kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we have to look very seriously at how the eu can play a constructive role both from the perspective of an equitable distribution of financial assistance and the crisis management tools that are at our disposal.
this issue in line with international standards and principles.
must be voluntary dignified and sustainable.
president trump's cuts in us funding to the region will not help and neither will brexit as the uk's special relationship with kenya has allowed the country to punch above its weight at eu level especially helping in the fight against al shabab on the border.
these large scale international processes require regional and international responses and the eu can and must play a role.
sixty of the camp's residents are women and children and we must do more to ensure access to education while they are in the camps and for those who voluntarily return to somalia or seek asylum.
kenyan authorities have done much to host these refugees over twenty five years and the international community including the eu must step up its efforts.
more must be done to provide mental health support and the needs of women and girls must be taken into account.
in combination with the enduring conflict and human rights abuses.
avoidable.
go anywhere in africa and see the inhumane treatment of people with epilepsy whereas for a few cents we could make most of them seizure free. go anywhere in africa and see the aids orphans and see and meet the grandparents trying to raise the grandchildren because the parents are dead. the statistics
only if we pull all these things together will the statistics add up and that means the people will add up. what we do better will help people to be better and then their economies could be better too.
it reflects the debate that we had earlier.
i sometimes wish we would look at people rather than figures but we agree no wealth without health'.
go to chad and ask about the mental health services and they will tell you that they used to have them before the civil war.
it is not just tb aids and malaria but all the other diseases. it is the neglected diseases for which the commission stands proud with its cooperation with the pharmaceutical companies on that initiative to bring help to people in need of those medicines.
we have to look at the causes of ill health and the debates this evening have centred round those.
are there.
i am not going to repeat here the formal reaction the commission has already made regarding the court of auditors' special report which has already been published on the internet. unfortunately this report has not received wide coverage in the press and when it was mentioned
here are just two examples.
let me therefore just clarify a few essential points before we enter into the debate.
this is the meaning of the division of labour approach that eu member states and the european commission have agreed upon.
in addition to the global commitments on aid effectiveness made in accra and paris we the european union have collectively agreed on a code of conduct that foresees for example a reduction in the number of sectors in which each and every donor is active
we will at times have to resist such a tendency and leave it to the other donors to do the job.
although this support will not then be earmarked as health sector support it is linked to targets for health such as vaccination coverage rates or proportions of births assisted by skilled health personnel. such targets are usually part of the poverty strategy and are monitored and budget support disbursement is often linked
second alignment on national systems.
however child mortality also depends on other factors such as nutrition housing access to safe water sanitation and education.
the debate on this oral question gives us an opportunity to discuss our health support to africa with you the european parliament.
this is what our development cooperation stands for but our commitment must not be measured by budgetary allocations to the health sector alone.
therefore we monitor vaccination coverage not only in our health programmes but also in many of our general budget support operations.
to progress on them.
we know that it will not always be easy to agree on this at the country level particularly as health scores high in public opinion and all donors and donor countries want to be present and to be seen.
things were sometimes oversimplified by saying that europe has not kept its promises in africa'.
when deciding on sectoral allocations and modalities of our development assistance we agreed in paris and accra to increasingly respect basic principles of aid effectiveness.
the commission remains fully committed to supporting the millennium development goals the health related goals four five and six being an integral part of these goals reduction of child mortality by two thirds reduction of maternal mortality by three quarters
the independence of the judiciary is of crucial importance for the rule of law.
subsequently the council was kept regularly informed of the developments on the ground in poland.
updates on the state of play were discussed at the general affairs council repeatedly in the course of two thousand and nineteen in february april july september and december.
it is also essential to ensure the application of eu law and the sound functioning of our common eu legal order. as regards the article seven procedure concerning poland triggered by the commission on twenty seven february two thousand and eighteen as i had the opportunity to tell you when we discussed this topic at your january part session three hearings took place in june september and december two thousand and eighteen at the general affairs council.
democracy the rule of law and fundamental rights cannot be seen in isolation from one another. these elements are interlinked interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
it is a joint responsibility of the eu institutions and the member states alike to ensure that respect for the rule of law is strengthened and that the rule of law remains the cornerstone of our common project.
the eu africa strategy to be successful i believe that three things are necessary.
