kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
china has opened up to the world become to its credit more integrated into international bodies and institutions and embraced many elements of free market capitalism since.
after china's promise for more democracy and electoral reforms was broken a mass of people formed one by one bottom up peacefully reminding the government and the world of their rights.
although we are far away we should embrace those individuals who demand universal rights and freedoms.
trade relations however important should not be an excuse for us to be silent.
globally people brave enough to challenge repression should be able to count on us in europe in open societies.
from juncker who seems to have forgotten the rest of the world exists at all going by his talk this morning we expect more and we will look with great ambition to high representative mogherini to deliver on those promises and ambitions.
it is clear that this house is now the one that will have to push for external action based on values otherwise the eu will be irrelevant and the people in hong kong will find no one by their side.
the chinese backed governor fears that full democracy will lead to the poor dominating politics.
a great hero of mine president reagan famously said freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. we didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.
we must be thoughtful protect it and hand it on to them to do the same.
sadly in china its vestiges live on and there are many new anti democratic tyrannies around the world not all of which show their true faces but are a force for evil all the same.
we hope and pray that good will prevail over evil and right will defeat wrong and that the umbrella can become a symbol of democracy protecting individuals against tyranny. this is a classic case of individuals standing against an overbearing over powerful state.
as such we wish them well and hope their example will inspire the people of china itself to cry out the demand for democracy so loud that even the ghosts of tiananmen square will hear it and join in.
the idea of freedom cannot be killed. it lives in all of our hearts.
to the people of hong kong we wish you well.
in the last few months massive protests against the regime were brutally crushed by the police.
with this resolution we condemn the ongoing human rights abuses and call for the full respect of civil and political freedom particularly in view of the next important elections in.
today we as the european parliament once again send out a strong and clear message to the authorities in zimbabwe. the rule of law must prevail under all circumstances and the freedom of association assembly and expression must be protected by all means.
this increase in violence at demonstrations in the country is not acceptable.
the political social and economic challenges zimbabwe is currently facing combined with an unprecedented drought have created more poverty and more inequality than ever.
at public protests.
economic reforms alone however are unlikely to be sufficient in achieving full re engagement.
the commission will present a communication on sustainable food by this summer.
here the commission acknowledges that we have one of the strictest procedures in the world.
the commission recognises that this may have an effect on the availability of plant protection products for eu farmers and thus possibly on competitiveness.
one of the issues concerns the possible role of short food supply chains in mitigating the loss and waste of fruit and vegetables.
the commission will present a report on producer organisations operational funds and operational programmes in the fruit and vegetable sectors in the first quarter of this year.
the reformed common market organisation regulation confirms and improves the provisions on producer organisations and associations in the fruit and vegetable sector.
these discussions will take place in the current year.
the conclusions of that report will be taken into account in the ongoing discussion on delegated and implementing acts.
eu food hygiene legislation also includes derogations for small farms and short food supply chains.
this will contribute to the further development of integrated pest management including non chemical alternatives.
this means we are wasting land nitrates water and energy and many other key resources used in food production.
to address this problem the commission has just adopted a report on the establishment of a fund for minor users which will in particular benefit the fruit and vegetable sectors.
this needs to be addressed because we promised producers that these provisions would be the answer to all their problems and that is not the case.
i fully support the proposal here that we need a legislative framework for a code of conduct for operators in the food supply chain and a national adjudicator.
the second really important issue and perhaps we could do with more debate on it is the content of paragraph sixteen which relates to unfair trading practices across the european union.
there are frequent reports of violations of property rights with forced evictions sometimes against previous court decisions and without due notification.
this includes the case of khadija ismaylova an investigative journalist who was harassed with an attempt at blackmailing.
as you know the eu and azerbaijan have a very substantial and comprehensive bilateral agenda.
finally the full implementation of the european neighbourhood policy action plan is expected.
political prisoners should be freed and freedom of assembly and expression should be guaranteed.
there are unfortunately many others.
the main principle on which the eu builds relations with any country is respect for human rights democracy and the rule of law.
the opportunity seems to have been missed. on sixteen may at a conference on media freedom organised by the sing for democracy campaign the government rejected any criticism but stated that in some individual cases of complaint due investigation is under way.
