Danish Council presidency: high expectations; Remembering the Srebrenica genocide; EU-China summit: no illusions; Entry-Exit System expected to get the green light; Taking a long-term perspective on the EU’s energy needs; Georgia on our minds; Transatlantic trade; Climate Law revision only scratches the surface; Next multi-year budget needs to reflect challenges facing EU; Timber law needs a major rethink; The human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine must not be ignored; Marking the 51st anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus; Event: 80 Years of History, 80 Years of ANSA.

Danish Council presidency: high expectations

The ECR Group will contribute to the debate on the Danish Council presidency’s programme when it is presented to the European Parliament on Tuesday. On migration, we want to see a firmer and more realistic approach, focusing on stronger external border control, effective returns and strategic partnerships with third countries. On Ukraine, our Group calls on the Danish presidency to reaffirm the European Union’s steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to self-defence. On security and defence, we want to see a major upgrade in Member States’ defence spending, capability development and cooperation, to ensure the EU possesses the strategic tools required to address evolving security threats.

Debate: Tuesday @ 10:30

Remembering the Srebrenica genocide

The Srebrenica massacre of around 8,000 Bosniak men and boys was orchestrated by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in the final months of the country’s devastating war. Srebrenica was the world’s first legally recognised genocide since World War II. The ECR Group commemorates this organised act of genocide and recognises the lifelong legacy of pain and suffering for survivors and families of those murdered. We support the ongoing work to help communities recover, to locate and recover the remains of those murdered, and to hold to account those responsible. We are concerned about the ongoing destabilisation of BiH by Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, and we reject any moves towards secession. The ECR Group will also contribute to the plenary debate on the Commission’s 2023 and 2024 reports on BiH — reports which demonstrate the country’s painstakingly slow progress towards EU accession.

Monday @ 17:00: Statement by the EP President on 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide

Tuesday @ 20:00: Debate on 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on BiH

EU-China summit: no illusions

Confronting difficult topics and pursuing Europe’s interests through frank dialogue — this is what the ECR Group wants to see from the forthcoming EU-China summit. After half a century of formal EU-China relations, the summit will provide a useful opportunity to review the achievements, shortcomings and aspirations for this important but complex relationship. We expect Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa to defend vigorously the EU’s positions, whether on unfair trading practices, Beijing’s support for the Kremlin in its war of aggression against Ukraine, or human rights. Our Group is also committed to supporting democratic Taiwan’s autonomy and economic freedom.

Debate: Wednesday @ 9:00

Entry-Exit System expected to get the green light

Many years have passed since the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES) was supposed to be operational, but for ECR MEP and rapporteur Assita Kanko the introduction of the system is better late than never. Ms Kanko welcomes the inter-institutional agreement on the rollout of the EES as a way to make Europe safer and more secure — but it should not detract from the need to focus on the crisis of illegal migration taking place on the EU’s external borders. The EES will register data, including biometric data such as facial images and fingerprints, of third country nationals entering and leaving the Schengen area on short stay visas. The aim is to improve security, speed up the border check process, and reduce queues. The system is also expected to reduce violations of entry rules.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:00

Taking a long-term perspective on the EU’s energy needs

Detaching the EU’s energy needs from Russia and adhering to the principle of keeping technological neutrality: these are among the points in an own-initiative report by ECR MEP Beata Szydło to be voted on Tuesday. The report highlights the need to steadily and permanently cut off supplies to the EU of Russian hydrocarbons and nuclear fuels as a strategic imperative, following many years in which the Kremlin has weaponised energy supplies for diplomatic purposes. The report also stresses the potential of deployment of small modular nuclear reactors alongside renewables, and the need to adopt comprehensive long-term strategy for natural gas to meet the challenges of security of supply and the significant increase in expected energy demand in the coming years. Ms Szydło further stresses the importance of considering the vast differences in Member States’ economies and energy markets when approaching the issue of decarbonisation.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:00

Georgia on our minds

The precipitous decline in democratic standards and civil freedoms in Georgia will be our focus in the debate on the Commission’s 2023 and 2024 monitoring reports on the country. Recent street protests against the government indicate the strength of feeling among ordinary citizens about Georgia’s turn away from its previous trajectory towards closer integration with the EU. We remain concerned about the stark polarisation of politics and society in Georgia and the way in which this instability benefits Russia’s geopolitical agenda. We call for the immediate release of all political prisoners including former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Debate: Tuesday @ 21:00

