European Union

President Sassoli led a minute of silence for all women who have been victims of violence, at the opening of the November II plenary session in Strasbourg.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The European Parliament marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November by lighting its building in orange.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The European Parliament marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November by lighting its building in orange.

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MEPs will vote on the new European Commission, award the 2019 LUX Film Prize and decide on the EU budget for 2020 at the November plenary session in Strasbourg.

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MEPs will vote on the new European Commission, award the 2019 LUX Film Prize and decide on the EU budget for 2020 at the November plenary session in Strasbourg.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

This document provides links to all Briefings produced by the Policy Departments of the Directorate-General for Internal Policies and of the Directorate-General for External Policies of the European Parliament, with salient points and essential commitments made by the Vice-Presidents and Commissioners-designates at their respective hearings before the European Parliament. For an exhaustive list of all commitments made and positions taken by the candidates, the full verbatim report of each public hearing is available on the dedicated hearings website of the European Parliament, as are the written questions and answers.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

This document is a compilation of salient points and essential commitments made by the Vice-Presidents- and Commissioners-designate at their respective hearings before the European Parliament. It is intended to provide you with a practical and concise tool to follow-up on the efforts and actions of the future Commission. For an exhaustive list of all commitments made and positions taken by the candidates, the full verbatim report of each public hearing is available on the dedicated hearings website of the European Parliament, as are the written questions and answers.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

 

Brexit takes a low priority in Labour’s general election manifesto, as does Remain. That will be a disappointment to Labour Remainers, who represent a significant majority of the party’s members and voters.

Labour’s policy on Brexit is just three pages long and nestled deep in their manifesto on page 88.

That probably tells us as much as we need to know about how important Brexit is to Labour’s leaders – despite the fact that this snap general election was only called because of Parliament’s stalemate on Brexit.

But there is worse.

Labour’s manifesto panders to Labour Leavers – a minority – and has nothing good to say about Remaining in the EU.

Labour promises to “secure a new Brexit deal” with the EU.

“One that protects jobs, rights and the environment, avoids a hard border in Northern Ireland and protects the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process.”

This wonderful, sensible, credible version of Brexit will provide:

“..legal protection for citizens’ rights, meets our international obligations – particularly with regard to the Good Friday Agreement – and ensures an appropriate transition period to allow businesses and citizens to adapt to any new arrangements.”

And what’s more, Labour’s version of Leave will also:

“..secure robust and legally binding protections for workers’ rights, consumer standards and environmental protections, and ensure level-playingfield protections are maintained. Labour will never accept an outcome that puts rights and standards at risk.”

And then?

“Once we have secured this new deal we will put it to a legally binding referendum alongside the option of remaining in the EU.”

And the bottom line?

“Only Labour will offer the choice of remaining in the EU, or leaving with a sensible deal.”

So, it’s a choice between “remaining” or having a “sensible deal”.

Surely, there must be something good said in the Labour manifesto about the British people choosing to reject their “sensible” Brexit and opting instead to Remain in the EU?

Nope. I cannot find it anywhere. Quite the opposite.

The Labour manifesto almost dares people not to vote for Remain in their “legally binding” referendum, held sometime next summer (at the earliest).

The manifesto states:

“If in a referendum the British people decide to remain in the EU, this must not mean accepting the status quo.”

No, of course not. The authors of this Labour manifesto clearly don’t think much of the idea of the UK remaining in the EU, compared to the wonderful, beautiful, sensible, Brexit that Labour will offer instead.

If, heaven forbid, Britain does vote to Remain, then please be warned:

“The EU needs a new political direction and, if the people decide the UK should remain in the EU, Labour will lead the way to ensure that change.”

The manifesto continues with what’s wrong with the Remain option:

“For too long a politically inflicted wave of austerity has damaged communities across Britain and across Europe.

“The most vulnerable members in our society have suffered, while the super-rich continue to be rewarded by a system that allows them to thrive at the expense of the many.

“This must change. If the country decides to remain, a Labour government will take a different approach and strive to ensure that the EU works for people across our communities.”

Anyone reading this section of the manifesto cannot be in any doubt that Labour’s leadership thinks that Remain is not the way forward for Britain, and it’s the fault of the EU that we have austerity. (An entirely wrong analysis in my view).

A Labour government, clearly in my view, would urge the country instead to vote for their ‘sensible, credible Brexit.’

Yes, yes. Compared to the Tories, Labour offers the only way out of the Brexit mess. But any Remainer like me is going to feel deep disappointment and resentment by Labour’s policy on Brexit.

The party’s policy is aimed to appeal to Leavers, not Remainers, even though Labour is naturally made up of Remain supporters.

So, to me, none of this makes any sense.

But that has to be combined with the rest of Labour’s manifesto – the most radical we’ve known.

Of course, Britain needs radical change, but the plans Labour is now putting forward – many of them announced at the last minute without any pre-warning – are not going to win an election.

