unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Commission Work Programme
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Ádám Kósa
Political group: NI
Country: Poland
Language: HU

A tagállamoknál komoly anyagi kérdés, hogy a kedvezményeket meg tudják-e adni nagyobb jogosulti körnek: ami „ingyen” van, azt valójában a tagállam fizeti fogyatékkal élő polgára helyett. A hatástanulmányban is világos: a hivatkozott megtakarítás az egyén szintjén, a kiadás a tagállam szintjén jelentkezik.  Aggályos, ha a különböző fokú fogyatékosságot ismerő tagállamokba utazó külföldi automatikusan a legmagasabb kedvezményre jogosult: igazságtalanság érzését keltheti és alááshatja az ilyen jellegű tagállami rendszert. A harmadik országbeli jogosultak kártyája esetén ragaszkodnék ahhoz, hogy csak a legális tartózkodást igazoló okmánnyal együtt legyen érvényes! Az EU állampolgárok esetén is kívánatos, hogy ne váltsa fel a személyi igazolványt, hanem azzal együtt legyen érvényes a névre szóló fogyatékossági kártya.  Sok tagállamban a kísérő személy is kap kedvezményt, mégpedig kártya nélkül. Ez dupla kiadást jelent, ezért félő, hogy sok helyen megszűnik a kísérő jogosultsága.  A parkolási kártya legfőbb problémája a csalások kiszűrése: ennek hamisíthatósága egyszerűbb, mert a szélvédő mögött lehetetlen megfogni és a jogosult sem tudja magát okmánnyal igazolni, mert nincs jelen az ellenőrzéskor.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Pedro Silva Pereira
Country: Bulgaria
Language: EN

The next item is Question Time with the Commission. The topic for today is European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime. I very much welcome Vice-President Schinas. You know the rules. I have a note with all the explanations, but will just recall that we will have follow-up questions in the first round only, with the second question linked to the first one. I would ask you, of course, to stick to the allocated times.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Francisco José Millán Mon
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: ES

Señor vicepresidente, celebro mucho que usted esté hoy con nosotros. La delincuencia organizada constituye un problema de seguridad muy grave en la Unión Europea. Es evidente su carácter transnacional, que, además, aprovecha el mercado único y Schengen. La cooperación y el intercambio de información entre los Estados miembros deben incrementarse. Quiero detenerme en la amenaza del narcotráfico, que plantea muchos problemas de seguridad que sufre América Latina. Regularmente, leemos en la prensa noticias sobre importantes alijos de cocaína procedentes de América Latina que se interceptan en Algeciras, Hamburgo, Amberes o Róterdam. Por ello, los europeos y los latinoamericanos debemos dar un salto cualitativo conjunto en la lucha contra el narcotráfico e incrementar, por ejemplo, los controles en los puertos. Resulta imprescindible también aumentar la cooperación triangular con los Estados Unidos en materia de droga. Desgraciadamente, me parece que el lenguaje del comunicado conjunto de la cumbre UE—CELAC era muy continuista en materia de delincuencia organizada. Veo que hace un par de semanas hubo una reunión entre ministros del Interior de la Unión Europea y catorce de sus homólogos latinoamericanos, el llamado Comité Latinoamericano de Seguridad Interior. ¿Qué opina, señor vicepresidente, sobre la necesidad de incrementar la cooperación entre ambas orillas del Atlántico en materia de lucha contra la delincuencia organizada y, en especial, el narcotráfico?
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: ES

Y tenemos otro problema en Europa: tenemos una oferta grande de droga, lo que hace que baje el precio en el mercado e induce al consumo, sobre todo en nuestros puertos del mar del Norte, aunque no exclusivamente. Esto ya se está convirtiendo en una amenaza de seguridad nacional y social. Nuestra respuesta se basa en esta estrategia preparada hace un par de años y que completaremos con una nueva iniciativa que anunciaremos mañana por la mañana: una hoja de ruta, o  La presidenta Von der Leyen y la comisaria Ylva Johansson ya visitaron estos países de América Latina. Yo anuncio a esta Casa que a finales de este mes visitaré Colombia, México, Perú y Brasil, precisamente para seguir trabajando para asegurarnos de que esta es una lucha europea, pero también una lucha global.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Francisco José Millán Mon
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: ES

