unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: José Gusmão
Political group: The Left
Country: Finland
Language: PT

Senhor Presidente, o mercado das criptomoedas tem, hoje, uma capitalização semelhante à que tinha a indústria do  Mas o facto dos criptoativos serem dinheiro a brincar não quer dizer que não tenham consequências sérias. A ligação entre o mercado dos criptoativos e o sistema financeiro convencional é cada vez maior e são cada vez mais as famílias que dão dinheiro a sério em troca de ativos a brincar. O regulamento que aqui é proposto já é obsoleto, como disse a presidente do Banco Central Europeu, ou seja, estamos a aprovar um regulamento que já é obsoleto antes de entrar em vigor. Em segundo lugar, é ineficaz porque coloca uma missão impossível às agências regulatórias, preparando—se para as tornar nos bodes expiatórios de futuras crises financeiras. E, finalmente, não faz absolutamente nada – a não ser uma pequena declaração de intenções – sobre as consequências ambientais desta absurda indústria.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Markus Ferber
Political group: PPE
Country: Italy
Language: DE

Herr Präsident, sehr geehrte Frau Kommissarin, liebe Kolleginnen, liebe Kollegen! Die Märkte für  Unabhängig davon, was man von  Genau das machen wir mit der Verordnung über Märkte für
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Paul Tang
Political group: S-D
Country: Spain
Language: EN

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. In 1637, the Netherlands went crazy over tulips. They didn’t know what to use them for, but people believed that their price would go up. Then the bubble burst, savings evaporated and investors were left in ruins. That was 1637, but the similarities with crypto are stark. Nobody knows what to use them for, but they are the next hot thing. Then again, tulips are at least pretty. Crypto, on the other hand, not only defaults on the investor, it also pollutes the climate. With the laws we passed today, this week, Europe will make crypto better, but our work is far from done. With regulations for crypto companies, we raise the bar, make the market more transparent and protect consumers. However, when one of the biggest crypto companies on Earth, FTX, appears to be rotten to its core, I ask myself if it will be enough. With rules against money laundering, we managed to set obligations to detect illicit transfers. Yet unhosted wallets still loom in the dark and can escape the eye of the law. Moreover, it’s incomprehensible that the crypto sector is still excluded from climate change policy. It pollutes more than Belgium, and the question is for what? Today, crypto is an empty and dirty promise with many risks. Then again, the tulip once seemed the same. Now they are part of our culture, the Dutch culture at least. With today’s rules, perhaps crypto will achieve the same thing one day.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Martin Hlaváček
Political group: Renew
Country: Bulgaria
Language: CS

Pane předsedající, obchodování s kryptoaktivy zaznamenává nebývalý rozmach. Celkový počet uživatelů dávno přesáhl stamiliony  a hodnota trhu se odhaduje až na dva triliony dolarů. Dále roste a poroste. Co to znamená? Že čím dál větší objem hodnot a transakcí bude realizován prostřednictvím těchto aktiv.  A zatímco tradiční aktiva jsou řádně obchodována, chráněna a daněna, tady jsme měli až doposud naprostou džungli. A to za situace, kdy v rozpočtech téměř všech členských zemí Evropské unie začínají být čím dál větší díry. Pokud nebudou jasně stanovena pravidla, bude dnešní stav nadále přinášet spoustu škod a neštěstí, daňových úniků, manipulací trhu, kriminality, ale i nešťastných osudů těch, kteří v kryptoaktiva měli víru a ztratili jimi na hodnotě. Jsem proto rád, že hlavní právní díry byly tímto předpisem zalátány, o což se zasloužil i můj kolega Ondřej Kovařík.  Ale je to teprve začátek. Musíme dál a systematicky pokračovat i v souvisejících předpisech, jako je aktuální výměna daňových informací. Bez toho nám budou peníze utíkat dále.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: France Jamet
Political group: ID
Country: Poland
Language: FR

Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, mes chers collègues, il y a dix ans, personne ne connaissait les cryptoactifs. Aujourd’hui, ce sont à la fois des placements, des quasi-monnaies et des voies de blanchiment. Le potentiel de ces innovations ne doit pourtant pas nous abuser sur les risques qui pèsent sur nos citoyens et nos sociétés. Leur volatilité et le niveau de risque financier élevé qu’ils comportent nous obligent à la prudence. L’affaire FTX a été évoquée tout à l’heure, mais il y a aussi les arnaques et les projets fumeux promus par des pseudo-influenceurs, qui menacent chaque jour nos petits épargnants et les investisseurs de détail. C’est pour cela qu’il est essentiel de poser enfin une règle – celle de la transparence, notamment – dans cette jungle qui n’en a pas, une règle qui nous permette de faire respecter la loi et la justice.  Nous ne devons pas pour autant être à la traîne, dans ce secteur, comme pour de nombreuses autres innovations technologiques qui vont profondément modifier notre monde et l’avenir, et peut-être même au-delà de ce que nous pourrions imaginer aujourd’hui. Nous ne devons pas nous laisser dépasser par les événements et surtout par la fulgurance de ces avancées technologiques. Nous devons appuyer la technologie et ses progrès sur des principes humains, qui passent par l’humain et travaillent pour l’humain, afin de permettre non pas notre asservissement mais notre émancipation. Et la première des libertés, c’est d’en accepter les règles.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Barbara Thaler
Political group: PPE
Country: Romania
Language: DE

Herr Präsident, liebe Frau Kommissarin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Es ist so, wie wir es eigentlich schon oft hier gehört haben. Wir stehen vor einer besonderen Herausforderung, gerade weil es um digitale Dienstleistungen geht. Es gibt hier eine kleine Nische, die sich aufmacht, die Welt zu erobern. Und keiner hat bei dieser aufregenden Reise daran gedacht, die juristische Welt zu kontaktieren, die nach diesen ersten erfolgreichen Abenteuern leise beginnt zu fragen: Ja, dürfen die denn das? Und das klingt ein bisschen wie eine aufregende Geschichte von Thomas Brezina, ist aber durchaus Realität, wenn wir in die letzten Jahre zurückschauen.  Und ich bin wirklich schon sehr gespannt, wie diese zukünftige Reise der Kryptowelt aussehen wird. Mit dem heutigen Beschluss ist die EU wirklich um einen gesetzlichen Rahmen reicher, der Innovationen unterstützt und Menschen beschützt. Ich möchte ganz herzlich meinem Kollegen Stefan Berger gratulieren zu seiner Arbeit. Er hat sich seit Beginn mit viel Herzblut für dieses Thema eingesetzt. Herzlichen Glückwunsch an alle, die verhandelt haben.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Alfred Sant
Political group: S-D
Country: Denmark
Language: EN

Mr President, this new system that we are voting upon brings the transfer of crypto funds and assets under full surveillance, even for small values. It’s a needed measure. It brings crypto assets within the scope of EU legislation on financial services. It signals that the regulatory framework applying to them will be strong and transparent. Whether we like it or not, crypto technology is here to stay.  The new measures are not intended to stifle this development. So robust they could actually help to promote the EU as a crypto hub. For I am told, the technology has now reached a phase where it’s really established itself as a legitimate area of activity. Its practitioners and developers do need and do want a strong regulatory framework. Not in the US, where cacophony prevails. Their hope is the EU. Cutting-edge American developers, among the best and the brightest, are relocating to Europe. We should welcome this.  Even so, I am still unsure about the understanding we have of the impact of crypto technology on market economies and financial systems. Most of the inputs and interventions we hear, feel like they’re dealing with only one or three tentacles of an octopus. We do not have a conceptual model – Keynesian, Friedmanite, or whatever – to help explain and guide the macroeconomic and macrofinancial implications of crypto developments. It feels a bit, perhaps on a larger scale, like the misgivings we had about shadow banking in the recent past. That makes me uneasy.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Sunčana Glavak
Political group: PPE
Country: Netherlands
Language: HR

