kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
these latest cases of match fixing are likely to require close coordination among judicial authorities involved in criminal investigation and prosecution.
i believe that the convention once adopted will send a strong signal on europe's determination to safeguard the integrity of sport.
work on these five projects started at the beginning of two thousand and thirteen and results are expected in the first half of.
i am glad to inform you that under the two thousand and twelve preparatory actions for sport the commission selected five projects in the area of match fixing.
the outcome of the projects will help us to spread good practices and strengthen networks.
two thousand and fourteen the recommendation will encourage a more efficient exchange of good practices in the prevention and combating of betting related match fixing.
one of the actions proposed by the commission is a recommendation to be adopted in.
given the evolution of money laundering risks it is important that the eu framework is able to respond in a robust but also flexible way.
mr president first of all let me thank all the honourable members for this opportunity to discuss here today how best to combat one of the major threats that organised sport is facing today match fixing;
it is not an easy task to fight against a complex issue such as match fixing.
two thousand and fourteen we are now involved in discussions for a possible convention of the council of europe against the manipulation of sports competitions.
we have been confronted in the past few months with reports and press articles about various episodes of match fixing across europe.
we can succeed if we remain united in our determination and work together towards this goal.
we have learnt that match fixing is a global phenomenon spanning several continents and often involving organised criminal networks.
indeed match fixing will be one of the topics addressed at the world conference of sports ministers in berlin in may this year.
i have been working closely with my colleagues in charge of the betting industry and the fight against corruption to forge a common position of the commission in this field.
i have replied to their call and shown that the commission is ready to act.
mr president this issue is close to my heart as a lover of sport and a football season ticket holder and sponsor of football at all levels including grassroots.
can we trust the eu commission with its history of corruption to clear up sport? maybe it is a poacher turned gamekeeper'.
match fixing is an endemic problem across the world.
until nations and football authorities get their houses in order how can we expect anything to change?
take a look at fifa for example a body that has been dogged by accusations of corruption;
or the fa back in my own country that fails to implement a working fit and proper persons test which allows vulnerable clubs to fall into the wrong hands.
many of the players that get caught up in match fixing accusations are often poorly paid poorly educated and poorly protected.
it is not enough for europol to investigate this problem.
uefa has far more member countries than the eu so proposed eu action would be an irrelevance. it is about time that we had transparent football authorities and legislation from national governments to stamp out this organised crime in football once and for all.
i pretend to have no knowledge of it whatsoever.
in terms of international crime there is already an international crime organisation called interpol which is there to share information and there are national police forces that are there to pursue crime in their individual nation states.
so i cannot see why you need yet another new body to do something that is already catered for by existing police forces and interpol.
i do not know why you imagine that some other body created by the european union is going to be any more efficient than all the other bodies created by the european union.
sometimes the results may disappoint but there are compelling reasons for it to provide the framework for the european union's relations with its neighbours for the years to come and i thank you very much for your support for this policy.
even if we do have the two thousand and fourteen budget approved we cannot commit funds for new programmes in two thousand and fourteen until the full legal and programming framework is formally adopted and this may put at risk the continuity of our support and our ability to react to changing circumstances.
the more consensus there is on the policy itself on the region or the countries the more effective the policy
what i am trying to say is that this is the policy which we have tried to elaborate together with our partners.
this will improve coherence and consistency. if i may add two other points.
next year.
the commission supports parliament's wish to have greater involvement in strategic decisions on the programming of financial assistance allowing it to provide guidance on programming assistance under the eni at an earlier stage and before the programming documents are finalised.
the policy can be successful only if we continue to be interactive with our partners delivering also on their ambitions and supporting those who are ready to be supported through embarking on a more ambitious
we have to deliver on political engagement improved access to our market better mobility for people and strong and consistent support for reforms.
we need to reflect on how to address this and on how we can use all the instruments at the european union's disposal to respond to the challenges in our neighbourhood.
as recent events in the mediterranean sea have demonstrated we have an interest in strengthening dialogue and cooperation.
the focus should not be limited to supporting individual partners.
let me be clear that these decisions on association agreements are sovereign decisions of those countries. let me also be clear that they are not about passing sovereignty to brussels.
conflicts and fragile security situations are threatening achievements already made and hindering reforms.
