ECR Co-Chair and most senior British MEP, Syed Kamall, today urged Westminster to reach a Brexit deal in time to avoid having to participate in next month's European elections, stating: "The time has come for pragmatism. Let's just get it done."
16 April 2019
2019 NEWS
ECR Co-Chair and most senior British MEP, Syed Kamall, today urged Westminster to reach a Brexit deal in time to avoid having to participate in next month's European elections, stating: "The time has come for pragmatism. Let's just get it done."
16 April 2019
This week our MEPs are in Strasbourg for the final time this mandate before campaigning for the European elections at the end of May. They will be debating the outcome of last week's Brexit European Council, the Future of Europe with the Latvian Prime Minister, as well as voting on important legislation, including new online rules that will set a one-hour time limit for internet platforms to remove terror-related content from their sites. Read below for more details.
15 April 2019
Internet platforms which host terrorist content would have one hour to remove it under new EU-wide legislation backed by MEPs today. Fines of up to four per-cent of turnover could be imposed on repeat offenders who fail to remove terrorist posts under proposals being led through the European Parliament by ECR MEP Daniel Dalton.
8 April 2019
New EU gas pipeline rules do not go far enough warns ECR MEP. Legislation intended to ensure that the EU's energy market rules apply to pipelines arriving from third countries such as Russia provide too many loopholes and ignore the interests of neighbouring Member States, warned Zdzislaw Krasnodebski, ECR energy spokesman and Vice-President of the European Parliament today.
5 April 2019
MEPs are today voting on the shape of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the next seven years. The proposals are intended to continue providing support to EU farmers in order to guarantee food security while also making the CAP more flexible and adaptable to emerging sustainability challenges.
2 April 2019
New rules providing the first EU-wide regulation of the crowdfunding sector have been approved today by MEPs. Led through the European Parliament by ECR MEP Ashley Fox, the legislation introduces common regulations and standards that crowdfunding service providers (CSPs) can opt into. Currently, separate national rules limit cross-border activity.
28 March 2019
The European Parliament has today adopted a new set of rules to help keep litter out of our seas and oceans. Under the laws a number of products will be banned where there are more sustainable and affordable alternatives already available, such as plastic cutlery and plates. Member States will also have to do more to reduce the use of plastic food containers and plastic drink cups for single use.
27 March 2019
The EU must start listening to voters’ genuine concerns and undertake a thorough self-appraisal, particularly given recent crises such as Brexit, said ECR co-chair Ryszard Legutko today.
27 March 2019
Next week our MEPs will be in Strasbourg, voting on important reforms to EU copyright law and whether we should end bi-annual clock changes in Europe. There will also be a debate following this week's European Council and votes to endorse agreements to cut single use plastics, reform the electricity market, introduce new rules for crowdfunding and to improve the interoperability of criminal records databases. Read on for more details.
22 March 2019
A new fund that will support Member States' efforts to boost security within and between their countries has been endorsed during a vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today. As currently proposed, the Internal Security Fund will have a budget of just under 5 billion euros to support objectives such as increasing the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities, tackling radicalisation and strengthening crime prevention.
13 March 2019
MEPs have today backed ECR MEP Anna Fotyga's report into EU efforts to tackle strategic propaganda against the EU and its Member States by third parties, such as Russia. The report reviews the response of the EU and its Member States to the first Strategic Communications (Stratcom) report adopted by the European Parliament in 2016 and provides further recommendations on how best to tackle strategic propaganda from third countries.
13 March 2019
Farmers and other food suppliers will be protected from a range of unfair trading practices under legislation approved today by the European Parliament. ECR MEPs strongly backed EU-wide minimum standards prohibiting eight commercial practices, including late payments for perishable products, last minute order cancellations and unilateral changes to supply agreements.
12 March 2019
ECR MEPs have today backed proposals to give citizens a greater say in EU policy making by strengthening the European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI). ECR MEPs believe the Commission should be held accountable to EU citizens and therefore fully support the strengthening of the ECI. This is a step in the right direction, bringing the EU closer to its citizens.
12 March 2019
A "gaping loophole" which allows third country nationals to hide their criminal records in the European Union was closed today by MEPs.They backed legislation, led through the European Parliament by ECR MEP Daniel Dalton, establishing a central database that will alert Member States if individuals have previous convictions in the EU.
12 March 2019
Next week our members will be in Strasbourg for the monthly voting session. They will hold a debate with the Slovakian Prime Minister, vote on a reports looking into propaganda from foreign actors, closing a criminal records loophole and new rules to protect farmers from abusive supermarket practices.
8 March 2019
The leaders of Debout la France and Forum for Democracy have announced today their intention to join the ECR Group following the European elections in May 2019. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, who leads French party Debout la France, and Thierry Baudet, who leads Dutch party Forum for Democracy, both presented declarations with ECR co-chair professor Ryszard Legutko that outline their shared views on Europe as we approach the European elections.
