31/01/2020 | 12:12:20 Thank you very much Mr President. We are looking at two reports we consider very positive, very comprehensive, which give us an overall vision of this situation, which describes the risks stemming from lack of legislation, regulation, or lack of cooperation between states. These risks are true for organ transplant tourism or the trafficking in human cells and tissues. With regard to transplant tourism, something we consider as essential is this discrepancy between the existing need for... 30/01/2020 | 17:28:19 Thank you very much, Mr President. I think I can express gratitude for everything that has been said and especially for what the rapporteurs have said in their reports and in these debates. I want to stress two points made by Ms Serap YAŞAR, prompting us to reflect on what's happening. I understand that the response to that question is that we're looking but not seeing. We're not seeing the eyes of the individuals to whom you refer. We're not seeing the suffering of all the families and girls... 30/01/2020 | 10:21:30 Thank you, President. We just had a meeting of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, and in that meeting, we met an expert who works for an NGO. I would like to repeat something which that person said, which I think sums up nicely this debate. Ms Lora PAPPA, the representative in question, said that it isn't a matter of representation, there is a lack of commitment or determination on the part of member states and that's what the problem is, one of attitude. She told us... 28/01/2020 | 11:38:20 Thank you, Madame President. I think that a large part of the institutions in Europe and most of the political groups agree that we have a similar diagnosis regarding the situation currently being experienced in Poland because the vast majority of us understand that there is a clear violation of the fundamental rights and principles prevailing the Council of Europe. They are not being met by the Polish government because there is a violation of the rule of law, a breach of democratic values... 02/10/2019 | 18:05:42 Thank you very much President. First of all, I would like to express my thanks to Ms Marietta KARAMANLI for an excellent report on an issue which is extremely complicated and sensitive as well. I'm going to begin telling you a personal experience of my own. On February 22nd of 2001, when in San Sebastián, in the Basque Country, the ETA organisation placed a bomb, two people died and two people were injured. One of the people that was killed was somebody that I knew, from our city. After a... 27/06/2019 | 16:36:26 Thank you very much, President. I speak on behalf of the ALDE Group, and I would like to express my gratitude to the rapporteurs for the excellent work done. There is a question that is very important. There is, indeed, a division regarding the solutions to be given to this particular issue. But it's very important for us to evaluate positively that there is, if you like, a joint diagnosis of the situation as well. This is very important. And I indeed think that we need to give time for this... 27/06/2019 | 15:34:08 Thank you very much. Thank you very much President. Ladies and gentlemen. This has been a very very exciting week. Full of passion. There have been difficult discussions, because the issues we are dealing with are difficult issues. We are like dikes that are holding back the water to protect democracy, to protect Rule of law and to protect fundamental Human rights as well. That's why it's a very difficult situation and we have a difficult task before us. I would like, ladies and gentlemen, to... 25/06/2019 | 17:40:16 Madam President. In Spain, the Istanbul Convention has been discussed in recent years. In July 2016, an 18 year old young woman was raped by five individuals in San Fermín. You will know it as the “La Manada” case. And it was only last Friday the Supreme Court classified this crime as rape. Because until then, in no jurisdiction was this crime regarded as rape, but rather as an assault and sexual abuse. It was our society and civil society in general who in the past two years exerted pressure... 10/04/2019 | 11:34:37 My first thought relates to political parties. As has been said, hate speech is often the result of populism. There are political parties that represent these forms of populism, and when they have no clear answers to a number of problems, they offer easy answers. For example on immigration they say we should build walls in Ceuta or Melilla in the same way as Mr Trump suggests. It has been said that we should think about reducing subsidies or stopping funding for these political parties, but... 09/04/2019 | 16:24:29 First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Petra De SUTTER for this magnificent report. It raises a really important issue for us. The European Union and the Council of Europe need each other; it is mutual. We need to be clear about that, and there needs to be no inferiority or superiority complex in the equation. This is an issue for both the European Union and ourselves. It is all about how we reach out to citizens and make sure that they know us and are aware of...