kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the challenge is not becoming smaller all the more reason to start our reflection on europe's approach to implement the un convention after.
this happened in a country where the employment and activity rates for people with disabilities were already well below the eu average.
unfortunately instead of improvements there are still instances in the eu where backward steps are taken. recently the romanian government adopted an emergency decree which removed the option for companies to compensate non compliance with romania's current quota law for employment for persons with disabilities by buying products from protective employment units.
this cost the jobs and livelihood of most of the around two zero persons with disabilities working in sheltered employment and the existence of seven hundred and forty employment and work services for persons with disabilities.
as the report rightly points out this happens despite the fact that the overall cost of keeping persons with disabilities out of the labour market is higher than including them in the workplace.
situations like these make it imperative for us to maximise the implementation of the uncrpd improve eu coordination and urgently put in place support measures in all eu member states.
i wrote to the european commission in september two thousand and fifteen asking how many disabled people it employs and the answer is you don't know because you don't collect the information.
the switch in the uk to universal credit is having a catastrophic effect on disabled people in just the way that this report talks about in point sixty one in point seventy one in recital a.
you do an anonymous survey of less than half your staff and it is not good enough!
but we in these institutions are also not good at dealing with disability and are in no place to lecture.
involvement in work for disabled people has a positive impact on other aspects of their life and it leads to greater financial and social independence.
my compliments to colleague stevens because it is an important report and it shows that we are serious about equal treatment in europe that we do not distinguish between types of discrimination because we must abandon all types.
i want to stress two things in particular.
firstly it is indeed high time that the council unblocked the negotiation on the european disability act and i do hope this will be the case next week.
many of you have expressed concerns regarding human rights. we are particularly attentive to this matter and fully share those concerns as i have already expressed in my introduction.
and if we aim at driving this process if we want to encourage reforms if we want to have a say on human rights there is only one thing to do engage with cuba.
it would provide an enabling platform for constructive dialogue and for enhancing cooperation.
the eus experience could be greatly relevant for the country in its quest for economic and social modernisation.
this is why the matter has been raised consistently with our cuban partners and we have agreed to start discussions on human rights even before the conclusion of the political dialogue and cooperation agreement to ensure that we have an operational platform for constructive and result oriented discussions as soon as possible. if europe wants to be part of the historic process that is taking place in cuba
the progress accomplished in this round demonstrates the strong commitment of both sides to enhancing the relationship.
negotiations were launched in april two thousand and fourteen and subsequent rounds took place in august and in march.
the dialogue gives us an opportunity to improve mutual understanding on human rights and exchange experiences and best practices as well as seek to identify potential areas of cooperation between the eu and
level. in the light of this positive engagement it was all the more disappointing to learn of the incidents which took place in havana last weekend including undue violence and a large number of detentions. there is no reason to limit the peaceful expression of opinion and the use of excessive violence against peaceful protestors is unacceptable.
order. a further normalisation is necessary and should include the end of the us embargo which is outdated and inconsistent with the context. the eu has always spoken up against this unilateral measure including its humanitarian impact on many cubans and its territorial effects on eu cuban economic relations.
round which means in early september.
these chapters are now at very advanced stages and can hopefully be closed in the next round of talks.
start. thus the human rights dialogue parameters will be designed in line with the overall terms of the agreement from where they will derive continuity and formal blessing.
cases. this dedicated dialogue will provide feedback and bolster the formal political dialogue at the political
dismiss. this is even more true for us europeans who suffered for decades from the artificial divisions imposed by a conflictual world
i am looking at a paper which has been signed by thousands of cubans called the agreement for democracy in cuba.
if you read from point one to point nine and further to point ten not one of these points has been implemented.
the state controls most of the media outlets and restricts access to the internet.
the topics discussed at this meeting offer hope that a constructive dialogue can be established.
the cuban authorities still refuse to recognise human rights monitoring as a legitimate activity while assaulting human rights defenders locally.
mr president the united states and cuba have decided that it is time for a change.
i believe we europeans should not only watch this process unfolding but engage.
despite some criticism this new diplomatic approach has the support of the american people and will be carried out by many people other than president obama and his administration.
the renewal of diplomatic relations is the result of collective leadership as well as of widespread bipartisan efforts in the us congress the cuban american community civil society faith based organisations and the private sector.
in addition there has been a determined willingness to change a policy described by those on both sides of the aisle including republican senator bob corker from tennessee as being associated with five decades of failure.
i am of the opinion that the european union should welcome this decision and through diplomatic channels encourage this transition that is beneficial to the global and regional order and most importantly to the cuban people.
our support should be directed to encourage democracy in cuba and not in any way to legitimise the authoritarian regime currently in power.
the transition in cuba is about to quote us secretary of state john kerry unleashing the potential of an americas where countries combine their strengths to advance common interests and values'.
mr president it is about time we ushered in a new period in eu cuba relations based on the necessity of advancement of democracy in this country and the encouragement of economic exchange. we should accompany cuba in the ongoing process of change and modernisation and strongly promote bilateral cooperation and political dialogue on important matters such as the promotion of human and citizens' rights and freedom of expression in this important process of transition. cuba has the potential to become a member of the acp and we should keep pushing and developing relations with this country by supporting this request as it represents an important step towards a strengthened relationship between the european union and cuba by showing mutual respect through a proper committed relationship.
i hope that she and the commission have the support of all member states to push through a deal. commissioner i was pleased to hear from you about the human rights dialogue.
given that many eu interests in this context overlap with those of the usa is the high representative or the commissioner exploring where there is scope for collaboration with the us?
we already have a wide range of labels such as pdo pgi and tsg so it is not necessarily the case that further specific labelling on this is needed.
local food integrates production processing distribution and consumption on a small scale creating sustainable local economies and a strong connection between farm and table.
local' is a very flexible term as it means different things in terms of distance to different people.
in this regard locally produced food local markets direct engagements with producers and on farm business leading to shorter distribution channels have the potential to generate greater interaction understanding and knowledge between consumer and producers. the future cap must be a policy that welcomes and supports innovation and entrepreneurship among farmers in their locality and also supports efforts to increase engagement with consumers and european taxpayers.
in a wider context a criticism of the cap which i come back to time and time again is that the added value of european agriculture is not fully appreciated further along the food supply chain and to a certain degree by the consumer.
however consumers are bombarded with so much information these days that it should at least be made clear what exactly they are buying when they buy locally produced food.
however it is very difficult to define what locally produced food is.
it is also confirmed in the same eurobarometer survey that many consumers feel a bit puzzled about this because there are so many different parameters depending on the different countries and on the different traditions.
there is a study on its way;
there is an expert group that is consulting the commission;
i am concerned that we would dare define this issue so please let us be cautious on this.
i come from a country ireland where we are massive exporters of food.
we appreciate local food but we want you across the european union to regard irish food as local because you are our customers.
so i think we need to be sensitive to this issue and be very careful about what we mean.
could i also suggest that rather than spoon feed consumers we let consumers take control themselves and ask questions.
we have a habit in this house and in these institutions of turning ourselves inside out on the minutiae of a debate and this question is a good example of that.
i buy local vegetables from my local farm shop.
i buy meat from my local butcher who actually lists in his shop where the local farms are where he buys his animals for slaughter.
i think that we can do this very well for ourselves.
what we should not allow this debate on local produce to do is to lead us into a situation where we have food nationalism and trade barriers and that is the most important issue.
i think the commission has a genuine desire to ensure that consumers are better informed.
however let me be very clear legislation on issues such as country of origin labelling has resulted in some very unwelcome side effects.
the text of this oral question mentions food nationalism which i find to be a very appropriate phrase.
unfortunately producers and other actors in the food industry in some member states have used this as an opportunity to develop schemes which are wholly protectionist. consumers should be aware that this practice does not benefit them as it excludes competition possibly leading to higher prices.
a recent economic study found that a given amount spent on food from local businesses generates more than twice that value for the local economy.
i see locally produced food as a matter of social cohesion and environmental sustainability and it is also quite important in terms of food security.
i think we should make the financial regulation a coherent point of reference in establishing all sorts of rules for the future.
however since my time as chief accounting officer of the european commission i have seen such important and basic procedures dismissed. i will not vote in favour of any regulation that does not include fundamental control procedures that strengthen the commission's responsibility regarding taxpayers' funds.
and on the other hand swift implementation and a reasonable level of complexity for end users for citizens.
and most of all we must focus on results. we are afraid to repeat historical mistakes but now is the time to move forward.
