Summary

Next week, there will be a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Several significant debates and votes will take place, in addition to various committee meetings.

On Monday, the plenary will debate a draft report on a proposal for a directive regarding enhancing cost-effective emission reductions and low-carbon investments. This debate follows the adoption of the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”). The Commission has introduced the proposal aiming to achieve and implement the European Union’s climate change and clean energy targets for 2030, including a 40% cut of CO2 emissions. 

On Wednesday, the plenary will vote on the final EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (“CETA”), which aim to enhance trade and investments between Canada and the bloc. Under EU law, the Parliament’s consent is necessary for the treaty to come into force.

On Thursday, the plenary will vote on a report adopted by the Committee on Legal Affairs (“JURI”), on Civil Law Rules on Robotics. The report calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a directive on the topic, to cover legal and ethical issues associated with ever more sophisticated robots. In particular, MEPs are concerned with civil liability rules for accidents, such as those involving driverless cars.

Also on Thursday, the plenary will vote on an own-initiative adopted by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (“ITRE”) on the European Cloud Initiative. The European Cloud Initiative aims to bolster the EU’s potential in the area of cloud computing, through advancing the bloc’s development of high-performance computing (“HPC”). Furthermore, MEPs emphasized that cloud computing standardization should be expedited, and that raising awareness of cloud computing more generally is of vital importance.

Finally, on the same day, the plenary will debate a draft report on the Commission Communication “An Aviation Strategy for Europe” adopted by the Committee on Transport and Tourism (“TRAN”). The Aviation Strategy for Europe aims to foster the growth of the EU aviation sector by opening new markets and creating additional opportunities for companies through the conclusion of new international agreements with key countries. The strategy also intends to plan the means to manage growth in traffic. The Commission wishes for the EU to maintain its leadership on passenger rights and safety, as well as environmental protection, while fostering innovation and proposing a clear framework for drones.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, February 13, 2017

Plenary:

17:00 – 23:00 (Debates)

• Cost-effective emission reductions and low-carbon investments

  • Rapporteur: Ian Duncan (ECR, UK)

  • Committee: ENVI

• Annual report on EU competition policy

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

  • Committee: ECON

• Short Presentation on the report Promoting gender equality in mental health and clinical research

  • Rapporteur: : Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea (ALDE, Spain)

  • Committee: FEMM

• Short Presentation on the report Priorities for the 61th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

  • Co-rapporteurs: Constance Le Grip (EPP, France) and Maria Arena (S&D, Belgium)

  • Committee: FEMM

• Short Presentation on the report Control of the Register and composition of the Commission’s expert groups

  • Rapporteur: Dennis de Jong (GUE/NGL, Netherlands)

  • Committee: CONT

• Short Presentation on the report The role of whistle-blowers in the protection of EU´s financial interests

  • Rapporteur: Dennis de Jong (GUE/NGL, Netherlands)

  • Committee: CONT

• Short Presentation on the report Revision of the European Consensus on Development

  • Co-rapporteurs: Norbert Neuser (S&D, Germany) and Bogdan Brunon Wenta (EPP, Poland)

Committee on Foreign Affairs

19:00 – 20:00

• Discussion on EU-Swiss relations with Jacques De Watteville, Swiss State Secretary and Chief EU Negotiator on institutional issues, and Christian Leffler, EEAS Deputy Secretary-General for Global and Economic issues

Committee on Budgets

19:00 – 20:00

• Agenda not available

Committee on Budgetary Control

19:00 – 21:30

• Agenda not available

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

19:30 – 21:00

• Agenda not available

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Plenary:

9:00 – 11:50 (Debates)

Joint debate – Future of the EU –

• Possible evolutions of and adjustments to the current institutional set-up of the European Union

  • Rapporteur: Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium)

  • Committee: AFCO

• Improving the functioning of the European Union building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty

  • Co-rapporteurs: Mercedes Bresso (S&D, Italy) and Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany)

