kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
as egypt battles terrorist attacks in the sinai saudi arabia worries about growing iranian influence after the nuclear deal and jordan faces every day increasing pressure from the scale of its refugee crisis as well as those from palestine also now from syria we can be more optimistic that there is a real common interest now to pursue a deal. therefore i welcome the high representative's call to the un quartet to relaunch the peace process and i do believe that the two thousand and two arab peace initiative should be used as a blueprint to start from with the commitment to the two peoples two nations approach.
for instance in my view cooperation on the eradication of the isis menace which is a common enemy to all the parties must be the number one priority.
with power shifting in the palestinian authority and hamas reportedly facing pressure now in gaza from isis there is also reason to believe that those players at the centre of the debate are keen to see progress for various different reasons as i have outlined.
the eu israel association agreement has under article two provisions for a formal human rights dialogue.
if israel refuses to halt the settlement building we should move to suspend the association agreement.
if we are afraid to use the stick when facing such disregard for international law then our claims to have values in our foreign policy become empty words.
so i welcome the news that the commission will soon publish its proposal for labelling guidelines but these must be mandatory guidelines showing that these are goods from illegally occupied territories.
they are demanding to have mandatory labelling on products so that they can choose to boycott products coming from the occupied territories.
what is interesting though is that while the institutions drag their heels our citizens are demanding the opportunity to take action.
mr president i of course agree with the high representative that there can be no successful middle east peace process unless the international community including ourselves promotes responsible action on both sides. however i am afraid the actions we continue to witness from the israeli government are not conducive to peace. the settlement building continues despite being a blatant breach of international law.
trade preferences are carrots and sticks.
by our inaction i think we give tacit support to an illegal occupation.
we need to begin that dialogue immediately.
in today's resolution we will vote for full implementation of the recommendations made in the report of the un independent commission of inquiry which identified war crimes of the two thousand and fourteen gaza conflict including to support actively the work of the international criminal court.
to our palestinian friends we were proud to pass the resolution in favour of a move towards recognition of your state but we always said that this was not a substitute for direct talks.
we welcome the confidence which ms mogherini has established with the different parties including the greater engagement to which she has committed herself again today with the arab partners.
we hope the successful vote today to name our own delegation specifically one with palestine will be a further such encouragement.
we encourage reconciliation and should consider any further action the eu take can take to help achieve it.
parts. still our role if you want to play a role in re starting the process and bringing it to some positive result is to build bridges to build confidence to engage and not to
sides. some of us see more the limits of one or the other or
to buy. it is a matter of transparency
i think that a united position of this parliament is going to contribute in a way that as some of you know very well is important;
so we have a global responsibility that we can play with our global partners.
i see our role as trying to help the parties to find the tunnel at the end of which there is light and at the same time keeping the light at the end of the tunnel alive because this is not to be taken for granted. we have these two challenges these
i know very well that there are different positions in this room about
let me also say as sincerely as i always try to be that some of your expectations might need to be carefully looked at.
and on our unity results will be difficult and will take time that is if we manage to get results. maybe the first steps will be very limited results or sometimes we will have negative results and then sometimes positive results.
and our unity also gives us a chance.
because yes there are doubts in the international communities in the parties themselves that this perspective of the two state solution and of the peace process is still there.
stand. this is something that we do in full respect and as always that is the basis for the european union's action in international and foreign policy in full respect of and compliance with international
for me. also because i believe and we discussed this the last time we were here in this room discussing the peace process that our role is to try to facilitate and to build bridges.
on the european union's role when it comes to the middle east peace process.
all. i think our role is to build conditions to get to initiatives.
this means as one of you mentioned not taking one side even if we see the limits of both
i do not want to downsize any of the expectations but the work is going to be long and very difficult. it is true that we have an opportunity as the european union because on this issue we are more united than we believe.
so i will put all my energy and determination as i have been doing since the beginning of my mandate into trying to as i said restart the engine of this process and avoid the vacuum that we have been facing now for more than one year. however and i would count on your support in doing this
indeed we do have an opportunity the iranian deal that we will discuss hopefully in a couple of hours gives us a little bit of credibility in the sense that it is something that shows that multilateralism and diplomacy can work and lead to results
so this is something that we have to maintain. some of you asked about the labelling.
