From 01.07.2022 12:40 To 08.07.2022 19:10

The Week ahead

Take a look at what we have coming up over the next seven days. Explore our EPP Group agenda and the main issues we’ll be focusing on in the week ahead: from upcoming debates in the European Parliament on important legislative and policy issues to the meetings that our Members will be attending.

01.07.2022

The Week ahead

Mitigate the impact of soaring prices in Europe

Euro

After the Coronavirus, it is now the turn of inflation to darken the horizon of Europeans and to plummet their purchasing power. Eurozone inflation hit a record high of 8.6 percent in June. At the request of the EPP Group, MEPs will discuss on Tuesday the solutions to improve the situation. The EPP Group wants to make sure Europeans can afford groceries and pay for their bills. Low-income families already struggling from the pandemic crisis cannot be the ones who pay the price for inflation. Energy prices have to remain under control for our households and for our businesses' competitiveness. The cost of living is putting the livelihoods of millions of Europeans in danger. Europe must do more to contribute to households' investments that reduce energy costs for families. For example, the installation of energy-saving equipment should be actively subsidised by the EU. We must support our companies and secure people’s jobs by tackling the soaring prices of raw materials and energy by gaining more independence from China and Russia.

Facilitate the export of Ukrainian agricultural products

Food

The European Parliament will discuss on Wednesday how to facilitate the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, which is key not only for the Ukrainian economy, but also for global food security. The Russian war has ignited a global food crisis. It is a humanitarian obligation of Europe to address this grave situation with all means available. The EPP Group Spokesman in Parliament’s Agricultural Committee, Herbert Dorfmann MEP, underlines the urgency to speed up grain export from Ukraine by getting rid of existing bottlenecks and to get solidarity lanes functioning. Rasa Juknevičienė, the EPP Group Vice-Chair for Foreign Affairs, warns that any attempt to solve the crisis by asking Ukraine for concessions will be counterproductive. "There is only one country responsible for disrupting supply chains and the food crisis that it provokes, and this is Russia. Once again, the democratic world is being asked to show resolve and strength in this context. An international naval mission granting the security of vessels transporting food through the Black Sea might be an option to consider."

Protect users online and curb Big Tech market abuses

Smart

On Monday, the European Parliament will hold a final debate on the new EU digital rules, the so-called Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). The EPP Group has led the way to create a level playing field on digital markets and curb the unfair practices by big online platforms. “It is a new era for tech regulation worldwide. The Digital Markets Act puts an end to the ever-increasing dominance of Big Tech companies", says Andreas Schwab MEP, the lead negotiator of the DMA in the European Parliament. “The new rules will ensure that European digital companies can reach new customers easily and compete internationally. At the same time, it will lead to the more effective removal of illegal content, increase transparency for consumers, and strengthen the rights of users who have been mistreated by the big platforms", says Arba Kokalari MEP, the EPP Group Member responsible for the DSA. The final vote will take place on Tuesday.

'This is Europe' debate with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis

EPP

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, will address the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 5 July. Prime Minister Mitsotakis will come to Strasbourg at the invitation of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The Greek Prime Minister is expected to present the achievements of the Greek Government, highlight its positions on security and defence, and lay out his vision for the future of Europe. EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber said: "Greece's future prospects have completely turned around since Kyriakos Mitsotakis became Prime Minister. Now that Europe is confronted with serious economic challenges, it is more important than ever to stabilise our economies with reforms and prudent fiscal management as we have seen in Athens in the past years."

Situation at the Spanish-Moroccan border

Migrants

On Monday, the Plenary will debate the loss of life and violence occurred at the Spanish-Moroccan border last Friday. The EPP Group calls for a clarification of the situation which led to the tragic events where 23 people died and many more were injured when about 2,000 migrants tried violently to cross the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo: the next steps on their way to the EU

Europe

The annual reports on the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), by Serbia and by Kosovo will be put to vote in the Plenary of the European Parliament on Wednesday. On BiH, the EPP Group strongly denounces the disregard for international and national norms and obligations, all hate rhetoric and disruptive action, including the obstruction of state institutions, particularly by the leadership of the Republika Srpska entity (RS). This has been destabilising the country, undermining its statehood in violation of its own Constitution and of the Dayton Peace Agreement. The EPP Group welcomes Kosovo’s advancement on EU-related reforms and the overwhelming consensus among political parties and public support for European integration. Serbia’s future in the EU depends on its own performance. A credible enlargement perspective requires political will, sustainable efforts and irreversible reforms in all areas. Serbia is one of the very few European countries not aligning with EU sanctions against Russia, therefore we call on the newly-elected authorities to swiftly show unambiguous commitment to EU values.

MEPs Involved:
Press officers:
Agata BYCZEWSKA

Press Officer for Foreign Affairs Working Group. National press, Polish Media. Adviser for EU-ACP JPA Parliamentary Assembly

Vladislav Panayotov VELEV

Press Officer for Foreign Affairs Working Group, Security and Defence, Human Rights, Foreign Interference and Disinformation Committees. National press, Bulgarian Media

United Kingdom to breach international law

Brexit

On Wednesday afternoon, the European Parliament will debate the British Government's unilateral introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. The Bill is a clear breach of international law, according to Seán Kelly MEP. "The EU has been clear and unified in confirming that there will be no renegotiation of the Protocol, but there is room for manoeuvre to ease logistics. However, there will be no tolerance for flagrant law-breaking and unilateral action. That is not how you treat a valued trading partner and neighbour", he warned. "We are disappointed that the UK is taking this unilateral step after all the efforts from the EU over the last months to find a mutual solution. During this exceptional time, with Putin’s war in Ukraine and the vast implications of these unprecedented events, the UK Government chooses to create more problems rather than work to resolve them", said Christophe Hansen MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on International Trade.

Welcoming Croatia to the Eurozone

Croatia

The EPP Group fully backs Croatia to join the Eurozone as its 20th member from 1 January 2023. The reforms which the Croatian Government has undertaken in the last years have strengthened the economy and paved the way for joining the common currency. “It is clear that becoming a member of the Euro is a good signal for the country, its businesses and citizens, as well as for individual sectors of its economy, such as tourism. There is also awareness that work to keep the economy strong and competitive needs to continue after the accession”, said Siegfried Mureşan MEP, negotiator of the parliamentary Report taking stock of the progress made by Croatia on the road to the Eurozone. The debate in the plenary of the European Parliament will take place on Monday, the vote on Tuesday.

Mental health and teleworking

Mental

On Tuesday, the European Parliament will debate and on Wednesday vote on a Report on Mental Health in the Digital World of Work authored by the EPP Group’s Maria Walsh MEP. Increasingly, digitalised workplaces and the ability to work anytime and anywhere create both opportunities and risks for the well-being of workers. This has become even more apparent due to the pandemic, as the health of teleworkers could not be monitored on a day to day basis, in contrast to office-based workers. Walsh calls on the European Commission to create a comprehensive EU mental health strategy and a legislative framework to establish minimum requirements for teleworking across the EU. In addition, Member States and the Commission should include measures to address mental health in their health crisis and pandemic emergency response and preparedness plans.

Boost sustainable aviation fuels 'made in Europe'

airplanes

On Thursday, the European Parliament will debate and vote on new rules aiming to uplift the use of sustainable aviation fuels in Europe. "It is high time to ramp up the sustainable aviation fuels market in Europe and to reduce emissions coming from air transport. We need to boost innovation, production and deployment of such sustainable aviation fuels to push down costs”, says Claudia Monteiro de Aguiar MEP, who negotiated the rules on behalf of the EPP Group. She also underlines that the deployment of sustainable fuels 'made in Europe' prevent new fuel dependencies, for example from the United States.