kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
outside of brussels people and companies find out about our trade policy initiatives too late to be able to influence the outcome.
we must find a way to inform them of our trade initiatives in time so they can fully participate and shape these policies.
we have to be certain that these associations really represent the interests of our domestic industries.
it is a way to leverage the single market on the global stage to strengthen the rules based and values based system and to make sure that trade rules help stronger standards considering people and planners.
in a world which is rapidly changing with the economic rise of countries like china or the gulf states that do not share our standards and levels of openness this is not a luxury but a necessity.
i am glad to see that the commission has ensured values are at the heart of the eu's trade strategy.
the interest in and the debate about trade have increased significantly over the past years.
it is not without reason that member state governments as well as parliamentarians decided to leverage the weight of our entire european economy on the global stage to have the best negotiating position.
i certainly hope that these governments as well as national parliaments will continue to play an active role because it is too easy to pretend it is brussels' dreaming up trade policy or brussels' not publishing documents while we constantly have to push for member states to make mandate texts available for example.
in addition there is a huge demand by people to have their voices heard.
it is key that the capacity to engage people actively is created.
we must do what we can but trade ministers at the national level as well as parliaments are perhaps the best positioned to address sector specific and regional elements of trade.
if there are negative impacts to be mitigated policies must be made nationally.
i believe that only when we play each of our roles and when we work together do we ensure transparency and engagement with a clear view of what is at stake not only in the eu but globally.
trade and foreign investments are indeed important tools in achieving economic growth sustainable development and protection of human rights which we expect from the commission and the council with regard to the implementation of the new trade strategy.
mr president with all due respect to our colleagues in the different political groups and with different opinions i cannot give the green light to the attitude which i feel is contrary to our eu trade strategies by politicising the trade agenda too much. i believe that human rights and trade are not contradictory but complementary. i believe that trade is a key development instrument that brings growth and wealth and therefore in the long term contributes to the development of human labour and social rights.
i believe that we should treat our counterparts as trading partners on an equal footing and that this kind of treatment will bring a solid basis for ongoing dialogue and cooperation.
i think that developing countries need social labour and environmental standards that correspond in the first place with their level of economic and social development and any effort to bring binding requirements to impose binding requirements which unfortunately is an attitude becoming more and more popular in this chamber
however a note of caution the idea that member states should no longer have to cofinance projects with any of their own money seems a high risk policy.
while it is all very well to say that some of the new member states are poorer than the old and so need special help the colossal amount of debt in the uk and the very low gdp per capita in my region of wales which was recently compared unhelpfully to the economic performance of rwanda hopefully mean it will not be forgotten.
removing a member state's vested interest in ensuring its own money is well spent should not be an invitation to their misuse.
mr chairman fundamentally this report seems to have some very good objectives helping the member states of the eu who have been hard hit by the economic and financial crisis via european funding.
we need to ensure that relaxing the cofinance criteria does not reduce accountability.
reducing the project thresholds and simplifying the process will all help as well as the pre financing of agreed projects to jump start economies quickly.
the paris agreement is a major achievement of the international community.
we have to take these grievances seriously.
we condemn the illegal annexation of the crimean peninsula by russia and we reaffirm our policy of its non recognition as well as that of sanctions against those involved.
monetary and structural to strengthen the recovery and foster inclusiveness and also to better share the benefits of growth and globalisation.
my third point is on migration.
the summit will address a number of issues relating to our neighbourhood.
progress on ratification has been extraordinary making it possible for the agreement to enter into force less than a year after the cop twenty one in paris.
naturally we tend to focus on our crisis in our part of the world but managing migration is not a european phenomenon nor solely a european responsibility.
all parties in particular syria and its supporters must allow humanitarian access to all people in need and all parties must ensure full compliance with the ceasefire.
two thousand and eighteen we ask all g seven members to engage equally in the consultation phase as well as in the negotiating phase next year.
indeed as recalled by the european council of ten march the eu remains strongly committed to a robust trade policy and an open and rules based multilateral trading system with a central role for the wto.
the g seven is a privileged forum to forge partnerships and launch collective initiatives for an equitable and fair sharing of responsibility.
on a more positive note one can mention iran.
