MEPs will meet in plenary session in Strasbourg from Monday 13 to Thursday 16 March. The week’s busy agenda will see debates on and the formal adoption of agreements on several texts from the ‘Fit for 55’ package. MEPs will also be invited to debate with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and present their expectations ahead of the European Council on 23 and 24 March. In addition, the European Parliament is also expected to adopt its position for the upcoming interinstitutional negotiations on several issues, including the future data legislation.
Energy. MEPs will start the plenary session with a debate on the revision of the directive on the energy performance of buildings led by Ciaran Cuffe (Greens/EFA, Irish) and are expected to endorse the position of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) (see EUROPE 13119/16). The text aims to combat energy poverty, promote renovation campaigns and introduce binding minimum standards for the buildings with the lowest energy performance (see EUROPE 13116/9). The vote will take place on Tuesday.
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson will speak on Tuesday about the security of energy supply in 2023 (see EUROPE 13138/8) during a question and answer session.
‘Fit for 55’. MEPs will hold a joint debate on Monday on three texts from the ‘Fit for 55’ package on which interinstitutional agreements have already been reached. The formal adoption of these three agreements will take place the following day.
Specifically, MEPs will first adopt the agreement reached on 8 November 2022 on the revision of the climate effort sharing regulation (ESR) (see EUROPE 13060/6). The EU Council and the European Parliament then reached a consensus on an update in 2025 of the linear emission path ending in 2030 and on the rules for the banking, borrowing and trading of emission allowances. The additional reserve would be abolished.
They will then vote on the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) for the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). This text should make it possible to maintain the double admission rate and the minimum number of allowances placed in the reserve aimed at guaranteeing the stability of the market, by absorbing the surplus of EU allowances more quickly, until 31 December 2030. An agreement was reached in trilogue on 18 December.
Finally, the European Parliament will confirm the agreement reached with the EU Council on the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation (LULUCF). The text sets the EU’s 2030 target for the net removal of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the LULUCF sector at 310 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which is about 15% higher than the current target (see EUROPE 13062/15).
Spring European Council. In a debate with European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday 15 March, MEPs will present their expectations ahead of the European Council on 23-24 March. At their meeting in Brussels, the Heads of State and Government will assess the EU’s continued support for Ukraine and review matters related to competitiveness (see EUROPE 13115/1), the single market, how to stimulate the European economy (see EUROPE 13138/1) and energy (see EUROPE 13136/1). No European Parliament resolution is expected.
Foreign affairs. Also on Tuesday afternoon, during Question Time, MEPs will debate with the High Representative of the Union the strengthening of transatlantic ties “in an ever challenging multilateral world”.
They will then discuss the deterioration of democracy in Israel and the consequences on the occupied territories. Demonstrations are increasing in Israel over the reform of the judicial system, while the level of violence in the occupied territories is rising (see EUROPE 13138/18).
MEPs may then discuss the planned adoption of the law on foreign influence in Georgia. After several days of protests, the government eventually decided to withdraw this law (see EUROPE 13137/15).
The challenges facing the Republic of Moldova could also be discussed. The country, a neighbour of Ukraine and candidate for EU membership, faces a complicated economic, political - with foreign interference - and energy situation (see EUROPE 13125/2).
Finally, MEPs are expected to debate Andrey Kovatchev’s (EPP, Bulgarian) report on EU-Armenia relations and Željana Zovko’s (EPP, Croatian) report on EU-Azerbaijan relations. They will vote on the reports on Wednesday, with tensions between the two countries remaining high.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will also give an update on Tuesday morning on the current geopolitical situation in the Baltic country bordering Belarus and will share with MEPs his vision for the future of the European Union.