the risk analysis approach for residues of veterinary medicinal products in food of animal origin.
so this minor use minor species issue is a problem urgently in need of resolution as it creates potential animal welfare and food safety issues.
in practice the withdrawal periods are set using a high safety factor which will reflect the amount of data available at the current stage of product development.
this is too costly for certain less common food species so called minor species' as the market for veterinary medicines for these is small so called minor uses'.
in clearly defined circumstances certain products used for equidae will not have to have mrls but will have to respect a six month withdrawal period.
this is achieved by setting safety thresholds or maximum residue levels for approved substances and by banning substances which are either found to be unsafe or in respect of which a safety profile cannot be scientifically established.
under present legislation they are often forced to resort to unlicensed medicines.
first of all extrapolation of mrls set for one species to another;
the question of setting mrls for certain biocidal products such as disinfectants used in the animal environment was also agreed on particularly in regard to the financing aspects of their authorisation and their dossiers.
that same year the cvmp issued a guideline on the establishment of mrls for minor species.
and thirdly creating a framework setting mrls for food imported from third countries.
the current mrl regulation does not require mrls to be set for individual species.
this guideline allows the extrapolation of mrls from data on the three major species to all species provided the mrls set for the three major species are similar or identical.
in one thousand nine hundred and ninety seven and following five years' experience the cvmp reviewed all the mrls that had been set and concluded that it was not necessary to set mrls for individual species as the mrls for a particular substance are nearly always similar or identical.
the european medicines agency's committee for veterinary medicinal products sets mrls for individual species following an initial cautious approach.
the lack of an mrl also prevents authorities from being able to establish a proper withdrawal period for a medicine.
secondly adopting within the eu mrls set internationally within the codex alimentarius;
the text of this review before us simply provides a legal basis for the current practice of extrapolation in the interests of veterinary medicines availability and animal welfare.
the establishing of an mrl for a pharmacologically active substance requires an expensive data package of toxicology and metabolism studies.
this is a rather technical proposal as it aims to update the existing eu regime the main purpose of which is to protect public health by limiting the exposure of consumers of food of animal origin to residues of pharmacologically active substances present in veterinary medicines and biocidal products.
vets have a duty of care and will always try to treat a sick animal.
setting an mrl is the first step that must be accomplished before an application can be submitted to the regulatory authorities for authorisation of a veterinary medicine for a food producing species containing a pharmacologically active substance.
mrls alone do not protect consumers. consumers are directly protected by setting an appropriate withdrawal period before slaughter and by having controls in place to monitor it.
it defined minor food producing species as all species except cattle pigs and poultry and they included salmonidae.
in two thousand and eight after eight years' experience the cvmp issued a new guideline.
in a sense we are using this mrl review as a bit of a patch and mend' for a major problem that is under the radar but which we are all very aware of. the availability of an adequate range of veterinary medicines to treat the wide variety of animal species in the european community has been a growing challenge over the last two decades.
despite these efforts the situation has continued to deteriorate. the lack of authorised medicines poses a real threat to animal health and welfare and the safety of consumers.
there are also financial legal and trade implications for the various stakeholders involved whilst the lack of medicines may have negative effects on rural economies and agriculture generally.
an example and a most important point is the effect on pollination as a consequence of reduced numbers of bee colonies.
however not only does the current availability problem in the eu have implications across the board for the health and welfare of animals the security of the community's food supply and public health it also undermines the ability of the eu to meet the lisbon agenda and to reap the enormous potential for european agriculture and offshore aquaculture to attract research and development in the veterinary pharmaceutical field.
after this letter the number of member states with mandatory recalls increased from four to seven but of course the results of the recalls are not the same everywhere in europe.
so in the context of eu legislation in other areas and other domains industry has to submit the studies.
we cannot fix mistrust only with a regulatory framework and with legislation.
this is mandatory.
so now the national authorities must check what the situation looked like in europe whether testing on animals took place and whether we have evidence of this.
member states have the legislation in place.
if indeed we come to the conclusion that this was possible because there is a law missing then we should come up with another law.
that the commission and i personally are shocked by the news that emissions tests have been conducted on animals and humans because no eu laws justify such behaviour.
we are happy to see that the german government will urgently investigate the matter.
one has to question the ethical behaviour of the german car industry.
