Summary

Next week will be a mini-plenary week in the European Parliament.  Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) gather in Brussels for Committee meetings and Plenary Sessions.

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss the state of play and rising tensions between Eastern Mediterranean Member States and Turkey due to Turkey’s drilling operations off Cyprus that intensified at the beginning of October.  Cyprus called on Turkey to cease what it called “the illegal activities” in its exclusive economic zone; Turkey argues that the area is within its continental shelf and that it is entitled to drill there.  The Council of the EU adopted conclusions on October 14, 2019, that reaffirm the EU’s full solidarity with Cyprus and announce sanctions against natural and legal persons that are responsible for or involved in these drilling activities.  The Council conclusions can be read here.

On Thursday, hearings will take place with the new Commissioner-designates.  Previously, the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”) rejected Hungary’s former Justice Minister, László Trócsányi, and Romania’s pick, Rovana Plumb, due to perceived conflicts of interest.  France’s Sylvie Goulard was also rejected by a combined vote of the Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (“ITRE”) and the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (“IMCO”), after a weak performance during her hearing with these committees.  After this defeat, Emmanuel Macron put forward Thierry Breton, a former French Finance Minister and Businessman, to become Commissioner for the Internal Market.  He is seen as competent and a close ally to Macron.  However, MEPs have concerns about the vast size of his prospective portfolio, which ranges from the space and defense industry to consumer protection; and about potential conflicts of interests relating to his current position as CEO of Atos, a French multinational information technology company.  Hungary proposed career diplomat Olivér Várhelyi as the next Commissioner for Enlargement and Regional.  Várhelyi is currently Hungary’s ambassador to the EU.  Romania’s new pick was delayed until a new national government was formed.  On November 6, Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen agreed to the candidature of Adina-Ioana Vălean to the Transport Policy portfolio.  Vălean is one of Romania’s most senior MEPs and has chaired ITRE and the Committee on Enviroment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”).  The European Parliament will need to approve these three candidates next week, if the Commission is to take office on December 1.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, November 11, 2019

Subcommittee on Human Rights

15:00 – 18:30

  • Exchange of views with women defending environmental, land and indigenous peoples rights in Latin America (Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico)

Committee on Budgetary Control

15:00 – 18:30

  • 2018 discharge: General budget of the EU – European Commission (DEC)
  • Exchange of views with Johannes HAHN, Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy in the presence of ECA member Tony MURPHY
    • Rapporteur: Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE)

Committee on Fisheries

15:00 – 18:30

  • European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) – Exchange of views with Pascal SAVOURET, Executive Director, on the work programme for 2020

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

Debates

  • Progress Report on the Implementation of the European Agenda for Migration – presentation by Michael SHOTTER, Director for Migration and Protection, DG HOME, European Commission (15.00-16.00)
  • 20th Security Union Progress Report – presentation by Julian KING, Commissionr for Security Union (16.00-17.30)

Joint debate

  • European Production and Preservation Orders for electronic evidence in criminal matters 2018/0108(COD) and Harmonised rules on the appointment of legal representatives for the purpose of gathering evidence in criminal proceedings 2018/0107(COD) – consideration of two draft reports, rapporteur Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE) (17.30-18.30)

Committee on Petitions

See agenda

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Subcommittee on Human Rights

09:00 – 18:30

  • Exchange of views on the recent developments in Lebanon
  • Exchange of views on the human rights and humanitarian situation in north-eastern Syria with Daniel Endres, UNHCR Director for the Global Refugee Forum

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

09:00 – 18:30

  • Public hearing on European Space Security and Defence: What action at EU level to address militarisation of space and race for resources? with Olivier ZAJEC, Director of the Institute for Strategy and Defence Studies (IESD), Université Jean Moulin Lyon III; Pascal CLAUDEL, Chief Operating Officer, European GNSS Agency (GSA); Dr. Carine CLAEYS, EU Special Envoy for Space, EEAS; Simonetta DI PIPPO, UNOOSA Director, United Nations.
  • Exchange of views on countering hybrid threats – In association with the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and with the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries
  • Security and strategic implications of Turkey’s military operations in North East Syria

Committee on Budgets

09:00 – 18:30

  • No meeting of notes

Committee on Budgetary Control

09:15 – 18:30

  • Partial renewal of members of the Court of Auditors – NL nominee (NLE) – Hearing of Alex BRENNINKMEIJER, candidate nominated by Netherlands (renewal of mandate)
    • Rapporteur: Tomáš ZDECHOVSKY (EPP, CZ)
  • Partial renewal of members of the Court of Auditors – FR nominee (NLE) – Hearing of François-Roger CAZALA, candidate nominated by France
    • Rapporteur: Isabel GARCIA MUNOZ (S&D, ES)
  • Partial renewal of members of the Court of Auditors – LU nominee (NLE) – Hearing of Joelle ELVINGER, candidate nominated by Luxembourg
    • Rapporteur: Olivier CHASTEL (Renew, BE)
  • Partial renewal of members of the Court of Auditors – DE nominee (NLE) – Hearing of Klaus-Heiner LEHNE, candidate nominated by Germany (renewal of mandate)
    • Rapporteur: Tomáš ZDECHOVSKY (EPP, CZ)
  • Partial renewal of members of the Court of Auditors – EL nominee (NLE) – Hearing of Nikolaos MILIONIS, candidate nominated by Greece (renewal of mandate)
    • Rapporteur: Sándor RONAI (S&D, HU)

