kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
thanks to the provisional agreement reached in trilogue on the proposal to amend article two hundred and seventy eight of the ucc the commission and member states will have the time necessary to complete their work on the seventeen ucc electronic systems.
the importance of the customs union for the internal market and for the competitiveness of eu companies is of course clear. goods can flow freely quickly and safely within the european union thanks to common customs rules at eu external borders.
and as you request in your report i can assure you that the commission's work programme for the customs it projects will be regularly updated to take account of the new deadlines.
i would also like to thank you for acknowledging the customs union's vital role and the work carried out by customs administrations in your report.
the current work is about building and expanding on the existing wellfunctioning electronic systems. for that reason the ucc electronic work must proceed carefully step by step.
greater transparency here is of course in everybody's interest for you for the economic operators and for the general public.
it is an absolute travesty that we have to stand here in the twenty first century discussing such medieval treatment of women and the denial of their basic rights.
i will say that there have been some token relaxations of their situation such as the right to drive but women are still secondclass citizens deprived of even the most basic control of their lives.
there have even been reports of righttodrive activists being tortured.
if the saudi government wishes to have a good working relationship with the western countries including the uk then they need to treat women by the internationally recognised standards.
the situation of human right defenders a longstanding priority including the situation of women rights activists is central in this endeavour.
we will continue in the european union to follow with grave concern several other cases of activists allegedly facing the risk of imminent execution on charges related to the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms including freedom of association of speech and of religion.
let me conclude that it is in the interests of all to foster a more transparent dialogue.
i would like to recall that in all our efforts to reach out towards the saudi authorities we have always reiterated the relevance of the work of human rights defenders and civil society groups in relation to the process of reform which saudi arabia is pursuing.
since last may the eu has been engaging with the saudi authorities raising our concerns and seeking clarification on the circumstances surrounding the arrests of human rights defenders in saudi arabia. we have also inquired about torture allegations of activists.
unfortunately apart from the notice of the opening of an investigation by the bureau of the saudi public prosecutor and by the saudi human rights commission on the allegation of mistreatment of the detained women reported by international press there has not been any enlightenment as to the specific criminal charges they are facing. this is a source of increasing disquiet at eu level.
also as some of you said the european union has in the khashoggi case still a lot of questions of course and we have called for a full credible and transparent investigation on that case.
their greater empowerment would bring enormous benefits socially and economically.
we've also repeatedly stressed the importance of respecting due process for the individuals arrested.
in addition further indirect contributions beneficial to clean air come from investments in the low carbon economy and environmental protection and resource efficiency or in the transport network infrastructure.
the commission will continue to actively manage the infringement process as fast as possible including referrals to the court where and when warranted. with regards to your second question as you know the commission is carrying out a fitness check of the ambient air quality directives.
looking ahead for the period post two thousand and twenty the commission has proposed under the cohesion policy a particular emphasis on a green low carbon europe including a specific result indicator on population benefiting from measures for air quality.
its findings will be used to inform further reflections on whether these directives continue to provide the appropriate legislative framework to ensure protection from adverse impacts on and risks to human health and the environment. however as the analysis is not yet over it would be premature to anticipate now the conclusions the commission might draw.
to be more specific a result indicator will measure the share of agricultural land under commitments to reduce ammonia emissions.
in the current programing period that is two thousand and fourteen to two thousand and twenty eur.
they are already available technically and economical viable and should be applied more widely.
it is currently pursuing thirty infringement procedures against twenty member states for exceedances of particulate matter nitrogen dioxide or sulphur dioxide limit values.
one eight billion have been directly allocated to support air quality measures under the european structural and investment fund.
first on the first question the commission has been taking decisive action where it sees persistent exceedances above air quality limit values.
according to the commission's proposal for a new common agricultural policy after two thousand and twenty one of the impact indicators to assess the performance of this policy explicitly refers to the ammonia emissions from agriculture.
on the fifth question eu legislation sets objectives for ambient air quality taking into account the relevant scientific information provided via the world health organisation which is the world's leading authority on health matters.
their air quality guidelines establish the most authoritative scientific basis to date.
in addition it is currently working towards an update of these air quality guidelines.
referring to question three european union funding under various financial streams has been made available and successfully used by member states to address the air quality challenge.
