kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
in that judgment the court made a number of comments on ways to improve the listing procedures applied by the un al qaeda and taliban sanctions committee.
work is ongoing in connection with the review but the commission is not in a position to indicate what changes to the procedures the un security council will decide.
the resolution demanded that the relevant state take measures to inform the listed person of their listing the reasons for it and information about exemptions and delisting requests.
our view is as follows firstly the new treaty has added a specific provision to the article in the former ec treaty on foreign policy related restrictive measures or sanctions.
the al qaeda and taliban sanctions regulation implements a cfsp decision which requires that regulations be made to implement certain un security council resolutions.
most recently un security council resolution one thousand eight hundred and twenty two provided that a summary of reasons should be made available on the un al qaeda and taliban sanctions committee's website in connection with each listed person and provided for a review of all names on the list by thirty june two thousand and ten with provision for regular review thereafter.
in conclusion it is our view that the new treaty has provided specificity and clarity on the legal base for restrictive measures against natural or legal persons and groups or non state entities.
the points made by the court are the motivation to amend the listing procedures of the regulation.
we were also asked to provide information on fundamental rights related improvements in the work of un sanctions committees. the proposed amendment of the al qaeda and taliban sanctions regulation implements the findings of the european court of justice in the kadi case.
i think the evidence is there that they have done a good job.
for that reason it is difficult for those who are trying to combat terrorism to prove how effective they are but i think we could safely say that if the terrorists had their way this place would have been blown up long ago.
sometimes we may not be able to know all the details of individuals involved but at the same time the overall principle is a good one.
i am minded to speak on this today because a month ago i was at the palace of westminster.
with them was a leading sikh i have come to know.
as a result you and seven hundred others have the freedom to come from the four corners of europe to meet in this place.
so what of the lisbon treaty which speaks of a union founded on respect for freedom equality the rights of minorities values of non discrimination?
because they wear the kirpan a small ceremonial dagger beneath their clothing they have been prevented from entering the european parliament.
his forebears stood shoulder to shoulder with my forebears fighting for democracy in those conflicts which have so disfigured this europe of ours.
there in our democratic parliament very close to both the house of lords and to the house of commons i met several sikhs all wearing the kirpan.
i spent many hours taking the lisbon treaty through a parliament so at one time i knew the treaty extremely well. the interpretation of article seventy five of course is how you refer back to article sixty seven and the relevance of that within the context and so the legal advice we have got is to try and seek to clarify where indeed
for my part i think we have the answer in terms of certainty.
how we cooperate effectively and what information is included bearing in mind indeed what was said about what can we put in the public domain or not.
i think there are three particular points that i would like to refer to.
the third and final thing i would say is about legal certainty.
i was asked specifically what information.
but i take the point very well. the second point i wanted to make was this issue of good cooperation.
i will be extremely mindful of that for all the reasons that members of parliament would expect me to be.
at this stage i do not know. i think one of the things that i have to do as i set out in this new role is work with parliament which i will do to look at what it is.
it is extremely important to me as i work out how to do the role that i have been honoured to be given. it is extremely important that we reach a conclusion on this.
this now fits. the advice we have is clear. members of parliament of course are at liberty to contest that but i think it is very important that wherever we arrive in this there is legal certainty.
we must pursue those people to the ends of the earth and restrict them as much as possible.
whilst the taliban are an appalling repressive and anti democratic organisation the world is full of unpleasant regimes and the taliban are not even in government.
is there not a danger that placing the taliban in the same category as al qaeda provides ammunition for the warmongers in the us and british governments to pursue a pointless murderous and unwinnable war in afghanistan for years ahead?
furthermore wars against muslim countries only provoke terrorist outrages. returning to al qaeda for a moment there is considerable doubt about its existence as an organisational entity as distinct from an ideological one.
there is no possibility of drawing up a definitive and inclusive list of its operatives.
the only strategy is to be watchful of those communities from which it recruits regrettably including innocent people as well as the guilty.
however he said it is important to note that it had complied with all the ecb conditions on joining.
those assurances were given for greece spain and portugal and now it is plain for all to see what damage the euro has done to those great countries and what a terrible legacy has been left for the millions of unemployed people across those countries.
we should support those lithuanians who want a referendum and who oppose joining the euro because they know that for those who champion the euro it glitters but for millions of ordinary people in europe the euro is certainly not golden.
