denmark
Language: EN

No question, the sanctions regime is unprecedented and very important, yet it is neither sufficient nor consequent. We have to broaden it and many items possible to take were already indicated. I would add to this diamonds, once more Rosatom, broadening individual sanctions, and I would add also sanctioning countries that allow so much circumvention of sanctions by Russia and here indicate the necessity to broaden the mini sanctions imposed in July on Belarus. Lukashenko is an accomplice of Russia and his regime should be punished as well.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Thierry Mariani
Political group: ID
Country: Croatia
Language: FR

L’Union européenne prépare donc un douzième paquet de sanctions contre la Russie, alors que 1 800 personnes font déjà l’objet de telles mesures. Même M. Borrell a dû admettre, en mars 2023, que l’Union européenne atteignait ses limites en la matière. En nous accrochant fanatiquement, tous azimuts, à ces sanctions, nous avons multiplié les rancœurs en Afrique, en Asie et jusqu’en Amérique du Sud. Et vous parlez maintenant de lutter contre ceux qui permettraient de contourner les sanctions? Mais, comme vient de le rappeler M. Kubilius, nous achetons chaque mois environ 2 milliards de produits énergétiques à la Russie. Et je ne parle pas de notre industrie nucléaire, qui en dépend, comme celle des États-Unis. Bref, dans cette crise, l’Union européenne n’aura réussi qu’une chose: à allonger la liste de nos ennemis en inquiétant nos derniers amis.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

The Russian sanctions triggered persistent inflation across the EU, higher interest rates, a fall in real wages for workers, a cost of living crisis and the cost of energy crisis. Climate goals were trashed as EU countries fired up coal power stations. Germany’s economy entered recession. EUR 742 billion have been spent on energy subsidies, creating unprecedented market fragmentation as richer, more subsidy-capable countries draw investment away from others. The NATO proxy war has seen Europe sacrificed for US interests. European industry has the pleasure of paying multiples more for US LNG than their competitors in the US. The sanctions have backfired and no one in power is admitting it. What’s worse, we’re about to put the final nail in the coffin as we gear up to cut off China and de-risk because the US told us to do so. In all of this, one thing is certainly clear: the EU is at the opposite of a meritocracy.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Milan Uhrík
Political group: NI
Country: Austria
Language: SK

Vážený pán predsedajúci, keď už je tu téma efektívnosti sankcií, tak treba aj na pôde Európskej únie konečne nahlas povedať, že energetické sankcie Európskej únie proti Ruskej federácii sú fatálnym zlyhaním, pretože poškodzujú viac Európu ako samotné Rusko a všetci, ktorí ich podporujú, sú spoluzodpovední za tú infláciu a za to zdražovanie, ktorému bežní Európania aj bežní ľudia čelia. Inak, rovnakým fiaskom, ako sú energetické sankcie, bol aj ten európsky cenový strop na ruskú ropu, kedy sa Európska únia a G7 dohodli, že Rusi nesmú predávať ropu za viac ako 60 dolárov za barel. Realita je taká, včera som to pozeral na burzách, že ruská ropa sa predáva za 75 dolárov za barel a jednoducho celý svet s prepáčením na európske cenové stropy kašle. Pozrite, ja chápem, že sankcie mali oslabiť Rusko a pomôcť Ukrajine vyhrať, mali pomôcť ukončiť vojnu, ale to sa jednoducho nestalo. A preto je podľa mňa najvyšší čas zrušiť tie sankcie, ktoré poškodzujú Európu, a pomôcť ľuďom ľahšie žiť.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Radosław Sikorski
Political group: PPE
Country: Sweden
Language: EN

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for the briefing on the state and impact of sanctions. I fully support the financial measures, the measures to stymie the Russian war effort and measures to tighten up the effectiveness of sanctions. I would like to focus on just one aspect of them – the personnel sanctions. Patriarch Kirill, in my view, should also be sanctioned. Just because he is a religious figure doesn’t give him the right to call for hatred. We sanction various mad mullahs; we should sanction him as well. Then there is Mr Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, who, of course, enjoys diplomatic immunity in the United States, but not here. It’s an important message to send to Russian diplomats that justifying a criminal war of aggression and war crimes may not pass. Finally, a real viper – Mr Sergei Karaganov, who has been advocating for the use of nukes against Ukraine and against us. He may not have personally harmed anybody, but Julius Streicher at the Nuremberg trials also did not harm anybody. We need to send a message here as well – if you behave like a
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Kathleen Van Brempt
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, Mr Commissioner, as you mentioned, since February 2022, the EU has an unprecedented sanctions package in place against Russia. And these sanctions, they mean to change Russia’s behaviour and into war by undermining Russia’s economy. And although there is effect, of course, but we continue to see that the Russian economy is not hit as hard as we would have expected. Our sanctions are not as effective as we thought they would be. And first of all, and you mentioned that yourself, there is circumvention in place. A lot of products on the sanctions list still go to Russia and into the Russian war economy. So we need to step up our diplomatic efforts, but also pressure towards these countries, neighbouring countries, allies that circumvent, but also EU companies that keep exporting these products. But we also need to see how to strengthen the sanctions. When the Russian goods that the EU countries still import represent a value that is multiple times higher than the support we give to Ukraine, you can conclude we need to do more. And that brings me to the diamonds: they are still not included in the sanction list, and I do not understand that we still allow Russian diamonds to be sold in the EU. We need to tackle that as soon as possible.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Petras Auštrevičius
Political group: Renew
Country: Lithuania
Language: LT

