Summary

Next week will be a plenary week in the European Parliament.  A number of interesting debates and votes will take place on, among others, cybersecurity threats from Chinese companies, countering hostile propaganda, and on EU-Russia relations.

On Monday, March 11, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will vote on a Report on the State of Relations between the EU and the Russian Federation, prepared by the Committee on Foreign Affairs (“AFET”).  The draft report stresses Russia’s continued violation of international law by its annexation of Crimea and underlines that the EU cannot agree with a gradual return to “business as usual”, as long as Russia does not fully implement the Minsk Agreement.  AFET calls for a continued tough stance on Russia for their illegal activities in the Skripal-case and in the Sea of Azov.  The Committee suggests that the EU should stand ready to adopt further sanctions.  The draft report is available here.

On Tuesday, March 12, MEPs will likely adopt a Motion for a Resolution on Security Threats connected with the Rising Chinese Technological Presence in the EU and decide on possible actions to take at the EU level to reduce these threats.  The resolution expresses concerns about the recent allegation against Huawei and fears that Chinese companies may provide unauthorized access for foreign authorities to data and telecommunication of EU citizens and businesses.  The vote comes at a time when national authorities, in particular in Germany, are taking a tougher approach to Huawei’s involvement in their telecom networks.  See the draft Motion for a Resolution here.

On Wednesday, March 13, the European Parliament will vote on Recommendations to the Council of the EU and to the Vice President/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (“VP/HR”).  The report evaluates and responds to the follow-up of the European External Action Service (“EEAS”) on the Parliament’s 2017 “Report on EU strategic communications to counteract propaganda against it by third parties.”  The recommendations were prepared by MEP Anna Fotyga (ECR, PL) and are already approved by the AFET.  Among many things, the report strongly condemns the interference of third parties in elections and referenda, and the malicious use of bots and algorithms in political campaigns, which they perceive undermine the principles of European democracies and sovereignty. In particular, they condemn the actions that are accountable to Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and others, and recommends that the Council consider targeted sanctions on those responsible.  See the draft report here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, March 11, 2019

Plenary session

17:00 – 23:00

Debates

  • Resumption of session and order of business
  • Exchange of information on third country nationals and European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS)
    • Rapporteur: Daniel Dalton (ECR, UK)
  • Centralised system for the identification of Member States holding conviction information on third country nationals and stateless persons
    • Rapporteur: Daniel Dalton (ECR, UK)
  • Establishing the European Solidarity Corps programme
    • Rapporteur: Michaela Šojdrová (EPP, CZ)
  • European citizens’ initiative
    • Rapporteur: György Schöpflin (EPP, HU)
  • EU Cybersecurity Act
    • Rapporteur: Angelika Niebler (EPP, DE)
  • European Semester for economic policy coordination: Annual Growth Survey 2019
    • Rapporteur: Tom Vandenkendelaere (EPP, BE)
  • European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2019
    • Rapporteur: Marian Harkin (ALDE, IE)
  • EU-Vietnam Voluntary Partnership Agreement on forest law enforcement, governance and trade
    • Rapporteur: Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, FI)
  • EU-Vietnam Voluntary Partnership Agreement on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (resolution)
    • Rapporteur: Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, FI)
  • State of EU-Russia political relations
    • Rapporteur: Sandra Kalniete (EPP, LT)
  • Building EU capacity on conflict prevention and mediation
    • Rapporteur: Soraya Post (S&D, SE)

Committee on Budgetary

19:00 – 21:30

Electronic vote

  • Investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) as regards cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the effectiveness of OLAF investigations (COD) – Adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Ingeborg Grässle (EPP, DE)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

19:00 – 20:00

Vote

  • Establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment (COD) –
  • Rapporteurs: Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, NL) and Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, FI)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

19:00 – 21:45

Debates (19.00 – 19.20)

  • Temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders (COD) – reporting back to committee on the negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Tanja Fajon (S&D, SI)
  • 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) – reporting back to committee on the negotiations (Rule 69f(3)
    • Rapporteur: Claude Moraes (S&D, UK)

20.45 – 21.15

  • Preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online (COD) – consideration of amendments
    • Rapporteur: Daniel Dalton (ECR, UK)

Votes 19.20-19.30

  • Strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations
    • Rapporteur: Gérard Deprez (ALDE, BE)
  • Creation of a European network of immigration liaison officers (recast) (COD) – vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations,
    • Rapporteur: Cécile Kashetu Kyenge (S&D, IT)
  • Internal Security Fund: instrument for financial support for external borders and visa. Amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 515/2014 (DEA) – adoption of a draft motion for a resolution
    • Rapporteur: Birgit Sippel (S&D, DE)
  • Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund: amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 – adoption of a draft motion for a resolution
    • Rapporteur: Birgit Sippel (S&D, DE)

Hearing (19.30 – 20.45)

  • EASO – European Asylum Support Office – hearing of the candidate selected by the Management Board, Ms Nina Gregori, in view of her appointment as new Executive Director for EASO (following Article 30 of the EASO Regulation).