among us europeans to find a unified vision of the middle east peace process how can we ask the parties in the conflict itself to find a common vision and how can we aspire to facilitate the mediation?
because here we have two different conflicts and crises one is between the palestinians and the israelis but the other one is between the israelis and the arab world at large and you cannot imagine or some of you imagine and know very well that from the far east to latin america this is an issue that if it is not solved
let me finish by saying that in trying to have a role in bringing the parties together the sense of unity that can come from this parliament is essential because again if we are not able
two works in my view to do helping the parties to come together and find the right way because there is no alternative no substitute for direct talks we have to be very clear about that and keeping the perspective of peace and of the two states the perspective towards which we are working.
it is also our consistency that gives us a chance to play a role.
some others might not imagine but it is going to count a lot.
contributes to creating radicalisation and also hate.
the real point is now trying to rebuild a modicum of trust and trying to put an agenda on the table that can allow the parties to take some steps forward instead of some steps back which is exactly what is happening today reverse the process.
punish. this is my
what is difficult is to prepare the big initiatives and to make sure that these initiatives then have results.
both. i think there is no one in this room who does not see any limit of any of the two
that. my institutional and political starting point is that this is a decision that we owe to our citizens and our consumers because they have the right and the legal right according to our european rules to know the origin of the products they buy or that they decide not
we have cleaner hands than most and a clear set of values upon which we are founded and exist to promote so it is those values enshrined in international law that we need to be consistent in upholding.
i will not repeat comments made by other colleagues i will focus specifically on labelling of settlement produce because i think this is a small but psychologically significant lever that is entirely at our control and which i think does have a disproportionate effect within israel.
it does not have a right to illegally occupy palestinian land or allow settlers to illegally occupy palestinian land and exploit it for their profit.
the gue ngl group and my party sinn fein would prefer a stronger worded motion demanding the end of the occupation of palestine and the release of political prisoners particularly the plc members who have been detained.
i think however we all agree that the eu should be a dominant political player in the middle east peace process by advancing meaningful initiatives for a comprehensive solution.
high representative we believe that palestine should be placed under international protection and the eu should ensure the full implementation of the recommendations contained in the un independent commission of inquiry report into last year's assault on gaza including its recommendation to support actively the work of the icc.
the eu should also ensure that no eu funds are allocated to israeli organisations involved in occupation activities as a lever to apply pressure on the israeli government to re engage in a meaningful peace process and to work for a two state solution.
of concern last week was the information imparted to a joint palestine and israel delegation meeting that israel is not prioritising a peace process.
this is not acceptable high representative and i believe it must be challenged.
mr president let me start by saying that the middle east faces multiple challenges today and we have discussed some of them this morning.
it is crucial for the international community.
further deterioration on the ground is happening at the moment whether in gaza jerusalem or the west bank and this has a deeply negative impact on an already troubled region.
on the contrary in a regional situation which is becoming increasingly worrying this is the piece of the puzzle that we have to look at if we want to start somewhere. we all know that the conditions for relaunching final status negotiations are not in place at this moment. there is a deep lack of trust on both sides
and wide gaps on what a final deal should look like.
but as we have seen on iran with bold thinking with a creative approach patient diplomacy and an openness to compromise and with a lot of teamwork from the international community even the most difficult issues can be settled.
putting in place the conditions for a resumption of serious talks based on mutual steps is our first priority.
we must not and we cannot lose what we have all worked so hard to build since oslo the development of institutions of a future palestinian state through the palestinian authority. this includes essential services for ordinary palestinians and vital cooperation first of all in the security sector between israel and palestine. but today we have a complete lack of process
and for the region it will be even more dangerous than it is
the parties must urgently make progress towards a lasting ceasefire based on their agreements in cairo last year and reach an agreement which both ends the gaza closure and addresses israel's legitimate security concerns.
moving towards real reconciliation national reconciliation was on the agenda one year
what we are doing is pushing both the israelis and the palestinians to show leadership and to refrain from any action which would lead further away from the two state solution.
