Summary

Next week, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather in Strasbourg for the plenary session.

Interesting votes, debates and committee debates will take place.

On Monday, November 12, the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (“ECON”) will debate on a draft report supporting the Commission’s proposal on Sovereign Bond-Backed Securities (“SBBS”).  The proposal seeks to introduce a new financial instrument at the EU level, with the aim of enhancing financial stability and reducing risks in the banking sector.  Sovereign bond-backed securities are securities backed by a diversified portfolio of euro area central government bonds.  See the draft report on the Proposal here, and the Proposal here.

On Tuesday, November 13, MEPs will vote on the report on the proposal for a Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources prepared by the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (“ITRE”).  The Proposal sets new ambitious binding targets for renewables (32%) and energy efficiency (32.5%) by 2030.  It also aims to improve the design and stability of support schemes for renewables, the sustainability of the use of bioenergy, and to increase the level of ambition for the transport and heating/cooling sectors.  The Recast Directive will repeal the existing Directive on Renewable Energy Sources (“RES”).  The parliamentary draft report seeks to approve the position agreed among the Parliament, the Council of the EU and the Commission during interinstitutional negotiations.  See the Proposal here, the draft agreed position here.

On Wednesday, November 14, MEPs will debate and vote on the draft report, prepared by ITRE, on the European Electronic Communications Code.  The Code is part of the Commission’s Digital Single Market (“DSM”) Strategy and contains a range of safeguards aimed at EU-level harmonization for 5G and spectrum management, high-speed broadband technology, and seeks to level the regulatory playing field for “Over the Top” (“OTT”) services with that of traditional telecoms services.  Among other things, it aims to encourage telecoms operators with significant market power to invest in high-capacity broadband networks.  In return, such telecoms operators will benefit from reduced price and access regulation.  See the draft report here and the proposed Code here.

On Thursday, November 15, MEPs will vote on the report prepared by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) on the Proposal for a Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants (“POPs”).  The purpose of the Proposal is to introduce, into the Union legal system, the most recent decisions which have been taken within the framework of the Stockholm Convention and the POPs Protocol.  It also calls for an involvement of the European Chemicals Agency (“ECHA”) in the implementation of the POPs Regulation.  See the draft report here, the Proposal here and the annexes to the Proposal here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, November 12, 2018 

Plenary session

17:00 – 23:00

Debates

• Energy efficiency

  • Rapporteur: Miroslav POCHE (CZ, S&D)

• Governance of the Energy Union

  • Rapporteurs: Michèle RIVASI (FR, Greens/EFA), Jakop DALUNDE (SE, Greens, EFA)

• Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources

  • Rapporteur: José Blanco López (ES, S&D)

• Multiannual plan for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks

  • Rapporteur: Ruža Tomašić (HR, ECR)

• Minimum standards for minorities in the EU

  • Rapporteur: József Nagy (SK, EPP)

• Digitalisation for development: reducing poverty through technology

  • Rapporteur: Bogdan Brunon Wenta (PL, EPP)

• EU development assistance in the field of education

  • Rapporteur: Vincent PEILLON (FR, S&D)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

19:30 – 22:00

• Sovereign bond-backed securities (COD) – Consideration of a report

  • Rapporteur: Jakob von Weizsäcker (S&D, DE) (21.00-21.30)

• Strengthening fiscal responsibility and the medium-term budgetary orientation in the Member States (CSN) – Consideration of amendments.

  • Rapporteur: Danuta Maria Hübner (EPP, PL)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

19:30 – 21:30

Votes

• European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) – Adoption of draft opinion –

  • Rapporteur: Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI (EPP, RO)

• Establishing the InvestEU Programme – Adoption of draft opinion –

  • Rapporteur: Ivo BELET (EPP, BE)

• Establishing the Digital Europe programme for the period 2021-2027 – Adoption of amendments

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

• Establishing the space programme of the Union and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme – Adoption of amendments

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

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

19:30 – 22:30

• Presentation by a Commission representative (DG AGRI) on the current situation in the sugar market

• Presentation by a Commission representative on the state of play of the safeguard investigation concerning imports of ‘indica rice’ from Cambodia and Myanmar

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

219:00 – 21:00

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

• Interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 – Parliament’s position with a view to an agreement

  • Rapporteurs: Jan Olbrycht (PL, EPP), Janusz Lewandowski (PL, EPP), Isabelle Thomas (FR, S&D), Gérard Deprez (BE, ALDE)

12:00 – 14:00

Votes followed by explanations of votes

• Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Latvia

  • Rapporteur: Inese Vaidere (LV, EPP)

Debates

15:00 – 17:30

• Debate with the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, on the Future of Europe

Debates

17:30 – 23:00

• European security and the future of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

• Implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement

  • Rapporteur: Andrejs Mamikins (LV, S&D)

• Implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement

  • Rapporteur: Petras Auštrevičius (LT, ALDE)

• Arms export: implementation of Common Position

  • Rapporteur: Sabine Lösing (DE, GEU/NGL)

• Empowering competition authorities and ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market

  • Rapporteur: Andreas Schwab (DE, EPP)

Special Committee on Terrorism

20:00 – 23:30

Debates

• Findings and recommendations of the Special Committee on Terrorism (INI) – vote on a draft report

  • Co-rapporteurs: Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE) and Helga STEVENS (ECR, BE)

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:30

Debates

• European Electronic Communications Code

  • Rapporteur: Pilar del Castillo Vera (ES, EPP)

• Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications

  • Rapporteur: Evžen Tošenovský (CZ, ECR)

• CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles

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

11:30 – 12:00

Formal sitting

• Address by Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa

12:00 – 12:30
Award of the LUX Prize

 12:30 – 14:30

Votes followed by explanations of votes

• Interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 – Parliament’s position with a view to an agreement

  • Rapporteur: Jan Olbrycht (PL, EPP), Janusz Lewandowski (PL, EPP), Isabelle Thomas (FR, S&D), Gérard Deprez (BE, ALDE)

• Application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to certain categories of horizontal State aid

  • Rapporteur: Sander LOONES (BE, ECR)

• The rule of law in Romania

• The Cum Ex Scandal: financial crime and the loopholes in the current legal framework

15:00 – 23:00

Debates

• Rail passengers’ rights and obligations

  • Rapporteur: Bogusław Liberadzki (PL, S&D)

• Persistent organic pollutants

  • Rapporteur: Julie Girling (UK, EPP)

• Humanitarian visas

  • Rapporteur: Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (ES, S&D)

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

• Care services in the EU for improved gender equality

  • Rapporteur: Sirpa Pietikäinen (FI, EPP)

• Lyme disease (Borreliosis)

12:00 – 14:00

Votes and explanation of votes

• Motions for resolutions concerning debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 135)

• Need for a comprehensive Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights mechanism

• Texts on which debate is closed

15:00 – 16:00

Debates

Committee on Budgets

09:00 – 10:00

Committee on Regional Development

10:00 – 12:00

• Establishing the Connecting Europe Facility (COD), adoption of draft opinion

  • Rapporteur: Mirosław Piotrowski (ECR, PL)

Committee on Culture and Education

08:30 – 09:00

• European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (COD), adoption of draft opinion, rapporteur for the opinion Petra Kammerevert (S&D, DE)

  • Rapporteur: Mirosław Piotrowski (ECR, PL)