kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
i use those words immediately and unconditionally' because ibrahim halawa has spent eight hundred and forty nine days in prison and his trial has been adjourned ten times.
we expect the european union to believe in those rights and to apply them and equally we expect third countries with which we have a relationship to uphold those rights as well.
i especially congratulate those who have campaigned tirelessly for ibrahim halawa in the course of the last number of years and i recognise especially the work of ms boylan in that regard.
the european union is built on freedom rights and fundamental human rights which are inscribed in european law.
i ask the egyptian authorities to take note of the fact that this parliament is speaking with one voice today.
we really have to imagine what it might be like to be a child in those circumstances if it were our child and it is in fact as ibrahim is an irish citizen.
ibrahim was seventeen when he went to jail when he was imprisoned.
how many others have lost their lives?
i hope the egyptian authorities are listening to our concerns.
those who light a candle every night to remember the weak and oppressed.
mr president i would first like to welcome ibrahim's sisters somaia and omaima who have campaigned tirelessly on their brother's behalf and who i am proud to have had the opportunity to work with over the last two years.
i welcome that it is supported across the political spectrum and especially by my irish colleagues.
on this day i would like to send my best to all those who believe in freedom and defend humanity;
others have discussed the contents and the case of ibrahim halawa so what i would like instead is to read the most recent note that ibrahim had smuggled from prison.
contravenes all declarations on human rights and particularly the rights of a child.
in the area of breaches of human rights the european union has its own elephant in the room and it is called turkey.
i should love to see something positive come out of our deliberations and speeches this morning but i fear it will be more hot air and double standards.
i rise to thank the house for the cross party support across member states with their genuine concern for an irish citizen because he is a citizen of the european union.
i hope his family take heart from today's presentation but more importantly i hope the egyptian authorities understand our concerns and listen to the words we use.
i can only begin to imagine what that must be like for him. yesterday at the sakharov prize we heard of a similar situation.
so thank you to the house.
i hope our words resonate.
who can pick them up? ngos with shovels?
but in the meantime citizens can cross borders to get healthcare in another member state and can be reimbursed for the care that they receive.
i urge those citizens who may be watching on the internet or elsewhere to take a look and if i have not asked the right questions to prompt me because we need to spread the word about this very positive move towards cross border healthcare for all.
for those who want details on this complex directive i have spent some time writing a question and answer page which is available on my website.
so let there be no doubt that even as of today there are citizens who are travelling across borders for healthcare.
when we did that we put an incredibly powerful weapon into the hands of the state that was later used in the bans on pistols and hunting and so on.
madam president for decades now the member states of the european union have been making broad and benign progress towards the principles of equality of treatment before the law of privacy and of personal freedom so i hope that there will not be a retrograde step in any of the member states on this issue of equality on the basis of sexual orientation.
these are for our constituents sensitive issues that ought to be properly determined through the national mechanisms of each member state.
twenty seven it seemed to me utterly invidious to use the law as a mechanism to signal approval or disapproval.
faced with a choice between democracy and supra nationalism the european union almost always opts for supra nationalism and nowhere is this clearer than in its policy in the western balkans.
we are maintaining to all intents and purposes protectorates in bosnia in kosovo and arguably even in macedonia for the sole purpose of preventing ethnographic boundaries along the lines of what local people there would choose.
it is very difficult to have a functioning democracy unless people feel enough in common with one another to accept government from each other's hands.
if you want government for and by the people you have to have a people that everyone recognises some identity with some allegiance to.
to put it in another way democracy needs a demos' a unit with which we identify when we use the word we'.
i am not saying it is simple. people can sustain multiple loyalties populations can be interspersed but our prejudice other things being equal should be towards national self determination.
if you take the demos' out of democracy you are left only with the kratos' with the power of a system that must compel by law what it dare not ask in the name of civic patriotism.
as several of the speakers have already said the current proposal is here of course because a citizen from your own country from the south of england challenged the system and because the court of justice vindicated her rights.
i think what we are trying to do today and what we along with the council have done is to ensure that citizens' rights are vindicated and we are linking the needs and rights of citizens to legislation and surely this is what this parliament should be about.
i think the mutual recognition of prescriptions between member states is very important because this is not just about healthcare it is about after care as well but we have a period of time in which that detail can be finalised. i suppose the final comment i would make is that in the current financial crisis a lot of citizens are asking is europe working?
