unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Guy Verhofstadt
Political group: Renew
Country: Bulgaria
Language: EN

I hope that this House, when we vote – I think it’s tomorrow we vote – on this resolution gives it a huge majority, a huge majority that gives us a mandate for the final discussions with the UK authorities, which will happen on Thursday. I have been invited by the Secretary of State, Mr Barclay, and by the new Minister for European Affairs, Mr Pincher. It’s important that this resolution has massive support so that it gives us strength on Thursday and Friday because there are still concerns that need to be addressed. If they are not addressed now, before the end of the month, they will be on the table before the end of the year. I cannot imagine that the European Parliament will agree, for example, on the free-trade agreement (FTA) without solving the problems and the concerns of the EU citizens and the UK citizens, including freedom of movement.  These concerns have already been mentioned by my two colleagues. First of all, the automatic recognition of citizens’ rights. There is a Tory Government and Tory governments always say that they want less bureaucracy. Well, OK, let’s make less bureaucracy and the best way to do it is automatic recognition so that you don’t need all this. The second is a physical document. Why is it necessary? The UK authorities are telling us that, ‘yes, but it’s not necessary – they have an email’. But can you imagine a case where a woman goes to see her parents on the continent, comes back and at the border they ask, ‘where is your email?’ – ‘I don’t have my email, there is no energy anymore in my battery’ – or maybe she deleted the mail, so she cannot enter the UK. We need a physical document. In a normal world, you have a document. That’s the second concern.  The third concern is the Independent Monitoring Authority. My proposal is simple: why not put a few representatives of the 3million organisation in the Independent Monitoring Authority? Then we are sure that both sides are there, so it solves the problem. These things need to be addressed and I hope that they will be on Thursday and Friday.  Maybe, to finish on a lighter note, I can ask Prime Minister Johnson for a little bit of flexibility. Maybe he can follow the Queen’s example – because yesterday the Queen gave Harry and Meghan a transition period to leave, so maybe some flexibility on Mr Johnson’s side could also be very useful.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Gunnar Beck
Political group: ID
Country: Germany
Language: EN

First, the agreement states that in future, the parties may decide no longer to accept national identity cards without a biometric identification chip. Such a rule is not unlawful, but there seems no obvious legal, economic or security reason for it. Data protection and privacy were once subjects of fierce political debates. Sadly in our rights-obsessed political climate today, such basic rights seem forgotten.  Second, the agreement freezes EU citizens’ rights as they are being interpreted on Brexit day, while assigning future interpretation to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The CJEU is, in effect, asked to develop two parallel bodies of case—law: one for citizens’ rights within the EU27 and another for the UK based on pre-Brexit EU law. How realistic, I ask, is this? Finally, clause 18 of the resolution bemoans the UK Government’s intention to end free movement of persons next year. The motion claims that all four freedoms are interlinked and that any comprehensive EU-UK trade deal should be conditional on the UK agreeing to generous free movement of persons rules. This demand is against the UK’s and the EU’s own interests. Free trade agreements – indeed, most EU trade agreements – generally say nothing about free movement of persons. The EU in 2018 had a very large trade surplus with the UK. It’s therefore in the EU’s interests, just as Britain’s, to negotiate a comprehensive trade deal.  If this House is serious about citizens’ rights, then EU and UK citizens have a right that their economic interests be taken seriously by this House.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Geoffrey Van Orden
Political group: ECR
Language: EN

As you know, the House of Commons passed by a majority of 99 votes the third reading of the Withdrawal Agreement last week. It has now moved to the House of Lords. It’s the duty of this House to give its assent to the Withdrawal Agreement so that it can take effect on 31 January, and I trust that will happen smoothly.  Of course, control of our own borders was a key factor in the vote to leave the European Union. I say to Ms Hübner we should bear that in mind. On the subject of citizens’ rights, this is an area where both the British Government and the EU have been more or less in agreement from the start. I like the first paragraph of the resolution: ‘believes that part two of the Withdrawal Agreement is fair and balanced’. The resolution, quite frankly, should stop there. I feel sure the resolution is designed to be helpful in spite of its misconceptions and some nit—picking. I sincerely hope so, but I am sure some role will be found for Mr Verhofstadt in the future. Historically, of course, no country equals the United Kingdom in terms of protecting the rights, freedoms and liberties of the individual.  Mr President, may I say the resolution focuses disproportionately on the future status of EU citizens in the EU but pays scant attention to British citizens in the remaining 27 countries of the European Union. One paragraph out of 22! The UK is in an advanced stage of preparation but hardly any of the remaining Member States have published plans as to how the system will work for British citizens resident in their countries. Just as the British authorities will look after those within their jurisdiction, I very much hope in future, in the absence of British MEPs, that this Parliament, along with national parliaments will be rigorous in ensuring that British citizens in EU countries are properly treated.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Martin Schirdewan
Political group: GUE/NGL
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Dies betrifft vor allem die Regelung zum Aufenthaltsstatus, etwa von selbstständigen Dienstleistern, ebenso wie die Anwendbarkeit dieser Regelung für schutzbedürftige Personen oder Ältere. Dennoch müssen wir auch jetzt schon an die zukünftige Beziehung zwischen der Europäischen Union und Großbritannien denken. Dabei geht es, wie wir alle wissen, um weit mehr als um ein Handelsabkommen. Es geht um die Regelung jedes einzelnen politischen, wirtschaftlichen, aber auch ökologischen Aspekts, der das Zusammenleben dies- und jenseits des Kanals zukünftig mitbestimmen wird. Angesichts der Komplexität und der Vielzahl der politischen Aspekte, die von der Scheidung betroffen sind, ist doch allen klar, dass es nicht gelingen kann, etliche internationale Abkommen in nur elf Monaten miteinander auszuverhandeln. Wer etwas anderes behauptet, streut den Leuten wissentlich Sand in die Augen. Deshalb ist es notwendig, dass die Regierung von Boris Johnson meiner Ansicht nach rechtzeitig eine Verlängerung der Übergangsphase beantragt, damit eben die Bürgerrechte geschützt werden können und damit ihm und uns die Zeit gegeben wird, die es braucht – nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Geschieht dies nicht – das muss man hier auch noch mal ausdrücklich betonen –, steht noch immer die Gefahr eines harten Brexits mit all seinen negativen Konsequenzen im Raum. Meine Fraktion hat sich in den zurückliegenden Jahren immer dafür eingesetzt, den Friedensprozess in Nordirland zu sichern und die sozialen Rechte der Betroffenen zu schützen. Das werden wir auch in Zukunft tun. Es darf zu keiner Senkung von Standards kommen, weil die Regierung in Großbritannien eventuell auf die schlechte Idee kommt, dass sich mit einem Dumpingwettbewerb wirtschaftliche Wettbewerbsvorteile erschleichen lassen. Das ist nicht hinnehmbar, weder in sozialen Fragen noch in der Steuerpolitik, weder in ökologischen Fragen noch beim Verbraucherschutz. Abschließend möchte ich die Gelegenheit dieser Debatte im Namen meiner Fraktion nutzen, den britischen Kolleginnen und Kollegen zu danken, mit denen wir in der Vergangenheit konstruktiv für ein besseres Europa gearbeitet und auch gestritten haben. Ihr werdet uns fehlen!
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Alexandra Lesley Phillips
Political group: NI
Language: EN

Mr President, the UK has opened its EU settlement scheme. We’ve made plain now for three years that those who have made Britain their home should have the right to remain on equal terms with all of those who live in my welcoming and wonderful nation, but not with super rights: no freedom of movement, fairness not favouritism. In elevating Europeans to the top of the pile, what you are suggesting is that the Africans, the Asians, the Americans and the Antipodeans who also call the UK home are somehow second—class citizens and that is something that my nation will not abide. Now I’m actually quite reassured listening to what’s been a constructive debate so far today, but I do want to suggest other politicians here who I’ve heard previously become sanctimonious and sobbing and scaremongering about the future rights of EU citizens that Britain is a kind, welcoming and open country. Do not give misinformation to people and make them fearful that they will not have residency. Let’s work together because we are going to become an independent nation, with an independent immigration policy and we are prepared to work with you to make sure that everybody is protected.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Esteban González Pons
Political group: PPE
Country: Slovenia
Language: EN

Mr President, I want to speak in English because I want to be heard in English. British people must know that despite Brexit, despite all the things that happened during these last four years, they will always be welcome in the European Union because Europe is not about where you come from; it’s about where you want to go. Countries can be separated; families cannot. Today, there is more than one million Britons living in other EU countries – lots of them in my own country, in Spain. I want to address them directly today. Many of you have built your lives here, in Europe. Many of you have married here. Some of you have children that were born here. We are neighbours. Most of all we are friends. We are relatives. There is something that we cannot and will not forget. That is why I want to tell you: no matter what happens after 31 January, you will always belong to Europe, and as long as it’s your wish to stay with us, the European Union will always be your home. So from the bottom of my heart, I won’t say goodbye, I won’t say see you soon, I’ll only say: stay with us, the European Union is your home.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Jude Kirton-Darling
Political group: S-D
Language: EN

