kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
europe needs a balance of all three and not to recognise that would be very foolish. i want in particular to draw attention to paragraph one hundred and twelve which talks about free trade being the cornerstone of europe's economic growth but also talks about fair global competition and in particular urges that when we come to do bilateral trade agreements or multilateral agreements we must take account of the principles of sustainable development social and environmental concerns and relevant standards in those agreements.
i speak mainly on agriculture and food policy but i was moved to participate in this debate because i think talking about industry and agriculture and services is really important.
those of us on the agriculture side would say the very same.
it is good to see that industry is back on europe's agenda.
not necessarily by using funds we can do this by strengthening the internal market trade promotion and providing a supportive framework for innovation.
everyone in europe every business should have the right to have access to the best it mobile and broadband at super speeds.
madam president i would like to congratulate mr lange on an excellent report and a substantive one to make us think about the trends for industrial policy. as we come out of the biggest recession for the last sixty years we really have to galvanise our industries to be competitive in global markets backing small firms boosting enterprise and supporting all those who want to create jobs.
lastly one element missing for me is the digital agenda.
according to the un his remorseless attacks have left an estimated nine zero civilians killed or wounded.
i now call upon the high representative to redouble the eu's efforts in the ongoing international negotiations.
the eu must push robustly for the un observer mission to start its important work urgently and without impediment. it is clear that assad has long lost any semblance of moral authority or legitimacy to rule as syrian president.
but it is my view that at the moment the kofi annan six point plan is where we have to concentrate our energy.
two it is not in isolated places it is everywhere. we also have to recognise that the humanitarian organisations are very nervous about anything which would involve the military coming in in support of their work and we have to respect and listen to the experience that they have.
we have an arms embargo the united states has an arms embargo and we are asking for details.
thirdly we are doing everything possible and working as closely as possible with everybody else to try and get the opposition groups to unite.
in my last conversation with kofi annan this was very much on his mind how to bring them together through either an umbrella or collaboration around the table in order that they could put aside their differences and come to a common view.
i am working with the governments of cyprus and germany who are looking into this right now and i will respond with any information that i might have.
it does not mean i am asking the honourable members to reject them i am simply saying we need to understand what it is we are talking about. secondly the united nations does not have an arms embargo because they could not get agreement in the security council.
i know that in istanbul this was one of the big issues. so we are continuing to engage with them and with our colleagues across the world to try and support that unity of opposition.
can you give us some information on the recent incident with a german ship that is trying to deliver arms to syria and that is directly breaching the arms
if we can do this with the security council let us do it with the security council. if it is not possible with the security council because of the position taken by russia and china we will do it without the security council. but the international community has an obligation.
i want to have that investigation.
but i want to have that discussion.
the six point plan is not optional.
today my team is in paris taking a leading role in the meeting of the working group on sanctions created at the istanbul meeting.
the increased violence that we saw leading up to the ceasefire deadline of twelve april was totally unacceptable and reports about shelling in the city of homs and civilians killed in hama and deraa are extremely disturbing.
besides our assistance i want to make it clear that we are ready to continue to impose sanctions and restrictive measures for as long as the repression continues.
eu response. we have suspended all types of cooperation including bilateral cooperation and syria's participation in regional programmes. the european investment bank with which we work closely has suspended all its loan operations and technical assistance to syria.
troops and heavy weapons have to be withdrawn from population centres peaceful demonstrations and freedom of association must be respected and the provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting must be ensured.
last week i convened the crisis platform again to bring together all the services of the eeas and the commission under the chairmanship of secretary general pierre vimont.
we need to do as much as we possibly can but it is now time for president assad to match his words with deeds.
unanimous action is what we have been calling for from the beginning of this crisis and now it is of utmost importance that the members of the security council continue to support kofi annan in his efforts and ensure that a fully fledged observation mission in syria is operationalised without delay.
they need to build a common vision for the future of syria where all syrians from all backgrounds and affiliations are free and equal.
we are hosting diplomats from member states that have decided to suspend the activities of their own embassies.
i have on a number of occasions personally expressed my support to special envoy annan and told him and the secretary general of the un ban ki moon with whom i met yesterday that the eu and the member states stand ready to provide any required support to the observation mission.
