Summary

Next week, the European Parliament will conduct the hearings of the Commissioners-designate and a hearing on Search and Rescue operations in the Mediterranean.  The Budgets Committee is set to adopt its position on the annual EU budget for 2020.

Throughout the week, the Commissioners-designate will answer questions from Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) in front of the committees related to their portfolios.  During these three-hour hearings, MEPs will assess whether the Commissioners are qualified for their new roles, before voting on the Commission as a whole in a plenary session in mid-October. Please find below an outtake from the hearing schedule for the following week (for the complete list, please see here):

  • Monday, September 30:
    • Mariya Gabriel: Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the Culture and Education Committee (18:30-21:30)
  • Tuesday, October 1:
    • Janusz Wojciechowski: Agriculture Committee (14:30-17:30)
    • Stella Kyriakides: Environment Committee (18:30-21:30)
  • Wednesday, October 2:
    • Didier Reynders: Civil Liberties Committee; Justice and Home affairs Committee; and Legal Affairs Committee (9:00-12:00)
    • Sylvie Goulard: Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee and the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (14:30-17:30)

Next week will also be an interesting week for EU budgetary affairs, as the Budget Committee will vote on next year’s annual budget. The Committee’s position is expected to be confirmed in a plenary session on October 23. Afterwards, the Parliament will enter into negotiations with the Council of the European Union. The 2020 annual budget is the last within the current multiannual framework. Negotiations on the next multiannual framework have yet to be concluded.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, September 30, 2019

Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Development, Subcommittee on Human Rights

17:00 – 18:30

  • Sakharov Prize 2019: Presentation of candidates

Committee on Development

15:00 – 18:30

  • The EU’s humanitarian aid policies: lessons learned from the past five years. Debate with Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

17:00 – 18:30

Tuesday, October 1, 2019 

Committee on Foreign Affairs

09:00 – 12:30

Vote   

  • Committee’s opinion to the General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020 – all sections

Debates

  • EU-Australia Strategic Partnership: debate with Honourable Kevin Andrews, Father of the Australian House of Representatives, and a delegation from the Australian Parliament
  • The Outcome of the UN Climate Action Summit: debate with Joyce Msuya, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

Committee on Budgets

10:00 – 18:00   

  • General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020 – all sections (BUD) – Adoption of budget amendments (to be confirmed)
    • Co-rapporteurs: Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES)

Committee on Culture and Education

15:00 – 17:30   

  • General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020 – all sections (BUD)
    • Rapporteur for opinion Petra Kammerevert (S&D, DE)
  • Election of the fourth Vice-Chair

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Committee on Budgets

10:00 – 12:30

  • General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020 – all sections (BUD) – Adoption of budget amendments (to be confirmed)
    • Co-rapporteurs:Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

14:30 – 15:00

Vote

  • Economic policies of the euro area 2019 (INI) – Vote on report
    • Rapporteur: Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE)

Committee on Regional Development

15:00 – 18:00

Votes

  • General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020 – all sections (BUD) – Adoption of draft opinion

Votes on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations

  • European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (COD)
    • Rapporteur: Andrea COZZOLINO (S&D, IT)
  • Specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments (COD)
    • Rapporteur: Pascal ARIMONT (EPP, BE)
  • Mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context (COD)
    • Rapporteur: Cristian GHINEA (Renew, RO)
  • Adjustment of annual pre-financing for the years 2021 to 2023 (COD)
    • Rapporteur: Andżelika Anna Możdżanowska (ECR, PL)

Committee on Fisheries

09:00 – 18:30

  • How is the existing European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) being used? – Presentation by the Commission
  • State of the Seas – Exchange of views with Commission representatives on the state of the stocks in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, including a progress report on the Malta MedFish4Ever Declaration

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 18:30

Thursday, October 3, 2019 

Committee on Fisheries

09:00 – 12:30   

  • International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES): How ICES advises on sustainable management of fish stocks and marine ecosystems – Presentation by Colm Lordan, Vice-Chair, Advisory Committee, ICES

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00 – 11:00

  • Hearing on “Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean”

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 12:30