kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
there have been coordinated disinformation campaigns which aimed to discredit and delegitimise elections around europe sometimes conducted by third countries and sometimes by private interests from within our countries that do not have citizens and our democratic processes at heart.
rather a comprehensive approach is essential to ensure electoral security and legitimacy while preserving an open democratic debate a level playing field and the security of all those involved in our democratic processes.
for twenty years he stood for those values.
we've had several exchanges over the last year on threats to electoral processes including at an event in april democratic participation on electoral matters' a conference in october on election interference in the digital age' and in november the colloquium on fundamental rights. at all of these exchanges
in accordance with the jurisprudence of the european court of human rights states may sanction or even prevent all forms of expression which spread incite promote or justify hatred based on intolerance.
these threats don't respect borders or jurisdictions.
the challenges that european electoral processes face are too complex to be solved by any one authority member state or even private sector service provider acting alone.
as you may have seen we presented the first of what will be a series of monthly reports on the progress the social media platforms are making in tackling disinformation yesterday.
while i'm speaking about this subject i cannot but also recall the death of a member of the uk parliament jo cox who was a passionate defender of the rights of everyone in society including new arrivals from abroad and indeed of the european union.
our core objective should be to ensure that authors of illegal hate speech are effectively prosecuted.
other aspects such as the often widely diverging rules on donations and contributions and the opportunity that the online environment creates to get round existing electoral rules make it even more of a challenge to deal with this.
a group can misuse personal data to target online disinformation or to attempt to intimidate voters through threats.
we will look to see where we can deploy european institutions' our institutions influence and competences to support and help the member states' efforts.
there can be no free and fair elections across europe if there is a climate of hatred and threats of violence against candidates and those holding democratically elected mandates.
that's why we need to collaborate together to ensure that we can bring together the resources and expertise needed to strengthen our readiness to respond to and to resist and mitigate this kind of challenge.
they do not fit neatly into how we've dealt with regulating elections and political speech in the past.
in particular this means working to ensure that the internet platforms the big social media platforms live up to the commitments that they have signed up to as part of our various codes of conduct and good practice the code of conduct on hate speech and the code of practice against disinformation.
unfortunately we've seen that even members of this parliament are not immune from violence and abuse because of the views that they express and we must deplore that.
responding to this effectively is a challenge.
we must ensure that all member states implement the framework decision on racism and xenophobia.
on the subject of hate speech we need to keep in mind that hate speech is not free speech.
we need to recognise that that sometimes individuals can be drawn to acts of violence radicalised if you like by conspiracy theories polarised debates and more radical ideology.
earlier this year commissioner jourov spoke at the inaugural meeting of the european cooperation network on elections.
in today's society online hate speech poses a societal threat which not only affects the safety of immediate victims but has a more general chilling effect on the freedom of expression and debate not just online but in our societies.
one message comes through one way a climate of hatred and threats of violence can be created is through disinformation and smear campaigns often spread through the social media or accelerated through the social media.
indeed no one should be left to act alone in this space or indeed to hold all the cards and make all the judgments.
the package recommended deeper cooperation within and between member states to jointly identify and counter threats to our democratic processes and protect the integrity of our elections.
it should be an unwritten duty of all democratically elected representatives to condemn hatred and to refrain from incitement to it.
we look forward very much to hearing today's debate and following up with you subsequently between now and the european parliamentary and other forthcoming elections.
we must never lose sight that all our efforts need to be fully rooted in protecting and promoting the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights in particular the freedoms of expression and association which after all is what we are fighting to defend in our democratic processes and elections.
and media literacy an effort that has been pursued in sweden before their last election was a good example.
and we discuss how best to make use of existing tools from data protection to financial supervision and how best to close gaps which may have opened up as new technologies and their use and abuse have come into this electoral space.
it would be wrong in principle to ignore the referendum result and in practice it is clear there is no majority in the house of commons in favour of such a course.
let us ensure that we can construct a longterm relationship to promote our common values and our shared interests in an uncertain world.
i know there are some here elmar brok still hoping that the uk will stay in the union and are taking positions based on that hope.
there is no deal until both sides have approved it according to their law.
that leads to no deal and that leads as the commission confirmed last week to a hard border between the united kingdom and ireland.
