The Week ahead

On Wednesday morning, Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, will join the debate on the Council conclusions. Topics like the EU long-term climate strategy and the result of the UK election will be discussed. “We respect the outcome of the UK election and we are looking forward to the swift adoption of the Withdrawal Agreement in the House of Commons. Brexit is a mistake, but short-term pain is better than long-term pain. Let’s get it done”, said Weber.

On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the alarming rule of law situation in Malta following the revelations around the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The EPP Group calls on Joseph Muscat to step down immediately. This is the only way to guarantee an objective, fair and neutral investigation and ensure justice in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. What is going on in Malta is unacceptable in a Member State of the European Union. For too long, the truth about her murder has been swept under the carpet, while the rule of law is being undermined. The Resolution will be voted on on Thursday.

Statistics and trends from across Europe point to a decline in pollinators and bees. In the EU alone, 78 percent of wild flower species depend, at least in part, on animal pollination. In order to save bees, the EPP Group is in favour of the pesticides reduction targets in Europe, following an impact assessment. MEPs will discuss the best strategies and possible solutions on how to protect pollinators on Tuesday.

The European Parliament will debate on Monday and vote on a Resolution on Wednesday on how to tax big transnational internet companies like Google, Amazon, Apple and many others. "Taxation must move forward into the digital age. International taxation standards are finally moving away from the antiquated idea of physical presence. Instead, taxation has to take place where profits are generated - that is the only viable way forward in the digital age", says Markus Ferber MEP, the EPP Group's Spokesman in Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.

The use of EU funds in the Member States will be a hot topic next week. On the request of the EPP Group, the Budgetary Control Committee will discuss a recent European Commission audit of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’ conflict of interest. On Tuesday, MEPs will request answers from the Commission at the plenary on how to prevent numbering cases of corruption and the misuse of taxpayers’ money around the EU. Siegfried Mureșan MEP, the Chair of the EPP Group Working Group on Budget and Structural Policies, said: “Taxpayers have the right to know where their money is going and how it will be returned. It makes no difference if Mr Babiš is a Prime Minister or any other EU citizen. This is why we requested a special meeting with the Commission on the results of its audit of Andrej Babiš’ conflict of interest.”

On Wednesday, the EPP Group will welcome Jehwer Ilham - the daughter of the 2019 Sakharov Prize laureate Ilham Tohti. The Uyghur economics professor and advocate of the rights of the Uyghur minority and of dialogue with the Han majority in China, was imprisoned for life after a 2-day show trial in 2014. By awarding the Sakharov Prize to Ilham Tohti, the EPP Group is strongly urging the Chinese government to release him and to respect minority rights. Ms Jehwer Ilham will accept the prize on behalf of her father during a ceremony in Strasbourg on 18 December.

Following the award of the Sakharov Prize to Uyghur representative Ilham Tohti on Wednesday, MEPs will debate and vote on Thursday on the Resolution denouncing the repression of Uyghurs in China. The EPP Group is worried about the leaked revelations of the organised system of re-education camps for the Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities in the province of Xinjiang. We urge the Chinese authorities to fully clarify the situation, to release the full details to the families concerned of those who have forcibly disappeared in Xinjiang, including their names, whereabouts and current status, and to allow journalists and international observers access to the detention camps.

On Wednesday, in the presence of the EU High Representative Josep Borell, MEPs will discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Venezuela that has pushed millions of people to leave the country, causing a migration crisis in the region. More than 4 million people have already fled the country, mainly to neighbouring Colombia, and according to the UN, the number of migrants and refugees fleeing Nicolas Maduro's illegitimate regime will grow to 6.5 million in 2020. Also on Wednesday, MEPs will denounce the repression of the opposition, the violations of human rights and breaches of the rule of law by Daniel Ortega’s regime in Nicaragua. The Resolution will be voted on on Thursday.

Tuesday @ 11.10 EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber plenary briefing