PLENARY FLASH: Greens/EFA Priorities 15 to 18 December
Affordable Housing Plan |
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On Tuesday, the EU Commission will publish its Affordable Housing Plan and MEPs will debate it in the afternoon. The Greens/EFA Group calls for massive expansion of social housing and believes that the housing sector should ensure universal, long-term access to affordable, sustainable and decent houses to prevent housing from being managed as financial assets. The right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right. The Greens/EFA Group calls for enabling a legally-binding regulatory framework whereby no household is obliged to spend more than 30% of its monthly disposable income on housing costs. Speculative investment and financialisation of housing must also be dismantled. With this plan, the Commission should ensure that Member States can effectively address the proliferation of short-term rentals for tourism, primarily targeting professional investors and large-scale houseowners. Debate: Tuesday, 16 December
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EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) |
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On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on the trilogue outcome of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The Commission’s decision to reopen the law after failing to prepare its IT system has enabled conservative and right-wing groups to weaken and delay it. The trilogue deal now postpones implementation by a full year, reduces traceability and grants broad exemptions that significantly undermine the EU’s ability to stop global deforestation. The Greens/EFA Group will table a rejection amendment to plenary and oppose the final text, since reopening the EUDR has ultimately undermined the law’s core purpose. We are also urging the European Commission to find technical solutions for the delay caused by its IT system. ENVI Vote: Monday, 15 December
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EU-Mercosur Bilateral Safeguard Regulation |
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On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the bilateral safeguard clause of the EU-Mercosur trade Agreement for agricultural products. The safeguard regulation will only operationalise the implementation of the provisions of the EU-Mercosur deal, but it will not change it. This means that the core concerns of EU farmers, including unfair competition from Mercosur producers, and sustainability issues linked to divergent production standards and deforestation will remain unaddressed. The Greens/EFA Group opposes the EU-Mercosur trade agreement and this safeguard regulation, even if improved, will not change our position on the deal. We regret that the Council and the EPP Rapporteur have been pushing for a fast-track procedure to adopt this safeguard when there is no legal urgency. The safeguards should be adopted only if and when the Trade agreement is ratified by the Parliament and enters into force. The strong opposition across political groups in the Parliament shows that such ratification is not a given. Vote: Tuesday, 16 December
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European Citizens’ Initiative 'My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion' |
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On Tuesday, MEPs will debate on the European Citizen’s Initiative My Voice, My Choice, which is calling for safe and accessible abortion across the European Union. The FEMM Committee has put forward a joint motion on the ECI with wide support from the other groups. However, it is clear there is opposition from the far-right groups to safe and legal abortion across Europe. The Greens/EFA Group stands with My Voice, My Choice and with the right to safe abortion and appropriate healthcare everywhere in the European Union. Debate: Tuesday, 16 December
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Murder of Mehdi Kessaci and the need for ambitious European action against drug trafficking |
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On Monday, at the request of the Greens/EFA Group, MEPs will debate the urgent need for European action against drug trafficking. This debate follows the tragic murder of Mehdi Kessaci, shot in broad daylight by a gang to silence his brother Amine, an activist working on combating drug trafficking and supporting the families of victims. The Greens/EFA Group call for an ambitious European plan and for as many people as possible to stand up to organized crime, which is the only way to protect those who speak out. Debate: Tuesday, 15 December
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Russian gas phase-out/RePowerEU |
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On a Greens/EFA initiative, the members of the European Parliament will debate the agreement found under the leadership of Co-Rapporteurs Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA) and Inese Vaidere (EPP) before next week's vote. The historic deal with the Council on the Regulation on phasing out Russian natural gas imports cuts dependency on Vladimir Putin and bans Russian gas from Europe from early 2026 on for new contracts, from 1 January 2027 for existing long-term LNG contracts and from 30 September 2027 on for long-term contracts for pipeline gas. For banning imports of Russian oil, the European Parliament secured a commitment from the European Commission to make a legislative proposal at the beginning of 2026 to ban imports as soon as possible, but no later than by the end of 2027. MEP Ville Niinistö will hold a press conference at 13:00 on Wednesday 17 December. Debate: Tuesday, 16 December Vote: Wednesday, 17 December
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Automotive Package |
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The review of the CO2 standards for cars and vans bears the risk of putting in danger the agreement of zero emissions by the year 2035. A u-turn on entering full-speed into full-scale e-mobility risks to scare off investors and jeopardise the production of affordable electric vehicles in Europe. If the Commission on Tuesday comes up with a package softening emission targets, this rollback will put European industry and quality jobs at risk, creating planning uncertainty instead of leading the European automotive industry to where it should be: at the forefront of e-mobility development. The electric revolution is happening - Europe now needs to decide if we want to be part of the shift towards e-mobility and quality jobs in Europe or if we want to keep watching from the sidelines and hand the keys of the European car industry over to China. Plenary debate: Tuesday, 16 December
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More:Corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the agreement reached with Member States on 9 December, to simplify sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies. The agreement is part of the broader Omnibus I package, which claims to reduce administrative burdens for companies. However, progressive groups, led by the Greens/EFA Group, did not support the Omnibus I, which completely dilutes EU's sustainability and due diligence legislation under the guise of simplification. The weakening of these laws has been made possible thanks only to the centre right collaborating with the far right.
Palestine and Lebanon On Tuesday, MEPs will debate the recent development in Palestine and Lebanon. 7 MEPs of the Greens/EFA Group are currently on a mission to Palestine (West Bank). MEPs Villy Søvndal, Hannah Neumann, Tineke Strik, Catarina Vieira, Nela Riehl, Diana Riba i Giner and Ignazio Marino will visit the West Bank to shed light on the escalating situation and will meet civil society in the surrounding areas. MEPs Villy Søvndal and Hannah Neumann will hold a press briefing on the mission on 15 December at 16:00.
Big Tech & disinformation The Greens/EFA Group has tabled an Oral Question to the European Commission urging to explain what they concretely plan to do against the use of recommender systems to push foreign interference on Very Large Online Platforms. These platforms amplify disinformation, reward polarising content and can be manipulated by foreign and domestic actors, undermining fair democratic debate. We urge the Commission to investigate these practices and ensure platforms comply with their obligations ahead of European elections and whether these practices amount to breaches of the DSA. Greens/EFA MEP Alexandra Geese, who initiated the letter signed by several political groups, will host a cross-party press briefing on Wednesday.
Sakharov Prize On Tuesday, the European Parliament will award the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, two journalists imprisoned in Belarus and Georgia. The Greens/EFA nominee, Budapest Pride organizer Viktória Radványi will also be in Strasbourg. The Budapest Pride, which took place on 28 June with over 200,000 people marching, was a powerful display of hope and democracy in Hungary and across Europe. Yet the criminalisation of Pride in Hungary reflects a wider trend of autocratic leaders targeting LGBTIQ+ people first. This week, Budapest’s green mayor Gergely Karácsony revealed that he is also facing charges by the Hungarian police.
EUCO The Greens/EFA Group look forward to the Council taking action on Thursday on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. This is particularly urgent given the current approach of the US to the war in Ukraine and the need for the EU to stand up for Kyiv. Greens/EFA Co-President Bas Eickhout will be in attendance at the EUCO, should you wish to arrange an interview or get reactions from the EUCO, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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