kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the commission has so far launched seventeen infringement procedures against fifteen countries due to either lack of availability lack of caller location or inappropriate handling of one hundred and twelve calls.
one hundred and twelve i would like to ask the commission two questions have the member states really made their systems ready to deal with one hundred and twelve calls and ecalls and also given the massive cuts in the connecting europe facility what are the future plans of the commission with regard to mobile coverage across europe particularly in rural areas where we know that
while the level of awareness has increased over the past few years we do need to keep spreading the word about this very simple and potentially life saving three digit number especially as increasing numbers of young people are leaving to work and study on the continent.
millions of eu citizens do not have access to one hundred and twelve at present because they are deaf or hard of hearing or have speech difficulties.
such a testing programme would also provide guidance on the regulations that could apply to voiceover internet providers and network operators.
such a service could also provide more data to emergency call centres' personnel in cases of emergency.
however the main aspect of the oral question that i want to focus on concerns access for people with disabilities.
it is to be regretted that in a recent eurobarometer survey just over a quarter of respondents could correctly identify one hundred and twelve as a number to call anywhere in europe in case of an emergency.
this is one of the worst levels in europe but many other countries are doing little better.
indeed in my own country ireland just fourteen of the population when asked could say that they received any information on the number despite the expectation that member states and governments would inform their citizens of its existence.
the lack of constructive political dialogue and the lack of a settlement of disagreements following the june two thousand and nine elections between government and opposition are of concern.
my second visit also included the north and i had useful exchanges with the local community opened the new european union information point and visited the newly established european union house.
june. the services of commissioner malmstrm are verifying its european union compatibility as we speak.
the two very well grounded and valuable draft resolutions on the agenda today confirm this trend and show that the european parliament remains a key supporter of the stabilisation and association process with the western balkans leading the region to eventual membership.
albania needs to rigorously implement legislation and action plans on anti corruption and in relation to fighting organised crime and ensure sufficient investigative and judicial capacity.
we are making good progress on the proposals made in our kosovo communication of last october.
we are in very close touch with pritina to provide guidance and support.
i welcome the opportunity to discuss albania with you today at this key moment for the country.
your support is crucial especially now on the eve of the issuing of the international court of justice opinion.
media more needs to be done.
intimidation and influence on journalists are of concern.
also more needs to be done to address domestic violence and trafficking of women and children.
concerning kosovo whatever the international court of justice says i trust the european union will continue to actively engage with kosovo to ensure it stays connected to developments in the rest of the western balkans.
we are also moving forward on visas.
a comprehensive trade fact finding mission is in pritina again as we speak to assess the possibility for the european union and kosovo to prepare for negotiations on a trade agreement.
comprehensive stabilisation and association agreements are being put in place and implemented across the region and the political and economic reform process continues. reforms however must be consolidated. the democratic foundations in some of the countries remain fragile. political leaders bear
the ongoing political stalemate is hindering important reform steps which are also necessary for the country's progress on the european union integration path.
met. in this context the commission continues to work with the kosovo authorities to ensure that all the requirements to launch a visa dialogue are
on the positive side as regards the visa dialogue the country has made important progress.
the commission adopted its proposal to extend the existing autonomous trade preferences for kosovo until two thousand and fifteen back in february.
a huge responsibility in this respect to overcome differences and steer their countries and the region towards better governance and away from the risk of destabilisation.
i appreciate the constructive role of the two parliament principles played in the mediation initiative for a solution to the stalemate and i welcome parliament's call for a cross party consensus on key reforms.
the commission's proposal of twenty seven may for short stay visa free travel reflects this. i fully agree with the view that more efforts are needed to ensure albania's justice system can deliver in an efficient and timely manner.
a full cycle of sector meetings has been completed.
the ball is now in your court.
concerning albania i hope that the political picture as well as pragmatic progress on the ground for which those in power and those in opposition share the responsibility will allow us to establish a clear path ahead in the opinion the commission will present in the autumn.
further issues are the effective implementation of the public administration reform strategy and ensuring an independent professional and meritocratic civil service.
year. in conclusion the year ahead will be an important phase for albania kosovo and the region at large.
the council agreed that kosovo should progress with the perspective of eventual visa liberalisation once all conditions are
we see such an agreement as essential for fostering kosovo's socio economic development which the draft resolution rightly highlights.
