ECR Group to vote against excessive Nature Restoration Law; Euro 7 emission standards; European Parliament must not turn a blind eye to Palestinian terrorism; Modern vocational education and training is a response to labour market challenges; Council Meeting 29-30 June; Panel Discussion: ‘Failed State: A Guide to Russia’s Rupture’; Private gas suppliers at risk;

ECR Group to vote against excessive Nature Restoration Law

On Tuesday morning, the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) will meet again to finalise the vote on the Nature Restoration Law. The previous vote in the committee on 15 June had to be interrupted because there was not enough time to vote on all the amendments. During the turbulent vote, no majority emerged in favour for the rigid and far-reaching law. The ECR Group reiterates its opposition to the draft proposal, which fails to address the economic and social needs of European farmers. Conservation of Europe’s nature is important, but the ECR believes that a more balanced proposal is needed.

When: Tuesday 27 @ 10:30

Where: ANTALL 2Q2

Euro 7 emission standards

On Tuesday afternoon, ECR Rapporteur Alexandr Vondra will present the proposal on Euro 7 emissions standards in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The presentation of the file was postponed until 27 June, following the extended Nature Restoration Law vote on 15 June. The proposal is part of the European Commission’s Green Deal and aims to develop stricter emission standards for all petrol and diesel cars, vans, lorries and buses. It will set out the final tailpipe standards for petrol and diesel cars before the move to zero-emission vehicles in 2035. As Euro 7 covers emissions from brakes and tyres, it also has an impact on electric vehicles. Mr Vondra believes it is crucial to engage in further dialogue and negotiations with different stakeholders, including the Parliament, Member States, industry and consumer groups. This will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of its potential impacts and facilitate improvements to the Euro 7 proposal. The ECR Group believes that care should be taken to strike a balance between environmental objectives and the interests of manufacturers and consumers.

When: Tuesday @ 14:30

Where: ANTALL 2Q2

European Parliament must not turn a blind eye to Palestinian terrorism

On Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on an own-initiative report on the EU’s relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) which, despite its name, has little to do with the EU’s relations with the PA and more to do with blaming and condemning Israel for the conflict. According to the ECR’s shadow rapporteur Charlie Weimers, the text is very biased and fails to correctly address the EU’s relations with the PA or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for example by not outright condemning Palestinian terrorism or incitement to hatred. The ECR Group has requested several separate votes on amendments it has tabled that could significantly improve the tenor of the report, so as not to jeopardise the EU’s credibility on the issue.

When: Tuesday @ 15:00

Where: ANTALL 4Q2

Modern vocational education and training is a response to labour market challenges

On Wednesday, the Employment Committee will vote on the own-initiative report on vocational education and training by ECR rapporteur Anna Zalewska. Vocational education and training is urgently needed to address labour market challenges such as demographic change, labour shortages and skills gaps. However, certain conditions need to be met, such as better cooperation with enterprises to ensure lifelong learning and to promote intergenerational links. The European Union must be able to train skilled workers itself, as the COVID-19 pandemic and now the war in Ukraine have shown how important the EU’s independence is in this respect. The ECR Group also considers it particularly important that demographic change can be countered by measures at member state level. For companies, the administrative burden of vocational training should be kept as low as possible. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence in education are also of particular importance. It must also be stressed that people’s educational pathways can be very different and that this needs to be taken into account.

When: Wednesday @ 10:00

Where: ANTALL 2Q2

Council Meeting 29-30 June

On 29-30 June, European leaders will congregate to discuss themes such as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the European economy, security and defence, and migration. While Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine continues to rage on, the value of the EU’s support cannot be underestimated. The ECR Group calls on the Member States to continue providing much needed financial and military aid to Ukraine. Recent proposals to put frozen Russian assets towards rebuilding Ukraine are a must. Russia is responsible for this conflict and therefore must foot the bill of damages. On economic matters, the ECR Group welcomes proposals for an anti-coercion instrument to better defend European companies from unfair business practices. On migration, further measures are needed to secure the EU’s external borders and put an end to the lethal business model of human traffickers. The right to asylum must only be granted to those who are truly fleeing war and persecution.

Panel Discussion: ‘Failed State: A Guide to Russia’s Rupture’

On Thursday afternoon, ECR MEP Witold Waszczykowski will welcome author and senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C., Janusz Bugajski, to discuss his book ‘Failed State: A Guide to Russia’s Rupture’. The discussion will also feature guests including Robert Pszczel, senior officer for Russia and the Western Balkans in NATO and former head of NATO information office in Moscow, and Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski, political scientist and professor at the University of Łódź.

When: Thursday @ 12:00

Where: SPINELLI A1H1

Private gas suppliers at risk

On Tuesday, ECR MEP Lars-Patrick Berg will host experts from the European gas sector to discuss the shortcomings of the compensation mechanism that should have protected gas providers when supplies had to be replenished during the 2022/23 gas supply crisis. The European gas industry is now partly at risk. But Europe should preserve all the energy resources it has. Private gas suppliers, who played a key role in 2022, will still be needed to meet the challenges of next winter. Speakers include:

- Ambassador (ret.) Matthew J Bryza, Member Overgas Mrezhi AD, Bulgaria.

- Svetoslav Ivanov, Executive Director, Overgas Mrezhi AD, Bulgaria

- Silvio Cappellari, SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschutz, Brussels,

- Lars Patrick Berg, ECR MEP, host

Registration: larspatrick.berg@europarl.europa.eu

When: Tuesday @ 10:30

Where: WIERTZ 08 U 107