The plenary session of the European Parliament, probably the last in Brussels before MEPs hope to return to Strasbourg in September, will open on Wednesday 8 July with two debates. The first on the Extraordinary European Summit of 17 and 18 July on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the second on the priorities of the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in the presence of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Building on their resolution adopted in May (see EUROPE 12488/8), MEPs are expected to reiterate their support for a European Recovery Plan, mainly through subsidies, an increased post-2020 EU budget (outside the European Recovery Plan) and the creation of new own resources.
The specific issue of the conditionality link between respect for the rule of law and the disbursement of EU funds, a link strongly supported by the European Parliament, will be debated on Thursday.
The Commission had proposed in May 2018 that criteria be introduced to detect a widespread failure of the rule of law justifying the suspension of EU payments. In February, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, had proposed making the decision-making procedure more difficult, with the Commission opting for the reversed qualified majority. On Monday 6 July, the Vice-President of the institution, Vera Jourova, reiterated the Commission’s wish to have “strong guarantees” on how European money is spent.
On Wednesday, Ms Merkel will take part in a coordination meeting on the MFF with the Presidents of the Commission, Parliament and European Council (see EUROPE 12519/1).
EU2020DE. The German Presidency of the Council, which has chosen the slogan “Together for Europe’s recovery”, will focus on combating the consequences, particularly economic, of the Covid-19 pandemic. While not leading the negotiations, it will do its utmost to reach unanimous agreement with EU27 on the 2021-2027 MFF, and with London on future bilateral relations with the United Kingdom.
On Thursday 9 July, the debates will be devoted to foreign affairs, in the presence of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The first debate will focus on the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World in 2019 (see EUROPE 12506/25), ahead of the preparation by the Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights of a report on the subject.
Turkey. MEPs and the High Representative will then debate stability and security in the Mediterranean and in particular the negative role played by Turkey, the country Mr Borrell visited on Monday 6 July (see other news). Relations between the EU and Ankara have further deteriorated in recent months, with an influx of migrants on the border with Greece, illegal drilling in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone and overflights of Greek territory (see EUROPE 12516/27).
Turkey, which also actively supports the camp of the National Accord Government in Libya, is suspected of violating the arms embargo against Libya (see EUROPE 12504/35). These relations will be discussed on Monday 13 July by the European Foreign Ministers.
Belarus. Mr Borrell and MEPs will discuss the situation in Belarus. While the Covid-19 crisis, according to the Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Olivér Várhelyi, has brought the country closer to the EU (see EUROPE 12491/29), arrests of members of the opposition are increasing in the run-up to the presidential election scheduled for 9 August (see EUROPE 12498/29).
Venezuela. On Thursday the European Parliament will adopt a new resolution on the Venezuelan political crisis, one week after the EU imposed new sanctions on 11 dignitaries of the Maduro regime, including Luis Parra, who was illegitimately elected head of the National Assembly (see EUROPE 12516/28).
Chemicals. On sectoral policy issues, MEPs will have a first plenary debate on Thursday 9 July on the future strategy for the sustainability of chemicals - an initiative of the European Green Deal which the European Commission is due to present in the autumn to increase the level of protection of human health and the environment (see EUROPE 12517/13, EUROPE 12484/13).
Pesticides. On Friday 10 July, MEPs will vote on proposals to object to Commission plans regarding: (1) the extension of the authorisation of 28 active substances in pesticides, including flumioxazin, identified as toxic for reproduction; (2) the partial authorisation for certain uses of chromium trioxide, a mutagenic human carcinogen and probable endocrine disruptor (see EUROPE 12502/5).
Public health. MEPs will debate the overhaul of EU public health policy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. They will first have an exchange of views with Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on Wednesday 8 July before adopting a non-legislative resolution on Friday 10 July.
On the Commission side, the process of reflection continues, with the appointment of several working groups (see EUROPE 12503/3) and a consultation on the future pharmaceutical strategy (see EUROPE 12498/4).
Parliament is also expected to vote, under the fast-track procedure, on the draft regulation temporarily derogating from the rules on genetically modified organisms to remove obstacles to the search for a vaccine against Covid-19 (see EUROPE 12508/4, 12511/6). This step will follow the green light from Member States on Friday 3 July.
Transport. On road transport, MEPs will vote on Wednesday on the provisional interinstitutional agreement on the social and market aspects of the ‘mobility I’ package (posting of lorry drivers, rest periods, cabotage and market access) (see EUROPE 12395/7, 12463/31). This vote is the final political step to ensure that the three texts, far from requiring unanimity (see EUROPE 12518/7), become law after final formal approval by the EU Council.
MEPs will also vote on the interinstitutional agreement on the electronic exchange of information in freight (eFTI) concluded at the end of 2019 between the co-legislators (see EUROPE 12378/8) and approved in April by the EU Council (see EUROPE 12463/32).
