Summary

Next week will be a mixed week in the European Parliament with a mini plenary and committee meetings. Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will meet to debate and vote on several interesting matters.

On Monday, April 1, the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”) will have an exchange of views with representatives of the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (“HLEG”), that is set to issue its final Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence on April 10, 2019.  The HLEG is composed of 52 experts and academics who have drafted guidelines that will be used to shape the future regulatory framework on AI.  The previously published Draft Guidelines provide that AI should be developed, deployed and used with an “ethical purpose”, grounded in, and reflective of, fundamental rights, societal values and the ethical principles of Beneficence (“do good”), Non-Maleficence (“do no harm”), the Autonomy of humans, Justice, and Explicability.  All these are seen as crucial to working towards Trustworthy AI.  See the draft guidelines, published on December 18, 2018, here.

On Tuesday, April 2, the Committee on International Trade (“INTA”) will receive a presentation by the European Commission and will hold a debate on the state of play of the EU safeguard measures on steel in light of its first review by July, 2019.  The EU imposed the safeguard measures back in July 2018 to address the perceived diversion of steel from other countries as a result of the import duties applied by the United States under Section 232 in March 2018.  Although the European Parliament is formally not involved in the review of the safeguard measures, the debate will be an interesting opportunity for MEPs to take the European Commission’s temperature.  See the original Press Release of the Commission here.

On Thursday, April 4, MEPs will vote on their position on a proposed Directive that will amend the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC that outlines common rules for the internal market in natural gas.  The new legislation will extent the existing rules that apply to the EU’s internal pipelines to those originating in or going to third countries – such as Nord Stream 2.  The amendments will give the Member State where the pipelines come ashore the power to oversee compliance and enforcement of EU energy rules, under supervision of the relevant European institutions.  In a long and controversial legislative process, Eastern European countries, supported by the United States, had expressed deep concerns about the construction of a new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, fearing more Russian geopolitical leverage over the EU.  Germany had objected to the EU taking regulatory control, but the Member States reached a compromise so that EU energy rules would apply, but the responsibility of regulating the new pipeline would remain with the Member States.  See the report tabled for plenary sitting here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, April 1, 2019

Committee on International Trade

15:00-16:30

Debate

  • Presentation of a study on “Parliamentary scrutiny of trade policies across the Western world” 

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

15:00-18:00

  • European Central Bank – annual Rapporteur: 2018 – Exchange of views following the presentation of the Annual Rapporteur: the ECB Vice-President, Luis De GUINDOS 

Joint committee meeting with the Committee on Budgets

17.00-17.15

Vote

  • Establishing the InvestEU Programme (COD) – Vote on the partial provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed).
    • Rapporteur: José Manuel FERNANDES (EPP, PT) et Roberto GUALTIERI (S&D, IT)

17.15-18.00

Vote

  • Regulation amending Regulations establishing European Supervisory Authorities and Regulations on financial markets: (EU) No 1093/2010, (EU) No 1094/2010, (EU) No 1095/2010, (EU) No 345/2013, (EU) No 346/2013, (EU) No 600/2014, (EU) 2015/760, (EU) 2016/1011 and (EU) 2017/1129 (COD) 

Votes

  • On the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed).
    • Rapporteur: Othmar KARAS (EPP, AT) and Pervenche BERÈS (S&D, FR)
  • Markets in financial instruments and taking-up and pursuit of the business of Insurance and Reinsurance (Solvency II) (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed).
    • Rapporteur: Othmar KARAS (EPP, AT) and Pervenche BERÈS (S&D, FR)
  • European Union macro-prudential oversight of the financial system and establishing a European Systemic Risk Board (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed).
    • Rapporteur: Othmar KARAS (EPP, AT) and Pervenche BERÈS (S&D, FR)
  • Prudential requirements of investment firms (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Markus FERBER (EPP, DE)
  • Covered bonds and covered bond public supervision (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Bernd LUCKE (ECR, DE)
  • Exposures in the form of covered bonds (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Bernd LUCKE (ECR, DE)
  • Disclosures relating to sustainable investments and sustainability risks (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed).
    • Rapporteur: Paul TANG (S&D, NL)
  • Amending Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) and Amending Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 as regards the procedures and authorities involved for the authorization of CCPs and requirements for the recognition of third-country CCPs (COD) – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Danuta Maria HÜBNER (EPP, PL)
  • Establishing the “Fiscalis” programme for cooperation in the field of taxation (COD) – Vote on the partial provisonal agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed).
    • Rapporteur: Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/EFA, DE)
  • Credit servicers, credit purchasers and the recovery of collateral (COD) – Vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Esther DE LANGE (EPP, NL) and Roberto GUALTIERI (S&D, IT) 

