kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
surely we would be better off with local solutions to contracts and tendering wherever possible. from my own experience as a councillor we would be better off with local maintenance contracts people who live in the same community they look after making repairs.
the government may well say that austerity is over but there are choppy waters ahead.
procurement rules need to change to stop this and preston council is showing just how to do it.
firstly because member states have been very late in transposing the two thousand and fourteen directives on public procurement so late that the commission had to initiate infringement procedures against some of them and unfortunately i do suspect they will again be late transposing for the next round of deadlines notably regarding eprocurement.
that's why i urge them to not consider public procurement as an administrative burden but a way to promote a smart sustainable and inclusive growth to force innovation to help smes to gain new markets create new jobs.
those directives are indeed complicated and member states should therefore organise training in order to get it right in public procurement and open university courses to develop public procurement studies and public procurement law.
two hundred and fifty zero public authorities in the union spend around fourteen every year of our gdp nearly eur two zero billion each year on purchasing services work and supplies and still this enormous potential is not fully achieved. there are three reasons for that.
secondly member states' authorities on a national regional and local level are not using public procurement strategically.
thirdly because the practitioners of public procurement need further education.
the human rights situation in particular when it comes to press freedom is deteriorating quickly and the treatment of political prisoners is horrific in a country where the death penalty remains a shameful option.
he has been kept in solitary confinement for most of the time since the last week of july and this ladies and gentlemen is in europe.
i have worked with that organisation over the past few months and they feel totally betrayed by the eu.
dmitry bobryk a journalist arrested in august in a vicious attack on press freedom has reported that whilst in detention he was forced to sign a cooperation agreement with the kgb and the case of charter ninety seven as already described is very concerning.
mr president the eu must take action on belarus. the passivity of the commission and the european external action service has now emboldened lukashenko's government.
i therefore urge commissioner hahn and the high representative to take action and demand improvements in belarus' human rights record.
travel documents of family members in china have reportedly been confiscated or not issued to prevent people from leaving. there are legitimate concerns about the security of uyghurs and other people belonging to minorities if returned to china.
respect for fundamental human rights requires that all human rights including freedom of expression freedom of religion or belief freedom of movement assembly and association the right to due process and the right to nondiscrimination are respected in xinjiang as they should be anywhere in the country in line with china's international obligations and national legislation. the upcoming universal periodic review provides an opportunity
the eu reiterated its request for a factfinding visit to xinjiang including access to the camps and the need to implement recommendations from international human rights bodies.
the eu urges all countries to consider carefully requests for international protection from such people and where applicable to ensure respect of the nonrefoulement principle. the eu repeatedly raised this concern with the authorities during the last euchina human rights dialogue in july.
our support for an involvement of civil society will remain an essential part of our policy.
we are now close to finalising the joint partnership priorities which will be the first document of this kind between the eu and belarus an important building block in our relations setting the strategic frame for our cooperation in the coming years and in which human rights and freedom of media issues play an important role.
as always we remain very attentive to the human rights situation in that country.
here we see of course the resumption of the eubelarus sectoral dialogues and the signature of the mobility partnership in october.
we called for unrestricted access to the internet.
the eu at the highest political level has underlined to the belarusian authorities that repressive actions against independent media including the charter ninety seven website are contrary to the international commitments made by belarus.
however this increased willingness for debate has unfortunately not yet led to measurable legislative improvements in the human rights situation notably on the freedom of media.
as we further pursue our policy of critical engagement we will continue to follow closely developments in belarus with regard to fundamental freedoms. the eu stands ready to assist belarus in meeting its obligation in the area of democratisation and full respect for human rights.
steps taken by belarus to respect fundamental freedoms the rule of law and human rights will remain key for the shaping of eu policy towards belarus.
we have equally called for the introduction without delay of a moratorium on the death penalty and the need to strengthen the independence of the judiciary.
we are very much aware that several independent media organisations are working hard to achieve meaningful results in promoting critical thinking and democratic values and we value their work very much.
at the same time we believe that progress in a variety of fields can be better achieved by means of enhanced cooperation.
sadly this time our resolution does not represent a breakthrough but merely an expression of concern. therefore i urge you and the parliament to take all measures necessary to persuade the chinese government to close the camps and end all human rights violations in xinjiang against the uyghur people. the eu must stand ready to adopt targeted sanctions against all responsible for the persecution of uyghur victims of twenty first century concentration camps.
