kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
last week i had the opportunity to go to iceland where i met with leaders in icelandic politics including the prime minister and the foreign minister and other leaders.
mr president honourable members commissioner fle let us now turn to iceland and underline a number of points which are also duly reflected in your resolution.
due to its membership of the european economic area and schengen iceland has come to the negotiations with another starting point.
all new members are eventually expected to join the euro.
what should iceland make of such a commendation from an eu with member states that ban political parties and lock people up for heretical opinions and that has a commissioner who salivates at the prospect of locking up a well known dutch politician?
i am afraid not it was our fish and that explains iceland's popularity too.
with this democratic pedigree is it really going to give away its independence and its parliamentary democracy to the undemocratic eu in which the unelected commission has a monopoly of legislative initiative?
iceland emerged from its crisis by devaluation three years ago a choice that is not available for a member of the euro area.
it has also made good progress in the accession process.
i welcome the fact that iceland's supreme court has recognised its eea efta obligations and the jurisdiction of that court regarding compensation for icesave depositors which will no doubt come up during the accession negotiations.
i understand around one third of the recognised priority claims have now been repaid. given iceland's successful completion of the imf's economic recovery programme last year and a return to positive economic growth we have no doubt that the other outstanding claims will be repaid.
with regard to the ongoing mackerel dispute we believe that iceland must respect its legal obligations and we believe the eu and iceland to be perfectly capable of engaging in constructive negotiations to resolve this thorny issue.
ultimately if after closing all the chapters the icelandic people in a referendum decide to join the eu this country will be a model eu member state and will hopefully entice norway to join the eu as efta would no longer be sustainable without iceland.
it can be an asset to the european union.
if we look today indeed the people of iceland and its government have pulled themselves out of the economic crisis without looking back in anger but looking forward as the people in ireland have also done and this is a big achievement.
this is an important point.
mr president many of us are ready to welcome iceland into the european union but we have serious reservations about negotiating with a candidate country which is determined to continue in its predation upon the northern european mackerel stocks whilst discussing aspects of the common fisheries policy which it wants to be changed.
iceland has the oldest parliament in the world and we have much in common but the government and people of iceland must understand that their intransigence on fisheries and agriculture will require a spirit of flexibility and understanding to overcome this.
the british people wish them well in their application.
i think it is important to look at and discuss the details in the negotiations but also to see the bigger perspective.
stronger in the nordic area stronger in the arctic area but also stronger in the sense that is proving as iceland has demonstrated that you can deal with economic crisis as a modern market economy and you can deal with all the future challenges. and i think it is important that we secure
as i mentioned this year will be a decisive year as we are reaching the stage where the real negotiations start.
the commission will exert all efforts to allow the discussions to start as soon as possible on as many chapters as possible including on the core chapters.
in those discussions we are ready to take into account iceland's specificities and expectations while fully safeguarding the principles of the union and the requirements of the negotiating framework.
i remain confident that with joint and determined efforts we will be able to find a win win solution to overcome the challenges ahead.
what is worse is that they are now considering further changes to the legal system with fines and prison terms foreseen for the creation of political parties and incarceration for participation in illegal rallies.
i hope that baroness ashton on her frequent visits there is raising these issues. if she is would she report to this house on kazakhstan's reaction?
in december the courts banned almost all independent media and in february the court of appeal banned independent journalists from exercising their profession.
the sky over kazakhstan is darkening fast as it flouts its osce commitments.
mr president last september human rights defender vadim kuramshin was arrested on his return from the osce conference and sentenced to twelve years in prison.
and if she is not would she at least send her new special representative for human rights to deal with it?
we remain convinced that engagement is the key to achieving progress particularly in the new context provided by kazakhstan's membership of the human rights council since the beginning of this year and the imminent start of work on a new national human rights action plan.
it is a key partner for the stability of the region notably through its increasingly active role in the developing eu central asia cooperation as well as for the stability of the broader region through its contribution to the heart of asia process and to nuclear non proliferation.
we are engaged in continuous interaction with the kazakh authorities working to strengthen the joint actions with ngos human rights defenders and other civil society actors concerned.
promoting progressive development in the human rights area will remain a key part of our engagement with kazakhstan and supporting the political social and economic development of that country.
