Sakharov prize shortlist
On Tuesday the foreign affairs and development committees will hold a joint meeting to shortlist three candidates for this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The prize is awarded each year by the European Parliament and was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. The ECR Group have nominated Asia Bibi (Aasiya Noreen), a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death in 2010 under the country´s blasphemy law and currently on death row. ECR MEPs Peter Van Dalen, Anna Fotyga and Tomasz Poreba have long campaigned for Bibi's release whose appeal to Pakistan's supreme court has been postponed to an undetermined date.

When: Tuesday @ 17:00
Press officer to contact: Gareth Goldsmith +32 476 668 050, gareth.goldsmith@ep.europa.eu

Terrorism committee begins it work
Parliament's special committee on terrorism meets for the first time on Wednesday. ECR Flemish MEP Helga Stevens has been appointed co-rapporteur of the committee's final report our group want this committee to find practical solutions on how to better protect our citizens and create better cooperation between law enforcement authorities in the EU.

When: Wednesday @ 14:00
Press officer to contact: Yannick Vanderveeren +32 473 806 446,  yannick.vanderveeren@ep.europa.eu

Militarisation of black sea
The security and defence committee will hold a public hearing on militarisation in the Black Sea on Wednesday. The regional security situation has become increasingly challenging for the EU and NATO and the hearing will focus on the security situation following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Furthermore, the hearing will analyse the military and strategic consequences of the conflicts and the possibilities to foster stability and cooperation.

When: Wednesday @ 14.40, PHS 5B001
Press officer to contact: Marta Lipinska, +32 470 904 337, marta.lipinska@ep.europa.eu

EU-New Zealand and EU-Australia
Members of the international trade committee are expected to approve draft reports on Thursday on the proposed negotiating mandate for trade talks with Australia and New Zealand. ECR Co-ordinator Emma McClarkin and Deputy Co-ordinator David Campbell Bannerman are shadow rapporteurs. Meanwhile, a report by ECR Foreign Affairs Co-ordinator Charles Tannock on a partnership agreement between the EU and New Zealand will be voted on by the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

When: Foreign Affairs - Tuesday 9am; International Trade - Thursday 9am
Press Officer to contact: Robert Taylor +32 498 984760, robert.taylor@ep.europa.eu

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu