 Great Okay, dear colleagues we can now resume our plenary meeting and We will go to our next item Which is item 38 Solidarity with refugees from Moria humanitarian contribution from local and regional authorities Dear colleagues the Humanitarian tragedy of the destruction of Moria in Greece Which was Greece's largest camp in Lesbos has definitely shocked Europe and all the world I Showed how the migration crisis is and will remain high on the agenda of all European Political leaders at all levels of governance either Being directly or indirectly Involved in one of the major challenges of our communities it has Dramatically shown as commissioner schinas said the coast of no Europe in this important matter The tragedy proved the need for European solidarity and responsibility Our union starts at our external borders It's our common responsibility As I stressed out yesterday During the debate with chance or Merkel Solidarity is equally at the center of our debate not just when emergency rise and We need to realize That the migration crisis is not an issue of one two or three states It is a European issue And it needs to be dealt as a European issue We cannot leave alone the countries the regions and the areas That are in the front line the countries of entrance Cannot and should not be left alone to deal with the migration crisis It's a matter of solidarity for the European Union To share the responsibility of the migration crisis In all EU members all EU member states This is What Europe is supposed to stand for Solidarity Helping one another Supporting one another And this is what exactly The new migration pack needs to cover so I pay tribute to those citizens local and regional authorities And the civil society Who have expressed all these years and In many ways and for a very long time Their solidarity with refugees and migrants at our borders of the European borders Last Friday the committee of the region's bureau adopted a declaration on the situation of migrants in Moria And I thank the members who proposed to debate the topic today By showing the responsibility and the solidarity of their respective local and regional authorities Dealing the emergency of Moria. I Would like to thank the mayors and the regional leaders who have already Signaled their intention of decision to host Non accompanied minors another vulnerable person from Moria in their respective cities and regions This is a strong sign of solidarity However our efforts should not and Do not end here As so many members of our cities and regions for integration initiative has shown It's important that migrants and refugees are integrated into their host societies Our members know that diversity is another value to building inclusive cities and ensuring social cohesion and This need to be done In a proper way we all can learn from each other And our cities and regions for integration initiative allows us to share these good practices discuss specific projects and Most importantly promote Solidarity I Welcome the fact that the new pact of migration and asylum adopted by the European Commission At the end of September highlights the importance of strengthening the cooperation between local and regional authorities in the field of integration and it specifically Expresses support for this initiative We will come back to the Commission's document during the December plenary session When Commission Johansson Will present us the Commission's proposals So I would like to give the floor now for introductory remarks To the people who introduced This matter to our plenary Joseph Frey from the greens for five minutes and Elizabeth nebreda villa Who is representing Bernat Soleil Baril? For five minutes as well Joseph Frey you have the floor Yeah, thank you president. Sir. Gerde Colleague in Colleague the Brenda in Flüchtlings Lager Moria on the Christian Insel Lesbos legged Over a month zurück und es ist mir wichtig in der heutigen Plenarsitzung unsere Solidarität mit den Flüchtlingen und den Bewohnerin auf Moria und die große Hilfsbereitschaft lokaler und regionaler Gebietskörperschaften anzusprechen den Moria ist kein griechisches Problem Moria steht für eine gemeinsame europäische Herausforderung Den Anstoß dieses Themas anzumelden hat frau Landrat Landtagspräsidentin Muster im Aras aus Baden-Württemberg gegeben ich vertrete sie heute auf dieser plenart Hahrung darf ihnen ihre herzlichsten grüße ausrichten sie leitet in diesen minuten die Plenarsitzung unseres Landesparlaments in Stuttgart auf der britpräsidium sitzung des adr am 11 september also nur zwei tage nach den brennen in moria forderte president in aras alle teilnehmenden auf sich der gemeinsamen europäischen werte die auf den universellen menschenrechten fusen bewusst zu werden und die menschenunwürdigen zustände aus auf lesbos zu beenden frau aras appellierte an ein gemeinsames bekenntnis zur aufnahme von flüchtlingen die präsidentsi zikostas bereits einführte hat darauf in das präsidium am letzten freitag eine erklärung zu moria verabschiedet es handelt sich dabei um eine gemeinsame erklärung aller politischer gruppen herzlichen dank an das präsidium für die gemeinsame resolution und einen besonderen dank an präsidentsi