The European Commission's refusal to approve Hungary's recovery plans until legal reforms have been carried out in the member state and a guarantee given that corruption cases will be investigated has been met with incomprehension by the Co-Chairmen of the European Conservative and Reformists Group (ECR) in the European Parliament, Prof Ryszard Legutko and Raffaele Fitto. According to the Conservatives, governments that are critical or even opposed to further federalisation of the EU are penalised more than others. The ECR Group has long accused the Commission of applying such double standards.
21 July 2021
2013 NEWS
This week Czech MEP Edvard Kožušník met with José Luis Guerrero Martínez, political asylee from Ecuador accused in his country of sabotage and terrorism.
19 December 2013
The European Parliament’s economics committee today adopted its stance going into negotiations on the Banking Union’s Single Resolution Mechanism.
19 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets sets out the view of MEPs on the annual budget of the EU institutions.
17 December 2013
ECR Priorities: influence and credibility, national interest vs EU interest, defence cooperation, not defence duplication, defending human rights, tackling terrorism, overseas trade, EU enlargement, supporting our eastern neighbours, peace and stability, peace in the Middle East.
17 December 2013
The ECR Group is a centre-right political group in the European Parliament, founded in 2009 with a common cause to reform the EU on the basis of euro-realism, respecting the sovereignty of nations, and focusing on economic recovery, growth and competitiveness. Our founding parties adopted the Prague Declaration which sets out our Principles and Values.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s lead MEP on new legislation to reform the audit sector today hailed a breakthrough in negotiations which should see a deal finalised when representatives of member states meet in Brussels tomorrow (Wednesday).
17 December 2013
A provisional deal reached tonight between MEPs and national governments on a new Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) will take the majority of e-cigarettes off the market.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee is responsible for scrutinising the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and other aspects of maritime development.
17 December 2013
The ECR Group believe in a clear and common sense approach to Justice and Home Affairs.
17 December 2013
The ECR firmly believes that free markets and free trade form the basis of global wealth creation and provide an essential framework for enterprise, opportunity and prosperity.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee is one of the key parliamentary committees, with responsibility for the development of the single market.
17 December 2013
Across the EU girls and women enjoy varying degrees of equality. The ECR’s policy on women’s rights focuses on empowering women through different means, focusing on achieving protection for women from physical and sexual violence.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Public Health and Food Safety Committee is responsible for legislation relating to environmental policies. It also works on European solutions to health problems, and scrutinises food safety regulations.
17 December 2013
Investing in science, research and innovation is crucial to restoring our competitiveness. ECR MEPs play a leading role in promoting policies that allow our world leading scientists and researchers to cooperate with international partners and compete on the global stage.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee scrutinises employment policies and measures to reduce social inequality, such as by tackling unemployment.
17 December 2013
The European Conservatives and Reformists take a realistic view of the EU’s structural and investment funds.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs covers a significant part of the European Parliament's workload, such as monetary policies, economic governance, regulation of financial services, and the free movement of capital and payments.
17 December 2013
Main ECR priorities: international development; democracy, the rule of law, peace and security; economic growth and trade; transparency, accountability and the fight against capital flight; property rights and land tenure security.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Culture and Education committee is responsible for education, culture, youth, sport and the cultural and educational aspects of the EU’s media policy.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee is responsible for scrutinising the implementation of the EU's budget.
17 December 2013
The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets sets out the view of MEPs on the annual budget of the EU institutions.
17 December 2013
The ECR Group believes that the most pressing challenge facing agriculture is the need to increase significantly agricultural production, particularly as the global population is set to reach 9 billion by 2050.
17 December 2013
16th – 19th December 2013. European Council. Tobacco Products Directive. Railway competition.
16 December 2013
The President of the European Parliament has effectively given the green light to a highly controversial appearance by NSA fugitive Edward Snowden before a committee of MEPs.
13 December 2013
The ECR Group in the European Parliament has attacked a delegation of left-wing MEPs heading off to Iran on Thursday, without setting any preconditions such as the regime allowing them to meet opposition spokespersons or debating the human rights situation.
11 December 2013
As Europe’s leaders prepare to debate European defence cooperation in Brussels next week, MEPs have been debating the subject in Strasbourg.
11 December 2013
On the 7th of December the National Council of PJN (Poland Comes First), among them ECR Group MEPs Pawel Kowal and Marek Migalski, decided to dissolve the party and participate in the creation of a new party – “Polska Razem Jarosława Gowina” (translation: Poland Together of Jaroslaw Gowin).
10 December 2013
Long-term reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has been approved by the European Parliament today in a vote that will see decisions decentralised towards fishing communities, rather than being set by bureaucrats in Brussels.
10 December 2013
9th – 12th December 2013. European Council on defence. Fisheries policy reform. Ukraine. Financial stability. Euro counterfeiting. Armenia. Frontex sea search and rescue operations. Hearing on desertification.
9 December 2013
On Tuesday MEP Tomasz Poręba organised a conference on the macro-regional strategy for the Carpathian Region.
8 December 2013
Charles Tannock, ECR foreign affairs spokesman in the European Parliament, spoke out today in response to the ongoing anti-Government demonstrations in Kiev.
3 December 2013
2nd - 6th December 2013. Banking Union/ Single Resolution Mechanism. Frontex sea search and rescue operations. European Investigation Order. Carpathian region. Diary of Anatol Liabedzka. Christian Heritage in European Politics.
2 December 2013
On Tuesday, Paweł Kowal MEP was the first EU politician to join the EuroMaidan, a pro-European protest taking place in Kiev.
29 November 2013
Ahead of Greece assuming the rotating Presidency of the EU’s Council of Ministers on January 1st, ECR Group Vice-President Geoffrey Van Orden joined the leaders of the European Parliament’s Political Groups at a meeting with the Greek Prime Minister and government to discuss its priorities.
26 November 2013
25th - 28th November 2013. Eastern Partnership Summit. Honey. Trans-European telecoms networks. Paralympics. Christian women in Palestine. Single Telecommunications Market. 'VUKOVAR 1991’.
25 November 2013
The Common Agricultural Policy reform has been voted through by the European Parliament today.
20 November 2013
The European Parliament in a plenary vote – to coincide with the EU 2014-2020 multi-annual budget – adopted a new regulation on the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
20 November 2013
In a landmark vote, the European Parliament today took a major step towards scrapping the notorious Strasbourg Travelling Circus.
20 November 2013
MEPs have voted to finally approve the 2014-2020 EU budget.
19 November 2013
"My group has always said that the next seven year budget should achieve two key principles: firstly, to reduce it, and secondly, to reprioritise it away from headings that do not add economic value in a 21st century global economy".
19 November 2013
The European Parliament today approved a comprehensive package of funding measures in the field of education, training, and sport which will cover youth study and training programmes through until 2020.
19 November 2013
18th – 21st November 2013. EU budget 2014-2020 and 2014 annual budget. Connecting Europe Facility. Trans European Networks. Horizon 2020. Erasmus. Cohesion and regional development funding. Common Agricultural Policy reforms. Single seat for the parliament. Gender balance on boards. Sakharov Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Commission Work Programme. Violence against women.
18 November 2013
The European Parliament is set to make a landmark vote this week, seen as a major step towards scrapping the notorious Strasbourg Travelling Circus.
18 November 2013
12 November 2013
An agreement was struck in the early hours of today (Tuesday) on the European Union’s budget for 2014.
12 November 2013
11th – 14th November 2013. Budgets for 2014-2020 and 2014. EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.
11 November 2013
The annual Court of Auditors report has confirmed what everyone expected: the EU’s spending has not been given a clean bill of health for the 19th year, and the error rate has increased.
5 November 2013
Presidents, my group welcomes the progress made by Council on deregulation, promoting trade, readiness to bring Eastern Partners closer, and completing the single market in digital services.
5 November 2013
ECR Vice-President Geoffrey Van Orden MEP today gave his verdict on the outcomes of the EU Summit held on the 24th and 25th October.
5 November 2013
A delegation of ECR Group MEPs met today with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to express their hopes for a successful Eastern Partnership Summit at the end of this month.
5 November 2013
4th – 8th November 2013. EU summit. Court of Auditors annual report.
4 November 2013
The European Parliament held a debate on the Carpathian Region.
25 October 2013
Tomorrow’s meeting of EU leaders in Brussels should prioritise cutting the red tape that causes Europe to export jobs and wealth, rather than goods and services – Martin Callanan MEP, ECR Group leader, said today in a debate with the Commission President Barroso.
23 October 2013
Charles Tannock MEP today welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament of his comprehensive report on the Sahel region of Africa.
22 October 2013
21st – 24th October 2013. European Council. 2014 budget. Suspension of the Swift agreement. Carpathian region. Sahel region. Medical and in-vitro devices. Migration across the Med. Organised Crime. Vilnius summit. Data Protection.
21 October 2013
A vote on EU data protection rules this evening in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee of the European Parliament opens the way to further improvements in the draft law.
21 October 2013
The ECR Group in the European Parliament warmly welcome the conclusion of the EU-Canada negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
18 October 2013
15 October 2013
15 October 2013
Campaigning MEP Ashley Fox today hailed a key vote in the European Parliament as a major boost in his drive to end the notorious Strasbourg “travelling circus”.
14 October 2013
14th – 18th October 2013. Strasbourg seat. Women on Boards. Recovery and Resolution of non-bank institutions. Conference on demographic challenges. Viva Belarus.
14 October 2013
The European Parliament has awarded its annual Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought to Malala Yousafzai, the education activist from Pakistan who was shot in the head by the Taliban one year and one day ago.
10 October 2013
An ECR MEP’s initiative to make professional qualifications more-easily transportable across Europe bore fruit today with a key vote in the European Parliament.
9 October 2013
A new law that would make boats and jet skis safer and greener have sailed through the European Parliament today.
9 October 2013
The European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism as well as Committee on Industry, Research and Energy supported the European Commission’s Regulation on the creation of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) at a joint meeting on the 8th October.
9 October 2013
For the third time in a row, MEPs did not approve the Council´s financial management as the institution failed to properly participate in the discharge (signing off) process.
9 October 2013
“We were able to alleviate many of the provisions, but proposals adopted today by the European Parliament will be detrimental to the energy industry".
9 October 2013
Electronic cigarettes no longer face being taken off the shelves by the EU after ECR MEPs were successful today in amending EU legislation on tobacco labelling.
8 October 2013
A British MEP’s blueprint for keeping the EU abreast of changing trends in key areas such as population growth, climate and shifting global power, received the enthusiastic backing of the European Parliament today (Tuesday).
8 October 2013
ECR Italian MEP Ms. Cristiana Muscardini and ECR Leader Martin Callanan have asked the European Commission, in an Oral Question, to update the Parliament on its FRONTEX and EUROSUR projects.
8 October 2013
A senior MEP today said a European Commission proposal for a Mediterranean-wide search and rescue mission to intercept migrant boats, was an “encouraging” development.
8 October 2013
9th – 13th October 2013. Tobacco products. Watercraft. Syrian refugees and Lampedusa tragedy. Professional Qualifications. Council budget discharge. Swift Agreement. Long term trends. Sakharov Prize.
7 October 2013
Today’s renewed European Commission drive to reduce red tape is welcome but any positive effects will be negated by a simultaneous announcement that aims to make the Euro zone more socially convergent, says Martin Callanan MEP.
