Plenary sessions EN Press Service Directorate for the Media Director - Spokesperson : Jaume DUCH GUILLOT Reference No:20160229NEW16327 Press switchboard number (32-2) 28 33000 Newsletter - 7-10 March 2016 - Strasbourg plenary session [03-03-2016 - 15:59] Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, representing the Dutch Council Presidency and Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will discuss the outcome of the 7 March EU-Turkey summit on the refugees' crisis with MEPs on Wednesday morning. MEPs will also voice their expectations for the upcoming Spring Council meeting of 17-18 March. A reform of EU migration and asylum policies and procedures needs to include gender-sensitive measures to ensure the safety of women seeking asylum and often travelling with young children and other dependants, say MEPs in a draft resolution to be voted on Tuesday. Just before the vote, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi will address the plenary session. Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will join MEPs for a Wednesday afternoon debate on the current situation in the EU. Mr Löfven, a Social Democrat, has led Sweden's first-ever S&D-Green coalition government since October 2014. The plenary debate will be followed by a press point with Mr Löfven and EP President Martin Schulz. Children across the EU should soon get the benefit of better-funded school milk, fruit and vegetable schemes, along with better lessons on healthy eating. A new draft new law to this end, provisionally agreed with EU ministers, will be debated Monday and put to a final vote on Tuesday. If approved, today's separate EU school milk and fruit schemes will merge and the annual budget of the new schemes will increase by €20 million to €250 million. Measures to prevent and halt outbreaks of animal diseases such as avian flu or foot and mouth disease will be debated on Monday and put to a vote on Tuesday. The draft EU law, on diseases that are transmissible among animals, and potentially to humans too, puts fresh emphasis on prevention and should help professionals to keep pace with scientific progress. The draft text was informally agreed by MEPs and the Council of Ministers in June 2015. To fight the growing resistance of bacteria to today’s antibiotics, the use of existing antimicrobial drugs should be restricted, and new ones should be developed, say MEPs. In Thursday’s vote on proposed updates to an EU law on veterinary medicines, they are likely to advocate banning collective and preventive antibiotic treatment of animals, and to back measures to stimulate research into new medicines. Better scrutiny tools are needed to show whether EU anti-smuggling and anti- counterfeiting deals with the four largest tobacco firms really work, say MEPs in a draft resolution to be voted on Wednesday. MEPs are not fully satisfied with the EU Commission's recent assessment of the deal with Philip Morris International (PMI), which expires in July 2016. The Commission will decide whether or not to renew it after Wednesday's vote. But any negotiations with PMI must be transparent, say MEPs. Migration: debate on EU-Turkey summit and upcoming Spring Council meeting .3 MEPs to call for EU measures to protect women refugees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Debate with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Milk, fruit and schooling in healthier eating habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Stepping up the fight against transmissible animal diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Superbugs: MEPs want to curb use of antibiotics in farming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Cigarettes: MEPs to give a verdict on EU anti-smuggling deals with tobacco firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1/22
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EN Press ServiceDirectorate for the MediaDirector - Spokesperson : Jaume DUCH GUILLOTReference No:20160229NEW16327Press switchboard number (32-2) 28 33000
Newsletter - 7-10 March 2016 - Strasbourgplenary session[03-03-2016 - 15:59]
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, representing the Dutch Council Presidency andCommission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will discuss the outcome of the 7March EU-Turkey summit on the refugees' crisis with MEPs on Wednesday morning.MEPs will also voice their expectations for the upcoming Spring Council meeting of17-18 March.
A reform of EU migration and asylum policies and procedures needs to includegender-sensitive measures to ensure the safety of women seeking asylum and oftentravelling with young children and other dependants, say MEPs in a draft resolutionto be voted on Tuesday. Just before the vote, UN High Commissioner for RefugeesFilippo Grandi will address the plenary session.
Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will join MEPs for a Wednesday afternoondebate on the current situation in the EU. Mr Löfven, a Social Democrat, has ledSweden's first-ever S&D-Green coalition government since October 2014. Theplenary debate will be followed by a press point with Mr Löfven and EP PresidentMartin Schulz.
