This is Europe, debate with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz; Reduce industry's methane Emissions; Against greenwashing; Fight against illegal migration; Increase Europe's ammunition production; The role of farmers in the EU; Utopic proposal for new own resources; Revision of the Stability and Growth Pact; Additional EU Macro-Financial assistance for the Republic of Moldova; A standardisation strategy for the single market;

This is Europe, debate with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz

On Tuesday morning, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will give his views on current EU events and policies as part of the “This is Europe” debates. Co-Chairman Prof Ryszard Legutko will speak on behalf of the ECR Group.

Debate: Tuesday @ 10:30

Reduce industry’s methane emissions

On Monday, MEPs will debate a new regulation to reduce methane emissions from the oil, gas and coal industries. It will impose obligations on the industry, such as measuring, reporting and verifying emissions (MRV), leak detection and repair (LDAR) provisions and restrictions on venting and flaring of methane. The ECR Group supports efforts to limit and reduce methane emissions. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the introduction of new obligations and restrictions on European operators is based on available, cost-effective technologies and is technology neutral. The vote will take place on Tuesday.

Debate: Monday @ 17:00

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:00

Against greenwashing

Late Tuesday evening, MEPs will debate their negotiating position for the trilogue on a directive to improve product labelling, to make products last longer and to put an end to misleading claims. Greenwashing has become a serious issue in recent years and could be experienced more often as the EU advances the Green Deal agenda. For the ECR Group, it is important to combat misleading or unclear green claims. However, it is also crucial to maintain a balance between regulatory intervention and sufficient freedom for companies to develop trustworthy, sustainable certification schemes. It is also important not to reduce the purchasing power of EU consumers while also prohibiting confirmed practices that lead to premature obsolescence of products. The vote will take place on Thursday.

Debate: Tuesday @ 21:00

Vote: Thursday @ 12.00

Fight against illegal migration

In the topical debate on Wednesday afternoon, the ECR Group will stress that the externalisation of asylum applications can be an important element to address the shortcomings and failures of the current system, which is based on temporary and voluntary solidarity mechanisms. Helping to build capacity to process asylum applications outside the borders of EU Member States and ensuring a more effective implementation of return agreements by promoting partnerships with third countries are complementary and essential measures for a common European migration strategy.

Debate: Wednesday @ 13.30

Increase Europe’s ammunition production

On Monday evening, the European Parliament will debate the recent adoption of the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP). ASAP’s purpose is to facilitate a ramping-up of the EU’s ammunition production capacity, giving the EU defence industry the means to better support not only Member States’ armed forces, but Ukraine’s too. Key objectives of the package include securing a stable supply of critical and raw materials and addressing bottlenecks in the production of ammunition. For the ECR Group, urgently making ammunition available to Ukraine must be among the Union’s top priorities. With Russia’s illegal and barbaric war of aggression against the country still raging, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting to protect European civilisation, risking their lives on the battlefield every day. The European Union must not abandon them.

When: Monday @ 17:00

The role of farmers in the EU

In the key debate on Wednesday morning, the European Parliament will discuss the role of farmers as enablers of the green transition. According to the ECR Group, we need a major change in the Union’s rural development policy and strategy. Farmers play a very important role in our societies. The EU should therefore aim for an increasingly sustainable agricultural system, not only in environmental terms, but also in social and economic terms. In this sense, we need to strengthen all possible instruments that can contribute to the development and stabilisation of the EU’s rural areas. The EU also needs better coordination between cohesion policy, the Common Agricultural Policy and the NextGenerationEU programmes. Last but not least, food security in Europe must be maintained, especially in times of crisis.

Debate: Wednesday @ 9:00

Utopic proposal for new own resources

On Monday evening, MEPs will debate the own-initiative report, “Own resources: a new start for EU finances, a new start for Europe”, which proposes a set of new revenue streams for the Union ahead of a second batch of new own resources to be published by the Commission later this year. For the ECR Group, the proposal is a no-go and contains many suggestions which severely overstep the mark of what can be considered reasonable. For example, creating a statistics-based own resources based on the gender pay gap. The ECR Group has always upheld the principle of respecting member states’ competences, with taxation being one of them. Instead, the EU should focus on reducing its own administrative costs and increasing efficiency of expenditure, as well as transparency, before seeking additional resources. The vote will take place on Wednesday.

Debate: Monday @ 17:00

Vote: Wednesday @ 12:00

Revision of the Stability and Growth Pact

On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the Commission’s legislative proposals for a review of the EU’s economic governance framework, published on 26 April, with Council and Commission representatives. By 2023, the EU’s public deficit is expected to rise to 3.6 per cent of GDP, while public debt will reach 85 per cent. These are record levels, especially as public budgets have been hit hard by the Covid crisis. The ECR Group believes that public debt should be managed in a rational and trustworthy way, while safeguarding national sovereignty and implementing growth-enhancing investments.

Debate: Tuesday @ 9:00

Additional EU macro-financial assistance for the Republic of Moldova

On Tuesday, MEP’s will vote on the Commission’s proposal to increase the funds of the ongoing Macro-Financial assistance (MFA) operation to the Republic of Moldova by up to €145 million. The additional assistance aims to provide further support to Moldova, whose economy has not only been severely hit by the consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, but also impacted by the energy crisis and soaring inflation. This increased funding will be linked to policy conditionality and good progress in implementing the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). The ECR Group strongly agrees with this increase in funding for Moldova and has always supported Moldova’s path to a real European future.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:00

A standardisation strategy for the single market

On Tuesday, the Parliament will vote on an own-initiative report by ECR rapporteur Adam Bielan on a standardisation strategy for the internal market. The report strives to shed light on, and address, the strengths and weaknesses of the standardisation system in the EU, as identified during consultations with stakeholders. The report recognises the essential role of the standardisation process in improving the efficiency, accessibility and inclusiveness of the internal market. A key issue highlighted in the report concerns the shift of responsibilities between the Commission and the standardisation organisations. Mr Bielan said: “I firmly believe that stakeholders should lead the process, while the Commission plays an active role in highlighting challenges and any divergence from requirements.” International cooperation is another critical aspect emphasized in the report. To safeguard our global trade dynamics, it is crucial to ensure the prevalence of inclusive, like-minded approaches towards standardisation at the international level. This is particularly relevant for us and our geopolitical partners, such as the US, Canada, and other likeminded economies.

The report also underscores the need for reform in the EU standardisation process, prompted by delays in adopting standards - a hurdle especially for smaller companies. One of the challenges Bielan sees for the EU is rapid technological change: “The EU will have to adapt quickly to ensure that standards keep pace with new technologies without stifling innovation and the development of new services. Our report makes it clear that standards are voluntary tools and should not be overused to impose specific ideas at the technical level when implementing the law. In other words, we emphasize the importance of a market-driven process behind the standards.” Mr Bielan will speak and briefly present the text before the vote.

Vote: Tuesday @ 12:00