kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
the focused actions which involve local national and eu level initiatives aim to mobilise connect and support all relevant stakeholders in combating the problem and to ensure the dissemination of good practices across the eu.
if this is not the case the child must be offered protection.
three married minors are also considered vulnerable under the eu asylum acquis and therefore benefit from special rights and procedural guarantees.
therefore if the minor spouse travels only with the adult spouse and is not accompanied by her parents or tutor the married minor would often be considered unaccompanied and thus in need of special guarantees. moreover nonconsensual child marriages are prohibited by international law.
the victims' rights directive provides for targeted and integrated support for victims with specific needs such as victims of sexual violence victims of genderbased violence and victims of violence in close relationships including trauma support and counselling or shelter for victims in need of a safe place.
however many victims of forced marriage especially underaged may fall victim to other serious forms of gender based crime such as rape.
the eu's accession to the istanbul convention would further strengthen the union's framework on protection of and support to victims of forced marriage and other crimes covered by the convention.
this offence is criminalised in all eu member states.
let me now answer question.
it will often be the case that the law or practice of the responsible member state does not recognise an adult spouse as being responsible for a minor spouse.
on twenty five november two thousand and sixteen the commission launched a year of focused actions to combat violence against women.
the authorities of the member state of arrival have an obligation to verify if the minor has consented to the marriage.
the convention requires that gender based violence against women be recognised as a form of persecution under the geneva convention and that the obligation of nonrefoulement is applied to women victims in need of protection where they might be subject to torture or inhuman treatment or punishment.
as for question two accession to the istanbul convention is a priority for the commission. the criminalisation of forced marriage based on the definition of the istanbul convention will remain a matter of member state competence.
the same applies to other ongoing projects to address child marriage which we are supporting in tanzania niger mali malawi lesotho and sudan. beyond this targeted support the eu also contributes to programmes dedicated to social protection access to education violence against children and access to justice and health
the objective is to improve access to services strengthen enforcement mechanisms increase girls' empowerment and challenge social norms so that girls can fully enjoy their childhood and grow up to control their own destiny.
their impact can only be measured in the long term over generations. for example in two thousand and sixteen the eu contributed eur six million to the unicef united nations population fund global programme to accelerate action to end child marriage.
but it is a complex problem which cannot be solved at one stroke.
but on the contrary early marriage condemns girls to poverty and discrimination. education is the best chance for girls to be empowered.
there is no tradition and no culture that can justify child abuse. girls forced to marry are forced out of school.
this parliament should join forces and send a clear message we are committed to a zero tolerance policy on child marriage.
one hundred and thirty two authorities must consider the best interests of the child.
once again i call on all member states to ratify and enforce the convention to combat impunity and protect girls.
i call on the high representative on the commission to do more in all eu external action to eliminate child marriage by helping countries to adopt and to enforce legislation.
president trump's global gag rules will affect projects for thousands and of girls who are victims of child marriage. europe should step in and provide resources.
it can be devastating for their health with serious risks concerning pregnancy and infections. child marriage is a crime recognised under the istanbul convention on violence against women.
desperate parents give away daughters to older men to save them from poverty.
a child is first of all a child and we cannot have parallel communities in europe where child marriage is tolerated.
today more than two hundred and fifty million women worldwide are believed to have entered into a marriage before the age of.
helpless and vulnerable children are often exploited in this way during school holidays. such criminal activity is a threat to our society and its values and is a hindrance to integration wherever it is perpetrated.
it is an absolute violation of the human rights of many of our young girls and boys.
mr president child marriages are a violation of the human rights of children of young girls and are a form of gender based violence.
this debate provides an opportunity for elected representatives to hear from the commission about the effectiveness of eu measures whether it is in europe or in developing countries.
for example the right wing ruling party in turkey recently considered a proposal to free convicted rapists provided that they marry their victims.
to truly confront the reality we must take a holistic view empowering women and girls through education ensuring that systems that subject girls to child marriages are eroded through women's leadership from the grassroots community upwards and that girls themselves are enabled and empowered to speak up in every way they can.
i am proud to be part of a european union that takes action to advance the rights of women and girls around the world and i look forward to hearing from the commission about their work on this.
this is not a solution.
