kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the interim government of ukraine was terribly wrong to remove russian as a national language.
therefore economic sanctions against russia must be put into effect if russia does not stand down even if this means negative economic consequences for the eu.
i wonder whether they were hoping for reconciliation or for more protests.
however ukraine needs to remain at the core of our foreign policy and certainly not be part of our fight against russia.
what remains usually is each side's attempts to make ukraine unavailable for the other one.
this is evil.
of new frozen conflicts which will pass on their evil consequences from one crisis to another spilling over in the region.
mr president i want to look beyond the immediate issues as the ukraine crisis is not free from the law of unintended consequences. to put it mildly hitherto the ukrainian identity has been loose but the events of the last few months are something else.
the unexpected withdrawal from the association agreement with the eu by yanukovych the subsequent maidan demonstrations the revolution that followed the violence the occupation of the crimea by stealth the threat to carve up ukraine by russia and finally the fear of invasion have combined to cement a new ukrainian identity.
but this can be the basis of a new inclusive ukrainian citizenship concept the best guarantee of political stability of democracy and of hope.
furthermore the proposed russian bill that provides for even easier annexation of foreign territories on the basis of an alleged threat to a russian minority there and without a corresponding treaty with the relevant neighbouring state would likewise go against international laws
it is the most serious challenge to the helsinki process we have seen so far.
that is why what is going on in crimea is happening much closer to us than many of us many of you are ready to accept.
responsible and united in their readiness to adopt concrete measures but also principled responsible and united in offering at the same time political dialogue to de escalate the situation and find a peaceful solution
the job was done by the representatives of national governments.
today it is clear that the belligerent rhetoric is no longer palatable to the powerful european governments and will soon change.
other european governments think pretty much the same.
with the strong not with the weak.
anyone who expects something entirely different is bound to be disappointed.
until this moment there have been no signs that this will happen while every new development suggests the opposite.
we need a de escalation of tensions. ukrainian and tatar minorities in crimea have taken big risks they have gone out to the streets to demonstrate peacefully for the territorial integrity of their country.
now they have to resist provocations from the pro russian troops and armed men invading military posts government buildings and the regional parliament.
all parties involved should take their responsibility and do their utmost to prevent this crisis from turning into a disaster.
both houses of the parliament of russia have made all preparations for an illegal annexation of the crimea and the russian government has assisted them.
we should be prepared to do this because the russian actions are not only illegal they also destroy the helsinki process in which we in europe have said that borders are to be accepted and can only be changed through international law.
we are in a very serious situation.
at the same time we know that the united nations needs reform.
we are exercising this building strong global partnerships starting with the paris agreement.
this is the contribution we will bring to the next un general assembly.
it is smart to invest in unicef to help children in a war torn country to go to school and prevent the radicalisation of future generations.
investing in global governance sustainable development climate action and here again the list could continue is for us an investment in our own security.
it is smart to invest in the world food programme to prevent a humanitarian crisis or a refugee crisis.
we know that we truly need a strong and effective united nations and this is why the european union's voluntary contributions to the un funds and agencies amount to half of their total budget and we are proud of that.
i would like to stress the word effective' because the best way we have to protect the multilateral system is to make it deliver. over the last few years we collectively have achieved some impressive results through the multilateral system through the un system the nuclear deal with iran the sustainable development goals the paris agreement on climate change to mention just a few.
growing pressure if you want to be diplomatic or under attack if you want to be clear.
changes to the un culture structures and operations will be necessary.
reading your report i know these are priorities that we share because they correspond to our values and to our interests which is serving and reforming the un system.
your report is perfectly in line with the work we are doing to define the european union's priorities at the next general assembly and as it was the case also last year the report has been itself a source of this inspiration for our work. the foreign affairs council will adopt the eu priorities for the general assembly on seventeen july and the draft text aims to be political and focused reflecting the new context.
the european union is working and will continue to work to guarantee that all these agreements are implemented fully and properly.
and we will use all our political and diplomatic capital to help build a coalition in support of un reform and to support the un secretary general in this respect. we are ready to do so because we know that this is in our own interests.
investing in a strong multilateral system and in a strong un system is for us an investment in european security.
