kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
an informal meeting of ministers of the interior will take place on thursday and the situation in the mediterranean will be highlighted there.
should this trend continue we would see the number of detected arrivals reduced by approximately fifty in.
there is no denying that the humanitarian situation surrounding the searchandrescue events on the central mediterranean route is still not satisfactory.
our presidency will continue work on temporary arrangements.
let me point out that against the overall background the number of migrants involved in these incidents is quite modest. in two thousand and nineteen less than ten of migrants who arrived in italy had been rescued by ngos active on the central mediterranean route.
even with the deteriorating security situation in libya this year the coast guard has continued functioning rescuing nearly three zero persons.
the finnish presidency will work towards crisisresilient arrangements.
our minister of the interior has also invited all her ministerial colleagues to an informal dinner ahead of this meeting to discuss this immediate situation in the mediterranean.
these are very concrete steps forward.
human rightsbased asylum and migration policies are rooted in international treaties and conventions cooperation between public authorities and effective control of the eu's external borders as well as appropriate and swift asylum procedures that are of a high standard in terms of legal protection.
in particular in libya assistance has been of paramount importance.
this moves towards more balanced responsibility. solidarity between the member states is key.
we need a balanced comprehensive and humane approach
ninety one three million were granted to support both the libyan coast guard and the development of libya's own maritime rescue coordination centre. further operation sophia has provided training for a total of three hundred and fifty five coast guard personnel so far
international law obliges all coastal states in our case all coastal states around the mediterranean sea to establish searchandrescue services around their coast. the eu provides support to member states in the management of their external borders notably through frontex
the romanian presidency has worked on temporary arrangements which would make it possible to manage this type of situation in a more structured manner.
however in recent weeks there have been more incidents due to the peak in departures at this time of the year.
two thousand and nineteen equally important while of course it is still too high the number of deaths at sea has decreased.
searchandrescue is not as such the core mandate of these operations but it is the task they perform in accordance with international
and last but not least provisions by cities and local communities which makes this all very concrete to our citizens in madrid in helsinki in strasbourg and in all of our cities in europe.
let me conclude by recalling that improving air quality means to address a number of factors that are relevant in this respect and it requires common efforts to strive for this objective by putting in place a variety of measures at european national regional and local level.
in this way we will be able to ensure a better protection of the health of european citizens and the environment. ladies and gentlemen the presidency is putting its best efforts to achieve progress in these areas and together with member states and the eu institutions we need to decisively pursue eu wide efforts to foster low emission mobility. i would like to conclude by underlining the importance that we attach to sustainability
so thank you all again very much for this opportunity to speak and for your attention.
the infringement procedures recently opened by the commission against several member states for breach of eu air quality legislation are a testimony of the importance of monitoring whether eu law in the area is being properly enforced.
the eu can continue to go down the path of intransigence promoting a deal that will never make it through the uk parliament thereby ensuring no deal.
a solution on the irish border is possible with political will.
both candidates in the race to become the new british prime minister have rejected the backstop.
the backstop as i have said many times in this house threatens the constitutional and economic integrity of the united kingdom.
this will of course present serious challenges to the mff which is one of your priorities and ultimately the pockets of european taxpayers. or it can act in the interests of its own businesses farmers and citizens by pursuing a more sensible and pragmatic outcome to show that the eu can listen.
in this she is a living embodiment of a fairer kinder europe and our fellow brothers and sisters crossing the mediterranean deserve more than just a statement.
a coward because what kind of grown man watches a child drowning gasping for breath and turns his back? a coward who boasts about detaining and arresting a lifesaver. a coward who decides to make an enemy of the victims of war and those who have been dispossessed.
of values. it is not a store where we can choose a little bit of freedom of speech and human rights but then decide not to pick up freedom of the press or independent
two thousand and twelve maybe the peace prize was also meant to be a reminder to us while keeping the peace it is now our responsibility to meet new expectations.
and interests. the eu should aim to be a values based global leader and defend a rules based
but as i said that pride also means we bear great responsibility as the eu is now the object of these new expectations.
the world. we europeans know better than anybody what happens if we lose sight of these
the founders of our union shared a common vision and belief in the future.
