unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Konstantinos Arvanitis
Political group: The Left
Country: Greece
Language: EL

Κυρία Πρόεδρε, μια μικρή υπέρβαση, σήμερα είναι μια πολύ δύσκολη μέρα για την Ευρώπη και για τη χώρα μου. Εκτός θέματος, έχουμε δεκάδες νεκρούς εκεί έξω, στα ελληνικά και στα ευρωπαϊκά νερά. Πρόκειται για μετανάστες. Επιστρέφω στο θέμα μας. Από τη λίστα Λαγκάρντ, στα Panama Papers, στα Paradise Papers, τώρα στα Pandora papers, στον εξαιρετικό ρόλο της ερευνητικής δημοσιογραφίας και στον ενοχικό και συγκαταβατικό ρόλο του πολιτικού υποκειμένου. Μιλάμε για τουλάχιστον 2,3 τρισεκατομμύρια ευρώ ενωσιακών κεφαλαίων που καταλήγουν σε φορολογικούς παραδείσους. Δηλαδή αφενός οι πολίτες ή οι απλοί άνθρωποι να φορολογούνται και να ελέγχονται - αφετέρου η επιχειρηματική και πολιτική ελίτ και το διεθνές οργανωμένο έγκλημα να πολλαπλασιάζουν τα κεφάλαιά τους και οι δημοσιογράφοι να καταδιώκονται.  Είναι απαράδεκτο η Ένωση να ανέχεται αυτές τις ύποπτες δωρεές κεφαλαίου. Ας μιλήσουμε καθαρά. Βλέπουμε τη Δεξιά και το Λαϊκό Κόμμα να αρνούνται τη δημοσιοποίηση στοιχείων και να επιμένουν να μην κατονομαστούν τα κράτη μέλη που πριμοδοτούν τέτοιες πρακτικές. Ούτε ακούμε κριτική για το ανεπαρκές 15 % του ελάχιστου συντελεστή φορολόγησης εταιρειών. Εδώ λοιπόν, ενώπιος ενωπίω, όλες οι πολιτικές ομάδες να πάρουν θέση. Ξεκάθαρη θέση.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Antoni Comín i Oliveres
Political group: NI
Country: Romania
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, si stima che i paradisi fiscali facciano perdere ai governi del mondo quasi 500 miliardi di dollari all'anno. Sì, un cinque e undici zeri. I  Nell'Unione europea dobbiamo essere molto più energici nella lotta contro i paradisi fiscali. Primo: dobbiamo aggiornare la nostra lista nera di giurisdizioni fiscali non cooperative perché ci siano i dodici paesi in cui l'imposta sulle società e dello 0 %, oggi non c'è nessuno, e perché ci siano anche paesi che non hanno criteri di trasparenza per quanto riguarda la proprietà delle società registrate.  Secondo: nella lista di monitoraggio dovrebbero esserci pure i paesi con un'imposta sulle società inferiore al 15 % stabilito dall'accordo OCSE. Inoltre, è urgente accelerare la creazione dell'Autorità europea antiriciclaggio. L'evasione fiscale è un attacco contro ogni idea di giustizia su scala globale. Per questo motivo la lotta contro i paradisi fiscali dovrebbe essere una priorità assoluta nella nostra agenda politica.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Stanislav Polčák
Political group: PPE
Country: Czechia
Language: CS

Paní předsedající, vážený pane komisaři, co nám odkryla kauza Pandora Papers? Tajné účty králů, premiérů, miliardářů, zapojených privilegovaných lidí. Něco bylo legální, něco už možná na hranici legality a něco bylo zjevně nelegální. Vytvářely se složité struktury, využívaly se
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Marek Belka
Political group: S-D
Country: Poland
Language: EN