the security council resolution presents finally a unified call from the international community to the regime and i quote the urgent comprehensive and immediate implementation by the syrian government of all the elements of the envoy's six point proposal in their entirety'.
we need to have eyes and ears on the ground and to be close to the syrian population.
together with our eu representatives at the un security council to whom i pay tribute for their work and for their engagement and all our member states we have spared no effort to try and ensure that the international community speaks with one voice.
we have nevertheless maintained aid that benefits the syrian population students human rights defenders and the opposition.
that is why we are looking into broader and wider support including assistance to host families and support to the regions and populations most directly affected by the inflow of syrian citizens particularly in the fields of health and education.
i remain in close contact with him and his services for whatever is needed.
the syrian people have asked us not to leave.
i and my services have engaged in particular with russia and china last week on the margins of the g eight meeting in washington to seek their support and a change in their position.
those programmes with syrian students and universities will continue.
to do this together with commissioner fle i have proposed as a matter of urgency a commission special measure to reserve eur twenty three million for funds to support specifically syrian civil society as well as refugees and affected populations in neighbouring countries.
given the government's responsibility and record of broken promises and unfulfilled commitments this resolution is an opportunity for the regime to change course and cooperate fully.
our main objective remains to encourage all groups to put aside their differences work together towards stronger coordination and agree on a way forward for an orderly transition that is both inclusive and democratic.
the house will have seen that the un security council adopted unanimously and i emphasise that unanimity on saturday a resolution approving the immediate deployment of an advance team of up to thirty military observers to syria to begin reporting on the implementation of a full cessation of armed violence.
it is important that we continue to act as fast as we can liaising closely with local ministries. many of the displaced populations in neighbouring countries live not in camps but with families.
spain italy belgium and the netherlands now have diplomats within the eu delegation in damascus.
china and russia must continue to play a key role in bringing a solution to the conflict using all their influence to ensure the security council resolution is fully implemented.
i have instructed the external action service to continue its meetings with opposition groups and to reach out to minority groups to encourage them in this approach.
only through a credible and sustained halt to violence will kofi annan be able to develop a peaceful inclusive and syrian led democratic transition that responds to the legitimate aspirations of all syrians.
i want to say a word about engagement with syrian opposition groups which is a critical issue in which i believe the european parliament has an important role to play.
in our cooperation with the league of arab states we have already helped build the league of arab states situation room to improve communications and we are training them to develop their analysis and ability to respond to crisis situations.
their lives their rights and their aspirations must be respected.
the humanitarian and security situation on the turkish border is critical and the turkish response has been excellent with fast and professional support to the twenty five zero refugees in its territory.
support to the neighbouring countries is also essential.
we all want above everything the violence and killings to stop and everyone is extremely worried by the potential for further militarisation and escalation of the conflict.
cyprus cannot buy a financial bail out from russia at the expense of the syrian opposition.
so far i have not heard back from you.
shooting at refugees from any side is unacceptable.
we need to support the opposition both politically and logistically and we cannot just leave it to others to support them selectively. i think that there is a risk that we will not see a building up of common ground but i think that this could be our role.
we need to be serious about our own arms embargo and there are two incidents that i want to mention.
the ship has now apparently changed its course but as of today its exact whereabouts are unknown.
as a matter of urgency we therefore ask you in an open letter to investigate these incidents and also finally to develop a real monitoring and oversight mechanism of our embargo systems.
this is outrageous.
she specifically used the term syrian led democratic transition'.
that is a phrase that has been used by many european leaders over the past few weeks and indeed days. but the fact of the matter is that we are not going to have a syrian led democratic transition without the essential ingredient of a unified and cohesive syrian opposition.
that remains elusive at this stage and we are not getting any information about what the international community or we as a european union are doing to help bring about the opposition that is required to effect the fundamental change that we are seeking.
secondly i want to raise with you an issue that i have raised previously in relation to online activists the way that the regime is targeting them using very specific very well designed and very advanced technical methods to identify people and arrest them and ensure that they cannot get out the message to the outside world about the atrocities that are being committed.
finally we need to engage with the syrian opposition to make sure they unite on a democratic platform.
the recently adopted security package is in our view very wide in scope and bypasses the judiciary.
