kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
there are solutions we can find only if we do it together as europeans and globally.
third truth there are things where we can lead by example.
coming from some countries this might be easier to remember for others maybe a little bit difficult but all of us all of us are the result of human mobility truth number one.
and wherever you go in africa or in asia every single country or almost every single country is itself at the same time a country of origin a country of destination and a country of transit.
first as some of you mentioned migration or human mobility is part of the history of mankind.
and indeed that we can lead by example if we are able to provide some good examples and let me tell you in some fields we are not.
this means providing more support to developing countries to get refugees access to employment and education opportunities.
we must step up the responsibility sharing not responsibility shifting.
war and instability poverty and climate change all mean that people will keep trying to come to europe in search of refuge or a better life.
i would respond that we are in the process it is work in progress that we are now trying to shape up a good policy for migration and refugees where every member state has to take its part of the responsibility.
we agree with the need for member states to provide detailed decommissioning plans as well as sound long term financial planning.
the commission believes in a strict application of the polluter pays' principle so we share the opinion of parliament that it is up to the operators of the nuclear plant to ensure that financial resources for decommissioning are already allocated during the operational life of the plants.
i would like to thank the rapporteur and parliament for this timely debate on an issue which in the context of fukushima has become more pertinent.
the commission also underlines that it is the member state that bears full responsibility for the decommissioning of its nuclear installations.
parliament's report constitutes a valuable contribution to the discussion that the commission will have with the three member states concerned in view of assessing possible financial eu support beyond.
we believe that having met this objective is an essential element to be taken into account when assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of eu funding.
the commission considers it important to clarify that eu support was never intended to cover the full cost of decommissioning nor to compensate for all the economic consequences.
nuclear safety is and will remain an absolute priority for the eu and this is why the commission attaches great importance to efforts that facilitate the safe decommissioning of nuclear reactor units that have been deemed not to be upgradeable to the necessary safety standards.
decommissioning must be made as safe as possible and sound transparent and supervised management of decommissioning funds is crucial for this.
two thousand and thirteen
the commission was glad to see in various parts of the report that there is full recognition that the main objective of the eu funding was first and foremost to ensure that the reactor units were closed and remained so for nuclear safety reasons.
safe and complete decommissioning is a key element of nuclear safety for which we aim at the highest standards.
providing detailed long term planning is the responsibility of the member states which are equally responsible for establishing precise timetables and cost estimates for the completion of decommissioning.
let me first say that we share with parliament many of the views expressed in its report.
others. we need to work on this together to make changes that make sense for our lifestyles for businesses and for the
by. two thousand and nineteen these standards can then be used for individual productrelated legislation and standards.
online and offline.
we can do this by coming to the defence of journalists or bloggers who are intimidated and silenced by ensuring encryption is used widely to secure information and by pushing back at the highest political level when websites are blocked or speech is silenced.
while hopes were high that democracy could go viral because of the open internet and new technologies instead it seems that technology amplifies relations of power.
it was a welcome step but three years is like a century in light of the rapid technological developments that we see.
we must build on best practices and make key improvements based on the lessons learned of the use of these guidelines.
i have one specific question to the commissioner can he reflect on what is the status of the no disconnect strategy?
it was part of the plan to stop the blocking of websites and the silencing of bloggers and it has been a bit silent.
if we want to continue to do what is needed we have to stay uptodate and uptospeed.
the two thousand and fourteen guidelines on freedom of expression online and offline were adopted after a clear push and demand from this house.
dictators are using sophisticated technologies to repress while individuals are joining forces to make their voices heard. and the key question for us is how to make sure that the european union stands with people who are facing repression and how we can further facilitate the enjoyment of universal human rights
it is more important than ever that we in europe take the lead in advancing and defending the right to freedom of expression access to information and the right to privacy.
the european instrument for democracy and human rights through its emergency support mechanism provides protection to journalists both professional and non professional.
assists eu delegations in the implementation of the guidelines.
these exchanges constituted an opportunity to evaluate with member states the general state of play of freedom of expression but also the actions taken by the eeas the commission and member states to implement the guidelines. in addition to these regular exchanges cohom has also engaged with civil society on freedom of expression and media freedom.