zikostas dass eine so breite unterstützung herbeigeführt werden konnte das zeigt mir dass der adr die globale verpflichtung der eu in sachen humanität und solidarität sehr ernst nimmt die lokalen und regionalen gebietskörperschaften lassen nicht zu dass die gemeinsamen werte der eu konterkariert werden die präsidium erklärung des adr zu moria verstehe ich aber auch als ein wichtiges signal der solidarität mit allen ländern an den außengrenzen der eu bemerkenswert ist für mich außerdem dass die vertreterinnen und vertreter der lokalen und regionalen gebietskörperschaften der lag in moria eine weit aus größerer humanitäre bedeutung beigemessen haben als es viele mitgliedsstaaten in der eu getan haben obwohl letztere auf nationaler ebene für die entscheidung über die aufnahme von migranten migrantinnen zuständig sind zahlreiche regionen und kommunen haben ihre bereitschaft signalisiert geflüchtete aufzunehmen allein in deutschland sind es fast 200 städte einen ausdrücklichen dank an all die städte und regionen in europa die hier ganz konkret unsere europäischen werte leben und damit auch verteidigen sie zeigen jenen mitgliedsstaaten die sich von unseren gemeinsamen werten weg bewegen den weg wie einem mit den europäischen werten vereinbahende flüchtlingspolitik aussieht zwischenzeitlich hat die europäische kommission am 23 september ihr paket zu migrationen asyl vorgelegt dieses wird jetzt zu diskutieren sein auch das verständnis von grenzmanagement auf euebene unabdingbar ist aus meiner sicht dass alle mitgliedsstaaten der europäischen union endlich zu einer flüchtlingspolitik zurückkehren die im einklang mit dem völkerrecht und dem eu recht ist menschenrechte sind nicht teilbar sondern müssen als ganzes gelben sonst steht am ende anarchie lassen sie mich das noch mit einem bild verdeutlichen die europäische union ist eine große familie wenn in jeder wie in jeder familie gibt es auch bei uns regeln wir als union haben uns mit den kuppenhagener kriterien und einigen weiteren verträgen sogar sehr detaillierte regeln schriftlich gegeben das ist in dieser form in zwar in familien zwar nicht so üblich aber dieses gemeinsame diese gemeinsamen vereinbarungen helfen damit das zusammenleben unserer großen familie eu leichter wird wenn eine schwester oder ein bruder dieser familie in schwierigkeiten kommt dann ist es klar dass alle zusammenhelfen damit diese schwierigkeiten überwunden werden auch auf der kommunalen Ebene funktioniert dieses prinzipia ganz gut denn wenn ein haus in ihrer stadt gebrannt hat und die menschen dort vor dem nicht stehen dann helfen sie als bürgermeisterin oder bürgermeister ihren bürgerinnen und bürgern wie wenn sie schwester und brüder wären wenn auf einer griechischen insel ein bonort über 13.000 menschen abbrennt dann heißt das für die europäische union nichts anderes wir haben die pflicht diesen menschen und auch jenen zu helfen die unter der dadurch ausgelösten notlage direkt und indirekt leiden weil sie eben schwester und brüder dieser europäischen union sind auf lesbos muss deshalb unsere solidarität unseren griechischen schwester und brüder gelten so wie unseren schwester und brüder die aus syrien und anderen ländern dort hingeflüchtet sind also selbst wenn wir nicht alle dem christlichen grundsatz der goldenen regel aus der bergbredigt verbunden werden die sagt alles was ihr also von anderen erwartet das tut auch ihnen dann haben wir uns doch darüber hinaus mit den kopenhagener kriterien und vielen verträgen gebunden gemeinsam die menschenrechte zu wahren diese werden und müssen wir achten und verteidigen dafür steht für den adr der namen moria vielen dank thank you very much the floor now to elisabeth nebreda villa for five minutes moda gracias president we asked for these debates so that we regional local governments could have the opportunity to call the revue institutions to take action for the refugees in moria in katalonia the images from the camp still brings back the memories of those escaping from the spanish civil war and the conditions they endured in the refugee camp built to shelter built to shelter them for instance the one on the beach of argeles in france that was a provisional camp built for 15 days but it lasted for two years 300 huts were built but 100 000 people arrived there after less than a week including my grandfather does it sound familiar few years later the second world war engulfed europe and forced eight million people to leave their homes it was over the ashes of that war that the european union was built the europe of the civil protection mechanism of the product you program and the european solidarity course and this is all good sure but for europeans but shouldn't this solidarity be also extended to those who suffer and are in need should we turn a blind eye to the women and children wandering around in lesbos with nothing to eat while police forces find those trying to help how can we lose our memory that fast how can we allow today the existence of a camp with conditions similar to those the republican exiles had to endure in the late 30th of the previous century we are doing as much as we can but concerted action is needed this is why we're eager to join forces with those