Plenary focus - April

The European Parliament must have a critical position on the decisions the ECB has been making within the scope of its mandate, and also on the decisions it has been making outside its mandate, namely in the context of the Troika. In 2011, those decisions had damaging consequences in the eurozone economy and 2012 and 2013 have demonstrated that fact in a spectacular and alarming way. If the European Parliament fails to have such a critical position, it will be actively responsible for those misguided policies.

Denying Kenya, Namibia and other developing countries access to the EU market from 2014 on if they do not ratify and implement an EPA by then would sabotage regional integration in Africa. If Kenya wanted to comply it would have to leave the East African Community. While at the 1st reading Parliament sought to at least postpone the deadline until 2016, David Martin (S&D) brokered a compromise for October 2014 with Council - a date that conveniently coincides with the end of Commissioner De Gucht’s term. Parliament must re-establish its 1st reading position in plenary.