Brussels, 20/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - The plenary session of the European Parliament, to start in Strasbourg on 23 November, will be greatly marked by the European reaction to the attacks in Paris.
On Tuesday 24 November, the report by French MEP Rachida Dati (EPP) on the prevention of radicalisation and violent extremism will be put to the vote (see EUROPE 11414). The next day , there will be a debate in plenary, with the President of the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council, on the attacks in Paris of 13 November, and the police and military operations which followed. The conclusions of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of Friday 20 November (see other article) will also be discussed.
On the Dati report, the GUE/NGL Group stated on Friday 20 November that although it welcomes some of the recommendations, others do not have the support of the group's members, particularly as regards the call to adopt the European passenger name records (PNR), which aims to allow the transfer of airline passengers' data. The Greens/EFA Group also said that this was the “wrong solution”. However, the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council, the Commission and the Parliament share the aim of concluding inter-institutional negotiations on the PNR before the end of the year, a target laid down by the ECR Group's rapporteur, Timothy Kirkhope of the UK. The GUE/NGL Group also criticises the points in the Dati report on the removal of illegal content from the internet, as it fears internet control by public authorities.
Wednesday 25 November will see a debate on the refugee crisis, in the framework of the conclusions from the Valletta summit and the informal European summit held there (see EUROPE 11429).
Taxation. Another significant point of the Parliament's plenary session will be the debate and vote on the report of the special TAXE committee on tax rulings. Theoretically, the vote on the report is expected to go without a hitch, but the question of the future of the special committee remains in suspense. On Thursday 19 November, the conference of the presidents decided, by request of the S&D Group, to reserve its response until its meeting of 26 November (see EUROPE 11434). On Friday, the S&D Group announced that it was to request the creation of a new TAXE committee. The Greens/EFA Group sees this as an attempt to scale down its mandate for the next six months. Furthermore, setting up a new committee would take time, the Greens argue. On Monday, it will make a further attempt to extend the current committee.
Among the other events of the plenary session, the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, is to make a formal speech before the Parliament on Wednesday. The day before, the Lux film prize will be awarded. During a debate with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, the MEPs will discuss the violence in Burundi and the situations in Burma, Georgia and Moldova. Following a debate on Wednesday, the MEPs will vote on the EU budget 2016. (Original version in French by Elodie Lamer)