European Union

After two elections and months of deadlock Spain is finally getting a new government. The socialist PSOE party has decided to back a minority government led by Mariano Rajoy and his conservative People's Party - a course they initially rejected after the election in June. Journalists predict that the Socialists will have a hard time supporting the conservatives.

AMENDMENTS 1 - 250 - Draft report Addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of the EU External Action
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Development

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Delegations

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On 10 November, SEDE/AFCO Committees will hold a first joint exchange of views on the INI report “Constitutional, legal and institutional implications of the CSDP: possibilities offered by the Lisbon Treaty”. The report will examine the legal possibilities offered by the Lisbon Treaty as well as the necessary institutional set-up to make CSDP more operational.
Further information
Draft agenda
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Spaniards were asked to vote once again on 26 June, six months after inconclusive parliamentary elections. These second elections confirmed the change in the political landscape that had previously been dominated by two parties – the centre-right Partido Popular (PP) and the Socialists (PSOE). Whereas governments had previously been formed with an absolute majority, the rise of the left-wing Podemos and centrist Ciudadanos (Citizens) means a future of pacts and strategic alliances.

Surveys suggested that in June young Spaniards opted for the two new parties, who came third and fourth respectively in the overall election result. Among voters aged 18-34, Podemos polled at
36% and Ciudadanos at 26%. The establishment parties, PSOE and the PP, received 18% and 11% respectively. But the overall result gave the PP victory, with its leader, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, delivering a triumphant speech that boasted of Spain’s economic growth, the progressive creation of employment, and four years of stability. This message resonated heavily with the stability-driven older generation throughout the campaign.

Despite their popularity with young people, Podemos came third in June’s elections. This support for the leftwingers largely reflects young people’s difficult social and employment situation. Spain’s youth unemployment rate currently stands at 45%. 15.6% of those aged 15-24 neither study nor work (the EU average is 12%). Spain’s young people have greatly suffered the effects of the economic crisis and austerity policies. Last year alone, 209,000 young Spaniards between the ages of 20 and 35 left the country.

Podemos has channelled the growing indignation of young Spaniards. The party was very critical of how the PP government implemented EU austerity measures, damaging Spain’s longstanding
support for the EU. According to a June study by the Pew Research Center, 53% of Spaniards now view the EU unfavourably. The rate among young people is only slightly lower, at 47%. The study also found Spaniards to be especially critical of how the EU has handled the economic crisis.

2016 sees Spain celebrating the 30th anniversary of its entry into the EU. It’s a crucial and timely moment to assess pro-EU sentiment in Spain, particularly among the country’s young people, in the light of anger over EU-led austerity. To have a chance at mending the bridges between Spain and the EU, we Spaniards must move on from blaming the EU for our misfortunes and finally understand that our success is based on mutually dependence. Young Spaniards, especially, must strengthen their commitment to the EU, and support the European project – which is also the Spanish project.

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will take place on Wednesday 9 November, 9:00-11:00 and 15:00-18:30, and Thursday 10 November, 9:00-12:30 in Brussels.

Organisations or interest groups who wish to apply foraccess to the European Parliament will find the relevant information below.

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watch the meeting live
Access rights for interest group representatives
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General : Yazidi survivors and public advocates Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar were announced as this year's Sakharov Prize laureates during this week's plenary session in Strasbourg. In addition MEPs called on the European Commission to regulate harmful trans fats in processed food. They also adopted Parliament's position on the EU's budget for next year, insisting on more funds to boost growth, tackle the migration crisis and help to find young people work. Read on for an overview.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Yazidi survivors and public advocates Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar were announced as this year's Sakharov Prize laureates during this week's plenary session in Strasbourg. In addition MEPs called on the European Commission to regulate harmful trans fats in processed food. They also adopted Parliament's position on the EU's budget for next year, insisting on more funds to boost growth, tackle the migration crisis and help to find young people work. Read on for an overview.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

AMENDMENTS 251 - 547 - Draft report Addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU External Action
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Development

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

OPINION on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol of Accession to the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part, to take account of the Accession of Ecuador
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Elmar Brok

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Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

OPINION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part, amending the Agreement in order to extend the provisions of the Agreement to bilateral trade in textiles, taking account of the expiry of the bilateral textiles Agreement
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Ulrike Lunacek

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On 9 November, the Subcommittee will discuss the role of the EU Military Staff in the implementation of the EU Global Strategy with Lieutenant General Esa Pulkkinen, Director General of the EU Military Staff. The VP/HR presented the EUGS in June 2016 and the subsequent implementation plan for the EUGS is due by autumn 2016.
Further information
Draft agenda and meeting documents
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OPINION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part, amending the Agreement in order to extend the provisions of the Agreement to bilateral trade in textiles, taking account of the expiry of the bilateral textiles Agreement
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Elmar Brok

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU needs a better coordinated policy on volunteering, to give volunteers a proper legal status and help them join programmes, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. Almost 100 million EU citizens have taken part as volunteers in education, culture or arts, sport events, humanitarian and development aid work. Young people should take advantage of volunteering schemes to develop skills and acquire experience that helps them to find jobs afterwards, stresses the text.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU needs a better coordinated policy on volunteering, to give volunteers a proper legal status and help them join programmes, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. Almost 100 million EU citizens have taken part as volunteers in education, culture or arts, sport events, humanitarian and development aid work. Young people should take advantage of volunteering schemes to develop skills and acquire experience that helps them to find jobs afterwards, stresses the text.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : Worsening relations between nuclear-armed states, such as Russia and the US or India and Pakistan, but also Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons or to deploy them to more territories in Europe, are making the EU’s security environment ever more tense, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. They call on these states to reduce nuclear weapons, move them away from deployment into storage and to diminish their role in military doctrines.

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