in this communication we outlined the eu clean air policy approach provided examples of measures to reduce air pollution in the transport power and heat energy industry and also in the agricultural sectors. we also point to initiatives taken to step up cooperation with member states with regions and also with cities.
more specifically to support regions and cities in the urban agenda for the eu there have been innovative actions to further facilitate addressing air pollution in urban areas where transport is one of the main sources of air pollution.
we initiated this in two thousand and seventeen and will complete it in the second half of this year.
on question number four the agricultural sector is an important source of ammonia emissions which in turn are a key precursor to particulate matter. measures to mitigate these emissions include agronomic measures livestock measures or energy production measures.
on monitoring stations across the european union around four zero monitoring stations provide us with reliable credible and comparable information on air quality often in almost real time. we see no systematic shortcomings in the way the criteria to establish monitoring that works as set out in the directives have been applied.
regarding agriculture the contribution of agriculture to the issue of ammonia emissions has i agree to be addressed as well.
as in every piece of legislation implementation is more than important it is key.
and here i would like to refer to our current air quality standards.
allow me to conclude with a final reference to our ongoing fitness check which we will conclude this year.
some say they are too strict and others say they are not strict enough. ultimately there can only be one test.
but when we see that monitoring is not done in line with the requirements of the directives the commission has to act and will continue to act.
do they meet the goal of protecting human health and the environment as a whole from the risk of adverse impacts?
this obligation must be complied with by all member states for the benefit of all our citizens.
this will provide us with a basis to reflect on whether we have the appropriate legislative framework in place including sufficiently stringent limit values and suitably clear criteria to guide our monitoring networks to ensure protection from adverse impacts on and the risks to human health and the environment.
it is one of the most important environmental and health challenges of our time.
the commission expects all member states to take all necessary measures to achieve compliance with eu air quality limits as soon as possible.
through the nec directive we have started to do just that.
the best available and thoroughly peer reviewed scientific advice.
one hundred obviously we need to have uniform application because without it it's going to be costly for businesses it can lead to greater fraud etc. and of course the electronic system needs to be developed to ensure that happens.
indeed in the broader front i think in the next mandate in particular we should put huge emphasis on combating fraud in so many different ways. it should be a priority for the next commission. i agree also with what has been said about brexit but at the same time one hopes that we will get a deal on brexit and that it will be an orderly withdrawal because anything else would be absolutely ridiculous. finally i just want to say that
not only do we risk importing lower welfare agricultural products from places like the united states who are decades behind european welfare standards but we will also lose our influence within the eu.
brexit will i fear be a step backwards for animal welfare both in britain and across all of europe.
i do welcome this report's aim of stamping out weak enforcement.
for forty years we have used our votes our economic strength and our political clout to help change policies not just in britain but across europe banning veal crates battery cages and animal testing for cosmetics.
mr president well i do not think the regulation goes far enough and i think it is time for a ban on live exports for slaughter or fattening.
exposed to gender based violence and for challenging traditional notions of family and gender roles in society women like israa are being as we speak treated by the saudi authorities as agents of embassies and therefore dealt with as a real threat to religion honour and culture which implies undeserved punishment.
since may two thousand and eighteen the authorities in saudi arabia have arrested more than a dozen women activists without charge and kept most of them in prison without any hope of release. just last week at the euleague of arab states summit in brussels saudi arabia committed itself to a more progressive agenda on gender equality but its actions show quite the opposite. israa al ghomgham is the first woman to be sentenced to death simply for participating in protests.
mr president medical use of cannabis is legal to some degree in twenty three member states of this union forty seven states of the usa plus washington dc and a further twenty five countries around the world.
i am happy to support this resolution because regulation is the way just as for any other product.
this is the view of drug experts addiction experts and senior police officers.
however i detect in this resolution and in the words of some of the ppe group speakers a backdoor desire to strengthen prohibition and that has utterly and completely failed failed to protect young people failed to address the real issues of addiction and played into the hands of organised crime.
it is wrong to criminalise people with horrible illnesses just as it's wrong to criminalise addiction.
we call it beer we call it whisky or we call it champagne but we regulate alcohol because prohibition doesn't work.
for example in the case of denmark at the end of last october hr vp mogherini discussed the situation with the danish foreign minister on the very same day that the case was made public.