yet most governments have declined to criticise beijing or even ask for more transparency about the situation in xinjiang out of fear of economic retaliation from china.
mr president if any other country detained one million people in camps and forced eleven million people to live in a repressive police state we would be calling for a referral to the icc on the grounds of ethnic cleansing. at the very least sanctions would be imposed.
this parliament has always been at the forefront in defending human rights worldwide.
such an approach it was hoped might yield results in terms of greater freedom and democratic and human rights within belarus and opening up the country to the west. as the case of the website charter ninety seven however illustrates such thinking was far too optimistic.
death threats to the editorinchief natalya radina being a particularly concerning example.
as our resolution today makes clear journalists are being targeted by police in a systematic and deliberate policy of harassment and intimidation.
mr president i cautiously welcomed the two thousand and sixteen decision to ease some of the restrictive measures against belarusian officials as part of an eu broader strategy of engagement with that isolated country.
hopes of president lukashenko changing his stripes were perhaps premature but we can remain certain that the continued support for organisations such as charter ninety seven will be vital to ensuring one day a democratic free and successful belarus in the future.
therefore i call on the european union to bring up this issue and demand the closure of those camps in all future political dialogues and negotiations with china as a matter of primary importance.
it is still hard to believe that such camps can exist in the twenty first century.
this highlights a worrying trend of a wider clampdown on civil society in an already oppressive environment.
the eu's support for belarus must have conditions and there must be consequences for not meeting those conditions.
their news website was blocked in belarus and more recently in russia in an attempt to stamp out informed public debate.
the eeas needs to get funding in place for organisations such as charter ninety seven and belsat tv which provide independent broadcasting.
in two thousand and sixteen the eu lifted most sanctions that were in place against belarusian officials and companies in a spirit of engagement hoping that better relations would lead to better fundamental freedoms. it is now clear that this is not working. the case of charter ninety seven and that of the trade unionists most recently make this failure clear.
mr president a free and independent press is a fundamental european value and it must be an essential part of the eu's relationship with belarus.
now is the time for action.
charter ninety seven provides a clear example of where our values are being undermined.
this funding needs to be direct and it needs to be swift.
belarus is acting against free association too most worryingly with the case against independent trade unionists.
harassment death threats and the imprisonment of journalists human rights defenders trade unionists and others are surely the sort of violations that should cost belarus its eu financial support.
other websites and social media are also being tracked preventing anonymity in order to prevent free speech.
he was the winner of the martin ennals award and served as an adviser to human rights watch.
he is not allowed to contact family has not been able to appoint an independent lawyer and has seen his passport revoked.
we are here to condemn human rights violations when they occur.
reputation is key for the uae and i'm convinced that the arrest of ahmed mansoor over tweets he sent and the way he has been treated since have not helped at all in this respect.
to anyone in europe considering a holiday in the uae it is important to know what can happen after you send a tweet or when you ask for democratic elections. i find it hardly an invitation.
we also urge a review of the federal law combating cybercrimes to ensure that it is actually in line with international standards.
i believe that it is essential that such systems that are also made in europe are not exported to authorities that violate human rights and that we set a new high standard in updating our own export control rules. in the case of mr mansoor we see his actions as falling within the rights to freedom of expression and call on the uae authorities to release him.
i think it is essential that high representative mogherini also speak out in unequivocal terms about the case of ahmed mansoor including during the next human rights dialogue with the gulf states.
but of course we're not here to give the uae any pr advice.
he is now in solitary confinement in secret detention.
mr mansoor has been recognised as a courageous human rights defender.
as regards the question of mandatory labelling of poultry meat the commission carried out a feasibility study on animal welfare labelling following extensive stakeholder consultation and the outcome of this study was included in a report from the commission to the european parliament and the council adopted at the
these include terms such as extensive indoor' traditional free range' and total freedom free range' which are defined and limited to farms meeting specific criteria. member states may additionally cofinance investment in animalwelfarefriendly production systems through the rural development programmes.
encouraged by this we will continue to develop animalbased indicators as a way of continually improving conditions for animals. we believe that there is still a lot of room for improvement in animal welfare but the work already carried out by the european union gives us hope that a lot has also been achieved so
through the marketing standards for poultry meat regulation we provide incentives and support for animalwelfarefriendly chicken production.
