kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
council. the situation there is escalating and this has consequences not only for the region but also for our own security.
to better manage migration flows it is important to continue to implement the comprehensive approach adopted by the council on ten
the european council will provide guidance in particular on the objectives of the summit and on the way forward concerning some issues.
the situation in libya will also be discussed in the upcoming foreign affairs
the european council will conclude the first phase of the two thousand and fifteen european semester.
october. two thousand and fourteen the presidency will continue to closely monitor the situation and will address this issue at the upcoming justice and home affairs council this week and in june. i thank you very much for your attention and look forward to a very fruitful debate this morning.
there was also general support for bolstering supply diversification strategies of sources suppliers and routes and reinforcing strategic energy partnerships.
we all see at what cost comes the striving of some of the eastern partnership countries to build closer relationships with the european union.
offices of the un special envoy bernardino
the views expressed in the council so far will be handed over to the president of the european council thus contributing to the debate of the european council. first on energy security solidarity and trust there were broadlyshared views among ministers
the riga summit should send a strong political message reaffirming the strategic importance and our commitment to the eastern partnership summit.
third on energy efficiency the council underscored its importance in support of energy security competitiveness decarbonisation and innovation as well as bringing direct benefits to consumers through lower energy bills. fourth
particular efforts shall be devoted to advance cooperation in such areas as state building people to people contacts as well as economics.
the council started immediately to work on all the five dimensions of the energy union.
the european council will discuss the recent developments on the implementation of the latest minsk agreement the situation in ukraine and relations with russia. based on the assessment of the situation the council is expected to agree on further steps.
the riga summit should demonstrate the union's intention to strengthen in a differentiated way relations with each of its six partners based on the level of ambition and the goals to which they aspire in their relations with the european union.
country. the european council will revert to these issues in more detail in october in the context of a broader discussion on the southern neighbourhood.
in this context i welcome the adoption by the council yesterday of the general approach on the european fund for strategic investments.
over the last months there have been several fruitful and constructive discussions on the energy union at various levels.
successful establishment of the european energy union with a forward looking climate change policy is among the most important priorities of the latvian presidency.
they all require adequate attention at the highest political level.
developments in the eastern neighbourhood are one of the factors also making the creation of this union more important and urgent.
this is why the european council will discuss it.
we should also not forget that other eastern partnership countries need our support.
i fully share mr fleckenstein's view that there may not be one size fits all solutions.
it is clear that ukraine needs our support in every way that we can deliver it.
as regards energy efficiency i am happy to confirm that the european council will look into this issue.
first there seems to be general agreement between all of us on the need for energy union.
i believe that if implemented efficiently and effectively the energy union will promote growth and jobs.
this gives us confidence that we are on the right track.
the energy union is about strong energy diplomacy.
i also agree with mr pittella that the situation in libya requires our closest attention.
in an international context.
to me the energy union is about enhancing our independence in the energy field.
when i raised this last year with the deputy prime minister liberal democrat nick clegg he said it was a dangerous fantasy' to even talk about an eu army. i hope every liberal democrat voter has heard mr verhofstadt today the leader of the european liberals crying out for militarisation at an eu level.
we already have a european defence agency;
we already have an eu navy active against the somali pirates;
we ourselves in the european union provoked the conflict through our territorial expansionism in ukraine.
tony blair was right when he said the european union is not a project about peace it is a project about power.
we poked the russian bear with a stick and unsurprisingly putin reacted and this is now to be used as an opportunity to build a european army.
and who can forget eurocorps here in strasbourg last year virtually goosestepping that ghastly flag round the courtyard outside?
we already have eu battle groups on active service all over the world;
mr pitella are you aware that if you succeed in decarbonising europe our crops will have no natural gas to grow from?
i think the european community and the european union have played a role in preserving peace on this continent.
but i think the cornerstone of peace in europe has been nato and i emphasise the importance of that military alliance of our allies in the united states canada and turkey.
talk of an eu army is very dangerous indeed.
thank you mr verhofstadt that was very entertaining and eloquently put as always. you started your speech by pointing out the difficulties with sovereign states and their ambassadors having different views and different priorities when dealing with russia.
we through our territorial ambitions provoked the overthrow of an albeit corrupt but democratically elected leader in ukraine.
we have provoked this crisis. now the question you ask is what do we do from here?
