kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
in this context funds will have to be earmarked to meet the basic needs of the refugees to facilitate their return to their countries of origin when appropriate and to support their successful social and professional reintegration back
these people a few thousand cannot be returned to their countries of origin.
groups. we share the view that it is crucial to put in place more long term sustainable cooperation programmes to address migration mobility and security in combination with the promotion of democracy the rule of law and good governance with third countries.
what is more europol has deployed a team of experts to italy with the aim of helping the law enforcement authorities to identify possible criminal networks involved in trafficking.
terms. it will propose priorities principles and concrete measures but will also look more closely at the link between migration and development and between migration and climate change for instance.
an opportunity for me to inform you about how the eu is responding to the crisis in the southern mediterranean.
secondly we have reacted to the irregular and mixed flows across the mediterranean sea.
the amended regulation establishing the frontex agency should be adopted by the council and the european parliament as soon as possible.
a majority of them have been repatriated to their countries but a few thousand are still there and i will come back to them in a little while.
the commission is as you know preparing a revised strategy for the neighbourhood and it will be presented to the council. it will contain support for democracy support for economic development growth and job opportunities and there will also be an element of mobility.
it is a challenge for european migration policy.
europe. it is very difficult for me to explain to these somalis that you cannot come to europe because we have not agreed on delegated or implemented
we are helping tunisia to fight the trafficking networks and seeing how we can assist it in building up border control.
shelter. we have certain
to malta. i realise that malta of course with the size of the island is under enormous pressure. we might see more people
council. today that majority does
unhcr. but there are a few people there a few thousand who are
mechanism. this can be activated when there is a mass influx of people who are unable
stranded. they cannot return
people. as i said we are considering the possibility of using the temporary protection
to go. we are also seeing refugees coming to europe now to lampedusa and
to return. but for this to be activated it needs a qualified majority in the
funds. we have certain
to do this. there are solidarity funds available for european countries who respond to this
with the help of the european parliament and the efforts of the different rapporteurs to get the package together and conclude the negotiation with the parliament i still hope that we can finalise this before the end of the year.
not exist. we are of course monitoring this very closely and we will bring it back to the council
acts. so please i urge you and the council to come to an agreement on this because we could really fulfil the aim of the european resettlement programme and help those people because they have nowhere
we are engaged in talks with tunisia to seek a solution on an organised dignified voluntary return of those people who are not in need of international protection.
people. they need to be resettled in
egypt. but there are some people remaining.
we should do everything to support them in this fantastic journey.
could the commissioner please outline what criteria she will be using in making that assessment as to whether to bring forward a recommendation?
we also welcome the willingness to consider using the temporary protection directive.
madam president i am very pleased that the commissioner reminded us that the overwhelming amount of movement in the region has been in north africa itself.
that is something that having listened to the debate on the procedures directive earlier some of our members would do well to remember the majority of people are moving within north africa.
they are people like us often in dire need looking for a better life and peace and prosperity.
whatever happened to the blue card regulation?
in the past the community and the member states have cooperated with third countries on stopping migrants and not on human rights.
madam president migration is not only happening from everywhere else to europe. in fact most migration happens outside europe within countries or regions on other continents.
we need to revise policies that go against our development goals as sometimes happens in trade policy and agriculture.
we need to find a way to protect climate migrants as they have to flee because we cause climate change. we also need to revise our visa and border policies from a human rights perspective.
we should not be scared of migrants.
but we also need a good policy on democracy and promoting human rights.
we should address these issues and we should fight the push factors rather than the migrants themselves. in order to fight those push factors we need a good development policy and there conditionality will not help much.
currently pakistan and syria are the countries that are hosting the most migrants we should not forget that.
stability without democracy is not a sustainable way forward.
stability is important but it is not the only thing that matters.
so it is not the numbers in absolute terms that we need to look at but the numbers in relative terms their relative impact on the country of arrival.
we just need to use it.
the mechanism is triggered by a council decision stating that the mass influx exists.
well that time has come because the mass movement has now hit the european union.
madam president a few days ago eu leaders announced that they stand ready to show concrete solidarity with those member states most affected by migratory pressures.
secondly it puts the responsibility to host them on all member states and not just on the country that they happen to arrive in.
