unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Geert Bourgeois
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: NL

De nieuwe criteria in deze herschikte verordening zorgen voor meer harmonisering van standaarden en procedures, voor een betere coördinatie en informatiedoorstroming tussen de lidstaten en voor een verhoogde transparantie. Nieuw is dat de verordening ook een autonome controle op schending van mensenrechten inzake export van cyberbewakingstechnologie mogelijk maakt. We kunnen inderdaad niet langer tolereren dat schendingen van mensenrechten en onderdrukking van bevolkingsgroepen gebeuren met gebruik van Europese hightech producten. In dit verband wordt mij gezegd dat uitgerekend in dit Parlement camera's hangen van een Chinees bedrijf dat bewakingstechnologie zou leveren voor de fameuze Chinese strafkampen. Als dat klopt is dit wel bijzonder cynisch en ook bijzonder inconsequent. Vicevoorzitter, u wacht de taak om een gebalanceerde uitvoering te geven aan de nieuwe verordening door het versterken van het concurrentievermogen van de EU, het vermijden van onnodige administratieve rompslomp voor onze bedrijven, het waarborgen van onze veiligheidsbelangen, het hanteren van hoge ethische standaarden en het bevorderen van de mensenrechten.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

We welcome the measures around the new technologies legislation in terms of biotech and AI, and indeed, despite resistance from the Council, the compromise proposal expanding the catch-all provision to make it obligatory to obtain authorisation for dual-use items not included in the control list if the item is being intended for use in internal repression or a serious violation of human rights – although I find it hard to see any situation where anybody would admit that fact, but undoubtedly many of them are being used for that. So I do think we have to be wary when we come to civilian items that can have military applications, particularly when they’re going to serial rights abusers like Saudi Arabia and Israel, and that’s why I think it’s a bit of a hard neck for people in here to get up and talk about China and Russia when the EU has been aiding and arming Israel for years, despite its human rights violations and flagrant disregard for international law. The fact that the EU is the second-largest exporter to Saudi Arabia and the UAE countries which have been pummelling Yemen into the dust, murdering civilians, starving babies – clearly human rights isn’t really a problem for us when we’re selling arms, so why welcome this? We might want to stop our military activity, full stop.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Tiziana Beghin
Political group: NI
Country: Italy
Language: IT

Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, negli ultimi anni alcune società europee hanno venduto software e tecnologie di spionaggio e sorveglianza a dittature e regimi totalitari, che le hanno usate per rintracciare, arrestare e, ahimè, uccidere attivisti e cittadini innocenti. Tra queste c'era anche una società italiana che ha potuto esportare legalmente queste tecnologie, perché il governo di allora aveva scelto di chiudere un occhio e di permettere l'esportazione, approfittando anche di un vuoto normativo a livello europeo. Oggi finalmente possiamo dire che questo vuoto è stato colmato. Con il regolamento che stiamo per votare sarà impossibile fornire questa tecnologia ai dittatori stranieri. Questo provvedimento non è perfetto ma, approvandolo, l'Europa fa un grande passo verso la tutela dei diritti umani e la creazione di un mondo più equo. La delegazione del Movimento 5Stelle ringrazia i relatori di questa e della passata legislatura e volentieri voterà a favore.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez
Political group: PPE
Language: ES

Señor presidente, las tecnologías de doble uso, aquellas que pueden emplearse para usos civiles y también para militares, son casi tan viejas como la humanidad. Si nos remontamos al paleolítico, ya encontramos hachas de sílex necesarias para la caza, pero también empleadas para la guerra.  La tecnología, por su propia naturaleza, es un arma de doble filo. Por un lado, es una herramienta para generar innovación, nuevas oportunidades económicas y nuevos empleos. Por eso Europa debe seguir apostando por nuevas técnicas como la inteligencia artificial o la computación cuántica para no perder la carrera tecnológica global. También la tecnología se ha consolidado en los últimos años en un instrumento clave para ayudar a las Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado a proteger a todos los ciudadanos. Pero, por el otro lado, existen numerosas razones para controlar y limitar las transferencias tecnológicas y las exportaciones de estos servicios fuera de la Unión Europea.  De caer en manos erróneas, estas tecnologías pueden poner en peligro nuestra propia seguridad nacional o restringir las libertades y los derechos humanos de ciudadanos de terceros países. Creo que el informe que hoy debatimos supone el equilibrio correcto para seguir avanzando gracias a la tecnología sin poner en grave peligro derechos y libertades.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Miapetra Kumpula-Natri
Political group: S-D
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, the reform of the Dual-use Regulation is an important step forward in promoting human rights in the value-based EU trade policy. Dual-use equipment is a concern, as emerging and disruptive civilian technologies are more and more frequently used by authoritarian states to suppress human rights both internally and externally. China’s military-civil fusion is very good example of this. There is now an opportunity with a more coherent and responsible EU policy also to step up on the international cooperation to promote human rights. We need coordinated action to deprive authoritarian leaders and states of technology so that they cannot be used for malign purposes. The next step might be that we need to start working more on import controls to also protect our own citizens.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Karin Karlsbro
Political group: Renew
Country: Poland
Language: SV