Energy. On Thursday, MEPs will vote on an own-initiative report by Claudia Gamon (Renew Europe, Austria) calling on the Commission to develop a comprehensive European strategy on energy storage. The same goes for a motion for a resolution by Cristian-Silviu Buşoi (EPP, Romanian) on the future revision of the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E) Regulation (see EUROPE 12485/10).
Banks. On Wednesday, Parliament will vote on the appointment of Frenchman François-Louis Michaud as Executive Director of the European Banking Authority, after the relevant committee rejected the nomination by a narrow majority (24 votes against, 23 in favour, 10 abstentions) on Friday 3 July.
If Parliament were to follow the committee, it would be the second time it would do so, especially on gender issues, after the rejection of Irish Gerry Cross’ candidacy in January (see EUROPE 12415/9).
Money laundering. On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the Commission’s action plan to combat money laundering (see EUROPE 12482/8). On Friday, they will adopt a resolution setting out their expectations for future action.
A joint draft text, supported by the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups, broadly welcomed the thrust of the action plan (see EUROPE 12520/4). It also calls for the scope of EU rules to be extended to cover crypto-assets, for the Commission to tighten up on ‘golden visas’ and for a European ‘grey list’ of non-Member States with a high risk of money laundering to be drawn up.
Taxation. In addition, Parliament is due to adopt on Wednesday and Thursday its opinions (‘Niedermayer’ and ‘Kovařík’ reports, respectively) on the postponement of the entry into force of the legislative package on modernising VAT for cross-border e-commerce, due to the Covid-19 pandemic (see EUROPE 11919/3).
According to both rapporteurs, a postponement of 3 months would be sufficient, whereas the EU Council has already decided in favour of the Commission’s proposal for a six-month postponement (see EUROPE 12505/6). The new rules will therefore apply from 1 July 2021 instead of 1 January 2021.
Cohesion. On Friday, Parliament will debate the role of Cohesion Policy in tackling the socio-economic impact of Covid-19, in the presence of European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira.
Originally, this debate should have been held ahead of the Commission’s proposals on the European Recovery Plan. The usefulness of such a late debate is questionable in Parliament.
On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on an amendment to the umbrella regulation for the structural and investment funds, to endorse an increase of €28.3 million (2018 current prices) in the specific allocation for the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the extension of certain flexibilities introduced in 2019 in the transfers of additional resources from the European Social Fund (ESF) to the YEI.
Employment. On Friday, MEPs will vote on the ‘Gusmão’ report on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States. In a committee vote at the end of June, MEPs weakened the link between social policies and the Stability and Growth Pact. In addition, they had requested that the SURE instrument to help workers affected by short-time working due to the pandemic should not benefit companies that circumvent collective agreements and continue to pay dividends to shareholders (see EUROPE 12513/27).
Roma. On Thursday, MEPs will debate, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, the integration of Roma people, 80% of whom live below the poverty line in the nine European countries where they are most represented.
With the EU framework for national strategies for Roma inclusion presented in 2011 expiring in 2020, Ms Dalli is working on a “reinforced strategy for equality and integration” of this ethnic minority in European society. This strategy will also be discussed on Thursday. In particular, MEPs are expected to call for the inclusion of legally binding targets and a monitoring mechanism at European level.
Culture. On Friday, Parliament will call on the European Commissioner responsible, Mariya Gabriel, to present a plan to support the cultural and creative sectors economically hit by the pandemic due to social distancing measures (see EUROPE 12509/23, 12495/14 and 12479/8). A resolution is expected to follow in September.
Special committees, sub-committees and commissions of inquiry.
On Friday, Parliament President David Sassoli will announce the names of the MEPs who will sit on the three new special committees, the committee of inquiry on the transport of live animals and the standing subcommittee on taxation, whose creation was agreed at the June plenary session (see EUROPE 12510/9).
According to our information, the political groups have until 9 July, at 5 pm, to submit the names of their members.
With regard to the subcommittee on taxation, which will be composed of 30 members, some names are already known: – 6 Members of the S&D group: Paul Tang (the Netherlands), Marek Belka (Poland), Pedro Marques (Portugal), Jonás Fernández (Spain), Aurore Lalucq (France) and Pina Picierno (Italy); – 4 Members of the Renew Europe group: Gilles Boyer (France), Martin Hlaváček (the Czech Republic), Billy Kelleher (Ireland) and Dragoș Pîslaru (Romania); – 3 Members of the ECR group: Roberts Zīle (Latvia), Patryk Jaki (Poland) and Eugen Jurzyca (Slovakia); – and 2 Members of the GUE/NGL group: Manon Aubry (France) and Martin Schirdewan (Germany). On Monday 6 July, the EPP, Greens/EFA and ID groups had not yet made their selection.
See the agenda for the plenary session: https://bit.ly/2O2tHjv (Original version in French by the editorial staff)