unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Enikő Győri
Political group: NI
Country: Luxembourg
Language: HU

Elnök Asszony! Tisztán emlékszem, miután az Energia Charta Megállapodás modernizációs tárgyalásai véget értek tavaly, a Bizottság büszkén kijelentette: az új szöveg mindenben megfelel a környezetvédelmi fenntarthatósági követelményeknek. Most pedig a Bizottság az egészet sutba akarja vágni. Ennek az lesz a következménye, hogy húsz évig még a régi megállapodás feltételei maradnak érvényben, azaz a fosszilis beruházásokat is védeni kell. Míg ha életbe lépne a modernizációs megállapodás, akkor az újakra már nem vonatkozna a védelem, a régiek pedig húsz év helyett csupán tíz évig élvezhetnék azt. Így számomra érthetetlen a Bizottság pálfordulása, bár tudom, hogy bizony jónéhány tagállam időközben kiszállt. A háború okozta energiaválság korában védeni kell az Unió függetlenítését segítő energetikai beruházásokat. Az Energia Charta stabilitást jelent, ami a stratégiai és tőkeigényes energiaberuházásoknál elengedhetetlen. Ha már a Bizottság úgy dönt, hogy inkább bedobja a törülközőt, kérem, járjon el kellő óvatossággal, és vegye figyelembe, hogy vannak olyan tagállamok, amelyek nem akarnak kilépni az egyezményből. Ezért olyan megoldásra van szükség, amely számukra ezt megengedi.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Ivan Štefanec
Political group: PPE
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

Madam President, after the fail – on 22 November, when the Council denied agreement on an updated text – of the Energy Charter Treaty to become more compatible with the Paris Agreement and Green Deal, it’s final time for Europe to coordinate its withdrawal from this treaty. Now we should concentrate on building a new, much more efficient and competitive energy system that prioritises and protects renewable energy investments. However, the Commission should bear in mind the ‘sunset clause’ with 20 years of protection of existing investments as well as fossil fuel projects. Breaking the contracts can lead to the situation that EU—based companies should start filing claims against Member States in case of harm.  In terms of money, according to the last study by Investigate Europe, the value of fossil fuel infrastructure protected by the treaty is estimated to be worth EUR 344 billion across the EU, the UK and Switzerland. Therefore, it is really important that the Commission and the Spanish Presidency find the adequate way very soon, with a proposal that will protect companies as well as Member States and not slow down transition to sustainable energy mix within the EU market. As we know, the energy transition is key also for our economic growth.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Bernd Lange
Political group: S-D
Country: Portugal
Language: EN

Madam President, everybody knows the story; the Commissioner explained it quite rightly. The only question, of course, is how to convince the Council to stop the blockade. That’s the only question. And this was my question to the Commission: what is the strategy to unblock the situation in the Council? The position of the Parliament adopted in November last year is totally clear. The majority of Member States are not in favour of the agreement, and because of the fact that a lot of EU competences are in the Treaty, and you mentioned it quite rightly, it’s also clear that we will never authorise Member States to stay in the Energy Charter Treaty. Therefore, we have to really convince the Member States to stop the blockade because there’s a clear European wish to leave this Treaty as soon as possible.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Saskia Bricmont
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, peut-être qu'une des manières de convaincre le Conseil qui nous fait l'honneur de son absence aujourd'hui, alors que c'est le message qu'adresse le Parlement et la Commission européenne à nos gouvernements de se retirer du traité sur la charte de l'énergie, c'est de lui signifier que le coût de l'inaction climatique sera cinq fois plus élevé que celui de l'action aujourd'hui.  Il nous en coûtera encore davantage si nous restons pieds et poings liés à ce traité qui permet aux investisseurs énergétiques d'exiger des millions de ces mêmes gouvernements et s'ils prennent des décisions qui vont à l'encontre de leurs intérêts en prenant des mesures de transition énergétique. C'est ainsi que plusieurs multinationales ont d'ores et déjà extorqué plus de 50 milliards d'euros à des pays signataires du TCE. Autant d'argent qui est soustrait à la collectivité publique, autant d'argent qui devrait servir à la nécessaire transition énergétique et à la réduction des factures d'énergie des citoyens.  Atteindre nos objectifs climatiques exige de mettre un terme aux investissements dans les énergies fossiles et dans leur protection. Le Conseil doit donc suivre l'appel du Parlement et de la Commission européenne à sortir du traité, mais aussi à en neutraliser les effets au niveau européen. Et l'Union européenne doit aussi montrer son leadership en vue de la COP 28, son leadership dans le
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Silvia Modig
Political group: The Left
Country: Romania
Language: FI