' i was in this chamber at the time when libya was attacked.
i heard the liberals and the greens screaming frothing at the mouth for us to bomb libya for us to become militarily involved because we believed that would make things better.
it is also clear that we are encouraged to pursue our policies of creating european unity in tackling issues such as ukraine and libya and also in our attitude towards russia.
the common thread in all these subjects is a traditional european position but of the most acute importance today is that when we stand united on this issue we can actually deliver. if we are divided either on the energy union or on our foreign relations with other countries we will open up the opportunity for those who want us to be divided who want europe to be weak to exploit the differences between european nations.
i emphatically want to underscore that i cannot imagine that some people here by being divided would rather see the way countries are run like russia by the russian president than having europe unite stronger in trying to tackle challenges to our democracy to the way we have our society. i truly believe that european unity both in terms of facing the necessity to create a sustainable society where we are less dependent on fossil fuels where we are not in a position to be blackmailed by outside fuel providers where we are able to create an economy that does not depend as much on fossil fuels and does use
but it is not just the authors of this question who are asking many other agencies and bodies are also.
in the intervening eighty years the ilo has responded to the needs of people all around the globe for decent jobs livelihoods and dignity.
so tonight we in parliament are reinforcing all of those calls.
therefore these conventions need to be ratified and implemented across the globe so that all suppliers can adhere to them. surely we can manage that in the eu.
madam president i am very happy to support the call for the ratification and implementation of the updated ilo conventions by the eu member states.
in this parliament we hear again and again about exchanging best practice between member states.
surely this is a prime example of where we can achieve best practice among ourselves by all member states ratifying the relevant conventions and promote best practice externally or globally by as the commission itself suggests setting an example by ratifying the up to date conventions.
we expect europe to lead the way on climate change in copenhagen;
we also believe that the eu must ensure coherence between its internal and external policies.
the european commission in its communication on the renewed social agenda states the commission calls upon all member states to set an example by ratifying and implementing the ilo conventions that are up to date'. in a resolution on the renewed social agenda approved by the last european parliament in may of this year again we state that we consider that strengthening of the implementation and enforcement of existing labour law under national and community law and under ilo conventions must be a priority for eu institutions and member states.
we are asking the presidency in office to be as ambitious as possible on the matter we are calling on member states to consider the strong social arguments for ratifying and implementing these conventions and we are asking the commission to consider the adoption of a recommendation to the member states to encourage the ratification of conventions that are up to date.
if you look at the united nations supplier code of conduct you will see that the ilo conventions have served as a foundation on which most of the code of conduct is based and it is the un's expectation that any supplier providing goods and services to the un will adhere to the principles of the code of conduct.
tonight we are asking all members states of the eu to ratify and implement the updated ilo conventions;
madam president over the last few years the commission has repeatedly highlighted its commitment to the internationally agreed decent work agenda including the promotion of ilo conventions.
in doing so the commission underlines both the internal and the external dimension of the decent work agenda.
the council and the european parliament have underlined the importance of the decent work agenda and of the commission's activities in this respect.
the eu member states have already ratified all ilo conventions covering core labour standards and a large number of other ilo conventions.
the commission has actively supported the member states and closely cooperated with the ilo with a view to adopting ambitious legal standards which meet the challenges of a globalised economy and contribute to the implementation of the ilo's decent work agenda.
also two very important areas that we talk about in this house forced labour and child labour.
it is important that member states as others have said ratify all of the conventions especially at a time of economic crisis when workers are under pressure.
madam president the ilo as colleagues have said has been around for a long time since one thousand nine hundred and nineteen ninety years of business and still working on the decent work agenda.
so if we are looking to the ilo to do good work as it does in the developing world i think the very least that member states of the european union could do is to fully ratify the conventions to lead by example.
but i think it is also important in this debate to acknowledge the role of the ilo in the developing world and its links with non governmental organisations and the many programmes which it runs particularly targeting the most vulnerable for example working with people with a disability who would never have any opportunity if it were not for these programmes.
the border dimension is also important and today i am calling on the irish government to properly address the case of ian sproule a young man gunned down twenty six years ago where there is suspicion that rogue garda officers leaked information on him to ira members.
