Following the death of Javier Ordóñez after the intervention of police officers, the ensuing violence has resulted in further tragic deaths and numerous wounded, mainly young people in Colombia. Our thought are with their families.

The right to peaceful protest is essential to any democracy and begins with an unambiguous rejection of any act of vandalism and violence intended to generate fear and disorder.

All excessive use of violence, by those that are responsible for protecting citizens, must be thoroughly and promptly investigated, the perpetrators brought to justice and institutional measures taken to avoid any repetition in line with the Colombian constitution and international standards.

We support the calls for all actors to maintain peace and calm and build trust to avoid any further escalation.

“We continue our trilateral talks with the German Council Presidency. It is positive to have seen eventually some movement from them today. There was progress on the principle of a binding roadmap for the three institutions on new sources of EU revenue (Own Resources) and on reinforcements of future-oriented EU programmes. We insist on real increases and that new Own Resources need to be sufficient to repay the Next Generation EU recovery plan”, said the members of the Parliament’s negotiating team on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Own Resources (OR)

“From the outset, Parliament has shown significant willingness to bridge the gap between our respective positions. We have, for example, scaled down our request for top-ups to EU programmes from 40+ programmes to 15 flagship programmes, in line with Parliament’s resolution of 23 July on the European Council agreement”, added the MEPs.

With the Council conclusions as they stand, EU flagship programmes like Horizon for research or Erasmus+ will see a drop in funding, meaning many research projects cannot be financed and millions of young people will not be able to benefit from life-changing opportunities and better employment. As for health, another example, with the envelope decided by the European Council, the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic would be in vain, as the EU4Health programme has been reduced to less than a fifth of its envelope proposed by the Commission.

Parliament set to clear way for swift launch of recovery plan

On a parallel track, Parliament is set to clear the way for a COVID-19 recovery plan with a plenary vote next week on the consultative opinion on the Own Resources Decision, which will enable the EU to borrow €750 billion for the “Next Generation EU” recovery plan. The vote will allow the Council to proceed with an immediate approval of this decision and start the ratification procedure in the member states.

The EP’s negotiating team for the next long-term EU budget and Own Resources reform

Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE), Chair of the Committee on Budgets

Jan Olbrycht (EPP, PL), MFF co-rapporteur

Margarida Marques (S&D, PT), MFF co-rapporteur

José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT), Own Resources co-rapporteur

Valérie Hayer (RENEW, FR), Own Resources co-rapporteur

Rasmus Andresen (Greens/EFA, DE)

Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1205126942384676866?s=20

Background

As the current long-term EU budget is running out on 31 December 2020, the EU needs a new budgetary planning horizon for the next seven years. The EU Commission thus presented plans for the next multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 in May 2018. The European Parliament adopted its position in November 2018, and re-confirmed it in October 2019 and July 2020. The European Council reached a political compromise on 21 July 2020. Trilateral negotiations between Parliament, Council and Commission started on 27 August.

Parliament’s key demands are:

1. Give a European response to the crisis.
2. Preserve the EU’s capacity to invest besides and beyond the recovery – reinforcements of flagship programmes and an adequate MFF after 2024.
3. Repayment of the common debt without burdening citizens and in line with the European Union’s political ambitions.
4. Increased accountability to citizens in the budgetary decision-making process – a stronger role for the EP in how the recovery money is raised and spent.
5. A strong mechanism to ensure respect for the Rule of Law.

Ursula Von der Leyen is expected to outline the impact of the Commission’s work in mitigating the COVID-19 sanitary and economic crisis, and to outline her vision for economic recovery, fighting climate change, and the situation in Europe’s neighbourhood.

Political group leaders will assess the Commission’s work and set out their views, as this annual State of the Union debate is a chance for MEPs to scrutinise the work and the plans of the European Commission and help set the future direction for the EU.

The debate will start with an address by President von der Leyen, followed by several rounds of interventions by political group speakers between which Ms von der Leyen will reply. The Council Presidency also take the floor.

You can watch the debate here. More info is also available on the European State of the Union website.

Working conditions in Parliament for journalists in light of Coronavirus

The hemicycle press tribune and part of the visitor gallery will be open for journalists to attend the debate. Accredited media can continue to operate in Parliament’s premises and book services and facilities under the current rules, albeit with the required social distancing, therefore limiting the capacity of the press conference and working rooms.

ENG crews, studios or live connections can be booked as usual

Contact :

avplanning@europarl.europa.eu

+ 32 2 284 20 10

It is mandatory to wear a mask covering the mouth and nose at all times while in Parliament’s buildings. This is to continue to ensure Parliament’s operational capacity, while at the same time avoiding health risks for Members, staff and other persons working in and visiting the European Parliament. In addition, temperature controls will be carried out on all persons entering Parliament’s premises.

However, journalists may remove their mask for the duration of a recording (stand-ups, interviews, studio recordings) or asking a question in the press room. if the social distancing measures are respected. The press room on the ground floor (Paul-Henri Spaak building) is also now open again for those who need to work from Parliament, though social distancing rules remain in force.

Background

The State of the European Union debate is a key moment to demonstrate the European Commission’s accountability towards the EU’s democratically elected representatives. It focuses on important issues like the coming economic recovery, climate change, youth unemployment and migration flows. This annual event is significant to promote a more transparent and democratic Union. It is an opportunity to bring the European Union closer to the citizens, highlighting the year’s core action points and challenges. Citizens’ rights and the democratic process are at the heart of this unique plenary debate.

Videos

The clean feed of the debate will be transmitted on EbS + (https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/ebs/live/2)

Enriched version (with graphics and illustrations) of the debate will be broadcasted on EbS (https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/ebs/live/1)

HD quality videos with transcript of the speech will be available here for download shortly after the beginning of the speech. https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/state-of-european-union-2020_16202_pk )

Photos

Photos will be available for download on the multimedia centre (https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/state-of-european-union-2020_16202_pk)

Government and civil society require adequate data to tackle the hatred towards Jews that pervades Europe. But, as FRA’s latest antisemitism overview reveals, large gaps in collecting data remain. This annual overview reveals hardly any change in the 16 years of monitoring such data collection.

Some EU Member States do not collect any official data at all. For example, there is no official data on reported antisemitic incidents for Hungary and Portugal for 2019.

Existing data are generally not comparable across EU Member States. This is because they use different methods to collect the data and draw data from different sources.

In addition, official data collection systems do not always categorise incidents as antisemitic.

These are some of the reasons why responses to antisemitism so often are ineffective.

Again, as in previous years, the overview underlines the need for sustained efforts to improve data collection. This includes new methods, data sources and data processing techniques to better measure the incidence and effect of hatred against Jews.

While the overview focuses on 2019, it also gives examples of how antisemitic conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus pandemic fuelled hate speech online. This only underlines the clear need to tackle hate speech and hate crime towards Jews.

The overview draws attention to FRA’s compendium of practices for combating hate crime. The compendium contains examples of how some Member States record hate crime, which others can draw from.

The overview also reminds authorities that they have to do more to tackle under-reporting. They have to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward to report incidents. They also need the right systems to properly record antisemitic acts.

FRA’s antisemitism overview looks at data from international, governmental and non-governmental sources across all EU Member States, the UK, and for the first time, North Macedonia and Serbia. It compiles available data from 1 January 2009 until 31 December 2019.

Also, for the first time, it contains information about national strategies, action plans or other instruments to protect Jewish communities.

The annual update lists 20 EU Member States plus North Macedonia and Serbia that adopted, endorsed or started using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism. It further outlines how governments use or plan to use the definition.

This is the latest in a series of yearly reports on data collection on antisemitism that FRA publishes.

Fire in Moria, Lesvos

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) confirms that several of its facilities at the Moria camp in Lesvos were destroyed in large fires on the evening of 8 September 2020. All EASO personnel are safe and accounted for.

The Agency expresses its full solidarity with those who have been impacted, many seriously.

As a result of the widespread damage, EASO’s operational activities in Moria are suspended until further notice. However, the Agency is partially continuing its operational activities at its premises in Pagani, Lesvos.

EASO is continuing to evaluate the situation in close cooperation with – and support to – the Greek authorities.

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office on the following email address: press@easo.europa.eu