Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2021; 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, UK; Resilience of critical entities; Presentation of the JRC study “Modelling environmental and climate ambition in the agricultural sector with the CAPRI model”.

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2021

On Thursday, the joint Committees on Foreign Affairs, Development and the Subcommittee on Human Rights will vote on a shortlist of three candidates for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2021. The ECR Group has presented Jeanine Áñez as its nominee. Ms Áñez is a Bolivian politician who, in accordance with the Constitution, temporarily assumed the presidency of the State of Bolivia from November 12, 2019 until November 8, 2020. After the announcement of elections by Ms Áñez and the victory of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party led by Luis Arce and Evo Morales, on 13th March 2021, Jeanine Áñez was imprisoned along with several high-ranking officials on charges of “terrorism, sedition and conspiracy”. It’s been almost 7 months that she has remained incarcerated in Miraflores prison in La Paz, mistreated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment to the point, according to her daughter, of trying to take her own life on 21 August. This situation implies a clear violation of democratic values, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as well as a violation of the principle of effective judicial protection in the judicial procedure followed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has also failed to comply with both Bolivian constitutional law and international law. Awarding the Sakharov Prize to Jeanine Áñez would not only reinforce the message of the European Parliament contained in its Resolution approved in April 2021 on Bolivia, but would also send a message of hope and support to political opponents and dissidents in Bolivia who, since the inauguration of President Luis Arce, have faced severe persecution.

Vote: Thursday @ 9.00
Announcement of the shortlist: Thursday @ 11.00

2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, UK

On Monday and Tuesday, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will vote on a resolution setting out the position of the European Parliament ahead of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November. The resolution touches upon many sensitive issues such as completely reforming agriculture policies and dramatically changing our diets. ECR shadow rapporteur Anna Zalewska suggests to vote against the resolution.

Votes: Monday @ 13:45 & Tuesday @ 10:00

Resilience of critical entities

On Monday and Tuesday, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will vote on a proposed overhaul of the critical infrastructure directive. ECR shadow Patryk Jaki supports efforts to improve the resilience of essential services and industries from sabotage, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. The ECR Group supports the inclusion of eleven sectors in the scope of the directive, namely energy, transport, banking, financial market infrastructure, health, drinking water, wastewater, digital infrastructure, public administration, space, and food production and distribution. New rules include better training, supervision, incident reporting and cross-border coordination and cooperation in case of problems.

Votes: Monday @ 16:45 & Tuesday @ 10:00

Presentation of the JRC study “Modelling environmental and climate ambition in the agricultural sector with the CAPRI model”

On Monday, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) study “Modelling environmental and climate ambition in the agricultural sector with the CAPRI model” will be presented in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. The study shows that the Farm to Fork strategy in its current form will lead to a significant drop in production and additional costs for farmers, putting at risk the sustainability of the entire European food chain. The ECR Group calls for answers on the timing of this presentation since the study occurred six months ago, before the vote on the Farm to Fork Strategy in the European Parliament.

Presentation: Monday @ 16:45