Poštovani predsjedavajući, poštovana povjerenice, kolegice i kolege, na početku želim zahvaliti izvjestitelju, kolegi Bergeru, na njegovom  Posljednjih godina, naravno, porast digitalnih valuta revolucionirao je način na koji razmišljamo o novcu, ali je također izazvao i ozbiljnu zabrinutost u vezi s potencijalom nedopuštenih aktivnosti, osobito pranja novca.  Oni koji imaju takozvane digitalne novčanike često su svjesni toga da se oni isprazne zbog nestabilnosti tržišta, pa bismo mogli reći i bez da ste otišli u kupovinu ostali ste bez velikog dijela novca, kada govorimo o kriptovalutama.  Međutim, mi smo ovdje zato da bismo zapravo, kao i sva druga tržišta, sveli u zakonske okvire i ovaj je prijedlog dio paketa zakonodavnih prijedloga za jačanje pravila Europske unije protiv pranja novca, ali i financiranja terorizma. Ažuriranje, naravno, mora proširiti opseg pravila na određene kriptoimovine za koje postoji sve veći rizik iskorištavanja u kriminalne svrhe i pranja novca. O tome postoje brojna svjedočanstva.  Također, vrijedno je napomenuti da tradicionalni financijski sustavi jednako tako nisu imuni na pranje novca i da je to sistemski problem koji zahtijeva višestruki pristup za rješavanje. Uz to, postoje koraci koji se mogu poduzeti protiv pranja novca u prostoru kriptovaluta, a naravno koraci su poput implementacije politika Know Your Customer i Anti-Money Laundering, koja od korisnika zahtijeva identifikaciju i podvrgavanje dubinskim provjerama.  Za kraj, htjela bih reći - istina je da transakcije kriptovalute može biti mnogo teže pratiti nego tradicionalne financijske transakcije, ali vrijedi zapamtiti da su velika većina korisnika kriptovalute legitimni pojedinci i tvrtke koji ovu tehnologiju koriste u legitimne svrhe.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Patrick Breyer
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Poland
Language: DE

Herr Präsident! Bargeld ist finanzielle Freiheit. Wir können ohne Schere im Kopf ganz anonym kaufen und spenden. Niemand ist von Bargeld ausgeschlossen. Bei Bargeld gibt es keine Kartensperrungen oder Negativzinsen. Wir Piraten kämpfen dafür, dass es im digitalen Zeitalter auch digitales Bargeld geben muss, das genauso frei und anonym nutzbar ist wie Geldscheine und Münzen. Zum Beispiel, um an Wikileaks spenden zu können, wenn die Banken der Enthüllungsplattform wieder einmal die Kreditkartenspenden abgedreht haben. Zum Beispiel, damit russische Bürger den Dissidenten Nawalny unterstützen können, ohne Angst vor Repressionen durch das Putin-Regime. Dass jetzt anonyme Zahlungen und Spenden in digitalen Währungen total und ab dem ersten Euro verboten werden, hat kaum nennenswerte Auswirkungen auf die Kriminalität, beraubt aber gesetzestreue Bürger ihrer finanziellen Freiheit. Kriminelle Krypto-Transaktionen werden schon heute auch ohne Generalverdacht von Polizei und Justiz erfolgreich verfolgt. Aber dass für einige die Terrorismusbekämpfung nur ein Vorwand ist, um immer mehr Kontrolle über unsere privaten Ausgaben zu erlangen und dann schrittweise auch das Bargeld abzuschaffen, da machen wir nicht mit. Wir Piraten sind und bleiben die Stimme der finanziellen Freiheit und Privatsphäre hier im Europäischen Parlament. Deswegen lehnen wir diese extreme Krypto-Regulierung ab.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Beata Mazurek
Political group: ECR
Country: Malta
Language: PL

