kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we can now accompany more decisively the process of reforming the cuban economy and society fostering sustainable development democracy and human rights as a trusted and reliable partner as the cubans see the europeans.
as you are aware the common position had already envisaged the perspective of a bilateral agreement.
but the process was launched before the agreement was even finalised and the next human rights dialogue will take place at the end of may in havana.
we were able to announce it while initiating the agreement.
it touches on the broadest set of issues from political dialogue to economic cooperation from sustainable development to our cooperation in multilateral fora from the protection of the environment to human rights.
our starting point was and still is much more positive than that of our friends in the united states.
in march we initiated the first ever agreement between the eu and cuba.
we have been there as a driving force for change.
our relations with cuba have always continued in good and in difficult times although over the last decade we have had difficult moments.
the political dialogue and cooperation agreement we have initialled is totally unprecedented.
this has now been accomplished setting a new framework for our relationship.
in the first meeting of the human rights dialogue which took place last year in brussels we touched upon the respective situation of human rights and recent developments both in the eu and cuba. let me say that it was a very constructive and very frank exchange of views and a useful
this moment marks the beginning of a completely new era in our relations with cuba.
for this reason in parallel to the process leading to the signature of the agreement i will propose a council decision to formally repeal the common position.
we have a choice to make should we wait for more structural changes or should we make our voice heard right now as a friend and partner of the cuban people through active engagement and dialogue? the new agreement answers this question.
i think in particular of cuba's role in hosting talks between the colombian government and the farc which we followed very closely.
we can only look forward to expanding our cooperation on these matters. but change is happening inside cuba as well.
the signature of the agreement will also mark the end of the eu's one thousand nine hundred and ninety six common position as the union's instrument defining its external relations with cuba.
i firmly believe that allocating a certain amount of money will have a substantial effect on the development of the island.
it will enable the modernisation of the country in order to achieve a sustainable agricultural sector and the use of natural resources such as water in a more efficient and more focused way.
but the most important thing for me the most sensitive matter for me remains the same.
i would appreciate it if you could comment on that. the people that i tend to talk to do not feel that the changes are really occurring.
i would like to learn more.
we will as you have said be debating the agreement here. we want to see the conditionality implemented.
both in my introductory words but also hearing the debate tonight it is quite clear what it is it is to engage with an interlocutor coming out from the common position to encourage and accompany
a process that is happening in cuba inside the country and with the outside world starting from the united states but also with others in the region and beyond to try to accompany this process in the best possible way.
here the european union has a special role to play. we are not in competition with the americans.
the united states has a different kind of history of relations with cuba that we do not have.
we are far away but our history is much more solid.
of our society our economy and our social system can be of great help in the transition the transformation the changes and the process of reforms that cuba is potentially entering into.
this is an open debate in cuba.
if i am not wrong the party congress is taking place in a few weeks.
this is the basis of our relationship with all countries in the world.
the field of telecommunications is huge and potentially very beneficial.
our experts are working in cuba advising the different ministries on the different sectors of reform even very technical kind of work because there is a certain level of understanding and trust between our people that has never been interrupted throughout history.
so we do have a fundamental role as the european union.
i have stated it again publicly and in our meetings both in cuba and with our american friends.
it is frank because we know very well that there are issues where we do not agree but with the idea that engaging is always better than not talking.
if the stock is not in good shape then everybody will want to fish more and this is not the best way to
why? because if we try to do this again it will not be a good basis for persuading anybody especially the court if we are going for trade measures that we ourselves are fishing sustainably.
so it will not be a decision taken by a commissioner.
a deal. if the deal is possible it will
so let me assure you that the commission is ready to engage in constructive three party discussions on this proposal. having said that i have to say here very openly that now that parliament is expressing its views on the proposal since you are going to vote tomorrow
i would like to come back to the commissions proposal.
but i would very much like to reach an agreement now that the stock is in good
and in order to reach an agreement we have to understand and we have to recognise that the stock is not only spreading it is moving up to icelandic and greenland waters.
share. they are going to fish only in their
an opportunity a window of opportunity. of course our industry and the norwegian industry we are discussing this with norway too will be the main beneficiaries of the increase in the availability and the catch stocks for mackerel in two thousand and fourteen following the latest ices advice.
