European Union

The European Commission’s promised green recovery plan will focus on building renovation, renewables and hydrogen as well as clean mobility and the circular economy, according to a leaked working document obtained by EURACTIV.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more Kurz and Babic opposing the Macron-Merkel recovery plan for Europe, coronavirus creating an increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as so much more.

Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi confirmed to EU lawmakers on Tuesday (19 May) that the publication of the European Commission's enlargement package has been postponed until autumn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recent Franco-German proposal for a €500 billion Recovery Fund is the result of French President Emmanuel Macron’s “turning point” last April, MEP Sandro Gozi told EURACTIV.it in an interview. “I place a lot of hope in the European action...

Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said on Tuesday (19 May) that the pandemic had shown how important cooperation was for the region, according to a release from his ministry. In a video conference with his counterparts from the Western Balkans, as...

In an online meeting with leaders of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania on Tuesday (19 May) President Aleksandar Vučić said Belgrade agreed to open its borders on 1 June with the application of appropriate protective measures, according to a release from...

The state assets ministry on Tuesday (19 May) invited applications for grants to cover the cost of rent for people whose homes were made unfit to live in by the Zagreb earthquake of 22 March, Hina reported. All people left...

The director of the Department of gender equality and equality of opportunities at the country’s labour, family and social affairs ministry left her post voluntarily after nine years, she wrote on Facebook. “I loved my work although the situation has...

The Hungarian parliament passed an omnibus bill that will bar citizens from legally changing their gender, in a move decried by critics as violating trans rights. During the same plenary session on Tuesday (19 May), the parliament has classified agreement...

Spain’s Agriculture Minister Luis Planas told EURACTIV’s partner EFE Agro in an exclusive interview that the EU’s new “farm to fork” strategy, which will be presented today (20 May) cannot be implemented overnight because it would represent a turning point...

Spaniards will have to wear masks on public transport, in closed spaces, on city streets, and particularly in narrow urban spaces, if a minimum safety distance of two metres between citizens can’t be guaranteed. From Wednesday (20 May), the use...

Italian Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede could face a no-confidence vote before the Senate this evening (20 May) as the centre-right opposition filed a motion of no-confidence. In recent months, Bonafede has come under fire for releasing 376 Mafiosi from prison...

The number of suicides in Finland has risen by 15% compared to March and April the year before, according to the national police board’s latest numbers. While Finland’s suicide rate is generally quite high, it has gone down by 20%...

© Peter Hermes Furian / Adobe Stock

Citizens often send messages to the President of the European Parliament (or to the institution’s public portal) expressing their views on current issues and/or requesting action from the Parliament. The Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (AskEP) within the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) looks into these issues and replies to the messages, which may sometimes be identical as part of wider public campaigns.

The President of the European Parliament has recently received a large number of messages on the situation of the Kurdish population in north east Syria, following a Turkish military operation in this region in October 2019. Citizens first began to write to the President on this subject in October 2019, expressing their concerns regarding the situation and asking for the European Union to intervene with concrete action. On the same day that the Turkish military operation began – 9 October 2019 – the President strongly urged Turkey to halt all military action immediately and to find solutions in peace and stability, through dialogue.

Please find below the main points of the reply sent to citizens who took the time to write to the President of the European Parliament on this matter (in English and in Italian).

Main points made in the reply in English

The European Parliament and other European Union institutions are highly concerned about the situation.

We wish to inform you that the President of the European Parliament, Mr David Maria Sassoli, has stated, on 9 October 2019:

‘I strongly urge Turkey to stop all military action immediately. There is a population that has already suffered badly. We must not allow anything that can cause further suffering. This must stop. This intervention will never be a solution to the problem. We in the international community, the European Union, its institutions, ask that this military intervention stops, and we discuss the possibility of a buffer zone, but it must be done in peace and stability and through dialogue.’

The Plenary of the European Parliament held a debate on 9 October 2019 on the situation in northern Syria during which the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Federica Mogherini, made a statement.

The Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, which met in Luxembourg on 14 October 2019, adopted conclusions on north east Syria, including that:

‘The Council recalls the 9 October 2019 Declaration of the High Representative on behalf of the European Union and urges Turkey again to cease its unilateral military action in North East Syria and to withdraw its forces. The EU condemns Turkey’s military action which seriously undermines the stability and the security of the whole region, resulting in more civilians suffering and further displacement and severely hindering access to humanitarian assistance.’ and ‘The EU recalls that it will not provide stabilisation or development assistance in areas where the rights of local populations are ignored or violated.’

President Sassoli, in his speech, on 17 October 2019, to the European Council has stated:

‘For days, people throughout Europe have been following with dismay and anger events in our neighbourhood. The Kurdish population of north-eastern Syria, which fought bravely against the terrorists of the so-called Islamic State, is now under attack by a NATO country.

It is no wonder that our citizens feel a strong sense of gratitude towards the Kurds, because the battle against ISIS has been fundamental to our security.

…

Against this background, the European Parliament reiterates its call for the accession negotiations with Turkey to be suspended.

We consider it unacceptable and firmly reject any attempt by the Turkish authorities to establish a link between its military action in north-eastern Syria and the fate of Syrian refugees on Turkish territory.

