Shaping digital education policy; Reversing demographic trends across EU regions through cohesion policy instruments; Impacts of EU rules on the free movement of workers and services; A united EU response in support of democratic change in Belarus

Shaping digital education policy

On Monday, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will vote on ECR rapporteur Anna Zalewska’s opinion on the “shaping digital education policy” INI report. Ms Zalewska highlights the need to improve access to high-speed internet in all public institutions and households as a precondition for any progress related to digital education and digital skills. Ms Zalewska stresses the need to further train teachers by strengthening their digital skills and critical thinking. She also emphasises the need to improve children and young people‘s media skills to enable them to assess and overcome the dangers posed by fake news, cyber-bullying, radicalisation, cyber-security issues and fraud.

Vote: Monday @ 9 am

Reversing demographic trends across EU regions through cohesion policy instruments

On Monday, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will vote on ECR rapporteurs’ Mazaly Aguilar’s (AGRI) and Elżbieta Rafalska’s (EMPL) opinions on “Reversing demographic trends in EU regions using cohesion policy instruments”. The ECR Group highlights the need to rethink policies designed to tackle demographic problems and create new opportunities for economic and social development in rural areas.

Vote in EMPL: Monday @ 9 am

Vote in AGRI: Monday @ 5 pm

Impacts of EU rules on the free movement of workers and services

On Monday, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will vote on ECR rapporteur Ruža Tomašić’s opinion on intra-EU labour mobility as a tool to match labour market needs and skills. For the ECR, better targeting of EU funds would support worker mobility, ensuring better use of the information available and improving the collection and use of data on the patterns of labour mobility flows and imbalances within the labour market and recalls that maintain farming employment as a key role in keeping rural economies alive.

Vote: Monday @ 5 pm

A united EU response in support of democratic change in Belarus

On Wednesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Sub-committee on Human Rights and the Delegation for relations with Belarus will debate a possible EU response in support of democratic change in Belarus. The ECR Group is in favour of pressure to be exerted not only on Lukashenko, but that a clear message is sent to Moscow too. The ECR also co-authored the European Parliament’s resolution on the continuous violations of human rights in Belarus that was adopted on Thursday, 26 November.

Debate: Tuesday @ 4.45 pm