Strengthening EU return procedures; AI Omnibus: Europe still needs competitiveness push; Stepping up the fight against corruption; Advancing a European Framework for space activities; Global Gateway; Restoring stability in EU–US trade relations; Ensuring energy security and affordability; Conclusions of the European Council; Press Conference: No-Go Zones, Immigration, Islamisation, and the rise of parallel societies

Strengthening EU return procedures

On Thursday morning, Parliament will vote on whether to enter interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) on the proposal to establish a common system for the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the European Union. This legislation seeks to replace the current Returns Directive, which has proven largely ineffective, with only around 20 per cent of return decisions being successfully implemented. The new Regulation aims to introduce a more coherent and operational European return framework, with harmonised procedures, mutual recognition of return decisions between Member States, and stronger tools to ensure effective enforcement. It also includes stricter obligations for individuals to cooperate with authorities, clearer detention rules, and provisions addressing security risks, alongside a reinforced external dimension through cooperation with third countries and the possible establishment of return hubs. The ECR Group supports the proposal, which prioritises practical effectiveness and addresses longstanding shortcomings in the EU’s migration system. By reducing procedural obstacles and strengthening enforcement mechanisms, the proposal aims to ensure that return decisions are no longer ignored but properly implemented. The Group particularly welcomes the broader security provisions, enhanced investigative powers for authorities, and the increased flexibility for Member States to develop external solutions. These measures reflect a necessary shift toward a more credible and results-oriented migration policy. For the ECR Group, restoring the effectiveness of return procedures is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring the integrity of the European asylum system. A functioning migration policy must guarantee that those without a legal right to remain are returned, while protection continues to be granted to those in genuine need. This proposal represents an important step in that direction.

Vote: Thursday @ 11:00

AI Omnibus: Europe still needs competitiveness push

On Thursday, lawmakers will vote on the AI Omnibus, part of the European Commission’s digital simplification package aimed at clarifying the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act. While the ECR Group welcomes efforts to improve legal certainty and make the framework more workable, it underlines that the current text does not yet fully reflect the challenges facing European innovators and businesses. The Group supports the compromise agreement as a step in the right direction but believes further improvements will be needed in plenary to ensure that Europe’s AI framework truly supports innovation, investment and technological leadership. Europe cannot build its AI future on a system that prioritises control over creativity. Across the European innovation ecosystem, stakeholders have repeatedly warned that parts of the framework risk slowing down investment and the deployment of AI technologies. While the AI Omnibus offered an opportunity to address these concerns, the current compromise falls short of expectations. What is needed now is a clear cultural shift—one that both safeguards fundamental rights and actively supports innovation and competitiveness through actions not mere words. This is a direction the ECR Group will continue to advocate for.

Vote: Thursday @ 11:00

Stepping up the fight against corruption

On Wednesday, the Parliament will debate the outcome of trilogue negotiations on the EU Anti-Corruption Directive. The proposal aims to strengthen the fight against corruption across the Union by introducing common definitions of corruption-related offences, as well as minimum standards for penalties. It also suggests some preventive measures. However, the final compromise is less ambitious than initially envisaged and less ambitious than what European citizens expected from EU lawmakers following a series of corruption scandals in Brussels. We regret that the negotiations led to the dilution of several key provisions that Member States and the EU are obliged to introduce as part of their international obligations under UN, Council of Europe, and OECD conventions. As a result, the proposal falls short of delivering a truly comprehensive anti-corruption framework. The ECR Group believes that the directive, while a step in the right direction, requires significant improvements, as proposed in ECR’s amendments. These concern, in particular, extending anti-corruption obligations to Union officials, ensuring the specialisation of anti-corruption bodies, and maintaining robust provisions on foreign corruption. A vote will take place on Thursday.

Debate: Wednesday @ 20:00

Vote: Thursday @ 11:00

Advancing a European Framework for space activities

On Tuesday morning, the ITRE Committee will discuss the report on the safety, resilience and sustainability of space activities in the European Union, presented by ECR rapporteur Elena Donazzan. The proposed EU Space Act represents a landmark step toward establishing a common European framework for space activities, aiming to reduce fragmentation between national systems while strengthening safety, resilience and sustainability standards across the sector. The ECR Group recognises the importance of creating a genuine single market for space, where operators benefit from clear and harmonised rules. At the same time, the report underlines that simplification must remain the guiding principle. A European framework should reduce administrative burdens—not replace national fragmentation with a more complex centralised system. For the ECR Group, the Space Act should strike a careful balance between ambition and practicality. Establishing common rules is necessary, but their success will ultimately depend on keeping the framework simple, proportionate and innovation-friendly, ensuring that Europe’s space sector can continue to grow, compete globally and deliver strategic value for the Union.

