Summary

Next week will be very busy in the European Parliament, as it is a committee week.

On Tuesday, the Constitutional Affairs Committee (“AFCO”) will vote on the composition of the European Parliament during the 2019 – 2024 legislative term.  Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will also vote on whether transnational electoral lists should be set up in the EU.  See the draft report here.

On the same day, AFCO will discuss the state of play of the Brexit negotiations with Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator, and Danuta Hübner (EPP, PL), a member of the Parliament’s Steering Group.

Also on Tuesday, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (“AGRI”) will vote on a draft resolution by Norbert Erdős (EPP, HU) on prospects and challenges for the apiculture sector in the EU.  The resolution aims to protect the health of bees, enhance efforts to combat the counterfeiting of honey, as well as support beekeepers and the consumption of honey in the European Union. See the draft resolution here.

On Thursday, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”) will vote on a draft report proposing a centralised system for EU Member States to exchange conviction information on third country nationals and stateless persons. This centralised system would supplement and support the European Criminal Records Information System. See the European Commission’s proposal here, and the LIBE Committee’s draft report here.

On the same day, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”) and the former Committee of Inquiry into Money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (“PANA”) will meet to discuss the conclusions drawn from their visit to Malta in late November 2017, where they travelled to investigate the rule of law, allegations of corruption and money laundering. MEPs will meet with Silvio Camilleri, Chief of Justice of Malta.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, January 22, 2018

Special Committee on Terrorism

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Discussion with Fabrice LEGGERI, Executive Director of Frontex
  (16.45-18.30)

Committee on International Trade

15:00 – 17:30

• Presentation by Emil Karanikolov, Minister of Economy, representing the President-in-Office of the Council, on the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency in the area of International Trade Policy

Joint debate

• Discussion on the implementation of the EU association agreement with Moldova
• Discussion on the implementation of the EU association agreement with Georgia
• Discussion on the implementation of the EU association agreement with Ukraine

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• Protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work – Consideration of amendments
  • Rapporteur: Claude ROLIN (EPP, BE)
• Hearing of candidates for appointment as EP experts to the Governing Board of the European Training Foundation (ETF) – Exchange of views with Edit BAUER, Jean-François MÉZIÈRES and Alejandro CERCAS

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

15:00 – 18:30

• Public Hearing – The Future of Defence Industrial Policy

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

15:00 – 18:30

Joint debate – Presentation by the Commission of the Goods Package

• Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee: The Goods Package: Reinforcing trust in the single market
• Proposal for a Regulation laying down rules and procedures for compliance with and enforcement of Union harmonisation legislation on products and amending Regulations and Directives – COM(2017)795
• Proposal for a Regulation on the mutual recognition of goods lawfully marketed in another Member State – COM(2017)796

Committee on Transport and Tourism

15:00 – 18:30

• See website of the Committee on Transport and Tourism

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

15:00 – 18:30

• See website of the Commission on Agriculture and Rural Development 

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• Conclusions of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU – discussion with Matti MAASIKAS, Deputy Minister for EU Affairs of the Republic of Estonia (15.00-16.00)
• Priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU – discussion with Monika PANAYOTOVA, Deputy Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency (16.00-17.00)

Committee on Petitions

15:00 – 18:30

• See website of the Commission on Petitions

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Special Committee on Terrorism

09:00 – 12:30

• Discussion with Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship (11.00-11.15)

Committee on Foreign Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Votes (09:00)

• Establishing the European Defence Industrial Development Programme aiming at supporting the competitiveness and innovative capacity of the EU defence industry – vote on an opinion (COD) by Ioan Mircea Paşcu (S&D, RO)

11:30

• Discussion with the EEAS on the situation of the Rohingyas of Myanmar

15:00

• Discussion with Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria on the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency

16:00

• The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize and the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty

Discussion with:- Leo Hoffmann-Axthelm, Representative of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Nobel Peace Prize 2017;  Alexander Kmentt, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union; Jacek Bylica, EEAS Principal Adviser and Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament

• Discussion with José Ramos Horta, former President of Timor Leste

Committee on International Trade

09:00 – 18:30

Votes starting at 10:00

• Protection against dumped and subsidised imports from countries not members of the EC – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations by Christofer Fjellner (PPE, SV)

14:30 – 16:30 Public hearing

• Screening of foreign investment in the EU (see separate programme)