it is a pleasure to see that the european institutions share exactly the same views on global governance and on our support to the un system.
we have this responsibility.
we will continue to work to implement the sustainable development goals via development cooperation on human rights a key pillar of our work and we will work with mr guterres and with all our partners towards a more effective multilateralism.
we do this not only because it is right but also because it is smart.
this means that we invest as much in them as the rest of the world combined.
the multilateral system of global governance is under attack as i said and it is the moment to somehow renew our vows to commit even more to effective multilateralism.
and the list could continue.
we have seen a resurgence of the very old fashioned idea that national interest is not compatible with a cooperative global order.
our national interest our european interest is to invest in the un system in multilateral decision making and in cooperative global solutions for global problems.
with our consensus on development we are leading the way in the implementation of the sustainable development goals.
beyond the ad hoc things we will continue to do this is the main message we bring.
through our joint efforts and sacrifice the united kingdom and france have greatly contributed to the maintenance of international security. although this partnership has not always been perfect it is strong and it must continue as such after brexit.
as un secretary general antnio guterres emphasised in this plenary just a few weeks ago we need an investment in international cooperation to face the global challenges that are in front of us and that no country can face in an isolated way'.
we especially need the representation of women from marginalised groups.
the empowerment of marginalised women is not only democratic.
to this end i have tabled multiple amendments to stress the importance of women's participation in peace and security processes all in line with the numerous un resolutions on this issue.
and to be honest as a feminist i find it embarrassing to still have to put this argument forward.
the beijing platform should have been implemented a long time ago.
certainly that is to be encouraged.
we should not create an illusion that they can get away from this story with some ambivalent reactions or technical errors in the eu.
even so it does not absolve belarusian authorities from their responsibilities.
i join other colleagues in urging the belarusian government to immediately release mr bialatski and to put an immediate end to all forms of harassment against human rights defenders in the country.
his work has made a great contribution to ensuring the rights of many citizens in his country.
he does that in the context of informing donors and implementers' coordination meetings that the eas and the commission organise in brussels. meanwhile we are currently supporting mr bialatski for his legal costs through our urgent assistance to victims of repression which is part of the special assistance package announced by commissioner fle in warsaw in february. the eas and the commission will continue to seek to use all instruments at the eu's disposal to support mr bialatski and other political prisoners and victims of repression in belarus because there are many as you have said. we have taken note of the recent release of political prisoners and of president lukashenko's proposal for a round table about the situation in the country.
more generally we are committed to keeping up political pressure on belarus to take a significant step forward towards respect for human rights the rule of law and democratic principles.
she has condemned the repeated acts of intimidation and harassment of peaceful human rights defenders and the continued refusal to grant legal status to independent human rights organisations in the country.
he has recently wrongfully been arrested and charged with tax evasion.
the high representative and the commission also believe it is important to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.
the eu will also continue to mobilise the international community to address human rights violations in belarus.
we are therefore examining to what extent safeguards could be put in place to this effect.
the interests of those ngos that have been forced by the regime to open individual bank accounts in eu member states for implementing eu funded assistance must be adequately protected.
the subject of today's debate is a very good case in point we call for the release of ales bialatski a prominent human rights defender with a key role in civil society in belarus.
however any serious political dialogue between the government and the political opposition in belarus would necessitate the release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners.
to this effect we will continue to voice our concerns to designate those responsible for the crackdown and the restrictive measures but we will also reach out to belarus civil society the political opposition and the public at large.
more importantly i call on the belarusian authorities to release all political prisoners and respect international human rights standards.
it is therefore the strong desire of this house and my group the ecr that belarus should follow the path of all former soviet european countries that democracy is allowed to reign and that eventually it can rejoin the european family of nations where it truly belongs.
it is clear from the size of the protest that took place after the elections that the general belarusian public is more than ready for this to happen but in order for such a transition to take place the message that the eu must give out it is a strong and united one.
the ecr group believes that not only must we continue with our discussions with the democratic opposition in order to strengthen a sense of common accountability we must also demonstrate through our actions including targeted sanctions against the regime that the situation will not be allowed to prevail.
