The Week ahead

The European Parliament’s leadership will meet Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday afternoon to discuss EU priorities ahead of next week’s State of the European Union address. The annual address, in Strasbourg on 16 September, will take stock of the EU’s achievements over the past year and set out the Commission’s priorities for the year ahead.

The EPP Group will welcome the President of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, this week. He will provide a first-hand account of the invasion suffered by the Spanish city on Europe’s southern border and the extremely critical situation its people continue to face. Thousands of those who illegally entered Ceuta on 30 and 31 July remain on the streets, causing serious security problems and growing social tensions, and putting the city’s social services under severe strain. "Ceuta is Europe’s border, and this is not simply a migration crisis; it is a border security crisis. We need further clear information from the Spanish government. Something like this must never happen again. To prevent it, we have the European Pact on Migration and Asylum," says EPP Group vice-chair Tomas Tobé MEP.

From 7-9 September, the European Parliament in Brussels will host the EPP Group’s largest-ever flagship youth event, Dream Big, Dream European, bringing together more than 500 young people active in politics, MEPs and experts. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and EPP Group chairman Manfred Weber will open the event, joined by YEPP president Sophia Kircher MEP and Eva Maydell MEP, coordinator of the EPP Group Young Members’ Network. Participants will tackle key challenges facing Europe’s youth, including economic prosperity, security and defence, social media and political participation. Their work will culminate in a youth declaration and campaign presented in the Hemicycle on the final day.

"Europe is facing profound challenges, and navigating them successfully will require fresh perspectives, new ideas and a willingness to rethink how we work. To shape Europe’s future, we need to engage with those who will live it by listening to their perspectives, learning from their ideas, and understanding how they work. Let’s use these days to foster precisely this kind of meaningful exchange," Weber says.

"The EU must pursue a pragmatic relationship with China without compromising its strategic interests," says Nicolàs Pascual de la Parte MEP, the EPP Group’s spokesman responsible for the matter, ahead of next Thursday’s vote on EU-China political relations.

"Dialogue remains necessary, but it must go hand in hand with reciprocity, transparency, economic security and a firm defence of international law. China must comply fully with its international commitments. Europe should cooperate with China where possible, compete where necessary and always protect its interests," de la Parte adds.