Señor Schinas, un comentario adicional: celebro mucho esta iniciativa en materia de puertos. Creo que es muy útil. Mucha de esta cocaína está viniendo por ahí. Siempre he hablado de la necesidad de una gran cooperación de las fachadas atlánticas, incluidos también los Estados Unidos e incluso, por qué no, los países del golfo de Guinea. Una alianza cuadrangular que implicaría también a países africanos. Y me parece que el tema de los puertos es vital, y creo que tenemos que incrementar el número de contenedores. No puede ser que solo se chequeen o controlen el 5 % o el 3 % de los contenedores. Hay que chequear bastante más.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: ES

Efectivamente, la idea de esta alianza entre los puertos es precisamente obligar a las autoridades portuarias y aduaneras, que se enfrentan al mismo tipo de problemas, a organizar el mismo tipo de respuestas a través del intercambio de información, de procedimientos estandarizados y de una presencia informática y digital mucho más importante.  Por lo que se refiere al tema geográfico, efectivamente, las rutas son las conocidas. Trabajaremos como Unión Europea con todos. Con todos. No dejaremos a nadie fuera de este esfuerzo. Acabo de completar una visita a cinco países de África occidental en la que precisamente se han abordado temas no solo de cooperación en el sector de la inmigración, sino también de seguridad. Y he encontrado interlocutores muy receptivos dispuestos a trabajar con nosotros. Esta es una lucha que se va a identificar a partir de mañana, pero no es una lucha que vaya a terminar pronto. Tenemos mucho que hacer todavía.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Heléne Fritzon
Political group: S-D
Country: Austria
Language: SV

Herr talman! Kommissionär! Tack för det viktiga arbete som kommissionen gör i kampen mot terrorn, och nu är det viktigare än någonsin i Europa. I Sverige har vi en situation där barn skjuter barn, och den organiserade brottsligheten gör att Sverige befinner sig i ett nationellt nödläge.  Som socialdemokrat vet jag att den nationella välfärden med skola och föreningsliv är det starkaste verktyget för att vaccinera våra lokalsamhällen mot våld och gängkriminalitet. Men jag vet också att det krävs politisk samling, polisiärt arbete och ett europeiskt samarbete, för vapen, droger, brottslingar och pengar rör sig hela tiden över gränserna.  Så min fråga blir: Vad ser kommissionen att ni kan göra här och nu för att stötta Sverige i den mycket akuta kamp som vi för mot gängkriminalitet?
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

The bigger the threat of organised crime, the stronger our response should be at all levels: European, national and regional. At European level, we’re fighting organised crime by exchanging information across borders, namely using our valuable Schengen Information System, which now includes biometric data. As you rightly said, we are also fighting organised crime by engaging with local communities and we will host a major crime prevention conference We are infiltrating criminal communication networks like gaining lawful, I repeat, lawful police access to EncroChat and Sky ECC. We are fighting organised crime by reinforcing international law enforcement and judicial cooperation through our law enforcement agencies, Europol and Frontex, and working closely with Interpol. And we are fighting international crime by following the money. Following the money is the safest way to fight the criminals. The new anti-money laundering legislation and the call has already been on the table, and I take this opportunity to call for the swift adoption of these proposals by this House.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Heléne Fritzon
Political group: S-D
Country: Austria
Language: SV

Herr talman! Jag vill tacka kommissionären för svaret. Det är otroligt viktigt för oss i Sverige med det stöd som vi har från kommissionen när det gäller insatser, men också att vi har lagar, regler och verktyg på plats.  Jag ser gärna att vår kommissionär gör ett besök i Sverige. Det är ett mycket akut läge med våld och skjutningar. Jag vet att jag kan tala för alla föräldrar; man har en klump i magen varje dag när man vaknar upp till nyheter om att man har skjutit en tonåring, ett barn, igen.  Så jag ser fram emot just konferensen, men också att de här åtgärderna kommer på plats, och att vi kan inleda ett väldigt snabbt samarbete direkt med Sverige, och naturligtvis med de medlemsstater som är i samma situation eller en liknande situation.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

