kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
may i also remind you that media pluralism and the rights of journalists are also an important aspect of the rule of law which is a high priority of the finnish council presidency.
we are tireless in protecting the respect of the rule of law.
we will continue to watch very closely the relevant investigations and we will stand firmly behind journalists around the world.
i can assure you that the council has taken careful note of the views expressed here today on this very important issue.
madam president this year we've seen football at its best a fantastic women's world cup and fantastic european and domestic competitions but we're also seeing football at its ugly worst in places at the moment because sadly we again see headlines of racism in football.
the nature of what we see at the moment demands more of those running football of our national associations of uefa and of fifa.
madam president we've all clearly agreed with the scale of the challenge that is presented when terrible diseases like ebola break out in places that already have preexisting security and humanitarian challenges where there is poor infrastructure and poor access to services
we need to be clear this evening in saying that we want health protection prevention of disease and health security to be highlevel strategic priorities in that plan and if those things are not the top priorities in that plan any such future plan for africa presented by the commission in the future should
and this is why for me it has been key all over these months i would say all over these years to keep a constant contact and coordination with cyprus itself with one of our member states and design a way in which we could react and shape a common reaction together with cyprus.
one question i would like to come back to which is what next?
the framework is now established which means that now member states can and i would expect that they would present proposals for names both of individuals and entities that would then be analysed on the basis of a solid legal basis.
is an instrument to put pressure and to try and provoke a change.
the objective here is to change the attitude stop the drillings and i'm surprised that not many of you have underlined this try to help the un finding what would be the real solution what would be the settlement of the cyprus issue.
it is i believe important for us to constantly stress this the fact that in this moment the european union is continuing to look at that solution at that framework at the un framework as the real solution for this issue and for the settlement as such and that we are obviously ready to accompany this. we have discussed this with our turkish counterparts several times including in the recent months including at my level obviously this activity is going in the opposite direction and this is an additional reason why we want to see them stopping.
without an unshackled media we would only have the illusion of a proper democracy a mockery of how the rule of law should function.
the media is the gatekeeper the body that separates fact from fiction.
so when shadowy multinationals illicit banks and unscrupulous politicians implicated in serious money laundering and corruption activities start to abuse the courts to go after our journalists the attack is serious.
when journalists are assassinated it is an attack on all of us.
daphne was assassinated two years ago. the masterminds behind her assassination remain at large.
the subjects of her investigations remain protected from investigation at the highest political levels.
it is not acceptable.
and specifically we need to protect journalists not only from physical harm but from vexatious lawsuits.
we need an eu anti slapp law and we need to make eu funds available to media houses so that they can fight their corner. media freedom is a cornerstone of our european societies and more than a fundamental right it is a fundamental rule of the way we are governed.
it is as important as an independent judiciary and should be seen as such.
they were detected at an external eu border only because of the lack of proper entryvisa documents of the truck driver.
this case shows a lack of efficient regulations.
be sure that what happens in chile will always be at the centre of our attention because of the ties that are there not only economic ties but as i said social ties even family ties.
i want to conclude with that in particular on chile but also on other situations.
this is exactly what we have been doing quietly but constantly in these hours in these days and this is why i want to repeat here my thanks to our eu delegation staff on the ground that has done remarkable work in these weeks in difficult circumstances and we will continue to do so.
journalists and their work are essential for any healthy democratic society. i want to take this opportunity to stress that their vital mission is not only hampered when journalists are killed or imprisoned but that also very often now their daily lives and work are being made difficult in many ways.
reporters without borders published their flagship annual world press freedom index in april this year revealing that worldwide authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media. europe itself according to the document has its share of incidents with the work of investigative reporters being obstructed more and more.
european journalists are subject to many forms of pressure intimidation and increasingly to judicial harassment.
i myself as a former journalist as i said know many cases and witnessed various obstacles from threats to violence in the daily work of my fellow colleagues from romania with basically none of these incidents being punished or even investigated.
as policy makers we need to make sure we do this.
we cannot always allow what is urgent to overtake what is important in the long run and throw out the concerns of the young.
being able to be part of the people who are considered for the prize itself was a big win for the team and an affirmation that we are not alone'.
the cost of responding to this in the future is much higher than investing in the wellbeing of children today. promoting and protecting the rights of all children is at the core of our obligations.
