Summary

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

On Tuesday, the plenary will vote on a text on long-term shareholder engagement in corporate governance. The European Parliament had previously adopted, with 556 votes to 67, amendments to a proposal for a directive on the topic. The matter had been sent back to the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee for consideration. The amendments will facilitate shareholders’ engagement in the longer term, develop shareholder transparency and put in place new rules concerning directors’ remuneration. See the previously adopted text here.

On the same day, the Parliament will debate a report on the “waste package”, a proposal aimed at enhancing the circular economy, whereby the share of recyclable waste to should rise to 70% by 2030, from the 44% it is today. The report, adopted by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety  (ENVI), aims to disconnect waste generation from economic growth. It further provides that the share of landfilling should be restricted to 5%, and food waste should be reduced by 50% by 2030.

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss the conclusions of the European Council, which took place on March 9-10. Further, they will consider the “Rome Declaration”, marking the  60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

On the same day, the plenary will vote on a recommendation from the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) on food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products. The Committee recommended that the Parliament adopt the Council position without  amendment. The objective of the legislation is to enhance enforcement and control tools regarding food inspections, traceability and official controls along the agri-food chain. The recommendation can be found here.

On Thursday, the Parliament will vote on a draft report on an integrated European Union Policy for the Arctic. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) adopted the own-initiative report by Sirpa Pietikäinen (European People’s Party, Finland) and Urmas Paet (The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Estonia). The report provides that both the effects of climate change and tensions arising from growing competition for access to the Arctic’s natural resources have increased environmental and human security risks in the region. The report further calls for enhanced protection for the ecosystem through banning the extraction of Arctic oil and gas.

Meetings and Agenda

Monday, February 13, 2017

Plenary:

17:00 – 23:00 (Debates)

• Mercury

  • Rapporteur: Stefan Eck (NGL, DE)

  • Committee: ENVI

• Long-term shareholder engagement and corporate governance statement

  • Rapporteur: Sergio Gaetano Cofferati (S&D, IT)

  • Committee: JURI

• Joint debate on gender equality

• Equality between women and men in the EU in 2014-2015

  • Rapporteur: Ernest Urtasun (Greens/EFA, ES)

  • Committee: FEMM

• Equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services

  • Rapporteur: Agnieszka Kozłowska-Rajewicz (EPP, PL)

  • Committee: FEMM

• EU funds for gender equality

  • Rapporteur: Clare Moody

  • Committee: FEMM

• Short presentation of the report: Fundamental rights implications of big data

  • Rapporteur: Ana Gomes (S&D, PT)

  • Committee: LIBE

• Short presentation of the report: An integrated EU policy for the Arctic

  • Rapporteurs: Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, FI), Urmas Paet (ALDE, EE)

  • Committees: AFET, ENVI

• Short presentation of the report: Minimum standards for the protection of farm rabbits

  • Rapporteur: Stefan Eck (NGL, DE)

  • Committee: AGRI

• Short presentation of the report: Responsible ownership and care of equidae

  • Rapporteur: Julie Girling (ECR, UK)

  • Committee: AGRI

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Plenary:

9:00 – 11:50 (Debates)

• Control of the acquisition and possession of weapons

  • Rapporteur: Vicky Ford (ECR, UK)

  • Committee: IMCO

• Joint debate on circular economy

• End-of-life vehicles, waste batteries and accumulators and waste electrical and electronic equipment

  • Rapporteur: Simona Bonafè (S&D, IT)

  • Committee: ENVI

• Landfill of waste

  • Rapporteur: Simona Bonafè (S&D, IT)

  • Committee: ENVI

• Waste

  • Rapporteur: Simona Bonafè (S&D, IT)

  • Committee: ENVI

• Packaging and packaging waste

  • Rapporteur: Simona Bonafè (S&D, IT)

  • Committee: ENVI

15:00 – 17:00 (Key Debate)

• White Paper on the future of the EU

17:00 – 23:00 (Debates)

• 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

• Short presentations of the following report: Constitutional, legal and institutional implications of a Common Security and Defence Policy: possibilities offered by the Lisbon Treaty

  • Rapporteurs: Michael Gahler (EPP, DE), Esteban González Pons (EPP, ES)

  • Committees: AFCO, AFET

• Addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU external action

  • Rapporteurs: Agustín Díaz de Mera García Consuegra (EPP, ES), Elena Valenciano (S&D, ES)

  • Committees: AFET, DEVE

• 2016 Report on Montenegro

  • Rapporteurs: Charles Tannock (ECR, UK)

  • Committee: AFET

• 2016 Report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

  • Rapporteur: Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, SI)

  • Committee: AFET

• Food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products

  • Rapporteur: Karin Kadenbach (S&D, AT)

  • Committee: ENVI

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Plenary:

09:00 – 11:50 (Debates)

• Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 9 and 10 March 2017

12:00 – 14:00 (Votes)

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

• EU-Brazil Agreement: modification of concessions in the schedule of Croatia in the course of its accession

  • Rapporteur: José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (EPP, ES)

  • Committee: INTA

• Obstacles to EU citizen’s freedom to move and work in the Internal Market

15:00 – 21:00 (Debates)

• Topical debate – EU security agenda: one year after the Brussels attacks

• An integrated EU policy for the Arctic

  • Raporteurs:  Urmas Paet (ALDE, EE), Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, FI)

  • Committee: AFET, ENVI

• Use of the 470-790 MHz frequency band in the Union

  • Rapporteur: Patrizia Toia S&D, IT)

  • Committee: ITRE

• Supply chain due dilligence by importers of minerals and metals originating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas

  • Rapporteur: Iuliu Winkler (EPP, RO)

  • Committee: INTA

• Money market funds

  • Rapporteur: Neena Gill CBE (S&D, UK)

  • Committee: ECON

• Guidelines for the 2018 budget – Section III

  • Rapporteur: Siegfried Mureşan (EPP, RO)

  • Committee: BUDG

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Plenary:

9:00 – 11:50 (Debates)

• Union framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector

  • Rapporteur: Marco Affronte (Greens/EFA, IT)

  • Committee: PECH

• 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)

15:00 – 16:00 (Debates)

• Review of the regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations