Overview of EU funds used to finance migration cooperation needed
Call for an independent and accessible complaints mechanism
Parliament criticises the European Commission and some EU countries for overusing informal agreements on the return and readmission of irregular migrants.
On Wednesday, Parliament adopted a report by 358 votes in favour, 309 against, with 26 abstentions providing recommendations on human rights protection in the framework of the EU’s external asylum and migration policy.
The text notes that, since 2016, the EU and some member states have made many informal bilateral agreements and arrangements with third countries on strengthening their border control and management capacities, fighting human trafficking and on the return and readmission of irregular migrants.
Turkey pursues confrontational and hostile foreign policy
MEPs encourage Turkey to recognise the Armenian Genocide
EU-Turkey relations have deteriorated to such an extent that the EU needs to profoundly reassess them, MEPs say in a report adopted on Wednesday.
In recent years, the Government of Turkey has distanced itself increasingly from EU values and standards. As a result, relations have been brought to a historic low point, warn MEPs, who are particularly concerned about the state of the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights.
In the report adopted on Wednesday, they insist that if Turkey does not reverse this current negative trend, the Commission should recommend that the accession negotiations be formally suspended.
On Tuesday at 14.00 CET, leading MEPs on EU-UK relations will hold a press conference on the final consent vote on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The European Parliament will debate and vote on giving its consent to the agreement that sets the rules for the future relationship between the EU and the UK on Tuesday. In the resolution assessing the agreement, MEPs insist that, along with the Withdrawal Agreement, the trade and cooperation agreement must be fully implemented, and stress Parliament s role in scrutinising the practical application of the deal.
Following the plenary debate, and before the results of the vote on the consent and accompanying resolution are announced (on Wednesday morning), leading MEPs will hold a joint press conference to set out their views on the final approval procedure and the future of EU-UK relations.
Turkey pursues confrontational and hostile foreign policy
Accession negotiations should be formally suspended if negative trend is not reversed
In a report adopted on Thursday, MEPs call on Turkey to credibly demonstrate the sincerity of its commitment to closer relations with the European Union.
Despite the fact that Turkey is an EU accession candidate country, in recent years the Government of Turkey distanced itself deliberately and increasingly from European values and standards, warn MEPs in the report adopted by the Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
In addition to this, they say, the strong and, at times, provocative statements against the EU and its member states, and its hostile foreign policy, especially towards Greece and Cyprus, have brought EU-Turkey relations to a historic low point.