S&D Times - Issue 5

This week – What we did?

Zero tolerance for corruption

We adopted a 15-point plan to prevent and combat corruption and corruptive political interference. This plan has been sent to President Roberta Metsola to contribute to the political groups’ discussions, but it will be already implemented unilaterally within the S&D Group.??Read it here

Marc Angel is the new Vice President of the European Parliament

Marc Angel elected as new vice-president of the European Parliament. With you, we will keep fighting for transparency, equality and justice for all Europeans.

Iran

Stop killing your people.” “We demand freedom for the people in Iran.” These are the calls that – with the vote on a resolution – the European Parliament addressed to Iranian authorities. This follows the ruthless crackdown against women, men and young people who oppose the brutality of the regime and the lack of freedom and democracy in the country.

Majid Reza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Mohsen Shekari, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, Hamed Salahshoor. Many more girls, boys, women and men have been sentenced to death in mock trials since Jina Mahsa Amini, 22, was murdered in police custody in September. We say their names. We remember their fight for freedom and democracy. Their fight is our fight.

What’s coming up

CHIPS Act

On Tuesday, MEPs in the industry and research committee (ITRE) are set to vote on?Dan Nica’s?report on the?CHIPS Act. The adoption of this report is a big step towards real technological autonomy for the EU from third counties in a very turbulent world.?

Transparency and targeting of political advertising

On the same day, in the internal market and consumer protection committee (IMCO), members will adopt a report on?Transparency and targeting of political advertising. Our shadow negotiator,?Maria Manuel Leit?o Marques?did great work in improving the legislative proposal by the European Commission by creating a European repository for all online political ads. It will contain copies of the ads and detailed information on the identity of sponsors, amount spent on the campaign, and also engagement metrics.

Minimum income

On Tuesday, the Parliament’s employment committee will vote on the resolution on the adequate minimum income. When the European Commission presented its recommendation on this matter last September, we warned that this is not enough to tackle the social crisis and that we need a binding European minimum income scheme. Then we called for a European legislation on this issue in our winter solidarity plan to bring the bills down. Now we are fighting to include this call in the Parliament’s resolution as well.

Exchange with Commissioner McGuinness

On Tuesday, we will also follow closely an exchange of the Parliament’s committee on economic and monetary affairs with the Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and capital markets union Mairead McGuinness. The focus will be on the much-awaited proposal on the retail investment strategy expected later this year. We will urge the Commissioner again to propose a full inducement ban, which would end conflicts of interests in financial advice. Europeans must have access to bias-free investment advice.

Sustainable batteries

Next week, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will vote on a number of issues including batteries and waste batteries. The S&D group, who has been leading on the file has pushed for ambitious proposals to make current environment and climate-damaging batteries more sustainable. While these are needed for the digital and energy transition, it is urgent to drastically reduce their ecological footprint.

Istanbul Convention

On Wednesday, in a joint vote in the committee on civil liberties and the committee on women’s rights and gender equality our members will cast their vote on an interim resolution to welcome the?signature of the Istanbul Convention by the European Union. Follow us on?Twitter?for reactions on the day of the vote.??

Holocaust remembrance

On Thursday, the European Parliament will hold a?special plenary sitting in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. Follow the live streaming and interventions from MEPs?here.

Recent cases of foreign interference

On Thursday, the Special Committee on Foreign Interference will debate recent cases of foreign interference in the European Parliament. New rules on?ethics, transparency, and accountability?must be adopted to?protect our work and our independence from corruptive political interference.