kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
i agree with jean lambert we need to work together;
yesterday i met unicef which reminded us that later this year we will mark twenty five years since the signing of the un convention on the rights of the child.
but in the long term we need to do more.
the international community is now looking at what should replace the mdgs and it is clear that safe schools need to be part of what we are talking about.
in the mdgs we pledged that every child should receive an education but as two thousand and fifteen approaches there are thousands of schools closed in nigeria because of terrorist attacks.
madam president it is almost one hundred days since these girls disappeared and i think we should pledge today that we will keep on campaigning until the girls are released and not let this issue go off the headlines.
people who want change in nigeria people who want action against boko haram who want accountability from their government and the conviction of those responsible for atrocities.
obviously we express our sympathy for the friends and the families not only of the girls from chibok but of all of those of different faiths who have been abducted injured and murdered over the years by the growing violence of boko haram and the often violent state pursuit which has all too often substituted indiscriminate force for targeted action.
a major complaint of civil society has been about the apparent absence of the government response.
i am glad to take part in this debate today and to see a focus on those persons who suffer persecution because of their faith.
belatedly it has brought international focus on the situation in northern nigeria where thousands of christians and those of faith have been slaughtered by boko haram.
in the last legislature along with my colleague mr belder i hosted christians from northern nigeria in the parliament.
when they left he asked his wife to go to the other christian men in the village to get help to take him to hospital.
these are the stories of thousands across northern nigeria men women families targeted because of their faith.
let this parliament have the courage to call it as it really is the persecution of those of faith.
the final wording would then be calls on the countries in the six party talks to continue working together to ensure that the talks on ending the dprk nuclear programme are resumed'.
mr president there seems to be broad agreement between the groups on two oral amendments to this report.
the second one is on rephrasing and streamlining paragraph nineteen on the accountability of human rights defenders.
i hope these can be adopted.
one is to combine paragraphs six and twenty two to bring the trade related positions to the same paragraph.
we are also actively engaging with a broad range of stakeholders including sub national local governance judiciary authorities civil society and progressive business associations.
this initiative will address human rights environmental duty of care and due diligence across sectors.
tackling deforestation in the amazon is essential not only to fight global biodiversity loss and climate change but also to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication.
free trade agreements with countries in the region are another way to engage and promote cooperation on international commitments on climate and the environment in particular in the context of their trade and sustainable development chapters.
the global framework should include specific targets for halting the loss of primary forests and for preserving ecosystems' health in line with the proposals in the eu biodiversity strategy.
the commission supports the implementation of the ilo convention one hundred and sixty nine on the indigenous and tribal people as well as the implementation of the un voluntary guidelines on governance of tenure of land and forests.
i look forward to working closely with you on this important issue.
we are determined to take a leading role internationally and to use diplomacy trade policy and development cooperation tools.
with regard to eu policies the commission is working on a series of actions to fight deforestation as a part of the follow up to our communication on stepping up eu action to protect and restore the world's forests adopted in july.
it also goes hand in hand with improving the livelihoods of local populations and respecting the rights of indigenous people.
the challenges that affect the amazon basin are complex multi faceted and require close regional cooperation among the countries that share it.
therefore these issues are systematically raised within our established mechanisms for political dialogue and cooperation.
territories of indigenous people and local communities in the amazon overlap to a very large degree with the world's best preserved biodiversity and ecosystems.
the eu is determined to work in partnership with and support efforts by partner countries in the amazon to tackle deforestation.
it is also essential for the indigenous people that call it home and depend on it for their livelihoods and their traditional culture.
the environmental dimension of these challenges is closely interconnected with fundamental socio economic factors as well as issues such as widespread poverty corruption human rights abuses stability and security.
human rights including those of indigenous people and local communities in the amazon as well as environmental protection are at the core of the values underpinning the eu relations with third countries including the countries of the amazon basin.
we will continue to support action against deforestation and forest degradation as a part of the implementation of the paris agreement including through continued commitment to raise the ambition of forest competence of nationally determined contributions and continued support to the international initiative on reducing emissions for deforestation and forest degradation.
protecting biodiversity and fighting deforestation requires protected areas and good governance.
two thousand and nineteen as part of the follow up to last year's communication the commission will present in two thousand and twenty one a legislative proposal and other measures to avoid or minimise the placing of products associated with deforestation on the eu market and to promote forest friendly imports and value chains.