Children across the EU should soon get the benefit of better-funded school milk, fruitand vegetable schemes, along with better lessons on healthy eating. A new draftnew law to this end, provisionally agreed with EU ministers, will be debated Mondayand put to a final vote on Tuesday. If approved, today's separate EU school milk andfruit schemes will merge and the annual budget of the new schemes will increase by€20 million to €250 million.
Measures to prevent and halt outbreaks of animal diseases such as avian flu or footand mouth disease will be debated on Monday and put to a vote on Tuesday. Thedraft EU law, on diseases that are transmissible among animals, and potentially tohumans too, puts fresh emphasis on prevention and should help professionals tokeep pace with scientific progress. The draft text was informally agreed by MEPsand the Council of Ministers in June 2015.
To fight the growing resistance of bacteria to today’s antibiotics, the use of existingantimicrobial drugs should be restricted, and new ones should be developed, sayMEPs. In Thursday’s vote on proposed updates to an EU law on veterinarymedicines, they are likely to advocate banning collective and preventive antibiotictreatment of animals, and to back measures to stimulate research into newmedicines.
Better scrutiny tools are needed to show whether EU anti-smuggling and anti-counterfeiting deals with the four largest tobacco firms really work, say MEPs in adraft resolution to be voted on Wednesday. MEPs are not fully satisfied with the EUCommission's recent assessment of the deal with Philip Morris International (PMI),which expires in July 2016. The Commission will decide whether or not to renew itafter Wednesday's vote. But any negotiations with PMI must be transparent, sayMEPs.
Migration: debate on EU-Turkey summit and upcoming Spring Council meeting . 3
MEPs to call for EU measures to protect women refugees
"How to protect whistleblowers?" is the question MEPs will put to Commission andCouncil in a debate on Wednesday. MEPs may raise the case of the whistleblowerand WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange.
Revised rules for workers who are employed in one member state and temporarilysent to another by their employer will be presented to members on Tuesdayafternoon by Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, immediately after thecollege of Commissioners approves the proposal.
Migration: debate on EU-Turkey summit andupcoming Spring Council meeting Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, representing the Dutch Council Presidency andCommission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will discuss the outcome of the 7March EU-Turkey summit on the refugees' crisis with MEPs on Wednesday morning.MEPs will also voice their expectations for the upcoming Spring Council meeting of17-18 March. The extraordinary meeting of EU heads of state or government and Turkish Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoğlu was convened to address the urgent humanitarian needs of migrantsand refugees stuck in Greece and Turkey, implement the EU-Turkey Action plan and helprestore the normal functioning of the Schengen area. On Tuesday afternoon, the European Commission will update MEPs on the state of playon implementing the European agenda on migration and progress in relocating refugees. Procedure: Statements by Council and Commission followed by a debate Debate: Tuesday, 8 March and Wednesday, 9 March #euco #refugeecrisis #UkinEU #EUCO #migration @JunckerEU @eucopresident
Further information• European Council• European Agenda on Migration – Factsheets• Draft Agenda of the European Council meeting 17-18 March
MEPs to call for EU measures to protect womenrefugees A reform of EU migration and asylum policies and procedures needs to includegender-sensitive measures to ensure the safety of women seeking asylum and oftentravelling with young children and other dependants, say MEPs in a draft resolutionto be voted on Tuesday. Just before the vote, UN High Commissioner for RefugeesFilippo Grandi will address the plenary session. When assessing asylum claims, individual and gender-based forms of violence, such asrape, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage or domestic violenceshould be recognized as valid reasons for seeking asylum in the EU, says the draft text. It lists measures to ensure that woman’s needs are met throughout the asylum process,such as providing:
gender-segregated sleeping and sanitation facilities, female interviewers and interpreters, gender-sensitive health services, including prenatal and postnatal care and trauma counselling for women who have experienced gender-based violence, childcare during screening and asylum interviews, information for women on their right to lodge a claim for asylum, independent oftheir spouse, as a key to empowering women, and gender-specific training for staff, including comprehensive training on sexualviolence, trafficking and female genital mutilation.