european regions and share our belief that it's time to put an end to the biggest shame of nowadays europe and that is our moral obligation to pressure our national governments into taking action now after the fire destroyed most of moria's camp the catalan government informed the ravine commission and the spanish government of its readiness to help relocate up to a hundred people as well as 20 and accompanied miners our letters have been unanswered we know that other spanish regional governments and cities have also offered to help but the arrival of refugees the authorizations the visas and the permits are a state prerogative and we need the state's green light in order to help these people our commitment to tackling the issues precedes the fire in moria with some 3 000 people in catalonia who are either refugees or have requested international protection the catalan government has traditionally followed a multi-dimensional approach when addressing refugee crisis at home we offer the ports managed by the catalan government to have a safe ports to those in danger and see a measure that the sun is constitutional court by the way running constitutional last week we have involved civil societies through initiatives such as the mentoring program which mobilized two two thousand volunteers to accompany and assist refugees and their families in their adaptation to the new situation in catalonia we are preparing in collaboration with ngos new mechanisms to welcome more people and have launched an awareness campaign to inform our citizens of this challenge and with catalan universities we launched the catalan scholarship for refugees which gives those who had already started higher education but could not finish it in their countries the opportunity to do so in catalan universities simultaneously at international level we work with UNDP in Lebanon to offer support to Lebanese host communities whose public services are under strain as a result of the influence of Syrian refugees and traditionally we have also worked with UNCHR and are now finalizing a new project to improve the situation of asylum seekers in lesbos i refuse to accept that we cannot do more today than what was done 80 years ago when the u.s. nothing but a dream regional and local governments must work together hand by hand among us with national and international institutions and if necessary remove those obstacles that prevent us from doing more europe can't forget its origins we've known this kind of suffering and in a not so distant past all grandparents did and they're suffering brought as a project not to build a common market but a better future for all and i wonder what future can there be if there will be a project surrenders its values and loses it so thank you for your attention thank you very much before giving the floor for the debate to our members i would like to address a second issue before we discuss the issue that concerns cyprus the varosia i have received a letter from simo sio anu the mayor in exile of the city of fam augusta in cyprus sharing his concerns over the recent provocations by turkey on varosia by fam augusta which is an area of the city fenced off since 1974 and the same concern has been shared to me uh by our member the member of the co-armist lucaid the alias high representative borrell has expressed his grave concern over the decision to proceed with the unilateral opening of part of the fans terry in varosia following an announcement made in ankara on october 6 2020 the status of varosia is set out in a number of un security council resolutions 550 and 789 and the u calls for respecting the international commitment and relevant u n security council resolutions and the immediate reversal of recent actions that were taken by turkey these latest provocations from turkey are unacceptable and yesterday i had the opportunity during our plenary and our debate with chancellor merkel to say that we cannot as a european union continue to tolerate these kind of moves on behalf of turkey so it is time now for the european union to secure its borders to make sure that everyone respects international commitments and international law which obviously it's not the case with turkey and as president of the committee of the regions i am totally sharing the concerns of the cyprus delegation on that issue i want you to be reassured that i will convey this message and all of our concerns to the highest level of the u asking for the respect of the international agreements and uh for an active role of the mayor in building fresh channels of communication between the local representatives of the two communities in cyprus it is necessary to act now so dear colleagues after having said that i would like to open the floor for discussion for the both matters or whichever matter you would like to discuss about and i will start with mr schalzberger you have the floor it is clear that a business discussion about it is hardly possible in one but even then, thank god, all of you have to help each other solidary and sustainably about the ways but you have to have different opinions without getting the advance that you get away from the european values some of the EU states want