let us all pause to consider this it may be very easy to sit down to great applause today for a rigid defence of an existing position. history may not be so kind.
let me repeat the backstop in its current form will not prevent a hard border it will create it.
as mr barnier said in the event of a no deal the eu would find an alternative operational way to carry out checks and controls without putting back in place a border'.
the british government and the house of commons wants to leave the eu in an orderly manner and with a deal and to achieve that we need to change how the protocol on northern ireland operates.
let us look at that now.
for what is at stake is not just the draft agreement.
but i'm sure you will all have noticed that this very withdrawal agreement was rejected two weeks ago in the house of commons by an overwhelming majority so now is not a moment for rhetoric but for reflection.
the amendment designed to secure a second referendum was withdrawn as it had so little support.
let us consider whether time limits and exit mechanisms offer a solution.
let us proceed with good will remembering that flexibility and generosity are not signs of weakness but of strength.
because as things stand we don't have a deal.
we must do all we can to support the good friday agreement but it is a paradox that the backstop whose purpose is to avoid a hard border may in just fifty eight days' time be the cause of creating such a hard border in the island of ireland.
that's a quote.
and it is simply not good enough to repeat ad nauseam that the deal cannot be amended.
so it is my hope that even at this late hour changes or additions can be made to bring a deal safely home.
at stake is the future partnership between the european union and the united kingdom.
it was never going to be easy to disentangle the united kingdom from the european union but there is now a clearer road ahead if we choose to take it.
first as i already said in september unlike the european parliament the commission has a right under the treaties to launch infringement proceedings and in the case of hungary has launched many value related infringement proceedings.
as i explained then the commission shares an important number of concerns expressed in the reasoned proposal of the european parliament in particular as regards fundamental rights corruption the treatment of roma and the independence of the judiciary.
this legislation criminalises activities that support asylum and residence applications and further restricts the right to request asylum.
otherwise the commission may refer the case to the court of justice.
most of these cases are already pending before the court of justice.
as you know this new law has provoked large street demonstrations in hungary in recent weeks.
the situation has been aggravated by the subsequent government decision to exempt this merger from the scrutiny of both the national competition authority and the media authority.
let me inform you that in november following a request made by the austrian presidency the commission presented to the council a factual overview on its actions as regards hungary in particular the values related infringement proceedings.
the opinion of the venice commission will feed this assessment.
in december last year the hungarian parliament adopted two laws establishing an administrative court system envisaged to become operational as from.
the commission has made very clear that whatever position the council will be taking it must ensure a fair handling of the reasoned proposal tabled by parliament.
the commission is also monitoring and assessing the implementation of the country specific recommendations relating to the need to reinforce the anti corruption framework to strengthen prosecutorial efforts and improve transparency and competition in public procurement.
in the light of the response received the commission will decide on potential next steps.
as you know the hungarian government already provided their reply to the reasoned proposal.
having a university forced to leave an eu member state because of governmental measures and systematic pressure is unprecedented in the history of the european union. it is sad and very worrying that this can happen in the eu despite the commission's pending infringement procedure and clear warnings from many many stakeholders.
also in december we heard that the central european university has now been forced to relocate its us accredited academic programmes from hungary to vienna.
i do believe the council now has all the key elements necessary to start with its own assessment of the issues raised.
another development in december relates to the merger of more than four hundred media outlets into one single holding controlled by a board whose members are affiliated with the governing party.
as regards the ongoing article seven procedure i regret that so far the european parliament has not been given a genuine opportunity to present its reasoned proposal to the council.
in addition to infringement proceedings the commission is using other instruments including audits and investigations relating to the use of eu funds and actions through the european semester the eu annual cycle of economic policy coordination.
this i think is part of the way european institutions should show respect for each other and each other's role.
the commission is currently assessing the new laws in view of their compatibility with eu law and european standards.
two thousand and twenty it is regrettable that the hungarian parliament did not wait for the opinion of the venice commission which is scheduled for march this year.
these relate in particular to asylum and assistance to asylum seekers civil society and higher education school segregation of roma.
the commission is currently analysing the conformity of the new law with eu law notably the working time directive and sent a letter to the hungarian authorities seeking further clarifications.
