kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
firstly multilateralism is at stake.
in such challenging times where multilateralism is increasingly called into question we as a european union must take a firm stand against this trend putting multilateralism at the core of our efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts.
in the current setting the cfsp must effectively promote our interests and values in our neighbourhood and around the whole world.
we should take advantage of the new political cycle of our institutions to build a stronger more proactive and strategic european union.
secondly reinforcing the european parliament as a pillar of the cfsp during the past legislature this european parliament has played a prominent role in mediation in the peaceful resolution of protracted conflicts.
our efforts were successful for instance in ukraine and in north macedonia.
these efforts especially in the framework of the jean monnet dialogue should remain a priority in the upcoming years.
we should also strengthen our role and oversight and scrutiny of the cfsp but also of course of the eu external instruments.
in this context we must aim for a more strategic approach and greater coherence consistency and complementarity between the external financial instruments and the common foreign and security policy.
thirdly strengthening the cfsp to counter global threats i am for example convinced that qualified majority voting would make the eu's foreign and security policy more effective and speed up the decisionmaking process.
the need for unanimity is keeping us from being able to act credibly on the global stage.
on the eu's common security and defence policy we need to strengthen capacity on eu and member statelevel to act autonomously as well as to foster partnerships with regional organisations.
the announcement by the commission president to build a genuine and operational european defence union within the next five years is welcome. finally no single eu member state can respond effectively to today's global challenges on its own.
we must continue to promote our european values whilst staying committed to a rules based international order and economic cooperation.
our european union should act strategically by using its wide array of policies and instruments to respond to the challenges in our direct neighbourhood and beyond.
the time has come as the eu to take our destiny into our own hands and embrace our role as a fully fledged sovereign political and economic power in international relations and i can only commend what the high representative vice president has announced in the first weeks in office.
i think he has a huge support here in the european parliament.
but if we want to take our responsibility seriously we have to stick together and we have to coordinate well.
we want to defend the jcpoa but at the same time we also must push back very clearly against iranian aggression in other dimensions of its foreign policy.
and the last note that i want to strike here is this there are many dark clouds there is one signal of hope and that's the engagement of iranian citizens and just recently also iraqi citizens.
the scale of crimes and atrocities committed against children women ethnic minorities and religious groups among others are difficult to grasp even for those with extensive years of work in the field of human rights promotion and protection.
human rights violations also take place by our borders in belarus we see no improvement in political processes including freedom of assembly and association free speech and independent media.
the political opposition remains suppressed and civil society is sidelined from ongoing negotiations towards losing the countries' sovereignty to russia.
mr president the eu should use the dispute resolution mechanism to save the iran deal and we urgently need to step up our efforts mediate between the usa and iran include other regional actors and help to further deescalate the situation.
this has been addressed already so let me add another important aspect.
but since friday they are back in the streets despite mounting threats again and they are even louder.
and i also want to see eu action on this to protect them from violence and killing to fill the void that a withdrawal of us forces would leave in iraq and to use all diplomatic ways to send a clear message to the iranian regime.
yes we need to deal with the big power politics but there will never be peace in the region if the voices of those in the streets are silenced once more.
because as colleagues have said this is a most comprehensive report it's gold standard in terms of human rights.
the question is how will it be responded to how will it be implemented?
it has been sent to a whole variety of important organisations and individuals. let's make sure that governments and ourselves implement the very best practice when it comes to human rights.
many human rights are under threat with the rise of authoritarianism.
and we must also call out the macho leadership that we're seeing around the world.
and let's take a lead role in eliminating fgm around the world.
let's hear all our political leaders speak out around this.
and let's make sure that we talk about what is happening to human rights defenders and take action in europe to protect them.
first you need to convince the opposing member states with a new fresh approach.
second you need to rebuild the trust in the western balkan candidate countries that joining the eu is not just a distant carrot on a very very long stick.
in all of these countries the public polls show that a huge majority of the people are staunch supporters of eu integration. people love and support the european idea in spite of the fact that recently the eu behaved like a mean stepmother.
hopefully with the new commission and with you in the council this will change.
the hungarian delegation of the epp is ready to help you as much as possible because hungary and we hungarians we want a stable and prosperous neighbourhood with the new eu member states as soon as possible.
