June European Council and EU-China relations; Return Regulation; Digital AI omnibus provides only limited simplification; Europe must draw the right strategic conclusions from the Middle East crisis; Russia’s increasing provocations must be addressed; Cuba; Certainty on the EU-US trade deal arrives; Strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain; Strengthening Europe’s digital resilience through competitiveness and cooperation; Funding European political parties; Parliament shakes up the debates; Addressing root causes of migration; Protecting children online while safeguarding fundamental rights; Parliament to vote on new EU rules for end-of-life vehicles and automotive circularity; Andrzej Poczobut addresses the Parliament; Press briefing with ECR Co-Chairs Nicola Procaccini Patryk Jaki; Europe facing the challenge of Islam

June European Council and EU-China relations

On Wednesday morning, MEPs will debate the upcoming June European Council (18–19 June) and the future of EU-China economic relations. For the ECR Group, the summit must focus on Europe’s real strategic priorities, not secondary distractions: stronger European defence capabilities, effective migration control, the consequences of instability in the Middle East, continued support for Ukraine, and a future EU budget that supports genuine European added value rather than new centralising ambitions. The next Multiannual Financial Framework must reflect the security environment Europe now faces, including defence, border protection, energy resilience, critical infrastructure and support for Member States most exposed to external threats. The debate on EU-China relations must also be based on realism. Europe needs open trade, but not naivety. The EU must respond more firmly to unfair competition, market distortions, export controls on critical raw materials and technologies, and the lack of reciprocity in access to China’s market. For the ECR, Europe’s answer should be to reduce strategic dependencies on China, work more closely with like-minded partners across the globe, strengthen competitiveness and resilience, and secure fair conditions for the European industry.

Debate: Wednesday @ 9:00

Return Regulation

On Monday evening, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) will vote on the political agreement reached in trilogue negotiations on the EU Return Regulation, which establishes a common framework for the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the European Union. The new regulation establishes strict obligations for persons who have no right to stay in the EU, notably the requirement to leave the Member State concerned and to cooperate with national authorities. If approved, the agreement will be debated in plenary on Tuesday and put to a final vote on Wednesday. The Return Regulation introduces faster and more harmonised return procedures across the EU. It strengthens cooperation obligations for illegally staying migrants and expands the tools available to Member States to prevent absconding and address security risks. This includes tougher detention rules with longer periods and stricter regimes for those who do not cooperate, as well as stronger investigative measures to identify illegally staying third-country nationals and facilitate their return and readmission. The agreement expands the definition of security threats — including low-level repeat offenders — enabling longer detention, stricter regimes, and indefinite entry bans. Entry bans are lengthened significantly: up to 10 years as the general rule, 20 years in substantiated cases, and indefinite bans possible for security threats. The agreement also enables Member States to establish return hubs in third countries, strengthening the external dimension of EU migration policy. For the ECR Group, this agreement represents a decisive shift in European migration policy. It replaces the outdated 2008 Return Directive with a stronger and more enforceable framework designed to increase the return rate of illegally staying third-country nationals. According to figures from the European Commission, only around 20 per cent of return decisions are currently enforced. After years of resistance from the left-wing majority in the European Parliament to meaningful reform of the EU’s returns system, this agreement marks a clear move towards a more realistic, credible, and effective migration policy. The ECR Group will continue to support measures that enable Member States to carry out returns efficiently and restore public confidence in Europe’s ability to manage migration.

LIBE vote: Monday @ 19:15

Debate: Tuesday @ 14:00

Plenary vote: Wednesday @ 12:30

Digital AI omnibus provides only limited simplification

On Monday evening, Parliament will debate the simplification of the implementation of harmonised rules on artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as the AI Omnibus. The AI Omnibus forms part of the European Commission’s digital simplification package presented in November 2025 and introduces targeted adjustments to the implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. The initiative aims to provide greater legal certainty for companies developing and deploying AI technologies while ensuring that the regulatory framework remains workable as the AI Act begins to take effect. For the ECR Group, the debate on the AI Omnibus is an important opportunity to improve how Europe’s AI framework operates in practice. While the current compromise contains some useful clarifications, it does not sufficiently respond to the growing concerns of businesses, innovators, and other stakeholders about Europe’s ability to remain competitive in the global AI race.

One aspect of particular concern for the ECR Group is the potential expansion of exclusive enforcement powers for some of the most important AI systems to the European Commission. This could have two significant consequences. Firstly, in areas such as elections and education, relevant national authorities may lose effective enforcement capacity. Secondly, the agreement also takes a similar approach to enforcement as the model established under the Digital Services Act by granting the AI Office competence to oversee AI systems that are integrated into, or constitute part of, very large online platforms and search engines. This raises obvious concerns, given the current experience linked to the enforcement of the DSA articles covering very large online platforms and search engines.

Overall, the result is a relatively limited simplification of EU legislation that has not yet fully entered into application, while the EU private sector is already facing a considerable regulatory burden. At the same time, the proposal risks further centralising enforcement powers in the hands of the Commission in politically sensitive areas.

Debate: Monday @ 19:00

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:30

Europe must draw the right strategic conclusions from the Middle East crisis

On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the military confrontation in the Middle East and its consequences for the people in the region, as well as for Europe’s security, economy and energy supply. For the ECR Group, the current crisis once again shows that Europe cannot afford strategic naivety. Instability in the Middle East has direct consequences for civilians on the ground, but also for European citizens, businesses and national economies, from energy prices and supply chains to maritime security and the protection of critical trade routes. The ECR believes that Europe’s response must be based on realism, deterrence and responsibility. A wider regional war must be avoided, but stability cannot be achieved by ignoring the forces that drive escalation. Any serious European response must address the role of Iran and its proxies, Israel’s security, the protection of civilians, and the need to prevent further destabilisation of Lebanon, Syria, the Red Sea and the Gulf. Safeguarding free navigation, including through strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, remains vital for global energy security, stable trade flows and Europe’s economic resilience. The ECR Group also underlines that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a key security interest for both the region and Europe. At the same time, Europe must not turn a blind eye to the Iranian regime’s repression of protesters, dissidents, political prisoners and religious minorities. A freer and more stable future for Iran must ultimately be built on the dignity, rights and will of its own people.

Debate: Tuesday @ 10:00

Russia’s increasing provocations must be addressed

On Tuesday, MEPs will debate a resolution addressing the growing threat posed by Russia’s hybrid aggression against EU and NATO Member States. The resolution responds to a sustained pattern of hostile actions that have intensified since late 2024, ranging from drone incursions and airspace violations to sabotage operations, electronic interference, and disinformation campaigns.

The immediate catalyst for the resolution is the May 2026 incident in Galați, Romania, where a Russian Geran-2 drone struck a residential building, injuring two civilians. This marked the first time a Russian drone attack caused casualties on NATO territory. The attack forms part of a broader pattern of Russian hybrid activity targeting the EU’s eastern flank and testing the resilience of both the European Union and the Alliance.

The ECR Group has consistently warned that hybrid warfare represents one of the most serious challenges to European security. The Group’s proposals call for concrete action at both EU and Member State level to strengthen deterrence, improve resilience, and enhance the protection of critical infrastructure.

For the ECR Group, Europe can no longer afford to treat hybrid attacks as isolated incidents. Repeated violations of European sovereignty, attacks on critical infrastructure, and hostile information operations require a coordinated and determined response, with closer cooperation between the EU and NATO to strengthen security across the eastern flank.

Debate: Tuesday @ 13:30

Vote: Thursday @ 12:00

Repression in Cuba

On Thursday, MEPs will vote on a resolution addressing political repression and the humanitarian situation in Cuba. The debate on the resolution took place during the May plenary session with High Representative Kaja Kallas. Cuba has been governed for more than six decades by a one-party communist regime under which independent political activity, free media, and organised opposition remain effectively prohibited. The country is currently facing a deepening crisis, marked by severe shortages of fuel, food, medicine, and by power cuts of up to 22 hours a day; a collapse driven by decades of economic mismanagement and the militarisation of the economy, with the military conglomerate GAESA controlling an estimated 40 percent of economic activity. Under President Miguel Díaz-Canel, the regime continues its systematic repression of dissent and peaceful assembly. Arbitrary detentions remain widespread, and Cuba continues to hold one of the highest numbers of political prisoners in the Americas and prominent dissidents such as Jose Daniel Ferrer have been imprisoned and ultimately forced into exile. Beyond its borders, the regime has long propped up the Chávez and Maduro regimes in Venezuela and the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship in Nicaragua, and coordinating the region’s authoritarian left through the Sao Paulo Forum. The ECR Group has consistently condemned the Cuban regime’s human rights abuses and questioned the EU’s continued engagement with Havana through the implementation of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA). The Group argues that EU policy towards Cuba should place greater emphasis on democratic reforms, fundamental freedoms, and respect for human rights. The Group holds the regime responsible for the humanitarian crisis, and supports the targeted sanctions adopted by the United States against the regime’s leadership and its security and military apparatus, calling for close transatlantic coordination. Above all, the Group supports the unprecedented unity of the Cuban democratic opposition expressed in the Freedom Accord signed by Pasos de Cambio and the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance and backs its transition plan as a reference framework for a free and democratic Cuba.

Vote: Thursday @ 12:00

Certainty on the EU-US trade deal arrives

On Monday, the Parliament will debate the long awaited “Turnberry Deal”. While not a formal Free Trade Agreement, the deal establishes a political framework aimed at stabilising transatlantic trade relations and may, in the future, evolve into a broader FTA. The agreement includes tariff liberalisation on US industrial goods, preferential access for selected US seafood and agricultural products, expanded duty-free access for US lobster, and a US commitment to cap tariffs on most EU exports at 15%. It is implemented through two linked regulations covering customs duty adjustments and the continuation of the “Lobster Deal”. The final text brings added safeguards and a sunset clause while preserving the balance of the original agreement. For the ECR Group, the deal sends an important signal of pragmatism at a time of global uncertainty, reinforcing that the EU and US remain strategic partners. A vote will take place on Tuesday.

Debate: Monday @ 18:00

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:30

Strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain

The agreement aims to improve farmers’ bargaining power by making written contracts the standard, strengthening producer organisations, and introducing further exemptions under competition rules, while maintaining a market-oriented approach and recognising cooperative models. It also includes provisions reserving certain food-related terms, such as “steak”, exclusively for meat and meat products, and clarifies that these terms cannot be used for cell-cultured products. For the ECR Group, the agreement is balanced and supports the objective of reinforcing farmers’ position in the supply chain while preserving flexibility for tailored national solutions. The clarification on meat denominations is also seen as providing greater clarity for consumers and recognising the value of traditional meat products.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:30

Strengthening Europe’s digital resilience through competitiveness and cooperation

On Wednesday, Members of the European Parliament will debate with the Council and the Commission how Europe can strengthen its digital resilience and technological capacity in an increasingly competitive global environment. For the ECR Group, the starting point is clear: Europe cannot build digital resilience if it continues to regulate more than it innovates. Europe has fallen behind in key digital technologies — from semiconductors and cloud infrastructure to critical digital supply chains — not because Europeans lack talent, but because our regulatory and investment environment too often makes it harder to build and scale technology in Europe. This must change. Digital resilience cannot mean isolation, protectionism or Europe turning inwards. Europe’s strength will come from competitiveness at home and cooperation abroad — especially with critical partners and trusted allies. The EU should work with the transatlantic community and like-minded democratic partners to strengthen supply chains, reinforce cybersecurity, advance innovation, and support growth and stability across the Western alliance. For the ECR Group, a resilient digital Europe must be open, competitive and capable of defending itself. This means reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, supporting technological neutrality, protecting critical infrastructure, and creating the conditions for European companies to grow and compete globally. Digital resilience will not be achieved by regulating technologies Europe does not produce, or by using public procurement to force one vendor over another. It will be achieved by restoring Europe’s capacity to innovate, compete and cooperate from a position of strength.

Debate: Tuesday @ 9:00

Funding European political parties

On Tuesday, the Parliament will vote on a proposed report focusing on the financing and functioning of European political foundations. The report seeks to address a number of shortcomings in the current framework, including excessive administrative burdens and insufficient financial flexibility for European political foundations. It proposes measures to simplify regulatory requirements, provide greater flexibility regarding membership contributions and donations, and improve the financial sustainability of foundations through increased EU support. While the ECR Group welcomes efforts to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, improve financial flexibility, and ensure a more proportionate application of supervisory measures, concerns remain regarding the broader regulatory framework governing European political parties and foundations. Although not addressed directly in this report, the underlying Regulation links access to EU funding and registration status to compliance with broadly formulated references to the values set out in Article 2 TEU. In the absence of clear and objective criteria, this creates a risk of politically motivated interpretations and undue influence over political actors and political pluralism.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:30

Parliament shakes up the debates

For the next plenary session (15–18 June), the European Parliament is testing several new approaches aimed at making plenary debates more dynamic, structured, and engaging. The trial includes earlier finishing times in the evenings, more predictable scheduling, more emphasis on ‘catch-they-eye’ interventions, and greater opportunities for the Commission to intervene throughout debates. The ECR Group is open to testing the new plenary format, provided it is genuinely treated as a trial and not automatically rolled over into July without a further discussion in the Conference of Presidents.