the commission is also through the european semester monitoring the functioning of the hungarian justice system including the regime for the appointment and promotion of judges the organisation of the prosecution service and the envisaged setting up of a new administrative court system.
furthermore last december the hungarian parliament adopted a new law on overtime amending the labour code.
the hungarian authorities now have two months to address the commission's concerns;
the commission is determined to make the best use of this power. last week the commission decided to send a reasoned opinion to hungary concerning the so called stop soros' legislation.
today i would like to update you on the developments which have occurred since last september including the developments in the council.
i must nevertheless leave here my regret that an attack was made against the british labour party for anti semitism.
from the continued push to include agriculture products to downright hostility on the protection of geographic indications the american negotiating objectives at times seem geometrically opposed to what presidents juncker and trump agreed on in july last year.
but with fifty million jobs depending on transatlantic trade it also means that we shouldn't be afraid to explore a positive agenda in lowering tariffs for industrial goods and facilitation of conformity assessments.
let's put this conflict to bed once and for all and demonstrate that cooperation is still the best way to shore up the international rules based trade order.
nevertheless we should not forget that while we are talking we are not escalating the trade war.
that means categorically that agriculture cannot be up for discussion.
member states have to establish a uniform system for collection of comparable data on irregularities in cases of fraud in order to standardise the reporting process and ensure the quality and comparability of the data. we welcome the establishment of the european public prosecutor's office for which purpose for the first time the european union budget two thousand and nineteen includes appropriations of eur.
we also welcome the commission's proposal for a regulation on the protection of the union's budget in the case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the member states. we expect objective and systematic assessment based on a set of indicators and independent report.
the report includes also some aspects related to public procurement such as digitalisation and prevention at the early stages of the tender procedure as well as import procedures expenditure problems identified and measures required investigative journalism as well as transnational fraud.
on the basis of which parameter? no parameter is established in this proposal.
is there and this is a question a political affinity between you mr schpflin and your group after it split up on the sargentini report which called for the activation of article seven against hungary led by your party?
in vain.
at the same time nikola gruevski a crook convicted for corruption gets safe passage and political asylum to escape justice and even hungarian citizenship.
the suspension or reduction of payments to member states that undermine the rule of law is no less than a financial backstop to uphold fundamental values.
mr president if hungary were to join the european union today the country would not even meet the accession criteria. the hungarian government receives war refugees with barbed wire and criminalises those who support asylum seekers.
now actions have to speak louder than words.
last year hungary became the first european member state to expel a european academic institution.
the european parliament has spent years asking the hungarian government to rejoin the path of the rule of law.
with all of them she discussed our proposal to create an international contact group.
by free fair and credible elections we mean that all political forces should be able to participate without any obstacles. we mean that a national electoral council should be established with a balanced composition.
and it fits perfectly with the political priorities that will guide the romanian presidency of the council of the eu which runs under the motto cohesion a common european value'.
i therefore thank the european parliament for insisting on this aspect for leading the call for more action to stamp out racism and discrimination and hate speech. the council has also highlighted this issue recognising
employment;
to highlight just one topic in its evaluation report the commission notes that education is the field in which most progress has been seen.
the deprivation faced by this community is so comprehensive that it seems to defy description.
this is encouraging.
according to the eu fundamental rights agency the overwhelming majority of roma some eighty live in poverty but roma are also one of the groups at greatest risk of discrimination and these two facts poverty and discrimination are interlinked.
from this perspective we need to ensure the required instruments for properly addressing them.
a sustained strategy is the only way to heal longneglected communities to stamp out discrimination and to bring real opportunities to all including the poorest.
and health.
rules must be implemented in practice and attitudes must change.
it is indeed a challenge that would not be solved overnight but that requires a continuous political will and support from all member states and european institutions.
the council has already called on the commission to propose a post two thousand and twenty strategy.
in pursuing this vision we are guided by our common european values and we are supported by the vigorous actions of the commission.
five we look forward to welcoming representatives of the parliament member states civil society and roma organisations at this event.
the added value of cooperation at eu level is very clear.
we already have legislation in europe that outlaws racist discrimination but as everyone knows legislation is not enough.
it is precisely for this reason that the council the commission and the parliament agreed on the need for a strategic approach.
social policy should not be at the mercy of headlines trends and electioneering.
