From Monday 22 to Thursday 25 April, MEPs will meet in Strasbourg for the last plenary session before the end of the legislative cycle. They will vote on almost 90 legislative dossiers and 7 resolutions, a record for the institution.
Economy. On Tuesday 23 April, MEPs will debate the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact as agreed in February with the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council (see EUROPE 13348/8). They will be asked to ratify it on the same day.
In the afternoon, the European Parliament will debate the use of frozen Russian assets to provide military aid to Ukraine and to support its reconstruction. At the beginning of May, the EU Member States are expected to reach an agreement on the mobilisation of the profits generated annually by the assets of the Central Bank of Russia frozen in the EU (see EUROPE 13392/20).
Foreign affairs. On Monday 22 April, MEPs will debate new European measures to combat human trafficking and protect victims, and will confirm their mandate (see EUROPE 13335/8).
On Tuesday afternoon, they will discuss with the High Representative, Josep Borrell, the EU’s response to the “repeated killings of humanitarian workers, journalists and civilians by the Israeli Defence Forces” in the Gaza Strip.
The MEPs will also discuss attempts to reintroduce a ‘foreign agents’ bill in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society. They will vote on a resolution on Thursday (see EUROPE 13393/35).
Parliament will then debate the agreement reached with the EU Council on the €6 billion growth plan for the Western Balkans (see EUROPE 13384/4), which will be put to the vote on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, MEPs will debate “Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, the need for de-escalation and an EU response”. A resolution on the subject will be put to the vote on Thursday (see EUROPE 13393/1).
In the afternoon, they will examine the situation in Azerbaijan, in particular the repression of civil society and the cases of human rights defender and political activist Gubad Ibadoghlu and activist Ilhamiz Guliyev, before voting on a resolution on the subject on Thursday.
In the evening, they will debate Hong Kong’s new security law, and more specifically the cases of Andy Li and Joseph John. The following day they will vote on a resolution on the subject.
After having held a rapid debate on Wednesday 10 April (see EUROPE 13388/15), on Thursday MEPs will vote on a resolution on ‘the undemocratic presidential elections in Russia and their illegitimate extension to the occupied territories’.
Schengen. On Wednesday, MEPs will be asked to confirm the new rules of the Schengen Borders Code, which in particular govern the reintroduction of internal border controls (see EUROPE 13374/22).
Migration. On Tuesday afternoon, they will discuss the partnership sealed between the EU and Egypt, aimed in particular at containing the flow of migrants to the EU. The discussion with the Commission and the EU Council will focus more generally on global agreements with third countries.
Institutional. On Wednesday, the European Parliament will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the EU’s biggest enlargement, when, on 1 May 2004, it welcomed ten Central and Eastern European countries (see EUROPE 8698/4).
On Thursday, if the Committee on Constitutional Affairs is successful on Monday 22 April, MEPs will be asked to approve the Interinstitutional Agreement on the creation of the European Ethics Body (see EUROPE 13383/3). The EPP group has tabled amendments to reject the agreement outright.
On the same day, MEPs will adopt a resolution calling for an in-depth investigation into the new allegations of Russian interference in the European Parliament, with a view to the forthcoming European elections (see EUROPE 13389/14).
Women’s Rights. On Monday, with a view to a vote the following day, the hemicycle will vote on the provisional political agreement on the directive to combat domestic violence and violence against women (see EUROPE 13344/24).
On Wednesday, MEPs will debate a proposal by the Gambian parliament to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation.
Justice. On Tuesday, MEPs will be asked to vote on the text of the provisional Interinstitutional Agreement on the proposal for a regulation on the transfer of criminal proceedings between Member States, reached last March (see EUROPE 13366/8).
Fundamental rights. Also on Tuesday, they will debate the directive on European Disability and Parking Cards for persons with disabilities (see EUROPE 13352/22) and their extension to third-country nationals legally residing in the EU.
Trade. On Monday, MEPs will debate the regulation banning products made using forced labour, before voting on the provisional agreement the following day (see EUROPE 13364/7). On Tuesday they will vote on autonomous trade measures for Ukraine (see EUROPE 13386/1).
Social. On Wednesday 24 April, MEPs should have no difficulty in approving the new rules agreed with the EU Council on digital platform workers, following the political agreement reached on 11 March at the EU Council (see EUROPE 13374/10).