the european union has consistently voiced and will continue to voice our strong unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations committed by whomsoever wherever and for whatever purposes.
i would like to close these introductory remarks with three points.
the council adopted the list on nine january this year. persons groups and entities on this list are subject to the freezing of their funds and other financial assets and european union operators are prohibited from making funds and economic resources available to them.
iran too has been a victim of terror attacks and consistency demands that we have also condemned as in the case of the attacks in ahvaz in september last year which claimed the lives of at least twenty five individuals. finally our vigorous response to these actions while necessary should not affect the eu's continuing commitment to the full and effective implementation of the jcpoa whose preservation is in the security interests of the eu and the international community.
first far from responding to policies of iran with which we disagree we have a number of restrictive measures in place against iranian individuals and entities for reasons including their violation of human rights support for terrorism and support for the assad regime. secondly we should resist the temptation of viewing any country as solely a perpetrator of terrorism.
our discussions on how we should collectively respond to threats to our security whatever their provenance did not end on that day as the conclusions adopted on four february repeated that the european union will continue to demonstrate unity and solidarity in this area.
whenever there have been reports of such activities we have been in prompt contact with the authorities of the member state concerned to offer our full support and solidarity.
the russian federal authorities have so far failed to investigate the extrajudicial killing of twenty seven men two years ago and titiev head of the chechen memorial office remains in pre trial detention a year after his arrest.
it's also time for the icc to carry out meaningful investigations into the alleged crimes against humanity during the second chechen war.
mr president it is now over a year since oyub titiev was arrested on trumpedup drug charges clearly targeted in response to his continued actions in documenting and exposing human rights abuses in chechnya.
mr president i have to express my opinion on this and i cannot understand why the regressive left of this parliament wants us all to waste our time on resolutions that bring confusion loss of dignity for individuals and fake rights.
they want to confuse european citizens brainwashing them into believing another human right is being denied.
it is currently heartunions week when we show the love for trade unions because being a member of a union makes sense.
getting successes nationwide like the gmb deal for hermes self employed couriers to get holiday pay and unison's landmark case to scrap employment tribunal fees and in the east of england my region unite helping scrap the plans to make suffolk poultry catchers work on christmas day;
and the successful fbu campaign to stop the pcc taking over hertfordshire fire service;
mr president i welcome this report on peaceful protest a cherished right that we in the trade union movement hold dear.
usdaw helping keep sunday special' and the cwu fighting against crown post office closures. so let's get more bosses' pulses racing by pumping up membership to help break heartbreak for workers.
the initiators of this debate attempt to depict iran as the only source of all trouble in the middle east. although we have disagreements with iran on a number of issues it is unacceptable and unrealistic to blame only iran for all the instability and violence in the region. this debate is about state support of terrorism.
iran delivered on its commitments as confirmed by fourteen reports of the international atomic energy agency.
we recall the duty of the russian federation to protect all its citizens ensure the safety of all persons at risk owing to sexual orientation and order the chechen leadership accordingly.
human rights organisations and media reported in december and january on a new wave of detention and torture by chechen law enforcement officials affecting at least forty lgbti people.
it is essential that russian authorities address the recommendations of the report and take steps to implement them including investigations of the role of the chechen authorities.
these are very grave violations of human rights adding to a long list of abuses in chechnya and we reacted again strongly to the situation of lgbti people there as we did earlier.
anyone found responsible or complicit in such hate crimes should be brought to justice.
we remain committed to combating all forms of discrimination and hate crime strongly supporting the rights of all lgbti persons as well as human rights defenders in general and of course mr oyub titiev in particular.
it is also the duty of the russian federation to respect and protect the legal rights of human rights defenders including oyub titiev in line with russia's international human rights commitments.
a report by the organization for security and cooperation in europe sets out clear evidence of successive purges against lgbti people in chechnya as well as many other human rights violations.
at least two detained people are reported to have died.
as part of an alarming trend of attacks on human rights defenders and journalists in chechnya a court in chechnya confirmed as you have said last june the detention of oyub titiev head of the regional office of the very respected ngo memorial human rights centre.
you have time to change your minds and create a deal based solely on a free trade agreement. the eurozone is heading into recession and it will be by your actions that you push it over the.