it is important for building trust and contributing to finding a solution to the region's protracted conflicts and it is important for building concrete projects and concrete solidarity among the people.
the major challenges ahead will be first implementation of the new agreements making the process of political association and economic integration irreversible and unlocking the full potential of relationships with the european union;
but in a spirit of mutual accountability we have to acknowledge that the success of the enp also depends on our own actions.
and i am also encouraged that the maghreb foreign ministers have shown interest in strengthening their own cooperation and integration building on our european experience.
but not replace this process.
and the fact that it reacts to all our individual country reports. i share the thrust of the resolution including the emphasis on the importance of implementation for the success of the policy the overriding principle of democracy rule of law and human rights
let me specifically underline the impact the conflict in syria has on lebanon or jordan. in such but also in other situations our partners need even stronger support from the european union.
strengthening the parliamentary dimensions of the enp is a key priority and i encourage this house to strengthen relations with our partners' parliaments.
i note your wish to be fully associated in the implementation of the enp and to be regularly informed about developments.
i appreciate the cooperation and coordination we have on all areas of the enp and i am personally committed to its continuation.
and the need to apply the principle of differentiation and more for more' taking into account the specificity of each of our partners the progress made in their reform efforts and their different levels of ambition to engage with the european union.
we also have to recognise that partners' ability to stick to their reform commitments can be compromised by external forces.
we are at an important even critical moment in the implementation of the enp. its success depends largely on the willingness and ability of each country to clearly define and assume the ownership of reforms. european union policies can support
and second shaping our relations with all six partners on the basis of our values and principles.
in times of crisis our policies may sometimes seem to be slow or not focused enough on short term needs.
this is why i am encouraged about the recent ministerial conference on the role of women in the context of the union for the mediterranean and about the other ministerial meetings that will soon take place notably on energy and transport.
on the contrary they are about strengthening their sovereignty by empowering these countries and using the association agreement as a vehicle for introducing european values.
regional dialogue and cooperation in the mediterranean region remains as important as ever.
but now is not the time to disengage.
and we must continue with the implementation of our offer of more intense people to people contacts easier mobility and gradual economic integration.
as regards the eastern partnership achieving a significant package of deliverables at vilnius will create the right conditions to maintain dynamism in the next phase.
we the european union institutions and our member states have to stick to our side of the bargain.
in this parliament when the five countries of the east had a certain cohesion but now even there we see the effects of competing interests and new russian pressure particularly when it comes to armenia and potentially moldova.
so we need to focus on saving the big fish namely ukraine and georgia.
as for armenia a country dear to my heart we naturally regret its move to join the eurasian customs union with russia but we can still cooperate with that country on a whole range of issues from visa liberalisation to culture and tourism outside the formal dcfta mechanisms.
indeed we must redouble our efforts to build relationships and cooperation with all the countries of the southern and eastern partnerships irrespective of vilnius.
lastly on the question of armenia which i am visiting shortly i hope that they will be present at a high level of their own government at vilnius even if the dcfta and association agreement is sadly no longer on the table.
in our neighbourhood.
if we look to the east we will see that the association agreements and the deep and comprehensive free trade agreements are the right tools to enable our neighbouring countries to make sustainable reforms and systemic transformation
on the basis of values such as human rights civil rights the rule of law and a socially oriented market economy.
madam president the eastern partnership is important for economic development and for democracy and the rule of law in our neighbourhood. that is why the door is open and must remain open.
that applies to ukraine which needs to take determined action regarding selective justice.
that applies to georgia where i regret that the prime minister of georgia has accused the opposition in the country of bribing members of this parliament accusing them of illegal action.
that is not the way you defend the rule of law and that is why we see the pre trial detentions.
it is therefore important to send a strong message that we are taking decisions which will impart great leverage for the future of the eastern partnership because today the picture is very mixed and blurred.
while the eu has always respected the desire of our partners to determine their degree of integration with the union we cannot afford to passively observe some provocative trends in our immediate neighbourhood.
the price which the union might need to pay if this reform movement is lost could affect the whole european neighbourhood policy as well as the union's image in the world.
the eu's commitments and programmes such as the association agreements with its neighbours are of mid and long term nature.
of course more focus should be put on people to people contacts as they are crucial for building stable societies especially in conflict riven regions and countries.
