Financial Support for Ukraine; ECR priorities: cutting red tape, making the Common Agricultural Policy fit for EU enlargement, and the role of livestock; Sakharov Prize 2024: Vote on a shortlist of three candidates; The Three Seas Initiative - Connectivity in Central Europe.

Financial Support for Ukraine

On Monday, MEPs in the International Trade Committee will discuss and vote on a draft report establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism of up to €45 billion and providing exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance of up to €35 billion. The financial aid is aimed to help the country cope with the impact of the ongoing war and move closer to joining the European Union. It will come with certain conditions, outlined in an agreement between the EU and Ukraine, to ensure reforms are on track. The ECR Group welcomes and supports this financial assistance, which is important to facilitate Ukraine’s modernisation process and the country’s future accession to the EU.

Debate: Monday @ 15:15

Vote: Monday @ 16:15

Where: SPINELLI (3E-2)

ECR priorities: cutting red tape, making the Common Agricultural Policy fit for EU enlargement, and the role of livestock.

On Monday afternoon, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will hold a public hearing focused on the strategic dialogue about the future of EU agriculture. The Hearing will include remarks by Veronika Vrecionová, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and a Keynote speech by Professor Peter Strohschneider, Chair of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. The ECR Group is entering this dialogue with three key priorities. First, the ECR wants to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles that farmers face, in order to make EU agricultural policies more efficient and less burdensome. Second, as the EU prepares for potential enlargement, the ECR emphasises the need to adapt the Common Agricultural Policy to ensure fairness and effectiveness in a larger European Union. Finally, livestock farming remains a crucial aspect of European agriculture; the ECR stresses the importance of balancing environmental goals with the need to support this sector.

When: Monday @ 15:00

Where: SPAAK 1A02

Sakharov Prize 2024: Vote on a shortlist of three candidates

On Thursday morning, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Development will hold a joint meeting to vote on the shortlist for the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The ECR Group has nominated Edmundo González Urrutia, a Venezuelan politician and diplomat, who was the Unitary Platform’s candidate for the 2024 election. Despite winning 67% of the vote, Nicolás Maduro was declared president, leading to protests, international condemnation, and the EU’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s victory. After being charged with various offenses, González fled to Spain, where he was granted asylum. The ECR believes awarding him the prize would send a strong message against Maduro’s regime and its corruption.

When: Thursday @ 9:00 (IN CAMERA)

Where: ANTALL 4Q2

The Three Seas Initiative - Connectivity in Central Europe

On Tuesday, ECR MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk will host an event focusing on the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) - a unique project that has become increasingly important in recent years for both economic and infrastructural development and security in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It comprises EU Member States located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas, and provides a platform for cooperation that aims to strengthen transport, energy and digital links. However, today, in the context of growing geopolitical challenges, such as Russia violating international law on the EU’s borders and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the role of 3SI becomes even more critical. This event will provide an opportunity to engage in an in-depth debate on the future of 3SI and to reflect on how to strengthen cooperation in the region and respond to today’s challenges. Link to the events website here.

The conference will be held in EN with interpretation in PL and RO.

When: Tuesday @ 10:30

Where: SPAAK 1A002