kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
it is important to discuss procedure but i believe it is even more important to discuss substance.
our leadership role was very much appreciated in the meetings last week in l'aquila in the g eight and in the major economies forum.
a europe of smart green growth; a europe with more effective regulation and supervision of financial markets;
a europe that deepens its single market and uses its potential to the full;
for the first time all participants committed to capping the temperature increase at two c to respect climate science.
we need to build an economy and a society based on opportunity responsibility and solidarity an economy which will have to reinvent new sources of growth because we cannot rely for ever on monetary and fiscal stimulus;
let me just flag the stockholm programme where the commission has recently tabled an ambitious vision putting the citizen at the heart of our justice freedom and security policy balancing security with the protection of civil liberties and fundamental rights.
i hope this parliament will support these proposals.
these are the headline priorities and rightly
europe is far ahead of the curve in relation to the rest of the world and frankly one hundred and forty five days from copenhagen that worries
so. but there is plenty of other important work to be done over the next six months.
the swedish presidency programme recognises
and nine and two thousand and ten we will also redeploy resources in order to fund a new microcredit facility for employment and social inclusion.
today the commission will adopt proposals to strengthen our rules governing the security of gas supply and reinforcing solidarity between member states which i trust the swedish presidency will take forward with your support.
during these last fifty years europe has consistently exceeded expectations confounding doubts.
a europe of open and well performing markets;
a europe that resists the trends for fragmentation or protectionism.
this is certainly a welcome step forward but we should not delude ourselves our ambition and our commitment are not yet matched by others.
i am proud of the way the commission worked with the last parliament and the council to put this legislation in place and i want to work closely with you and the presidency in the run up to copenhagen.
i hope that we will see the ratification of the lisbon treaty in the coming months so that we can put its provisions to work and so that we can move on with the policy agenda i have just outlined.
you will have heard about the progress made at these meetings.
we will continue to do so i am sure at the g twenty in pittsburgh in september.
the commission proposals building on the de larosire report i commissioned last october will form the basis for strengthened financial market supervision and regulation.
we also need to make progress on the necessary means to support developing countries and boost technology transfer.
the swedish presidency as well as the next spanish presidency will have to oversee hopefully a complex transition to the new treaty in which the commission and parliament will have to play their full part.
that is why the european commission is about to make a proposal to simplify structural fund procedures and waive the need for national cofinancing from the european social fund for two thousand.
here we can build on the results of the employment summit held in may as part of a commission initiative with the czech swedish and spanish presidencies.
in addition to the usual legislative work the swedish presidency will have other kinds of highly political challenges to deal with and no one better to tackle these challenges than prime minister reinfeldt and the swedish presidency team. today i want to highlight two of the biggest policy challenges facing the european union in the next six months
we now need to fully implement the recovery package in all its aspects and make sure it translates into the creation of jobs and the promotion of economic activity on the ground.
the worst financial and economic crisis in living memory continues to have devastating effects within our communities and families with unemployment in particular continuing to rise. getting the economy back on track remains the top priority.
we also count on constant discussion and keeping in contact with the presidency.
first it is of extreme importance to have the new commission made operational as soon as possible. institutional uncertainty cannot be used as an excuse to delay the formation of the new commission. these arguments sound really hypocritical. to come out of the economic crisis and to create new jobs we need more than ever a strong independent and innovative commission.
as i began i said that i am committed to trying to make sure that we use what we have better that we monitor carefully what is happening and that we use the political and economic instruments at our disposal to keep this at the heart of our agenda for the future and i am very grateful for all the contributions.
i think it will be important to try and get a sense of what is really happening both through our monitoring in our reports and also through our delegations across the world.
i have already said that i think it is really important that we monitor the issues across the world.
for some of the work that we are seeking to do in this area.
in the field of anti discrimination.
i also think it is important as i have indicated that we put forward at the last foreign affairs council that in our human rights work and in the report that we produced we are also addressing the situation of religious minorities across the world.
from a variety of different sources not least from some of the member states and some of the ministers who have been most concerned about these issues.
across the world and our need to be mindful and watchful of those issues not when they become violent when they become violent in a sense we are of course bound to act but before they become violent too when this is a regular source of discrimination.
