Next week will be a plenary week in the European Parliament.  Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather virtually and in person in Brussels.  Several interesting votes and debates are scheduled to take place.

On Tuesday, MEPs will have an exchange of views with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the EU’s response to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich by Belarusian authorities.  After the incident on May 23, 2021, the European Council quickly responded with calls for, among other measures, additional targeted economic sanctions and banning Belarusian airlines from access to EU airports.  This ban was formally adopted by the Council of the EU on June 4, 2021, and will enter into force the day after.  The MEPs are set to adopt a resolution on this matter on Thursday.  The Council Decision is available here.

On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the upcoming G7 and EU-U.S. summits that are scheduled for June 11-13 and June 15, 2021.  As the EU is a supranational organization and not a sovereign Member State, the EU is a “non-enumerated” member of the G7, but representatives of the European Commission do participate in its meetings.  MEPs will debate the priorities that the EU should represent at the summit, likely ranging from global (corporate) taxation to international cooperation on health matters and climate change.  The MEPs will also share their ideas about transatlantic cooperation ahead of the EU-U.S. summit.  Specific attention could be given to the ongoing trade disputes regarding Airbus-Boeing and the digital services tax.  On June 2, 2021, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) imposed 25% tariffs on over USD 2 billion worth of imports on, among others, three EU Member States after the USTR’s investigation concluded that their digital services taxes discriminated against U.S. tech companies.  However, the USTR simultaneously suspended the tariffs, pending international negotiations.

On Wednesday, the plenary will vote on whether to instruct the European Commission to ask the WTO to waive the intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines.  Following a plenary debate on May 19, 2021, the Committee on International Trade (“INTA”) adopted the draft resolution, in which the European Parliament would call for a temporary TRIPS waiver for vaccines and health-related technologies.  This call clashes with the position of EU Member States representatives, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has stated that a TRIPS waiver would not solve the global vaccine shortages.  On June 4, 2021, the EU already submitted a proposal to the WTO for an action plan to expand vaccine production with the sharing of expertise, but not a (temporary) IP waiver.  What the European Commission will do with a potential resolution calling for an IP waiver from the European Parliament remains to be seen.  The draft report was adopted by INTA with a very comfortable majority.  The draft report is available here.

For the complete agenda and overview of the meetings, please see here.

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Photo of Sebastian Vos Sebastian Vos

Sebastian Vos is co-chair of the firm’s public policy practice, and heads up its European division. He has extensive experience in the European Union and advises clients as they navigate and manage today’s global regulatory and policy challenges.

Sebastian provides clients with strategic…

Sebastian Vos is co-chair of the firm’s public policy practice, and heads up its European division. He has extensive experience in the European Union and advises clients as they navigate and manage today’s global regulatory and policy challenges.

Sebastian provides clients with strategic public policy, regulatory, and communications advice on a range of competition, trade, transactional and sectoral issues. Sebastian has particular expertise in advising companies in the technology, financial services, energy and transport sectors.

Sebastian was formerly a partner at a leading global public affairs consultancy. Prior to this, he was head of the competition practice at a strategic communications agency. He worked as an attorney at a magic circle firm, specialising in Antitrust, Competition and Trade law, as well as being a member of the Public Policy practice. He has also worked at the European Commission, and was part of its Delegation to the United States in 2000.

Sebastian has written articles on legal and political developments in various publications, including Europe’s World, Bloomberg Business Law Review and European Competition Law Review. He has also been a commentator on broadcast media including CNBC and Bloomberg TV.