MEPs will meet in Strasbourg from Monday 12 to Thursday 15 September for a particularly busy autumn plenary session, marked by the State of the Union speech to be given by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 14 September and by her proposals on the previous day to address soaring energy prices in the EU.
State of the Union. Mrs von der Leyen’s speech will be the main topic of the session along with energy measures, according to the EPP Group in the European Parliament. “This is the most important speech, after 6 months of war in Ukraine”, confirmed French MEP Raphaël Gluksmann (S&D) on 9 September.
“We need the Commission to show leadership and explain why we need these sanctions, this firm policy towards Russia, and how we are going to get through the winter”, he said.
The Left in Parliament hopes that this speech will mark a “change of tactics” on the part of the Commission. “After a summer of climate chaos, Europeans are caught in the energy price crisis, fundamental changes are needed, not just technical adjustments”, the Group said on 9 September.
Energy crisis. On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the EU’s response to soaring energy prices with the Czech Presidency of the EU Council and the Commission, with a view to adopting a resolution at the first October plenary session.
On the same day, the Commission is expected to present legislative proposals to implement emergency measures at EU level to mitigate the impact of rising electricity prices on households and businesses.
The proposed measures, which were discussed by the Member States’ Energy Ministers on Friday 9 September (see other news), include a cap on the income of infra-marginal electricity producers with low production costs, a legislative proposal to reduce electricity demand in a coordinated way, and a cap on gas prices.
In addition, MEPs will have an exchange of views on Monday on the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) (see EUROPE 12992/4).
On Tuesday, they will debate the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) (see EUROPE 12992/5), the other text in the EU’s ‘Fit for 55 package’ of energy-related climate legislation.
They will vote on these two dossiers on Wednesday, with a view to starting negotiations with the EU Council (‘trilogues’). The latter adopted its position on 27 June (see EUROPE 12980/2).
The S&D Group, for its part, will unveil on Tuesday its proposals to address soaring prices. For Pedro Marques (Portuguese), it is a pity that the Commission is coming so late with proposals, he told journalists on Thursday 8 September. “Critical months” have been lost, says the MEP.
Predator. MEPs will debate the Predator software at the heart of a political scandal in Greece on Monday. This is a small victory for The Left Group in particular, which had asked for this debate, which the EPP Group opposed for a while, “trying to block it”, according to a source.
Hungary. A debate will be held on Wednesday on the state of the Rule of law in Hungary, followed by a vote on Thursday on the interim report by Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA, French) under the Article 7 procedure (see EUROPE 12992/2).
Cohesion. Also on Wednesday, MEPs will discuss the European Commission’s eighth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. In their draft resolution, they call for additional funding and increased attention for the outermost regions particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
They will then discuss the report ‘EU Border Regions: Living Laboratories of European Integration’ published in 2021. In particular, MEPs call for measures that take greater account of the demographic, economic, social and environmental specificities of these cross-border regions.
Minimum wage. On 14 September, MEPs will also validate the new rules on adequate minimum wages which they will have debated the day before (see EUROPE 12911/37).
Industry. After a brief presentation, Parliament will vote on Thursday 15 September on the ‘Berendsen’ own-initiative report on the implementation of the new industrial strategy (see EUROPE 12951/13). In particular, the text stresses the importance of speeding up the process in light of recent developments related to the invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis.
Budget. On Tuesday, the Council of the EU will present its position in plenary on the draft 2023 budgetary plan. The EU Council formally adopted its position on 6 September (see EUROPE 12992/20). MEPs are expected to criticise the EU Council’s suggested cuts in funding. Parliament will vote on its position ahead of the budget negotiations in October. The 2023 budget must be adopted by the Parliament and the EU Council before the end of the year.
In addition, Parliament will vote on 14 September in favour of a major mid-term review of the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 13011/20).
Environment. MEPs will debate on Monday how to increase the EU’s contribution to the fight against global deforestation and will vote on Tuesday on the proposed EU Regulation of November 2021 to minimise deforestation and forest degradation associated with commodities placed on the EU market. A mandatory due diligence system in supply chains is at the heart of the proposal. The vote will be based on the report by Christophe Hansen (EPP, Luxembourgian), which extends the scope to rubber (see EUROPE 12991/14).
Agriculture/forestry. Parliament will adopt on Tuesday 13 September the report by Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, German) on the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 (see EUROPE 12991/19).
Trade. On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on conclusions on the international sugar agreement. The text, adopted in the Committee on International Trade on 31 August, gives Parliament’s consent to changes in the agreement with regard to the contributions of each party.
Transport. MEPs will vote on Tuesday 13 September on the report by Bulgarian Angel Dzhambazki (ECR) on uniform procedures for checks on the transport of dangerous goods by road.
Economy/Finance. Parliament will validate on Tuesday the interinstitutional agreement on the proposed ‘Daisy Chain’ Directive revising the rules for the resolution of large failed banking groups (see EUROPE 12941/25). A provisional agreement with the EU Council was reached in April (see EUROPE 12941/25).
Taxation. On Wednesday 14 September, Parliament could vote on the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive. The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) has not yet reached a compromise. The rapporteur, Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, Belgian), decided to use bilateral negotiations with the shadow rapporteurs to achieve this.
Financial assistance to Ukraine. Parliament will decide on Tuesday whether or not to use an urgency procedure that would allow it to approve €5 billion in macrofinancial assistance to help Ukraine. If MEPs approve the urgency procedure, they will vote later this week on whether to grant the financial assistance.
European political parties. On Thursday 15 September, MEPs will debate and decide their position on the reform of the statute and financing of European political parties and foundations (see EUROPE 12992/3).
Debate on Europe with Sanna Marin. On Tuesday morning, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin will tell MEPs her vision for the future of Europe after her Croatian and Irish counterparts, Andrej Plenković (see EUROPE 12977/9) and Micheál Martin (see EUROPE 12967/6), spoke in Strasbourg in June.
Foreign Affairs. On Tuesday MEPs will debate the situation in Ukraine as the Ukrainian armed forces launched a counter-offensive in the south of the country. On Wednesday they will discuss human rights violations in the context of the forced deportation of Ukrainian civilians and the forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia, before voting on a resolution on the subject on Thursday.
Parliament will debate on Tuesday and vote on Wednesday the report by Antonio López-Istúriz White (EPP, Spanish) on the renewed partnership with the southern neighbourhood.
High Representative of the Union Josep Borrell will also discuss the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait with MEPs on Tuesday and they will vote on a resolution on Thursday.
Fundamental rights. On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the state of fundamental rights across the EU in 2020 and 2021.
Justice. Without debate, MEPs will vote on Tuesday on an own-initiative report calling on the Commission to regulate external private funding of legal proceedings.
Civil protection and disasters. On Tuesday, the Commission and EU Council will be asked about the EU’s immediate support to national and regional authorities, including through the activation of the EU’s civil protection mechanism, following this summer’s droughts and forest fires. This debate was requested by the Greens/EFA.
In a resolution voted on Thursday, MEPs are expected to call on the Commission to develop long-term disaster management strategies and simplify existing funding procedures (see EUROPE 13014/12). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with the editorial staff)