madam president there is a lithuanian proverb that says all that glitters is not gold and all that is sticky is not tar'.
but in the time honoured eu tradition of ignoring the will of the people the lithuanians were not offered a referendum.
in summary the sd group looks forward to welcoming lithuania into the eurozone hopefully by january two thousand and fifteen and i hope that we can agree by a large majority on this position in this parliament.
we have examined lithuania thoroughly but fairly and fully respecting the principle of equal treatment. the sustainability of convergence has been an integral part of the assessment.
i think you should be much more critical of those which are not trying to be in. from my point of view from my swedish perspective what we now see is a new sign in the nordic and baltic region where i think it is even more important for sweden to enter.
not those that are showing that you can achieve a fundamental stability by the policies you need.
just yesterday it was announced that according to the latest surveys lithuanians are back on the list of the biggest euro optimists.
another reason why euro optimism is rising is that against the background of the aggression against ukraine people want more security and it is clear today that europe and the euro area are a geopolitical haven that people seek.
it is a great acknowledgement of the difficult process that took place in lithuania.
austerity was not easy it never is but now we are the ones to say that it was worth it.
they actually showed this in the current elections where the pro european parties dominated.
we were there.
the liberals had a very successful election as did the social democrats and the conservatives. all these three parties are pro euro.
we can grow.
we should be proud of it.
how can you be so sure that it is wrong to have an open economy which is giving prosperity and development? how can you be so sure that it is wrong for lithuania to enter the stable framework of the european economy?
it shows that the foundations of our currency union are solid that the work done by all the actors during the crisis has borne fruit.
it shows that membership of the euro area is seen as a prerequisite for growth and economic prosperity.
excluding co two from the eurovignette would be particularly unfair given that all member states now have binding co two reduction targets to meet under the effort sharing decision. they need to have a range of tools at their disposal.
precious few because pigs will fly as we say before ecofin ministers agree on eu level fuel taxation. worse still if a member state wants to bring in a toll system that reflects the external costs of co two they will not be allowed to do so unless we now include co two within the eurovignette.
it should not be for the eu to dictate a one size fits all' approach in this area.
in brian simpson's own region citizens overwhelmingly rejected road pricing in a local referendum in the greater manchester area.
my position remains the same in that i do not see the need to pile extra taxation onto an industry which is already badly hit by the economic downturn.
on a more general note i should make members aware that in the uk these matters are decisions for local authorities in the context of implementing road pricing.
why are we at a european level discussing measures which would exacerbate the problem?
it should remain a matter solely for national and local determination.
in this context may i also say to brian simpson that it is better to do nothing than to do it wrong as i am sure his party will find to its cost in the next few weeks.
in the united kingdom over gbp fifty billion is already taken from road transport each year and only gbp ten billion reinvested in transport as a whole. so much for hypothecation. at a time when we are facing the biggest economic crisis in living memory and businesses large and small are going bankrupt each week
in my own region the west midlands all seven of the local city councils of differing political complexions rejected the idea of implementing such a scheme.
firstly this is the start of a process not the end and contained within the compromise is the right of member states to introduce congestion charging or not.
i also want to remind honourable members particularly from the ppe de group that this chamber has consistently demanded from the commission a proposal and strategy to internalise external costs in all modes of transport but in particular road transport and this has indeed been highlighted as our roads become more congested and global warming more severe.
there is also a need to see a more balanced road sector that is not only economically sustainable but also environmentally sustainable and one that recognises that it has to pay a fair price for the costs it creates be these environmental or infrastructure costs.
we cannot have a do nothing' attitude although i note that this phrase has become synonymous with the conservatives over recent months.
i know the formulation of this report has been difficult some members believe it goes too far whilst others not far enough.
i look forward in the future to other externalities being included and would stress my group's support that all revenue from eurovignettes should be earmarked for use in the transport sector so that transparency and public opinion can be brought closer together.
it will be an important tool in combating congestion in improving the environment and in facilitating modal shift which is why it deserves our full support.
and commissioner i would not worry too much about disagreeing with georg jarzembowski we in the socialist group have been doing that successfully for years.
secondly i would like to thank all ministers of the member states who really aimed at reaching a fair compromise during the concluding negotiations under the bulgarian presidency and if you allow me i would like to single out my colleague and former dutch social affairs minister lodewijk asscher.