one of the things that i think will be very interesting as the commission begins to look at the future of the gsp regulation is to see whether aspects of that regulation that concern the ratification and implementation of human rights and conventions could be improved.
you will know that we have taken steps to suspend them from that scheme specifically on the grounds of issues of human rights. it is very important as honourable members have said that we continue to look at the way in which we conclude agreements and the tools at our disposal to do that and to make sure that those levers are pulled if necessary.
i also wanted to put the other side of that which is of course the instruments that we use to promote and support democracy in human rights. we are as honourable members know supporting projects worldwide in the fight against racism xenophobia or discrimination on any ground.
i want to make it clear that i did in fact talk about christianity.
christianity has played a very important part in our discussions today but many honourable members have pointed out that this also needs to apply in ensuring that we have respect and tolerance for other faiths in everything that we do.
that was a very powerful statement in itself and it was a very personal and deliberate act to do that.
i wanted also to just touch on one other area and that is the role of the delegations across the world and the role of monitoring what is happening.
that i think will give us a greater sense of knowing how then to use the instruments that are available to us particularly from the commission side; but also a sense of the political will not just from me but as you have rightly pointed out as parliamentarians you have a strong voice and a strong role in this together with the member states and the ministers involved in the member states.
the principal purpose is to demonstrate the shared commitment to human rights which we have but it also constitutes the legal basis for sanctions in the event of grave human rights violations.
therefore we strike a balance between using the tools at our disposal to ensure that we are able to demonstrate when we feel very strongly that this has been violated and using those tools combined with the willingness that we have and the availability that we have to support those ngos in particular those that are active
colleagues we now come to the catch the eye procedure. i have a small problem because i have more than twenty five requests and we have only five minutes for that so obviously not everybody will get the floor.
mr president tolerance of another's belief is a trait of a civilised society. the horrific events in egypt and iraq go against human rights and basic principles of freedom of thought and expression.
the action of curtailing christians or any other faith in the practice of their religion is totally unacceptable in our society.
as we all know the eu member state of the republic of cyprus is at present and has been for thirty six years under part occupation by turkey.
no one should be persecuted because of their religious beliefs.
so as we talk about the situation in countries outside the eu and about the freedom of christians i would like to remind this chamber that we need to sort out our own house first.
last saturday i stood outside ten downing street in london with my coptic constituents demanding that the uk government do more to pressurise egypt and its government to protect its own citizens.
mr president when i was first elected to this house eleven years ago it was regarded as somewhat eccentric verging on embarrassing particularly even within the epp i have to say that i frequently raised the issue of christian persecution in the islamic and communist worlds which i regret has only got worse since then.
so i am delighted today that even some of the more aggressive and anti clerical forces in this house have woken up to the existential threat to ancient christian faith communities such as the iraqi assyrians of which i am a patron in the uk and the egyptian copts.
i quote freedom either alone or in community with others and in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance'.
our determination to defend them should be no less. it also makes clear that we should act against all religious persecution which is a problem for all religions and in many countries including let us be honest some of the countries of our own european union.
the pew centre says that seventy of the world's six billion people live in countries with strong restrictions on religious belief or practice.
it makes the point that protection of these freedoms is integral to and inseparable from the protection of all human rights.
but i know that when preacher of hate terry jones who threatened to burn the koran said he would come to luton also in my constituency to stir up religious hatred he was told he would not be welcome.
for others they are values in their own right.
i expressed my views on this issue most recently on six january when i visited bethlehem and the church of the nativity on the eve of the orthodox christmas.
each violation must be taken seriously and each must be condemned with equal force wherever it takes place and whoever the victim may be because as we know and accept human rights are universal.
i also stressed that the european union condemns all forms of intolerance and violence against people because of their religion wherever it takes place.
our delegations closely monitor these issues around the world and the european union's next annual human rights report this spring will address the situation of religious minorities around the world.
the best response to extremism is a united international front based on the universal standards of freedom of religion and freedom of belief.
long established christian communities in the middle east face difficulties which have led to significant displacement in some countries and to a dwindling of numbers in the region as a whole.
the eu stands ready to enhance its cooperation with governments in order to combat intolerance and protect human rights.
we consider their demand to have their rights respected as citizens of their own country to be entirely legitimate.
