MEPs will be meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg from 2 to 5 October. The session will be marked by hearings from Wopke Hoekstra and Maroš Šefčovič, as well as debates on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the scandal surrounding the sale of Schengen visas in Poland, and trade. The European Parliament will also vote on the Media Freedom Act, the ‘anti-coercion’ tool and the long-term budget review.
Institutional. On Monday evening, in the margins of the plenary session, the Commissioner-designate, Wopke Hoekstra, will be heard by the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment (ENVI), which will assess his ability to take on the role of European Commissioner for Climate Action. The Industry (ITRE), Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Development (DEVE) committees will also be taking part. His nomination had provoked debate (see EUROPE 13242/6) because of his previous relationship with Shell and his limited experience of climate policy.
The following day, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, will be questioned by the ENVI Committee on his extensive responsibilities in relation to the European Green Deal. The Transport (TRAN) and ITRE committees will take part in the hearing.
MEPs will be asked to vote on Thursday on Mr Hoekstra’s nomination and Mr Šefčovič’s new role.
On Wednesday morning, Czech President Petr Pavel will address the Hemicycle, setting out his vision for the future of the EU.
Migration. Also on Wednesday morning, the MEPs will again discuss the state of progress of the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ and the need to adopt it quickly. The MEPs have decided to suspend political trilogues on the ‘Migrant Screening’ and ‘Eurodac’ regulations until the EU Council mandate on the ‘Crisis’ regulation has been adopted. This mandate should be adopted in the next few days (see EUROPE 13260/1).
Visas. On Tuesday, MEPs will be examining the scandal of visas bought in exchange for bribes in Poland’s foreign representations. The Commission has given Warsaw until 3 October to explain (see EUROPE 13256/8).
Trade. Trade will also be a major topic at this session, with the vote on two pieces of legislation in this area: - the provisional agreement on the regulation establishing the ‘anti-coercion’ tool (see EUROPE 13195/1) on Tuesday; - the regulation extending the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (see EUROPE 13215/17) on Thursday. In both cases, a debate will be held between the MEPs the day before the vote.
The Commission and the EU Council will also make a statement on Wednesday on the EU’s strategic autonomy and “the need to conclude new trade agreements”.
Budget. On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on the report by Jan Olbrycht (EPP, Polish) and Margarida Marques (S&D, Portuguese) on the proposal for a mid-term review of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. A debate will be held the day before. (see EUROPE 13254/16).
A proposal to mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund to provide aid to Romania, Italy and Turkey in response to recent natural disasters (see EUROPE 13254/29) will also be put to the vote by MEPs on Wednesday.
Fundamental Rights. MEPs will debate and adopt their position on the Media Freedom Act on Tuesday (see EUROPE 13245/11). Although the report by Sabine Verheyen (EPP, German) was only adopted after lengthy negotiations, it is expected to be the subject of further amendments, notably on the “media privilege”, mergers and the ban on deploying spyware (see EUROPE 13258/16).
On Wednesday, the House will also vote on two motions for resolutions on the protection of fundamental rights: one for the inclusion of Roma children in education (see EUROPE 13250/23), the other to harmonise the rights of persons with autism (see EUROPE 13255/24).
Foreign affairs. On Tuesday afternoon, Parliament will debate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s military offensive on 19 September (see EUROPE 13254/18) and vote on a resolution on Thursday. Since the ceasefire, tens of thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians have left the enclave, fearing ethnic cleansing (see EUROPE 13256/17).
Also on Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will discuss Moldova’s progress on its European path and vote on a resolution on the subject on Thursday. The country, which has been a candidate for EU membership since June 2022, could open accession negotiations by the end of the year (see EUROPE 13210/27).
On Wednesday afternoon, Parliament will hold urgent debates on human rights, democracy and the Rule of law. He will be looking in particular at the case of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of a human rights defender, who has been sentenced in Chechnya, as well as the situation in Egypt, with the sentencing of opposition politician Hisham Kassem, and in Afghanistan, with the persecution of former government officials. MEPs will vote on resolutions on these subjects on Thursday.