3 October 2013
Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Martin Callanan MEP, leader of the ECR Group in the European Parliament, said that Conservative MEPs are already working with their allies from across Europe to deliver radical reform of the EU.
30 September 2013
30th September – 4th October 2013. 2014 budget. Sakharov shortlist. Moscow bubble. Copts conference.
30 September 2013
ECR Group agriculture spokesman James Nicholson MEP has spoken out against the final CAP agreement reached last night between national governments and MEPs.
25 September 2013
A Polish‑German conference on energy security was held in the European Parliament in Brussels.
24 September 2013
23rd – 27th September 2013. Mario Draghi. Sahel region report. CAP trilogue. Exhibition on Munich agreement. Microfinance with Bob Harris. Financial Management. Medical and in-vitro medical devices.
23 September 2013
Conservative MEP Syed Kamall today welcomed news that the planned trade deal between the European Union and Singapore has taken an important step forward.
17 September 2013
Proposals to strengthen the EU’s ability act against ‘legal highs’ have been welcomed by ECR home affairs spokesman Timothy Kirkhope MEP.
17 September 2013
16 September 2013
16th – 20th September 2013. Hearing on boardroom quotas. Hearing on enterprise, businesses and start-ups. Sakharov Prize Monday. Organised Crime vote. Sales law. Medical and in-vitro medical devices.
16 September 2013
Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head and neck by the Taliban in Pakistan, has been nominated by ECR Group MEPs for the EU Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought.
12 September 2013
Europe does not need a new leadership, it needs a competely new direction, MEPs heard today.
11 September 2013
President Obama is right to hold back on military action in exchange for the neutralisation of the Assad chemical arsenal, MEPs heard today.
11 September 2013
The West – distracted by the serious crisis in Syria – has not been able to give sufficient attention to a terrible massacre in Iraq in recent days, but it must now step in to prevent further bloodshed.
11 September 2013
“The Commission should pay attention to the fact that, with their policies, some Member States and regions are endangering the survival of traditional languages inside their borders, even if those languages are not in danger in the European context.”
11 September 2013
“Europe needs a new direction. And, that direction cannot be based on old ideas. Europe needs a new thinking.”
11 September 2013
Today the European Parliament adopted a report on the European internal energy market.
10 September 2013
9th – 12th September 2013. State of the Union. Banking Union. Online Gambling. Baltic fishing. Market abuse. Egypt. Syria. EU energy market. Eastern Partnership.
9 September 2013
The ECR believes that entrepreneurs should be put at the heart of Europe’s economic recovery.
9 September 2013
MEPs today backed calls for the European Commission to bring forward new solutions to improve fishing in and around the Baltic Sea.
8 September 2013
ECR MEP Edvard Kožušník interviews leading Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas, after he attends the ECR Group Meeting.
8 September 2013
8th – 12th July 2013. Tobacco Products Directive. EU-US trade deal. Prism allegations. Mario Draghi and single resolution mechanism. Fisheries Fund. Music copyright. General Nil. Bahram Alivandi exhibition.
8 September 2013
Proposals for a major revamp of European regulation covering online gambling were approved by MEPs today.
7 September 2013
MEPs are being urged to show some calm, restraint and a sense of proportion when they begin tomorrow (Thursday) looking into spying allegations against the United States.
4 September 2013
On the 3rd September 2013, a wide range of panellists discussed the situation in Georgia.
4 September 2013
ECR Vice-President Ryszard Legutko has hosted a hearing in the European Parliament, Brussels, entitled “Georgia on the path to the EU”.
4 September 2013
2nd – 6th September 2013. Georgia on the path to the EU. Dijssenbloem. NSA inquiry. EU foreign affairs policy and the protection of converts.
2 September 2013
Western powers should urgently consider imposing a no-fly zone in Syria as the fairest and simplest proportionate response to the chemical weapons attacks in Damascus, a senior ECR Member suggested today.
27 August 2013
Czech MEP Edvard Kožušník plans to run more than 1,300 kilometres across the entire Czech Republic.
4 August 2013
In proposals aimed at extending its involvement in defence industrial production, the European Commission has published (24 July) proposals to foster cooperation among EU countries on defence matters.
24 July 2013
At the official opening of an exhibition of works by Iranian visual artist Bahram Alivandi at the European Parliament on 9 July 2013, Ryszard Czarnecki said: ‘I am honoured to be playing host here in Parliament to an exhibition showing a side to the Iranian resistance movement hitherto unseen in Europe'.
22 July 2013
EU Foreign Ministers have made the right decision in backing an effort led by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague to blacklist the militant wing of Hezbollah as an EU designated terrorist organisation, Dr Charles Tannock MEP, said today.
22 July 2013
Susy De Martini, an independent centre-right MEP, who is a member of the ECR Group, to which David Cameron’s Conservative Party belongs, issued a statement the day after a meeting between the Italian and British Prime Ministers.
19 July 2013
On June 9th, the European Parliament hosted an exhibition by the late Iranian visual artist Bahram Alivandi.
10 July 2013
On 9 July 2013 MEP Marek Migalski (ECR/PJN) held a screening of a movie called ”General Nil”.
10 July 2013
Electronic cigarettes – which are being increasingly used as a smoking ‘quit aid’ – risk being taken off the market by a short-sighted vote in the European Parliament that will classify them as a medicinal product, Conservative MEP Martin Callanan has warned.
10 July 2013
Gone are the days when package holidays were booked from a brochure at a travel agents, so EU laws protecting travellers need to be updated as well.
9 July 2013
MEP Marek Migalski will this week hold a screening of a movie called “General Nil”.
8 July 2013
“Latvia’s accession to the eurozone is a significant geopolitical step for the country, but not the end of history” says Roberts Zīle, member of the ECR group in the European Parliament from Latvia.