the broiler directive was the first piece of eu legislation to introduce animalbased indicators as a way to monitor the welfare of animals.
this is very significant and provides a strong boost to our fight against antimicrobial resistance.
this funding can be used for example to upgrade fit and improve housing where it goes beyond the minimum required standards.
far. in two thousand and nineteen the commission together with the member states and stakeholders will work to identify further animalbased indicators for broilers. we hope that these new indicators can be used by national authorities and also by the commission to better target their action and thus improve the implementation of the directive. investment in the health and welfare of animals on farms of course brings additional benefits.
end of. two thousand and nine this study concluded that mandatory animal welfare labelling in respect of minimum eu standards would offer no added
despite challenges there is no alternative to continued engagement in this domain.
we continue to advocate a cooperative and transparent engagement in which the eu can support the uae in its endeavours to fulfil its international human rights commitments.
we are of course aware of countries' concerns over their stability and security but we are quite convinced that one cannot have long term stability without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
in doing so we have constantly reiterated the eu's principled position on human rights defenders and on freedom of expressions in line with existing eu guidelines.
as a first concrete step we have been insisting on the need for enhanced information exchange.
during our dialogue.
some of the problems we were speaking about today allegedly include the fact that chickens which are bred purely for the purpose of meat are often reared in groups of tens of thousands in terrible conditions without any possibility of expressing natural behaviours such as perching pecking or even experiencing natural sunlight.
the two thousand and seven directive lays down minimum standards for the protection of chickens kept for meat production.
are there alternative methods of rearing chickens being looked into that can attempt to improve their quality of life while also minimising the negative impact it has on humans and on the environment?
i believe the industry is currently taking steps to address some of these issues but again it is imperative that a comprehensive approach is taken to ensure we tackle these problems in the most efficient way and spread awareness across all member states of the extent and variety of the problem.
why do we treat poultry in such a terrible way?
as always it is key that enforcement of these directives is consistent across member states and up until this point we have not seen that happen.
cases of modern slavery are increasing across the european union.
as well but the issue i want to highlight specifically is the scandal that is modern slavery.
so i endorse and i hope this parliament can endorse this morning action to tackle modern slavery through procurement.
mr president china is a critically important international player and its significance will only increase in the coming decades.
being such an important actor and a member of the security council brings with it certain responsibilities.
whilst flawed the current international system has brought with it increasing security and prosperity for citizens around the globe.
dealing with terrorist groups must not slip into the general persecution of the people of xinjiang.
china must decide what kind of future we are all going to share.
yes that's a very good point and what you see is a race to the bottom in contracts.
i think it's time that the rules were changed to keep money as local as possible to help the local economy.
many of you mentioned this and i fully understand it.
let me tell you it is not european legislation that is a huge burden for them.
this is a problem.
i strongly condemn the arbitrary detention of uyghurs and other minorities as well as the mass surveillance of their daily lives through the collection and use of data which they cannot object to. such issues must be raised by the eu with the chinese authorities at every political level in order to reflect a strong unified voice in its approach to china and to prevent a further deterioration of the situation.
i call for the immediate release of those detained arbitrarily. the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and religion in addition to the right to peaceful assembly and association must be reinstated and firmly protected. the promotion of and respect for universal human rights democracy and the rule of law is at the core of the longstanding relationship between the eu and china.
in reality it is used to justify massive abuses including the establishment of re education camps or education through labour' camps.
colleagues what else do we have to witness before taking concrete actions gas chambers? mass executions?
china has no boundaries on its gross human rights violations simply because nobody dares to enforce such boundaries.
we demand the immediate and unconditional release of ahmed mansoor and all other human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience.
how can eu member states continue trading arms and security equipment with uae? how can the eu maintain its visa waiver programme with uae when they clearly violate the human rights clause it is based on?
children are reportedly being separated from their families.
starting from this resolution there is a need for more concrete action.
we need answers. we need an independent investigation in the region.
according to the un up to one million uyghurs are being held in detention camps without any access to legal process.
collection of dna samples gps tracking systems being installed in vehicles and cell phones cameras installed in their homes these are just some of the examples of how they are being harassed.