it is now the overwhelmingly popular view of the british people that we must leave the eu without a deal.
the latest on the table is the complete fudge of membership of the customs union.
we will be leaving in name only.
you could have had a sensible deal based solely on trade but you cling on to hopeless faith that britain will change its mind that we will vote again and again and again.
the events that led to the resignation of president mugabe and to the entry into office of a new leadership raised as you have said high expectations. we decided to engage with the new zimbabwe knowing that change would not and cannot come overnight after decades of the mugabe regime.
it does not go to the government but is invested in the health system in agricultural production and in food security.
we cannot and should not ignore the dire economic and social situation of the people of zimbabwe and i pay tribute to the attention given by the different political groups in this house in this regard.
post election violence.
on seventeen january the eu strongly condemned this crackdown which has resulted in many casualties widespread human rights violations including reports of sexual violence and hundreds of arbitrary arrests.
we have a responsibility to zimbabweans to express ourselves in these circumstances.
security sector reform is also a priority and the government should ensure that security related laws are aligned swiftly with the constitution.
human rights and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution of zimbabwe should be upheld. vandalism and lootings by rioters is of course to be condemned but security forces must respond in a proportionate and professional manner and they have to be accountable to citizens for their actions. these tragic developments underline the urgent need to address the findings and recommendations of the commission of inquiry that was set up by the president himself in response to last august's
unfortunately our assessment is as you all say that the recent development in zimbabwe is a serious setback. following the increase in fuel prices by over one hundred and fifty a decision which of course triggered violent protests in an already tense political environment the repression by security forces against demonstrators trade unions ngos opposition supporters has been unacceptable.
but this being said the recent crackdown sadly cast serious doubt over the declared determination of the government to engage in political and economic reforms.
but any strengthening of our relations with zimbabwe can only occur on the basis of clear and concrete evidence that the government is truly committed to reforms that lead the country towards a democratic and prosperous future and this message was also conveyed by commissioner mimica in his last meeting with president mnangagwa last week in addis.
the government will not be able to implement reforms that stand the test of time without an environment that ensures an inclusive national dialogue through which citizens can exercise their freedoms of assembly association and expression.
i see no reason for these products not to be treated like any other medicine.
in projections by the oecd air pollution will be the biggest environmental cause of premature deaths by.
these pollutants increase the death rate especially in sensitive population groups such as the elderly and those suffering from respiratory diseases.
two thousand and fifty millions of europeans live in areas where simply breathing the air around them is damaging to their health and these effects should not be underestimated.
member states should reinforce their efforts to tackle sources of pollution from all sectors. states also need to improve cooperation on crossborder pollution make air quality an integral part of their policies and ensure that the correct level of governance national regional or municipal is equipped to tackle sources of pollution.
in this way we show to the european citizens that we can deliver fast and tangible results and save them billions of euros annually.
as trade commissioner i am more than aware of the importance of a functioning transparent smooth and fully trustworthy customs system.
it has to be state of the art and very modern. and we are working towards this.
this is of course very important for the internal market as well.
i know that there is frustration about the extension of the transitional period for the full completion of the it system.
we have been fully transparent in this regard by regularly updating and publishing information on the planning schedule for the electronic systems after consultation with member states and economic operators.
but i do acknowledge that a more strategic report on the progress of the electronic systems and on ways to address any possible delays will further increase transparency.
that is why the commission has undertaken to report to parliament on the progress regarding the completion of the work on the electronic systems on an annual basis.
we understand that they have taken measures with a view to staffing infrastructure and it systems necessary after the uk withdrawal.
however of course withdrawal of the uk without an agreement clearly carries risks and the commission is in active discussion with member states on these issues.
i would like to thank the rapporteur again and also the other members of the committee who have helped to highlight the very important issues related to the customs union and its functioning.
who was elected on a promise to stabilise the economy and allow greater democratic freedom is betraying his promises to create a new zimbabwe and address the political and economic challenges in the country.
the eu besides condemning the excessive violence and intimidation by the zimbabwean authorities and calling for the immediate release of all detainees must extend the individual financial and travel restrictions to those associated with these human rights infringements and support an inclusive national dialogue that can produce a roadmap to genuine economic political and electoral reforms.