kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
however to appropriately address the serious problem of the illegal settlements that the current government of israel continues to build this may not be the tool.
to start with this protocol means we are turning procedures upside down and that will have an adverse effect.
clearly the eu has a responsibility to lead in protecting and promoting universal human rights worldwide.
when we talk about the technical implementation of a protocol to a trade agreement some context and background are important as it is undeniable that the political discussions have taken the upper hand in this house when dealing with this dossier.
when it comes to israel or the middle east peace process we have to be careful not to be so divisive ourselves that we become part of the problem instead of the solution.
we either have to use the conditionality at association agreement level or find other ways.
we believe trade agreements are an important lever and i think we should not shy away from firmly invoking conditionality clauses especially those on human rights.
mr president today we are discussing the oral question that seeks to clarify in a binding way appropriate measures to ensure that the eu will not import medicines or other pharmaceutical products from the occupied territories.
it is then up to members of this house to vote according to their conscience as we always do even on difficult and politicised issues.
getting by on a day by day basis is not the same as a sustainable two state solution which moves further away with every settlement built.
it goes beyond the concrete and entirely justified questions which have been posed to the commission today in relation to the legal and constitutional concerns about acaa.
a number of meps argue in favour because they say that eu patients would have access to a broader range of generic and branded medicines.
this debate is not a technical debate it is a political debate and the heart of the question again which we come back to time and again on international trade agreements and related aspects here in parliament is whether the commitments in words to human rights by the european parliament and the eu will last when faced with commercial interests of european big business and also in this case when faced with a political agenda of support for israel.
therefore while not defining it its scope of application is the same as set out in article eighty three of the association agreement.
outstanding issues regarding the agreement on conformity assessment and acceptance between israel and the eu.
the commission is presently working on a modification of the system including the publication of a list of settlement codes which will increase awareness of eu importers and will allow customs authorities to verify these declarations more effectively.
of course the commission could also use existing means under the association agreement to ensure that israel implements the acaa. turning to the two thousand and five technical arrangement which allows the eu to identify and deny preferential treatment under the association agreement to goods produced in areas beyond israel's pre one thousand nine hundred and sixty seven borders it must be recalled that preferential treatment in terms of customs tariffs is an entirely different issue to conformity assessment and that the origin of the product fully keeps its relevance when the certified product is to enter the territory of the eu.
its objective is to eliminate barriers to trade through allowing products covered by the agreement to enter the markets of the parties without additional conformity assessment procedures resulting in mutual recognition of conformity assessment and inspection results which will reduce costs and time for economic operators.
for practical reasons and for reasons of compliance with wto's non discrimination rules these agreements cannot discriminate or exclude on the basis of origin.
there have been cases of abuse which have been detected and tackled appropriately but they are few and insignificant in volume of trade.
according to information received from israeli authorities and ngos there is currently no pharmaceutical production in israeli settlements.
as it results from international obligations of the eu and as confirmed by the european court of justice in two thousand and ten in the brita case the eu does not recognise israeli jurisdiction over the territories placed under israeli administration after.
mr president i also thank commissioner de gucht for his very clear answers though they only confirmed what we already knew.
it is time to get on and vote on this agreement.
two years of discussion in committee has been a delaying tactic. as commissioner de gucht said the objective of the acaa is to eliminate barriers to trade by reducing costs and delays.
you are doing consumers and patients no favours on choice and price of medicines.
i hope that if there are palestinian pharmaceutical products they will also benefit from easier export to the eu under this protocol.
on the question of trade and human rights i have no hesitation whatsoever in criticising settlements or administrative detention by israel or the many human rights breaches by the two palestinian administrations.
trade is not at the expense of human rights.
i have to say as vice chair of the us delegation that has never stopped me criticising human rights problems like rendition in guantnamo in the united states and it will not stop me on israel either.
namely it is about trying to impose our political views on israel through trade leverages.
this did not work in the past and will definitely not work in the future.
contrary to what colleagues have been saying today it is not the greatest democracy in the middle east.
on the other hand i think the political stance of the european union with respect to israel is clear we do not recognise the settlements. we have to apply the existing legislation with respect to the settlements in the way that has been voted upon and the same goes for possible additional legislation
what i have been doing is giving you the assurances that in good faith i can give you.