Madam President, when many Member States are struggling to make ends meet to support Ukrainian refugees or fight climate change, according to recent data, in 2015, more than USD 200 billion were shifted from the EU to tax havens. I’m sick of underlining this. This is a warning call for us. Before the Pandora Papers, we already had LuxLeaks, Paradise Papers, Panama Papers and many more. Is that not enough? We have to act. First, we need better sanctions against the tax havens that are on the EU blacklist. Just naming and shaming won’t do the job: there’s too much money involved. Second, it is high time to cooperate with the US on the two pillars of OECD reform. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck in between giving tax havens a space to flourish. Third, Parliament has to have a say on tax issues. Stalling tax reforms with the unanimity principle is a joke, with all the tax leaks popping up virtually every year. Colleagues. Elton John – another celebrity after Silvio Berlusconi mentioned here – who is amongst many of the tax-avoiding politicians and celebrities revealed by the journalists in the Pandora Papers, might still be standing. But I hope that the unfair system of tax havens soon won’t.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Malin Björk
Political group: The Left
Country: Czechia
Language: SV

Fru talman! Högerregeringarna i Europa fortsätter att utforma skatteregler som är direkt anpassade för de rika. I mitt land, Sverige, sänks skatten för dem som tjänar mest, medan skola, vård, omsorg dras ner på. I Sverige har vi avskaffat förmögenhetsskatten, fastighetsskatten och vi subventionerar rika hushåll med hushållstjänster.  Konsten att slakta ett välfärdssamhälle skulle vi kunna kalla högerns orättvisa skattepolitik. Som om detta inte räckte har vi dessutom i Europa regelverk som underlättar ett utbrett skattefiffel. Något som återigen bara gynnar de rikaste och storföretagen och allsköns fifflare.  Bara genom läckor som Pandoradokumenten kan vi få en bild av det här samhällsfientliga fiffleriet. Vi måste se till att få ett rättvisare skattesystem, och vi måste öka transparensen och skärpa regelverket så att vi kan sätta stopp för skattefiffleriet – både för företag och för privatpersoner. Vi behöver skatterättvisa nu.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Marcel de Graaff
Political group: NI
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, de Pandora Papers zijn een eindeloze reeks van belastingontwijking door vermogende personen en bedrijven in belastingparadijzen. De huidige torenhoge belastingen zijn diefstal door de overheid om de armen arm te houden en de rijken rijker te maken. De rijken omzeilen belastingen vervolgens ook nog eens via ondoorzichtige constructies. De overheid wil contant geld voor de gewone man uitbannen, maar laat de miljoenen op onvindbare bankrekeningen ongemoeid. Dit is bevestigd in de Pandora Papers. De overheid wordt geleid door een vriendjesnetwerk van graaiers die zichzelf verrijken, zoals Ursula von der Leyen, die de deal met Pfizer nog altijd niet heeft bekendgemaakt. De oplossing is niet een verbod op contant geld en streng toezicht op de gewone man, maar een kleine, controleerbare overheid en een lage, eerlijke en simpele belasting voor iedereen. Op deze manier zijn belastingontwijkende constructies niet mogelijk en bovendien niet nodig.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, señor comisario Reynders, está usted echando muchas horas en este pleno del Parlamento Europeo. Más horas echamos aún los que fuimos miembros de la Comisión de Investigación sobre los Papeles de Pandora, que arrojó algunas lecciones conclusivas, algunas de las cuales voy a subrayar.  La primera es la necesidad de transparencia y, por tanto, de evitar que se produzcan conflictos de intereses y que, bajo la rúbrica de empresas de contabilidad financiera, se escondan verdaderos chiringuitos de evasión de capitales.  La segunda es la necesidad de acabar con las prácticas predatorias de fiscalidad competitiva entre los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea, particularmente en el ámbito de la fiscalidad del patrimonio y de sociedades. Esto incluye también poner fin a los programas de residencia para inversores y a los programas de ciudadanía para inversores, como tantas veces hemos requerido en este Parlamento Europeo.  Y la tercera es la necesidad de combatir los paraísos fiscales. La única forma de que la Unión Europea sea relevante en ese combate es que lo haga de forma unida, consistente, persistente en el tiempo y en todas las organizaciones de la gobernanza de la globalización, con el fin de acabar con esa práctica sencillamente inaceptable que tanto se manifestó durante nuestra investigación de los Papeles de Pandora.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Marc Botenga
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Commissaire, planquer son fric sur une île paradisiaque, soyons clairs: c’est du vol. C’est du vol à la collectivité, ce que font ces milliardaires et ces millionnaires. Ils évitent que cet argent soit utilisé pour finalement investir dans des crèches. Ce sont eux qui sont responsables, si l’on n’a pas assez de crèches; ce sont eux qui sont responsables, si le matin vous attendez le bus, mais que vous ne le voyez pas arriver, quand vous voyez «5 minutes», puis «4 minutes», «3 minutes» et le bus disparaît; ce sont eux qui sont responsables, lorsque les trains sont en retard; eux toujours qui sont responsables, quand il n’y a pas assez de médecins et d’infirmiers dans nos hôpitaux. Comment se fait-il qu’ils ne finissent pas en taule? Parce que, évidemment, il y a des politiciens qui sont à leur service, parce que nous avons des lois qui ont été écrites sur mesure pour les riches, pour les millionnaires. Aujourd’hui, tout le monde vient pleurer: «Ah, ils évitent l’impôt! Ils payent pas l’impôt, les riches, les multimilliardaires!» Eh bien, prenons les mesures qui s’imposent! Levons le secret bancaire, imposons une taxe pour les millionnaires – il y a toujours une majorité, ici, pour voter contre – et arrêtons les transactions économiques avec les paradis fiscaux, parce que, sinon, c’est de l’hypocrisie avec des larmes de crocodile.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists should be commended for their work on the Pandora Papers. On their website on the Papers, the ICIJ lists who they consider the power players of the Pandora Papers. They include, unsurprisingly, President Putin and his inner circle, but they also include the current Ukrainian President, Zelenskyy. The ICIJ describes Zelenskyy’s activities as follows: ‘Zelenskyy owned shares in an anonymous offshore entity, as did some of his business partners who are now close political allies.’  The report recommends that investigations into the assets and investments of Russian oligarchs should be a top priority, as they are strategically important for the EU’s security. Maybe the report should also consider investigations into the powers that be in Ukraine in order to ascertain how they attained their vast wealth and power.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Didier Reynders
Language: EN

