Quote of the week by vice-president Pedro Marques:
“One year of the brutal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in the death of thousands and thousands of innocent people, a destroyed country and increased insecurity and suffering in the world.
“We have been standing by Ukraine for all this time, and we will continue supporting it for as long as it takes. The Ukrainians can count on our unwavering political, diplomatic, humanitarian, financial and military support. The Russian regime can count on our determination to undermine its financial and military ability to continue this war of aggression that blatantly breaches international law and threatens the entire rules-based international order.”
Missions
Group leader Iratxe García, and vice-president on foreign affairs, Pedro Marques, will be in New York from February 24th until the 26th, and in Washington DC from the 26th through March 1st. In New York, they will hold high-level meetings in the United Nations on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. They will also meet the economist and Nobel Prize winner, Joseph Stiglitz.
In Washington DC, they will meet high-ranking officials of the Biden Administration and leading Democratic members of the House and Senate. These include Representatives Jim Costa and Lloyd Doggett, Senator Chris Murphy, as well as Representative Lois Frankel – an inspiring voice on women, abortion and MeToo movement, Representative Veronica Escobar – vice-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus and co-chair of the Women’s Working Group on Immigration Reform, and Representative Maxwell A. Frost – youngest member of the chamber and first member of Generation Z elected to Congress.
On Tuesday 28th February, Iratxe García will address the European Union Caucus for the 118th US Congress on its inauguration day. Details on the mission and press contact can be found here.
Upcoming events
The Future of EU Strategic Autonomy
On March 3rd, in Warsaw, Poland, we are joining forces with the Global Progressive Forum, FEPS (Foundation for European Progressive Studies), to debate on the European Union’s Open Strategic Autonomy and broader international implications of this concept.
During this open event (both online and onsite) we’ll be discussing the strategy that the EU and its member states should apply to properly defend their citizens against various crises, secure increased autonomy against the actions of other superpowers and safeguard international cooperation.
We will be hosted by the Kozminski University, and former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski will be the keynote speaker. The event will be webstreamed by Gazeta Wyborcza, and on our Group’s site, from 13.30.
Registrations are open here and the full programme is available here.
Gender inequalities and violence – Regional and local solutions
The pandemic has further exacerbated gender inequalities, with many women becoming full-time home carers and educators, while providing the majority of essential services outside the home. At the same time, incidents of domestic violence rose dramatically during the lockdowns. This is why the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions, alongside several partners, are organising the public event "Gender inequalities and violence – Regional and local solutions", which will take place in Valencia, Spain, on Friday March 3rd 2023 from 16:00 to 20:30.
Our MEPs Lina Gálvez Muñoz, Evin Incir and Katarina Barley will join the EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, in addressing the issue.
You can find the full programme and register here.
Upcoming work
On Tuesday February 28th, members of the S&D-chaired COVI special committee will hear the views of experts on the “Once Health” concept, exploring the links between human health, animals and environmental protection. These dimensions have to be considered altogether in order to curb the risk of zoonotic pandemics in the long term.
On Wednesday March 1st, the committee on the environment, public health and food safety will vote on a series of files, including the issue of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). Used in everyday objects like refrigerators, air-conditioners and aerosol cans, f-gases contribute gravely to climate change, as they are up to 25,000 times more damaging than CO2. Our Group will push for their complete phase out by 2050 in line with EU climate goals.
And don’t forget to stay updated on all our initiatives and reactions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and TikTok!
