unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Jonás Fernández
Political group: S-D
Country: Ireland
Language: ES

Señor presidente, yo creo que el Consejo debe empezar este debate reconociendo que la actual lista de paraísos fiscales no funciona. Y probablemente podríamos acordar dos grandes motivos. El primero de ellos es que no hay unos criterios claros, de tal manera que se introducen siempre cuestiones diplomáticas, o cuestiones de política exterior u otras consideraciones que nada tienen que ver con el seguimiento del control de los paraísos fiscales.  El segundo gran elemento es la ausencia absoluta de transparencia, de rendición de cuentas, de control por parte de este Parlamento, de tal manera que, si tenemos en cuenta que el Consejo incorpora valoraciones o criterios que nada tienen que ver con la lucha contra los paraísos fiscales y que, además, no hay una rendición de cuentas democrática, tenemos una lista que no es creíble. Y una lista que tiene que ser revisada a fondo, porque, en estos momentos, en esta dura crisis que está atravesando Europa, los ciudadanos necesitan ver una mayor ejemplaridad por parte de los responsables públicos. Por lo tanto, confío y espero que la Comisión, comisario Gentiloni, presente próximamente nuevas iniciativas que mejoren la transparencia, que mejoren la predictibilidad sobre qué Estados pueden estar o no estar en esa lista y que no estemos al albur de países que entran y salen de esa lista sin ningún criterio, sin ningún control, sin ninguna trazabilidad democrática. Y esperemos que en esa propuesta incorpore una mayor transparencia, un mayor control por este Parlamento Europeo y que el Consejo, por supuesto, lo acepte.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Kira Marie Peter-Hansen
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Italy
Language: DA

Hr. formand! Tak for ordet og tak til kollegerne for også at komme med rigtig mange gode kommentarer. Når det gælder EU's skatteliste, så ved jeg næsten ikke, hvor jeg skal starte. For hvad er EU's liste over såkaldte ikkesamarbejdsvillige jurisdiktioner egentlig? Ifølge Det Europæiske Råds hjemmeside er det en liste over lande uden for EU, der tilskynder til skadelig skattepraksis, som udhuler EU-landenes skatteindtægter fra virksomheder. Det lyder måske OK på papiret, men virkeligheden er jo, at kun to procent af de mistede skattely-milliarder mistes i lande på EU-listen.  Helt ærligt, hvad pokker nytter den liste så overhovedet? I efteråret røg yndlingsdestinationen Caymanøerne af listen, og i forvejen rummer listen kun ét af verdens 20 værste skattely.  Det er en dårlig vittighed, hvor elendige kriterierne for at komme på listen er, og en endnu dårligere vittighed, at EU's egne skattely ikke er på den. Det mest oplagte er, at et kriterie må være at sætte lande på listen, hvis de tilbyder en skat på nul procent. I kan høre, at Parlamentet er klart, og jeg håber derfor, at Kommissionen vil være sin opgave voksen, så de skattefiflende selskaber kommer til at betale deres pris.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil
Political group: PPE
Country: Cyprus
Language: ES

Señor presidente, el 31 de diciembre, el Reino Unido y España cerraron un principio de acuerdo sobre Gibraltar. No voy a hablar de soberanía, porque si al Gobierno español eso no le importa, no sé lo que les iba a importar a ustedes. Lo que sí les importa es evitar la competencia desleal. El preacuerdo quiere eliminar barreras físicas a la movilidad de personas y mercancías. Cosa nada fácil, porque son dos territorios con sistemas fiscales diferentes.  En Gibraltar no hay impuesto sobre el valor añadido ni impuestos sobre el tabaco, el alcohol y el petróleo. El impuesto sobre sociedades no grava en absoluto los beneficios obtenidos fuera del Peñón. Hoy hay en Gibraltar 80 000 sociedades, 25 000 de las cuales son entidades financieras. Y Gibraltar ha llegado a controlar el 60 % del juego mundial  ¿Qué empresa se va a establecer en el territorio europeo adyacente, si puede acceder al mercado interior europeo sin pagar impuestos? Nos preocupó que el Reino Unido se convirtiese en un Singapur y nos escandaliza Barbados. No tiene sentido que toleremos un paraíso fiscal en las puertas de casa, quitemos la cerradura o entreguemos las llaves.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Ernest Urtasun
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Belgium
Language: ES