This report proves this once again. The Commission is working to deliver on this. We must not lose time. The proposals currently discussed must be agreed swiftly, and the upcoming proposals must advance fast. That way, we will have a robust arsenal to fight against tax evasion avoidance and aggressive tax planning.  The Commission knows it can count on you and your help and support for this. This is of crucial importance. EU citizens are placing their expectations on us. Thank you once again for our discussions today, for your support and let us stay united on this issue to make some progress on the different files that we have in discussion for the moment.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Niels Fuglsang
Country: Italy
Language: EN

We have seen in the Pandora Papers that we have two systems. We have two sets of rules, one for the 99 % of those who go to work and pay their taxes, and one for the top 1 % who are able to use offshore accounts, hire tax advisers, hire lawyers that help them create shell companies and fake trusts so that they can avoid paying their taxes. And that is basically what we need to do away with. As Udo Bullmann, the DEVE rapporteur, said, this is something which harms, in particular, the developing countries, those who are poorest, those who have less than the rest, they are not the ones who are benefiting. They’re the ones who are being harmed. And those on the top are the ones who are benefiting.  So why are we not doing more? Mr Botenga asked. We cannot just complain. We need to act. I think he is absolutely right. And I think in this report we have a number of proposals. We have discussed them here today. So let us just agree that we have talked sufficiently. Now it is time to act and to do away with these tax schemes.
Debate: Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Alfred Sant
Political group: S-D
Country: Denmark
Language: EN

Tax competition measures are an essential tool for some Member States to compensate for a lack of endowments and/or economic handicaps that place them at a competitive disadvantage. Secondly, I disagree strongly as well with the report’s reference to so-called golden passports as ‘objectionable from an ethical, legal and economic point of view’. While myself having reservations about their use, this is not on the grounds mentioned. Such measures are totally legitimate and have been applied – still are – by countries, including major EU Member States and the US under one guise or another. It was only when smaller states also adopted the practice that objections began to be raised.
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Evelyn Regner
Country: Netherlands
Language: DE

Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über den Bericht von Udo Bullmann und Petros Kokkalis im Namen des Entwicklungsausschusses und des Ausschusses für Umweltfragen, öffentliche Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit über die Umsetzung und Verwirklichung der Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDG) (
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Udo Bullmann
Country: Romania
Language: DE