it only means that they have to change their fishing technique to more sustainable gears as is already practised in some regions of the european union.
so what is happening
it will be a decision taken by the full college of course.
so we have to have this in mind if we really want an agreement.
waters. so this is something we have to bear
so in order to answer their concerns we provided an assessment of the potential socio economic impact of this particular measure.
i expect i hope but also i expect and i am going to ask the council presidency to finally start their work on this regulation.
they are not going to have access to our waters. this means that if the stocks are not in good shape then they are not going to fish their
i agree with
shape. if the stock is in good shape then it gives us the opportunity a better window of opportunity to reach an agreement.
i hope he comes up and speaks to the fishermen and the families who are going to lose their livelihoods because of this ridiculous over the top reaction by him and his supporters.
three hundred marine scientists have written to us saying that we should stop this activity because of the damage. that is more scientists saying we should stop it than there are fishermen on a regular basis actually doing it!
it makes clear that this activity is deeply harmful.
we cannot stop it if we have destroyed the seabed because if we do that it is gone for our lifetimes.
that reflects the position that the commission has put forward.
there is growing support across this house for these proposals because we all realise that at these depths it takes an enormously long time for the marine ecosystem to recover once it is damaged.
vulnerable ecosystems using a science led approach and an appropriate approach to these particular fisheries.
i want to remind you commissioner that you have a particular responsibility towards the european pelagic fleet and the coastal communities that depend so much on this important industry for employment.
i refer to last week's meeting.
it is sad that i have to make that statement but it is a matter of fact.
it. the two tier approach is the answer and i believe we can resolve the problem if we adopt that approach.
a bad deal would tie the hands of this sector in europe for many many years when you and i and many others are gone.
i compliment norway on the stance which they have taken because as it stands we are relying on the norwegian authorities on the norwegian minister to defend the rights of the eu pelagic fleet.
however i want to refer to what chris davies has just said.
how can we have any confidence in future negotiations if this is the way people are going to react simply because elections are due and some people are courting publicity and being opportunistic in trying to win votes? this is not a way to be dealing with the sensible sustainable fisheries of the future.
we spent months debating this with the sector with the scientists with the ngos and we in the committee on fisheries arrived at a compromise proposal that met the agreement of all the political groups;
and now we see these political groups putting down amendments for debate and voting tomorrow which is a betrayal of the parliamentary process.
he talks about people being more concerned about the niceties of procedure.
mr president we are still waiting for the commission to propose a viable and sustainable solution to the question of fishing quotas in the north east atlantic one that reflects the increase in stock number and those member states which abused their previous allocation should be sanctioned not rewarded.
i call on the commission to act to protect and to promote the interests of eu member states such as ireland which have acted responsibly and which have relied on these fishing resources for decades.
overfishing by one country can have devastating effects on others and it is up to the commission to prevent this.
i sincerely hope to see a fast and fair deal to prevent any further disruption in this fragile area and to the livelihoods of those who rely on it.
i certainly hope that this chamber the meps can have confidence in the negotiations that are taking place but i know from what we have heard this evening that there is a lot of concern.
mr president although primarily this affects french boats because they are the majority of boats fishing on a regular basis and it is interesting that more and more french meps are coming out opposing this there is a scottish element to this.
in any case we are going to respect the vote of parliament tomorrow and i would like to underline that we are going to facilitate a dialogue between parliament the council and the commission in order to find the best solution forward.
there is however concern about the pace of progress towards elections.
so justice and reforms are absolutely essential in that country.
recent reports of the escape of m twenty three rebel fighters from uganda and their crossing into the drc should also be a cause for alarm with a risk of a return to fighting in the north kivu province which could potentially be exploited by kabila as grounds for prolonging his drc presidency. similarly in gabon we see huge violations of human rights and violence since the flawed presidential elections last august
in order to achieve this the bishops should not be left alone and the european union will actively seek the engagement of the region as well as the united nations in pushing congolese political actors to implement the agreement.
the european union is ready to support this process politically and operationally providing expertise when required to both national and international actors involved.