Señor presidente, la lista europea de paraísos fiscales es una gran idea muy mal aplicada. Decía Paul Tang que a alguien se le ha olvidado poner los paraísos fiscales en la lista. No puedo estar más de acuerdo. Creo que hay tres cosas urgentes que hay que arreglar. La primera son los criterios que se usan para introducir los países. Son más políticos que técnicos y objetivos, y es necesario urgentemente corregirlo. Segundo, las sanciones. Las sanciones a sociedades que están en la lista son muy pocas. Los que están en la lista gris prácticamente salen de rositas, sin ningún tipo de sanción, y eso no puede ser. Y tercero, la transparencia. La lista no será jamás creíble si no somos capaces de explicársela a los ciudadanos y si este Parlamento no tiene capacidad de controlar cómo se hace ese mecanismo. Finalmente, en toda esta cuestión lo más importante es que tenemos que atajar los paraísos fiscales dentro de la Unión Europea, cosa que esta lista no resuelve. Y la Resolución que votaremos propone una medida que ayudaría muchísimo, que es un tipo mínimo europeo del impuesto de sociedades. Por eso, lamento que haya grupos que hayan presentado enmiendas para quitar esa parte del texto, y yo lo que quiero es invitar a todos mis colegas a que mañana voten para que esa parte se mantenga.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Claude Gruffat
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Hungary
Language: FR

Monsieur le Président, Madame la Secrétaire d’État, cher Commissaire Gentiloni, chers collègues, la crise actuelle a mis la finance publique de toute l’Union européenne dans le rouge et, en miroir à la misère croissante chez nous, il y a l’insolente santé de la finance et de l’évasion fiscale permise par les paradis fiscaux. Honte à eux! Notre réponse à ce fléau: une liste de pays mineurs représentant péniblement 2 % de l’évasion fiscale. Où est le reste? Où sont les États de l’Union comme Malte, l’Irlande, les Pays-Bas, le Luxembourg, qui n’ont rien à envier aux Caïmans ou à Panama. D’ailleurs, faudra-t-il bientôt y ajouter le Royaume-Uni, puisqu’on dit qu’à l’occasion du Brexit, ce pays se verrait bien comme un Panama sur Tamise, à nos portes. Chers collègues, il est grand temps d’en finir avec l’hypocrisie et la complaisance amorale concédée aux fraudeurs. Balayons devant notre porte et imposons nos standards à ceux qui veulent accéder au marché intérieur. Toute valeur créée dans l’Union doit contribuer à la solidarité de l’Union: c’est l’essence même du projet économique européen.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Paolo Gentiloni
Language: EN

It’s a challenge for us. What can we say, I think, first, we have a tool. I understand the limits, the difficulties, the criticism towards this tool; but indeed for a few years we have had this tool. I assure you from the short experience that I have here in the Commission, but also from previous experiences, that this blacklisting is in any case something effective for the countries involved. This tool should be strengthened. We have to work on criteria to avoid the risk of formal decisions being inconsistent with substantial reality in tax havens. Second, I think we have to control defensive measures taken in Member States against blacklisted countries. Because if these measures are not there, or not rightly there, I think the Commission should propose to intervene, as I said in my introduction, with a legislative proposal.  Then we have a different file from the one of the non-cooperative jurisdictions, which is the file of what happens within our club, and within our Member States. Is there a problem with aggressive tax planning, with a race to the bottom? Yes, there is a problem. We have repeated this in our semester surveillance process for years, and I want to seize this opportunity to stress the fact that we not only have the process going on with Pillar II in the OECD discussion, but we also have the recovery and resilience facility with the commitment to be consistent with country—specific recommendations, and in a few cases these country—specific recommendations give some importance to the issue of aggressive tax planning. I think we should work to make this commitment practical and solve these issues. A final point: several Members asked for the Commission to be ambitious. I think we will try to do so. But quite frankly, to do so, we need your control and your support.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Ana Paula Zacarias
Language: EN