16:30 – 18:30

• Presentation by Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade, on the finalisation of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
• State of play of the trade negotiations with Mercosur

Joint meeting: Committee on Culture and Education and Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

09:00 – 09:30

• Better services for skills and qualifications (Europass) (COD) – joint EMPL/CULT (CJ28) vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteurs Thomas Mann (EPP, DE) and Svetoslav Hristov Malinov (EPP, BG)

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Extraordinary joint EMPL/CULT (CJ28) meeting –  votes

• Better services for skills and qualifications (Europass) – Joint EMPL/CULT (CJ28) vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negociations
  • Rapporteurs: Thomas MANN (EPP, DE) and Svetoslav Hristov MALINOV (EPP, BG)

End of votes

• Exchange of views with Biser PETKOV (Minister of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria) – Presentation of the Bulgarian Presidency priorities in the field of employment and social affairs
• Work-life balance for parents and carers – Presentation by the Commission
  • Rapporteur: David CASA (EPP, MT)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

09:00 – 16:30

• Exchange of views with Mr Carlos MOEDAS, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, as part of the Structured Dialogue
• Exchange of views with Ms Mariya GABRIEL, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, as part of the Structured Dialogue and presentation of Cybersecurity Act
• Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Visit of Ms Temenuzhka PETKOVA, Minister of Energy and Mr Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

09:00 – 18:30

• Presentation of the Council Presidency’s programme with Emil KARANIKOLOV, Minister of Economy and Ivaylo MOSKOVSKI, Minister for Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Votes

• Approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteur: Daniel DALTON (ECR, UK)

Committee on Transport and Tourism

09:00 – 18:30

• Cross-border parcel delivery services (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations, report by Lucy Anderson (S&D, UK)
• Priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council – discussion with Ivaylo MOSKOVSKI, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

09:00 – 18:30

• Prospects and challenges for the EU apiculture sector (INI) – vote on a draft resolution by Norbert Erdős (EPP, HU)
• Priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council – discussion with Rumen PORODZANOV, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry

Committee on Culture and Education

09:00 – 18:30

• Priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council – discussion with Krasimir VALCHEV, Minister of Education and Science, Krasen KRALEV, Minister of Youth and Sport, and Boil BANOV, Minister of Culture
• Hearing on “The EU Youth Strategy” (14.30-17.00)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

09:00 – 12:30

• Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Article 50 TEU) – discussion on the state of play with Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Parliament’s coordinator for the negotiations and Danuta Maria HÜBNER (EPP, PL) member of Parliament’s Steering Group (09.00-10.00)

Votes

• Composition of the European Parliament (INL) – vote on draft report
•  
• Co-rapporteurs Danuta Maria Hübner (EPP, PL) and Pedro SILVA PEREIRA (S&D, PT)
• Revision of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission (ACI) – vote on draft report
• Rapporteur Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS (EPP, ES)

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 18:30

• Protection and non-discrimination of minorities in the EU Member States (RSP) – vote on a draft short resolution

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 18:30

In association with the Delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula

09:00 – 11:45

• Discussion on the human rights situation in Yemen

In association with the Delegation for relations with Israel

• Discussion on the status of the Arab Palestinian minority in Israel
• Discussion with the President of the Central Tibetan Administration, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay

14:30 – 15:30

• Discussion on respect for human rights in ACP countries following the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement

15:30 – 17:00

• Workshop on the expansion of the concept of human rights: impact on rights promotion and protection (see separate programme)

17:00 – 18:30

In association with the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee

• Human rights situation in Ukraine

– Presentation of a study on ‘The human rights situation in Ukraine and the EU’s response, including relevant activities of the European Parliament’

– Discussion with Crimean Tatar leaders Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov

Committee on Development

09:00 – 18:30

Votes starting at 09:00

• The next MFF: Preparing the Parliament’s position on the MFF post-2020

– vote on an opinion by Paul Rübig (PPE, AT)

11:00 – 12:00

Jointly with the Committee on International Trade (INTA)

• Discussion on EU Aid for Trade Strategy

14:30 – 16:00

• Humanitarian Aid Priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency

– Discussion with Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs 

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

• Economic dialogue and discussion Toomas TÖNISTE, Minister for Finance of Estonia and former ECOFIN President (09.00-10.30)
• Economic dialogue and discussion with Vladislav GORANOV , ECOFIN President and Minister of Finance of Bulgaria (11.00-12.30) 