madam president commissioner it should be clear enough by now that the eastern partnership is a three way contest.
the actors are russia the eu and the six states involved.
now until we stop them taking the attractiveness of the eu for granted we run the risk of finding ourselves in a one down' position.
what is in the eu's favour is that none of the six wants to find itself fully back under moscow's thumb. they prefer to hold on to their sometimes precarious independence but equally they do not really want to sign up to the eu's complex of regulations either.
so the stakes are real.
are these states to be tied to russia to the eu or just float between the two?
i am referring specifically to georgia and i would like to raise the issue here in this parliament.
i am also critical of him being in pre trial detention now.
however there were problems when he was minister of the interior.
this has to be investigated.
we shall have to look into how our short term observations work.
the eu stands ready to assist the egyptian people in their efforts to complete their challenging democratic transition.
law. finally concerning the court convictions of forty three ngos and individuals egypt has confirmed that the egyptian authorities are waiting for a politically appropriate time in order to find a solution.
it is much more than that an independent judiciary an active civil society and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression. democracy is ultimately about listening to citizens and making compromises ensuring that the voices of all the people and not simply the majority are heard.
this has been and continues to be the eu's commitment to egypt but egypt needs to help the eu to help egypt.
this is a moment for all of us in this house to call on the parties to avoid violence and escalating tensions and to engage in the search for a solution to the crisis
president morsi immediately announced himself the representative of all egyptians and he smoothly organised a civilian handover of power from the military.
as the high representative has stressed since the beginning of the arab spring deep democracy is not only about elections and majorities.
tens of thousands of islamists maintained their sit in with smaller protests in some provincial centres. only a year ago mohamed morsi from the muslim brotherhood was appointed egypt's first democratically elected president a milestone in egypt's democratic transition that the eu and the international community welcomed.
there is an intrinsic link between political agreement and stability in the economic situation and the return of tourists and foreign direct investment of which egypt is in dire
since then the eu has invested time and effort to support the democratic evolution of the country engaging at all levels of government and opposition.
apart from the political stalemate mistrust and in many areas worrying human rights situations which possibly triggered such mass protests it is a fact that more than two years on egyptians are feeling worse off than they were before.
at the same time the eu has also been very active in support of respect for human rights in egypt.
only a political process leading to an early return to democracy will solve the present crisis.
the high representative was in egypt last week and discussed the situation with the president as well as with the opposition with this clear message we have argued since the beginning that the revolution belongs to the egyptian people. the political forces must ensure that the demands and aspirations of the egyptian citizens must be addressed through dialogue and compromise. we will continue to engage at all levels to say loud and clear that the voices of the egyptian people must be heard. the biggest challenge and indeed the biggest risk for egypt is the polarisation of its society and political system.
all interlocutors agreed that egypt was facing economic and political challenges and they all wanted to do something about it. they also agreed that they have to talk to each other but simply did not seem able to do
let us not forget that the real victims of egypt's unrest are not egyptian politicians many of whom are fighting old battles in their own interests still less those in the international community but rather the millions in egypt who have taken to the streets virtually every week for two and a half years to seek a better life based on fundamental freedom.
under his stewardship conditions for women and minorities particularly the much oppressed christian copts have steadily worsened and injustice has increased while civic freedoms have been eroded by a president who has at times attempted to unilaterally seize all the levers of power even where mubarak never dared to go.
mr president it hardly needs to be restated here that the situation in egypt remains very grave. in fact the situation is evolving on a seemingly hourly basis as the army deadline approaches and there are reports that tanks are being seen on the streets.
we must now throw our weight behind the tamarod rebels seeking new elections but without a return to full scale military dictatorship whilst urging the opposition to protest without violence particularly in the light of last night's clashes between pro morsi supporters and the security forces at cairo university in which at least sixteen people were killed and two hundred injured.
we must take this opportunity to offer our support to the millions of ordinary egyptians who never lost their dreams for freedom prosperity and security through all the decades of hosni mubarak's tyranny of the bloody hard fought arab spring revolution and now for a year of the chaotic mismanagement by mohamed morsi whose legitimacy is now in question. i stood here a few months ago and argued that revolutions are transitions rather than transformations and that perhaps a period of instability was to be expected after such upheaval but president morsi has tested the patience of his international partners and far more importantly his own people to breaking point.
