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Verbatim report of proceedings
Wednesday, 16 April 2014 - Strasbourg Revised edition

Alarming shortage of payments for financing EU external aid (debate)
MPphoto
 

  Michael Cashman (S&D). - Madam President, we are still facing difficult times in the European Union, but the poorest should not carry the burden. The shortage of payments affects humanitarian aid and other external financing instruments such as the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights. The situation is such that, should a crisis arise tomorrow, we would not be able to intervene and provide assistance.

How can we be serious about our funding values if the first cuts we make are towards those who need it the most? What kind of message are we, as an EU of 28 Member States, sending to the rest of the world? Not only do we close our borders in the face of the Syrian crisis, but we fail to meet our commitments to those countries who welcome Syrian refugees: over nine million of them. The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights has proved indispensable in protecting the rights of vulnerable people, minorities and women, promoting the work of human rights defenders. Now is not the time to pull away that instrument. Now is the time to support it.

After 15 years in this House this is my last speech. I say to those citizens who put me here: thank you for the privilege of being able to give a voice to the voiceless, to stand up for those whose rights would be ignored and taken away from them. This Europe is a Europe that must be defended, because at its roots are the principles of equality, fairness, human rights and justice.

(Applause)

 
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