as you know our relationship is based on the principles and essential elements of the cotonou agreement and especially respect for human rights fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
the dialogue aims to accompany the government in their announced electoral and institutional reforms based on the election observation mission's recommendations and to shed light on the human rights violations.
the drc parliament will have a loaded agenda in its march session with the legislative acts necessary to move ahead with elections and the institutionalisation of the comit national de suivi the oversight body that will also watch over the independence of the electoral commission. the electoral commission will then produce an electoral calendar that will reflect the urgency for holding elections and utmost care for the costs of the operation in a country that is experiencing a severe fiscal crisis
grave human rights violations including alleged torture extrajudicial killings and disappearances call for an independent investigation without any delay.
they do not allow us to turn the page and to carry on with business as usual'.
we also welcome the initiatives by the gabonese government the opposition and civil society to request a preliminary inquiry into the postelectoral violence from the international criminal court.
the warning given in the eu council conclusions of twenty three may two thousand and sixteen still stands.
and repression of opposition voices.
this is important as the legitimacy of president kabila no longer rests on the constitution alone but on inclusive political support for the agreement.
my gratitude both for the debates and for the resolutions of the european parliament which reassure us in our firm diplomatic and development actions and for your participation in the eu electoral mission.
on the democratic republic of congo the european union considers that the political agreement signed on thirty one december last year represents important progress with remarkable mediation done by drc catholic bishops.
the european union imposed restrictive measures in december.
and of course we support the implementation of the african charter on elections democracy and governance. the stability of gabon and the democratic republic of congo is of primary interest to the european union but genuine peace stability and development do not come through enforced preservation of the status quo
the resolution of the security council that will be renewing the mandate of monusco in march two thousand and seventeen will be an important step in establishing a global consensus around the political agreement.
the european union has also activated the human rights defenders mechanism to protect civil society activists in gabon whose personal security was at risk.
the conclusions of the eu election observation mission were clear.
the electoral violence following the presidential elections of twenty seven august last year and climate of fear repression and intimidation that followed and continues today is an issue of great concern.
a new government reflecting the inclusive support for the agreement must be in place as soon as possible.
we strongly encourage an independent inquiry in gabon to conduct a quick fact finding mission.
eu relations with gabon have been reassessed and the gabonese government was invited to an intensified political dialogue with the european union.
individuals responsible for violence and those trying to obstruct a solution to the crisis in the drc will be targeted.
it is imperative that the transition period towards elections be as short as possible.
and is failing to provide essential services to its population.
let me thank in particular the chief observer the honourable member mariya gabriel for her dedication and courage.
mr president honourable members the democratic republic of congo and gabon are two countries in the central african region that are experiencing serious political challenges related to the electoral process.
we expect the government to recognise its best interest to engage in this constructive diplomatic exercise in order to avoid further consequences.
i believe it will be an important reassurance to the people of both gabon and the democratic republic of congo that this house is following developments with such attention and cares sincerely about their destiny.
if this is not the case we will draw the consequences. as regards the democratic republic of congo the european union will remain vigilant and ready to use all instruments available to ensure that a transition period will end with democratic and transparent
elections. finally with the current volatile situation in both countries let me remind you of the statements issued by the european union stressing that all parties must refrain from violence from incitement or provocation or from the use of excessive force.
but let us remember that the commission does not have competence in this area.
we have to change;
every year we hope to have an innovation convention' at which we bring the stakeholders together to sit down and look at progress over the previous year.
we have a commitment not just from the commission and from the member states and the parliament but also from the european council. we have very strong monitoring in place which will be done diligently.
we also have the annual growth survey and will now have the national reform programmes where member states will set down very clearly what their targets are going to be and how they hope they hope to attain those targets.
on the modernisation of universities this is a big issue that i think faces all the member states of the eu.
that is not possible or cost effective and it involves a great deal of fragmentation and duplication which is exactly what we are trying to avoid.
it is not good enough to have one or two universities in a number of member states that are up there near the top of the tree.
i think that is a step forward that was needed.
i think the first thing is that innovation and research is at the heart of european policy now.
we have thirty four innovation union' commitments for which different colleagues of mine have responsibility where we monitor on a regular basis what the improvement is what the changes are what the development is and what has been delivered or if it has not been delivered why not.