2015 hat sich die Weltgemeinschaft verständigt auf ein großes Reformprogramm: die Agenda 2030 − das Konzept für eine nachhaltige, für eine soziale, für eine bessere Welt. Wenn wir heute, acht Jahre später, Halbzeitbilanz ziehen, dann müssen wir uns mit massiven Problemen auseinandersetzen. Die Anzahl der Flüchtlinge weltweit ist auf über 110 Millionen Menschen gestiegen. Wir könnten alleine in 2050 140 Millionen Klimaflüchtlinge haben. Hunger ist zurück auf dem Globus. Über 830 Millionen Menschen sind davon akut bedroht. Was ist die Antwort? Aufgeben mit der Agenda 2030? Das kann nicht die Losung sein. Ganz im Gegenteil. Wir brauchen dieses ganzheitliche Konzept mehr als jemals zuvor als Kompass, um die Krisen zu bewältigen, und als Richtschnur für unsere internationale Politik, für die Weltgemeinschaft, aber insbesondere für die Europäische Union, die eine Vorreiterrolle wahrnehmen muss im internationalen Konzert. Über welche Mittel verfügen wir? Das Instrument „NDICI/Europa in der Welt“, unser internationales Portfolio, hat 80 Milliarden Euro bis 2027. Team Europa Warum ist das so wichtig? Was bedeutet das, dass wir uns engagieren für die Nachhaltigkeitskonzeption für unsere Partnerländer? Wir werden eine Situation erleben in wenigen Jahren, bis 2030, wo jeder vierte Jugendliche auf dieser Welt, jede vierte Jugendliche aus Afrika kommt – nur um ein Beispiel zu nennen. Diese Jugendlichen – und das wollen wir – sollen Ingenieurinnen und Ingenieure werden können, weil sie es sein müssen, die die nachhaltigen, die erneuerbaren Energiesysteme in Namibia entwickeln und andernorts, weil sie es sein müssen, die das Schicksal ihrer Länder in die eigenen Hände nehmen. Ja, und es sollen die Jugendlichen von heute sein, die morgen als IT-Expertinnen und -Experten den Ausbau der digitalen Infrastruktur in Mauretanien voranbringen. Wir wollen, dass unsere Partnerländer
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Didier Reynders
Language: EN

Today, let me reiterate the Commission’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of all the SDGs. Since the beginning of our mandate, this Commission has put the focus not on growth for the sake of it, but on sustainable growth, not on the level of growth, but on its quality, in alignment with the SDGs. We have launched deeply transformative initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, the Climate Law and the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. The SDGs have been progressively integrated into the European Semester, our annual cycle of economic policy coordination. The Country Reports for 2023, published in May, summarise the progress made by each Member State and include a detailed annex based on the monitoring carried out by Eurostat. We have maintained the cause even as we face up to the two major crises of the last few years. Both NextGeneration EU – adopted in response to the pandemic – and the REPowerEU plan put forward in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, aim to accelerate our shift to a more sustainable and inclusive economic model. At the global level, we have launched the Global Gateway Strategy to boost sustainable connections to lead the fair, digital and green transition.  However, as the United Nations Secretary-General’s latest report on the SDGs confirms, these crises have hindered global progress towards the 2030 goals at EU level. We have made progress across a large majority of the 2030 agenda. Nonetheless, on some SDGs, we need to do more. The EU voluntary review that the Commission will present at the High Level Political Forum in July and the SDG summit in September is an opportunity to redouble our efforts and to build global momentum. This is the first EU voluntary review. Your report called for it. The Commission answered your call. The voluntary review aims to connect the dots. It underlines the need for coherence between our internal and external action in support of the SDGs. Both our domestic policies and our international partnerships must be oriented towards these goals. Achieving the SDGs requires not just a whole of government approach, but a whole of society approach, working together with civil society organisations, national and local governments, the European institutions, and not least the European Parliament. So let me thank you once again for this report, and now I will listen to your intervention proposals and remarks.
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Frances Fitzgerald
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Over the last three years, our progress was stalled by the COVID—19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other global shocks, as colleagues have said. These unprecedented crisis forced us to focus our energies and efforts elsewhere. Now, I think, we must really redouble our efforts to meet our commitments. This is the right framework, no doubt about that. It is also imperative that we focus on preventing our progress from grinding to a halt or, worse yet, backsliding even more. Rather, the challenges we have faced can provide an opportunity to reshape our societies. Part of that, as we’ve learned here, is putting sustainable development at the heart of our policy responses. We need to redouble our efforts to show our citizens, as the Commissioner has said, that the SDGs present real value for them and are worthwhile investing in and integrating into all of the policies, budgets, all policies across the EU, as my Irish colleague MEP Andrews has repeatedly said. We in Europe can lead the way on delivering the SDGs. The future of our planet, and our future prosperity I would say, depends on it. We should not be found wanting when it comes to prioritising the SDGs, making sure, as I have said, that we integrate them into all our policies here in the EU, and we work with the Commission, we all work together to ensure that this happens and that we will not be found wanting.
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Marc Angel
Political group: S-D
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

However, as the UN Secretary General remarks in his upcoming report, in view of the SDG summit in September, this promise is in peril. Implementation throughout the world, Europe included, is dangerously behind schedule. We have a responsibility towards all these people to deliver, and the European Union should lead these efforts. We should lead by example here at home. And in this regard, the S&D Group reiterates its call to the Commission to present a comprehensive strategy for achieving the 2030 Agenda. The European Union should also be in the driver’s seat when it comes to championing and promoting international cooperation and partnerships as espoused by SDG 17. With Africa, we must develop a mutually beneficial partnership and support them in reaching their objectives. Equally, the ACP—EU partnership is crucial to fostering sustainable development in ACP countries and building stronger alliances to tackle global challenge. Latin America has become even more crucial partner for our union, and we must strengthen our mutual cooperation. Finally, there can be no sustainable development without peace, justice and strong institutions. We can witness this from up close with Russia’s thuggish war in Ukraine.  Dear colleagues, we owe it especially to those already left behind, to be ambitious and we must take bold action.
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Barry Andrews
Political group: Renew
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Quite frankly, I am shocked and disappointed that so few people take any real action when the moment arrives. We saw it last summer with the European Parliament vote on the sustainable taxonomy, where a majority voted to label gas and nuclear energy as green. We have seen it over the years both here and the European Council, where leaders chose not to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. We have seen countless efforts to water down the farm to fork strategy.  Most recently, two committees voted to bin the nature restoration law. Until we had an EU climate law, the majority of our commitments amounted to nothing more than greenwashing. It is my strong belief that the same applies to the SDGs. We are living through an era of SDG—washing and until we have binding targets for each SDG globally, but at the very least at EU level, we will simply not make any progress.  I am now convinced that it is the time we came forward with a proposal for an EU SDG law. The time for wishful thinking and self-congratulation is over. If we want to save Agenda 2030, we need SDGs with teeth!
Debate: Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
Date: WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Malte Gallée
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Spain
Language: DE

Gerade mal 12 % der Ziele sind  Wir brauchen in Europa eine kohärente Politik, denn daran fehlt es. Wir sind weit davon entfernt − auch hier in diesem Parlament −, wirklich mit all den Gesetzen, an denen wir arbeiten, dazu beizutragen, dass die nachhaltigen Entwicklungsziele erreicht werden. Wir müssen die umweltschädlichen Subventionen beenden. Und wir müssen endlich dafür sorgen, dass gerade die Länder, die am weitesten zurückliegen, eben nicht immer weiter in die Schuldenfallen fallen. Genau dort müssen wir doch investieren. Genau deshalb brauchen wir eine Reform des IWF, eine Reform der Weltbank. Dort muss das Geld hin − zu den Leuten, die es am dringendsten benötigen! Wir sind verdammt weit weg. Wir haben noch einen verdammt weiten Weg zu gehen. Es ist noch verdammt lang hin, bis wir wirklich Politik machen, die jeden Menschen schätzt, die jeden Menschen gleichwertig behandelt. Aber wir müssen ihn gehen.