kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
it is not a scoop to state that many protectionist barriers remain within the eu. protectionism is harming the market and therefore harming consumers keeping prices up and undermining our security of supply.
what is a scoop though is for a politician to say that politics should back off from energy policy and i am saying that loud and clear. every day we hear about ambiguous contracts deals agreed behind closed doors monopolies and political arrangements.
in romania the shaping of our energy strategy is in the hands of a few people in the security council led by the president.
accountability?
it is time to ask for more transparency accountability and democracy in the way our member states deal with energy policy.
otherwise we will not be able to improve the situation for consumers.
well clearly it has not done so and the recent obama visit proved exactly that. the message to the european union therefore is dispense with your expectations;
stop using trade as a lever;
in february two thousand and sixteen the european union signed a free trade agreement with vietnam on the usual expectation that vietnam would do something about its human rights and that the human rights situation would improve.
mr president last year we celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of eu vietnam relations.
in vietnam civil liberties freedom of speech and human rights are concepts that are not taken seriously and violations of the most fundamental human rights happen on a daily basis.
he said and i quote civilised society should never allow any government whatsoever its ideology or political creed to derogate from universal human rights and isolate its people behind an iron curtain on the pretext of non interference into the nation's internal affairs'.
beyond that we provide specific support to promote and strengthen respect for human rights and the rule of law.
however governance structures and in particular respect for human rights remain areas of concern.
if passed the provisions of the draft law would act as a powerful instrument of control placing overly broad limitations on the practice of religion or belief within the country.
the eu must urge vietnam to come up with a new draft that conforms to vietnam's obligations under article eighteen of the international covenant on civil and political rights one that ensures that the practice of any religion or belief in vietnam is not conditional upon a process of state recognition registration and approval. such a process would result in discrimination or other violations of the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities and in favouritism towards recognised state controlled or state friendly groups. above all the fundamental freedom of religion or belief
it is a lovely country;
they are making great progress but obviously in the area of human rights a lot more needs to be done.
mr president i appreciate the concerns expressed in the joint resolution. it fairly reflects the views on the latest developments in vietnam shared by my colleagues at least within the european parliament.
while a strong message of condemnation can be sent the resolution is particularly critical in some areas.
i would have appreciated a more carefully calibrated message that makes the vietnamese feel that they can be part of the solution rather than the problem itself.
comprehensive domestic reform should always be encouraged but our top down approach may not yield the results that we are looking to ultimately achieve.
let us be as pragmatic as possible because when we punish the vietnamese government we punish their people including the most unfortunate whether we like it or not.
as in other countries we are constantly monitoring all examples of repression and discrimination based on sex thought conscience religious belief or ethnic identity.
the eu is deeply concerned at the discrimination and massive oppression of the rights of religious minorities.
two thousand and eleven the united nations committee on the elimination of racial discrimination has also underlined discriminatory practices in that country. the eu does not take a selective approach to this question.
very often ethnic minorities in iran do not get a fair share of the benefits of natural resources present in their region for example the water of the lake urmia basin in the azerbaijan provinces or oil revenue in the arab populated province of ahwaz.
these include land and property confiscations denial of state and para statal employment and restrictions on social cultural linguistic and religious freedoms resulting in human rights violations.
responsibility for repression.
some seventy eight individuals are now on the eu human rights sanctions list for violations in iran.
we have used and are using all the available tools to raise awareness and call on iran to respect principles of equal treatment and non discrimination. this is no different from the way we act in other cases.
despite constitutional guarantees of equality persons belonging to minorities are subject to an array of discriminatory laws and practices.
the eu acts on the basis of its principled position and it has a keen interest in the preservation and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities across the world. iran remains a case of grave concern.
vice president high representative ashton has issued a large number of statements on the precarious situation of the baha'i minority. while the eu remains open to discussing human rights issues with iran including the status of persons belonging to minorities it has decided on targeted restrictive measures against individuals deemed to bear direct or indirect
mr president the violations of the rights of minorities in iran come by no means as a surprise as the devastating human rights situation in the country has been reported and debated in this parliament a number of times.
instead i would encourage the eu to engage in dialogue and cooperation with opposition groups in iran and abroad and help them in their work towards overthrowing the current fundamentalist regime.
the change in iran will probably come from within the country but we should use the opportunity of empowering democratically minded iranians to speed up the process.
