unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Salvatore De Meo
Political group: PPE
Country: Czechia
Language: IT

Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signor Commissario, come possiamo spiegare ai nostri cittadini che noi, pur essendo l'unico organo istituzionale democraticamente e direttamente eletto da loro, non abbiamo il potere di iniziativa legislativa? Purtroppo è difficile spiegarlo e negli anni questa anomalia ha contribuito ad alimentare anche il sentimento antieuropeo. Con la Conferenza sul futuro dell'Europa i cittadini hanno accolto con entusiasmo la possibilità di esprimere le proprie preoccupazioni e sono stati chiari su ciò che si aspettano: più efficienza e più partecipazione democratica. Le conclusioni della Conferenza hanno evidenziato la necessità di una modifica dei trattati e, considerata l'espressione democratica del Parlamento, va da sé come il riconoscimento ad esso dell'iniziativa legislativa sia il primo passo da compiere per conferire all'Unione europea una maggiore legittimità democratica e una forte credibilità tra i cittadini. È vero che il futuro dell'Europa è nelle mani dei cittadini, ma è a noi parlamentari europei che hanno delegato il compito di rappresentarli affinché le loro richieste ed aspettative si traducano in soluzioni e provvedimenti concreti.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Cyrus Engerer
Political group: S-D
Country: Romania
Language: MT

Sur President, neleġġu parlamentari biex inwasslu l-messaġġ tagħna u jieħdu azzjoni. Sew jekk nagħmlu dan fil-parlamenti lokali, reġjonali jew inkella nazzjonali tagħna. L-istess għandu japplika għal dan il-Parlament, il-Parlament tal-Ewropej kollha. Iżda aħna l-uniku parlament mingħajr id-dritt ta' inizjattiva; ma nistgħux inressqu l-liġijiet illi jistennew minna ċ-ċittadini, bħalma qalulna fil-Konferenza dwar il-Futur tal-Ewropa. Ir-realtajiet taċ-ċittadini għandhom jiġu mismugħa. Aħna l-parlamentari f'kuntatt kontinwu man-nies fil-bliet u l-irħula tagħna. Nafu x'inhuma l-kwistjonijiet u l-isfidi li jixtiequ li jiġu indirizzati fuq livell Ewropew. U ċ-ċittadini jafdaw lill-Parlament biex iressaq 'il quddiem l-isfidi tagħhom. Wieħed biss biss jista' jħares lejn il-petizzjonijiet li nirċievu; 1573 petizzjoni f'sena waħda biss, għaliex iċ-ċittadini jridu li dan il-Parlament itejjeb il-ħajja tagħhom. Il-petizzjonijiet huma evidenza ta' kemm nistgħu niksbu għaċ-ċittadini Ewropej jekk ikollna demokrazija li tiffunzjona fit-totalità tagħha. Aħna kapaċi, lesti u ħerqana sabiex immexxu 'l quddiem proposti leġiżlattivi li huma ambizzjużi u innovattivi. Il-Kummissjoni u l-Kunsill, meta se jsaħħu d-demokrazija Ewropea?
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Maite Pagazaurtundúa
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Señor presidente, en primer lugar, muchísimas gracias al señor Rangel por el maravilloso trabajo realizado. Aquí se habla una y otra vez de la Conferencia sobre el Futuro de Europa y de que los ciudadanos, con mucha naturalidad, piden la iniciativa legislativa para el Parlamento Europeo. ¿Es por un capricho? No. Es porque no viven en una burbuja; es porque quieren soluciones rápidas a problemas reales y saben que el Parlamento Europeo está preparado y es maduro para poder hacer parte de ese trabajo que ahora no podemos hacer. Tan sencillo como eso.  Hoy por hoy, el derecho de iniciativa legislativa está reservado casi en exclusiva a la Comisión Europea. Nosotros podemos pedir, pero se nos hace caso o no. La Comisión Europea puede ignorarnos perfectamente y nosotros no somos el escalón de un  El ciudadano ha sido muy claro en la Conferencia. Nos ha pedido que nosotros también tengamos ese derecho de iniciativa directo. Y lo hacen por lo que digo: no viven en una burbuja. Tenemos retos de época, complicaciones en el futuro que nos viene; así que, tenemos una oportunidad única para introducir cambios. Es el momento de convocar una Convención y de hacer ver al Consejo —que no está— que revisar los Tratados para reconocer este derecho es algo positivo y necesario.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Marcel Kolaja
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, dear Vice—President Šefčovič, absent Council, dear colleagues, the European Parliament is the only directly elected European institution, yet it is not allowed to initiate legislation. Representatives directly elected by the European citizens have only partial tools at their disposal to suggest proposals, and these are often disregarded, thrown away or heavily postponed by the Commission. Let’s be fair about that fact. Hence, I will count on the support of the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, for the European Parliament’s right to initiate legislation. Nevertheless, declared support needs to be followed by actions. All 705 Members are directly elected to represent people in Brno, Košice, Dubrovnik and everywhere else. We are the direct voice of European citizens and therefore we should have the right to initiate legislation to fully represent and defend our citizens’ interests.  As a matter of fact, citizens asked for it in the Conference on the Future of Europe. I would like to ask the Council what the Member States plan to do about it.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Eugenia Rodríguez Palop
Political group: The Left
Country: Netherlands
Language: ES

