The EU law making the granting of EU funds conditional on respect for the Rule of law as well as the latest international developments, in particular tensions in Ukraine, will be the highlights of the plenary session of the European Parliament, which meets in Strasbourg starting Monday 14 February in a hybrid format.
On Wednesday 16 February at 16:00, MEPs will assess the consequences of the EU Court of Justice’s ruling, expected that morning, on the Hungarian and Czech appeal to annul the regulation linking the payment of EU funds to respect for the Rule of law (see EUROPE 12845/1).
The plenary debate is expected to take place in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at the request of the MEPs. She will be eagerly awaited in the hemicycle regarding the formal launch of the procedure under this regulation, if the judgment follows the opinion of the Advocate General, who has proposed to reject the appeal.
The Commission, which has assured that it has not suspended the procedure, has received replies to letters sent to the Polish and Hungarian authorities requesting information on the mechanisms in place in both countries (see EUROPE 12837/14).
The Parliament has also referred the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU, asking that the Commission be condemned for failing to launch a formal procedure as soon as the regulation negotiated as part of the overall agreement on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework entered into force. On Thursday, the Conference of Presidents (CoP) of the political groups could consider what action to take on the referral in the light of the previous day’s debates.
The French Presidency of the Council of the EU stands ready to organise the debates on the procedures that would be launched under the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation (see EUROPE 12876/24).
The afternoon of Tuesday 15 February and the morning of Wednesday 16 February will be devoted to the latest international developments.
Ukraine. On Wednesday morning, the European Parliament will take stock of EU-Russia relations, European security and the Russian military threat to Ukraine, in the presence of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Discussions are expected to include ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring about an appeasement and the EU’s response to Russian aggression, as Russia and Belarus have begun military manoeuvres near the Ukrainian border.
A European Parliament delegation visited Ukraine from 30 January to 1 February to express the EU’s support for Ukraine (see EUROPE 12880/3). On this occasion, MEPs extended an invitation to the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, to address MEPs in Strasbourg. “We are waiting to hear from Kiev”, said Jaume Duch, Director-General of Communication for the Parliament, on Friday 11 February.
To note that on Monday, the European Parliament will vote, in urgency, on the granting of a sixth macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, amounting to €1.2 billion (see other news).
Africa. On Tuesday, MEPs will discuss EU-Africa relations with Mr Borrell ahead of the sixth EU-African Union summit on 17-18 February in Brussels, which aims to create a new alliance between Europe and Africa for the prosperity and security of both continents (see EUROPE 12888/1).
The European Parliament calls for a strengthened strategic partnership of equals to meet the common challenges of the 21st century (see other news and EUROPE 12885/10).
On Tuesday at midday, the Colombian President, Iván Duque Márquez, will address MEPs, while the EU has announced that it will send a mission led by Javi López (S&D, Spain) to observe the legislative and presidential elections to be held in the spring (see EUROPE 12885/17). The peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas is now six years old (see EUROPE 11609/2).
MEPs will then discuss the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), defence (ESDP) and human rights in the larger sense. They will debate: - the report by David McAllister (EPP, Germany) on the implementation of the CFSP in 2021; - the report by Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe, France) on the implementation of the ESDP, always for 2021; - the 2021 Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World by María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos (Renew Europe, Spain); - the report on corruption and human rights by Katalin Cseh (Renew Europe, Hungary).
These reports will be voted on Wednesday and announced on Thursday.
On human rights violations around the world, MEPs will debate and vote on a resolution on the death penalty in Iran. According to the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, at least 267 people were executed in Iran in 2020, making it the country with the highest number of executions in the world per capita.
They will do the same on the political crisis in Burkina Faso since the military seized power and overthrew the elected president, Roch Kaboré, (see EUROPE 12883/21, 12877/13), and on the human rights situation in the Philippines.
Pegasus. On Tuesday, MEPs will hear from the Commission on the use of Pegasus spyware by governments wishing to tap political opponents, judges or journalists. No European Parliament resolution is planned.
MEPs plan to set up a Committee of Inquiry into illegal eavesdropping and the use of Pegasus software in the EU, already documented in Hungary and Poland (see EUROPE 12867/12). The principle of the Committee of Inquiry was supported by the European Parliament’s political groups on Wednesday 9 February. A formal decision to create it could come next week at the plenary session.
Covid-19 and free movement in the EU. On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs and the Commission will debate the rules on the movement of people within the EU and the need for a coordinated approach to this issue in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
MEPs are expected to comment on the recent EU Council recommendation to move from traffic rules based on the epidemiological situation in each country to rules based on the traveller’s vaccination status (see EUROPE 12874/2). They should also stress the need for a coordinated and harmonised approach to ensure free and safe travel.
