kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
providing humanitarian aid and states offering temporary protection are critical to the hundreds of migrants at immediate risk.
we must first put an end to the networks of smugglers that take cruel advantage of human suffering and desperation.
to truly address the problem of migration for good we must engage with countries to take responsibility for the safety and well being of their citizens.
taiwan also plays a very important role in the global supply chains of information and communication technologies. the european ict sector is itself heavily dependent on the taiwanese supply of high end components and contract manufacturing.
new zealand india indonesia and the philippines will be next.
it has been a full member of the wto since two thousand and two as well as a full member of apec and the asian development bank.
if we as a nation state were able to negotiate our own trade agreements and thereby have trade arrangements in place that can conform first and foremost to the needs of our country.
placed on them by the commission or for that matter by parliament.
on taiwan uk representatives should do what we can to make certain that any proposed trade agreements with taiwan which is a democracy and a vibrant one are not handicapped and hobbled by an extraneous political agenda
such an agreement is in the long term interests of both sides and the cake grows bigger for both as synergies and opportunities for joint ventures and free flow of investments can carry on in both directions.
taiwan is a democracy with a vibrant free market and a largely export driven economy.
if other countries already discussing a free trade deal with the eu are falling behind taiwan should not be penalised as a result.
as and when taiwan is ready to negotiate the eu should respond positively and judge this country solely on its economic merits without taking into consideration what is going on in other asean countries or any possible political objections from china.
although taiwan has made great progress in recent years towards stronger economic ties with the mainland by negotiating a successful albeit controversial economic cooperation framework agreement ecfa with the prc taiwan does not want to become over dependent on one economic partner.
the eu can therefore help to ensure taiwan's long term economic prosperity by helping taiwan to diversify its global economic perspectives.
given the unusual status of taiwan in terms of eu legal recognition under what legal basis and what country name will the negotiations take place?
yes as the earl said we can have a good relationship with china we want to have a good relationship with china but that must not in any way impede us from having a good relationship with taiwan and developing trade links with taiwan. we have much to gain.
we have nothing to be afraid of.
medical research pharmaceuticals and horticulture are only a few of the sectors that would be damaged.
the new guidelines could also hinder the ongoing israeli palestinian peace negotiations acting as a backward step for diplomacy. israel invests approximately.
four five of its gdp in research and development the highest ratio of any country in the world and consequently i believe that these current plans would disadvantage both israel and the eu alike.
the new guidelines announced in july would threaten israel's overall participation in the whole programme.
it would also damage the employment prospects for local israeli and palestinian communities.
i believe the repatriation of powers to national governments will help make the european union competitive again.
we need a change and we need to look to the future.
and the british prime minister david cameron agrees.
its president has said the fundamental discussion about the competences of the eu is doomed to failure. i say to him repatriation of powers to national governments is the only way to save the eu from failure.
less bureaucracy more flexibility.
the unemployment rate in germany is.
the eu should consider whether it can give something back to national governments.
as they age their health problems are made worse by their disabilities.
the compensation the victims did receive is now inadequate to meet the rising costs of their care.
all they want is for grnenthal to face up to its responsibilities and to arrive at a fair settlement.
the cause of this was the drug thalidomide prescribed to pregnant women. in the uk there are about four hundred and sixty seven surviving victims.
please register your support for the thalidomide victims' campaign by going to their website http www.
some compensation was paid by the distillers company ltd the uk distributors but the german inventor of the drug grnenthal has never properly accepted its responsibilities or paid compensation to the british victims.
the survivors are an extraordinary group of brave resilient and independent people.
and i did not speak out because it was not my party.
mr president mps must not be above the law especially if they are implicated in crimes of violence. however the arrest of six greek mps including their party leader at the behest of the government only days after violent protests against their party by left wing demonstrators following the horrific stabbing of a left wing activist must give us cause for concern we must think of what pastor martin niemller might have said first they came for golden dawn
i am putting it to the commissioner here that as a result of that she is holding the fisheries committee and parliament in contempt and she cannot meet us until twenty seven november. a commissioner whose responsibility is for the european union fisheries committee is not responding and even last week did not have time to talk to the chairs of the college absconded from the meeting but hopefully she.
i think it is really important because the scheme ends in march of next year that we put out this warning both to our uk colleagues and to the administration.
