kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
forest management has an essential role to play in combating climate change as all sectors must contribute to the overall eu emission reduction goal.
nevertheless forest mitigation should be measured using a scientifically objective approach not allowing countries to hide the impacts of policies that increase emissions.
i am strongly convinced however that we did not manage to deliver this in the effort sharing regulation or climate action regulation call it what you may.
it comes as no surprise that i am critical of the final agreement reached because i believe that this agreement falls short of what is actually needed.
that is why i call upon the commission to enhance its role and make sure that member states play their part because all of them i repeat all of them should share in the efforts to address climate change.
the twofaced approach where national leaders make fancy statements at climate summits but then show very little ambition where it counts should cease.
it was a difficult process and in the end we did find an agreement with council that was the mission of my first remarks also with strong support from the commission and the commissioner personally as well being present at all trilogue meetings.
it should have been much more ambitious and i hope that that will be echoed by many others as well.
that means from now on now that we have found agreement and i hope that we have sufficient support tomorrow during the vote that there is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the commission.
it is up to the commission to now think of ways to strengthen our climate policy in europe that is necessarily in the light and in the spirit of the paris agreement.
therefore also in line with the upcoming long term strategy that the commissioner is currently drafting i hope that we can convince together the absent council as far as needed in order to really stay within the paris boundaries.
mr president this report highlights an aspect of the european union that even now after half a century is not widely understood namely that it is not a free market but a customs union none of whose members is free independently to sign a bilateral trade agreement with a third country.
every continent in the world is now growing except europe.
we find ourselves confined in a cramped and dwindling customs union.
however we a nation of sixty two million a trading maritime people whose colonising and enterprising energies have touched every continent cannot sign a free trade agreement with china or with anyone else.
one thousand nine hundred and seventy three we cannot as a people without great natural resources survive in the world except by buying and selling and that means being where the customers are.
is it beyond this house to see the irony of us complaining about tax avoidance when with the exception of three member states meps themselves do not pay tax?
we are facing a major humanitarian crisis in syria as we have four million refugees mostly women and children seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and in north africa.
we need to ensure that member states support the work of unrwa with the palestinian refugees and i urge member states to do so.
unrwa is doing remarkable work with the palestinian refugees but it has been stretched to capacity and is finding that its resources are not elastic.
eu contribute to a peaceful settlement?
mr president for us in the european union the idea of taking military action over border disputes is now thankfully unimaginable.
the short term solution to this dispute lies in the hands of both governments and the un security council which should take the lead in imposing solutions to de escalate the crisis.
killing people and endangering people's lives is never a solution.
the governments of thailand and cambodia must consider that the border clashes have an impact on peace and stability in the region as well as on relations between the two countries.
otherwise there is an imminent danger of growing nationalism as well as xenophobia.
the situation on the border between thailand and cambodia should be resolved peacefully in accordance with the ruling of the international court of justice of.
mr president i find it appalling that in the twenty first century there are some political forces that keep operating in a nineteenth century paradigm. growing nationalism in many parts of the world is giving rise to conflicts based on ethnicity as well as on religion.
be that as it may this dispute particularly looked at from a distance should be solvable.
we welcome the efforts by the asean chair to facilitate a dialogue between the two countries so that the dispute can be resolved in a peaceful manner.
thailand and cambodia have agreed to join an urgent meeting of south east asian nations to discuss the conflict.
a wall of nation state naval frigates to block this invasion.
but i have an answer. we should consider building a wall.
this is a strong position that the european union has and will continue to have.
when we see people dying in the desert or close to the libyan coast we need to have discussions with and to help our partners do their part to save lives and to make sure that the protection of human beings and their human rights is fully taken on board and i will come back to that in a minute.
northern part of africa where we are on the implementation of the action plan and what is the way forward in terms of partnership.
but we can help and we can train and support the libyan authorities in this work.
so managing this common border is in their common interest as neighbours and it is also in our interest as europeans.
believe me i wish we could name each and every one of them because as long as we refer just to numbers it is much easier to forget them or to see this as a phenomenon.
we are active in the region with three missions and operations and are already training local security forces including in respect for human rights.
managing their common border is an interest they share inter alia for security reasons.