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

09:00 – 18:30

• Exchange of views with Mr Neno DIMOV, Minister of Environment and Water, Bulgarian Presidency
• Exchange of views with Guy VERHOFSTADT, EP Brexit coordinator, and Elmar BROK, member of the Brexit steering group, on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU

Votes

• Binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 for a resilient Energy Union and to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and other information relevant to climate change – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteur: Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL)
• Inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry into the 2030 climate and energy framework and amending Regulation No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and other information relevant to climate change – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteur: Norbert LINS (EPP, DE)
• Vaccine hesitancy and drop in vaccination rates in Europe – Adoption of question for oral answer to the Commission, Adoption of questions for oral answer to the Council
  • Co-rapporteurs: Renate SOMMER (EPP, DE), Elena GENTILE (S&D, IT), Bolesław G. PIECHA (ECR, PL), Gesine MEISSNER (ALDE, DE), Kateřina KONEČNÁ (GUE/NGL, CZ), Marco AFFRONTE (Greens/EFA), Mireille D’ORNANO (EFDD, FR)
• Monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions from and fuel consumption of new heavy-duty vehicles – Adoption of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Damiano ZOFFOLI (S&D, IT)
• Definition, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks, the use of the names of spirit drinks in the presentation and labelling of other foodstuffs and the protection of geographical indications for spirit drinks – Adoption of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Pilar AYUSO (EPP, ES)
• The next MFF: Preparing the Parliament’s position on the MFF post-2020 – Adoption of draft opinion
  • Rapporteur: Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI (ALDE, FI)
• A European strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems – Adoption of draft opinion
  • Rapporteur: Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DE)
• European Semester for economic policy coordination: Annual Growth Survey 2018 – Adoption of draft opinion
  • Rapporteur: Nuno MELO (EPP, PT)
• 2016 discharge: EU general budget Commission – European Medicines Agency (EMA) – European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) – European Environment Agency (EEA) – European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – adoption of draft opinions
  • Rapporteur: Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN (EPP, RO)

End of votes

• Exchange of views with Ms Elżbieta BIEŃKOWSKA, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs on Follow-up to EMIS recommendations under ENVI remit

Committee on Regional Development

09:00 – 18:30

• European Investment Fund – exchange of views with Hubert COTTOGNI, Director, Head of Mandate Management, EIF
• Priorities of Bulgarian presidency of the Council – exchange of views with Tomislav DONCHEV, Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds and Economic Policies

Committee on Fisheries

09:00 – 18:30

• Priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council – discussion with Rumen PORODZANOV, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry

Committee on Legal Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Votes (10.00-11.00)

• Adapting a number of legal acts in the area of justice to Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) (Commission delegated acts) and Articles 290 and 291 TFEU (Commission delegated and implementing acts) (COD) – vote on two draft reports
  • Rapporteur József SZÁJER (EPP, HU)

Jointly with Constitutional Affairs Committee (11:00-11:45)

• Better Law-Making – interpretation and implementation of the interinstitutional agreement (INI) – discussion on draft report
  • Rapporteurs Pavel SVOBODA (EPP, CZ) and Richard CORBETT (S&D, UK)

Afternoon

• Contracts for the supply of digital content (COD) – reporting back to committee
  • Rapporteurs Evelyne GEBHARDT (S&D, DE) and Axel VOSS (EPP, DE)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Joint meeting with Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee – Room Paul-Henri Spaak (PHS) 3C050) (08.30-09.00)

• Prevention on the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteurs Krišjānis KARIŅŠ (EPP, LV) and Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL)

Interparliamentary committee meeting with national parliaments (09.00-17.40)

• The European Agenda on Migration : What about Legal Avenues and Integration?