we therefore call on the international community as a whole to freeze financial assistance to the regime until all those who have been detained unlawfully for opposing it human rights defenders such as the case today of ales bialiatski opposition leaders and journalists as well as presidential candidates and all their supporters are immediately released and cleared of all charges.
it was sad today not to have belarus mps with us at the first meeting of the euronest parliamentary assembly as belarus as a country with its cultured and educated people amounts to so much more than lukashenko and his thuggish henchmen.
it is true that they have taken the decision to finally end this activity but still we should call on all european banks and financial institutions to stop all forms of financial cooperation with the belarusian authorities.
until the treaties cease to apply to a member state that has notified the european council of its intention to withdraw from the union in accordance with article fifty such a member state remains a member of the eu with all rights and obligations.
madam president i would like to reassure you that the commission is taking all necessary action to make sure that eu law is fully respected.
eu law continues to apply in full to the united kingdom and in the united kingdom until it is no longer a member of the european union.
but why should we be surprised that the british government will not commit to protecting the rights of eu citizens in britain when it will not protect citizens that it claims jurisdiction over?
well we are saying tonight right back at you.
i have listened all my life to institutions like these institutions like those in westminster telling me that the constitutional status of the north of ireland could not change unless the majority of the people acceded to it.
we all collectively came together in one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight and accepted the good friday agreement which underpinned that principle.
the people of the north of ireland voted to remain part of the eu. i am an irish republican.
' the people in the north of ireland wanted and want to remain part of the eu.
madam president i absolutely share the concerns of members here tonight when they outline their frustration and anger at the failure of the british government to outline its commitment to protect eu citizens living in britain.
this attack on rough sleeping has coincided with the brexit campaign where european migrants have been stigmatised and hate crime has increased in my country.
they work with the individual to ensure that they have got a place to stay on their return and are linked to family medical and social services.
in my constituency in north west manchester the booth centre is committed to helping rough sleepers to move off the streets and into stable homes.
it is working in close partnership with many organisations including local authorities and they are very concerned about the recent increase in british home office activity around european migrants who are sleeping rough and at risk of mental health problems.
the booth centre is actually fully committed to the voluntary assisted reconnection of destitute european migrants and in the last twelve months has organised the return of one hundred and forty one people.
they are doctors nurses shopkeepers students teachers and others they are not political bargaining chips.
but it is for this house and its meps to speak for all european citizens.
is that how we should be treating people we promised we would welcome?
brexit negotiations will be tough and we all know it is easier to chop away rights than to protect them.
and the lists go on and on.
like many other meps i receive heartfelt emails from citizens living in the uk and across europe. there are tens of thousands of eu citizens in the uk. they have paid their taxes they have paid into our pension pots and they are paying down our debts.
they contribute to our society and our economy.
this union of sovereign states has been clear over the years that the rights of their citizens are important and are to be protected with the mutual recognition of qualifications agreements on health and pension rights and so on.
my government needs to guarantee the rights of these people immediately and stop uncertainty. we need to protect the uk that i know open tolerant and united.
there's the italian beautician who has been resident for twenty years married to a brit but now threatened with deportation as she has no private health insurance.
the european parliament will hold hearings to gather our own evidence and do our job but the commission can act right away.
they are vital. as article fifty is triggered hundreds of thousands of uk citizens in other eu countries will want the same equality and dignity that is afforded to eu citizens in the uk not a negotiation but a guarantee.
from our constituency casework responsible journalism and the voices of eu citizens themselves that some eu citizens in the uk are experiencing great uncertainty about their position.
the uk government has a moral political and legal duty to protect the rights of all eu citizens not least because they contribute to our communities and our economy.
the uk government must do what is right.
it is well known that the procedure for some who have been living in the uk sometimes for decades involves having to fill in the notorious eighty five page forms which can often trigger delays and panic. i do not have time here to recount the stories of heartbreak and stifling bureaucracy but we must ask if this amounts to a uk policy or to negligence in respect of individuals and families whom we are legally obliged to protect.
they have confronted those europeans who have applied for residence permits with a level of bureaucracy that i can only describe as ironic for a government that has spent so much time complaining about bureaucracy in the european union.
in those eight months the british government has not triggered article fifty and they have not opened up the opportunity to actually negotiate how best to arrange our divorce.
