European Parliament honors Navalny amidst food inflation

The European Parliament will commemorate the life of Russian activist Alexei Navalny, featuring an address by his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, in its plenary session this week in Strasbourg, while the agenda also includes the revision of the EU’s long-term budget with funding for Ukraine, but also debates on a stronger European security and defence and the soaring food prices.

On Wednesday morning, according to the agenda of the plenary session of the European Parliament, Yulia Navalnaya is to address the Parliament that will commemorate the life of Alexei Navalny. On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will also debate Navalny’s death with Commission and Belgian Presidency representatives.

On Monday evening, MEPs will debate with the Commission the causes of the rise in food prices and how to tackle the social consequences.

The revision of the EU’s long-term budget will be discussed on Tuesday, while the European Parliament will also vote on the corresponding texts recently agreed with the EU member states. The multiannual financial framework (MFF) includes the €50 billion Ukraine Facility and the “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform” (STEP) which aims to support EU competitiveness and resilience in strategic sectors. It also bolsters the EU’s budget to deal with migration and external challenges as well as the EU's crisis preparedness and budgetary flexibility. Furthermore, the revision introduces a mechanism to tackle escalating costs linked to the repayment of the NextGenerationEU recovery plan amid rising interest rates.

On the same day, the plenary will discuss the latest ruling by the International Court of Justice regarding Israel and the alleged involvement of UNRWA staff in the October 7 attacks.

On Wednesday, the Plenary is to hold a joint debate on how to strengthen European security and defence with the Council and Commission. In the draft report on the implementation of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy for 2023, MEPs urge the EU to develop robust strategic alliances, to accelerate EU enlargement and reform decision-making processes in response to a new geopolitical context. The Parliament will also assess the implementation of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy report in the context of a rapidly deteriorating global security environment. Both reports will be put to a vote on Wednesday.

MEPs on Tuesday are set to approve new rules aiming to protect the environment in the EU through criminal law. Following a debate on Monday, MEPs are expected to give their final green light to a new directive on environmental crime, as agreed with the member states in November 2023.

The new law provides an updated list of environmental crimes including illegal timber trade, depletion of water resources or breaches of EU chemicals legislation. It also introduces the so-called qualified offence of causing the destruction of an ecosystem, such as large-scale forest fires, and thus comparable to ecocide. Offenders, including company representatives, can face prison sentences of up to five or ten years depending on the severity of the crime. They will also be required to reinstate the environment they destroyed and compensate for the damage. Companies can also face fines of up to 5% of their worldwide turnover or €40 million.

Also on Tuesday, the EP is expected to greenlight new EU rules to protect journalists and activists from abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing them.

Plans for a digital identity framework (digital wallet), already agreed between the Parliament and the Council, will be debated on Wednesday and put to a vote on Thursday.

The Parliament on Thursday is also set to adopt, among other things, a new regulation aimed at creating a more transparent and responsible short-term rental sector, but also new rules aiming to tackle energy market manipulation “by strengthening transparency and oversight”.