let us be coherent about how we tackle the suffering in the occupied territories and the increased trade benefits we give to israel.
more trade and easier trade should never be at the expense of upholding our commitments to human rights.
the collective punishment of gaza is unacceptable and until serious steps are taken by israel to comply with international law i strongly oppose this upgrade. i hope that the commission is able to give detailed answers on how the caa would function in practice and how we would ensure that products manufactured in the settlements do not fall under the scope of the protocol.
acaa is a purely technical agreement and has become a highly politicised one as part of an israel bashing exercise which does nothing to facilitate access to high quality and affordable pharmaceutical products for our european consumers.
how much better to recognise that here is a country of nearly eight million people with a standard of living higher than many eu member states.
how much the palestinians could learn and benefit from this if they were given the opportunity by their own leaders if they recognised the right of israel to exist ended terrorism and hostility and moved forward in a positive spirit with negotiation of a two state solution.
those seeking to pick holes in the eu israel caa protocol should ask themselves a simple question do we want to bring about peace and prosperity for palestinians or do we wish to condemn another generation to a life of poverty hardship and insecurity?
on the one hand we have the legal issues.
does the commission consider that it has the legal authority to reject or geographically restrict the territorial scope of the agreement?
but at the same time as the commission provides the legal clarifications i have to ask myself irrespective of the legal arguments is it coherent or credible for the eu to consistently and forcefully criticise the israeli authorities?
many patients in the eu do not have access to proper treatment for diseases especially those suffering from rare diseases.
every tonne of co two that is emitted today will remain in the atmosphere for over a hundred years.
we can have a green economy.
a strong vote from this parliament tomorrow will send a message to businesses to farmers to industry to consumers and to voters and the young people of europe that we are serious about climate change. it is a compromise sure but it is one that we have to make and the political groups here are committed to it.
the damage continues to be done to the whole planet.
the task before us goes beyond the choices that individuals privately make. this is about industries and it is about governments making the right choices and taking concrete measures. this is our moment for action.
we pushed for more compliance checks yes;
we know today that climate change is affecting every country in every continent.
this parliament must have a progressive and ambitious stand on these measures closing loopholes and making sure that member states reduce their emissions;
we need to end once and for all the free ride that polluters have been given. this is not a technical debate but i believe that this is a human rights debate because our citizens and our children have a right to a cleaner world.
unlike the commissioner we know that this can be done and we want to be ambitious and we want to have something that really works.
this is our opportunity to really show that we are ready to stand up to the occasion.
i am proud that this political group was part of a group that stopped the attempts to water down this legislation.
we believe that we have the means to stop this devastation but we need to have the political will to do so.
it is no longer time for watering down legislation because we can make a positive impact.
this is what we worked hard to achieve in the effort sharing regulation.
as socialists and democrats we believe that it is our duty to respond properly to our planet's greatest challenge with determination and honesty.
there are no excuses our economy will die if our ecosystems collapse.
we had the opportunity to make serious policies with the emissions trading scheme and this is our opportunity now with this regulation.
ensuring also that all sectors contribute to a proper reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
i would say to the commissioner that we need to think now if we want to ensure our future and we need to have a long term perspective.
two thousand and fifty the eu's climate and energy policies keep perpetuating the same misguided path continuing to be the solo leader in the futile battle against climate change whereas the usa and others are acting in favour of progress and prosperity.
my party and i oppose the eu climate and energy policy.
the aim of this proposal is to deliver in the relevant sectors thirty emissions reductions by two thousand and thirty compared to two thousand and five levels.
once again we are expanding and strengthening its remit.
however in this instance the project is one of the biggest threats to european industry and competitiveness.
this time the european commission proposal climate action regulation implementing the paris agreement covers all sectors that currently fall outside the eu emission trading system with particular regard to transport waste environment and agriculture.
consistent with these goals the paris agreement also requires that zero net emissions must be achieved in the second half of this century.
in the uk we would say that this amounted to flogging a dead horse.
the sole effect that this huge burden of climate regulation is going to have is to exacerbate the crisis already being experienced by european union industries that are forced to move offshore taking their emissions and their jobs with them.
we improved the commission's proposal.