I want to thank you for this clear and open exchange of views and it’s good to see that the three institutions think that good tax governance is a priority. So, as the Commissioner said, we have a tool and the work of the Code of Conduct Group is carried on a continuous basis under the guidance of the Ecofin Council, so things can evolve.  The issues discussed in this context are both important and sensitive, and the working group will continue to generate concrete and positive changes in tax legislation both at the EU and international levels. The results of the work of the group are made public systematically in a transparent manner, and they will continue to do so. So thank you very much once again for this debate, and thank you for your attention.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Die Aussprache ist geschlossen. Die Abstimmung über die Änderungsanträge findet heute, Mittwoch, 20. Januar 2021, statt. Die Schlussabstimmung findet am Donnerstag, 21. Januar 2021, statt. Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, mit Ihrem Einverständnis schlage ich vor, dass wir mit einer kleinen Abweichung von der Tagesorndung fortfahren. Um den Fraktionen zu erlauben, für die nächste Abstimmungsrunde die Stimmempfehlungen vorzubereiten, würde ich jetzt mit der Bekanntgabe der Ergebnisse nicht bis zum Abschluss der nächsten Debatte warten, sondern würde das jetzt tun. Das ist für 19.00 Uhr angesagt. Wir liegen da auch genau in der Zeit. Ich sehe keine Widerspruch. Wir kommen also zu den Ergebnissen der ersten Abstimmungsrunde.
Debate: Reforming the EU list of tax havens
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Andżelika Anna Możdżanowska
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: PL

Nie możemy dłużej przymykać oczu na skrajnie nieodpowiedzialne działania i hipokryzję! Jak można usunąć z listy rajów podatkowych Kajmany – raj podatkowy numer jeden na świecie, odpowiadające za 16,5% światowego unikania opodatkowania? Dlaczego przymykamy oczy na europejskie raje podatkowe, które są odpowiedzialne za jedną trzecią globalnego unikania opodatkowania? Szczególnie teraz, kiedy kryzys spowodowany przez COVID-19 pochłania tysiące przedsiębiorstw uczciwie płacących podatki, tysiące miejsc pracy naszych obywateli, jest to niedopuszczalne!  Nie pomożemy przedsiębiorstwom z sektora MŚP, pozwalając na unikanie opodatkowania gigantom. Nie przyspieszymy wychodzenia z tak poważnego kryzysu, stosując niejasne zasady, godzące w gospodarkę i każdego obywatela UE. Naszym obowiązkiem jest przygotowanie i wdrożenie przejrzystych i bezstronnych kryteriów umieszczania i usuwania kraju z listy. Rzetelność, uczciwość i współpraca pomiędzy krajami członkowskimi w tej materii są niezbędne!
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Erklärung des Rates zu mangelnder Transparenz bei den Ernennungen des Rates für die EUStA ( Ich weise die Mitglieder darauf hin, dass es bei allen Aussprachen dieser Tagung keine spontanen Wortmeldungen gibt und keine blauen Karten akzeptiert werden. Außerdem sind Zuschaltungen aus den Verbindungsbüros des Parlaments in den Mitgliedstaaten vorgesehen.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Ana Paula Zacarias
Language: EN