The proposals Labour is now proposing should have taken years in the planning, and years in the explaining and selling to the nation. Not three weeks before a vote.

The country at large would need to have such big plans sold to them carefully and convincingly over a long period of time, not over 21 days.

Labour’s hugely ambitious plans – probably too ambitious – would take at least three to four terms to achieve, even if they are achievable at all (and the costs involved are eye watering, with many respectable economists saying they are just not credible).

Yet by cramming everything into one manifesto, Labour will scare aware millions of moderate voters who are needed if Labour is to have any chance of winning.

In my view, far better for Labour to offer the nation a softer approach to change, with a better chance of winning power, than to present a manifesto so shockingly extreme that Labour is now likely to spend many more years in opposition.

Me writing this doesn’t make it true. I can’t affect the outcome. I am just expressing my view. So, if I am wrong when the results are announced on 13 December, I will eat my words, apologise, and admit I misjudged.

Come back after the general election and we will discuss it more then.

But I can tell you now: Labour’s ‘credible Brexit’ is not credible at all, and if they go ahead and implement any version of Brexit, Britain will be poorer, and there is no way that Labour would be able to fulfil even a small fraction of their remarkably radical plans.

 

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The post Labour’s Brexit policy is on page 88 of their manifesto appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

On 11 October 2017, SEDE held a public hearing on the militarisation in the Black Sea. The hearing was timely, as the regional security situation on the eastern flank has become very challenging for the EU and NATO. It focused on the security situation following the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Furthermore, the hearing analysed the military strategic consequences of the conflicts and the possibilities to foster stability and cooperation.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak 5B001
Further information
Programme
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SEDE organised a public hearing on 'Artificial intelligence and its future impact on security' on Wednesday 10 October 2018, from 09.00 to 11.30, with four external experts.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak, room 5B001
Further information
Draft programme
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'The threats posed by drones to Europe's armed forces' on Tuesday 20 November 2018, from 09.30 to 11.00, with external experts.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak, room 5B001
Further information
Draft programme
Presentation of Colonel Christophe Michel, SGDSN
Presentation of Tal Inbar, The Fisher Institute for Air & Space Strategic Studies
Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

SEDE organised a public hearing on 'Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny on EU Defence Affairs' on Tuesday 2nd April, from 14.30 to 16.00, with external experts
Location : Altiero Spinelli Room 3E-2
Further information
Programme
Poster
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SEDE organised a public hearing on 'European Space Security and Defence: What action at EU level to address militarisation of space and race for resources?' on Tuesday 12 November 2019 with external experts.
Further information
Programme
Poster
Press release: Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The next meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Monday 2 December 2019 from 15:00 - 18:30 and on Tuesday 3 December 2019 from 9:00 - 12:30 and from 14:30 - 18:30 in Brussels (room SPINELLI 3E2).

You are welcome to follow us on the EP Multimedia Centre.

Recent press releases:

- MEPs exchange views with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations - 21 November 2019
- Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
- Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
- Children of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: MEPs to assess the situation - 6 November 2019
- AFET/DROI/SEDE meet with UN Secretary General in New York and hold consultations with the US Congress in Washington, DC - 1st November 2019
- Parliament delegation to visit the United Nations General Assembly and US Congress - 25 October 2019
...

Further information
EP Mulitmedia Centre
Press release: MEPs exchange views with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations - 21 November 2019
Press release: Subcommittee for Security and Defence visit to the European Defence Agency - 18 November 2019
Press release: Militarisation of space and race for resources: What can EU do about it? - 12 November 2019
Press release: Children of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: MEPs to assess the situation - 6 November 2019
Press release: AFET/DROI/SEDE meet with UN Secretary General in New York and hold consultations with the US Congress in Washington, DC - 1st November 2019
Press release: Parliament delegation to visit the United Nations General Assembly and US Congress - 25 October 2019
Press release: MEPs call for sanctions against Turkey over military operation in Syria - 24 October 2019
Press release: NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London: “Unilateral military operation in north east Syria is a security risk to us all” - 15 October 2019
Press release: Russian actions prompt NATO and EU to improve military mobility in Europe - 8 October 2019
Press release: End of INF Treaty: Is arms control out of fashion? - 26 September 2019
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President designate of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, appeared before the European Parliament on 7 October 2019 to answer MEPs’ questions. During the hearing, he made a number of commitments which are highlighted in this document.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi appeared before the European Parliament on 14 November 2019 to answer questions from MEPs in the Committee on Foreign Affairs (the Committee on International Trade was invited). This document highlights a number of commitments which he made during the hearing. They refer to his portfolio, as described in the mission letter sent to him by Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission, including: Western Balkans and Turkey; Eastern Neighbourhood; Southern Neighbourhood.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

On 23-26 May, more than 200,000,000 voters in 28 EU countries went to the polls to elect MEPs.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

On 23-26 May, more than 200,000,000 voters in 28 EU countries went to the polls to elect MEPs.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP