The Week ahead

On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the Digital Green Vaccination Certificate. The certificate is meant to provide proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from it, or has received a negative test result. "A digital certificate allowing people to regain their mobility in Europe will be a major step forward to give perspective to the tourism sector but also for citizens in border regions who live and work in different countries. The EU has to prevent making the same mistakes it made at the start of the pandemic, to make sure we have a united approach, instead of 27 different ones", says Jeroen Lenaers MEP, the EPP Group's Spokesman on Civil Liberties.

On Monday, the European Parliament will adopt a new procedure to speed up the approval of vaccines adapted to new COVID-19 variants. "With different variants of the virus emerging, it is essential that we get this right. We can make the process clearer and simpler both for vaccine developers and for European regulatory authorities, and we can do so safely", said Roberta Metsola MEP, the EPP Group responsible for the issue.

On Tuesday, the European Parliament is expected to give its final green light to the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK. Ratifying this text after intensive scrutiny will increase legal certainty for businesses, now operating in a difficult environment, and will solidify and preserve the unprecedented safeguards ensuring fair rules for both sides. Moreover, ratifying the agreement also means expanding the EU's arsenal of legal tools and leverage to continue pressing the British Government to fully implement the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

On Wednesday, on the initiative of the EPP Group, Members will debate and then vote on a Resolution condemning the Russian military build-up around Ukraine as well as other blatant violations of human rights and the international order instigated by the Kremlin, in particular, the inhuman treatment of Alexeyi Navalny and the Russian Secret Service attack in the Czech Republic. The EPP Group believes that it is Europe’s collective duty to reaffirm its support for Ukraine, and calls on the EU Member States and European Commission to take clear and resolute action against Russia in the case of further escalation. This should happen by immediately suspending imports of Russian oil and gas, halting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, excluding Russia from the SWIFT system and freezing oligarchs' accounts and banning them from entering the EU.

On Monday, in the presence of the Presidents of the European Commission and Council, Members will debate the outcome of the high-level meeting between the EU and Turkey and the latest European Council. "We are extremely concerned that commitments on visas or customs were made in Ankara without concrete and durable changes to Turkey's policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, towards Cyprus and our external borders. These issues need to be clarified and that is why we have requested a plenary debate in the presence of the two Presidents”, explains Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group.

On Wednesday, in a Resolution on the rule of law in Malta, MEPs are set to express their deep concern about the latest revelations in the investigations into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, in particular the possible involvement of government ministers. Daphne Caruana Galizia was internationally known for her work against corruption and organised crime. When politicians at the highest levels of government are interlinked with the assassination of an investigative journalist, Europe must stand united in its condemnation and concern. The Maltese Government must deploy all necessary resources to bring to justice not only every individual implicated in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, but also those implicated in cases which she had brought to light prior to her assassination.

The tourism sector is at the heart of Europe’s economy. More than 11 percent of all jobs in Europe are in hotels, travel agencies, or recreational activities. These are hard-working people, in many cases entire families, whose jobs and businesses are now at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EPP Group wants to fight for these people and businesses. It has therefore called for a plenary debate on the future of tourism, which will take place on Tuesday evening. With summer just around the corner, we want to support the tourism sector through specific measures, funding and increased EU-level coordination.

On Monday, the European Parliament will debate Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT). Horizon Europe is the biggest, most ambitious research programme in the world, spurring European innovation by supporting initiatives like the EIT. This funding will be a crucial part in Europe's economic recovery. On Tuesday, MEPs will take the final vote in the legislative process setting the rules for Horizon Europe for the next seven years. Europe needs to step up its innovation game to recover from the COVID crisis and take on stiff competition from China and the US. To help our researchers and innovators face these challenges, we need these programmes to be fully operational as soon as possible.

Ahead of upcoming law proposals on maritime transport, MEPs will vote on Monday and Tuesday on Parliament's ideas for making the sector cleaner and more efficient. Maritime transport plays an essential role in the European economy, with 90% of goods arriving in the EU by sea. However, due to the high consumption of fossil fuels, and to its inherently international dimension, the decarbonisation of shipping poses particular challenges. The EPP Group fully supports the sustainable transition of the maritime sector, by i.a. supporting fleet renewal, the deployment and further development of alternative fuels for ships and promoting the use of shore-side electricity by ships when in ports. At the same time, the European maritime transport sector must preserve its international competitiveness.

On Thursday, MEPs are set to approve a new law to force social media companies to delete terrorist propaganda off the internet within one hour. Online terrorist propaganda played a key role in the recent terrorist attacks in Europe. The difference of a video being online one hour, three hours, or 24 hours is millions of views. "With this new law, we are stopping terrorists from using the internet to radicalise, recruit and incite violence. It is another tool in our common fight against terrorists - a crucial priority for the EPP Group", says Javier Zarzalejos MEP, who negotiated the law on behalf of the EPP Group.