the report makes it clear that the different definitions of a victim are a barrier to support. in northern ireland the perverse definition of a victim of terrorism places the bomber and the gunman on a par with those whose lives they've claimed or changed unalterably.
we hear much in this chamber about the irish border yet nothing about the victims of terrorism in border communities in northern ireland.
our work in this chamber should benefit the victim and not the victimmaker.
yet again she as always is a strong voice for all victims across the european union.
many women's groups in my country such as women for europe are currently campaigning to keep britain in the eu.
they know that women's rights are threatened by brexit and i stand in solidarity with them.
i am happy to see that the report also recommends the reinforcement of the rights of victims of hate crimes including racist crimes and crimes against lgbtiq people.
this is crucial especially since the uk's eu referendum which triggered a huge rise in hate crimes. the victims' rights directive is a crucial piece of eu law which establishes minimum standards on the rights support and protection of victims of crime and ensures that people who have fallen victim to crime are recognised and treated with respect.
we need this kind of safeguard after brexit.
the commission welcomes this discussion on the correct implementation of the victims' rights directive. i would therefore like to thank you for putting this point on the agenda of the plenary today.
the victims' rights directive is the core eu instrument for our policy on victims' rights across the board ranging from women who are victims of violence to victims of terrorism to victims of hate crime and children suffering sexual abuse.
it is this directive that ensures that all victims of crime in europe regardless of nationality and their family members must receive proper support protection and access to justice.
first and foremost they must be treated with dignity and respect.
i think from this debate it became clear that there is a real need for a common standard and a protection for victims of crime all over the european union. i think we all expressed a plea to the member states to implement the directive and our recommendations.
by assessing the implementation of the victims' directive we focused on the many areas that still needs to be improved in order to fully protect and support victims of crime.
by strengthening these areas we want to make sure that any victim no matter where in the european union receives the same level of rights support and access to justice. we should leave no one behind.
we welcome that some member states have successfully implemented certain actions but much more needs to be done. we must give visibility to the victims. the justice systems in the member states must give priority to those who suffered give them a voice and provide them with the support in order for them to rebuild their lives such as access to shelters and to justice.
we must build trust and help victims to report the crime.
too many crimes go unreported and this is very much linked to fear embarrassment and social stigma.
this is of course especially in cases of crimes related to domestic and gender based violence trafficking and forced labour.
this report is one step forward in our commitment to fight gender based violence.
therefore i call on the member states to set up specific support programmes targeting in particular some of the most vulnerable victims of gender based violence such as refugees and migrants people with disabilities roma persons belonging to national ethnic or religious minorities lgbtqi elderly women and homeless women.
we all know that we have to do much more to respond to the cries for justice of women who have suffered violence.
we have to do much more to end these horrible abuses and the impunity that allows these human rights violations to continue.
the effects of violence can remain with women and girls for a lifetime and can pass from one generation to the next.
this violence against women has tremendous costs to communities nations and societies for public wellbeing health and safety law enforcement and public programmes and budgets. for an effective response to these crimes a holistic approach is necessary.
all of society has to join forces and work together.
police officers lawyers medical practitioners and social workers must be trained to address the needs of victims in an adequate manner.
we must remember that these professionals are often the first point of contact for vulnerable victims. finally this speech could not be held without stressing the importance of the istanbul convention as already mentioned by my co rapporteur.
a crucial tool to prevent and to combat violence against women a wave of opposition to the so called gender ideology has emerged and i urge the remaining ten member states who have not yet ratified the convention to do
so. this is your chance to stand on the right side of history.
however i am pleased to note that in my constituency of london the water quality in the river thames is well on its way to meeting the goal set by the european water framework directive.
i hope other member states are taking similar measures to reverse water pollution and thus to safeguard wildlife and human health against contaminated water supplies.
the british government has made cleaning our rivers a priority with a one hundred and ten million grant allocated to that objective.
this amounts to serious interference with my parliamentary duty to raise matters of public concern and with my right to do so as a member of the european parliament in this house without fear of legal reprisal.
we also expect from the commission a clear priorities map based on a cost benefit analysis.
we need more than ever a strong mandate from the commission in favour of efficiency in the investment policy making process.