Arvoisa puhemies, energiaperuskirjasta tehty sopimus on sopimus, jota ei pitäisi olla olemassa. On käsittämätöntä, että meillä on fossiilisia investointeja suojeleva sopimus aikana, jolloin ilmastonmuutoksen aiheuttamat vahingot ovat pääuutisten aiheita viikosta toiseen. Se on suorassa ristiriidassa ilmastotoimiemme kanssa!  Samaan aikaan kun yksilöitä syyllistetään heidän valinnoistaan, me sallimme sen, että yhtiöt voivat haastaa ilmastotekoja tekeviä valtioita välimiesoikeuteen voidakseen jatkaa saastuttamista. Tämä on paitsi typerää ja haitallista, se on myös täysin epädemokraattista. Jos valtio päättää viisaasti luopua vaikkapa hiilestä, se on demokraattisesti valitun hallituksen päätös. Se, että me annamme saastuttaville yhtiöille mahdollisuuden mennä demokraattisen päätöksen yli, ei ole hyväksyttävää.  Parlamentti on jo aiemmin linjannut, että EU:n on vetäydyttävä sopimuksesta. Jopa komissio on nyt samoilla linjoilla. Mutta missä on neuvosto, josta tämä on kiinni? Voiko se selvemmin osoittaa epäkunnioituksensa Euroopan parlamenttia kohtaan? Neuvostosta ei ole edes ketään paikalla! Se ei ole pelkkää epäkunnioitusta tätä huonetta kohtaan, tätä taloa kohtaan, vaan se on epäkunnioitusta eurooppalaisia kansalaisia kohtaan, joita tämä parlamentti edustaa.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Jiří Pospíšil
Political group: PPE
Country: Netherlands
Language: CS

Paní předsedající, debata o osudu energetické charty je přesně příkladem toho, jak se občas nachází obtížně kompromis mezi jednotlivými orgány EU. Respektuji to, že minulý rok v listopadu bylo přijato stanovisko Evropského parlamentu, které hovoří o tom, že by na základě rozhodnutí Komise mělo dojít k opuštění této mnohostranné mezinárodní úmluvy. Na druhou stranu nebudu zapírat, že tehdy má frakce, Evropská lidová strana, pro toto v globálu nehlasovala, že se spíše přikláněla a přiklání k variantě tuto mnohostrannou smlouvu modernizovat, uvést ji do souladu s dalšími mezinárodními závazky, jako je například Pařížská dohoda o ochraně klimatu. Teď ta situace je v zásadě zablokovaná a je opravdu škoda, to tady říkám jako ostatní kolegové, že zde nejsou zástupci Rady...(
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Pina Picierno
Country: Spain
Language: IT

Colleghe e colleghi, ci dicono che è in corso un’esercitazione di evacuazione. Quindi la seduta è sospesa per la durata dell’esercitazione. Dovete lasciare l’Aula e appena terminata l’esercitazione si potrà riprendere la seduta. La campanella suonerà nuovamente e vi sarà richiesto di ritornare in Aula.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Kathleen Van Brempt
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, I for an instant thought, ‘they’re suspending to get the Council here.’ Unfortunately. I am going to continue in my mother tongue. Voorzitter, collega’s, noch het oude, noch het gemoderniseerde Energiehandvestverdrag is geschikt voor het beoogde doel. Het is niet in overeenstemming met onze Green Deal, de transitie, enzoverder. We weten dat in dit Parlement eigenlijk al heel lang. In het begin van deze zittingsperiode waren er al heel veel mensen, waaronder ikzelf, die zeiden: laten we ermee stoppen en eruit stappen. We hebben jullie ( Ik denk dat het nu belangrijk is dat de Commissie op het juiste standpunt staat en zegt: we moeten gecoördineerd met de Unie, Euratom en de lidstaten uit het verdrag stappen. Samen met het EG-Verdrag, dat ervoor moet zorgen dat het Energiehandvestverdrag niet kan worden toegepast tussen de lidstaten, hebben we eigenlijk de meeste en de beste garanties om de vervalbepaling van twintig jaar te ontmijnen. Ik denk dat wij ons werk moeten doen in onze eigen lidstaten. Het enige wat er nu nog moet gebeuren, is samen met de Commissie de Raad overtuigen om zo snel mogelijk uit het verdrag te stappen. Dat zijn we aan onze energietransitie en aan onze burgers verschuldigd.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Petros Kokkalis
Political group: The Left
Country: Hungary
Language: EL

