The EU Employment Guidelines must be revised, said MEPs in a resolution adopted on Friday, calling for radical measures to cushion the employment and social shock caused by the pandemic. Social inclusion and people’s wellbeing should be at the heart of EU economic policies, with equal priority given to social, environmental and economic objectives, they said.

During the European Parliament sitting in Brussels, MEPs voted on Wednesday the new amendments to the divisive Mobility Package I. All three motions to scrap the Council’s position on posting on drivers, driving time and rest periods and market access and cabotage were rejected, the EP announced late in the evening. Thus the new rules, which have been provisionally agreed with the Council in April, are considered adopted. 

The future of the EU financing and economic recovery dominated the agenda of the first day of the EP session in Brussels, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel came in person, which was her first trip after the pandemic outbreak, to present the main tasks of the country’s Presidency of the Council that started on 1 July. At the discussions on the MFF and New Generation EU the floor took as well EC President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. 

The top priority of the German Council Presidency is that Europe comes out of the crisis united and stronger, said Chancellor Angela Merkel in a speech at the European Parliament, during her first trip since the start of the pandemic. 

On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will debate with German Chancellor Angela Merkel the strategy and main goals of the German Presidency. Under the motto “Together for Europe’s recovery”, Germany will focus on the EU’s long-term budget as well as the recovery plan post Covid-19, on the future relationship with the UK, climate change, digitalisation, migration and Europe’s role in the world.

Greek and EU authorities must investigate recurrent reports of violent pushbacks at the border with Turkey, which if true would mean Greece is not ensuring the right to asylum, urged MEPs from the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE).

The Regional Development Committee approved the establishment of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) and request a significant increase in the budget allocated from the 2021-2027 financial framework from €11.27bn in current prices to €25.36bn in 2018 prices. 

The Neighborhood agreements with Bulgaria and Greece are an integral part of the negotiating framework with North Macedonia and Albania, said on Saturday in an interview to the Bulgarian National Radio Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Bulgarian MEP from Renew Europe Group and EP’s standing rapporteur for North Macedonia.

Negotiations begin now and the Parliament is ready, said in a statement European Parliament President David Sassoli, following decision of President von der Leyen on Thursday to activate Article 324 of the EU Treaties and convene meeting on 8 July. She invited David Sassoli, Angela Merkel, and Charles Michel to meet and  take stock of progress and prepare the intensive political negotiations that lie ahead in order to reach a swift and ambitious agreement on the European recovery package.

At the next European Council sitting on 17 and 18 July, the EU leaders will meet face to face in Brussels with the tough task to decide on the recovery package, composed of the revised next seven-year EU budget and the Next Generation EU rescue instrument. While the differences are still great between the two main camps - that of the 'frugal four' and the one that calls for greater solidarity in response to the socio-economic effects of the crisis, Parliament's negotiating team for the next long-term EU budget and own resources reform stressed that MEPs also have the power to accept or reject the next MFF.