MEPs will meet in Strasbourg from Monday 13 to Thursday 16 September for a plenary session of the European Parliament marked by the State of the Union address and punctuated with debates on the political crisis in Afghanistan, the climate emergency, and the Rule of law.
The State of the Union address by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the “big event” of this session, will take place on Wednesday morning. It will be an opportunity for the President to take stock of the past year, to provide an overview of the work ahead and to exchange views on these issues with MEPs.
The European response to the Covid-19 pandemic should be discussed at length, including by the President. Among the issues that will feature prominently in the debate are economic recovery, social priorities, the EU’s digital and climate agenda, the EU’s role in the world, and migration, said Parliament spokesman Jaume Duch to the press on Friday 10 September.
MEPs will also question the President on her plans for the Conference on the Future of Europe (see EUROPE 12766/16). The Renew Europe Group, in particular, was concerned that Ursula von der Leyen did not say a word about it during her meeting with the political group leaders on Thursday (see EUROPE 12787/3).
Afghanistan
Another eagerly awaited moment is the debate on the Afghan political crisis - presented by several Groups as the main topic of this session.
The debate, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, is expected to echo the discussions already underway at parliamentary committee level on the European response to the humanitarian and security challenges posed by the crisis (see EUROPE 12782/4).
MEPs should, among other things, question the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on the measures to be taken to ensure the reception of refugees, protecting the citizens most exposed to Taliban violence (see EUROPE 12784/11), and on the modalities of dialogue with the Taliban. A resolution on the subject will be put to the vote on Thursday.
A debate and resolution will also be dedicated to the situation in Lebanon (see EUROPE 12777/2), which S&D MEPs visited a few days ago (see EUROPE 12785/12).
In the ‘Foreign Affairs’ section, we also note the adoption of a resolution on the repression of demonstrations in Cuba (see EUROPE 12772/7) and discussions on relations with Russia (see EUROPE 12685/18) and China.
Climate Package
These exchanges will be preceded by a debate with the Commission and the Council of the EU on Tuesday morning on the ‘Fit for 55’ package, presented on 14 July (see EUROPE 12762/1).
Comprised of 13 proposals for new EU laws and a revision of existing laws, the legislative package aims to enable the EU to achieve a reduction in its net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, while putting it on a path to climate neutrality by 2050.
While the package as a whole was generally well received by MEPs, some of the proposals are obviously subject to reservations and even serious criticism. In particular, the idea of creating a new Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) covering emissions from road transport and heating buildings (see EUROPE 12787/9), as well as the future EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are expected to give rise to lively exchanges.
The debate will also be informed by the results of the first part of the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published on 9 August, and by the climate disasters that occurred this summer.
Rule of law
Unsurprisingly, the issue of the Rule of law will once again be on the MEPs’ agenda. On Wednesday, they will call on the Commission and Member States to take action in response to the revelations of cyber-surveillance by governments using Pegasus spyware (see EUROPE 12765/8). An international consortium of investigative journalists revealed in July that various governments, notably Hungary, had allegedly used the software to monitor opposition figures, human rights activists, journalists and lawyers in the EU and elsewhere.
MEPs will also discuss the issue of press freedom and a “further deterioration of the Rule of law” in Poland. A resolution on the subject will also be voted on Thursday.
Wednesday’s debate will continue with a discussion on the draft report on adding gender violence to the EU’s list of crimes. The text, which was smoothly adopted in committee (see EUROPE 12763/22), could face more resistance when the Parliament votes on Thursday, a spokesman for The Left warned. Some of the provisions on abortion are strongly opposed on the right, especially within the EPP.
Finally, of note, a new resolution on the rights of LGBTIQ+ people will be put to the vote on Monday, on the initiative of the Committee on Petitions, which explains that it has received several alerts on cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, notably against LGBTIQ+ families (see EUROPE 12776/1).
Response to health crises
A number of points relating to European health crisis management will also be discussed. The Parliament will debate on Monday two draft Regulations aimed at strengthening the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and better equipping the EU to deal with cross-border health threats.
MEPs will finalise their position on both issues on Wednesday (see EUROPE 12752/15, 12761/6), paving the way for negotiations with the EU Council (see EUROPE 12768/1).
In addition, a debate will be held on Thursday on the lack of transparency shown by the Commission and the Member States when negotiating vaccination contracts with pharmaceutical companies.
EU Blue Card
On Tuesday evening, Parliament will debate the reform of the ‘EU Blue Card’ Directive, which facilitates the employment of highly qualified third country nationals. It is expected to approve the reform the following day.
In early June, Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties gave the green light to the revision. An agreement with the EU Council was reached in May (see EUROPE 12721/22). The revised Directive provides for more flexible criteria, such as a lower threshold for the minimum wage that applicants must earn to qualify for a ‘Blue Card’.
Also on Wednesday, MEPs will be asked to vote on another text taken over by the Committee on Civil Liberties, namely the alignment of European rules within Member States on the protection of personal data in the context of judicial investigations.
Tax information
On Thursday, MEPs will debate the implementation of EU rules on tax information exchange.
The following day they will adopt the report by Sven Giegold (Greens/EFA, Germany) which highlights the difficulty of collecting relevant data, particularly due to the low quality and the comprehensiveness of the data required (see EUROPE 12681/20).
The report calls for an ambitious reform of the Directive on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation (DAC 8) to incorporate the ownership of yachts and private jets into the automatic exchange of information, for example on beneficial owners of real estate and companies or non-financial assets.
Platform workers
On the social front, a debate on the working conditions of workers on digital platforms will be held late Monday afternoon.
The report by Isabelle Brunet (Renew Europe, France) calling for a legislative initiative (see EUROPE 12763/28) will be put to the vote on Wednesday.
Transport
This plenary will also be marked by several discussions on the Union’s transport policy. MEPs will debate on Monday and vote on Wednesday on the European Commission’s request for an urgency procedure to extend the safety certificates and licences of railway undertakings operating in the Cross-Channel Tunnel until 31 March 2022.
These emergency measures, which are due to end on 30 September, are intended to ensure connectivity between the UK and the EU during the post-Brexit transition period.
Still on Monday, MEPs will debate the issue of inland waterway transport and vote on it the following day. The debate will focus on modal shift in the freight sector, digital transition, autonomous navigation, urban mobility, and port infrastructures.
Cohesion
Lastly, cohesion policy will also be in the spotlight, with a debate on Tuesday and a vote on Wednesday on the interinstitutional agreement reached on the ‘Brexit’ reserve (see EUROPE 12762/26).
A debate will be held on the EU’s response to help regions and Member States hit by natural disasters during the summer. The question of creating of a new fund will be discussed (see EUROPE 12787/11). (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki with the editorial staff)