Plenary focus - June 2023

As the EU elections approach, the political campaigns have already begun. Some EPP Members do accuse their own Commission President von der Leyen of conducting secretive discussions. The Greens in the German government are determined to push for the elimination of fossil heating systems at any cost. The Liberals want to return to the damaging austerity policies of the past decade, which devastated regions in southern Europe. The Social Democrats prefer to remain silent, even regarding the construction of walls at the EU borders, fearing mistakes. The Left is the only faction advocating for a just energy system while combating poverty in the EU through investments rather than austerity measures. Instead of higher walls and detention camps, we call for the reinstatement of universal human rights at the borders.

Six months after the beginning of Qatar Gate, the promised ethical reforms are at a standstill. Metsola’s 14-point plan, which already falls short of the European Parliament’s demands, is far from being respected. The Commission’s proposal is an empty shell: this independent ethics authority - endowed with a ridiculous budget - will be unable to investigate or sanction cases of corruption or conflicts of interest. This lack of political will is unacceptable one year before the European elections! European leaders need to wake up and realise that the future of our democracies is at stake. We will keep fighting to end the culture of opacity and to kick corruption out of these institutions.

The SDGs are the first universally agreed, transparent, and evidence-based policy framework to address global warming and social inequalities. Achieving justice, peace, and progress requires global solidarity within the limits of planetary boundaries and social cohesion. This necessitates a paradigm shift from current economic models and policies that perpetuate inequalities, unequal wealth distribution, and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

There can be little doubt that rapidly evolving AI technologies require regulation, as they offer significant benefits but also pose substantial threats to our fundamental rights. Unfortunately, the current text falls short in this regard. Dangerous applications of AI, such as biometric surveillance or workplace monitoring, are still permitted. This approach is not sufficient for the effective regulation of AI technologies.

In view of the serious impact of AI on society as a whole, strict regulation of AI is imperative. Therefore this regulation should have been subject to the precautionary principle, similar to how we regulate the use of chemicals in products. Instead the whole approach of risk-based regulation of AI was extremely weakened in the negotiations.

After a year of investigating the illegal use of spyware by national governments in the EU, breaches by multiple Member States have been exposed. Our findings send an important message to all victims of surveillance. However, there is still more work to be done. While the Inquiry Committee’s call for a moratorium on spyware is a positive step, we must remember that spyware like Pegasus is specifically designed to evade scrutiny. That’s why we urgently require a comprehensive ban on these mass surveillance technologies.

An unpaid internship is a position in which individuals have to pay instead of receiving payment. It creates barriers for many people who cannot afford to cover living expenses and job-related costs without an income. This represents the epitome of precariousness: an unstable position with a negative wage. It is high time we put an end to this practice.

It cannot be overstated how important the nature restoration law is. We are approaching the sixth mass extinction. History will not be kind to those who vote against it, nor to those who are actively engaged in disinformation on the topic. If EPP want to see farmers supported to restore nature, then they should support the nature restoration law. The ENVI Committee text that will be voted on next week aims to establish a permanent, dedicated Nature Restoration Fund.