so what we can do and what commissioner vassiliou is doing assiduously is explain to the member states that we cannot continue the policies of the past.
it is about making sure that we can offer a prospect of a better future for jobs and prosperity to these countries.
first the outflow of migrant workers into tunisia egypt algeria and niger there the commission and the member states have been very effective.
we have mobilised both air and sea deployment of member states assets so we can take people home and a humanitarian injection into the international organisation for migration and the un
second in the eastern part of libya to which we have access we have provided support for medical treatment as well as for the prepositioning of food supplies.
there we also are helping sub saharan africans in particular chadians who found themselves in a very difficult position because of the risk to their safety being perceived to be mercenaries being perceived to be fighters when of course many of them are not.
on the second part of your question access to markets this is at the heart of the southern mediterranean initiative which i outlined.
the time extension was granted provided that the competent authorities adjust the air quality plan to include short term measures that are effective for controlling and where necessary suspending activities that contribute to the risk of the limit values being exceeded. as far as
most zones were granted an extension of the compliance date until eleven june this year because they had prepared an air quality plan with a clear timetable and measures showing how compliance will be met by the exceedance deadline.
apart from promoting good practices at the implementation committee meetings amongst other fora the commission focuses its efforts on checking if compliance with the limit values set in the directive has truly been met.
exceedances prior to two thousand and ten possibly extended to the end of two thousand and fourteen do not constitute a breach of european legislation at the current time but trigger the requirement to prepare an air quality plan. member states have until the end of september two thousand and eleven
ongoing negotiations between the authorities in tripoli and the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs have not yet resulted in an agreement on humanitarian access to western libya.
the commission is ready to mobilise additional financial assistance from funds such as the external borders fund and the european refugee fund which amount to eur twenty five million in total. a large number of member states are prepared to provide very welcome specialised personnel and technical assets.
compared to the status quo current military operations have not affected the level of humanitarian access because it was restricted from the beginning of the crisis by forces loyal to gaddafi.
it covers the provision of assistance to people fleeing libya on the borders with tunisia egypt and algeria support for the repatriation of third country nationals to their countries of origin the provision of assistance and humanitarian protection to people with refugee status who cannot go back to their countries they have no countries to go to and to libyans fleeing libya the financing and prepositioning of emergency stocks to provide relief aid inside libya
if required frontex operations could be strengthened to help deal with possible new inflows.
it presents a strategy for europe to support the momentous changes in the southern neighbourhood. the commission has also mobilised its instruments to support if needed italy and other member states if a massive influx of migrants from north africa
this response includes operational measures and financial assistance.
so what actions can be taken on that?
invasive species and the european union's contribution to global biodiversity.
as regards the implementation and enforcement of the eu's environmental legislation more generally the commission intends to come out with a new communication on this issue later this year. the aim is not to replace existing relevant communications but rather to improve upon them
it should be recognised that the eu's legal framework on environmental inspection has already been improved during the last years notably with the adoption of a recommendation providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the member states as well as the inclusion of various provisions in sectoral environmental legislation. the communication is still under preparation and the precise content has not yet been agreed
the strategy will benefit substantially from implementation of the eu's existing legislation including effective and adequately financed management of the natura two thousand network. it will also be essential to consider how reforms to the common agricultural policy and common fisheries policy and the future cohesion policy can help deliver the necessary support for this strategy.
by focusing on the overall general structure and knowledge base that underpins the implementation of this environmental acquis. in the context of this initiative we will recall in detail all possible options for strengthening monitoring and control capabilities at eu level and the national inspection systems.
i can therefore assure you that the strategy will contain actions geared to reaching this objective. this will include actions aimed at stepping up implementation of the birds and habitats directives and ensuring significant steps are taken towards achieving a favourable conservation status for species and habitats of european importance.
because the draft strategy is still under internal consultation within the commission i am not able to provide many details on its contents.
we designed an e learning platform specifically targeted at smes.
another is that sme owners whose salaries were not formally registered in their accounts can now be reimbursed through flat rate payments. and a new steering group of senior officials taken from right across the commission services is involved in removing inconsistencies.
this is very important for the application of the rules that are there already.