Improving gender equality during and after the COVID-19 crisis
Jan 21 2021
Improving gender equality during and after the COVID-19 crisis
  • New services essential to protect victims of domestic violence
  • Need for targeted actions to advance gender equality in national recovery and resilience plans
  • The most vulnerable groups of women must be supported

MEPs examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and proposed measures to protect women’s rights and enhance gender equality during and after the crisis.

In a report adopted by 485 votes in favour, 86 against and 108 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs stress the need for a gender-sensitive response to all aspects of the COVID-19 crisis in order to enhance gender equality and to protect women’s rights during the pandemic and post-pandemic period.

New services needed to protect victims of domestic violence

MEPs acknowledge that the public response has been insufficient in addressing violence against women during the pandemic. They ask member states to establish safe and flexible emergency warning systems and to offer new services to assist women in contacting the police directly by phone, email and text message.

In addition, MEPs urge the Commission to develop an EU protocol for violence against women in times of crises, which would include services to protect victims. They reiterate their call that all member states must ratify the Istanbul Convention and ask the Council to add violence against women to the list of EU criminal offences. They urge the Commission to propose a directive to tackle all forms of gender-based violence.

Women hit harder by the economic crisis

Since this economic crisis affects women disproportionately, and will lead to even greater inequalities between men and women, MEPs call on EU countries to incorporate a chapter with targeted actions to improve gender equality in their national recovery and resilience plans.

MEPs repeat that working from home is not a substitute for childcare and that access to childcare services is essential. EU countries should encourage men, through incentive measures, to take up flexible working, as a disproportionate number of women are now making use of these arrangements, they say, adding that member states should fully transpose and implement the Work-Life Balance Directive without delay.

Furthermore, MEPs call on the Commission to support women entrepreneurs, including through entrepreneurship opportunities for mothers or single parents, and to improve access to loans, equity finance and microfinancing through EU programmes and funds.

COVID-19 and intersectionality

Intersecting and structural discrimination creates additional barriers and challenges, as well as having a negative socio-economic impact on more vulnerable groups of women. Appropriate measures must be developed to reflect the varying circumstances in which women find themselves. These include older women in care homes that are now virus hotspots, women with disabilities unable to access their usual support networks or maintain physical distancing, migrant women that are more vulnerable to gender-based violence, but also rural, homeless and Roma women as well as members of the LGBTQI+ community, MEPs add.

Quote

The rapporteur, Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, IE), said: ‘‘COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a differential impact on women, from the increase in domestic violence and care responsibilities to job losses. Yet men have also been significantly affected; for example, initial figures show that older men are more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. The post-virus recovery must take account of this differential impact if we are to build back better, reshaping our society to ensure that it is fully inclusive of all.”

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Additional and more flexible funding to help those most in need
Jan 21 2021
Additional and more flexible funding to help those most in need
  • Number of people at risk of poverty increasing
  • Additional funds for food and basic needs available in 2021 and 2022
  • No co-financing by member states needed

Parliament voted today to continue making additional resources available in 2021 and 2022 in order to provide food and basic assistance to the most deprived.

With 649 votes in favour, 7 against and 31 abstentions, Parliament approved the agreement to adapt the FEAD regulation that was reached with the member states in December last year.

The adapted regulation allows member states to continue to use the additional funds made available for post-COVID-19 recovery under the REACT-EU initiative in 2021 and 2022. Member states can choose to increase the resources provided in the FEAD regulation for food aid and other basic assistance for those most in need. In order to alleviate the current burden on public budgets, the additional resources will not be co-financed by member states and the Commission will provide pre-financing to further expedite delivery.

“This pandemic has had far-reaching consequences on people’s quality of life, especially on those who were vulnerable to begin with. More than 20% of all Europeans have seen their situation deteriorate. This fund will be the instrument to support them in finding their way out of poverty and back into society”, says rapporteur Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová on the agreement.

Next steps

The Council must also approve the text formally. Once it has done so, the adopted measures will enter into force after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Background

The 3.8 billion EUR Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) was introduced in 2014 as an EU action to alleviate the worst forms of poverty and foster social cohesion in Europe. Around 13 million people benefit from the Fund each year, including approximately four million children. The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences have exacerbated the situation of more than 20% of the EU population who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, deepened social divisions, and increased job losses, unemployment rates and inequalities.

