kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
when the nuclear deal was negotiated we were constantly reminded that the talks did not cover human rights or iran's role in the region so along the same vein we should not allow for the question marks that president trump puts to the nuclear deal now to blur our sight.
precisely because human rights and iran's foreign policy are not part of the nuclear deal we can confidently address these topics any time and we are free to adopt more individual eu sanctions and should not shy away from that.
for the eu to be credible we need to be heard clearly on all fronts and not just in defence of the nuclear deal.
i urge the authorities to free all imprisoned demonstrators and to stop the torture and executions in the prisons because i am convinced and i hope we all are that the march to freedom by the iranian people is unstoppable.
it is crucial for the authorities to guarantee the fundamental rights of peaceful demonstration and freedom of expression and for all parties concerned to show restraint and to refrain from the use of violence.
the socioeconomic situation in iran has certainly contributed to the recent wave of protests and it is vital for the authorities to address effectively the needs and demands of the population with bold policies and a comprehensive package of reforms.
the current situation however should not in any way be associated with the nuclear deal which we continue to support with determination and which is delivering on its goal that is keeping the iranian nuclear programme in check and under close surveillance.
in the progress programme. when presenting its draft budgets the commission will leave a sufficient unallocated margin under the expenditure ceiling of heading one a whereby the budgetary authority the council and parliament may decide to increase the amount of the progress programme by a maximum of eur twenty million over the period two thousand and eleven two thousand and thirteen
the financial contribution from the european union budget for the facility for the period one january two thousand and ten to thirty one december two thousand and thirteen has been set at eur one hundred million to be partly financed by a reduction of eur sixty million
in conformity with point thirty seven of the interinstitutional agreement of seventeen may two thousand and six on budgetary discipline and sound financial management.
i am ready to come to you personally the same day to present the mandate.
it will give the new commission a chance to create a new momentum on this difficult dossier and it would also give the european parliament more time to see how we intend to process this further. the commission is committed to a very ambitious timetable.
the commission will then immediately launch negotiations with the us to try to conclude them as soon as possible. we will within those powers keep the european parliament fully informed at all stages of the process.
the council has known about this problem for over two years and has done nothing in that time to deal with it.
the rule of law is crucially important though currently our laws are being broken and under this agreement with its provisional application they would continue to be broken. parliament should not be complicit in this.
this house cannot keep falling for fake promises;
finally the last point if the us administration would propose to us congress something equivalent to this to transfer in bulk bank data of american citizens to a foreign power we all know what the us congress would say don't?
mr president i would like to support the epp's proposal for postponement on the vote. i believe that this is a sensible and rational course of action;
the house may have new powers but we must exercise them in a measured and responsible way.
the council has tried to appease parliament perhaps not sufficiently yet but they have also apologised for their mistakes during this process. so i think we should now take some time to cooperate and work together on moving forwards and towards a new long term agreement as well.
i believe it is in the best interests of the house's reputation the future of our international agreements and the security of europe that we now give ourselves this time.
one positive development as was mentioned is the group of different actors in libya that has come together to form an eulibya friendship association that will be established in malta in the coming months.
we are conscious of what is happening there but let me start by making one thing crystal clear it is not the european union's action that has created an inhumane system in libya.
complex framework we are managing to work in libya on all possible fronts. cooperating with third countries especially in north africa is a cornerstone of the comprehensive migration policy that we propose to step up in our contribution to the leaders meeting this thursday evening on the way forward in migration.
our collective efforts cannot ensure from one day to another a result which equals our expectations but with our joint and international cooperation we hope to achieve results in the short to medium term.
ago. while there is not much progress to report yet there is some movement in the right direction but it is fragile and we need to stay resolute particularly to support the libyan political agreement through and beyond the deadline of seventeen december.
i was told the story of a group of ten young men from the gambia who went home from libya thanks to our support and with our funds bought a small refrigerated truck and are using it to deliver fish around the country.
these are the kind of stories that i think we need to share and we need to tell.
well before the media started to report on the situation in libya the european union started to act.
they want to stop it and to stop the criminal networks that are making money out of death and slavery.
a day. there will be bumps on the road and we will need long term engagement but we are on the right
it is not enough yet and we need to continue working together including with the libyan authorities.
