unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Cambodia: the case of opposition leader Kem Sokha
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Petras Auštrevičius
Political group: Renew
Country: Lithuania
Language: EN

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, dear  colleagues, let me, on your behalf, most heartily welcome Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, and his delegation visiting the European Parliament today. You are most welcome Mr Rainsy to our House.  Dear colleagues, the 27-year sentence for Cambodian Opposition leader Kem Sokha was shocking news to Cambodians and the democratic community worldwide. The Hun Sen regime disregards the basic norms of an open society and suppresses the opposition in the run-up to this summer’s parliamentary elections.  I call on the Commission and the External Action Service to take immediate actions to further reduce preferential trade with Cambodia unless, I emphasise, unless all charges against Kem Sokha are dropped and he is immediately released.  I call for individual sanctions against regime officials if parliamentary elections are not held in a free and fair manner. The officials responsible for the most serious human rights violations, such as Generals Hing Bun Hieng and Kun Kim, should be among the first ones added to the EU Magnitsky list.
Debate: Cambodia: the case of opposition leader Kem Sokha
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Helena Dalli
Language: EN

On 23 July 2023, Cambodia will hold parliamentary elections. The recent conviction of Kem Sokha to 27 years in jail, excluding him from participating in the electoral process, deprives once again Cambodian citizens of their right to choose their representatives in a transparent and credible electoral process. After a long three-year judicial process, the court has delivered a harsh verdict. The European Union has joined others in the international community, including several of our Member States, in condemning this unjustified sentence. We have been unequivocal in calling for the reopening of civic and political space in Cambodia. We have also called on the Cambodian authorities for the immediate release of Kem Sokha and the reinstatement of his political rights. We will be following the conditions of his detention while in house arrest. Our political dialogue with Cambodia intensified in 2022 – the year Cambodia held the ASEAN chairmanship. Local elections took place in the same year with the participation of the opposition, which received over 20% of the votes. We engaged in frequent contacts at all levels of the Cambodian Government throughout the year, where we discussed the constraints, legal and otherwise, of the political environment at all meetings, including at high level, especially in relation to opening space for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The High Representative also took the opportunity to meet Kem Sokha in his home during his August visit to Cambodia. However, since the beginning of 2023, we observed new judicial cases brought against representatives of the main opposition party, the Candlelight Party, and further restrictions to the freedom of expression and media freedom. The recent closure of Voice of Democracy, an independent media outlet in Cambodia, has restricted further the capacity of citizens to access information from independent sources. In the run up to the elections. The EU will continue to call on the Cambodian authorities to take all measures to ensure inclusive, transparent and credible parliamentary elections in June 2023.
Debate: The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Seán Kelly
Political group: PPE
Country: Greece
Language: EN

Mr President, I would like to say firstly, I am surprised that the EPP did not have a speaker on the Cambodian discussion. As rapporteur for ASEAN, I met the opposition, Sam Rainsy, and the delegation today and I would have been willing to speak. Apropos this topic, Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus has continued its repression against the Belarusian people, with civil society representatives, human rights defenders, journalists and opposition activists being persecuted for purely political reasons. Criminal persecution and draconian laws remain one of the most severe and widespread forms of repression in Lukashenko’s totalitarian state. More than 40 000 Belarusians are estimated to have been detained while protesting against this tyrannical regime, while human rights defenders have documented hundreds of cases of torture and ill treatment, with several people still missing and others having been found dead and, unfortunately, thousands having fled the country. The show trial of journalist Andrzej Poczobut and the manufactured charges against Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski are an absolute abomination. This is terrible and we have to condemn it.
Debate: The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Stanislav Polčák
Political group: PPE
Country: Czechia
Language: CS

Pane předsedající, já jsem pochopitelně podpořil tento návrh usnesení. Represe, kterým jsou vystaveni Andrzej Poczobut a Ales Bjaljacký, jsou nepřijatelné. Ale samozřejmě to nejsou pouze tyto dva případy. Těch případů je naprostá většina, se kterými jsme se setkali a hovořili jsme zde o nich v posledních měsících. Bělorusko se stalo totalitním státem, pošlapává všechna myslitelná lidská práva a je důležité říci, že běloruský prezident se stal nepochybně sluhou ruského medvěda a že může již létat pouze do Číny či Íránu. Myslím si, že musíme dále zpřísnit sankce, pomáhat běloruské opozici a být připraveni na změnu režimu, protože já jsem přesvědčen, že běloruský lid si nenechá vnutit tuto totalitní praktiku a že brzy v Bělorusku snad zavládnou lidská práva a demokracie.
Debate: Adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Seán Kelly
Political group: PPE
Country: Greece
Language: GA

