Belgian Prime Minister De Croo to present priorities of Belgium’s Council Presidency; Conclusions of the December EU summit and preparation of the 1 February Special European Council; Hamas must release all hostages; Building a comprehensive port strategy; EU-India relations; EU strategy on Central Asia; Concerns rise over anti-corruption shift in Slovakia; Level up the EU's geothermal energy production capacity!; Assessing National Parliaments' role in the European political process; EU citizenship;

Belgian Prime Minister De Croo to present priorities of Belgium’s Council Presidency

On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will present the programme of the six-month Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which began on 1 January, under the motto “Protect, strengthen, prepare”. The ECR Group is keen to see military and financial support for Ukraine, which must not be allowed to diminish, as well as effective measures to bring the country closer to the EU. ECR MEPs will also call for efforts to make the EU’s external borders more secure in order to drastically reduce the flow of illegal migrants with no prospect of asylum, as well as efforts to combat organised crime and terrorism. The ECR Group also sees a need for significant action to improve the EU’s competitiveness. For example, instead of trying to create new EU financial resources, the EU should look for possible budget cuts or ways to reallocate the budget. The ECR warns against further burdening citizens and businesses affected by the crisis. What the Union needs is a far-reaching pro-business approach. Geert Bourgeois, head of the Flemish delegation, will speak on behalf of the ECR Group.

Key Debate: Tuesday @ 9:00

Conclusions of the December EU summit and preparation of the 1 February Special European Council

On Wednesday morning, MEPs will discuss the December European Council and the special summit on 1 February with Council President Michel and Commission President von der Leyen. ECR Co-President Nicola Procaccini will stress, among other things, that the fight against illegal migration flows and support for Ukraine must remain top priorities.

Key Debate: Wednesday @ 9:00

Hamas must release all hostages

On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the prospect of a ceasefire to the war raging in Gaza, a direct result of Hamas’ horrific terror attack launched on Israel on 7 October 2023. The ECR Group remains convinced that a ceasefire can only take place once all Israeli hostages have been released. The European Parliament will vote on the resolution during Thursday’s voting session.

Debate: Tuesday @ 15:00

Vote: Thursday @ 12:00

Building a comprehensive port strategy

On Tuesday evening, an own-initiative report proposing a comprehensive strategy on EU ports will be presented in plenary. The report responds to concerns around growing foreign influence on European critical infrastructure as investments in ports by foreign state-owned players from autocratic regimes, such as China, have been significant over the last 20 years. The implications of such influence are the compromised security, economic independence and resilience of EU Member States and the Union as a whole. The ECR has maintained a constructive stance throughout the negotiation process and has been instrumental in adding safeguards on the principle of competitiveness, on maintaining an open investment environment and on keeping the level of administrative burden in check. In addition, the ECR also stressed the particular challenges in the field of cybersecurity. The vote on the report will take place on Wednesday.

Presentation: Tuesday @ 20:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

EU-India relations

On Tuesday, the European Parliament will discuss the EU’s relationship with India in the context of an own-initiative report. The report recommends a broadening and deepening of ties with the south-Asian country across a wide range of dimensions, including in foreign affairs and security policy, human rights, and other areas like the climate, energy, environment, health emergencies, digital issues, trade and technology, and artificial intelligence. The ECR Group left its mark on the file by successfully pushing for increased cooperation across maritime security and the protection of religious freedoms in India. For the ECR, there is a huge opportunity for mutual benefit in expanding cooperation with a democratic global partner such as India. MEPs will vote on the report on Wednesday.

Debate: Tuesday @ 15:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

EU strategy on Central Asia

On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will vote on a report which sets out an EU strategy on Central Asia. The EU’s engagement in the region is based on the Central Asia Strategy, adopted in 2019, which focuses on promoting resilience, prosperity and regional cooperation. Since its adoption, the region has been affected by significant external factors, like the war in Ukraine, and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, as well as internal factors, like the unrest in Kazakhstan in January 2022 and the violent crackdowns following protests in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast of Tajikistan in November 2021. Now, this new report aims to address these shifting dynamics. The ECR Group stresses the importance of strong, strategic diplomatic and trade relations between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its increasing nationalist narratives have weakened Russia’s standing in the region and encouraged Central Asia to seek cooperation with other actors. The EU now has an opportunity to develop its relations with Central Asia and play a more prominent role in the region. The ECR Group supports economic cooperation, the promotion of regional security, cultural and educational cooperation, and seeks to strengthen political dialogue to address issues of mutual concern. Human rights issues, such as restrictions on press freedom, political repression and discrimination against ethnic minorities, also need to be closely examined.

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

Concerns rise over anti-corruption shift in Slovakia

Following the plenary debate in December, on Wednesday MEPs will vote on a resolution on the planned dissolution of key anti-corruption structures in Slovakia and its implications. There are concerns over the rushed legislative changes proposed by the new Slovak government, particularly the criminal code amendments lowering criminal penalties for serious crimes, including corruption and the dissolution of the Special Prosecutor’s Office. These actions jeopardize judicial integrity, EU anti-fraud efforts, and the EU’s financial interests. The ECR Group shares the concerns over Slovakia’s accelerated anti-corruption structural transformations and also pays tribute to journalist Jan Kuciak, who was assassinated for his anti-corruption related investigative work.

When: Wednesday @ 13:00

Level up the EU’s geothermal energy production capacity!

On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the own-initiative report on geothermal energy, the rapporteurship for which is carried by ECR MEP Zdzisław Krasnodębski. The report rightly recognises that geothermal energy is still often marginalised in the renewable energy debate and that it lacks the right framework at the EU level to facilitate its exploitation. In light of this, the file calls on the EU Commission to propose a geothermal energy strategy, as it has done for some other renewable energy sources. A missed opportunity; geothermal energy could play an important role in the energy transition and contribute significantly to the EU’s energy security. The vote will take place on Thursday.

Debate: Wednesday @ 13:00

Vote: Thursday @ 12:00

Assessing National Parliaments’ role in the European political process

On Tuesday, MEPs will debate an own-initiative report concerning the implementation of Treaty provisions on national parliaments. The ECR Group maintains that the report falls short of recognising national parliaments as fully-fledged European political actors, depicting them instead as subordinate to the European Parliament. The rejection of a ‘red card’ procedure, a long-standing ECR request, underscores the report’s reluctance to grant national parliaments sufficient power to amend or repeal existing EU law. The debate will be followed by a vote on Wednesday.

Debate: Tuesday @ 17:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

EU citizenship

On Tuesday, lawmakers will debate an own-initiative report regarding the implementation of Treaty provisions on EU citizenship, followed by a vote on Wednesday. The aim of this report is to assess the current procedures for EU citizenship and to determine possible changes in the future. The report calls for standardised provisions on the acquisition and loss of EU citizenship by third-country nationals, emphasizing the need to align conditions for acquiring such citizenship. The ECR Group emphasises that the only way to obtain EU citizenship is by obtaining the nationality of a Member State, the granting of which is an exclusive competence of each Member State.

Debate: Tuesday @ 18:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00