i would urge colleagues from the united kingdom to put pressure again on their administration to make sure that those affected get the compensation they are entitled to. we have concerns that twenty of policyholders may not receive compensation because the administrators say they cannot contact them.
it is good news for parliament that money is being paid by the uk government to policyholders who were affected by the demise of that company and there are large numbers of them over a million in the uk and fifteen zero in other eu member states.
so this is a wake up call to policyholders.
the bad part of this issue is that there is some sluggishness in how the compensation scheme is working.
i chaired that committee and in two thousand and seven we reported back.
we hope that stability the rule of law and due process and fair trial for the former president are immediately restored.
we have seen the disappearance of journalist ahmed rilwan which is still unsolved and the ban on peaceful protests is very troubling.
they should be allowed to undertake their constitutionally mandated roles without fear of sanctions.
these are founding principles of the european union.
two thousand and twelve eu heads of missions and the ambassadors of norway and switzerland in colombo issued a statement expressing their concerns about both the arrest and the conduct of the first hearing which took place without any legal representation.
notably there was a disputed and controversial transfer of power' in february.
ensuring that the opposition are able to conduct their activities without harassment by the state is critical to the state of democracy in the maldives.
the people of the maldives are no different.
it is vital that the government takes action now to demonstrate its commitment to the values of freedom of expression and assembly.
two thousand and twelve the ramifications of those events continue to undermine the possibilities for durable progress in the maldives.
these are not idle concerns.
since the adoption of the new constitution and the introduction of multiparty elections in two thousand and eight progress has been uneven.
a free media also has an essential role to play in enabling public scrutiny of the government.
madam president the government of the maldives has taken important steps to enact legislation against domestic violence human trafficking the right to information as well as improving social security education and health. the european union strongly welcomes these measures. but these gains risk being undermined if the government does not take urgent remedial action to restore the health of its democracy and the sanctity of key democratic principles on which that democracy is founded.
likewise independent bodies such as the human rights commission and the elections commission have important roles in maintaining democracy.
i want to take this opportunity to emphasise and reiterate the importance of those principles.
allow me to conclude this debate by saying that we will continue to monitor closely the situation in the maldives.
we expect the government of the maldives to accept the political and legal offers of the european union.
the european union legal expert would give the european union and the republic of the maldives the opportunity to start a dialogue on the state of the judiciary.
the european union will continue to pay close attention to the issue of islamic radicalisation which is currently at the centre of the european agenda.
yet on the political side the supreme court removed two members of the elections commission less than two weeks before the election day.
but we are also seeing a number of tensions as these institutions find their places in the new set up. we recognise the role that former president nasheed has played in these changes. but the european union also expressed its concern when as president he ordered the arrest of a judge which has had on going repercussions not least at present. the recent events are deeply disturbing.
we are seeing the juxtaposition of these new charges under the terrorism act.
new charges should have time for a new defence;
it is a constitutional guarantee in the maldives.
we saw changes too in the law regarding holding public office post conviction and changes in legal procedures not least the time to prepare an appeal. i think many of us find it very difficult to believe that this juxtaposition was purely a simple coincidence.
the european parliament wants the constitutional guarantees of the maldives upheld for all its citizens all its residents.
it is essential for progress in this small island state threatened by climate change.
madam president in a country better known for tourism rather than militancy sadly human rights and democracy in the maldives are deteriorating at an alarming rate with rising wahhabi salafism as an influence and political tensions. peaceful protestors are being arrested and critical media outlets in civil society are being silenced whilst the judicial system is being manipulated to imprison opposition politicians.
the recent arrest and conviction of the former president mohamed nasheed the first democratically elected president of the maldives who did so much in the past to raise the plight of inundation his country faces from climate change is just one example of selective justice and corruption in a politicised judiciary.
it has been reported that his trial clearly failed to meet national and international standards of justice.
my group the ecr calls on the government of the maldives to immediately and unconditionally release former president nasheed and to take the necessary steps to reform the judiciary in order to restore confidence in the rule of law.
the introduction of delayed death sentences now under sharia law on minors is of the gravest concern. the significant rise in the number of maldivians joining isis has also created a rise in jihadi radicalisation within that small country's society.
this resolution calls for warnings to be given to eu tourists visiting the indian ocean tourist destination.