The Group’s main concern is that political groups must retain sufficient flexibility to decide their own priorities and allocate speaking time accordingly. Any reform of plenary debates should improve attendance, scrutiny and the credibility of Parliament, but it should not come at the expense of the groups’ ability to shape political debate. The ECR Group will assess the outcome of the June trial before taking a final position.

When: Monday–Thursday

Addressing root causes of migration

On Tuesday, Members of the European Parliament will vote on a report examining how EU development cooperation can help address irregular migration and its root causes in partner countries. The report argues that irregular migration is driven by a range of factors, including poverty, conflict, political instability, food insecurity, and limited economic opportunities. It calls for greater investment in education, healthcare, employment, agriculture, good governance, and institutional capacity, while promoting closer coordination between EU development and migration policies. The ECR Group supports efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration and welcomes the inclusion of a number of ECR amendments during committee negotiations. However, the final text does not sufficiently address the scale of the migration challenge facing Europe and fails to include key elements that are essential from an ECR perspective. In particular, the report does not adequately address conditionality in development assistance or strengthen provisions on readmission and return policies.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:30

Protecting children online while safeguarding fundamental rights

On Wednesday, the Parliament will debate how to better protect children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media, including the role of platforms in addressing cyberbullying, harmful content, and online harassment. From the ECR Group’s perspective, the debate is an opportunity to stress that efforts to improve online safety must not lead to the Digital Services Act (DSA) or other legal measures being turned into a general content moderation tool. The DSA’s core purpose should remain ensuring a safe online environment focused on tackling illegal content while safeguarding freedom of expression and fundamental rights. At the same time, the ECR Group underlines that protecting children online cannot be achieved through legislation alone. First and foremost, involved parents, education, awareness of online risks, and personal responsibility—particularly among younger users and their families—are essential elements of any effective response.

Debate: Wednesday @ 10:00

Parliament to vote on new EU rules for end-of-life vehicles and automotive circularity

The European Parliament will vote on the provisional agreement on the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, which replaces two outdated directives with a single directly applicable framework aimed at improving circularity in the automotive sector. The deal expands the scope beyond cars and vans to include motorcycles, buses, trucks and trailers, introduces recycled-content targets for plastics, strengthens producer responsibility obligations, and sets new rules for vehicle collection, treatment and export. During negotiations, the ECR Group secured important exemptions for small-volume and specialised vehicle manufacturers, arguing that overly burdensome recyclability and design requirements would have disproportionately harmed smaller producers and parts manufacturers.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:30

Andrzej Poczobut addresses the Parliament

On Wednesday, Andrzej Poczobut, recipient of the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, will address Members of the European Parliament in the hemicycle. Mr Poczobut is a Polish-Belarusian journalist and former political prisoner of the Lukashenka regime. He was released in April this year after spending five years in a Belarusian penal colony. The ECR Group nominated Mr Poczobut for the 2025 Sakharov Prize. He was awarded the prize jointly with Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist imprisoned on politically motivated charges, in recognition of their commitment to freedom of expression and democratic values. Mr Poczobut will address the ECR Group meeting on Tuesday evening @ 18:00.

Formal sitting: Wednesday @ 12:00

ECR Group meeting: Tuesday @ 18:00

Press briefing with ECR Co-Chairs Nicola Procaccini Patryk Jaki

The ECR Group will hold a press briefing with Co-Chairs Nicola Procaccini (IT) and Patryk Jaki (PL) on Tuesday, 16 June, at 10:20 in the Daphne Caruana Galizia press room in Strasbourg. The briefing will provide an opportunity to discuss the key priorities and positions of the ECR Group.

When: Tuesday @ 10:20

Where: Daphne Caruana Galizia press room, Strasbourg, N -1/201

Europe facing the challenge of Islam

On Wednesday evening, MEP Marion Maréchal will host a lecture with Ferghane Azihari, journalist and author of the book “Islam against Modernity”, on the relationship between Islam, European civilisation and modern democratic societies.

While the ECR has full respect for religious faith and for believers, the discussion will address the tensions that can arise between certain interpretations of Islam and Europe’s constitutional and cultural traditions and its way of life. It is therefore necessary to assess, openly and objectively, how religious practice can be lived within the constitutional order of European countries, with the aim of finding a modus vivendi based on freedom of speech and faith for all.

When: Wednesday 18:00

Where: WEISS N 1.3