Summary

Next week, there will be a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. This will be the final plenary session of the year. Several significant debates, votes and committee meetings will take place.

On Tuesday, MEPs will debate the Future of Europe together with Cyprus’ President, Nicos Anastasiades, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.  This is the fourteenth discussion in a series between MEPs and EU leaders on the future of the EU.

On the same day, MEPs will discuss their priorities ahead of the European Council, scheduled for December 13-14, 2018. Their discussions will include the EU’s single market, migration, the Eurogroup, and the EU’s long-term budget.

On Wednesday, the plenary session of the European Parliament is expected to vote in favor of the EU’s budget for 2019, which will provide additional funds to, among others, research, the protection of the climate, or fighting youth unemployment.

On the same day, one day after the expected vote on the Brexit agreement in the UK House of Commons, MEPs will meet with Michel Barnier to discuss the result of the vote and its consequences.

Also on Wednesday, the plenary session of the European Parliament will vote on the final report, entitled “Findings and recommendations” of the Special Committee on Terrorism (“TERR”), detailing how best to combat terror in the EU. The report calls for increased cooperation andinformation-sharing between Member States when the terrorist threat level rises. Read the report here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, December 10, 2018

Plenary session

17:00 – 23:00
Debates

  • EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement
    • Rapporteur: Pedro SILVA PEREIRA (S&D, PT)
  • EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (resolution)
    • Rapporteur: Pedro SILVA PEREIRA (S&D, PT)
  • EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement
    • Rapporteur: Alojz PETERLE (EPP, SI)
  • EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement (resolution)
    • Rapporteur: Alojz PETERLE (EPP, SI)
  • Protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work
    • Rapporteur: Claude ROLIN (EPP, BE)
  • Transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain
    • Rapporteur: Renate SOMMER (EPP, DE)
  • Full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania
    • Rapporteur: Sergei STANISHEV (S&D, BG)
  • Military mobility
    • Rapporteur: Tunne KELAM (EPP, EE)
  • Education in the digital era: challenges, opportunities and lessons for EU policy design
    • Rapporteur: Yana TOOM (ALDE, EE)
  • New European Agenda for Culture
    • Rapporteur: Giorgos GRAMMATIKAKIS (S&D, EL)

Special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance

19:30 – 22:00

  • Exchange of views with Věra JOUROVÁ, Member of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality (19.30-20.45)

Committee on Budgets

19:30 – 22:00

Voting time

  • Second draft General Budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019 (BUD) – Adoption of budget amendments and resolution (to be confirmed)
    • Rapporteurs: Daniele VIOTTI (S&D, IT) and Paul RÜBIG (EPP, AT)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

14:30 – 16:00

  • Economic Dialogue and exchange of views on the Commission’s Autumn package, including its opinions on the Draft Budgetary Plans of euro area member states, in particular that of Italy under Article 7(3) of Regulation 473/2013 with Valdis DOMBROVSKIS, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union and Pierre MOSCOVICI, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs (19.30-21.00)

Votes (21.00 – 22.30)

  • Low carbon benchmarks and positive carbon impact benchmarks (COD) – Vote on a report and on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Neena GILL (S&D, UK)

Committee on Legal Affairs

21:15 – 22:30

Votes

  • Cross-border restitution claims of works of art and cultural goods looted in armed conflicts and wars (INI) – adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Pavel SVOBODA (EPP, CZ)
  • Service in the Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (service of documents) (COD) – adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Sergio Gaetano COFFERATI (S&D, IT)
  • Cooperation between the courts of the Member States in the taking of evidence in civil or commercial matters (COD) – adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Emil RADEV (EPP, BG)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

19:00 – 22:00

Debates

  • 4th Security Dialogue with Commissioner for Security Union, Julian KING “Cooperation with the Western Balkans in the field of security” – exchange of views (19.00-19.50)

Votes (19.50 – 21.20)