The day before, they will have been asked to vote on the Commission’s delegated regulation limiting the validity of the EU Digital Covid Certificate (EUROPE 12872/14) to 270 days after the first vaccination scheme.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament will vote on the resolution prepared by Katalin Cseh on the challenges for urban areas in the wake of the Omicron variant pandemic. The report focuses on the inequalities in Covid-19 between women and men, young people and the rest of society and ethnic minorities. The housing crisis and child poverty will also be addressed.
On Tuesday, MEPs will debate a recommendation on a statute for European and cross-border NGOs. The draft report by Sergey Lagodinsky (Greens/EFA, Germany) calls for the introduction of a new European legal form of association. They will vote on the report the following day.
Health & Social. On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate how to strengthen the EU’s role in the fight against cancer, on the basis of the draft ‘Trillet-Lenoir’ report that the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) has submitted to the plenary (see EUROPE 12850/12).
The draft report argues that European cooperation in this area will: - fight inequalities in access to prevention mechanisms, screening and quality care; - stimulate research and accelerate innovation through exchange of knowledge.
Cancer kills more than 1.3 million people each year, including 6,000 children. Three million new cases are diagnosed and over 12 million survivors face a difficult return to normal life.
On Thursday, the Parliament will debate the 4th revision of the Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work, following the Interinstitutional Agreement reached at the end of 2021 (see EUROPE 12876/28). The EU legislator has included reprotoxic substances and in particular calls on the Commission to add 25 more toxic substances (see EUROPE 12855/11). The vote on the report will take place the same day.
In the European Year of Youth 2022 (see EUROPE 12848/3), MEPs will discuss the situation of young people in Europe and adopt a resolution on their integration into working life in a post-pandemic environment.
Consumers. On Tuesday evening, MEPs will have an exchange of views on the implementation of the Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC) on the basis of the draft own-initiative report by Brando Benifei (S&D, Italy) calling for stronger EU rules to protect children from dangerous toys placed on the EU market (see EUROPE 12851/9).
Animal welfare. On Monday, the Parliament will debate the own-initiative report by Jérémy Decerle (Renew Europe, France) on animal welfare standards on farms (see EUROPE 12852/31).
The draft report, which will be voted on the following day in plenary, calls on the Commission to “initiate work” on a comprehensive EU labelling scheme for animal products with the aim of developing “a binding EU framework for voluntary labelling”. It calls on the Commission to negotiate, at multilateral level and in the framework of bilateral agreements, reciprocity clauses on compliance with animal welfare rules for imported products.
The Left Group presented an alternative resolution and the Greens/EFA Group tabled several amendments covering a range of issues, including the upcoming review of animal welfare rules, bullfighting and foie gras.
GMOs. On Tuesday, the Parliament will vote on proposals to object to the placing on the EU market of a herbicide-resistant genetically modified soybean and cotton (see EUROPE 12869/10). The results of the vote will be known on Wednesday.
Transport. On Monday, MEPs will vote on the extension of temporary measures allowing infrastructure managers to defer, reduce or waive charges due to them from rail operators (2020/1429). In force since October 2020 in response to the economic difficulties arising from the pandemic, these temporary arrangements are due to expire at the end of June (see EUROPE 12722/33).
On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the revision of the ‘Eurovignette’ Directive which, among other things, will update the rules on the charges that Member States can impose on lorries and heavy goods vehicles using the Trans-European Transport Network. The Parliament had reached an agreement with the EU Council in June 2021 and the relevant committee had approved it in January (see EUROPE 12869/21). The vote in Parliament will take place on Thursday 17 February.
Energy. On Monday evening, MEPs will have an exchange of views on the draft own-initiative report by Morten Petersen (Renew Europe, Denmark) on a European strategy to accelerate the deployment of offshore renewable energy (see EUROPE 12843/13). The debate will be followed by a vote on Tuesday.
Economy and Taxation. On Monday, the Parliament will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the euro, in the presence of its President, Roberta Metsola, ECB President Christine Lagarde, European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni and the Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Irene Tinagli.
MEPs will then debate the ECB’s activities in 2021, based on the report by Dimitrios Papadimoulis (The Left, Greece) and the economic situation, which is marked by surprisingly high inflation (see EUROPE 12888/5).
On taxation, MEPs will debate on Monday and adopt on Tuesday the draft reports by Olivier Chastel (Renew Europe, Belgium) on the 6th VAT directive and Markus Ferber (EPP, Germany) on the impact of national tax reforms on the EU economy.
To see the agenda of the plenary session: https://bit.ly/3oJLE9k (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion with editorial staff)