is it delivering for its citizens?
that is an open question but i think today we can say with some certainty that europe is working.
can i please ask that the good words in this resolution be acted upon;
madam president i voted against this measure on patients' rights in cross border healthcare because it will only mean another massive burden on the british taxpayer and on the national health service.
the nhs is already used as an international health service and is subject to widespread abuse by non british citizens at costs of hundreds of millions if not billions of pounds each year.
the burden falls chiefly on my constituents in london.
this will open up the nhs to yet more commitment to provide treatment for eu citizens who have never paid a penny in tax in britain.
the supposed means of retrospectively obtaining payment from the patient's member state will prove unenforceable.
it is right that a foreign national in britain should receive emergency treatment when necessary but no foreign nationals should be admitted to britain unless they have first taken out adequate travel and health insurance.
such a policy is fair and just and is of course unenforceable while britain remains a member of the european union.
i welcome the motion for a resolution voted on today on international adoption.
i know of several people in my own constituency who have gone or who are right now going through this process and it is a delight to watch the joy in parents' and children's faces alike at the conclusion.
to get to this point however is too often a long road in many instances taking many years.
it can as the motion states be an overly bureaucratic process and we are right as a parliament to look for ways that such bureaucracy can be reduced with a more streamlined process.
paramount in all of this however are the needs and safety of the children many of whom are in great need.
it is right that all safeguards are in place to protect children from being placed where they may be vulnerable.
but what often appears the case is that potential loving caring parents are put through too much and simply leave the process.
we can bring the benefits of free trade to many of the citizens of poorer countries while recognising some of the transitional problems they will have to face in adjusting to increased competition.
however at the end of the day we should shift the focus from producer interests to consumers.
it is important not to pick on any particular member state but to recognise that all countries have children who are abandoned or not cared for within the nuclear family as we know it and who need other forms of caring.
yes there are many families willing to give loving homes to children.
the one issue that seems to be missing here is the role of the private sector.
it is very clear what is in this. patients with rare diseases will be able to benefit from cross border expertise and diagnosis so long as the treatment is unavailable in their member states.
the directive is intended to offer patients a choice which is based on their needs not their means and which is informed and not made under duress so i think it is very positive indeed.
finally it allows cooperation between member states.
i welcome the fact that it outlaws completely something which could be abused and that is the whole area of medical tourism.
so to me it is another step in the right direction;
mr president many children in central and eastern european countries are at risk of not being effectively supported in their early ages in order to reach their full potential.
there is growing evidence that preventive education can generate lifelong changes in cognitive development and social behaviour when children reach adolescence and adulthood.
if we want the future generation of the european union to form a healthier and more successful society we need to make early childhood development a priority.
that will ensure that nothing will happen.
we must create awareness and encourage people to check their bodies especially if they are in parks where there are deer etc.
also in our national park we have a very famous herd of deer and as part of the preparation for their work they were given an outline on lyme disease and what steps they should take to ensure they wouldn't go back home with it and i think one of the key points mentioned there was that within forty eight hours
so i welcome what the commissioner has said in creating awareness and research etc.
state violence on the student protest in dhaka.
i call the government to repeal its digital security act used to crack down on dissidents and human rights defenders and immediately release shahidul alam.
this must stop.
i call on the commission to assess if the tariff preferences that dhaka enjoys for the time being under the everything but arms agreement should not be put under question.
we see visible signs that the authorities have increased their crackdown on civil society and government critics with such means as detentions enforced disappearances and the use of violence. in addition on five august writer former journalist and activist shahidul alam was imprisoned after speaking out against
the rates of early marriage are still alarmingly high in bangladesh.
this is essential for the social inclusion of children from a disadvantaged background in order for them to have a good educational start in life.
while the overall targets for childcare have been reached on average for the eu less than half of the member states have met these targets.
good governance and monitoring. overall i would like to recall that these issues are monitored in the european semester process and are reflected in many national reports.
we are making good progress in the trilogues and i hope that we will be able to finalise them before the end of the year.
two sides of the same coin are important having working arrangements that allow workers to combine it with care responsibilities and having access to affordable and highquality care services for children and other dependents.