A Uachtaráin, glaonn an tairiscint seo ar Bhallstáit inniu go bhfuil an t-íosioncam náisiúnta oiriúnach le ráta riosca na bochtaineachta. Leagann an tairiscint amach na slite gur féidir leis na Ballstáit a úsáid chun athchóiriú a dhéanamh ar a scéimeanna ioncaim ionas go mbeidh siad níos éifeachtaí, ag cabhrú le daoine teacht amach as an mbochtaineacht agus ag cuidiú le lánpháirtiú an mhargaidh fostaíochta i gcomhair dóibh siúd atá in ann oibriú. Gan athchóiriú a dhéanamh ar íosioncam náisiúnta, cuireann an tairiscint béim ar thástáil maoine indibhidiúla i gcomparáid le tástáil maoine teaghlaigh. Ina theannta sin, déantar measúnú ar thraenáil, fáil ar sheirbhísí éigeandála agus gníomhaíocht margaí fostaíochta in áireamh an íosioncaim. Ní mór don tairiscint seo inniúlacht na mBallstát a chosaint freisin.
Debate: Adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, I voted in favour of this text because of the urgent need to raise the national minimum income in the EU Member States in order to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and social inclusion. Now, we know that in 2021, 95.4 million people in the EU, 21% of the population, were at risk of poverty and social exclusion.  So, grand and all as this measure is, and it is, unless we go much further than this, the problems will not be sorted out. Our workers are in a situation of constant precariousness; the energy crisis, deindustrialisation, unemployment, inflation are all increasing the numbers of people who are increasingly insecure.  The share of housing costs in the disposable income of people at risk of poverty is 38%. In Ireland in the last quarter last year, average rents were EUR 1 733 per month. In France, the number of people achieving food aid has tripled. The social emergency is here, it’s time to wake up.
Debate: Adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Charlie Weimers
Political group: ECR
Country: Luxembourg
Language: SV

Herr talman! Samma år som EU:s sociala pelare antogs i Göteborg hittade Europaparlamentet ett problem och uppmanade medlemsstaterna att introducera ”tillräcklig minimiinkomst”. Sedan blev direktivet om minimilöner lag, mot Sveriges och Danmarks vilja.  För att strö salt i såren lovade kommissionär Schmit att tackla de otillräckliga minimiinkomsterna. I förra höstens icke-bindande rekommendation uppmanades medlemsstaterna att nå en ”tillräcklig nivå för inkomststöd” före 2031. När stödet inte nått den tillräckliga nivån kommer det bindande lagstiftning, även om beslutsmakten ska vara kvar på medlemsstatsnivå. Så fungerar maktöverföringen till EU.  De som kallar sig liberaler röstar som marxister här i parlamentet. I dag understödde de kravet om tillräcklig minimiinkomst. Om jag, för freden i Europa, skulle kräva miljardstöd för att släppa ut fredsduvor skulle majoriteten rösta för. EU-staten växer ohämmat om ingen gör motstånd. Därför röstade vi sverigedemokrater nej till resolutionen om tillräckliga minimiinkomster.
Debate: European Semester for economic policy coordination
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Seán Kelly
Political group: PPE
Country: Greece
Language: EN

A Uachtaráin, this report for Economic Policy Coordination outlines the European Parliament’s contribution to the annual European Semester cycle, very supportive.  The report describes the economic risks Member States are facing and highlights the necessary steps to alleviate these challenges. The report recognises the risks of a high debt-to-GDP ratio in Member States, and that the recent increase in interest rates makes debt servicing an ongoing and heightened challenge.  Parliament’s report concurs with the Commission’s recommendations on the need for support measures to be targeted, and that prudent medium-term fiscal positions must be pursued.  The adopted report highlights the need to have proper enforcement of fiscal rules and a strong role for independent fiscal institutions. In essence, the report reiterates that robust economic growth, sound fiscal policies and a healthy balance between government revenues and expenditure are necessary to reduce legacy debt and make debt sustainable in the long run.
Debate: European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and social priorities for
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Stanislav Polčák
Political group: PPE
Country: Czechia
Language: CS

Pane předsedající, já jsem tuto zprávu nepodpořil a dovolil bych si vysvětlit z jakých důvodů. Vůbec nezpochybňuji, že je důležité, aby k této koordinaci hospodářských politik samozřejmě docházelo. Tato politika má rovněž své úspěchy. V době pandemie COVID-19 přinesla určitě zabezpečení pro řadu zaměstnanců. Také souhlasím s tím, že tato politika musí řešit sociální problémy, sociální vyloučení, chudobu, to je nepochybné. Ale v řadě bodů si myslím, že se neshodujeme v pojetí, co také oslabuje konkurenceschopnost Evropské unie a jejích členských států. Je to nepochybně také výrazná míra právní regulace, špatně cílená podpora i pro zrovna zaměstnavatele, pro naše podniky a je to velká byrokracie. Takže mně v té zprávě chyběla jistá vyváženost a z těchto důvodů jsem ji nepodpořil.
Debate: Implementation report on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Stanislav Polčák
Political group: PPE
Country: Czechia
Language: CS