is this really yet again just an incidence of misbehaviour by a few individuals in a company?
i have to say frankly i doubt that.
there is a systemic problem in this industry.
i have repeatedly asked for full transparency in the wake of dieselgate'.
unfortunately i have had to hear at very regular intervals that yet another car manufacturer is being investigated for cheating or that another car recall is being commissioned.
at the moment the tools available to us to remedy this situation are still limited.
bring them to order and ensure it does not happen again.
i think it is probably too easy to say the commission is to blame it can only do so much but i think what we have to do now is ensure that we learn lessons from what has happened and collectively come up with a solution.
we have been the ones missing although there has been some good work done by eujust lex and our delegation in iraq.
mr president this is a depressing but predictable report the persecution of hundreds of thousands of christians one and a half million refugees broken infrastructure murderous sectarian militias daily bombings and shootings child prostitution honour killings female genital mutilation and brutal islamist repression of women.
it would be even better if the cheerleaders for the illegal war of two thousand and three that created this shambles were to apologise and learn from their terrible error.
this meddling has already helped kill hundreds of thousands in iraq.
instead the prime minister has concentrated more and more power in his own hands.
the greens have been critical of the trade chapter of the agreement it is too much slanted towards eu business interests leaving too little space for the iraqi government's own decisions. we underline that the iraqi authorities should use their oil revenues as a contribution to sustainable social and economic reconstruction.
in this respect the government should introduce a binding corporate social responsibility clause.
this will strengthen the spirit of the eu iraq pca as both sides are about to turn a new page in each other's history.
it is important at this juncture to bear in mind the recent amendments to the statute of the international criminal court drawn up in two thousand and ten which provide a proper definition of the crime of aggression.
we want to stress the importance of adequate laws to protect women and girls and underline the importance of women's participation in post conflict reconstruction. the normalisation of trade relations is of course a positive thing as is the process of iraq's
the number of executions is increasing and there is unresolved sectarian violence.
the greens welcome the government's commitment to doing this but at the same time we deplore the worsening of the human rights situation.
we think that we cannot open a new chapter with iraq on solid grounds without at least a minimum acknowledgement of what has happened in the past.
this should also be the eu's policy towards the iraq of today.
as both the eu member states and iraq are either parties of the icc or are urged to become parties it is very important that both sides ratify the new amendments to the icc statutes as soon as possible.
accession to the world trade organisation a process to which the pca would be an important stepping stone.
there was a commitment with minister hoshyar zebari during the signature event in may for the rapid implementation of the main parts of the agreement that are provisionally applicable pending ratification.
it offers very substantial market access to the eu and some preferential elements in public procurement services and investments.
iraq has made considerable progress in its transition towards democracy but continues to face serious political security and socio economic challenges.
we are now looking forward to working with iraq on its implementation.
in iraq.
it should also be a stepping stone to iraq's wto accession supporting its adaptation to wto rules and practice.
the eu is also committed to supporting the un process with a contribution of eur twelve million to support the operations of the un monitors and the unhcr refugee status determination process.
this is the first such agreement to frame the relations between the eu and iraq providing a clear legal basis and a comprehensive institutional structure.
this carries a risk of re igniting sectarian tensions in iraq and it threatens the fragile balance that the national partnership government' is based on.
that is what the agreement is about the start of a new partnership sealing our common wish to work together on a whole range of issues where we both have a lot to gain.
camp ashraf remains an important and sensitive issue.
economics meets politics' is a formula which is dear to the vice president high representative increased trade and investment will be crucial to back the work on the political front to support iraq's transformation into a stable and prosperous democratic nation.
it is in everybody's interest to see a stable democratic and prosperous iraq where the political system is underpinned by a strengthened rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
the eu has been a major donor to iraq providing support in many areas such as basic services assistance to refugees and displaced persons as well as the strengthening of the political system the rule of law and the protection of human rights for example through the csdp
the agreement also provides for cooperation in support of iraq's accession to the international criminal court.
it also slows down the necessary reforms as well as socio economic progress.
let me conclude by stressing that this agreement is above all a symbol of the eu's wish to be a constructive partner for iraq in its democratic endeavours.
eu overall support to iraq since two thousand and three has amounted to over eur one billion and this of course without counting the bilateral contributions of member states.