Summary

This week is a political group week at the European Parliament. Throughout the week, MEPs will meet in their political groups ahead of the December Plenary session, scheduled for December 11-14, 2017. They will discuss, among other topics, the Brexit negotiations, the final report on money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion and the possibility of extending the  European Fund for Strategic Investments (“EFSI”).

On Monday, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (“ECON”)and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”)will vote on a draft report by Mady Delvaux (S&D, Luxembourg) and Juan Fernando López Aguilar  (S&D, Spain) concerning the control and checks of cash leaving or entering the European Union. The objective of these new measures is to enhance detection of money laundering and the sponsorship of illegal activities, including terrorism. The report also broadens the definition of “cash” to cover commodities such as prepaid cards or gold bars. See the Commission’s proposal here, and the draft report here.

On Thursday, MEPs from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”) will question members of the government of Hungary, given the state of the rule of law in the Member State. This session was requested by the Plenary in October, as part of the European Parliament’s assessment of whether there is any threat of serious breaches of EU values in the country.

On the same day, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, President of the Eurogroup, will attend a meeting of the  (“ECON”) to discuss the budgetary plans and then general monetary situation in the Eurozone, as well as the Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”). His successor is scheduled to be appointed on Monday, December 4, 2017, three days earlier.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, December 4, 2017

Committee on Foreign Affairs

15:00 – 18:30 

• Public hearing – Prospects for Libya in the current regional context. The hearing will assess the current political and security situation in Libya, stabilisation efforts as well as EU role, ahead of the two-years deadline of the Libyan Political Agreement
• Exchange of views with Ditmir BUSHATI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania

Committee on Development

15:00 – 18:30

• 2016 discharge: EU general budget – 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th EDFs
  • Rapporteur for the opinion: Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ (S&D, RO) – 2017/2146(DEC)
• Mid-term review of the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the European Development Fund (EDF) – Discussion with Stefano MANSERVISI, Director-General of DG DEVCO of the European Commission, in preparation for the 2018 Strategic Dialogue
• Humanitarian conditions in Libya – Discussion with Vincent COCHETEL, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Route

Committee on International Trade

15:00 – 18:30

• First discussion on EU –Singapore FTA
• Annual report on the implementation of the Common Commercial Policy (2017/2070(INI)) – discussion
  • Rapporteur: Tokia SAÏFI (EPP, FR)
• Preparations for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires – discussion

Committee on Budgets

15:00 – 18:30

Voting time

• EU guarantee to the European Investment Bank against losses under financing operations supporting investment projects outside the Union (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed)
  • Rapporteur: Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES)
• Guarantee Fund for external actions (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed)
  • Rapporteur: Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES)
• Establishing a centralised system for the identification of Member States holding conviction information on third country nationals and stateless persons (TCN) to supplement and support the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS-TCN system) (COD) – Consideration and adoption
  • Rapporteur for the opinion: Bernd KÖLMER (ECR, DE)
• European Solidarity Corps (COD) – Consideration and adoption
  • Rapporteur for the opinion: Tiemo WÖLKEN (S&D, DE)

Committee on Budgetary Control

15:00 – 18:30

• Discharge 2016: EU general budget – Discharge to Other Institutions – Discussion with the Secretary Generals of the following Other Institutions and Bodies, in the presence of the Member of the Court of Auditors responsible, Pietro RUSSO

1.European Council and the Council

2.European Data Protection Supervisor

3.Committee of Regions

4.European Economic and Social Committee

5.Court of Justice

6.Court of Auditors

7.European Ombudsman

Rapporteur: Marco VALLI (EFDD, IT)

• Trust Funds: How to manage transparency? Exchange of views with Stefano MANSERVISI, Director-General, DG DEVCO and Christian DANIELSSON, Director-General, DG NEAR

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

15:00 – 20:00

• Exchange of views with Niels THYGESEN, Chair of the European Fiscal Board (15.00-16.15)
  Votes (16.45-17.00)
• Commission proposal for a Council Decision on the appointment of the Chair of the Board of the Single Resolution Board – Vote on a report
• Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on markets in financial instruments with regard to regulatory technical standards on the trading obligation for certain derivatives (DEA) – Vote on a Recommendation for “early non-objection”