to take on youth, not the majority, they want to help on the spot because they have to ensure that the pull effects are solved what the problem would be. The situation is catastrophic and dire there. There are thousands of children, youth adults, parents and so on. Sustainable and efficient help for improving the situation for everyone also for children and youth there to provide is urgently necessary. I must say that the austrian state of the states and the community have been actively providing great benefits to the aid of refugees and I would like to conclude by saying that the new proposal for an asylum and migration pact of the commission is in the right direction. Ultimately, it must be our goal to improve the living conditions in the here comes the end and the end, super-best. Thank you very much, Mr. Dimitris Birbas, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mr. Dimitris Birbas, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mayor, you have the floor. Thank you very much, Mayor. Thank you, Mr. President. The city of Moria does not become only one of the many cases that could be verified in the next months and next years. I am the governor of the region Sicily, the most exposed region in the Mediterranean, and unfortunately I must say that the Moria case is not the only one. Lampedusa, which is an island of my region, just 6,000 inhabitants, has been in this year destined for more than 20,000 migrants, not from countries in war, but essentially from Tunisia, so called economic migrants. They have been massaged in the center of the state, without any respect for the anti-COVID criteria, so in places absolutely in idonis, despite the denunciation and recommendations advanced by the underwriting. I want to say that solidarity is needed specifically between European countries, not only in the immediate relocation of migrants, of these unfortunate people, who very often seek Europe to lead a better life, and instead are forced to a distant life of exploitation and sacrifice. But cooperation is also needed in the coming countries. Europe must intervene to prevent economic migrants from leaving their countries, making them more and more poor. That is why I am convinced that on this topic we need to proceed with the revision of the treaty and Dublin, and that every member must take responsibility so that solidarity is not just a word. Thank you, Emilio. Start to happen, please. You have the floor. Good morning from Finland. Thank you for having a chance to discuss the Moria issue. It is a very, very important issue that we need to find a solution. We cannot live like this, that there are almost 8,000 persons living with no appropriate shelter, no sanitation, washing themselves in the sea. This is not the Europe which I want to see or where I want to live, and I am sure none of us accepts this situation. And it is not only Moria. I have learned that 27,000 persons living in other islands of Greece and all over 120,000 people increase refugees or asylum seekers We cannot live Greece or Cyprus or any Mediterranean country alone with this issue. I have a first-hand experience myself in 2015 when the refugees came to my city and my country. There were 35,000 refugees coming to Finland, 3,500 in my city, and I was helping them by founding an organisation to help the refugees and asylum seekers together with 200 people from my city. And I think there is a willingness in the European cities and villages to receive refugees and asylum seekers. We need to evacuate these people from these islands and share the responsibility and welcome them into our cities and regions. And we should map these cities and villages that are willing to receive the refugees. We cannot accept the situation as it is at the moment. There are no criminals, there are normal ordinary people with families, alone or with families who need a shelter and their colleagues all over the Europe. I appeal to you, I ask you to help these people. Thank you, Mr President. About Cyprus, I have my own view on that. I think Cyprus must be, a problem must be solved. I have been living there myself for two years and I think we need to find a solution to that. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ms. Hapanen. Piero, Mauro, Zanin, please. Thank you very much for the events that happened in Moria and for the Greek people and the people who are suffering from this situation. Even from us, as President Musumeci raised, for the southern part of Italy, there is a problem coming from a non-controlled income of refugees which means more economic migrants from the Balkan route. An income that, at this time of crisis due to the pandemic, puts in place the residents' alarm in terms of the spread of the contagion of the pandemic and how they are income and non-controlled. As we are involved in a sensitive phenomenon of non-accompanied minorities, many times minorities who are at the limit of their older age, between the age of 16 and 17, they all declare themselves to be of that age, which creates a very important burden in terms of the communities' interlocalities, which are, by law, deputies to face this problem. I believe that if it is true, as I have been told, that Europe is fundamentally based, it could not be high on the right side, but it is also important to defend the state of affairs. And with respect to this, Europe must go from words to deeds to clarify, once and for all, what are the techniques of engagement with regard to economic migrants. There are migrants who do not escape from war, migrants who do not escape from dictatorship, but who seek, as I have said, to arrive in Europe to solve an economic problem. I believe that if it is true, that we must respond to the principles of Christianity, of acceptance, we must also defend the security of our communities and make sure that this input, which many times is also necessary, be controlled, be regulated, be really useful to Europe, but also to those who enter other countries in Europe. Thank you, President. Thank you, the floor now to Jerry Wupp, please. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I believe that we should be able to hold the value of Europe in terms of humanity and solidarity. We agree on that. That means something to the outside world, but also to the inside world, to work together for us. I believe that we have to overcome and be able to overcome together. Moria has shown, however, that this has not yet been as well evaluated as it should be and how we wish for it. Rather, a compromise of the national states that does not yet depend on the situation and on the challenges faced by the migration processes in the world. Here, the responsibility of Europe is asked differently in the world than we have shown so far. I also understood yesterday the cancer patients who wish for more solidarity here. The distribution issues must be solved differently even after the experiences with Dublin, which has not yet worked this way. Berlin belongs to many other cities in Germany and other EU member states, to those cities that make very specific offers even before the burning of Moria to take people from overfilled camps in Greece. These are specific conditions and offers that must be supported. It should also be possible for cities and municipalities to get support from the army, for example, for the necessary integration of refugees. That would be an important contribution that we can achieve here through the European level. The cities that support them on the communal level live the solidarity and the humanity of the European Union and make specific offers. We lead the exchange, Berlin uses the platforms of partnerships within the city agenda and brings here the conversations with cities that are also connected in this network. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Mr. Ortil, please. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, Moria, before the explosion, of course, had a non-human environmental situation. The problem of the large format could be said to have been. And now we have a mega problem. Before thinking about these things earlier, so that we no longer meet with problems. Today we are talking about a gigantic fire and about the gigantic tragedy of people, but we could also talk about a mega problem of the pandemic. Or we will protect ourselves from this or not. I think that all of us are shocked by these relationships and what has happened. Indeed, it concerns the politics of the central government. It is very good that the President of the Committee of the Regions accepted the declaration that he will also accept it of course on his plenary visit in December. And the document shows that all forms of assistance are needed and required. I think I should also say about such a social movement. I was a witness of the collection of needed, engaged people. It all happened practically in our churches. It is also an important thing so that the society reacted to it. It is important that they do not take any action. I will remind you of the Wyszehrad group that declared the necessary infrastructure. The Polish government has already prepared 156 modular houses that can of course help build these infrastructures. But it cannot be so clear that this relocation will be the only solution to the problem that it will not work. We have to remember this. And this could cause further influence of immigrants. Such information, such a signal. I appeal to systematically increase assistance for the country in the south. It cannot be just a problem of the country in the south. I repeat, we would not like to have problems of Greece, Moria, Sicily, Lampeduz, and other characters. We are fighting to make a systematic decision. It did not lead us to increase the situation. Thank you very much for your time. Mr. Kaiser, please. Yes, from my side also a very clear statement. The situation requires rapid measures. The European Union needs in the asylum and migration policy of the nuclear principle in the new asylum and migration pact that Ursula von der Leyen presented a really new beginning. The right to react is based there. The right to react to the present point means to discuss these legal measures quickly with the legal regimes in the respective member states and thus bring together European asylum policy. We need at the same time a Marshall Plan for Africa. There are the most future refugee streams to be expected. But what