Press release – EP TODAY

Debates

From 8.45, Parliament will hold debates on

  • The need for an immediate and humanitarian EU response to the current situation in the refugee camp in Moria;

  • The humanitarian situation in Mozambique;

  • Combatting the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children;

  • The importance of urban and green infrastructure – European Year of Greener Cities 2022;

  • The situation in the Philippines, including the case of Maria Ressa;

  • The case of Denis Mukwege in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Watch the debates live on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre and on EbS+

Votes

Results from yesterday evening’s votes will be announced at 8.30, on, among other things,

  • Setting up the Just Transition Fund;

  • Revised testing rules so cars respect EU limits on NOx emissions;

  • EU arms export rules.

The first voting session lasts from 9.30 to 10.45 with results announced at 12.30. During this voting session, MEPs will cast their final vote on, among other things,

  • the state of rule of law in Poland;

  • the situation in Russia and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny;

  • the situation in Belarus;

  • the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern-Mediterranean;

  • how to address the shortage of medicines;

  • a strategic approach to pharmaceuticals in the environment;

  • combating negative attitudes towards people with Romani background in Europe.

The second voting session lasts from 13.00 to 14.15 with results announced 16.30. During this voting session, MEPs will cast their final vote on, among other things,

  • cultural recovery of Europe.;

  • COVID-19: EU coordination of health assessments and risk classification and the consequences on Schengen and the single market;

  • the importance of urban and green infrastructure – European Year of Greener Cities 2022;

  • financing the COVID-19 vaccines strategy and the impact of the Corona Response Investment Initiative Plus;

  • the situation in the Philippines, including the case of Maria Ressa;

  • the case of Dr. Denis Mukwege in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);

  • the humanitarian situation in Mozambique


ECB’s Governing Council says that exceptional circumstances justify leverage ratio relief

PRESS RELEASE

17 September 2020

  • ECB’s Governing Council confirms exceptional circumstances
  • Opinion instrumental in ECB Banking Supervision’s decision to allow banks to exclude central bank exposures from leverage ratio
  • See also ECB Banking Supervision announcement on leverage ratio

The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided that it concurs with ECB Banking supervision that there are ‘exceptional circumstances’ allowing the temporary exclusion of certain central bank exposures from the leverage ratio.

The Governing Council said in an opinion: “The situation brought about by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all euro area economies in an unprecedented and profound way. This situation has resulted in an ongoing need for a high degree of monetary policy accommodation, which in turn requires the undeterred functioning of the bank-based transmission channel of monetary policy. In the view of the Governing Council, therefore, the condition of exceptional circumstances warranting the temporary exclusion of certain exposures to central banks from the calculation of banks’ total exposure measures is met for the euro area as a whole. Euro area national competent authorities which intend to exercise the discretion provided for under Article 500b(2) of the CRR in relation to less significant institutions may rely upon this opinion issued by the ECB as monetary authority of the euro area.”

This opinion of the Governing Council is a precondition for ECB Banking Supervision to allow significant banks that it directly supervises to exclude certain central bank exposures from the leverage ratio. Such assets include coins and banknotes as well as deposits held at the central bank.

For media queries, please contact William Lelieveldt, tel.: +49 69 1344 7316.

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Turkey: Spokesperson Statement on the exploration activities in

The recent withdrawal of the research vessel Oruç Reis is an important step paving the way for a meaningful dialogue between Greece and Turkey. The EU also calls for a similar decisions as concerns Cyprus. Turkey’s announcement on Tuesday of the extension of the Navtex for the Yavuz drilling vessel will fuel further tensions and insecurity in the Eastern Mediterranean at a moment when there is an opportunity to pursue immediate de-escalation, and resume dialogue and negotiations, which is the only path towards lasting solutions.



Press release – Moria refugee camp: MEPs to quiz Commission and Council about the EU’s response

More than 12,000 people were left homeless after flames engulfed the overcrowded camp – which has a capacity to house 2,000 people – on 8 September. The camp had been under quarantine for a few days after dozens of COVID-19 cases were detected and there had been clashes between the residents and police forces.

MEPs will discuss with Commissioner Johansson and the German Presidency the EU’s response to this emergency, ahead of the presentation next week of the new Asylum and Migration Plan. Among other challenges, the European Commission must address the issue of reception conditions for asylum-seekers and responsibility-sharing among member states.

You can watch the plenary debate via EP Live, and EbS+.



Press release – Vote on Own Resources: MEPs clear way for COVID-19 recovery plan

MEPs have fast-tracked and voted already during the September plenary session on their legislative opinion on the Own Resources Decision (ORD). This removes an important barrier and speeds up the procedure to implement the key EU law to restart the economy, allowing the Commission to raise €750 billion on the markets for the recovery fund.

Wednesday’s vote makes it possible for the Council of the EU to swiftly adopt the ORD and start the ratification process in 27 EU countries – so that the recovery plan can be launched as soon as possible.

In its opinion, adopted on Wednesday by 455 votes in favour, 146 against and 88 abstentions, Parliament upholds its position on the need to introduce new sources of revenue to the EU budget that should at least cover the costs related to the recovery plan.

Parliament requests a legally binding calendar to introduce these new own resources. Financing the recovery must be sustainable through the introduction e.g. of taxes on transnational polluters and multinational corporations and not become a burden for the next generation, Parliament insists.

Quotes

José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT), co-rapporteur: “Today, history has been made in the European Parliament. For 32 years, the EU did not have new own resources. The European Commission never went to the markets to borrow at this scale. This report paves the way for the approval of the Own Resources Decision by the Council and to the ratification process in the national parliaments. Time is of the essence for us to have the Recovery Fund after 1 January 2021. What is the Council waiting for?”

Valérie Hayer (RENEW, FR), co-rapporteur: “The borrowing for the Recovery is now on track thanks to the green light provided by the MEPs today. We will now ensure that the debt is repaid by tech giants, tax dodgers, big foreign polluters and others who do benefit from our single market but do not contribute fairly to our prosperity and the protection of our planet”.

More information is available in the draft legislative resolution.

Background

Parliament’s vote on the legislative opinion is a key step that will allow for the Own Resources Decision to be adopted by the Council and submitted for ratification by the 27 member states’ parliaments. The ORD is the legal basis that provides for the revenue sources of the EU budget.

Moreover, the new ORD will constitute the legal basis authorising funds to be borrowed on the financial markets to finance the Next Generation EU Recovery Instrument (NGEU). The Council adopts the decision by unanimity after having consulted the European Parliament. Before entering into force, foreseen for January 2021 together with the new MFF, the ORD needs to be ratified by the parliaments of all member states.