Panie Przewodniczący! Kryptowaluty są na rynku finansowym zjawiskiem stosunkowo nowym, które nie jest jeszcze wystarczająco uregulowane w unijnym prawodawstwie. Nadszedł czas na stworzenie ram dla emisji i świadczenia usług związanych z kryptoaktywami, które będą wspierać innowacyjność i uczciwą konkurencję, ale przede wszystkim zapewnią wysoki poziom ochrony konsumentów. Dotychczas była to szara strefa, finansowa dżungla nęcąca obietnicą szybkiego zysku, który jednak w wielu przypadkach okazywał się mirażem i wyparowywał równie gwałtownie, jak się pojawił. Bez ścisłych wymogów informacyjnych rynek ten pozostanie jedynie ziemią obiecaną dla rozmaitych cwaniaków, którzy wykorzystują naiwność i niską świadomość konsumentów. Mam nadzieję, że regulacja otworzy nowy rozdział i da szansę na włączenie kryptoaktywów w europejski rynek finansowy z korzyścią dla wszystkich obywateli Unii Europejskiej.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Stefan Berger
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Berücksichtigen wir die Umweltaspekte genug? Ich denke, ja. Wir bringen sie erstmals rein in einen neuen ökonomischen Zweig, ohne technologische Konsensmechanismen verbieten zu wollen, ohne in Technologie einzugreifen, sondern offen zu sein für neue Entwicklungen. Denn wir müssen doch eins sehen: Die Welt wartet nicht auf uns. In Amerika werden Jahr für Jahr Milliarden an Dollars in Metaversen investiert. Innerhalb dieser Metaversen wird mit NFT, wird mit Blockchain-Geld, wird im Web3 mit NFT bezahlt. Alles das müssen wir schützen und müssen versuchen, dass das auch hier in Europa entstehen kann. Und deswegen kann ich auch die Kritik von Herrn Breyer und den Piraten nicht wirklich verstehen. Durch MiCA wird eine Bitcoin-Spende in die Ukraine jedenfalls nicht unmöglich. Ich glaube, dass wir am Ende einen Kompromiss gefunden haben, der jetzt durch den Beschluss dieses Parlaments morgen ein Rahmenwerk auf den Weg bringt, das Innovation und Wachstum in Europa ermöglicht – ohne über die Maßen Chancen zu beschneiden. Und in diesem Sinne bitte ich noch einmal morgen um Unterstützung für diesen Vorschlag.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Ernest Urtasun
Country: Belgium
Language: EN

Lídia Pereira mentioned – and I can only agree – that we don’t have to block innovation, that our rules need to be technologically neutral. I fully agree on that. I think that here the issue is more that we need to apply the same rules for the same risks. I think this is something that Aurore Lalucq mentioned and I think this is the principle that we should follow. But this, and let’s be clear, what we are doing is not applying the full set of financial regulation rules to the crypto world, we are creating a specific regime and by doing so this is why, I think, during the debate many people raised the issue that we probably need to adapt to MiCA 2 again, because this is the consequence of having chosen this kind of approach, which has good reasons for it, but then it will need further adaptation in order to be sure that same rules are applied to same risks, which is what we need.  Jonás Fernández from the S&D said that we need to strengthen the prudential treatment of crypto exposures. I can only agree to that. I hope that the trialogue negotiations on CRD/CRR will get there.  I also can fully agree with Chris MacManus on the need to put in place these rules, but to consider those only a first step. So I fully agree also with that. I have mentioned it in my intervention  And also to Ondřej Kovařík, who said that we need to completely be coherent what we are voting on Thursday together with the AML legislation. I think this is very important that we have a coherent framework, also maybe it’s a good opportunity to insist that with CFR we have also made crypto companies obliged entities on the on the current AML regime and therefore we are going to apply the highest AML standards that we apply to banks also to the cryptocurrency actors and service providers. So I think this is this is important and we have done that also by doing some targeted changes to the already existing AML framework in in the waiting until the next one is put fully in place.  And then finally, just a brief word to Commissioner McGuinness, thank you so much for your cooperation again, Commissioner. I think that the most important thing is that in this in this progressive entry into force of the legislation, we have to very carefully look at potential fragile investors that can be affected by the turmoil while we wait until the rules to be in place. So I think here in the in this transitional period, we still have some some work to do. And also, as you said, I think we need to continue international cooperation because most of these phenomena require international regulation. We need to continue cooperating at the level of FATF and also things like, for instance, the regulation of the impact of an of environment of cryptocurrencies will need at the end to have a solution at the international level. Voilà, this is what I wanted to say. Thank you again to all colleagues, Commissioner, for all your work on that.
Debate: Markets in Crypto-assets  - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Assita Kanko
Country: France
Language: EN

The blockchain can indeed offer transparency, and some old crypto hacks have been resolved years later as a result. However, there are a lot of innovations to reduce this transparency, not least mixers and tumblers. In some cases, CASPs themselves do a lot of mixing and tumbling as well. Furthermore, if you can identify the flow of crypto on the blockchain, but cannot identify the people involved, you see only half of the picture. I therefore see the travel rule as proportionate and compatible to the blockchain. Again, peer-to-peer transactions remain outside of the scope of defi. Another issue has been the concern to push crypto out of the EU. Again, I don’t think these laws will do that. We see all the serious countries in the world taking big steps to regulate crypto. Some less democratic places go even further and ban most crypto activities. It is clear to me that if crypto wants to be taken seriously as an innovative fintech sector, it should also accept serious regulation like what we are doing now. I think most countries around the world agree with that. That was enough discussion, and we have experienced a lot of positive contributions. I would like to thank all of you who are involved in this file for the excellent cooperation. Also, the French presidency has been very supportive, with a lot of capable people. I want especially to thank Commissioner McGuinness and her team. Together, we will expect and hope for a very – I’m so happy that the Council is back – positive outcome tomorrow, and broad support so that we can make crypto safer for our citizens and much more difficult for criminals.
Debate: Digital euro
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Jessika Roswall
Language: EN

