Summary

Next week, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather in Brussels for committee meetings and political group meetings.  It will be relatively quiet in camera, but a lot will be happening behind the scenes.

Over the past two weeks, MEPs have rejected three candidates for the next European Commission, one from each of the three largest political groups.  Just yesterday, MEPs rejected Sylvie Goulard, the French candidate associated with the Renew Europe party block, and originally slated to lead the Commission’s efforts on the internal market, including industrial policy, defense and technology.  She performed poorly during hearings, as the center-right European Peoples’ Party led the charge against her.  Last week, the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”) had blocked the confirmation of Romania’s Rovana Plumb, who was supported by the center-left Socialists and Democrats, and Hungary’s László Trócsányi, who was supported by the center-right European People’s Party.  The political groups will use their meetings next week to discuss alternative candidates already brought forward by Romania and Hungary. France has yet to announce its new candidate.

MEPs will also be occupied with developments surrounding the European Summit taking place on October 17 and 18 in Brussels.  The Member States’ heads of government will gather to discuss the critical issue of Brexit and whether a deal with the United Kingdom is still a possibility before the October 31 deadline.  Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s most recent Brexit proposal has received little enthusiasm in Brussels. In the meantime, President Macron and his state secretary for European affairs, Amélie de Montchalin, again mentioned the importance of political change in the UK in influencing France’s willingness to agree to a potential further extension of the Brexit deadline.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, October 14, 2019

Committee on Foreign Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

  • Exchange of views with Nikola DIMITROV, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia
  • Exchange of views with Tagese CHAFO, House Speaker of the Ethiopian Parliament – Joint debate with the Committee on Development
  • Exchange of views with Vadym PRYSTAIKO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Committee on Budgets

16:00 – 18:00

Voting time

  • General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020 – all sections (BUD)
    • Co-rapporteurs: Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE), Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL (S&D, ES)
  • Measures concerning the implementation and financing of the general budget of the Union in 2020 in relation to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union (APP)
    • Rapporteur: Johan Van OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE)

Committee on Legal Affairs

15:00 – 18:00

Debates

  • Exchange of views with the Executive Director of the EUIPO
  • Examination of corrigendum: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 as regards cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

  • State of play on current Justice and Home Affairs matters – exchange of views with the Council Presidency and the Commission (15.30-16.30)

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

No meetings of note

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

No meetings of note

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Committee on Budgetary Control

09:00 – 12:30   

  • Annual Report 2018 on the protection of the EU’s financial interests
  • 2018 discharge: General budget of the EU – European Commission
    • Rapporteur: Monika Hohlmeier (PPE)
  • ECA Briefing paper on Delivering performance in Cohesion
    • Rapporteur: Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR)
  • ECA Special Report 6/2019 (Discharge 2018): Tackling fraud in EU cohesion spending: managing authorities need to strengthen detection, response and coordination
    • Rapporteur: Lefteris Christoforou (PPE)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

09:00 – 12:30

  • Exchange of views with the Commission on the preparation of the delegated act setting the Union list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI)
  • Exchange of views with the Commission services on the upcoming World Radio Communication Conference (WRC-19)

 Friday, October 18, 2019

No meetings of note