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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.
13.03.2026
The Week ahead
The EPP Group calls for Europe to develop robust air, missile, and anti-drone defence capabilities. This message will be at the centre of Wednesday’s European Parliament debate on the crisis in the Middle East and the consequences of the US-Israel military operation against the Iranian regime. "Donald Tusk was right when he warned two years ago that we are entering pre-war times. Today, the risk of a global conflict is no longer theoretical. Europe must respond decisively. We must dramatically increase our support for Ukraine to end the war on our continent. We must also invest massively in our defence industry, including by launching a SAFE 2 programme, and create a European nuclear umbrella to guarantee full protection for our citizens,” said Andrzej Halicki MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chair for Foreign Affairs.
Chairman of the EPP Group
Committee Vice-Chair
Press Officer for Foreign Affairs, Development and for Poland
Deputy spokesperson to the Chairman
The EPP Group wants a strong and enforceable Return Regulation to restore the credibility of Europe’s migration policy. On Monday, 9 March, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will vote on the Parliament’s mandate on a new returns legislation designed to increase the number of effective returns. "A return decision that is not enforced is just a piece of paper. If you do not have the right to stay in Europe, you must leave. Without effective returns, there is no credible migration policy," said François-Xavier Bellamy MEP, who led negotiations for the EPP Group.
Shadow Rapporteur
Press Officer for Legal and Home Affairs and for Sweden
Press Officer for Legal and Home Affairs and for Czech Republic
EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber MEP will hold a press conference on the topics of Parliament’s plenary on Tuesday at 8.30am in the Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room (WEISS N -1/201) and via Interactio at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Director, Press
The EPP Group supports a straightforward extension of the current rules allowing online service providers to detect and report child sexual abuse material online on a voluntary basis. This extension preserves the existing derogation and safeguards, including the protection of end-to-end encryption and the prohibition of general monitoring. On Wednesday, the European Parliament will vote on extending the temporary measure and hold a debate on “Child sexual abuse online: protect children, not perpetrators”. “The extension is essential to ensure that providers can continue detecting child sexual abuse material online until the permanent legislation enters into force. The deadline expires on 3 April, and we cannot afford a legal vacuum that would allow predators to operate freely while victims are left without protection. Protecting children must remain our absolute priority,” stresses Javier Zarzalejos MEP, EPP Spokesman on the matter.
Press Officer for Petitions, Gender Equality, Home Affairs and for Lithuania
Press Officer for Home Affairs, Gender Equalilty and for Cyprus
The EPP Group calls for faster construction and renovation to address Europe’s housing supply crisis. This objective will guide next week’s European Parliament debate and vote on affordable housing. "Young people and families are suffering – Europe lacks homes. If permits take years, prices will keep rising. We need less bureaucracy and legal certainty to unlock investments. Let's continue working so that every European can start building a home," says Parliament's negotiator on housing, Borja Giménez Larraz MEP.
Rapporteur
Press Officer for Housing, Industry, Research, Energy and for Belgium and Luxembourg
The EPP Group has long pushed for cyberbullying and online abuse to be recognised as crimes across the EU. On Tuesday, Jackie Fox – the face of an EPP Group campaign in 2023 – will address the European Parliament during the plenary ceremony marking International Women’s Day. Jackie Fox lost her daughter Nicole, known as 'Coco', in 2018 after sustained online abuse. In response, she led the campaign for Coco’s Law in Ireland, pioneering legislation that criminalises online harassment and harmful digital communications. Since entering into force in 2021, the law has become a benchmark in the fight against cyber violence and inspired the EPP Group’s call for stronger EU rules. “Digital spaces must not be lawless. What is illegal offline must also be illegal online. The EU must act to protect women and girls from online abuse,” said Eleonora Meleti MEP, EPP Group spokeswoman for women’s rights.
The EPP Group wants to fast-track the planned changes to the CO₂ emission credit calculations for heavy-duty vehicles. "European truck makers face a tough CO₂ reduction target for 2030, but the shift to low- and zero-emission vehicles has been slower than expected because charging and refuelling infrastructure is still lacking. Without action, manufacturers could face heavy fines that would harm their competitiveness. More flexibility will give them a realistic chance of meeting the 2030 target. This amendment is a welcome first step, but a full revision of the law is needed in 2026," said Jens Gieseke MEP, EPP Group spokesman for transport and tourism.
Press Officer for Transport, Environment, Climate, Food Safety and for the Netherlands
Press Officer for Economy, Environment and for Germany
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