MEPs are due to vote on Wednesday 3 April at the opening of the European Parliament's mini plenary session, which will continue until Thursday, on a request to remove the vote on the social and market aspects of the first ‘mobility’ package (posting of drivers, driving time and rest periods, tachograph, cabotage and market access) from this session’s agenda.
A request had already been presented and rejected by two votes on Monday 25 March at the opening of Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg (see EUROPE 12221/4).
Since Antonio Tajani, the President of the European Parliament, decided on the evening of 26 March to refer these texts back to Parliament’s ‘Transport’ Committee for a meeting on Tuesday 2 April, before these dossiers are returned to plenary session (see EUROPE 12223/1), an approval of this request would thus once again delay a vote. The vote is currently scheduled for this mini plenary session of Parliament on Thursday 4 April.
As explained in our columns (see EUROPE 12225/8), the meeting of Parliament’s ‘Transport’ Committee on 2 April is intended to 'filter' the hundreds of amendments that will be submitted to the plenary session. Article 175 of the institution's rules of procedure shall apply. Thus, if an amendment receives the support of one third of the members of the Parliamentary committee (a 17-vote threshold), it may be put to a vote in plenary session.
The same threshold applies to the request for separate and split votes, which could result in the blocks of amendments being decoupled during this mini plenary session and therefore each amendment being voted on separately. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)