The Week ahead

Mairead McGuinness will open an exhibition and a ceremony on Wednesday to commemorate International Holocaust Commemoration Day. The EPP Group is committed to the fight against anti-semitism and discrimination. We have therefore been calling for sufficient sources to be dedicated to the prevention of and to raising awareness of the issue between both citizens and enforcement authorities in the Member States.

On the initiative of the EPP Group, the European Parliament will hold an urgent debate on Wednesday to address the political crisis in Venezuela and vote on a Resolution on the matter. "The country is at risk of becoming a failed state with all the enormous consequences this involves for the region", warns EPP Group Vice-Chairman Esteban González Pons. "We must raise our voice and stand firmly by the people of Venezuela and its democratically-elected leaders", he stated, adding that we can't abandon them. The Resolution proposed by the EPP Group calls on the EU to recognise Juan Guaidó as interim President of the country, and calls for free and transparent elections in the short term. The EPP Group intends to continue defending human rights, freedom and democracy in Venezuela.

A visa-free regime for British citizens after Brexit will be voted on by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on Tuesday. If adopted, visa-free travel, applicable after 30 March 2019 in the case of a hard Brexit or at the end of the transition period proposed in the Withdrawal Agreement, will apply, on condition that EU citizens can also travel to the UK visa-free.

Recent violence, including a murder, against politicians should concern us all. On Wednesday, the Plenary will discuss these latest cases and ways to combat the climate of hatred and violence against democratically-elected mandate holders. Hate speech and hate crime have become the norm of late, something which is of huge concern and which we will continue to condemn and fight against.

Wednesday: participation in formal sitting on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Thursday: participation in the debate with the Prime Minister of Finland, Juha Silipä

Monday @ 11.00 hrs: Briefing on the parliamentary agenda

Tuesday @ 10.00 hrs: Alojz Peterle, on 'MEPs Against Cancer (MAC) - 2019 Elections Manifesto'

Tuesday @ 18.00 hrs: Gunnar Hökmark and others on “The EU Magnitsky Act and the connection of the Magnitsky Case to money-laundering in Europe”