kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
so the commission will now examine the opinion in depth and address the working party's recommendations in its final decision.
now we are preparing the legislation which will balance this properly for everybody in europe.
so we are now in a very sensitive period when we must be especially careful about the protection of privacy and private data.
identifying the balance and the right of access to data on the part of law enforcement authorities.
we will have to review all our adequacy decisions which relate to the transfer of european citizens' data to third countries. this is the hot topic of today which some of you mentioned as well and i would like to use this opportunity to inform you about the position of the commission on
here i come to what you mentioned in relation to the rest of the world.
madam president thank you very much.
data protection is vital for many reasons.
i used to be a member of this house and i recognise many of you as partners in crime'.
i am happy that the plenary vote will allow us to sign both the general data protection regulation and the directive on data protection in the field of criminal law enforcement.
as you know the council very much welcomes the agreements that our two institutions reached last december on the general data protection regulation and the directive on data protection in the field of criminal law enforcement.
in the negotiations on the regulation and the directive parliament and council have consistently acknowledged that protection of personal data is a fundamental right.
as a result we agreed to empower individuals with strong and enforceable data protection rights.
this resulted in a general data protection regulation laying down harmonised rules for processing of personal data.
these new rules will end the fragmentation stemming from differences in implementation of the current directive.
the new legislative framework enhances legal certainty creates a level playing field for companies and reduces administrative burdens.
furthermore the directive on data protection in the field of criminal law enforcement will ensure effective judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation.
an important element is that it will cover both crossborder and domestic processing of personal data.
the directive will facilitate the exchange of personal data between law enforcement authorities.
at the same time it will guarantee a consistently high level of data protection.
tomorrow's vote will make the eu's data protection rules ready for the digital era.
in an increasingly digitalised world almost all the personal details of people's lives are held on a database somewhere and the protection of that information becomes increasingly important.
the protection of that information throws up some obvious issues the security of the information held who has legitimate access to it and how to protect it from highly sophisticated criminals.
these are not easy issues to resolve.
we all live in democratic societies more or less anyway but the state has never had such a wealth of information potentially available to it and the possibility of potential misuse by it.
we may feel safe now under our present governments but we do not know what the future will hold.
imagine what stalin hitler and mao tse tung could have done with the goldmine of information that exists now.
as the european union becomes more centralised and undemocratic we cannot know what the shape of its government will take in the future.
therefore the protection of individual citizens' most private information must remain the responsibility of democratic nation states answerable to their people.
the right to the protection of personal data is enshrined in the european convention of human rights and the european charter of fundamental rights and they seek to protect the individual's right to privacy for instance protecting private medical records and preventing insurance companies from potentially misusing personally and very deeply held private information.
i am very confident that the european court will help us to have better legislation better applied legislation and that it stands together with the commission. i would like to thank the commissioner and her teams for what she has done.
this is one of the biggest pieces of legislation parliament has ever enacted and i think we should be thankful for something that parliament does very well and that is quietly and deliberately members of this house the rapporteurs jan albrecht and marju lauristin but let me just say it because i know all the work they put in all the shadows
but let me just say that this is what parliament does very well to enact a piece of legislation which yes as mr voss said still has some problems on the research side on the issue of parental consent.
we did not all agree with many of these very difficult issues but at the end of the day we have a directive and a regulation which is the only one of its kind in the world and i think for cross border legislation that is something of which we should be proud.
it comes after four years of negotiation with the council and for that it is a major achievement.
the regulation gives eu citizens new positive rights including the ability to know when your data has been hacked the use of plain language in requests for personal data the appointment of data protection officers and the fines which really were needed because now people know that this is real legislation that will last and stand the test of time.
this has meant that we have created a package which has been comprehensive.
at the beginning of this process i think many felt that this could not happen yet it has happened and today we will vote the whole package instead of just one regulation.
i think that is a great achievement for this parliament.
i think it is one of which we should all be proud.
madam president i am afraid i am not here to sing with the angels. after so many years let's be honest we did not achieve the aim.
we wanted simple harmonised rules and legal certainty with the right balance between protecting individuals and the free flow of data.
i am glad we have achieved one pillar integrity but in europe we are not building common rules on exceptions.
the result i am afraid is fragmentation legal uncertainty and complexity.
we wanted to provide a legal playing field reducing red tape and boosting the single market.
our hope was to pave the way for the digital single market by removing borders barriers and burdens but these rules are not future proof and could actually be a break to innovation.
madam president the data protection framework that we are about to adopt is what it is but i think what is important is to stop looking at digital innovation as being in conflict with data protection.
nobody will win from this conflict and there will only be losers.
so people need to trust and in order to entrust their data they need to understand why their data is collected and for what reason it is used.
this occurs all over the eu and we must put a stop to it.
i want to urge both the council and commission to look at the support systems for victims particularly the specific needs of trafficked children who have very different needs to those of trafficked adults.
there are children in my own region who are trafficked but we find that even after registration with social services many trafficked children just disappear because they remain under the control of their traffickers. they find it just too easy to re traffic these children.
in the uk last year alone three hundred and twenty five children were identified as being suspected victims of trafficking.
one who is another's property and a helpless victim of some dominating influence you might be forgiven for thinking this is a definition of human trafficking.
trafficking of people be it women men or children is a criminal offence and on the increase in all member states.
in the uk we estimate approximately five zero victims of which three hundred and thirty are children.
extreme poverty family breakdown and domestic violence contribute to some of the root causes of human trafficking.
in fact it is a definition of slavery. trafficking is today's slavery.
mechanisms for victim support need strengthening.
it is worth waiting until this late hour to hear it because there are many people in this chamber today including the authors who understand the complexity of this brutal modern day phenomenon but also understand that the eu is expected by its citizens to tackle this modern day scourge.
mr barrot talked about the need for new legislation. we hope we will see the commission proposal very soon.
this morning at the hearing of commissioner designate mrs malmstrm we also saw a positive response to our proposal for an eu anti trafficking coordinator.
if you start to put together the various pieces of this puzzle at least we are moving forward but the sheer scale of the problem described by anna hedh means that we really have to turn words into action. with trafficking being such a complex phenomenon touching on so many different areas such as forced labour organised crime sexual exploitation and child abuse our response must be multi pronged and holistic.
mr barrot listed many of the things that we would like to see as a reality and if they come together in a package across the eu we will have a determined policy which eu citizens will see as a plan of action. at the moment eu citizens understand the scourge of trafficking but they do not see the holistic approach and they do not understand what the eu is doing as a whole.
i am happy that commissioner designate malmstrm underlined her commitment today to come forward with a new legislative proposal very soon and i am also happy to see the spanish presidency underlining not just the fight against trafficking but related issues such as violence against women.
it is important that these all come together to show real determination and heart in this proposal.
although the hour is late we now need the words to be turned into action and the authors have done a good job for us today.
two thousand and thirteen it already has officers working within member states' police forces and our german sirene officer is attached to the uk's serious organised crime agency and his name is jan per ruehmann.
it has executive powers and although britain is not yet a member of the schengen group the uk is expected to joint sirene in.
i dislike the european union and what i love most are the ancient liberties of my countrymen which i want to preserve.
as you know the member states bear full responsibility for the system at their level and given that finland did not volunteer for an earlier testing campaign the national issues there were revealed only in the last round of tests which were mandatory for all member states.
the commission is further ready to provide any possible support needed to overcome all the remaining challenges.
the objective of bringing the system into operation as soon as possible remains therefore an imperative which must not be compromised.
it increases the functionality capacity and performance of the system and it also improves governance and accountability through greater safeguards on data protection. so i believe that once the system is in place and operational we will all benefit from the high quality of reliable services and the new information which
experience shows that this is only possible through overall constructive cooperation and solidarity promoted by all the stakeholders.
without access to sis ii the uk would not have access to alerts issued by other member states in order for example to locate and apprehend criminals who escape into the uk from one of the other schengen countries.
what a mistake that would be!
the uk has been preparing for a number of years to connect to sis ii. it is responsible for eighteen of the total charge to the eu budget as well as the domestic costs.
i would like to thank the rapporteur mr coelho not only for all his work on schengen on this particular dossier but also for his flexibility when the council proposed having a separate legal instrument to ensure the participation of the uk and ireland in the policing aspects of the sis.
