kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we sadly did not receive the support of the other political groups over this idea.
we have been asking for such a regulation for the last five years and now the question arises whether this proposal is still in time.
from the point of view of the taxpayer the scheme closely resembles pre accession funding another wasteful giveaway of our money.
the term macro financial assistance' is simply eu jargon intended to conceal what is really going on yet more british taxpayers' money paid out by the eu to the wrong people and then wasted.
however deleting the expiry date and any reference to a specific financial framework would be contrary to all common budgetary practice.
and on memoranda of understanding would be classic cases of implementing the legislative act not supplementing it.
the commission would like to emphasise that economic governance is already an integral part of mfa.
this would turn a genuinely macroeconomic instrument into an essentially political instrument;
these conditions should be implemented in a uniform way for all operations. therefore in accordance with article two hundred and ninety one of the treaty the implementing powers for decisions concerning individual programmes and for the memoranda of understanding should be conferred on the commission. the report also proposes using the delegated act procedure for updating the list of eligible countries. for these exceptional cases the use of the delegated act procedure could indeed be further explored.
we welcome this report therefore as a good basis for further discussions.
the fact that mfa is a complementary instrument by nature is also reflected in the size of the instrument.
the imf programme offers a framework for the adjustment process and by definition the imf is the key institution for balance of payments support. it cannot be replaced by another european or multilateral financial institution as no other institution provides this type of support.
giving up the connection to the exercise of an imf programme would therefore not be advisable.
the imf is the main provider of macroeconomic assistance to countries undergoing serious balance of payments difficulties.
issues such as corruption and transparency are regularly referred to in mfa conditionality.
concerning political pre conditions the commission supports the proposal to strengthen the assessment and monitoring of political pre conditionality.
this would be in our view contrary to the nature and the objectives of mfa.
however the commission would strongly argue against the definition of specific political measures in the area of human rights or democratic institutions as conditions for the disbursement of mfa tranches.
the framework regulation should establish which countries are eligible and the conditions for providing mfa.
however we believe that the treaty is clear on this issue the delegated act procedure is applicable only to non legislative acts of general application to supplement or amend non essential elements of the legislative act. from the commission's perspective decisions on individual programmes
the consent of parliament is now necessary for all applications of the mfa and we understand the willingness of the commission to simplify the procedures.
we should follow.
but that has changed the dynamic on the sultry island of cuba.
investment and the rule of law private property and all the things that bring civil freedoms in their wake.
cuba is in an unfrozen moment and any disruption tends to be bad for a dictatorship.
the thing that will eventually bring about the democratisation of that island and freedom is now economic engagement from the rest of the world.
i was for a long time in this chamber sceptical of political engagement in the way that we were doing it in this house refusing in particular to give full weight to the opposition groups. now on the other hand we are in a position of disruptive change.
the united states has changed its policy in a welcome way.
without a proper industrial policy we cannot say that our european economy is sustainable.
the result for the organism would be devastating.
but culture is also a tool that builds bridges between people and reinforces mutual understanding.
in light of this i call on the commission to strengthen the impact of the cultural dimension in international relations by including the cultural dimension systematically in negotiations and in association agreements.
in addition the commission and external action service have to include international cultural relations in international cooperation instruments and programmes in a horizontal way in order to ensure a coherency and to turn them into efficient tools.
video conferencing is an attractive idea we live in a modern technological age but frankly there is no substitute for being face to face particularly where you need to maintain trust and confidentiality in security matters.
they gave twelve recommendations of which eight have been accepted and incorporated in the text and that included by the way establishing the office in athens.
from the study can i just say that they gave us six headings of food for thought and that two of those headings said eu institutions are at risk.
let me emphasise that it was recognition of how serious an issue network and information security is that led us to hold a hearing and to commission the new study.
a couple were not accepted and some were left possibly included.
we are making sure that it is equipped to deliver on its goals in the most efficient manner and that by the way was also a question put to me in earlier debates.
there are two houses.
this report is proof that business as usual can be challenged by the european parliament.
this challenge should become standard if we want more efficient more result oriented and strengthened european institutions.