Señor presidente, el Parlamento Europeo es la única institución de la Unión Europea cuyos miembros son elegidos por sufragio directo. Sin embargo, los ámbitos en los que puede ejercer el derecho de iniciativa son sumamente limitados y evidencian un desequilibrio entre las instancias que debe corregirse.  El Consejo se niega a negociar el derecho de investigación, dispone de una mayor capacidad legislativa —a pesar de representar los intereses nacionales y no los del conjunto de la Unión— y a menudo bloquea los avances parlamentarios. Quienes quieren volver al Estado nación deberían tomar nota de este detalle.  Lo cierto es que el Parlamento es la instancia europea por definición, porque es donde reside el cuerpo y el altavoz de la ciudadanía. Y es, además, el espacio más deliberativo y hoy el más progresista. Merecería tener una capacidad legislativa directa y real.  Los Estados han sido ya superados por la propia medida de las cosas. Los retos que nos aguardan exigen descentralización y federalismo, diferentes instancias políticas coordinadas entre las que se distribuyan las competencias para tomar decisiones. Hoy, más que nunca, es imprescindible la capilaridad, la pluralidad y la voz matizada del Parlamento Europeo.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Caterina Chinnici
Political group: S-D
Country: Italy
Language: IT

Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, il Parlamento europeo, l'unica istituzione dell'Unione eletta direttamente dai cittadini, non ha un diritto generale di iniziativa legislativa come invece i parlamenti nazionali. Un'architettura istituzionale atipica, quindi, che rappresenta un evidente deficit democratico, difficilmente comprensibile per i cittadini europei. Tale disequilibrio istituzionale si avverte in particolare nell'ambito dello spazio di libertà, sicurezza e giustizia, in cui il Consiglio europeo definendo, ai sensi dell'articolo 68 del trattato sul funzionamento dell'Unione, le strategie della programmazione legislativa ed operativa, dispone di fatto di un diritto di iniziativa in materie tutte sensibili che impattano direttamente sulle libertà fondamentali dei cittadini europei. Dotare il Parlamento europeo del diritto di iniziativa legislativa, come è pure richiesto dalla Conferenza sul futuro dell'Europa, rafforzerà anche l'azione dell'Unione nel prevenire e contrastare fenomeni di arretramento del rispetto dei diritti fondamentali e dello Stato di diritto, a maggiore tutela dei cittadini europei.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Señor presidente, el Parlamento Europeo es la única institución directamente elegida y legitimada por el voto de la arquitectura europea. Es un verdadero Parlamento, pero es más: es el único parlamento multinacional con poderes legislativos de todo el mundo. Es un Parlamento legislador, y es un verdadero Parlamento porque inviste a la Comisión en la persona de su presidenta con su voto, controla a dicha institución y puede derribarla también con su voto.  Por eso resulta inexorable que el Parlamento Europeo —la institución que más ha crecido en el curso de la historia de la Unión Europea— complete su proceso de maduración y crecimiento con esa iniciativa legislativa directa. No es verdad que no la tenga en absoluto; la tiene de manera indirecta. Puede ordenar, mandatar a la Comisión que adopte iniciativas legislativas.  Pero hay tres maneras de mejorar la actual situación. La primera: que la Comisión se obligue, cada vez que el Parlamento Europeo adopta un informe de iniciativa, a responder y traer la iniciativa que le ha ordenado el Parlamento Europeo.  La segunda: un acuerdo institucional —«interinstitucional», lo llamamos— que refuerce la posición y la opinión del Parlamento en los procedimientos legislativos especiales.  Pero la tercera es la inevitable: es la reforma —en virtud del artículo 48 del Tratado de la Unión Europea— que complete este proceso de maduración final del Parlamento Europeo con la iniciativa legislativa directa.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Othmar Karas
