MEPs will be back in Strasbourg from Monday 21 to Thursday 24 October for a plenary session dominated by the situation in Ukraine and Lebanon, migration, but also by competitiveness and skills shortages in the labour market.
Aid to Ukraine. On Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the legislative proposal to set up new macro-financial assistance for Ukraine of up to €35 billion for 2025. This is the EU’s contribution to the decision by the G7 countries to grant advantageous loans to Ukraine, which will be repaid by future profits generated by the Bank of Russia’s assets tied up in the EU or by other types of specific contributions from Member States or third countries. The European Parliament, which on Tuesday will endorse the position of the Committee on International Trade (see EUROPE 13503/8), will not amend the legislative text.
Migration. On Wednesday morning, MEPs will review with the Commission the results of the European Summit of 17 October devoted to migration (see EUROPE 13506/1) and in particular to return policy. The left-wing groups are expected to reiterate their total opposition to ‘return hubs’, even though the solution is “common sense”, according to Patriots for Europe.
Foreign affairs. On Tuesday morning, MEPs will discuss with the Commission “the urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and the safeguarding of the UNIFIL mission in connection with the recent attacks”. Several soldiers from the United Nations mission were injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon (see EUROPE 13503/1).
In the afternoon, MEPs will also debate EU action against Russian phantom fleets and the full application of sanctions against Russia (see EUROPE 13438/3).
Also on Wednesday, they will discuss the prosecution of war crimes committed by the Russian Federation, in particular the deaths of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
On Tuesday afternoon, just a few days before COP29, Parliament will also be examining the situation in Azerbaijan, with regard to violations of human rights and international law, as well as relations with Armenia. They will be voting on a resolution on this subject on Thursday.
Iran and Tunisia. State-sponsored terrorism by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the light of recent attacks in Europe, will also be discussed, as will the situation in Tunisia. The Tunisian presidential election saw the re-election of Kais Saied with 90.7% of the vote in a ballot in which the turnout did not exceed 29%. A number of opponents had previously been excluded.
China. On Tuesday evening, MEPs will debate the repeated military provocations by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) around Taiwan (see EUROPE 13503/32) and, more specifically, the “misinterpretation” of United Nations Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, on which the PRC bases its claim that Taiwan is part of China and has no independent status. A resolution will be put to the vote on Thursday. Sakharov Prize. The winner of the 2024 Sakharov Prize will be announced at the plenary session on Thursday (see EUROPE 13506/24).
Internal market. On Monday evening, former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta will present his report on the Single Market to MEPs (see EUROPE 13393/3). They will then respond with a debate on the same theme.
Competitiveness and Industry. On Wednesday, the groups put a debate on the need to cut red tape in the EU for businesses on the agenda. On the same day, MEPs will debate the crisis in the steel industry (see EUROPE 13505/32).
Skills shortages. On Thursday morning, MEPs will return to the need for the EU to address skills and labour shortages to ensure ‘inclusive’ growth and competitiveness, based on the recommendations of the ‘Draghi’ report.
Budget. On Tuesday, MEPs will debate Parliament’s position on the 2025 budget ahead of a vote scheduled for Thursday 24 October. The position adopted by Parliament’s Committee on Budgets was to restore the appropriations on the budget lines reduced by the EU Council to the level of the initial draft budget plan proposed by the Commission. Increases are being requested for Erasmus+, for the EU4Health programme and for the Health Cluster, as part of the Horizon Europe Research Framework Programme, but also for agricultural programmes and for the ‘EU Civil Protection Mechanism’ (see EUROPE 13499/3).
A series of other votes on the EU budget is scheduled for Tuesday, on the Draft Amending Budget 2024 (entry of the surplus from the 2023 financial year and updating of revenue) and on the Discharge 2022 (general budget of the EU).
Poverty. The elected representatives will open the second plenary session of October with a discussion on the eradication of poverty in Europe, as 17 October marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In 2023, 21.3% of Europeans were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
Consumers. On Monday afternoon, MEPs will debate the problems associated with e-commerce and the massive ordering of goods from online shops in third countries, particularly China. This influx of goods poses a health problem due to their lack of compliance with European standards, as well as an economic problem due to unfair competition (see EUROPE 13491/3).
Transport. Parliament will debate on Monday afternoon and vote on Tuesday the provisional agreement with the Council of the EU on the ‘Single European Sky’, approved in committee this week (see EUROPE 13503/18).
Media. A debate will be held on Tuesday on the protection of European journalists covering Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Rule of law. Seven years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Parliament will discuss the lack of progress in restoring the Rule of law in Malta on Wednesday afternoon.
Fundamental rights. During a plenary debate on Wednesday afternoon, the European Commission will make a statement on the conclusions of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) concerning the Polish law on abortion. On 22 October 2020 (see EUROPE 12588/9), the Polish Constitutional Tribunal banned eugenic abortion. Condemning this legislation in an investigation report published last August, the Committee made 22 recommendations, calling on Poland to introduce legal reforms to ensure that access to abortion complies with the principles of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
Fundamental rights/youth. On Thursday morning, the Commission will issue a statement on the misuse of new technologies to manipulate and radicalise young people through hate speech and anti-democratic rhetoric. MEPs will propose ways of combating this growing scourge (see EUROPE 13330/17, 13413/37, 13170/25).
Health. On Wednesday, Parliament is due to adopt a joint resolution from several political groups on the urgent need to revise the regulation on medical devices, following a debate at the previous plenary session (see EUROPE 13501/9).
Sea. On Thursday, the Commission will issue a statement on ocean protection and the continuing threats to marine protected areas in the EU.
Regions. The important role of cities and regions in the Union will be debated by MEPs on Wednesday.
Animal health. On Tuesday, they will debate animal health in Europe and the prevention of future health crises in agriculture. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with the editorial staff)