i very much regret this because he really put a lot of effort into this file and it is a pity that he cannot be here. our thoughts are certainly with him. secondly i would like to say that it is a bit strange that tomorrow we are going to discuss trump withdrawing from the paris agreement and today we are going to discuss our own actions. i can tell you that the greens tried to link those two discussions.
we are creating loopholes loopholes in the legislation so that this minus forty is not even really minus.
that is really my main criticism too in this parliament.
the commission's proposal had too many loopholes.
we are doing a lot of work on climatesmart agriculture but there is only so far we can go.
one seven billion in terms of purchasing carbon.
we know that we have to do more but what i would ask colleagues to understand is the situation where we do not have heavy industry we have a large agricultural sector and we need much more flexibility on this issue because farmers are concerned that the cost of this at the moment if we look at the calculations would be over eur.
i know commissioner that you are fully familiar with our problems in ireland because we have a strong and large agricultural sector.
we have a lot of political imbalances we have a lot of environmental imbalances and we have a lot of economic imbalances and they all act together.
interconnected.
we must recognise the specific situation of the farming sector and ensure that they can continue to produce but protect at the same time.
even though we know that many us states cities and businesses are continuing or even scaling up climate action and green investment.
as a result of this work alde the epp and ecr groups agreed to table a set of joint amendments that will do three things firstly maintain the strength and emissions trajectory adopted by the envi committee.
at the same time we must maintain a strong driver for energy efficient and clean transport.
i applaud that the groups here in the european parliament have decided to unanimously give a strong signal to the international community that it will support this report in plenary tomorrow.
secondly it will increase the optional use of forest credits from one hundred and nineteen million to two hundred and eighty million tons which will help build the business case for forest based climate measures.
mr president the most powerful signal that the european parliament can give is that it is serious about tackling climate change and is taking real action implementing the paris agreement by passing the climate action regulation tomorrow.
but thankfully china has restated their strong commitment to the paris agreement and president macron has announced that france will do more compared to earlier commitments.
it deals with almost two thirds of all greenhouse gases emitted across the eu.
so with or without trump climate action and green investment under the paris agreement must move ahead.
thirdly we will give better support to lowerincome member states that have reduced their emissions significantly in earlier years.
in the long term our forests are crucial to build the zero carbon economy.
farming is also covered in this regulation and we will include special support for climateefficient farmers.
the compromises reached will represent a balance between delivering on the eu's commitments on the one hand and providing fairness for all member states and regulating the regulated sectors on the other.
however last week president trump announced that he would withdraw the united states from the paris climate change agreement.
this is sending a dreadful signal to the rest of the world.
mr president i am sceptical in many ways towards the european union but on this i think it is a challenge that we should meet.
there can be benefits if we meet this challenge; there can be benefits in producing our proteins locally rather than bringing them thousands of kilometres across an ocean;
there can be benefits in recycling the animal manure and reusing the energy and the fertiliser saving on heavy use of energy in chemical fertilisers.
there can be use in reusing water.
this can all bring benefits to the farming community and we need to sell it to people by showing that there will be financial benefits locally because if we produce locally people can stay locally and everyone is happy and the planet benefits.
in particular the commission will now proceed with the codification of the regulations concerned by the adoption of the two omnibus packages.
let me assure you that the commission has acted as expediently as possible in order to reach this point. it would also be fair to say that with the adoption of both regulations the eu trade policy framework is undergoing another major shift.
while streamlining our decision making processes we will be able to act in a more timely manner gaining further credibility on the international stage.
this is a major achievement.
the text in front of you is fully in line with the outcome of the trilogue and is fully supported by the commission.
we will also agree that a number of concessions have been needed on all sides in order to reach a compromise.
as we all know arriving at this point in the legislative process has not been easy. it has taken a long time;
i would also like to confirm the declarations made by the commission as part of the trilogue.
having the new procedures in place will allow us to act swiftly to implement the common commercial policy and assist eu operators more efficiently.
as agreed this process will be initiated by one june two thousand and fourteen at the latest further improving the legibility of the new legal framework for all stakeholders. let me close by thanking again on behalf of commissioner de gucht the rapporteurs and parliament as a whole for your engagement on this important file.
with the lisbon treaty and the rules governing implementing powers in place we have managed to find a new institutional balance that will govern the adoption of implementing and delegated acts in the area of trade policy.