At the end of the day on Wednesday, they will debate the ‘La Hulpe Declaration’ on the future of European social policies, signed on 16 April (see EUROPE 13392/19).
Climate. On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will debate alleged attempts by the far right and the Conservatives to destroy the European Green Deal and prevent investment in the future.
Environment. On Monday, MEPs will debate the report aimed at reducing microplastic pollution, which was approved by the parliamentary committee in March (see EUROPE 13374/14). The text will be put to the vote the following day. Interinstitutional negotiations will begin during the next legislature.
On Wednesday, Parliament will vote on two provisional agreements with the EU Council concerning the ‘Packaging and Packaging Waste’ Regulation (see EUROPE 13364/8) and the revision of the ‘Ambient Air Quality’ directives (see EUROPE 13355/9).
Consumers. On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on the provisional political agreement reached on the directive guaranteeing the right to repair defective products (see EUROPE 13342/1), with the last round of negotiations having lasted more than 12 hours.
Energy. On Tuesday afternoon, they will debate the report on the Union’s exit from the Energy Charter Treaty, which was approved by the parliamentary committees at the beginning of April (see EUROPE 13387/30). The House is expected to take up the vote in committee the following day.
Transport. On Wednesday, the European Parliament is expected to approve three provisional agreements with the EU Council: the new regulation on EU guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) (see EUROPE 13348/28), the exchange of information on road traffic offences (see EUROPE 13306/3) and the ‘Single European Sky’ and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (see EUROPE 13387/33).
Competitiveness. The results of the European Competitiveness Summit of 17 and 18 April will be discussed in the hemicycle on Tuesday morning (see EUROPE 13394/1).
MEPs will then vote on a series of provisional agreements relating to the internal market and industry: - the Net-Zero Industry Act on Thursday (see EUROPE 13344/4); - the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (see EUROPE 13374/26); - the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) (see EUROPE 13341/10).
Parliament will also adopt its position on the Late Payment Regulation (see EUROPE 13375/21).
Agriculture. On Thursday, MEPs will vote on the EU Council’s position on a proposal for a targeted revision of certain rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in order to reduce the administrative burden and improve flexibility for farmers (see EUROPE 13391/8).
In a separate vote on Tuesday, the plenary is due to decide whether to oppose the Commission’s proposal in order to allow Member States greater flexibility in applying another CAP condition: the requirement of maintaining the ratio of permanent grassland to agricultural area above 5% compared to 2018 (GAEC 1).
On Wednesday, Parliament will also vote on its position on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (see EUROPE 13388/3). The Left group has tabled an amendment to reject this proposal.
Finally, the European Parliament will adopt its position on the proposal on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material (see EUROPE 13384/13).
Health. On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on the creation of a European Health Data Space (see EUROPE 13372/2). On the same day, they will approve the Interinstitutional Agreement providing for new rules to improve the protection of citizens who donate or receive blood, tissues or cells (see EUROPE 13314/3).
Digital. At Wednesday’s session, MEPs will vote on the provisional agreement of the Cyber Solidarity Act (see EUROPE 13375/39), which covers the cybersecurity of European networks and infrastructures.
Combating money laundering. On Tuesday, Parliament is expected to approve the agreement with the EU Council on facilitating access to centralised registers of bank accounts (see EUROPE 13374/28). The following day, it will debate and vote on the agreement with the EU Council on the ‘money laundering package’ including the strengthened regulation (AMLR) the directive establishing the new Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) and the revised directive (AMLD 6) (see EUROPE 13374/27).
Finance. On Tuesday, the report on the ‘Retail Investment Strategy’ will be put to the vote. A favourable vote will allow negotiations to begin with the EU Council. The left wing of the European Parliament could mobilise to reopen negotiations (see EUROPE 13393/18).
MEPs will also vote on the agreement with the EU Council on the establishment of a framework for the recovery and resolution of insurance and reinsurance undertakings (see EUROPE 13314/14).
They will also vote on a new Payment Services Regulation (PSR) (see EUROPE 13350/23). On Wednesday, the agreement with the EU Council on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating of companies will be voted on (see EUROPE 13344/21).
A debate on the amendments to the Capital Requirements Regulation is scheduled for Thursday. The report on benchmarks will also be put to the vote on Thursday evening (see EUROPE 13363/30). (Original version in French by Anne Damiani, with the editorial staff)