The S&Ds managed to put their socially just and green stamp on the conclusion of negotiations on Interreg, a successful programme that has been running for three-decades aimed at strengthening cross-border co-operation between countries and regions.

Our negotiating team has chalked up many achievements, including clauses on non-discrimination and inclusiveness, as well as higher co-financing rates, more money for cross-border co-operation and the decision to concentrate 60% of funds on green and social projects.

Ahead of the six-month Portuguese presidency of the European Union, starting on 1 January 2021, the president of the European Parliament and the parliamentary group leaders met this morning with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and six Portuguese ministers.

The S&Ds called on the Hungarian and Polish governments to accept the rule of law mechanism and to allow for the next seven-year European budget and the Recovery Plan to be adopted as soon as possible.

The S&D Group in the European Parliament today called for the Executive Director of Frontex to resign following months of allegations on the agency’s involvement in illegal practices and violations of fundamental rights.

In today’s hearing of the civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee (LIBE), Director Fabrice Leggeri failed to answer questions relating to the agency’s involvement in pushbacks at the EU’s external borders aimed at preventing asylum-seekers from entering the EU.

The UN Secretary General declared 2020 to be the year to mobilise for a “decade of action” to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Today, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) announces its contribution to this global ambition by publishing its own commitments to the delivery of the SDGs.

Last night’s Eurogroup agreement ends a year-long blockage that will finally update the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) by improving the credit lines available for euro countries and turning the ESM into a fiscal backstop for the Single Resolution Fund for helping resolve banks by January 2022. Reacting to the agreement Jonás Fernández MEP, S&D spokesperson for economic and monetary affairs, stated: