During the plenary session in Strasbourg from Monday 5 to Thursday 8 February, MEPs will debate and vote on what is to happen to the 73 seats currently occupied by UK members following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, scheduled to take place before the European elections in May 2019.
Of these seats, 27 are expected to be re-allocated among the member states which are felt to have too few seats for the size of their populations. MEPs would like to see 27 of the remaining 46 seats allocated to transnational lists and the 19 others held in reserve for future EU enlargement (see EUROPE 11945).
It is on Wednesday morning 7 March, that the Chamber will discuss and then vote on the new allocation of seats. Most of the political groups in Parliament back reallocation of the seats. The ECR and ENF Groups, however, are against it, arguing that getting rid of the seats would save money.
These two groups also oppose the creation of a European constituency from which MEPs from transnational lists would be elected. Even within the EPP Group, joint rapporteur Danuta Huebner (Poland) would seem to cut a somewhat isolated figure, the German, French and Spanish delegations showing little enthusiasm for an idea that is practically impossible to turn into reality between now and May 2019. Christian Democrat MEPs are expected to put down amendments seeking to remove the reference to transnational lists from the report on the composition of Parliament. Amendment of EU electoral law would be required if such lists were to be put in place.
The final decision on these lists will be for heads of state and/or government who will discuss these institutional issues informally on Friday 23 February. Unanimity would be required to bring about any change.
Also on Wednesday 7 March, MEPs will discuss and vote on a resolution restating their support for the Spitzenkandidaten process and stating that they would be prepared to reject any candidate for the post of president of the European Commission who did not come through this process.
Parliament also wants European commissioners who are in post to be able to stand in the European elections without having to take unpaid leave of absence, in line with the new commissioners’ code of conduct see (see EUROPE 11951).
Future of EU. Following on from the Irish Taoiseach in January (see EUROPE 11941), Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will be the second head of state and/or government to set out his vision for the future of the EU for the MEPs who were his colleagues for three years. In March, it will be the turn of Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa.
On Monday, ECB President Mario Draghi will discuss investment, post-crisis support for banks, the impact of Brexit and cyberthreats with MEPs.
Removal from office. Following a decision by the Conference of the Presidents on 1 February (see EUROPE 11952), MEPs will vote on Wednesday on the removal from office as a vice-president of Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR, Poland). A two thirds majority of votes cast by at least 50% of MEPs is required to carry this decision. Czarnecki has yet to apologise for comparing his fellow countrywoman Róża Thun (EPP) to Polish Nazi collaborators in the Second World War.
Justice. The current reform of the judicial system in Romania and the potential threat it poses to the rule of law will be debated with the European Commission and the Council on Wednesday afternoon.
Social. At the request of the S&D Group, Parliament will, on Wednesday, debate the rise in social inequality in Europe. 6 February is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Parliament will question the Commission on progress made and action carried out as part of its strategy for the eradication of FGM.
Digital single market. Following a debate on Monday, MEPs will vote on Tuesday to ban unjustified geo-blocking on the internet (see EUROPE 11909). Should these new rules be adopted, online shoppers will be able to enjoy wider cross-border access to products and services not protected by copyright. They will have to be treated in the same way as local shoppers (same prices and same conditions of sale).
Money laundering. In the wake of the Council decision to include Tunisia, Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago on the blacklist of countries displaying serious failings in money laundering and funding of terrorism, Parliament, which has a right of veto, will discuss this issue on Monday and put it to the vote on Wednesday (see EUROPE 11950).
Environment. Concerned by the glyphosate authorisation procedure, Parliament is expected on Tuesday to set up a special committee to consider the European procedure for approving pesticides (see EUROPE 11942). MEPs will vote on Thursday on the composition of this 30-member group, which is to report back in nine months.
On Monday, Parliament will also discuss diesel emissions tests carried out by the car industry on monkeys and human volunteers (see other article). After a debate on Monday, it will put the agreement with the Council on using the European carbon market (see EUROPE 11901) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by industry after 2020 to the vote on Tuesday.
On Thursday morning MEPs will debate and thereafter vote on a resolution calling on the European Commission to propose ending the summer-time arrangements which mean changing clocks twice a year.
Foreign affairs. As is their wont, MEPs will debate a number of foreign policy issues.
On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will discuss the new Western Balkans strategy, in the wake of its adoption by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11952).
Also on Tuesday, Parliament will again discuss the attack by Turkish military forces on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin, in Syria, and the arrest of opponents – politicians, journalists and human rights activists – of the Turkish government. A resolution on this point will be put to a vote on Thursday.
The cut in US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) and the need to support this agency which assists over five million Palestinians (see EUROPE 11951), and the crisis in Venezuela will also be discussed on Tuesday and resolutions voted on Wednesday.
The future of Zimbabwe, with presidential elections due to take place this year, will be discussed on Tuesday. Emergency resolutions on “Russia, the case of Oyub Titiev and the Human Rights Centre Memorial”, executions in Egypt and child slavery in Haiti will be debated and put to a vote on Thursday. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)