Let me also assure you and welcome your invitation to visit: this is something indeed that I have also discussed with the government and I would be delighted to come. I think by now it is becoming very clear that the fight against organised crime is a multidimensional equation, a multifactorial equation. I understand that there is a tendency at times to simplify the complexity around fighting organised crime. I understand that there are voices that like to project very simple solutions to very complex realities. I have never followed this school of populism. I have always engaged in solutions, and solutions do not come through declaratory politics, through hate, through tensions and through friction, but by working together at all levels amongst ourselves, with our Member States, with national and regional communities.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Barry Andrews
Political group: Renew
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Mr President, Commissioner, I want to ask a question about the possibility of an EU extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates. As you know, a number of EU countries have already bilaterally signed extradition treaties with the UAE: Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark. A lot of these countries have in common that many of the leaders of organised crime gangs are currently in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.  In Ireland, the Kinahan crime gang are a global drugs and arms cartel and their activities have contributed to a cocaine epidemic in Ireland. As I am sure you aware, the ministers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and France met in Antwerp in June for a discussion on organised crime and they co-signed a declaration supporting an EU extradition agreement with the United Arab Emirates. So I would be keen to hear your views about whether or not you think this is appropriate. I'm aware of the safeguards that are necessary from human rights and the reciprocal demands from the UAE. But already Member States are doing this and it would be of tremendous help.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

We furthermore explore the possibility of launching negotiations for the conclusion of specific EU extradition agreements and promote the universal signing and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention in the area of mutual legal assistance, extradition, freezing and compensation. The honourable Member would clearly factor into his analysis that extraditing people to countries where the death penalty applies creates an additional complication.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Barry Andrews
Political group: Renew
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Mr President. I am aware of that, but as I mentioned, a number of Member States have already signed bilateral extradition treaties that would have the same anxiety that you’ve just underlined. According to the Belgian Justice Minister, and I quote: ‘if I talk to my colleagues in Italy, Spain, Germany and France, they all have a wish list of the people that are hiding in Dubai, and they are not able to move on them to see them extradited to Europe’. I do accept points you’ve made, but I just want to add that by way of clarification.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Piernicola Pedicini
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Portugal
Language: IT

Abbiamo certamente bisogno di una risposta europea al crimine organizzato, perché è un crimine che supera i confini nazionali.  Io provengo da un territorio nel quale si sono organizzate la mafia, la camorra, la 'ndrangheta, la Sacra corona unita e posso perciò dire con certezza che le mafie si nutrono di due ingredienti che però non figurano tutti in quelli elencati nel programma EMPACT.  Il primo è la povertà dei territori di provenienza e perciò i complici delle mafie sono i responsabili di quella povertà. Sono responsabili tutti quei governi che sottraggono risorse umane ed economiche, che tagliano sull'istruzione, che tagliano sulla sanità, che tagliano sul lavoro.  Il secondo ingrediente è costituito da tutti quei governi che usano il crimine organizzato per fare il lavoro sporco. Sto parlando di traffico delle armi con l'obiettivo di destabilizzare i governi in giro per il mondo. Se davvero l'Unione europea vuole combattere le mafie, deve essere pronta a denunciare quei governi amici che sono dietro le guerre, che armano le guerre, che finanziano le guerre e che provocano le guerre perché lo fanno con lo strumento del crimine organizzato.  Mi chiedo se la Commissione è al corrente di tutto questo.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

May I repeat what I said to Ms Fritzon earlier that this is a holistic, global war on crime. But this global war, as all wars that have to be won, have to be won intelligently. And this would require very specific interventions along very specific lines of action. Judging from your angle, that has to do with the Mafia-type operations, there I think our safest bet is to follow the money. And indeed, some of the most successful anti-Mafia operations have been through the intelligent use of following the money. This takes me again to the point that I made earlier, if you allow me to repeat it, that we now have on the table robust proposals for a new generation of instruments for anti-money laundering. I plead for a speedy, swift adoption of this legislation by this House. That would be an additional tool in our toolbox.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Piernicola Pedicini
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Portugal
Language: IT

Solo per una precisazione. Io ho un fatto riferimento preciso al traffico di armi.  Faccio un esempio per essere più chiaro: quando è nata al-Qaeda, al tempo della dissoluzione della ex Jugoslavia, la mafia gli ha fornito le armi. Lo stesso è avvenuto con l'Isis e lo stesso sta avvenendo adesso in Ucraina. È questo che sto dicendo. È di questo che vorrei avere risposta.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