the chinese government must release all those held arbitrarily in those detention camps and release the names whereabouts and status of those that have disappeared.
china must stop the systematic repression and uphold the commitments it has made by adhering to international human rights treaties and the eu must address this issue in its meetings with the chinese government at all levels.
as criminals continue to use more and more sophisticated methods so too must our criminal justice actors and to this end i'm encouraged by the reinforcement of eurojust's role in fighting transnational crime.
should crimes such as terrorism cybercrime human trafficking and money laundering continue to rise across our borders it will be essential that eurojust can exchange more information with member states and provide sufficient data protection.
i welcome the exemption for restrictions for reasons of public security and the harmonisation of this regulation with the gdpr of which i was a rapporteur.
the irish economy will benefit significantly from the removal of unjustified data localisation restrictions so i am happy to be voting in favour of this report.
big companies and big contracts are beloved by far too many who award government contracts.
but small is beautiful.
small companies can be more effective more efficient and very often cheaper than their large rivals.
unfortunately however smaller companies are very often excluded from tendering for contracts and i'm very pleased to be supporting this report which seeks to address that.
but we need to go further.
in my region smaller companies suffer very often from late payments from convoluted bureaucracy from all sorts of bureaucratic hoops that they have to jump through in order to get the contracts and in order to be paid after they have done the work.
small companies offer a good deal to government a good deal for local workers.
mr president the human rights situation continues to deteriorate in the gulf. the eu and its member states must therefore take a serious stand against attacks perpetrated against human rights defenders by all our partners.
the arrest and sentencing of ahmed mansoor earlier this year was already of great concern.
unfortunately our fears have been confirmed by reports of ill treatment that he was subjected to whilst in detention.
this is not unusual. information suggesting he has had no access to his family or to legal counsel has also been reported.
the united arab emirates uae government must immediately and unconditionally release ahmed mansoor and drop all charges against him. he is a political prisoner who has been detained solely for expressing his views on social media.
discriminations against women also continue to be part of daily life in uae.
there are severe restrictions in their freedom of movement as women are still dependent on male guardians. as in many places in the gulf women's rights defenders are unfairly attacked harassed and prevented from conducting peaceful human rights activities.
the situation of labour rights is also very problematic with widespread abusive practices by employers.
the eu must continue to demand significant progress on human rights in the emirates.
as european governments and companies continue to conduct billions worth of trade and investment we have all the more responsibility to demand that the highest human rights standards be upheld.
human rights watch has rightly compared these reeducation camps to black holes to which people are added and from which they do not get out. this is why it is so difficult to estimate how many thousands of people have already been sucked into them now.
what we know is that today nearly every family in the uyghur diaspora has a missing relative or loved one.
if it is to prove effective the euchina human rights dialogue cannot avoid thoroughly investigating such issues.
mansoor's only crime was peacefully promoting freedom of expression and strengthening the role of the mps in his country.
many emirati and other activists face repression arbitrary arrests and abductions by security authorities who are unaccountable for their actions.
so my question to the commission is what has the eu done to address forced disappearances while negotiating the recent cooperation agreement with the uae?
how can the eu ensure a timely and fair appeal trial?
we are not using the full potential of public procurement at the moment. taxpayers are often still not getting the best value for money and do not see results that provide them with the best public services.
that's why we decided last year almost a year ago in november last year to adopt a public procurement package because we feel that we need a major shift in the culture of public procurement pp.
we specifically addressed the importance of selecting the most economically advantageous tenders based on a cost effectiveness approach to get the best value for public money for all our citizens but as was said before the most economically advantageous is not always the cheapest.
it contains practical measures and guidance along with implementation support from the commission.
so we recommend some actions and offer assistance at the same time.
improving transparency and integrity delivering better data boosting the digital transformation of procurement using technologies to simplify and to reorganise procedures and cooperating more between authorities at different levels to procure together.
i appreciate that this has been done after a thorough debate with contributions from many of you under the really valuable leadership of mr coelho together with the shadow rapporteurs.
you have prepared a good report which largely supports the commission's proposed approach while at the same time giving us food for thought for the future.
i will mention just three or four of them.
and strategic procurement.
in many there is still a lot of scope to increase the use of quality criteria. we believe that spreading the word that clarifying the lowest price is not mandatory at all and obtaining highlevel commitment to that principle is extremely important.