Summary

Next week, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather in Strasbourg for plenary sessions.  Important debates and votes are scheduled to take place.

What won’t take place next week is a vote to confirm the next European Commission.  A spokesman of the Parliament indicated that the vote will be delayed after three Commissioners-designate were rejected by the Parliament as no alternative candidates have yet been approved.  This means that the new European Commission will assume office on December 1, 2019, at the earliest, instead of November 1, 2019, as planned.

On Tuesday, MEPs will debate the outcomes of the EU summit that took place on October 17 and 18.  While the outcomes are still uncertain, they will include a position of the European Council on the new Brexit preliminary deal that was struck between the European Commission and the United Kingdom after an intense few days of negotiations.  The deal includes a complicated customs arrangement between Great Britain and Northern Ireland to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, while placing Northern Ireland formally outside the EU’s customs union.  UK authorities will apply EU tariffs if goods are at risk of entering the single market.  The risk-factor would be determined by a Joint Committee that is to be set up under the Withdrawal Agreement.  It remains uncertain whether the British House of Commons will accept this deal on Saturday, October 19.  If they do not, the UK will likely as for an extension and the European Council will meet to decide whether to grant this.  Also, Bernd Lange, Chair of the Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, has criticized the latest deal because it could create loopholes.  Nevertheless, he suggested that these concerns should be dealt with in a future trade agreement.  An EU press release, including the revised protocol and political declaration, can be found here.

On Wednesday, MEPs will debate on the Turkish military operations in north-east Syria.  They may put forward a resolution for a vote on Thursday.  The Member States of the EU have already condemned Turkey’s military actions in Syria and have committed themselves to stop exporting arms to Turkey.  This falls short of an EU-wide embargo because it will not be implemented at the EU level.  The EU is also preparing sanctions.  An opinion or condemnation of the European Parliament could put political pressure tool on Member States to adopt or support effective actions against Turkey.  The statement of the Council of the EU can be found here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, October 21, 2019 

Plenary Session

17:00 – 21:00

Debates

  • B.A

Joint meeting: Economic and Monetary Affairs & Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committees

19:30 – 19:45

Votes

  • Establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment – Vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations
  • Co-rapporteurs: Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN (EPP, FI)

Committee on Regional Development

19:00 – 20:00

Votes

  • Financial assistance to Member States to cover serious financial burden inflicted on them following a withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union without an agreement (COD)
  • Rapporteur: Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, FR)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

19:00 – 21:30

Votes

  • Election of the third Vice-Chair
  • Search and rescue in the Mediterranean (SAR) (RSP) – adoption of motion for a resolution
  • Rapporteur: Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES)

Debate (19.30-20.30)

  • Exchange of views with Dunja MIJATOVIĆ, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Plenary Session

9:00 – 12:20

Debates

(possibly) Votes on requests for urgent procedure (Rule 163)

  • Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 17 and 18 October 2019
  • Review of the Juncker Commission

12:30 – 14:30

Votes followed by explanations of votes

  • Implementation and financing of the EU general budget in 2020 in relation to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU
  • Rapporteur: Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE)
  • Periods of application of Regulation (EU) 2019/501 and Regulation (EU) 2019/502
  • Rapporteur: Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, FR)
  • European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020)
  • Rapporteur: Vilija Blinkevičiūtė (S&D, LT)
  • Financial assistance to Member States to cover serious financial burden inflicted on them following a UK’s withdrawal from the EU without an agreement
  • Rapporteur: Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, FR)
  • Fishing authorisations for Union fishing vessels in United Kingdom waters and fishing operations of United Kingdom fishing vessels in Union waters
  • Rapporteur: Chris DAVIES (RE, UK)
  • Texts on which debate is closed

15:00 – 21:00

Debate

  • Debates on foreign affairs issues in the presence of the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (to be defined)
  • General budget of the European Union for 2020 – all sections
  • Co-rapporteurs: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, GE), Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, ES)
  • Discharge 2017: European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
  • Rapporteur: Petri Sarvamaa (EPP, FI)
  • Discharge 2017: EU general budget – European Council and Council
  • Rapporteur: Isabel García Muñoz (S&D, ES)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:45

Debates

11:45 – 12:15

Vote (preceded by a round of political group speakers in reverse order)

  • Election of the Commission

12:30 – 14:30

Votes followed by explanations of votes

  • Draft general budget of the European Union for 2020 – all sections
  • General budget of the European Union for 2020 – all sections
  • Co-rapporteurs: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, GE), Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, ES)

15:00 – 21:00

Debates

  • Topical debate (Rule 162)
  • Presentation of the Court of Auditors’ annual report – 2018

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:50

Debates

  • Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 144)

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 144)

15:00 – 16:00

Debates

  • Major interpellations (Rule 139)

 Friday, October 25, 2019

No meetings of notes