kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
about eur fifty five million have been allocated to projects on maternal health and projects addressing youth and their special health problems and needs.
the end of july the foreign affairs council is expected to adopt the eu action plan for human rights and democracy and the eu strategic framework on human rights and democracy where fgm is one of the priorities.
the commission has been able to finance a number of important civil society driven projects in the poorest countries.
the eu will continue to campaign for the rights and empowerment of women in all contexts through fighting gender based violence and supporting relevant initiatives against harmful traditional practices in particular female genital mutilation by.
madam president thank you for this discussion. in the twenty first century millions of young women are still subjected to genital mutilation every year.
female genital mutilation is one form of violence against women that is particularly unacceptable.
the commission is determined to take concrete action and develop a strong policy response to tackle the issue of violence against women in europe.
an estimated three million women and girls in the world suffer female genital mutilation every year.
female genital mutilation can under no circumstances be justified by cultural or religious traditions and practices.
is an extreme and unacceptable practice.
two thousand and twelve its results will help us to take even better informed action in this field.
the european external action service is currently preparing a campaign under the eu human rights guidelines on violence against women and girls to draw attention to the need to step up efforts to eradicate this practice particularly on the african continent. female genital mutilation
two thousand and ten two thousand and fifteen the lack of reliable and comparable data is a huge challenge.
financial support will be granted for the implementation of transnational projects to grass roots organisations working to prevent such practices by raising awareness and changing social attitudes.
this instrument notably aims at ensuring that the needs of victims are individually assessed and that the most vulnerable including victims of female genital mutilation receive specific treatment appropriate to their needs.
in this framework we underline the need for african states to ensure that female genital mutilation is legally prohibited and that legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation is effectively enforced.
the aim with the victims directive is to ensure that all victims across the european union have a basic set of minimum rights that they are treated as individuals and receive appropriate treatment.
the commission is taking measures in the criminal justice area and has proposed legislation on the rights of victims of crime.
my colleague vice president viviane reding has asked the european institute for gender equality to assess the reliability and comparability of data available in member states and to identify data gaps.
it supports advocacy and lobbying initiatives for promoting and protecting women's rights and prohibiting harmful practices.
it is degrading it violates fundamental rights it violates the right to health and it violates children's rights.
it has both immediate and long term consequences for the health of women and can cause death.
sadly female genital mutilation is not a practice unknown to the uk where it is reported that some one hundred zero women undergo this brutal mutilation illegally with some victims even as young as ten. it is right that we in this parliament speak out for all the victims of this barbaric procedure that affects its victims not only physically but mentally for the rest of their lives.
we need to do all we can to eradicate this brutal practice from the uk europe and beyond to protect young children and women from this heinous crime.
her bravery in surviving her experiences and speaking out against this brutality against women deserves all of our admiration and also highlights the plight of millions of women throughout the world who have suffered this horrific practice.
we must continue to raise this problem and the unspoken suffering which not only infringes on human rights but also violates the rights of the child.
all of us here must do whatever we can to stop this barbarism.
when aid is provided to countries where this is prevalent conditions must be put in place to send a clear message that this practice must stop.
madam president i am ashamed to say that the number of cases of female genital mutilation fgm reported in my constituency of london is rising and that some of these procedures are in fact taking place in london itself. so i am glad we are having this debate today because fgm is carried out on women who live here
in europe.
fgm is illegal in the uk and the law extends to protect citizens even if they are taken abroad for this procedure.
all member states must take firm action to combat this illegal practice.
we need to ensure that europe is doing all it can to safeguard girls and women thus setting an example to the developing world.
it is fundamentally a violation of the rights of women and girls.
it is currently a taboo subject so i hope that by talking about it openly we will raise awareness and work towards putting a stop to this terrible practice.
madam president female genital mutilation fgm is a dangerous and degrading practice. it violates women's human rights their right to sexual and reproductive health and their dignity. many of the women who have suffered fgm end up being scarred both emotionally and physically.
the campaign to enact legislation in ireland was very much spearheaded by a young somali woman who led a group of young women called the united youth of ireland' which organised fashion shows and awareness raising programmes throughout ireland.
in addition the end fgm european campaign' which is led by amnesty in ireland has called for data collection the training of health workers which is really important particularly in maternity hospitals educational activities training of police forces and training of the judiciary.
i hope that the transnational projects that have been referred to may be able to fund some of these projects into the future.
taking note of the developing consensus in the eu on the substance and given that the preparatory process for the wrc twelve is all but concluded the commission would not consider it necessary at this stage to go beyond a practical arrangement for ad hoc coordination as is proposed in the communication.
twelve in a nutshell concerning the future spectrum for wireless and broadband the commission considers that it is not appropriate to specify already precise frequency bands and favours a holistic approach to identify issues and opportunities.
with regard to the first question the two most relevant items where a common eu voice is critical are coordination of the digital dividend in the eight hundred megahertz band and the spectrum regulation regarding short range devices which risks affecting the circulation of radio frequency identification tags in the internal market.
the radio spectrum policy programme will guide the strategic dimension of spectrum policy.
the communication from the commission to the parliament and the council which you are debating here and will debate and your response to this will be very important for us in policy formulation so we look forward to continuing the discussions on this with you.
this will not of course hinder us from seeking maximum coordination for the voice of europe in this context. the inventory is a very important issue and it is a core proposal of the radio spectrum policy programme.
as you know there will be an agenda point regarding the spectrum for broadband judging by the position emerging throughout the world.
it is also about politics and about information science and all other sectors in society.
frequencies we need to open up. politicians always say phrases like tomorrow starts today' but in this area this is very true because the telecom conference two thousand and fifteen is being prepared now and we need to have an ambitious approach in place in order to get as much as possible out of this conference.
mr president i thank the commissioner for her response to the oral question. i would like to highlight two things that i think are important when we discuss this area.
i say global community' because it is not only about the economy;
it is fair to say that this is one of the fastest moving areas and we need to be flexible and this means also that the approach must be ambitious.
we absolutely have to find a way forward for consistency between our eu legislation and the international regulatory framework.
for the first time the commission now has a chance to speak for the union interest in these international negotiations.
take the radio spectrum policy that we voted on in this parliament in may as an example.
i also expect the commission to strongly defend the principles of transparency and personal integrity as laid out in the telecoms package.
we need to build a digital internal market and we need to develop the kind of ict solutions that would underpin the europe that should emerge from this crisis.
much of this will be difficult some of it impossible to achieve if we do not secure the regulatory framework and international agreements necessary like the itu's radio regulations.
i urge the commission to establish and pursue a clear consistent strategy and to make sure that there is a strong eu dimension in the upcoming negotiations.
i am thinking of e health e democracy smart and efficient transport smart metering for energy and smart grids.
mr president in these times of crisis we need to use all the tools we have to support growth and make europe competitive.
that is part of the foundation for the digital agenda and for europe two thousand and twenty the competitive europe with the new jobs that we so badly need and we will continue to establish eu rules in this area in the years to come.
mr president first i would like to congratulate the republic of cyprus for handling the delicate multiannual financial framework negotiations so adeptly for the two thousand and fourteen two thousand and twenty period.
member states should be warned that he is prepared to exercise the uk veto if necessary and go over to an annual emergency funding on a frozen budgetary basis.
nevertheless the british prime minister david cameron has made it quite clear that at a time of austerity it is simply unacceptable to the british public to demand either an above inflation increase or an end to the british rebate particularly given the fact that the uk is the second largest net contributor.
finally i do believe that the eu needs to tackle the issue of own resources and i would like to see agreement on a financial transaction tax.
indeed the budget is one of the most effective instruments we have to help create growth and jobs across europe.
this could help co fund initiatives to tackle the growing problem of youth unemployment such as the youth guarantee.
if we are to restore credibility we need to rein in excess spending.
while i would prefer to see a complete budget freeze the council's proposal of three is more acceptable.
according to eurostat fewer than one third of europeans have a positive image of the eu.
perhaps it is because the commission will go ahead and spend anyway.
we must send a strong message to the commission that it can no longer continue to squander its citizens' taxes.
the commission recently demanded a ten billion top up to its two thousand and twelve budget and this is an affront and an outrage.
mr president it is the duty of parliamentarians to represent the interests of their constituents. trust in the european union is at an all time low.
so why has this house voted to restore the commission's unrealistic demands?