the new liaison office based on athens is a compromise which we hope will contribute to attracting more high profile professionals to work for the agency.
we are not going to see expansion of the entire potential of the digital economy if there is no confidence in a resilient network and information system.
and can i tell my colleagues in parliament that if they were to look at the text of the regulation as it stands now they would see the evidence of our work as an amending parliament as we have substantially rewritten the text and i like to think seriously improved it so that the agency is now better placed to face
we have introduced a level of management in the form of an executive board which we believe will improve the management and running of the agency.
we have redefined the management board's responsibilities and increased the accountability of the agency.
the chairman of the management board and the executive director are able to come to the relevant committee of the european parliament and give an account of themselves or indeed make themselves accountable.
office of the agency on the mainland of greece.
a most wonderful place to work but perhaps a little inconvenient in terms of communication and transport links to the rest of europe.
and i am counting my blessings.
it fully respects european case law and addresses adequately the issues of potential misuse and adequate standards of protection.
we welcome in particular the criteria for qualification notably the notions of actors of protection' and internal protection'.
this is clear from the positive experience of the member states which already operate in this way.
the definition extends to parents or other adults responsible for unmarried minors who are beneficiaries of protection.
nevertheless the deal on residence permits is a step forward because it will be possible to renew it for longer periods if protection is still needed than under the present rules.
it will ensure a higher level of legal certainty for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and will facilitate their integration into society.
the approximation of rights granted to beneficiaries of protection contributes to the streamlining of administrative procedures and will lead to a reduction in costs and the administrative burden of managing different protection strategies.
as regards social welfare and residence permits i regret that the compromise retains the possibility of differentiating between refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. we share that regret.
a final agreement on the qualification directive would be a very positive sign symbolically politically and legally.
we also welcome the strengthening of the obligation to take into account the best interests of the child as well as the progress achieved on the approximation of the rights granted to refugees and to beneficiaries of subsidiary protection in respect of access to employment and to healthcare.
two thousand and twelve i know that this is also the goal of the polish presidency and the incoming troika.
it is a positive sign that we are committed to achieving the common european asylum system by;
the compromise also addresses the common objective of ensuring the strengthening of gender related provisions.
the compromise on the table is balanced and i think it meets many of our concerns.
this is important and that is why the vote tomorrow and the report that we are discussing today is so important. it is an important milestone towards this goal so let us work together all the institutions all of you to achieve this and to move forward not only on this but also
that means that seventeen countries could do more if the administration and systems were there.
if a person can stay he or she can then quickly move into his new society and integrate.
this is of course not acceptable because we are all in the same european union with the same values and standards and laws and we have all signed up to international conventions such as the geneva convention.
it is not only us here who think that this is not an acceptable situation.
if he or she cannot stay then he or she will have to be sent back under dignified conditions.
they vary in terms of the procedures the administration the rights he or she has the length of the procedures whether he or she is considered to be entitled to protection or not and what he or she can do in the meantime while waiting for the authorities to make a decision.
we need a system with high standards with harmonised procedures we need these to be transparent and predictable and we need special provisions for the most vulnerable. we need quick procedures.
then we would more equally share the responsibility and we would also be able to give more protection to those who are really in need.
however a few member states have insisted on being able to maintain certain differences between the two groups.
people want to contribute to the country that is providing protection.
madam president i would like to start by thanking all the shadows on this report the staff members from the three institutions not least my own office the presidencies concerned and the commission for their interest effort and commitment over the time we have been negotiating the revision of this directive.
as concerns children the topic of the last debate recital eighteen lays down some principles though not an exhaustive list to help in determining the best interests of the child.
this year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the geneva convention on refugees.
we have also included a reference to legal tradition and customs in recital.
after all there is a possibility of using cessation provisions if a need for protection changes.
however we would invite the member states most concerned in relation to difference of treatment to reflect as to whether an annual consideration of status is a good use of public money and whether it reduces administrative burdens or provides a better context for integration than a period of at least three years.
to conclude this revised directive takes small but important steps towards a common european asylum policy but the system is only as common as the consistent high quality of its implementation across all participating member states. we hope that movement on this directive will help provide impetus for the remaining measures and show that progress is possible.
