kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
given the specific provisions of that agreement there is a significantly increased risk due in particular to the fact that the made in' proposal would apply only to products imported from some third countries and notably not to domestic eu products.
should we do so naturally that is something to which we would give very close consideration.
in addition following the recent wto rulings there are now real concerns in terms of the wto compatibility of the proposal.
one option that was evaluated at the time of the original proposal is imposing origin marking not only for imported goods but also for eu products namely made in the eu'.
in a context where the commission is working under resource constraints and strives for better regulation the commission will further set its course of action according to what can best contribute to promoting growth competitiveness and consumer confidence.
the commission is not currently pursuing this avenue.
i do not think mr moreira that we can do that in the course of the present procedure.
can mandatory origin marking prevent counterfeiting of goods when they are per se imitations? how accurate can origin marking be in identifying the country where the marked products really originate taking account of the complexity of modern supply chains?
these are all very valid questions.
however aside from the issues of trade regulations and wto compatibility i recognise and understand a growing demand by consumers to know where their good come from.
they want to know for a variety of reasons ranging from a desire to support their own national industries to the right to exercise choice based on the political or environmental performance of the source country.
i say to the commission it is time to move on.
in the days when i can now walk into a store point my mobile phone at a product and it tells me the complexities of that supply chain it is well within our capabilities and it is not protectionist.
it is simply giving consumers the information that they demand.
i say listen to parliament.
this is an important issue so do not give up.
so it is right that we are discussing rules of origin.
i must make the point however that what consumers want to know is the country of origin.
there may even be a few consumers who want to see made in romania' but what consumers do not want to see is made in the eu.
' this is why i am expressing the hope but it is only a hope and i suspect a vain hope that these rules are not going to be another device to put us on the road to a european super state.
a case currently investigated by olaf and closed in the last quarter of two thousand and three involving external aid is in judicial follow up in germany.
i presume that is the case right across europe. could you not promote standards to end apartheid and open up third level education to everybody?
in whole sections of our community people just do not have access to third level education.
it also proposed more funding opportunities for projects in this area namely in the context of the seventh framework programme for research and technological development the eu public health programme the youth and citizenship programmes and the lifelong learning programme.
the commission has created a high level group on nutrition and physical activity where officials from all member states can exchange policy ideas and best practices and gain an overview of all government policies in this area.
through the public health programme the commission has been giving support to initiatives among others to network local partnerships targeting nutrition and physical activity in young people.
the work of the european platform on diet physical activity and health is ongoing and platform members commit themselves to actions in their area to try to reverse the trend.
it foresees several actions in the area of sport and health known under the concept of health enhancing physical activity' which include the support of the hepa network.
the eu physical activity guidelines adopted in two thousand and eight can also be regarded as a contribution to informing citizens about the benefits of physical activity and maintaining an appropriate balance between nutrition and physical activity. the commission is currently implementing a preparatory action in the field of sport in order to prepare future eu actions in accordance with the budgetary decisions
as you probably know this high level group meets at least three times a year.
the commission also recognises the high importance of today's and tomorrow's labour markets and the challenges which this brings especially for the young generation and we have therefore come up with the new skills for new jobs' initiative and the establishment of a university business forum where very important exchanges of views opinions and experience are taking place both in academia and businesses.
mention the fostering of the knowledge triangle by creating the european institute for innovation and technology encouragement for recognition of education and training across europe the introduction of the european qualification framework for lifelong learning the european credit transfer and accumulation system diploma supplements and
one of the goals is also to make european higher education more transparent and comparable and therefore the projects for classification and ranking of higher education institutions are under way.
voluntary activity in sport forms the basis for the organisation administration and implementation of sport activities in new member states and plays a fundamental role in supporting the entire sport structure.
this will bring deep analyses of the main opportunities and challenges and it will be followed by the recommendation to the european union member states civil society and sport organisations.
we believe that this study should contribute to an increased understanding of volunteering in sports in both societal and economic terms as a basis for responding to the political demand to promote voluntary activities in sport and its underlying structure in an eu context. as stipulated in its proposal which is still subject to the legislative procedure the commission also intends to promote voluntary activity in sport under the framework of european year on volunteering.