finally let me conclude by stressing our appreciation for the sense of urgency that the european parliament attached to these two files especially now in times of intense legislative activity.
by adopting these two regulations the european commission looks forward to implementing the new rules in early two thousand and fourteen and to activating the decision making procedures and communication channels as established under the new framework.
mr president without entering into much detail let me stress that by adopting this interinstitutional agreement the commission will now be able to react even more swiftly to defend european interests working at the same time and in strengthened cooperation and contribution with the institutional partners.
with the new structure in place we will continue to monitor the functioning of the system in order to make it more effective and intelligible for our citizens.
it is true that turkey has made progress recently in the field of women's rights.
i feel that the turkish government could take further action in order to prevent early forced marriages as well as taking more action on the more recent issues of honour suicides or honour killings.
mr president in this age of austerity when governments across the world and across the eu are having to tighten their belts and cut spending it is important that we come up with initiatives for growth and give confidence to our electorate that we are seeking ways for growth to create jobs.
indeed it asserts that instead of harmonising criminal law across the eu it may be more prudent to improve mutual recognition.
it is much more experienced and thus better equipped to tackle crime in the uk and beyond.
mr president the report recognises that criminal law is a highly sensitive policy area and many member states feel that their own individual criminal justice systems should continue to serve them best.
this is particularly relevant for my member state the uk where the criminal justice system dates back nearly one hundred and forty years.
i backed this report and i welcome the paragraphs that call for a better exchange of best practice between member states and an improvement in cooperation between the commission and the member states as i feel that this can only lead to a smoother functioning of the single market which is after all the greatest prize of eu membership.
this year we celebrate the twenty anniversary of the adoption of the single market act and the organisation of the single market forum.
although we have come a long way it is still of vital importance that the legislation that is in place for businesses as well as consumers is effective.
mr president i cautiously welcome the report on the two thousand and twenty perspective for women in turkey as it recognises the progress that turkey has made in women's rights and it also highlights the continued work that needs to be carried out from now on.
given that turkey is a candidate country to join the eu it is even more important for it to meet the copenhagen criteria before eu membership is achieved.
it is disturbing to learn that thirty nine of turkish women have apparently encountered some form of physical violence during their adult lives.
despite the progress that has been made violence against women continues and so further efforts need to be made.
i therefore support the turkish government and call on it to adopt a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women.
it is encouraging to hear that turkey has newly appointed a minister for family and social policies who has stated that women's rights and gender equality will be one of the government's priorities.
we need to follow it up vigorously.
i especially welcome paragraph eleven which calls on the turkish government to investigate the phenomenon of honour suicides.
i welcome that paragraph eleven for example calls for further research on this.
i voted against paragraph.
it is important to continue to highlight areas that need greater attention to ensure that all eu citizens can benefit from the single market.
it is of concern that only eleven member states have reached the one transposition deficit target that was set by the european council itself.
mr president i voted in favour of this report on the internal market scoreboard as the scoreboard itself has proved to be a valuable tool in identifying key areas of improvement for member states with respect to the progress they are making in transposing internal market legislation.
the single market is the most effective tool we have for restoring growth across the eu in these current economically difficult times.
mr president i voted in favour of this resolution because i believe that the european union should use its influence to support the cause of women in turkey and promote women's rights in accordance with the charter of european rights.
the accession process is valuable in itself and we must assist accession countries in implementing laws which are consistent with our principles and values although i have to say that there are member states where few women are in politics and in high level decision making positions so we also have to work in our own member states.
coming back to turkey women are active members of their communities and must be involved in the decision making process in all areas.
increased political participation for approximately half of the turkish population will only increase the country's wealth and its democratic credentials.
both in identifying turkey's progress and in detailing where more work needs to be done. i welcome the tone of the report which is neither hectoring nor lecturing and identifies this as clearly a work in progress. i particularly welcome progress in turkey in the areas of health and education for women and children. the appointment of a minister for family and social policies is a good sign and i have been very impressed by her strong public assurances that the turkish government is continuing to escalate the issue of women's rights up its agenda.
of course there is a long way to go but we should be encouraging the turkish government to continue on this trajectory.
whilst we see increasing problems with cross border crime including people trafficking and cyber crime which both in their own special ways add to the total sum of human misery we must be careful to develop a very proportionate response.