It is worth reminding our citizens that the European Union is not funding the Turkish authorities but contributing directly to assisting and improving refugee living conditions through the work of UN agencies and humanitarian organisations. Human beings in need must never be used as a bargaining chip to justify violations of international law.’

For further information, you may wish to consult the website of the European Parliament and the website of the Delegation of the European Union to Syria. 

Main points made in the reply in Italian

Il Parlamento europeo e le altre istituzioni dell’Unione europea sono molto preoccupati riguardo alla situazione.

La informiamo che il Presidente Sassoli ha dichiarato il 9 ottobre 2019 quanto segue:

“Chiedo, con forza, alla Turchia di interrompere immediatamente ogni azione militare. C’è una popolazione che ha già sofferto duramente. Non dobbiamo metterla in condizioni di avere altre sofferenze. Che si fermi questo intervento, che non sarà mai la soluzione ai problemi che abbiamo! La comunità internazionale, l’Unione europea, le sue istituzioni chiedono che questo intervento si fermi e si discuta la possibilità anche di un cuscinetto di sicurezza ma certamente va fatto nella pace, nella stabilità e nel dialogo!”.

La Plenaria del Parlamento europeo ha tenuto una discussione il 9 ottobre 2019 sulla situazione nella Siria settentrionale durante la quale la Vicepresidente della Commissione/Alto rappresentante dell’Unione per gli affari esteri e la politica di sicurezza, Sig.ra Federica Mogherini, ha rilasciato una dichiarazione.

Il Consiglio per gli Affari esteri dell’Unione europea si è riunito a Lussemburgo il 14 ottobre 2019 e ha adottato conclusioni sul nord-est della Siria dichiarando:

“Il Consiglio rammenta la dichiarazione dell’Alto rappresentante a nome dell’Unione europea, del 9 ottobre 2019, ed esorta nuovamente la Turchia a cessare la sua azione militare unilaterale nel nord-est della Siria e a ritirare le sue forze. L’UE condanna l’azione militare della Turchia che compromette seriamente la stabilità e la sicurezza dell’intera regione, aumentando le sofferenze dei civili, provocando ulteriori sfollamenti e ostacolando fortemente l’accesso all’assistenza umanitaria” e “L’UE ricorda che non fornirà assistenza alla stabilizzazione o allo sviluppo in settori in cui i diritti delle popolazioni locali sono ignorati o violati”.

Il Presidente Sassoli, nel suo discorso del 17 ottobre 2019, ha dichiarato quanto segue:

“Sono ormai diversi giorni che le nostre opinioni pubbliche guardano con angoscia e rabbia a quello che succede non lontano dai nostri confini. La popolazione curda nel Nord-est della Siria ha combattuto con coraggio i terroristi dello Stato islamico e ora è oggetto di un’aggressione da parte di un Paese membro della NATO.

Non è un mistero che i nostri cittadini nutrano un forte senso di riconoscenza per quelle comunità. La battaglia contro l’ISIS, d’altronde, è stata fondamentale per la nostra sicurezza.

…

In tali circostanze il Parlamento europeo, come affermato già in passato, reitera la richiesta di sospendere i negoziati di adesione con la Turchia.

Riteniamo inaccettabile e respingiamo con forza ogni tentativo da parte delle Autorità turche di effettuare un legame fra la sua azione militare nel Nord-est della Siria e la sorte dei rifugiati siriani in territorio turco.

È bene ripetere ai nostri cittadini che l’Unione europea non finanzia le autorità turche ma contribuisce direttamente all’assistenza e al miglioramento delle condizioni di vita dei rifugiati tramite le attività delle agenzie delle Nazioni Unite e delle organizzazioni umanitarie. Gli esseri umani in difficoltà non possono mai essere utilizzati come merce di scambio per giustificare inaccettabili violazioni del diritto internazionale.”

Per ulteriori informazioni, può consultare il sito web del Parlamento europeo e il sito web della Delegazione dell’Unione europea in Siria.

The question of whether schools will begin to re-open on June 1 remains unclear after a group of local authorities and teachers’ unions stated their opposition. Boris Johnson’s government is keen to reopen schools as part of the next stage...

The European Commission’s approach to state aid is contradicting green recovery ambitions. While the EU recovery programme is focused on the Green Deal, national subsidy schemes are pouring money all across the economy without clear ecological focus, writes Claude Turmes.

President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel have jump-started the Franco-German "motor" at the heart of Europe by jointly pitching a hugely ambitious economic recovery plan, even if it faces a bumpy road ahead.

Belgium’s Poison Control Centre has recorded an increase of 15% in the number of calls it receives since the COVID-19 outbreak in mid-March, as people have increasingly started experimenting with hazardous substances. “The consequences of the coronavirus crisis are making...

Estonia has started to test one of the world's first digital immunity passports, created by a team including founders of global tech startups Transferwise and Bolt, seeking a safer return to workplaces following the coronavirus lockdown.

Defectors from French president Emmanuel Macron's party, la République en Marche, have formed a small, new faction called Ecology, Democracy, Solidarity, costing Macron his parliamentary majority. The president now commands 288 MPs in the 577-seat house. He also had informal support from two centre-right parties, MoDem and Agir, with 56 seats together, enabling him to govern smoothly, but the defections undermined Macron's authority, French commentators said.