so what have they done?
they have published new regulations on immigration and updated policy on the removal and revocation of european citizens which has only created more fear more chaos and more uncertainty for those europeans living in the uk. they have sent letters to european citizens living in the uk for decades often married to
that is why securing the status of eu nationals residing in the uk and of uk nationals residing in the eu is a top priority for the prime minister.
why are we not now debating how we can make freedom of movement work better?
richer and more tolerant.
why are we not debating how we can address the concerns regarding its implementation across the whole of europe?
of our political system for answers.
we could be addressing the demographic challenges that many eu countries face. our debates do nothing to convince people that we have solutions to the challenges we face and then we wonder why voters are turning to the fringes
debates like this just fuel the scaremongers and spread fear amongst our citizens who are already unsettled by the changing political landscape.
for example we could be addressing the concerns in germany about access to public services and benefits.
madam president britain has a long and celebrated history of immigration a proud record of welcoming people from inside the eu and from across the world and this will continue long after brexit. immigration has made our country stronger
the prime minister was very clear about the value she places on the contribution of eu citizens to britain to its economy its society and its culture.
any delay in reaching guarantees on this issue is a consequence of timing and procedure not of political will.
in two thousand and nine guidelines for better transposition and application of the directive;
it is therefore not possible to be more precise at this stage.
in two thousand and thirteen the report on free movement and in two thousand and fourteen the handbook on marriages of convenience. in addition to official guidance the commission has met experts from member states twenty four times in an expert group dedicated to the application of the free movement directive. these meetings are a useful tool to communicate the commission's interpretation on issues of practical application of eu law. last but not
there are currently infringement procedures in this area against eight member states.
unfortunately progress is limited due to a lack of commitment on the part of member states.
and for as long as the uk remains a member state all rights and obligations continue to apply.
eu law on free movement of eu citizens does not oblige member states to collect such data and share them with the commission. some data on numbers of issued residence documents are in the public domain but there is little data on refused applications and there is almost no publicly available data on expulsions and appeal rates.
eu citizens residing in the united kingdom deserve to know what their rights will be in the uk after the uk leaves the european union and vice versa the same applies to uk citizens residing in the other twenty seven member states.
that came into force in february.
two thousand and seventeen with regard to your last question the commission attaches great importance to providing guidance to member states in order to prevent breaches of eu law.
as regards the residence rights of economically non active citizens the commission will take into account in its assessment the recent case law of the court of justice concerning the conditions to which member states can subject the access to welfare benefits by economically non active eu citizens in order to protect public finances. please allow me to underline that the commission is also carefully assessing the compliance with the provisions of the free movement directive of the latest amendments to the uk legislation
therefore since the free movement directive entered into force the commission adopted five official guidance documents in two thousand and eight the report on the application of the directive;
the two pending infringement procedures against the united kingdom relate to access residence rights of economically non active citizens and rights of uk nationals returning to the united kingdom after residing in another member state.
on the first question concerning the statistics on the number of residence applications residence refusals and expulsions from the uk the commission does not have up to date statistics on this matter.
the correct application of eu rules on free movement by all member states is of fundamental importance correct application by all member states.
with regard to the infringement procedures i would like to underline that the commission takes appropriate action to address failures of any member state to comply with their obligations under eu law.
however it is first for the uk to give effect to the outcome of the referendum vote. there can be no negotiation before notification as you know.
ever since the entry into force of the free movement directive in two thousand and six the commission has been working closely together with member states to improve their ability to collect statistical data and share it.
let me now refer to the individual questions.
least i would like to inform you that a few weeks ago the commission has made available an e tool on free movement for national administration together with its citizenship report issued by the commission in january.
we really hope that the commission will get on please and introduce the infringement proceedings that have been hanging for so long.
a lot of the stress and the fear that we are seeing is also being caused by the attitude of the authorities.
some have caring responsibilities and there i think we have an issue with the long term residents directive.
they feel it is insulting and demeaning and it is.
you only have to read the testimonies on the brexpats' website.
i think many of us will welcome tonight's vote in the house of lords on the article fifty bill asking the government to introduce proposals within three months of the triggering of that article to ensure that eu citizens in the uk have the same residence rights after brexit.