4 July 2013
The EU should be aware of the fact that dealing with the Cuban regime means dealing with bandits, said Guillermo Fariñas, one of the most distinguished political activists and dissidents in Cuba, at the ECR Group meeting in Strasbourg.
3 July 2013
Syed Kamall MEP today welcomed the decision by the European Parliament to drop a proposed bonus cap for fund managers after months of fraught negotiations between MEPs.
3 July 2013
"We keep debating unemployment and poor growth. But what enduring steps are we taking to solve this crisis? We’re taking some. But not nearly enough".
2 July 2013
The EU should help Europe’s young unemployed by overcoming the vested interests that prevent economic reforms needed to open markets, and by ending the culture of ever closer union, which only means ever more meddling in people’s lives.
2 July 2013
Martin Callanan MEP, Leader of the ECR Group, speaking in a debate with Presidents Barroso and Van Rompuy, called for the EU to do less and take on vested interests that prevent the economic reforms we need.
2 July 2013
1st – 4th July 2013. European Council debate, EU Budget deal and Irish Presidency. Lithuanian Presidency. Agriculture council. Croatia. Floods in Central Europe. Sakharov prize winner. PRISM. Latvia’s accession to the Euro. UCITS. FTT. Cyber attacks. European elections. Religious persecution.
1 July 2013
New EU rules on maximum charges for mobile data roaming will come into force today – just in time to give a handy boost to summer holidaymakers who like to use their mobile phones and tablets abroad.
1 July 2013
After months of wrangling, an agreement has been reached between the President of the European Parliament and national governments that will deliver the historic 3.7 percent cut in the EU’s long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework.
27 June 2013
ECR Group Budgets spokesman Richard Ashworth today welcomed proposals for a six per cent cut in next year’s budget for the European Union.
26 June 2013
A broad agreement struck today between EU national governments and MEPs on reforming the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy contains a few positive steps forward; but overall the EU has missed an important opportunity to make farming more efficient and competitive.
26 June 2013
Today “The Baltic Way” corridor will be inaugurated in the European Parliament building in Brussels.
26 June 2013
After months of discussions an agreement was reached today on the EU’s next seven year funding programme for science and research.
25 June 2013
24th – 28th June 2013. EU Summit. EU budget. Agriculture council. Baltic Way. Foreign affairs council. Armenia.
24 June 2013
An update to the current Posted Workers Directive should have removed persisting barriers in the cross-border posting of workers and strengthened the workers´ rights.
21 June 2013
17th – 21st June 2013. Posted workers. Prism. Digital Single Market. Common Fisheries reform. Financial Transaction Tax. Banking reform.
17 June 2013
ECR MEPs today welcomed new rules to improve transparency and crack down on exploitation through the financial reporting process for companies running mining and other extraction operations abroad.
13 June 2013
In a debate on the economy and youth unemployment with the European Commission President Barroso today, ECR Group Leader Martin Callanan MEP argued that the European Social Model is not working.
12 June 2013
The report emphasizes that the existing European Electronic Road Toll (EETS) project has been unsuccessful due to the failure of the current EETS directive to achieve the implementation of an interoperable road toll service in all Member States.
11 June 2013
10th – 13th June 2013. European Council. Passenger Name Records. Common Asylum System. Regional aid. Financial statements. Commissioner-designate Mimica.
10 June 2013
A crucial piece of security legislation was rescued from derailment today by a key vote in the European Parliament.
10 June 2013
ECR MEP Anna Rosbach co-hosted and initiated a hearing in the European Parliament about Human Rights in North Korea.
6 June 2013
“Joining the eurozone will be a significant geopolitical step for Latvia, which will decrease its reliance on Russia
6 June 2013
Anna Rosbach and Willy Fautré argue that recent developments in North Korea mark a huge step in combating human rights abuses.
5 June 2013
Negotiators on long-awaited reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy must make sure they concentrate on getting the right deal instead of a rushed agreement
4 June 2013
‘The European Union’s energy and climate policy pays no regard to the economic and developmental differences between Central Europe and the western Member States.
4 June 2013
The EU’s decision to adopt duties on solar panels from China are a job-threatening mistake, Robert Sturdy MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group trade spokesman and Vice-President of the European Parliament’s International Trade committee, said.
4 June 2013
EU-USA trade deal hearing Central European energy security Human rights in North Korea Commissioner-designate Mimica Schengen Evaluation Mechanism
3 June 2013
BERLIN — For most of her tenure as European commissioner for digital policies, Neelie Kroes has been a stark contrast to her predecessor, the former journalist Vivian Reding, who delivered the European Union’s retail price caps on mobile roaming fees.
3 June 2013
Proposed measures to revamp regulation of the online gaming industry represent a small step forward. The package of proposals was approved today by the European Parliament’s Single Market Committee.
30 May 2013
In a speech on the outcomes of May’s European Council meeting, in which EU leaders discussed high energy prices and the problem of tax evasion, Martin Callanan MEP warned that EU leaders should not see EU cooperation on tax evasion as an excuse to harmonise tax policy
29 May 2013
The European Parliament’s members must ultimately be allowed to decide how the institution should organise its own business: that is the message from a hearing at the Parliament in Brussels organised by its Constitutional Affairs Committee.
28 May 2013
After more than a year of difficult negotiations, the Parliament finally recommended that EU member states do not deal with the extension of the so-called Protocol 30 to the Czech republic.
24 May 2013
The EU can expect to benefit hugely if a comprehesive free trade agreement can be negotiated between the bloc and the USA, a leading champion of the talks said today.
23 May 2013
An agreement reached on the EU Banking Union is a ‘seminal’ moment that sets in place a mechanism for a multi-speed EU, Kay Swinburne MEP said today as MEPs held a vote on a single supervisor for Eurozone banks.
