By Martin Banks

It is “Green Week” in the European Parliament so MEPs are in their constituencies or taking part in Parliamentary missions.

Regular parliamentary business will resume on Tuesday 3 November.

Most MEPs will still be busy during the coming few days.

Socialist and Democrat MEPs from the International Trade (INTA) committee, for example, will this week take part in a European Parliament mission to China.

S&D vice-president Kathleen van Brempt, INTA committee chair Bernd Lange, and S&D INTA coordinator Brando Benifei will visit Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai for a series of high-level meetings to take stock of recent developments in EU-China trade relations.

During the week, S&Ds from the European Parliament’s employment and social affairs committee will also visit Amazon facilities in Central Europe.

Their goal, they say, is to “extend solidarity with workers and trade unions standing up for their rights in the face of corporate greed.”

This, adds the S&D group, comes after a “years-long standoff” between Amazon and the European Parliament, something which it says began during the Covid pandemic due to what the group allege were “unsafe working conditions” and culminated in Amazon lobbyists having their access badges to Parliament withdrawn as a result of “failing to attend several parliamentary hearings.”

The Amazon visit arrives at a “crucial moment” for social rights in the EU, when workers are calling for binding legislation to “improve standards and tackle union busting,” adds the group.

Across warehouses in Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Katowice, MEPs will examine Amazon’s current working conditions.

An S&D spokesman said, “Our message to Amazon is clear: automation and the digital transition should never roll back social rights, and unrealistic productivity targets must never come at the expense of workers’ health.

“The EU must deliver a robust social agenda, including an ambitious Quality Jobs Act.”

Meanwhile, ECR MEP and REGI Vice-Chair Francesco Ventola will, at the start of the week, lead a European Parliament delegation to Puglia and Basilicata in Southern Italy.

The delegation that will also include ECR MEP Denis Nesci will visit a number of projects supported by cohesion policy and meet local authorities and stakeholders to assess how EU funding is contributing to regional development, infrastructure and competitiveness.

An ECR Group spokesman said, “Cohesion policy remains an important instrument for supporting economic growth, reducing territorial disparities and giving regions the means to develop according to their own needs.”

The mission will provide concrete examples of how European funds can support investment and deliver “tangible” results at local level.

The visit is timely as it comes as discussions on the future of cohesion policy after 2027 and the next Multiannual Financial Framework gather pace.

“The ECR Group believes that regions and local authorities must retain a strong role in shaping and implementing cohesion policy, with funding focused on practical results, competitiveness and the long-term development of Europe’s regions,” said the spokesman.

Elsewhere, from Monday to Wednesday, ECR MEP Paolo Inselvini will take part in a delegation to Bogotá and Cartagena focused on combating drug trafficking and organised crime.

The mission will examine EU-Colombia cooperation against cocaine trafficking, meetings with national authorities and operational cooperation with EU agencies.

As ECR Shadow Rapporteur on the LIBE file on drug precursors, Inselvini will also follow the issue of chemicals and substances used in illicit drug production, including their links to legitimate business and agricultural activities.

“For the ECR Group,” said the spokesman, “organised crime and drug trafficking are increasingly transnational threats that fuel violence and insecurity in Europe.

“Cutting supply chains at source, disrupting criminal networks and strengthening cooperation with partners such as Colombia are essential to protecting European citizens and preventing the recruitment of young people into criminal activity.”