Preparations of the European Council meeting 20-21 October; Keep energy bills down!; Question Time: Protecting critical infrastructure in the EU; General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023; Discharge 2020: European Border and Coast Guard Agency; The situation in Burkina Faso following the coup d’état; Sakharov Prize 2022; Cultural Solidarity with Ukraine; Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure; The Lukashenka regime’s active role in the war against Ukraine.

Preparations of the European Council meeting 20-21 October

On Wednesday morning, MEPs will hold a debate in preparation of the European Council meeting that will take place on Thursday and Friday of the same week and will deal with Ukraine, rising energy costs and the subsequent socio-economic consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ECR Group stresses that while the impression may be that Ukraine is winning the war, the reality is that Ukraine still urgently needs serious military and financial support in order to reinforce its armed forces. While EU sanctions have made an impact, they have not yet broken the striking power of the Russian Federation.

Debate: Wednesday @ 9:00

Keep energy bills down!

On Tuesday morning, Parliament will discuss the Council and Commission’s proposals on how to keep energy bills down and how to remedy the social and economic consequences of the war in Ukraine. The ECR Group believes that the measures proposed at EU level should take the diversity of national circumstances thoroughly into account and allow Member States flexibility in their implementation to ensure that they best suit each country’s unique situation. Measures could include, for example, shielding consumers from rising energy prices — in particular the most vulnerable, defining target groups for social rates, and measures related to VAT and excise duties on electricity, gas, coal and fuel.

Debate: Tuesday @ 9:00

Question Time: Protecting critical infrastructure in the EU

On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will quiz Commission Vice-President Margarítis Schinás on the Commission’s ideas for how to better protect critical infrastructure against assailment and how to counter hybrid attacks. The ECR Group believes that the EU needs to become more active in the areas of critical infrastructure protection and cyber defence in order to support Member States to the greatest possible extent in this regard.

Debate: Tuesday @ 15:30

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023

On Tuesday afternoon, Members of the European Parliament will debate the EU’s general budget for 2023, followed by a vote on Wednesday. Through amendments, the ECR Group was able to ensure that additional funds were included for the improvement of military mobility, which is particularly necessary in the face of Russian aggression, as well as for humanitarian aid and for supporting young farmers organisations, which make an important contribution to keeping Europe’s essential agricultural sector flourishing.

Debate: Tuesday @ 13:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

Discharge 2020: European Border and Coast Guard Agency

On Tuesday, the European Parliament will hold a noteworthy vote on the discharge of FRONTEX for the year 2022, following the presentation of the Court of Auditors in November 2021 and a postponement to grant discharge in April 2022. In a narrow vote, the Committee on Budgetary Control refused to grant the discharge with 12 votes for and 15 against. The ECR Group supported granting discharge to FRONTEX at this stage. In May, the previous FRONTEX board was dismissed and replaced by an interim board, which has started to implement the recommendations of the Parliament and the Court of Auditors. However, in the aftermath of the committee vote, the report now refuses to grant discharge. The ECR Group believes that the interim board has not had sufficient time to implement the recommendations of the Parliament and Court of Auditors. As a result of the now expected non-discharge in plenary, the interim board will have to resign. According to the ECR Group, this would be a complete denial of the usual principles of governance and a manoeuvre by political forces that are hostile to Frontex and who would prefer to see this important agency closed down.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:00

The situation in Burkina Faso following the coup d’état

On the initiative of the ECR Group, the European Parliament will vote on a resolution on the situation in Burkina Faso on Thursday. The coup d’état in the country comes amidst a push by Russia to increase its influence in the Sahel region. It is expected that Russia will try to use its African position to instrumentalise migration into Europe as part of its hybrid warfare campaign. The resolution will also urge the EU to take account of the geopolitical aspects of the rise of jihadist militants in the Sahel region and to react adequately. It also calls on the EU to work with the African Union to bring about national reconciliation in Burkina Faso and a return to constitutional order. The debate already took place at the October I plenary session.

Vote: Thursday @ 12:00

Sakharov Prize 2022

On Wednesday, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament will select the winner of the Sakharov Prize 2022 from a shortlist of three finalists. The ECR Group specifically named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the face of Ukraine’s resistance to brutal Russian aggression. The Official Ceremony will be held on 14 December.

When: Wednesday @ 15:00

Cultural Solidarity with Ukraine

On Thursday, MEPs will debate and vote on a resolution which aims to establish a framework for greater solidarity with Ukraine across cultural and creative sectors. The ECR Group is of the opinion that we must help the Ukrainian people to protect their culture and heritage against Russian aggression and imperialism. Alongside the challenge of preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage during Russia’s war of aggression, however, there are clear signs that the EU’s own cultural and creative sectors and industries are also in need of a helping hand to recover from the pandemic and bear through the current inflation crisis. That is why the ECR Group welcomes the fact that the help for Ukraine will not come at the expense of the Creative Europe programme.

Debate: Thursday @ 9:00

Vote: Thursday @ 12:00

Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure

On Monday, MEPs will debate their negotiating position on the EU’s alternative fuels infrastructure that forms a part of the Fit for 55 package. The Commission’s proposal sets out mandatory binding targets for building charging and refuelling infrastructure across the EU for road vehicles, vessels and stationary aircraft. For example, electric charging pools should be available at maximum intervals of 60 kilometres along the EU’s main roads. Although alternative fuels and the deployment of their infrastructure clearly play a vital role in decarbonising the transport sector, it is difficult for the ECR Group to fully support the report. ECR shadow rapporteur Carlo Fidanza strongly advocated for a more technology neutral approach, as the final text remains disproportionately favourable of a transition towards electric power, while side-lining other alternative fuels. There are large regional differences in the spread of and demand for electric vehicles, as purchasing power varies greatly between Member States. This could result in excessive costs incurred for infrastructure, which may not be sufficiently used in some countries.

Debate: Monday @ 17:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

The Lukashenka regime’s active role in the war against Ukraine

On Wednesday, the Parliament will debate the role of Lukashenka and his regime in the war against Ukraine. The ECR Group is of the opinion that Lukashenka, illegitimate president and partner in crime of Vladimir Putin, should refrain from openly supporting Russia in the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Belarusian people must be liberated from Russia’s post-Soviet sphere of influence.

Debate: Wednesday @ 16:00