secondly an awareness of what can be gained if we succeed in strengthening our partnership and what is at stake if we don't.
the high population growth that we see in africa also means that poverty levels will continue to increase.
let us be strategically action oriented and not waste any more time.
there are plenty of mutually beneficial opportunities economic growth employment and trade.
and fourthly let me also express some concern regarding the potential for overlaps.
on behalf of the committee on development i have tabled a series of questions to the commission and hopefully today we can get some clear answers.
firstly how does the strategy effectively contribute to the implementation of the sdgs and the fundamental objectives of poverty eradication?
secondly how will the new strategy contribute to the strategic interests and common priorities of both partners with a view to good governance human rights the fight against inequalities climate change etc.
to be concrete how will the commission ensure consistency and avoid the risk of developing overlapping strategic frameworks?
how will the commission ensure the involvement of numerous stakeholders like national parliaments governments local authorities the private sector civil society in the design of the strategy?
thirdly defining how we can better use aid effectiveness tools at our disposal and that the commission take a lead in coordinating all eu institutions and member states.
there are also immediate challenges climate change poverty conflict and irregular migration.
a new strategy must recognise the strength and potential in the african economy pursue the long term strategic and mutual interests of the eu and our african partners and support the implementation of the sustainable development goals for.
worst of all the constitutional court which is supposed to be the ultimate guardian of checks and balances is actually doing the government's bidding in its war on independent judges.
now here we are four weeks later and the situation is even worse.
as has been said this is not to punish poland or the polish government.
this is for one simple reason we must act to protect the civil and democratic rights of eu citizens in this case polish citizens. i often hear and we'll hear it here as well that there's a western bias in our approach to poland and that people in western europe can't understand the legal tradition and what it means to inherit the communist judiciary and try to reform it.
time is indeed running out because if the supreme court is fully captured which seems to be where we are headed then it could spell the end of the separation of powers in one of our member states. this is why the eu must indeed act.
poland is now the first member state where applying eu law can actually get judges fired.
but the situation for the time being is clear.
as high representative talking here from the side of the council i am also responsible for ensuring the consistent application of the common foreign and security policy including sanctions adopted by member states in council.
ban it is for the member states concerned to investigate and determine whether this has in fact been the case.
these were put in place in two thousand and seventeen as part of the european union's efforts to foster a credible and meaningful process that can lead to a peaceful negotiated solution for the reinstatement of democracy and the rule of law in venezuela. these measures include a travel ban and asset freeze regarding twenty five individuals
the commission cannot initiate any infringement procedure regarding a possible travel ban violation.
consequently the commission does not play a role in monitoring the implementation and cannot initiate an infringement procedure.
we can discuss the political appropriateness for member states to give this competence to the european union although this would require a treaty change.
extreme low interest rates strongly reduced credit spreads softened credit terms feverish mergers and acquisition activity high levels of speculative ipos spectacular growth of shadow banking equity valuations totally out of line with historic price earnings ratios and usd fifteen trillion of negative yielding debt.
i think it's fair to say if you see those eight developments all together that financial stability is under a lot of pressure and that's an understatement. unconventional monetary policies have been contributing to these developments and so should really be basically fundamentally reconsidered.
you cannot have price stability without financial stability;
so surely they are interested in implementing the paris agreement which they have signed up to. and under the trade and sustainable development chapter this is explicitly mentioned.
finally on this issue in relation to concern about the investment court system following the european parliament's demands the investment protection agreement with vietnam includes the most modern and reformed investment protection framework in any agreement with an investment court system for the resolution of investment disputes replacing the traditional investor state dispute settlement arbitration mechanism and this has been confirmed as the proper way to go by the european court of justice decision that was recently
the implementation is very important.
we have a list of persons of concern that we have been regularly raising in our exchanges at the highest level.
june. two thousand and nineteen and this particular partnership agreement aims to ensure that all timber products imported into the european union from vietnam are
so this is another win and another example of where we are providing the framework where we can implement through this free trade agreement the necessary leverage to ensure that these commitments are
court. finally in conclusion could i say that by voting in favour of this free trade agreement you are voting in favour of a deal that will give us the political and institutional influence and the proper structures to make improvements on issues like human rights like labour rights like climate change and like environment policies.