The Council recognised the strategic importance of the digital euro project and investigations into central bank digital currency in general. As you know, the digital euro project is part of a broader international trend. Other central banks are embarking on similar projects, including in non-euro members like Sweden. The digital project has a clear political dimension as it touches on economic and financial sovereignty and affects citizens and businesses in a very tangible manner. The introduction of the digital euro must therefore be an inclusive project supported by the European public and built on a solid democratic basis. This is also why we need to make sure that the citizens and businesses maintain access to sovereign money issued by the central bank, which should remain the monetary anchor. Member States have regularly discussed this matter within the Eurogroup, which has issued several statements summarising its views. I would say that there are both opportunities and challenges. To mention a few key points, the digital euro’s expected benefits span from widespread access to safe central bank money, and enhanced financial inclusion to cutting—edge, pan—EU payment systems. However, there are also risks connected to the launch of a retail digital euro. Among other things, it requires certain safeguards so that it does not disrupt financial stability, resulting, for instance, from a displacement of commercial bank deposits. Another key concern of Member States is that of privacy. A high level of privacy is essential to gain the trust of retail users. At the same time, combating financial and illegal activities should be high on the agenda. At the same time, there are issues connected with the role of intermediaries and cost allocations that needs to be addressed so that consumers don’t face higher costs for digital euro payments than for commercial payments. Another important dimension of this discussion is the international role of the euro and the interoperability with similar initiatives around the world. I mentioned just some key issues for the Member States, which I am sure that that we share with the Parliament. Discussions on these and other aspects will continue. Once the Commission’s proposal is made public the Council will do its part to take the legislative work forward so that we can engage in interinstitutional negotiations with the European Parliament. I’m looking forward to the debate. Thank you for your attention.
Debate: Digital euro
Date: WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023
Speaker: Markus Ferber
Political group: PPE
Country: Italy
Language: DE

Dabei haben wir zwar einen besseren Einblick in einige dieser Optionen, dieser Designoptionen bekommen, die Europäische Zentralbank, aber auch die Europäische Kommission, die ja jetzt an einer Rechtsgrundlage für einen digitalen Euro arbeitet, haben aber eine zentrale Frage noch nicht glaubwürdig beantwortet, nämlich: Was ist der Mehrwert des digitalen Euros für die Nutzer? Oder um es anders auszudrücken: Was kann ich mit einem digitalen Euro machen, was ich mit den heutigen Zahlungsoptionen nicht machen kann? Also, was ist das Geschäftsmodell des digitalen Euro? Solange diese Frage nicht beantwortet ist, wird es viel Skepsis gegenüber einem digitalen Euro geben. Die öffentliche Konsultation der Zentralbank zeigt auch, wo diese herrührt. Die meisten Bürgerinnen und Bürger wollen ein hohes Maß an Privatsphäre im Zahlungsverkehr. Es gibt begründete Zweifel, dass ein digitaler Euro diese Ziele im gleichen Maße erfüllen kann wie Bargeld. Deswegen muss auch klar sein: Bargeld wird nicht ersetzt, Bargeld muss weiter bestehen bleiben und der digitale Euro kann es höchstens ergänzen. Daran sollte auch die EZB keinen Zweifel lassen. Um es klar zu sagen: Ich habe kein Problem mit einem digitalen Euro, wenn wir wissen, wofür er notwendig ist. Aber solange diese Frage nicht beantwortet ist, gibt es bei uns eine große Skepsis. Wenn es eine klare Vision gibt, dann beantworten sich auch viele Fragen, Frau Kommissarin, ganz von selber, denn über das Design beantwortet sich auch die Regulatorik. Deswegen bitte erst die Frage nach dem „Wofür“ beantworten und dann erst die Frage nach dem „Wie“.