kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
let me only mention the high priority in preserving citizens' rights after the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union or the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.
all commission replies are widely consulted among services and suitably ranked officials with expert knowledge of the issues discussed are there to assist in the committee's meetings with the aim of providing the most meaningful and up to date information in a timely manner as your report also recognises.
i will however mr president end my remarks by once again thanking mr marias for his is very helpful report.
i note the report's insistence on providing ever better answers and to be sure there is always room for improvement and the commission will recommit itself to improving wherever we can in our effort to provide meaningful answers in a timely manner.
this is a concrete example of how we can collaborate to restore citizens' confidence and trust in the european project.
let me turn specifically to one of the issues raised prominently in the report by mr marias namely the implementation of eu legislation. the commission attaches particular importance to acting firmly and quickly when infringement proceedings are launched especially when they obstruct key eu policy objectives.
petitions are an effective channel for direct contact and an open dialogue on problems affecting citizens in their daily life especially in this day and age where democracy requires new ways and means to connect the eu's institutions to the citizens they serve. this is also another very important tool to understand the pulse of europe.
we in the sd group welcome the new method of working as it is based on full consensus across the political groups and a common understanding which adds to the democratic way we work inside our committee.
meps across the european parliament should take our work more seriously.
why not better use the tools we already have to do that?
this report highlights ways to make the petitions committee more accessible in the future to allow more people to directly present their cases through the use of technology such as videoconferencing.
citizens are already feeling the cold effect of brexit and this parliament must listen attentively to their concerns and defend them actively.
of the petitions we received many were related to brexit both uk citizens living in the rest of the eu and citizens from the rest of the eu living in the uk as well as raising concerns about the future of their rights as well as uk citizens angry about losing their eu citizenship.
the number of petitions received shows that citizens care about their right to petition. we have to do better in outreach and we need the resources to be able to meet their expectations.
report highlights the important work that the peti committee has done in being a voice for citizens' concerns. thanks to the secretariat and to all of the petitions team in the european parliament for their hard work in ensuring that that voice can be heard.
this is the place where personal stories of eu action inaction and legislation are heard as people talk about the eu needing to re engage with the public;
i would remind the epp that previous administrative rules were never endorsed by the committee despite their attempts to include reference to them in amendments today.
two thousand and sixteen was also the year when the new committee guidelines came into play.
i hope you will agree with me that the range of issues addressed during this morning's debate provides proof not only of the importance of the right to petition in our union but also of the importance of our collective efforts to respond to the concerns that citizens bring to our attention.
greater efforts are needed to increase awareness of and to promote the right to petition and the work of the petitions committee.
i agree that there should be more communication through the press and social media in order to enhance awareness of the services offered by this committee.
so in our work it is essential to make sure that our citizens know as much as possible.
expressed their commitment to the implementation of accompanying measures for an integrated eu approach to responsible sourcing with the purpose not only of ensuring a high level of participation by companies in the union but also of guaranteeing that a global coherent and comprehensive approach is put in place in order to promote responsible sourcing from conflict affected and high risk areas.
following the launch of the first development cooperation instrument funded accompanying measure in late two thousand and seventeen it is important to assess whether other accompanying measures responding to the objectives encompassed in the joint communication will be designed and whether these additional measures would cover very relevant aspects such as the implementation of fair taxation for minerals.
madam president ultimately the goal of the developing world is long term economic growth that is sustainable and which will lead to the reduction of poverty.
we continue to call for fair trade with africa and not aid. if we allow africa to develop supply chains by cutting back tariffs and trade barriers on finished and manufactured products rather than distorting supply chains by forcing africa to export raw materials
you would see professionals filling up the entire supply chain from engineering to marketing which would improve the whole economy and force the people in power to manage their resources more effectively making corruption much harder.
where corruption and uncertainty are rife few entrepreneurs will risk their money in business ventures where corrupt officials help themselves to the proceeds so a lack of investment leads to stagnation and a fall in investment kills off any growth.
because there is no trade parity with sub saharan africa the true value of the natural resources is not met and it is all too easy for the black market economy and criminal manipulation of the nation's resources to happen.
there would not be a market to be exploited in conflict minerals.
announced that together they would prepare a sustainability certificate that would cover the whole supply chain mining production use and recycling of minerals.
electric cars and other new consumer products are increasing the demand for rare minerals every year and not just in europe but worldwide so this is a golden opportunity for the eu to set standards for sustainable risk free supply chains and due diligence requirements.
this is an excellent initiative because the supply and sustainability chain should not end with the consumer but should also take into account the reuse and recycling of minerals.
we are focusing financing through a call for proposals on local activities for artisanal and small scale miners to enhance their socioeconomic capacities increase their productivity make them in due time eligible to access credits take care of the gender issue and help them address the worst cases of child labour affecting the mining areas.
on the transparency of schemes the methodology adopted by or developed by the oecd is to recognise industry schemes to make sure that they fully respect the five steps of oecd due diligence guidance including reporting.
on the apple intel participation in the european partnership it is key here to have a partnership between business ngos and governments.
the non financial reporting directive provides that the companies covered by the directive shall include in their management report the principal risks related to those matters linked to the undertaking's operations including business relationship products or services which are likely to cause adverse impact in these areas and to show how the undertaking manages those risks.
this could contribute but of course it will not solve the problems fully.
we are now focusing more on the incentives than on the legislation.
we are working closely with our member states and experts.
there is clearly a huge interest in these questions and i fully understand that because it is also important to us. this is very important legislation on a serious problem of grave violation of human rights in certain areas.
the translations of the oecd guidelines will be done later this spring.
we appreciate this and want to support it. on the non financial reporting directive we have made a very clear commitment in this regard as part of the political agreement on the regulation and we are fully committed to honouring it.
there are lots of initiatives happening in the member states today we can come back to a fuller list of that at a later stage.
on the industry scheme alignment this is done by a delegated act based on the oecd methodology and yes there will be shadow audits but companies do remain individually responsible.
they will adequately complement the regulation with technical assistance and good mining practices for small and artisanal miners.
this alignment methodology is developed and monitored in conjunction with civil society organisations including for instance the organisation global witness which is very helpful in this regard.
later this year we will also make available an online transparency platform where downstream companies can showcase their work on due diligence and exchange best practices.
thank you again for the opportunity to discuss this with you.
last year the commission published non binding guidelines on how to implement the directive on non financial reporting explaining that companies are expected to disclose relevant information in particular on conflict mineral supply chain due diligence.
in addition to the initiatives explicitly mentioned in the regulation we are also advancing the accompanying measures and we are fully committed to honour the promises of a more political nature that we made during the negotiations on this regulation.
fourthly and finally i would like to stress the important work we have to encourage third country producers and consumers of minerals and metals to adopt and implement policies for the responsible sourcing of minerals based on the oecd guidelines.
we have support to the project promoting responsible supply chains in the area of conflict minerals which was approved in december.
in the subsequent step building on these initiatives the commission will adopt and implement the act establishing a list of global responsible smelters and refiners and find a first indicative non exhaustive list of conflict affected and high risk areas from external expertise already next year which is well in advance
two thousand and fourteen two thousand and nineteen we have supported the international conference on the great lakes region for regional initiatives against the illegal exploitation of natural resources.
on this basis by the end of next year the commission will deliver an online tool designed to help smes in their due diligence efforts.
secondly there are proposals to include references to responsible sourcing of minerals based on the oecd guidelines in our free trade agreements for instance with mexico.
in addition the aforementioned efforts to support smes will also be available to downstream companies.
secondly the measures to foster uptake of responsible sourcing policies among downstream companies.
it is complex and difficult so we need to have an integrated approach.
i appreciate this possibility to update you on what we are doing to prepare for the full implementation of this.
there are a series of actions explicitly set out in the regulation and we are busy finalising them.
we are also preparing guidance for the member states' competent authorities in their upcoming enforcement activities in particular the so called ex post checks on importers and a delegated regulation on the methodology that the commission will use to recognise and validate industry due diligence schemes which would be instrumental in ensuring that the regulation is operational.
thirdly the measures taken to provide the necessary funding for projects on the ground i would like to highlight a few.
companies producing goods including tin tantalum tungsten and gold but which do not themselves import the metals and minerals to the eu do not have legal obligations under the regulation. nevertheless it is important that also these so called downstream companies consider responsible sourcing as far as possible.