Gerbiamas pirmininke, Komisijos nary, mieli kolegos, net ir po vienuolikos mėnesių sankcijų, po vienuolikto sankcijų paketo konvertuojama valiuta plaukia į Rusijos biudžetą. Kiekvienas euras įgalino Rusiją tęsti karą prieš Ukrainą, žudyti ir griauti. Graikų tanklaiviai noriai aptarnauja Rusijos naftos eksportą. Lietuvos vežėjai neatsisako krovinių į Rusiją, belgų deimantų apdirbėjai nesikrato rusiškų akmenėlių. Ką daryti? Apie tai galime kalbėti, bet ką iš tiesų daryti? Per pirmuosius aštuonerius šių metų mėnesius Vokietijos eksportas į Kirgiziją išaugo keturiolika kartų. Sunku suprasti, bet tai yra skaičiai, kurie įgalina Rusiją kariauti. Kolegos, aš siūlau vieną paprastą sprendimą. Siūlau nutraukti vystomojo bendradarbiavimo programas su tomis trečiosiomis valstybėmis, kurios dalyvauja Vakarų sankcijų apėjime. Paprastai – paimti ir padaryti. Humanitarinė pagalba yra viena, vystomojo bendradarbiavimo pagalba yra kita ir padarykime tai dabar.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Markéta Gregorová
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, dear colleagues, when we discuss Russia’s sanctions circumvention – brushing off the obvious, tax havens and post-Soviet Mafia states – there is a massive elephant in the room: China. Putin and Xi will meet in Beijing today to celebrate many things. Besides the Belt and Road anniversary, they will undoubtedly toast the successful negation of our anti-war sanctions. Total trade between China and Russia hit a new record high in 2022, up to 30%. China might have single-handedly neutralised many of our sanctions by keeping Putin’s petro-economy afloat and the war in Ukraine going. China replaces suppliers of Western electronic and engineering equipment. Beijing has also helped Russia circumvent the SWIFT sanctions by facilitating more and more trade in Yuan. It is evident that while we attempt to slow down and stop Putin’s mass-murder campaign in Ukraine, China does everything short of direct weapon shipments to help Russia. My question to colleagues from the Council and the Commission is: you know full well that China’s involvement has been discussed in the 11th sanction package focussed on circumvention, and I know full well that your institutions took China out of its scope. How many more pointless sanction packages are you planning to pass, then, while the elephant in the room remains unaddressed? Also, maybe you can pass on the message to Hungarian Council officials, and they could tell us whether Mr Orban’s and Hungary’s position is now pro-Putin, as he has not only blocked another help to Ukraine, but is also the only EU leader present in Beijing today.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Ryszard Czarnecki
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: PL

Panie Przewodniczący! Panie Ministrze! Panie Komisarzu! Myślę, że w tej sprawie jesteśmy w wielu aspektach zgodni, choć jako historyk wolałbym, żebyśmy mówili też o przeszłości, bo za wojnę pełnoskalową Rosji z Ukrainą odpowiadają także politycy po naszej stronie, którzy przez lata woleli być ślepi, gdy chodzi o rosyjski imperializm.  Natomiast mówiąc o dwunastym pakiecie sankcji, przede wszystkim powinniśmy starać się uszczelnić te luki, które powstawały w sposób świadomy przy wcześniejszych pakietach, gdy poszczególne państwa w zamian za głosowanie za sankcjami otrzymywały derogacje. Tak było w przypadku chociażby Belgii czy Włoch. I trzeba o tym mówić wprost i bardzo szczerze.  Myślę, że trzeba też bardzo jednoznacznie mówić o tym, że istnieją na Zachodzie cały czas firmy, które współpracują, a może lepiej powiedzieć kolaborują, z Rosją, które na tym zarabiają pieniądze. I w zasadzie dzieje się to za naszym przyzwoleniem. To pewna schizofrenia, że my z jednej strony słusznie okładamy Rosję sankcjami, ale z drugiej strony jesteśmy zupełnie bierni wobec zachodnich firm z naszych krajów, zwłaszcza z krajów Europy Zachodniej, które cały czas bardzo dobrze zarabiają, robią interesy z Rosją. To niedopuszczalne.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Paolo Borchia
Political group: ID
Country: Romania
Language: IT

Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, questo è un dibattito che si contestualizza in un conflitto, ci sono persone che stanno soffrendo, per cui non serve né fare polemica né sbandierare risultati che non si sono raggiunti. L'errore principale è stato quello di non aver tratto insegnamento da quanto successo con gli aggiramenti delle sanzioni del 2014, perché la Russia quest'anno riuscirà ad avere maggiori entrate grazie alle esportazioni di petrolio, nonostante i tetti massimi imposti dall'Unione europea e dal G7. In tanti stanno aiutando la Russia: il commercio con l'India è triplicato, quello con la Cina è aumentato di un terzo e le esportazioni dalla Turchia sono addirittura aumentate del 90 %. Quindi, questo è uno schema già visto, con operatori di paesi terzi che acquistano merci in Europa e poi le rivendono in Russia. Le sanzioni hanno avuto un impatto forte nella primavera del 2022 – questo è innegabile – poi il rublo si è ripreso e i tassi di interesse sono scesi. Questi sono dati che devono far riflettere sulla obiettivamente limitata capacità dell'Unione europea di influire sulle grandi questioni internazionali e sulle sanzioni sarebbe magari il caso di fare meno filosofia e iniziare a pensare al prezzo che le aziende europee stanno pagando.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Nikolaj Villumsen
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, have the EU sanctions on Russia been effective? No, not as much as they could have been. Special economic interests have protected different sectors from sanctions. From luxury handbag exports to imports of caviar, there’s always been a bad excuse. The shipping and banking sectors were protected. Even Russian blood diamonds may only be covered by sanctions from next year, maybe. Not to speak of how the Turkish president, Erdogan, is undermining the sanctions by allowing Russian goods to go through Turkey into the EU.  And then there are the fossil fuels. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU has paid the Putin regime more than EUR 165 billion for fossil fuel imports alone – money that Putin has used for the war. How many bombs has he bought for those billions?  We can do better. Let us strengthen solidarity with Ukraine. Let us strengthen the sanctions.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Clara Ponsatí Obiols
Political group: NI
Country: Slovakia
Language: EN

Mr President, loopholes in Russian sanctions are yet another by-product of the EU’s double standards and lack of spine. Just three examples: the illegal issuance of golden visas to Russian investors continues in Spain. Exemptions to Hungary are granted as a response to Orbán’s blackmail, and sanctions with close ties to Russia have given Azerbaijan the resources for an ethnic cleansing of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, while the world is not even looking. Double standards may seem a tempting shortcut to further EU interests, but they reveal weakness, decadence and corruption. Double standards undermine our credibility and influence as international actors. No wonder that Mr Borrell needs to pathetically beg for recognition from the international community when there is a major crisis. If Europe seeks to lead a rules-based international order and a humane and prosperous way of life, our strength lies in our principles. I hope it’s not too late to remember that.
Debate: Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Pilar del Castillo Vera
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: ES

Señor presidente, señor comisario, a pesar de las prohibiciones a la importación de petróleo crudo y productos derivados, sabemos que la Unión Europea sigue siendo uno de los mayores clientes de combustibles fósiles de Rusia. Y es que, para empezar, algunos Estados miembros que aseguran estar a favor de las sanciones han aumentado su importación hasta el punto de que en el primer semestre de 2023 las importaciones rusas de GNL a la Unión han sido las más elevadas de los últimos tres años. La situación exige evaluar dónde se están produciendo las fugas y las carencias que hacen que no haya la eficacia deseada. Por ejemplo, deberíamos valorar prohibir el transporte de petróleo y GNL rusos por las aguas territoriales y zonas económicas exclusivas europeas. No puede ser que los buques con bandera de países de la Unión sean los transportadores de la mayor proporción de petróleo crudo tanto en 2022 como en 2023. De igual manera, habría que valorar seriamente ampliar la lista de productos cuya importación está prohibida, e incluir en ella el aluminio, los fertilizantes nitrogenados y el amoniaco. Y, sobre todo, la Comisión Europea debería introducir una supervisión reforzada y centralizada para evitar la ineficacia de las sanciones.