this sad reality of the islamic republic must not be overshadowed by the negotiations on the nuclear issue a new round of which starts early next week.
in fact for those who believe that change in iran must and will come from the iranian people themselves human rights are a strategic issue and can never be traded in a zero sum game in relation to the nuclear programme.
peaceful demonstrators are imprisoned after trials which do not meet any international standards and the treatment of prisoners in iran is well known across the world for its harshness.
more importantly however we urge the iranian authorities to stick to their own commitments as stated in their constitution.
non persian women face double discrimination as members of marginalised communities and as women in iran facing laws which specifically limit their rights.
we urge the iranian authorities to free all activists who are currently imprisoned for their peaceful advocacy of minority rights and to respect the right of ethnic minorities to use their languages in private or public and in particular to guarantee education in these languages in accordance with the constitution of the islamic republic of iran.
i can support this motion therefore which promotes the universality of human rights in iran and across all the ethnic minorities and religious groups.
however converts from certain religions to other religions also face potentially a very uncertain future and may be bigger than some of the ethnic minorities that we know about in iran.
so like others in the room i would like to see the broadest capture of ethnic minorities so that the communities like the assyrian christians and others can be added and included in our statement.
we also look at the social scoreboard.
moreover for the first time the country reports reflect on the investment needs in each member state and also more specifically as regards european funds.
this is why your report ms harkin strongly resonates with our analysis.
since the publication of the annual growth survey last autumn we have published the country reports on twenty seven february and those provide a more detailed analysis of the economic and social situation in the member states.
for the second year now we look at the implementation of the european pillar of social rights.
our aim is to achieve greater synergies and complementarity between the economic policies reforms and the cohesion policy funds and i am confident that the combined efforts of european legislation coordination of economic policies and european funds will help to make the european pillar of social rights a reality for all citizens.
the positive economic developments continue to translate into sustained job creation.
this year we see progress on all fourteen indicators of the social scoreboard.
we take note of your calls to do more on skills in work poverty regulation of new forms of work labour market inclusion of people with disabilities work life balance and housing.
there is still very high youth unemployment in some areas or a high level of poverty including high in work poverty in some member states.
the country reports provide an idea of where we stand and of the challenges ahead and they assess policy response by member state.
but when we speak to young people we have to put things straight on the table.
most importantly we want to make sure that as industry and technologies develop we continue to defend our values because ultimately we are doing all of this in the interest and for the wellbeing of all europeans. that is why we are proposing action on work life balance equal pay for equal work in the same place and the european labour authority to give but a few
it is one of the main reasons we have partners lining up at our door to secure free and fair trade agreements. but we must do
i believe that this house and the commission remain on the same line seeking to do as little harm as possible to europeans whether they live in the united kingdom or on the continent.
here. the solution will have to come from london and we'll take it from
industrial policy our industry is strong and it is the engine of our economy.
it employs thirty two million people and accounts directly for more than two thirds of our exports.
there. and of course there are many other issues europe has to deal with in the next couple of years and that is why the european council is also focusing on other issues.
this is our duty to think about our citizens to think about our enterprises to think about our interests broadly on both sides of the channel. i say this because what we have tried to do what mainly michel barnier has tried to do is to make sure that the red lines put on the table by the british government and the need for us to avoid a hard border on the island of ireland and to maintain the integrity of the internal market are brought together. and i do not see any better solution than the withdrawal agreement with all the clarifications given. so now this is where we are. of course we will remain in this position of wanting to do as little harm as possible in a very harmful process because brexit is very harmful to the united kingdom and to the european union. but it is our duty on the basis of a vote by the british people to work towards a brexit that does as little harm as possible. this position will not change. today however we are in the hands of the british political system. they should tell us where they want to go from
more. we want to see strong european companies bolstered by fair competition at home leading in the world and addressing major challenges such as climate change. in particular we urge member states to make the most of major common european projects that matter to all of us for instance in strategic areas such as next generation batteries to store clean energy or the work on artificial intelligence.
commissioner timmermans you talked about continuing preparation for a new deal continuing the solid work already done. so what are the plans in place to financially help the irish economy in the case of a no deal?
people in ireland cannot control the diplomatic disaster that is the conservative party.
remember that.
you must think of this with every word that is used.
however when it comes to respect and calmness i am glad that tusk and juncker are not here today they have not remained calm and have at times put their own personal prejudice before diplomacy.
i really would like an answer.
two thousand and thirty that is something that is absolutely clear. but we should also act in all other policy areas and this monday i'm afraid again we proved that we are letting the future generation down.
and are we fully aware of that and do we act accordingly?
the eu will by far miss its own objectives on the biodiversity strategy but neither the commission nor the council have taken any measures in order to turn the tide.
in a few years' time they will be sitting here and let's avoid that we will be sitting there and shamefully watching how they are trying to clean up our mess.
we will only succeed if all investments are green and that is the way forward. today the future generation is sitting there.
it's fighting a running battle.
but it's worth nothing if we do not green all the other investments;
we only have a limited amount of time.
as we say in the netherlands it is mopping up with the tap open.
i'm afraid the answer is no and not only on climate but also on the systematic destruction of nature.
but then climate yes we have legislation in place and yes we do increase the part of the eu budget dedicated to climate change but is that sufficient?
by organising the climate marches for children they made it clear to us that it's their future that we are destroying at the moment.
we voted on sustainable finance and i'm afraid that by the right wing parts of this house we voted out all ambition and that is extremely important because all human action starts with investments and we applaud every percentage of green investments.
without sufficient funding for these actions we will not achieve anything.
this is paramount to the eu's continued growth job creation in the twenty seven member states and indeed the enhancement of our global competitiveness.
secondly i welcome the prominence given to the climate challenge. we have a big challenge ahead to ensure that two thousand and thirty targets are met we discussed those this morning in the presence of commissioner caete and that we implement the measures needed to ensure that the eu remains at the forefront of climate action.
this reason we must ensure that it sets out the key priorities we wish to achieve over the next decade.
indeed it has shown great leadership again during this commission starting with the paris agreement a few years ago.
additionally it has ensured five zero gigawatt hours of energy savings per year. its successor which i'm involved in will also help to make that a reality into the future.
these results show the value of an ambitious strong and adequately funded eu budget.
this is indeed a precondition for creating the trust necessary for the negotiations of a deep and ambitious new relationship.
a longer extension means a longer period of uncertainty.
if the result of the possible vote tomorrow is to request an extension then what for and for how long?
a longer extension would not only bring the legal and political problem into the context of the european elections but it will also provide for a period when a future partnership cannot been negotiated.
a short technical extension would only make sense with a positive meaningful vote which is not the case anymore.
it's absolute folly to proceed with brexit on the ground that it is the will of the people when it may very well no longer be the will of the people.
reconsidering brexit needs a referendum and as we just heard from ms girling there is a majority in public opinion that wants another referendum and opinion polls show that if there were another referendum the british people would vote to remain in the european union.
logically there are only two possibilities either you negotiate an alternative deal or you reconsider brexit.
but for a majority in the house of commons that was not the main problem with her deal.
a majority in the house of commons does not want to leave without a deal but the only deal on the table has been rejected.
she only tried to appease the right wing of her party and she failed.
so where does that leave us?
there were other problems and she made no attempts to address those issues.
madam president after the first rejection of the deal by the house of commons back in january theresa may tried to renegotiate just one point the irish backstop in order to appease the right wing of her party.
indeed you can't always have the government that you want in your own country.
the politicised paraphernalia in this resolution shows how difficult and tricky it is for the eu to finalise trade agreements and that is the penalty that the people of the eu member states pay for the politicisation of trade which is aided and abetted by so many colleagues and is something i deplore.
the resolution criticises the usa for withdrawing from the paris agreement but mr jadot you cannot have the government that you want in someone else's country.
the eu has said that we need to prepare for a no deal for a crash. who in their right mind would sit on a train that is going over a cliff or being dangerously delayed or derailed?
the utter chaos in westminster not just last night but throughout the entire brexit process has left communities in despair.
it is legitimate it is democratic it is in the good friday agreement.
that includes the legitimate democratic pathway to irish unity and despite what jim nicholson said it is a provision of the good friday agreement. the british prime minister herself believes that brexit is increasing support for irish unity. the european council said in april two thousand and seventeen that if ireland is reunited then the whole island will remain a part of the eu.
that has been totally rejected again by the reckless political establishment in britain.