we called for action to be taken strong action.
how many more violations of international law must there be before we act?
the european parliament will show that our citizens will not condone either an illegal invasion or this illegal drilling.
madam president information is the enemy of repression and that is why repressive regimes target journalists first.
every night at six ' he said they shut down the internet and then they come and kill us and no one is there to watch.
this is an abuse of the electoral system. it's an abuse of international law. it's an abuse of human rights.
this house is forever talking about all three and interference in elections but when it happens in this case they actually like it.
this house needs to make up its mind what it likes and what it doesn't.
but in particular as many of you have underlined we also have to focus on our own countries the european union because these things do happen on our own doorstep and as a number of you have underlined a free media a media where journalists can report on any topic on all platforms without needing to censor themselves
is a cornerstone of our societies.
indeed that journalistic freedom of expression is a key part of the values that we seek to defend in our european union.
the points that you have raised including some of the new detailed points that have been raised are very important to us.
i set out briefly some of the things that we are already doing and planning to do but we will now study very closely some of the additional suggestions that you have raised.
this subject will be a key subject for the new commission taken forward by my colleague commissioner jourov who would have very much liked to be with you this evening.
mr president turkey's illegal drilling operations off cyprus have continued despite the european union's repeated calls to stop them. and certainly condemnation is right as we have heard already from many speakers.
but dear colleagues let us not also look like hypocrites when we challenge others even while continuing to extract or import gas and oil for ourselves sometimes even authorising new mines.
and this will continue so long as we go on listening to fossil fuel apologists.
here in this parliament exxon mobil are still licenced to lobby despite their proven climate change denial record.
if we were serious about greening europe we'd surely have rid ourselves of that.
extraction of fossil fuels has to stop.
celebrating growth has to stop.
facilitating emissions heavy travel has to stop.
it's up to us to do it and to do it right here not just in turkey.
of course the vaccines certainly are a step forward but the many ebola outbreaks over the past decades have shown that the biggest problem is not the lack of a vaccine but the lack of functioning health systems and we need strong health systems to protect congolese people and people anywhere else in the world against ebola.
we need strong health systems to counter the many other health challenges which do not make it to western newspaper headlines including for instance high maternal and child mortality.
humanitarian organisations even warn us that the international ebola response is taking away staff and financial support to address these other challenges.
we must strengthen the national health systems and their capacities to respond to epidemics.
at the same time we have to continue to advocate with our international partners for enough resources.
let's be very clear these activities are illegal under international law.
they reflect the regrettable change of turkish foreign policy and they have a negative impact on turkey eu relations. madam high representative i welcome the adoption by the eu foreign affairs council of a legal framework for possible sanctions against individuals and entities that are involved in the drilling activities
but as mr michael gahler pointed out now the names need to be added to the list.
it is together working with the league of arab states that we can counter the threat that groups like isis pose to both the middle east and the rest of the world.
last april for example we organised a dialogue in cairo on coexistence and acceptance of the other' and next month we will have a dialogue in brussels on freedom of expression and freedom of association and assembly'.
i firmly believe that there is untapped potential in our relationship with the league which is in our interest to reinforce.
the council conclusions adopted last month gave us a mandate to tackle terrorism at regional level engaging with organisations such as the las.
overturned and some have seen no change. this has transformed the geopolitical landscape. today on its south eastern and southern flanks the eu is facing an arc of conflicts and crises from iraq syria
there are humanitarian challenges including the catastrophe of millions of refugees and displaced persons on our doorstep and social and economic development challenges need to be addressed especially the lack of employment and opportunities for youth.
in all these meetings he stressed the need for stronger euro arab cooperation and made clear his support in the fight against terrorism.
in this demanding context the league of arab states is a vital partner for the eu.
the eu is committed to ensuring that human rights are mainstreamed in our activities across the
our co operation is not limited to political and security matters. since two thousand and twelve we have a joint work program of co operation in various fields from human rights to energy and other activities are being planned.
it has legitimacy as the only pan regional organisation bringing together all arab countries.
board. it is particularly important that we do so in the context of counter terrorism. it is also important that we engage in cultural dialogue.
work. key topics have included women's empowerment promotion and protection of human rights in line with international standards engagement with civil society and co operation on election observation.
we are ready to assist with the effort in meeting these challenges both bilaterally and at a regional level.
so it is clear why' we engage.
rights. since two thousand and twelve the eu and the las have identified common priorities developed a number of initiatives and engaged regularly including with the arab human rights charter committee and the arab national human rights institutions.
respect for human rights and the rule of law must not fall victim to combating terrorism; these must be the bedrock of it.
it is vital however that the cooperation avoids the mistakes of the past.
i welcome the recently signed memorandum.
europe and the arab league states must pursue a comprehensive counter terrorism strategy that tackles the root cause of radicalisation with particular focus on the economic and social situation of the younger generation in many of these countries.
young people must be inspired by values of mutual respect and inclusive society so that we stop the vicious cycle of violence.
repression re provokes discontent and radicalisation setting off a cycle of violence.
we can learn from their experiences.
the regimes in charge of the middle east and north africa are indeed important partners and we do indeed need to deal with them.
that again is a nod to the practices of some of our partner countries. in point eleven we stress the importance of cooperation between the eu and the league in the field of human rights because there are things to build on.
as we say in point two of the resolution terrorism poses a direct threat to all countries and all people regardless of their ethnic background but our duty is to our values and to the people of the region not necessarily the regimes in charge.
this surely sends the worst possible signal to our partner countries within the region.
the roots are far more complex than that and any solution must be multifaceted and much more sophisticated in nature.
within the resolution in recital d we highlight that fact and in point three we explicitly call for its publication.
in point nine we explicitly say that counter terrorism measures may never be abused to repress legitimate dissent.
the fight against terrorism and the cooperation of the eu with the league of arab states as outlined in the memorandum of understanding is a serious subject that deserves to be taken as seriously as indeed we have done except that the memorandum has not been published.
i would be grateful for an explicit reaction to that call this evening.
we do have a common aim.
i would explicitly praise mrs schaake for the work she has done in coordinating the different groups in its production because this is a solid resolution that we have before us where it could have been the blankest of blank cheques and the most mixed of mixed signals because there were enough people trying to make it so.
we must do that by example.
in recital i we refuse to turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of our partners in that there are serious and systematic violations of human rights in member countries of the arab league states because we cannot turn a blind eye to their failings. we also in point five state that the solution to radicalisation is not simply military.
i would like to draw your attention to the very substantial council conclusions adopted only last month which include a clear reference to the underlying factors of radicalisation and the need to support initiatives in the areas of youth provision education and vocational training as well as the importance of facilitating interface and
i welcome your initiative in holding a discussion on the relations between the european union and the league of arab states. in a context of evident regional instability it is essential to maintain the political visibility of relations between the european union and the league of arab states in exchanges like this one.
as friends partners and neighbours with a series of common threats before us we need to seek overlapping areas of consensus and to forge stronger links between the european union and the arab world.
and human rights involving also the council of europe in streamlining human rights within the activities of the league of arab states.
we also engage in other fields such as civil society and culture.
human rights and engagement of the european union within the international community and the values which it stands for the diplomacy when it comes to political dialogue to setting a point on the accomplishment of compromises and engagement on international law and the statements and resolutions that have been adopted by the
madam president the clear and present danger posed by returning european jihadist fighters is a real one and likely to persist for many years to come.
the returning wave of extremist islamic fighters sends an undeniable message that counter terrorism efforts have urgently to be reinforced across all member states and in cooperation with the league of arab states particularly on security services and that is a most helpful area.
further to this i encourage all member states to confront extremism by blocking hate preachers coming to their shores and by removing thousands of items from the internet that encourage or glorify terrorism.
as the king of jordan said yesterday the fight that is witnessed between terrorists and those who want to defend pluralism is a fight within islam.
cooperation between the eu and arab league states on counter terrorism is welcome yet clarification is needed.
we call on the publication of the memorandum of understanding so that there is full transparency and we can see what is agreed.
it is unfortunate that the press release by the external action service did not mention the importance of respecting human rights while cooperating on fighting terrorism;
because in this house we have repeatedly been asked and forced to call for the respect for human rights notably after the arab uprisings as they are often violated precisely in the member states of the arab league severely and systematically.