Note to editors Since the start of 2016, women and children have accounted for 55% of people reachingGreece to seek asylum in the EU, up from 27% in June 2015. (UNHCR). Situation of women in Europe During the joint debate on Tuesday morning, the Commission will update MEPs on thesocial situation of women in Europe. A resolution on gender mainstreaming in the work ofthe European Parliament, drafted by Nagelika Mlinar (ALDE, AT) will also be put to a voteat noon. Procedure: Debate and non-legislative resolutions Procedure Code: 2015/2325(INI) Debate: Tuesday, 8 March Vote: Tuesday, 8 March Press conference: 8 March at 16.00 with Commissioner Vera Jourova, Iratxe García Pérez(S&D, ES), Chair of Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality; Mary Honeyball(S&D, UK) and Angelika Mlinar (ALDE, AT)
Further information• Draft resolution on the situation of women refugees and asylum seekers in the EU• Rapporteur Mary Honeyball (S&D, U.K):• Audiovisuel site: statement by Mary HONEYBALL (S&D, UK) after committee vote• UNCHR press release: report warns refugee women on the move in Europe are at risk of sexual and
gender based violence:• Procedure file• Briefing from the European Parliament's Policy Departments on women refugees and asylum seekers in
the EU• EP Research study briefing:Arbitrary detention of women and children for immigration-related purposes
Debate with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will join MEPs for a Wednesday afternoondebate on the current situation in the EU. Mr Löfven, a Social Democrat, has ledSweden's first-ever S&D-Green coalition government since October 2014. Theplenary debate will be followed by a press point with Mr Löfven and EP PresidentMartin Schulz. Since the 2014 EU elections, the following EU heads of state or government have takenpart in plenary debates, in addition to the traditional incoming/outgoing Council Presidencyones:
19 May 2015: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, on the situation inHungary, 8 July 2015: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the EU and Euro summitsand the situation in Greece, 7 October 2015: French President François Hollande and German ChancellorAngela Merkel on the situation in the EU, and 19 January 2016: Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło on the situation in Poland
Debate: Wednesday, 9 March at 15.00 Press conference: Press point with PM Löfven and President Schulz after the debate #Lofven #Sweden
Milk, fruit and schooling in healthier eating habits Children across the EU should soon get the benefit of better-funded school milk,fruit and vegetable schemes, along with better lessons on healthy eating. A newdraft new law to this end, provisionally agreed with EU ministers, will be debatedMonday and put to a final vote on Tuesday. If approved, today's separate EU schoolmilk and fruit schemes will merge and the annual budget of the new schemes willincrease by €20 million to €250 million. Almost 10 million children across the EU benefited from the EU school fruit scheme andsome 19 million benefited from the milk one in 2013/2014. Note to editors The school milk scheme was set up in 1977. The school fruit scheme, which includes aprovision for education, was introduced in 2009. Both schemes were set up to promote theconsumption of fruit, vegetables and milk and milk products but they have so far operatedunder different legal and financial arrangements. All 28 EU member states participate inthe school milk scheme and 25 in the school fruit scheme (all except the UK, Finland andSweden). Consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk is still falling across Europe. Over 20 million EUchildren are overweight and adolescents on average eat only 30% to 50% of therecommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables. Procedure: Co-decision (ordinary legislative procedure), first reading agreement 2014/0014(COD) Debate: Monday, 7 March Vote: Tuesday, 8 March Press conference: Tuesday at 15.00 #milk #schoolschemes #fruits #vegetables
Further information• The text as agreed by Parliament and the Council of EU ministers• Press release on the deal reached by MEPs and EU ministers (16.12.2015)• Profile of rapporteur Marc Tarabella (S&D, BE)• Procedure file• Allocation of EU funds for school fruit & vegetables in 2015/2016 per member state• EuroparlTV: Teaching kids healthy eating habits• EP Research briefing note: New scheme for fruit and milk in schools