i first heard the stories about the detention centres and the unthinkable violations of human rights a few years ago in lampedusa;
but this is not enough.
libya. so the european union is actively supporting the un action plan at every
libya is a country that has gone through very difficult times and is still in a very difficult situation.
so for those who have the right to international protection we need to open new avenues to come to europe or other safe places.
we will have this first operational meeting at a political level to accelerate our common work in libya but also beyond libya because the situation further south along the route is also not at all
today new partners are finally joining our work.
the libyans themselves need to see our political support to overcome the current situation but obviously improved governance will also help address the migration challenge inside
we believe this is the right way to do things.
the commission has proposed welcoming fifty zero people in need of international protection and we have just launched a new programme with the unhcr called the emergency transit mechanism. the first transfers have already taken place so that those who have the right to receive asylum can come safely to europe instead of risking their lives.
rosy. we first of all the european union are working to put an end to death and exploitation to reduce risky journeys to save lives at sea and in the desert and to provide international protection to those who need
i have said many times that our goal is to close the detention centres and i remember very well saying this in this chamber a couple of months ago.
right after we did that in just nine days we have assisted almost two thousand migrants in going back home from libya voluntarily with the assistance of the iom and there is a new awareness and a new common determination to act. so thanks to this we now aim to transfer a further fifteen
we need to give these people the opportunity to leave libya safely towards a better life or i would rather say towards a life because in the detention centres you cannot call it life.
for some people going back home is not an option because of war or persecution.
this would allow us to emptyto emptythe current population in the detention centres in the next few months.
clearly it is not sufficient.
i was surprised that the rest of the world was not strongly reacting to stories that had been well known not just for a couple of weeks but for years.
i believe our african partners had had enough of seeing their brothers and sisters dying in detention centres or along the route in the desert.
we have already assisted fifteen zero two thousand of them in the last nine days and we are aiming to transfer another fifteen zero in the next couple of months with the practical work of the iom and the cooperation of the african union on the ground.
we need to overcome once and for all the system of systematic detention.
stage. i met with president sarraj ten days ago in abidjan and with special representative salameh in rome ten days
it is with stories like this that we also show local communities that embarking on a dangerous journey is not only a risk but is extremely dangerous and you might end up in a worse place than the one you left.
it. we are also working hand in hand with the united nations to make progress in the political process in libya. let me conclude with a word on this before i give the floor to commissioner avramopoulos to complete my remarks.
as far as the commission is concerned we stand ready to coordinate and propose pilot projects with selected third countries and of course provide related financial support.
as you know member states keep the right to determine the volume of admission of third country nationals coming to work in their countries.
we share the same concerns and we are trying to find solutions.
europe is in need of economic migrants but for this purpose we need to enhance and open legal pathways legal channels while in parallel reducing irregular migration.
in libya.
but it is clear that we have a lot more work to be getting on with to make it better
yes this has to stop and has to stop now.
the european union its institutions and the member states are working to achieve it pure and simple.
done. but yes we have to do more but we will do it together.
we are not discussing with the member states and as you very rightly said ms in 't veld my goal the commission's goal is the implementation of a comprehensive migration policy.
this discourse has to stop.
does this government have full control of the situation in libya?
the situation in those detention centres is unacceptable. the european union is pursuing efforts to support the establishment of a standardised process by the libyan authorities through concrete projects. another question you would ask
so we can all share this effort to achieve what we have
today the european union can be proud of its policy and of the adoption of the principles upon which this policy and this strategy is
on the contrary the situation is slightly better compared to the recent past thanks to the european union and we shall continue working on the ground in order to support these people.
first and most important is to save lives and provide these desperate people with support.
the same goes for the particular case of libya.
still. i count also on the members of this house to help us advance because what we have achieved in general in migration from the very beginning of our term as the european parliament and as this commission has been achieved thanks to our cooperation
iom is also working with partner non governmental organisations on pilot projects to promote safe spaces which would have the capacity to host a small group of vulnerable women and children.
york. so in this way we made this issue a global
as long as irregular migration is there pictures like the ones we saw some days ago will be replicated.
infighting between militia competing to take care of migrants for the eu recently destroyed the city of sabratha.
by not opening safe and controlled ways for migrants and asylum seekers the sad story is that europe feeds the human traffickers business and it is big business!