we now call on the european council to honour its word.
i really appeal to you madam commissioner to take the political leadership and make this proposal.
this is not the fault of the commission which has produced a stream of policies and proposed laws but largely of the member states.
maybe we could benefit from looking at a country like canada and especially its policies on legal migration.
of course the situation in north africa is the main point on the agenda.
let me quote it to take all necessary measures to protect the civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in libya while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of libyan territory'.
that single sentence contains two completely contradictory ideas.
how do you protect civilians from attack without occupying any piece of territory in order to do so?
how can nations with long and illustrious military histories such as britain and france adopt such a nonsensical policy?
the council decision goes on to say that responsibility for the union's military policy lies with the high representative of common foreign and security policy.
well good luck to her but what is more likely to happen is that this idiotic policy results in disaster for all concerned.
the priorities of the west and the european countries in particular should be to encourage moderate regimes in north africa by all diplomatic means and to protect our own borders from further mass migration flows.
that may not be the politically correct answer but it is a realistic one from sensible nation states were they able to take those decisions.
many died and were seriously wounded in defence of those interests.
but of course if there should be a no' vote there can always be another referendum and another and another until they get the right answer.
that the treaty will be signed before the people have spoken in the referendum shows a contempt for democracy a contempt for the croatian people and especially a contempt for those who died in croatia's war of independence.
the government of croatia is not content to have used or rather misused public funds to pay for propaganda dressed up as information to skew the result of the referendum. it is treating the referendum result as though it were a mere formality.
it is tragic that croatia is now about to sign away that independence to the european union. to ensure its entry croatia had to pass quantities of legislation enforcing social liberalism hand its generals over to the international criminal court as though they were sacrifices to a jealous god and sign up to economic liberalism that will prevent its government from defending the jobs of its people.
the end of values;
above all it is about changing society about accepting the values on which our union is based. these values are closely linked to the areas of judiciary and fundamental rights' and justice freedom and security'. we have therefore developed a new approach
following the renewed consensus on enlargement croatia is the first candidate country to have completed accession negotiations in line with an adapted negotiating methodology which involved a systematic use of benchmarks.
enlargement is in our strategic interest for our security and our prosperity.
preparations will continue until accession.
integration into the internal market benefits our exporters and investors.
economically enlargement has led to increased living standards in the new member states.
your vote is a vote for croatia a vote for the region and a vote for the european union.
i can assure you that the commission will continue monitoring and reporting on croatia's respect of the commitments taken thoroughly and objectively all the way to accession.
and has coped with the financial crisis although in today's challenging times croatia should not neglect further economic reform.
enlargement has served as an anchor of stability and regional cooperation.
it has shown that the benefits of european integration are within their grasp.
two thousand and thirteen a specific focus has been placed on judiciary reform and the fight against corruption. this helped and guided croatia during the negotiation process.
and in future negotiations we suggest tackling these issues first and closing them last.
this is the result of the hard work croatia has done across the board.
this is not the end of the story.
a credible enlargement policy is our most effective tool to support this process of reform and transformation.
it has also led to substantial results on the ground for example the way the croatian prosecution and judicial authorities are addressing corruption cases.
most importantly democratic principles and fundamental rights are respected and the rule of law has been strengthened through a number of reforms.
croatia now has to demonstrate that it will live up to the commitments taken in the context of the negotiations.
that the accession of croatia is now a reality proves the credibility of this policy.
first of all it is a vote for croatia a croatia that is very different to the country that applied for accession to the european union nearly a decade ago a croatia where the transformative power of the enlargement process can be clearly seen in many regards. the economy is ready to form a part of the internal market
enlargement offers huge political social and economic benefits.
enlargement is a driver of democracy and the rule of law.
the commission will also continue keeping the european parliament fully informed and i am at your disposal to discuss our findings with you.
we will continue to assist croatia in this final phase of preparation.
croatia has been able to demonstrate that it met the strict conditions and will therefore be ready to become a member state on one july.
completing these preparations will be a key priority for the government which will be formed after the elections in december.