If your angle is only on arms trafficking, arms trafficking is illegal under all possible definitions of law, national and European. We have rules in place. We have consistently pursued this and we have very specific rules also for importing arms into the European Union.  This arsenal of legislation is there. I’m sorry to abuse of the term ‘arsenal’. You can call it a ‘toolkit’ or ‘rulebook’. We have the rules, but we need to make sure that they are uniformly adopted across the European Union. Let me also take this opportunity to tell you that in the security union report, which we will also be presenting tomorrow, this rule of uniform application of existing legislation in the area of security would be at the top of our agenda. We will have infringement procedures against those Member States that are not adopting or implementing the rules that we have agreed, and this covers the issue of arms trafficking, arms imports and arms circulation.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Charlie Weimers
Political group: ECR
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

 Mr President, Commissioner Schinas. One of the countries in which organised crime has been on a steep rise since the onset of the millennium is Sweden. 20 years ago, Sweden used to have the least amount of deadly shootings in Europe; now it’s at the top. The only country not at war with more bombings than Sweden is Mexico. Europe would do itself a favour by asking how this was allowed to happen. For many years, Sweden was in a state of denial. The size of the migration had nothing to do with failed integration, they said. Now, to prevent and to fight organised crime, we must recognise the connection between mass migration and the steep rise in organised crime and violence. The fight against illegal migration must take priority over the universal right to apply for asylum, and illegal residents must be expelled. This won’t solve anything, Commissioner. It won’t solve everything, but it would give some breathing room in a situation where the criminal organisations have 30 000 members in Sweden, while there are only 11 000 police officers. My question to you, Commissioner, is: are you ready to commit yourself to anything of this?
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

Our first line of defence is local practitioners. This is what the Radicalisation Awareness Network that we have established has done in training teachers, workers, community police officers, child protection workers, and mental health care professionals. This is how you fight radicalisation. I understand that there is a temptation in the minds of a certain school of thought to simplify and project all this as Europe’s fault, but that begs the question: what Europe are we talking about? Because if Mr Weimers has in mind criminals, radicalised terrorists, and tries to construct the argument that this is Brussels, then the counterargument is: why did the terrorist who shot two Swedish citizens and killed them yesterday not returned, as he should have been for years, under the rules that we have not yet been able to enact? Why? Because the Returns Directive is the only element of the Pact on Migration and Asylum that you don’t like, for which the European Parliament has not yet adopted a common position. So you cannot denounce Europe for failing to enact the rules that we propose because the Returns Directive is not yet adopted. I’m saying this to call again for some cool, sober analysis of a very complex situation. I can simplify too, but I will resist this temptation. Let’s stick to the facts; let’s change our rules; let’s work together; and let’s fight the radicals and the terrorists head—on without simplification.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Charlie Weimers
Political group: ECR
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

Mr President, I am not simplifying anything here. I’m just stating the facts that failed migration policies to Sweden have led to a very urgent situation in which, as I said, there are 30 000 members of these gangs, not Islamist gangs, but violent drug-trafficking, weapons-trafficking gangs. And they are killing each other, and people –innocent people – are suffering. And I am asking you to focus on this in your future work.
Debate: Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime
Date: TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Jeroen Lenaers
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, Commissioner, I wasn’t going to ask this originally, but given the sense that you raise this point yourself now with the Return Directive, I share your need for having a Return Directive, an upgraded Return Directive. But how do you feel about the direction that this Return Directive is heading in in the Parliament? Do you see a need for a Return Directive if there is actually nothing in there of the original proposal by the European Commission, if the mandatory forced return of people with security background is actually deleted, if the possibility for detention is diminished, if the possibility for determining risk of absconding is less flexible than it should be? How do you feel about a Return Directive that goes into that direction? Secondly, my original question: crime is cross-border. Crime is by definition cross-border and it needs a European answer. We see that the police is doing great work and the possibilities are there to cooperate. What we also see is that local authorities – and you mentioned local communities – are trying to play their part, but are hampered in their cross-border cooperation because of the lack of a legal base. Do you agree that we should help local authorities’ cross-border cooperation and can you do anything from your side to facilitate that?