Summary

Next week is a committee week in the European Parliament.  It is also the last week of parliamentary activities before the summer break.  The Parliament will resume its activities on August 27, 2018.

The Week Ahead in the European Parliament will therefore return on August 24, 2018.

On Monday afternoon, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) will discuss the amendments tabled to the draft report on Health Technology Assessment (“HTA”) prepared by Rapporteur Soledad Cabezón Ruiz (S&D, Spain).  HTA is a multidisciplinary assessment process that seeks to evaluate the added therapeutic value of health technologies (i.e., drugs, certain medical devices, medical treatments including surgical procedures, and measures for disease prevention and diagnosis) based on both clinical and non-clinical elements.  The proposal aims to overcome a number of problems which, according to the report, cannot be sufficiently addressed without regulation at the EU-level.  See the proposal for a regulation here, the draft parliamentary report here and the amendments tabled to the draft report here and here.

On Tuesday, the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (“ITRE”) is expected to vote on a report on the “EU Cybersecurity Agency” and on the “Cybersecurity Act”.   The report aims to provide the Parliament’s position on the proposal for a regulation that the Commission introduced on October 4, 2017.  The proposal seeks to introduce an EU cybersecurity certification mechanism for software and hardware products, such as smart domestic appliances (including washers, dryers, refrigerators).  It also seeks to reinforce the role of ENISA, the EU Cybersecurity Agency.  See the draft report here and the proposed amendments to the draft report here and here. The Commission proposal can be found here.

On Thursday, the ENVI Committee will consider its draft opinion on the report on dual quality of products in the Single Market.  The report is being prepared by the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (“IMCO”).  The objective is to prevent the same branded products from being sold with different characteristics (e.g., lower quality ingredients or less product in the same packaging) depending on the Member States or the regions in which they are placed on the market.   Among others, the report calls on the Commission to amend Annex I of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (“UCPD”) to include dual quality as a blacklisted practice under the UCPD.  See ENVI’s draft opinion here,  IMCO’s draft report here, and the proposed amendments to the draft report here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, July 9, 2018

Committee on International Trade

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Public hearing: The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement: Taking a close look at a landmark trade deal. After the closure of trade talks with Japan, the Commission has handed over the deal to Council, and it will arrive to Parliament in the autumn. This is the first discussion of the merits of the proposed agreement in the format of a hearing. (15:00 – 17:00)

Committee on Regional Development

17:00 – 18:00

Votes

• Increase of the financial envelope of the Structural Reform Support Programme and adapt its general objective (COD) – adoption of draft report by Ruža Tomašić (ECR)

Committee on Budgets

17:00 – 18:30

• Exchange of views on European Parliament’s building policy in the presence of the Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament in charge of the building policy and the Secretary General

• Exchange of views on Institutions’ building policy: European Commission, European External Action Service

• Annual meeting with EU Agencies – Exchange of views

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

15:00 – 18:00
Debates

• Monetary Dialogue with Mario DRAGHI, President of the European Central Bank

• Public Hearing with Mario DRAGHI, Chairman of the European Systemic Risk Board

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

15:00 – 17:00

• Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

17:00 – 18:30

• Report on “High speed broadband infrastructure”, Presentation by Ms Iliana IVANOVA, European Court of Auditors

• Fair market for industry, Exchange of views with Ms Margrethe VESTAGER, European Commissioner for Competition

Committee on Transport and Tourism

15:00 – 18:30

• Exchange of views with EIB Vice-President, Vazil HUDÁK, on transport funding

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

17:00 – 18:30

• Exchange of views with Juliane BOGNER-STRAUß, Federal Minister for Women, Families and Youth (replacing Elisabeth Köstinger, Federal Minister for Sustainability and Tourism) on the priorities of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the field of agriculture

• Exchange of views with Bernhard URL, Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Committee on Legal Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Priorities of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union – exchange of views with Dr.Josef MOSER, Minister of Justice of Austria (15.00-16.00)

• Hearing on expedited settlement of commerical disputes (16.30-17.30) – Draft programme will be available here

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

• European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation and Training (Europol) – exchange of views with Catherine DE BOLLE, Executive Director of Europol (15.10-16.00)

• Priorities of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the area of Justice and Home Affairs – presentations by Herbert KICKL, Federal Minister of the Interior of Austria and Josef MOSER, Federal Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Reforms, Deregulation and Justice of Austria (16.30-18.00)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

15:00 – 18:30

• Hearing on Action Plan on tackling the gender pay gap (15.00-17.00). Participants include the Commission’s Director-General of Justice and Consumers as well as representatives from both employers and employees and academia. The Action Plan presents ongoing and upcoming measures taken by the Commission to combat the gender pay gap

Tuesday, July 10, 2018 

Committee on Foreign Affairs

14:30 – 18:30

Debates

• Exchange of views with Karin KNEISSL, Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria, on the priorities of the Austrian Presidency