mr president i am glad that we are having this debate because it gives us the opportunity to reiterate loud and clear that child marriage is a violation of human rights and should be criminalised as such.
we need to push all countries to introduce a minimum age for marriage and to ensure better access to sexual and reproductive health services.
this is the instrument or do you only care if this practice is done in your member state or not?
in england and wales there are over four zero eu citizens in prisons and while in the brexit negotiations there is a desire to include the treatment of these prisoners in the negotiations and have a settlement on it it is not yet clear what that will mean.
i think we need to understand that this is a very sensitive issue and again i am grateful to the church leaders for raising it.
the home secretary can deport eu citizens who commit offences but this is currently restricted by european law.
post brexit eu citizens who have problems with the system in the uk after withdrawal are likely to fall under the provisions set out in the uk borders act of two thousand and seven which contains far less restrictive grounds for deportation and requires deportation of foreign offenders sentenced to at least twelve months in prison.
the catholic bishops tell me that they are very much involved in the pastoral care of these prisoners.
mr president this debate on prison systems and conditions allows me to raise a very particular issue and i am grateful to the catholic bishops of england and wales for coming to me and meeting me on this issue.
irish republicans were interned without trial and endured awful prison conditions those who went on hunger strike were vilified by the establishment some prisoners lost their lives while being force fed and in one thousand nine hundred and eighty one bobby sands and nine other irish republican prisoners died on hunger strike.
the good friday agreement ensured the release of politically motivated prisoners to advance the peace process but even in this era of the peace process derry man tony taylor is detained without trial and should be released immediately.
palestinian prisoners are subjected to regular violations of human rights and basque prisoners are held hundreds of miles from their families who are unfairly punished by an inhuman dispersal policy.
mr president as someone who has spent thirteen and a half years in prison i declare an interest in ensuring that prison systems and conditions are upheld to appropriate standards.
they should never be used as a weapon by any state.
the focus should therefore rather be on the improvement of existing penitentiary structures many of which in different member states are obsolete and do not function properly in terms of rehabilitation services.
some member states are already well advanced in this area and others could learn from them.
risk assessment tools and training schemes for prison staff judges and prosecutors in the member states.
member states have committed themselves under the eu framework decisions i just mentioned to accept alternative sentences both in the pretrial and the post trial stage.
i am planning to come back to this issue of radicalisation in prisons at a high level meeting before the end of the year.
we need to find ways to prevent such violent radicalisation in our prisons and to help radicalised individuals to find other paths when they leave prison.
that is what is lacking in many member states.
therefore this year's european forum on the rights of the child which will take place from six to eight november two thousand and seventeen will have a focus on the deprivation of liberty of children and alternatives to detention.
i have raised this several times with justice ministers who are not always fully aware of the possibilities the european funds on regional and cohesion policy offer in that regard.
some of the individuals involved in terrorist attacks in europe were allegedly radicalised while serving prison sentences for other crimes.
even if the framework decisions oblige the member states to adopt a certain number of alternatives for these alternatives to be used you need a certain practice and a developed probation structure.
furthermore the situation of the children of parents in prison will also be addressed as one of the main topics.
to facilitate that we have undertaken a mapping exercise to see how different eu funds could be employed to improve the situation in prisons in the eu.
following our ministerial conference on the matter in two thousand and fifteen and the linked council conclusions our priority is to use all available means including financial to support member states to speed up the setting up of projects such as the development of deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes in and outside prisons
prison staff and probation officers are covered by the judicial training course.
one of the priority topics to be discussed is indeed radicalisation in prisons.
improving prison conditions has become a priority at eu level because among other reasons they affect the efficient operation of eu mutual recognition instruments such as the european arrest warrant and because of the danger of radicalisation in prisons.
prisons' capacity is not the sole solution to overcrowding as the prison population tends to rise at the same rate as prison capacity.
thank you again for your report as it supports our efforts in tackling the various aspects of detention in the eu.
mr president without doubt existing european union policies specifically human rights legislation and freedom of movement are now actively contributing to the problems in prisons and particularly those in the united kingdom.
it is important though to acknowledge that prisoners have broken a social contract and so their incarceration acts as protection for society as well as punishment of the perpetrator.
this is the reality but this is not the answer.
