Quote of the week by Andreas Schieder, negotiator of the INGE committee report:
“Since we set up the INGE committee, it has been important for us to not only expose these hostile practices, but also to put concrete policy and reform proposals on the table, on how to deal with foreign interference campaigns. We managed to include a call to ban foreign takeovers of European companies with detrimental effects to the EU’s security and to abolish the lowest bidder principle. We also proposed a ban on foreign donations for political activities in the whole EU, and to prohibit shell companies, used to hide the origin of funding. Finally, we also identified a worrying role played by countries like Serbia or Hungary, helping China and Russia with their geopolitical objectives and to widely spread disinformation throughout the Western Balkans. We need more EU action to counter their interference campaigns that spread anti-EU sentiment and try to destabilise the whole region.”
This week we are pleased to be launching our fifth edition of our Africa Week. Join us live this Thursday, on www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu for a trans-continental press conference, featuring our MEPs Udo Bullmann, Marie Arena and Carlos Zorrinho.
You can find the full programme of our week #WithAfrica here.
Committee work, missions and events are underway in the upcoming days. This Sunday, our MEP Tonino Picula will join a European Parliament fact-finding mission in Ukraine. Follow us for details.
On Tuesday members in the committee on Budgets will discuss our strategy to finance the Next Generation EU recovery plan. Own resources are a crucial component and we have long fought for new revenue to fuel the budget. Tuesday is also the day when members in the committee on Civil Liberties will hold a hearing to discuss the impact of the use of Pegasus spyware on the fundamental rights of citizens.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, our MEP Marie Arena will join the European Parliament’s Afghan Women Days. With our support, a collective of women in Afghanistan were finalists for last year’s Sakharov Prize. This event will endeavour to show the world the dire situation faced by women in Afghanistan. You can also follow the live stream here.
Wednesday is the day our members in the committee on Industry and Research (ITRE) will join an exchange of views with commissioner Kadri Simson on the high prices of energy. We want to know how at the peak of the winter season the burden of high energy bills can be taken off the shoulders of citizens, especially those in vulnerable groups like elderly people and low-income households.
And don’t forget to stay updated on all our initiatives and reactions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify
