Message from S&D Group Leader Iratxe García:
“If Washington hits us with illegal tariffs, let us respond with tariffs in sectors strategic to the US economy; let us resort to the Enforcement Regulation; let us use safeguard measures; let us deploy the anti-coercion rule to close our market to their goods and services, and also to prevent their companies from bidding for public tenders or receiving funding from the EU budget. The US President thinks that international trade is a game that can only have one winner. But history shows us that trade is a source of shared wealth, and that protectionism only leads to blockage and confrontation. Trump has chosen the wrong path.”
Group mission to the Middle East:
Starting tomorrow and continuing until next Friday, Group Leader Iratxe García will lead our mission to the Middle East. Together with MEPs Yannis Maniatis, Hana Jalloul, Lucia Annunziata, Evin Incir, Marta Temido and Elio Di Rupo, the S&D Group President will engage in field visits and high-level meetings in Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.
Details on the mission and meetings scheduled can be found here.
Note to the press corps: If interested in footage and further information on the spot, contact our press team to join our Signal channel.
Up next:
On Tuesday, 18 February, MEPs in the committee on legal affairs (JURI) will decide on a query for the Council and the Commission on the establishment of a European Certificate of Parenthood. The S&D Group has long advocated the recognition of parental rights across the EU, regardless of how the child was born or the type of family they belong to. This is particularly crucial for same sex couples and their children, as they still encounter difficulties when it comes to their right to maintenance and succession, or schooling and education, when moving to another member state.
The proposal for the regulation aims to protect the fundamental rights of children and provide legal certainty for all types of families by ensuring that parental relations established in one member state are also recognised in other EU country. It is time for the Council to unblock the European Certificate of Parenthood so the rights of couples and children are respected across Europe.
Online short-term rental platforms have boosted the tourism sector, but have also led to the so-called ‘touristification’ of cities and local communities. This is why, on 18 February, the members of the internal market and consumer protection committee (IMCO) will host a public hearing on housing rentals and consumers protection. Several representatives, including the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni Cuadrado, will participate in this hearing. They will discuss how short-term rentals are affecting housing affordability and livability. Affordable and decent homes for all is our indisputable priority and this is why, during the past mandate, we worked on the legislation that aims to give public authorities the necessary data that will help to regulate the situation. It is time to hear how those on the ground deal with a sector that continues to boom.