having access to care services and working arrangements adapted to one's care needs are determinant for women to achieve their full employment potential.
the work life balance proposal is also important in this context.
the commission shares the parliament's position that such services are crucial for gender equality in particular to allow women's equal participation in the labour market and for women's empowerment and the work life balance of working parents and carers. this was also part of the work life balance legislative proposal and the action plan to tackle the gender pay gap of november. two thousand and seventeen
in addition the value of women's work and equal pay for work of equal value are crucial.
it is therefore important to reflect upon the effectiveness of the implementation of the current equal pay provisions for which i intend to launch an open consultation over the next couple of weeks.
ensuring that women and men can combine work with care duties is a key element to close the gender employment gap.
this will help tackle the gender pay gap as was highlighted at the equal pay day just a few weeks ago.
the commission has also adopted a proposal for a council recommendation on affordable and high quality early childhood education and care systems including a quality framework based on principles of availability affordability inclusion a good educational programme professionalisation and good working conditions for educational staff
it will offer choices for working parents and is closely linked to affordable childcare facilities.
funding through the european structural and investment funds should be prioritised particularly for those countries lagging behind.
in order to meet the targets childcare should not only be available but also be affordable and of high quality.
with regard to childcare the commission adopted a report on the barcelona objectives on eight may this year.
i welcome therefore today's resolution and as a close friend of bangladesh call for the authorities there to avoid bringing its counterterrorism measures into disrepute.
despite the progress bangladesh has made in recent years it remains one of the poorest countries in the world with a population of over one hundred and fifty million people. as such we must therefore remain cautious when criticising its efforts to tackle clear and present threats. nevertheless this cannot be routinely offered as a blanket universal explanation and in cases such as the jailing of the photographer shahidul alam we cannot deny that the provisions of the information and communication technology act are at times being used inappropriately by the government.
mr president when the obama administration broke the diplomatic stalemate with cuba in two thousand and fourteen and reopened the us embassy in havana there was much optimism in the west for a reset.
thus this is a mixed picture so the eu must continue in its stickandcarrot efforts to encourage the cuban government to transition towards a free and democratic state.
although it's thought that overall the number of political prisoners is decreasing sadly one of the first laws signed by the new president imposes punitive measures on artists and musicians who operate without prior authorisation.
political rights and civil liberties continue to be repressed with the regime choosing to use shortterm incarceration as a strategy for intimidating dissidents.
the ladies in white who won the sakharov prize in two thousand and five continue to be harassed.
but we now continue to watch with alarm as the new president miguel diazcanel sets out his vision for the country under its new constitution.
we will continue to raise awareness at eu national and community levels among both the public and health professionals.
mr president honourable members i have listened with great interest to the views during this discussion and i am grateful for all your valuable insights and interest to address the burden of lyme disease in europe.
finally the development of new and better diagnostics and vaccines will be further supported through the framework programme for research and innovation horizon two thousand and twenty and through other available instruments.
allow me to repeat that the emphasis now should be on implementation and concrete action to support member states in their efforts.
i once again thank you for your interest in this issue and look forward to working closely together towards achieving strengthened surveillance earlier diagnosis and ultimately prevention of this disease.
this will lead to a more accurate assessment of the disease burden and trends of lyme disease in europe.
we are indeed considering the best interest of the child.
for the member states this is clearly the charter of fundamental rights and the un convention on the rights of the child which are legally binding on them. they have to ensure that in all actions related to children the child's best interests are the primary consideration and the national courts are best placed to assess the application of the principle of the best interests of the child in individual cases. regarding the eu's competence i want to clarify once again the eu family law is limited to common rules on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of existing judgments in another member state.
let me thank you again for the support expressed in the parliament opinion on the brussels two a regulation.
it is actually two thousand and eighteen even though not everybody has realised it.
and i heard from this side of the parliament that this is the money of the member states so they should have a sovereign the competence to decide. well we recommend something regarding the eu money the eu structural funds where for many years the position of the commission was that the social services fall under the national competence and
this commission came with a change of paradigm we said no this is not the cost this is investment and this is investment which has a very quick and high return of investment which pays off and which can be covered by eu money and this is a change and some member states reacted positively on that and some are still maybe hesitating.
this is something we have to do a lot about and while speaking about the social services we have a tendency to speak about the problem of women.