our cooperation and assistance projects in support of the rule of law are key tools for accessing concrete results and sharing eu experience and expertise while increasing the capacity of kazakh society and the government to search for successful solutions.
we do continue to work through all possible channels to implement the different recommendations that you highlight and the concerns that you have raised as well.
we have always emphasised that the successful conclusion of negotiations on a new agreement will depend on the advancement of political reforms and fulfilment of kazakhstan's international commitments.
human rights issues should not be seen in isolation but in connection with our political and economic agendas.
we address these systematically through specific dmarches.
vice president ashton when she was there in november did raise these issues with the authorities and she has also met with different representatives of civil society.
in our view the cross cutting nature of human rights can only benefit from comprehensive cooperation between the eu and kazakhstan as reflected by the partnership and cooperation agreement.
it seems to emphasise all the negatives.
the standard of living for all kazakhs has risen inexorably which is why president nazarbayev is popular with his own people.
the country was still trying to get on its feet economically. in semipalatinsk few of the streets were paved and there were hardly any street lights. when the sun went down the people came out onto the streets to cook their evening meals on charcoal stoves. in the past decade the country has been transformed. it is the most outstanding economic success in central asia and is a bastion of peace and stability.
i am going to vote against it.
as a matter of fact enormous pressure is being put on him including slander and degrading treatment in prison.
that is why time is precious.
however the kazakh authorities need to respect the international commitments they have signed up to including the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
of international standards.
we would like to call on the kazakh authorities to follow through with the enforcement of the existing human rights action plan which draws on the recommendations of the venice commission and to make use of eu technical assistance under the rule of law initiative.
with tourism accounting for ten of tunisian gdp such attacks are extremely damaging to the country's prosperity and with a very young population a stable economy is vital to ensuring political stability and preventing radicalisation and potential islamist terrorism in the future.
mr president the terrorist attack against tunisia saw the tragic loss of thirty nine lives thirty of whom were my fellow british citizens and many possibly even constituents;
as the country that was the home of the arab spring and indeed its most successful manifestation probably why it is now a target the overthrow of long time dictator ben ali in two thousand and eleven ushered in the hope for multiparty democracy in a western style.
this atrocity comes just a few months after a similar attack on the bardo national museum in tunis both committed by jihadi extremists and both targeting areas with high concentrations of western tourists.
the democratic transition accomplished by tunisia since two thousand and eleven is unique and as recognised by the tunisians themselves fragile as a result of the remaining political and socio economic challenges still facing the country. courageous reforms are still necessary to consolidate the country's democratic constitution
the european union has supported tunisia's efforts since two thousand and eleven and will continue to do so as the government's major source of external support.
since the revolution the european union has been engaged with the country's authorities in a dialogue about a comprehensive reform of the tunisian security sector in order to ensure that its security institutions can more efficiently provide security to its citizens in full respect for human rights and international norms as guaranteed by the new constitution.
this was an attack on people first and foremost and our sympathy lies with the families and friends of the victims and the tunisian people.
it is our shared responsibility to ensure that they can continue to do so safely and securely.
later this year.
we need to ensure that our contributions can be appropriately absorbed and remember that providing money for a problem will not by itself solve it.
despite the difficulties inherent in developing cooperation programmes on such a sensitive topic the current political context of an elected government committed to reform allows us to launch an ambitious programme of support for the sector.
in areas such as education youth and university exchanges innovation and research or agriculture which is a vital sector for the country together with my fellow commissioners we are exploring opportunities for additional actions including by placing an emphasis on measures that lead to the creation of jobs. faced with threats such as the threat of terrorism which play on fear and prejudice
we should be ambitious and creative in order to ensure that we make a real difference in our support for the people of tunisia.
our macro financial assistance is currently eur three hundred million and could be increased over the next few years.
this means that all of the european institutions and our member states must undertake actions that demonstrate our common resolve.
and reinforcing judicial and security mechanisms.
our response should be to reinforce the links which bind our peoples and our economies.
outcomes so far but also in the light of recent events we are now examining how best to employ these funds to boost the number of priority initiatives.
i also wrote to the minister for development investment and international cooperation immediately after the sousse attack to assure him of the eu's steadfast support and to inform him that we intend to accelerate the delivery of certain tranches of support that originally would have been implemented
tunisia wishes to take advantage of the potential offered by our community policies which can provide additional opportunities for our partner countries.
