In its draft priorities for the 2024-2029 European Commission work programme, the EPP Group in the European Parliament proposes a pragmatic application of the policies arising from the European Green Deal, strengthening European defence and ensuring respect for the rule of law within the European Union.
This document will be discussed at the EPP Group meeting in Cascais, Portugal, from 2 to 5 July.
The main priority listed concerns defence and security projects. The EPP calls for the creation of a Defence Union with increased resources, a European single market on defence and a European Commissioner for Security and Defence. The creation of a European Security Council is proposed, as is the strengthening of Europe’s defence industrial base through joint procurement and more investment (Defence Tech 2.0).
The EPP also intends to establish a European missile defence shield, including a nuclear defence shield.
In the fight against illegal immigration, the Christian Democrat MEPs suggest turning the European agency Frontex into a “true European border and coastal protection force” by tripling its staff to 30,000 and giving it greater enforcement powers and a bigger budget. Another urgent matter is the need to implement the new European Asylum and Migration Pact fully and quickly.
Additionally, the EPP Group is in favour of continuing to implement the Green Deal by transforming it into a ‘Green Growth Deal’. The aim will be to achieve the target of a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050, “while at the same time boosting the EU’s competitiveness and ensuring technological neutrality”.
On this point, Germany’s Peter Liese indicated that the EPP Group would like to modify the objective of ending the sale of new combustion cars by 2035. “The existing legislation (...) excludes the combustion engine, even if it runs on completely climate-neutral fuels. We want to change this. A delegated act, which German transport minister (Volker) Wissing has forced through, is not enough; the basic legal act must be amended accordingly”, he stated in a press release. Speaking to journalists, he pointed out that electric vehicles are not climate-neutral, since their production emits CO2 and the electricity they consume may well be produced using fossil fuels.
“We protect the climate, but also ensure that it does not create overwhelming bureaucracy”, says the EPP, which is campaigning for support for businesses, farmers and fishers during the transition. The Christian Democrat group is calling for a review of the ban on combustion engines and for the development of cutting-edge combustion engine technology.
In terms of democracy, the EPP suggests a new mechanism to ensure respect for the rule of law in the hands of the EU Court of Justice. It also recommends strengthening the regulation (2020/2092) making the payment of European funds conditional on respect for the rule of law.
It also calls for greater democratic control by the Parliament over EU budget spending (including through a more binding discharge procedure), the right of legislative initiative for MEPs and a centre for democratic resilience to defend democracy against disinformation and foreign interference.
The activation of the Treaty’s ‘passerelle’ clause is mentioned, to enable a unanimous decision by the Member States to impose sanctions on third countries, as well as in the areas of human rights and civilian CSDP missions, by a qualified majority of the EU Council.
See the EPP Group’s draft Commission work programme for 2024-2029: https://aeur.eu/f/cwu (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur with the editorial staff)