Committee on Budgets

15:30-18:30

  • Jointly with the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) – Exchange of views with Mr. Fabrice LEGGERI, Executive Director of Frontex – European Border and Coast Guard Agency 

Committee on Budgets

Joint meeting with ECON committee

17:00-17:15

Vote

  • Establishing the InvestEU Programme (COD) – Vote on the partial provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed)
    • Rapporteurs: José Manuel FERNANDES (EPP, PT) and Roberto GUALTIERI (S&D, IT)

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

17:00-19:00

Votes

  • Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organization of the markets in agricultural products, (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, (EU) No 251/2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatized wine products, (EU) No 228/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union and (EU) No 229/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands (COD) – adoption of draft.
    • Rapporteur: Eric Andrieu (S&D, FR)

Committee on Legal Affairs

15:30-17:00

Debates

  • Exchange of views with representatives of the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence on the “Draft Ethics Guidelines for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence”
  • Artificial Intelligence and Civil Law: liability rules for drones – presentation of the study commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs
  • Children’s Rights – presentation of the 2017-2018 activity report of the EP Coordinator.

17.00-18.30

Votes

  • Cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Evelyn REGNER (S&D, AT)
  • Action of the Union following its accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations,
    • Rapporteur: Virginie ROZIÈRE (S&D, FR)
  • Accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications – vote on draft Rapporteur:.
    • Rapporteur: Virginie ROZIÈRE (S&D, FR)
  • EU Staff Regulations and the Czech law on supplementary pension saving -Petition No. 1006/2018
    • Rapporteur: Barbora Strnadovà (Czech) – adoption 

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:45-17:30

Debates

  • EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies’ network: re[prt on 2018 activities and priorities for cooperation in 2019 – presentation by Virginija LANGBAKK, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and Catherine DE BOLLE, Executive Director of Europol
  • Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) – presentation of the 6th report to the European Parliament and National Parliaments on the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) for the period July 2017 – December 2018 by Victor-Wili APREUTESEI, Romanian Council Presidency, Chair of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) 

Votes

17:15-17:30

  • European Border and Coast Guard (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT) 

Joint meeting: LIBE, BUDG and CONT

Joint debate with Civil Liberties (LIBE), Budgets (BUDG) and Budgetary Control (CONT) committees

17:30-18:30

  • Follow-up of the discharge and the actions undertaken by Frontex to address the deficiencies identified by the Court of Auditors and highlighted by the EP – exchange of views with Fabrice LEGGERI, Executive Director of Frontex, European Border and Coast Guard Agency

Tuesday April 2, 2019 

Committee on Foreign Affairs

09:00-12:30

Debates 

Inter-parliamentary Committee Meeting with representatives from the National Parliaments 

  • Exchange of views with Barham Saleh, President of the Republic of Iraq
  • After Brexit: The EU’s future relations with the United Kingdom – an exchange of views with the EU’s Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier
  • The future of enlargement and neighborhood policy. Exchange of views with Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

Subcommittee on Human Rights

14:30-18:30

Debates

  • Exchange of views on the human rights developments in Brazil in the presence of Jean Wyllys, Brazilian journalist, lecturer and former congressman
  • Exchange of views on the human rights developments in Cuba in the presence of Elena Larrinaga, representative of Ladies in White, 2005 Sakharov Prize laureate
  • Exchange of views on educational opportunities for girls in the Middle East in the presence of Dr Izzeldin Abuelash, President of “Daughters for Life” Foundation
  • Exchange of views on the human rights situation in Sudan in the presence of Rashid Saeed Yagoub, Sudanese journalist 