28 February 2019
The EU's student exchange programme Erasmus is exactly the type of funding the EU budget should be providing, said ECR MEP Remo Sernagiotto after the Parliament's Culture Committee voted today on its next iteration of the programme.
20 February 2019
ECR MEP Roberts Zīle’s report aimed at liberalising coach and bus markets throughout the EU has been approved by the European Parliament today. Welcoming the outcome, which should help new entrants enter previously closed domestic markets, Zile said: “We have voted to take the first steps towards integrating the coach market, but at the same time ensured that certain well functioning national services are protected,”
14 February 2019
After years of negotiations and delays after the EU insisted on reopening negotiations after agreement had been reached in 2014, the long-awaited trade deal between the EU and Singapore has finally received the green light by the European Parliament.
13 February 2019
Brussels is refusing to listen to the real concerns of voters, warned ECR MEP Morten Messerschmidt after a series of votes in the European Parliament today. MEPs were voting on proposals put forward by the Constitutional Affairs Committee that repeated a number of previous, and already rejected, calls such as the removal of Member State opt-outs, the creation of transnational election lists and an EU-wide 'Europe Day' bank holiday.
13 February 2019
Europe must take steps now to ensure it reaps the economic, social and technological benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
12 February 2019
Proposals aimed at better securing the EU's external borders were dealt a blow last night after MEPs dramatically watered down draft laws put forward by the European Commission.
12 February 2019
Next week our MEPs will be in Strasbourg where they will debate the Future of Europe with the Italian Prime Minister and also vote to ratify the EU-Singapore Trade Agreement. New rules to better screen foreign direct investments are also set to be adopted, in addition to votes on reports from ECR MEPs on animal welfare, liberalising coach travel and artificial intelligence. Read on for more details.
8 February 2019
More funding for medical research and an increase in preventative measures were cited as two key factors in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) at a hearing on the issue organised today by ECR Flemish MEP, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
5 February 2019
New EU-wide legislation to tackle terrorist content posted online has been unveiled today by ECR MEP Daniel Dalton. His draft report adds teeth to the existing code of practice while maintaining an emphasis on voluntary action. The report was considered by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee today. It is hoped it will be voted on by all MEPs before the European elections.
4 February 2019
The Irish backstop, far from preventing a hard border post-Brexit, will create one if not amended, ECR MEP Ashley Fox warned the European Parliament this afternoon.
31 January 2019
The drive for better lawmaking in the European Union must continue even after Brexit. That was the message when Anthea McIntyre, ECR MEP, addressed a meeting on better regulation organised in Brussels by the European Small Business Alliance (ESBA).
31 January 2019
Unprecedented new rules granting MEPs the right to dissolve other political factions in the European Parliament are set to be voted on this week in Brussels.
29 January 2019
A report calling for stricter rules for transporting live animals has been approved today by the Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
24 January 2019
An agreement that will close a loophole currently hampering the fight against cross border crime and terrorism has been approved today in the European Parliament.
23 January 2019
The EU needs to do more to counter hostile disinformation, warned ECR MEP Anna Fotyga after her report on the Strategic Communications (StratCom) policy of the EU's External Action Service was adopted today by the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.
22 January 2019
New EU-wide sanctions which could see heavy fines imposed on firms which breach consumer rights are included in an ECR report backed by MEPs today.
22 January 2019
ECR Group Czech MEP Jan Zahradil has raised concerns that France and Germany are using their dominance to force their own EU agenda on other Member States.
22 January 2019
“We have voted to make the first steps towards integrating the coach market whilst at the same time ensuring that well-functioning national models are protected,” said ECR Latvian MEP Robert Zile after his report on liberalising the EU bus sector was adopted today in the Transport Committee.
22 January 2019
Parliament's committees are meeting this week and our ECR MEPs will be working on improving animal welfare in transport, closing loopholes in our criminal databases, liberalising bus and coach travel in the EU, tackling propaganda and also signing off the EU-Singapore trade agreement. Read on for more details.
21 January 2019
A report containing politically motivated recommendations to overhaul the way pesticides are authorised for use in the European Union reflects poorly on the European Parliament, warned ECR MEP Anthea McIntyre today.
16 January 2019
The European Union should stand ready to help address concerns about the Withdrawal Agreement expressed by British MPs last night, MEPs have been told.
16 January 2019
The ECR Group have today welcomed a new Italian member, Innocenzo Leontini, who has left the EPP Group in order to join us. He will sit in the same delegation as the ECR Group’s three other MEPs, Raffaele Fitto, Remo Sernagiotto and Stefano Maullu.
15 January 2019
Individual EU Member States will lose their veto over EU level tax policies under new proposals set to be announced by the European Commission today.
15 January 2019
This week ECR MEPs will debate Brexit, present their vision for an EU that does less but better, support a multi-currency EU, defend freedom of religion around the world and protect science-based decision making on pesticides.
14 January 2019
The future of relations between African and European nations must be mutually beneficial and interdependent, said ECR Group co-Chair Syed Kamall at the opening of the ECR's first ever Africa Summit today in Brussels.
9 January 2019
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