Committee on International Trade

09:20 – 12:30

Debates

• Presentation of the study “Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Singapore (EUSFTA) – Analysis”

• Council Decision on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore (2018/0093(NLE))

  • Rapporteur: David MARTIN (S&D, UK)

• Investment Protection Agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Singapore of the other part (2018/0095(NLE))

  • Rapporteur: David MARTIN (S&D, UK)

Committee on Budgets

09:00 – 17:30

• Jointly with the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) – Financing the development of a common defence policy – Exchange of views with European Commission and European External Action Service (14.30 – 16.00)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Joint committee meeting (Rule 55) of ITRE, ENVI (room PHS 3C050)

• Exchange of views with Ms Beate HARTINGER-KLEIN, Austrian Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection

• Next steps toward an EU action plan to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – Exchange of views with representatives of the Multi-stakeholder Platform on SDGs, the European Commission and the United Nations

Votes

• Implementation of the Medical Devices and In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulations – Adoption of question for oral answer

  • Co-rapporteurs: Mairead MCGUINNESS (EPP, IE), Biljana BORZAN (S&D, HR), Bolesław G. PIECHA (ECR, PL), Gesine MEISSNER (ALDE, DE), Margrete AUKEN (Greens/EFA, DA), Kateřina KONEČNÁ (GUE/NGL, CZ), Piernicola PEDICINI (EFDD, IT), Joëlle MÉLIN (ENF, FR)

• Nominal quantities for placing on the Union market of single distilled shochu produced by pot still and bottled in Japan – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN (EPP, RO)

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a multiannual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish and amending Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006 and (EU) 2017/2107 – Adoption of amendments

  • Rapporteur: Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN (EPP, RO)

• Implementation of the Plant Protection Products Regulation EC/1107/2009 – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Pavel POC (S&D, CZ)

• A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE)

• Deployment of infrastructure for alternative fuels in the European Union: Time to act! – Adoption of draft opinion

  • Rapporteur: Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DA)

• Rules and procedures for compliance with and enforcement of Union harmonisation legislation on products – Adoption of draft opinion –

  • Rapporteur: Miroslav MIKOLÁŠIK (EPP, SK)

• Protecting the EU’s internal market and consumer rights against the negative implications of the illegal trade in companion animals –

• Adoption of motion for a resolution

  • Co-rapporteurs: Renate SOMMER (EPP, DE), Pavel POC (S&D, CZ), Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), Catherine BEARDER (ALDE, UK), Keith TAYLOR (Greens/EFA, UK), Stefan ECK (GUE/NGL, DE), Mireille D’ORNANO (EFDD, FR), Joëlle MÉLIN (ENF, FR)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Visit of Heinz FAßMANN, Austrian Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research (research, nuclear issues), and Margaret SCHRAMBÖCK, Austrian Federal Minister for Economic and Digital Affairs (industry, digital agenda)

• Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Visit of Heinz FAßMANN, replacing Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Austrian Federal Minister for Sustainability and Tourism (energy)

• Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Visit of Norbert HOFER, Austrian Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology (ICT, space)

• Common rules for the internal market in electricity (recast) – Reporting back to committee on the negotiations (Rule 69f(3))

  • Rapporteur: Krišjānis KARIŅŠ (EPP, LV)

Votes

• Joint meeting of ITRE and ENVI to vote on the provisional agreement on “Governance of the Energy Union”

• European Electronic Communications Code (Recast) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Dita CHARANZOVÁ (ALDE, CZ)

• Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

• Rapporteur: Evžen TOŠENOVSKÝ (ECR, CZ)

  • Energy efficiency – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations – Rapporteur: Miroslav POCHE (S&D, CZ)

• Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: José BLANCO LÓPEZ (S&D, ES)

Committee on Transport and Tourism

09:00 – 18:30

Votes

• Common rules for certain types of combined transport of goods between Member States (COD) – adoption of draft report; vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, rapporteur Daniela Aiuto (EFDD, IT)

• Presentation of Austrian Presidency priorities by Austrian Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology, Mr Norbert HOFER

• Public hearing on “Airline distribution channel discrimination” (15.30-17.30)

Committee on Regional Development

Time TBD

Votes

• Boosting growth and cohesion in EU border regions (INI) – adoption of draft report by Krzysztof Hetman (EPP, PL)

• Exchange of views with Alexis CHARITSIS, Alternate Minister of Economy and Development of the Hellenic Republic, on the implementation of Regulation 2015/1839

• Exchange of views with Juliane BOGNER-STRAUß, President in office of the Council, on the priorities of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