the eu is addressing the root causes of deforestation through our significant development assistance to forests land use sustainable livelihoods and indigenous people in the amazon basin with a total of ongoing projects amounting to eur one hundred and sixty six million.
at the global level the eu will push for an ambitious post two thousand and twenty global biodiversity framework to ensure that by two thousand and fifty all of the world's ecosystems including forests are restored resilient and adequately protected.
this integrated sustainable development approach is at the centre of our development cooperation policy.
finally our human rights instruments have been mobilised on rights of indigenous people and of environmental defenders unfortunately too often at stake in the amazon region.
other action taken by the commission includes the creation of a multi stakeholder platform on deforestation which will meet for the first time in october and of an eu observatory that will use the earth observation and trade data to facilitate information on global deforestation.
the indigenous people and local communities have therefore to be part of the solution.
to tackle the issue of deforestation we also need to engage more with the private sector especially with the eu to get stronger commitments from their side on sustainable sourcing.
despite being told by the commission that the deal will encourage brazil and the mercosur bloc to meet climate obligations we remain sceptical.
ratification of the eu mercosur trade deal is still on the agenda.
we are part of the problem.
my last remark is as follows i hope that the eu farm to fork strategy the biodiversity strategy and more importantly the review of eu trade policy just launched will look closely at the complexity of our supply chains and the absolute contradiction between our agriculture environment trade and climate policy.
yet we have restricted the ability of our own grain growers to supply the market because of the rules we have imposed but have no control over what comes into europe.
and that's why we're back here today talking about landgrabbing and deforestation.
we're very alarmed about the continued loss of forests in the amazon to commercial agriculture logging and mining.
madam president and thank you commissioner for your commitment to the future but of course we have had this debate here in the chamber before.
and i think we need to get into our heads the scale of this.
last summer we all watched as the amazon burned and despite our lofty words and our concerns nothing has changed.
you're talking about an area of over sixty million hectares.
we are alarmed at the proposed law to legalise landgrabbing by the brazilian government which would further incentivise taking of public lands into private ownership and the destruction of more forest area.
our own meat production demands protein for animal feed and it comes from brazil and other places.
but people in glass houses should not throw too many stones.
we continue to be concerned about the opening up of european markets to more beef and soya and its consequences for deforestation.
yet in brazil we will see them rise by ten because and mainly due to deforestation.
the mercosur deal will lead to more deforestation of the amazon.
small farmers in ireland are not just worried about their livelihoods they are also sick of the hypocrisy of the eu calling out for member states to reduce agri emissions while preparing to import more contaminated environmentally destructive food and feed from south america.
it says there will be an assessment which is political speak for doing nothing despite the fact that fianna fil and the greens opposed it before now.
climate change mitigation is not a threat to farmers.
it will be bad for small farmers in ireland and all across europe.
now we have the mercosur deal which looks like the european commission working in the interests of big business helping them to find the cheapest raw materials with zero regard for the environment climate system breakdown or indigenous people.
we also know that the bolsonaro administration has fired most of the directors of the environmental institute controlling illegal logging.
so this parliament needs to ask for real safeguards on the preservation of the amazon and that will be key in the discussion on the free trade agreement.
and today using the covid crisis to recognise land grabbing is simply unacceptable.
but if we want to achieve our goals and we know what our goals are then the amazon is key in that fight.
exactly one year ago the european commission signed an agreement with the mercosur countries on free trade with the inclusion of a socalled binding sustainable chapter.
that a year after the signing off the situation is getting worse and worse.
we know that they fired the head of brazil's space agency which collects data on forests.
he encourages the human rights violations against the indigenous population.
so how can we actually explain that we use the money here to tackle climate change but we encourage the disaster abroad?
we are responsible for thousands of hectares square kilometres of deforestation by importation of beef and soya.
the uk alone is responsible for eating up around five hundred football fields of beef produced in clear cut rain forests every single year.
we're investing billions of euros every single year to tackle climate change and we invest billions of euros to support our european farmers especially the beef farmers against this unfair competition on the international markets.
let me reassure you that the commission is not only providing significant technical and financial assistance to countries in the region to tackle these challenges and that we talk to and listen carefully to the indigenous people who are directly impacted and at risk as you
we are also working on domestic policies to reduce the eu's own footprint on forests abroad in addition in close cooperation with the european external action service and the diplomatic services of eu member states.
