Upgrade for EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation; Situation in Afghanistan; Follow-up on the 2019 discharge – report on Palestinian Textbooks; Plant breeders' rights.

Upgrade for EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation

On Wednesday, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will be voting on the first ever European Parliament report dedicated to EU-Taiwan relations. The own initiative report recommends that the HR/VP and the Commission intensify EU-Taiwan relations and pursue a comprehensive enhanced partnership. ECR Rapporteur Charlie Weimers believes that an impact assessment, public consultation and scoping exercise on a Bilateral Investment Agreement with Taiwan should occur before the end of 2021. The ECR Group considers Taiwan a key partner and an important democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific region. Given Taiwan’s valuable contributions to the international community concerning many challenges of our time, the ECR Group strongly advocates for Taiwan’s meaningful participation as an observer in meetings, mechanisms and activities of international bodies, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

When: Wednesday @ 9:00 & 16:45

Situation in Afghanistan

On Wednesday, the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Development, as well as Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Afghanistan, the EEAS, and the European Commission will debate on the current situation in Afghanistan, including humanitarian and security dimensions. The ECR Group urges the EU to increase its efforts at establishing and maintaining dialogue and cooperation with regional partners and stresses the need for increased EU-US policy coordination and dialogue on Afghanistan and regional issues.

When: Wednesday @ 17:45

Follow-up on the 2019 discharge – report on Palestinian Textbooks

On Thursday, the Joint Committees on Culture and Education, Budgetary Control and Foreign Affairs will discuss Palestinian schoolbooks used by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The European Parliament had expressed its concerns about Palestinian schoolbooks used by the UNRWA in a resolution on the 2019 accounts that advocated hatred against Israel and Jews. Parliament instructed the Commission to ensure that substandard teaching materials were immediately removed. The ECR Group cannot support that the EU finances hatred against Jews with taxpayers’ money.

When: Thursday @ 16:45

Plant breeders’ rights

Innovation of new flower bulbs in the EU will be boosted, thanks to an extension of plant variety rights by five years. The development of a new variety enhances sustainability, but is very costly because it takes dozens of years. The European Parliament Committee on Agriculture will vote on the trilogue outcome of ECR rapporteur Bert-Jan Ruissen’s report on Wednesday afternoon. Ruissen expects a large majority to back the EU compromise that was reached before the summer break. In addition to flower bulbs, the extension covers asparagus, woody small fruits and woody ornamental plants.

When: Wednesday @ 13:55