Analysis: who are the best bridge builders in the ENVI Committee?

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MEPs tend to draft amendments in teams, in order to extend their sphere of influence and increase the chances of their amendments becoming part of the final report. Developing good relations with MEPs from other countries and political groups helps them substantially increase their leverage: for example, an amendment that is co-signed/supported by MEPs from different countries who are affiliated to EPP, S&D and Renew Europe stands much bigger chances of being adopted compared to an amendment drafted by MEPs belonging to the same national or political group. Continue Reading

Special highlights from EU decision making: Qualified Majority Voting, Animal testing, EU semester, EU-Russia relations, Pakistan, UAE

Leave a comment Published in: EP Plenary, Insights, News, Politics & Institutions, Varia
EP Plenary session – State of the European Union debate
© European Union 2021 – Source : EP

Lessons learned from this month’s key votes in the European Parliament (click on the links to check the breakdown of the votes):

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NB: the Commission pays attention to the size of EP majorities not only when voting on legislation, but also when own-initiative reports are being passed in the preparatory stages, hence the Commission is likely to shape the actual upcoming legislative proposals in line with these political majorities to avoid complications. Continue Reading

Exclusive interview with MEP Jongerius: the future of minimum wages in Europe

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In October 2020, after two rounds of consultation with social partners, the European Commission presented a proposal for a Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages in the European Union. The proposal has been met with mixed feelings. If on one side social partners saw in the Directive a chance for the European Union to improve the lives of millions of EU workers, other parties started questioning whether the European Union has the competences to put forward such a proposal and whether the Directive will be effective in achieving its objectives. Continue Reading

Executive webinar: Germany’s new political landscape and its impact on the EU

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27th September 2021 10:00-11:00 AM CET (Zoom)

The morning after the German elections, join our free webinar for senior EU affairs professionals to discuss the electoral outcome, the most likely coalitions, as well as the future implications for EU policy initiatives on different sectors, including digital, the environment, trade, taxation and foreign policy. Continue Reading

Executive webinar: mapping MEPs cross-group connections in the ENVI Committee

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23 September 2021 at 10:00 (Zoom)

MEPs tend to draft amendments in teams, in order to extend their sphere of influence and increase the chances of their amendments becoming part of the final report. Some MEPs are real masters at developing good relations with MEPs from other countries and political groups, which helps them substantially increase their leverage.

In this presentation we will show you which MEPs are the best bridge builders, and are therefore more likely to successfully pass amendments (at the Committee level and in Plenary). Continue Reading

German Elections: Who might soon govern the country and what it would mean for the EU

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On September 26, Germany is electing a new government. With the election day less than a month away, the race to replace Angela Merkel and – potentially – her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has not been lacking in surprises.

In the fragmented contemporary German political landscape, it currently seems mathematically unlikely that a two-way alliance will be able to achieve an absolute majority in parliament. Continue Reading

Free webinar: EU policy insights for PA Professionals (Fall update)

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Thursday 16 September 2021, 3:00 – 3:30 PM (CET)

Join us in this free webinar of the Public Affairs Council, which will feature a 30-minute conversation with Doru Frantescu, co-founder and CEO of VoteWatch Europe, regarding the key trends, political developments and legislative files dominating the EU agenda after the summer break. You will gain insights on the following:

– Hot topics and key policy files which EU public affairs professionals should watch out for as EU institutions return from the summer break

– The state of play in key EU files in sectors such as the environment, digital, health, foreign policy, and others

– National trends and political developments EU-based professionals should be aware of

– Key legislative milestones and challenges ahead for your sector

The event is free of charge, but requires prior registration. Continue Reading

VoteWatch Analytical Tool: Directory by policy area

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This is a directory of the currently available influence matrices (which are explained in-depth here). Our new analytical tools will help you identify the kingmakers and swing-voters among MEPs, as well as show you how to forecast the outcome and build majorities that would support your priorities.

We show the positions of each MEP on key parts of the EU agenda and highlight which MEPs are convinced (on either side), and which remain to be brought on board to secure majorities.Use this analytical tool to spot:

a) how influential MEPs are in a given policy area (vertical axis). Continue Reading

Analysis: how different MEPs respond to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report

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“Does every degree matter?”, S&D MEP Delara Burkhardt asked on Twitter. Several MEPs, including herself, strongly believe so. A number of them reacted to the latest IPCC’s report titled The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change, which was published on the 9th of August.

The first part of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) has prompted reactions from several key figures in the European Parliament and the European Union, particularly from the Greens/EFA and The Left. Continue Reading

VoteWatch Analytical Tool: uncover which MEPs can help you advance your agenda. Part 6.1.2. Data protection

Leave a comment Published in: EP Plenary, Insights, News, Politics & Institutions, Varia

This report is part of the new VoteWatch series showing you how to build your strategy using our new analytical tool (which is explained in-depth here) and which allows you to quickly identify kingmakers and swing-voters among MEPs. This tool is already been used by key stakeholders active in EU policy-making.

We show the positions of each MEP on key parts of the EU push towards more regulation on data protection and highlight which MEPs are convinced (on either side), and which remain to be brought on board to secure majorities. Continue Reading