  • Conclusion of the status agreement between the EU and Albania on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Albania (NLE) – adoption of draft recommendation (consent)
    • Rapporteur: Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE)
  • Establishing the Rights and Values programme (COD) – adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE)
  • European Union Agency for Asylum (COD) – adoption of a draft updated mandate
    • Rapporteur: Péter NIEDERMÜLLER (S&D, HU)
  • The fundamental rights of people of African descent in Europe (RSP) – adoption of motion for a resolution
    • Rapporteur: Claude MORAES (S&D, UK)
  • Marketing and use of explosives precursors (COD) – adoption of draft report and vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations and of the composition of the negotiating team
    • Rapporteur: Andrejs MAMIKINS (S&D, LV)

Debates (21.40 – 22.00)

  • LIBE ad-hoc delegation to Washington D.C. – 16-19 July 2018 – presentation of a draft mission report

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

  • Preparation of the European Council meeting of 13 and 14 December 2018

12:00 – 14:00
Votes and explanation of votes

  • Common system of value added tax as regards the temporary application of a generalised reverse charge mechanism in relation to supplies of goods and services above a certain threshold
    • Rapporteur: Gabriel MATO (EPP, ES)
  • Complementing EU type-approval legislation with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Marlene MIZZI (S&D, MT)
  • Texts on which debate is closed

Debates

15:00 – 23:00

  • Findings and recommendations of the Special Committee on Terrorism
    • Rapporteur: Helga STEVENS (ECRG, BE) and Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE)
  • Debates on foreign affairs issues in the presence of the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (to be defined)
  • Annual report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy
    • Rapporteur: David McALLISTER (EPP, DEà
  • Annual report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy
    • Rapporteur: Ioan Mircea PASCU (S&D, RO)
  • Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world 2017 and the European Union’s policy on the matter
  • Rapporteur: Petras Auštrevičius (ALDE, LT)
  • EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
    • Rapporteur: Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE)
  • European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
    • Rapporteur: Anne SANDER (EPP, FR)
  • European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
    • Rapporteur: Czesław HOC (ECRG, PL)
  • European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions (Eurofound)
    • Rapporteur: Enrique CALVET CHAMBON (ALDE, ES) 

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:30

Debates

  • Debate with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, on the Future of Europe

11:30 – 12:00

Award of the Sakharov Prize

12:30 – 14:30

Votes and explanations of votes

  • EU-Jordan Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement (accession of Croatia)
    • Rapporteur: Keith TAYLOR (Greens/EFA, UK)
  • Single Market package
  • Texts on which debate is closed

Debates

  • Common system of a digital services tax on revenues resulting from the provision of certain digital services
    • Rapporteur: Paul TANG (S&D, NL)
  • Corporate taxation of a significant digital presence
    • Rapporteur: Dariusz ROSATI (EPP, PL)
  • Expedited settlement of commercial disputes
    • Rapporteur: Tadeusz ZWIEFKA (EPP, PL)
  • Activities of the European Ombudsman in 2017
    • Rapporteur: Eleonora EVI (EFD, IT)
  • Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions 2017
    • Rapporteur: Cecilia WIKSTRÖM (ALDE, SE)

Thursday, December 13, 2018 

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

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)
  • Texts on which debate is closed

15:00 – 16:00

Debates

Committee on Budgetary Control

09:00 – 14:45

Joint meeting with BUDG committee

  • Protection of the Union’s budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States – (COD) – Adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteurs: Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES) and Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI)

10.30 – 11.15

  • Annual Report 2017 on the control of the financial activities of the EIB (INI) – Adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Georgi PIRINSKI (S&D, BG)
  • Annual Report 2017 on the protection of the European Union’s financial interests- fight against fraud (INI) – Adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Marian-Jean MARINESCU (EPP, RO)

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

10:15 – 12:00

Debates

  • Exchange of views with Marianne THYSSEN (Commissioner) – Exchange of views on the Annual Growth Survey 2019