as you know very well in the last two years we have been working literally day and night to reduce human suffering first and foremost and to reduce the loss of life on the various routes leading to europe in the mediterranean sea of course but also in places where the loss of life and the violation of human rights are less evident to the
if we work together both as europeans in solidarity and in partnership with our friends the countries of origin and of transit. we must repeat once again as we did here just an hour ago that refugees must be welcome.
we all know that there is no easy way to stop the suffering and manage the phenomenon better. we know very well that the real solution implies first of all the economic development of africa and also the democratic development of africa.
we have already started to facilitate a common approach between libya chad and niger in particular.
are. for me cooperation with these two organisations is the best possible way to guarantee the protection of human rights for migrants inside the country.
it was not by chance that back in december the commission increased the resources for various mobility opportunities and this is just the beginning.
i stress this because for me this is a key component of all the training we do with local forces. these are powerful tools.
for the international organisation for migration and the unhcr.
for instance the number of people crossing irregularly from niger into libya has decreased to its lowest level in years.
it is first and foremost a humanitarian duty not only to save lives but also to protect the lives of the people who are migrating.
i know this is the top priority for political parties governments and public opinion in europe but believe me when i tell you that the main point for us is working on finding a political solution to the crisis in
doctors without borders refuses european funds as a result.
they still do not have a common position on the war in syria and the numbers of people coming to our shores and dying at sea are still very high.
the deal or so called statement with turkey set the tone for cynical outsourcing of eu responsibilities.
how does managing borders square with the right to asylum and how do we make sure that eu.
and look at the failure of european member state governments to secure our common borders and to provide proper shelter for those fleeing war!
but instead of learning from past mistakes this turkey arrangement now risks becoming a blueprint for more deals including with libya.
mr president at this point in history it is difficult to have a debate on migration without taking the opportunity to reaffirm that the bottom line is that europe remains committed to acting as a safe haven for those fleeing war and persecution and who are eligible for protection.
that must be the starting point for our discussions and we must be the example to the world on this issue.
but while the libyan people must remain masters of their own destiny the eu does have a crucial role in helping with aid and expertise in helping libya to build up its border management and its asylum systems improving its law enforcement capabilities and helping in its fight against terrorism. we are already doing a lot as a union but we must stand ready to do more.
it is only with a functioning libyan state that we will ever have a proper chance to agree together on enhanced cooperation to sustainability and safely manage migration flows while defeating terrorism destroying trafficking networks' business models and ultimately saving lives.
that said we must be careful to avoid giving the impression that a magic bullet addressing migration flows from libya can suddenly appear from one day to the next.
it is a lengthy process and there are many steps yet to be taken before there are proper functioning state operators there.
in times where on a daily basis we witness what the ugly face of populism in power really means all decent and progressive forces on this continent need to unite.
we need to put our differences aside and take the bold steps required to preserve the values that created the foundations of this very union on the ruins of the second world war.
openness respect a rejection of nationalism and egoism and instead the promotion of human decency these are what we must now engage in.
europe flourishes when we work together and when we act on the basis of visions and hope rather than our fears and prejudices.
only by applying a comprehensive and tailor made approach not replicating any other arrangements continuing to save lives at sea cracking down on smugglers and traffickers addressing the root causes of migration and working more in particular with
our african and international partners will we be able to more effectively manage migration.
discrimination is prohibited in the european union. all member states have transposed into national law the racial equality directive and they have to ensure that this is properly applied.
i would like to underline that free movement is a pillar of european rights and the commission as a guardian of the treaty is going to monitor in the best way how article six of the treaty is implemented.
last week we adopted a five point action plan to help member states and in particular local authorities to respond to the challenges that free movement may pose in future in order for member states to respect their authorities but at the same time implement the treaty and
effective implementation of the free movement directive is necessary.
the commission is there to guide member states in implementing their national strategies.
european citizens can move freely and of course we have to respect the right limits that are there.
the commission will report on the application of the directive before the end of the year.
equal access to education is a known problem in some member states.
after decades of scrambling from one attempt at economic crisis management to the next under successive governments it became clear that success called for a solution that we embraced throughout the entire continent and across the political divide.
at this moment we do not yet know who is responsible for the failure or the success of the roma strategy.