Stepping up the fight against transmissible animaldiseases Measures to prevent and halt outbreaks of animal diseases such as avian flu or footand mouth disease will be debated on Monday and put to a vote on Tuesday. Thedraft EU law, on diseases that are transmissible among animals, and potentially tohumans too, puts fresh emphasis on prevention and should help professionals tokeep pace with scientific progress. The draft text was informally agreed by MEPsand the Council of Ministers in June 2015. The new Animal Health Law, which merges and updates almost 40 scattered items of oldlegislation, is the first-ever EU legislation to establish a clear link between animal healthand welfare and public health. The draft law clarifies the responsibilities of farmers, traders, animal professionalsincluding veterinarians and also pet owners, to avoid introducing or spreading diseases.For instance, all farmers, animal owners and traders will be obliged to apply the principlesof good animal husbandry and prudent use of veterinary medicines, whereas vets willhave to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance and the EU Commission will monitorthe use of animal antibiotics in the EU. The new law will empower the Commission to take urgent measures to tackle emergingdiseases that could have a “highly significant impact” on public health and agriculturalproduction. To help prevent strays or illegally traded pets transmitting animal diseases, MEPs insertedrules that would require all professional pet keepers and sellers to be registered and alsoempower the Commission to ask member states to set up national databases of dogs,cats and other pets, if need be. Procedure: Co-decision (ordinary legislative procedure), early second reading agreement 2013/0136(COD) Debate: Monday, 7 March Vote: Tuesday, 8 March Press conference: Tuesday at 15.00 #AnimalHealth #AnimalDiseases
Further information• Draft recommendation for second reading• The agreed text as adopted by the Council on 14.12.2015• Press release on committee vote endorsing the deal with Council (23.02.2016)• Profile of rapporteur Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE, SE)• EuroparlTV: Fewer antibiotics for better animal health (interview with the rapporteur)• Procedure file• EP Research study Briefing: Animal Health Law - new EU rules on transmissible animal diseases
Superbugs: MEPs want to curb use of antibiotics infarming To fight the growing resistance of bacteria to today’s antibiotics, the use of existingantimicrobial drugs should be restricted, and new ones should be developed, sayMEPs. In Thursday’s vote on proposed updates to an EU law on veterinarymedicines, they are likely to advocate banning collective and preventive antibiotictreatment of animals, and to back measures to stimulate research into newmedicines. Veterinary medicines must not under any circumstances serve to improve performance orcompensate for poor animal husbandry, say MEPs, who advocate limiting the prophylacticuse of antimicrobials (i.e. as a preventive measure, in the absence of clinical signs ofinfection) to single animals and only when fully justified by a veterinarian. To help tackle antimicrobial resistance, the revised law would empower the EuropeanCommission to designate antimicrobials which are to be reserved for human treatment. Innovation To encourage research into new antimicrobials, MEPs advocate incentives, includinglonger periods of protection for technical documentation on new medicines, commercialprotection of innovative active substances, and protection for significant investments indata generated to improve an existing antimicrobial product or to keep it on the market. MEPs will also vote on Thursday on a report by Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu (S&D, RO),amending another law to improve marketing authorisation for veterinary medicinalproducts which is to be decoupled from that for medicines for humans. Note for editors The objectives of the legislative proposal on antimicrobials are interlinked. It aims to:
increase the availability of veterinary medicinal products, reduce administrative burdens, stimulate competitiveness and innovation, improve the functioning of the internal market, and address the public health risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) recently warned that bacteria inhumans, food and animals continue to show resistance to the most widely-usedantimicrobials. Scientists say that resistance to ciprofloxacin, an antimicrobial that iscritically important for the treatment of human infections, is very high in Campylobacter,thus reducing the options for effective treatment of severe foodborne infections. Multi-drugresistant Salmonella bacteria continue to spread across Europe. Procedure: Co-decision (Ordinary Legislative Procedure), first reading 2014/0257(COD) Debate: Wednesday, 9 March Vote: Thursday, 10 March #veterinarymedicines #antimicrobialresistance #superbugs
Further information• Draft report on veterinary medicinal products• Draft report on the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human use• Press release on committee vote (17.02.2016)• Profile of rapporteur Françoise Grossetête (EPP, FR)• Profile of rapporteur Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu (S&D, RO)• Procedure file