over the years we have continued to support the freedom of journalists and bloggers with public statements or where necessary with quiet action behind the scenes.
it was an opportunity to discuss the state of play of our policies in support of freedom of expression.
press freedom and freedom of expression are under attack. in several parts of the world violations and abuses have become more frequent even in democratic states and societies including in our own region.
international organisations and civil society. press freedom and freedom of expression are central to the european way of life and to whom
our aim is to build on best practices and enhance the capacity of eu delegations to work more intensely and creatively.
we counted more than two hundred interventions since two thousand and fifteen to support people threatened for their defence or practice of freedom of expression. since january two thousand and seventeen a new technical assistance programme financed by the instrument for democracy and human rights
let me also emphasise that the eeas and the commission organise regular specific training sessions on freedom of expression for eu and member states' staff including eu delegations with the active participation of representatives of civil society. in addition the eeas and the commission have regular contact with relevant civil society organisations
in some cases it has been a true life saver.
i would like to recall that civil society organisations were associated from the beginning with the drafting of the guidelines and took part in the two thousand and fourteen december ngo human rights forum dedicated to freedom of expression online and offline.
madam president there has been a lot of talk about limitation of freedom of expression elsewhere but we also have to look into the european union and what are we doing here.
many decision makers see the online world as this scary place where no rule applies and it is full of hate speech and an incitement to terrorism.
but as much as the internet can do bad it can also do good.
despite or maybe thanks to the scale of the internet where everything is amplified freedom of expression matters as much online as it does offline.
there is much to be done to educate people as regards to their behaviour online but one important thing is to understand that if you make it easy to block and take down content you make it easy to commit censorship.
however i believe that if we are serious about protecting freedom of speech online we need to take a big step back and ask ourselves if making companies the police the prosecutor and the judge is the right answer.
madam president freedom of expression and public discourse has always been and always will be the enemy of the status quo of the state whatever that state may be.
we see attempts in repressive regimes to clamp down upon that but even in free western civilised nations we now start to see efforts by the state to clamp down on freedom.
the very concept of social media being clamped down on by the state often using fear as the excuse is completely against all concept of freedom and i address this as well to the british government who have spoken very much about trying to clamp down on these things using fear of terror as a reason.
the one thing i will say though is that the idea of guidelines imposed from the european state upon freedom of expression on social media is in itself something of a contradiction.
as international relationships and marriages increase so do international custody disputes.
there are too many cases of international child abduction by one of the parents for us not to act and our guiding principle is that child abduction is detrimental to the fundamental rights of any child wherever he or she is.
this is precisely why we need to close all loopholes and make sure that the regulation is not interpreted in a way that favours the parent responsible for the wrongful removal of a child.
we need to make sure that the court of the member state of origin of the child is the one that takes the final decision in this respect.
so it is our duty to ensure that both children and parents who act in good faith are protected.
i believe that this is the only way through which we can ensure effective judicial protection of the fundamental rights of children across the eu wherever they are.
in the committee on petitions we deal with cases of parents being deprived of their children illegally taken away from them by the other parent and that is why we believe that any proposal has to be more effective and ensure the best interests of the child.
it is a fact that the world we are living in is changing and family law issues also change because family law issues that before were exclusively dealt with within national states now require international application.
here again we speak with one voice.
in particular i very much welcome the measures included in the report aiming to substantially reduce delays in returning children who were abducted by one of their parents.
therefore i hope to have this particular rule accepted in the final version of the new instrument.
facilitating enforcement of judgments once decisions are taken is another crucial aspect to ensure the rights of children and their families.
however given that the existing rules and practices in member states in this area are extremely divergent we find it more efficient to rely on existing standards laid down in the united nations convention on the rights of the child
we also want to facilitate the procedures for families by various means including by reducing the length and cost of these procedures.
as you all know strengthening the rights of the child is a top priority for the commission.
i am delighted that the report acknowledges that time and a smooth return to family life is of essence for children's welfare and their relationship with their parents.
our proposal in this area will ensure that children are given an opportunity to be heard in legal proceedings concerning them.
finally i have noticed that parliament's amendments focus also on close cooperation between member states' authorities.
which have also been flagged in the past by the honourable members.
these are in line with the commission's proposal.
and an earlier return to family life.