Herr talman! Kolleger! Alltför ofta har vi sett teknologier för cyberövervakning exporteras från EU till repressiva regimer – till länder som använder dem för att spionera på och kontrollera sina egna medborgare, journalister och människorättsförsvarare. Detta måste stoppas.  Det är välkommet att EU nu stärker regelverket för export av produkter för dubbla användningsområden. Det behövs, och det är det här parlamentet som har drivit på för det. Sedan är det klart att arbetet med ny lagstiftning kan få svårt att hålla jämna steg med den tekniska utvecklingen. Men detta är en politik i rätt riktning.  Mänskliga fri- och rättigheter ska vara en ledstjärna för EU. Vi ska ta ställning för dem som har minst frihet och aldrig stå på förtryckarnas sida. Detta är ett exempel på där EU verkligen ställer sig på rätt sida.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Filip De Man
Political group: ID
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, de EU wil controle op exportvergunningen, maar hier is sprake van een hemeltergende schijnheiligheid inzake wapenuitvoer, bijvoorbeeld naar Saudi-Arabië. 75% van de EU-wapenuitvoer gaat naar dat land en al dat wapengekletter komt uit het Waalse Gewest. Andere lidstaten hebben een wapenembargo ingesteld, maar het Waalse FN blijft leveren. En wie is eigenaar van FN? Dat is de Waalse regering! En wie zit in die Waalse regering? Socialisten, groenen en liberalen. Die partijen leveren dus wapens aan Saudi-Arabië, dat ze dan gebruikt in Jemen, waar al jarenlang een bloedige oorlog woedt tussen soennieten en sjiieten, waarbij de Saudische oliemiljardairs en de Iraanse ayatollahs elkaar bestoken. Toppunt is natuurlijk dat de EU tegelijkertijd humanitaire hulp naar Jemen moet sturen, in totaal reeds voor 1 miljard euro. Dus de Saudische soennieten en de Iraanse sjiieten vernietigen half Jemen en wij betalen voor de schade. Ik kan nog voorbeelden aanhalen: vanuit EU-landen werden de islamitische rebellen in Syrië bevoorraad. De sultan van Turkije krijgt zelfs heuse raketten vanuit Europa. Akkoorden worden gesloten met de communistische dictators in China en de EU laat toe dat de Chinezen onze technologie inpikken. Kortom, hier wordt weer eens door socialisten, groenen, christendemocraten en liberalen, die toch zo graag de gutmensch uithangen, een toch wel bijzonder hypocriet theaterstuk opgevoerd.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Tudor Ciuhodaru
Political group: S-D
Country: Spain
Language: RO

Domnule președinte, onorată Comisie, onorați membri, suntem astăzi pe un teren minat. Certificatul verde de călătorie, a cărui introducere ați adoptat-o astăzi prin procedură de urgență, poate deveni fără o dezbatere amplă, bazată pe date concludente medicale și respectarea datelor cu caracter personal, un nou produs cu dublă utilizare. În aceste condiții, pot să vă spun că acest lucru înseamnă un atentat la drepturile noastre fundamentale, la libertățile și valorile noastre europene.  Cel mai important drept, obținut de toți românii, câștigat cu greu de toți românii odată cu aderarea României la Uniunea Europeană, a fost chiar acest drept de a circula liber, fără restricții de circulație și fără cheltuieli suplimentare, doar în baza unui act eliberat de România. Eu vreau ca și acest drept să fie respectat și vă întreb de ce vaccinarea este gratuită iar testarea este pe bani grei? Vă propun încă o dată ca orice produs cu dublă utilizare, inclusiv acest certificat verde de călătorie, să fie supus unei dezbateri ample, bazat pe date medicale concludente, în așa fel încât „Unitate în diversitate”, deviza Uniunii Europene, să însemne
Debate: Second voting session
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Bevor ich nun Herrn Kommissar Šefčovič das Wort erteile, möchte ich die zweite Abstimmungsrunde eröffnen. Es wird über die auf der Tagesordnung angegebenen Dossiers abgestimmt. Die Abstimmungsrunde ist von 16.30 bis 17.45 Uhr geöffnet. Es kommt dasselbe Abstimmungsverfahren zur Anwendung wie bei den letzten Abstimmungsrunden. Alle Abstimmungen erfolgen namentlich. Ich erkläre die zweite Abstimmungsrunde für eröffnet. Sie können bis 17.45 Uhr abstimmen. Die Ergebnisse der zweiten Abstimmungsrunde werden um 19.00 Uhr bekannt gegeben.
Debate: Control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Maroš Šefčovič
Language: EN