in my country the eu is seen as wasteful and out of touch.
the commission's inflation busting seven increase in the budget is an insult to my constituents.
i do not see how the commission can continue to demand an increase in its own budget while imposing austerity measures on member states.
david cameron like margaret thatcher wants to outline the budget negotiations which are good for the uk and good for europe which is why the british conservatives are calling for a freeze in eu spending.
the uk continues to be a reasonable partner but the proposals in this report to end the uk rebate are unacceptable.
as a former businesswoman i know that it is possible to make cuts to any budget. our citizens deserve these budget cuts and the commission must listen to their demands.
every single member state is making cuts in local and national spending and european public spending must be subject to the same discipline. we have limited money.
every euro every pound every krone even every zloty needs to get to the front line with a minimum of waste.
in my own region eu funded projects often sound attractive for jobs and skills infrastructure and research but the red tape reality is that running those projects often has huge costs and wastes and these schemes could be better funded through national programmes or local grants.
i do not just want to tinker with eu funding i want a fundamental review on how to reduce waste and excess starting with getting rid of this chamber but moving on to look at our staffing costs and benefits so that there is not one set of rules for eu institutions and another for those who work locally. then i want a root and branch review of every project so that the eu only funds projects where there is added value at international level in areas like our world class science where investment genuinely will boost
mr president in that report i voted with my group except for a few exceptions which related to international development because i did not believe that we should
even though we are in difficulties punish those who are in such dire straits that the quality and standard of living that we enjoy in europe is utterly luxurious compared to the way they live.
in dire circumstances and in circumstances which are not as good as the ones that we find ourselves in.
that is why it is even more complex than it would be outside the context of the crisis.
groups of society.
in the last two years we saw that this was a test of competition policies no matter whether it concerned the financial sector the automotive sector or in this case the housing sector and it was also a test of our social policies whether it concerned children or the elderly or the homeless.
the commission made this point clear in its two thousand and seven communication when it highlighted the objectives and principles of organisation of social services.
that is why i need to address this as well and emphasise that beyond housing other services of general interest and in particular other social services play a preventive and socially cohesive role which is targeted at the whole population independently of wealth
the commission is committed to promoting the quality of social services.
for instance we support the development of a quality framework for social services of general interest within the social protection committee.
there will also be other issues like housing for the most vulnerable groups of society such as the roma where there is already a beginning and i think there will be continued support from the structural funds to address housing issues in this particular case for the extremely vulnerable marginalised
in this set of questions which i received these two issues competition and social policies overlap.
i would also need to add that the commission only verifies aid given to housing companies.
this decision provides legal certainty in the provision of the services and reduces the administrative burden on the public authorities which finance them.
the commission's role is limited to checking that there is no manifest error in the definition.
i would also like to refer to the commission communications of two thousand and six and two thousand and seven which clearly highlighted the member states' responsibility and wide discretion as regards social services of general interest.
according to this decision that exemption applies when social housing is qualified as a service of general economic interest by the member state concerned.
this approach is also fully in line with article thirty four of the charter of fundamental rights which refers to social and housing assistance for all those who lack sufficient resources. a clear definition of social housing also ensures that state aid cannot be channelled into financing commercial activities outside the scope of services of general economic interest.
clear cut transparent eligibility and allocation criteria for social housing are in the interest of the beneficiaries and ensure the proper use of public funds.
the commission did not identify any errors with that definition of social housing and therefore approved the dutch state aid scheme.
there is no income limit set at eu level for access to social housing.
it was part of the changes introduced by the dutch authorities to bring the national social housing system in line with the european state aid rules.
the commission imposes no single definition of social housing at eu level and fully respects the principle of subsidiarity.
the member states must therefore define a target group for social housing to allow social housing to be allocated in a transparent way and to prevent those most in need from being excluded.
social housing is a key tool for active social and economic inclusion policies in the european union.
however as the term social housing' suggests what is involved here is not housing in general but housing provided on the basis of social criteria.
the honourable members rightly refer to the commission's two thousand and five decision on state aid for services of general economic interest.
the member states have wide scope for manoeuvre in determining the size of the target group and in applying the social housing systems.
in reply to questions one and two i would like to be very clear.