the eu and turkey are important strategic partners and it is in the interests of both to have close and effective cooperation. we encourage turkey to accelerate the pace of negotiations by clearly committing itself to respecting democratic values and principles. parliament continues to support the eu accession process of turkey as the cornerstone of our relations. however in the report which will be voted on tomorrow
we believe that the eu should remain a benchmark for reforms in the country.
these are issues at the core of the negotiation process such as the independence of the judiciary freedom of expression and the freedom of the press.
we very much welcome the fact that the leaders of both communities have officially resumed negotiations under the auspices of the un and we believe that there is a unique window of opportunity now for a shared solution to the benefit of all cypriots.
at a time when we ourselves are having intensive discussions in the eu and indeed this morning in this chamber about how adequate protection can be given to refugees we commend and praise all the efforts made by the turkish government in hosting more refugees than any other country in the world today.
these are foreign and security policy anti terrorism energy security and also of course specifically the field of fundamental rights.
another area in which we strongly support and encourage efforts by the turkish government and all other stakeholders is the drive to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable conclusion to the peace process with the kurdish community.
we are ready to support turkey in developing solid democratic institutions and effective legislation based on respect for human rights the rule of law and defence of the interests of all sectors of turkish society.
we asked the commission to reassess the way in which the negotiations with turkey have been conducted so far and how things can be further improved and intensified.
that means that we do not want to shut the door to turkey but we are calling for more dialogue and intensified engagement. the european parliament report provides several proposals in areas where we believe it is of mutual benefit to increase cooperation.
if we want to make sure that those in need of protection can find a safe haven in the region we need to step up our efforts actively to assist turkey in providing adequate shelter healthcare and education for refugees and their children.
delivering the official opening benchmarks and a subsequent opening of chapters twenty three and twenty four which has just been referred to by the commission representative here is the best way to promote truly effective reforms.
most investigations into the events that occurred in gezi park in may and june two thousand and thirteen are still pending and too little progress has been made in identifying the alleged perpetrators.
but there is also clear concern in this parliament about certain developments in turkey.
finally parliament also reiterates its strong support for the reunification of cyprus on the basis of a fair comprehensive and viable settlement for both communities there.
the pressure put on media outlets and journalists which often results in the intimidation dismissal or even arrest of journalists and widespread self censorship is of great concern to all of us.
we expect that turkey and all relevant stakeholders will play a positive and constructive role in this delicate process.
turkey should be encouraged to intensify its dialogue with the eu and the venice commission in order to converge to the eu aquis.
i think we should see the eu integration process as a vehicle to enhance reforms in the country.
we need to stay focused on the reforms processes such as strengthening the rule of law independence of the judiciary and unconditional respect for fundamental freedoms including freedom of association expression and freedom of the media.
i would also like to stress the importance of turkey as a major regional and international player.
above all any member who is genuine in expressing concern about human rights and democracy in the country should join with us in calling for the opening of chapters twenty three and twenty four on fundamental rights.
three weeks ahead of the parliamentary elections it highlights the danger of any one party obtaining a majority which could threaten the need to win a cross party consensus for any constitutional change. i note the recent survey showed sixty of the turkish public is against adoption of the presidential system.
that does not mean a super presidency as proposed by some.
there is no strategy for promoting conflict resolution counter terrorism non sectarianism and non proliferation across the whole of the middle east and north africa that does not seriously include turkey within its process.
any question against this would be deeply ironic given the importance of the kurdish population in bringing security to the region.
we are in particular determined to fully tap into the huge potential of our economic relations.
the commission is also actively working towards developing a high level economic dialogue and making progress towards the opening of chapter seventeen on economic and monetary policy for which technical preparations are underway.
eu. the commission is ready to help including through pre accession assistance.
for many the continued division of cyprus is a useful obstacle to progress in relations with turkey and if the eu really wanted to do something useful it would devote much political effort to helping to resolve the cyprus issue.
we should oppose the turkish stream project which would bring russian gas across the black sea to turkey and work towards the opening of chapter fifteen in order to encourage turkey to continue to engage with the european union instead.
i must say i welcome the commissioner's undertaking to re energise the relationship with turkey but in spite of lip service to turkish accession there is a fundamental dishonesty about whether or not turkey will ever join the sort of eu that we have today.