the legal framework needs to be completed.
transparency of media ownership will be tackled.
finally for the first time this year kosovo will take part in ipa cross border cooperation programmes with the former yugoslav republic of macedonia and albania.
both sides need to return to constructive political dialogue and find a solution based on respect for the constitution and transparency. osce odihr recommendations need to be fully addressed in view of the spring two thousand and eleven local elections.
i confirmed my assurances of the european union's continued support to the local community and called for cooperation and dialogue.
i wish to thank the european parliament and mr chountis in particular for the good and balanced report on albania.
the council invited us to support kosovo's progress towards the european union in line with the european perspective of the region. the timing and scope of kosovo's progress is determined by kosovo itself.
we are also moving ahead on trade.
this appears to be the sole reason for the attempt on his life by those who reject all relations with kosovo institutions.
an attack on an mp anywhere amounts to an attack on democracy and this attack was aimed at the efforts to bring lasting stability in the region of the western balkans.
i see no difference between the assassination of the late prime minister of serbia zoran ini and this attempt.
we must be absolutely clear and firm in our reaction to this unfortunate event. only through fostering democratic dialogue and the european integration process will there be any progress in albanian serbian relations in kosovo.
for a long time this was the case with yugoslavia in general and kosovo in particular.
the treatment of the albanian population by the serbian authorities became intolerable and an uprising followed.
the outcome was limited western intervention then the reluctant acceptance of the proposition that the people of kosovo would never again accept rule by belgrade.
but that can only be a first step. serbia has still to accept the loss of territory which is painful.
kosovo has itself begun the process of constructing democracy but this will take time to mature which is hardly surprising given the traumatic experience of its population but neither democracy nor stability is helped by the refusal to recognise the independence of kosovo.
in this respect if we are serious about our support for albania it is our joint responsibility to facilitate an agreement between government and opposition.
however i still hope that the two biggest european political families will resume their joint efforts with more success after the summer break.
corruption remains a huge problem in kosovo which is also a major transit centre for illegal narcotics and people trafficking.
the economy is far too dependent on eu and western aid and there seems to be no easy way out of this impasse.
ten years ago in a personal capacity i advocated partition as an answer to the problem.
this is a solution many serbian politicians favour but one that few western politicians would countenance for now.
my group the ecr does however fully support albanian eu accession once they satisfy all the copenhagen criteria and in particular improve their poor record on fighting corruption and organised crime.
there is also an urgent need to solve the boycott by the opposition socialists of the parliament.
speaking personally i do find it hard to see how albania can reconcile its full membership of the organisation of the islamic conference with future cfsp positions if it becomes a member of the european union although i am partially reassured by the fact that it is already a full member of nato.
before we start i am going to have to say that one minute means one minute.
however we consider the eu to be not only a common market but most importantly a community of values.
the european parliament across the board stands ready to work with albania towards these values but is this extended hand reciprocated?
in recent months the chairs of the christian democrats and the social democrats in the european parliament have made great efforts to solve the political crisis in albania through visits and through working with their sister parties.
but even these high level efforts have proven unsuccessful.
democracy means more than the result of elections putting people into power.
it means responsible representation of citizens;
not the winner takes all but seeking constructive compromise between majority and minority participation.
we should have talked about the more urgent topics such as guaranteeing press freedom and a vibrant independent civil society as well as safeguarding the rights of minorities such as lgbt people people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.
we should have discussed the need to end corruption and to guarantee transparency fighting poverty and organised crime and all this according to due process and the rule of law.
we need two things.
that bigger picture is that we are doing all that to establish a firmer foundation of our values. none of the legislation and none of the new institutions will solve the issues we are focusing on in today's discussions but this firm foundation of our values will be an appropriate basis for solving and addressing these issues.
that was different in that it was about eliminating a certain very specific weapon often used indiscriminately and with terrible consequences mainly by terrorist and insurgent groups.
the uk has a special interest in these matters.
clearly in discussing these matters we are entering into important and sensitive areas of national sovereignty and it is unfortunate therefore that the resolution perhaps inevitably bows in the direction of what i would term eu federalist competence creep'.
it was also by the way one of the co authors of the un general assembly resolution of six december two thousand and six that called for an internationally agreed arms trade treaty to be drawn up.
