MEPs will hold their last plenary session of the year in Strasbourg from Monday 12 to Thursday 15 December. Developments in Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, energy and possible responses to rising prices will be at the heart of the discussions.
Ukraine. The highlight of the plenary session in terms of foreign policy and human rights will take place on Wednesday afternoon, when the European Parliament’s 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be awarded to the Ukrainian people. Speaking on their behalf, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to address the plenary remotely.
The following morning, MEPs will debate with the European Commission the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, which has deteriorated further since Russia’s systematic attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure. The discussion will focus on how to help prevent a major humanitarian disaster, with people facing water and electricity cuts and sometimes a lack of shelter in freezing temperatures.
With winter approaching, the Commission is prioritising meeting energy needs in the 1,800 tonnes of emergency aid in kind channelled through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism (see EUROPE 13065/14). It has also recently committed €14 million in humanitarian aid for the provision of school buses in 2023 (see EUROPE 13067/3). On Thursday 8 December, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, donated, on behalf of the Parliament, an electric generator for the Ukrainians as part of the ‘Generators of Hope’ campaign, launched on 23 November with Eurocities (see EUROPE 13069/28).
Also on Thursday, MEPs will debate and vote on a resolution to recognise the Holodomor - the famine imposed by the Soviets on Ukraine in 1932-1933 - as genocide.
In addition, on Wednesday they will discuss the main issues on the agenda of the EU summit to be held on Thursday 15 December in Brussels following the EU-ASEAN summit. The EU’s support for Ukraine and the socio-economic repercussions of Russia’s military aggression, including the fight against soaring energy prices, will be discussed. The protection of the EU’s financial interests in Hungary could come before the European Council if the Member States fail to resolve this thorny issue by then.
Furthermore, on Tuesday morning MEPs will receive a visit from the Slovenian Prime Minister, Robert Golob, who will outline his vision for the future of the EU.
Foreign affairs. On Tuesday, MEPs will debate the prospect of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. They are expected to adopt a resolution on this issue on Wednesday. They will also discuss the recent Turkish air strikes on northern Syria and the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The report by Sven Mikser (S&D, Estonian) on the implementation of the EU’s association agreement with Georgia will also be debated on Tuesday and voted on Wednesday.
Also on Tuesday, during Question Time with the Commission, MEPs will discuss how to protect the EU’s strategic infrastructure from China’s influence. They will react to the fact that a Chinese shipping group recently obtained a stake in a marine terminal in the port of Hamburg, Germany. The sale illustrates a trend of Chinese companies acquiring a wide range of European critical infrastructure, including airports, power companies, electricity grids, wind and solar farms and telecommunications companies, the European Parliament said in a statement. No resolution is foreseen.
Also on Tuesday, the European Commission will make a statement on the state of relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Democracy. On Wednesday, Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D, French), on behalf of the Special Committee on Foreign Interference (ING2), will question the European Commission. Discussions will include the progress and priorities of the package of measures on the defence of democracy announced by the institution. On the same day, the Council of the EU and the Commission will comment on the situation of journalists and the implications for the rule of law.
Also on Wednesday, MEPs will discuss the case of human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja in Bahrain, the Chinese government’s crackdown on peaceful demonstrations and the military junta’s repressive violence against peaceful demonstrators in Chad. All three resolutions will be put to the vote on Thursday.
Trade. On Wednesday, the Commission and the Council will discuss with MEPs the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides financial support for green technologies manufactured in the US, Canada or Mexico (see EUROPE 13077/10). MEPs are expected to express their concerns about the impact of this law on European producers (see EUROPE 13080/21).
Economy. In the area of socio-economic issues, MEPs will debate possible responses to the rising cost of living on Wednesday afternoon, namely increasing salaries, taxing excess profits and combating price speculation. A specific resolution is not expected to be adopted, as the European Parliament already voted in May in favour of new European financial means to alleviate the socio-economic consequences of the war in Ukraine in the EU (see EUROPE 12956/7).
Furthermore, on Tuesday the European Parliament will endorse, without debate, the ‘Tinagli’ draft report on administrative cooperation between Member States in the area of excise duties.
Budget. The European Parliament will debate on Wednesday (with a vote on Thursday) the report by Jan Olbrycht (EPP, Polish) and Margarida Marques (S&D, Portuguese) calling for a rapid and thorough revision of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) due to successive crises requiring new funding that was not foreseen when it was adopted (see EUROPE 13065/11). Several amendments have been tabled (https://aeur.eu/f/4lk ).
Energy. MEPs will again address this issue with a debate on Tuesday on the legislative proposal to speed up the permit-granting process for renewable energy projects. This is one of the components of the REPowerEU plan, which was presented on 18 May with the aim of moving the EU away from its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027 (see EUROPE 12955/4).
Parliament will then adopt its position on the matter on Wednesday in a voting session on the draft report by Markus Pieper (EPP, German) (see EUROPE 13062/13). Among other things, MEPs will adopt amendments incorporating elements of a recent Commission emergency proposal, which aims to further accelerate procedures for specific types of projects (solar energy equipment, heat pumps, retrofitting of renewable energy installations) in order to respond quickly to the energy crisis (see EUROPE 13060/7, 13071/2).
MEPs will also discuss the outcome of the 27th United Nations climate change conference (COP27), which ended on 20 November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Transport. On Monday, the European Commission will address the European Parliament regarding the continuing challenges in the aviation sector and their impact on passengers, workers, skills and safety.
Following this declaration, European Parliament members will be briefly presented with Italian MEP Annalisa Tardino’s (Identity and Democracy) report on the action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail transport. The report will be put to the vote on the following day, Tuesday 13 December.
Votes on other transport issues are also scheduled for Tuesday. For example, the European Parliament will vote on the repeal of the directive on the limitation of noise emission from civil subsonic jet aeroplanes (Directive 89/629/EEC). Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, French), the rapporteur on the issue, had suggested in a recent discussion with the European Commission in the European Parliament committee that no amendments be tabled under this simplified procedure (see EUROPE 13040/37).
MEPs will also vote on the report by Roman Haider (Identity and Democracy, Austrian) on the repeal of the regulation establishing an accounting system for infrastructure expenditure in the field of rail, road and inland waterway transport and the regulation determining the elements to be included under the various headings of the accounting schemes, both of which have become obsolete with the entry into force of other legislation.
GMOs. MEPs will vote on Tuesday on an objection to the Commission’s draft decision to renew the authorisation for the market authorisation in the EU of a genetically modified soybean (A5547-127 (ACS-GMØØ6-4)) and all products containing it.
Fundamental rights. The last plenary session of the year will open with a debate by MEPs on rights for people with disabilities. The report by Anne-Sophie Pelletier (The Left, French) puts forward concrete proposals to ensure equal participation in social life for people with disabilities (see EUROPE 13065/22). It will be put to the vote on Tuesday 13 December.
Finally, the Commission will start the last day of this plenary session on Thursday 15 December with a statement on the 30th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin and the editorial staff)