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Colleagues, at 17.00 we have the next voting session. I hope it is in your interest to finalise this debate before. That is the reason why I cannot accept the rest for catch-the-eye. So I will cancel catch-the-eye and I will give the floor to Vice-President Šefčovič.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Maroš Šefčovič
Language: EN

First and foremost, I really would like to thank all of you for this very important debate. I think it gave very clear confirmation that there is a strong wish for Parliament to have a more important role in the area that we discussed this afternoon, and that it clearly warrants the need for the Commission and Parliament to continue working even more together from an early stage when the initiatives are being prepared in the committees.  I really would like to underscore that I very much appreciate your acknowledgement that this Commission delivers on our political commitment to work with you and to deliver on the Article 225 resolution, and that we are ready to further discuss how we can improve the practical aspects of our positive cooperation, an experience we had in this effort so far.  I also would like to underline that I understand that you call for a more generalised direct right of initiative of the European Parliament. I think that there was also a quite clear understanding from most of the intervening Members of the Parliament that such a broad right would require a treaty change, which of course merits a wider debate.  So, to conclude, I would like to thank all the honourable Members who intervened in this discussion and to underline once again that we are ready to continue our discussions on this matter.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Paulo Rangel
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Then let me say to the Vice-President of the Commission, I was very pleased with your intervention, but I would like to have a clear statement (which, by the way, your President, Ms von der Leyen, has made) that we are entitled to have the proper right of initiative. That was what I was expecting today because this was said by President von der Leyen. There is no reason for a Vice-President that is responsible for institutional relations not to say that here in a very clear and open manner.  And finally, I would take this opportunity while I have here some presidents of groups to tell you that it is a shame that our Parliament in such matters like electoral law, triggering Article 48 and the right of initiative doesn’t schedule these debates as key debates, because the other institutions will say, you are debating, you are debating the right of initiative, but you give only a very, very short slot in the evening to debate this. And the same will happen tomorrow with the triggering of Article 48. This doesn’t honour our Chamber, and it’s the responsibility of the Conference of Presidents that we don’t have the institutional issues among the most important debates of our House.
Debate: Parliament’s right of initiative
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Othmar Karas
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Ich glaube, dass die Debatte sehr deutlich gezeigt hat, dass es eine breite Mehrheit in diesem Parlament für ein Initiativrecht gibt. Die Aussprache ist damit geschlossen. Die Abstimmung findet morgen, Donnerstag, 9. Juni 2022, statt.
Debate: The EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: David McAllister
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

It shall be named ‘The EU's foreign security and defence policy after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine’. Colleagues, over the past weeks, we have used the term ‘war of aggression’ instead of ‘invasion’; therefore, I suggest to also change the title of this recommendation accordingly.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Evelyn Regner
Country: Netherlands
Language: DE

Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Erklärungen des Rates und der Kommission zu den weltweiten Bedrohungen des Rechts auf Abtreibung – etwaige Abschaffung des Rechts auf Abtreibung in den USA durch den Obersten Gerichtshof ( Ich erinnere Sie daran, dass mit Ausnahme der ersten beiden Reihen, die für die Fraktionsvorsitzenden vorgesehen sind, freie Sitzplatzwahl besteht. Nachdem Sie ihre Abstimmungskarte in das Abstimmungsgerät eingeschoben haben, können Sie dann über Ihr Abstimmungsgerät spontane Wortmeldungen und blaue Karten beantragen. Ich weise Sie auch darauf hin, dass Wortmeldungen im Plenarsaal weiterhin vom zentralen Rednerpult aus erfolgen, außer spontanen Wortmeldungen, blauen Karten und Bemerkungen zur Anwendung der Geschäftsordnung.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Valdis Dombrovskis
Language: EN

President Biden said such a decision would be radical and marked a fundamental shift in US law and put other rights into question, namely women’s access to reproductive healthcare and control over their own lives and bodies. We fully share this concern and indeed the consequences would be radical not only for the US but globally.  This would notably lead to an increase in unsafe abortions. According to the World Health Organization, around 45% of all abortions are unsafe, of which 97 take place in developing countries. Unsafe abortion is a leading but preventable cause of maternal deaths and morbidities. The global trend over the past decades has been towards a repeal of abortion bans. In the past 25 years, over 60 countries around the world have liberalised their laws and policies on abortion. The EU remains committed to being a leader on sexual and reproductive health and rights, an essential part of realising human rights.  Our high ambition is clear in the EU Gender Action Plan III in External Action 2021-2025 and reflected in the European Consensus on Development. Concretely, the Commission provides support to Member States in implementing sustainable development goals pertaining to this area. At the global level, we support interventions at bilateral, regional and global levels.  The EU partners, closely with the United Nations Population Fund and civil society actors, work in this area, and in the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the EU has been a staunch supporter of sexual and reproductive health and rights. There is a continued need for engagement with other partner countries bilaterally, such as through human rights dialogue and in multilateral fora, as well as through our global programmatic funding.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Arba Kokalari
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: SV

I USA ser vi nu starka krafter som jobbar aktivt för att stoppa rätten till abort. Och om de lyckas så kommer närmare 40 procent av de amerikanska kvinnorna att drabbas om deras närmaste abortklinik tvingas stänga. I vårt grannland Polen, som redan har förbjudit abort, har kvinnor dött när de har nekats abortvård. Den polska regeringen vill nu gå ett steg längre och införa massregister av gravida. Det här är helt sjukt. Rätten till abort är en frihetsfråga och är helt avgörande för alla kvinnors möjlighet att få utforma sina liv som de själva vill.  Den här resolutionen är så viktig. Det är en signal om att vi i EU står för frihet, för mänskliga rättigheter, för kvinnors rättigheter, och att vi har nolltolerans mot dem som försöker underminera kvinnors rättigheter. EU måste säga ifrån. Vi måste stå på kvinnornas sida och ha nolltolerans mot dem som vill omyndigförklara kvinnor och deras egna val i livet. Det här är en frihetsfråga och Europa måste ta den fajten.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Predrag Fred Matić
Political group: S-D
Country: Poland
Language: HR