two thousand and eleven provided that the lisbon treaty enters into force the implementation of new provisions on sport which include the specific reference to the promotion of sports structures based on voluntary activities at eu level will require due reflection. in that event the commission will hold consultations
this importance of voluntary activity in sport has repeatedly been acknowledged at the eu political level in its two thousand and seven white paper on sport the commission explicitly recognises the role of voluntary activity as one of the common elements of the european approach to sport.
only projects with a european dimension can be financed meaning at least three or in the case of multiannual projects six organisations from different member states must participate in the project.
which provides that community action shall be aimed at encouraging cooperation between member states and if necessary supporting and supplementing their action.
nevertheless intercultural dialogue and the promotion of cultural diversity are key objectives of the european cultural agenda and transnational projects in this field may therefore be eligible for community support under the culture programme.
therefore the commission considers that member states must use all available legal instruments in order to guarantee the rights of individuals including those belonging to national minorities and act proactively against all sources of discrimination.
the promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity is also one of the general objectives of the lifelong learning programme. under this programme the european union supports projects and networks to promote all languages present in the eu including minority languages. in addition to that it must be stressed that the protection of persons belonging to minorities is one of the principles on which the union is founded.
however the decision on the allocation of national funds to cultural institutions belongs to member states and no community competence allows the commission to influence such choices.
it aims more specifically at encouraging creativity and mobility of artists public access to culture the dissemination of art and culture intercultural dialogue and knowledge of the history and cultural heritage of the peoples of europe.
operating grants for a single cultural institution are only possible if the activities are carried out at european level in at least seven countries participating in the cultural programme.
by the office on the basis of such an agreement.
through the copenhagen process european union member states are increasingly cooperating to share experience and improve links between vocational education and training and the labour market to help youngsters access the labour market on better terms.
in its communication a shared commitment for employment' of june two thousand and nine the commission has encouraged member states and social partners to ensure that young people despite the difficult economic environment have access to quality education and training and in particular to high quality
this is one example of how we can enhance the employability of graduates and foster better cooperation between academia and business.
to conclude i would like to underline that the commission acknowledges the particular difficulties that young people face when they are entering the labour market.
responsibility for the content and organisation of education and training systems rests with the member states. it is really up to them to decide the content of their educational programmes for all levels of education and training.
they have improved their language abilities and intercultural skills.
in fact it was not related to the previous question;
i was taking a different angle.
the commissioner touched on two points that i wanted to bring up first of all with regard to the nutrition and health group that is meeting with regard to types of food and dietary conditions but also with regard to false advertising by many people involved in saying that sport is linked to certain types of products and additives which can be very harmful to health.
instead of using natural products to create a better healthy environment for those people who want to train in sports they are using supplements such as growth hormones condensed into certain drinks and high performance drinks which are sold on the basis that they give you extra pep or extra zip but in reality cause huge health problems.
i chose this career but i have somebody who has chosen to be at home.
i think we need to be realistic in our discussions about what is practical.
what guarantee can we have from member states that when april two thousand and thirteen comes around they will not do the same again?
surely the machine makers should be involved as well as the airports and airlines.
that the commission and the usa iron out their differences;
i believe the commission has taken a positive step in including in their deliberations a great deal of parliament's position as contained in his report.
how can we trust the member states?
this is crystal clear.
services. and we are working within icao to set global standards and coordinate capacity building activities in third
is met. therefore a working group consisting of member states the aviation industry and international partners will be set up and will start work right after the
be possible. the commission is therefore resubmitting the proposals to the regulatory committee this week. it is important that the eu takes action to close a clear security gap for air cargo arriving from third
summer. this group will agree on concrete steps to be taken in the coming year and will coordinate implementation including operational trials at airports. international cooperation in particular with the united states is essential to prevent a similar situation in. two thousand and thirteen the two thousand and thirteen deadline has also been endorsed by most of the sixty icao states applying liquid restrictions.