Cigarettes: MEPs to give a verdict on EU anti-smuggling deals with tobacco firms Better scrutiny tools are needed to show whether EU anti-smuggling and anti-counterfeiting deals with the four largest tobacco firms really work, say MEPs in adraft resolution to be voted on Wednesday. MEPs are not fully satisfied with the EUCommission's recent assessment of the deal with Philip Morris International (PMI),which expires in July 2016. The Commission will decide whether or not to renew itafter Wednesday's vote. But any negotiations with PMI must be transparent, sayMEPs. Under these deals the four firms together agreed to pay the EU and its member states atotal of $2.15 billion to drop legal proceedings brought against them to recover duties lostto illegal trade in cigarettes. They also agreed actively to combat smuggling andcounterfeiting of tobacco products. The Commission assessment says that the PMI deal brought about an 85% reduction inthe volume of smuggled genuine PMI cigarettes seized by member states between 2006and 2014. But MEPs have serious doubts about the deal’s real effectiveness in reducingsmuggling, as a surge in illicit "cheap white" cigarettes instantly filled this gap. MEPs point out that the 2014 EU Tobacco Directive provides for an effective set of tools,such as an interoperable tracing and tracking system for the cigarettes at EU level, andsay that member states should focus their efforts on implementing it. Member statesshould also ratify a protocol to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(FCTC), which does the same internationally, they add. Some MEPs expect the PMI dealto be renewed ad interim until the EU and WHO tools are fully operational but all expectthe negotiations to be fully transparent. Background for editors EU member states and the Commission entered into agreements with tobacco producersPhilip Morris International (PMI) in 2004, Japan Tobacco in 2007, British AmericanTobacco (BAT) in 2010 and Imperial tobacco in 2010 in which they agreed to pay acollective total of $2.15 billion to the EU and the member states in return for the EUdropping legal procedures against them, for loss of duties caused by illegal trade incigarettes (PMI agreed to pay $1.25 billion over 12 years, and the rest was contributed bythe other three).90% of the revenue from these deals goes to member states and 10% tothe EU budget as own resources. The tobacco firms also pledged to prevent their products from falling into the hands ofcriminals, by supplying only quantities required by the legitimate market, taking care to sellonly to legitimate clients and implementing a tracking system to help law enforcementauthorities if cigarettes are traded illegally. Parliament called upon the member states and the Commission as early as 2006 to usethe PMI payments to finance measures to prevent cigarette smuggling and counterfeiting,as the money collected by the Commission and the member states is not earmarked forany particular purpose. Procedure: Oral question to Commission (with resolution) Debate in plenary - 25.02.2016 Vote: Wednesday, 9 March
Further information• Debate in Plenary (25 february 2016)• European Commission: Technical assessment of the Anti-Contraband and Anti-Counterfeit Agreement of
9 July 2004 among Philip Morris International and the EU and its Member States• EP Research: Tobacco agreements: Fighting illicit tobacco trade• European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF on tobacco smuggling• Agreement with Philip Morris International (PMI) (2004)• Agreement with Japan Tobacco (2007)• Agreement with British American Tobacco (BAT) (2010)• Agreement with Imperial Tobacco Limited (ITL) (2010)
International protection of whistleblowers "How to protect whistleblowers?" is the question MEPs will put to Commission andCouncil in a debate on Wednesday. MEPs may raise the case of the whistleblowerand WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange. On 11 February 38 MEPs wrote to EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker andEU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to protest about Mr Assange’s treatment andstress the need to respect the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention(WGAD), which concluded on 4 December 2015 that Mr Assange had been arbitrarilydetained by the Swedish and British governments and should be released and receivecompensation. Procedure: Council and Commission statement Debate: Wednesday, 9 March #whistleblowers @JulianAssange_ @wikileaks
Further information• Opinion No. 54/2015 of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention• United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Posting of workers abroad: debate on new rules Revised rules for workers who are employed in one member state and temporarilysent to another by their employer will be presented to members on Tuesdayafternoon by Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, immediately after thecollege of Commissioners approves the proposal. Possible abuses and unfair competition through social dumping prompted the Commissionto introduce several additional provisions over the years on how to apply the legislation,especially regarding working conditions of posted workers. In a separate debate, members will quiz Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker onthe “social triple-A” rating which he promised back in October 2014 as an ambition for theEU. MEPs would like to have details of the definition, aims and timetable for this concept,because there has been no further newsabout it since its presentation. Procedure: Commission statement and oral question (with debates) Debate: Tuesday, 8 March #employment #postedworkers
Further information• European Commission: Posted workers• Question for oral answer to the Commission: What is a 'social triple-A' rating?