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Committee on Budgetary

09:00 – 10:00

Debates

10:00 – 12:20
Debates

  • Debate with the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, on the Future of Europe

12:30 – 14:30

VOTES followed by explanations of votes

  • Extending Rule 159 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure until the end of the ninth parliamentary term
  • EU-Egypt Euro-Mediterranean Agreement (accession of Croatia)
    • Rapporteur: Ramona Nicole Mănescu (EPP, RO)
  • Protocol amending the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data
    • Rapporteur: József Nagy (EPP, SK)
  • Implementing decision on the launch of automated data exchange with regard to DNA data in the United Kingdom
  • Rapporteur: Branislav Škripek (EPP, SK)
  • Authorising Member States to become party to the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated safety, security, and service approach at football matches and other sports events
    • Rapporteur: Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann (S&D, DE)
  • Protocol amending the EU-China Agreement on Maritime Transport (accession of Croatia)
    • Rapporteur: Francisco Assis (S&D, PT)
  • Import of cultural goods
    • Rapporteur: Daniel Dalton (ECR, UK), Alessia Maria Mosca (S&D, IT)
  • Electronic freight transport information
    • Rapporteur: Claudia Schmidt (EPP, AT)
  • Protection of personal data in the context of elections to the European Parliament
    • Rapporteurs: Mercedes Bresso (S&D, IT), Rainer Wieland (EPP, DE)
  • Large predators
  • Security threats connected with the rising Chinese technological presence in the EU and possible action on the EU level to reduce them

15:00 – 00:00

Debates

  • A European human rights violations sanctions regime
  • 2018 Report on Turkey
    • Rapporteur: Kati Piri (S&D, NL)
  • Follow up taken by the EEAS two years after the EP Rapporteur on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties
    • Rapporteur: Anna Elżbieta Fotyga (ECR, PL)
  • EU-Afghanistan Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development
    • Rapporteur: Anna Elżbieta Fotyga (ECR, PL)
  • EU-Afghanistan Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (resolution)
    • Rapporteur: Anna Elżbieta Fotyga (ECR, PL)
  • Association Agreement between the EU and Monaco, Andorra and San Marino
    • Rapporteur: Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES)
  • Establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund
    • Rapporteur: Miriam Dalli (S&D, MT)
  • Establishing, as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund, the instrument for financial support for border management and visa
    • Rapporteur: Tanja Fajon (S&D, SI)
  • Establishing the Internal Security Fund
    • Rapporteur: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE)
  • Guidelines for the 2020 Budget – Section III
    • Rapporteur: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE)

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

  • Climate change
  • Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21 and 22 March 2019

12:00 – 14:00

Votes followed by explanations of votes

  • Scope and mandate for EU Special Representatives
    • Rapporteur: Hilde Vautmans (ALDE, BE)
  • Appointment of Sebastiano Laviola as a new member of the Single Resolution Board
    • Rapporteur: Roberto Gualtieri (ALDE, IT)
  • EU-Turkmenistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
    • Rapporteur: Ramona Nicole Mănescu EPP, RO)
  • Participation of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice
    • Rapporteur: Monica Macovei ECR, RO)
  • Definition, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks and protection of geographical indications thereof
    • Rapporteur: Pilar Ayuso (EPP, ES)
  • Proposed amendments to Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union
    • Rapporteur: Tiemo Wölken (ALDE, DE)
  • Union General Export Authorisation for the export of certain dual-use items from the Union to the United Kingdom
    • Rapporteur: Klaus Buchner (Greens/EFA, DE)
  • Continuation of the territorial cooperation programmes PEACE IV (Ireland-United Kingdom) and United Kingdom-Ireland (Ireland-Northern Ireland-Scotland) in the context of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU
    • Rapporteur: Iskra Mihaylova (ALDE, BG)
  • Listing the 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 UK’s withdrawal from the EU
    • Rapporteur: Claude Moraes (S&D, UK)
  • Rules relating to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund by reason of the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
  • Fishing authorisations for Union fishing vessels in United Kingdom waters and fishing operations of United Kingdom fishing vessels in Union waters
  • Continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU
    • Rapporteur: Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (EPP, PL)
  • Establishing contingency measures in the field of social security coordination following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU
    • Rapporteurs: Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, UK), Marian Harkin (ALDE, IE)
  • Common rules ensuring basic road freight connectivity with regard to the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Isabella De Monte (S&D, IT)
  • Common rules ensuring basic air connectivity with regard to the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Pavel Telička (ALDE, CZ)
  • Aviation safety with regard to the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Kosma Złotowski (ECR, PL)
  • A Europe that protects: Clean air for all
  • Texts on which debate is closed

15:00 – 17:00

Debates

  • Establishment of the European Monetary Fund
    • Rapporteurs: Vladimír Maňka (S&D, SK), Pedro Silva Pereira (S&D, PT)
  • Accessibility requirements for products and services
    • Rapporteur: Morten Løkkegaard (ALDE, DK)

17:00 – 18:00

VOTES (oral explanations of votes will be taken on Thursday)

  • Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 391/2009 with regard to the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Isabella De Monte (S&D, IT)
  • Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 with regard to the UK’s withdrawal from the Union
    • Rapporteur: Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, FR)
  • Port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships
    • Rapporteur: Gesine Meissner (ALDE, DE)
  • Prolongation of the transitional use of means other than the electronic data-processing techniques provided for in the Union Customs Code
    • Rapporteur: Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE, SE)
  • Combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment
    • Rapporteur: Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann (S&D, DE)

18:00 – 23:00

Debates (or at the end of the votes)

  • Minimum loss coverage for non-performing exposures
    • Rapporteurs: Esther de Lange (EPP, NL), Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
  • Safeguarding competition in air transport
    • Rapporteur: Markus Pieper (EPP, DE)
  • Jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of decisions in matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility, and international child abduction
    • Rapporteur: Tadeusz Zwiefka (EPP, PL)
  • Visa Information System
    • Rapporteur: Carlos Coelho (EP, PT)
  • Unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the food supply chain
    • Rapporteur: Paolo De Castro (ALDE, IT)

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

  • Annual strategic report on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
    • Rapporteurs: Francesc Gambús (EPP, ES), Eleni Theocharous (ECR, CY)
  • Implementation of the Generalised Scheme Preferences (GSP) Regulation
    • Rapporteur: Christofer Fjellner (EPP, SE)

12:00 – 14:00

VOTES followed by explanations 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