the european union has committed to supporting the good friday agreement in all of its parts.
this farce is tory designed but it is being delivered to the people of the north of ireland via partition by the dup. we consider the withdrawal agreement and its backstop to be the least worst' option that the people can accept.
i remind the council and the commission of that.
okay it is less ambitious than the deal that's your opinion.
that is the way forward.
first of all he can continue to have a salary that he can transfer to his offshore company.
that is the real purpose.
we will talk only about that and not about the real problems and about the real reforms that we need in the european union.
that is what we need.
if it is a customs union it is a customs union.
if it is a norway plus it's a norway plus. but please make up your mind in london because this uncertainty cannot continue not for us not for britain and certainly not for our citizens.
secondly the reality mr henkel is the following.
i think that the place of the uk is inside the european union and i'm also pretty sure that there will be a generation in the coming years in the coming decades who will return to the european union.
for two reasons.
for them brexit is a bullet in a weapon and not an existential problem of a country and of a whole continent and that's a shame.
that we can support here in this parliament and that opinion will be for a close relationship between the uk and the eu.
is a desire for many european countries to buy american lng instead of lng from other important partners and the americans agreed to facilitate that.
as i said there are several disagreements with the trump administration but the us the us people the us elected assemblies the us nation is a friend of the european union and we have every interest to try to find areas where we can cooperate where we can talk and where we can have a dialogue.
there would be no additional tariffs under two hundred and thirty two for instance on cars.
we will and we have already started to consult with civil society.
have disagreements there as well but we also have a process where we work with the americans and the japanese to try to write new wto rules in order to counter some of the state capitalism from china for instance.
it is a limited agreement that we are asking for on industrial goods including fisheries and cars.
we agreed to accept the american sustainability scheme in full compliance with the directive.
it is crystal clear in this mandate and by accepting it you would make it even clearer in writing that agriculture is not included in the negotiations.
that work is ongoing.
for different reasons it was not possible to advance under the obama administration and it is not possible in any foreseeable future to advance now either and of course also because the us have withdrawn from the paris agreement.
today's debate about the interim report on the commission's legislative proposal for the establishment of the european monetary fund is another step.
so i say to them you are not today's people.
no one who wants to support the good friday agreement would advocate a no deal brexit.
they will not reject no brexit.
they are not the patriots.
so let me assure colleagues here that there is a strong will in the uk for a second vote.
seven out of nine speakers today represent only.
so now it's down to no deal or no brexit.
and don't underestimate the significance of her saying those words.
it seems very likely that tonight the uk parliament will reject no deal.
you are yesterday's voices.
the people's vote campaign is the biggest grassroots pro eu european movement. polls show a majority in favour of a second referendum. like all things brexit it won't be easy but don't believe the voices you've heard from the brits here today.
of course we have a limited direct role here we have to choose our language carefully we're giving signals.
they are the ones advocating a no deal brexit and that's an act of unparalleled harm to the british people and the european union. they are not the patriots. nobody calling themselves a patriot would advocate that kind of harm. no one laying claim to the title unionist would advocate a no deal brexit.
now. they don't even bother to stay and listen.
they are not in the majority actually they are all in the bar coalescing around a beer
long term challenges remain such as population ageing digitalisation and its impact on work climate change and unsustainable use of natural resources.
thank you very much for your attention and for the contribution of the european parliament in particular the rapporteurs on this important topic.
the extension of the european fund for strategic investments in terms of financial capacity is an important step towards achieving this goal.
we need to think of new solutions to new problems whilst seizing the opportunities ahead of us.
our policy efforts need to be oriented towards the most vulnerable categories of our citizens.
employment and social policies need to adapt to the changes in the labour market whilst workers rights should remain protected.
madam president honourable members as we are now leaving crisis times behind us the legacy of the crisis remains a serious concern.
some citizens are trapped in a cycle of poverty and social exclusion which they cannot easily escape from.
by streamlining reforms the european semester aims to improve the situation in each member state and in the eu as a whole.
we also need to implement the necessary structural reforms in our product and labour markets in order to prepare our economies for the challenges ahead.
if we are all to make europe relevant to people's daily lives we need to deliver on growth and jobs high quality education social protection and inclusion as well as environmental sustainability.
an agreement on common objectives is therefore important.
we should share our experiences and use best practice examples to learn from each other.