Summary

Next week will be a short week in the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will meet in Brussels for committee sessions. Interesting debates and hearings will take place.

On Tuesday, February 26, the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”) will vote on the provisional agreement on the Copyright Directive in the Digital Single Market reached with the Council of the European Union on February 13.  The Copyright Directive reforms rules on the publishing and use of third-party content online.  It would, for example, require online video platforms to strike licensing agreements with record companies if those profits from their music videos.  Publisher would also be able to seek compensation for their news being displayed on other online news platforms.  The compromised text kept the controversial Article 13, under which online platforms have the obligation to monitor uploaded content to resolve the “value gap” and help rights-holders monetize and control the distribution of their material.  Some critics argue these filters insufficiently distinguish satire from copyright-infringing material and thereby limit the freedom of speech.  Once the political agreement is approved by JURI, it would still have to be adopted in a plenary session and separately by the Member States.  It is uncertain whether the proposed Directive will be approved by the Member States since it is a divisive issue in the German coalition.  The political agreement has also received fierce criticism from the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland and Finland.  Including Germany, these Member States could form a blocking minority.  See the original Commission proposal here.  See the compromise text here.

Also on Tuesday, the Committees on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and Budgetary Control will hear shortlisted candidates for appointment of first ever European Chief Prosecutor.  Out of the 28 Member States, 22 agreed to establish a new European Public Prosecutor’s Office (“EPPO”).  The EPPO will function as an independent but decentralized office of the EU that has the competence to investigate and prosecute crimes against the EU budget, which includes (cross-border VAT) fraud and corruption.  The shortlisted candidates are Jean-François Bohnert (France), Laura Codruţa Kövesi (Romania) and Andres Ritter (Germany).  See the EPPO Regulation here.

On Wednesday, February 27, the Special Committee on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance (“TAX3”) will vote on the report outlining its final findings and recommendations after its signature research draws to a close.  TAX3 was set up by the European Parliament on March 1, 2018, to investigate financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance, following a series of media revelations, such as Luxleaks, the Panama Papers, Football Leaks, and the Paradise Papers.  Several of the first recommendations include: strengthening the principle of taxing profits before they leave the EU and phasing out all existing citizenship by investment (CBI) or residence by investment.  The draft report also calls for the centralization of anti-money laundering supervision via an existing or new Union body.  The draft report has been prepared by co-rapporteurs Luděk Niedermayer (EPP, CZ) and Jeppe Kofod (S&D, DK).  See the complete draft report here. 

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, February 25, 2019 

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

16:30 – 18:30

  • Exchange of views with Mariana KOTZEVA, Director-General of Eurostat (16.30-17.30)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Joint meeting: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Development and Subcommittee on Human Rights

14:30 – 15:20

Debates

  • Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, 10-11 December 2018, Marrakesh, Morocco – presentation of the draft joint LIBE, DEVE and DROI delegation report

Committee on Budgets

14:30 – 18:30

Voting time

  • 2019 Budget: Section III – Commission – Any transfer request
    • Rapporteur: Daniele VIOTTI (S&D, IT)
  • 2019 Budget: Other Sections – Any other transfer request
    • Rapporteur: Paul RÛBIG (EPP, AT)
  • Building policy – Any request
    • Rapporteur: Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE)

Joint meeting: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Budgetary Control committees

15:30 – 18:30

  • Appointment of the European Chief Prosecutor – hearing of the candidates shortlisted by the selection panel

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00 – 13:00

  • Appointment of a member of the Single Resolution Board (NLE) – Exchange of views with the candidate (09.45-10.25)
    • Rapporteur: Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
  • Appointment of a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank – Exchange of views with the candidate (10.30-11.25)
    • Rapporteur: Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
  • Appointment of the Chair of the European Banking Authority – Exchange of views with the candidate (11.30-12.25)
    • Rapporteur: Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT) 

Votes (12.30 – 13.00)

  • Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Sophia in ‘t Veld (ALDE, NL)
  • Appointment of a member of the Single Resolution Board (NLE) – Vote on a report
    • Rapporteur: Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
  • Appointment of a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (NLE) – Vote on a report
    • Rapporteur: Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
  • Appointment of the Chair of the European Banking Authority (NLE) – Vote on a report
    • Rapporteur: Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
  • European Semester for economic policy coordination: Annual Growth Survey 2019 (INI) – Vote on a report
    • Rapporteur: Tom Vandenkendelaere (EPP, BE)

Committee on Legal Affairs

15:00 – 15:30

Votes

  • Copyright in the Digital Single Market (COD), vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Axel VOSS (EPP, DE)
  • Supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products (COD), vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL (EPP, ES)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00 – 18:30

Debates

  • European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) – presentation of the annual report 2018 by Giovanni BUTTARELLI, EDPS (08.00-09.45)
  • Implementation of the GDPR with a special focus on the role and the means of the DPAs (follow-up of the LIBE session in May 2018) – exchange of views with Andrea JELINEK, Chair of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and Willem DEBEUCKELAERE, President of the Belgian Data Protection Authority and Deputy Chair of the EDPB and a representative of the European Commission (09.45-11.15) 

Votes (12.00 – 12.15)

  • Rules facilitating the use of financial and other inormation for the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of certain criminal offences (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Emil RADEV (EPP, BG)
  • Establishing a community Code on Visas (Visa Code) (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: JUAN FERNANDO LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

  • Gender Equality in Georgia – exchange of views with Tamar CHUGOSHVILI, First Deputy-Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, Chair of the Gender Equality Council and Tamar KHULORDAVA, Chair of Committee on EU Integration (15.00-16.00)
  • 50/50 Campaign – European Women’s Lobby (16.00-17.00) – exchange of views with Gwendoline LEFEBVRE, President of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and Alessia CENTIONI, President of European Women’s Alliance (EWA)
  • The state of play – Trialogues on work-life balance, exchange of views
    • Rapporteur: Agnieszka KOZLOWSKA-RAJEWICZ (EPP, PL) 

Votes (17.00)

  • Women’s role in preventing radicalisation (RSP) – adoption of question for oral answer and adoption of a motion for a resolution

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance

09:00 – 13:00

  • Report on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance (INI) – Vote on a report
    • Rapporteurs: Jeppe KOFOD (S&D, DK) and Luděk NIEDERMAYER (EPP, CZ)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

09:00 – 12:30

Hearing (11.00 – 12.30)

  • Hearing on the labour and social situation of women in the EU – this hearing will have a double focus, examining two inter-related issues: unemployed young women and the women in precarious sectors who are at risk of poverty. Draft programme and further information is available here

Thursday, February 28, 2019 

  • No meetings of notes