The Christian Democratic Group in the European Parliament (EPP) is preparing its position on a comprehensive EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the purpose of the next mini-plenary session in mid-April.
“We’re working on it. We are trying to find a common position. I can’t say at this stage that there is agreement or disagreement”, said an MEP from the group on Tuesday 31 March, who believes the work could be concluded “in the next few days”.
In doing so, the most represented political family in Parliament intends to influence the negotiations between group chairmen on a joint draft resolution setting out a European response to the pandemic, which could be put to the vote at the mini plenary session on Thursday 16 April (see EUROPE 12456/15).
For the time being, it is a matter for the EPP group to define some ideas and measures that the EU must take in order to be better equipped in the future to combat a pandemic such as the one currently raging. In the light of the show of solidarity between Member States that is emerging in places, a medical corps could be trained, like the European Coastguard and Border Guard for example, to intervene with European equipment in the event of a health crisis.
New technologies could also be used to combat the spread of a virus, provided that European data protection rules are interpreted flexibly.
In economic terms, some in the Christian Democratic group are of the opinion that the EU budget for the 2021-2027 period should be substantially increased (see EUROPE 12457/2). The European Investment Bank (EIB) is also expected to play a greater role in helping companies to meet their financial deadlines. The introduction of a European solidarity tax that is reportedly being imposed on the digital giants, which are among the big winners from population confinement, is even more topical. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Pascal Hansens)