we're at the same stage as we were in terms of the implementation of this agreement with japan.
and i hope that they will receive your approval so that our companies particularly our smes that have been mentioned by many of you can start tapping into the potential and generate growth and employment. in such uncertain times for global trade a positive vote of course will send a strong signal in relation to the eu's commitment to an open and fair trade based on rules and values.
there are divergences between us and i'm not saying anything otherwise but we are convinced that the agreements provide an initial platform to engage with vietnamese society and governments on these issues.
it has a master plan that's going to be implemented by january two thousand and twenty one and one of the aspects is to check its consistency with all other legal documents including the penal code and the criminal code.
phase. these are the issues that have come to the fore and we have got a response.
we have to continue ultimately of course to reach our final destination and our objectives.
so our one major success in this field has been the open and constructive participation of all the relevant stakeholders in vietnam during the negotiation
this agreement puts the eu and vietnam together in a political structure and enforcement mechanisms that will deliver common objectives in particular in the policy areas that have been mentioned in this
so i think this is good progress by vietnam.
i can assure you that we will monitor implementation very closely because i agree with many of you that there are issues that have to be resolved and will constantly require us to ensure the vietnam lives up to its commitments. i'm fully aware of these particular sentiments.
we also have an annual human rights dialogue and there's a meeting next week in hanoi so these are all i think positives.
as many speakers have said these are the first trade and investment agreements to be voted on by this parliament.
years. now we have a structured way in which we can deal with these issues. so it is time to be positive to acknowledge that the eu stands together with the people of vietnam and vote positively for this deal.
so. it does remain an area of concern in our relationship with vietnam but we must take into account where the country has come from and see clear evidence of progress in the last twenty five years notably in the socioeconomic domain.
equally our one hundred and sixty nine geographical indications right around the european union have been protected.
so their national determined contributions are going to ensure like other partners around the world where we do deals that are going to have to implement this in a legally binding way as they have signed up to in relation to the paris agreement.
that's why we're establishing as well in the commission a chief trade enforcement officer during the course of the next few months.
and we are striving to make sure that the eu delegation are not only consistently ensuring that these people are released but also attending trials meeting family members and providing the best possible facilities for the families of these political prisoners.
legal. this is very significant as vietnam is a major processing hub importing timber from over eighty countries including from a number of high risk countries in the region such as cambodia. under the vpa vietnam has to introduce mandatory due diligence obligations for its importers.
colleagues will also know that there is and has been a general election in ireland and there will be a new government.
so therefore in ten months we have to do much more and we have to be very careful of the detail.
i hope too that they can build on the incredible work and achievements of taoiseach leo varadkar tnaiste simon coveney and minister for european affairs helen mcentee who helped and worked with the european union to reach that withdrawal agreement in particular on the irish protocol.
and we all know that it took three years three torturous years to negotiate the withdrawal agreement with only three key points in it.
we hope that that government gets into place rather swiftly because there is much work to be done.
as others have said we need a level playing field we need a good relationship with the united kingdom so i wish us well in those negotiations.
at an international level for a number of years there has been little or no substantive engagement in efforts to resolve the conflict.
however as i have said the proposal tabled two weeks ago clearly challenges the internationally agreed parameters and it is difficult to see how this initiative can bring both parties back to the table.
no other international actor has been as engaged as we have been in practical efforts to build a future palestinian state.
we need to know whether the proposals themselves are really open for negotiation.
for the european union's part our position is clear. we are ready to work with the international community to revive a political process in line with international law which ensures equal rights and which is acceptable to both parties. thank you for your attention
we need to ask ourselves whether this plan provides a basis for progress or not.
in this regard the tabling of concrete proposals such as the united states one could be helpful both as a catalyst for deeper reflection on the way forward and as a potential opportunity to quick start a political process
international support for any such efforts would clearly be crucial to their success.
in two thousand and nineteen alone the european union and its member states had an open portfolio of some six hundred million in assistance to the palestinians.
the increasingly dire situation on the ground including violence terrorism incitement settlement expansion illegal by the way and the consequences of the ongoing occupation has destroyed hope on both sides and reduced the viability of a two state solution.
we have been vocal in our support for a negotiated two state solution based on the internationally agreed parameters and in accordance with international law.