this is why the recitals in the two thousand and five decision refer to housing for disadvantaged citizens or socially less advantaged groups which due to solvency constraints are unable to obtain housing at market conditions.
it is for each member state to define the scope of social housing in line with its traditions culture and state intervention.
however as i have already said housing in general is not the same as social housing.
according to this decision aid to social housing which meets the conditions set by the decision receives preferential treatment as it is exempted from notification irrespective of the amounts involved.
this approach was confirmed in a commission decision adopted in december two thousand and nine on social housing in the netherlands.
the third a question of income limits for access to social housing. before replying to these questions i would like to underline that the commission attaches great importance to social housing.
furthermore this point was emphasised more recently in the protocol on services of general interest.
having a roof over your head is absolutely vital;
so there are a lot of questions there on how involved the state should be in the whole property development area.
however in the provision of social housing i think firstly basing it on income is just too prescriptive and does not make any sense for the reasons given by many people.
the commission will review bolivia's response and liaise with the ilo the monitoring body for convention no one hundred and eighty two before deciding on the next steps.
for example unicef has commended this law for reinforcing bolivia's commitments under ilo convention no one hundred and eighty two on the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour' which bolivia ratified in.
however the ilo supervisory system has not yet been in a position to assess the compatibility of the law with convention no. one hundred and thirty eight the ilo committee of independent experts on the application of conventions and recommendations will assess the compatibility of the bolivian law with ilo standards in its november december two thousand and fourteen session.
on the other hand the bolivian law overall has been praised by unicef and by the bolivian ombudsman as reinforcing the protection of children with the exception of two provisions lowering the working age.
in addition the european court of human rights has ruled that the death penalty is a violation of the european convention on human rights.
this suspension was lifted by the commission on twenty three september two thousand and fifteen following corrective action by the hungarian authorities. olaf is continuing investigations.
law. in recent months a number of noteworthy judgments have been rendered by the supreme court the constitutional court and also by ordinary hungarian courts. this overview demonstrates that the commission is actively monitoring the situation in hungary and is ready to use all the means at its disposal to ensure that hungary as well as any other member state complies with the obligations under european union law and respects the values of the european union enshrined in article two of the treaty on european union.
this response is currently under assessment by the commission.
we underlined this in the european agenda on security as well as during the commission's colloquium on fundamental rights in october.
several infringement procedures are rule of law related for instance concerning the principle of legal certainty the effectiveness of judicial review or the powers and independence of administrative authorities.
as regards the situation of roma the housing situation remains a concern.
and it is against that background that i will also explain to you why the commission does not believe that there are grounds at this stage to trigger article seven or the rule of law framework.
following a commission proposal country specific recommendations were adopted by the council on fourteen july two thousand and fifteen calling for action to address these issues.
the commission has at this stage not activated the rule of law framework as regards hungary.
on the education of roma concerns remain as well in particular relating to possible segregation and discrimination of roma children.
i have also said that the commission will use all the means at its disposal to ensure that hungary as well as any other member state complies with its obligations.
the debate launched by prime minister orbn did not materialise and the death penalty has not been introduced.
the decision to withdraw the tax registration numbers of the ngos concerned is still pending before a hungarian court.
considering that concerns about the situation in hungary are being addressed by a range of infringement procedures and pre infringement procedures and that also the hungarian justice system has a role to play the commission takes the view that the conditions to activate the rule of law framework regarding hungary are at this stage not
the reintroduction of capital punishment would be contrary to the eu's fundamental values.
as regards corruption and misuse of eu funds the commission suspended on fourteen july two thousand and fifteen payments for several contracts across eight programmes due to the use of an excessively restrictive selection criterion in public procurement procedures. the commission had already suspended
the commission also opened last week in depth state aid investigations into hungary's plans to provide financing for the construction of two new nuclear reactors in the paks plant.
relating in particular to the compatibility of this legislation with the eu's asylum and borders acquis and the eu charter of fundamental rights.
as a result the eu pilot procedure could be closed while the state aid investigation continues as certain state aid related aspects still remain to be clarified.
in addition the commission is actively conducting state aid investigations inter alia concerning two recent hungarian measures with steeply progressive rate structures notably a food chain inspection fee and a new tax on sales of tobacco products.