Juncker should proceed with the work programme

The European Parliament has rejected a Resolution on the European Commission's Work Programme. Since day one, the EPP Group has supported the 10 priorities of the Juncker Programme as they facilitate effective regulation.The other Groups in the European Parliament wanted to water the proposal down by increasing them to more than 200. This would have adversely affected the successful implementation of the programme.

"The adoption of the Commission Work Programme is always challenging in an election year, due to the limited time available. Based on the framework agreement between the Commission and the Parliament and the Rules of Procedure, the programme has already been adopted and has entered into force. It is also for this reason that we have opposed the adoption of any Resolution since the beginning. There is no legal or political obligation for the EP to adopt a Resolution", said József Szájer MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

"The EPP Group therefore no longer sees this necessary as the Parliament has already voted in favour of President Juncker and the Commission three times", he concluded.