it is time to connect the main european ports and industrial regions with the main european markets. this is especially important in the case of the mediterranean nations and regions.
madam president today two young tibetan monks set themselves on fire in kirti monastery to protest against the repressive policies of the republic of china in the area.
madam president after my visit to kazakhstan on behalf of the european united left group the government launched a slanderous campaign against me. that included the fabrication of a statement by the chair of the central asia delegation and now an official communication to the eu from kazakhstan suggesting that i broke kazakhstan criminal law
by creating social discord and declaring that the republic of kazakhstan has the right to declare the abovementioned officials' referring to myself and my political adviser as persona non grata'.
why have they taken this approach?
because i supported the heroic oil workers who have been on strike for four months now fighting for decent wages and conditions fighting for the right to an independent and free trade union workers who have faced violent repression from company thugs from state forces.
natalia sokolova the lawyer of the workers has been jailed for six years for stirring up social conflict.
that was again reinforced today when a farcical appeal took place and her prison sentence was confirmed.
we are aware of them and i do not need to elaborate on them. they are obvious and unprecedented but i would like to say that if there is one challenge we need to tackle immediately it is that of uncertainty.
at the same time i believe it is important that we create a concept whereby all can participate in solidarity.
i could not be here when he was presenting the speech on the state of the union but i would like to reassure you that we are as the presidency aware of the urgency with which we need to act in order to address all the challenges the eu is facing.
of course this will be extremely important.
in due course our land border will become an external eu border.
in the years that lie ahead northern ireland will continue to look outward to both europe and the world a shining example of a region where peace and democracy triumphed over terror and conflict.
the united kingdom is a great nation.
this does not just make sense for the uk but for the eu too.
let this negotiation not end in a fruitless fistfight.
the peace secured in northern ireland was supported here and we thank you.
for northern ireland leaving the european union presents both opportunities and challenges.
mr president after the democratic decision of the people of the united kingdom on twenty three june the eu and the uk must define and build a new and mutually beneficial relationship one based on cooperation and trade security and prosperity.
we are the world's fifth largest economy the biggest marketplace for german cars and the largest importer from french farms.
now we must work together in a new way for the benefit of all.
that in itself must not mean that we cast aside the progress that has been achieved.
it is in such an environment that you have a split between generations and people who have lost control over their lives and do not believe that we politicians are capable of controlling their lives and helping them in their fears.
how can you keep terrorists outside your borders?
i see it more as an opportunity.
now i am very pleased with the proposals already backed by the hungarian and the polish governments.
how do you deal for example with tax evasion and with offshoring?
they believe that with walls and fences we can solve the problem and that we can keep problems outside our territories.
do it? i think the environment is there because let us look to
mr trump in the us is another example.
at the same time europe is also the cure against the cancer of nationalism that we have today in europe. that is in my opinion the right analysis to make and i think that you have responded to that with a list of concrete proposals.
what they see is terrorism tax evasion international crime migration flows and so on.
future. that is
it is in my opinion this imbalance that was also the basis for the financial crisis in two thousand and eight because the markets were global and our policies were not.
europe our own european union in the
i think it is important to do that at the time of the state of the union.
why do they have problems with it?
young people are in favour of europe and on the other hand you have many large parts of the population who no longer see europe as the solution.
that is the real crisis in europe for the moment this split between generations you could say between young people believing in a european future and others who have huge problems with it.
let us face it together not the young generation but the other parts.
it means complementing them and that means at the same time in my opinion you could say it in one word that europe is not the source but is the counterweight for wild and uncontrolled globalisation.
on a national or local level.
with walls and fences they solve every problem.
you can only do that with supranational policies and supranational instruments in the future.
brexit. brexit is not a liability.
why do i see it as an opportunity?
it is in such an environment that you see the rise of nationalism and populism not only in europe let us face it.
today. we have to change it and i encourage you mr juncker to push forward the five presidents' report with the treasury with the minister of finance with the fiscal capacity in the eurozone and with the convergence call as soon as possible because this little game with the stability pact cannot go on anymore. we will lose any credibility towards the outside
and that is the problem for the moment on the european continent.
i think if you really want to give a positive response to the fears of our citizens and to regain control over their lives we need european solutions and european capacities as soon as possible.
secondly a good real governance for the euro and the economy.