we have carefully assessed such a possibility.
a swift conclusion to the negotiations.
for those of us who have lived under terrorist threat i have considerable empathy with the plight faced by innocent israeli citizens who have suffered from indiscriminate rocket attacks.
there were genuine people on board and yet there were those whose intentions were less than noble. many of us believe that this was an effort to seek a confrontation in order to get a propaganda coup.
i believe that this house ought to defend the right of any state to defend its citizens from such attack.
for ordinary people living in gaza this has caused difficulty and i have no doubt that as we have seen many members will rise to praise the so called peace flotilla.
they asked us not to use words after the events but to take action to prevent this happening again.
they were christians jews muslims atheists from many religions and cultures. they said their cargo was totally humanitarian their funding was entirely from individual donations their commitment was to the principle of non violence. they said that some of them were assassinated and now their characters are being assassinated. a ship's captain told how he saw the beating heard the screaming.
they said that they represent a coalition of ngos from thirty two different countries.
mr president they say that a country which asserts its legal right to self defence should not criticise others for defending themselves and for upholding the rights we should all respect according to international humanitarian law.
they told us they have six ships all ready for a second flotilla in july and that they will keep sending the boats even if they are attacked again.
where so many members one after another urged both the eu and israel not to cut the people of gaza loose in this way.
by suffocating the people of gaza we find ourselves in this situation today.
mr president baroness ashton your approach to this matter is commendable. the fact that you through your office visited gaza in the way that you did and the very public statements that you have made since that time makes quite clear to members of this house the seriousness with which you and your office approach this issue.
there are real practical measures we can take the first of which must be to ensure that israel acts in a manner whereby it allows permitted goods through and not simply have a list in the way that they are operating today.
this is of course a humanitarian question along with so many other issues as well but i bear in mind the history as to why we find ourselves where we are today and i have very clear recollections of debates taking place in this house in two thousand and six both in february and in april
please concentrate your mind on that fact immediately.
but that is exactly what we did and our reaction was wrong.
there is only one way to move forward now and that is to face the issue of the blockade head on.
smart sanctions to be applied on a step by step basis in the absence of moves by israel within a specific timetable to respect international law. the quartet needs to draw hamas in from the political margins.
the most democratic way forward is for early elections to the palestinian legislative council and for the president of the palestinian authority with an undertaking by the participants and by the quartet to accept the decision of the people.
thirty eight we are clear in our demand for an international inquiry which is credible transparent and independent.
it would be impossible for any two state agreement to succeed without their engagement in the process.
mr president our resolution is clear in its condemnation of israel's illegal action in killing nine civilians and injuring.
one of the most important elements is paragraph ten of our resolution which calls for a reshaping of eu policy towards the middle east. i would argue that that reshaping must include the diplomatic tool of sanctions in the event that israel refuses to meet the standards expected of a democratic state in dealing with its friends and with its enemies.
the inquiry announced by israel is none of those things and is not acceptable.
we can make a significant difference to the everyday life of people by changing that list.
i want to see a secure israel living in peace.
i have been talking with those in charge of that mission.
most of that through the european union.
again those of you who have studied them will know that karni is easiest for goods but kerem shalom is probably the one most likely to be opened first. in other words we are trying to make sure that we put on the table and that we work to provide serious opportunities for the european union making sure that the crossings do start to open keeping security for israel providing goods and
to the palestinian authority i spoke to president abbas today;
i am absolutely certain that the security of the region of israel depends on what can now be done to move forward.
when i was there i visited and talked with members of civil society businesses and human rights' organisations who spent time with me discussing what their needs should be.
honourable members have different pieces of information perhaps take different views but what i am very clear about is that a situation arose which left nine people dead and families and friends who are grieving.
i hope we will see progress on that possibly even today.
while the world's attention is on the situation to try and ease the problems in gaza.
i can talk but what can we actually do?
yes we have had a mission to support the crossing at rafah which was for people only.
to have that miracle of being able to put down roots and live and support themselves economically and educationally and to have the capacity to work and travel as ordinary people do.
the final thing that i wanted to say is that all of this is against a backdrop of supporting the proximity talks which are being led by senator mitchell.
how do we make sure that we are able to do this?
