Samlingstråden för EU-kritiker

VILNIUS — The EU is “screwed” if the European Parliament no longer meets in Strasbourg, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

Macron’s remarks, on a visit to Lithuania, reflect growing French anger over decisions by the Parliament to meet in Brussels rather than travel to Strasbourg for plenary sessions, due to restrictions and concerns linked to the coronavirus.

Brussels launches legal action against UK over its Internal Market bill breaching the Withdrawal Agreement, but the road is long and uncertain.

It comes in response to the U.K. ignoring the EU's demand for changes to its Internal Market Bill, which seeks to give ministers powers to change parts of the divorce deal — and break international law — subject to U.K. parliamentary approval.

2019-2024 MEPs

V > GUE/NGL: BJÖRK Malin

S > S&D: BERGKVIST Erik, DANIELSSON Johan, FRITZON Heléne, GUTELAND Jytte, INCIR Evin

C > Renew Europe: AL-SAHLANI Abir, FEDERLEY Fredrick

L > Renew Europe: KARLSBRO Karin

M > EPP: KOKALARI Arba, POLFJÄRD Jessica, TOBÉ Tomas, WARBORN Jörgen

KD > EPP: LEGA David, SKYTTEDAL Sara

MP > Greens/EFA: BAH KUHNKE Alice, HOLMGREN Pär

SD > ECR: LUNDGREN Peter, STEGRUD Jessica, WEIMERS Charlie

EU-kommissionen trodde tidsomställningen skulle vara avskaffad redan förra hösten.

MEPs insisted that the EU must not have “a fast-track entrance for criminals”,

“Several speakers referred to the recent scandal in Cyprus, where high-ranking officials – including the Speaker of the national parliament – were secretly recorded offering to assist a fictional Chinese executive with a criminal record in getting a Cypriot passport through the national “citizenship by investment” scheme,”

the Commission took to long to act on the issue.

SchengenVisaInfo.com has previously reported on the possibility that the EU would launch legal action against Cyprus’ government after it was reported that the latter sold citizenship to 1,400 internationals together with their 1,100 family members, who were involved in corruption affairs, money laundering and other criminal activities.

Last Wednesday, October 21, the Commission launched legal action against Cyprus and Malta for ‘selling’ European citizenship, by sending to the government of each a letter of notice, in which they highlight that granting EU passports in exchange for a payment or investment, is against the EU laws.

For months now, EU bodies and NGOs in the field of EU security have continuously raised the concerns that investor citizenship schemes have become a gateway to the EU for the corrupt all around the world.

Amid criticism and accusations for the involvement of high officials in the scheme, Cyprus has already announced that it would put the scheme to an end on November 1.

The Parliament had asked for the abolition of the schemes since back in February 2019, when MEPs from the European People’s Party said that citizenship-by-investment schemes pose a security threat to the EU.

“The Golden Visa and special tax schemes to attract foreign investors pose a security threat to the EU while delivering only marginal or zero economic benefits and devaluating European citizenship,” Luděk Niedermayer from the Group of the EPP and a Parliament’s Co-