as well as setting out such criteria the directive deals with the content of such protection such as access to healthcare or education.
thirty we also include sexual orientation and for the first time gender identity. we should not expect people to deny their identity throughout their lifetime in the hope that this will make them safe from persecution.
at eu level it is this directive which sets out the standards for qualification for international protection for those classic refugees who have a well founded fear of persecution such as many of those who dared to oppose colonel gadaffi and thus qualified for refugee status;
however some progress has been made. the definition of a social group which could suffer persecution must now include due consideration of gender related aspects.
this principle is also linked to entitlement to benefits.
i also wish to put on record my own concern at the lack of change in article ten where the cumulative definition of a social group was maintained by the commission rather than being offered as an alternative.
this seems to be based on the misapprehension that those at risk of serious harm will need protection for a shorter period of time than those at risk of serious persecution.
with regard to the content of protection we have tried to ensure the same treatment for all beneficiaries of international protection and have achieved this in many areas notably in terms of recognition of qualifications and access to employment.
we know that the results can be very different from country to country and we are also aware that this one step forward is not going to solve all the problems although we know that it will give greater clarity in certain areas and hopefully provide a stronger base for member states to build on the good practice which exists in some and to share that with the others.
well we all have a few but then again maybe not too few to mention on this occasion.
certainly in terms of the correlation tables yes we would like to have seen those.
we would have liked to see member states being very clear about their implementation but on the other hand what i think we are more interested at this point is actually moving forward in terms of the content and the common asylum system.
the willingness of parliament to move forward is extremely clear because this is a team effort.
i thank people for their warm words but this is a team effort and involves compromise and solidarity amongst us in parliament to try and move things in council.
build confidence among the member states and the public and deliver sound humanitarian protection for those in need.
i think this is very important because it should mean that virtually all public websites will then be accessible to persons with disabilities and after all that is what this directive is about.
it is ambitious because it significantly extends the number and type of websites which should be accessible.
it is my understanding that no substantive discussions have taken place so far.
as the rapporteur said earlier this piece of legislation is long overdue.
they particularly emphasise monitoring and enforcement and that the competent authorities and bodies should involve organisations representing persons with disabilities.
these types of websites are listed in annex one a and include a much broader range of websites than were initially included in the commission proposal.
i was more than pleased to see that the rapporteur has taken virtually all of my amendments on board.
apart from anything else we have to honour our commitments under the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and accessible public websites is just one of those commitments.
not only will e accessibility benefit people with disabilities and the older generation but devices and services designed on the basis of accessibility requirements are easier and more comfortable to use for everyone.
this coupled with the fact that regular internet usage by the sixty seventy five year old age bracket is just twenty eight means that more must be done to make the internet accessible to everyone.
accessing online information and services offers great opportunities to improve public services facilitate civic participation support education and fight against social exclusion.
two thousand and ten eight years on despite political and legal commitments web accessibility is still far from being a reality in europe.
i welcome this report and i am only saddened as i have said that there is no one from the greek presidency here.
deaf blind and partially sighted citizens continue to be disproportionately affected by the accessibility of websites and according to the commission's own research less than forty of public sector websites are accessible for people with disabilities.
that is why i welcome this report which has redefined and broadened the scope.
we are aware that millions of us have come to rely on the internet the computer on our desk the mobile phone in our pocket and online services ranging from entertainment to education or energy.
we now also have a european accessibility standard to guide us.
i also appreciate the many positive ideas you have put on the table.
this proposal is a first crucial step to ensure that web accessibility will be possible for all.
i will continue this fight no doubt about that.
i am of course very much involved in your fight too.
we should not wait around to make it a reality.
tomorrow's vote is a very encouraging first step.
thank you again for your determination in driving the issue forward.
i very much hope that we will see the same commitment from member states in the council.
madam president clearly we all support the idea that people with disabilities should access information over the website.
i have been trying to find out during this debate whether the european parliament's website is accessible and i want to thank mr ksa for supplying me with the information that it is not.
i am not sure about the commission but perhaps the commission would enlighten us and i think the council equally is at fault.
let us also acknowledge that this house needs to put its house in order.