the eu and its members are playing their full part in implementing the paris agreement both through the development of our domestic policies and in keeping to our commitment to global solidarity.
on climate change the global community needs to act urgently and move forward with the implementation of the paris agreement.
we are also committed to taking an active part in the follow up to the un summit on addressing large movements of refugees and migration held in september last year.
continued and full implementation of this plan of action is essential to build confidence that iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful in nature.
against this background i believe that the g seven should in particular confirm its determination to work together through strong multilateral institutions confirm the agreement to use all policy tools fiscal
i would like to thank you for the opportunity to intervene on the subject of the preparation of the g seven summit which will take place in italy next week. the g seven leaders as well as presidents tusk and juncker who will represent the european union will be faced with difficult discussions
seven i believe that the mission of european leaders is clear.
the international political environment is currently particularly charged and the truth is that global cooperation can no longer be taken for granted.
i refer in particular to the political transition in the united states which seems to present us with challenges even with respect to basic policy principles which were until recently well rooted in the g.
on various topics of global importance.
the aim is to secure the g seven 's commitment to keep the global economy open and keep multicultural multilateral cooperation on track. it is also crucial to give a clear signal that securing balanced and inclusive growth
even if the global economy is showing positive momentum political uncertainty surrounding the outlook is still very high.
the european union is committed to ambitious global action against climate change and we insist on maintaining global ownership of the paris agreement.
this is also something for the g seven to consider.
the eu intends to play a prominent role in the process leading to the establishment of the un global compact on migration and refugees in.
as for the situation in ukraine the eu continues to stand united in the conviction that the conflict can only be solved by diplomatic means.
the council is aware that climate will be one of the most challenging issues at the g seven table particularly in view of the positions expressed by the new us administration.
the eu will also continue to engage actively with international trade partners advancing on all ongoing negotiations for ambitious and balanced free trade agreements.
the areas on which we can work together with g seven partners include assistance to mostaffected countries of transit resettlement efforts the exchange of best practices on return and readmission as well as increased cooperation on the fight against smuggling and trafficking.
we support the joint comprehensive plan of action on the iran nuclear issues which is an important contribution to the international non proliferation regime.
but allow me to expand on a selection of issues of particular relevance to us.
dealing with the migration crisis has been at the core of the political debate in the european union including here in the european parliament.
on syria we should stress that no effort can be spared to bring the syrian conflict to an end.
it is proving and it needs to prove that the transition to climate resilience and low emissions economies is irreversible.
as you know in this house there are strong concerns over the negative effects of trade economic integration and technological change.
it is a global responsibility requiring collective solutions that are in full respect of our obligations under international law.
in libya it is urgent to advance on the part of inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation in the framework of the libyan political agreement.
however the solution is certainly not to close our economies.
instead we need to improve the daily lives of citizens by ensuring that the benefits of globalisation are more widely shared.
it is necessary to ensure full respect for international law and especially the legal obligation to respect ukraine's sovereignty territorial integrity and independence.
in the relationship between the european union european union big countries japan canada and the united states.
next time it could be a banking system a wider healthcare malfunctioning or something else.
it is time to make cybersecurity a priority for all because a weak link in one country is a threat to everyone.
that shows how crucial this g seven will be on what is going to happen with the implementation of the paris agreement.
so we cannot give in in any way to what the americans are asking. we cannot slow down;
but this will also set the agenda for the g twenty later on in the year.
in two thousand and nine back then it was a g it was the first time when the global players were setting the agenda for the two c target which ended up in the copenhagen agreement. then in two thousand and fifteen the phase out of fossil fuels was adopted by the g seven that was setting the agenda for the paris agreement later on in the year.
what the g seven is going to say will either make sure that paris will be implemented as agreed or it will put the wind in the sails of conservative countries like saudi arabia and russia. so the conclusion of the question is very simple and i would like to have an answer on that.
we know that the united states is trying to push back and trying to get the significance of fossil fuels back on the agenda whereas we all know that paris requires a phase out of fossil fuels.
but i think that as a businessman he is person who is subject to change and i think the g seven is a great opportunity to convince him that what he has said in the past is not actually true.