so we are working i think exactly in the direction which many of you have suggested here. i have been in several prisons in european member states.
radicalisation is a very serious problem.
i was addressed by eleven ministers of justice by letter who asked the eu to help with funding and i replied with a very precise description of where and how eu funds can be used for improving the situation and helping them to
when we debate this issue i am thinking about how we can help more because you have said many times and i also said it at the beginning that the eu has a quite weak competence here.
the second big issue was not debated here so frequently and this is the fact that we have many innocent people in european prisons.
mr president honourable members this is a very serious and important debate about very serious issues.
we have to look into it.
thank you very much for these debates.
my interest is also as you have mentioned many times here to have the european arrest warrant fully functioning.
again political will and money are both necessary so let us work in that direction.
i welcome that this resolution is addressing the main problems prisons in the eu face such as overpopulation radicalisation of prisoners outdated facilities lack of medical care violence lack of resources poor staff levels and violations of fundamental rights of prisoners.
member states should exchange best practices and follow recommendations especially concerning the modernisation of prisons and the development of educational and practical skills to facilitate reintegration.
in addition special attention should be paid to vulnerable elderly and disabled prisoners and the specific needs of women as well as children.
in this regard it is vital to improve the training of prison staff also with the aim of countering radicalisation in prisons. as a member of the committee on women's rights i would like to address the importance of hygiene standards within prisons and the provision of health services such as pre and post natal care.
in this regard it is important to highlight that the automatic separation of a mother from her child creates an additional penalty and can cause major emotional disturbances.
therefore i call on the member states to enable mothers to stay with their children as long as possible by providing adequate spaces for breastfeeding and extending visiting and telephone time between children and their parents.
too many mentally ill people are locked in facilities that are not appropriate for their condition and too many of our young turn to violent extremism upon their release.
this is why i welcome the report's call for improved prison conditions and dissemination of good practices and alternative punishments individual social care of prisoners and insistence on social reintegration. decreasing crime and increasing social cohesion takes more than improving conditions in prisons. the overarching aim should be to have a penal educational and social paradigm shift to turn away from punishment and to insist on the social rehabilitation and reintegration of the convicted.
these are costs which we cannot pass on to consumers and therefore i repeat we need a strong agricultural policy and we have to win the argument in the budget debate.
secondly faced with volatility in global markets we need a safety net from the common agricultural policy.
firstly governments and the eu in particular must invest more in research and development;
we accept the commissioner's point of view not only because we accept it but because it is a target that the world cannot afford to miss. but at the same time agriculture is being asked to do it using less land less water less energy less greenhouse gases.
we simply do not have the information upon which to base a plan for the future.
so there are three points which we need to understand.
the cap is not perfect but it has been reformed.
for example has anybody done a study on the recent reform of the sugar industry in the eu to see if the decimation of the eu sugar industry has benefited those in third world countries or if it has just benefited the sugar barons and landowners while leaving the small sugar growers in poverty?
madam president i just want to comment on two matters raised in the debate so far.
in no way do i want to minimise the issue of world hunger but we need to ensure that when we put forward solutions to the problem they actually do alleviate it.
first the link between hunger and climate change.
if we want our farmers to continue producing and ensure food security for europe we cannot by regulation and withdrawal of support literally force them out of business.
so any positive efforts we make on climate change will impact positively on food production. another issue raised once again is the easy option blame the cap as if the cap were responsible for all of the ills of the developing world.
on the other hand i think it is also very important that we managed to keep the food security item on the political agenda and the result of the several summits we have been witnessing in two thousand and nine has certainly been that it is now high on the international agenda and that
the communication will aim firstly at renewing the eu commitment to assist developing countries advancing their agricultural production. this remains crucial notably in view of the increasing demand for food due to a growing global population and changing dietary patterns and the challenges and threats that climate change is posing to sustainable agricultural production.
increased calls for rights based approaches large scale land acquisition etc.
and lastly at addressing issues that have recently gained prominence in the food security agenda.
i mean you should look at his political group he is a communist and that probably explains the reasoning he was using.
when you look at the final declaration this is i think also obvious.
cap reform will determine the farmers' ability to produce food.
if farmers are not supported by europe through direct payments the price of food will have to increase to meet production costs. my aim is to promote food production within northern ireland and food security within europe.
