kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the eu has been cooperating with israeli non governmental organisations for many years and has a keen interest in continuing this fruitful cooperation in particular since many israeli ngos have a reputation for professional excellence in their fields. this is why we followed with concern the debate in the knesset on the bill
we have made these concerns clearly known to the israeli authorities on many occasions.
in the latest draft bill provisions removing tax exemptions for ngos and including an obligation to register in the political parties' register have been shelved.
that approach would discriminate against those working with foreign public funding including from the eu.
however in our view the reporting obligations imposed on ngos would still become unnecessarily stringent not least because the current administrative requirements for ngos in israel already ensure adequate transparency of public funding. furthermore these new transparency criteria would only cover public funding from abroad
however the bill as it remains is a draconian and unbalanced bill which will discriminate in favour of private donations from foreign entities which will not have to disclose the source or purpose of such donations.
if it is then it has to be complete transparency.
it is entirely legitimate for this parliament to examine potential threats to freedom of speech and freedom of association in any state with which we have a trading relationship.
israel which has a very close trade relationship with the eu cannot be exempt from such scrutiny. i welcome the changes that have been made so far to the ngo funding bill in the knesset law committee owing no doubt to the international pressure that has been mounted but it is still only at the first stage.
i would regard that as a breach of the right to political action.
we do not yet know what the final version will be like.
i was not responsible for the actions of the nazis.
the implications are clear you europeans do not have the right to criticise israel because of your past.
i resent the idea that we have to turn a blind eye to israel's appalling behaviour in gaza the economic blockade the occupation of palestinian territory and infringements of human rights all too often.
then my eyes turned to one of the last paragraphs of his letter where he expressed his resentment to any comparison being made between pluralistic israeli civil society and some other countries. he uses these words embarking on such a wrong path may lead us all to dwell on europe's own credentials past and present'.
i was not born at the time most of the rest of us here were not born then and this european union was established to try and ensure that evil of that kind never took place again.
mr president i refer to the letter from the israeli ambassador mr curiel to the chair of our human rights subcommittee. it was my intention to welcome and indeed endorse his declaration that we should be prepared to support the principle of transparency in the funding of organisations. we would expect that here and why not in israel too.
you have blood on your hands.
a free and active civil society underpins the development of a healthy democracy.
secondly we will continue dialogue with the israeli authorities within the framework of existing political arrangements.
they should not be introduced in a country like israel and they are contrary to israel's obligations to support freedom of association under the conventions of the international labour organisation.
there are too few voices for peace and human rights on both sides of the conflict in the middle east.
those who do speak out are often overwhelmed by others who seek the path of violence. pluralistic democratic societies operating in conditions of peace and stability cherish civil society even when its message may sometimes be difficult.
as george orwell said freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear'.
it is no longer required of all recipients of foreign funding for the purpose of political activities in israel to register under the political party' register. it seems that these organisations are no longer at risk of losing their tax exemption status and potential breaches of the law would be punished by a fine. as i said these changes are to be welcomed.
the israeli authorities and a number of israeli ngos may not have liked our reaction to the original bill but as we have seen our actions have had effect.
the eu and the member states channel tens of millions of euros annually to a narrow group of highly politicised israeli ngos through non transparent processes. the degree to which european states are using ngo funding to influence israeli political and public debates
has no parallel in relations among democracies.
therefore greater transparency regarding foreign government funding is central to the israeli democratic process and the public's right to know.
they reveal how strong the distrust is between a number of israeli opinion makers and the eu and we need to do something about it.
they also reveal how embattled important segments of israeli public opinion feel;
both elements make a peaceful solution in the middle east even more difficult than it already is.
i know that to be the case in ireland.
we are after all one world.
mr president i thank mrs dodds. would the honourable member accept that she is relatively new to this house. some of us who have been here a remarkably long time already it seems have actually been through a number of israeli palestinian direct peace negotiations and have found that keeping quiet does not necessarily contribute to the process whatsoever?
israel is a parliamentary democracy characterised by a vigorous civil society in which all shades of non violent opinion can be openly represented and discussed.
ngos operating in israel have a freedom unparalleled anywhere else in the middle east which is generally a repressive environment for civil society.
at the end of the day we have to look to be self sufficient.