Madam President, in the Committee on Petitions, we’ve heard the voices of citizens from across Europe desperate about what will happen to their rights, their lives, their jobs, their families. Most of these citizens – whether EU27 nationals in the UK or UK citizens in the rest of the EU for longer than 15 years – had no voice or vote in the decision that most acutely affects their lives. They are the children of this great continental peace project, taking up the dreams of the original founders of these institutions and building lives based on the common rights that we share. We have, above all, a moral duty towards those who had no vote and are being further disenfranchised. We have consistently stated that guaranteeing citizens’ rights is a red line for any Brexit deal. We must stick to that. We know the outstanding problems and we have to be brave and see action before we vote on that deal in a few weeks.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Caroline Voaden
Political group: Renew
Language: EN

Madam President, Emmanuelle is a teacher. She has taught her beautiful language to thousands of teenagers over 20 years of work in British schools in my constituency. She has paid her taxes, married a British man and has children who are British. Recently she filled in an 85-page form to apply for settled status, giving her permission to stay in a country she chose to make her home, where she has worked, paid her taxes and volunteered in her community, and she was initially refused settled status. Securing the rights of the 3 million EU 27 citizens in the UK is a fundamental issue. This is not about freedom of movement. This is about securing their right to call it their home, mutual recognition of professional qualifications is an absolute must going forward. There is no logical reason why the UK Government can’t use a declaratory process to give this status with a suitable accompanying physical document and guaranteeing the continued independent monitoring of this process. By failing to do this our government is shaming our country. And doing it properly will encourage the EU Member States to reciprocate generously with British citizens living in the EU Member States. Mr Johnson, if you want a close, respectful working relationship with the EU after 31 January, why don’t you start by respecting the rights of the 3 million and avoiding the possibility of us having another Windrush generation?
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Christian Allard
Political group: Verts/ALE
Language: EN

Madam President, I am one of the EU citizens, an EU national who has been asked to apply for this settled status. I lived in Scotland for more than 35 years. I came because of freedom of movement. I don’t understand how we ended up there. This UK settled scheme is not fit for purpose. How can this Parliament protect its own citizens, the three million EU nationals like me living in the UK?  Let me remind you that this issue was one of the EU red lines for any agreement. We learnt today whether the European Court of Justice will be the ultimate arbiter and that the UK courts will have to comply. How much is this promise worth, particularly if it expires after eight years? We see what’s happening with the Court with this week. I have my doubts. I’m very, very worried of what’s going to happen next.  The UK settlement scheme is not fit for purpose. I won’t apply to be denied my right to live in my own home. The application process must be scrapped and our rights must be automatically protected. As for Scotland, the people living in Scotland made it very clear: Scotland must remain in the EU.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Geoffrey Van Orden
Political group: ECR
Language: EN

Madam President, thank you for your indulgence. I just want to say to the last two colleagues that have spoken: there are 2.6 million people who have applied for settled status. Only five – only five – have been refused, on grounds of criminality.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Christian Allard
Political group: Verts/ALE
Language: EN

Madam President, I will respond to it, because we heard that before that most people who have applied have managed to have settled status. Forty-seven per cent of the people who applied have been denied settled status and need to reapply. If you apply for something and it is refused, of course, it is refused: all those people have been refused settled status. This is not on. Go back to London and tell Boris Johnson.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Hermann Tertsch
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, con respecto al  Con el  Nosotros lamentamos el  En España viven 250 000 británicos, en el Reino Unido 180 000 españoles. Los derechos de unos y de otros han de ser garantizados por igual. Por eso, por tanto, tenemos muchas razones para ser exquisitos con la reciprocidad. Las relaciones con Londres parecen ser más fáciles desde las capitales europeas que desde Bruselas, porque desde Bruselas parece haber un espíritu de revancha que lo dificulta todo.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Sira Rego
Political group: GUE/NGL
Country: Spain
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, sabemos que el próximo 31 de enero se producirá la salida del Reino Unido de la Unión Europea. Por supuesto, respetamos la decisión democrática del pueblo británico, pero en España creemos que sigue habiendo incógnitas que debemos abordar. Como sabrán, el caso de Gibraltar tiene una singularidad. Hablamos de la situación de los más de 13 000 trabajadores transfronterizos que cada día cruzan la valla. Sus políticas neoliberales han convertido al Campo de Gibraltar en una de las zonas más empobrecidas de Europa. Se trata de un problema estructural, que genera un paro del 27 % que, en el caso de los más jóvenes, alcanza el 70 %. Y aunque el artículo 24 del acuerdo de salida supone algún avance respecto a la situación, no resuelve ni concreta ninguna medida que garantice que las personas trabajadoras desplazadas no pierdan derechos como las prestaciones por desempleo o incluso las pensiones. Con este acuerdo ya han garantizado los beneficios de las élites económicas. Ahora nosotras reclamamos su firme compromiso para que nuestros trabajadores y nuestras trabajadoras no se quedan atrás.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Ann Widdecombe
Political group: NI
Language: EN