Κυρία Πρόεδρε, κυρία Επίτροπε, αγαπητοί συνάδελφοι, μόνο με μια συντονισμένη απόσυρση από τη συνθήκη για τον Χάρτη Ενέργειας θα άρουμε τα εμπόδια για την υλοποίηση των νομικά δεσμευτικών στόχων μας για το κλίμα. Για πόσο ακόμα, άραγε, θα επιτρέπουμε στις εταιρείες πετρελαίου και φυσικού αερίου να αμφισβητούν τις κλιματικές πολιτικές των κυβερνήσεων και να καταθέτουν αγωγές ζητώντας αποζημιώσεις δισεκατομμυρίων από τους Ευρωπαίους φορολογούμενους; Πότε θα ακολουθήσουμε τον δρόμο που άνοιξε ο κυβερνήτης της Καλιφόρνια Gavin Newsom μηνύοντας τις ίδιες εταιρείας για απάτη και πρόκληση απωλειών και ζημιών δισεκατομμυρίων δολαρίων εις βάρος των πολιτών;  Η πολιτική της δίκαιης μετάβασης και η τολμηρή δράση για το κλίμα δεν ήταν ποτέ πιο επείγουσα από σήμερα. Και το να δράσουμε ναι, έχει κόστος, αλλά το να μη δράσουμε είναι καταστροφή. Το πολιτικό μας καθήκον είναι να επιλέξουμε αυτό το κόστος. Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή με την πρότασή της για μια συντονισμένη απόσυρση, δείχνει τον δρόμο της εξόδου από μια βρώμικη συνθήκη που περιέχει παρωχημένες, νεοφιλελεύθερες διατάξεις και μηχανισμούς που δεν συνάδουν με τις αξίες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Ήρθε η ώρα να εγκρίνουμε τη συνθήκη για τη μη εξάπλωση των ορυκτών καυσίμων, και θα ήθελα να καλέσω από αυτό εδώ το βήμα την Ισπανική Προεδρία να αποδείξει για μία ακόμη φορά το πολιτικό της θάρρος και να θέσει το θέμα στην ημερήσια διάταξη του Συμβουλίου το συντομότερο δυνατόν.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Robert Hajšel
Political group: S-D
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

Madam President, Commissioner, the coordinated exit from the Energy Charter Treaty is good news for the sovereignty of the European Union and for the green transition as the Energy charter is protecting oil, coal and gas, it also contradicts the objectives of the green transition. But what is worse, the treaty creates a risk that large companies can ask for the financial compensations and sued the Member States that tried to end the fossil energy projects. The decision of the Commission to exit the Energy Charter means that the Member States will no longer be subject to opaque and lengthy procedures favouring big companies trying to protect their investments at all costs. Smaller Member States, including mine, Slovakia, will no longer be threatened against taking courageous decisions. In the end, the decision to leave the treaty is correct.  However, I am deeply concerned about the provision of the Energy Charter protecting existing investments for 20 years, even after leaving the treaty. The Commission should therefore, at this stage, allow individual Member States to support the modernisation of the Energy Charter, especially a shortening of the sunset clause.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Carlos Zorrinho
Political group: S-D
Language: PT

Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, o Tratado da Carta da Energia foi assinado em Lisboa em 1994. Portugal é o depositário desse Tratado e, não obstante, decidiu no dia 28 de setembro abandoná-lo. E fez bem.  Passaram quase 30 anos desde a assinatura do Tratado no plano da energia e das tecnologias estamos hoje numa nova era. No final de 2022, este Parlamento aprovou, por clara maioria, uma resolução recomendando à Comissão Europeia o início imediato do processo coordenado de saída, de forma a minimizar os efeitos negativos e a litigância potencial associada à cláusula de caducidade.  Vários Estados-Membros, de que Portugal, como referi, é apenas um exemplo que se soma a França, Alemanha, Espanha, Países Baixos, Polónia e Luxemburgo, abandonaram a carta. Perante este movimento, a Comissão Europeia propôs uma saída coordenada de forma a garantir um quadro regulatório equivalente em toda a União e um contexto favorável para a aplicação do Pacto Ecológico Europeu. Tendo em conta que o Tratado prevê uma vigência supletiva a partir do momento da sua denúncia, é fundamental uma gestão consistente das normas de caducidade. É fundamental que a Comissão e o Conselho estejam unidos, porque da parte do Parlamento o apoio é inequívoco.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Pedro Silva Pereira
Political group: S-D
Country: Bulgaria
Language: PT

Senhora Presidente, o Tratado da Carta da Energia, mesmo com as alterações que foram negociadas, já não serve. Não serve nem os objetivos do Pacto Ecológico Europeu, nem o desígnio de uma política energética global sustentável. E há duas razões principais.  Primeiro, a Carta da Energia revista continua a proteger novos investimentos em combustíveis fósseis, o que está, obviamente, em rota de colisão frontal com a estratégia europeia de descarbonização da economia.  Segundo, a nova versão da Carta continua a manter o velho sistema de resolução de litígios entre os investidores e os Estados, conhecido pela sigla ISDS, que constitui uma ameaça permanente ao interesse público, mesmo que a União Europeia ficasse fora da sua aplicação.  Depois da saída unilateral de vários Estados europeus, a única solução é uma saída coordenada da própria União Europeia da Carta da Energia, como o Parlamento Europeu propôs em novembro e a Comissão Europeia recomendou em junho.  Uma solução mista, claro, pode ser estudada. Mas, além de ser de duvidosa viabilidade política, não seria boa para a unidade europeia.  É tempo de o Conselho aceitar, finalmente, a solução de uma saída coordenada da Carta da Energia, a única que assegura a coerência da nossa política energética com os objetivos do Pacto Ecológico Europeu.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Seán Kelly
Political group: PPE
Country: Greece
Language: EN

Now, I think it will be very good, as previous speakers pointed out, if the Council engaged in a similar emergency exercise in uniting and withdrawing, as the Parliament voted on last November. A lot of these Council members are loud in talk about what they are going to do and should do in relation to climate change and reducing emissions. But their actions do not follow their words. I think it’s hugely important that we send a clear message here today to the Council that we have to act together in a coordinated way, that each and every one of them has a responsibility to live up to our commitments in the Paris Agreement and get decarbonisation moving and get fossil fuels reduced as much and as quickly as possible.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Billy Kelleher
Political group: Renew
Country: Denmark
Language: EN