it is good for the commissioner to go to brazil and to talk to china but if diplomacy fails and they do not give us what we want where do we go?
madam president i sometimes wonder if europe's response in the face of every challenge is to freeze in fear of china and call for trade sanctions and state intervention.
a successful eu raw materials strategy must be aimed at encouraging free trade. it should contain sustainable and resource efficient management innovation and access to raw materials for european companies.
it should not involve stockpiling raw materials with taxpayers' money.
europe is increasingly dependent on a small number of key resources and is falling behind in the race to secure alternative sources but it is private companies not politicians who can determine the need to build up stockpiles.
if it is an efficient use of resources they will do so.
what we need instead is a comprehensive raw materials strategy that involves all aspects of access to rare earths.
this includes trade research and innovation recycling and development of transport and infrastructure to enable development of domestic sources.
we need better management of raw materials supply within europe and effective measures to encourage recycling and reducing waste.
europe is rich in natural resources and is also strategically placed with its proximity to the resource rich barents region.
we also need to encourage innovation and research into alternative solutions and find ways around materials that european companies find too expensive.
the eu strategy must be based on free trade and must ensure that both developed and developing countries can benefit from the sustainable supply of raw materials.
we should also use the aid for trade mechanism.
we hear some industry voices complaining about the cost of cutting co two emissions so it is very important to publicise the message of this debate that flooding is hugely damaging to communities and to the economy.
mr president may i join previous speakers in expressing sympathy for all those who have suffered in recent floods including today here in france.
surely these floods are a wake up call a reminder that the cost of dealing with the consequences of climate change is far higher than the cost of getting global warming under control as nicholas stern and others have pointed out.
in september two thousand and eight heavy flooding hit north east england with the towns of morpeth and rothbury particularly badly hit.
i am very concerned that this basic fact is being overlooked.
with the frequency and intensity of disasters on the rise european citizens expect us to be effective in addressing them both inside and outside the eu. we have identified disaster management as a priority and i am personally committed to bringing forward proposals to strengthen the european disaster response capacity. i would like to thank parliament for its interest and support.
to develop these ideas we are engaging in a wide ranging consultation and we will continue to do so with the parliament member states and other stakeholders.
the floods have proven the value of the civil protection mechanism as a platform for real time information dissemination and response coordination.
we propose to address this by developing reference scenarios for major types of disasters so that we can anticipate the type of help that will be needed and by mapping out the available assets in the member states for use when disaster strikes.
by the end of this year the commission will adopt a communication on the reinforcement of the eu's disaster response capacity.
it will look at the response to various types of disasters within the eu as well as outside the
but it is based on ad hoc offers and because of this it is simply not possible to guarantee that the right assistance will be available.
we are waiting for a second wave flood to affect the south of poland where nine european teams are still on the ground.
eu solidarity has to go hand in hand with national responsibility and preparedness will be part of the proposals the commission will put forward.
we are all aware that natural disasters are on the rise as climate change leads to more extreme weather events and when faced with disasters of this magnitude the national capacity to respond is simply overwhelmed.
this is a good moment for the affected countries to reinforce their knowledge of flood risks to draw up risk assessments and maps to prepare flood risk management plans and to take all the steps necessary for effective implementation of the floods directive. the increased frequency and intensity of disasters in europe should also provide a further incentive for member states to invest in preparedness and build up their capacity.
the situation in hungary is gradually improving.
and we will aim to find agreement with member states on a voluntary pool of key assets that can be put on stand by for immediate deployment.
this mechanism as you recall was also triggered for haiti and for the oil spill in the gulf of mexico and clearly shows the potential of this instrument.
the recent floods are also a reminder that the eu and its member states need to step up work on disaster prevention.
so that is the reality today.
i have heard a number of speakers raise the issue of prevention which is really much better than cure.
have invented insurance schemes for risk mitigation that i believe are of interest to
providing access to the solidarity fund.
however this proposal has been stuck in the council mostly because of financial considerations in the context of the crisis.
be sitting in this room in the future discussing the same issues the same way we are doing tonight.
to provide relief to those who are affected.
many of the speakers have clearly been engaged and interested in how the solidarity fund operates so let me just recap what people have said so far.
we will echo the words we have heard this evening on what you would like to see by way of solidarity.
