European Year of Youth 2022; ECR Eurolat delegation meets with Cuban Exiles; International ECR Conference “Maritime Security and the Blue Economy - Unexploded munitions and chemical residues in the sea - in search for lasting and economically viable solutions”.

European Year of Youth 2022

As proposed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union Address in September, 2022 will be a “European Year of Youth” whereby it is planned to boost the efforts of EU, Member State, and local authorities, together with civil society, to empower, honour, support and engage with young people post-pandemic. On Monday, the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) will vote on the Parliament’s position which asks for a fresh set of funding by mobilising available instruments in the Multiannual framework. ECR shadow rapporteur and CULT Coordinator Dace Melbārde is supporting this approach. The ECR Group is of the opinion that additional focus should be drawn to empowering youths in EU’s outermost regions as well as strengthening youth’s mental well-being after the pandemic.

Vote: Monday @ 15:00

ECR Eurolat delegation meets with Cuban Exiles

On a delegation trip to Miami, USA, from Sunday 14 November to Sunday 20 November, Members of the ECR Eurolat Initiative for Democracy will meet political and civil society representatives to campaign for and to debate human rights, freedom and democracy in Cuba.

Meetings will be held with members of the Asamblea de la Resistencia Cubana, a coalition of 35 anti-Communist and pro human rights groups from inside and outside Cuba, with European sympathizers, leading figures of the opposition from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia and other countries. Civil society organizations and foundations will also attend. On Thursday, public debates will be held on topics such as Cuba as the centre of drug trafficking in the region, and how the EU’s Member States should act towards regimes that dismantle, violate or directly suppress the rights and freedoms of their citizens. On Saturday and Sunday, the Transatlantic Parliamentary Coalition for a Free Cuba will be inaugurated and a common declaration signed.

When: Sunday 14 November - Sunday 20 November

International ECR Conference “Maritime Security and the Blue Economy - Unexploded munitions and chemical residues in the sea - in search for lasting and economically viable solutions”

The 20th century was marked by wars that shook both Europe and the wider world. One of the lesser examined yet lingering consequences of warfare in Europe is the dangerous refuse that still litters our sea beds. On Wednesday, an international conference organised and hosted by MEP Anna Fotyga, ECR Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, will bring together key experts from Europe and North America. Keynote speeches from Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Seas and Fisheries and Jacek Sasin, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Minister of State Assets, will be followed by 3 panel discussions, including special remarks from Terrance P. Long, CEO, International Dialogues on Underwater Munitions, Canada and Ambassador Vaidotas Verba, Head of Mission of the Republic of Lithuania to the International organizations in Vienna.

By drawing from their knowledge on unexploded ordnance, munitions and chemicals lying at the bottom of our seas and oceans, and their understanding of the legal framework and interventions that have already taken place, this event aims to formulate proposals for the most effective and economically viable solutions. Moreover, the expert panellists will present firm policy recommendations for the EU Institutions, Member States, scientific community, private sector and other stakeholders, based on environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions for controlling and cleaning the pollution emerging from the dumped munitions.

You can follow the live broadcast on YouTube (EN & PL) or on Twitter.

The full agenda is available here.

Find out more on the ECR actions for the Baltic Sea here.

Live broadcast: Wednesday @ 10:00 - 16:00