we need with all the politicians is the help of the children from Moria. My region, we are ready to help the children and to take on which ones. At the same time, I am eager to set up an EU solidarity front for the children and regions who are ready to take on their children. This is also a form of inner-European solidarity. The Austrian countries have in addition a solidarity financial support for doctors and doctors without limits. But ultimately, I believe, it is between politics and immediate humanitarian necessary actions which otherwise have no future in this future at least, also in the human symbolic sense. Thank you very much. Eleni Lukaidu, please. You have the floor. Dear President, what you have mentioned about Cyprus is not an issue of local concern but with major consequences not only for Cyprus but for the whole of the European Union since it concerns European territory. Very briefly, I would like to bring to your attention further negative developments on the issue of Turkish-led plans in the fenced area of Varosha. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion, the area to the south of the city of Hamagusta, Varosha has been sealed off and closed by the Turkish army in order to prevent the return of its inhabitants in violation of UN resolutions protecting the city and defining the framework for the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants under UN administration. Last Thursday Turkey illegally reopened a part of the beach area in the enclosed part of the city and threatened to settle the city with people other than its lawful inhabitants. On Friday the UN Security Council called for a reversal of the decision to open the fenced off area of Varosha and to adhere to UN resolutions. These actions apart from the fact that they are contrary to UN resolutions also damaged the efforts for the resumption of talks for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem. I will come back to this topic at the first CVEC's meeting but in the meantime I would like to ask you Mr. President to bring the concerns of all Cypriot local authorities to the highest level of the EU namely the President of the European Council Thank you for your attention. I will do that as I did it yesterday with our debate with Angela Merkel. It is time for Europe to act. We cannot allow actions like these ones on behalf of Turkey to be left without response and I want to reassure you that just as I said yesterday that the European Union needs to react and needs to envisage ways and measures against this tendency of Turkey that is not only unfortunately on the island of Cyprus but also on the Mediterranean and we need to foresee action that needs to be taken immediately from the European Union at the European Union level so I assure you that just like yesterday we discussed that with Chancellor Merkel I will convey these messages to the President of the Council Charles Michel as well Mr. Vicenzo Bianco, please Thank you We hope that they escape from a dramatic state of war but also that of hunger is not an easy situation At this moment we are very far from the emergencies a few years ago certainly this summer in Sicily as last summer we had many lands especially small boats coming from Tunisia not big boats this situation is a great solidarity and I want to applaud the Sicilians to the Sicilian region like the other regions that are in an analogue condition like Greece for the seriousness they have faced I want to thank the Italian Government that is very close to an easy condition because there was obviously also Covid but I want to ask with force that Europe is the only subject of this serious issue I appreciated the speech of our President on the line yesterday but I ask you to have more courage to impose on those countries that today block an agreement to drastically reform Dublin it is not possible to discharge the issue of immigrants only on the countries of the front it is a problem that concerns all Europe and all together we have to face it thank you for your attention and for the words he said as always useful and effective I also agree on Cyprus and Turkey it is a real danger for peace in the Mediterranean thank you President thank you very much thank you good morning for everybody dear President, dear colleagues I will be very very short I really think we have to show solidarity with those who suffer in camps in Moria and everywhere but I again I stress that we should bring the help to the original places where the people suffer and also we have to show solidarity with our citizens, with the Greeks with the Italians and where the camps are thank you so much thank you very much for each the end of our debate I will remind you that we will definitely come back to the commission's document on migration in our December plenary session when Commissioner Johansson will present it and will present the commission's proposal in the meantime I would like to ask you to take a break now until 2.30pm when we will reconvene to have our debate on social affairs with Nicola Schmidt, Commissioner Schmidt on jobs and social rights so we will see you in one hour and a half from now we will reconvene at 2.30pm Brussels time, thank you