past. we can aim for measures which empower the palestinians strengthen security cooperation and address israel's concerns. these are practical concrete steps which if implemented on the ground would move the situation
the arab countries can play a leading role in strengthening and giving incentives to the
days. the key arab countries and the foreign ministers that i met just yesterday have made very clear to me that they are ready to play their role in this regional and international framework to try to restart the engine of the process. that
league. we are working to prepare the ground for a genuine regional framework that can help the parties to take some
we are moving forward to build this credible international and regional framework to support the parties and to regain and rebuild confidence between themselves and in the international community for we know that this is needed as well. the two parties need to find the courage and
rebuilt. but ultimately it is not going to be the regional or the international framework that resolves the
decisions. they can either advance together in the future or they can allow the two state solution to move beyond reach with all the negative consequences that would bring for both sides and for all of us including us
europeans. leadership is needed and the european union
is ready. all the major stakeholders agree that we face the same challenges in the
states. peace in the holy places would send such a powerful message to
to see it. in the current regional environment we cannot afford to stand still. if we do not move forward we will see violence coming back again we are already seeing it from time to time and we will see the two state solution become less and less viable if not
impossible. i believe the international community the palestinians and the israelis cannot afford that because we do not know what is going to come next if we close the window for peace that oslo
opened. the time has come to provide real long term security and hope for the israelis and the palestinians knowing full well that these words sound empty to both at this moment. the time has come for both sides to make the necessary compromises and
leadership. this is what
the two state two peoples solution has been and still is the only conceivable and therefore acceptable way to try and solve it.
i think that the european union could give a very big effort to this and put this peace process into a position to solve it and i think that it is urgent.
so we have to use the moment to solve the big task and the big challenge of this conflict which is underlying and which of course is a hurdle to a further solution of conflicts which are urging us to quick action at the moment to solve also the situation of those people living in these regions.
to bring them to justice?
if we agree with the two states two peoples' principle we should actively engage in bringing both sides to the negotiating table with no preconditions because they are very risky and we should send some signals to the palestinian side.
we should tell them that they must take greater responsibility and assume their governmental functions in the gaza strip including security and civil administration and we should urge them to hold democratic general elections. we should also take broader regional security challenges into account.
madam president we have a choice in the middle east and the choice as i see it is that we can continue to observe the situation as it deteriorates day by day or we can act and i am glad madam high commissioner that you are choosing the latter.
with every year that has passed the state of the region has got worse.
that applies to the israeli palestinian conflict the aftermath of the war in iraq and the blood letting in syria. even now when we are confronted with the results of our inaction thousands and thousands of refugees from the area we seem to be paralysed.
so it must be obvious to all of us not engaging ourselves will not end the crisis.
but what can we do?
i totally agree with you we must bring together the main actors those on the front lines and those pulling the strings from afar and discuss how to terminate the conflict.
i know this is easier said than done but not even trying will not bring any results. the european union has the power;
thank you for that speech.
i agreed with very much of it. do you agree with me that attempts to label israeli products and in some cases for european countries and european towns to boycott israeli products are totally counterproductive and totally missing the point that israel is actually the real democracy in the area and has made a remarkable achievement to maintain that status in the light of the circumstances it faces?
nord stream two is the exact opposite of all of this.
unwanted because we know that our central and eastern european member states are worried about this plan for good reason;
it divides europe into two those who will have and those who will not have access to russian gas. i say that europe in its entirety should say no' to becoming even more dependent on russian gas and that is why the commission must state clearly to russia to germany to denmark and to all others that nord stream two is an unwanted unneeded and unsafe project
the energy union should strengthen europe strengthen renewables strengthen european cooperation on energy and lead us forward in a carbon free future.
to dwell on concrete legislative proposals.
the implications are very concrete.
it will increase the dominance of gazprom where it is dominant it will strengthen its monopoly and it is a part of russian policy versus europe.
it is not compatible with the principle and rules of unbundling with the third energy package.
commissioner it is a difficult thing to deal with but do you think it will make europe more or less dependent on russian gas?
it is not and i cannot see how it could be compatible with the aims and the rules of the energy union.
to create a wellfunctioning energy market to attract capital to create growth and jobs to push the sustainable transition agenda much further and not least to be less dependent on russian gas and supplies from mr putin.
mr president by the end of this year we will have laid down the tracks for the european energy union.
