12th-16th October 2015. EU summit. Sakharov Prize. Family businesses. Prevention of radicalisation. Visa Information System. Subsidiarity.

EU summit

MEPs will hold a debate the day before EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss European asylum and immigration policy, the UK referendum, and economic and monetary union. ECR Group leader Syed Kamall will speak in the debate.
Press officer to contact: James Holtum on +32 473 861762

Debate: Wednesday afternoon
EU summit starts: Thursday

Sakharov Prize

A joint meeting of the foreign affairs and development committees, and the human rights subcommittee will vote on a shortlist of three candidates for the 2015 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought. The ECR Group has made two nominations for the prize: Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes for his publications on the weblog ‘Free Saudi Liberals’, and Nadiya Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot and politician who was captured in Eastern Ukraine and illegally transferred to Russia, where she is now on trial for accusations of murder. The prize will be selected by parliament’s group leaders on the 29th October.
Press officer to contact: Yannick Van der Veeren on +32 473 806446

Vote: Thursday @ 09.00

Family businesses

ECR MEP Professor Zdzislaw Krasnodebski will host a hearing on ‘Family Business: Chances and Challenges’. Speakers will include representatives of family business and small business organisations.
The hearing comes ahead of the expected adoption in the culture committee of Professor Krasnodebski’s report on skills policies in the fight against unemployment.

Press officer to contact: Kasia Ochman on +32 470 955928

Hearing: Wednesday @ 09.00 in room A1H1
Vote on report: Thursday morning

Prevention of radicalisation

The justice and home affairs committee will vote on a report which looks at how Member States and the EU can prevent the radicalisation and recruitment of EU citizens. The reports of the culture and foreign affairs committees had ECR Group Rapporteurs: Angel Dzhambazki and Charles Tannock. The report highlights the need for both legislative action, such as the adoption of Timothy Kirkhope’s EU-PNR report, the need for increased sharing of information across borders, as well as preventing radicalisation in prisons and online.

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

Vote: Tuesday afternoon

Visa Information System

The parliament is expected to adopt a report by ECR home affairs spokesman Timothy Kirkhope which updates the existing Council decision, so that the exchange of data between Member States under this former third pillar measures, will now be in line with the judgement of the European Court. Mr Kirkhope welcomes the urgent adoption of this Decision as the lawful, expedient and efficient exchange of law enforcement information has never been more essential given the threats the EU currently faces.

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

Vote: Wednesday evening

Subsidiarity

The legal affairs committee will vote on a report authored by Sajjad Karim, which pushes for ‘subsidiarity checks’ to be carried out on legislation both at the beginning and end of the legislative process, to ensure that laws adopted are proportionate.

Press officer to contact: Alastair Rendall +32 475 780819

Vote: Tuesday