On Wednesday, the Parliament will also vote on a resolution that is expected to condemn the latest crackdown on the opposition and journalists in Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski (see EUROPE 13134/17). The report by Urmas Paet (Renew Europe, Estonian), containing recommendations to the Council on the functioning of the EEAS and “for a stronger EU in the world”, will be put to the vote on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will debate the situation in Iran, including the poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls, as well as recent attacks on freedom of expression and association and on trade unions in Tunisia, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar. The case of Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha, who has been sentenced to 27 years in prison on a false charge of treason, will also be discussed. MEPs will vote on resolutions on all three topics on Thursday.
Economic and social policies. MEPs will debate the 2023 priorities for employment and social policies in the Member States on Tuesday afternoon, based on the report by Estrella Durá Ferrandis. They will debate the EU Council recommendation on minimum income and active inclusion and a resolution will be put to the vote on 15 March.
United Kingdom. On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will hear the Commission’s presentation of the agreement in principle reached with the UK to amend the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. A debate will be held on the ‘Stormont Agreement’, named after the Northern Ireland Assembly (see EUROPE 13130/2). MEPs will also discuss the implementation of the UK’s EU withdrawal agreement, on the basis of the report of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs by Pedro Silva Pereira (S&D, Portuguese).
Rescues at sea. On Wednesday, MEPs will again address the deaths of migrants at sea trying to reach the EU, in the wake of the shipwreck off Crotone on 26 February that led to the deaths of 68 people. The debate will focus on how the EU can develop a common response to save lives and ensure legal pathways.
Gender equality. To mark International Women’s Day which took place on 8 March, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will address the plenary on Wednesday morning. The political groups will then make a statement in turn.
On the same day, they will discuss the challenges faced by human rights defenders in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in the presence of the Council of the EU and the European Commission.
Digital. MEPs will debate the future data legislation (‘Data Act’) on Tuesday morning. As a reminder, this text needs to strike a balance between supporting business innovation, removing obstacles to access to industrial data and maintaining a high level of user data protection. The following day, MEPs are expected to adopt their position for future interinstitutional negotiations (see EUROPE 13118/15).
Spyware. On Thursday, MEPs will voice their complaints over Member States and their lack of cooperation with the ‘PEGA’ committee of inquiry into spyware in the EU of the European Parliament. They will ask the Commission to act to remedy this lack of cooperation. Last July, the committee of inquiry sent a questionnaire to all Member States on their use of spyware and the applicable legal regime, but several have not responded. In an oral question to the Commission, they will deplore the violation of the principle of ‘sincere and loyal cooperation’.
Organised crime. On Wednesday afternoon, a debate will be held on the fight against organised crime in the EU.
Discrimination. On Wednesday, the Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) will question the Council and the Commission on the horizontal directive for equal treatment, which has been blocked since 2008 due to a lack of consensus among Member States (see EUROPE 13071/17). MEPs will demand an update of the state of negotiations and the solutions envisaged to break the deadlock.
Immunity waivers. The European Parliament will also vote on requests to waive the parliamentary immunity of Nicolaus Fest (ID, German) and Ioannis Lagos (independent, Greek) for anti-Semitic and racist comments posted on social networks.
Bees. On Thursday, MEPs will debate the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) to phase out synthetic pesticides and develop bee-friendly agriculture. The debate comes after the Parliament held a public hearing on 23 January on the ECI ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’, which collected more than 1 million signatures. The citizens’ initiative calls for synthetic pesticides to be phased out by 2035, biodiversity to be restored and farmers to be supported in this transition (see EUROPE 13106/11). Finally, a debate will be held on Thursday on improving animal welfare (see EUROPE 13110/2).
Development. After a debate on Monday, MEPs will vote on Tuesday on Janina Ochojska’s (EPP, Polish) report on policy coherence for development (PCD) - a legal obligation of the EU under the Treaty. This report makes recommendations for the adaptation of PCD to the new global geopolitical context, within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In particular, it calls for a radical change in the implementation of PCD, to ensure that the impact of EU policies on developing countries is properly identified and analysed, and for a PCD action plan with timelines and quantitative and qualitative indicators.
See the agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/5qk (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin with editorial staff)