09:00 – 18:30

Votes

• Equivalence of field inspections carried out in Brazil (on fodder plant seed-producing crops and cereal seed-producing crops, and of fodder plant seed and cereal seed produced in Brazil) and in Moldova (on cereal seed-producing crops, vegetable seed-producing crops and oil and fibre plant seed- producing crops, and cereal seed, vegetable seed and oil and fibre plant seed produced in Moldova) (COD) – adoption of draft report by Czesław Adam Siekierski (EPP, PL)

• Manufacture, placing on the market and use of medicated feed and repealing Council Directive 90/167/EEC (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

• Rapporteur: Clara Eugenia AGUILERA GARCÍA (S&D, ES)

Committee on Legal Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Votes (10.00-10.30)

• Law applicable to the third-party effects of assignments of claims (COD), adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Pavel SVOBODA (EPP, CZ)

Debates

• Hearing on EU Administrative Law: towards an open, efficient and independent European Union administration (15.00-17.00). The purpose of the hearing is to present and discuss the results of the public consultation and the Impact Assessment of the Proposal for a Regulation on open, efficient and independent European Union administration as included in the European Parliament resolution(2016/2610(RSP) adopted on 9 June 2016. Draft programme

• Exchange of views with Elżbieta BIEŃKOWSKA, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (17.00-17.45)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Votes (09.50-10.00)

• Countering money laundering by criminal law (COD), vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Ignazio CORRAO (EFDD, IT)

• Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data (COD), vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE)

• Mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders (COD), vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

• Rapporteur Nathalie GRIESBACK (ALDE, FR)

• EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) (COD), vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations,

  • Rapporteur: Axel VOSS (EPP, DE)

• Possibly Listing of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Kosovo*) (COD), vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Tanja FAJON (S&D, SI)

Debates

• Third LIBE Security dialogue on “Implementation and State of Play of the Prüm Decisions and EU PNR” – exchange of views with Julian KING, Commissioner for the Security Union (10.00-11.30)

• Structured dialogue with Dimitros AVRAMOPOULOS, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship (11.30-13.00)

• Hearing “Visa Code and Humanitarian visas” With this hearing, the LIBE committee seeks the input of stakeholders and experts for its further works. The first part of the hearing will focus on the proposal for the new Visa Code and the second session on humanitarian visas. (15.30-18.30).

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

09:00 – 13:00

Debates

• Priorities of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union – presentation of Austria’s programme by Juliane BOGNER-STRAUß, Federal Minister within the Federal Chancellery for Women, Families and Youth (10.00-11.00)

Votes

• Measures to prevent and combat mobbing and sexual harassment at workplace, in public spaces, and political life in the EU (INI), adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT)

• General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019 – all sections (BUD), adoption of budget amendments

  • Rapporteur: Malin BJÖRK (GUE/NGL, SE)

• Gender budgeting: state of play and way forward (RSP), adoption of question for oral answer

  • Rapporteur: Angelika MLINAR (ALDE, AT)

Wednesday, July 11, 2018 

Special Committee on Terrorism

09:00 – 17:00

Debates

• Exchange of views with Philippe PRADAL, Deputy Mayor of Nice on the security of public spaces and counter-terrorism urban security initiatives (10.30-12.30)

• Exchange of views with Javed PATEL, UK Deputy Director of the Counter Terrorism and Extremism Network, Europe on the UK CT Strategy “CONTEST” (15.00-15.45)

• Exchange of views with Günther OETTINGER, Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources (15.45-17.00)

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Exchange of views on the general human rights situation in Iraq with a particular focus on the Christian and Yezidi religious minorities

• Jointly with the Committee on Development – Hearing on Cocoa and Coffee – devastating rainforests and driving child labour: the role of EU consumption and how the EU could help (14.30 – 17.00)

Committee on Development

09:00 – 12:30

Votes

• The EU’s input to a UN Binding Instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with transnational characteristics with respect to human rights (2018/2656(RSP)) – Adoption of motion for a resolution

  • Rapporteur: Linda McAVAN (S&D, UK)

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs – Public hearing “Nuclear Deterrence” (10.30 – 12.30)

• Exchange of views with Ambassador Joanneke BALFOORT, Representative to the Political and Security Committee, The Netherlands

Committee on Budgetary Control

09:00 – 18:30

• Interparliamentary Conference on “Sound management of EU funds: the EP budgetary control powers”

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Public Hearing with Elke KÖNIG, Chairperson of the Single Resolution Board (SRB)

• Economic dialogue and exchange of views with Hartwig LÖGER, ECOFIN President and Minister of Finance of Austria

Votes

• Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Sophia in ‘t VELD (ALDE, NL)

• Tax treatment of pension products, including the pan-European Personal Pension Product – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Sophia in ‘t VELD (ALDE, NL)

• Common system of value added tax as regards the special scheme for small enterprises – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Tom VANDENKENDELAERE (EPP, BE)