Šokirao nas je i nacrt mišljenja Vrhovnog suda u Sjedinjenim Državama koji bi, ako se ostvari, za mnoge žene diljem te zemlje značio noćnu moru. Konkretnije, značio bi situaciju u kojoj bi 26 saveznih država gotovo odmah ili vrlo brzo izmijenilo svoje zakone te učinile pobačaj nelegalnim i nedostupnim. Natjeralo bi žene i djevojke da svoju zdravstvenu skrb traže preko granice, kod kojekakvih nestručnih pojedinaca, potjeralo bi ih u sferu nesigurnih pobačaja, a zbog kojih, podsjećam vas, 23 tisuće žena godišnje umire.  Za jednu državu i zajednicu koja priča o slobodi kao temeljnoj vrijednosti, vrijeme je da pitamo naše kolegice i kolege iz Sjedinjenih Država gdje je sloboda na odlučivanje o vlastitom tijelu, gdje je sloboda na tjelesnu autonomiju i na samostalno upravljanje vlastitim životom i zdravljem. Zar je ona rezervirana za sve osim za žene?  A u trenutku kad smo pisali ovu rezoluciju i šokirano čitali taj grozni nacrt mišljenja, naši dobro poznati kolege iz Poljske podsjetili su nas na to da te prijetnje nisu i ne dolaze samo izvana. U Europskoj uniji imamo državu koja uvodi takozvani registar trudnoća. Taj registar će poslužiti kao još jedan alat za kriminalizaciju i progon žena i djevojaka, kao i svih medicinskih stručnjaka koji su uključeni u pružanje skrbi vezane za pobačaj.  Prijetnja ostvarenim ljudskim pravima najsnažnije su upravo kada se priča o ženskim pravima, posebno kada se u raspravu uključe kojekakve rigidne desničarske klerikalne i dobro financirane interesne grupe koje smatraju da mogu upravljati svime, pa i našim tijelima. Vrijeme je da im jasno poručujemo da im u ovoj temi nije mjesto, a našim partnerima iz Sjedinjenih Država da pružimo potporu da se odupru tim nastojanjima. Jer nema uspješnih demokracija bez poštivanja osnovnih ljudskih prava a seksualna i reproduktivna prava to svakako jesu. Hvala lijepa.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Samira Rafaela
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: NL

Het is genoeg geweest, maar het is écht genoeg geweest. En mijn oproep vandaag is daarom: laten we de Europese verdragen wijzigen en het recht op abortus verankeren in onze Unie. We moeten deze fundamentalisten geen centimeter meer geven om hun destructieve antivrouwenagenda uit te voeren. Abortusrecht is een mensenrecht en dat moeten we nú in de Europese verdragen terugzien.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Alice Kuhnke
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Germany
Language: SV

Den amerikanska högsta domstolens beslut om att riva upp lagen som gett amerikanska kvinnor skydd och rätt att ta beslut om sin egen kropp kommer att få vida konsekvenser långt utanför Amerika. Det kommer att påverka även EU. I Polen kämpar fantastiska, modiga polacker för kvinnors rätt att ta beslut om sin egen kropp. Att flera kvinnor har dött på grund av att läkare inte har vågat ge dem den hjälp de behövt är oacceptabelt. Vi måste agera mycket mer kraftfullt än vad vi har gjort hittills.
Debate: Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022
Speaker: Christine Anderson
Political group: ID
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Promoters of this debate should read the Treaties of the European Union first. This Parliament has no competence to lecture sovereign countries on how they should govern themselves. The USA is no longer a colony ruled from Europe. Didn't you know that?  So if their Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade as being unconstitutional, yeah, they can do that! If they decide that their federal law no longer protects the abortionists from criminal prosecution, yeah, they can do that too! And if they put decisions on how to run maternal healthcare, abortion choices, back to democratically elected leaders in their 50 states, guess what? They can do that too! And if those states then believe life in the womb is worth protecting, as the UN Convention on the Rights of Children states by the way, yep, they can do that too! You know what your problem is? You just won't take ‘no’ for an answer. You will simply not accept anyone not in support of your dystopian brave new world agenda. As seen here today earlier, by the way, if a vote doesn't go your way, all hell breaks loose and the vote will be repeated until the result suits you. So much for democracy in this House.  So whenever you are hyperventilating about some sort of a ‘global threat’, what you are really fighting against is the collapse of your ridiculous utopia in which humans are a malleable mass. This is despicable and it's dehumanising. And I am ashamed to have to say this in this House.