22 May 2013
ECR MEPs will today refuse to back moves which they fear would be a first step towards a common corporation tax – imposed right across Europe and decided in Brussels.
21 May 2013
ECR MEPs today declared victory in their long-running battle over offshore oil safety rules.
21 May 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists group President Martin Callanan MEP debates with MEPs and the President of the European Commission on how the EU can tackle tax evasion and energy prices. The EU will hold a summit on both issues on the 22nd May 2013.
21 May 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists group President Martin Callanan MEP debates with MEPs and the President of the European Commission on how the EU can tackle tax evasion and energy prices.
21 May 2013
European Council Oil and Gas Safety Banking Union Czech protocol EU-US trade deal
20 May 2013
A conference of donor nations and charities in Brussels today aims to mobilise and coordinate support for strife-torn Mali.
15 May 2013
On the 4th May the European Parliament opened its doors to the public. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group took the opportunity to ask people ‘What do you want from the EU’.
14 May 2013
Mali Caretaker President Dioncounda Traoré will discuss the situation in Mali with foreign affairs and defence MEPs. Charles Tannock is ECR foreign affairs spokesman.
13 May 2013
“It is important that the 4th Railway Package, as offered by the European Commission, is not rendered ineffective due to the pressure of various interest groups,” remarked Roberts Zile.
8 May 2013
An eye-watering EU duty of 47 percent on solar panels from China, proposed today, puts thousands of jobs at risk in Europe, whilst pushing prices of solar panels through the roof, Robert Sturdy MEP, Conservative trade spokesman and Vice-President of the European Parliament’s International Trade committee, said today.
8 May 2013
ECR Italian MEP Susy De Martini has expressed her condolences to the families of the people of Genoa who have lost their lives after a container ship crashed into the port tower, causing it to fall.
8 May 2013
On Monday, the European Parliament held a public hearing on the experiences of new Member States in the Common Agricultural Policy in years 2009-2013. Observations and comments were presented by the representatives of Hungary, Latvia, Romania and Poland.
7 May 2013
Eurogroup President Confiscation of criminal assets NATO Secretary General CAP in ‘new’ Member States Van emissions 4th Railway package
6 May 2013
Conservative Security and Defence spokesman, Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, today stated that European defence policy was merely a case of the EU looking for ways to justify its existence and push for more European integration
6 May 2013
Anthea McIntyre MEP today welcomed a “useful step forward” in her drive to get better access to finance for small businesses.
2 May 2013
On 28th of May an education hearing entitled Rethinking Education for the Erasmus Generation: Combining Knowledge and Soft Skills, was initiated by MEPs Marek Migalski (ECR), Silvia Costa (S&D) and Marco Scurria (EPP) at the European Parliament.
29 April 2013
Polling analysis released last night shows that the EU needs to start trusting the voters, otherwise their trust in the EU will continue to plummet, Martin Callanan MEP, Leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, said.
25 April 2013
MEPs have approved new proposals to reform the audit profession – aimed at strengthening audit quality and promoting renewed confidence in financial reporting.
25 April 2013
Damas de Blanco are a shining example of the fight for freedom, Michal Kamiński MEP said during a meeting with the famous Cuban dissidents.
25 April 2013
Terrorists, serious criminals and people traffickers could be much harder to track after an ‘irresponsible’ vote in the European Parliament rejected a crucial agreement, taken through the parliament by Timothy Kirkhope MEP.
24 April 2013
The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee today overwhelmingly rejected a Report on Arms Export Controls drafted by German Leftist, Sabine Lösing. Conservative Defence Spokesman, Geoffrey Van Orden commented
23 April 2013
Antoni Macierewicz, Polish Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Group set to investigate and establish the causes of the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154M crash in Smolensk was invited to an ECR Group meeting in Strasbourg
23 April 2013
ECR MEPs have turned to the European Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, the European Council, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.
23 April 2013
Passenger Name Records Audit reform Car CO2 EU/USA Trade Agreement Pensions Damas de Blanco
22 April 2013
A planned visit to Iran by a delegation of left-wing MEPs has been attacked by Martin Callanan MEP, leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, as sending mixed signals about our resolve towards the regime.
19 April 2013
Following Sunday’s elections in Venezuela, MEPs from the European People’s Party and European Conservatives and Reformists groups who observed the mission, expressed doubts about the standards of the election.
18 April 2013
A European regulation aimed at opening up the provision of ground handling services at airports to greater competition is a timid step, but better than nothing, European Conservatives and Reformists MEPs said today.
17 April 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists group President Martin Callanan MEP debates with Prime Minister Katainen of Finland on the future of the EU
16 April 2013
Speaking in a debate on the Future of Europe with Finnish Prime Minister Katainen, European Conservatives and Reformists group leader Martin Callanan said that Margaret Thatcher’s 1988 Bruges speech was still strikingly relevant to the debate.
16 April 2013
The European Parliament today approved the Conservative-led introduction of a package of improvements to the EU’s cyber-security operations.
16 April 2013
Commenting on the death of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Martin Callanan, British Conservative MEP and Leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, said:
8 April 2013
Responding to the protests in Turkey, Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, Martin Callanan, said:
6 April 2013
Rafał Dzięciołowski (co-author of the movie), Anita Gargas (director), Ryszard Legutko (chairman of the Polish delegation in the ECR Group), Ryszard Czarnecki (MEP), Andrzej Hrechorowicz (co-author of the movie)
28 March 2013
Reform of Europe’s audit rules must encourage much greater transparency and openness as well as better quality of audit, a conference in the European Parliament heard today.