In achieving this objective, the Council has worked in close cooperation with this Parliament, which resulted in the appointment in October 2019 of the Chief European Prosecutor. The Council has actively worked on the establishment of the EPPO with a series of legislative texts, aiming at implementing the EPPO Regulation. In 2019-2020 substantive work was done with the objective of appointing European prosecutors. In July 2020 the decision appointing European prosecutors – one for each of the 22 participating Member States in this reinforced cooperation – was adopted by the Council, and this allowed the EPPO college to start functioning in September 2020. The work which led to the appointment of the European prosecutors was carried out in full transparency and in the full respect for the applicable rules. I want to underline here that the Council implementing decision on the operating rules of the selection panel states, and I quote, ‘the selection panel shall rank the candidates according to their qualifications and experience. The ranking shall indicate the selection panel’s order of preference and shall not be binding on the Council’. The Council thoroughly analysed the selection panel’s opinion on every candidate and followed the proposed ranking on 19 nominations. In the other three it decided otherwise, making use of its discretionary power. Moreover, in addition to the legislative acts published in the Official Journal, all documents pertaining to the process have been handed to the interested parties when requested and in accordance with the Council’s rules on access to documents.  I’m aware of the fact that some of the appointments have been contested and that there has been criticism regarding the designation of prosecutors of some Member States, including my own. I speak here on behalf of the Council and I do not want to go into detail at this stage. So I will listen to you carefully and I will be ready to answer your questions.  But ladies and gentlemen, let me state that the establishment of the EPPO has required much more time than expected, with huge delays linked particularly with the pandemic. It is now time to combine our efforts to allow the EPPO to become operational and start its activities on the protection of the Union’s financial interests against criminal offences. This is something that the Parliament wants. This is something that the Council wants. And we need to work together on this.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Esteban González Pons
Political group: PPE
Country: Slovenia
Language: ES

El Gobierno portugués mintió al Consejo sobre la cualificación de uno de los candidatos a la Fiscalía Europea y, fruto de esa mentira, se adoptó una decisión que no debía haberse adoptado. Sinceramente, no sé qué es peor: si la excusa del error administrativo o la teoría de la conspiración internacional antiportuguesa que ha propuesto el primer ministro Costa. Esta clase de disparates son propios de otras latitudes y le hacen un flaco favor a la Presidencia portuguesa.  La Fiscalía Europea es un instrumento al servicio de todos los europeos para luchar contra el fraude y para preservar el Estado de Derecho, que ahora ha quedado bajo la sombra de la sospecha. Hace dos semanas me dirigía a la Comisión Europea, junto a otros compañeros, para solicitar una investigación al respecto. Hoy la pido de nuevo aquí y me dirijo al Gobierno portugués para que asuma su responsabilidad ante los portugueses y ante los europeos. Las mentiras deben tener consecuencias y corromper el Estado de Derecho no puede quedar impune. Señor Costa, los portugueses merecen una disculpa, y nosotros, no quedar como idiotas.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Isabel Santos
Political group: S-D
Country: Hungary
Language: PT

Mas vamos a factos. Vamos a factos. Os candidatos portugueses a Procurador Europeu foram selecionados pelo Conselho Superior do Ministério Público, um órgão independente. O Conselho Europeu nomeou o primeiro da lista seriada por este órgão. A comunicação do Conselho Europeu é clara: diz que o candidato apontado obteve a mais alta classificação no
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Sophia in  't Veld
Political group: Renew
Country: Poland
Language: EN

There was absolutely no reason why the Council should deviate from that recommendation, because that’s what we have the panel for. Because if you want to choose the best person for EPPO, then all the Council had to do was follow the recommendation. What other objectives could you have in deviating from the recommendation other than, I don’t know, creating jobs for the boys? I don’t know. Unfortunately, in the Council this is not an incident, but it is a pattern. What we need is full transparency. Portugal, first of all, has to provide full and accurate information and fully clarify the matter. The Council must provide full clarity on the process and the considerations for the choice of candidates. And finally, I would like to call on the Council – and I hope you will pass on the message to your colleagues – to commit here and now to refraining from ever deviating again from the recommended ranking and avoid this situation.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Saskia Bricmont
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: FR

L’EPPO n’est même pas encore en place que cette première exigence d’indépendance des procureurs à l’égard de leur pays, fondement de la séparation des pouvoirs, est sciemment contournée par la pression de trois États membres, la Belgique, la Bulgarie et le Portugal, dont on attend pourtant, en tant que présidence de l’Union européenne de montrer l’exemple et de suivre l’avis du panel d’experts européens. L’EPPO doit pouvoir exercer sa mission de lutte contre la fraude et contre la corruption sans risque d’intrusion politique. Chers collègues, la prochaine révision des statuts du Parquet européen nous donne l’occasion de transformer notre indignation en action politique et de renforcer ces garde-fous pour assurer l’indépendance de l’EPPO, notamment en rendant contraignant l’avis du comité de sélection européen chargé de leur classement. Et rappelons-nous que cette question s’est déjà posée lors de la désignation de la cheffe du parquet européen Laura Kövesi et que c’est le poids de cette maison qui a fait la différence pour faire barrage à l’interférence partisane des capitales.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Sandra Pereira
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: PT

Não nos opomos à seleção feita pelas autoridades portuguesas. Pelo contrário, reconhecemos-lhes maior competência quanto à escolha do Procurador Europeu a indicar por Portugal.  Este processo está marcado por discrepâncias entre as informações constantes do currículo do candidato escolhido pelo Governo português e o documento que acompanhava esse currículo. Importa saber em que documentação o Conselho Europeu se fundamentou para nomear o Procurador indicado por Portugal. É necessário averiguar o que se passou e prevenir que tal situação não volte a acontecer. Esclareça-se esta situação, a bem da transparência e do rigor, até aí estamos de acordo, mas não contem connosco para o empolamento desta questão, que, acima de tudo, tem por trás, obviamente, uma agenda política.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Jeroen Lenaers
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, this is a sad day, because the behaviour of the Portuguese Government has cast a shadow on the start of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and this EPPO is an historic step and we should be off to a flying start, but yet we are faced with a false start because the Portuguese Government prioritised political preferences over fighting fraud. Now this is regrettable in its own, but the way that the Portuguese Government went about sending their yes-man to Luxembourg is even worse. The Minister of Justice flat-out lied to all her colleagues in the Council. What a start of the Portuguese Presidency! First, there was nothing to declare, because confidential. Then they weren’t lies but rather mistakes by civil servants and they were purely administrative, so not so important. Then we learned that those lies came straight from the political level and they were actually the determining factor for the nomination process in Council, and still the Portuguese Government refuses to take any responsibility. For the sake of the independence and the credibility of the EPPO, we demand honesty, transparency and accountability, and unfortunately we’re not getting any of these at the moment. And as law professors from all over Europe have reminded us with an open letter, the Union cannot claim to be a defender of the rule of law if its own prosecution office is born in violation of such rule of law. So we are looking at the Commission and the Council. You were misled, you were lied to, you must set this straight.
Debate: Lack of transparency on Council appointments to the EPPO
Date: WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: Pedro Silva Pereira
Political group: S-D
Country: Bulgaria
Language: PT

Senhor Presidente, uma coisa são dúvidas legítimas e de boa-fé sobre a transparência das decisões do Conselho nas nomeações dos procuradores europeus, outra coisa são as acusações falsas, totalmente falsas, quanto à nomeação do procurador português. Primeiro, disseram que era um escândalo o Conselho não ter seguido, neste caso, a recomendação do Painel Europeu. Hoje, sabe-se que esse parecer não é vinculativo e que também não foi seguido no caso de outros países.  Segundo, acusaram o Governo de fazer uma nomeação política. Hoje, está esclarecido que o procurador português não foi escolhido pelo Governo, mas sim por um órgão independente. Terceiro, disseram que a decisão do Conselho foi determinada por mentiras e erros no currículo do candidato. Hoje, sabe-se que o currículo junto ao processo não tinha erros e que o fundamento da decisão do Conselho, explicada pela Presidência alemã, não se baseou em quaisquer erros. Fosse isto uma batalha naval e dizia que foram 3 tiros na água, porque isto não passa de um caso artificial.