Therefore, as Ms Schreinemacher has just said, it’s absolutely important that the European Parliament take full ownership of this new approach to EU export controls. We have a lot of work ahead of us to develop these new tools and fulfil the promise of the regulation. To answer the rapporteur, Ms Gregorová, I would like to underline that the Commission takes this very seriously, and how you can help us would be with your continuous interest and support in our effort, because I’m sure this will be crucial for the future. Because this has to be a collective joint effort involving the Parliament, Commission and Member States within our respective areas of responsibility, and I’m sure that we also have to work very closely with industry and civil society.  It is in our strong collective interest to adopt this new approach because we know that dual—use technology poses a real risk to national and international security, and we know that cyber—technologies can lead to human rights violations, as we’ve been reminded by Mr Bourgeois and Mr Zoido Álvarez.  We will now have robust export controls to mitigate these things. Exporters will have to follow due diligence obligations. These are real and positive steps forward for the European Union, and this gives us a strong platform to engage with our global partners on these issues.  So I would kindly ask you, and urge you, to give your full support to an ambitious implementation of the regulation. I believe that we can build on the trust and good collaboration that developed during the negotiations and work closely together to ensure successful implementation.  Once again, thank you very much for the great work and thank you very much for the excellent cooperation.
Debate: Announcement of voting results
Date: THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Gemäß Artikel 163 Absatz 4 der Geschäftsordung möchte ich Sie nach dem Ergebnis der Abstimmungen über die beiden Dringlichkeitsanträge zur Annahme eines digitalen grünen Zertifikats – Unionsbürgerinnen und  Unionsbürger und eines digitalen grünen Zertifikats – Drittstaatsangehörige darüber informieren, dass die Aussprachen und die Abstimmungen am Mittwoch, dem 28. April 2021, stattfinden werden. Die Fristen für Änderungsanträge werden zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt festgelegt.
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of  and  March  - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the h of April
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: David Maria Sassoli
Language: IT

L'ordine del giorno reca, in discussione congiunta, – le dichiarazioni del Consiglio europeo e della Commissione sulle conclusioni della riunione del Consiglio europeo del 25 e 26 marzo 2021 ( – le dichiarazioni del Consiglio europeo e della Commissione sull'esito della riunione ad alto livello tra l'UE e la Turchia del 6 aprile (
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of  and  March  - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the h of April
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Malik Azmani
Political group: Renew
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

In Ankara, the image should have been of a radically new relationship with our neighbour. If Turkey wants to be a partner, things need to change and conditions need to be met. Turkey, today, is not a serious prospective Member State. We need to be realistic about that. Erdoğan continues to trample on the values that are fundamental to us – freedom of the press and equal rights for women, to name just two. Well, more than one lesson should be learned from Sofagate. It dominated the news and overshadowed our strong warnings to Turkey. Again, the EU came across as weak.  Is this a crisis of leadership? I don’t think so. This is a crisis of governance. The players of the game are as good as the rules of the game they play and the EU cannot win with the rules that it plays by. It needs reform. The Conference on the future of Europe that we within Europe initiate is the place to talk about precisely which reforms it needs. We will do so together with our citizens who, poll after poll, say they expect us to show unity on the international stage. Do not underestimate the need for Europe to speak with one voice. Much depends on it – our ability to promote our values, to defend our interests and to achieve our goals.
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of  and  March  - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the h of April
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Ska Keller
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Sweden
Language: EN

The EU can only speak with a strong voice if we speak with one voice, if we’re not divided, and this is of course very well known to President Erdoğan but also to other heads of state elsewhere. That’s exactly why they try so hard to divide us and we should never play their game because it weakens all of us.  Already before your visit to Turkey the EU position towards the Turkish Government has been very weak, and that is something that I’m disappointed with in everyone participating in that meeting.  The human rights situation in Turkey is catastrophic and democracy and the rule of law have deteriorated dramatically. Look no further than the arbitrary imprisonment of journalists, academia, opposition politicians, the ceaseless harassment of civil society, media, opposition parties, doctors, lawyers, prosecutors, people facing many years of prison for tweets, like Cihan Erdal, and women, especially trans—woman, facing massive violence.  And yet, confronted with all of those issues, the Council is still working on a mandate for the modernisation of the customs union between the EU and Turkey without any linkage to human rights and – very differently from accession negotiations – upgrading the customs union entails zero commitment for press freedom or the rights of opposition parties. It’s a purely economic instrument that will help Erdoğan win in the area that makes him most vulnerable – economics.  Therefore, I strongly urge you to think again about the message you are sending to people fighting for human rights and democracy in Turkey, but also beyond. And yes, European companies would also benefit from the customs union upgrade, but that cannot be an argument to ignore human rights. You must change track now for Europe to have any foreign policy credibility left. Turkey is one of the main receiving countries for refugees, and yes we should do our utmost to help the country deal with that challenge, but Europe should never have tasked Erdoğan with keeping people in need away from Europe’s borders. That was a failure of Europe’s responsibility to the fundamental human rights of people in need of protection and a geopolitical disaster, and it needs to be ended and not to be continued.
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of  and  March  - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the h of April
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Assita Kanko
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: EN

Many women can recognise what President von der Leyen has felt because we have also felt this during some lonely moments of our career.  En tant que femme élue, en tant que mère d’une petite fille, je me permets de vous le dire, Monsieur le Président Michel, avec beaucoup de tristesse, parce que moi aussi j’attendais beaucoup de vous, que vous avez été du mauvais côté de la chaise. And I would like to stress that this is an opportunity to show that this is not just one, tiny, exceptional, aspect of the life of women in politics, but a huge underlying issue where we are forgotten and our emotions are not taken into account – our careers and our talents are not respected. We need to fight for that change.  But I would also like to stress the fact that the greatest tragedy of the meeting with Erdoğan is not only this, but also the fact that the EU has missed a great opportunity to show its strength. It revealed so much of its weaknesses. The disastrous idea of rewarding Turkey’s terrible behaviour with reform of the customs union – that the EU is still thinking of throwing good after bad, with taxpayers’ money, is heart-breaking. The lack of condemnation for its ongoing violations of human rights, territorial integrity and gender equality is also unacceptable.  When President von der Leyen was there with President Michel, one thing has been clear: Europe needs to change its behaviour towards Turkey because Turkey would otherwise never respect us. One thing should be remembered – what we’ve seen with sofagate – something we can describe like this, we were shocked because it represented our lack of seats at the table sometimes. Many women wrote to me too. They were shocked because they felt like this was their chair, this was their disrespect, this was their struggle – to be treated equally.  That day, the EU played into the hands of Erdoğan’s agenda of division and misogyny, of distraction tactics and thinly-veiled aggression. The EU’s own passive acceptance of Erdoğan’s behaviour must never be repeated, because as everyone knows, if you gave a bully an inch they take a mile. President Michel wants to be on the right side of history, as I know, from Belgium. But that side will not be with Erdoğan. We need to change.
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of  and  March  - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the h of April
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Fabio Massimo Castaldo
Political group: NI
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, I would like to thank President von der Leyen and President Michel for having pointed out that the long way towards achieving a true equality of rights in Europe is still far from the finishing line. Also taking account of Erdoğan’s unacceptable affront and the fact that once again our open hands towards Ankara have been received with a slap, we would be foolish not to draw the necessary conclusions and ask Erdoğan to put an end to this waltz of ambiguities to which he accustoms us, forcing us to carry out a serious examination of conscience.  While we rightly attack Ankara on the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention – a predictable paradox – a less predictable paradox is affecting us. Only 21 EU Member States have ratified it and, in the Polish Parliament, a text is under consideration that calls for its exit. This is a contradiction that undermines our credibility and exposes us to those who want to use our weaknesses against us. Having allowed Erdoğan to blackmail us on the issue of migration and refugees is solely and exclusively our responsibility. The EU must be cohesive and consistent internally to be incisive and credible outside. It is time to abandon the weakness of hypocrisy, to act in concert with our allies, with President Biden, to really defend our values and principles in the Mediterranean.
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of  and  March  - The outcome of the high level meeting between the EU and Turkey of the h of April
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Frances Fitzgerald
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, I say to President von der Leyen: thank you for that powerful and important speech on gender equality. Women across Europe and around the world watched the scene from Turkey with shock, and indeed dismay, at the all too familiar feeling of being sidelined and not treated equally. It is not an exaggeration to say what happened in Turkey is a denigration of all women. Our relationship, the EU’s relationship, with Turkey must be grounded in values.  President von der Leyen, if this can happen to you as President of the European Commission in public, it can and does happen to women daily in many settings. The symbolism of this event speaks to the experience and past experiences of women. So we must accelerate the pace of change in relation to equality, gender, race and LGBTQI, plus rights. Let’s fact it, we live in unfinished democracies and unfinished economies as far as gender is concerned. You are leading the way in your Commission globally with a variety of important initiatives. But we have had a 30% increase during COVID of domestic violence across Europe. So it is more important than ever to stop the scourge of gender-based violence. If countries do not agree to advance the Istanbul Convention, we must take legislative action, as you have outlined. If we cannot take a strong action on violence, we have no credibility. Colleagues, women must not wait because we know when women are present it yields better results economically and socially. A post-COVID recovery plan is an opportunity for our Member States to accelerate progress. It’s time for the challenge of gender equality to be grasped, and grasped with energy and consistency by male leaders too.