The Week ahead

On Wednesday, the European Parliament will vote on its opinion on the 'European Green Deal'. The EPP Group fully supports the European Commission in its efforts to fight climate change. Our political group notes that while aiming to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is very ambitious and challenging, we want to put Europe's united effort behind this goal.

On Tuesday, the European Commission will present MEPs with its plans for the Sustainable Investment Plan as well as the Just Transition Fund. “Achieving the objectives of the Green Deal will require significant financial efforts from the EU and the Member States. This is why, if we want the Green Deal to succeed, we need a robust Just Transition Mechanism. The EPP Group supports the principle of this mechanism. As regards its financing, our position is very clear: we demand fresh funding for this instrument, on top of the existing Commission proposal for the next MFF. We will not accept any reductions of funding for policies that have already proven their success”, said Siegfried Mureşan MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for budgetary issues.

More than ten years after the Lisbon Treaty came into force, the EPP Group believes that EU citizens should once more have the opportunity to develop a European Union they want to live in. The European Parliament should play an important role in organising a structured reflection about values and challenges such as human rights, integration and climate change.

The UK Withdrawal Agreement contains provisions to protect both UK and EU-27 citizens’ rights during and after the transition period. We want to ensure that these provisions are properly implemented in order to protect those affected, their families and their rights. Both the UK and the EU-27 governments must manage citizens’ rights fairly after Brexit. MEPs will debate the issue on Tuesday, with a Resolution to be voted on on Wednesday. To enter into force, the UK Withdrawal Agreement needs to be approved by the European Parliament by a simple majority of votes cast (Article 50 (2) TEU). MEPs will vote on the Withdrawal Agreement on 29 January in Brussels.

On Tuesday, together with the EU High Representative Josep Borell, MEPs will debate the latest developments in the Middle East, following the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organisation. The EPP Group is extremely worried about this new crisis which affects not only the region but the European continent as well. We call on all parties to show restraint and make space for dialogue.

The rule of law is non-negotiable in the EU. It is one of our founding principles that we must protect in every way. The EPP Group remains seriously concerned about the rule of law developments in several EU Member States. We therefore call for the creation of an independent, evidence-based and non-discriminatory EU mechanism that would monitor and assess rule of law situations in all the Member States on an equal footing. MEPs will debate the rule of law in the EU on Tuesday in plenary.

Members of the European Parliament have been campaigning for a common charger for mobile radio equipment (such as mobile phones, tablets, e-book readers, smart cameras) for more than 10 years. Voluntary agreements between industry players did not bring satisfactory results. It is time for action from the European Commission. We need a standard for a common charger. This way, the EU could spare nearly 51,000 tons of electronic waste from old chargers every year. As an EPP Group initiative, the debate will take place on Monday and the vote on the Resolution will take place during one of next plenary sessions.

On Tuesday, in the presence of the EU High Representative Josep Borrell, MEPs will debate the situation in Libya. The EPP Group believes that there is no military solution to the conflict and calls on all sides to stop fighting and return to political negotiations under UN mediation. We call on all international actors to strictly respect the UN arms embargo, and strongly denounce the recent agreement between Turkey and Libya setting maritime borders in the Mediterranean Sea as violating the sovereign rights of European states. This agreement is null and void.

When it comes to taxpayers' money, everyone must be treated equally. Prime Ministers alike. A person profiting from a political decision cannot be the one in charge of that very decision. This is why on Wednesday, we will ask questions about Andrej Babiš’ alleged double role as the beneficial owner of the Agrofert Group and a Czech representative at the negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The EPP Group believes that the vast majority of EU citizens should benefit from EU money - not only a small group of oligarchs!

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss recent statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the causes of the outbreak of World War II. According to the Head of the PO-PSL Delegation, Andrzej Halicki, the initiator of the debate, the matter requires a formal debate by the European Institutions because the statements by the Russian President affect common European history and a sense of historical truth among the societies of many EU Member States. They also have an impact on the current foreign policy of the EU and are in clear contrast to the Resolution adopted by the EP on 15 September on the importance of remembering Europe's past for its future.