Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, shares with the press his group priorities ahead of the plenary session.

Strasbourg

plenary session

press conference

SÉJOURNÉ, Stéphane (Renew, FR)

Renew Europe

EP Press briefing Renew Europe: Press conference by Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader

SOUNDBITE (French), St&eacute;phane S&Eacute;JOURN&Eacute; (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, Good morning, everybody and first of all, let me wish you all the very best for 2023. I hope it's going to be a calmer year. I think all of us hope we get a calmer year than 2022 and this first plenary of the year. With a view to that, I'd like to look at four points that are of the essence for my particular group.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, Corruption within the institutions of European institutions. The second point I want to raise is the conclusions of the European Council, which for us is an opportunity to look at breathing new life into industry in the EU. Then aid to Ukraine following what happened in Dnipro. And then the fourth point will be a European response to the situation in Iran and the demonstrations that took place yesterday.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, Now, first of all, on Qatar gate, you will have seen on the agenda, we managed to get a discussion on this in plenary and it'll be a chance to strengthen our ideas and put forward our ideas on transparency, less foreign interference. And we have got unanimity from the groups, including a number of points that were raised at the COP. In particular on the inquiry and what is happening with Morocco and the views expressed that. And then a number of these measures are a step in the right direction.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, There was the format that the President of the European Parliament wanted, to how we work and to perhaps try to go slightly further on some of the measures that have been put forward by President MaTsola. Two points in particular I would like to raise with you here. One is, that my group fully supports having an interinstitutional ethical body. This is something that we have been suggesting since 2019. This would cover all three institutions in the EU.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, I think that, that really is the condition that we have to be fulfilled to restore trust with European citizens. I think it's the only way of harmonising 27 different political cultures. When it comes to the issue of transparency and also will be an authority that will be able to monitor the obligations, when it comes to the transparency register and something that does need to be beefed up under the suggestions from the President.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, Then on the sanctions when they happen, how quickly they happen, I think that really is important. Has to happen quickly for a number of reasons. Partly our group feels that it will also allow us to move forward every plenary. This is going to come back to the plenary session as an issue. And I do really think that before we have the plenary next month, we do need to have a timetable for these proposals.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, This is being used by groups in particular on the extreme right and left. And that is a worry for those of us who are pro-European. So we do need a clear calendar of what is going to happen when and it has to go quickly. I say that for those of us who are very pro-European in our political groups. The political groups will support the candidacy put forward by the S&P Group, and that is Mr. Marc Angel as a replacement for Eva Kaili.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, We keep the balance that was agreed on at the end of discussions, and we feel that the candidacy of Mr. Marc Angel is exactly what we expect in the person of a European Parliament Vice President. And so the position of our group last week was to vote for the S&D candidate, and therefore we are not going to be organising any hearings for any other candidates, because the decision has already been taken. Was taken last week and in line with our commitments to the EPP and the S&P for the balance of the European parties within the European Parliament. So no malice on our part at all. That's the decision that's been taken, I want to let you know.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, Second point on the European industry now, as President of the Renew Group, I will be talking about the European industrial agenda. We are expecting an awful lot from the next European Council on this issue. We unveiled our proposals last Tuesday on the industrialisation of Europe and in particular there were a number of points. We put forward three bits of legislation that we feel do need to be discussed when it comes to the discussions in the Council.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, So, our own technology for competitiveness in Europe. Looking at the rules of the Common Market, of the Single Market to make things smoother, more streamlined, less bureaucracy, more training as well. Which is a European response to the protectionist legislation in the United States, and then sovereignty and sovereignty test in particular, to have the means here. So that we can produce in Europe. We don't want legislation that penalises that.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, The third point, we're going to be put forward be legislation on new global partnerships to strengthen our trade and our democracy, in particular looking at the Green Deal. And through this legislation to set up new tools to defend our trade interests. This will all be detailed in plenary when we get to the discussion on the European agenda. And we already do have a document, a detailed documents dealing with these issues and that was issued at our seminar.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, I'm taking a bit long here. So, to shorten on Ukraine after the criminal act in Dnipro recently, we will be supporting and carry on supporting Ukraine. Of course we want the European Parliament to be the driver of European action on Ukraine. We've really got to push Member States to agree on more military aid and more ambitious sanctions. And I mentioned this yesterday at the very beginning of the plenary session, but there are still certain sanctions that can be taken. In particular, the list of oligarchs that can be added to that is the position of our group where we would like to make progress.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, My last point is the European response to the situation in Iran and in particular on the executions that have taken place. Europe is not coordinated enough. Europe is not ambitious enough when it comes to what is happening. And these sanctions, we really do have to fight together on this. We've got to have all the information available. And we do hope that what we do will put Iran at the top of the list as well.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader, We can have a little bit too much navel gazing here with Qatar gate, but we mustn't just do that. There are some very important international issues that have to be dealt with following on from the American announcements, for example. So our responsibility in the Renew Group, I feel, is to shine a light on what we have to do here in Europe. 500 million people here in Europe, and we do need to act. Thank you. And I'm here for any questions you may have.

Q&A Question regarding the new Vice President post, if there will be any problems or issues with Renew.

Q&A Question regarding the response from Europe to the IRA and how it will be funded.

Q&A Question regarding the green industry terms of Europe's response to the Investment Reduction Act.

Q&A Question regarding the French domestic policy, the demonstrations on retirement reforms and about the concessions of those against it.