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

11:00 – 11:45

Joint meeting with the Legal Affairs Committee

• Better Law-Making – interpretation and implementation of the interinstitutional agreement (INI) – discussion on draft report
  • Rapporteurs Pavel SVOBODA (EPP, CZ) and Richard CORBETT (S&D, UK)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

09:00 – 17:30

Joint meeting with the Committee on International Trade (09.00-09.30)

• Gender Equality in EU Trade Agreements (INI) – vote on draft report
  • Rapporteurs Eleonora FORENZA (GUE/NGL, IT) and Malin BJÖRK (GUE/NGL, SE)

VOTES (09.30-10.30)

• Recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (INI) – vote on draft report
  • Co-rapporteurs Ángela VALLINA (GUE/NGL, ES) and Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA (ALDE, ES) -Zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (GM) (RSP) – vote on question for oral answer and vote on a motion for a resolution
  • Rapporteur Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ (S&D, LT)
• Empowering women and girls through the digital sector (RSP) – vote on question for oral answer

End of votes

• Priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU – discussion with Biser PETKOV, Minister of Labour and Social Policy (10.30-11.30)
• Discussion with Barbara HENDRICKS, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador (11.30-12.30)

Thursday, January 25, 2018 

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 12:30

• See website Subcommittee on Human Rights

Committee on Development

09:00 – 12:30

• Commission proposal for negotiating directives for a post-2020 Partnership Agreement between the EU and ACP countries – Discussion with Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development (10.30-11.30)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 12:30

• Joint debate on the proposals to amend the European System of Financial Supervision – Discussion on four reports by Burkhard BALZ (EPP, DE) and Pervenche Berès (S&D, FR) (14.50-16.00)

Votes (16:00-17:00)

• Framework for the recovery and resolution of central counterparties (COD) – Vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.
• Report by Jakob von WEIZSÄCKER (S&D) and Kay SWINEBURNE (ECR, UK)
• Harmonisation of gross national income at market prices (GNI Regulation) (COD) – Vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.
• Report by Roberto GUALTIERI (S&D, IT)
• Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/2358 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/2359 as regards their dates of application (DEA) – Vote on a recommendation for “early non-objection”
• Commission Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1126/2008 adopting certain international accounting standards in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards amendments to International Financial Reporting Standard 9 (RPS) – Vote on a recommendation for “early non-objection”
• Mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements (CNC) – Vote on a report by Emmanuel MAUREL (S&D, FR)
• Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the EU, of the Bilateral Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on prudential measures regarding insurance and reinsurance (NLE) – Vote on a report by Roberto GUALTIERI (S&D, IT)
• Banking Union – Annual Report 2017 (INI) – Vote on a report by Sander LOONES (ECR, BE)
• Nomination of an EP representative to the “European Statistical Advisory Committee”

End of votes

• Workshop on Competition in air transport (17.00-18.00)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

09:00 – 12:30

• Location of the seat of the European Medicines Agency – Consideration of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT)

Presentation of the Council Presidency’s programme

• Exchange of views with Mr Kiril ANANIEV, Minister of Health, Bulgarian Presidency

Committee on Regional Development

09:00 – 12:30

• Workshop on the “7th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion” (9.45-11.30)

Committee on Fisheries

09:00 – 12:30

• Hearing on the “Multiannual plan for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea” (9.00 – 11.30)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

• LIBE-PANA ad-hoc Delegation to Malta, 30 November-01 December 2017 – presentation of draft report and discussion with Silvio CAMILLERI, Chief of Justice Malta (to be confirmed) (09.00-10.00)
• EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies’ network: report on 2017 activities and priorities for cooperation in 2018 – discussion with Alexis GOOSDEEL, Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Virginija LANGBAKK, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) (10.00-10.45)

(10.45-11.00)

• Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled employment (COD)- reporting back to committee on interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteur Claude MORAES (S&D, UK)
• Union Resettlement Framework (COD) – reporting back to committee on interinstitutional negotiations
  • Rapporteur Malin BJÖRK (GUE/NGL, SE)

VOTES (11.00-12.30)

• 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) – vote on draft report and vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations and on the composition of the negotiating team
  • Rapporteur Daniel DALTON (ECR, UK)
• Fundamental Rights in the EU in 2016 – annual report (INI) – vote on draft report
  • Rapporteur Frank ENGEL (EPP, LU)

 end of votes

• Joint debate with the EP Delegation for relations with Maghreb countries (DMAG) – debriefing by the EEAS and UNHCR from the Foreign Affairs Council discussion on 22 February 2018 on Libya (14.20-15.00)
• US Microsoft case (US of America v Microsoft Corporation) – MEPs brief of amicus curiae submitted to the US Supreme Court – discussion with Jan Philipp ALBRECHT (Greens/EFA, DE), LIBE Vice-Chair and former General Data Protection Regulation Rapporteur (15.00-15.30)