Reaching a swift and ambitious agreement on the European recovery package is the EU’s highest priority for the coming weeks. The Commission has made proposals that respond forcefully to Europe’s recovery needs and will lay the foundations for a more sustainable and resilient economy for future generations. Since the Commission tabled its proposals for NextGenerationEU…
Parliament’s president David Sassoli has urged “bravery” on the EU recovery plan following meeting with the MFF contact group “Now is the time to be courageous and ambitious with the actions backed by the EU budget. Parliament must be a key player in this process together with other institutions, so it can contribute to making…
Today is the 70th Anniversary of the signing of the Schuman Declaration, which was originally presented by French foreign minister Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950. The Declaration proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) between France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, to enable these countries to pool…
Michael Gahler MEP, EPP Group Spokesman for Foreign Affairs, has issued a statement ahead of today’s EU-Western Balkans summit which takes place in the form of a video conference. He said, “Do not lose sight of the geopolitical consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Western Balkans must not fall into the Russian disinformation trap. The…
Parliament approved €3.08 billion in EU aid on Friday including more tests, help for doctors and nurses to care for the sick. The EU funds should directly support healthcare systems in EU member states in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative should allow the EU to buy urgent medical supplies, such as masks…
As EU leaders prepare to put the finishing touches to their plans for a two year conference on the Future of Europe, civil society groups are mobilising to set up a parallel series of events aimed at putting citizens at the heart of the debate. A Future of Europe Fringe, modelled on the experience of…
Yesterday evening the European Parliament President David Sassoli used a speech at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris to call on EU leaders to rediscover the former European Commission President’s ambition and reforming zeal to tackle the many challenges Europe faces. President Sassoli said: “During his ten years at the head of the European Commission, he…
The EU needs to “turn the promises of the past few months into results that improve people’s lives” That was the message on Sunday from parliament’s president David Sassoli who was speaking in Brussels. He joined the Presidents of the three EU institutions and the European Central Bank to mark the inauguration of the new Commission and…
Ukrainian civil rights activist Oleg Sentsov, recently released from a Russian prison and who has become a symbol of all political prisoners in that country, has warned the West “not to forget” those “languishing” in Russian jails. He said, “There are young men still languishing behind bars in Russia, people who have done nothing wrong,…
The Conference of Presidents (President Sassoli and political groups’ leaders) closed the hearings process today. Parliament will vote on the new Commission on 27 November. After the meeting, European Parliament President David Sassoli said: “During the last two months, the European Parliament has played its democratic role, scrutinising the performances of the proposed Commissioners closely….