i believe this will contribute to what every member of this house wants which is a long term sustainable peace that will allow ordinary people to get on with the lives that they value to bring up their children and to have the benefits of the kind of lives that we take for granted.
but i am also very clear having visited gaza as honourable members have done too that the future security of the region depends in part on the ability of the people of gaza to live an ordinary life;
mr president first of all what is very clear to me in listening to this debate is the significance of our call for a credible inquiry.
in all my discussions i have been encouraging those who are engaged with them to move forward with the proximity talks to real talks this year in order to try and resolve the issues. honourable members know very well the specifics and the detail of what needs to be addressed but from my visits not only to israel and palestine but within the region i genuinely feel it is incredibly important to move ahead now
to egypt i have already been in touch with them and their foreign minister will come to brussels to see me on friday.
we have worked very carefully and closely through the quartet and directly to try and support the changing of the list from the one hundred and twelve goods being allowed in as i think it was yesterday to a list simply of those prohibited goods which need to be stopped in order to make sure that israel is secure.
whatever the circumstances it is enormously important that we have an inquiry in which we can believe and we look forward to seeing where the proposals now take us.
i can confirm that i am touch with turkey and have been from the first day. i am talking to israel i spoke to the foreign minister again yesterday;
so i have focused my work as i hope honourable members would agree i should on what we can actually do.
a large number of children are not in school a large number of people are not in work.
we are looking too at the different crossings and honourable members will like me have studied the maps in recent times.
the third point i wanted to make is the importance of the politics of all of this and recognising what i was trying to say earlier about the ambitions that we have.
this has not been operational but we have kept people on the ground.
eighty per cent of people in gaza rely on food which is provided by the international community;
we said so immediately loud and clear.
the blockade hurts ordinary people prevents reconstruction and fuels radicalism. the blockade is also not completely effective but in the wrong way.
this is an issue of great importance for the european union as is evident from the various resolutions that have been tabled.
how can we help to improve the daily lives of the people of gaza and how can we make sure that there is security for the people of israel?
the blockade denies gaza the bricks and cement which the un needs to build new schools hospitals housing and sanitation.
that is in line with our well established position and with security council resolutions.
gaza is an integral part of a future palestinian state. so we need to work on reunifying the west bank with gaza in the same way that we must help the reconciliation of the palestinian people.
if we try to do it separately we will fail.
the circumstances are now different.
we will send an exploratory mission shortly to see how we can best contribute to a solution which works for the people of gaza and addresses the concerns of israel.
in. two thousand and five this agreement is the key framework.
the military attack on the flotilla has captured the world's attention.
what i saw was shocking.
it needs the cooperation of both israel and the palestinian authority.
one. we are working hard on all action tracks.
on top of all this the suffering of gaza does not make israel more secure.
on. things must change.
second instead of a list of a very restricted number of products that are allowed in there should be a short agreed list of prohibited goods where israel has legitimate security concerns.
this. the quartet should play an important role in engaging the parties and setting the direction for our collective efforts to end gaza's dangerous isolation and to work for peace in the region.
israel has announced the creation of an independent commission with the participation of two senior international members as observers. this is a step forward. but the eu will follow closely the conduct and the findings of the commission before drawing further conclusions.
we discussed the tragic events and their consequences during monday's foreign affairs council and i have been in permanent contact with the parties.
out of this two simple questions arise.
living next to one of the most modern countries in the world people carry goods by horse and cart.
but most importantly it was laid down in the two thousand and five agreement on movement and access agreed between the palestinian authority and israel
these are all essential ingredients for the two state solution that remains our
the loss of life has been tragic.
honourable members know i have seen it for myself three months ago when i was the first politician to enter gaza from the israeli side for more than a year.
third the european union has people and a mission in rafah that could be reactivated and we are ready to support the opening of other land crossings for goods and people and recalibrating our mission or developing a new
next door many children are denied basic schooling.
first we need to open the crossings so that humanitarian aid commercial goods and civilians can enter and exit gaza normally.
the wider issue here is that lifting the blockade should help to bring peace.
on monday european union foreign ministers agreed that we must take this initiative take concrete steps to tackle the gaza crisis and use it as a catalyst for peace in this troubled region.
but we need to remind ourselves why the flotilla was heading for gaza in the first place.