26 March 2013
Anatomy of a fall The Polish Law and Justice delegation will host a screening of ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, a documentary from a series of films on the Smolensk crash endorsed by Gazeta Polska weekly, which take a closer look at witness testimonies and independent expert findings pointing to explosions on board the Tu-154M plane. The movie is crucial in bringing us closer to the answer of what happened in the lead up to the crash on April 10th, 2010, which killed the President, his wife, and 94 other senior Polish figures.
25 March 2013
The danger now is that “Putin is going to keep you dangling,” Mr. Eppink said, referring to the Russian president, who denounced the weekend bailout proposal. Now, Mr. Eppink warned, “Russia will exert influence over Cyprus.”
22 March 2013
Following what southern African observers have described as a ‘peaceful and credible’ referendum on Zimbabwe’s Constitution, there are now moves to lift the EU ‘restrictive measures’ on most of the Mugabe supporters that had previously been banned from Europe and had their assets frozen.
22 March 2013
21 March 2013
In the Defence Sub-Committee of the European Parliament today, Maciej Popowski, the Deputy Secretary General of the EU’s Diplomatic Service (the European External Action Service) which also covers the EU’s Common Security & Defence Policy (CSDP) – described plans to position “CSDP Attachés” in some EU delegations.
19 March 2013
Today the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control committee adopted a number of reports on the discharge (‘signing off’) of the EU’s 2011 budget. Many of the reports were prepared by rapporteurs representing the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group
19 March 2013
An agreement has today been reached between MEPs and national governments on proposals to create a single supervisor for cross-border Eurozone banks.
19 March 2013
EU accounts Generic medicines and the fight against counterfeiting Eurogroup head Ground handling services and air passenger rights Offshore oil and gas
18 March 2013
Mr President, may I start by joining with the other group leaders and paying tribute to you and to your brave armed forces for the current operation in Mali. Your troops, aided by British and other Member States’ forces, are risking their lives to protect us, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. I think the Chamber is united on that point.
15 March 2013
Mr President, let me start with the MFF deal reached at the last European Council. I know that many speakers here, such as Mr Cohn-Bendit and Mr Hughes, have said that they are tired of austerity and that they want a quick return to the spend, spend, spend mentality of the past, when governments tried desperately to win popularity by bribing their electorates with their own money – or in fact, worse still, by bribing them with their children’s money with excessive borrowing which, of course, eventually has to be paid off by future generations.
15 March 2013
A panel of European Union lawmakers has voted to row back on a reform to end the dominance of the “Big Four” accounting firms’ in checking the books of listed companies.
15 March 2013
ECR MEPs have thrown their weight behind calls for an uncompromising crackdown on the scandal of match-fixing and corruption in European football.
14 March 2013
MEPs today debated Thursday’s economic-orientated EU summit, as well as the agreement on the EU’s seven-year budget, with European Commission President Barroso and the Irish Presidency. European Conservatives and Reformists group chairman Martin Callanan said that when it comes to both the EU budget and national spending, the answer is not more taxpayers’ money, but better policies that stimulate growth from successful business
13 March 2013
A plan to hold a secret ballot of MEPs on whether to accept or reject the next long-term EU budget appeared to have been buried today after a European Conservatives and Reformists group demand for an open ballot was supported by 553 MEPs, with only eight MEPs supporting a secret ballot.
13 March 2013
Today’s European Parliament vote on reforming the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy risks taking European farming back to the days of food mountains, doing little to improve the environment or helping farmers react to the market, James Nicholson MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group agriculture spokesman, warned today.
13 March 2013
European Commission proposals that would increase the rights of air passengers when facing delays have been welcomed by European Conservatives and Reformists group transport spokesman Roberts Zile MEP.
13 March 2013
Conservative MEPs today welcomed new measures approved by the European Parliament to create a simple, speedy and inexpensive framework for solving disputes over online sales and trade across the EU
12 March 2013
Yorkshire European Conservatives and Reformists MEP Timothy Kirkhope today called upon the European Union to carry on campaigning in the fight against racism, xenophobia and hate crimes.
12 March 2013
EU summit and next seven-year budget EU leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss coordination of member states’ economic, fiscal and employment policies under the ‘European Semester’.
11 March 2013
As countries across Europe and the world mark the 102nd International Women’s Day, MEP Marina Yannakoudakis has said that the EU can play a positive role in promoting equality, but it must also understand that its well-meaning actions can have unintended consequences that reduce women’s choice or harm their career prospects.
8 March 2013
Mr Paweł KOWAL MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU – Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee commented on the annulment of Serhiy Vlasenko’s parliamentary mandate in Ukraine:
7 March 2013
Mr Paweł KOWAL MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU – Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee commented on the annulment of Serhiy Vlasenko’s parliamentary mandate in Ukraine:
7 March 2013
Asylum and migration The ECR group will host a hearing entitled, “A sensible approach to migration and integration within the EU”, aimed at holding a centrist debate on challenges, experiences and policy proposals related to the immigration and asylum debate.
4 March 2013
The European Union on Thursday agreed its first law to regulate safety in offshore oil and gas drilling across the 27-member bloc and seek to prevent any repeat of BP’s catastrophic Gulf of Mexico spill.
1 March 2013
Following today’s launch of negotiations between the EU and Morocco for a ‘Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area’ (DCFTA), Vice-President of the European Parliament’s International Trade committee, Cristiana Muscardini MEP said:
1 March 2013
Last night’s agreement on the Capital Requirements Directive secured the main safeguards for the real economy and is overall a good deal for almost everyone in the UK, despite the caps on a few bankers’ bonuses, Vicky Ford MEP, one of the parliament’s lead negotiators from the European Conservatives and Reformists group, said this morning.
28 February 2013
Vice-President of the European Parliament Oldrich Vlasak has highlighted the crucial role that media can play in promoting a European economy that prioritises research and innovation, during his closing speech at a major conference on the subject addressed by Angela Merkel and Commission President Barroso.