it is time to try to stop the fiction that there is migration management in libya and governance be it from president fayez al sarraj or the criminal general haftar.
it is time for the eu member states to wake up and demand action at the un together with the african union to dispatch a robust international force well inside libya to expel terrorist groups and to bring about a society for libyans with libyans.
without that there will be no governance in libya.
but after all it is also about our own security that is at stake in libya.
however it is also a consequence of our policy choices.
we also know that a lot of funding from the eu but also from italy is going into libya and ending up in the pockets of god knows who militia terrorists corrupt politicians.
it is our money going into that misery.
this is an important focus within our development assistance to the drc designed to incentivise environmental protection and alternatives to illegal activities within parks. the honourable member rightly draws attention to an important human rights dimension among the challenges faced by virunga serious crimes including sexual violence and violence against children
they deserve our respect and appreciation.
this is the only viable roadmap for long term peace and security in the region.
our overall approach to virunga recognises not only the need to protect the park but also to encourage legitimate development. virunga produces significant renewable and sustainable products and services including managed fisheries hydro electricity and agriculture and it ensures food security to millions of people.
the eu also supports conflict resolution initiatives through its instrument contributing to stability and peace.
i have tried to address the different aspects of this question.
the honourable member also drew attention to the oecd guidelines for multinational enterprises and the united nations guiding principles on business and human rights.
ensuring a viable future for parks and protected areas in the drc means addressing both the root causes of conflict and the root causes of illegal activity.
the question also mentions how the eu can help the drc government address armed conflicts and support sustainable development and peacebuilding.
the impact on the populations living in the vicinity of protected areas will be a key issue in the programme.
finally environment and sustainable agriculture is an area of concentration in the eleventh edf with eur one hundred and twenty million allocated across the democratic republic of congo.
the eu has participated in joint initiatives including a joint letter to the prime minister expressing concern about oil exploration in virunga which was sent earlier this year.
finally a word on the strategic environmental assessment of oil exploration and exploitation in the northern albertine rift.
the eu will continue to recall the constitutional obligations and the need for a rapid consensus on the electoral cycle between now and november.
the first of these concerns the diplomatic response. in partnership with the member states and other donors present in the drc the eu conveys messages on the protection of the park and other world heritage sites.
we have used european development fund and budget resources to boost an ambitious development programme the alliance virunga'.
this was done in the framework of investment contributing to stability and peace funded projects in support of military justice.
for the sea to be a real decision making tool it will be essential to ensure the maximum level of professionalism and transparency in the award of the contract for the next phase.
under the eleventh edf eur forty million is available triggering other donors to add their resources and in particular substantial private funds from the buffett foundation.
an eu staff working document sets out the eu's activities in implementing the guidelines and promoting progress in business and human rights. and of course the oecd guidelines for multinational enterprises is also a building block of the strategy on corporate social responsibility.
for this reason the eu's ongoing focus on security sector reform governance anti corruption and public financial management in the drc remains as important as the specific support we have given and will continue to give to virunga.
one goal of our financial support has been to support priority actions defined by mutual agreement with the government of drc.
to give one example an eu funded expert has trained the judicial authorities in ballistics examination.
the eu and other partners encourage the drc to wait for the results of the sustainable environment assessment before any decision on oil exploration or exploitation is made.
the un guiding principles are a framework conducive to responsible business forming part of our strategy on corporate social responsibility.
it also means working on statebuilding because in the long term only effective governance by the drc itself will ensure the protection of the parks and their development for sustainable activities.
recognising the integrity of the park is an essential part of the eu position lake edward is part of the universal value' that grants virunga world heritage status and oil exploration and exploitation are incompatible with the unesco convention.
more broadly on natural resources i would also recall the eu engagement on responsible sourcing of tin tungsten tantalum and gold originating from conflict affected and high risk areas and in particular the eu financial support to the international conference on the great lakes region initiative on natural resources.
also of course i cannot ignore the importance of democracy and accountability to the drc's stability.
the eu supports the addis ababa peace security and cooperation framework the principal international agreement focused on peace and stabilisation in the great lakes region.
i would like now to turn to the remaining specific issues raised by the honourable member in her question.
and the global climate change alliance was allocated eur fourteen million under the environment budget line for mitigation actions in the region.