but where we cannot remain silent is where there are breaches of human rights. we did not seek either to support or oppose the former president from outside simply by objecting as we would for any defendant to reports that he is being mistreated in custody denied medical treatment and refused a defence lawyer in due time for the start of the case against him.
it is not to support his candidacy at future elections if we defend his or anyone's right to stand in such elections or when we observe what appear to be incredible charges of terrorism against him which themselves appear to be intended to prevent him from contesting the elections.
as amnesty international has observed this is happening in the context of a rising general concern about restrictions against protests media and civil society within the country and the free reign of vigilante groups allegedly unfettered by the police.
when the human rights commission is charged with treason simply for undertaking its role in accordance with un human rights council no members of the un itself should remain silent for us in europe and for my country as a member of the commonwealth.
this so called trial does not at all respect the basic principles of a fair trial and goes against the maldivian state's constitution. we have always been at the forefront in our commitment and support to consolidate democracy promote good governance strengthen key institutions and help the maldives to address social environmental and transnational challenges.
madam president tackling the world's climate emergency must be europe's defining issue renewables energy efficiency circular economy agriculture transport oceans climate proofing trade deals digitalisation
for the air that we breathe we need to listen to our young people.
a profound european green new deal that leads the world works across the portfolio of every commissioner and every eu government.
we are facing catastrophic climate chaos unless as europe we take immediate and joined up holistic action with a just transition that works for every european citizen and leaves no worker no young woman and no region behind.
energy poverty regional regeneration sustainable investment embracing our stakeholders research experts and our citizens.
all these component elements are in place.
so many lives are lost because they don't have a regular pathway to make it to europe. that is why they expose themselves to trafficking in human beings and the most unbearable violations of human rights on the other side of the mediterranean coast namely libya.
of course we pay respect to the efforts that have been deployed by public authorities namely italy and spain.
we care about enhancing the capacity to respond of the actual agency which is frontex in cooperation with some member states and also in cooperation with the libyan coastguard but we know that people trying to flee from libya are subject to the libyan authorities which deem it to be a criminal offence against the libyan legal order to try to flee from libyan territory irregularly when they are not given the chance to make it regularly.
we should not turn a blind eye to that situation.
madam president i am humbled and honoured to present this draft motion for a resolution on such a sensitive issue search and rescue in the mediterranean.
it is not the case that we ritually deplore this tragedy.
this is the aim of this concise resolution that has tried its best to encompass all of the component elements of the rationale behind the different political groups in this house which are willing to spread the message to reach out to the european citizens that we actually do care about
the necessity to stop this death toll and this tragedy.
it is about time that we bring about change and call on the commission and the council for real action on the matter.
that means in practical terms that those who are sent back to libya are subject to the most inhumane violations of their most basic rights.
so we not only make the case for the necessity of enhancing legal pathways namely humanitarian corridors but also to call libya by its name no safe place no safe port for disembarkation.
the neighbouring county louth have a very strong dunleer sustainable energy group and they work at ground level and help vulnerable communities refurbish their homes with support from government.
we are dividing sectors and we are fragmenting within sectors particularly on agriculture.
competition law has resulted in the following statistics and i'll give them to you seventy of global agricultural industry controlled by three companies ninety of the grain trade by four companies and the five largest food retailers in thirteen member states have a combined turnover of sixty of the marketplace.
i do agree that we need a more environmental common agricultural policy but we need to give strong signals and reward people who do deliver.
they're protesting they're fragmenting and they really are directionless so we need to give them direction.
i want to say very clearly that farmers know that they need to take action but if you push them into a corner and blame as being the problem they cannot be part of the solution.
there's a lot of finger pointing about what you're not doing and what you need to do and i think we need less of that.
but we need to do much more.
two thousand and thirty and we will do the same to ensure the london assembly and the uk government deliver on their commitments.
when those children ask you what you did when there was a chance to act what will you say?
if you want a future we must act now.
madam president we have ten years left to try and avoid environmental and ecological breakdown. the science is clear and free of political spin. politicians who choose to ignore them are failing to protect citizens and this is why a record.
seven six million people around the world many of them schoolchildren took to the streets last month to demand urgent action.
i'd also like to say and i was one of those who persuaded the eu to end fossil fuel subsidies put a tax on aviation and helped ensure the eu got to carbon neutrality by two thousand and thirty and used its influence to get other nations to do the same.
