kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
promoting and supporting reforms in these areas and further establishing relevant actors are priorities both for civil society and the kazakhstani authorities at both central and regional levels. we also expect that the perspective and negotiation process of the new enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement will provide a stimulus for kazakhstan to make more progress notably in enhancing freedom of expression and freedom of association and encouraging real political pluralism.
the eu has several times expressed its readiness to provide support to kazakhstan for reforms and for the investigation of the events in december as well as to address the underlying socio economic problems that led to tensions in the country to begin with.
over the past eleven months there have been more than ten statements issued by catherine ashton herself and by the eu at the osce permanent council.
the respect for common values of democracy the rule of law and human rights are the basis for deepening our relations.
the jailed human rights activist mr zhovtis was granted amnesty and released in february.
especially considering the rapidly evolving regional integration dynamics.
to cope with evolving security challenges and threats the kazakh government has amended a number of laws over the past few months.
this is by no means a simple process.
the eu is funding several projects that are already tackling issues that contribute directly to the improvement of the social economic and political situation.
it has introduced changes that seem to empower the state more and more while restricting the rights and freedoms of citizens civil society and political opposition.
we are only at the beginning of these important negotiations. however we are determined to ensure that the european union continues to stand alongside the republic of kazakhstan and its citizens both as a friend and a partner on the path of political reform and economic development. in this endeavour we count on the support of the european parliament and we look forward to the resolution that you will adopt tomorrow.
the strike of oil workers that started in may two thousand and eleven culminated in violent clashes with the police in december two thousand and eleven resulting in seventeen dead and about one hundred and ten injured.
these include projects on regional development public service reform and modernisation support for judicial and legal reform for local governance and for civil society development as well as several projects relating to democracy and human rights.
its independence twenty years ago it has been the european union's policy to support kazakhstan's economic and political progress. the eu has a strategic interest to further deepen our involvement with kazakhstan and to fully develop mutual political cooperation potentials
kazakhstan is a pragmatic partner open to reform and willing to explore opportunities.
the european external action service and the eu delegation in astana have maintained regular contacts with the authorities calling on kazakhstan to uphold its international obligations and commitments in particular regarding freedom of expression freedom of association and assembly.
however strengthening eu kazakhstan relations does not and cannot occur independently from the progress of political reforms in kazakhstan.
according to independent observers from the osce both the early presidential and early parliamentary elections in two thousand and eleven and two thousand and twelve fell short of meeting democratic principles.
to motivate progress we foresee including fundamental political and economic reform commitments in the new agreement including aligning regulations to eu norms and standards and essential political clauses on human rights and the rule of
but we also would like to see that these events do not happen in the future.
it is not going better but it is in decline. we are concerned to see an increase in harassments intimidation and detention of opposition leaders of independent media persons and other civil actors.
human rights.
mr president as the standing rapporteur for i am particularly concerned by the situation in kazakhstan where as we are hearing from many other speakers fundamental rights continue to be violated.
i find it completely unacceptable that following his recent meeting here in strasbourg with meps to discuss the tragedy in zhanaozen vladimir kozlov the leader of the opposition political party alga was arrested by the kazakh committee of national security
on his return to the country. mr kozlov as well as other political opponents of the government was sentenced and put in prison.
more recently i have also met with some kazakh civil society activists including mrs kozlov and i was extremely concerned to hear that mr kozlov has recently undergone surgery while in prison but that his current state of health is not known.
nobody including his wife is allowed any contact with him.
so i think we should call on the kazakh authorities to end the clampdown on the political opposition and independent media in the country and to immediately release all people incarcerated on politically motivated grounds.
the country needs to invest considerable efforts and political will in this direction.
it has recently offered a secure route to evacuate british isaf troops as a substitute for the precarious pakistani route. i have no illusions that this country is a western style democracy but neither is it a repressive totalitarian state.
i sympathise of course with the tragic loss of life in december and this must be fully investigated and any police who use disproportionate force must be brought to justice.
i do feel however that there can be no doubt that there is a real risk of jihadi violence in this vast country and we should support their fight against terrorism.
more reform is necessary in terms of media freedom democracy and fundamental human rights and this is incredibly important.
but we must not drive kazakhstan into the arms of russia and china who have little or no interest in human rights at all.
however economic depression is not a time for moral depression.
