Summary

Next week will be a political group week in the European Parliament.  Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will hold meetings with their political parties in preparation for the plenary week, to be held from June 12 to 15, in Strasbourg, France.

Nevertheless, a few parliamentary committee meetings will take place.

On Thursday, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (“ECON”) will vote on its report on the proposal for a Council Directive on Double Taxation Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in the European Union.  The proposal aims to enhance and make more effective dispute resolution mechanisms for firms within the EU.  The European Parliament is only consulted by the Council on this proposal, as it is subject to the “special legislative procedure”.  Nevertheless, the ECON Committee is expected to propose amendments that they believe would improve the proposal.  These include requesting that EU Member States have an adequate level of financial and technical resources to solve disputes; reinforce the integrity requirements which apply to persons in charge of dispute resolution; and avoid sanctioning tax payers before a final decision is adopted.  Once the plenary has adopted its position on the file, the Council will formally adopt their agreed position as it stands. 

On the same day, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) will vote on its draft opinion on the motion for a resolution that is being prepared by the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”) on the application of the Directive on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage (“ELD”).  The ENVI Committee suggests that the JURI Committee include the need to revise the ELD as soon as possible, and that the JURI Committee call on the Commission to impose liability for damage caused to the environment and human health, and remove the “granted permit” and “state-of-the-art” defenses, so as to promote the “polluter pays” principle and create a level playing field.  The ENVI Committee also suggests recommending that subsidiary state liability be made mandatory to ensure the proper and effective implementation of the Directive. 

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, June 5, 2017

• No meetings scheduled

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

• No meetings scheduled

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Committee on Development and Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

15:15 – 16:35

Extraordinary meeting

• Special meeting with UN Advocates to promote the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Human Rights

9:00 – 10:30

TBC

• Joint extraordinary meeting with Evo Morales, President of Bolivia

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

9:00 – 12:30

Vote

• Double Taxation Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in the European Union (CNS)

o    Rapporteur: Michael Theurer (ALDE, DE)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

9:00 – 12:30

Votes

• 2018 Budget – Mandate for the Trilogue – Adoption of draft opinion in letter form

o    Rapporteur: Adina-Ioana Vălean (EPP, RO)

• Application of Directive 2004/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage (the ‘ELD’) – Adoption of draft opinion

o    Rapporteur: Benedek Jávor (Greens/EFA, HU)

End of votes

• Implementation of environmental legislation – Action Plan for nature, people and the economy, Birds Directive and Habitats Directive

• Legitimate measures to protect whistle-blowers acting in the public interest when disclosing the confidential information of companies and public bodies – consideration of a draft opinion

o    Rapporteur: Flanagan Luke Ming (GUE/NGL)

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

9:00 – 18:30

• Presentation by the Commission of the REFIT Report on Consumer and Marketing Law

• Contracts for the online and other distance sales of goods – Presentation of Impact assessment of proposed substantial EP amendments extending the scope of the Commission proposal to offline sales

o    Rapporteur: Pascal Arimont (EPP, BE)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

9:00 – 16:45

Votes (10:00 – 10:30)

• Information exchange, early warning system and the risk of assessment procedure on new psychoactive substances (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

o    Rapporteur: Michał Boni (EPP, PL)

• Minimum provisions on the constituent elements of criminal acts and penalties in the field of illicit drug trafficking: definition of the term ‘drug’ (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations

o    Rapporteur: Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio (EPP, ES)

End of votes

• Refugees/Migrants in Italy: state of play and future scenarios- discussion with Domenico Manzione, Undersecretary of State, Ministry for the Interior (10.30)

Joint meeting with the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (12.00-12.30)

• The EU accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (NLE) – discussion on amendments

o    Co-rapporteurs: Christine Revault D’allonnes Bonnefoy (S&D, FR) and Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (EPP, SE)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

9:00 – 12:30

• Child marriages (RSP) – vote on a motion for a resolution further to a question for oral answer

• Hearing jointly with the Subcommittee on Human Rights and enlargement delegations – violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey

• Joint meeting with the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (see above)