to provide for the country's political association and economic integration with the european union azerbaijan needs to make significant further efforts to meet the action plan commitments in the field of deep and sustainable democracy including electoral processes the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the independence of the judicial system. this assessment is clearly reflected in the enp progress report issued on fifteen may.
and hopes for further releases on the occasion of republic day on twenty eight may.
colleagues express concern that the authorities might clamp down on their opponents after the contest.
look how many people were here today!
much as the authorities may want to make the eurovision song contest the great azerbaijan show' the world is not blinded by glitter glamour and propaganda.
we are very concerned at the ongoing violations of human rights in azerbaijan and polished statements from the government do not convince. it is only actions that speak.
today two vice chairs of the msavat party a member of liberal international tofiq yaqublu and gulaga aslanli were detained in the streets of baku.
only one in six vice chairs has not been arrested.
an advisor of the party leader is under house arrest;
people are being threatened by the authorities; anar gerayli has been missing for two days.
arif hajili and tural abbasli and various other human rights activists and members of the opposition have been detained for over a year.
these people are recognised as prisoners of conscience by amnesty international and to them i want to say we will not forget you.
' to the azeri authorities i want to say live up to your responsibilities to respect human rights and adhere to your commitments in the osce framework and in the context of the association agreement.
with astonishing self confidence he answered me that there was no reason to improve the situation because it was already perfect.
to be honest i am not surprised by his self confidence because let us face it the world including the eu is interested in azerbaijan only because of gas and oil and important pipelines to uzbekistan and kazakhstan;
it is a campaign launched on the occasion of the eurovision song contest hosted in baku and they hope that their action can contribute to bringing about indispensable democratic reforms and substantial improvements in the human rights situation in the country.
i am also concerned about the forced evictions and demolitions of buildings in connection with the major reconstruction plan in baku partly linked to the upcoming eurovision song contest.
it has already inflicted too much suffering.
it holds a huge potential for growth but such a potential is held back by instability and war and again this came out very clearly in my recent talks in both capitals. a large scale conflict is not in the interests of anyone and can lead nowhere.
as you know i believe very much in parliamentary diplomacy both with your fellow parliamentarians but also with civil society organisations. we all know the way ahead. the escalation makes it even clearer that the conflict does not have a military solution.
of place. it
as you know at the beginning of april the violence surged to a level that was unprecedented since the ceasefire agreement in.
this is a mechanism the european union has endorsed.
to do. the alternative to negotiations would be more death and more destruction.
the eu complementing the efforts of the minsk group co chairs has for several years now supported activities that facilitate peaceful contacts between people across the conflict
they need to be ready to make meaningful compromises towards peace. in parallel with observing the ceasefire and engaging in negotiations it is necessary to create an environment that is conducive to progress. actions and statements which could further complicate the already complex environment have to
quo. a political solution is what is needed and our political goal must be that the sides resume negotiations on a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.
but ultimately we know well that the solution is in the hands of the parties to this conflict.
everyone now understands that the status quo can only lead to more violence and this is exactly what
divide. today this work is more important than
let me add that i hope that you can contribute to our efforts with your own parliamentary contacts.
is not. actually it is the only rational thing
developments on the ground demand that we stay vigilant and continue to insist on the strict observance of the ceasefire and on moving forward in the peace process.
stop. the european union fully supports measures that can help for instance with the repatriation of the bodies of dead soldiers to their families. i am encouraged by the mechanism that has been put in place in recent days by the icrc and the
for this reason we are increasing our efforts towards a settlement of the conflict.
it continues to pose a threat to regional security in our neighbourhood and it is an obstacle towards the development of both countries and of the entire region. the south caucuses is a crucial region for europe. it lies at the crossroads between europe asia and the middle east.
madam president the only way to prevent a new outbreak of war around the line of contact and de escalate the situation is to stop the military build up and the relevant arms race.
armenia has signed but not ratified;
finally the eu should apply the same approach to all the conflicts in the eastern partnership countries avoiding double standards.
the best way to achieve this is to deploy a robust un peacekeeping mission around the line of contact with demilitarisation of the area and the withdrawal of all heavy armaments to fifteen to thirty kilometres away.
firstly because it took a toll that will always be too high and we can never get used to or tolerate the loss of innocent lives. secondly because what we are witnessing is not only the latest violation of the ceasefire but also the gravest since the agreement was signed in.