fourth national strategies must protect roma;
realising that the situation was neither acceptable nor sustainable the european parliament was a pioneer in demanding an eu level response to the situation of roma which then became a reality under the hungarian presidency of the eu in the form of an eu framework for national roma inclusion strategies.
the crisis is having a disproportionate impact on the rights of specific groups of people particularly those who are increasingly vulnerable because they already suffer from discrimination and social exclusion.
also roma ngos must be strengthened because we need authentic independent and highly educated roma leaders who actively lead the public discourse on roma and who put community building and social acceptance at the forefront and above the interests of their sponsors.
would mr obermayr agree that the free movement of people in article six is becoming unworkable if indeed it is not unworkable already?
it also calls on member states to take effective measures to combat anti roma rhetoric and to better inform the roma about their rights and civic duties.
this council recommendation is the first legal instrument within the european framework for national roma integration strategies.
madam president i would like to thank parliament for debating roma inclusion strategies today. also on behalf of my colleague commissioner reding i am very proud to announce that the council adopted today with unanimity the first european legal text on roma inclusion the recommendation on effective roma integration measures in the member states.
it is also a signal of hope for the roma population everywhere in europe.
the commission is currently implementing or planning projects with a total value of more than eur fifty million that could benefit the roma communities.
hence in two thousand and thirteen the commission issued country specific recommendations on the roma to five member states. finally the commission's enlargement strategy highlights the precarious situation of many roma in the western balkans.
very often they are denied a fair chance on the labour market equal access to education healthcare and decent housing.
this is why the situation of roma women is flagged up as being one of the cross cutting issues in the council recommendation. the european commission has tried hard to ensure that european structural funds will be mobilised to boost national efforts to improve the social and economic situation
the commission considers gender equality to be a principle to be applied in all policy fields.
negotiations on the partnership agreements and operational programmes on the use of european structural and investment funds for the period two thousand and fourteen until two thousand and twenty are still ongoing.
the commission has also set up a network of national roma contact points in all eu member states.
the commission will continue to monitor the progress and implementation of the national strategies and report on its findings.
this network is proving to be very useful for the exchange of best practices and peer review of the implementation of the national strategies.
roma integration must remain a european priority.
the commission is well aware that roma women are particularly vulnerable.
in this context the commission is particularly vigilant and recommends that member states include roma integration as a priority.
some are victims of violence and exploitation even within their own communities.
of vulnerable groups but member states are unfortunately not yet making the best possible use of them.
the commission is helping the enlargement countries to support integration of roma through the instrument of pre accession assistance.
where appropriate reference to roma integration is made in the country specific recommendations.
the european parliament now needs to give its consent to the text and i am sure that it will do that swiftly.
so this is a success for the commission which put this proposal on the table but it is also a success for the european parliament which has always been very supportive of an eu approach to roma inclusion.
it strengthens the european framework by providing guidance to member states in the four key areas of education employment housing and health.
this is a big achievement.
member states are also encouraged to better support local and regional authorities to facilitate transnational cooperation at all levels and to pay particular attention to the protection of children and women. in this context i would like to thank ms jrka for taking up gender aspects in the national roma integration strategies.
we wanted to show through the economic and human rights argument that we presented that the successful social and economic inclusion of roma so their figures could approach the regional average would respond to the demographic challenge of the increasing elderly and decreasing working age population.
this could also trigger substantial economic growth in countries with significant roma populations.
i turn to the questions that many people raised usually those people who like to talk in these debates to get some votes maybe.
driven by material interest. so i would like to highlight once again also thanking the commission and parliament and the hungarian presidency as they were the only ones to take this dossier over to the council that the only answer to many of the questions
talked about today is effective inclusion.
mr president let me start by quoting malcolm x i believe in human beings and that all human beings should be respected as such regardless of their colour'.
however despite the rhetoric of the establishment it is clear that they and some people in this chamber struggle with that idea especially when it comes to roma people.
this crisis has seen an increase in racism and xenophobia against roma and other minorities as politicians attempt to scapegoat them to deflect attention away from their own austerity policies. last month a young roma girl in dublin was taken away from her parents by the police.
