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Continue Reading The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – January 25, 2019

Summary

Next week will be a committee week in the European Parliament.

Interesting votes are expected to take place.

On Tuesday, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) is expected (subject to confirmation) to vote on the compromise agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council of the EU on December 19, 2018, on the proposal for a Single-Use Plastics Directive.  The compromise agreement was adopted officially by the Council of the EU today, January 18.  The purpose of the proposal is to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.  More specifically, the new rules target the ten single-use plastic products most often found on Europe’s beaches and seas.  Also, the new rules include obligations for producers to help cover the costs of waste management, collection targets and short timeline for achieving reductions in the consumption of some single-use plastic products, including plastic tobacco filter.  See the draft compromise text here.

On the same day, ENVI will also vote on its non-legally binding own-initiative report on the Implementation of the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive.  The report seeks to analyze possible shortcomings in the implementation of the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive (Directive 2011/24) and make recommendations to improve the Directive.  The draft report assesses various aspects of cross-border healthcare, including funding for cross-border healthcare, patient mobility, patient information and access to cross-border healthcare, e-Health and interoperable healthcare applications.  See the draft report here, and the amendments tabled to the draft report here.

Also on Tuesday, ENVI is expected to vote on the compromise agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council of the EU on November 27, 2018, on the proposal for a Regulation on the Definition, Presentation and Labelling of Spirit Drinks.  The proposal intends to replace current Regulation 110/2008. Among other things, it replaces the existing procedures for the protection of geographical indications (“GIs”) that apply to spirit drinks with new ones based on updated procedures for quality schemes applied to agricultural products.  In addition, the Commission would adopt a “publicly accessible updated electronic register” of recognised GIs for spirit drinks.  The proposal also includes provisions regarding joint applications and oppositions.  See the draft comprise agreement reached on the proposal here.
Continue Reading The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – January 18, 2019

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, January 14, MEPs will debate the non-legally binding Report on the Union’s authorization procedure for pesticides prepared by the Special Committee on the Union’s authorization procedure for pesticides (“PEST”).  This report seeks to address perceived shortcomings in the authorization system for pesticides.  The co-rapporteurs stress the importance of a science-based system and call for greater transparency.  See the draft parliamentary report here.

On Tuesday, January 15, MEPs will discuss several important Council-related developments.  Firstly, the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will present the achieved objectives of the Austrian Council presidency over the second half of 2018 to the MEPs.  The MEPs will also debate the presentation of the program of activities and the priorities of the Romanian Council presidency which started on January 1, 2019.  MEPs share expectations that the presidency will have the difficult tasks to manage Brexit and the negotiations on the EU’s long term budget for 2021-2027 which will both shape the future of the EU.  See the priorities of the Romanian Council presidency here.
Continue Reading The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – January 11, 2019