Plenary Flash 21 - 24 October 2024

The urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon

On Tuesday 22 October, the European Parliament will have a debate on the urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for safeguarding the UNIFIL mission in light of the recent attacks. The Greens/EFA Group is gravely concerned about the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which have resulted in many civilian casualties and many more are forced to flee. We condemn the Israeli attacks on the UN, including UN staff, especially the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL). The Greens/EFA call on all actors to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East and avoid further destabilisation in the region. The primacy of International law and international humanitarian law must be the only compass for all players.

Debate: Tuesday, 22 October

Greens/EFA MEPs: Hannah Neumann, Villy Søvndal, Leoluca Orlando

Managing migration

Next week, MEPs will debate recent events on migration, which have resulted in calls from the Commission and EU leaders for a harsher approach towards border closures and the deportation of failed asylum seekers. The right to asylum is an important pillar of the values the EU is based on, this must be upheld and defended by the European Commission. The Greens/EFA Group believe that the proposed deportation deals and offshore internment camps are expensive and ineffective reactions to a complex situation. The EU’s policies on migration must not replicate hard right populist policies such as the UK’s failed Rwanda policy. The Greens/EFA Group are calling for an EU-wide approach to asylum that reflects the nuances and complexities that Europe faces, while maintaining human rights and protections for those fleeing war and persecution.

Debate: Wednesday, 23 October

Greens/EFA MEPs: Erik Marquardt, Tineke Strik,

Situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia

This year´s UN Climate Conference will happen in Azerbaijan, a dictatorship financed by selling oil and gas while suppressing the opposition, free media and human rights defenders, leading to a complete shutdown of civil society ahead of COP29. The Greens/EFA urge Azerbaijan authorities to free Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and all political prisoners. Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu is a renowned economist, leading critic of the state-owned oil and gas industry and anti-corruption activist who after being sentenced to prison is being held under house arrest. The group’s 2024 Sakharov Peace Prize candidate is on the list of this year's finalists. The Greens/EFA also call on the EU delegation to the COP29 to address the human rights situation in Azerbaijan and to reconsider the EU's energy trade relations with the country. We hope that current efforts to strike a peace agreement with Armenia are sincere and lasting.

Debate: Tuesday, 22 October

Vote: Thursday, 24 October

Greens/EFA MEP: Sergey Lagodinsky

Deforestation: The Amazon cannot wait

Fighting deforestation cannot wait. The Amazon is burning, 95% of deforestation is happening in the tropics. If approved, the Commission’s proposal to delay the EU Deforestation Regulation by 12 months could cause deforestation in an area more than 14 times the size of Paris, releasing carbon emissions equivalent to 188 million long-haul flights. The Greens/EFA call on making the already agreed law against deforestation a reality and do not support the Commission’s decision to postpone. We must now ensure that this postponement proposal does not open a Pandora's box and lead to weakening the content of the law. This would severely damage trust in EU decision making by EU businesses and citizens, and by third countries, when numerous companies have already said they are ready to implement the new norms by 2025 already.

Vote on urgency procedure: Wednesday 23 October (tbc)

Vote on the final proposal (and amendments): Thursday, 14 November

Greens/EFA MEPs: Marie Toussaint, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Anna Cavazzini

Macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

On Tuesday morning, the European Parliament will endorse, after a debate, the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. In line with their constant support of Ukraine, the Greens/EFA will vote in favour of this legislative proposal to support a loan of up to €35 billion to Ukraine backed by Russian frozen assets. For the Greens/EFA, this EU’s contribution under the G7's initiative to support Ukraine with up to €45 billion is crucial to address Ukraine’s urgent financing needs following Russia’s war of aggression.

Debate & Vote: Tuesday, 22 October

Greens/EFA MEPs: Markéta Gregorova (INTA), Damian Boeselager (BUDG), Villy Sovndal (AFET)

Cities and regions in the EU

On Wednesday, the European Parliament will debate the important role of cities and regions in the EU. MEPs will emphasise their significance for a green, social and prosperous local development. Two mayors of the Green family, Gergely Karácsony (Dialogue) from Budapest and Tomislav Tomašević (Možemo!) from Zagreb will be present and available for media inquiries.