we cannot go on offering insults and expecting progress in return.
i would suggest that this is the sort of european union that would be far more hospitable to turkey.
such a resolution would even be helpful in boosting economic and political confidence in greece may i add.
the resolution reflects the ambivalence on the european union side recognising on the one hand the importance of turkey's position as a strategic partner and particularly its significance in economic and energy relations while on the other hand there is so much about turkey itself which is subject to criticism.
i have to say that many not just in my own country but across europe would like to see a fundamentally different sort of european union a less tightly knit community of sovereign nations with overlapping circles of engagement an end to ever closer union and a primary focus on making a success of the single market.
we need to make sure that turkey continues to play its vital role as a strong ally in nato and a partner of the european union part of the alliance confronting terrorism and instability in the middle east and across the black sea with a prosperous economy and anchored firmly in the democratic family of nations.
the pace of negotiations can be accelerated by turkey advancing in the fulfilment of benchmarks by meeting the requirements of the negotiation framework and by respecting its contractual obligations towards the eu.
the council in its conclusions of december two thousand and fourteen addressed the issue of the rule of law and respect for human rights including the rights of women children and persons belonging to minorities freedom of religion and property rights.
its dynamic economy provides a valuable contribution to the prosperity of the european continent.
last year we also expressed regret at the continued response by the government to the alleged cases of corruption.
the european union has repeatedly re affirmed the importance it attaches to our relations.
under those circumstances the european council considers it more important than ever to ensure a positive climate so that negotiations for a comprehensive cyprus settlement can resume.
it was a valuable meeting for relations between the eu and turkey despite diverging positions on certain issues.
in this context we welcome the strong commitment to eu accession displayed by the turkish government in its eu strategy and look forward to its concrete follow up.
the eu extends its strongest political support to the renewed efforts for a peaceful settlement of the kurdish issue.
in this regard we emphasise the important role of the constitutional court and we note positively the growing engagement of civil society in turkey.
concerning the ongoing reforms we welcome the continued implementation of reforms adopted in previous years and in particular measures announced in the democratisation package.
we consider that stepping up cooperation with the eu and strengthening common activities in the area of the rule of law and fundamental rights will bring turkey closer to the eu and speed up work on possible future discussions in these key areas.
turkey's full and non discriminatory implementation of the additional protocol to the association agreement in respect of all member states could also provide a significant boost to the negotiation process.
this brings me to my next point which concerns domestic developments in turkey.
let me underline that legislation on the right of association and the right of assembly should be brought into line with european standards.
first we welcome the dialogue and cooperation on foreign policy issues in particular active counterterrorism dialogue between the eu and turkey and exchange of best practices on the prevention of radicalisation and recruitment to terrorism.
we encourage further engagement by all parties to move the process forward.
it should be further supported and encouraged as a legitimate stakeholder.
turkey's commitment and contribution in concrete terms to such a comprehensive settlement is crucial and we certainly welcome the resumption of talks which took place on fifteen may.
mentioning chapter seventeen brings me to reiterate that active and credible accession negotiations which respect the eu's commitments and establish conditionality will enable our relations to achieve their full potential. in line with the negotiating framework the eu continues to encourage turkey to develop its foreign policy in coordination with the eu
freedoms and reforms should also enhance the implementation of all the judgments of the european court of human rights.
here i would like to praise the considerable efforts made by turkey in hosting around two million refugees fleeing the violence in syria and iraq.
these actions have cast serious doubts over the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and demonstrated an increasing intolerance of political opposition public protest and critical media.
we are however concerned about undue interference by the executive in the judiciary frequent changes to key legislation without the due consultation of stakeholders and restrictions on access to information.
twenty four let me remind you that negotiating chapters may only be opened in compliance with the rules of the intergovernmental conference according to the established procedures and in line with the negotiation framework.
both sides including turkey have much to gain from the process of political and economic reforms.
as a presidency we are committed to continuing the process.
the eu is committed to developing energy and climate diplomacy where it can use all its foreign policy instruments.
let me assure you that the council fully supports the strengthening of eu turkey energy cooperation with the aim of facilitating and integrating energy markets.
here i would like to refer also to the proposal by the commission on energy union which points to turkey as an important strategic energy partner.
during the debate many of you also mentioned energy issues.