Pane předsedající, tuto zprávu jsem naopak podpořil. Je mi velmi líto, že došlo k brexitu. Myslím si, že sami Britové již mohli poznat, že jim mnozí jejich politici lhali, i ti, kteří zasedali v tomto Parlamentu. Nicméně domnívám se, že je důležité obrátit list, že je velmi důležité ocenit dohodu, kterou jsme nakonec udělali mezi Velkou Británií a Evropskou unií, a je třeba budovat nové spojenectví. Já jsem s tou implementací dohody spokojen a myslím si, že z těchto důvodů je dobré podpořit i tuto zprávu v Evropském parlamentu a doufat, že v blízkých zítřcích nebo v budoucnosti nalezneme spoustu společného a budeme si velmi blízkými partnery, to znamená na obou stranách Lamanšského průlivu, jak ve Velké Británii, tak v Evropské unii. Čeká nás spousta výzev, které jsou zcela zjevné, a myslím si, že toto spojenectví by mohli ocenit občané na obou dvou stranách.
Debate: EU-Armenia relations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President,  Caution would seem to be the most appropriate course but instead, we have a former Secretary-General of NATO in Armenia this week setting out his vision for Armenia’s future. Whose interest is this man representing I wonder? The EU and US are playing games here, trying to push countries in different directions and exploiting tensions created by the war in Ukraine. We are increasing the chances of renewed ethnic conflict with zero regard for the people. The EU is not an honest broker here.
Debate: EU-Azerbaijan relations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, the differing tones in the  and Azerbaijan texts are striking. We need to coax the fledgling democracy Armenia away from Russia and our close partners, Iran. And we can’t condemn Azerbaijan enough for their military aggression, for persecution of political activists and civil society and for all kinds of human rights violations. Yet, Azerbaijan, the dictatorship and the aggressor, is our close partner. We just signed an MOU with them to double imports of their natural gas to at least 20 billion cubic metres a year by 2027. They are great pals with our like-minded partners, Israel, who kill Palestinians on a daily basis. Azerbaijan are Israel’s largest oil supplier, and Israel sells to them 70% of the weapons they like to use against Armenians.  Our American partners see them as a useful tool in the battle against Iran – another reason for the Israeli arms sales. As with Armenia, not everything fits nicely into the larger narrative crafted in Brussels and Washington. Not only can we not form a coherent strategy in the area, and the EU will do well to watch its step in the Caucasus.
Debate: EU-Azerbaijan relations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, this report on Azerbaijan is a really interesting read. In it, we’ve alleged war crimes with torture and mutilation, the persecution of political dissidents, lack of women’s rights, racist hate speech, child labour, illicit spying on journalists and politicians, with the grotesquely evil trophy park in Baku; we’ve enforced disappearances, desecration of corpses, political repression, police brutality, intimidation, death threats and assassination against the opponents of the Azerbaijani Government; lack of media freedom, violation of human rights, not to mention no workers’ rights – because they don’t have any.  And after all of that, after all the squares of this shameless authoritarian bingo card have been ticked off, the EU’s oil and gas deal with Azerbaijan is signed in the same breath as, ‘We can’t do business with the authoritarian Russia. We’ll do it with these valiant defenders of democracy and human rights.’ If you want a clue about why nobody outside here takes this place seriously, well, this report is a very good place to start.
Debate: Council position at first reading
Date: THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Nicola Beer
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Die Präsidentin hat vom Rat den Standpunkt in erster Lesung erhalten, einschließlich der Gründe, aus denen er diesen Standpunkt festgelegt hat. Die entsprechenden Standpunkte und Stellungnahmen der Kommission sind ebenfalls eingegangen. Der vollständige Titel wird im Protokoll dieser Sitzung bekannt gegeben. Die Drei-Monats-Frist, über die das Parlament verfügt, um sich zu äußern, beginnt somit morgen, 17. März 2023.
Debate: European Citizens’ Initiative "Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment"
Date: THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Nicola Beer
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Europäische Bürgerinitiative „Bienen und Bauern retten! Eine bienenfreundliche Landwirtschaft für eine gesunde Umwelt“ (
Debate: European Citizens’ Initiative "Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment"
Date: THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Bas Eickhout
Country: France
Language: EN