bangladesh must now ensure that the regulations required for the implementation of the two thousand and thirteen labour act are adopted as a matter of urgency.
we can be thankful now that labour and safety issues have been improved as a result of the eu bangladesh sustainability compact for instance thirty two factories have been permanently closed in bangladesh as a result of significant safety concerns.
the export processing zones law should also be amended to ensure that workers in the zones enjoy equal protection. bangladesh recently to its credit increased its minimum wage but the international compensation fund for rana plaza victims is still usd six million short and i hope that this money can be found soon.
thirdly and probably above all we need to change the culture in terms of the clothing industry if this is not to happen in the future.
they have to ensure that good health and safety exists in the factories;
the era of cheap labour for cheap clothes has to come to an end.
but the multinational companies again as my colleagues have said also have the responsibility to ensure due diligence from the start of the supply chain to the end of the supply chain.
as other colleagues have said we need to strengthen trade unions and there should be no exemptions in terms of export zones for trade union activity.
they have to ensure that workers are paid a decent compensation and consumers have to accept as others have said that this might in the end cost them more money.
this was not just a bangladeshi tragedy but an international one with twenty nine international brands sourcing garments from the factories housed in the faulty building.
payments must be made. sadly it took a man made disaster to finally begin long overdue efforts to ensure better working conditions in the sector.
the eu needs to use its influence for this change.
so many things have been done but as i said in my introduction we are far from happy.
around usd twenty four million has been pledged to that fund so compensation has been paid out to many people but not to all and this must of course continue.
indeed i think there is general agreement that there has been progress in bangladesh in important areas and the commission was very quick through my predecessor to liaise with the us with the ilo with individual countries and the bangladeshi government to try to put together this compact to see what we can do to prevent
we are also considering a high level follow up meeting in dhaka later this autumn to take stock on the spot of where progress has been made and what is still to be done and i will be happy to continue the dialogue with this house on this issue.
so i hope that we can soon be in a position to report further progress while knowing that this is not a situation that will change very quickly.
i know that many of you have been in bangladesh many of you are following this very closely.
some are not willing to put down the figures and with others we are pushing for them to contribute.
the communication that the commission is preparing for the autumn in which we will outline our priorities for trade for the coming five years will also play a role sustainable value change encouraging companies to exercise due diligence and to see what we have learned from the whole tragic bangladeshi experience to put that
we owe it to the victims of rana plaza and their families not only to commemorate the tragic events but also to make sure that we really bring about long term change.
the commission will continue to monitor this situation very closely.
in that report there is as many members asked a reference to minimum wages and we will continue to monitor this very closely in cooperation with partners in the compact but also together with the bangladeshi government working with them pushing them to do their part in this.
i am also counting on you.
future tragedies of course but also to build sustainable development when it comes to labour rights safe working conditions and a sustainable situation for the many women who work in this industry.
i would also like to emphasise the vital role businesses should play in enabling labour rights and safe working conditions in bangladesh. we have seen an unprecedented engagement by the private sector in all aspects of the accord and the alliance amounting to more than two hundred and fifty retailers from twenty countries and between them they have inspected around two five hundred factories since the launch of the compact. inspection findings and remedial actions are publicly available online together with the summaries of government led factory inspections.
we commend this engagement by the private sector. it must continue including through building further on the supply chain initiatives in line with internationally recognised guidelines and principles on corporate social responsibility.
but there are outstanding issues and let me highlight them. the first of these is the adoption as a matter of highest priority by the government of bangladesh of the implementing regulations of the labour law. that was decided more than two years ago and it is imperative for the overall improvement of the situation not least for the newly appointed inspectors in order for them to have clear rules to be able to work effectively.
these were the conclusions of the compact follow up meeting between all partners held in october two thousand and fourteen and of the technical status report that we published last friday.
it was a tragedy for everybody who lost their lives for the families and for those who were injured and it was a tragedy that could have been prevented. although the garment industry in bangladesh has been very successful over many years this disaster drew attention to the shaky foundations on which it has been built.
since the launch of the compact in july two thousand and thirteen health and safety conditions at the workplace have been improving in the bangladesh garment sector.