EPP-ED Highlights (27 April - 1 May 2009)

EPP Congress to kick off election campaign

The EPP European Elections Congress will take place on 29 and 30 April in Warsaw. This major political event will launch the campaign of the European People's Party for the June 2009 European Parliament elections. Around 2000 participants will set the stage for a third consecutive EPP victory together with Polish Prime Minister Tusk and all the EPP Heads of State and Government. It is only fitting that the Congress takes place in the Kongresowa Hall of the Palace of Culture and Science, one of the most recognisable symbols of Warsaw, as in 2009, Europe commemorates 20 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of the Iron Curtain, and Poland
celebrates 20 years of its first free elections.

Wilfried Martens, President of the EPP, will deliver the opening remarks.

Complementing the EPP Congress, the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament will hold its Study Days in Warsaw. The topics of the Study Days will focus on the EPP family's priorities for the next legislative period of the European Parliament: a more prosperous Europe, a safer Europe, and tackling the demographic challenge in Europe. Members of the EPP-ED will also reflect on the need for strong EU presence in its eastern neighbourhood in the form of the Eastern Partnership covering essentially three areas: a comprehensive free trade area, visa liberalisation with a view to visa free travel, and energy security.

Along with Joseph Daul, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group, key speakers will include Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister and Chairman of the Civic Platform, Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, and Alexandr Vondra, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The Study Days will take place between 28 and 30 April

The revision of the multiannual financial framework (2007-2013), taking into account the European Economic Recovery Plan, will be voted in the Committee on Budgets on Monday. Reimer Böge's Report foresees the financing of the projects in the framework of the European Economic Recovery Plan. As part of the EU's contribution to this fiscal stimulus, the Plan proposes to improve energy interconnections and broadband infrastructure in rural areas by mobilising a further 5 billion euros for the years 2009 and 2010.

Fingerprints system for asylum seekers

In order to respond to problems arising in practice and to meet the needs of persons from third countries and stateless persons, who seek asylum in more than one Member State, a system for the comparison of fingerprints called EURODAC was established. A proposal to be voted in the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday aims to make EURODAC more effective in providing international protection to those that seek it. Nicolae Vlad Popa suggests some improvements to the proposal mainly dealing with data collection and data storage.