the commission is already taking action to support efforts across the globe to tackle the root causes of deforestation and to protect the rights of indigenous people and local communities which are threatened by land grabbing and deforestation.
in reply to many of you who mentioned the government in brazil we call on national authorities including brazilian authorities to take decisive action to address deforestation and to cooperate regionally and internationally to this end.
honourable members to conclude yes there is still a lot of work to do and we will continue our work on the legislative proposal that we will present next year and i look forward to working closely with you on this important issue.
it is a way of having dialogue and working with brazil and the other partners in the region to push and encourage each other to live up to the commitments we have made together in the paris agreement and to work together on the environmental issues.
since many of you have mentioned free trade agreements let me recall that all our modern free trade agreements contain ambitious even if imperfect provisions to promote trade and sustainable development.
i can only say to you that i am following closely developments in europe and i am determined to take strong action also at home.
in this respect i look forward to the outcome of your future deliberations on the legislative initiative report by ms burkhardt on the legal framework to halt and reverse eudriven global deforestation after years of damages that cannot be repaired.
the fact that we conclude negotiations for an association agreement with the mercosur countries does not mean that we agree with all the policies of those governments in all areas clearly not.
we stand ready to provide technical assistance in order to ensure that deforestation decreases rapidly substantially and permanently should there be a clear willingness for cooperation on this issue.
we need to scale up efforts towards preserving critical ecosystems such as forests not only as a solution to climate change and biodiversity challenge but also achieve sustainability and resilience.
we are using all available diplomatic channels to engage on this important topic.
it has also shown a clear understanding that the multifaceted challenges that affect the amazon basin its immense natural resources and its populations need to be tackled in a holistic manner and in the context of sustainable development objective working in partnership with the countries in the region.
this is very true and challenging but i can reassure you that this is exactly what we are doing. i work very closely with all my colleagues concerned to bring together environmental agricultural trade health and climate aspects of deforestation.
in this situation what can be more shocking than hearing a minister calling to get rid of environmental protection while people are distracted by covid?
resistance was big before but now in this line that leads brazilian environmental policy i don't see any chance for that deal.
control agencies dismantled penalty payments for illegal logging stopped and if this were not enough the bolsonaro administration is supporting a law which would legalise land grabbing in the amazon.
so thank you again for this continuous pressure which helped us a lot in the tough negotiations.
the directive updates the definitions of criminal offences affecting the union's financial interests.
without your tireless efforts and your continuous support in moving this initiative forward we would not be here today.
this will make it an efficient tool to protect the financial interests of the eu and i invite more member states to join.
the antifraud directive is a decisive step forward and in combination with the european public prosecutor's office we are entering a new era. the anti fraud directive will essentially frame the activities of the european public prosecutor's office it.
yes to achieve the consensus on how we are going to fight against fraud against the union's financial interests by means of criminal law this is a historical moment. i am happy to be here at this historical moment in spite of the late hour.
it also introduces common rules as regards sanctions and statute of limitations linked to these offences.
i am confident that the eppo regulation can be adopted as soon as possible with a strong backing from parliament. i am happy that twenty member states have already notified their participation in the eppo.
will provide the material scope for the investigations and prosecutions of criminal offences falling within its competence and will ensure that the eppo can rely on harmonised definitions of these offences across the member states.
the work has just started.
maybe it is only natural that we are here in the middle of the night in the parliament building speaking about this extremely important affair in the true spirit of prolongation because after all it was the council that prolonged this process for quite a while.
having common rules designed to protect the financial interests of the union is not only necessary but it also makes the recovery of misused funds significantly easier and more efficient.
even more the directive is an important step for the effective functioning of the future european public prosecutor's office which will soon be established through enhanced cooperation.
but i am glad that for the most important issues our hard working rapporteurs were able to include review clauses in the final text.
achieving concrete measures for the protection of the eu's financial interests is the key to ensuring the most reliable and efficient use of european taxpayers' money.
so once again my sincere compliments to the rapporteurs on their excellent work.
however let us not forget that tax is a member state issue.
she confirmed last month before all these allegations that it was firmly on her agenda within the framework of eu competition law.
they cannot be avoided.
