The development of the Coronavirus epidemic (debate on Tuesday and vote on Thursday), the situation at the Greek-Turkish border, the "climate law", the negotiations on the 2021-2027 financial framework and preparations for the next European Council will be the main topics at the European Parliament's plenary session on 9-12 March. Exceptionally, it will be held in Brussels instead of Strasbourg, for reasons of force majeure (see other news).
On Tuesday 10 March, the European Parliament will debate the COVID-19 outbreak with the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. A resolution will be put to the vote on Thursday.
The situation on the Greek-Turkish border following Ankara's decision to allow migrants and refugees to enter EU territory will be debated on Wednesday 11 March (see EUROPE 12439/1).
The debate will be preceded by an exchange of views with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, discussing the last European Council and the preparations for the next one. MEPs are likely to criticise the failure of the last European Council on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. The European Parliament will also vote on a resolution calling for EU funds to be more effectively protected against misuse, particularly those of the Czech Prime Minister (see EUROPE 12436/20).
The situation surrounding women's rights and gender equality both in the EU and worldwide will be discussed with the President of the Commission.
On Monday afternoon, Parliament will debate the proposal for a regulation to anchor the climate neutrality objective by 2050, which is known as the "Climate Law" (see EUROPE 12440/1, 12439/2). This will be in the presence of the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Green Deal, Frans Timmermans.
On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will once again debate with Mr Timmermans over the Commission's action plan for the circular economy, which will be presented on 10 March (see other news, EUROPE 12440/13).
Parliament is not expected to adopt a resolution on its socio-economic policy guidelines for 2020 as part of the 'European Semester' budget process. The idea had been raised after the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs failed to approve the draft report drawn up by Aurore Lalucq (S&D, France), which would have been adopted in plenary in time for the Spring European Council (see EUROPE 12439/15).
MEPs will debate EU competition policy on Monday with the Commission's Executive Vice-President for Digital Agenda, Margrethe Vestager, and will adopt a resolution on Tuesday.
Ukraine, Libya. On Tuesday, MEPs will discuss the European Commission's new strategy on Africa (see EUROPE 12439/12). They will then discuss the situation in Ukraine with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. This comes after 6 years of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in the Donbass region and as the implementation of the Minsk agreements is underway (see EUROPE 12385/1).
The situation in Georgia will also be discussed with Mr Borrell, as will the creation of a CSDP mission to monitor the arms embargo on Libya (see EUROPE 12428/14). These three topics should be the subject of resolutions to be put to the vote on Thursday.
On the same day, MEPs will discuss the situation surrounding Swedish publisher Gui Minhai who is imprisoned in China (see EUROPE 12434/19), human rights in Bahrain, and the imprisonment of Turkish patron Osman Kavala (see EUROPE 12429/22), before voting on three related resolutions.
In other areas, the European Commission is set to update its selection criteria for the next list of EU-funded priority energy projects (the fifth list of PCIs), according to a resolution voted on Wednesday; - on Wednesday, MEPs will call for the rights of people with disabilities to be mainstreamed into all of the EU’s policy areas. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur and Damien Genicot)