Irish Presidency As Ireland takes over at the helm, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will present his Presidency’s programme to MEPs. ECR group chairman Martin Callanan MEP will wish the Presidency well in delivering its stated aim of jobs, growth and stability.

Irish Presidency

As Ireland takes over at the helm, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will present his Presidency’s programme to MEPs. ECR group chairman Martin Callanan MEP will wish the Presidency well in delivering its stated aim of jobs, growth and stability.

Press officer to contact: James Holtum on +32 473 861762;

james.holtum@europarl.europa.eu

Debate: Wednesday @ 09.00

Cyprus Presidency

The Cypriot President will debate the record of his country’s Presidency with MEPs. ECR Vice-President Derk Jan Eppink MEP will give his assessment.

Press officer to contact: James Holtum on +32 473 861762;

james.holtum@europarl.europa.eu

Debate: Tuesday @ 09.00

Future of Europe debate with Austrian Chancellor

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann will debate the future of the European Union with MEPs. ECR chairman Martin Callanan MEP will argue that the best future for the EU is one of flexibility and practicality, rather than ideology and ‘ever-closer union’.

Press officer to contact: James Holtum on +32 473 861762;

james.holtum@europarl.europa.eu

Debate: Tuesday @ 15.00

Horn of Africa

MEPs will debate and vote on a report drafted by ECR foreign affairs spokesman Charles Tannock MEP, on the situation in the Horn of Africa. The report gives a comprehensive overview of the situation in the region – in Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as Sudan and South Sudan. It also welcomes the positive experiences of Somaliland.

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher on +32 498 984760

Presentation of the report: Monday @ 17.00

Stability Bonds

The parliament will vote on a paper setting out options for creating euro-securities in an effort to pool the eurozone’s debt. The four proposals set out are a redemption fund or Eurobills, Blue Bonds, a European Debt Agency, or a genuine European debt underpinned by the EU budget. ECR shadow rapporteur on the report Derk Jan Eppink MEP is concerned that the debt mutualisation proposals do not contain sufficient incentives to avoid excessive debt or to make countries live up to repaying existing debts.

Press officer to contact: Luc Rochtus on+32 479 73 45 67

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.00

Company restructuring

Proposals that would make it much harder for businesses to restructure their operations are to be opposed by ECR shadow rapporteur Anthea McIntyre in a vote this week. A non-legislative proposal by the employment committee would require any company with more than 100 employees to go through lengthy and bureaucratic processes before restructuring, and it would make them responsible for retraining employees that are made redundant. As company restructuring may need to occur swiftly in order to keep a business afloat, Mrs McIntyre believes the suggestions are unrealistic.

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher on +32 498 984760

Vote: Tuesday @ 12.00

Youth employment guarantee

The parliament will debate a European Commission proposal to guarantee jobs to young people under the age of 25. ECR employment and social affairs spokesman Milan Cabrnoch does not believe that the EU could guarantee positions that, in reality, do not exist. Such commitment would, however, impose further administrative burden on companies without taking into account specific challenges in different member states.

Press officer to contact: Jan Krelina on+32 493 214346

Debate: Monday @ 17:00

Credit Ratings Agencies

Significantly watered-down proposals on the regulation of Credit Ratings Agencies will be put to the vote by MEPs following an agreement with national governments. Original plans to open up the ratings market to greater competition have been removed and proposals to force agencies to be rotated to ensure a hands-off assessment have been restricted to resecuritisations. ECR shadow rapporteur on the dossier Ashley Fox MEP believes that the agreement reached is an improvement on the commission’s original proposals, but regrets there is no meaningful improvement to competition within the CRA sector.

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher on +32 498 984760

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.00

‘One carry-on bag’ rule

ECR MEP Philip Bradbourn has tabled a question for debate in the chamber on some airlines’ rule that only one piece of baggage can be carried onto airplanes, which he argues is detrimental to the viability of the EU’s regional airports. Mr Bradbourn drafted a report for the parliament on the subject last year:

http://ecrgroup.eu/?p=6447

Press officer to contact: John Furbisher on +32 498 984760

Debate: Tuesday evening

Mediterranean fisheries

ECR MEP Anna Rosbach is responsible for a report that aligns the regulation for fisheries in the Mediterranean to the Lisbon Treaty. The report goes further than the commission proposal in seeking to align more articles in the legislation than originally proposed, effectively giving more influence to the European Parliament in future legislation. Furthermore, the report seeks to update otherwise passed deadlines in order to force member states to implement existing legislation.

Press officer to contact: Peter Hansen on +32 489 84 47 96

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.00

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

www.ecrgroup.eu
www.twitter.com/ecrgroup
www.facebook.com/ECRgroupEU
http://www.flickr.com/ecrg/