it is especially important to accommodate framework conditions for small businesses and for innovation.
and most importantly the crisis is no excuse for protectionism.
implementation procedures can be too clumsy and time consuming.
for all the dark warnings about splits and strife this european council has produced a positive package and i congratulate the czech presidency on that achievement.
of course we need supervisory structures with real regulatory bite but so too do we need counter cyclical measures to deal with the realities of recession.
our leaders must be clear about that at the g twenty summit.
see to it that domestic difficulties do not sap your stride.
that moment has passed for your government.
president in office last week at the council you barely discussed the legal basis on which the next commission will be formed but it is no longer only ireland which is unlikely to ratify lisbon.
i therefore urge you to convene the leaders of council commission and parliament before this house rises in may to agree on how to compose parliament and commission with legal certainty.
green growth remains essential for our citizens' security now and in the future and so do the principles embodied in the lisbon strategy flexicurity the knowledge based economy employment regulations that are fit for purpose these are key to a competitive economy and a successful single market.
on the one hand we have those who focus on robust regulation at international level and on the other those who lay stress on a strong stimulus package.
america will come to the g twenty with her own agenda.
meanwhile money going to the nabucco pipeline will ease our troubling energy reliance on russia.
but for all the apparent agreement a niggling nuance remains over member states' priorities.
it is when you go to your bank machine to withdraw money and a sign flashes saying insufficient funds available' and you are not sure if it means yours or theirs!
if we cannot agree on our common cause then we cannot hope to punch at our collective weight.
we need a clear assurance from the president in office that funds from the eur five billion will actually reach that project but also that investment in gas supply infrastructure will not be a substitute for renewables research.
we must arrive with ours and together reach a deal that delivers for all.
there is a moment president in office in the famed melody in smetana's m vlast where cello and bassoon rise in crescendo from lugubrious depths to reach a seemingly impossible high note.
it is to the council's great credit that the protectionist language of the past cast no shadow over its conclusions.
for europe it is yet to come.
we have a pledge of more money from the imf a promise of more support for europe's most troubled economies and an agreement on moving ahead with european supervision of the financial system.
this is a false choice.
and i was particularly pleased to see that the council has saved mr barroso's bacon by transferring five billion unspent euros into the recovery plan. investment in transport infrastructure and broadband connections will create jobs now and prepare europe for the future.
the long term and the short term both must be addressed.
second i am happy that we managed to eliminate partly at least protectionist tendencies.
the third point the key is to restore confidence in the markets.
i think there is enough money.
i see three main priorities that we should focus on.
secondly strengthen the social fabric.
second we have to bring the cities of europe into the
the changes we need in society.
even if gordon brown were the champion of deregulation maybe this shows that change can happen.
whenever i conclude i see crowds coming in to listen!
confidence is improved if we concentrate on the implementation of what was collectively agreed and also on the effective coordination of these efforts.
americans are coming closer to our position regarding the fight against climate change and we welcome that.
i think it is important to believe that it is with ourselves and not with others that we will solve the situation.
the czech presidency is making a great effort for europe in a very difficult situation and i think they deserve our full support.
we can be proud of what we have decided but there should be no room for complacency.
in fact what i see today is that the americans are coming closer to what have been traditionally european positions.
to join forces in order to pull europe through the crisis.
americans are coming closer to the need to reinforce the welfare system.
more has to be done and we should keep our focus but we will gain we will succeed in these efforts if we show our confidence.
it is important to have confidence in what are the european instruments and this enlarged europe with our coordinated action in fighting this recession will be in a position to respond to the most important concerns of our citizens including of course the one that is my first concern
he says now that banking regulation must be tightened up tax havens tackled and the imf reformed.
his own record of managing the uk economy is one of negligence and catastrophe.
he favoured the light touch regulation that is a direct cause of the problems in banking. the impact of the downturn is of course being felt around the world.
the devolved government of scotland is doing all that its limited powers make possible to stave off its worst effects easing the tax burden on business through rates relief speeding up investment in infrastructure projects and prioritising training and skills development programmes to help people find work.
eu support for development of clean energy generation and distribution will help not just the scottish economy but will also benefit fellow europeans contributing to energy security and climate change mitigation.
i hope very much that it will not be long before scotland can play an even more active and constructive role in the world as a normal independent member state of the european union.