Madam President, I welcome the debate. I wish the Council could respond to the demands of the European Parliament, and also to the proposals put forward by the Commission with regard to the withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty. Let us be under no illusions. This was negotiated in 1994. A lot has changed subsequently in terms of our requirements to defossilise, to decarbonise and to ensure that we have an energy sector that is renewable and that is not contributing to further global warming and the escalation of global temperatures. I would urge the Council, the Commission as well, to use whatever levers they can to influence the timely withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty and to say that it is against everything that the European Union is trying to do in terms of the Green Deal and in trying to transition to where we want to get to. So, an orderly unwinding from the Energy Charter Treaty, and to ensure that there is no claims to Member States in the times ahead with regard to ‘sunset clauses’. We do need an orderly transition and withdrawal, and it is up to the Council to agree to it, and to the Commission to continually probe them and encourage them.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, the Energy Charter Treaty is a relic of a fossil-fuel past beyond reform and not compatible with the Paris Agreement. It enables corporations to sue countries that make policy decisions that affect the corporations profits, even if those policy decisions are necessary to tackle climate breakdown. In June this year, Lansdowne Oil & Gas started proceedings against the Irish Government under the treaty for not granting it further development license for oil and gas exploration off the south coast of Ireland. It is estimated that the value of fossil-fuel infrastructure protected by the investor state dispute settlement mechanism in the treaty is worth EUR 344 billion across the EU, UK and Switzerland. The EU has wasted enough time engaging in the reform process. It was going nowhere and the Commission has finally made the right decision to withdraw from it. It is essential now that the Commission and Member States work together to challenge the treaty’s sunset clause.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, the Energy Charter Treaty really is a bizarre thing. It’s a type of monument to a Robin Hood in reverse, where we rob from the public to line the pockets of big corporations; an international agreement which establishes a framework for fossil fuel companies to sue sovereign states for damaging their profits in pursuing climate action. How did it get to this situation? It really is capitalism unleashed. Parliament has called for a coordinated, EU-level withdrawal. If we don’t leave as one EU bloc, we still have 20 years of insidious lawsuits from the biggest polluters in the planet because of the treaty’s sunset clause. We really do need leadership from the Commission to make this an absolute priority. But we also have to be consistent. If it’s clearly ludicrous to have an investor-state suing mechanism in the Energy Treaty Charter, then it shouldn’t be acceptable in the trade agreements that we are ramming through with the likes of Chile and Mexico that we’re trying to conclude and ratify. We have to learn from our mistakes.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Helmut Scholz
Political group: The Left
Country: Luxembourg
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin! Nicht ganz der irische Abschluss dieser Debatte. Ich möchte noch mal bekräftigen: Der koordinierte Ausstieg aus dem Energiechartavertrag ist ein überfälliger Schritt – weitere müssen folgen. Deshalb kann auch ich nur unterstreichen: Fehlinvestitionen in fossile Energieerzeugung verdienen keinen Schutzstatus. Ein nächster, zwingender Schritt muss deshalb die Anfechtung der „ Aber ich fordere die Kommission auch auf, ihren Einsatz für Sonderklagerechte für Investorinnen und Investoren beim multilateralen Investitionsgerichtshof zu überdenken. Denn im Konfliktfall zwischen Konzern und öffentlichem Interesse ist immer eine Abwägung der Rechtsgüter notwendig. Für diese Aufgaben sind unsere öffentlichen Richterinnen und Richter bestens qualifiziert. Die überbezahlten Investmentanwältinnen und -anwälte der Sondertribunale sind es nicht. Deshalb ist das die Chance, eine Pfadabhängigkeit zu überwinden und eine umfassende Wende der europäischen Energiepolitik gemeinschaftlich anzugehen.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Kadri Simson
Language: EN

I am glad to hear that many of you support the EU’s and Euratom’s withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty. The European Parliament resolution of 24 November 2022 calling for a coordinated withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty guided the Commission as we moved forward with our proposal to the Member States. It is also important to stress that we have the responsibility to be considerate towards our international partners who are contracting parties to the Energy Charter Treaty. Many of them were well engaged in the negotiations on the modernisation, and now they would like to implement it. Without the EU and Euratom’s withdrawal, they cannot do so. Only the EU and Euratom’s prompt withdrawal from the Treaty would allow them to move ahead. The EU should therefore do its utmost to unblock the process as quickly as possible, and I foresee that discussions among member states will continue in the coming weeks. Many of you asked what is the Commission’s role on that. The Commission remains engaged in supporting this process by bringing in the necessary arguments to unblock the situation as quickly as possible, and by arguing for the most straightforward approach from a legal and policy point of view.
Debate: Energy Charter Treaty: next steps
Date: WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2023
Speaker: Ibán García Del Blanco
Political group: S-D
Country: Italy
Language: ES

Los socialistas en el Parlamento Europeo y los países que han anunciado su retirada del Acuerdo, entre ellos España, hemos criticado que la modernización es insuficiente y que no cumple con los Acuerdos de París. Además, perpetúa la resolución de conflictos entre inversores y Estados con el sistema de arbitraje. Esta es una línea roja para España porque ya ha costado más de 1 000 millones de euros en litigios planteados por la eliminación de las primas a las renovables.  El Consejo lleva meses bloqueado por algunos países. Apoyamos a la Presidencia española en su intento de arbitrar una decisión que contente a ambas posiciones. La Comisión Europea ha presentado una propuesta técnica para la retirada coordinada, pero no una solución para los Estados que quieren permanecer en el Acuerdo. Pedimos a la Comisión que también tenga en cuenta las necesidades de los Estados que permanecerán en el Tratado una vez la Unión haya salido.