Summary

This past week was a plenary week in the European Parliament, during which many significant initiatives were adopted by the Parliament.

Last Tuesday, MEPs approved new EU-wide rules for shopping online, in an attempt to protect consumers against fraud and to stop rogue traders in a more efficient manner. Through the revised Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) regulation, national enforcement authorities will gain increased capabilities to detect and stop breaches of consumer protection laws online. The coordination between EU Member States will also be improved.

On the same day, MEPs debated the “Paradise Papers”, the latest leak of documents that show how individuals seek to minimise their tax liabilities. In a statement, MEPs called on EU Member States to crack down on tax avoidance.

Last Wednesday, after a fierce debate in the plenary, MEPs adopted a resolution wherein they called on the Council to trigger Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union against Poland. In the resolution, MEPs states that basic European values are at risk in Poland. The triggering of Article 7 could result in the suspension of Poland’s voting rights in the Council of the EU, but would most likely be vetoed by Hungary.

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

On Tuesday, the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (“IMCO”), jointly with the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”), will vote on a draft report on new consumer protection rules that will protect buyers when digital goods purchased online, such as games, films or music, are defective and fail to work. The safeguards include guarantee periods and refunds.

On the same day, the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”) will vote on a draft report and on whether to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on a regulation concerning copyright and related rights applicable to online transmissions of broadcasting organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes. The regulation would facilitate the distribution of online TV and radio contents across the EU.

On Thursday, the Committee on International Trade (“INTA”) will vote on a draft report on setting up an EU regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering, technical assistance and transit of dual-use items. The draft report strengthens export control on these items, which can include cyber-surveillance technologies, chemicals, explosive-resistant armour, radio equipment and lasers, among others.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, November 20, 2017

Committee on Development

15:00 – 18:30 

In the context of the European Parliament African Week

• The Joint Africa-EU Strategy-  Presentation of a study by the authors: Nicoletta PIROZZI, Nicoló SARTORI and Bernardo VENTURI, Istituto Affari Internazionali (Italy)

• Investment windows under the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) and next steps for its implementation – discussion with Roberto RIDOLFI, Director, DG DEVCO, European Commission and Michael LANDAU, CEO of CTI Africa

Committee on Budgetary Control

15:00 – 18:30

• European Court of Auditors (ECA) – Annual work programme 2018 – Presentation by Klaus-Heiner LEHNE, President of the European Court of Auditors

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

15:00 – 17:15

• Monetary Dialogue with Mario DRAGHI, President of the European Central Bank (15.00-17.00)

• Discussion with Mario DRAGHI, Chairman of the European Systemic Risk Board (17.00-18.00)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

15:00 – 18:30

• Public Hearing – European Citizens’ Initiative “Ban glyphosate and Protect People and the Environment from Toxic Pesticides”

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

15:00 – 18:30

• Discussion with Pierre MOSCOVICI, Commissioner responsible for Taxation and Customs Union, Economic and Financial Affairs

Committee on Legal Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• Vote on draft report on the request for the waiver of the immunity of Ana GOMES (S&D, PT) (IMM)

• Rapporteur Laura FERRARA (EFDD, IT)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• The pilot project “Creation of a European Coastguard Function” presentation of the results by representatives from Frontex, European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency

Tuesday, November 21, 2017 

Committee on Foreign Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Voting (9:00)

• Adoption of amendments on the recommendation to the Council, the Commission, and the EEAS on Hong Kong, 20 years after handover

  • Rapporteur: Alyn SMITH (Greens, UK)

Public Hearing (10.30)

• Mid-term review of the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA II): matching funding with political priorities

Interparliamentary Committee Meeting with representatives from the National Parliaments (15.00)

• The perspectives of EU integration and the accession process of the Western Balkans

Committee on Development

09:00 – 18:30

Voting (9:00 – 9:30)

• Adoption of draft opinion on Gender Equality in EU Trade Agreements (2017/2015(INI))

• Rapporteur: Lola Sánchez Caldentey (GUE/NGL, ES)

End of voting (15.00 – 17.15)

• Discussion on enhancing developing countries’ debt sustainability (2016/2241(INI))

  • Rapporteur: Charles GOERENS (ALDE, BE)

Committee on Budgetary Control

09:00 – 18:30

• Evaluation report on the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) Regulation 883/2013 – Presentation of the evaluation report by Commissioner Günther OETTINGER, responsible for Budget and Human Resources, followed by the presentation of the opinion of the OLAF Supervisory Committee.

