Summary

The coming week is a political group week, i.e., the week during which political parties hold internal meetings to discuss their position and strategy, and also prepare the next plenary to be held on December 12-15, 2016, in Strasbourg.

In view of the Maltese presidency of the Council of the EU that starts in January 2017, the Conference of Presidents (including the Parliament President, Martin Schulz, and the political group leaders) will travel to Malta to meet the Maltese President, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, and Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat.

Although legislative activity is limited during political group weeks, a few interesting hearings and votes will take place.

On Monday, the Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (“EMIS”) will hold a presentation of the study on the differences existing between EU and U.S. legislation in the field of car emissions. The study has been prepared by the European Commission at the request of the EMIS Committee. The study draws a comparative analysis between the EU and the U.S. in various fields, such as emission standards (including their implementation and enforcement), and the regime applicable for banning the use of defeat devices.

On the same day, the Committee on Transport and Tourism (“TRAN”) is expected to vote on a draft resolution on the European Commission’s Communication on an Aviation Strategy for Europe. The strategy aims to foster the growth of the aviation sector by opening new markets and creating additional opportunities for companies, through the conclusion of new international agreements with key countries, and also to plan the means to manage the growth in traffic . The Commission also wants the EU to maintain its leadership on passenger rights and safety, and environmental protection, while fostering innovation and proposing a clear framework for drones.

On Thursday, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) will vote on a legislative proposal aimed at aligning the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (“ETS”) to achieve the objectives set by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, in the reduction of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. The legislative proposal includes new modifications, such as more flexible rules to align free allowances with production figures, as well as new funding mechanisms to foster innovative technologies and facilitate investments in modernising energy systems.

On the same day, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (“EMPL”) will also vote on an opinion on the draft Council decision on the Conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada (“CETA”).

Finally, also on Thursday, a hearing on the “Fundamental rights implications of Big Data: privacy, data protection, non-discrimination, security and law-enforcement” will take place in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (“LIBE”). This hearing will consider the implications of Big Data for fundamental rights, when Big Data is used for law enforcement purposes, public administration, or commercial activities.  See the preliminary program  here.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday December 5, 2016

Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector

15:00 – 18:30 

• Discussion with representatives from the National Parliaments of Germany, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom on the parliamentary investigations into emissions measurement in the automotive sector

• Presentation of the study on ‘Car emissions – Differences in EU and US legislation’

Committee on Foreign Affairs

15:00 – 18:30 

• Hearing on the situation in the Great Lakes region

• Vote on Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part (NLE)

  • Rapporteur: Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, DE)

• Vote on Motion for a resolution accompanying the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part (INI)

  • Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, DE)

Committee on International Trade

15:00 – 18:30

• Exchange of views on Sri Lanka’s GSP+ application

Committee on Budgetary Control

15:00 – 18:30

• Discharge 2015: General budget of the EU – European Commission (DEC), Discussion with Marianne Thyssen, Member of the European Commission responsible for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility

  • Rapporteur: Joachim Zeller (EPP, DE)

• Partial renewal of members of the Court of Auditors – EE nominee (NLE) – Hearing of Juhan Parts – Candidate nominated by the Estonian authorities

  • Rapporteur:  Bart Staes (Greens/EFA, BE)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

15:15 – 18:30 

• Discussion with Martti Hetemäki, Chair of the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) (15.15 -16.00)

• Vote on Annual Report on EU Competition Policy (INI)

  • Rapporteur: Tibor Szanyi (S&D, HU)

• Discussion with Elke König, Chairperson of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) (17.00 -18.30)

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• Hearing, Discussion with Pedro S. MARTINS (Member of the Expert Group for the review of the Greek labor market institutions) on Greek labor market reforms

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

15:00 – 18:30 

• Adoption of a draft resolution on Union Customs Code Implementation

Committee on Transport and Tourism

15:00 – 19:00

• Vote on a draft resolution on an Aviation Strategy for Europe (INI)

  • Rapporteur: Pavel Telička (ALDE, CZ)

• Vote on a draft resolution on Logistics in the EU and multimodal transport in the new TEN-T corridors (INI)

  • Rapporteur: Inés Ayala Sender (S&D, ES)

• Vote on a draft recommendation for second reading on Amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 concerning the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Wim van de Camp (EPP, NL)

• Vote on a draft recommendation for second reading on Amendment of Directive 2012/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway area, as regards the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and the governance of the railway infrastructure (COD)

  • Rapporteur: David-Maria Sassoli (S&D, IT)

• Vote on a draft recommendation for second reading on Repeal of Regulation (EEC) No 1192/69 of the Council on common rules for the normalisation of the accounts of railway undertakings (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL, FI)

• Discussion with Violeta BULC, Commissioner for Transports

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

15:00 – 18:30 

• Consideration of draft report on State of play of farmland concentration in the EU: how to facilitate the access to land for farmers 2016/2141(INI)

  • Rapporteur: Maria Noichl (S&D, Germany)

• Exchange of views on Binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 for a resilient Energy Union and to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and other information relevant to climate change

  • Rapporteur: Nicola Caputo (S&D, Italy)

• Exchange of views on Inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry into the 2030 climate and energy framework and amending Regulation No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and other information relevant to climate change

  • Rapporteur: the opinion: Elisabeth Köstinger (PPE, AT)

• Exchange of views on the proposal for a Regulation on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and amending a number of sectoral regulations (“Omnibus”)

  • Co-Rapporteurs: Albert Dess (EPP, DE) and Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT)

• Presentation by the Commission (DG AGRI) on the Promotion Regulation: results of the call for proposals 2016 and work programme 2017

Committee on Fisheries

15:00 – 18:30

• Vote on the text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations on Specific conditions to fishing for deep-sea stocks in the North-East Atlantic, provisions for fishing in international waters of the North-East Atlantic and repeal of Regulation (EC) No 2347/2002 (COD)

• Rapporteur: Isabelle Thomas (S&D, FR)

• Vote on a draft regulation on Sustainable management of external fishing fleets (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Linnéa Engström (Greens/EFA, SE)

• Vote on a draft regulation and vote on the opening of interinstitutional negotiations on Characteristics for fishing vessels (recast) (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Werner Kuhn (EPP, DE)

Committee on Culture and Education

15:00 – 18:30

• Discussion with Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner  for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

• Vote on a draft resolution on Implementation report on Erasmus + (INI)

  • Rapporteur: Milan Zver (EPP, SI)

• Vote on a draft resolution on An integrated approach to Sport Policy: good governance, accessibility and integrity (INI)

  • Rapporteur: Hannu Takkula (ALDE, FI)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• Discussion with the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz (S&D, DE) and a representative from the group of authors of the Charter of Digital Fundamental Rights (15.00 -15.45)

• Reporting on the implementation of the EU readmission agreements, with particular reference to the ongoing work of the Joint Readmission Committees

• Discussion with Matthias Ruete, Director-General, DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission on Joint Way Forward (JWF) on migration issues between Afghanistan and the EU

• Discussion with Bernard Cazeneuve, French Minister of the Interior (16.45 -18.20)

• Vote on the text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations on Combating terrorism and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

15:00 – 18:30

• Hearing on the constitutional implications of referenda on European issues

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 

• No meetings scheduled

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Committee of Inquiry to investigate alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion

15:00 – 18:30

• Discussion with Pierre Moscovici, Member of the European Commission responsible for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs on Fight against tax evasion and anti-money laundering: state of play of progress made at EU level (15.00 – 16.30)

• Discussion with Ashish Kumar, Policy Analyst at Financial Action Task Force (FATF) (16.30 -17.30)

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Subcommittee on Human Rights

9:00 – 18:30

• Agenda not available

 Subcommittee on Security and Defence

15:00 – 18:30

• Agenda not available

Committee on Budgets

9:00 – 12:30

• Consideration and adoption of draft report on Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund – EGF/2016/004 ES/Comunidad Valenciana automotive – Spain (BUD)

• Rapporteur: Esteban Gonzalez Pons (EPP, ES)

Budgetary Control Committee

14:00 – 18:30

• Agenda not available

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

9:00 – 17:30

• Adoption of draft opinion on the Conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part

  • Rapporteur: Georgi Pirinski (S&D, BG)

• Adoption of draft report on a European Pillar of Social Rights

  • Rapporteur: Maria João Rodrigues (S&D, PT)

 Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

9:00 – 12:30

• Adoption of draft report on Cost-effective emission reductions and low-carbon investments

• Rapporteur: Ian Duncan (ECR, UK)

• Adoption of motion for a resolution further to a question for oral answer on the Regulation on Paediatric Medicines

  • Co-rapporteurs: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT), Françoise Grossetête (EPP, FR), Elena Gentile (S&D, IT), Bolesław G. Piecha (ECR, PL), Frédérique Ries (ALDE, BE), Stefan Eck (GUE/NGL, DE), Joëlle Mélin (ENF, FR)

• Consideration of draft opinion on Discharge 2015: General budget of the EU – European Commission

  • Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT)

• Consideration of draft opinion on Discharge 2015: European Environment Agency (EEA)

  • Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT)

• Consideration of draft opinion on Discharge 2015: European Medicines Agency (EMA)

  • Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT)

• Consideration of draft opinion on Discharge 2015: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

  • Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT)

• Consideration of draft opinion on Discharge 2015: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

  • Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT)

• Consideration of draft opinion on Discharge 2015: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

  • Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

9:00 – 18:00

• Vote on draft report on European Union Agency for Asylum (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Péter Niedermüller (S&D, HU)

• (tbc) Vote on the text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations on Third countries whose nationals are subject to or exempt from a visa requirement: review of the suspension mechanism (COD)

  • Rapporteur: Agustín Díaz De Mera García Consuegra (EPP, ES)

• Hearing on the fundamental rights implications of Big Data: privacy, data protection, non-discrimination, security and law-enforcement (INI) (14.30 -18.00)

  • Rapporteur: Ana Gomes (S&D, PT)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

9:00 – 12:30

• Vote on draft report Improving the functioning of the European Union building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty (INI)

  • Co-rapporteurs Mercedes Bresso (S&D, IT) and Elmar Brok (EPP, DE)

• Vote on draft report Possible evolutions and adjustments of the current institutional set-up of the European Union (INI)

  • Rapporteur: Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, BE)