Asia. On Tuesday, a question-and-answer session will be held with the Commission on trade relations between the EU and China. MEPs will also debate the report by Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe, Bulgarian) on EU-Uzbekistan relations, before it is put to the vote the following day.
Balkans. On Tuesday afternoon, the Commission and the EU Council will take stock of recent developments in the Serbia/Kosovo Dialogue. Tensions, already high between the two countries (see EUROPE 13230/19), increased further on 24 September after a Kosovar policeman was killed in the north of the country by a group of Serbian gunmen (see EUROPE 13257/21).
Environment. On Wednesday, MEPs will debate with the EU Council and Commission the latter’s proposal for a 10-year extension of the EU glyphosate licence, on which Member State experts will vote on 13 October (see EUROPE 13254/1, 13217/7). This debate was requested by the Greens/EFA, who were outraged by such a proposal for the active substance of the most widely used and highly controversial total herbicide (see EUROPE 13260/9). Germany, Austria and Luxembourg (see EUROPE 13258/6) have announced that they will vote against. The Greens/EFA and The Left want it banned.
On the basis of the report by Nils Torvalds (Renew Europe, Finnish), MEPs will debate and vote on Thursday on the proposed revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive to strengthen the monitoring of industrial pollution at source, introduce a system of extended producer responsibility and make the wastewater treatment plant sector more energy-efficient (see EUROPE 13254/10, 13051/2).
Parliament will vote on Thursday on the report by Maria Spyraki (EPP, Greek), which supports the proposed revision of the Regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of dangerous chemicals and mixtures (CLP Regulation) to better protect human health and the environment and make it easier for SMEs (see EUROPE 13248/23).
Civil protection. On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the Commission’s proposal to extend until 31 December 2027 the transitional period for the RescEU permanent reserve of airborne fire-fighting resources under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (rapporteur: Sara Cerdas, S&D, Portuguese) (see EUROPE 13251/21).
GMOs. On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on a proposal to object to the marketing authorisation for genetically modified maize varieties which the Commission plans to renew (see EUROPE 13255/14).
Energy. On Wednesday, the EU Council and the Commission will issue statements on the exit from the Energy Charter Treaty (see EUROPE 13220/24) and the next steps to be taken.
Consumers. On Thursday, MEPs will debate the proposal for a directive that will modernise legislation on the marketing of financial services contracts concluded at a distance to adapt it to the digitalisation of the market. They should then validate the provisional European Parliament/EU Council agreement to strengthen consumers’ rights to pre-contractual information on what they buy online and to create a level playing field for the provision of financial services (rapporteur: Arba Kokalari, EPP, Swedish) (see EUROPE 13196/7).
Precarity. On the social front, MEPs will begin Monday’s session with a Commission and EU Council declaration on the increase in precarity in Europe and the need to help the most disadvantaged. This debate is without resolution.
Asbestos. On Monday evening, MEPs will also debate the June interinstitutional agreement on occupational exposure to asbestos (see EUROPE 13245/32), with confirmation of this agreement expected on Tuesday.
Transport. On Tuesday, the provisional agreement on the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), reached at the beginning of June with the EU Council (see EUROPE 13198/14), will be put to the vote. It provides for the systematic, harmonised and gradual deployment of ITS, taking full account of the cost-benefit ratio and administrative capacity.
Finance. On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the provisional agreement on the creation of EU Green Bonds (EuGBs) reached with the EU Council in February (see EUROPE 13132/17). The aim of the text is to enable investors to direct their investments towards more sustainable technologies and companies, in line with the EU taxonomy.
Digital. Finally, MEPs will question the Commission on its new European strategy for a Better Internet for Kids (BIK+). (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve and Nithya Paquiry, with the editorial staff)