When: Tuesday @ 10:00

Where: ANTALL (2Q2)

Global Gateway

On Thursday, Parliament will debate and vote on the own-initiative report on Global Gateway, the EU’s flagship external investment strategy aimed at mobilising up to €300 billion in sustainable infrastructure worldwide. The report reviews progress to date and sets out priorities for the future, highlighting the initiative’s role in strengthening the EU’s global presence through partnerships that combine development, economic and strategic objectives. The ECR Group acknowledges that Global Gateway has delivered tangible results in a relatively short period, including the mobilisation of significant investments and the rollout of projects across key sectors such as energy, digital connectivity and transport. The initiative has also contributed to shifting the EU’s external action toward a more partnership-based approach. At the same time, the Group notes that the report does not fully address several structural issues, including governance, transparency and the role of Member States in shaping and implementing the strategy. Questions also remain regarding how effectively the framework ensures accountability, safeguards conditionality, supports migration management objectives, and provides a clear alignment with both EU and Member States’ strategic and economic interests. While recognising the importance of the Global Gateway initiative and its potential to strengthen Europe’s global engagement, the ECR Group considers that the report would benefit from greater clarity, focus and a stronger role for Member States to ensure its long-term effectiveness and coherence.

Debate: Thursday @ 9:00

Vote: Thursday @ 11:00

Restoring stability in EU–US trade relations

On Thursday, Parliament is set to vote on two proposals implementing the EU–US trade framework aimed at stabilising transatlantic economic relations. The package includes the suspension of customs duties on certain imports, as well as adjustments to tariffs and the opening of tariff quotas for selected US goods, with the objective of reducing trade friction and providing greater predictability for businesses on both sides. The ECR Group supports efforts to move forward with the agreement and provide a clearer and more stable framework for European industry. A clear and reliable transatlantic trade framework is essential to support investment, competitiveness and economic growth, while maintaining a balanced and forward-looking partnership with the United States.

Vote: Thursday @ 11:00

Ensuring energy security and affordability

On Wednesday, Parliament will debate energy security, focusing on how to ensure stable supply, market resilience and affordable energy for both industry and citizens in an increasingly challenging geopolitical context. For the ECR Group, the priority must be clear: restoring affordability and competitiveness. Rising energy prices are placing a growing burden on households and undermining Europe’s industrial base at a time when global competition is intensifying. In this context, the Group warns that current EU policies, in particular the Emissions Trading System (ETS), are adding further pressure by acting as a structural cost driver rather than a stabilising market tool. The ECR Group calls for urgent action to address market distortions and reduce energy costs, including a fundamental reassessment of the ETS.

Debate: Wednesday @ 16:00

Conclusions of the European Council

On Wednesday, MEPs will assess the outcome of the 19–20 March European Council in a debate with Presidents António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen. A politically relevant development emerged on the margins of the meeting, where a group of Member convened to address migration. The discussion pointed to a clear shift in tone. Participating leaders stressed the need to prevent a repetition of the 2015 migration crisis, strengthen return policies and reinforce the EU’s legal and operational framework for managing migration. Particular emphasis was placed on preparedness, stronger control of external borders and more effective return procedures, including progress on the forthcoming Return Regulation and the use of safe third country concepts. For the ECR Group, this reflects a growing recognition among Member States that migration must be addressed with greater realism and determination. The focus on preparedness, control and returns aligns with long-standing ECR priorities. The debate will be an opportunity to assess whether these political signals are followed by concrete and timely action at EU level.

Debate: Wednesday @ 15:00

Press Conference:

No-Go Zones, Immigration, Islamisation, and the rise of parallel societies

On Tuesday, 24 March at 17:00, the ECR Group will host a press conference in the European Parliament to present a new study on the emergence of so-called “no-go zones” and the wider phenomenon of parallel societal structures across Europe. Drawing on comparative data across several EU Member States, the study identifies recurring patterns of territorial fragmentation, weakened state authority, and the consolidation of parallel norms in certain urban areas. It highlights the role of failed integration, persistent cultural distance, and, in some cases, the emergence of Islamist counter-societies that challenge the uniform application of the law and shared civic standards. At a time when questions of social cohesion, public security and democratic resilience are becoming more pressing across Europe, the discussion will focus on how policymakers can respond to these developments, restore state authority, and ensure that common rules and values apply across all parts of society. Interpretation available into English, Italian and French.

When: Tuesday @ 17:00

Where: Anna Politkovskaya Press Room, SPAAK 0A50

Interactio link for journalists: https://ep.interactio.eu/link/pressconfp1254698545582