Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, hybrid attacks and growing security threats have exposed gaps in Europe’s defence capabilities. 

From joint defence investments and faster military mobility to stronger support for Ukraine and closer cooperation with NATO, Members of the European Parliament explain why Europe needs to work together to safeguard peace, security and its values.

By calling for progress towards a European Defence Union, Parliament wants a more coordinated and capable European defence system.

When you are at the supermarket, you see many logos:

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)

PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)

GI (Geographical Indication for spirits)

These are part of the EU geographical indications system, which protects the names of more than 3900 products coming from specific regions and having specific qualities.

Why are geographical indications important?

- They support rural economies and the work of small-scale producers.

- They guarantee traceability and top quality for consumers.

- They protect our heritage from imitations and counterfeiting worldwide.

Can you guess which countries these foods are from?

Find out more: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/geographical-indications-and-quality-schemes/geographical-indications-and-quality-schemes-explained_en

The European Parliament denounced in a resolution the rigged and undemocratic elections to the Russian State Duma held from 18 to 20 September.

Parliament stressed that no elections worthy of the name can take place amid media censorship, judicial bans on opposition, and repression of dissent.

There is now also a Parlamentarium in Strasbourg and if you are visiting Brussels, you can discover more about Europe's past in the House of European History. Just 45 km away from Paris is the Jean Monnet House where you can get to know better one of Europe's architects and explore his ideas of European unity.

Find out more about the European Parliament's offer for visitors.

MEPs say that using laws and public institutions to silence political opponents is not compatible with democracy.

They call for the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners and peaceful protesters.

They also warn that banning established political parties would make progress towards EU membership impossible.

As the situation in Georgia worsens, Parliament remains committed to supporting the Georgian people’s aspirations to join the EU.

Read more here: https://link.europa.eu/fd4fJx

The EU Council has approved the European Commission’s proposal to end the rule-of-law procedure against Hungary, opening the way for EUR 4.2 billion in frozen funding and restoring access to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe for foundation-run universities.

Hungary is set to regain access to EUR 4.2 billion (more than HUF 1,500 billion) in frozen EU funding after member states approved the closure of a long-running procedure over concerns about the rule of law and the protection of the bloc’s financial interests.

Continue reading at https://dailynewshungary.com/hungary-unlock-4-2-billion-eu-funds/ | DailyNewsHungary

Find out more about the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034: https://eubudget.europarl.europa.eu/

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/fs_22_3862

https://energyandcleanair.org/eu-continued-to-buy-record-amounts-of-russian-fossil-fuels-in-2022/

https://www.kielinstitut.de/media/news/ukraine-support-tracker-only-eur-417-billion-of-germanys-eur-100-billion-went-to-ukraine/

This is how many people die worldwide each year from health conditions linked to psychosocial risks at work.

Parliament is calling on the European Commission to better protect people from work-related stress, burnout, mental and physical disorders.

Because violence, harassment, bullying and discrimination at work must be addressed.

On World Mental Health Day, find out how common work-related stress, depression and anxiety are in your country.

Want to know how Parliament wants to help keep your mental health at 10/10? https://link.europa.eu/PFkBC9

Ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council of 12 October, The Elders have written an open letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, calling for a ban on EU trade with illegal Israeli settlements and the suspension of key trade provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Laureate and Chair of The Elders

Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, Co-founder and Deputy Chair of The Elders  

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the WHO

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former head of the UN Development Programme

Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Denis Mukwege, physician and human rights advocate, Nobel Peace Laureate

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico 

Members stress that no elections worthy of the name can take place amid media censorship, judicial bans on opposition, and repression of dissent.

They also condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the forced participation of voters in the occupied Ukrainian territories, as well as the establishment of polling stations in the Transnistria region of the Republic of Moldova and in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia.

Members of Parliament reiterate their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, call for sanctions against those involved in the consolidation of power by the Putin regime, and reaffirm their support for Russian citizens striving for democracy.

Learn more: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20261002IPR47908/parliament-slams-russian-state-duma-elections-as-complete-sham

In their first plenary session in October, Members debated the EU’s long-term budget and strengthening Europe’s ability to respond to crises. They also made recommendations for the EU's policy towards China, called the State Duma elections in Russia neither free nor fair, and called for protecting workers’ mental and physical health.

China is both a major trading partner and economic competitor for the EU, making it one of the bloc's most complex relationships.

In a resolution Parliament Members highlighted trade imbalances between the EU and China, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and the human rights situation in China.

Parliament wants the EU to reduce its critical dependencies on China and diversify supply chains, ensure fairer market access for European companies and protect critical infrastructure and technologies.

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has shown that Europe’s defence sector needs to innovate faster. Parliament has approved the creation of a pilot instrument, the Programme for Agile and Rapid Defence Innovation, designed to speed up defence innovation at lower cost. Ukraine will also be fully associated with the programme.

Read more: https://link.europa.eu/kbRdkC

The link is to a PDF version of the memo I sent to almost all of the Members of the EU Parliament, Permanent Representatives and various others working in the legislative sector of the EU, warning them of the risks to their own political privacy if they allow the Digital Omnibus to stand in light of advances in Quantum Computing.

I have asked them - for their own sake and the safety of themselves and their families, constituents, colleagues and friends, to legislate for mandatory quantum safe encryption and vote against weakening the definition of personal data in the GDPR.

Posting here for transparency reasons.