more specifically the eu assists the drc in addressing insecurity in virunga and the surrounding area and the eu is active in the justice and security sector reform processes.
supporting human rights defenders and civil society around the park needs to remain a priority for the eu.
such expertise has been applied in the investigation into the shooting of the director of virunga national park.
this support needs to be seen in the broader context of eu support to drc national conservation policies and management of forests and biodiversity.
thus the icsp has funded two relevant projects the security and stabilisation of cross border areas of the central albertine rift' and strengthening of government institutions in management of protected areas'.
however i wish to end on a broader conclusion.
the eu must remind partners including the democratic republic of congo of their duties under international agreements including those which relate to natural resources. at the same time we recognise the importance of taking into account the needs and the economic aspirations of local populations.
sadly it is also a dangerous place to work and a difficult place to protect. a group of courageous and dedicated individuals have sacrificed their safety and sometimes their lives in the cause of conservation.
stem from conflicts with and between armed groups.
indigenous peoples' rights; strengthening of fundamental labour rights shown for example by the ratification of the eight ilo fundamental conventions and three of the four governance conventions;
in colombia the comprehensive and ambitious action plan on human environmental and labour rights up to two thousand and fourteen with clear and verifiable targets;
the new restitution and victims' law.
the reduction of poverty;
it was almost like rediscovering them. actually i think some of us did.
the national plan on environmental action; the act and regulation on prior consultation;
it is clear that there is a genuine and indisputable commitment by both states and governments to a higher level of human welfare and wellbeing in their countries.
i highly value both government plans which more than answering our requests are proposing major and binding action plans for a better future for the two nations.
regardless of all these clauses and mechanisms some political groups and members refuse to accept the new reality due to old problems which are being gradually resolved in both andean countries relating to longstanding problems of poverty violence and corruption internal armed conflict illegal armed groups drug trafficking impunity and land dispossession.
to. last june in a resolution that we passed in this house we requested a roadmap for the improvement of human and labour rights better environmental protection and a more efficient monitoring and scrutiny by civil society of the implementation of the pre established goals.
the creation of the ministry of labour;
the regulation of the actions of worker cooperatives;
this happens due to old stigmas preconceived ideas and prejudices which no longer correspond to reality and to the new political social and economic atmosphere in these countries.
others do not want
it was an astonishing surprise to realise the level of impressive changes that these two countries have gone through in recent years.
and the new high level institutions where civil society is now participating.
the high level dialogue on human rights between colombia and the eu;
but to fully deliver on the agreement's potential we must ensure its effective implementation including its sustainable development aspects.
this is proof of the strong and unwavering commitment by the two governments towards a trade agreement which can help implement a sustainable development agenda.
for the eu operators too the agreement is crucial to be able to compete for example with the us and canadian operators who already derive benefits from free trade agreements with these countries.
in addition to lowering the trading costs of existing trade the reduced tariffs in combination with simplified predictable and enforceable trading rules will open up new trading possibilities and attract investments.
indeed their domestic export promotion agencies have already identified numerous possibilities to diversify to non traditional exports such as fresh asparagus avocado and electronic equipment as well as services.
indeed as foreseen by the agreement regular consultations will be held with relevant advisory groups and the public at large.
in paragraph fifteen of our own parliament resolution in april we said we would only vote yes' if there was a binding mechanism for rights protection.
and the crying shame is that those of us who have campaigned against this agreement care deeply for the future peace prosperity and freedoms in a country that we love.
i only wish that those who dismiss our arguments cared as much.
the european and international trade union confederations ask us to vote no'.
similarly we have a recommendation from the irish government for irish meps to vote in favour of this yet another betrayal of the labour movement by the irish labour party.
we would encourage those who put workers' rights and human rights above the profits of big business to support our proposal.
the trade union confederation cut recorded one hundred and forty six threats to the lives of workers this year.
colombia remains the most dangerous place on earth for trade unionists.
in addition there is a new study which demonstrates that the free trade agreement would expose the eu to increasing risks of money laundering and tax evasion deregulating some capital controls.
justice is a rare commodity in colombia for many victims of human rights abuses with rates of impunity of over.
ninety that could become even worse with the passing of a proposed constitutional reform a reform which is supported by president santos that would further extend military jurisdiction.