Summary

After this week’s plenary in Strasbourg, the upcoming week will see the Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) gather in Brussels for a committee and political group week.  Next week also marks the 30th anniversary for the European Parliament’s annual Sakharov Prize, awarded to individuals or groups who have made an exceptional contribution to the defense of  human rights.

On Monday, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (“AGRI”) and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) will hold a public hearing on labeling of origin for agricultural and food products.  Representatives from the Commission, Member States and the food sector will inform the Committees on how national labelling schemes work on the ground and whether existing EU rules are sufficient enough to respond to consumers’ demand for transparency and the needs of actors throughout the food supply chain.

On the same day, the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (“IMCO”) will vote on the adoption of the draft report on the proposal for a regulation on the free flow of non-personal data in the European Union, as presented by rapporteur Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (EPP, Sweden).  The proposal aims to take away existing barriers that prevent the free flow of non-personal data within the EU.  It is expected that this will create a significant increase in EU GDP.  See the draft report here, and the proposal for a regulation here.

Later that day, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”) will hold a hearing on the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica case.  Among the speakers are former employees from both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.  They will discuss the use of Facebook users’ data by Cambridge Analytica and its impact on data protection.  The draft agenda of the hearing is available here.

On Thursday morning, the ENVI Committee will consider the draft report on Health Technology Assessment (“HTA”) from 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 draft report here, and the proposal for a regulation here.

Also on Thursday, the Committee on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance will debate taxation and fight against money laundering concerning crypto currencies, digitalization and the European semester.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, June 4, 2018 

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

15:00 – 18:00

• Public Hearing on “Labelling of Origin for Agricultural and Food Products”

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

15:00 – 18:30

• Free flow of non-personal data in the European Union – Adoption of draft report
• Rapporteur: Anna Maria CORAZZA BILDT (EPP, SV)

Committee on Transport and Tourism

16:00 – 18:30

Mobility package vote:

• Amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards on minimum requirements on maximum daily and weekly driving times, minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods and Regulation (EU) 165/2014 as regards positioning by means of tachographs (COD) – adoption of draft report by Wim van de Camp (EPP, NL); vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.
• Enforcement requirements and specific rules for posting drivers in the road transport sector (COD) – adoption of draft report by Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL, FI); vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.
• Amending Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 with a view to adapting them to developments in the sector (COD) – adoption of draft report by Ismail Ertug (S&D, DE); vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:00 – 20:00

• Hearing on “Supporting Niger, key cross-road of migrations to the EU” Members of Foreign Affairs and Development committees are invited (15.00-17.00) – draft programme will be available here
• Hearing on the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica Case – Part 1: Use of Facebook users’ data by Cambridge Analytica and impact on EU citizens’ data protection – in association with Constitutional Affairs, Industry and Legal Affairs committees (17.30-20.00) – draft programme will be available here

Tuesday, June 5, 2018 

• No meetings of note

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 

• No meetings of note

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Special Committee on the Union’s authorisation procedure for pesticides

14:00 – 17:30

Debates

• Hearing on EU authorisation procedure for pesticides – EFSA opinion on draft assessment reports and ECHA classification of active substances

Special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance

14:00 – 18:00

Debates

• Workshop on “Taxation and fight against Money Laundering: Crypto Currencies, Digitalisation and the European Semester”

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

09:00 – 12:30

Debates

• Commission presentation: EGF mid-term review as an introduction to the proposal for the next MFF – Exchange of views with Commission representatives

Votes

• Pathways for the reintegration of workers recovering from injury and illness into quality employment – Adoption of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ (ECR, SK)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

09:00 – 12:30

Debates

• Implementation of the Plant Protection Products Regulation EC/1107/2009 – Consideration of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Pavel POC (S&D, CZ)
• Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on health technology assessment and amending Directive 2011/24/EU – Consideration of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ (S&D, ES)
• Deployment of infrastructure for alternative fuels in the European Union: Time to act! – Consideration of draft opinion
  • Rapporteur: Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DA)
• Quality of water intended for human consumption (recast) – Consideration of draft report
  • Rapporteur: Michel DANTIN (EPP, FR)

Committee on Transport and Tourism

09:00 – 12:30

Debates

• Port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships (COD) – presentation by the Commission

Committee on Culture and Education

09:00 – 12:30

Votes

• Import of cultural goods (COD) – vote on draft opinion by Santiago Fisas Ayxelà (EPP, ES)