i am pleased the resolution has not misunderstood or diminished the important role that defence industries play in terms of national security and in our economies.
what is more important is that we put diplomatic effort into ensuring that countries such as china pakistan and russia are signed up to the highest possible standards rather than wasting valuable time harmonising european positions that are already very similar.
for example i do not understand why a coherent and consistent eu approach is crucial for this treaty to be adopted and effectively implemented at a global level or indeed why there is any point in the involvement of an eu delegation separate from member states in negotiations.
there were those that constantly sought to widen the scope of the resultant ottawa treaty into other fields so it is important that we are clear about the limited purposes of this arms trade treaty which would not interfere in the right of a state to decide nationally on its arms export controls in compliance with internationally agreed criteria.
it is of course europe's leading arms exporter.
it is only fifteen minutes from your brussels office.
firstly i do not understand what the eu role is in this united nations arms trade treaty. here is a very welcome agreement concluded by the intra governmental united nations with one hundred and ninety three nation states involved only zimbabwe voted against it so nation states and the un are at one. why then do we need a supranational trespasser in the form of the eu to muscle in on the action? a second related question is what role does the european defence agency have given its arms export control policy? at least eda again is international not supranational. but why did it allegedly take you from one december two thousand and nine when you were appointed as head of the eda to january two thousand and twelve two years to actually visit its premises?
i would also argue as i do consistently that there is strength in collaboration between the twenty seven member states and the ability to work together can provide additional strength particularly when we are trying to deal with something which will be significantly important and i would argue quite delicate and difficult to negotiate.
we work closely with our member states to achieve that.
weapons that fall into the wrong hands can have a devastating effect on the regional and international peace and security.
through the negotiations of a legally binding arms trade treaty we have the opportunity to set the highest possible standards to regulate international trade in arms.
the european union has been at the forefront of this initiative from the beginning.
the treaty has been raised by the eu in all of our recent high level meetings with third countries including china india us russia pakistan and mexico.
this should ensure that arms are transferred and used in full respect of human rights and international humanitarian law.
a treaty should also include a credible implementation mechanism requiring state parties to put in place national control systems to control the transfer of weapons and to penalise transfers that have not been properly authorised.
our work will not end with the negotiation of the treaty.
to have real impact on the way arms are traded at international level we need to make sure that the treaty we negotiate in the united nations will be as strong and robust as possible.
that is why my services are putting a huge amount of time and resources into coordinating our negotiating position so that we are ready to defend them strongly at the negotiating table.
the unity and coherence of the eu as a block will be put under pressure during the negotiations.
we are also proactively engaging with the major stakeholders in the remaining time.
eu foreign ministers will also agree in june on comprehensive council conclusions on the att setting the priorities for the negotiating conference.
the treaty should make sure that not only exports of weapons but also transit transhipment and brokering are controlled.
i welcome today the adoption of a new european parliament resolution ahead of the un conference in july when the treaty will be negotiated.
in order to have real impact on international peace and security the treaty must be implemented.
similarly we should make sure that all types of conventional weapons are controlled and not only major military systems.
on top of this we have been conducting a major worldwide outreach campaign since two thousand and nine involving ten regional seminars covering almost all of the countries in the framework of two council decisions.
we should make sure that the treaty contains clear and strong parameters against which arms transfers can be assessed.
finally the treaty should contain a credible and clear transparency mechanism to increase accountability in the global arms trade.
the resolution of this house adopted in two thousand and seven at the outset of the process helped to gain political momentum in support of the att initiative.
armaments can be very easily diverted to the illegal market can fuel conflicts and can be used in serious violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and contribute to international crime and to terrorism.
we strongly believe that the arms trade treaty has the potential to improve the lives and security conditions of hundreds of thousands of people around the world by ensuring that weapons are traded in the most responsible way.
such a treaty can make trade in arms more transparent or accountable and prevent the diversion of weapons.
china and especially russia are exporting massive amounts of weapons to the assad regime thus contributing to the deaths of thousands of innocent men women and children.
i consider the report we are going to vote on tomorrow helpful in reaching this goal.
to make it even stronger we have tabled several amendments.
att. the eu has a special responsibility for the overall improvement of the situation because if we cannot take the lead in showing determination and coordination then what can we expect from others?