  • Committee: AFCO

• Budgetary capacity for the Eurozone

• Co-rapporteurs: Pervenche Berès (S&D, France) and Reimer Böge (EPP, Germany)

• Committees: ECON and BUDG

12:00 – 14:00 (Votes)

• EU-Cook Islands sustainable fisheries partnership agreement

  • Rapporteur: João Ferreira (GUE/NGL, Portugal)

  • Committee: PECH

• EU-Cook Islands sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (Resolution)

  • Rapporteur: João Ferreira (GUE/NGL, Portugal)

  • Committee: PECH

15:00 – 23:00 (Debates)

• State of play of the second review of the economic adjustment programme for Greece

• Situation in the West Bank, including settlements

• 2016 Report on Albania

  • Rapporteur: Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany)

  • Committee: AFET

• 2016 Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Rapporteur: Cristian Dan Preda (EPP, Romania)

  • Committee: AFET

Joint debate – European Semester 2017

• European Semester for Economic Policy Coordination: Annual Growth Survey 2017

  • Rapporteur: Gunnar Hökmark (EPP, Sweden)

  • Committee: ECON

• European Semester for Economic Policy Coordination: employment and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2017

  • Rapporteur: Yana Toom (ALDE, Estonia)

  • Committee: EMPL

• Single Market Governance within the European Semester 2017

  • Rapporteur: Antonio López-Istúriz White (EPP, Spain)

  • Committee: IMCO

• Banking Union – Annual Report 2016

  • Rapporteur: Danuta Maria Hübner (EPP, Poland)

  • Committee: ECON

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Plenary:

9:00 – 11:50 (Debates)

• Joint debate – EU-Canada CETA – EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

  • Rapporteur: Artis Pabriks (EPP, Latvia)

  • Committee: INTA

• Conclusion of the EU-Canada CETA

12:00 – 14:00 (Votes)

• EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement

  • Rapporteur: Charles Tannock (ECR, UK)

  • Committee: AFET

• EU-Mongolia Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation

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

  • Committee: AFET

• EU-Mongolia Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation (Resolution)

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

  • Committee: AFET

• Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft (Product Coverage Annex)

  • Rapporteur: Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández (S&D, Spain)

  • Committee: INTA

15:00 – 23:00 (Debates)

• Combating terrorism

  • Rapporteur: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, Germany)

  • Committee: LIBE

• Reinforcement of checks against relevant databases at external borders

  • Rapporteur: Monica Macovei (ECR, Romania)

  • Committee: LIBE

• EU law enforcement information exchange and the replacement of pre-Lisbon instruments

• Civil Law Rules on Robotics

  • Rapporteur: Mady Delvaux (S&D, Luxembourg)

  • Committee: ITRE

• European Cloud Initiative

  • Rapporteur: Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland)

  • Committee: ITRE

Joint debate – European Structural and Investment Funds

• Investing in jobs and growth – maximizing the contribution of European Structural and Investment Funds

  • Rapporteur: Lambert van Nistelrooij (EPP, Netherlands)

  • Committee: REGI

• Delayed implementation of ESI Funds operational programs – impact on cohesion policy and the way forward

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Plenary:

9:00 – 11:50 (Debates)

• Aviation Strategy for Europe

  • Rapporteur: Pavel Telička (ALDE, Czech Republic)

  • Committee: TRAN

• Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 135)

12:00 – 14:00 (Votes)

• Motions for resolutions concerning debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 135)

• Texts on which debate is closed

15:00 – 16:00 (Debates)

• Commission’s approval of Germany’s revised plan to introduce a road toll

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

10:00 – 12:00

• Consideration of draft report Posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services

  • Co-rapporteurs: Elisabeth Morin-Chartier (EPP, France), Agnes Jongerius (S&D, Netherlands)

Committee on Regional Development

9:30 – 11:00

• Agenda not available