it is only together that we can curb the race to the bottom when it comes to wages working conditions and social security systems.
we will put an end to both the undercutting of wages and the inhumane situations we sometimes see when it comes to lodging and we can put an end to unfair competition between those companies that play by the rules and those who bend the rules to their own benefit. therefore i am grateful for the courage and the political will
the freedom of movement of workers should become a right of workers again and with this new directive we accomplish this.
undercutting wages and unfair competition leads to resentment from citizens and this has to stop.
i think the revision is beneficial not only to all european workers and to all honest companies but it is also good for the european project as a whole.
workers' rights are explicitly protected.
of so many because otherwise we would not have ended up here today.
i think she feels in her bones that the situation that workers are currently facing is unfair.
madam president after twenty seven months of hard work we are here today to vote on the revision of the posting of workers directive and therefore we are voting on a very important value for europe that all workers deserve equal treatment and that there are no first and second class workers in europe anymore.
its aim is to preserve fairness on the internal market in order to preserve our citizens' confidence in the internal market.
but the internal market is not only about goods and services but also about europe's work force.
posted workers will be guaranteed equal pay for equal work carried out at the same place.
this is the reason why in the council this text has gained support from a large majority of member states across europe from east to west and from north to south.
the directive ensures that undertakings provide services in another member state under the same conditions as imposed by that state on its own nationals.
the revision of the posting of workers directive goes to the heart of the internal market.
i will be very clear this directive is indeed protecting workers' rights but it does so without introducing any discrimination of cross border service providers.
following the commitments made by president juncker to this house we came in march two thousand and sixteen with a proposal implementing the principle of equal pay for equal work at the same place.
with their clear understanding of the challenges their determination and their spirit of compromise they made it possible to reach an agreement with the council on our proposal.
that is why the importance of this directive should not be underestimated.
in order for the european project to be successful the internal market has to be fair and also perceived as fair by our citizens.
the european project has been built around the internal market which is the european union's major achievement.
while the tories have tried to undermine these improved workers' rights at every stage labour meps have been pressing for them for a long time to ensure that the single market is fairer for workers especially in the construction sector.
and now my call is to the uk government to stop dragging its feet and to ensure that these rules are implemented as quickly as possible to ensure that british workers and their foreign co workers can benefit from a fairer single market as colleagues and not as competitors.
two thousand and sixteen today's reform of the rules on the posting of workers is a crucial step in addressing the legitimate concerns that many have by ensuring that equal pay for equal work in the same workplace is guaranteed in law for the first time.
once adopted by this house and the council this text will ensure fair labour mobility and together with the enforcement directive will contribute to strengthening the cross border provision of services. i told you that this directive is necessary to preserve the internal market.
this is not about needless administrative burden for companies.
nothing in the revised rules requires companies to change their treatment of business trips. it is about ensuring equal pay for work carried out when companies provide a service cross border so that posted workers are paid according to the same rules as local workers and companies benefit from a level playing field.
free movement is the right that european citizens cherish most but it must be organised.
the internal market cannot be a jungle but needs clear fair and enforceable rules.
today you have the chance to allow us to take an important step further in this direction. please do not miss the chance.
madam president i would like to send a message this morning from this chamber to progressive politicians and progressive people in the united kingdom.
it might have seemed over the last decade that the pace of progressive reform here was slow.
well the response to brexit here is that it's speeding up and it's deepening.
this is tackling precisely the kind of undercutting of local workers by foreign workers that many people in britain would like to have seen long ago.
progressive legislation which we in the uk will not benefit from partly because of brexit and partly because our labour market is not structured in a way that would enable us to take advantage of these reforms anyway.
the answer in both cases is the same and it's the only answer labour government.
i may not have agreed with them but both the rapporteurs conducted negotiations in a spirit of really good cooperation and i want to acknowledge that here today. my group felt that we should wait until the enforcement directive was fully implemented before bringing further legislation.
nevertheless we have tried to be constructive and our priorities have been clear we must avoid dividing europe between east and west we must strike a good balance between the freedom to provide services across the eu and the protection of workers and we must avoid creating legal ambiguity and uncertainty. unfortunately the trilogue agreement has failed in these areas.