following on from what my friend mr eickhout said i think climate change is going to be a hugely important issue here at the g seven summit and especially the role of the largerthanlife character president donald trump. the paris agreement is a global agreement and if the united states
the upcoming g seven summit will be a prime opportunity to put words into practice to show european leadership and to stand firm on our values and principles insisting that a rulebased international order remains one of the key priorities for us.
i believe that the eu should use the g seven summit to recommit to the biggest economies on the plan to achieving the sustainable development goals all of them comprehensively.
indeed the very reason why this is a g seven and not a g eight summit is that one key nation continues to disregard international rules and agreements with the central theme of the g seven summit being how to rebuild trust.
they worry about high levels of inequality job losses and factory closures.
this free trade agreement would send a powerful signal to the rest of the world that two of the largest economies are resisting protectionism and that openness to trade and investment remains one of the best tools to harness and shape globalisation and create more economic growth and jobs.
that is the message the european union must bring to taormina and to our partners from across the world.
when others step back from free trade the european union must step forward. partners such as japan mexico mercosur and india are willing to do likewise.
the wider need to work together on issues which affect the whole world has become more acute even since the g seven last met in japan in. two thousand and sixteen whether it be fighting climate change tax evasion or international terrorism whether it be promoting trade links
for us working together with our biggest partners around the world in a rules based system is a necessity.
sustainable development or global economic growth the questions of today are global in their very nature.
that was the thinking behind the ideas presented in our reflection paper on harnessing globalisation.
these are compelling reasons why we aim to reach an agreement as soon as possible and in any case before the end of the year. together we must make sure that the rules of the game best serve and protect our citizens and our societies.
they see identities traditions and ways of living changing in front of their eyes.
we need to preserve the spirit of cooperation in the g seven and also to continue to provide multilateral answers to the challenges we face.
this also means maintaining and building on the achievements of the past and not giving in to protectionism and isolation.
it is the way to harness and shape globalisation.
mentioned that implementation of cop twenty one should be one of the priorities and we fully agree.
without rules based trade we cannot include important values like environmental or social values in trade.
in that context the commitment to a eur one hundred and twenty billion investment package additional resources for the european investment bank and agreement on project bonds are most welcome as is the language and the emphasis on growth and public investment.
certainly the need to increase progress on combating poverty within the european union is an extremely important issue.
we look forward to rapid progress on that including the question of minimum income so that people can live in dignity.
i think that all of us in this house must be very concerned about the persecution and indeed some would say the genocide of christians throughout the middle east.
indeed i have been pleased to actually meet and talk with some of those christians and hear their stories of persecution of death and destruction and i think it is incumbent upon this house and these institutions to make sure that these terrible atrocities are raised on a continuous basis and that we deal with them in our discussions with these countries.
we have only to look at the sights in syria in iraq and see the devastation of christian communities.
and development assistance political dialogue and in specific support to freedom of religion or belief to everyone everywhere.
mr president this has been a very useful exchange and i would like to thank all the honourable members who took part in this debate for their interventions.
i visited wittenberg the place of the reformation in germany and it was a delight to see the memorials there to martin luther and five hundred years of the reformation which has done so much to transform our society and which did so much to transform germany.
all persons should be able to practise their religion and worship freely individually or in community with others and to live free from fear.
the millennial diversity of many societies is put at risk by the rise of the sectarian hatred. no continent has been spared from this kind of violence from south asia to sub saharan africa.
christians are discriminated against harassed and persecuted in large parts of the middle east and the number of christians is drastically decreasing.
for this reason our approach has focused on security as well as on culture and education but also on diplomacy governance and national reconciliation.
the european instrument for democracy and human rights now finances around forty projects related to freedom of religion and belief accounting for more than eur fifteen million.
our work against violence on christians that may not be as evident but which is just as important.
he has placed special emphasis on the implementation of the un rabat plan of action that includes positive elements to address hate speech and to counter violence perpetrated in the name of religion.
very often it is more about power than about religion itself.
as we see in syria and iraq not only christians but also yazidis shia muslims and other religious communities are suffering from discrimination harassment and persecution. therefore a long term strategic approach to protect christian and other religious groups
mr jn fige the special envoy for the promotion of the freedom of religion or belief outside the eu has also worked on the implementation of the eu guidelines on freedom of religion and belief particularly on his visits to iraq the united arab emirates jordan and sudan.
