The week ahead 9th – 12th December 2013

9th – 12th December 2013. European Council on defence. Fisheries policy reform. Ukraine. Financial stability. Euro counterfeiting. Armenia. Frontex sea search and rescue operations. Hearing on desertification.

European Council on defence

ECR Chairman Martin Callanan will set out his priorities for the EU summit focused on defence policy, to be held at the end of next week. He will argue that NATO is a tried and tested formula for European and Transatlantic defence cooperation that should be reinvigorated, not duplicated.

Contact: James Holtum

Parliament debate: Wednesday morning

Fisheries policy reform

The parliament will draw to a close years of talks on EU fisheries reform when they vote on moves to devolve decision-making away from Brussels and towards the fishing communities themselves. ECR fisheries spokesman Marek Grobarczyk supports the move, which follows ECR proposals

published in 2011

.

The reform will also instigate another key ECR priority: the end of fish discards, where fish have been thrown away to comply with quotas.
ECR MEP Struan Stevenson is parliament’s rapporteur on part of the reform package aimed at updating the rules and arrangements for producer organisations in the EU, including labelling and marketing, to provide clearer information to producers and consumers.

Contact: Mateusz Kochanowski

Vote: Tuesday @ 11.30

Ukraine

Following the decision of Ukraine not to sign a Partnership Agreement with the EU, MEPs will discuss the EU’s approach to its Eastern neighbour and the EuroMaidan protests that have marked recent days.

The ECR Group is strongly committed to Ukraine. ECR MEP Pawel Kowal chairs the EU-Ukraine parliamentary cooperation committee and was the first MEP to speak at

EuroMaidan last week

. Mr Kowal is currently preparing a report for the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee on the Eastern Partnership. Fellow ECR MEP Ryszard Legutko is standing rapporteur on Ukraine.

ECR Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Tannock

last week said that

the European option is available to President Yanukovich, should he choose to take it.

Contact: Press officer to contact: James Holtum

Debate: Tuesday @ 15.00

Financial stability

A

report

drafted by ECR MEP Kay Swinburne calls for all ‘critical market infrastructure’ to have in place a clear plan for how they would function, or be wound up, in the event of major stresses – in order to prevent contagion in the global financial system. Although large non-bank market players were not implicated in the recent crisis, Dr Swinburne argues that recent developments in global markets increase the need for clear risk management measures.

Contact: John Furbisher

Vote: Tuesday @ 11.30

Euro counterfeiting

MEPs will vote on

proposals drafted

by ECR MEP Anthea McIntyre that will update the system to prevent counterfeiting of the euro – known as Pericles. This programme finances a number of activities across the EU with the aim of preventing and detecting counterfeited notes and coins

Contact: John Furbisher

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.20

Armenia

ECR MEP Tomasz Poreba will ask the parliament to give its consent on Armenia participating in selected EU programmes and agencies, in a

report he has drafted

. The measure is expected to further promote ties between the EU and this important Eastern Partnership country.

Contact: Katarzyna Ochman

Vote: Wednesday @ 12.20

Frontex sea search and rescue operations

The civil liberties committee will vote on new measures to beef up the role of the EU’s borders agency – Frontex – so that it plays a greater role in preventing tragedies in the Mediterranean. ECR justice and home affairs spokesman Timothy Kirkhope

believes that this approach is the right one

. N.B. this vote was postponed from last week.

Contact: John Furbisher

Vote: Monday evening

Hearing on desertification

ECR Italian MEP Cristiana Muscardini will host a round table on the challenges of desertification having destructive effects in parts of Europe and beyond.

Contact: Emanuele Sanguineti

Round table: Wednesday @ 18.00 in room N3.2
Press conference: Wednesday @ 10.30 in N/1-201