even all references to rome i the law applicable to contractual obligations have been removed so we are in danger of undermining the competitive position of companies especially smes providing services in eu member states other than their own.
some provisions in the final text exceed the scope of the directive and cause legal uncertainty so the european conservatives and reformists ecr group has tabled an amendment to try and bring some clarity to businesses who are lawfully trying to provide a cross border service. i fear that by making lawful postings very difficult this proposal may cause the unintended consequence of increasing undeclared work and bogus self employment and other illegal practices
i think it's important that in myanmar we actually have a review of the archaic laws that facilitate these attacks.
kyaw soe oo worked on an investigative story about myanmar's plan to harvest the crops of rohingya farmers who fled to bangladesh. he also reported how some buddhists were enforcing local level segregation in central rakhine. and it was only because of these brave journalists that the world got to know about the severe injustices and violations of human rights. collecting information high representative is not a crime therefore i
it's appalling that he's not even able to see his new born daughter.
first and foremost guaranteeing full and immediate humanitarian access inside rakhine state.
they deserve a country where journalists are free to do their job and keep the state institutions accountable for their actions and they deserve a country where all citizens all of them have the same rights whatever their faith or the background.
we will also discuss the situation when we meet at the upcoming asia europe meeting that we will host next month in brussels and of course i will use the un general assembly ministerial week ten days from now to discuss how to improve the situation with all the relevant interlocutors not only in the region but also in the un system.
thank you very much and especially i would like to thank all of you who are engaging strongly and closely with the country parliamentary diplomacy as always but especially in this case is key.
those stories have also led to the preliminary report from the united nations fact finding mission.
the resolution will aim in particular to establish an international accountability mechanism.
as you know we were one of the strongest voices calling for a fact finding mission in two thousand and seventeen and we are now sponsoring a resolution at the ongoing session of the human rights council to support the recommendations and conclusions of the fact finding mission.
we have put in place restrictive measures against seven senior army and police officers associated with serious human rights violations in rakhine state. in light of the un report we are considering strengthening these restrictive measures.
finally we're working closely with the civilian government of myanmar to address the root causes of conflict in accordance with the annan report.
throughout the years we've always accompanied myanmar on its path towards democracy and i still have hope that myanmar can go back to that path and become an inclusive and free country for all its citizens.
the report that they were working on published almost a year ago shed light on what was happening in rakhine state.
our delegation to myanmar has observed all relevant court hearings and together with member states we continuously raise the issue with the myanmar government.
we've also made it clear to the myanmar authorities that our trade preferences with myanmar are linked to clear conditions on human rights and democracy and that to preserve our current trade arrangements we need to see decisive action to improve the situation.
the people of myanmar have asked to turn the page to go towards a democratic system and country and they deserve better than this.
the un report confirms the need for pressure and engagement to make the situation change as soon as possible and this is exactly what we've been doing so far as the european union.
i discussed the issue with all my interlocutors at the asean regional forum last month in singapore in particular with bangladesh and also with china and indonesia.
it contains the same kind of stories exactly the same kind of stories that i heard myself from rohingya refugees in bangladesh.
to address these kinds of issues as well as to improve the overall human rights situation and address the lack of accountability for those who have committed crimes we are putting pressure on relevant individuals and institutions in myanmar.
there are some urgent measures to be taken.
so we will continue to put pressure and to engage so that the country can advance again on its path towards democracy.
we need to enforce the regulation we have and a part of that regulation is the possibility of emergency uses. we need the flexibility. we cannot have a one size fits all answer for the whole of the eu. we have different conditions we have climate changes coming along so it is not national governments flouting the regulation;
too often in this place we decide we're going to create new regulation simply because we are not properly enforcing the regulation we have.
no doubt there are problems with the implementation in member states but the answer is not new regulation it is actually the enforcement of the regulation we have.
it is national governments responding to the specific needs of their farmers and their agriculture and i support that.
we need to use our diplomatic tools to protect the fundamental rights of cambodian people to elect and to be elected to guarantee pluralism and democratic principles.
prime minister hun sen and his party use violence politically motivated prosecutions and widespread corruption to intimidate and suppress any kind of political opposition.
at the same time there is no such thing as a perfect system so we should always look to refine it and incorporate lessons learned.
the commission has removed and will continue to remove active substances from the market if they are not safe.
conclusions. last year a commission report found wide variations between different national action plans linked to this