this fact this event the signature of the treaty should also be a very strong encouragement to the other countries in the region to follow the same values to follow reconciliation with neighbours and to show full determination on the road to fulfilling
as stated by the european council in june croatia will need to continue its reform efforts with the same vigour so as to be able to assume fully the obligations of membership from the date of accession. further sustainable results and improved track records are expected.
i think we can all congratulate croatia on achieving a successful outcome to the lengthy process of negotiating accession.
i want to underline today that one of the cornerstones of the renewed consensus on enlargement is the own merits' principle candidates progress according to their own efforts in meeting the strict conditionality laid down by the eu.
european integration has as one of its primary objectives the strengthening of peace stability and reconciliation.
it is one of the final stages of a process which will lead in a few days' time to the signature of the croatian accession treaty which will turn that country into the twenty eighth member of the european union.
at a time when the union is facing very significant challenges which we just discussed a few minutes ago the accession of croatia reminds us of the reasons why europeans have chosen to cooperate in the unique framework that is the european union.
of course let us not forget that the future accession of croatia is significant for the whole region.
i want to thank you for that support.
council has therefore been considering the commission's progress report on croatia and the ongoing monitoring for all the negotiating chapters.
let me assure you that the council closely assisted by the commission will continue to follow and assess developments and will keep this parliament fully informed.
it reminds us of the extraordinary success of european integration as witnessed by the aspirations of others to become part of that success and this parliament has been unfailing in its support for croatia throughout the negotiating process.
these obligations themselves serve to ensure that all citizens are able to take full advantage of membership and this has a direct bearing on the credibility of the whole enlargement policy.
enlargement is one of the main instruments for reaching these objectives.
this is a very positive development.
i want to use this occasion to reiterate a firm belief that enlargement policy is one of the biggest successes of the european union.
it is a very positive sign and it should be read as such a positive sign to foster stability peace prosperity and reconciliation based on good neighbourly relations.
neighbours of montenegro on which i am the european parliament's standing rapporteur and with whom croatia seeks to resolve a small boundary dispute and macedonia will similarly soon open negotiations.
as a small but prosperous mediterranean country croatia's accession will pose few problems particularly if temporary derogations are in place with regard to mass labour migration across the european union which would of course put pressure on already stretched public resources particularly in my country.
though the timing for eu membership for all other western balkan countries beyond croatia is far from clear this prospect remains the essential glue which drives their reforms and anchors them all in peace and democracy.
two thousand and nine however any linkage between the two processes may not in any way unduly delay the date of accession so that we send a positive signal to the union which is now in dire straits.
i would like to point out that the procedures for the adoption of on the one hand the accession treaty with the republic of croatia and on the other hand the protocols requested by ireland and czech republic have different treaty bases articles forty nine and forty eight respectively and therefore they could not be legally incorporated into a single act.
two procedures may coincide in time reflecting the spirit of the political agreement incorporated into the council's conclusions of june and october.
i would like to share with you one institutional point from my opinion.
the enlargement policy is the response to the legitimate aspiration of the people of europe to join the endeavour of a unified europe.
the findings of our autumn monitoring show that croatia has maintained the momentum in its preparation for membership and has achieved a very high level of preparation to assume the responsibilities of membership upon accession. completing these preparations should be a key priority for the government that will be formed
after the upcoming elections.
from the commission's side i reiterate my firm commitment to continue our close cooperation and i will make sure that you are adequately informed about the progress achieved by croatia in the months to come up to accession.
this country has for nearly a thousand years sought independence and for twenty years they have had independence.
well i found that the eu is doing everything it can to bribe the political class in croatia.
cleverly you have even given jobs to croatians highly paid jobs to croatians in the european parliament and in the european commission just to show them how well off they the ruling class will be if they join.
madam president i recently visited croatia; i wanted to find out whether a proper national debate was going on whether there was a fair campaign.
there is no national debate going on at all.
they still hold all the positions of power and they will all become personally enormously wealthy if croatia joins the european union.
and you have got eu flags flying on official buildings all over the country to give the impression that it is a done deal.
what did i find?
the eu has just spent a million euros on a blatant propaganda advertising campaign telling croatia that the eu is their only hope.
the whole campaign is bent corrupt and distorted. we have seen this before from the european union but i think it is happening on a scale in croatia that is worse than i have seen before.