how can an osce co chair be a peace broker and at the same time the main arms provider to both countries?
the review of the enp puts stabilisation as the main political priority.
it is time for the eu to complement strategically the efforts of the osce minsk group and it is also time for the russian federation to contribute genuinely to peace.
it was declared in full accordance with the soviet constitution applicable at the time;
this is the reason why it has never accepted anything the minsk group has been able to propose because anything that it can propose is a compromise.
it has violated the ceasefire this time just like it kept violating the ceasefire on a lower scale for a very long period of time and it does so because it is convinced that everything and everyone armenian in this region must disappear.
the only thing that will eventually happen in this case is to recognise the independence of nagornokarabakh.
and though maybe you and i disagree on the role that these institutions should play maybe i see the united nations as more important than the european union you are certainly correct in suggesting that it is our responsibility to do whatever we can.
all nations and indeed the united nations must make urgent representations to ensure that basic things such as civilians not being targeted are respected.
it reminds us i hope of the precariousness of peace and the horrors of conflict.
i am pleased that the ceasefire is holding and i encourage an immediate return to the negotiating table under the auspices of the minsk process. the use of advanced russian weaponry by azeri forces such as smerch rocket launchers shows us that the policies of putin are once again at play in his so called spheres of influence.
we must also bear in mind the prevailing low oil price and the domestic effects that this is having on aliyev's strategy to create an external military diversion.
have we as the eu ever asked for our legitimate place at the negotiating table that is supposed to deal with the conflict?
those who ordered the recent escalations cannot hide from history an unprecedented arms race by both sides in a conflict that has for a number of years been boosted by one major arms supplier russia. blood money billions of dollars is pouring into the russian budget. the vice prime minister of russia has recently said the following about the russian arms supplies
everything is according to contracts. both countries are strategic partners to us. ' for me the question is what we as the eu should do in order to deal with the so called frozen conflict' and the destructive dominance of russia in the region.
the situation was unsustainable and bore the inherent danger of the resumption of hostilities. what happened was bound to take place. my message to my armenian friends is that the status quo is not in your interests not in the short term not in the long term.
my message to my azeri friends with whom we hope to resume interparliamentary dialogue is that the fact that you are frustrated with the situation does not mean that the osce's longprotracted confidencebuilding measures are superfluous if only to prevent an accidental escalation. you can help in this respect. my message to both is that you are the ones that have the primary responsibility to find reasonable compromises based on international law. there is no external actor that can do this in your place certainly not the one that is selling both of you bullets.
we should vote on wednesday as is indicated in the schedule.
because this is not simply about a split that many people did not want. it is also about how brexit affects the partnership between the other twenty seven member states.
you know as well as i do that implementing all this will be a big challenge. progress is certainly being made though.
so the eu is more than simply the sum of its parts and of course the best illustration of that is the single market.
action. and of course there is still a lot to do on the single
issues and opportunities that are too big to tackle alone.
on improving the exchange of information between intelligence services for example.
you have an important role in this as members of the european parliament.
usual. this would show complete disregard for the reality in the member states.
we need to implement the turkey
it shows that both our vigilance and our willingness to join forces in this area are increasing.
an eu that makes and then sticks to agreements.
a lot has been said and written about it in the past few months.
one. besides a deeper market we also need a fairer internal market where the principle of equal pay for equal work in the same place applies.
wand. building public support takes time and effort.
take the progress we have seen on the fourth railway package national emission ceilings and the eu action plan for the circular economy.
i hope that this approach has been a visible one and i hope it has contributed to the results we have achieved together.
because i have seen for myself how cooperation produces results that individual member states could never achieve by themselves.
completing the single market could add an extra
that is not a new insight but it has been reaffirmed for me in the past six months.
and having held the presidency for the past six months i am well aware that we cannot just silence the critics with a magic
my experiences over the past six months have underlined that we need an eu that delivers.
it is in everyone's interests to know as soon as possible as soon as is responsible how we will move forward and this will demand our full attention in the coming period.
so we made sure that enhancing the single market remained a priority.
said brexit is a signal and certainly not the only signal that change is needed.
last week we were shocked once again by another dreadful attack this time on istanbul's airport and a few days ago baghad.