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

• Structured Dialogue with Valdis DOMBROVSKIS, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (09.00-10.45)

• Votes (11.45-12.30)

• Vote on a report on European Central Bank Annual Report for 2016

  • Rapporteur: Jonás FERNÁNDEZ (S&D, ES)

• End of votes

• Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) –  (14.30-16.00)

• Structured Dialogue with Margrethe VESTAGER, Commissioner for Competition (16.45-18.15)

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

09:00 – 17:00

• Better services for skills and qualifications (Europass) – Report back from the 2nd trilogue

  • Rapporteurs: Thomas MANN (EPP, DE), Svetoslav Hristov MALINOV (EPP, BG)

• Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union

  • Rapporteur: Jérôme LAVRILLEUX (EPP, FR)

• European Parliament’s Africa Week – Exchange of views on Youth Investment in Africa and the EU

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

09:00 – 18:30 

Votes

• Adoption of draft opinion on the internal market for electricity (recast)

  • Rapporteur: Ivo BELET (EPP, BE)

• Adoption of draft opinion on common rules for the internal market in electricity (recast)

  • Rapporteur: Pavel POC (S&D, CZ)

• Adoption of draft opinion on the role of EU regions and cities in implementing the COP 21 Paris Agreement on climate change

  • Rapporteur: Gilles PARGNEAUX (S&D, FR)

End of votes

• African week: exchange of views on communicable diseases with Dr Matshidiso MOETI, WHO Regional Director for Africa

• Exchange of views with the Commission on the state of play on 4th Real-Driving Emissions package (RDE4)

• Implementation session on food safety legislation – Exchange of views with Commission representatives

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, jointly with the Committee on Legal Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

• Contracts for the supply of digital content – Adoption of Draft report – Rapporteurs: Evelyne GEBHARDT (S&D, DE), Axel VOSS (EPP, DE)

Committee on Fisheries

09:00 – 12:30

• TACs and quotas for 2018 in the Baltic Sea – discussion with the Presidency in exercise of the Council

• Vote on draft recommendation for second reading on sustainable management of external fishing fleets

• Rapporteur: Linnéa Engström (Greens/EFA, SE)

• Vote on draft report, vote on decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on conservation of fishery resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Gabriel Mato (EPP, ES)

• Vote on draft report, vote on decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention Area of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO)

  • Rapporteur: Linnéa Engström (Greens/EFA, SE)

Committee on Legal Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Joint meeting with the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (09.00-10.00)

• Vote on draft report on contracts for the supply of digital content

  • Rapporteurs: Evelyne GEBHARDT (S&D, DE) and Axel VOSS (EPP, DE)

Votes (10.00-11.00)

• Vote on draft report and vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on copyright and related rights applicable to certain online transmissions of broadcasting organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes

  • Rapporteur Tiemo WÖLKEN (S&D, DE)

End of votes

• Workshop on planning cross-border succession: easy or challenging task? (15.15-16.00)

• Hearing on corporate social responsibility (16.30-18.30)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

08:15 – 18:30

Joint meeting with the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (08.15-09.00)

• Discussion with Emily O’REILLY, European Ombudsman (09.00-09.45)

• Progress towards the interoperability of EU information systems – discussion with Sir Julian KING, European Commissioner for the Security Union and Andres ANVELT, Minister for the Interior, Republic of Estonia, Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU (14.30-16.00)