morsi's interests lie with the sectarian islamist muslim brotherhood and not with all of the people of egypt.
as i have said before we must base our position on our clear principles and values. this is not about artificial deadlines or taking sides with one or another group.
the eu has no other option but to stay engaged with egypt as a neighbour and partner. ultimately it is only the egyptians who can determine their future and egypt's path.
it is the particular responsibility of the elected leadership to listen to the voice of egypt and to enter into an open minded and broad dialogue with all sides. egypt's biggest enemy is division and polarisation. political representatives must ensure that the demands and aspirations of the egyptian citizens
on our side we will continue and the high representative will continue to engage at all levels to say loud and clear that the voices of the egyptian people must be heard and the peaceful transition continues.
mr president as we stand here the egyptian people are flooding the streets in the largest political demonstrations ever seen.
the government should not pit people against each other.
though president morsi or any government following in the corrupt footsteps of the mubarak dictatorship would have had major challenges to reform the economy and to guide the country towards democracy power grabs and restricting the rights of minorities limiting and criminalising civil society and failing to avoid a bread and fuel crisis have culminated in an untenable situation.
it is encouraging to see so many egyptians reject the dictatorship of the majority seeking the rule of law and the protection of the rights liberties and opportunities of all egyptians.
so far more for more' rings hollow as a hollow promise.
we must not repeat the mistakes of the past.
we must reach out to the population of egypt more forcefully and more strongly to help in the immediate term to prevent violence and to help facilitate an inclusive dialogue towards transition and free and fair elections towards a rules based society and a new constitution and towards economic recovery and necessary reforms while respecting the rights and freedoms of all egyptians.
we must do what we can to offer a democratic perspective to a massive young generation of egyptians who need such perspectives and look to europe.
indeed we have to forge a more ambitious policy that strengthens the rights of people with disabilities and dissipates the barriers resulting from divergent requirements for accessibility within the internal market.
two thousand and twenty we need to ensure that the legislative initiative is capable of delivering meaningful benefits that match the needs of people with disabilities and brings about the much needed improvements in order to pave the way towards a more accessible and inclusive europe.
in particular i strongly believe that in order to create a robust accessibility act all companies regardless of size should obey the accessibility requirements and that the scope of the proposal should also include people with temporary functional limitations.
let's get behind it.
accessibility is key to that making everyday products and services that many of us take for granted easier to use for people with different needs but a balance has to be achieved to make sure that everyone can adapt in a reasonable timeframe and without undue cost.
it is also worth remembering that this act will help more than one hundred and fifty million elderly people in europe making their lives easier.
allowing more independent living for longer is critical as our population continues to age. so i very much welcome this report and the real and tangible improvements that it will make to everyday lives.
a proposal has to be realistic.
this is a realistic proposal and it will advance accessibility for disabled people.
we represent the citizens of europe here and the cost of accessibility should not be looked upon as a burden but rather in my view as an investment;
i am of the opinion that we need to send a strong message to the council and to the commission of what we want.
an investment towards an inclusive and caring society.
but i would like to take this opportunity to highlight the commission's position on some of the main points under debate.
this brings me to the last point.
so indeed we need to be flexible as technological possibilities are constantly changing.
but they do not have the same resources or capacities to deal with changing regulatory requirements.
the european union is committed to the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and its obligations on accessibility.
this common approach will maximise opportunities and minimise costs for european businesses and consumers.
that is why the accessibility act puts forward functional accessibility requirements instead of prescribing the detailed technical solutions to achieve them. but we also need to ensure that our laws are effective and enforceable and provide legal certainty both for industry and consumers.
nobody should be left behind.
it will facilitate the access of persons with disabilities to education enhance their job opportunities and give them more freedom and opportunities in their everyday choices in life.
where we include people with functional limitations when assessing the burden on businesses;
we also wish to include smes within the scope of the act.
we also know that there will be resistance in council to these proposals so we need to give parliament the strongest possible mandate tomorrow when they enter into negotiations.
but we have addressed the significant majority of the concerns of the disability forum.
where we state that first of all member states should be obliged to include the built environment under the scope of the directive;
and where we propose to delete amendment seventy eight to ensure the accessibility act will apply to other union acts such as public procurement and eu funds;
the eu treaties have long aimed to promote equal treatment for every citizen.