EU Council Conclusions; European Migration Pact watered down?; General Product Safety Regulation; Close the hole in the ozone layer; 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement; Conference and Exhibition: Commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943; Conference: The many faces of anti-Semitism; L'Eroica Italy Cycling weekends exhibition

EU Council Conclusions

With the mini-plenary session in Brussels starting on Wednesday afternoon, the European Parliament will debate the outcome of the European Council of 23-24 March in the presence of Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini will speak on behalf of the ECR Group.

Debate: Wednesday @ 15:00

European Migration Pact watered down?

In the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, efforts are being made to bring the European Migration Pact to a vote on Tuesday. The ECR group wants to make borders more secure, speed up procedures and make a clear distinction between economic migrants and asylum seekers. Ideally, inadmissible asylum seekers should not be allowed to enter the country in the first place and those who have entered illegally should be quickly deported. The smuggling of migrants should be combated, also in cooperation with third countries. The ECR Group saw the Commission proposal as a good starting point. Unfortunately, left-wing forces in the Parliament are trying to weaken this approach and make it almost impossible for Member States to effectively combat illegal migration to the EU. The ECR Group considers this to be irresponsible towards the Member States and towards legitimate refugees themselves.

When: Tuesday @ 14:00
Where: JAN - 4Q2

General Product Safety Regulation

On Wednesday, the European Parliament will debate the General Product Safety Regulation. The Regulation concerns a set of horizontal rules that are a basis for a safety net for non-harmonised products in the EU. The draft agreement between the Council and the Parliament, which will replace the current General Product Safety Directive, aims to respond to the challenges emerging in the field of product safety, such as new ways of acquiring products and their progressive digitalisation. The ECR Group believes that the revised text is a well-founded set of rules and that the proposed law will strengthen consumer safety without being unduly burdensome. The vote will take place on Thursday,

Debate: Wednesday @ 15:00
Vote: Thursday @ 11:30

Close the hole in the ozone layer

On Wednesday, the mini-plenary will debate an update of the regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The proposal sets out requirements for the recovery or destruction of ozone-depleting substances from insulating foams (when buildings are renovated or demolished), removes obsolete quotas and improves enforcement and monitoring to better combat illegal activities and to track trade and emissions. ECR shadow rapporteur Anna Zalewska particularly welcomed the better control of trade in ozone depleting substances, the reduction of emissions and the streamlining of existing requirements. The vote will take place on Thursday. The hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic is expected to close by the middle of the current century.

Debate: Wednesday @ 16:00
Vote: Thursday @ 11:30

25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement

On Wednesday, the mini-plenary will begin with a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, concluded on 10 April 1998. The ECR Group pays tribute to this act of statecraft, which paved the way for the transformation of Northern Ireland by laying a new foundation for a safer, more prosperous and inclusive future for all.

When: Wednesday @ 15:00

Conference and Exhibition: Commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943

On Wednesday, a conference and an exhibition, both hosted by ECR MEPs Anna Fotyga and Adam Bielan, will commemorate 80 years since the Warsaw ghetto uprising. The uprising took place in German-occupied Poland between 19 April and 16 May 1943 as an act of fierce and desperate resistance to Nazi Germany’s efforts to transport the ghetto’s remaining population to death camps in Majdanek and Treblinka. The conference, entitled: ‘Though if it be to die, we will fight… and our deeds will live forever’, will feature a keynote from Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Piotr Gliński, as well as interventions from a range of reputed figures from the Polish and Jewish cultural and civic sectors. The opening of the exhibition, entitled: ‘City of the Living, City of the Dead’, will take place the same afternoon, and will also pay tribute to the heroes of the uprising. “80 years ago in German-occupied Poland, with no hope for victory, the Jews of Warsaw chose to die with dignity, with guns in their hands. Polish and Jewish flags proudly hung over Warsaw, testifying to the fight against the occupier”, Anna Fotyga commented. Both the conference and the exhibition opening will be streamed live on the ECR Group’s YouTube channel.

Conference: ‘Though if it be to die, we will fight… and our deeds will live forever’
When: Wednesday @ 10:30
Where: SPAAK 6B54, European Parliament, Brussels
The stream of the conference can be found here.
The list of speakers can be found here.

Exhibition opening: ‘City of the Living, City of the Dead’
When: Wednesday @ 12:30
Where: Yehudi Menuhin area, SPAAK, European Parliament, Brussels
The stream of the exhibition opening can be found here.
The list of speakers can be found here.

Conference: The many faces of anti-Semitism

A remark may be considered anti-Semitic by one person, but not by another. Is it hatred of Jews or hatred of Israel? These questions will be discussed at a conference with the EU Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism, Ms Katharina von Schnurbein. The event will be hosted by ECR MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen, who supports the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). It focuses on rhetorical and physical hatred against Jews, and Jewish community and religious institutions. Ruissen is calling for more institutions to adopt this definition.More details on the event can be found here.

When: Thursday @ 13:30 - 15:30
Where: SPAAK 5B1

L’Eroica Italy Cycling weekends exhibition

On Tuesday, Vice-President of the European Parliament Roberts Zile and MEP Carlo Fidanza will host the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the vintage non-competitive bicycle tour, “L’Eroica”. They invite the public to focus on a healthy lifestyle and appreciate the cultural-historical connection with one of the Europeans’ favourite sports, road cycling, while observing the historic valleys and dusty roads.
According to ECR TRAN coordinator Mr Zīle, who has part-taken in several races, “L’Eroica” is a great combination of tourism infrastructure and use of the transport network. The exhibition will explain how the L’Eroica Italy events have become a global success, with cycling weekends taking place across the globe, attracting thousands of cyclists. Several vintage bicycles, posters from previous cycling weekends and cycling memorabilia will feature in the exhibition. More details on the event can be found here.

When: Tuesday @ 18:00
Where: SPINELLI 3rd floor – Bar area

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