i'll say i was one of the people who got my local council to be the first in london to declare a climate emergency and have plotted a course and a timetable to get to carbon neutrality by.
secondly movement to north africa which they find remains unsafe;
and in some member states refugees remain victimised driven into the hands of these people smugglers forced to make these more and more dangerous journeys and children left unaccompanied.
earlier this year i spent some time listening to refugees around the english channel who had previously crossed the mediterranean almost all of them and their experiences come in three stages destruction in their homeland;
we should not listen for one moment to those who oppose search and rescue.
as the president of the general affairs council i must say that i am deeply disappointed that we failed to do so in our meeting last week.
let me conclude by reiterating our deep appreciation for north macedonia for the courageous step it took with the signing of the historic prespa agreement and the change of the country's name.
in the meantime both countries have worked hard to advance in their reforms.
the importance of maintaining and even strengthening the eu's engagement in the western balkans is shared by all member states.
reforms are needed to progress in the eu approximation but most importantly these are reforms that the people of both of these countries call for.
this just means that even more efforts are needed.
the european council had a long debate on the issue last week and in the end the leaders agreed to revert to the issue of enlargement before the western balkans summit in zagreb in may.
the presidency remains committed to doing what it can in order to explore a path towards a clear and substantive outcome.
i must admit that this lack of unanimity on reaching these concrete decisions can be seen as a setback for the eu's role in the western balkans and for our enlargement policy which remains a strategic investment in peace stability and development in europe.
that the council has not yet been able to reach an agreement on the commission's recommendations to open accession negotiations with the republic of north macedonia and with albania.
i think it's important to stress that there are no differing views in the council regarding our commitment to the european perspective of the western balkans.
i would also like to reiterate how important it is that both north macedonia and albania continue to make concrete progress on reforms.
it is also clear for everyone in the eu that the region is in our courtyard and we need to continue to do our best to help take further the necessary reform processes.
it is also worth repeating that committing to european values remains essential for all partners aspiring to gain eu membership.
the presidency also welcomes the political will to move forward which has been demonstrated constantly by the government in albania despite a polarised political atmosphere.
the council's conclusions adopted last june tasked us to make clear and substantive decisions on both countries at the latest in october.
i am convinced that soon enough the time will come for these efforts to be rewarded.
let us remember that the eu itself was born as a collaborative political experiment to combat authoritarianism and militarism. it is our task to support our nearest and weakest neighbours in resisting those same threats.
what is needed is not just words but the kind of sanctions that work.
erdoan will not tolerate the existence of a kurdish democratic society in the region and seems set on a brutal offensive.
the world is watching.
we have heard from other speakers about the many reasons why we should protect these children and the kurdish population who live there by right.
academics and political idealists the world over have admired rojava's democratic society where women are empowered and humans live in harmony with the earth.
the toughest negotiations on its name led to the historic prespa agreement and it took real political courage and real leadership by both north macedonia and greece to put an end to a twenty seven year dispute.
the eu had the opportunity to finally show responsibility and political maturity but we failed miserably and this failure damages the image of the european union in the western balkans.
it was now time for the eu to deliver and to open accession negotiations.
both countries kept their promise and fulfilled their share.
the eu often raises its voice on issues where sadly we are unable to make a difference.
i wish i could give a different speech today.
as sad as it is to say this is exactly what european leaders did not have or perhaps precisely the french president did not have. mr macron did not show the same leadership and the same political courage.
let me turn now to turkey and its responsibility for the current situation.
the only way to address their aspirations and recognise the sacrifice made by the syrian democratic forces in the fight against daesh is to help build a democratic and inclusive syria a country that all its citizens can home.
this is for the sake of the peace stability and reconciliation that we all crave for syria.
the foreign affairs council has also made clear that we will not provide stabilisation or development assistance in areas where the rights of local populations are ignored or violated.
yet there can be no excuse for the nearly two hundred civilian deaths that have occurred nor for the bombing of hospitals ambulances and water stations.
yet we must agree with our international partners and yes russia and turkey too that changes must be made to the way syria is governed.
we acknowledge the contribution made by several international actors to ensure that this is the case.
it is crucial that instead we support the political process and that a lasting solution is found for all parties involved.
turkey's concerns must be addressed diplomatically not through military action that can only further destabilise the region and bring more suffering to the syrian population.