Author: MIL OSI Publisher

Question for written answer  E-001617/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE), Lena Schilling (Verts/ALE), Erik Marquardt (Verts/ALE)

Austria plans to introduce a blanket suspension on family reunification for third-country nationals, in violation of Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification. In a letter of 4 March 2025 to the Commission, the Austrian Minister of the Interior says that the reunification procedures jeopardise the functioning of the Austrian state’s institutions and its most important public services in particular. Austria thus plans to apply Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

• 1.Does the Commission consider the Austrian announcement to be in line with EU law and, if so, how?
• 2.If the Austrian announcement is not in conformity with EU law, how not?
• 3.How did the Commission respond to the letter from the Austrian Minister of the Interior and what steps will it take next?

Submitted: 23.4.2025

Question for written answer  E-001597/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Georgios Aftias (PPE)

Coastal areas in the European Union are in a vulnerable and dynamic situation due to human intervention and natural processes, which change their morphology, but also due to the advantages they bring at a social and economic level. They are greatly affected by coastal soil erosion, as well as by wave activity. The Ionian Islands contribute significantly to trade, transport and tourism, offering a huge range of economic development and professional activity to Greek society.

According to a report by the Region of the Ionian Islands, signed by the Regional Governor, Mr. Ioannis Trepeklis, after long-term research and studies it has been established that the Ionian Islands region is particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion and the most prone to ongoing and strong seismic vibrations worldwide. The islands of Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Lefkada are mentioned. The Ionian Islands Region is raising this issue with urgency, as solving the problem also requires immediate European intervention.

In view of the above:

• 1.Will the Commission support the strengthening of the resilience of coastal areas with all financial means?
• 2.Will the Commission finance national initiatives that contribute to the protection of the inhabitants of coastal areas from the effects caused by soil erosion?

Submitted: 22.4.2025

Question for written answer  E-001493/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Fernando Navarrete Rojas (PPE), Dolors Montserrat (PPE)

• 1.The Spanish National Employment Service, which reports to the Ministry of Work and Social Economy, does not provide specific, separate figures for the total number of permanent seasonal workers (PSWs), while the status has been used considerably more since the labour reform. In light of that, does Eurostat believe it would be positive, for transparency purposes, to publish PSW figures?
• 2.Given that Eurostat has already revised unemployment figures upwards to include permanent seasonal workers who are not working and are actively seeking work, and in view of the sharp upsurge in that type of contract, what control and monitoring mechanisms will Eurostat introduce to ensure those unemployed people are properly reflected in unemployment statistics, and in view of the revisions resulting from that type of contract, which is particularly common in Spain, does Eurostat not believe that enhanced, controlled monitoring of unemployment figures is needed?
• 3.Considering the economic circumstances of out-of-work PSWs who are not actively seeking work and the extensive use thereof in a number of Member States, does Eurostat plan to revise its methodology to include them in unemployment figures in the future?

Submitted: 10.4.2025

The President of the Commission welcomed the proposal for a ceasefire which came out of the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah on 11 March 2025, as a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. She declared that the EU is ready to take its full part in the upcoming peace negotiations[1].

Similarly, the High Representative/Vice-President, in the statement on behalf of the EU, welcomed the ceasefire proposal, as well as humanitarian efforts and the resumption of the United States’ intelligence sharing and security assistance.

She reiterated that the EU’s objective is to support Ukraine to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, based on the principles of the United Nations’ Charter and international law.

She declared that the EU is ready to play its full part in supporting the upcoming steps, together with Ukraine, the United States, and other partners. She underlined that it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace[2].

• [1] https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1899538326438261074
• [2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/03/11/ukraine-statement-by-the-high-representative-on-behalf-of-the-european-union-following-the-ukraine-us-meeting-in-saudi-arabia/

Question for oral answer  O-000013/2025
to the Commission
Rule 142
Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal
on behalf of the PfE Group

On 23 December 2024, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, convened an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers to modify the conditions for the second allocation of NextGenerationEU funds (Reform 6, component 23). The meeting approved the modification of paragraph 10 of the 44th additional provision of the recast General Social Security Law on urgent measures for labour reform, the guarantee of stability in employment and the transformation of the labour market. The aforementioned allocation of funds had been conditional on companies being granted an exemption from paying social security contributions if they provided employees who had previously been affected by temporary collective dismissals with a minimum guarantee of six months’ employment. The new version of paragraph 10 eliminates this guarantee, which had been agreed upon with the Commission, and instead makes exemptions from social security contributions conditional upon companies’ compliance with a longer period, that is, a period of between six months and two years after a temporary collective dismissal.