an economic system crisis and a crisis of democracy as well.
therefore a social european union summit leading towards a european pact on employment is a must.
this global crisis is aggravated by a crisis of european integration.
from the economic and financial crisis to energy security and climate change the presidency has been steadfast and clear in its objectives and it has offered europe clear leadership in testing times.
in particular prime minister topolnek has demonstrated clear leadership above all in warning of the dangers of protectionism.
when others flirted with erecting damaging barriers to trade the czech presidency has spoken clearly and consistently for open trade and crucially for the vital need to uphold the single market.
earlier this month mr topolnek said that protectionism is always harmful and in the case of the eu it is illogical. we must learn a lesson from the crisis and say no' to isolation no' to protectionism and yes' to cooperation.
he was so right to remind us all of the fundamental principle that underlines the eu.
this honesty stands in marked contrast to the disingenuous and self serving speech delivered by the british prime minister in this chamber yesterday.
mr brown's speech was long on hyperbole but singularly failed to mention the central fact that the united kingdom will under his leadership have the longest and deepest recession of any industrialised nation.
he ignored his role in putting in place and operating a fundamentally flawed financial regulatory framework.
europe needs no lectures from the british government about what must be done to get out of this crisis.
europe and the international community now need to move quickly to restore confidence in our financial systems to ensure a properly functioning banking system in which individuals mr schulz and businesses can place their trust and get banks lending again to boost confidence.
we must hold firm to the principles of free trade and the single market and i have every confidence that the presidency will continue to work hard to achieve these vital goals.
i appreciate the points that have been raised and i appreciate the great gravity of the questions that are under consideration here this evening.
that is the goal and this debate is providing me at least with a very useful contribution to that process.
we have engaged at a number of levels with all of the relevant partners and we are committed to finding a way forward.
i obviously do not accept that the council is blocking the european parliament on multiannual plans.
we are as i said engaging constructively with both parliament and the commission through the trialogue process. we are focusing very much on aiming to deliver both the reformed cfp and to make progress on the multiannual plans which of course are the cornerstone of the reformed cfp as it is planned.
he committed to engaging constructively and that is precisely what is happening and what has happened.
that is obviously a guiding principle that is of immense concern not just to parliament but to all of the institutions of the eu.
a number of points have been made.
that is what minister coveney committed to at the beginning of our presidency.
we are working very closely and i believe constructively with mrs rodust on that and we will continue to do so.
that is not for the first time as i am learning during the course of our presidency but that does inform the different opinions of both institutions and we have to try and find a way beyond that.
i do have to say that the situation has clearly evolved further in light of the decision by parliament and the commission to refer the matter to the european court of justice and perhaps this will give the certainty that everybody is looking for.
this consultation this evening is taking place in the context of reaching agreement on a reformed cfp and on delivering an effective approach that will ensure that we are in a position to implement the new cfp reform through multiannual plans.
it basically boils down to that so i very much appreciate the point that you made. the presidency has engaged on this issue both formally and informally and i would like to thank pat the cope gallagher for acknowledging that and acknowledging the efforts that have been made during the lifetime of this presidency.
the presidency considers that in the context of this new development we must work to deliver both a reformed cfp and make progress where possible on multiannual plans which are the cornerstone of the planned reformed cfp.
the minister also made the issue the topic for debate at the first fisheries council under our presidency in january.
this will be critical in order to implement the ambitious provisions of the new reformed cfp. further consideration of the issues involved will be reviewed as part of the discussion on the reform which as i said will take place on twenty two april at the fisheries council.
minister simon coveney as president in office of the council has made serious efforts to progress finding a way forward.
the presidency plans to consider the situation and issues at its discussion on the basic regulation at the april fisheries council which will take place on twenty two april.
the challenges involved in securing agreement on this and other areas where divergence exists are not underestimated but neither are they surprising given the many challenging issues and diverse interests which are involved in the cfp reform proposal.
the irish presidency believes that we must find a way forward and thank you for your kind remarks in terms of your belief in the goodwill of the presidency.
our ambition is to ensure that we are all in a position to move positively and urgently on the adoption of critical multiannual plans which must be put in place without delay to give practical effect to the delivery of the objective of a reformed cfp.
this is obviously a long running issue and will not easily be resolved. it has impacted on the effectiveness of the existing common fisheries policy as progress on the adoption of multiannual plans has been hindered.