therefore we call on the member states to provide their full support to the eu delegation taking part in future negotiations.
many households in america have handguns and a great number of families in canada use guns for hobby and hunting purposes.
however in the uk few people have access to small firearms.
those who use guns for illicit purposes are unlikely to be swayed from criminal behaviour by the introduction of new legislation although pan national cooperation to restrict the availability of arms on the black market is something i vehemently support.
the eu may have broad reaching control of trade in europe but designating a single european stance in this area represents a sizeable foray into the realm of foreign affairs and thus encroaches upon the prerogatives of both nato and national governments.
by doing so the eu is effectively mounting a subversive campaign against public opinion across the atlantic.
basically i am asking you for assistance. when will parliament fall into line with the other institutions and ensure that there is a website in all twenty three languages and that there is no discrimination against the irish language?
parliament has a website in twenty two of the twenty three languages but none in irish.
not one penny of british taxpayers' money should go into this disastrous eu migration policy and if you want to control migration if you want to stop deaths in the mediterranean then we need be turning boats back.
i hope people who are undecided about how to vote in the uk referendum listen to what the eu are planning that immigration policy is decided at eu level and they are asking for eur fifty billion to fund it. it is yet another reason for the people of great britain to vote.
now i ask myself why would they want to do that?
and you have mentioned the global responsibility and indeed that is very important but where is the responsibility of the european union itself of our member states?
i think the problem we need to address is inside the european union.
development aid trade policies we do not even have sanctions to sanction the human rights violations in trade agreements.
the commission even wants to give money to a country like eritrea where people are fleeing for good reasons because of torture;
the condition is to stop people from fleeing from these conditions.
i really wonder what after all of this is left from our value driven eu foreign policy.
the problem is just it is not in the paper. what the commission is actually proposing here colleagues is to use all foreign policy instruments that the eu has as its disposal for one sole purpose namely to stop refugees and migrants on their way to europe.
and the money is not going to eritrea on the condition that those human rights violations would be stopped no.
but now we will use trade sanctions when a country is not taking back the refugees the people that fled from that specific country.
because of forced labour;
we cannot go around telling everyone all the transit countries to house more refugees if we ourselves as one of the richest continents of the world are not doing our job.
it does not help to externalise the problems and look for solutions elsewhere.
money even if well spent is not enough.
where is that responsibility?
to start with the focus will be on improving border and migration management on the ground.
we propose to first launch contacts with a limited number of priority countries jordan lebanon niger nigeria senegal mali and ethiopia.
we propose to use a mix of positive and negative incentives to reward those third countries willing to cooperate effectively with us and to ensure that there are consequences for those who do not.
i am convinced that by doing this we can reach concrete results together with our partners.
this framework rethinks how all actors member states eu institutions and third countries work together to bring order to migration flows and strive for well managed migration.
for that we need to reconsider our traditional models of development cooperation and give a much greater role to private investors.
this could be done now not waiting for the next boat to capsize.
the africa trust fund will immediately be strengthened with eur five hundred million from the reserve of the european development fund.
as we stem irregular migration flows we must open up legal ways to europe for those in need in particular with more resettlement for refugees.
we will develop compacts tailored to each partner country's specific circumstances whether country of origin or transit or hosting a large refugee population.
because of what we have done the business model of the smugglers on that road has been broken people are no longer dying in the aegean and the numbers coming across from turkey are very low indeed.
we must do the same we have done on the route through the aegean also in the southern mediterranean to find solutions sustainable solutions.
that means we must engage more effectively with third countries of origin and transit to address the migration challenge in the long term but also right now immediately and by we i mean both the eu and the member states.
learning from last year's most important lessons including the valletta summit today we propose a new partnership framework for across the board cooperation on migration with third countries.
as you know in the last couple of months we have been working very closely with your parliament on the issue of the smugglers working between turkey and greece the terrible loss of life in the aegean sea.
we cannot tolerate this the loss of human life on this scale and we must do everything we can to stop it.
we are calling on member states to match this to reach one billion.
operationally our short term objective is to save lives in the mediterranean increase returns of those who do not have the right to stay and enable migrants and refugees to stay closer to home rather than embark on dangerous journeys.
this approach will help bring tangible benefits for the refugees for third countries and obviously for the european union and our own citizens.