“When Parliament puts its foot on the accelerator, things move forward! European pre-financing should increase from 1% to 30% for projects that create jobs for young people in the most affected regions. Every second counts in reducing unemployment which affects them!”, said Elisabeth Morin-Chartier MEP, following the adoption of her Report on the increase of pre-financing of the Initiative for Youth Employment in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.
“I am very proud to have gathered such a large majority for this Report. In the EPP Group, our goal was simple: to allow greater European pre-financing of field projects to fight against youth unemployment. Too many projects are blocked by Member States due to lack of funding", said the MEP.
Morin-Chartier continued: "By voting in favour of the increase in pre-financing from 1% to 30%, the European Parliament is stepping up to the catastrophic situation of youth unemployment in Europe. We are in a race against time: more than 7 million European young people between 15 and 24 are unemployed. This is unacceptable!"
"I am actively preparing the plenary vote. My challenge is twofold: build a larger majority and in record time. Member States must act now because young people have waited too long. It is my responsibility, and that of the EPP Group, to make things move swiftly in the European Parliament. Europe will not let the young down. When Europe wants something, Europe can do it!", she concluded.
Next week, on 23-24 April, the EPP Group Bureau will gather in Milan (Italy) to address two different topics that are both pressing challenges for the EU: migration and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
On migration, the EPP Group has been insisting for a long time on the need for a new, coordinated and global EU common approach on this issue and will raise concrete proposals on how to tackle the different aspects of the problem.
The EPP Group thinks that on migration, no issue should be beyond discussion. It's time to break taboos.
The choice of Italy for this Bureau meeting is highly symbolic because of its central position in the Mediterranean Sea where every day hundreds of migrants try to reach EU shores.
EPP Group MEPs will exchange their views on how to address current trends of global migrations and asylum in particular; the role of Frontex and how to improve EU external border control; cooperation with Mediterranean third countries: the key for combatting irregular migration, smuggling and trafficking.
The EPP Group Bureau will also debate the TTIP and the transatlantic dimension of EU trade policy, just weeks before the European Parliament decides on its position and days before the opening of the Universal Exhibition of Milano 2015 (Expo Milano 2015).
Italian Party Leaders, Ministers, the EPP Group leadership, the EPP Group Bureau MEPs, experts and stakeholders will participate at the meeting.
Europe should live up to its security ambitions
On Tuesday, a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Budget Committees will decide on the financing of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. With combined annual defence spending of around 190 billion euro, EU Member States still lack the ability to ensure security in and around Europe. The funding is not enough to achieve our own ambitions, financial rules are not flexible enough for the EU to react in good time when a crisis occurs and better coherence and complementarity between various policy instruments to achieve economies of scale are needed. The EPP Group advocates better and smarter defence spending. Pooling resources, avoiding duplication and market integration could save up to €26 billion at least annually - over 13% of Europe’s total defence spending - while boosting performance.
Economic dialogue on the European Semester
On Tuesday, Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commission Vice-President in charge of Euro & Social Dialogue and Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, will appear before MEPs in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee to justify the Commission's decision to exceptionally grant France an additional two years to balance its public finances, so they comply with Eurozone spending targets for public deficits, which should not exceed 3% of Gross Domestic Product.
Making the Youth Employment Initiative more accessible
On Thursday, the Employment and Social Affairs Committee is set to vote on a legislative proposal by EPP Group MEP Elisabeth Morin-Chartier to increase pre-financing to Member States for promoting youth employment and providing support to young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in the most affected regions. Increasing the amount of pre-financing will help integrate young people into the labour market and support efforts to provide an immediate and quick response to the unacceptably high level of youth unemployment in the EU.
TTIP under the microscope
With huge trade flows of over 700 billion euros a year, EU-US (the world's first and second largest economies) trade relations account for more than 30% of world traffic (goods and services), with large and constantly-increasing trade surpluses in favour of the EU. As political debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) advances, MEPs in the International Trade Committee will, on Monday, debate the list of 898 amendments tabled to a draft resolution taking stock of progress made in talks with the US. Among the most hotly-debated issues is how the Agreement will contribute to generating growth, setting global benchmarks and reinforcing the transatlantic partnership.
First takes on the Juncker Investment plan in EP Committees
On Tuesday, the Transport and Industry, Research and Energy Committees are going to vote on their views on the investment fund that will support the Juncker investment plan. The fund is expected to mobilise at least 315 billion euros in public and private investment over the next 3 years and create as much as 1 trillion euros to invest in risky projects to stimulate growth in Europe.
Mediterranean: shaping a holistic EU response to migration
On Tuesday, the Civil Liberties Committee will have a kick-off discussion on 'The situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic approach to migration'. This will be followed by a press conference with Rapporteur Roberta Metsola MEP.
Press Conferences (13-17 April 2015)
Tuesday @ 14.00 hrs: Roberta Metsola, Rapporteur, on 'The situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic approach to migration'
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