In the light of the above:

• 1.Can the Commission confirm whether it was aware of the new version of paragraph 10 of the 44th additional provision of the recast General Social Security Law?
• 2.Can the Commission evaluate this modification in the light of the principle of legal security?
• 3.Can the Commission assess whether this modification might entail a deviation of EU funds?
• 4.Can the Commission assess whether this modification might entail a deterioration of Spanish companies, of the situation of Spanish workers and, ultimately, of Spain’s productive sectors?
• 5.Finally, if the Commission is not in a position to answers questions two to four, what measures has it taken (if it answered ‘yes’ to question one) or does it intend to take (if it answered ‘no’ to question one) to investigate and address any possible irregularity, in order to ensure maximum transparency and soundness in the allocation of EU funds?

Submitted: 28.4.2025

Lapses: 29.7.2025

The Union’s security and defence capabilities are top priorities of this Commission. For this reason, military and security uses of lead ammunition are outside of the scope of this restriction dossier.

In addition, the Commission has ensured that the proposed restriction will not affect (i) the ability of the European industry to produce ammunition at the required scale for military purposes, (ii) the economic viability of shooting ranges and (iii) military preparedness and national security training.

This was done by proposing a permanent derogation that does not require the installation of additional risk management measures for the use of lead bullets in civilian shooting ranges.

According to the European Chemicals Agency, the market for lead ammunition is mostly driven by bullets for sport shooting (42 000 tonnes of lead bullets are used annually for sports shooting, compared with only 134 tonnes for hunting).

The proposed derogation for the use of lead bullets in sports shooting ranges will ensure that the demand, and therefore the production of lead bullets, will remain at pre-restriction levels.

Consequently, civilian production lines for lead bullets are expected to remain economically viable and available should there be a need to scale up production for military uses.

Since the derogation for the use of lead bullets in civilian shooting ranges does not require the installation of new risks management measures, the economic viability of those ranges and their continued availability for the voluntary military training of reservists is guaranteed.

1. In January 2025 , the Spanish authorities submitted an application for financial assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund[1]. The Commission’s assessment confirmed that the application is eligible and an advance of EUR 100 million to help kick-start recovery operations has been paid[2]. Next, it will determine the amount of the assistance, within the limits of the available financial resources, and submit a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council for approval which takes at least 6 weeks.

2. In December 2024, the Commission-proposed amendment to the European Regional Development Fund/Cohesion Fund Regulation and the European Social Fund+ Regulation (Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE))[3] was adopted, which allows national, regional and local authorities to quickly mobilise Cohesion Policy funds to respond to disasters. RESTORE funds disaster reconstruction, prevention and the mitigation of socioeconomic impacts[4]. The Commission is yet to receive a request from Spain to redirect funds.

3. The European Climate Law[5] mandates Member States to ensure progress in enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change. Member States are required to adopt and implement national adaptation strategies and plans and consider the particular vulnerability of relevant sectors.

The Commission also announced[6] a European Climate Adaptation Plan to further support Member States in preparedness and resilience planning. The Commission will also ensure that all relevant EU programmes contribute to climate resilience[7]. For instance, Member States are encouraged to reprogram their Cohesion Policy programmes towards climate adaptation, particularly in high-risk regions.

• [1] Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3) as amended by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 May 2014 (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 143) and by Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 March 2020 (OJ L 99, 31.3.2020, p. 9).
• [2] The EU Solidarity Fund may cover part of the costs for emergency and recovery operations incurred by public authorities. This includes, for example, the recovery of essential infrastructure, provision of temporary accommodation to the population, cleaning-up operations, and protection of cultural heritage.
• [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202403236
• [4] Measures under the RESTORE priorities will benefit from an increased maximum co-financing rate of 95%, along with an additional pre-financing rate of 25%.
• [5] Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (′European Climate Law′) (OJ L 243, 9.7.2021, pp. 1-17).
• [6] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf
• [7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52024DC0091