MEPs will be in Strasbourg from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 January for their first plenary session of the new year, which will be largely devoted to the priorities of the new Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the themes of the forthcoming European Summit on 1 February, from support for Ukraine – including military support – to the review of the multiannual financial framework, as well as the state of the rule of law in Hungary and Slovakia.
There will also be a major discussion on Thursday 18 January on the Common Fisheries Policy and the Commission’s proposals on marine protected areas.
However, MEPs will open this first session of 2024 with a tribute to Jacques Delors, the former President of the European Commission, who died on 27 December.
Climate. MEPs will then tackle the provisional agreements on reducing emissions of fluorinated gases (see EUROPE 13265/7) and ozone-depleting substances (see EUROPE 13201/18), which they will endorse in a vote on Tuesday. The first text, submitted to Parliament by Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Dutch), calls for the total elimination of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2050, banning products containing fluorinated gases in the EU to encourage environmentally friendly alternatives.
The second text, by Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, Swedish), on ozone-depleting substances, establishes measures to recover and recycle substances present in construction materials and introduces strict exemptions for their use as raw materials, as processing agents, in laboratories and for fire protection.
Finance. On Monday 15 January, MEPs will debate rules aimed at improving the transparency of financial market data and optimising orderly trading.
Last June, negotiators from the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached an interinstitutional agreement on the revision of the ‘MiFIR’ and ’MiFID’ texts (see EUROPE 13212/14). The plenary vote is scheduled for Tuesday 16 January.
Social. On Monday evening, MEPs will continue their discussions on the revision of the mandate of the European Labour Authority (see EUROPE 13304/27) with a draft resolution to be put to the vote on 18 January. This will be followed by a debate on the oral question tabled by Danish MEP Nikolaj Villumsen (The Left) on the role of social criteria when awarding public contracts.
The Presidency’s priorities and the forthcoming European Summit. However, the highlights of this session are to be expected on Tuesday and Wednesday morning respectively, when Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will present the priorities of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Presidency’s slogan is ‘Protect, strengthen and prepare’ (see EUROPE 13313/10).
On Wednesday morning, the elected representatives will also review the results of the European Summit on 14 and 15 December and prepare for the discussions at the Summit on 1 February, in particular those on the next European budget and financial aid to Ukraine (see EUROPE 13315/16).
Rule of law in Hungary. As part of the debate on the last European Summit, MEPs will be discussing the situation in Hungary and the freezing of EU funds: €10.2 billion of cohesion funds were unfrozen by the European Commission on 13 December (see EUROPE 13313/14), but other funds remain blocked. A resolution on the situation in Hungary will be put to the vote on Thursday 18 January. On Thursday, also in relation to rule of law, MEPs will vote on a resolution on the situation in Slovakia.
Military aid to Ukraine. In the wake of this debate, they will discuss military aid to Ukraine and how to ‘Keep our commitments and provide military assistance to Ukraine’. On Monday 8 January, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Europeans to send more military equipment to Kyiv (see EUROPE 13324/12).
The EU’s financial interests. After the votes, the elected representatives will examine the shortcomings in the fight against fraud in the EU on Tuesday afternoon. A vote is scheduled for Wednesday 17 January on the draft report by Markus Pieper (EPP, German) on the lack of transparency in the use of European funds by certain civil society organisations.
Another vote will take place on Thursday 18 January on the draft report by Maria Grapini (S&D, Romania) on the protection of the EU’s financial interests. Ms Grapini’s text was adopted by a large majority in the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) on 5 December (see EUROPE 13307/25).
Transport. On Tuesday, the own-initiative report by Erik Bergkvist (S&D, Swedish) aimed at encouraging electric aviation will be put to the vote (see EUROPE 13255/11). Later in the afternoon, Tom Berendsen (EPP, Dutch) will present his draft resolution on the development of a comprehensive European ports strategy (see EUROPE 13310/14). The vote will take place on Wednesday 17 January.
Taxation. On Tuesday, Parliament will also vote on the opinion report by Luděk Niedermayer (EPP, Czech) on the ‘DEBRA’ Directive (see EUROPE 13302/22). This provides for an allowance to reduce the tax distortion in favour of debt and to limit the deductibility of interest for corporation tax purposes.
Fundamental Rights, Culture and Youth. On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on reports evaluating three key EU programmes for 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 13252/25): Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme.
On Wednesday, before voting on Thursday, Parliament will examine the report by Sabine Verheyen (EPP, German) on European historical awareness.
In the area of fundamental rights, a debate on Wednesday and a vote on Thursday will focus on the draft report by María Pagazaurtundúa (Renew Europe, Spanish) on combating hate speech and hate crime in the EU (see EUROPE 13236/16).