• Relationships between the EU and third countries concerning financial services regulation and supervision – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Brian HAYES (EPP, IE)

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Exchange of views with Minister Beate HARTINGER-KLEIN (Austrian Federal Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection)

Votes

• Access to social protection for workers and the self-employed – Adoption of questions for oral answer

• Work-life balance for parents and carers – Adoption of draft report, Vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: David CASA (EPP, MT)

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• Presentation of the Council Presidency’s programme with Margarete SCHRAMBÖCK, Austrian Federal Minister of Economy

• Public hearing – Better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection rules

  • Rapporteur: Daniel DALTON (ECR, UK)

Votes

• Dual quality of products in the Single Market – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Olga SEHNALOVÁ (S&D, CZ)

• Free flow of non-personal data in the European Union – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Anna Maria CORAZZA BILDT (EPP, SV)

• Establishing a single digital gateway to provide information, procedures, assistance and problem solving services – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Marlene MIZZI (S&D, MT)

• Setting out the conditions and procedure by which the Commission may request undertakings and associations of undertakings to provide information in relation to the internal market and related areas – Adoption of draft report

  • Rapporteur: Eva MAYDELL (EPP, BG)

Committee on Fisheries

09:00 – 18:30

• Exchange of views with Thomas OBERREITER, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the EU, on the priorities of the Austrian Presidency

• Exchange of views with Virachai PLASAI, Thai ambassador and head negotiatior, on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

Committee on Culture and Education

09:00 – 18:30

Votes

• Coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services in view of changing market realities (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteurs: Petra Kammerevert (S&D, DE) and Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE)

• European Solidarity Corps (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

  • Rapporteur: Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, DE)

• Presentation of the priorities of the Austrian Presidency by Minister for Education, Heinz FAßMANN, Minister for Youth, Juliane BOGNER-STRAUß, Minister for Culture, Gernot BLÜMEL, and Minister for Sports, Heinz-Christian STRACHE

• Public hearing on the “New European Agenda for Culture” (15.00 – 17.00)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

• The impact of the UK withdrawal on the EU integration – presentation by the Executive Director of Brexit Analysis, of a study commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (09.10-10.00)

• Proposal for amending Parliament’s Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties (INL), exchange of views with the European Ombudsman, Emily O’REILLY (11.20-11.50)

• Priorities of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU – presentation of the programme by Gernot BLÜMEL, Federal Minister within the Federal Chancellery for the EU, Arts, Culture and Media (15.00-16.00)

Joint meeting: Constitutional Affairs and Petitions committees

11:50 – 12:30

Debates

• Ombudsman’s strategic inquiry O1/2017 on the transparency of legislative discussions in the preparatory bodies of the Council of the EU, exchange of views with the European Ombudsman, Emily O’REILLY

  • Rapporteur: Yana TOOM (ALDE, EE)

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 18:30

• Petitions for discussion relating to waste management, animal welfare, alleged discrimination and LGBTI rights and the health implications of palm oil

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Special Committee on Terrorism

09:00 – 12:30

• Public Hearing: The Security of Critical Infrastructures and Public Spaces Members will look in detail into mitigating the terrorist risk for critical infrastructure and public spaces, the prospective incidence of terrorism on cyber security and the security of transport. The hearing will end with an outlook on the reappraising EU critical infrastructure policy and system.

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 12:30

Debates

• Exchange of views with Myria VASSILIADOU, EU anti-trafficking coordinator, and Dr Esohe AGHATISE, International lawyer on the occasion of the World Day against trafficking in persons (30 July) (9.00 – 12.30)

Committee on Budgetary Control

09:00 – 12:30

Debates

• Investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) as regards cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the effectiveness of OLAF investigations (COD) – Presentation by Günther H. OETTINGER, Commissioner responsible for Budget and Human Resources

  • Rapporteur: Ingeborg GRÄSSLE (EPP, DE)

• The OLAF Annual Report 2017 – Exchange of views with OLAF Acting Director General, Nicolas ILETT

Committee on Budgets

09:00 – 18:30

Voting time

• 2019 budget – Trilogue mandate (BUD) – Consideration and adoption

  • Rapporteur: Daniele VIOTTI (S&D, IT)

• Draft amending Budget No 3 to the General Budget 2018 – Extension of the Facility for refugees in Turkey (BUD) –

  • Rapporteur: Siegfried MURESAN (EPP, RO) – Consideration and adoption

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 12:00
Debates

• Economic dialogue and exchange of views with Hartwig LÖGER, ECOFIN President and Minister of Finance of Austria

• Exchange of views, including on the ‘EMU package’ proposals, with Olaf SCHOLZ, Federal Minister of Finance and Vice-Chancellor of Germany

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

09:00 – 12:30

Debates

• Public hearing – Late Payments: The impact and the state of implementation of the Late Payment Directive in the Member States