this is the ability of the commission not only to mobilise emergency assistance and deploy teams when we are fighting a disaster but also to alleviate the pain and suffering of people post disaster by
yes indeed the eu financial instruments can cofinance a wide range of risk management measures.
thirdly there has been quite an important discussion on the floods directive.
the reasons for that are their unfavourable social conditions and the absence of rights for civil and political participation.
madam president what bothers me about this motion is not just the intrusiveness and the presumption about telling a sovereign country how to organise its internal affairs it is the asymmetry that we see over and over again in this chamber.
whenever a government is criticised for some domestic policy you can bet that it is a government that is unpopular in this chamber because it is patriotic or because it stands up for its national interests or because it refuses to endorse the goal of the united states of europe.
this is a classic example there were judicial reforms made by the previous polish government that resulted effectively in the packing of the bench with not a peep of protest from this chamber.
one is something which is secret and therefore illegal which not a single member of this chamber is going to defend.
of course it would be wrong for people to escape their legal responsibilities.
the other is places that simply have lower tax rates than we would like and those places i would argue are providing a service by providing some constraint on the appetites of less continent governments.
this running together of tax avoidance and tax evasion which runs through so many of these reports is conflating two very different things.
if we in this house make that elision how can we expect citizens to respect the difference?
in this jar i am confident it is pure honey produced by buzzing suffolk bees and harvested by members of the west suffolk beekeepers' association that i had the pleasure of meeting last week. but honey is the third most adulterated product in the world.
twenty percent of samples taken on imported honey do not respect our high standards.
they con consumers and endanger legitimate beekeeping with knockon effects for the number of pollinators.
that is why i support this fight back with improved testing procedures better labelling and higher penalties for fraudsters.
producing honey is hard work.
this little jar of liquid gold represents the nectar from two million flowers so let us swarm to the defence of our hardworking bees and beekeepers.
we have to understand whether we have common values or not. if not the only possible decision is to dissolve the european union. if yes we must establish discipline among member states and have the means to enforce it.
there is nothing more important than the upholding of the fundamental rights of citizens across the european union. i want to speak today though about a group of people who do not always see their fundamental rights upheld and that is people with a terminal illness who sometimes find themselves facing a real challenge and difficulty in upholding their fundamental right to work.
yesterday we launched a new group in parliament of meps from across the house to campaign for stronger legal protection for people with terminal illness in the workplace and i am grateful for support from colleagues across the house for that group and for that cause.
i would also call today on parliament itself to sign our voluntary charter to properly protect and support people in the workplace with a terminal illness so everybody across the eu has that fundamental right to work properly upheld.
it's not just a feather in your cap david but also one for the sd group and this parliament.
i am fully aware that some of my colleagues have reservations especially around the ratification of the ilo conventions and sustainability.
the us is rewriting the rules and can no longer be relied on as a stable trading partner.
i for one am thoroughly reassured by my colleague david martin one of the rapporteurs who has done an outstanding job and has succeeded in getting the singaporeans to address many of our concerns with a letter on behalf of the prime minster making commitments on the ilo conventions and an inclusion in the agreement that sets benchmarks on sustainable development which go beyond other agreements.
i've had an opportunity to discuss this agreement with a variety of stakeholders in singapore including ngos and independent trade union representatives and they all support a stronger partnership between us and their country.
madam president sadly the survival of the brutal assad regime is now beyond doubt and it appears that us troops will shortly leave syria which may well leave a security vacuum.
russia's and turkey's defence ministers met yesterday to discuss the situation in idlib and both sides have agreed that decisive action is needed to curb the advances of hts and ensure that the demilitarised zone is functioning and effective.
three five million civilians living in idlib we must spare a thought for the brutal conditions they are currently living under made all the worse by the constant threat of greater bloodshed given the assad regime's ruthless determination to retake the province at whatever cost.
with regard to ratification by the member states as of today twenty member states have ratified this council of europe convention but as you know ratification is being seriously challenged in other countries.
the commission with the support of high representative mogherini has put gender equality at the centre of the eu's internal and external action. the strategic engagement for gender equality for the years two thousand and sixteen two thousand and nineteen has been our framework for the promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the eu and beyond. in two thousand and nineteen we are taking stock of progress identifying gaps and preparing the setting of priorities for the future.