agenda. we look forward to working together with the european parliament on these
global competition. our aim should be to make european education training and research the
since then a whole generation has been born and raised who have never known anything other than free movement across borders. our continent which suffered the horrors of war and dictatorship and witnessed a genocide seventy five years ago is now the strongest defender of democracy human rights and peace in the world. the eu is a living example of how we can learn from the past
growth. our two institutions and the commission can build on the success achieved on the digital economy during the last term. additionally our emphasis must be on taking full advantage of research development innovation services and
the modern age. it is clear that well being and economic policies
by. two thousand and fifty our aim is to reach agreement on the main elements of this plan by the
to this end the priorities for the finnish presidency are first to strengthen the eu's position as a global leader in climate action; second to strengthen common values and the rule of law; third to make the eu more competitive and socially inclusive;
membership. these values belong
the people dreamed of and had expectations for peace and stability for the whole continent.
approach in trade. we also believe that to be able to tackle the challenges of climate change population growth and migration management it is essential for us to support stability and development in africa. i would like to thank mr juncker and the commission for the excellent work done on the eu
for the eu this unique story is a source of pride.
we have all seen that the eu's values the rule of law human rights equality and democracy are being challenged.
values. for finland it is only natural that common values and the rule of law are high priorities on our presidency
courts. it doesn't work like that in western
we cannot blame them and punish them for the problems that we have for other reasons.
it's probably very easy to find enemies such as the family car to blame but let's face it probably for some families that's the only way that the family could travel from here to there.
the two are possible together the two can go hand in hand.
we need structured solutions and i took good note of the promise of the commitment made yesterday by the new commission president to a migration pact.
that is good but until that pact is going to happen we need the council to support the scaleup of frontex without delay because frontex has to be back in the mediterranean waters as quickly as possible and at full strength.
solidarity and responsibility can and must co exist.
we simply cannot afford to let our european citizens be haunted by a moral dilemma between protecting lives and good management of migration flows.
and whose responsibility is it?
so exactly when are these guidelines going to be issued?
also for the council how on earth are we going to get the dublin process and solidarity sorted out if we don't have majority voting and qualified majority voting and the things that i have to ask the finnish presidency to make some progress on?
and finally colleagues for the council.
one year ago exactly i drafted a resolution as the commissioner will know asking exactly what guidelines we would have to prevent humanitarian assistance from being criminalised.
what is happening in the mediterranean despite what we have heard from the council about the numbers who are dying reducing is an assault against human dignity in the mediterranean and a challenge to our european values.
what is applying now is a real confusion and an ammunition given to some on the question of the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance.
i think we can all agree with this so let's not discuss exactly how international law applies.
and let's be clear the human instinct the european instinct the global instinct to aid people who may be dying as we have just heard is one that we need to clarify and we need to accept as one of our values.
it is not against international law to seek asylum or indeed to seek a better life.
of course we were told then that there were not many cases.
we need dublin.
what i would say to the council is this of course we need to have the guidelines of course we need to deal with the humanitarian situation in the mediterranean so we can look in the eyes people in the coming years and say we did something about this disgrace that is going on in the mediterranean and the fuel that we are giving to some politicians to use this issue.
when are we going to see them? over the last year we have seen the odyssey not just of seawatch but just ordinary individuals these are not criminals these are just the people we know doctors lifeguards firefighters all the people who are european citizens trying to save lives.
prime minister rinne there is a solution.
both hunt and johnson are saying that the backstop in the withdrawal agreement must be removed. not modified!
but removed! they are heading towards the cliff with both feet firmly on the accelerator.
many in the north of ireland look on in horror.
not adjusted!
we voted to remain.
the eu is committed to upholding the good friday agreement in all of its parts and that includes the democratic right provided for in the good friday agreement to a referendum on irish unity. in two thousand and seventeen the european council stated that if a democratic process leads to the reunification of ireland the north of ireland will remain of course in the eu.
he faces a possible jail sentence of twenty years for being braver compassionate and far more principled than most people in this house.
mr president we are once again discussing the lives of thousands of men women and children who every day attempt the perilous journey across the mediterranean fleeing conflict and unsustainable lives.
i'd like to speak about carola rackete the captain of sea watch three arrested last month for docking the search and rescue vessel in italy without permission but trying to save hundreds of lives.
this woman is not a criminal as salvini would have you believe.
many have died but many have also been saved increasingly by humanitarian ngos such as open arms a spanish initiative which is now working across the wider mediterranean.