honourable members i am fully committed to keeping freedom of religion or belief at the top of our agenda.
we must not fall into the trap that extremists and terrorists are laying for us we must resist the manipulation of religion into a source of division.
freedom of conscience and of belief belongs to everyone and every state has the duty to ensure it is respected.
the european union was a driving force in the un general assembly behind the resolution on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief which was adopted by consensus in december.
the european union will not turn a blind eye to their plight.
we are considering another initiative to rally strong cross regional support on this theme at the forthcoming session of the un human rights council in march.
we also raise the issue of freedom of religion or belief during our human rights dialogues and urge countries to eradicate discrimination and intolerance.
i went there to underline the need for all religious groups around the world to be able to gather and to worship freely.
i have also strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in iraq and egypt targeting places of worship as well as the assassination of salmaan taseer the governor of the punjab in pakistan.
i believe there is a sleeping giant that is awakening because of the gratuitous and vicious abuse of christians.
if this viciousness and abuse applied to muslims or the jewish community i would be equally concerned.
yet in cyprus the turkish government and its representatives think it appropriate to require christians to apply for permission to pray and turn them out of church when they decide to do this collectively.
has the turkish representative to the european union been called in?
i would like to pay tribute to those muslims who supported their christian neighbours who were under attack.
so let us not make this a motion against anybody.
it is for christians and for those who are being attacked.
i respect people in this house who have no religious belief or who have a different religious belief to me.
it is time people in this house started to show respect for those who have christian beliefs;
nowadays they increasingly are forced to leave their countries are forced into ghettos or have become internal refugees like those in iraq. therefore it is a pressing task to formulate the eu strategy on religious freedom and to earmark a set of concrete measures against those states
the role of the state is to protect all citizens regardless of their conviction and to allow them to freely associate and express themselves across the world.
a glance at our world today shows a very bleak picture from the bah'i in iran to copts in egypt from the use of blasphemy laws in pakistan to the attacks on christians or places of worship in iraq and nigeria.
today we highlight the increased violence against christians specifically which provides a reason for great concern.
it is incredibly painful that people attack and get attacked both in the name of religion and people of all faiths are victims.
it is unacceptable to see that some individuals extremists choose to use violence and even terrorism and do so in the name of god or in the name of a religion claiming thereby to speak on behalf of others or even seeking to be above the law and thus associating countless innocent people with this violence.
by giving the extremists more credit than they deserve by accepting the link between religion and terrorism we disqualify the majority of believers who in the diverse ways in which they do practice their faith peacefully.
religion can never be a credible or acceptable reason to use violence or to breach human rights. too often this does happen not only through violence but also in limiting freedom of expression such as through the abuse of blasphemy laws.
religion or conviction should never be a reason for people to live in fear and the european parliament rightly speaks out against the extremist acts against christians and supports those who condemn this extremism.
on the contrary it is classic mass persecution.
the christians are intimidated evicted or killed with a clear purpose religious cleansing. this is happening as we here in europe are bending over backwards to accommodate the endless sensibilities of muslim believers.
the result is a europe full of mosques and the middle east purged of christians.
but this is not about numbers.
even for those among us who do not believe christianity should be more than a forgotten exotic and diminishing sect.
we are free to believe or not but we are not free to see our freedoms abused.
this approach means that we should make religious freedom a precondition in our relations with sovereign states. this approach should be inscribed into law and become part of the high representative's mandate.
it needs to be stopped and it must be stopped. the eu and its institutions including this house must increase pressure on governments where these incidents occur particularly in those countries where the state has weak policies or turns a blind eye to such incidents.
here we value and protect each and every life;
there is serious work ahead for serbia if the commission is to recommend opening accession negotiations in its next progress report.
this will give a positive message to the whole region in order to consolidate peace and foster economic prosperity in the western balkans.
as long as the objective and criteria are clearly defined i have strong faith in serbia's capacity to mobilise itself and achieve the necessary additional progress to move towards accession negotiations.
this means in particular that serbia needs to implement and stick to the letter and spirit of all agreements reached to date in the dialogue with pritina.
ultimately this gives a far better prospect to serbian citizens who are eager to live in a country where democracy and the rule of law prevail while its economy recovers and develops in the best possible environment.