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MEPs adopt Technical Support Instrument to speed up post-COVID-19 recovery
Jan 19 2021
MEPs adopt Technical Support Instrument to speed up post-COVID-19 recovery

News | European Parliament January 21, 2021

  • Support for economic recovery after and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Promoting digital and green transformation
  • 864 million EUR for 2021-2027

The Technical Support Instrument will help EU countries prepare the recovery plans needed to access funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The regulation adopted by Plenary on Tuesday, with 540 votes in favour, 75 against and 77 abstentions outlines how the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) will support economic recovery after and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion as well as digital and green transitions including biodiversity and implementation of climate targets. The reforms supported by the instrument should effectively address the challenges identified in the adopted country-specific recommendations.

 

Specific objectives and actions

The TSI will assist national authorities in preparing, amending, implementing and revising their national plans. The text sets out a list of key actions to be carried out, such as digitalisation of administrative structures and public services, in particular healthcare, education or the judiciary, creating policies to help people retrain for the labour market and building resilient care systems and coordinated response capabilities. A single online public repository managed by the European Commission will provide information on the actions that fall under the TSI.

 

TSI budget and implementation

The TSI will have a budget of €864 million over the period 2021-2027 (in current prices). In order to receive technical support, such as expertise related to policy change or to prepare strategies and reform roadmaps, a member state has to submit a request to the Commission by 31 October, outlining the policy areas it will focus on. To ensure resources are readily available and that there is an immediate response in urgent or unforeseen circumstances, up to 30% of the yearly allocation should be reserved for special measures.


Next steps


Once Council has also formally approved the regulation, it will enter into force one day after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU. There is going to be a transitional period for actions initiated before 31 December 2020, which will be governed by the Structural Reform Support Programme (2017-2020) until their completion.

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Press conference on priorities of the Portuguese Presidency at 13.00
Jan 19 2021
Press conference on priorities of the Portuguese Presidency at 13.00

Presidents Sassoli and von der Leyen and Prime Minister Costa will hold a joint press conference on the priorities of the Portuguese Council Presidency at 13.00 CET on Wednesday.

When: Wednesday 20 January 13.00 CET

Where: EP Press room and via Interactio

After the debate in plenary, EP President David Sassoli, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa will comment on the programme of the Portuguese Presidency, which focuses on the economic and social recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving an inclusive climate and digital transition, and giving a new impetus to EU relations with Africa and Latin America. They are also expected to talk about COVID-19 vaccination, EU’s relations with the new US administration, and shaping the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Interpretation will be available at the press conference in English, French and Italian and Portuguese.Journalists wishing to actively participate and ask questions, please connect via Interactio by using the link.You can also follow it live from 13.00 CET via Parliament’s webstreaming and EbS+.

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EU-UK future relations: MEPs to debate the agreement reached on 24 December
Jan 13 2021
EU-UK future relations: MEPs to debate the agreement reached on 24 December

Members on the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committees will debate the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Thursday at 10.00 CET.

The joint meeting of the lead committees will intensify the democratic parliamentary scrutiny process for the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached by EU and British negotiators on 24 December.

The two committees will in due course vote on the consent proposal prepared by the two standing rapporteurs Christophe Hansen (EPP, Luxembourg) and Kati Piri (S&D, The Netherlands), to allow for a plenary vote before the end of the provisional application of the agreement.

In addition to the plenary vote, Parliament will also vote on an accompanying resolution prepared by the political groups in the UK Coordination Group and the Conference of Presidents.

The meeting

When: Thursday, 14 January, at 10.00 CET.

Where: Room 6Q2 in Parliament’s Antall building in Brussels and remote participation.

You can follow it live here. (10.00-12.00 CET).

Here is the agenda.

Background

The new Trade and Cooperation agreement has been provisionally applied since 1 January 2021. For it to enter into force permanently, it requires the consent of the Parliament.

MEPs on the International Trade Committee held a first meeting on the new EU-UK deal on Monday 11 January, during which they promised thorough scrutiny of the agreement. Read more here.

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European Parliament to scrutinise deal on future EU-UK relations
Dec 28 2020
European Parliament to scrutinise deal on future EU-UK relations

Provisional implementation is to remain a unique exception, said EP leaders. Parliamentary oversight will start soon to adopt the EP position before the end of the provisional application.

On Monday 28 December, the leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament and President David Sassoli exchanged views with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier on the deal reached on 24 December on the future relationship between the EU and the UK.

The Conference of Presidents reiterated Parliament’s thanks and congratulations to the EU negotiators for their intense efforts to reach this historic agreement that can now form the basis of a new partnership.