global country by country reporting by companies of their sales and profit is long overdue.
they need to know that whatever the commission concludes is the result of an independent thorough and public proper inquiry.
although as there has been some confusion today on whether there will actually now be an investigation a reassurance from the commission is necessary that this is going to be the case. the ecr group has long argued for further action at national eu and global level to tackle tax evasion tax fraud and indeed aggressive tax avoidance.
as a quasi judicial investigation i believe we should await its outcome before rushing to judgments or holding a witch hunt.
tax competition is of utmost importance in the eu and it encourages us to remain competitive globally.
i am proud to say that it was my prime minister during the uks presidency of the g eight last year who led these discussions on reporting and tax transparency and it will be discussed again in brisbane next week.
the solution lies in proper enforcement of existing national and eu systems and through greater transparency and greater international cooperation in tax matters through the g eight and g twenty level.
if commissioner vestagers investigation raises questions that need to be answered then they must be answered here in this chamber.
she is leading the commission investigation into tax schemes in luxembourg the netherlands ireland and several other eu countries.
people are frankly not willing to accept companies that go out of their way to avoid paying what they legitimately owe.
we should base our actions and debates not on leaks and not on part of the picture but on a full independent assessment by our own competition authority that reveals all the facts.
mr president todays discussion has been precipitated by luxleaks and the allegations in the press last week.
the ecr calls on commissioner vestager to deliver her investigation as quickly as is feasible but also asks for reassurance today on the independence the scope and the procedure for keeping this parliament informed.
for the eu to play a role does not require more eu legislation or centralisation of powers nor does it need tax harmonisation.
although it is a global problem the eu can play a meaningful role in this field. at commissioner vestagers hearing i specifically asked her what she was going to do to close the double irish tax loophole as it may constitute state aid.
clearly this investigation needs to have the trust of the public.
the definition of hypocrisy in the is the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case and i do not think anyone in this chamber could disagree with me today when i say that this perfectly sums up the position of the president of the european commission here today.
when mr juncker was campaigning for the post he stood on a platform of stamping out aggressive tax avoidance by multinational corporations across the european union yet it is now clear from recent revelations that he had not practised what he was preaching.
i would like to finish by asking this chamber why the people of europe are increasingly sceptical about the european union.
allow me to tell you with one simple sentence it is because it is always a case of do as i say and not as i do' and therefore i believe mr juncker you have two options.
let us have this investigation but my request is for an investigation before the end of the year.
it has to be a serious investigation and not just about three special cases in three countries.
let us be honest about it.
that is my point to you mr juncker. you have spoken about two decisions taken by the college this morning and i am in favour of that exchange of information.
if there is one topic now where we need more europe we have it here on the table and it is a clear indication that what you are saying does not make any sense.
we have a specialist there.
he was a specialist in offshore tax schemes in the isle of man he is a specialist and he is not here today!
i have received many letters and emails of concern from parents major health and consumer organisations midwives nurses and doctors' organisations as well as unicef and the who.
until there is real consensus in the scientific community about the validity of this claim we must not allow it.
the evidence we currently have is not conclusive and no evidence exists to support the use of such a claim on follow on formulas.
if in the future synthesised dha is proven to be truly beneficial to babies we should make it an essential ingredient in all formulas and not allow it to be used as a marketing ploy by a specific brand.
i would urge you to support this resolution.
because it was not binding enough.
we have still not created a system that is capable of transferring the money from the banks to the real economy that is the problem.
because i think we lack two elements.
we have a directive on the deposit guarantee schemes.
why the difference?
we have a regulation on credit rating agencies and one on capital requirements. so a lot has been done on financial regulation.
that was not always the case in the past.
we need a new economic strategy.
because first of all they have solved their banking problem and we are still in the middle of a banking crisis.
we have a directive on market abuse.
since we are going to discuss this issue later this morning i will now concentrate on the other main elements on the agenda of the council.
actions regarding the issue of unemployment.
only two weeks ago we had a debate in this plenary which led to the adoption of a resolution of this parliament on where it sees the priorities in the european semester.
rising energy prices for companies and consumers are a real cause for concern.
the need to generate jobs especially in order to fight youth unemployment remains one of our main priorities.
we have however proposed not to set twenty eight individual national targets any more but rather to rely on a bottom up approach leaving more flexibility to the member