child labour has been significantly reduced.
during the negotiation vietnam has improved workers' rights;
the eu and vietnam are already important trading partners. this trade will continue with or without agreements.
but we have to ask ourselves in this chamber do we want to have a better chance to promote democracy without the agreement?
we should take every opportunity to use these agreements as platforms for freedom and for democracy and during the last week under the parliament's scrutiny some small positive signals have come.
let us now vote in favour of these agreements and let us use the monitoring time to promote democracy to promote human rights in vietnam together.
let's not make the reformists or the freedom fighters who want more eu presence disappointed.
but with these agreements our trade will become more equitable more predictable and more sustainable for the environment for the people and for the climate.
we know that some voices have been raised wanting to postpone tomorrow's vote as the democratic development in vietnam has not been enough and yes we wish that we could have seen much more progress when it comes to democracy and human rights.
once again the syrian regime and its russian and iranian backers are using their inhumane tactics.
colleagues i hope one day soon we will see bashar assad in my city the hague so some justice can at least be done to the suffering of millions of syrians.
madam president the title of today's debate on the security situation in syria carries with it the painful irony of reality because colleagues the reality is that there is no security in syria.
there is only despair destruction and death for the injured in the sixty eight attacked hospitals for the three hundred and seventy three killed for the seven hundred zero refugees stuck in the freezing mud with no place to go no clothes and no food.
by explicitly targeting civilians and hospitals they act in direct violation of humanity.
at the end of two thousand and eighteen seventeen member states participated in an eu coordinated control plan on the online sales of dogs and cats in order to gain insight into practices in this field. it turned out that a high percentage of the animals offered for sale was non compliant. this confirmed the clear need to strengthen controls. i agree that identification and traceability of cats and dogs are key elements in this respect. the existing eu legislation already requires pet animals which are moved between member states or imported into the eu to be marked. in addition the new regulation on animal health and official controls offers further tools to fight illegal trade. proper enforcement of the existing rules is of crucial importance.
these discussions highlighted the complexity of the problem and the need for continued cooperation between all competent authorities including among member states. we expect these discussions to continue within the working group on ecommerce that the commission has established as well as within the voluntary initiative group of the eu platform on animal welfare devoted to the health and welfare of pets in
i agree that this situation requires our full attention and i can assure you that the member states are fully aware of this problem.
this is primarily the responsibility of the commission and the member states. i should also mention that since the adoption of the new regulation on animal health and official controls the council working party of chief veterinary officers has intensively discussed how to better fight illegal trade in companion animals.
trade. finally i would like to remind you that the council in its recent conclusions on animal welfare has encouraged the commission and the member states to continue their work on the effective enforcement of the existing animal welfare legislation.
madam president this parliament decided in november that the paris agreement should be anchored in all chapters of our trade agreements and this parliament decided in december that all our trade agreements would have enforceable environmental and social standards.
i understood that there is a majority in this parliament to make trade more sustainable and climate proof which is good.
two thousand and sixteen in a situation where civic and political rights are systematically being cracked down;
but dear colleagues we really make a fool of ourselves if we then at the first best opportunity give in and let a trade deal pass that does not live up to the green deal.
and in a situation where the deal on the table still does not contain enforceable social and environmental standards and not only the social democrats in this house always pretended that this was a red line.
also this parliament considers itself to be at the forefront of human rights and yet the majority of this house is ready to vote yes' on the trade and investment deal with vietnam in a situation where human rights are deteriorating in vietnam and the numbers of political prisoners has been on the rise since;
i strongly urge the commission to make sure that the rights of.
but i do hope that the negotiating team will be just as tough when it comes to data protection standards.
i'm quite worried to see the eagerness of the commission to issue a so called adequacy decision' when it is far from clear that the uk government can be trusted with our data.
in addition to discussing our future relationship let's not forget the implementation of what has been agreed so far and in particular citizens' rights.
with this free trade agreement we are starting a new era in our relations.
we should not only work on strengthening the economic ties but also respect the right of belief as a fundamental aspect of our future relations.
but next to closer trade cooperation we should also keep in mind the situation of human rights in our partner country. we see that the government restricts the freedom of religion through legislation and surveillance.