because i am convinced that without them europe cannot become strong enough to bear the pressure of global politics.
that feeling is a temptation for them to become more aggressive.
it's time to implement your vision.
first the european commission has presented a proposal for public tax transparency for large multinational companies.
you have the chance prime minister to put that issue back on the agenda of the european council.
remains the president in charge for calling for elections in venezuela.
the eu must work together with nato and like minded partners.
also for that reason very good cooperation with nato the us canada and others is extremely important.
so the eu in its defence policy must aim to have everything from military capabilities in personnel and technological capabilities to an effective defence industry. this requires enough financial contributions and overcoming political disagreements otherwise we will not have a say in matters next to big players like the us china russia and other rising powers.
and i believe that the just transition mechanism and all of the projects that you presented today are essential for the success of two of the most important programmes of the european commission this year the european green deal and the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework.
this is why my call is let's work fast and let's agree fast in the next month in the first half of this year on the just transition mechanism. because this will unleash the potential of the mff negotiations and it will also enable the success of the european green deal.
we have seen in december at the european council that the european green deal will stand or fall with its financing and my group wishes the european green deal to succeed.
that's why we need to clarify the just transition mechanism as soon as possible. how should the just transition mechanism be? firstly it should be robust.
in terms of volume there should be enough resources there to really make a difference to really alleviate the effects of the transition upon the regions the most affected.
secondly it should not affect existing policies neither cohesion nor agriculture nor research nor innovation.
it is an additional priority.
thirdly it should have a long lasting positive impact upon the regions the most affected.
the very fact that we ignore the rule of law so often around the world today does not do anything for our credibility to talk about human rights;
the very fact that we don't oppose us sanctions in places like iran syria and venezuela because those sanctions hurt the poorest people in those countries the most and europe should stand up against it. we talk about trade and human rights being mutually enhancing;
well in saudi arabia they cut off heads on a regular basis but i don't see europe having any problem trading with them. i don't see us having much of a problem dealing with israel despite the breach of human rights and international law in palestine on a regular basis.
this is one of the most important challenges and opportunities for us in this new green era and in this context speaking of the green era and therefore of the european green deal why are we not pushing for a real exclusion of green investment from fiscal constraints?
we all know of course that setting ambitious targets is only part of the job.
the real job is transforming those targets into concrete and effective measures that start to change life for european citizens right now.
this presidency comes at a very crucial moment when the new parliament and the new commission will enter into full legislation mode and make sure to make all the promises that were given throughout the election campaign and afterwards reality.
there is lots to do.
we face a huge climate crisis that impacts everyone and we need to act now both at eu level and also in the member states.
the european commission has already made some promises in that regard which we applaud but it also needs the member states and too many of them have been blocking environmental progress in the past.
we need the member states along active and pushing when it comes to climate action.
it will be your task to ensure this and that is a big responsibility as well.
to fill this role we also encourage you and your government to implement your own fair and ecological transition in croatia.
another area where we would like to see more action from the member states is rule of law and human rights and i'm very glad that you mentioned that.
it needs some more peer pressure from governments to bring member states back on track.
rule of law fundamental rights and freedoms are pillars of the european union and should not be weakened and that goes for all member states.
here prime minister i'm concerned about the reports about the croatian police disregarding international law and procedures in their treatment of refugees and migrants.
there are even reports of systematic violence and abuse such as destruction of property humiliation beatings and even the use of firearms.
these abuses have been repeatedly pointed out by ngos and have been widely reported in the media but the croatian government has so far neither stopped nor investigated those reports.
prime minister that is not acceptable in any eu country but in any country anywhere refugee rights are human rights and i urge you to ensure that those rights are being respected.
the croatian borders are european borders and what happens there is a responsibility for all of us so we will not turn a blind eye.
this presidency is a big chance for your country and your government to show the rest of europe what your visions and your ideas for our common future are but the presidency will also turn a spotlight on croatia and how much your global words are met with local action both on human rights as well as on climate justice.
you can count on our support for bringing forward climate justice social equality and rule of law but you can also count on us to call out any human rights violation no matter where no matter by what government.
people changed their homes changed their lives got married had children made plans for the future and now because of selfserving politicians and a broken electoral system those promises are being broken. now citizens who live work study pay taxes and are deeply embedded in their communities are being treated as outsiders.