therefore i find it very hard to identify any economic environmental or political arguments for nord stream.
so far i do not think that either we the european parliament or the member states have taken nord stream two and the perspectives of this project seriously enough.
i am fully aware of the fact that we will be dependent to some degree on russian gas in years to come but bear in mind that nord stream one is operating at around only half of its capacity today.
these are exciting and ambitious times as the energy union is one of the biggest and most important projects in the history of the european union.
why is it that we are creating this energy union?
there are several other instances where in this house the left side of the house is applying double standards.
four i would like to quote article two which is the first substantive article of the treaties.
the constitutional amendments do indeed affect some of these fundamental values from the independence of the judiciary including the prerogatives of the constitutional court to freedom of expression.
this is a timely and excellent initiative because we are finalising the negotiations on trade and on strategic partnership with canada. you know that the eu and canada are natural partners with historic ties shared values and common interests.
our wide ranging cooperation goes from regional stability and the environment to energy security and higher education.
the european parliament's support in concluding this partnership is key to its success.
and the life we enjoy.
this was a slow burner at the start but particularly after cop twenty one where i had the honour of representing parliament i think the public at large are now behind us in our efforts to improve the environment because of necessity both in terms of health but also in terms of biodiversity
we have also made progress on the so called enabling framework with specific initiatives to close gaps relating to knowledge financing and implementation. the environment implementation review and the environmental compliance action plan will help to make this happen not against but together with the member states in all areas including our fight against air pollution.
eu. but two thousand and twenty is around the corner and we need to do more to achieve our biodiversity targets.
the circular economy package including our new waste legislation and the commission's plastics strategy will help us on our way to decoupling economic growth from environmental pressures including carbon emissions.
we need to successfully address environmental challenges to meet the sustainable development goals.
in terms of quality of life and a healthy environment for our citizens we have worked hard together to protect people's health from exposure to harmful pollutants.
this requires urgent and decisive action and we will respond soon with an initiative to address this problem in line with what this parliament has called
a major challenge is the alarming decline of pollinators.
for. the commission's recently adopted action plan for sustainable finance will make europe a frontrunner in shifting trillions of euros towards those investments needed to build a sustainable economy.
we will continue to deliver on this for example by delivering a proposal on singleuse plastics before the end of may in addition to a legislative proposal for water reuse in agricultural irrigation.
we have reviewed our flagship chemical legislation reach' and are checking whether the broader chemicals acquis is still fit for purpose. these are all important steps towards a non toxic environment.
our nature action plan to improve the implementation of the birds and habitats directives is an important step forward in strengthening the conservation of biodiversity complementing the invasive alien species regulation which is tackling an important driver of biodiversity loss in the
this has also been confirmed by the european court of auditors so i am pressing strongly to rectify this in the context of our upcoming proposals.
the next steps in these debates are the upcoming multiannual financial framework and the reform of the common agricultural policy i can.
this is as you understand not my area but there are standards in place which apply to imports to ensure the health of eu citizens.
assure you that there is strong recognition of the importance of environmental mainstreaming and i am working closely with my colleagues in the college to ensure that environmental and climate related challenges are duly reflected in our proposals. this is particularly important for the common agricultural policy which needs to do more for water nature and biodiversity. in its current form the policy is not delivering as expected despite the significant funding dedicated to greening.
i fully agree with the need for better policy coherence and increased integration of environmental objectives into other policies.
we have had problems with mozzarella from italy pork products in ireland and cattle products in northern ireland. what we want to know from the commission is why this rapid alert system has again failed to protect consumers and what the commission is going to do to put it right.
this can only happen after it is ensured through analytical results and investigations that the farms are not contaminated at levels above those provided by the eu law.
i know that we can count on the full cooperation of our german colleagues.
for this reason a team from the food and veterinary office will visit germany next week to assist the german authorities and to inform our overall knowledge and understanding of how this contamination happened and how it can be avoided in the future.
it appears that no contaminated food was traded or exported from germany since the incident was notified with a few exceptions. in the end analytical results showed that the products were compliant with eu legislation.
between the middle of november and middle of december of last year a biodiesel manufacturer delivered seven consignments of fatty acids intended for technical purposes to a feed fat manufacturer who also produces fats for technical use.