26 February 2013
Following the EU-Ukraine summit, the chairman of the EU – Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Paweł Kowal said: “I would like to express my satisfaction with the long-awaited 16th EU-Ukraine Summit,
26 February 2013
EU budget MEPs from the European Parliament’s ‘MFF Contact Group’, which includes ECR budgets spokesman Richard Ashworth, will meet with the President of the European Parliament ahead of his meeting with the Irish Taoiseach to discuss the agreement on the seven-year budget reached earlier this month.
25 February 2013
The Presidential election in Armenia was generally well-managed and all the candidates had the chance to campaign freely, said Milan Cabrnoch, Czech conservative MEP who led the European Parliament delegation to Armenia.
20 February 2013
Tomorrow (21.02.2013) Robert Mugabe turns 89 and astonishingly remains in power in Zimbabwe. In the last 72 hours there have been significant developments, not least in Brussels where European governments agreed to suspend a limited number of “targeted measures” against the Mugabe regime
20 February 2013
Europe is doing right in Mali and Syria, but without wider work to address the root causes of violence there, our intervention will be in vain.
19 February 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists Group Chairman Martin Callanan MEP gives his view on the European Council’s agreement on the next seven-year EU budget.
19 February 2013
Holding a secret ballot in the European Parliament on the EU’s seven-year budget would be a highly cynical and unaccountable act on one of the parliament’s most important votes this session, Martin Callanan MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group leader, said today.
18 February 2013
Budget debate with Van Rompuy and Barroso ECR group chairman Martin Callanan will engage in a debate with Presidents Barroso and Van Rompuy on the outcome of the recent summit, at which agreement on the EU’s next seven-year budget framework was reached.
18 February 2013
Speaking today in a European Parliament debate with Presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso, European Conservatives and Reformists group leader Martin Callanan MEP called on MEPs to avoid going to war with national governments over the agreement they reached on the EU’s next seven-year budget.
18 February 2013
President Obama’s strong statement of support for an EU-US trade agreement in last night’s State of the Union address will continue to build the momentum towards a deal, with talks being formally announced today.
13 February 2013
The Grand Chamber of the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg held today a public hearing on the complaint concerning the case of Janowiec and Others v. Russia.
13 February 2013
Struan Stevenson discusses the reforms to the CFP which will ban discards and devolve power back to the Member States away from Brussels.
8 February 2013
The European Parliament today voted on the 2013 report on the Annual Growth Survey of the European Commission.
8 February 2013
The European Parliament would harm its own reputation if it follows through on threats to veto budget plans in a secret ballot, said Martin Callanan, a U.K. Conservative and chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group of lawmakers.
8 February 2013
A package of measures to tackle the growing problem of cybercrime across Europe was welcomed today by ECR MEP Timothy Kirkhope.
7 February 2013
Speaking this morning in a debate with European Commission President Barroso on tomorrow’s EU summit, European Conservatives and Reformists group leader Martin Callanan MEP lamented that any deal reached this week on the EU’s budget will pass up the opportunity to fundamentally reform the spending priorities of the EU.
6 February 2013
Today the European Parliament voted on a resolution setting out the Parliament’s position in advance of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok (Thailand), 3-14 March 2013.
6 February 2013
The European Parliament has today voted through a major reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. The changes mainly concern the decentralisation of fisheries management, with the transfer of powers from Brussels to national governments, local authorities and fishermen.
6 February 2013
The European Parliament approved the report of Czech MEP Miroslav Ouzký which should help reduce the amount of noise emissions from road traffic. Noise from the engines of newly manufactured cars would reach a maximum noise level of 70 decibels within six years after the regulation comes into force.
6 February 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists group President Martin Callanan MEP debates the next seven year EU budget ahead of a summit on the subject in February 2013.
6 February 2013
A leading Conservative MEP on the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee today expressed her satisfaction after the committee accepted her recommendations to reject potentially damaging proposals for regulating so-called over-the-counter derivatives trading.
5 February 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists group President Martin Callanan MEP debates the future of Europe with the President of the French Republic Francois Hollande.
5 February 2013
An ECR MEP today welcomed plans for new European measures to combat money-laundering and fight terrorism within the EU.
5 February 2013
Speaking in a keynote debate with French President Francois Hollande this morning, European Conservatives and Reformists group leader Martin Callanan MEP thanked the socialist leader for showing the rest of Europe the future it could have if it follows him down the road of greater centralisation, higher taxes and rigid labour markets
5 February 2013
EU Summit on the Long-Term Budget Fisheries Policy President Hollande Just one second Endangered Species European Semester Sound level of Motor Vehicles Central Securities Depositories
4 February 2013
Nirj Deva MEP, ECR spokesman on international development in the European Parliament chaired a meeting in Brussels with Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia.
1 February 2013
The European Commission has today released a long-awaited package of legislative proposals, with the objective of enhancing the quality and efficiency of rail services by removing the remaining obstacles that hamper the performance of Europe’s railway sector so that competitiveness and growth are increased.
30 January 2013
Nirj Deva MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists spokesman on international development in the European Parliament, today warmly welcomed a promise of €100m extra for humanitarian aid in war-torn Syria.
29 January 2013
Somalian President The President of Somalia will discuss the situation in the Horn of Africa with MEPs in the Foreign Affairs and Development committees. ECR Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Tannock had a report on the situation in the Horn of Africa adopted by the parliament earlier this month. See http://ecrgroup.eu/?p=7941 for more information.
28 January 2013
A new proposal for ‘smart borders’ in the EU is a welcome measure to prevent people overstaying their visas and to make life easier for most visitors to Europe – particularly on business – Yorkshire MEP Timothy Kirkhope, European Conservatives and Reformists group home affairs spokesman, said today in welcoming the plan.