security. this was a direct response to the october incident involving explosive devices concealed in air cargo consignments
report. as regards progress on implementing the action plan the commission is developing a common eu risk assessment for cargo security with input from interior ministries and the intelligence
the commission has also proposed for passengers to be given the possibility of opting out from a security scan and of undergoing alternative screening methods.
technology such as millimetre wave scanning is already available to address the health privacy and data protection concerns of our constituents.
additional measures need to be applied in a harmonised and coherent manner.
i must also stress that we should not regard body scanners as a silver bullet.
all governments must work together better cross border intelligence counter terrorism measures and the use of central reservation systems and passenger profiling to identify potential terrorists before they reach our airports are essential.
the societies which we have built and the values which they embody deserve proper protection and we must not forget that. briefly with regard to the liquids ban i am not surprised that member states were not ready in april of this year.
if correctly deployed and managed they will prove useful as part of a more efficient security procedure across the eu.
and to achieve one stop security we must have uniform rules.
agreeing on the most appropriate equipment is crucial however because if we are in a position where we have to exempt huge swathes of people on medical or ethical grounds then there really is no point in proceeding with this measure.
the overall human rights situation in honduras remains characterised by widespread violence in which corruption and impunity play a considerable part.
ms cceres was a prominent human rights defender as we all know and was very well known by the european union for her courageous commitment in defending the environment and the indigenous rights of the lenca community to which she belonged.
the union and its member states are the most important actors in development cooperation including on human rights issues in the country.
the union also looks forward to the full operation of the office of the united nations human rights commissioner.
it is of the utmost importance to give strong signals that impunity for these assassinations of human rights defenders will not prevail.
the european union continues to monitor with great attention the dire situation of indigenous leaders members of the lgbti community journalists and justice officials who continue to be particularly affected by violations of human rights in the country.
in broader terms the union has taken proactive steps to protect human rights defenders worldwide. this includes the establishment at the end of two thousand and fifteen of a comprehensive human rights defender mechanism managed by a consortium of human rights ngos which has now become fully operational.
in an immediate reaction to these odious murders the european union has called for a thorough expedite and transparent investigation of the cases.
the european union welcomes the recent agreement on the deployment of an organisation of american states mission to support the fight against corruption and impunity in honduras known as maccih in its spanish acronym and the request for support from the honduran authorities
the situation also calls for an urgent implementation of the law to protect human rights defenders. the european union has been very much involved in promoting this initiative through its development cooperation programmes which provided support for the drafting of the law.
the european union has constantly advocated human rights and justice reforms in honduras and stands ready to work together with the honduran people to address these challenges.
madam president the recent murder of berta cceres and its possible links to the agua zarca dam project highlight the need not only for better protection of human rights defenders but also for regulation for corporate responsibility for human rights including the right of grievances when rights are violated. the project has been implemented without thorough consultation with the area's indigenous lenca population.
it is good that finnfund along with several other funders has now decided to freeze agua zarca's funding for the time being.
modern medicine has allowed an extremely high safety record in vaccinations.
now decisions directly affect minors.
they are hugely important for communities at large and are proven to be effective in reducing child mortality.
we cannot take chances when it comes to the health and safety of our citizens and in particular our children.
accurate and widespread information is essential to ensure citizens know how important vaccines are for their children.
part of the hesitation of parents to allow their children to receive the combined vaccination for these three infectious diseases was caused by a discredited study which claimed to show a link between vaccination and autism. this study has since been disproved.
we must take heed of the often life saving health benefits of vaccinations for our children as the commissioner has just pointed out.
safety is of course always a primary concern;
to suggest that legal requirements are not necessary for ensuring the highest possible immunisation rates is to disregard how crucial these immunisations are.
unfortunately it seems that public attention is often focused on vaccine safety and not on vaccine effectiveness.
vaccines are not only important to prevent disease in individuals;
do we have appropriate surveillance in
we need to foster an understanding of the importance of vaccination as a key tool for preventing
these efforts must be underpinned by effective communication and enhanced public engagement.
