MEPs will meet in plenary session in Strasbourg from Monday 8 to Thursday 11 March. The session will be marked by the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. MEPs will also vote on a number of important dossiers, such as new legislation to improve product labelling and sustainability and rules to reduce methane emissions in the energy sector.
Olaf Scholz will be invited to the ‘This is Europe’ debate series on Tuesday morning to discuss with MEPs the future of the EU, the end of the current legislature and the challenges ahead for the next one. Before the debate, he is expected to meet with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and members of her political group.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will visit Parliament on Wednesday for a formal address at 11:30am.
Ukraine. On Tuesday, Parliament will vote on the extension of the suspension of customs duties for imports from Ukraine (see EUROPE 13172/3). Members of Parliament’s Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Sandra Kalniete (EPP, Latvian) without amendments to speed up the procedure (see EUROPE 13171/20).
On Wednesday morning, MEPs will debate the role of farmers in the green transition and how to help the agricultural sector more effectively. MEPs should stress the need to help EU farmers adapt to greener farming practices and ensure food security in Europe, especially in light of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, rising prices and recent supply chain disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also on Wednesday, Parliament will react to a EU Council and Commission statement on Ukrainian grain on the EU market. The Commission has presented a package of trade and support measures (see EUROPE 13173/25, EUROPE 13174/3).
Agriculture. In addition, the report calling for more funding for the EU’s school scheme for fruit, vegetable and dairy products will be voted on Wednesday (see EUROPE 13147/13).
An oral question will be asked by MEPs on the ban on the killing of chicks and ducklings in EU legislation (see EUROPE 13142/20).
Energy. MEPs will start the plenary session on Monday with a debate on the revision of the Directive on reducing methane emissions in the energy sector, led by co-rapporteurs Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA, German) and Pascal Canfin (Renew Europe, French). Parliament will vote on Tuesday and is expected to endorse the position of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) (see EUROPE 13170/7).
Defence. On Monday evening, MEPs will debate the European Commission’s new proposal of 3 May for an ‘Act in Support of Ammunition Production’ (ASAP) (see EUROPE 13174/1).
On Tuesday they will vote on the report by Riho Terras (EPP, Estonian) on ‘Critical technologies for security and defence: state of play and future challenges’. In particular, the report supports the need for a coordinated EU-wide strategic approach to security and defence critical technologies from the outset.
Foreign affairs. On Tuesday evening, MEPs will have a topical debate with High Representative of the Union Josep Borrell on the worrying situation in Sudan, where fighting continues to rage between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, with the risk of a major humanitarian crisis and destabilisation of the whole region (see EUROPE 13175/4, 13169/42).
MEPs will close the day on Tuesday by debating the 2022 edition of the European Commission’s annual reports on Serbia and Kosovo. Parliament will vote on both reports the following day.
On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will discuss media freedom and freedom of expression in Algeria, in particular the case of journalist Ihsane El-Kadi, who was sentenced in April to 5 years in prison, two of them suspended and a fine for “receiving funds from abroad for propaganda purposes”, “to carry out acts likely to undermine national security and the normal functioning of institutions”.
They will also discuss the “inhumane treatment and hospitalisation of Viktar Babaryka, a prominent Belarusian opposition leader” (see EUROPE 13172/31).
The situation in Myanmar, including the dissolution of democratic political parties, will also be discussed.
MEPs will vote on resolutions on all three issues on Thursday.
Migration. On Wednesday, MEPs will have another debate on asylum and migration with the Commission, but this time on the policies of externalisation of asylum applications and the conditioning of funds paid to third countries to the return of their nationals.
Economic governance. Tuesday morning will also see MEPs debate legislative proposals to reform the EU’s economic governance rules. This reform, which concerns the rules accompanying Member States in their management of investment, deficit and debt levels, had been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Three legislative proposals have been presented by the European Commission on deficit and debt corrective measures and improved budgetary planning.
Budget. Parliament will debate on Tuesday and vote on Wednesday on a series of discharges from the general EU budget for the year 2021 to be granted to EU institutions and agencies. A total of 55 discharge reports will be put to the vote in Parliament.
On Tuesday, MEPs will also debate the report by Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, Belgian) on the impact of the increased borrowing costs of the EU’s recovery financing instrument (see EUROPE 13171/26). The report will be put to a vote in Parliament on Wednesday.