Madam President, I’d like to focus please on paragraph 18 of the document, which says that the Parliament regrets that the EU has announced the principle of free movement will end. I have to say very clearly that the ending of free movement was a massive factor in the British public’s decision to leave the EU. It was one of the biggest driving forces. And yet there appears to be within this Parliament today political myopia towards that. You’re actually trying to tell Britain that we should not have an application process, it should have just been the declaratory. We shouldn’t dare to ask for proof in order to back up statements in an application. The British people expect the British Government to end free movement and to do it in a way which is effective, not merely nominal. And the sooner that this Parliament wakes up to that, the sooner we will actually get the right sort of dialogue.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Paulo Rangel
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: PT

Senhora Presidente, ao Conselho e também à Comissão, e nomeadamente ao Sr. Michel Barnier, queria dizer o seguinte: Portugal, o país que eu aqui represento, tem a mais velha aliança do mundo, em termos de Tratado ainda vigente, com o Reino Unido, que é de 1386 e foi invocada várias vezes ao longo do séc. XX, estando, portanto, totalmente em vigor. Poucos países lamentarão tanto a saída do Reino Unido como nós, mas também poucos desejarão tanto que os laços se mantenham o mais próximos possível, o mais estreitos possível entre o Reino Unido e a União Europeia. E por isso devo dizer que a situação dos cidadãos é para nós decisiva e que ainda há muito a fazer. E devo também aqui criticar o Governo britânico, porque às vezes parece que a União Europeia está mais preocupada com a situação dos britânicos no continente europeu do que o próprio Governo britânico. E por isso queria apelar ao Governo do Senhor Johnson para que ponha rapidamente em aplicação todas as disposições acordadas de forma a que os cidadãos de um e de outro lado do Canal possam viver numa firme e sã cooperação e amizade.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Claude Moraes
Political group: S-D
Language: EN

Madam President, as Michel Barnier very well knows, both the EU and the UK worked very hard on the settlement scheme. It was a shared moral and legal responsibility. But we are here because this resolution fires more than one warning shot and people are concerned. That’s why the Commission President, when she asked for questions, heard the concerns of people on citizens’ rights. Why? I give you one example: the Prime Minister, just recently, in his decision to revise the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to delegate the powers of the Independent Monitoring Authority (people talk about Windrush), which is responsible for overseeing UK policies towards EU citizens, to other bodies. Instead of strengthening the independent body, given the history of our immigration and nationality system, given the injustices, given the shared moral and legal responsibility, this is the direction we were moving in. Let’s be clear: these are genuine concerns of EU citizens and I say to the Council, we have genuine concerns of UK citizens in the rest of the European Union. If we don’t get this right, this will be a deep scar and continuing injustice that will define what happens in the future agreements. Of course it will be for many years to come. So when people talk about the physical document or they talk about the declaratory system, they’re not talking about details – they’re talking about a system that may create injustice that would go on for years, that would have no independent resolution and that would be part of the jurisprudence and moral narrative that is built. That is why Michel Barnier and others made citizens’ rights so important in the first place, and that is why this resolution fires the warning shot, which must be heard.
Debate: Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement
Date: TUESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Pascal Durand
Political group: Renew
Country: Malta
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, juste un mot pour dire la raison pour laquelle cette résolution est aussi importante. J’avais le sentiment, comme un grand nombre de mes collègues avant cette intervention d’aujourd’hui, de savoir que la question des citoyens devait être prioritaire et au cœur des négociations qui viennent. Je voulais que M. Michel Barnier, dont je sais le travail qu’il a déjà fait, ait conscience que le Parlement sera derrière lui, de manière unanime, pour rappeler qu’il n’y aura pas d’accord possible dans le futur si on n’intègre pas le droit des citoyens. Je suis plus que jamais persuadé de ce que je dis maintenant, de la nécessité de cette résolution et de la nécessité que nous la votions très largement. Je trouve honteux que les représentants de l’extrême-droite britannique viennent aujourd’hui, après tous les mensonges qu’ils ont prononcés pour obtenir une victoire scandaleuse du Brexit, quémander un accord commercial avec l’Union européenne, tout en ne respectant pas les droits des citoyens! Et je leur dis clairement en face: il n’y aura pas d’accord si vous ne respectez pas le droit des gens; c’est une règle que ce Parlement vous imposera de gré ou de force.