year. i hope it will pave the way towards a shared vision to improve vaccination coverage in
in addition next year i intend to launch a new joint action with member
mr president for two and a half years we have been eye witnesses to the horrible war in syria and politically and diplomatically the eu has stood on the sidelines while syrians are facing the worst atrocities of what looks more and more like a proxy war that risks destabilising the entire middle east. there is no solution in sight and no deal on chemical weapons will end the humanitarian disaster which will be on our doorsteps for years.
we must step beyond the disgraceful discussions such as those in the netherlands as to whether we would take fifty or two hundred and fifty people into our countries while a country like lebanon takes in six zero people a day the majority of whom are girls and women.
the eu has a lead role in offering funding for humanitarian support and i would like to compliment commissioner georgieva for her efforts and her leadership.
winter is coming and we cannot leave these people standing in the cold.
but we must strategise and organise and especially act with all stakeholders so i am glad to see that the eu will lead and organise a conference to meet the unprecedented appeal of the united nations of which only one third has been covered which deals merely with food shelter medicine and other basic needs.
the numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees and their situations are staggering.
it is cynical to do that.
what is happening for the moment?
i think that the attitude of the international community towards the syrian tragedy is shameful and continues to be shameful. yes we have tackled the problem of chemical weapons.
what is a good solution?
we think too that you have to invite the neighbouring countries to this and the un international agencies and naturally representatives from the syrian national council and from other people working in the field.
much more money is needed and the eu must open its borders to these refugees.
the open doors of some of syria's neighbours are welcomed but the closed doors policy of the eu remains criminalising refugees and militarising european borders with the tragic results that we have seen.
the scale of the movement also indicates how people do not trust or support either assad or the sectarian leaders of the opposition.
they are fleeing to try to escape a brutal civil war and to survive. by the end of the year over ten million people more than half the population will be in need of humanitarian assistance.
what stands out here above all though is the hypocrisy of the eu.
that metaphor accurately gives a sense of the scale of the humanitarian disaster.
the aid given by the eu so far amounts to twenty cents per day per person dependent upon aid.
the commission in close cooperation with the relevant international partners is preparing a regional protection programme which is especially designed to address the medium and long term challenges of the syrian humanitarian crisis and is expected to start functioning early next year.
we therefore commend syria's neighbours for having kept most of their borders open providing a safe haven for those who have lost everything. we strongly encourage these countries to continue on this path.
not only is this an appalling reality for those whose lives are marred by traumas violence and displacement it also constitutes a huge challenge for syria's neighbours and unless things change for the better inside syria the un
the council has been following with great concern developments in the syrian crisis and is aware of the potential challenges to member states of increasing migratory pressure from nationals fleeing from syria.
the council also received a report from the commission on the results of a recent fact finding mission to some of those eu member states most directly affected by migratory pressures from syria.
today. it proves once again the attention with which this parliament has been following the appalling situation in syria and its spillover effects in the whole region.
the high representative has welcomed the united nations security council resolution on syrian chemical weapons as representing a major step towards a sustainable and unified international response to the crisis in syria.
we need to take full advantage of this momentum.
at that meeting ministers reiterated the firm commitment of the eu to step up assistance to those affected by the crisis.
on the particular issue of the plight of refugees but we must not lose sight of the most important goal ending the violence and heading towards a peaceful and democratic transition in syria.
the issue was discussed most recently at yesterday's justice and home affairs council.
in recent months in particular the number of syrian nationals heading towards eu member states has significantly increased.
we are indeed in contact with them to discuss practical support.
in humanitarian assistance as in other policy fields it is clear that we can act most effectively when we coordinate among ourselves and build on the particular strength and experience of the eu of its institutions and of each and every member state together.
we have consistently emphasised the need for a political solution the only possible solution to this war and the need for the security council to act and effectively end this conflict.
internationally we have continued to work with all partners with the us with russia the un and many arab nations to achieve a united international response.
at the same time we acknowledge the international community's responsibility to share part of the burden by offering support to those who so generously host large numbers of refugees.
almost every member state is seeking to help alleviate the suffering of the syrian people both inside and outside the country. this is despite the current difficult economic climate and in some cases very strict budgetary constraints.
the council yesterday welcomed the progress towards the establishment of this programme and invited the commission to continue this very important work.