“The Conference on the Future of Europe is about making the EU fairer, more sustainable and better equipped for future challenges to respond to people’s needs and expectations. These are not decisions that the Brussels bubble should make alone which is why it is so important that at every step in this process, we work hand-in-hand with Progressives all over Europe. These caucus meetings will provide the opportunity for us to come together as a political family, to work toward a common vision for a fairer future so that we can revive the spirit of solidarity that gave birth to the EU in the first place.”
On the eve of the inaugural plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe, S&D Group president Iratxe García Pérez is co-hosting the first Progressive caucus event in Strasbourg on Friday 18 June.
NEXT WEEK – MINI-PLENARY AND EUROPEAN COUNCIL
With a mini-plenary session followed by a European Council summit, next week will be a busy one for the S&D Group. Before that, on Tuesday, 22 June 2021, the S&D Group and the Global Progressive Forum (GPF) will jointly organise a webinar on Local communities for a sustainable world. The event will take place 14:00-15:30 Brussels time and will be live-streamed here.
On Tuesday, the Environment and Public Health Committee will vote on a proposal drafted by S&D MEP Nicolás González Casares to strengthen the role of the European Medicines Agency based on the lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mini-plenary session kicks off at 3pm on Wednesday 23 June with a joint debate previewing the EU leaders summit and solidarity in the EU’s migration and asylum policy. S&D MEPs will be using the debate to push for real solidarity from EU leaders in Europe’s migration and asylum policy so that all member states share responsibility fairly to help vulnerable people seeking international protection.
The S&D Group is also leading a campaign on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU. In a resolution led by Fred Matić MEP, the S&D Group will lead a vote to make it crystal clear that sexual and reproductive health and rights are human rights and must be guaranteed for everyone, without discrimination. The final vote takes place on Thursday 24 June.
The European Climate Law will kick off the plenary debates on Thursday 24 June. Negotiated by S&D MEP Jytte Guteland, the European Climate Law makes the reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 a binding commitment on EU governments. The vote on this historic agreement will also take place on Thursday 24 June.
The plenary will also see important debates and votes on the Commission’s 2020 Rule of Law report led by S&D MEP Domènec Ruiz Devesa, on various funding instruments, including the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund 2021-27 from S&D MEP Andrea Cozzolino, and on public loans under the Just Transition Mechanism.
Ahead of the European Council, S&D Group leader Iratxe García Pérez will attend the PES Leaders Meeting on Thursday 24 June at 10h45. At the two-day European Council, EU leaders will discuss Covid-19, economic recovery, migration and the EU’s relations with Turkey and Russia. The Euro summit will also take place on Thursday 25 June, where the banking union and capital markets union are on the agenda.
You can follow all our activities and reactions on the plenary and more on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TODAY - CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE
Together with the Party of European Socialists, the S&D Group is today (18 June) hosting the Progressive caucus to be held both in-person and online from 16:30. The opening will be web-streamed live on the S&D website with contributions from S&D Group leader Iratxe García Pérez, PES president Sergei Stanishev and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli. The caucus meeting will bring together MEPs, MPs, Commissioners and the Portuguese presidency, to shape the #Progressives4Europe vision for a fairer future that puts citizens at centre stage and leaves no one behind.
The inaugural plenary session will take place in Strasbourg on Saturday morning 19 June. The S&D delegation will be made up of 23 MEPs led by Iratxe García. You can follow the conference plenary here.
PES LEADERS EVENT – With Courage. For Europe.
Our leader Iratxe García will be heading to Berlin for the high-level conference "With Courage. For Europe" on the 25-26 June 2021, that will gather leaders from our socialists and democrats family to reinforce our commitment to a progressive Europe that works for all. On the agenda, a Europe that invests in its future, strengthens respect, and acts together. The SPD’s Olaf Scholz will be joined by Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa, Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven, PES President Sergei Stanishev, EU Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, SPD co-leader Norbert Walter-Borjans and many other high-level speakers.
As part of the event, our group will co-host a workshop "For a Child Union: A community that cares", on 25 June 16:00-17:30, that will feature S&D MEP Brando Benifei, the EU Commission's Nicolas Schmit, experts and politicians. Both the workshop and the PES Conference, 26 June, 9:30 -12:30 will be live-streamed on our website. Find out more about what will be happening in Berlin over the coming weekend here.
World Refugee Day 2021
Sunday 20 June is World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. The S&D Group stands #withrefugees and we encourage you to get involved and support refugees on this important day.