In the spirit of unity that prevailed throughout the negotiation process, and given the particular, unique and specific circumstances, the Conference of Presidents accepts a provisional application to mitigate the disruption for citizens and businesses and prevent the chaos of a no-deal scenario. This decision on this specific provisional application neither constitutes a precedent nor reopens established commitments made among EU institutions. It should not serve as a blueprint for future consent procedures, underlined the political groups’ leaders.

The Conference of Presidents also decided to examine with the Council presidency and the Commission a proposal to slightly extend the period of provisional application, allowing for a parliamentary ratification during the March plenary session.

The Committees on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, together with all associated committees, will now carefully examine the agreement and prepare Parliament’s consent decision to be discussed and adopted in plenary in due time and before the end of the provisional application. In parallel, the political groups will prepare a draft resolution accompanying the consent vote.

The political groups’ leaders stressed Parliament’s will to monitor closely the implementation of the EU-UK agreement in all its details. They underlined that parliamentary cooperation is a key part of the future treaty between the EU and the UK. When the right time comes, Parliament will seek to establish contact with the UK Parliament to cooperate.

On a specific note, leaders regret the UK’s choice not to include Erasmus programme in the agreement.

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EU Budget 2021 approved: supporting the recovery
Dec 18 2020
EU Budget 2021 approved: supporting the recovery

For next year’s budget, MEPs obtained better support for key EU programmes that create jobs, tackle the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and boost climate action.

  • Annual budget adopted following approval of Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2021
  • Funds for transport infrastructure, Digital Europe, climate action boosted
  • First annual budget of new seven-year financial framework

llion; payment appropriations total €166.1 billion. The details of the 4 December agreement between Parliament and Council are available here.

After Council formally approved the agreement with Parliament on Monday, Parliament approved the budget on Friday by 540 votes to 77, with 70 abstentions. It was then signed into law by President David Sassoli.

For a more competitive Europe, creating jobs and investing in the EU’s future

MEPs succeeded in bolstering, on top of the Commission’s budget proposal, programmes they considered key to boosting growth and jobs, reflecting widely agreed European Union priorities, namely Digital Europe (+25.7 million) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for transport infrastructure (+€60.3 million).

Strengthen respect for Europe’s values and boosting climate action

As a supplementary effort to fight climate change, the additions obtained by the EP for the LIFE programme (+€42 million) aim, from the outset, at contributing to reaching the target of 30% of climate-relevant spending in the EU budget for the 2021-2027 period.


The Rights and Values programme will receive an additional €6.6 million, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), an independent EU body that fights crimes against the Union budget will benefit from an extra €7.3 million.

MFF top-ups: supporting the young, EU research and healthcare

Other reinforcements for 2021 reflect the top-ups to selected key EU programmes that Parliament obtained in the deal with Council on the next long-term EU budget (MFF) 2021-2027, approved on 16 December.


This is the case for Erasmus+ (+€175.1 million), Horizon Europe (research programme, +€20 million) and the EU4Health programme, the EU’s response to COVID-19, by a further €74.3 million. EU4Health will support medical and healthcare staff, patients and health systems. Similarly, the commitment appropriations for humanitarian aid have been increased by €25 million and for supporting the EU’s southern neighbourhood by €10.2 million.

Quotes

“I’m pleased that we reached a swift agreement in the interest of European citizens in these challenging times. With the top-ups for some of the future-looking programmes agreed in the multi-annual framework just weeks ago, we obtained budget increases for other programmes with proven European added value. These extra investments in, for example, the trans-European transport networks and digital Europe, all respond to real needs and are in line with the expectations of EU citizens”, said the Chair of the Budgets committee Johan van Overtveldt (ECR, BE).

“In all conscience, we know that this budget is not up to the challenge. It was the most that could be obtained given the restrictions of negotiating the MFF with heads of state in unanimity. The good news is that there is a solution that can mobilise 50 billion EUR per year for health, climate and jobs, and that cannot be blocked by the unanimity rule: taxing speculation in enhanced cooperation. The Commission says it can be adopted by the end of 2022. Let’s get to work without delay”, said the lead rapporteur (Commission section) Pierre Larrouturou (S&D, FR).

“We cannot build promising policies for the future without operational, efficient, modern, environmentally friendly and interactive institutions that are capable of functioning even in the event of force majeure. By voting in favour of the 2021 budget, we are giving the institutions of the European Union sufficient resources and staff so that they can best fulfil their missions and meet citizens’ expectations in times of crisis. This new agreement finds the balance between making savings in a time of crisis and not impeding the EU institutions from functioning properly, said the rapporteur for the other sections, Oliver Chastel (RENEW, BE).

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