because that too would be a denial of the sentiment felt by many european people to whom the eu is or has become something remote and
and we must be honest even if we find the perfect way to handle this divorce' our problems won't simply melt away.
as a representative of the outgoing presidency of the council of the european union i feel conflicted standing here today.
and we need to address it.
it is not only british voters who have doubts about european cooperation.
last january alone the death toll was close to ninety and since twenty march fewer than ten people have drowned though that is still of course ten too many.
it is a decision that creates a big problem both for the citizens of the uk and also for the other member states. it is a decision that shapes a new reality and we should proceed with all due caution to minimise the damage to the member states and the british people themselves.
during the dutch eu presidency we worked on the principle that our most urgent problems like the refugee crisis should not overshadow our most important ambitions.
the member states all have their own interests but to a large extent these overlap.
last week the european council agreed that all the measures the commission has planned for the single market must be adopted by the end of two thousand and eighteen at the latest.
i also believe it would be wrong to rush blindly forward towards more political integration and a more federal' europe.
and it was a deal we could only reach jointly.
we do not have much time now to pause and reflect and not only because of the brexit situation.
the most obvious example is of course the eu's agreement with turkey on managing the flow of refugees from syria.
and we wanted to address the urgent challenges of migration and terrorism.
the eu can make a big difference.
aloof. when it comes to the issue of more' or less' europe i believe that the only sensible debate is the one about less bureaucracy red tape and regulation and more concrete visible results in terms of prosperity decent work and security.
and on sharing passenger information without compromising privacy.
not least as legislators of course but also as a champion of the single market.
this will be a stronger eu and one that can grow still stronger.
only by acting in concert could we bolster the eu's border control capability. and only by acting in concert can we put into practice the measures we have agreed on setting up hot spots improving registration redistributing refugees among member states and improving the situation in the region.
which is great because they are absolutely crucial.
i am pleased with this new form of self imposed commitment which compels us into action.
so. i firmly believe that the worst possible response to brexit would be for brussels' and the european capitals to continue with business as
now is the time to be bright and positive to look to the future to put aside the arguments of the campaigns and to be friends because brexit brings hope not just to the uk but to all the peoples of europe.
i think it does that for you. now is the time to embrace the democratic will of the people.
the eu is a failed project.
it is time to be positive friendly and optimistic.
we can have a better future we can be different we can have change and we can show that through the democratic will which was shown in the uk and which hopefully will be shown in many countries even in mr rutte's.
now is the time to stop with any further project fear' any talking down of the economy any more concerns.
but i think that is probably to do with the feeling of freedom.
that should be our task. that is where i think the three institutions should be working together very closely indeed.
secondly i would argue given what was said this morning here by you and by prime minister rutte that indeed it cannot be business usual but at the same time what was agreed between the three institutions on the priorities of the commission
we are all responsible for the end result of what we do and we should stop claiming success in national capitals and blaming brussels if something goes wrong.
thanks to the dutch presidency we can build on a basis that will allow us to choose these priorities and give them concrete results.
that is why some chose to say ok this is not working let us try something else'.
we get the issue of migration under control in a sustainable way.
after the british referendum it is that people do not believe that they can get control of their lives back again within the european union.
these are the priorities of a commission that has chosen to be big on big things and small on small things and this is also the way forward in the near future.
first of all we can only achieve something if the three institutions involved in taking decisions all take their responsibility and do not blame the others when things do not work.
the only thing that can convince wary and unconvinced citizens is concrete results in solving the problems they face every day and problems that very often can no longer be solved just at the national level. if i may if there is one thing we see
whether that something else is going to work remains to be seen but our task as europeans is to prove that we can deliver the results for people who want to be able to be optimistic about their position about their children's future and about their grandchildren's future.
is a good basis for not continuing with business as usual but rather doing the things we all agreed in the three institutions should be our priorities getting the internal market to function better advancing on the digital single market doing more and better regulation making sure the energy union gets going and making sure
mr president there is no doubt that the dutch presidency will go down as a historic one but for reasons for which you mr president in office of the council cannot be blamed. six months ago the main challenge of this presidency was the migration and refugee crisis and while we cannot say that this crisis is over we can say that it is more under control than in january
and this is due in no small part to the diligent work of your presidency thanks to the professionalism of your officials and the commitment of your ministers.