this will be available to smes in the eu that want to develop and implement due diligence of mineral supply chains irrespective of whether they have the obligation or not under the regulation.
two thousand and seventeen it will foster cooperation between producer and consumer countries on responsible sourcing of minerals through the european partnership on responsible minerals.
these initiatives are well advanced and they should be adopted already in the first half of this year.
our efforts here are based on three pillars firstly we have senior level technical dialogues that have been carried out over the last two years with major economies in countries of special relevance.
in january this year the commission finalised our study on the support system for sme supply chain due diligence.
in this regard our outreach together with the oecd secretariat has delivered tangible results in china where they have adopted guidelines on the responsible sourcing of minerals and also in india where there have been various initiatives launched on the responsible sourcing of gold in particular.
of the deadline.
so we are working closely with industry and civil society.
in this regard i would like to emphasise four work streams that we know are important for you.
we are considering projects in a number of african countries.
thirdly substantial support including funding for the oecd's work on the responsible sourcing including promotion and awareness raising across the globe in producing and consuming countries alike.
these important financial efforts are in line with the commitment i made to you together with my colleague commissioner mimica and of course vice president mogherini in a letter that we sent to you in march.
many strands of work an integrated approach that can deliver but also inspire similar initiatives in other important markets.
these include notably companies that are active in the downstream.
he made a direct link between the illegal exploitation of that wealth and the appalling abuse of human rights and violence against women the rapes and worse of women and girls who he treats in his hospital in panzi.
it's about combating violence against women and girls and it's about improving governance in some of the world's most fragile and poorest countries.
most of all we need to do it because we owe it to the people to the women and the children whom denis mukwege spoke about and whom he treats in his hospital.
only one gold exporting company was reporting and the standard of reporting was extremely weak.
they surveyed a number of mineral exporting companies showing that whereas none reported on due diligence in two thousand and thirteen almost fifty were reporting by last year and as the legislation takes hold we expect that number to increase. but the report also showed gaps.
two thousand and twenty one we need projects with companies yes but also with governments.
we need to deliver on the promise made in addis ababa on financing for development and on ensuring more domestic resource mobilisation.
we need projects with civil society with women's organisations.
we need to be asking these countries when we have our political dialogue what they are doing about the due diligence on conflict minerals and we need to be asking our member states as well what they are doing to ensure that this legislation is implemented and that the oecd due diligence guidelines are actually effective across the european union.
that's where our accompanying measures come in. we need to work with these companies to improve reporting and standardise the content.
we need to deliver on sustainable development goals not least of which is sdg sixteen on good governance and this would help tackle corruption and stop fuelling armed conflicts.
two thousand and fourteen dr mukwege spoke passionately about his country the democratic republic of congo and about its enormous mineral wealth.
the recent brave attempts on eight march by the british special boat service to free the kidnapped italian engineer franco lamolinara and british christopher mcmanus ended in the tragic death of both individuals and i extend on behalf of my group my deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased.
the added element of a secessionist insurgency from the movement for the emancipation of the niger delta makes the security situation particularly precarious in this country.
president goodluck jonathan struggles to bring order and security to his country and is committed to fighting corruption and ending massive economic subsidies such as to fuel in order to restore free market economics to nigeria's large economy.
by rights nigeria as the most populated and oil rich country in sub saharan africa should be vying for a permanent seat with south africa on the un security council but instead there are now concerns about a civil war between the muslim majority north and christian majority south to which are added ethnic cultural and economic tensions in nigeria.
we in the eu should give every support to his government.
boko haram and all those responsible should be held accountable for the murder of these two eu citizens.
the introduction of sharia law in twelve states in contradiction of the secular federal constitution also causes widespread fear amongst christians in the north and there are increasing concerns about the long term sustainability of nigeria as a unitary state.
the central government struggles against these factors and in fighting the still very widespread corruption in public life.
i would like to add that the eu has been very active on the issue of freedom of religion or belief especially during the last two years as many countries not only nigeria have experienced a surge of acts of religious hatred and violence.
our heartfelt condolences go to their families for the irreplaceable loss they have faced. may they find strength in this difficult time.
nigeria's catholic bishops have highlighted that the boko haram crisis has also brought the best out of many nigerians such as muslims and christians protecting each other.