28 January 2013
Proposed changes to the Common Agricultural Policy passed by MEPs threaten to undo previous reforms that uncoupled payments from production and moved farmers closer to the marketplace, whilst doing nothing to address the challenges of food security, James Nicholson MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group agriculture spokesman, said today.
24 January 2013
“Today’s vote in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee will strengthen the position of all those countries, like Poland, opposed to climate policy tightening in times of crisis. A mobilisation of forces in the Environment Committee and plenary now awaits us, but the project can no longer be treated as self-evident.” – according to Konrad Szymanski MEP (ECR) from the industry committee.
24 January 2013
Reforms to the visa regime between the European Union and Ukraine will send a clear signal to its citizens that Europe is committed to its partnership with Ukraine, Pawel Kowal MEP, ECR draftsman of an opinion on the topic, said today after his opinion was widely supported by the Foreign Affairs committee.
23 January 2013
Montenegro is heading in the right direction and making progress towards accession to the EU but there is still plenty of work to be done, writes MEP
23 January 2013
Speaking to Flemish VRT, Martin Callanan explains the kind of relationship that he, as a British MEP, wants to see his country have with the EU. Recorded ahead of David Cameron’s postponed Europe speech.
22 January 2013
A report which could eventually pave the way for Montenegro to join the EU was approved by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee today.
22 January 2013
In a marathon session, the parliament’s agriculture committee will vote on proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
21 January 2013
MEPs adopted a report aimed at adapting Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 on the management of cod stocks in the Baltic Sea to the new regulations laid down in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
17 January 2013
Moscow must now offer action to solve the Syria crisis, not simply words, a senior ECR MEP told the European Parliament. London MEP Charles Tannock told an emergency debate in Strasbourg that no resolution to the conflict would be acceptable which left President Assad in office – and Russia could hold the key to resolving the crisis.
17 January 2013
A British MEP has called for a debate on the ‘single bag’ rule, imposed by some airlines to be scrapped. Philip Bradbourn (UK, ECR) believes that rules which strictly limit passengers to just one bag as hand luggage are an abuse of the carriers’ position.
17 January 2013
European Conservatives and Reformists group leader Martin Callanan MEP has told the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny that he will have the ECR’s support in delivering his EU Presidency priorities of making the Single Market go digital, opening access to finance for small businesses, and a trade deal between the EU and the USA.
16 January 2013
Belgian European Conservatives and Reformists group Vice-President Derk Jan Eppink has warned against turning the eurozone into a Belgian-style transfer economy where ‘solidarity became a one-way street.’
16 January 2013
A comprehensive strategic ground plan for tackling the Horn of Africa’s political, humanitarian, criminal and security problems was approved today by the European Parliament.
15 January 2013
Speaking in a debate with Cyprus President Christofias on the outcomes of the Cypriot Presidency of the EU, European Conservatives and Reformists Vice-President Derk Jan Eppink MEP thanked the President for his good work and the progress made on Banking Supervision and the European patent.
15 January 2013
The European Commission has found the ‘cure’ for high youth unemployment: businesses simply need to employ more young people. Otherwise, all young people who do not find a job within four months of leaving school should have the legal right to employment, initial training or an internship.
15 January 2013
Chancellor, Thank you for coming to the parliament today. It is vital we have a serious debate about the future of Europe, a debate in which the full scale of Europe’s crisis is addressed.
15 January 2013
Speaking in a debate on the ‘Future of Europe’ on the 15th January 2013, with Austrian Chancellor Faymann, ECR group leader Martin Callanan called for a more flexible union and a new direction based on open markets and less red tape
15 January 2013
Mali’s Al-Qaeda-backed violence is no Arab Spring – and its terrorists are no liberators, a senior European Conservatives and Reformists group MEP said today. London MEP Charles Tannock, spokesman of foreign affairs in the European Parliament, was speaking during an emergency debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
15 January 2013
Speaking in a debate in the European Parliament today with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, on the subject of the ‘future of Europe’, European Conservatives and Reformists group leader Martin Callanan MEP, called for a new direction for the EU. In the speech, he said the future of the EU should not be an outdated model of inward-looking ever-closer union, but a union of flexibility and practicality.
15 January 2013
Irish Presidency As Ireland takes over at the helm, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will present his Presidency’s programme to MEPs. ECR group chairman Martin Callanan MEP will wish the Presidency well in delivering its stated aim of jobs, growth and stability.
14 January 2013
Good morning Taoiseach, I welcome the fact that Ireland is taking on the Council Presidency at this crucial period. Indeed as someone who is himself half Irish, I am particularly pleased to have this opportunity to wish you well.
14 January 2013
Responding to David Cameron’s EU speech this morning, Britain’s senior Conservative MEP Martin Callanan, chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, said:
14 January 2013
When an individual can launch an attack from a computer in a room in one country and bring down an entire banking network on the other side of the world, then surely common sense dictates that no country can tackle this problem alone – writes MEP
12 January 2013
An ECR MEP today welcomed a review of European data-protection legislation, but warned against introducing a right to “be forgotten” and against heavy-handed fines for businesses.
10 January 2013
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton met with MEPs from the Budgetary Control committee (CONT) to discuss the ‘discharge’ (signing off) of the 2011 accounts for the External Action Service (EEAS), as part of Parliament’s scrutiny of the implementation of the EU budget.
10 January 2013
External Action Service discharge EU High Representative Catherine Ashton will meet with the Budgetary Control committee to discuss the ‘discharge’ (signing off) of the accounts for the External Action Service. ECR Budgetary Control spokesman Ryszard Czarnecki MEP is the rapporteur for the EEAS discharge report.
7 January 2013
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