they're being forced to prove where they were and what they were doing for a matter of years when they were never supposed to save those documents.
they're living with uncertainty.
no one is standing up for their rights.
this parliament is uniquely able to send an unmistakable message to the uk government to the council and the commission.
please send the message that the european parliament stands up for all its citizens.
any discussions you have with your iranian counterpart should prioritise the protection of eu citizens.
a number of eu nationals are being held illegally in iran including my constituent nazanin zaghari ratcliffe who has spent almost four years in prison.
nazanin's husband richard is here at parliament today and tomorrow and i am urging you to accept my invitation to meet with the two of us.
he and the other families of unlawfully detained eu citizens want to see you put their loved ones first.
human rights cannot simply be a nice to have' they are non negotiable.
moreover we have to realise that the eu must combine its strengths to protect our global interest.
we need to speak more with one voice backed up with serious military capacities.
and i call upon the high representative to redouble her efforts in initiating a dialogue between the us and iran.
mr van orden you have not always been with the majority on these issues and we have not shared many points of view maybe with the exception of our view on nato and the need to strengthen transatlantic cooperation.
madam president yet again donald trump's lack of forethought and sketchy understanding of geopolitics has kickstarted a dangerous chain of events following the us air strike which killed general qasem soleimani in iran.
hopes of tensions calming have been dashed by the shooting down of the ukrainian passenger plane.
and my heart goes out to the families and friends of those who have been killed.
these incidents have ignited a tinderbox and we've now seen days of protests and strong language on all sides including from the uk's prime minister today.
i certainly disagree with johnson who wants to replace it with a trump deal. this situation is highly dangerous.
the eu should apply effectively a full range of sanctions against the iranian regime and provide support to the country's civil society and opposition.
staying silent and inactive we will promote the iranian regime to commit further crimes and bring more instability to the region.
they heard our colleague daniel hannan who is not here today say that it was irresponsible to scare eu nationals in the uk by hinting that their status might change after brexit.
and we even heard from nigel farage saying that they could stay and enjoy the same rights as uk citizens because he said to row back on that would class you as a banana republic. yet here we are today.
automatic rights and favourable treatment have quickly transformed into talk of deportations and a hostile environment.
and a system is put in place that will probably never reach all the citizens that need it and by its design puts many vulnerable citizens at risk of losing rights.
because regardless of mr van orden's semantic point before many people have already experienced loss of their rights.
if the uk wants to become a banana republic of course that is its choice after brexit. but those three million citizens in the uk are our responsibility now.
and we need to stand up for them and make sure that they will not be the biggest victims of this brexit.
listening to the serious concerns expressed by so many citizens and ngos we simply cannot ignore that people are extremely worried about the high degree of uncertainty and other damaging implications of brexit in their lives and legitimate expectations.
that is why we are here today to discuss and approve a political resolution tabled and supported by the leaders of many political groups in this parliament and designed to convey a strong political message.
the uk government can do more and should do more to ensure full protection of citizens' rights in the context of brexit.
we certainly acknowledge the efforts made on such a difficult issue but the truth is that the eu settlement scheme currently in operation in the uk could easily be more user friendly and would largely benefit if additional assistance were provided to older and more vulnerable citizens.
on the other hand as many applicants are only getting pre settled status it would be better to take this procedure as declaratory in nature and to ensure proper review by a truly independent authority.
we hope to get a positive response from the uk government regarding citizens' rights.
but it is even more important that we start using the leverage that we as the european union with all its member states and its economic strengths have.
that we use it to protect all those fighting for democracy and human rights.
why is it that trade deals can protect business but not humans?
why do european companies still make a fortune selling weapons to warmongers?
and why is it that european companies still destroy the livelihoods of so many indigenous people only to mine coal?
mr borrell with this report we want to change those things.
it is a strong report carried by a very large majority in this house.
i hope it will guide your work for the next five years.
mr borrell high representative it gives me no pleasure to say this but it is true and the eu needs to wake up.
the jcpoa is not sustaining peace and security. it is now starting to do the opposite.
america has left the agreement iran has restarted its uranium centrifuges germany france and the uk have triggered the dispute mechanism iran has threatened reprisals against eu members.