two thousand and fourteen eradicating genderbased violence has been a key priority for the commission. we have just finished a second year of targeted action and awareness raising.
i also warmly welcome the agreement reached on the worklife balance proposal.
the political and public debate around the istanbul convention is a good illustration of the impact of the current backlash against gender equality and women's rights in europe.
plan. this plan focuses on the enhancement of women's integrity economic and social rights and on participation and the elimination of genderbased violence.
backed by an initial contribution of eur five hundred million our ambition is to see this initiative being transformational for the lives of women and girls worldwide in particular for young people and those living in the most marginalised and vulnerable situations.
the commission will continue its engagement in the
in this context the views of the european parliament are very welcome.
based on that reference i understand that we agree that increased knowledge about the human genome and in particular about genetic causes of illness could contribute to alleviating human suffering by opening the way to new therapies against such diseases.
the use of gene editing as a means of medical care should be regulated at member state level.
this said i would like also to draw everyone's attention to the charter of fundamental rights of the european union the first principle of which is human dignity and which clearly prohibits eugenic practices in the fields of medicine and biology.
politicians and scientists are well aware of the situation.
there are now a cohort of individuals who have spent at least thirty years handling the concentrated material and being exposed to the vapour.
some of the products used twenty years ago have been banned on toxicity grounds.
mr president we can split the fashionable objection to pesticides into two categories.
the second is environmental impact.
their use has however allowed world food production to keep pace with world demand which organic farming methods could not hope to have done. nevertheless the industry is not complacent about the situation and a big effort has been made to reduce dependency on pesticides by using modern plant breeding methods to create varieties that require substantially less pesticide use.
the reaction of the european green lobby to this successful technology is to ban it.
it is quite true that overuse and misuse of pesticides will harm wildlife and pollute watercourses.
you cannot have it both ways.
these workers who include myself should have all died long ago if the scare tactics of the green lobby are to be believed.
the independent advisory european group on ethics and new technologies is currently working on an opinion on genome editing which will explore inter alia the ethical implications of germline genome editing.
at global level it participates in dialogue with international communities and institutions such as the national academies of sciences for engineering and medicine and the oecd working party on biotechnology nanotechnology and converging technologies.
the latter has been looking into the ethical and legal debate on germline genome editing.
at the level of the european union the eu framework programme for research and innovation and the eu clinical trials and legislation for medicinal products contain specific requirements prohibiting these types of research activity.
furthermore the commission is working with national authorities to strengthen oversight on novel technologies in the field of tissues and cells.
how to launch calls for research proposals on public outreach and acceptance of new technologies such as genome editing for health applications;
very often intersex is still considered as a disease as something wrong to be fixed and normalising' surgery is often applied.
and it's worth mentioning that human rights violations experienced by this community are significant and we need to put them on the agenda today.
why important?
it is intolerable that people in europe continue to be discriminated against because of who they love the body they are born with and their personal sense of their gender.
secondly specifically with the intersex community what are we doing to ensure that sex characteristics as a ground of discrimination hate crime and hate speech are recognised?
however there is still no legal protection against discrimination based on such sex characteristics no legal recognition of intersex people.
we know that in some member states there has been progress but in too many member states there is insufficient progress.
we ask for gender and sex characteristics to be recognised as a ground of discrimination.
today in the eu only malta and portugal have outlawed medically unnecessary treatments on intersex children and only malta portugal and greece have explicitly recognised sex characteristics as a ground of discrimination hate crime and hate speech.
and really the question is what can we do to advance this anti discrimination directive in a wider way?
if we are going to measure our values in the european union by the way particular communities are treated and their vulnerability then clearly the position faced by intersex people not only in the european union but also worldwide is of significance.
the key questions we're asking of the commission are very important ones.
medical treatments are carried out on intersex newborns in at least twenty one eu member states. secondly throughout their lives intersex people are victims of stigma verbal discrimination including in the workplace harassment and lack of adequate medical care legal recognition and access to justice and of the invisibility of their bodies in our society.
intersex people face violation of their bodily integrity.
i therefore want to highlight the misery caused to women suffering from industrial related diseases which are completely preventable.
we must ensure that workers have adequate and enforced protection from substances and conditions that are known to cause cancer.
madam president four february was world cancer day and it was an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of cancer and show our support for the victims and their families.