Joint meeting with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (18.30-20.00)

• Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675, as regards adding Ethiopia to the list of high-risk third countries in the table in point I of the Annex (DEA) – Discussion with Věra JOUROVÁ, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality (18.30-19.15)

Votes (19.30-20.00)

• Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675, as regards adding Ethiopia to the list of high-risk third countries in the table in point I of the Annex (DEA) – Vote on a motion for a resolution (to be confirmed)
• Controls of cash entering or leaving the Union (COD) – Vote on a report by Mady DELVAUX (S&D, LU) and Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR  (S&D, ES)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, jointly with the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee

18:30-20:00

• Adding Ethiopia to the list of high-risk third countries in the table in point I of the Annex (DEA) – discussion with Věra JOUROVÁ, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality (18.30-19.15)

Votes (19.30-20.00)

• Adding Ethiopia to the list of high-risk third countries in the table in point I of the Annex (DEA)- vote on motion for a resolution (to be confirmed)
• Controls of cash entering or leaving the Union (COD) – Vote on draft report
  • Rapporteurs Mady DELVAUX (S&D, LU) and Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES)

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, jointly with the Committee on  the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

15:00-18:30

• Public Hearing – The EU Forest Strategy – Ways to improve management of EU forests, to make them better contribute to climate action and to protect their biodiversity, measures to boost innovation and competitiveness of forest-based sectors and thus ensure their sustainable growth

Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

15:00 – 18:30

Votes

• Enforcement of the Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market, laying down a notification procedure for authorisation schemes and requirements related to services, and amending Directive 2006/123/EC and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System – Adoption of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO (S&D)
• Addressing geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers’ nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteur: Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL)
• Proportionality test before adoption of new regulation of professions – Adoption of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE)
• Implementation of Directive 2005/36/EC as regards regulation and the need for reform in professional services – Adoption of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Nicola DANTI (S&D, IT)

Committee on Transport and Tourism

09:00 – 18:30

• Monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions from and fuel consumption of new heavy-duty vehicles (COD) – Vote on a draft opinion by Nicola Caputo (S&D, IT)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

16:00 – 18:30

• Women, gender equality and climate justice (INI), rapporteur Linnéa ENGSTRÖM (Greens/EFA, SE) – Vote on draft report (17.00)

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Committee on Foreign Affairs

14:00 – 15:00

• Discussion with Adel AL JUBEIR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Discussion with Adel AL JUBEIR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Wednesday, December 6, 2017
No meetings of note

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 12:30

• Discussion on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime
• Discussion on the rule of law and Human Rights in Turkey (14.00-15.00)

Subcommittee on Security and Defence, jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs

09:00 – 12:30

• Public hearing on North Korea – Extraordinary joint hearing on North Korea to discuss the continuing deterioration of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. The aim of the hearing is to assess the threat posed by the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile build-up and possible consequences for the global non-proliferation regime

Committee on Budgetary Control

15:00 – 17:30

• 2016 discharge: EU general budget – Commission (DEC) – Exchange of views with the Secretary-General of the European Commission, Alexander ITALIANER, in the presence of the Member of the European Court of Auditors responsible, Pietro RUJSSO
  • Rapporteur: Joachim ZELLER (EPP, DE)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 12:30

• Economic Dialogue and discussion with Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, President of the Eurogroup (09.00-10.30)

Committee on Regional Development

09:00 – 18:30

• Discussion with Corina CREŢU, Commissioner for Regional Policy

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

• Hearing on Hungary
• EU-Lisa – IT systems in migration and security (COD) – Vote
  • Rapporteur Monica MACOVEI (ECR, RO)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs, jointly with the Legal Affairs Committee

09:00 – 09:45

• Interpretation and implementation of the interinstitutional agreement on Better Law-Making

Friday, December 8, 2017

• No meetings of note