along with the forthcoming entry into force of the stabilisation and association agreement these relations have been brought to a much higher level.
at the pinnacle of these achievements were the significant and consistent efforts of president tadi to deliver on cooperation with the international criminal tribunal for the former yugoslavia and to foster a new spirit of cooperation and reconciliation
secondly we will need to see the momentum of reforms continuing in order to confirm that serbia sufficiently fulfils the political criteria. we are determined to continue our engagement with serbia.
i am convinced that with our joint support serbia will continue to embrace its european future.
this will allow the negotiation process to push reforms and tackle even the most difficult challenges which lie ahead.
i fully subscribe to this objective provided the criteria are fulfilled.
and the protection of minorities. regarding the key priority the improvement of relations with kosovo we will be looking at several aspects the implementation in good faith of agreements progress on outstanding issues such as telecommunications and energy and
it should also be clear that new controversial issues should be avoided for instance serbia needs to refrain from holding local elections in kosovo.
the commission will report on these issues in the next progress report to be issued in october.
we will therefore as always carefully monitor and assess how serbia fulfils the particular criteria in particular the state of play in the key areas of democratic institutions judicial reform the fight against corruption and organised crime human rights
we are aware that there are temporary difficulties in implementing the regional cooperation agreement and we are working to restore the situation and bring all parties back together.
these achievements show that the political drive behind the eu enlargement process policy continues to promote positive change and sustainable reforms. this process has over many years been a decisive positive factor for peace security and prosperity throughout europe.
it is clear from the opinion of the european commission of october two thousand and eleven that serbia has progressed towards fulfilling the copenhagen criteria and the conditions of the stabilisation and association process and important steps have been taken towards establishing a functioning market economy and achieving macro economic stability.
your active and constructive contribution to the general debate on enlargement and to serbia's integration process in particular is a precious political asset to us.
i can assure you that we will pay particular attention to the views of the european parliament in this regard.
this remains a very important part of the integration process of serbia.
let me end by recalling that regional cooperation and good neighbourhood relations are key to progress in the western balkans region.
however as is reflected in your resolution serbia needs to make further efforts to maintain the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria with particular attention to the rule of law.
on behalf of the danish presidency and the member states i would like to welcome the work of this parliament and in particular mr jelko kacin's continuous commitment and positive contribution to the endeavour of advancing the enlargement policy of the european union.
and the implementation of the integrated management for crossing points the ibm.
what is of the utmost importance for serbia now is to continue its good work on the eu reform agenda and to continue to actively implement the agreements reached within the framework of the eu facilitated belgrade pritina dialogue. maintaining good relations with all its neighbours will bring stability to serbia
underline that the eu approach is rigorous but fair delivering on its commitments against clear requirements. this was the case with croatia when we successfully concluded accession negotiations and this was the case with serbia when the european council decided to grant candidate status to the country.
they do not seem to realise that the execution of the process is at least as important and the way this has been done now reflects badly on them.
i will be there too. we also expect serbia to continue fighting corruption and organised crime.
the negotiations should start as soon as possible so that serbia can start working even harder on sustainable and profound reform starting with chapters twenty three and.
mr president we are not only opposed to the uk's membership of the eu we are opposed to the institution itself which is intentionally destructive of national identities and sovereignties.
the true purpose of such measures is not to protect the real interests of sexual minorities but to politicise them and generate friction with their neighbours.
however we would be foolish to repeat the somewhat lax approach to this round of enlargement that we witnessed in the previous round.
therefore i will be voting for amendments that require strict fulfilment of the most important preconditions for membership including that of ensuring the protection of minorities.
serbia has been granted candidate status and at the same time this is important elections are to be held in early may. so this report can serve as a guide for the next serbian government in its stance towards europe.
a great deal has been done to make serbian accession feasible and the country should receive due credit for all these efforts.
there are many areas where the serbian system of government and for that matter governance demand a major overhaul before they meet the eu criteria.
one of these areas is very serious.
this is where legal provision is used indeed abused to eliminate competition and to stultify the market in favour of insiders.
it is all the worse that this practice is undertaken in the name of the fight against organised crime.
all candidate countries have to come to terms with their neighbours whatever the antecedents.