facing all these challenges will require efforts spread over many years and in all these sectors the european union has the capacity and expertise to provide support for tunisia's efforts.
if there is a cause in the world which requires the european union to be united in its support it is with this country with its democratic pluralistic government and a society that is committed to the protection of democratic freedoms pluralism and the rights of women. we need coherent mobilisation of all the resources
that said tunisia is a country in a particularly unstable region where our potential value added is commensurate with the size of the country and the crucial period of change the country is going through.
i sincerely hope that europeans will continue to visit tunisia and invest in the country.
and to meet the social and economic difficulties of the country which primarily affect tunisia's youth.
i would therefore like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the tunisian people who have seen their country come under attack for the second time in just months.
firstly we need to gear up counter terrorism and security dialogue with tunisia and make sure that the state of emergency meets the high standards of international law.
with a new constitution and successful parliamentary and presidential elections tunisia is an example for other countries in the region to follow.
events and terrorist attacks. tunisia is the best example of democratic transition after the arab spring but it is for this same reason that it is the biggest target for those who have interests in destabilising it and with it the proof that the values of democracy and islam are fully compatible.
helping tunisia also means that the eu benefits because a stable democratic and growing tunisia will be the best example of what the countries of the region can achieve and aspire to.
my sympathy goes to the victims and their families and loved ones.
it reminds us that domestic and foreign policy cannot always be decoupled and that we live in a mutually dependent world.
but despite our grief at these horrible attacks we must not forget and work harder to ensure that tunisia is and remains a success story of how transition from dictatorship can lead to an open society. tunisians who took to the street five years ago asking for a more just and democratic society
voiced essential values as their aspirations. transition is never easy; but those calls by young people sick of the injustices the abuse of power and corruption and the lack of opportunities and freedoms must not and will not be forgotten.
the next generation deserves to find in europe a reliable and committed partner in helping support further development in building a free society diverse and democratic the complete opposite of the nihilistic and misguided dogma of political islam advanced through violence.
i personally do not like to think in terms of support for tunisia.
let us work with tunisians so they can build their own future with the eu as a partner.
but how do i explain either to the administration or indeed to my constituents that when presented with a series of roll call votes in which i wanted to vote for one or two of the options and against the others they were taken en bloc and i was therefore not able to vote for or against the given items where necessary?
first of all i congratulate you for starting on time and trying to get things moving.
how do i explain that to my constituents and how do i explain that to the administration when it comes to telling them that i wanted to vote for or against or abstain?
mr president first in raising this point of order i would like to congratulate you again on an excellent victory last month after a campaign in which i came to greatly respect you.
regardless of what was said yesterday to mr farage some of which i do not necessarily agree with i would like your firm assurance that you will respect rule twenty in the future and be the president for all of us every single member regardless of group or nationality.
it is because of this respect that i wish to bring this point of order.
there are other groups in this house who will obviously want to vote in slightly different ways.
mr president in this next vote there are quite a few votes and since it is far more tiring to put one's hand up and down than press a button i wonder if we could take them all as a block?
more generally the security of internally displaced people needs to be strengthened and the consequences of the conflict need to be seriously dealt with.
recently as many as six hundred schools have been looted. we just cannot make progress in a situation like that.
the warlords and government officials become millionaires by doing dirty deals with foreign multinational companies which control the majority of these resources.
an estimated.
neighbouring countries conduct proxy wars by supporting various rebel groups in a bid to increase their influence and reap the profits. all rebel groups together with the army have engaged in gruesome human rights violations and terror tactics including organised sexual violence on a massive scale.
their tactics have failed miserably.
it is absolutely necessary that this horrible endless cycle of wars and imperialist intervention is broken and that real peace is brought to the region.
mr president the recent escalation of violence in the eastern provinces of congo following a mutiny in the congolese army and the sacking of goma by m twenty three rebels is as a belgian aid worker described it a crisis upon a crisis upon a crisis'.
the us and the eu together with the rulers of china have supported the corrupt kabila regime financially as well as militarily with twenty zero un soldiers in the hope of achieving sufficient stability to continue the exploitation of the natural resources.