they got out of the failed political experiment that was yugoslavia. if they vote to join the european union they are voting to rejoin a new yugoslavia a failing political experiment that will implode.
so tomorrow we will be manifesting the strength of the european union in a time of economic crisis. i think that also underlines that there is room for optimism and there is also room for the message to other countries of the western balkans when you reform when you transform when you develop then we can all share peace democracy and open societies.
what is enshrined in the common values that i hope you share as well?
with regard to the rights of future generations environmental sustainability is something that is enshrined in the rights of our common european union.
what is part of our fundamental rights?
you know how important symbols are in politics as well.
therefore we have to discuss it and have to do so now.
there was no or very little social consultation. the text is only supported by one political party and it is opposed by major constitutional experts.
i hope everyone agrees that the constitution has to be balanced close to the citizens based on generally accepted values and principles and should be party neutral.
the new constitution raises questions on an international level.
they make governing the country almost impossible for any future government.
there are at least two things i would like to mention which are not in line with that. others have mentioned others. the first is that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is not included and that has to be included in the future.
this is something that is heavily criticised by me and by my group.
the constitutions of member states have to be in accordance with european values with our value community which we have defined.
clearly colleagues there are objective concerns that have been expressed not only by political parties but also by the venice commission and at the very least there are ambiguities. instead of having this very acrimonious debate we should try and clarify the issues.
if you want to demonstrate your very strong commitment to the protection and promotion of lgbt rights i would invite you to walk with budapest gay pride on eighteen june.
fundamental rights is about the very foundations of the european union.
we have discussed the expulsion of and discrimination against roma people in france and italy and there have been many other examples of debates about fundamental rights being under pressure in one member state or another.
in order to demonstrate this i remind you that we ask candidate countries to adapt not only their laws but also their constitutions in order to be admitted as members of the european union.
every single time i have heard the epp say that this should not be party politics and that we should not single out member states. this is not about member states this is about fundamental rights. fundamental rights is not a matter of subsidiarity.
what we should not tolerate is intolerance itself.
if it is not what next?
it is the commission which is charged with assessing and acting on such issues as are laid out in the treaties and as requested by this parliament only a few months ago.
if it is commissioner we need to know that too as soon as we can.
what we ask now is for you commissioner to give this house as soon as possible a definitive answer as to whether the hungarian constitution is in line with european legislation and fundamental rights.
madam president commissioner this debate is an evaluation of the situation regarding the new hungarian constitution not the common law of the united kingdom which has protected our citizens for nearly nine hundred years.
this house was hoping to ask the commission what its conclusions are and how it intends to proceed and we still look forward to your guidance but it seems we have to wait a little bit longer.
many of the provisions of this constitution are very partisan such as the omission of protection of gay people from discrimination and the giving of extra votes to mothers. but i want to give a good example of one flaw in the constitution that undermines the treaty's insistence on the rule of law.
not just repealed but invalid.
this creates great legal uncertainty as it leaves in limbo and apparently invalid themselves laws passed under that constitution including in respect of hungary's accession and eu membership. this is one reason why the commission should examine it for compliance with eu law and it could have a great effect on other member states.
finally they are to be commended for including a limit to the extent of state debt which is very important.
while people will argue with some elements of it it has to be stated that a constitution can always be amended by way of referendum and if we find at european union level that some aspects of it are not in keeping with european law and values that can be done and taken on board.
as a christian democrat i am absolutely delighted that there is a reference to god and christianity because it is a fundamental part of our culture and our history and i think it is far better to have it included than excluded and creating a godless society. people have also objected to granting citizenship to people outside of hungary
we should if anything debate the constitutions of each and every member state.
whether we like it or not whether we disagree or agree with this national constitution we must respect the sovereignty and the hierarchy of law otherwise we would be setting a dangerous precedent.
member states have a sovereign competence for establishing their own national constitutions and in this case we should respect the right of the hungarian people to determine their own constitution adopted by their democratically elected national parliament.
madam president this debate on the hungarian constitution today is flawed for two main reasons. it singles out one member state out of twenty seven and it concerns a national issue which falls within the sovereignty of member states.
we would stand accused of political instrumentalisation and we would be undermining the trust of citizens in our own institution.