we can we are a region of five hundred million citizens.
if the european union wants to be the global leader in climate action and the global leader in technological solutions to boost jobs i think that the eu should have a clear and solid message to take and present in september when the united nations have an extraordinary summit on climate.
i actually think it's a criminal act to let somebody drown.
there used to be a time where it was considered the morally right thing to do to save people from drowning and to provide shelter to the vulnerable and to refugees.
well if thirty five zero dead bodies on the bottom of the mediterranean is not a deterrent then what is?
we need a sustainable arrangement not a temporary arrangement.
we are talking about small vessels bringing in forty fifty people.
it is also a collective responsibility for all the eu member states.
i think that this is not a responsibility that we should put on the shoulders of ngos or commercial vessels which are also burdened with this.
this is a public responsibility.
we also call on the council to finally adopt the asylum package and then finally we also need to get real and stop fighting symptoms.
i think the union can handle that.
migration exists it has existed since the beginning of time we should manage it we should control it and we should create legal and safe pathways for legal labour migration to europe.
but now we are actually talking about criminalising saving people.
the commission needs reminding that they are not mentioned in article. fifty it is the council who are the decision makers and you hold the symbolic presidency of that council.
step up to the plate.
the attitude of the commission risks the good relations between us.
stand up for democracy for our decision to leave.
the democratic values that you supported are being eroded as the commission undermines democracy by in effect seeking to annex northern ireland against the wishes of the uk.
the priority of your presidency is common values and the rule of law.
it is an absolute nerve to have a go at nation states who dare do what?
i want to ask you whether you think that by saying that anybody who has qualms about an open humanitarian process is guilty of a crime is not letting the eu off the hook.
the eu is ultimately responsible for those drowning in the mediterranean.
assert their national sovereignty to make decisions about who they welcome.
it is not enough to discuss the two thousand and fifty carbon neutrality target if we want to achieve what we have promised in the paris agreement that is that we are actually limiting global warming to.
but my main question and my main point is on climate change.
the figure i have not found is how many human smugglers we have put on trial.
we passed a resolution in parliament and the commission did a public consultation where over eighty of respondents said they wanted to end it.
i have just two questions one in relation to brexit.
the next six months are going to be crucial for the council to make decisions in that regard.
second question i've been involved in trying to end the biannual clock change for a number of years.
millions of british people agree with the words that you just uttered but together we are stronger.
my country and yours cannot address these issues alone.
the priorities you've set out in your programme such as tackling the climate emergency protecting the rule of law and supporting refugees from around the world are global challenges that require strong cooperation at the multilateral level.
your programme says brexit should not dominate the eu agenda at the expense of other items.
mr president prime minister in the past few days unity has been the consistent message i hear from european representatives from new commission president von der leyen yesterday to yourself today.
that is why i appeal to you personally and other european leaders to give us an extension for as long as possible to sort out our own mess.
new research shows that worldwide air pollution is now killing more people than smoking and while poor air quality affects everyone the burden of disease is highest among the poorest.
so we must radically transform and implement technologies and clean energy in transport industry and heating systems.
let's shift to a green travel system investment in cycling infrastructure walking friendly streets public transport and getting the polluting vehicles off our streets.
in the towns and cities of the north west of england my region more than two zero deaths per year can be attributed to air pollution.
the green new deal makes all this easily possible.
with an active sustainable travel system we can improve air quality increase the quality of life and save lives of citizens across all of europe.
we cannot have a situation where the burden falls on a few states to deal with the particular humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in the mediterranean.
so there's a moral imperative on us to ensure that we have sensible immigration policies but in the meantime the people who are clinging to boats in the mediterranean cannot be allowed to wait. we have to ensure that we have a new search and rescue mission immediately in the mediterranean. the irish navy was previously involved in operation sophia where it rescued thousands of people.
i now call on the commission along with the member states which have naval support to ensure that we have a proper search and rescue mission put in place immediately to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
the long term issue of immigration can be addressed as well but we have this moral imperative immediately.
i have been disappointed that the irish government has not funded the irish navy to the point where we now have two naval ships tied up in dry dock because of a lack of personnel.
they should be in the mediterranean sea along with other naval boats from other countries addressing this humanitarian crisis.
again i will quote the president elect from yesterday we need solidarity.
it seems to me that this is one of the most complex and challenging issues that the eu faces currently and there is no right answer for it.
