MEPs will meet in plenary session in Strasbourg from 4 to 7 April. This session will logically be largely marked by developments following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. MEPs will also discuss the Rule of law, energy and the mid-mandate review of the ‘von der Leyen’ Commission during the week. Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who left for Ukraine in the evening of Thursday 31 March, will be “back in time” for the plenary session, a source told EUROPE.
On Ukraine, MEPs will begin their debate on Tuesday morning on the protection the EU can offer to children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine, with specific statements from the European Commission and the EU Council. Half of the nearly 4 million refugees who have fled Ukraine are children. They need support for schooling in the EU and even protection against the risk of exploitation (see EUROPE 12921/2).
The following morning, MEPs will exchange views with Commission and EU Council representatives on the outcome of the European Council of 24-25 March (see EUROPE 12918/1). The latest developments in the war, the EU sanctions against Russia and their implementation will be discussed. The EU and its international partners have already adopted four sets of sanctions and further measures could be taken if Russia continues its aggression in Ukraine. MEPs could also mention the ban on entry into Russia of “the overwhelming majority of Members of the European Parliament who have advanced anti-Russian policies” (see other news), announced on 31 March by the Russian government.
The conclusions of the EU-China summit, held in Brussels on 1 April (see other news), will be presented to MEPs by the European Commission on Tuesday.
Finally, discussions on the situation in Ukraine will also lead MEPs to debate on Wednesday evening (before a vote on Thursday) a resolution on the growing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexei Navalny, who was sentenced to an additional 9 years in prison on 22 March (see EUROPE 12917/19).
Josep Borrell and Ursula von der Leyen hearing
On Tuesday afternoon, the ‘von der Leyen’ Commission will be questioned on its mid-term review, in particular on the results obtained in the implementation of the political priorities set for 2019. Some priorities have been turned upside down while others, such as the climate and digital transitions through the ‘European Green deal’, have been reinforced by the Covid-19 pandemic and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Afterwards, a debate will be held with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. EU security and the ‘Strategic Compass’, adopted by the ministers on 21 March (see EUROPE 12915/10) and heads of state and government on 24 March (see EUROPE 12919/3), will be discussed. As a reminder, the ‘Compass’ defines a set of actions, means and objectives to give a new impetus to the EU’s security and defence policy. “We will cooperate with the Parliament to identify delays and shortcomings”, promised the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service for the Common Security and Defence Policy and Crisis Response, Charles Fries (see EUROPE 12920/15).
Rule of law and borders
On Wednesday, MEPs will question the Council of the EU and the Commission on actions and follow-up procedures to address breaches of the Rule of law in Hungary and Poland. Despite the deteriorating situation, the EU Council has so far avoided holding a vote establishing the existence of a “clear risk of a serious breach”, of the EU’s common values, the Parliament said in a statement. MEPs are expected to urge the French Presidency of the EU Council (FPEU) to take this issue forward and question the Commission on further steps to ensure that the Rule of law is respected. The FPEU organised a hearing in February on Poland (see EUROPE 12896/20) and will do so in May for Hungary. However, it stated that a vote finding the existence of a clear risk of breach would not provide any real added value.
Also on 6 April, MEPs will discuss the application of asylum rules in the EU and accusations of violations of the right to asylum and the principle of pushbacks. The European Parliament will look into new allegations of pushbacks at the EU’s external borders reported at the end of 2021 by the European Court of Human Rights, at the Greek-Turkish border, between Lithuania and Latvia or between Poland and Belarus. They will demand respect for the principles of international law, in particular Article 33 of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits the return of refugees to countries where their lives may be threatened. The role of Frontex and the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties’ investigation group will also be discussed in this debate.
MEPs will debate as well the reform of the Schengen evaluation mechanism, including new rules for unannounced field inspections, on the afternoon of Wednesday 6 April. The Parliament adopted its opinion on 16 March (see EUROPE 12912/29) and is only consulted on this issue.
Wednesday will also see MEPs adopt a resolution on the implementation of the Cohesion Policy 2021-2027, following the plenary debate in early March in which the Commission sought to reassure them of the potential negative impact of programming delays (see EUROPE 12906/13).
Towards an approval of the urgency procedure for gas storage
On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the provisional agreement between the Parliament and the EU Council on the revision of the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E) regulation (347/2013). Dating from 2013, this regulation establishes the criteria and a methodology for selecting priority EU cross-border energy infrastructure projects, known as ‘projects of common interest’ (PCIs). Projects included in the PCI list then become eligible for EU funding under the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF). The debate will be followed by a vote in which the European Parliament is expected to approve the Interinstitutional Agreement (see EUROPE 12877/9).
Also on Tuesday, the Parliament is expected to approve the use of the urgency procedure (Article 163) for the proposed regulation on gas storage (see EUROPE 12917/7). If the procedure is activated, a further vote will be held on Thursday on possible amendments (the political groups have reportedly agreed not to table any - see EUROPE 12923/15) and on referring the matter back to the Parliament’s committee to open negotiations with the EU Council. Objective: to adopt the regulation as soon as possible so that the EU has sufficient gas reserves for the coming winter in case of cuts or stoppages in Russian supplies.
Wage transparency and minimum taxation of companies
On Monday, as EU Economy Ministers hold the first of their two-day meeting in Luxembourg (see other news), the European Commission will make a statement in the plenary session on the urgent need to adopt the directive on minimum taxation of companies. This directive, which transposes pillar II of the OECD agreement, was discussed at the last Ecofin Council in March (see EUROPE 12911/16).
MEPs will also be asked to vote on Tuesday on the negotiating mandate for the gender pay transparency directive, which was passed in committee in mid-March (see EUROPE 12913/24). The EPP group’s position could jeopardise the opening of interinstitutional negotiations with the EU Council (which adopted its position in early December 2021 - see EUROPE 12847/3). According to our information, the EPP plans to vote against the mandate to block entry into the trilogue against the advice of its shadow rapporteurs. It would thus join the conservative ECR group and the far-right group Identity and Democracy (ID), which also oppose the mandate.
In addition, the Parliament will vote on Tuesday - after a debate the day before - on Nicolae Ştefănuță's (Renew Europe, Romania) report on the budget guidelines for 2023 (see EUROPE 12913/7) and will vote on draft amending budget No 1/2022 (adjustment of the Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2021 to 2027).
Hired vehicles and data governance
On Monday 4 April, MEPs will debate the rules on vehicles hired without drivers in freight transport. The vote will take place the following day. On this dossier, the MEPs of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport validated the Interinstitutional Agreement reached on 26 October last year (see EUROPE 12904/21) at second reading on Thursday 3 March.
The report by Manuel Pizarro (S&D, Italy) on the future of fisheries in the English Channel, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU (see EUROPE 12904/20) will also be debated on Monday.
On Wednesday 6 April, MEPs will discuss the report by Angelika Niebler (EPP, Germany) on the Data Governance Act (DGA). The vote will take place after the debate on the same day. The Interinstitutional Agreement reached on 30 November was approved on 6 December by the members of the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (see EUROPE 12847/12).
The end of this session will be marked on Thursday by an European Parliament debate on the right to repair and reparability of products, which is essential for the circular economy and which MEPs have been requesting for 2 years. As the proposal for a regulation on this subject has been delayed for several months (see EUROPE 12922/4), they will vote on the same day on a resolution setting out their demands (see EUROPE 12912/17). (Thomas Mangin with the editorial staff)