for a lasting solution to undermine the basis of the warlords it is necessary for the natural wealth and resources to be taken into democratic public ownership and used in the interests of the population as a whole.
the eastern congo has been devastated for decades by wars between different rebel groups and the army trying to gain control over the massive natural resources in the area.
side by side with desperate poverty with a gni per capita of less than one dollar per day is the potential for this to be one of the richest areas in the world because of the enormous natural resources that are present.
together they organised a continuation of the colonial and imperialist looting that has gone on for over one hundred and thirty years leaving the people stripped of all of the potential wealth embedded in their natural resources.
five four million people have died as a result of these brutal wars since.
it is estimated that at least forty eight women are raped in the country every single hour adding up to a horrible one one hundred and fifty two women a day.
mr president commissioner the conflicts which have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people have turned the democratic republic of congo into a war zone where warlords and corrupt officials are the only ones benefiting from the situation.
paramilitary groups are continuing to commit the worst crimes and are even helped by neighbours. it is clear that the eu needs to act in a coordinated manner with the united nations and the african union to push for an end to these ongoing and horrible events and also to prevent an even further regional spill over in the entire great lakes region.
the eu should act jointly and strongly.
now several eu member states have suspended aid to rwanda as a result of the un report that alleges involvement in the conflicts in the democratic republic of the congo.
we also need an eu position towards all the individuals who violated the arms embargo.
we can do more on the demand side by improving transparency in reporting on illegally mined minerals for example.
independent investigations are also needed.
the perpetrators of human rights violations war crimes and crimes against humanity sexual violence against women and the recruiting of child soldiers should be brought to justice.
the impunity must end and i want to draw specific attention to the cowardly attack on the courageous dr mukwege which killed his bodyguard.
this case still needs to be independently investigated.
firstly it allows for further technological developments and new market entrants while increasing security of payments to prevent fraud.
some flexibility will be possible in particular for low value and low risk payment situations.
these new players developed significantly to the extent that they are often the main innovators on the market.
new safer and cheaper services have emerged in the area of internet payments. these services have developed massively in some member states overtaking cards for internet payments and i trust this will rapidly happen elsewhere. other services known as account information services allow consumers to have a global view of their financial situation and thus help budgeting and financial planning.
this directive represents a major step forward for the payments market in europe.
what is happening in the field of payments is a striking illustration of digital revolution.
the creation of a level playing field for newcomers and incumbents alike will ensure that all actors operate to the same standards under the same authorisation and licensing procedures.
however financial services have evolved since. two thousand and seven when the first psd was adopted it created an opportunity for banks to provide payment services.
high security standards will need to be implemented by all payment services providers for electronic payment transactions. at the same time security should not unnecessarily impair convenience.
secondly it introduces enhanced consumer protection for example in the case of loss or theft of a payment card. thirdly taken together with the regulation on interchange fees adopted in may two thousand and fifteen it reduces costs for both retailers and consumers and contributes to the creation of genuine eu wide payment markets.
now our mobile phone our banking applications or a third party provider may well be our favourite way of making payments.
this payment services directive creates in my view some positive prospects particularly for small and medium and budding start up enterprises by opening up the bank industry to third party providers.
not only does this opening create possibly more employment and business opportunities but very importantly it allows for more consumer choice.
unsurprisingly the european banking federation has vigorously opposed this directive and their concerns have been couched under data protection or security fears.
but in fact to me these issues are for the most part not only unfounded but are actually a ruse to deflect attention from the fact that vested financial interests do not wish to see their current dominant position put in jeopardy.
crucially the regulation seeks to strengthen consumer protection and regulate operators who previously functioned with no regulatory or supervisory framework at all so to speak.
all players will now be forced to comply with financial regulation which is crucial for any economic activity.
it is important that the single market for payment services is modernised and strengthened and this will bring significant added benefits in encouraging innovation increasing competition and improving security. by improving cross border payments in terms of harmonising a fragmented market for card online and mobile payments we can significantly increase the opportunities for smes and new entrepreneurial start up companies to succeed and compete in the single market.
the proposal will widen consumer choice by ensuring that a payer using an online account has the right to use payment software devices provided by an authorised third party and have transactions executed on their behalf by the provider.