The Week ahead

The EPP Group is supporting efforts to export Ukrainian grain to North Africa. The Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister will address Parliament's Agriculture Committee on Monday. The International Trade Committee will vote on trade liberalisation for Ukrainian products. "The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, needs to ensure that the so-called solidarity lanes work as they should and do not cause market disturbances inside the EU", says Herbert Dorfmann MEP, the EPP Group's Spokesman on Agriculture. “Any unilateral action by individual EU Member States will only help Russia", points out Sandra Kalniete MEP, who is responsible for the Parliament's position on the temporary trade liberalisation for Ukrainian products.

Equipping the armies of EU Member States jointly reduces costs and leads to deeper cooperation and a stronger European defence. That is why the EPP Group is in favour of the so-called European Defence Industry Reinforcement through Common Procurement Act (EDIRPA). On Tuesday, the Industry and the Foreign Affairs Committees will vote jointly on it. “It marks an historical moment for European defence as it is the first time that we are bringing EU Member States together to jointly procure defence systems. Refilling our stockpiles that have been depleted due to our support for Ukraine is only the starting point. Russia’s war made it obvious that we can no longer afford to neglect our defence as we have over the past 30 years”, says Michael Gahler MEP, who spearheaded the law in the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The EU needs a coordinated strategy against foreign interference. De-bunk propaganda and misinformation. Create an EU structure to analyse data. Coordinate research projects. Inform people that they have been subject to manipulation. These are some of the measures which the final Report of Parliament’s Special Committee on foreign interference calls for. The committee will vote on the Report on Wednesday. "Foreign interference in democratic processes is a growing threat to European security, particularly against the backdrop of rapid technological development and the ongoing war in Europe. The EU is lagging behind and is suffering from a fragmented approach. Significant and lasting investments must be made without delay to safeguard our democracy", says Sandra Kalniete MEP, who drafted the Report.

The EU and other partners in the democratic world have an obligation to come up with a plan on how to meet the financial challenges Ukraine faces. At a hearing on Wednesday, Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee will assess with international experts the feasibility of a Marshall Plan-style facility to support the country. “Ukraine will not be able to win the war, finance the state during the war, and finance the reconstruction after the war at the same time. Part of it can be covered by seizing the sanctioned assets of Russia’s Central Bank and Russian oligarchs, but it will take quite a long time to finalise all the needed legal procedures. However, the immediate financial needs are huge”, said Michael Gahler MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on Foreign Affairs.

The EPP Group calls for measures to prioritise food security in Europe. Parliament‘s Agriculture Committee will vote on Tuesday on its Report on food security and the long-term resilience of the EU agriculture sector. ”The illegal Russian attack on Ukraine has severely disrupted global food security. The European Commission should do its best to ensure that our farmers are able to produce and supply high-value agricultural commodities", says Marlene Mortler MEP.