Transatlantic trade

The European Union’s commercial relationship with the United States will come under the spotlight on Wednesday, when MEPs will receive an update from the Commission on negotiations for a renewed transatlantic trade framework. The ECR Group will continue to be guided by our strong belief in the exceptional character and irreplaceability of the Europe-US partnership, which is based on prosperity, democracy and shared values. We will continue our call for a zero-tariff trade agreement that nurtures deeper transatlantic integration and drives growth and jobs in both markets.

Debate: Wednesday 14:00

Climate Law revision only scratches the surface

We want climate policy to be achievable, and to balance ambition with economic sustainability, energy security and social cohesion. Tweaking the European Climate Law in the way the Commission suggested last week risks causing irreparable damage to Europe’s industries and the millions of workers whose jobs depend on them: that’s the approach the ECR Group will take into Tuesday afternoon debate on the revision of the European Climate Law. We consider even the revised legal framework to be wishful thinking that remains driven by ideology rather than achievable policy goals. In particular we find the idea to achieve emissions targets via international carbon credits to be not only misplaced but a sign the Commission still has not grasped that it’s the policy itself that needs much deeper revision and not only the methods of achieving targets.

Tuesday @ 15:00

Next multi-year budget needs to reflect challenges facing EU

The challenges faced by the EU over the past decade – from the Covid-19 pandemic to sluggish economic growth to Russia’s warmongering in Ukraine – demonstrate the need for a new approach to programming the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2027. For the ECR Group, flexibility and responsiveness are essential if the EU is to be capable of responding more effectively to new challenges on the horizon — whether those we can predict and shape, like technological development and defence readiness, or those that we can’t foresee. We also want to see better policy integration across sectors to deliver better value for money for European citizens — but we are opposed to new joint debt and new own resources as means to finance the MFF.

Debate: Wednesday @ 10:30

Timber law needs a major rethink

The European Commission’s methodology in the Deforestation Regulation for categorising third countries by risk is seriously flawed and needs to be reconsidered. This shortcoming explains why we will object to the Commission’s proposed implementing act for the Regulation. The benchmarking methodology used to categorise countries is based on outdated data. There is also a lack of transparency regarding the weighting of different risk factors, ignorance of regional diversity within countries and simplification of complex deforestation dynamics. We are concerned that the inconsistency in the implementing act could facilitate circumvention through imports from low-risk proxy countries. Fundamentally, the implementing act undermines the EUDR’s primary objective of equalising agricultural production and logging standards between the EU and third countries.

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

The human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine must not be ignored

On Wednesday, the European Parliament will vote on a previously debated resolution addressing the devastating human impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. From the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, to the execution, torture, and inhumane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war, Russia’s war crimes are well-documented and must not go unanswered. The ECR Group reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and its people, and strongly condemns the Kremlin’s ongoing and systematic violations of international humanitarian law.

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

Marking the 51st anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

Ahead of the European Parliament’s upcoming debate commemorating the 51st anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the ECR Group reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. The Turkish invasion has inflicted profound and lasting suffering on the Republic of Cyprus, which its population has endured continuously since 1974. Thousands remain displaced, missing, and the wounds of occupation still unhealed. For the ECR Group, a lasting solution on the Cyprus issue must be based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Debate: Wednesday @ 18:00

Event: 80 Years of History, 80 Years of ANSA

On Tuesday, Vice-President of the European Parliament and ECR MEP Antonella Sberna will host the inauguration of the photo exhibition “80 Years of History, 80 Years of ANSA: From the Treaties of Rome to Artificial Intelligence” at the European Parliament in Strasbourg (WEISS Building, 1st floor, “Emilio Colombo” Area), starting at 12:30 p.m. or following the voting session.

Organised in collaboration with ANSA to mark its 80th anniversary, the exhibition features a curated selection of powerful images first presented at the MAXXI Museum in Rome. It offers a visual journey through the major events that have shaped Europe and the world, highlighting the essential role of journalism and information in the European integration process.

When: Tuesday @ 12:30

Where: Emilio Colombo Area, EP, Strasbourg