the education social services and health sector.
as for the legislation you know very well what we are proposing.
and also we are addressing the member states through country specific recommendations where we are proposing to increase the salaries in the jobs in the social services sphere and in the jobs which are predominantly occupied by women it means
we are just doing what i am sure is our obligation opening wider variety of choices for working parents and for carers to combine better their duties in the family and at the workplace.
no this is the problem of the whole society.
no we are not dictating how the people should live.
thank you once again for the important report which is coherent with what the commission wants and plans and tries to promote.
it is the traditional the classical cost so it should be covered by the member states.
the commission's position on how to solve the problem was to respect the limited competences we have but to use them in full and this is reflected in our work life balance package which as you know is the combination of legislative and non legislative
is the competence of the eu and also we have a very strong economical case because we see in all the member states without any exception that the situation is not sustainable that we cannot continue like that that we have to enable women who want to work to work and to share also
among the non legislative proposals there is also a very strong recommendation to use more public funding for better social services which will be more achievable or accessible and more affordable for all the people who need such services
good livestock farming practices can make an immense beneficial difference here by reducing tick numbers yet the green lobby with its naive ideas of re wilding want to remove the livestock entirely.
any ticks that do appear will attach themselves to these animals and will be dealt with by the routine application of recommended insecticides.
now thanks to the research efforts of large companies safer products which are simple to apply will readily destroy ticks.
however the green lobby frown on attempts to re establish heather because of its association with politically incorrect grouse shooting.
in the absence of these livestock the ticks will multiply and settle on ground nesting birds in fatally large numbers yet the green lobby will tell you that it's farmers who threaten bird numbers. unlike grass ticks do not thrive in heather which is an alternative feed for sheep.
twenty years ago this involved the use of potentially dangerous organophosphorus compounds.
between them sheep as teeth grazers and cattle as tongue grazers can prevent grasses from becoming damp and rank and thus deny the ticks a habitat. meanwhile the farmers also control the bracken another favourite tick habitat.
the european commission needs to have a regular oversight of jugendamt activities.
therefore we must find new effective solutions to all issues experienced by non german parents.
alam is the founder of many important cultural media and training initiatives in south asia.
his arrest one hundred days ago for criticising the government's response to the bangladesh road safety protests points to the worrying global trend of many governments to silence artists and journalists.
these attacks on freedom of expression and assembly in bangladesh as well as women's girls and lgbtiq rights give wider cause for concern.
he's also a visiting professor at sunderland university in the uk.
so i call for the immediate and unconditional release of shahidul alam and for all charges against him to be dropped. i also call for the bangladeshi authorities to provide him with the urgent medical assistance he needs.
the eu risks losing its credibility if on the one hand it withdraws trade preferences with cambodia over human rights abuses and on the other hand it signs a trade agreement with one of the most repressive states in southeast asia.
it might surprise members that despite all this the eu is accelerating the eu vietnam free trade agreement process pushing for a swift implementation.
i welcome the inclusion of lyme disease on the eu list of communicable diseases and epidemiological surveillance to facilitate the monitoring of the eu distribution of the disease.
mr president i welcome today's vote on lyme disease and the calls made for greater ambition to improve diagnostics treatment and prevention of this disease. it will help give a voice to all those who suffer from lyme and associated tick borne diseases.
it is crucial to focus our attention on the sharing of best practice patientcentred research and patientcentric guidelines.
symptoms can go unnoticed and often doctors are not trained in looking for those symptoms thereby delaying medical intervention.
current diagnostic tests are also not reliable enough.
this means that the actual number of lyme cases is much higher than what is believed.
infected ticks and lyme disease are spreading geographically driven by climate change and land use change.
patients must be involved in any new developments.
this effort has seen significant financial support in recent years.
cooperation on surveillance prevention and control between member states is ongoing coordinated by the centre.
to strengthen preparedness and exchange of best practices the commission organised a workshop on the challenges of managing outbreaks of vector borne diseases in september.
thus the disease may go undetected with the subsequent risk of developing serious chronic manifestations.
additionally the commission has provided eur three million to fund the development of an anti tick vaccine aiming to protect against all tick borne diseases in europe.
eu. the commission has recently supported research on improved diagnostics that will permit early and accurate diagnosis of lyme disease through the provision of eur.