a peaceful and diverse future for syria also depends on their education.
such violence may be committed by state or non state actors for a number of different reasons.
seventh education is the best tool for building open societies and for avoiding radicalisation.
the council's working party on human rights created a taskforce on freedom of religion.
a number of concrete initiatives on diversity and tolerance have grown out of this network.
think of the syrian children who can only remember a country at
third the eeas also actively encourages cooperation among member states on this issue.
war. it is essential to teach them about their country's incredible diversity and about centuries of peaceful coexistence.
must focus on addressing those ideologies and changing those state structures that encourage discrimination and violence.
next year we will devote eight of the eu's humanitarian budget to education in emergencies. in the syria crisis the eu's contribution to education is over eur one billion through the various financing instruments we have put in place since the beginning of the conflict. let me conclude on another part of
ideology is certainly one of them but it is not the only one. in many cases the persecution of christians and other minorities has political ethnic or economic reasons.
in this day and age education in emergencies and protracted crises has become particularly urgent.
it belongs to those lands and this is something we cannot possibly forget. if the middle east loses its incredible diversity it would also lose its vitality and its greatest richness. at the same time persecution rarely targets just one minority.
in many parts of the world a sustainable future for christians and other religious groups depends on the work we are doing today for peace for national reconciliation for inclusive institutions. syria again is the clearest
fourth during this year the eu's special representative for human rights stavros lambrinidis continued being actively engaged on freedom of religion and belief.
this is something we need to keep in mind if we want to make a real difference to the life of christian minorities around the world.
at home. diversity respect and inclusiveness are not abstract concepts. to millions of people they can make the difference between persecution and security between fear and freedom between life and
it works on informal information exchanges on events and situations on the ground and in preparation of eu resolutions at the united nations.
we always react with public statements or private demarches to condemn violence against christians. let me also focus on other actions we have taken in defence of persons belonging to minorities.
first since the adoption of the eu guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief in two thousand and thirteen their implementation has remained a key priority for eu action.
this parliament has often focused on the persecution of christian minorities in the middle east and rightly so.
this applies to people of all faiths or none including to christians.
but whilst christians are being burned across the world the world's atheistic elites wring their hands and turn away.
every year since two thousand and five ninety zero christians have been eliminated from this planet.
if the elites do not do anything to protect our christian communities then it is time for christians themselves to rise up come together once more and fight the islamic terrorists who are trying to destroy them.
the names of their attackers are well known al qaeda isis the muslim brotherhood.
how often do we take these liberties for granted?
and national governments must renew their commitment to these basic liberties in their dealings and discussions with countries across the world.
through their sacrifice we like past generations enjoy the benefits of a fair and democratic way of life.
we have a responsibility to provide a beacon of hope to those who continue to suffer daily to support those whose sacrifice has not yet been translated into freedom for themselves and their families.
mr president yesterday in the united kingdom communities and families paused to remember those across the nation who had laid down their lives in defence of freedom.
we are afforded fundamental freedoms of thought belief opinion and expression and without restriction or recrimination we are able to attend a religious place of worship.
over two hundred and fifteen million christians are persecuted globally. i think the person we should give great support to in his work is jn fige the eu special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion and belief.
frankly when i talk to people about this they don't believe it.
mr president this is a very important debate and colleagues have outlined the extent of the persecution of christians in the world.
i think that there is a lack of awareness generally about how widespread this problem is and how serious it is.
he does incredible work and he is tireless in pursuit of this ideal where we all have freedom of religion and belief and i believe he needs more support both within the commission and indeed from this house because if we don't tackle this type of abuse and persecution and if we allow it to increase as is happening then i'm really concerned about the future for christianity and for people of all faiths.
mr president throughout the uk and in many other countries throughout the west many christians have been denied the right to wear a simple expression of their faith such as a crucifix in public life. the right to hold and express faith is a fundamental human right which must be protected and defended equally.
the uk was founded on a judaeo christian culture and whilst we respect and appreciate the contribution of all this must be respected.
but the trials and tribulations of christians in many countries throughout the west pale in comparison to what many must face on a daily basis throughout other parts of the world.