It will be followed by a debate on the report by José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portuguese) and Valérie Hayer (Renew Europe, French) aimed at adopting, on Wednesday, a second basket of new own resources for the EU, including a new fair border mechanism, European taxation of cryptocurrency, the use of part of the revenue from the future harmonisation of corporate tax in Europe (BEFIT), a digital contribution or additional statistical resources (gender pay gap, bio-recycling rate) (see EUROPE 13164/28).
Northern Ireland. On Tuesday 9 May, MEPs will be asked to approve three pieces of legislation to make life easier for citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland, submitted after the political agreement reached at the end of February between the Commission and the UK under the so-called ‘Windsor Agreement’ (see EUROPE 13130/2). They are expected to approve simplified rules for the entry into Northern Ireland of certain retail agri-food products from Great Britain for final consumption in Northern Ireland. On human medicines, the new arrangement will ensure that all medicines (generic and original) will now be available at all times, under the same conditions, throughout the UK, in accordance with UK rules and UK authorisation procedures only. A third report concerns steel products subject to tariff quotas imported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Certain products will no longer be subject to the 25% tariff linked to EU restrictive measures in order to ensure the economic viability of such transfers, Parliament explains.
Competencies. Also on Tuesday, MEPs will debate with the Commission the ‘European Year of Skills’, which will be launched the same day (see EUROPE 13153/16). This ‘European Year’ should focus on what companies need in terms of new skills and how to train workers for the jobs of the future, particularly in relation to the energy transition.
Social objectives. On Wednesday, MEPs will also review with the Commission the social objectives set for 2021 at the Porto Summit (see EUROPE 12740/16). The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs’ resolution on the subject will be put to the vote on Wednesday.
Internal Market. On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the own-initiative report by Adam Bielan (ECR, Polish) on a standardisation strategy for the single market.
Consumers. MEPs will adopt as it stands the report by Biljana Borzan (S&D, Croatian) to empower consumers to act in favour of the green transition by making informed choices about the lifetime and reparability of products and by better protecting them against greenwashing and early obsolescence of products (see EUROPE 13151/10, 13164/21). After a debate on Tuesday evening, their vote on Thursday will pave the way for negotiations with the EU Council (see EUROPE 13174/10).
GMOs. MEPs will vote on a proposal to object to the renewal of a market authorisation in the EU for a genetically modified cotton (see EUROPE 13172/38).
Fisheries. On Thursday, the plenary will debate a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for an end to the trade in shark and ray fins in the EU (see EUROPE 13150/11).
A joint debate on oceans, biodiversity and fisheries will take place on Thursday in the Chamber. The Commission will make statements on the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries and the IGC agreement on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (High Seas Treaty). Another topic discussed was a draft resolution on a strong and sustainable European algae sector.
Media. On Monday, Petra Kammerevert (S&D, German) will present a report calling for the rapid and effective implementation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) (see EUROPE 13151/27). It will be put to the vote the following day.
Gender equality. MEPs will debate the EU’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention on Tuesday afternoon. Following the consent of the Parliament’s Committees on Civil Liberties (LIBE) and Gender Equality (FEMM) to the two draft EU Council decisions for ratification (see EUROPE 13169/26), all of Parliament will vote on a final green light on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, the European Commission will make a statement on the fight against cyberbullying in the EU. A debate requested by the EPP, which would like to transfer to the European level an Irish law criminalising the non-consensual sharing of intimate images online. Jackie Fox, a mother who campaigned for the law, will also be present (see EUROPE 13173/1).
Digital. MEPs will debate on Wednesday the adequacy decision on the protection offered by the EU-US data privacy framework. The following day they will vote on the resolution - adopted on 14 April in the Parliament committee (see EUROPE 13161/2) - calling on the European Commission to reconsider before confirming the adequacy of data processing between the US and the EU.
Transport. On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on a resolution tabled by Andrey Novakov (EPP, Bulgarian) on the new urban mobility framework. Approved in March in the Committee on Transport (TRAN) (see EUROPE 13146/7), this text aims to underline the importance of developing the necessary infrastructure to facilitate accessibility for disabled, reduced mobility and older persons.
Link to Parliament’s plenary agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/6r8 (Original version in French by the Editorial Staff)