The outcome of the meeting of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament's political groups, which will take place on Thursday 7 March at 10 a.m. – and which must decide on the procedural follow-up to be given to the social and market aspects of the first mobility package (posting of drivers, driving and resting time, tachograph, cabotage and market access) – was still very uncertain at the time of going to press on Wednesday.
The day after a letter was sent by several heads of national EPP delegations to the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani (EPP, Italy) (see EUROPE 12207) asking him to put these issues on the agenda of the next Parliamentary plenary session (11-14 March), the EPP group decided internally to abstain from any decision at the meeting of the political group presidents on 7 March.
While it seems that some political groupings, in particular ALDE, GUE/NGL or ENF, would vote in favour of a vote at this next plenary session, other formations, such as the ECR, Greens/EFA or EFDD, would a priori go in the opposite direction. The S&D position will be carefully scrutinised.
The decision on whether or not to put these three very sensitive texts to the vote in the plenary session must be taken at the end of the morning. Very few people were brave enough to make a risky prediction on Wednesday. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)