EU summit and next seven-year budget EU leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss coordination of member states’ economic, fiscal and employment policies under the ‘European Semester’.

EU summit and next seven-year budget

EU leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss coordination of member states’ economic, fiscal and employment policies under the ‘European Semester’.

Prior to that meeting, MEPs will debate their priorities for the summit, with the Commission and Council. They will also vote on a resolution on last month’s summit agreement on the next seven-year EU budget deal, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The ECR group has tabled a resolution that is balanced and responsible.

ECR Chairman Martin Callanan will speak in the debate. He will argue that although the MFF deal is not perfect, MEPs would be unwise to flatly reject it. He will also call on other group leaders to finally bury the idea of holding the final parliamentary vote on the MFF by a secret ballot.

Press Officer to contact: James Holtum

Debate: Wednesday @ 09.00
Summit: From Thursday evening

Common Agricultural Policy

The parliament will hold a vote to set out its negotiating position with national governments over the wide-scale reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.

ECR agriculture spokesman James Nicholson is broadly supportive of proposed measures which relate respectively to rules on rural development payments and cross-compliance for the Single farm Payment. However, in the other reports he is concerned by the scope of some so-called “greening” proposals and how they will affect existing environmental schemes within rural development; and he will argue forcefully against backward-looking proposals to extend intervention and storage-aid and to exclude agriculture from competition law.

Mr Nicholson and ECR Polish Vice-President of the agriculture committee, Janusz Wojciechowski, issued their view on the outcome of the committee vote in January:

http://ecrgroup.eu/?p=8050

Press Officer to contact: John Furbisher

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.00

President Peres

The President of Israel will receive a warm reception from ECR Group members when he addresses the chamber in a formal sitting.

Press Officer to contact: James Holtum

Address: Tuesday @ 12.00

Two-pack

The Parliament will vote on the so-called “two-pack”. This pair of regulations aims at strengthening some of the earlier adopted provisions of the economic governance package (“six-pack”). It deepens even further the surveillance of economic and budgetary procedures for euro area countries and establishes a comprehensive framework for the monitoring and correction of their excessive deficits. ECR shadow rapporteur Derk Jan Eppink agrees with the need for greater budgetary discipline in the Euro area but he does not support the planned measures in the declaration accompanying the legislation that would lead towards the mutualisation of debt in the euro zone.

Press Officer to contact: Luc Rochtus

Vote: Tuesday @ 11.30

Alternative Dispute Resolution and Online Dispute Resolution

In a vote of the parliament, the ECR will support proposals for a simple, speedy and inexpensive means of solving disputes over online sales and trade across the EU. Shadow rapporteur Ashley Fox proposed many amendments to improve the legislation which were accepted in the internal market committee. He is satisfied that existing national schemes which are effective will be respected, while gaps in that framework will now be filled, affording consumers a safety net and the reassurance they need to shop and trade online with confidence.

ECR chairman of the internal market committee, Malcolm Harbour, will participate in a press conference with the rapporteur and Commissioner Borg, following the vote.

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher

Vote: Tuesday @ 11.30
Press conference: Tuesday @ 16.00

2014 EU budget

MEPs will adopt a set of guidelines for the EU’s budget for 2014, ahead of a European Commission proposal later in the spring. ECR budgets spokesman Richard Ashworth MEP cannot support the parliament’s report, which calls for increases in appropriations and the introduction of new EU ‘Own Resources’ (taxes).

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.00

Foreign Affairs debates with Catherine Ashton

The EU’s High Representative will hold several debates with MEPs on topical subjects including North Korea’s nuclear plan, the ongoing Syria conflict, Egypt, Mali and Ukraine. ECR foreign affairs spokesman Charles Tannock will take part in the debates.

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher

Debate with the HR: Wednesday @ 15.00

Female Genital Mutilation

ECR Italian member Cristiana Muscardini will host a hearing on female genital mutilation and violence against women. Speakers will include Maryan Ismail, the President of the association of women on the net.

Press officer to contact: James Holtum

Hearing: Tuesday @ 10.00 (room LOW N3.2)

Contact

ECR spokesman: James Holtum on +32 473 861762
UK delegation: John Furbisher on +32 498 984760
Czech delegation: Jan Krelina on +32 493 214346
Polish delegation (PiS): Mateusz Kochanowski on +32 489 582781
Latvian delegation: Roland Petersons on +32 228 41545
Danish delegation: Peter Hansen on+32 489 84 47 96
Belgian delegation: Luc Rochtus on +32 479 73 45 67
Netherlands delegation: Maarten van de Fliert on +31 652 24 44 64

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