only by the new policy addressing all of these things will we be able to resolve it.
we absolutely have to do more in africa but we have to make sure we reward the right people not the wrong people.
the second thing is we must absolutely have strong borders but when people arrive in europe what we see is chaos.
and so we must make sure that our own systems of processing migrants returning those who need to go back go back but those who are allowed to stay can stay.
in doing that we must absolutely support the national countries who are having to face that and i think of places like italy and greece and the local communities who are really struggling to deal with it on behalf of the rich countries.
the third thing or the final thing that we must do is we must make if you want to do it all the nations will have to pay'.
it won't be the uk because we're leaving but it is going to be very very expensive and you will all have to pay.
i come from stuttgart a beautiful city in the heart of europe but we struggle with air pollution.
this leads to premature death and especially elderly people pregnant women and children are at risk.
if you want clean air you need to start designing cities for people and not for cars. our local communities need support for their sustainable urban mobility plans.
this should be a priority when deciding on the next union budget.
rule of law or lack of it is like oxygen you realise the value of it when it's running out.
independent judiciary free and pluralistic media human rights and human dignity democracy these are the basic values upon which european integration but also our member states have been built.
it was really very helpful for putting the issue of clean air on the agenda.
but i think it's important that we take on board that one of our best options in the fight against climate system breakdown is a dramatic global tree planting programme that would sequester greenhouse gases.
trade deals that facilitate a race to the bottom in terms of environmental protections and quality standards are incompatible with meaningful climate action.
the farmers that can have the potential to sustainably work farming are being pushed out of existence by trade deals like this.
while we absolutely share the ambition on the goals and i think the rest of europe could learn a lot from finland in setting very ambitious targets we all know of course that setting ambitious targets is only half if that of the job.
the real job is in putting very concrete measures into place right now because in order to end up with good and ambitious targets you need to add now'.
it's not enough to just put some numbers for later on into the paper.
that's why i would like to also ask you to push ahead on the reform of the agricultural policy.
what we have right now on the table is far from enough to secure biodiversity and climate protection.
we need a reversion here we need to make sure that the money that we spend in the european union is put into places which will help the ecological and social transition and there we need much more action.
therefore i would also urge you to take up the issue of the parliamentary report on hungary to discuss it in the council and to also make sure that parliament our rapporteurs are being invited and are being heard by the council by the member states and that it doesn't fall under the carpet.
refugees are another big issue.
rescue at sea is right now not happening in the mediterranean and we cannot allow that people are drowning in the mediterranean and no one is there to help.
i think you can lead by example making sure that even if there is not an agreement of all member states which is a pity it's a disgrace still some member states can go ahead in order to stop this disgraceful and inhumane situation we have right now at our borders.
lastly i also want to congratulate finland for setting a precedent on the issue of transparency as council.
we hope that all the other member states and the future presidencies can learn from that and that maybe you will also find some space for even more transparency.
we would have some ideas if you were interested.
thank you very much and good luck and we're ready to support you on those issues.
firstly from the wars that make people refugees in the first place and then reaping the rewards of multi billion euro border security contracts to keep the victims away from us.
that you're so desperate that you leave your family your friends everything you know and you've either got to gamble with your life on the mediterranean depending on the valiant efforts of ngos or you find yourself in a detention camp in libya to be raped starved exploited and tortured.
the commission's contemptuous dismissal of the call by the un to end the migrant returns to italy after the air strike really tells us all we need to know.
mr president as a british liberal democrat i was elected to keep britain in the european union and one of my main reasons for wanting to be here is to help protect our shared environment.
in this age of innovation and advanced technology this is not acceptable.
but to do that we need more ambition and more scientific research.
we need to work with member states to enforce targeted ultra low emission zones in our small towns as well as in our cities. every market town every small town has a junction or a road where the locals know that air pollution is out of control.
however our member states ignore these obligations and on top of that they also work against ngos which do save lives.
and instead of ensuring safety and protection they organise unlawful pull backs to libya where migrants are exposed to violence inhuman treatment in detention centres and to the risk of refoulement.
we need to stop these shameful violations of international law close to our borders.
we need to act united and in solidarity and that means more capacity for search and rescue actions at eu level and equally shared responsibility for rescued persons who ask for asylum not ad hoc but on a sustainable basis.