they are diversifying to reduce their dependence on oil and gas investing in infrastructure and agriculture and focusing on job creation for their young and growing population of one hundred and sixty million people.
one is the agreement on establishing a local dialogue on peace security and stability and others openings are nigeria's interest in climate change and
better governance maintaining ethnic harmony and fighting corruption and crime are some of the big tasks it faces.
they should all be condemned. unfortunately the number of attacks and human losses are increasing every day in an unacceptable spiral of violence.
eu delegations have been requested to follow closely the situation of their host countries and report on issues and actions taken.
in short i found a strong and open african partner which in many ways shares our views and our values.
the security situation in the niger delta although improving remains fragile.
however boko haram is trying to exploit the ethno religious differences which will always exist in a country as big and diverse as nigeria.
we have a well established regular local human rights dialogue with nigeria during which all important issues including freedom of religion or belief are raised.
high representative ashton has repeatedly expressed her solidarity and sympathy with the victims the injured and their families.
the eu stands alongside the nigerian authorities in their fight against terrorism to protect all citizens in particular the most vulnerable and to preserve the right to life and the rule of law.
the government is also making progress in developing and implementing a comprehensive counter terrorism strategy and several prominent boko haram members have been arrested.
important leaders of islam in nigeria have rejected boko haram as misguided and murderous fanatics.
it plays a major role on the african continent it was a member of the security council last year and is a member of the human rights commission this year.
i would not be surprised at a nigerian spring one day.
an important prevention for being recruited by extremist networks is such independence economically.
many of the youngsters know more about the world than their parents did through media and new media including the fact that not everyone is poor and that it is not necessary to be poor in such a rich country.
the eu stands ready to help to ensure more equal benefit from wealth and more equal distribution and good governance and to prevent and end the terrorism in a sustainable way.
anything that could ensure their vote would count and be counted transparently.
violent extremism kills indiscriminately and combined with poverty corruption and related problems it does not take much imagination to picture how the extremists would achieve their goal to destabilise the country to pit people of different religions against each other and to recruit those
half of the population seventy five million people are under eighteen years of age.
the hope and anticipation among nigerians was remarkable.
on the night before the first round an explosion close to abuja killed twenty five people preparing for the elections most of them youngsters serving their year in the national youth service corps sons and daughters of nigeria.
the young generation filmed the vote count of the elections on their cell phones and they will hold the authorities accountable.
we must invest in this young generation and do what we can to give them education and opportunities.
i would urge the high representative to put in place now arrangements to ensure that they know that they will be called to account.
i believe this is something that the high commission should be raising not just with the nigerian government but also with the producers and the developers of these oil products.
in the past six months they have widened their targets beyond the police and other authority figures to include christian worshippers.
in any society this is totally unacceptable.
this group has been waging an insurgency against nigeria's government since two thousand and nine and has been blamed for hundreds of killings and gun and bomb attacks.
mr president the actions of the boko haram group are outrageous and fanatical acts of hatred for which there must be a commitment to judicial accountability.
but i also want to raise the fact that nigeria is the world's eighth largest oil producer and yet the majority of its one hundred and forty five million inhabitants live below the poverty line.
this undoubtedly contributed to one war the biafran secession in.
we would not dream of filling up the states of europe with incompatible peoples.
it cannot of course be because of the nature of islam or of course anything to do with ethnicity. these must be no go areas' of course.
a nigerian i once knew well blamed it on the colonialists who drew straight lines on the map and included incompatible peoples arbitrarily in the same political state.
the government must address the long term causes of these religious tensions such as under development poverty unemployment corruption access to drinking water etc.
regional development and the strong rule of law will be able to prevent the radical groups from operating.
the two attacks in december and january left nigeria with over two hundred dead and increasing tensions between the christian south and muslim north. such tensions inside a country prevent the implementation of much needed structural reforms.
solutions are not simple and we have to realise that ethnic and religious conflicts are deeply rooted in nigeria's history.
it is a major country as we have heard which is extremely important in the region and potentially internationally. i very much regret that the only way we seem to be able to discuss events in nigeria is via yet another resolution which has taken religion as its focus.
i want to respond to some of what has been said today.
muslims have died too.