the only way to keep nuclear weapons out of iran restore trade free political prisoners and support human rights is to restore friendships in washington not tehran.
as well as turning the centrifuges off and thinking again about human rights plan b has to include iran's agreement to stop supporting its proxy attacks against the us.
then in return the eu can do what it does best namely trade.
the eu needs to recognise that only the us has the resource the relationships and the firepower to underpin the successful alternative to the jcpoa and peace in the region.
commissioner do you not agree that this region will be a safer place when the americans are not in
and second i do believe that europe needs a us that is fully engaged in international affairs and is ready to take on tyrants and bullies on the global scene. however i believe it is also absolutely critical that the us play that global role in a responsible manner fully consistent with international law and international norms.
another violent conflict spiralling out of control in a region that is already turbulent and unstable is the very last thing we need.
we as the eu need to fully use what few levers we have at our disposal to de escalate this extremely explosive situation.
oppressing one's citizens and funding terror groups cannot come without international consequences.
we europeans must make this clear to our american counterparts.
mr borrell make this clear to the united states europeans will not support military intervention in iran.
mr president once again we europeans are put before a fait accompli the american administration and iran are playing with global security and as the eu we are faced with the possible security risks.
the assassination of iranian general soleimani is the latest in a long series of provocations by the united states since the withdrawal from the iranian nuclear agreement.
this has created a very dangerous spiral of instability in the region.
this is even more important since the triggering of the dispute resolution mechanism earlier today but we must also acknowledge the diverging interest with the current us administration and the american withdrawal from the region.
this for us can only mean one thing that the time has come for a realistic debate on europe's strategic autonomy to safeguard our own security and interests.
we offer of course our condolences to the families of the victims of the ukraine international airlines flight and urge the iranian authorities to allow international observers to undertake a full and transparent investigation.
iran must also refrain from the use of force as happened during the last weeks against peaceful demonstrators who took to the streets protesting against the mismanagement and authoritarianism of the regime.
finally the eu must continue its engagement for unity and democracy in iraq and if necessary step up our support.
i have the pleasant privilege to come from a country with the only prime minister in the european union who supported openly the assassination besides mr johnson and of course mr netanyahu.
so what i want to say to you is of course we have to pressure iran to respect the deal and to give democratic freedoms? but also we have to pressure and criticise the united states otherwise mr trump is taking us for granted mr borrell.
the unfolding situation in iran invites us to reflect on this puzzle.
once again ukraine finds itself the tragic recipient of collateral damage that was hardly foreseeable but how enthusiastically should we side with the citizens of iran challenging their regime and its military and holding them responsible for targeting a passenger plane?
for sure human error might seem like a partial excuse but equally human error could and should have been foreseen and precautions taken.
on the other hand some actions are neither accidental nor excusable and where aggression precedes self defence we should not hesitate to apportion blame especially if the perpetrator was once our ally.
the crisis in libya and the escalation of the conflict between the us and iran underline how the strengthening of our role in the neighbourhood and beyond are more crucial than ever.
we must back our calls for diplomacy and multilateralism with clear commitments and this is why we welcome the croatian presidency's commitment to a strong europe in a world of challenges.
but prime minister being a global player as you know is not possible if the eu fails to deliver on its commitments and this is even more crucial for our closest partners the western balkans.
we must guarantee the credibility of the process and open accession negotiations with north macedonia and albania in march before the zagreb summit.
finally our union cannot be strong if we allow our democracies to fail.
poland and hungary require firm and unified action by the council and so does the threat to disinformation and election interference posed to our democratic systems. on all these issues my group stands ready to work with this presidency.
it's great to see croatia leading the european union for six months. you are now a model for the whole western balkans region.
we need to say loud and clear to western balkan countries you are part of europe you belong to the european union and we want to help you on your way to the european union'.
any contribution that the croatian presidency can make in this direction will be of historic importance.
prime minister plenkovi you know the european parliament very well and you will have an opportunity to show this in the negotiations that we will have on the european budget and the philosophy of the european parliament for the budget negotiation is the following we want to finance properly old priorities and new priorities.
old priorities have been priorities for decades because they are important not because they are outdated and we agree together that we need to do more on new priorities border protection combating climate change and protecting the environment. so please stand with parliament and tell your colleagues in the european council that fresh priorities require fresh funding.