cap reform will play a huge part in this and food security should be a central component of our work as this cap reform goes ahead.
this will only be achieved by allowing farmers to farm.
it will also influence the price of food.
however most of them believe that europe is hindering their ability to produce more food by forcing a reduction in stocking rates through nitrate and phosphate regulations red tape a lack of research and development within the industry and hence an attitude that food security is not an issue.
nine one billion people over two billion more than today a staggering figure and one which will mean that farmers will have to grow seventy more food.
here there is a recognition that europe has gone a long way to assist in opening up and liberalising markets.
it is estimated that eu production will have to rise by over seventy just to meet rising demand in the future.
no amount of help will actually correct that problem until you have got a stable political system and a stable legal system that allows farmers to flourish and to reap the benefits of higher market prices.
indeed it is estimated that an extra seventy five million people around the world went hungry as a direct result of the higher food prices in two thousand. and seven and two thousand and eight that is something we have to take very very seriously.
indeed in many countries we have seen food riots and political instability as a result of the spike in food prices. with world population predicted to rise to over nine billion and climate change predicted to have a major impact on our ability to feed ourselves food security is i would argue a major issue that we must confront and address and find solutions to. the european union must do all it can
but also many of the problems that developing countries face result from a failure of politics and a failure of the legal system.
that requires finance as the commissioner outlined in his statement and it requires open markets.
but his words were also true in the lifetimes of many of us world population has trebled trebled quite incredible and in too many parts of the world that has exceeded our food supply.
madam president in eighteen century england thomas malthus predicted that population increase would exceed food supply.
here in the western world we are addicted to eating meat a massive waste of resources.
all i can say is and i see my time is up madam president as someone who gave up eating meat twenty years ago if we want to save the world and prevent hunger then we eat green not red.
we need to be doing more if we want to prevent hunger and control population growth and the way of doing that is to ensure that women everywhere have control over their reproductivity.
the best way of reducing population growth is to save the lives of youngsters so that people do not feel the need to have bigger families.
moreover with the everything but arms arrangement market access to the eu is free for the least developed countries and the provisions of the economic partnership agreements show an understanding of problems faced by many of the acp countries in guaranteeing food security to their citizens.
over one billion people in the world presently do not meet their daily basic nutritional needs and the situation is threatening to get worse in many developing countries owing also to the effects of climate change which is posing additional challenges to these countries' capacity to become food secure.
in discussing food security we should also be careful about terminology and distinguish food security from food sovereignty and food self sufficiency.
two thousand and fifteen in my view that target is still valid and we should strive to reach it particularly in those countries and regions where progress towards its achievement has been very limited for example in africa.
in order to be accountable for our pledges we need a global pecking system of commitments but we also have to develop monitoring mechanisms specific indicators and benchmarks which can be used to report on the outcomes and impacts of investments.
two thousand and nine two thousand and eleven however we need more and sustained assistance over time.
this is in my view a very important step which will pave the way for a global governance system of food security based on sound scientific advice but one also more open to key actors in the public and private sector and non governmental organisations.
other countries and regions should do the same.
second the promise to improve international coordination and the governance of food security through a reformed committee on world food security which would become a central component of the global partnership for agriculture food security and nutrition. the european commission has actively encouraged this reform and is assisting in providing core funding for it.
some have criticised the final declaration for not setting more precise official development assistance targets for agriculture and food security but we must recall that significant financial pledges had already been made at the g eight summit in l'aquila.
however and let me say this loud and clear even the most substantial commitment by donors will be worthless if governments in developing countries fail to translate their own commitments into better agricultural policies strategies and investments.
efforts to achieve production around the world are not enough in their own right.
if we want to meet the first millennium development goal of halving hunger by two thousand and fifteen the commitments taken to increase oda must be fulfilled in particular by those countries which have committed themselves to reaching the target of.
the underlying premise of all these events has been the realisation that we are failing in the fight against world hunger.
article two hundred and eight also states that the union shall take account of these objectives in other policies that might affect developing countries.
if we want our development assistance to be effective we need to make sure that it is not hampered by other policies.
we should keep that in mind when we review and reform policies such as the common agricultural policy and fisheries policies.