in the intervening period the irish presidency has noted that parliament and the commission have referred the matter to the european court of justice.
he was pleased to be able to say they offered to be both constructive and flexible in their efforts to find a pragmatic solution which of necessity must recognise the respective competencies set out in the treaty.
this referral was in the context of the decision taken by the council last december to amend aspects of the cod recovery plan regulation under the provisions of article forty three of the lisbon treaty.
it is important to note that his comments were made in the context of his attendance at parliament's historic first reading vote on the reform of the cfp and this situation provides an important framework in which we envisage opportunities for further progress.
we believe that we can and will find a way forward particularly in the context of reaching agreement on a reformed cfp.
the presidency will continue to work with the council parliament and the commission to reach agreement on the future content of multiannual plans.
there is no disagreement that multiannual management plans are a vital instrument in fisheries policy and they must form the cornerstone of the future cfp.
we foresee that future multiannual management plans will have the necessary scope and include the types of measures that will allow the eco system based management approach to be applied as well as practical measures to reduce unwanted catches thereby facilitating the landing obligation without undermining the commercial attractiveness of the sector.
he met informally at the beginning of the irish presidency with the chair and the coordinators of the committee on fisheries to gain a clearer understanding of their views. in addition this issue was addressed during minister coveney's formal presentation to the full pech committee on twenty two january.
the presidency is also committed to taking a proactive approach to provide a basis for delivering multiannual plans under the reformed cfp while respecting the position of both institutions.
it has been clear for some time that the council and parliament have divergent interpretations of the provisions in the treaty on the functioning of the european union as they relate to multiannual management plans for fisheries.
suggestions for dealing specifically with the issue in the text of the basic regulation which is being progressed in trilogues are currently being examined and the presidency is hopeful that a neutral way forward can be found.
in the context of the current trilogue negotiations on the basic common fisheries policy regulation the presidency on behalf of the council will work constructively with parliament and the commission to provide a clear mandate on the principles objectives and content within the regulation for multiannual plans that will ensure that the reformed cfp will be effectively delivered. the presidency believes that we need to proceed in a legally neutral way that respects the respective positions of both parliament and the council.
this was the first time that ministers had addressed the overall issue.
he reported that ministers were also very concerned about the time passing without a resolution being found.
the presidency is also seeking to find a way forward that will support agreement on multiannual plans that need to be adopted as soon as the basic regulation has been adopted.
we in here know who they are.
please go out and knock heads together.
it is not simply divergent provisions that we are arguing about in this bubble in the european parliament between lawyers of the commission the council and parliament we are talking about peoples' livelihoods. we cannot have a serious reform of the common fisheries policy unless we resolve this ridiculous logjam.
minister to hear you saying that there is a divergence in the interpretations of the provisions of the treaty under articles forty three and;
we need our fishermen to have multiannual plans particularly at this time of austerity so that they can go to the bank with a bit of paper in their hand and say to the bank manager here is the multiannual plan.
so please minister please uphold what simon coveney was pledging at the start of your presidency.
i have the greatest respect for ms creighton and for simon coveney and i think the irish presidency have been doing a very good job overall but this situation is completely untenable.
do not be afraid to name and shame those ministers who are blocking this.
i will not start naming them tonight because my french is not good enough to say the words but please go out and knock heads together and let us get this thing resolved.
that is the very worst form of local vote grabbing the worst kind of politics to which this institution is permanently addicted.
it tells us that the eu is not fit to run this industry.
it is a tragedy where everyone exercises their rights but no one is prepared to exercise their responsibilities.
it would put a stop to the damaging backroom deals in which fish are effectively traded on the basis of you scratch my back on this and i will scratch your back on that'.
mr president since two thousand and nine and that is the entire life of this parliament the council has been blocking fisheries management.
repatriation of fishing with exclusive two hundred mile zones belonging to the country concerned would stop this nonsense immediately.
i raised it with the minister herself six months ago personally in dublin.
i think that there was a breakdown in trust.
madam president i have to say that i think that the comments of the minister were absolutely pathetic.
my colleague pat the cope gallagher suspended and released our blockage of the technical measures resolution earlier this year because simon coveney and the irish presidency had given us assurances that negotiations would take place. i will not say that simon coveney lied to us but i do feel deceived.