our conference will give member states and other stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on the results of this evaluation and on the best way forward.
it will take determined efforts by a whole range of stakeholders to see concrete results on the ground within roma communities and in our societies.
the list of challenges that we have sought to address in our common strategic framework spans the whole range of fundamental social needs employment;
these four things are the building blocks of a decent life.
eight years ago the european commission the european parliament and the council joined forces to set up the eu framework for national roma integration strategies.
we are all aware of the difficulties and challenges faced by roma citizens in our societies nowadays.
however i am sure we all agree that progress has been slow and must be stepped up in all four key areas education;
let me thank the european parliament for taking up this important subject on the eu agenda.
antigypsyism as a root cause of the social exclusion and discrimination suffered by roma.
housing;
against the loud shouts of populism it is not easy to speak up for the voiceless and the unpopular.
more roma are now benefiting from schooling.
the people of ireland have a right to selfdetermination and we make no apologies no apologies to anyone for working to end the partition of ireland.
once again they're threatening and trying to intimidate the irish people but we will not be bullied by the british establishment.
theresa may's objective was to unite the tory party and shift the blame for a nodeal brexit mess to the eu.
when article fifty was triggered i stated in this parliament that britannia was waiving the rules and britain was ignoring the democratic deficit in the north of ireland indeed creating a democratic deficit by ignoring the democratic wishes of the people of the north of ireland to remain within the eu.
this parliament has supported the good friday agreement in all of its parts and that means all the provisions including the provision for a unity referendum.
only fifty seven days to go and they're shredding the good friday agreement line by line.
it is profoundly dazzling to me that you don't see in this house that the only thing you do is bash up more support for the people that want to get rid of mr orbn mr kaczyski and whoever is next in that line of people that you don't like that the european peoples have elected democratically in the member states.
i don't know the exact content of the allegations about hungary but i do know that countries in this union are not treated equally.
if we see a demonstration a peaceful demonstration carried out in budapest it is apparently a violation of the rule of law.
the same house where we in this very plenary session are going to vote on amendments regarding the rules of procedure that are clearly an attack by the majority against minority views in parliament. if you cannot see that hypocrisy you must have been in the european parliament for too long.
it's a shame for europe and it's a shame for the european union.
it is fundamentally problematic that these attacks that have been going on since the jrg haider case in austria more than a decade ago and up to today against hungary and poland are continuing from the european establishment's side.
having two separate agreements with the us one on tariffs on industrial products and another on conformity assessments provides a clear structure to negotiations.
on conformity assessments measures the duplication of procedures to demonstrate conformity is a significant trade barrier to sme exports in both the us and the eu and we must look at this.
the ecr strongly advocates free trade with all of our trading partners not least our largest trading partner the united states.
nonetheless given the current circumstances with global trade tensions i welcomed the july eu us agreement not to impose further tariffs on each whilst both sides scope out the room for negotiation.
and we supported the ttip negotiations and our preference is always to negotiate comprehensive free trade agreements that liberalise trade in goods services and procurement.
on the industrial tariffs negotiations it is particularly welcome news that the commission's mandate for negotiations includes auto products owing not least to the reciprocal interests of exporters on both sides of the atlantic but also to ensure the compatibility of any agreement with gatt.
and the ecr continues to support the commission's action to begin negotiations with the us.
the deep poverty that continues to exist in our midst harms the social fabric betrays our values and damages our common future. it will take time to put this matter right more time more effort and more commitment.
thirdly we must never forget the importance of involving the roma themselves in our strategic efforts.
as we all know the roma community numbers some four to six million eu citizens.
in closing i would like to stress three points.
in two thousand and nineteen it is unacceptable that anyone should be born into deep poverty and condemned to a life of rejection hopelessness and discrimination.
that is why both the council and the parliament have called for the strategic efforts to be continued beyond.
waiting for an investment treaty with china is waiting for godot.
it is economically and strategically of the utmost importance for the eu to deepen its relations with this rapidly integrating and developing region.
mr president the thing is that the council has the commission's draft for the negotiation mandate with the us right now on the table so if this parliament wants to have any say at all about what's being negotiated then we have to make our position clear now.
later on we will not play any role we will not have any say and then we will again be totally out of the procedure.
today is a good day for british democracy because over the past two years our government has lost its way.