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

14:30-18:30

Debates

  • Public hearing on Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny on EU Defence Affairs
  • Emerging Security Challenges Exchange of views with: – Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary General, EEAS – Daniel Costello, Ambassador of Canada to the European Union – Tomáš Valášek, Director, Carnegie Europe 

Committee on International Trade

09:00-12:30

Debates

  • Presentation by the Commission on the state of play of the EU safeguard on steel in view of its first review
  • Presentation by the Commission on the annual Rapporteur: on trade defence activities
  • Presentation by the Commission on trade-related aspects of the joint communication on “EU-China – A strategic outlook”
  • Presentation by the Commission on foreign direct investment in the EU 

Vote

  • Adoption of draft recommendation (consent) – Conclusion of the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015 (2017/0107(NLE)).
    • Rapporteur: Eleonora Forenza (GUE/NGL, IT)

Committee on Budgets

09:00-12:30

Debate

  • State-of-play on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and on the Own Resources

Vote

  • Proposal for a Council Regulation on measures concerning the implementation and financing of the general budget of the Union in 2019 in relation to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union (APP) – Adoption of draft report (to be confirmed)
  • Rapporteur: Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE, FR) 

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

09:00-13:00

  • Public Hearing with Elke KÖNIG, Chairperson of the Single Resolution Board (SRB)

10.30-12.00

  • 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

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

11:30-12:30

Votes

  • Coordination of social security systems – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed)
    • Rapporteur: Guillaume BALAS (S&D, FR)
  • Establishing a common framework for European statistics relating to persons and households, based on data at individual level collected from samples.

Vote

  • On the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (to be confirmed)
    • Rapporteur: Tamás MESZERICS (Greens/EFA, HU)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

09:00-12:30

Votes

  • Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination (COD) – vote on the partial agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Dan NICA (S&D, RO)
  • Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the specific programme implementing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (COD) – Vote on the partial agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Christian EHLER (EPP, DE)
  • ITRE MFF Programmes: state of play and perspectives, Exchange of views with the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council of the  European Union 

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

09:00-10:00

Votes

  • Better enforcement and modernization of EU consumer protection rules – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (tbc)
    • Rapporteur: Daniel DALTON (ECR, UK)
  • Type-approval requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers, and systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, as regards their general safety and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users – Vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations (tbc)
    • Rapporteur: Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL) 

Committee on Transport and Tourism

14:30-19:00

Votes

  • Enforcement requirements and specific rules for posting drivers in the road transport sector (COD) – vote on plenary amendments according to rule 175 ‘Committee filter of plenary amendments’.
    • Rapporteur: Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL,FI)
  • Amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as regards on minimum requirements on maximum daily and weekly driving times, minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods and regulation (EU) 165/2014 as regards positioning by means of tachographs (COD) – vote on plenary amendments according to rule 175 ‘Committee filter of plenary amendments’,
    • Rapporteur: Wim van de Camp (EPP, NL)
  • Amending Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 with a view to adapting them to developments in the sector (COD) – vote on plenary amendments according to rule 175 ‘Committee filter of plenary amendments’
    • Rapporteur: Ismail Ertug (S&D, DE)

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

09:00-18:30

Votes

  • Establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (COD) – adoptionof draft Rapporteur:
    • Rapporteur: Esther Herranz García (EPP, ES) 

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00-17:00

Debates

  • Follow-up to the EP Resolution of July 2018 on Guidelines for Member States to prevent humanitarian assistance from being criminalised – exchange of views with the Commission, a Frontex representative, a representative of the Italian Ministry of Interior (to be confirmed) and Milena Zajović, President of NGO “Are you Syrious?” (AYS), Assistance to refugees and asylum seekers, Croatia
  • EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (EUROJUST) presentation of the Annual Rapporteur: Ladislav HAMRAN, President of Eurojust.
  • Structured dialogue with Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship – exchange of views
  • Time for Truth Campaign – exchange of views with Ciáran MacAIRT, Spokesperson 

Vote – Joint meeting with the Committee on Legal Affairs – Rule 55

  • Justice Programme – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Josef WEIDENHOLZER (S&D, AT) and Heidi HAUTALA (Greens/EFA, FI) 