Debate: Wednesday, 23 October

Greens/EFA MEPs: Gordan Bosanac, Tineke Strik, Daniel Freund

Animal health in Europe: how to prevent and prepare for future sanitary crises in agriculture

The spread of animal diseases poses a threat not only to farmed animals' health and welfare, but also that of wildlife and can affect human health, especially that of agricultural workers. The Greens/EFA have long called for a One Health approach to manage animal diseases and disease risk in a comprehensive and sustainable way, rather than relying on high levels of antimicrobial use in animal feed. Disease patterns are likely to evolve with climate change too, and, if poorly managed, can severely impact wildlife and ecosystems as well as agriculture. To reduce disease risks, the Commission must come forward with the rest of the animal welfare package, including modernised rules on animal husbandry conditions and improved housing, without cages. To mitigate antimicrobial resistance, we must also move away from intensive agricultural practices and achieve the Farm to Fork target of a 50% reduction in overall EU sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals by 2030.

Debate: Tuesday, 22 October

Greens/EFA MEP: Tilly Metz

General budget of the EU for the financial year 2025

The Greens/EFA Group welcomes the Parliament’s reading of the General budget for 2025, which is needed to deliver on key priorities linked to the worsening effects of climate change, the cost of living crisis, and humanitarian needs in our neighbourhood. The emphasis on programmes such as EU4Health with a focus on the mental health crisis, the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the LIFE creates the basis to tackle some of the challenges the EU will face over the coming years.

Debate: Tuesday, 23 October, vote Wednesday

Greens/EFA MEPs: Rasmus Andresen (shadow Section III), Kai Tegethoff (other sections)

Climate activists from Uganda

On Wednesday, the Greens/EFA Group is hosting Ugandan activists fighting for climate justice, a phase-out of fossil fuels, and holding polluters accountable. Wednesday at 11:40, activists Nicholas Omonuk, Evelyn Acham and Aidah Nakku and more will participate in a cross-group photo action with Lena Schilling and other MEPs in front of the hemicycle. Their region, where communities have to fight against polluting fossil fuel infrastructure, is experiencing some of the most devastating effects of the climate crisis. They are advocating for a COP29 agreement on an ambitious new finance goal that reflects the needs of the global south.

Photo action: Wednesday, 23 October at 11:40

Greens/EFA MEP: Lena Schilling

Seven years from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia

On 17 October 2017, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally assassinated by a car bomb following her fearless reporting on the Panama Papers and political corruption in Malta. Seven years on from the assassination, MEPs will debate the still poor situation facing the rule of law in Malta on Wednesday afternoon.

Debate: Wednesday, 23 October

Greens/EFA MEPs: Diana Riba i Giner

Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Poland's abortion law

On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the ground-breaking findings and recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Poland's highly restrictive abortion law. The Greens/EFA Group has long been in the forefront in the fight to legalise and fully decriminalise abortion in Poland as well as advocating for reproductive justice and the provision of free and adequate sexual and reproductive healthcare for everyone.

Greens/EFA MEP Alice Kuhnke and MEP Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D) are hosting a breakfast briefing in advance of the plenary debate. The briefing will take place on Tuesday 22 October from 8:15 to 9:00 in one of the MEP salons, WEISS S0.3.

Debate: Wednesday, 23 October

Greens/EFA MEPs: Alice Bah Kunke, Mélissa Camara

Links:

The Group’s Co-Presidents Terry Reintke & Bas Eikhout will hold the plenary session press briefing on Tuesday, 22 October at 11:00 AM  

Location: Daphne Caruana Galizia Press Room, Weiss N-1/201, or online via the European Parliament website. Journalists can ask questions remotely via Interactio.

The full plenary agenda for the week can be found on the Parliament website.