And for very sure, I know that we will have a discussion again about our farming model. But what the citizens are aiming for here also is, by changing our agricultural model, we can save the bees and the farmers at the same time. And for me that is always a pretty strange part of the discussion that I have here in this House. When we are discussing agriculture, I don’t meet anyone who is happy with the developments in our agriculture system. We see that young farmers are more and more reluctant to get into this business. We see that less and less farmers are there and that they’re getting bigger and bigger, but that the profits are shrinking. So no one is really happy with the current agriculture model. Doesn’t that mean we need a substantial change, a substantial change that benefits the farmer but also benefits our natural system, which our agriculture system is built upon? And that is exactly what this initiative is trying to put forward. And that’s also a call to the Commission to do now something about the change of our agriculture system. And of course, the Commission launched its Farm to Fork initiative, which, by the way, was very well supported by this House as well. But now the question is, what are we going to do with the Farm to Fork ambition? Yes, there is one file out, that is the sustainable use of pesticides. And you see already and probably some colleagues will mention that again, there is not full support for that proposal and some even want to get rid of it. That would mean there is nothing of the Farm to Fork strategy then on the table. Then what’s your plan? You will stick to business as usual with the model you’re not happy about. So something needs to change. And this is really a question to the Commission. What are you going to propose to change? Not strategies, not initiatives, not nice reports, but laws to change to make us less dependent on pesticides, fertilisers, antibiotics, because that’s the model that needs to change for the bees and the farmers.
Debate: European Citizens’ Initiative "Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment"
Date: THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Norbert Lins
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Die Europäische Bürgerinitiative „Bienen und Bauern retten! Eine bienenfreundliche Landwirtschaft für eine gesunde Umwelt“ zeigt, wie wichtig dieses Anliegen der europäischen Bevölkerung ist. Aber die Frage ist: Wie können wir den Schutz von Bienen und Bauern langfristig garantieren? Ich sage Ihnen: Es geht im Dialog! Wir brauchen Alternativen. Das heißt, wir müssen zunächst die alternativen Mittel entwickeln, sie zulassen und dann die Reduktion durchsetzen. Hier ist die Kommission eindeutig im Verzug. Wenn wir über die Biodiversität sprechen und darüber, wie wir sie erhalten bzw. verbessern können, dann geht es eben insbesondere auch um den bäuerlichen Familienbetrieb. Viele beklagen, dass der mehr und mehr in den Hintergrund gerät, dass Bauern aufhören. Aber es sind doch vor allem auch viele Auflagen, Dokumentationen, Bürokratie, die gerade dazu führen, dass die kleinen Bauern aufhören und dass der Hof nicht in die nächste Generation geht. Auch das, glaube ich, müssen wir beachten. In meiner Heimat Baden-Württemberg gehen wir den Weg der Kooperation und nicht der Konfrontation. Wir haben mit einem Biodiversitätsstärkungsgesetz diesen Weg aufgezeigt. Die Europäische Union sollte sich diesen Weg mal genauer anschauen. Im Moment habe ich die Befürchtung, wir landen in einer Sackgasse.
Debate: European Citizens’ Initiative "Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment"
Date: THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 2023
Speaker: Ana Miranda
Country: Italy
Language: PT

A Comissão PETI recebeu um grande número de petições sobre estas questões, tanto de pessoas particulares, como de organizações. Os peticionários europeus solicitaram um maior compromisso com o bem—estar das abelhas e polinizadores, que é vital para a saúde ambiental e para a segurança alimentar. As evidências mais recentes mostraram também a necessidade de uma intensificação significativa de políticas que melhor preservem os habitats e as áreas agrícolas para que se tornem um vetor—chave para recuperar a biodiversidade. O apoio adequado dos agricultores na necessária transição rápida para a agroecologia plena é fundamental, favorecendo especialmente pequenas empresas agrícolas diversificadas e sustentáveis, a agricultura orgânica e a investigação no domínio da agricultura sem pesticidas e livre de organismos geneticamente modificados. Esta ICE, bem como os peticionários demonstraram a necessidade não só de abordar questões específicas, como também de se inserirem no contexto mais amplo da missão da União Europeia para restaurar os ecossistemas. Apoio plenamente o objetivo da proteção total das abelhas e outros polinizadores, que estão a sofrer um declínio acentuado, tanto na União Europeia, como no resto do mundo. 9% das espécies de abelhas estão ameaçadas, as populações de abelhas diminuíram 37%, e até 40% das espécies de abelhas podem estar ameaçadas. O declínio dos polinizadores deve—se a vários fatores. Esta bem—sucedida Iniciativa de Cidadania Europeia, com as suas principais exigências, oferece à União Europeia a grande oportunidade de pôr em prática uma ação firme para reverter o declínio dos polinizadores, Senhora Comissária. Aproveito para saudar os apicultores galegos e dizer claramente: salvar as abelhas e os agricultores!