Mr. Christos Stylianides:

I thank the dear Chairman and honourable Members of this historic Parliament who it is a real privilege to meet and address today. As a former parliamentarian, it is always a pleasure to be among colleagues and especially to engage in discussions with national representatives. I believe firmly that it is a strong component of our partnership. My presence here is not only an institutional obligation, it is a democratic one.

Three weeks ago, President Juncker delivered his state of the Union address. He took a hard but realistic look at the challenges facing Europe. Unemployment, social inequality, the refugee crisis, insecurity, digital Europe and acting as a real global player are only some of the issues he underlined. They are issues which require bold decisions and bold actions. President Juncker has asked us to make crucial choices. He proposed a positive agenda of concrete actions for the next 12 months. These actions will be Europe's contribution to reuniting our Union. They will show that we can be decisive on what really matters and will demonstrate to the world that Europe is still a force capable of joint action. To succeed, the Union needs the support of the members of the joint committee who, as national representatives, are the closest politicians to ordinary people.

The role of each Member of any national parliament is important. My strong opinion is that without the engagement of Members of Parliament in each member state or European country, it is completely impossible to link up European citizens. That is why our engagement and discussions with national parliaments are not only an institutional obligation but also a part of our democratic processes. At the same time, it is important to address the needs of citizens. We must deliver a Europe of solidarity. Solidarity is the foundation of the European Union. Let us recall our common past and never forget that solidarity has built lasting peace in Europe. I know that I am addressing representatives of a nation with a strong tradition of solidarity in many aspects. It is a nation that has not forgotten its sacrifices over two centuries. Ireland is truly a generous nation.

My portfolio has two main pillars. The first is overseeing the European Union's humanitarian aid, with an annual budget of €1.5 billion. The second is overseeing the European Union's crisis centre and disaster response system. I refer to the so-called EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Some 250 million people are affected by humanitarian crises worldwide and an unprecedented 65 million have been forcibly displaced. We are facing a global displacement crisis which requires a global response. No one can deal with this crisis alone. That is why I insist we need a global response and engagement not only by European countries but also others, particularly developing countries.

We help people in need, no matter where they are and regardless of their background. Since April this year, this includes countries within Europe because we have a new instrument that allows us to provide humanitarian aid within our own borders, particularly for the refugees in Greece. We could certainly do much more. Member states, national parliaments, EU institutions and civil society can all work together in partnership.

Based on the figures, situation is better now than it was a year ago due, to a large extent, to the EU-Turkey agreement which, despite the criticism, is working. It remains a key part of our response to the refugee crisis. I strongly believe it is the only way for Europe to deal with what is an unprecedented crisis. That is the reality. I am very pragmatic. We have significantly strengthened our humanitarian assistance for refugees in Turkey.

A few days ago I launched the Emergency Social Safety Net, ESSN, the largest ever humanitarian aid project funded by the European Union. It has a budget of €348 million. The programme is a model of cost-effectiveness. Monthly cash transfers to electronic cards will be effected for 1 million refugees. It is a model because there is no intermediate cost. This is important in our humanitarian actions because a vast proportion of the money, over 85%, is reaching the beneficiaries. At the same time, this allows refugees to cover their own needs, including rent, food and education. The money will boost the local economy and give dignity to refugees. This is important to the humanitarian community and me personally. Ours is not just a philanthropic organisation. We have to determine how to ensure the dignity of the refugees will remain a top priority.

As the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charlie Flanagan, whom I just met, pointed out in his address during the UN General Assembly meeting, the top drivers of mass movement such as conflict, persistent poverty, inequality and climate change require closer multilateral co-operation urgently. Humanitarian crises are growing more complex, severe and protracted. In this regard, one should think of Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen and many other regions worldwide. Let us face it: humanitarian aid is not a solution to conflict. It cannot address the root causes. That is why humanitarian problems require political solutions. This is the realistic approach. We need innovative solutions, a partnership with development actors and, as I stated, political solutions. The New York declaration at the recent UN summit underlined these new approaches and I deeply thank Ireland for co-facilitating it. It endorses the concept of global responsibility sharing. It is important to be an advocate for this approach. The tragic situation in Syria calls for such an approach. I am appalled by the deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in Aleppo.

The unacceptable breaches of international humanitarian law show the extent of the catastrophe. The EU has spoken out strongly to condemn these atrocities. The immediate priority must be to restore a credible ceasefire. In the face of the humanitarian tragedy, inaction is not an option. Together with EU High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, we took an urgent humanitarian initiative last weekend. This initiative for east Aleppo, taken in co-operation with the United Nations, has two main elements: first, to facilitate urgent delivery of basic life-saving assistance to civilians, including medical, water and food needs; and, second, to ensure the medical evacuations of the wounded and sick, especially women, children and the elderly. Unfortunately, until now the practical results on the ground have not been optimistic. There are many reasons we are here. We expect, but not until tomorrow, some positive developments in order to see how we can deliver assistance to east Aleppo.

I renew my call to all our partners and all parties to the conflict to unite on this humanitarian initiative. We need support and political pressure to impose on our interlocutors to accept the principle that humanitarian access is not a matter of the cessation of hostilities. Humanitarian access is a completely different issue from the cessation of hostilities. We need only security measures in order to provide humanitarian assistance. In this context, I deeply appreciate that Ireland is a strong partner in the effort. In my discussions with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, I saw his commitment to find solutions for engagement from the Irish side.

Iraq is also a priority. The offensive on Mosul could result in the displacement of two million people or more. My visit last July has convinced me that our engagement in Iraq should be strengthened. The humanitarian needs are massive. In my field trips in Erbil I had many meetings with the UN officials there to prepare ourselves for the humanitarian crisis after the Mosul operation. It is important to find solutions to prepare ourselves on the ground through the Iraqi Government and others, and many local authorities and our humanitarian partners on the ground. During the UN General Assembly, the EU pledged another €30 million, bringing the total humanitarian aid for this year to €134 million.

South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, Central African Republic and the increasing violence by Boko Haram in Nigeria remain high on our agenda. Although refugees have reached European shores, the developing world continues to shoulder the largest part of the burden, and 89% of the world's refugees live in developing countries. This is why it is important to see refugees as contributors to a society, not as a burden. Education has a key role to play in this. Education is paramount and is central to our efforts to prevent radicalisation and lost generations. It is the foundation of everything else. This is why I have made education my priority as Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. Last year, I increased by four the budget for education in emergency humanitarian aid.

The resilience agenda also has a key role to play in helping developing countries. Ireland is strongly behind this, and I am grateful for it. I am well aware of Ireland's commitment to the cause in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Central African Republic to name a few. Our action in support of global resilience extends to east and southern Africa in their struggle to cope with El Niño. Some 60 million people are affected by food insecurity. Although the EU is responding with almost €550 million, the funding gap remains enormous, unfortunately.

President Juncker called for more union in this Union. In the field of crisis management, we have made concrete steps towards this goal. Member states are co-operating successfully in the EU's civil protection mechanism and are making progress in strengthening it. We now have a voluntary pool of well-defined response capacities. Member states make these available. It is already a success, as we have seen in Serbia and Greece, where thousands of items were delivered to refugees. This is a real definition of European solidarity on the ground. We are building on lessons learned from our experiences.

As the EU co-ordinator, I witnessed the operational gaps and the outstanding needs in dealing with Ebola in the field, in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. There was an acute shortage of fully equipped medical teams. That is why we set up the European Medical Corps as a concrete solution to problems of a global scale. It is a new instrument to rapidly deploy medical teams worldwide. Three weeks ago we deployed in Angola. I am proud to see the tangible results of this new instrument. Only seven months after its launch, the European Medical Corps has 15 specialised teams from ten member states. We had two successful missions in the fight against yellow fever in Africa, thanks to the work of impressive medical doctors and scientists.

Moreover, in his address, President Juncker presented another initiative, the European Solidarity Corps. This initiative reminds us that solidarity is the glue that keeps the European Union together. For me, it is important to realise we need this instrument to recognise our obligations to keep it together. Through this new instrument, young Europeans will be able to volunteer and offer their help where it is needed most, for example, in dealing with the refugee crisis. They will also be able to develop their skills in dealing with the earthquake crisis in Italy and everywhere else in Europe. We are keen to develop the corps in close collaboration with member states and civil society. We would welcome the committee's views on this outstanding initiative.

Ireland is a country with a proud tradition of providing humanitarian aid. For example, every child is given a Trócaire box at Lent. My dear colleague, Phil Hogan, insisted that I say something about it because it is quite important to the Irish people. Irish children put their savings in it, to be sent to those less fortunate.

The only way to make the European Union stronger is to work together. It is not just a slogan. There is no other way, especially at this critical juncture. Let us build on our achievements. We have to be modest, but, at the same time, we must recognise that the European Union has had many achievements which have been the foundation for citizens' benefits. At the same time, let us learn from our shortcomings. That is why it is important to join forces to implement a positive agenda which is not for us alone. It is also for our children in the next generation and, in particular, the future of this continent. My experience on the ground reaffirms that the European Union is not only a soft global player, a soft key player, in dealing with worldwide issues; it is also a model for the majority of other nations in other regions.

I thank the Chairman for giving me this opportunity and I members for their attention.