Summary

Next week is a constituency week for Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”).  MEPs will go back to their home countries to handle national issues, or convene in their parliamentary delegations to work on matters related to non-EU Member States.

This past week was important however, as many significant initiatives were adopted by the Parliament.

On Tuesday, MEPs approved a draft report by the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (“IMCO”) on geo-blocking.  The new rules ban unjustified geo-blocking and allow online consumers wider cross-border access to products, hotel bookings, concert tickets or car rentals.  Vendors will be compelled to treat online EU customers in the same manner as local customers.  However, the report does not compel e-commerce vendors to deliver their products to all EU countries.  See the report here.

Also on Tuesday, MEPs approved the mandate of a new Special Committee on Pesticides, which was established following a risk assessment of the herbicide glyphosate, whose license was renewed for five years in November 2017.

On Wednesday, MEPs voted in favor of a draft report by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (“AFCO”) on the composition of the European Parliament.  The report provides that the number of MEPs should decrease from 751 to 705 once the UK leaves the EU.  However, MEPs rejected the idea of “transnational” electoral lists throughout the EU.  See the report here.

Meetings and Agenda

No official meetings in the European Parliament are planned before February 19, 2017.