The Week ahead

On Tuesday morning, the Parliament will draw conclusions from last week’s EU summit, which focused on European competitiveness. Christian Ehler MEP, EPP Group spokesman on Industry, Research and Energy says, “It is time now for all the Institutions to start working on a serious industrial policy agenda for the next term. We need a coherent plan for investment, improving the regulatory environment and other framework conditions such as R&D investment. This will be the main task for all EU institutions during the next term." The EPP Group is convinced that the completion of the EU Single Market in all its dimensions is more important now than ever. “We can only master the Green and Digital Transitions if we quickly remove all remaining barriers and extend the internal market to further sectors, with priority given to the energy, telecommunications and the capital market," says Andreas Schwab MEP, EPP Group Internal Market spokesperson.

The EPP Group has spearheaded efforts to tackle violence against women and domestic violence across the continent. On Wednesday, the European Parliament will vote on groundbreaking EU legislation aimed at combating these heinous crimes. The EPP Group‘s vice-chair Frances Fitzgerald MEP, who negotiated this law on behalf of the Parliament, emphasised the importance of this legislation, "With this law, we have taken the first step towards making Europe the first continent in the world to eliminate violence against women.“

In the aftermath of Iran’s attack against Israel, the EPP Group has called for the reinstatement of UN sanctions against Iran and for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in its entirety to be declared terrorist organisations. “Complacency or appeasement towards dictators does not bring peace, democracy or advance human rights - we should have learnt that when we tried the soft approach with Vladimir Putin”, said David Lega MEP, EPP Group spokesperson on Iran.  "The EU must become a main actor in the Middle East and our role is to help avoid an escalation of the conflict. Israel has been attacked once more. Unity against terrorism and anti-democratic regimes is the only way for democracy and peace in the Middle East," stresses Antonio López-Istúriz White MEP, head of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Israel.

On Wednesday, the Parliament celebrates the 20th anniversary of the EU’s biggest enlargement. For the EPP Group, the EU enlargement is an investment in Europe's security and prosperity and the most effective instrument to transform the EU’s neighbourhood into stable and successful democracies. "We made today's Europe. We are proud of Europe's achievements. In the same way, the EPP Group is the party for the future of Europe and we will shape the future enlargement process into a success story," stresses EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber MEP. “The 1st of May 2004 marked a new chapter for our continent and put an end to a tragic rupture within Europe. The prospect of the EU Membership led the aspiring states to implement profound economic, social and political changes. Their accession to the EU brought us back to peace, freedom, prosperity and stability. We need to remember this while thinking about future enlargements.”

MEPs will vote on Wednesday on the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact. This Pact sets new rules for Member States to consolidate their public finances and to control excessive deficits and reduce high public debt. Clear rules, clear enforcement and a reasonable balance between reducing excessive debt and allowing for investment, that was the EPP Group compass when shaping the new fiscal rules for EU Member States. For Markus Ferber MEP, the EPP Group Spokesman on Economic and Monetary Affairs, this reform constitute a fresh start and at the same time a return to fiscal responsibility.