because she was presumed to have been the victim of abduction simply on the basis of the colour of her hair.
this racial profiling and state racism cannot be accepted.
they knew instinctively how to respond to blatant discrimination.
we need more than resolutions.
we will finally have greater prosperity.
is that the prosperity the growth and the great future for greece that was pronounced in?
we will finally have greater ability to live our lives in prosperity'.
and whilst there are members here from greece from the epp and the socialists who spout solidarity who believe that they want care for those greek people.
greece is not getting any better because we have already seen after five years the economy shrink by.
no but what you did have during the times of the crash was a man here in this chamber placing his arm around the greek prime minister at the time when the people of greece had said do not give us the chance of austerity and i am reminded of the line from caesar to brutus tu quoque mi fili' and also you my friend'.
our growth has been better our job opportunities better because we are not tied to the euro.
we do not have control by the imf but believe me to those socialists who vote to stay in the eu that will happen to you too.
to the greek people they say the bankers will leave the businesses will leave the money will leave your country.
we do not have the ecb telling us what to do.
i am telling you the people of europe will come to your country with freedom prosperity and arms open wide when you set yourselves free by leaving the european union too like britain will do on twenty three june.
twenty seven but there is hope for the greek people. as mr pittella said yes in the united kingdom we are hosting our referendum to leave the european union.
because at the moment when that arm was placed around the greek prime minister at the time of the new government and after a referendum that said we did not want that austerity what you allowed was the arm to embrace you and the slow knife and dagger of the eu's austerity programme slice itself into the heart of the greek people.
well yes it is fine for you with your champagne lifestyles but bear in mind the families who have to suffer the deaths of the six zero members of their families who have committed suicide.
well face that with what the greeks are facing today greek unemployment at nearly;
the money spent on austerity over eur forty billion and every month over the next few months greeks will have to find five billion to pay for those people who are controlling their country the ecb and the troika.
we have seen it in portugal in ireland in cyprus in spain.
this would help people find a job especially young people. the government should make it easy for young people to start their own business. education needs to respond to the needs of the labour market;
two thousand and fourteen it had projected economic growth of more than two for two thousand and fifteen and the primary budgetary surplus but this was all jeopardised by the current government last year.
this would be to the benefit of the people.
greece was on its way out of crisis in the second half of.
enterprises need to be privatised and well managed.
these measures work.
finally i strongly welcome that the discussion on additional debt relief has taken place and that now there is guidance and a clear mandate to identify specific measures like maturity extensions grace periods and this the interest deferral on the basis of a three stage approach that and this is another positive element does not exclude further measures in the long term. so yes
madam president i think it is difficult to deny that the greek memorandum of last summer is very ambitious in its attempt to find a balanced approach between stability growth competitiveness and social fairness but it is also very demanding because it is fully frontloaded in its method
now we strongly encourage finalising of the eurogroup guidance by twenty four may in order to put greece on the path of stability growth and jobs and in order to give a clear signal that europe is able to address and solve difficult crises and can do whatever it takes to preserve its stability and integrity.
i note that the institution that has strongly advocated this option produced an economic forecast on the two thousand and fifteen primary balance that has proved to be totally wrong.
at the same time i think it is equally very difficult to deny that this greek government is delivering and is seriously committed in making reforms and implementing what has been agreed. for these reasons it is positive that an agreement has finally been achieved on the policy package of the fiscal and structural measures which are necessary to conclude the first review of the programme.
i also consider it a good result that the contingency mechanism will be based on the greek proposal and will not impose on the greek people additional preventive austerity measures that would have been politically and economically destabilising.
i think in fairness to greece and to the prime minister the last time i spoke here i was very critical of him.
i told him it was time to show a bit of leadership and stop running around europe giving interviews to all the media outlets and in fairness he has changed.
it takes a big man to change tack and admit the folly of his ways and especially the grandstanding of his then finance minister the blustering mr varoufakis.
seventh the introduction of an implant card for patients;
i know that many of you have worked on this issue.
third the inclusion of certain aesthetic devices in the new legislation;
over the past five years you have striven for a successful outcome on such a technical and complex file.
sixth a stability system based on unique device identification;
eighth stricter and more detailed rules on clinical evidence and clinical investigation;