The European Parliament will meet starting on Monday 10 February in Strasbourg for its first plenary session since the departure of the British MEPs. This session will therefore be held in the presence of 705 Members – instead of 751 – including 27 newcomers from 14 Member States (see EUROPE 12417/3).
Although now effective, Brexit remains on the agenda. On Tuesday, there will be a debate on the forthcoming negotiations with the UK Government on the new EU/UK partnership.
A resolution setting out Parliament’s initial contribution on the matter will be put to the vote on Wednesday.
This resolution, based on the European Commission’s draft negotiating directives presented by Michel Barnier (see EUROPE 12417/1), will call for respect for the integrity of the internal market and the indivisibility of the four freedoms in particular.
EU budget. Ahead of the special meeting of the European Council on 20 February (see EUROPE 12412/17), MEPs will debate on Wednesday their priorities for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
They call for the adoption of an ambitious budget for 2021-2027 to strengthen EU climate action, research, digitisation and support for SMEs and young people (Erasmus+, youth employment).
In addition, MEPs will stress the need to ensure support for the EU’s main policies, such as regional and agricultural policies. They are concerned that these may be penalised to the benefit of other programmes: closing the investment gap after the financial and economic crisis, migration and security, for example. The EPP and S&D groups, in particular, will ask for new own resources.
This debate, preceded by statements by the EU Council and the Commission, will also be an opportunity for MEPs to reiterate the urgent need for the Member States to reach an agreement.
Trade agreements. The European Parliament is also expected to give the green light to the two trade agreements between the EU and Vietnam. After a debate on Tuesday morning, MEPs will vote on Wednesday to approve the free trade agreement and the investment protection agreement (see EUROPE 12418/16).
While satisfaction is particularly high in the EPP and ECR groups, anger is running high in the Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups (see EUROPE 12406/4).
The environmental group has also announced that it will request a postponement of the vote until the Commission has strengthened the applicability of the sustainable development provisions of the agreement and until the Vietnamese authorities make real progress on civil and political rights.
If this request is rejected, the group will not hesitate to vote against it, warned one of its spokespersons, Pia Kohorst, on Friday 7 February.
List of PCIs. Another important vote: Parliament will decide on Wednesday whether or not to veto the 4th list of projects of common interest (PCIs) (see EUROPE 12361/12).
The list had been largely approved by the members of the ITRE Committee at the end of January (see EUROPE 12409/10). However, the Greens/EFA group has tabled a motion calling for its rejection on the grounds that it contains new fossil fuel infrastructure (see EUROPE 12417/7).
Conversely, the EPP has already indicated that it will vote in favour of adopting the current list (see EUROPE 12420/28). According to our information, the list is expected to be adopted.
MEPs will also vote on Wednesday on the Commission’s proposal to allow up to 2% lead in recycled PVC by way of derogation. At the end of January, the Parliament ENVI Committee had vetoed this project in order to protect human health and the environment (see EUROPE 12408/12).
Foreign Affairs. On Monday, MEPs will debate the European Commission’s proposals on strengthening the EU accession process (see EUROPE 12419/2). The debate will be preceded by a statement by the Commission.
On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the US plan for the Middle East (see EUROPE 12417/15) in the presence of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. They will also decide on the current security situation in Syria.
Finally, on Thursday morning, there will be a series of debates and votes on the human rights and democracy urgencies. The human rights dimension of the coronavirus epidemic will be addressed.
Money laundering. The Luanda Leaks scandal, which shows how the daughter of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos exploited her privileged position to amass billions of dollars, was also added to the plenary session agenda at the request of the GUE/NGL group.
The implications of this scandal in a number of Member States and the European standards for combating money laundering will be debated on Wednesday evening in the presence of the EU Council and the Commission, but without a resolution.
ECB. On Tuesday, MEPs will debate with Christine Lagarde on the future policy of the European Central Bank (ECB), before adopting their annual report on the ECB’s activities on Thursday. This will be Ms Lagarde’s first appearance in plenary session since she took over the reins of the monetary institute.
Rule of law. The situation of the rule of law in Poland will also be back on the plenary agenda on Tuesday with a debate, in the presence of the EU Council and Commission, on the latest developments in the country regarding the reform of the judicial system (see EUROPE 12420/2).
On Wednesday, MEPs will question the EU Council and Commission on allegations of violent returns of migrants at the Croatian-Bosnian border (see EUROPE 12412/8).
They will also debate on Tuesday the fight against anti-Semitism, racism and hatred in the EU, at the request of the ID group.
AI. The challenges arising from artificial intelligence (AI) will be the subject of a debate on Monday and a resolution on Wednesday. The draft resolution calls, inter alia, on the Commission, which is due to present its White Paper on the subject on 19 February (see EUROPE 12415/1), to update European rules on safety and liability in the light of AI-compatible products.
On Wednesday, MEPs will also hold a topical debate on “A social Europe in a digital world”, at the initiative of the S&D group.
Women. On Wednesday, MEPs will debate with Commissioner Helena Dalli on the priorities they want to see included in the Commission’s gender equality strategy, which the Commission is due to present around 8 March, International Women’s Day.
Also on Wednesday, they will debate the EU’s priorities for the 64th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW64), to be held in New York in March. The debate will be summarised in a resolution to be put to the vote on Thursday.
They will also vote on Wednesday on a resolution urging the EU to present a strategy to eradicate female genital mutilation.
Finally, also on Wednesday, MEPs are expected to adopt a resolution calling for an action plan to stop illegal pet trade (see EUROPE 12408/14). (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki and Marion Fontana)