In camera

  • Evaluation, votes and adoption of draft reports

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

09:00 – 18:30

  • Presentation on the Energy Community and the ongoing revision of the Treaty establishing the Energy Community
  • Exchange of views with BEREC Chair 2019, Jeremy GODFREY, BEREC Chair 2020, Dan SJÖBLOM and the Director of the Agency for Support for BEREC, László IGNÉCZO
  • Exchange of views with the President of the European Research Council (ERC), Professor Jean-Pierre BOURGUIGNON and with an ERC Advanced Grantee, Professor Antje BOETIUS, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute
  • Presentation of the Annual Market Monitoring Report and exchange of views with Alberto POTOTSCHNIG, Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)
  • Statement of the ACER Director-designate, Christian ZINGLERSEN, and exchange of views with ITRE Members
  • Presentation by the Commission of the Report on Competition Policy 2018, in particular digital and energy sectors and state aid guidelines for energy

Committee on Fisheries

09:00- 18:30

Votes

  • Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of The Gambia and the Implementation Protocol thereto (NLE) – adoption of draft recommendation (consent) by Carmen Avram (S&D, RO)
  • European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (COD) – vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations,
  • Rapporteur: Francisco José Millán Mon (EPP, ES)

Hearings

  • Facing the new challenges of the EU fisheries control system. This hearing is important in order to receive inputs from experts in the field, in view of preparing the draft report on the Commission proposal for a revision of the EU Fisheries Control System. The hearing will focus on the weaknesses of the current EU fisheries control system.

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

09:00 – 18:00

Votes

  • Conclusion of new protocol to the agreement on asylum applications and Eurodac with Switzerland and Liechtenstein (NLE) – adoption of draft report
    • Rapporteur: Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA (ECR, PL)

Debates

  • Europol Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) 2019 – presentation by Will Van GEMERT, Deputy Director (09.30-10.30)

Joint debate with the Committee on Development (DEVE) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI)

  • DEVE-LIBE-DROI delegation to the global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, from 16-18 December 2019 – exchange of views with Daniel ENDRES, Director for the Global Refugee Forum, UNHCR
  • Report on the implementation of the EU Directive on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and in European arrest warrant proceedings, and on the right to contact third persons upon deprivation of liberty – presentation by the Commission (15.30-16.00)
  • Recent actions by the Russian Federation against Lithuanian judges, prosecutors and investigators involved in investigating the tragic events on 13 January 1991 in Vilnius – exchange of views with Elvinas JANKEVIČIUS, Minister of Justice of Lithuania (16.00-17.00)
  • European Court of Auditors (ECA) Briefing paper “Challenge to effective Cybersecurity policies” – presentation by Baudilio Tomé MUGURUZA, Reporting Member (17.00-18.00)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

11:30 – 18:30

Debates (14.30-18.30)

  • The withdrawal of the UK from the European Union – state of play – exchange of views
  • The Conference on the Future of Europe and the role of the European Parliament

Committee on Petitions

09:00 – 18:30

Vote (10.00)

  • European Ombudsman 2018 Annual Report (INI), adoption of a draft report
    • Rapporteur: Peter JAHR (EPP, DE)

Hearing (10.15-12.30)

  • “FATCA and its extraterritorial impact on EU citizens” The aim of the hearing is to facilitate an exchange of views between the various stakeholders and listen to the issues faced by EU citizens affected by the US Foreign Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Draft programme and further information is available here.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Plenary session

15:00 – 23:00

Debates

Resumption of session

  • 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
  • Order of business
  • Turkish drilling activities in EU waters in the Eastern Mediterranean
  • Children rights in occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child
  • Situation in Bolivia
  • International day to end impunity for crimes against journalists
  • Resurgence of Ebola in East Africa
  • One-minute speeches (Rule 172)

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Plenary session

09:00 – 11:20

Debates

  • Situation of migrants in Bosnia, in particular in Bihać
  • Situation in the hotspots on the Greek islands, in particular the case of Moria

11:30 – 13:30

VOTES followed by explanations of votes

  • Distance sales of goods and certain domestic supplies of goods
    • Rapporteur: Ondřej Kovařík
  • Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund – EGF/2019/001 BE/Carrefour – Belgium
    • Rapporteur: José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT)
  • Objection pursuant to Rule 112: Genetically modified cotton LLCotton25 (ACS-GHØØ1-3)
  • Objection pursuant to Rule 112: Genetically modified soybean MON 89788 (MON-89788-1)
  • Objection pursuant to Rule 112: renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing or produced from genetically modified oilseed rape T45, resulting from the commercialisation of this oilseed rape in third countries until 2005
  • Objection pursuant to Rule 112: Genetically modified maize MON 89034 × 1507 × NK603 × DAS-40278-9 and sub- combinations MON 89034 × NK603 × DAS-40278-9, 1507 × NK603 × DAS-40278-9 and NK603 × DAS-40278-9
  • Objection pursuant to Rule 112: Genetically modified maize Bt11 × MIR162 × MIR604 × 1507 × 5307 × GA21 and genetically modified maize combining two, three, four or five of the single events Bt11, MIR162, MIR604, 1507, 5307 and GA21
  • Criminalisation of sexual education in Poland

 

 Friday, October 25, 2019

  • No meetings of notes