it would have been great had this measure been ready before the london olympics as there was some concern that the fact of the uk not yet being hooked up would make it difficult to identify criminals or terrorists.
i look forward to the uk finally taking part in the schengen information system.
also we need to explain to our citizens the double standards that romanians and bulgarians will face when they approach the schengen border controls.
it is to the advantage of all our citizens in the eu and that includes citizens of the united kingdom.
i do not support as the coalition government does and particularly the conservative party opt outs from jha including potential opt outs from schengen. it will be hugely disadvantageous to the citizens of the united kingdom and not in our national interest.
while this particular company may not survive this particular hack and this situation the technology that they make is part of a wider industry and it continues and the market remains largely unregulated.
i would like to know whether the commission can guarantee that member state authorities are implementing international obligations and doing so using the same yardstick.
we need eu rules to know the impact such eu made systems have here at home and in the rest of the world and to prevent exports to human rights violators.
has hacking team violated eu sanctions against russia and sudan by selling systems that can be used to violate the human rights of journalists political opponents and human rights activists as the hacked and leaked documents suggest?
the commission followed up quickly to implement this international agreement and adopted a commission delegated regulation in october two thousand and fourteen ensuring that the export of those technologies is controlled.
it is indeed a key concern that the export of cyber surveillance technologies could be misused for supporting oppressive regimes or the violation of human rights.
these are wide ranging categories of goods software and technologies normally used for civilian purposes but which may have military applications or may contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear materials electronics or navigation systems.
however the commission monitors and supports the consistent implementation of the controls by member state authorities. to that effect it set up in september two thousand and fourteen a surveillance technology expert group with member state experts which has been meeting on a regular basis
this communication identified options for an ambitious modernisation of the system.
the commission is now conducting a public consultation and will finalise the impact assessment on those review options with a view to presenting as appropriate proposals to upgrade the eu legal framework in early.
in addition to that immediate reaction the commission recognised in two thousand and fourteen in its communication on the export control policy review that although the eu export control system is robust and effective it cannot remain static and must be upgraded in order to face new challenges associated with new
it should be noted in this respect that controls on intrusion software became effective in the eu only on one january.
two thousand and fifteen the commission has taken note of concerns regarding possible unintended effects of controls on security testing tools which could possibly hinder research and has initiated dialogue with member states industry and ngos to further assess the need to adjust
since its establishment.
technologies of concern.
this includes options to address human security issues as the ones we are discussing here today.
mr president when documented reports first emerged four years ago that companies based in the eu had been involved in the supply of cyber surveillance technologies which may have been misused in connection with violations of human rights the commission immediately took action.
firstly in late two thousand and eleven and early two thousand and twelve respectively the eu arms embargoes on iran and syria were both updated to include prohibitions on the export of interception technologies for internet and telephone communications.
seventeen yet even in the uk we seem to consider these people to be our friends.
they show a failure by the italian government to hold firm on banning the export of this dangerous technology and a failure of common sense decency and basic morality in those who failed to consider the impact of their actions.
mr president allow me to reiterate the commission's determination to take on the challenges posed by the export of dual use cyber surveillance technologies. we have acted resolutely over the last few years and have taken unprecedented action to prevent exports that might be misused in violation of human rights.
it offers assistance so that elections can be organised in accordance with sadc principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.
we want to clearly express that we are tough on the regime but we try to assist the people. with the disbursement of approximately three hundred and sixty five million since the establishment of the global political agreement in two thousand and nine we are as i said the largest donor.
the eu will act and proceed in close coordination with all eu member states.
on eleven march together with twenty one embassies and representations the eu issued a statement to express its concerns over the increase in what appears to be politically motivated intimidation and violence.
we are calling on european governments and the eu to intensify their engagement to use all their political influence in southern africa to help bring about rapid change for the better in zimbabwe and pave the way for properly monitored elections to be held in an atmosphere free from intimidation.
it has called for an end to that violence and for all elements of the global political agreement to be implemented.
maybe just maybe there is at last some movement in the right direction.
firstly that as long as robert mugabe remained in power protected by a small self serving element in zanu pf and the security forces pillaging the nation's wealth for their own enrichment there was little prospect of real change.
