S&D Group president Iratxe García
The outcome of the European Council

Wednesday, 16 December

“It has been a difficult year for everyone and we have been working relentlessly to provide the EU with the necessary means to face the Covid-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences, and also to pave the way for a more sustainable and fairer Union in the future. Next week, the Parliament will at last vote on the Rule of Law regulation, a legal document that remains unchanged despite the interpretative declaration adopted by the Council. This is a victory for the Parliament, which has been calling for an instrument to link access to EU funds to respect for the rule of law since 2018. We will also vote on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and on the Recovery Fund, which will provide much-needed support to our citizens and businesses, and will reinforce our health systems. The EU plan to make sure that everyone living in Europe has access to an affordable Covid-19 vaccine is also very good news and it allows for optimism to start a swift recovery in 2021. Another landmark decision is the adoption of the 2030 climate target to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 55%, as the Socialists and Democrats have been requesting. Let’s hope that we will be able to finalise a deal with the United Kingdom on our future relationship before the end of the year. A deal is the only outcome that benefits both British and EU citizens.” 

S&D press officer: MARTIN DE LA TORRE Victoria - victoria.martindelatorre@europarl.europa.eu  + 32 473 23 41 73

S&D MEP Kati Piri, vice-president for foreign affairs responsible for the Sakharov Prize
Sakharov Prize
Wednesday, 16 December


“I am extremely proud that on Wednesday the European Parliament will award the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the democratic opposition of Belarus, who, under the leadership of the country's brave women, have for the past four months been tirelessly protesting against the dictatorship of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the stolen presidential election of 9 August. I am also very happy that we managed to unite all the main political groups in our house to recognise the incredible courage, determination and dignity of the Belarusian people and their legitimate demands for free and fair elections, democratic governance, fundamental rights and an end to authoritarian repression. I hope that our award will further encourage them to keep up the hope that a better future in a free and democratic Belarus is possible, and hopefully soon.”

S&D press officer: CZERNY-GRIMM Inga - inga.czerny-grimm@europarl.europa.eu  + 32 474 62 28 84

S&D MEP Constanze Krehl, co-rapporteur for ReactEU
ReactEU
Tuesday, 15 December


“Crisis support should go to those who were hit the hardest by the pandemic. ReactEU is a lifeline for the people. We should fund it properly so that it can meet the needs on the ground. We must take it one step further. The entitlement to funding must be backdated to February 1 2020, at the outset of the health crisis. People must be able to benefit from these sums retroactively. It is also important that funding from ReactEU goes to cross-border regions, which were particularly hard hit due to border closures, as well as to the most deprived people and to young people. Our goal is restoring growth and creating and maintaining employment as soon as possible, all in line with the long-term aims of the green and digital transition.”

S&D press officer: CHIRU Dana - dana.chiru@europarl.europa.eu  +32 460 96 33 54

S&D MEP Agnes Jongerius, author of the report on ‘A strong and social Europe for a just transition’
A strong and social Europe for a just transition report
Thursday, 17 December


“With this week’s vote on the report ‘A strong and social Europe for a just transition’, the European Parliament calls on European leaders to make social rights legally enforceable and reach specific social objectives by 2030. The Socialists and Democrats pushed for the 2017 adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights in Gothenburg and are now leading the drive for a Porto Agenda, to be signed by leaders under the Portuguese Presidency at the Social Summit in Porto in May 2021, to give social rights teeth. What kind of Europe do we want to live in in 10 years? I want to live in a Europe where all workers earn a living wage, all families can afford housing and no child has to grow up in poverty. In my report we are mapping out the way to get there.”

S&D press officer: PELZ Silvia - silvia.pelz@europarl.europa.eu  + 32 478 75 07 12

S&D MEP Lara Wolters, S&D shadow rapporteur
Sustainable corporate governance
Thursday, 17 December


“Sustainable corporate governance is about putting the long-term interests of the company and of wider society ahead of short-term gains for shareholders. Next week, the European Parliament will be voting on a report that calls on the Commission to come forward with better standards for non-financial reporting to improve transparency in corporate governance. We also call on the Commission to present a legislative proposal to strengthen directors’ duties to make the pursuit of long-term interests a legal requirement and to acknowledge the vital role business plays in society."

S&D press officer: MACPHEE Ewan - ewan.macphee@europarl.europa.eu  +32 478 96 19 14

 

S&D Group press conference - Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, S&D President
Tuesday 15 December from 09:45 to 10:15 CET

Anna Politkovskaya room - European Parliament in Brussels - SPAAK 0A50
Webstreaming here

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