Votes

  • Preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online (COD) – adoption of draft Rapporteur: and vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations and on the composition of the negotiating team – Possibly – Listing of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as regards the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting frominterinstitutional negotiations.
    • Rapporteur: Claude MORAES (S&D, UK) 

Debate

  • European production and preservation orders for electronic evidence in criminal matters (COD) – presentation of working documents on “Safeguards and remedies (including data protection safeguards)” by Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE) and “Enforcement of EPOC(-PR)s” by Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE)
    • Rapporteur: Romeo FRANZ (Greens/EFA, DE)
    • Rapporteur: Ignazio CORRAO (EFDD, IT)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

10:30-17:00

Debate

  • The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union – state of play – exchange of views with the Chair Danuta Maria HÜBNER (EPP, PL), member of the Brexit Steering Group 

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

Hearing

  • Hearing on “Women’s role in peace processes including the specific case of Western Balkans” – The hearing will explore how women have participated in peace processes and which impact and added value their participation had. One part of the hearing will be dedicated to the specific case of the Western Balkans. Four experts have been invited and a study commissioned by the policy department will also be presented.
  • Dialogue with NGOs about intersectional forms of discrimination – exchange of views
  • Video message (to be confirmed) by Leyla GÜVEN, Kurdish human rights defender, imprisoned, on hunger strike and released from a Turkish prison last January after 79 days on hunger strike. 

Committee on Petitions

14:30-18:30

  • Exchange of views with the European Ombudsman, Emily O’REILLY on her proposed new prerogatives
  • Workshop on Conflicts of Interest: Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in EU institutions and agencies – The workshop will examine the achievements reached during the current parliamentary term in relation to the conflicts of interest in the EU institutions and agencies, including integrity, accountability, transparency, code of conduct and revolving doors, while also discussing challenges for the future. Keynote speech by Emily O’REILLY, European Ombudsman on achievements and challenges for EU institutions.

Wednesday April 3, 2019

Plenary session

15:00 – 17:30

Debates

  • Resumption of session and order of business
  • Debate with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven, on the Future of Europe 

17:30 – 23:00

Debates

  • Common rules for the internal market for natural gas
    • Rapporteur: Jerzy Buzek (EPP, PL)
  • European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
    • Rapporteur: Gabriel Mato (EPP, ES)
  • Establishing a multi-annual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea
    • Rapporteur: Clara Eugenia Aguilera GarcíA (S&D, ES)
  • Strengthening the security of identity cards and of residence documents issued to Union citizens
    • Rapporteur: Gérard Deprez (ALDE, BE)

Thursday April 4, 2019 

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:20

Debates

  • Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP)
    • Rapporteur: Sophia in ‘t Veld (ALDE, NL)
  • Work-life balance for parents and careers
    • Rapporteur: David Casa (EPP, MT)

Votes followed by explanations of votes

11:30 – 13:30

  • Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States
    • Rapporteur: Miroslavs Mitrofanovs (Greens/EFA, LV)
  • Protection of the Union’s budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States
    • Rapporteur: Petri Sarvamaa (EPP, FI), Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, ES)
  • European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
    • Rapporteur: Verónica Lope Fontagné (EPP, ES)
  • Computerizing the movement and surveillance of excise goods
    • Rapporteur: Kay Swinburne (ECR, UK)
  • Re-use of public sector information (recast)
    • Rapporteur: Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE/NGL, CY)
  • Multiannual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish
    • Rapporteur: Marco Affronte (Greens/EFA, IT)
  • Minimum level of training of seafarers
    • Rapporteur: Dominique Riquet (ALDE, FR)
  • Adjustment of annual pre-financing for the years 2021 to 2023
    • Rapporteur: Mirosław Piotrowski (ECR, PL)
  • Implementation and financing of the EU general budget for 2019 in  relation to the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Jean Arthuis (ALDE, FR)
  • Temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders
    • Rapporteur: Tanja Fajon (S&D, SI)
  • Situation of rule of law and fight against corruption in the EU, specifically in Malta and Slovakia