Plenary priorities 19-22 January 2026
Banning nudifiers and AI-generated child pornography in Europe - Renew Europe successfully secured a plenary debate to grill the Commission on the issue. Elon Musk’s chatbot, Grok, is widely used to virtually “undress” women through AI-generated images. Grok was recently used to produce suggestive images of minors, including a 14-year-old actress. The Commission announced the opening of formal proceedings against Grok. Renew Europe MEPs sent a letter on this to Ursula von der Leyen calling for the immediate triggering of the digital services act, which is our weapon to police online platforms. It is not just a famous people issue, it is not just a women's issue. All the pictures of you or your kids ever posted on Facebook or Instagram are just one click away to being turned into a porn on Grok.
Renew MEP : Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (Slovakia) Debate : Tuesday 20 November, 9:00
Defending a rules-based order in a increasingly unstable world - Europe is operating in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. Attempts to challenge territorial integrity, the violent repression of democratic protest movements, and sustained attacks on the rules-based international order are no longer isolated events but part of a broader pattern of instability. Against this backdrop, Renew Europe stands for a Europe that is firm on principles and capable of action.
■ Greenland. Renew Europe reaffirms its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland, in line with international law and the UN Charter. Decisions concerning Greenland’s future belong only to its people and to Denmark, in accordance with their constitutional arrangements. Renew Europe rejects any external pressure, coercion or transactional approach to sovereignty.
Renew MEPs : Urmas Paet (Estonia), Morten Løkkegaard (Denmark)
■Iran. Renew Europe strongly condemns the brutal repression of peaceful protesters in Iran. We repeat our call for the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. EU institutions should also explore what more can be done to support access to online media and digital access, protection programs for the persecuted and exiled opposition.
Renew MEPs : Bart Groothuis (Netherlands), Hilde Vautmans (Belgium)
■EU sovereignty. In a world marked by rising geopolitical tensions and direct challenges to the rules-based order, Renew Europe calls for a stronger and more autonomous and independent Europe and a determined set of action for a more effective EU. EU must harness its potential and become a powerful global actor.
Renew MEPs : Group President Valérie Hayer (France), Billy Kelleher (Ireland) Debates :
Tuesday 20 January, afternoon : debate on the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark as well as on the brutal repression against protesters in Iran.
Wednesday 21 January, afternoon : debate pushed for by Renew Europe on a stronger and more sovereign Europe amid rising geopolitical tensions and continuous threats to the rules-based order.
A law to help start-ups and scale-ups grow fast in Europe - Renew Europe calls for start-ups and scale-ups to be able to sign up for an EU-wide recognised form of company. The legal regime should be totally unified at EU-level and company registration fully digital and fast. The EU has one market but 27 different legal systems when it comes to company law. Legal advice can be costly, small innovative companies avoid cross border trade. Member states have been resisting change because company law is closely tied to their national legal culture. So, the idea emerged to have an EU-wide “28th legal regime” for companies, alongside national ones.
Renew MEP : Pascal Canfin (France), Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Bulgaria)
Debate : Monday 19 January, 17:00. Vote : Tuesday 20 January, 12:00.
