The Week ahead

The EPP Group is calling for concrete action to boost Europe’s competitiveness. This message, which will be debated by the European Parliament on Wednesday, comes ahead of an informal gathering of EU leaders in Belgium on Thursday. "The Single Market is one of the EU's greatest assets and our economic power. Yet its full potential is blocked by fragmentation. We must remove barriers to intra-EU trade, reduce unnecessary red tape and truly empower European businesses. I call on EU leaders to recognise this urgency and work with us to boost competitiveness, create more jobs and provide better prospects for our citizens", said Dolors Montserrat, EPP Group Vice-Chair.

EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber MEP will hold a press conference on the topics of Parliament’s plenary on Tuesday at 8.30am at the Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room (WEISS N -1/201) and via Interactio, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The EPP Group is pushing for faster and stronger action to reinforce European defence and its industrial base. This objective will frame the European Parliament’s debate on Tuesday morning in Strasbourg on "building a stronger European Defence". "Thanks to the EPP Group, the European Parliament has adopted several key decisions to strengthen European defence and its industrial base. However, further efforts are urgently needed. We must move swiftly to implement the drone shield, enhance military mobility, strengthen surveillance of the eastern flank, and reinforce support for Ukraine’s armed forces, along with other essential defence initiatives," said Pascual de la Parte MEP, the EPP Group spokesman on Security and Defence.

The EPP Group wants a Europe that protects its borders and stems illegal migration. On Tuesday, the European Parliament will vote on two laws to strengthen the EU’s response to this challenge. "Citizens expect firm, fair and credible action. With these new laws, we are speeding up asylum procedures and strengthening efficiency. By clearly distinguishing between those in real need and those who are not, we are taking bold and responsible steps to ensure effective control over migration," says Lena Düpont MEP, Parliament’s negotiator on the Safe Third Countries law and the EPP Group’s spokeswoman on home affairs.

The EPP Group is working to make bullying in the digital world a criminal offence across the EU. On Tuesday, the Commission will present an Action Plan against cyberbullying. It aims to improve the response to online harassment, especially affecting children and other vulnerable people. Members of the European Parliament will discuss the proposal the same day during an afternoon debate. “Millions of children and vulnerable groups experience cyberbullying. Unfortunately, unlike bullying in the physical world, bullying in the digital world is still not treated as seriously as it should be. To tackle this problem effectively, we need to work together to make sure people everywhere in Europe receive the same level of protection from online abuse,” says Ewa Kopacz MEP.