PLENARY FLASH: Greens/EFA Priorities 14 to 17 September
SOTEU: Now is the time for bold climate action
Another summer of heatwaves, fires and droughts caused more than an estimated 35,000 excess heat-related deaths in Europe. Low-water levels in major rivers meant goods could not be transported, and nuclear plants needed to be shut down. Farmers cannot feed their animals, outdoor workers risk their lives, economic costs are piling up from productivity losses and health absences. Heatwaves in 2026 alone have cost EU economies an estimated €180 billion or roughly 1% of GDP - which is almost exactly the growth the bloc had been expecting this year.
Now is the time for European leaders to break their silence, end climate inaction, and to come with plans to protect citizens.
In her State of the Union speech, we expect the Commission President to deliver a strong response to protect people from extreme weather caused by climate change and spell out a comprehensive action plan. In the centre must be the phase out of fossil fuels, the end to all fossil fuel subsidies, a 50% fossil fuel windfall tax to create a new EU own resource and a heating and cooling strategy to stop climate breakdown and protective measures against the next record breaking heatwaves.
SOTEU: Wednesday, 16 September
MEP: Greens/EFA President Terry Reintke
Plenary debates on heatwaves and floods in Nepal:
Tuesday, 15 September: Devastating heatwaves, wildfires and droughts in Europe: lessons from summer 2026
On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the report of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS), which responds to the Commission’s weak Democracy Shield initiative. The report calls for stronger action to protect the EU from foreign interference, disinformation and hybrid threats.
The Greens/EFA Group secured several key Green priorities, including stronger enforcement of EU digital rules whether Trump likes them or not, demands to curb harmful engagement-based algorithms during election periods, and a clear recognition that Europe’s dependence on Big Tech is a risk for democracy and security.
We pushed Parliament to call for real accountability for platforms that amplify disinformation or manipulate political debate. We also secured support for a well-funded Centre for Democratic Resilience with a clear mandate to monitor foreign interference and improve cooperation between Member States.
Debate & Vote: Tuesday, 15 September
MEP: Kim van Sparrentak
PFAS in EU
On Thursday, the European Parliament will hold a debate on toxic substances and PFAS. This debate was called for by the Greens/EFA Group following the environmental scandal that recently broke in Croatia. High levels of contamination in soil and groundwater by PFAS (forever chemicals) around Gospic demonstrated once again the need for urgency in addressing this health issue, which affects all Europeans. We are asking the Commission and Member States to urgently phase-out PFAS and put the health of our citizens above the vested interests of the chemical industry.
On 30 September, the Greens/EFA Group will hold a press conference on the results of blood tests carried out on around one hundred people to measure their levels of contamination by PFAS and TFA. By the end of the year, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will issue its final scientific assessment on a universal ban on PFAS. In 2027, the European Commission is due to present a proposal to restrict PFAS based on this assessment.
Debate: Thursday, 17 September at 15:00
MEPs: Cristina Guarda, Gordan Bosanac, Marie Toussaint, Lena Schilling
Defence Readiness Omnibus
On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the Defence Readiness Omnibus, which aims to speed up Europe’s defence investments. The Greens/EFA Group recognises the urgency of strengthening Europe’s security and will vote in favour of the final outcome. However, the result remains far below the level of ambition Europe needs. The Council blocked key steps towards a truly European defence market and stronger European cooperation.
Nevertheless, the final package still includes improvements on safeguards, SMEs, Ukraine and regions most exposed to military threats, but Member States must stop hiding behind national interests if Europe is serious about defence readiness. Europe must now match its defence ambitions with real common capacity, shared investment and the political will to act together.
Debate & Vote: Tuesday, 15 September
MEPs: Reinier van Lanschot (SEDE & IMCO), Hannah Neumann (SEDE), Mārtiņš Staķis (SEDE), Virginijus Sinkevičius (ITRE), Kai Tegethoff (ENVI)
Serbia and the glorification of war crimes
Next Tuesday, MEPs will debate the funeral for convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Belgrade and the wider glorification of war crimes in Serbia. The Greens/EFA Group strongly condemns Serbia’s whitewashing of Mladić, who remains a symbol of the darkest atrocities in recent European history, including the Srebrenica genocide. We also call on the EPP to stop providing political cover for Serbia’s ruling SNS party, which continues to undermine the EU candidate country’s European path.
This debate comes amid further serious concerns over the rule of law in Serbia, following revelations that Pegasus spyware was used to target activists, lawmakers and opposition figures. The Greens/EFA call for clear EU consequences, including freezing EU funds until there is a full investigation and accountability.
Debate: Tuesday, 15 September
MEP: Vladimir Prebilič, Saskia Bricmont (PEGA), Tineke Strik (Bosnia), …
Escalation in the Middle East
On Tuesday, MEPs will debate the escalation of violence in the Middle East. The focus of the debate will be on Israel's unprecedented expansion of illegal settlements and settler aggressions in the occupied West Bank and the possible EU measures needed to address this existential threat to the two-state solution. Following the lead of a number of Member States, the Greens/EFA Group calls on the EU to impose sanctions and ensure that products originating from illegal settlements do not enter the EU market, in line with international law. Beyond the situation in Palestine, the debate also covers the continuing hostilities between the US and Iran, Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Syria, as well as the reignition of the war in Yemen
Debate: Tuesday, 15 September
MEP: Villy Søvndal
More:
EU Youth Strategy
On Tuesday, MEPs will discuss how to address the challenges facing Europe’s youth. The Greens/EFA Group supports a strong, inclusive and forward-looking EU Youth Strategy that puts young people at the centre of policymaking and strengthens their meaningful participation in democratic life.
Debate: Tuesday, 15 September
MEP: Benedetta Scuderi
Global Role of the Euro
On Tuesday, MEPs will debate and vote on the ECON report on the global role of the euro. Under Greens/EFA MEP Rasmus Andresen’s rapporteurship, the text became a clear and strong call for the large-scale issuance of EU debt (Eurobonds) to finance European public goods, including the green transition. It is a significant break with the longstanding political orthodoxy that has prevented such explicit calls for common EU borrowing in EP resolutions, and marks an important shift in the debate.
Debate & Vote: Tuesday, 15 September
MEP: Rasmus Andresen
Hybrid warfare and the protection of the EU
On Tuesday, MEPs will debate hybrid warfare and the need for the EU and its member States to adequately counter it. The intensity and scope of hybrid attacks against the EU have escalated significantly since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Debate: Tuesday, 15 September
MEP: Villy Søvndal
LINKS
The Group' President Terry Reintke will hold the plenary session press briefing on Tuesday, 15 September at 9:30 AM.
Location: Daphne Caruana Galizia Press Room, Weiss N-1/201 or online viaEuropean Parliament website. Journalists can ask questions remotely viaInteractio.
The full plenary agenda for the week can be found on the Parliament website.