• Mass surveillance by intelligence services – Fundamental Rights Agency report on mass surveillance by intelligence services – fundamental rights safeguards and remedies in the EU commissioned by the EP as a follow-up to the LIBE resolution – discussion with Mario OETHEIMER, Freedoms & Justice Department, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (16.00-17.00)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

• Hearing on the constitutional implications of the different scenarios for the future of the Union (10.30-12.30)

• Workshop on Brexit and the issue of the jurisdiction over the Withdrawal Agreement and the future relationship agreement between the EU and the UK (14.30-16.00)

• Vote on draft report on the Statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations

  • Co-rapporteurs: Mercedes BRESSO (S&D, IT) and Rainer WIELAND (EPP, DE)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

09:30 – 18:30

• Discussion of draft report on gender equality in the media sector in the EU (INI)

  • Rapporteur Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ)

• Discussion of draft report on EU priorities for the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

  • Rapporteur Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA (ALDE, ES) –

• Fighting gender-based violence: discussion with a delegation of parliamentarians from Morocco (10.30-11.30)

• Interparliamentary committee meeting on combating violence against women at national and EU level (15.00-18.30)  

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Special Committee on Terrorism

09:00 – 12:30

In camera

• Local human intelligence: holistic approach at local level – how to reduce blind spots in the fight against terrorism – discussion with Saad AMRANI, Chief Commissioner and Policy Adviser of the Belgian Federal Police (09.00-11.00)

• Terrorist threat to Europe and the role of the EU Intelligence and Situation Centre (EU INTCEN) in providing intelligence-based strategic situational awareness to EU institutions and Member States – discussion with Gerhard CONRAD, Director of EU INTEN (11.00-12.30)

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 15:30

Public hearing, 10.30 – 12.30

• Freedom of religion or belief: the situation of persecuted minorities, notably Christians

14.30 – 15.30

• Discussion on the rights of indigenous people, notably in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Brazil and Chile

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

09:00 – 15:30

Public hearing 14.30 – 16.30

• “The security dimension of climate change – what implications for EU Common Security and Defence Policy?”

Workshop, 16.30 – 18.30

• “The future of the European Defence Agency”

Committee on International Trade

09:00 – 12:30

In camera

• The Union’s Trade Defence Instruments – discussion

17.00 – 18.00

• Consideration of draft report on further macro-financial assistance to Georgia

  • Rapporteur: Hannu TAKKULA (ALDE, FI)

18.00 – 18.30 (joint committee procedure (Rule 55))

• Gender Equality in EU Trade Agreements (2017/2015(INI))

  • Rapporteurs: Eleonora FORENZA (GUE/NGL, IT) and Malin BJÖRK (GUE/NGL, SE)

Committee on Budgets

09:00 – 18:30

• Adoption of draft report on the draft amending Budget No 6 to the General Budget 2017 Reduction of payment and commitment appropriations in line with updated forecasts of expenditure and update of revenue (own resources and fines) (BUD)

  • Rapporteur: Jens GEIER (S&D, DE)

• Adoption of draft report on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the on-going challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats (BUD)

  • Rapporteur: Siegfried MURESAN (EPP, RO)

• Adoption of draft report on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2018 (BUD)

  • Rapporteur: Inese VAIDERE (EPP, LV)

• Adoption of draft report on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an application from Finland – EGF/2017/005 FI/Retail (BUD)

  • Rapporteur: Răzvan POPA (S&D, RO) –

• Adoption of draft report on the mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an application from Greece – EGF/2017/003 GR/Attica retail (BUD)

  • Rapporteur: Marie-Pierre VIEU (GUE/NGL, FR)09:00 – 18:30

Committee on Transport and Tourism

15:00 – 18:30

• Public hearing on “BREXIT and the impact on land transport” (10.00-12.30)

• Public hearing on “Mobility package – market/social aspects” (15.00-17.30)

Committee on Regional Development

09:00 – 18:30

• The Future of Cohesion Policy post 2020: Opportunities, Challenges and Next Steps – Interparliamentary Committee Meeting

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

09:00 – 18:30

• Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations “Omnibus” Proposal – Stand alone Regulation on amendments to the CAP Basic Regulations (COD)

  • Rapporteur Albert Deß (EPP, DE)

• Vote on a draft resolution on prospects and challenges for the EU apiculture sector

  • Rapporteur: Norbert Erdős (EPP, HU)

Committee on Culture and Education

18:00 – 18:30

• Vote on draft regulation; vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2014 to 2020)

  • Rapporteur: Silvia Costa (S&D, IT)

• Presentation of Charlemagne Youth Prize winners

• Hearing on “Scientific and Academic Culture to Counter Radicalism and Fake News” (15.00-17.30)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

09:00 – 18:30

Joint meeting with the Committee on International Trade

• Gender Equality in EU Trade Agreements (2017/2015(INI))

  • Rapporteurs: Eleonora FORENZA (GUE/NGL, IT) and Malin BJÖRK (GUE/NGL, SE)

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 1830

Votes

• Vote on draft report on deliberations of the Committee on Petitions, Rule 216(7) during the year 2016

  • Rapporteur Notis MARIAS (ECR, EL)

• Vote on draft report on EU Citizenship (INI)

  • Rapporteur Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA (ALDE, ES) –

• Vote on draft report on fact-finding mission to Madrid, Spain (22-23 May 2017) to investigate several petitions on babies allegedly stolen at birth by hospital personnel in the country

Afternoon (14.30)

• Hearing on protection of the rights of workers in temporary or precarious employment (14.30-18.30) 09:00 – 12:30

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 12:30

• Discussion on Children’s rights and education: Dhara school in Senegal

• Discussion on the human rights situation in Tibet

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

09:00 – 12:30

Jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs

In association with the delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament

• EUCAP Sahel Niger: Reinforcing Nigerien capabilities in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. Discussion with Bert VERSMESSEN, Deputy Civilian Operations Commander and Chief of Staff, EEAS and Mohamed ANACKO, President of the Regional Council of Agadez

In association with the delegation for relations with Iraq

• Civilian CSDP mission to support security sector reform in Iraq. Discussions with Bert VERSMESSEN, Deputy Civilian Operations Commander and Chief of Staff and Kawa HASSAN, Director, Middle East and North Africa Program, EastWest Institute

Committee on International Trade

• Discussion on the agreement between the EU and New Zealand on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters (2016/0006(NLE))

  • Rapporteur: Daniel CASPARY (EPP, DE)

• Adoption of draft report on setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering, technical assistance and transit of dual-use items (recast) (2016/0295(COD))

  • Rapporteur: Klaus BUCHNER (Greens, DE)

• Adoption of draft opinion on the Annual report on Competition Policy (2017/2191(INI))

  • Rapporteur: Tokia SAÏFI (EPP, FR)

• Discussion with Pierre MOSCOVICI, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs

Committee on Budgets

09:00 – 18:30

• Joint meeting with the ECON Committee

• Agenda not available.09:00 – 12:30

Committee on Transport and Tourism

09:00 – 12:30

• Air Transport Agreement between the EC and the USA (NLE) – vote on a draft resolution by Theresa Griffin (S&D, UK)

• Public hearing on “Mobility package – road charges” (9.30-11.30)

Committee on Regional Development

09:00 – 13:00

• Implementation of EU macro-regional strategies (INI) – vote on a draft resolution by Andrea Cozzolino (S&D, IT)

• Discussion with Günther H. OETTINGER, Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

09:00 – 12:30

• Hearing on the “Implementation of young farmers’ policies after the 2013 CAP reform” (10.00-12.15)

Committee on Culture and Education

09:00 – 12:30

• Structured dialogue with Tibor NAVRACSICS, Commissioner for Culture, Education and Sport

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 12:30

• Agenda not available.