On Wednesday, MEPs will debate a report by Katarina Barley (S&D, German) focusing on the state of fundamental rights in the EU in 2022 and 2023. Finally, the report by Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA, Swedish) on the gender aspects of the rising cost of living and the impact of the energy crisis will be discussed on Wednesday and voted on Thursday.
Competition. On Tuesday 16 January, MEPs will be asked to vote on the report by Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Renew Europe, French) on EU competition policy in 2023 (see EUROPE 13278/27).
Research. On 17 January they will vote on the report by Christian Ehler (EPP, German) on promoting freedom of research in the EU (see EUROPE 13252/12).
Consumers. MEPs will vote on Wednesday on the provisional political agreement reached with the Council on 20 September on the proposed directive that will empower consumers to act in favour of the green transition through better information on the durability of products and increased protection against unfair practices of greenwashing and premature obsolescence (see EUROPE 13254/6).
Also on Wednesday, they will vote on the Commission’s proposal to introduce further restrictions on the use and trade of mercury, in particular by banning dental amalgams and six categories of lamp containing added mercury by 2025 (see other news in this bulletin).
Stability and Growth Pact. On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact with the Council of the EU and the European Commission, while formal trilogue negotiations will begin on Tuesday 23 January (see EUROPE 13322/12).
The Greens/EFA Group has requested this debate and a vote on the mandate prepared by Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (see EUROPE 13311/22, 13312/29). With a majority formed by the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe groups, this mandate should be approved without difficulty on Thursday, without being amended.
Energy. On Wednesday evening, MEPs will debate the report by Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Polish) aimed at promoting geothermal energy in the EU, and on Thursday are expected to endorse the vote cast in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on 7 December (see EUROPE 13310/7).
Environment. On Thursday morning, MEPs will debate the microplastic pollution off the coast of Galicia caused by a grounded ship and the impact of this ecological disaster on marine and coastal habitats. A draft report on the proposal for an EU regulation to prevent microplastic pollution caused by the unintentional release of plastic granules into the environment is currently being examined by Parliament (see EUROPE 13324/5).
Fisheries. The European Parliament will hold a debate on 18 January, before voting on reports on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Three reports are on the table: Gabriel Mato’s (EPP, Spanish) report on the CFP (see EUROPE 13325/6), Niclas Herbst's (EPP, German) report criticises the EU action plan on the protection of marine ecosystems and Izaskun Bilbao Barandica’s (Renew Europe, Spanish) report analyses the implementation of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) regulation in the fisheries and aquaculture sector (see EUROPE 13305/9).
Lively debates in plenary are expected to focus on bottom trawls and their ban in marine protected areas (see EUROPE 13326/9).
Food safety. On Thursday, Parliament will vote on the implementation report for EU Regulation 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.
Foreign Affairs and Human Rights. On Tuesday 16 January MEPs will vote on a report by Jordi Solé (Greens/EFA, Spanish) on the role of Parliament and its parliamentary diplomacy in EU foreign and security policy.
In the afternoon, Parliament will debate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need for a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation. It will vote on a resolution on this subject on Thursday.
Parliament will also debate the report by Željana Zovko (EPP, Croatian) on ‘The role of preventive diplomacy in resolving frozen conflicts in the world: missed opportunity or change for the future?’ It will be put to the vote on Wednesday.
On Tuesday evening, the Council and the Commission will make a declaration on the state of emergency that Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa recently imposed in his country due to the upsurge in violence linked in particular to drug trafficking (see EUROPE 13326/23).
On Thursday, MEPs will vote on the report by Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, Finnish) on defining the EU’s position on the United Nations binding instrument on business and human rights, in particular on access to remedy and the protection of victims.
South and Central Asia. On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will debate EU-India relations as part of the presentation of the report by Alviina Alametsä (Greens/EFA, Finnish) aimed at strengthening cooperation between the EU and India in priority areas.
On Wednesday, two reports will be put to the vote: by Karsten Lucke (S&D, German) on the EU’s strategy for Central Asia and by Klemen Grošelj (Renew Europe, Slovenian) on the security and defence implications of China’s influence on the EU’s critical infrastructure.
A debate will be held on Wednesday evening on the violation of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in relation to the ongoing persecution of followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement in China, in particular the case of Mr Ding Yuande, and the crackdown on independent media in Tajikistan.
Human rights. An emergency resolution on the risk of famine resulting from the spread of the conflict in Sudan will be put to the vote on Thursday, following a debate the day before.
Development. On Wednesday, Parliament will also vote on a report recommending a European development policy that supports access to clean and renewable energy in developing countries (see EUROPE 13309/23). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with the editorial staff)