the mdc is supposed to be in a power sharing coalition but in the past few days mdc ministers and mps as well as human rights activists have been beaten up and arrested.
i suppose mugabe is increasingly nervous on two counts.
and just a week ago on thirty one march the southern african development community which includes south africa and all zimbabwe's neighbours at last voiced its grave concern at the resurgence of violence in zimbabwe.
you know when mugabe is worried he starts to panic. his police and militia start attacking anyone they see as opponents.
secondly that it was up to the people of zimbabwe with the support of their african neighbours and here i name south africa in particular of course to bring about the necessary change.
it has appointed a team to work out a road map to peaceful free and fair elections in zimbabwe and today that team is in harare.
until there is evidence of real change the restrictive measures specifically targeting mugabe and his close allies must remain in place.
the chairman of the kimberley process mr mathieu yamba from the democratic republic of the congo has decided unilaterally and without consultation to allow the marketing of diamonds from zimbabwe's marange mine.
hundreds of people were dispossessed of their homes and there are reliable reports of his security forces torturing raping and even killing local residents. the sale of diamonds from the marange mine will help mugabe to further consolidate his tyrannical hold on zimbabwe and indeed enrich his zanu pf thugs.
i therefore urge the european union as a party to the kimberley process to raise this scandal at the highest level and insist on the restoration of consensus based decision making in the kimberley process.
more generally i have long been calling for a similar system a certification to cover other natural resources extracted in africa in order to prevent brutal governments or guerrilla groups from selling minerals to fund arms purchases.
the swift and timely adoption of the package could prove that the community method is the right approach to use in going forward.
i am also in agreement with many of the honourable members that after the hard work of negotiations we have to get the deal done.
in addition this package could demonstrate how european institutions can cooperate in a responsible efficient and constructive manner in such an important field.
certainly i agree completely with what we are doing and i also would love to see us adopting automatic binding sanctions and also the reverse qualified majority voting system.
that would ensure that we would stay out of crisis in the future.
prevention is better than cure and this is all about prevention.
mr president although the united kingdom is not a member of the euro zone and i hope it never will be we have a vested interest in its success.
i wish the euro zone well and i regret that i am unable to support the proposals on economic governance we are debating tonight.
the proposals before us grant the commission sweeping new powers.
had these powers been limited to euro zone countries alone i would not have objected but instead we see the commission and many members in this parliament including ms wortmann kool for whom i have the utmost respect using the crisis in the euro zone as an excuse to extend the power of the eu into the economic governance of the united kingdom and other countries who do not use the euro.
balanced and healthy public finances are a necessary condition for sustainable growth and improving employment which is the goal of the current legislative package. that is why it deserves your support. as many of you have underlined it is an essential building block
that is also why we need a genuinely and effectively functioning mechanism to identify and correct macroeconomic imbalances in order to prevent the kind of crises we have seen for instance in ireland or the credit boom we have seen in spain.
therefore your vote tomorrow will be a great opportunity to achieve a historic milestone of complementing the monetary union finally with a true and genuinely functioning economic union which we definitely need and thus enabling the european union to come out of the current serious crisis with lessons
on the political tack human rights remain at the top of our agenda with nigeria including in our regular ministerial dialogues.
and for the rule of law and human rights.
the root causes of violence and radicalisation will continue to be addressed through the european development fund.
we continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the schoolgirls and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
the eu is also present in nigeria with humanitarian assistance under echo providing eur five million to the north eastern states particularly in response to the on going food and nutrition crisis.
the new fund will focus its activities in particular in the north of the country supporting the health and energy sectors.
the eu listed boko haram as a terrorist organisation last month one day after their designation by the un demonstrating the eu's firm and determined condemnation of the group's unacceptable criminal activities which touch upon both christians and muslims.
madam president honourable members we remain concerned about the situation in nigeria where a series of violent attacks continue to terrorise the population. the high representative cathy ashton has strongly condemned the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of civilians and the abduction of more than two hundred schoolgirls in borno state.
our thoughts are also with the families of the girls who are desperate to see their children return home safely.
possible human rights abuses perpetrated by the nigeria military have to be investigated and those responsible brought to justice. the eu stands with the people and government of nigeria in the fight against terrorism and violence