this kind of repression is too often legitimised by arguments of national security or by invoking counter terrorism and the eu cannot and should not directly or indirectly be a part of legitimising repression in the name of counter terrorism
not the repression of those that act entirely in line with their universal human rights.
i think that we should take the lead in ensuring that security and freedom are integrally related and the eu must not be tempted by any short term perspectives on interests while forgetting about the fundamental values upon which we base ourselves.
how will our cooperation with security forces avoid complicity in human rights abuses in countries where there is use of the death penalty and credible evidence of the use of torture and how will our cooperation seek to eradicate these practices?
what will this cooperation achieve in ending the direct funding of terrorism by some of the states themselves and will our dialogue have an equal emphasis on tackling root causes which allow terrorism to breed to combat radicalisation abroad as well as at home to recognise that repression aggravates terrorism
the terrorist threat is real and we want cooperation with the arab states but it is the terrorists who challenge the rule of law and it is us who must always uphold it.
madam president king abdullah said here yesterday that the crisis with islamic state is an ideological battle that must be fought and won within islam. he compared the is threat to the second world war and described theirs as an expansionist ideology.
he is quite right that it is not just a physical struggle but an ideological war that can only be resolved in the islamic world by the moderate muslims defeating the extremists.
it is a fact however that a number of islamic states fund is and other extremist groups around the world.
christendom needs to recognise the threat to its culture and way of life and tackle it head on in our own lands.
we cannot rely on the arab league to do it for us.
madam president with the rise of isis in syria and iraq and islamist terrorist attacks occurring in europe cooperation with our allies in the gulf and the wider arab world is more important today than ever in combating international terrorism. the arab league can do much to stem the causes of jihadi terrorism at the roots.
this house was addressed yesterday by the king of jordan discussing the key role that his country is playing in the air campaign against isis.
along with countries such as egypt jordan is a great example in the region of what genuine military cooperation can look like.
tunisia is also a good example and success story of what democracy can mean for the arab spring.
i specifically call for the development of dedicated channels of communication and specific procedures for the periodic exchange of good practice in countering terrorism and for timely appropriate information sharing. furthermore i strongly encourage an enhanced and comprehensive dialogue with moderate religious leaders elites in the arab countries who should be promoted as a key actor in the stabilisation process of their societies.
that is part of the right of initiative.
it is part of the proposal that we are making for the two thousand and thirteen working programme and we are discussing it this morning.
it also means that you can withdraw something.
the recent jurisprudence has therefore made more salient the issue of application to imported goods only as per the current proposal on the table.
in particular products of foreign origin should be accorded no less favourable treatment than domestic products.
for the mature economy that we have this is very important.
do so. but it is also obvious that we are not going to find a majority any time soon in the
that can never be the
the commission will also soon table a package of measures that includes a legislative proposal on the market surveillance of products with the objective of improving enforcement and the control of products entering the union a legislative proposal on general product safety and a multiannual plan on market surveillance.
more directly in the context of an economic crisis do we want to impose such cost increases on our companies?
this would in turn require an impact assessment to establish whether such a new legislative initiative would satisfy the conditions established in the treaty whether there is a demand from eu industry for this and whether there are consumer expectations in that regard.
however seven years after the proposal was tabled we must face reality there has been no progress since the vote of the european parliament and there are no genuine prospects for a political compromise amongst the various institutions.
as regards origin fmarking schemes in non eu countries the commission notes that some countries have origin marking schemes in place although these generally pre date the recent rulings.
for these reasons and notably in the light of our international obligations as clarified in the recent rulings the commission considers that it cannot at this time pursue legislation action on origin marking on imported goods only such as that contained in the currently stalled proposal.
but let us get back to the fundamental motivations behind this debate namely consolidating a level playing field for our companies in the eu ensuring protection against fraudulent origin labelling and responding to consumers' needs for information.
however it will continue to consider the matter further.
recent studies supervised by the commission on textile and leather show that among consumers' demands on labelling origin marking does not rank among the highest priorities. as to the business environment the commission is currently looking at how to strengthen the enforcement of the unfair commercial practices directive.
it would be for the commissioner for industry and entrepreneurship vice president tajani to explore the issue more in detail if appropriate.
such schemes also differ significantly notably as regards their coverage.