Port services: improving efficiency in ports toboost trade and growth Draft rules designed to boost the efficiency and cut the cost of services supplied atEU maritime ports, such as mooring, bunkering and towage, will be put to a vote onTuesday. To prevent price abuse and ensure fair competition, the draft text seeks toensure greater transparency in the setting of fees for these services and for the useof port infrastructure by shipping companies. Noting that the EU’s highly diverse port system includes many different models fororganising port services, MEPs also seek to ensure that existing port management modelsat national level can be maintained in future. They wish to replace the general free marketaccess rules proposed by the EU Commission for service providers with a toolbox of rulesto follow when, for example, ports intend to limit the number of service providers or to setrequirements for their professional qualifications. Procedure: Co-decision, first reading 2013/0157(COD) Debate: Monday, 7 March Vote: Tuesday, 8 March
Fair trials for children: final vote to set minimumsafeguards in the EU A law setting EU minimum standards to protect the right of children (under 18 yearsold) to a fair trial will be voted in plenary session on Wednesday. Parliament andCouncil negotiators struck an informal deal on the draft last December. The aim isto make legal protection of children who are suspected or accused of a crime moreconsistent within the EU, by establishing a “catalogue of rights” to meet theirspecific needs. The draft directive’s priorities are to ensure that children are able to understand and followcourt proceedings and to prevent re-offending. The right to be assisted by a lawyer shouldalways be respected, unless it is not proportionate in the circumstances of the case, butthe child’s best interests must always be the primary consideration, says the text. Furthersafeguards are proposed for the right to an individual assessment and the right to beaccompanied by the holder of parental responsibility (or another appropriate adult) in moststages of proceedings. Background
Further information• Draft report on a framework on market access to port services and financial transparency of ports• Press release on committee vote (25.01.2016)• Press release on committee vote (25.01.2016)• Profile of rapporteur Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, DE)• Procedure file• EP Research background briefing on Liberalization of EU Ports Services• Press release - Council adopts position on port services (08.10.2014)
The draft directive on procedural safeguards for children suspected or accused in criminalproceedings is part of a package to strengthen procedural rights for citizens in criminalproceedings. The other two parts of the package deal with the presumption of innocence(voted in plenary session on 20 January) and with legal aid (still being negotiated in three-way talks with the Council and the Commission).The UK and Ireland have opted out of thisdirective,while Denmark has a blanket opt-out for justice and home affairs legislation. Procedure: Co-decision (Ordinary Legislative Procedure), first reading agreement 2013/0408(COD) Debate: Tuesday, 8 March Vote: Wednesday, 9 March Press conference: Tuesday 8 March, 15.30, with Commissioner Jourova and therapporteur #FairTrials #childrensrights
Capital requirements versus credit supply: EP tovote stance on Banking Union Parliament is to debate and vote its stance on the state of the Banking Union onThursday. In the draft resolution, by Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT), MEPs ask the EUCommission and supervisors to assess how stepping up bank capital requirementsin current and future legislation could affect lending capacity and hence creditsupply. They also give their views on the proposed deposit insurance scheme, theinstitutional set-up of the Single Resolution Fund and rules on banks’ sovereignexposure. The draft resolution was prepared in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, whichapproved it by 40 votes to 16 on 16 February. Procedure: Non-legislative resolution 2015/2221(INI)] Debate: Thursday 10 March Vote: Thursday 10 March #BankingUnion
Further information• Profile of rapporteur Caterina Chinnici (S&D, IT)• Procedure file• Press release after the deal with the Council• Data on children in judicial proceedings in EU28• EP Research study: Child-friendly justice in the EU
Overcoming crises, faster recovery: MEPs to setEU budget priorities for 2017 Next year’s EU budget priorities should continue to be tackling the migration andrefugee crisis and at the same time speeding up slow economic recovery in the EUthrough increased and improved investment, says a draft resolution to be voted onWednesday. MEPs highlight the current problems of long-term and youthunemployment and disparities in economic development across the EU. They alsounderline that the refugee crisis will not be a temporary one. In the draft resolution drawn up by Jens Geier (S&D, DE), MEPs warn that the EU budgethas only a limited capacity to deal with these crises and that “substantial additionalfinancial means” are required. Longer-term solutions should also be sought in theupcoming mid-term revision of the EU’s long-term spending plan, the Multiannual FinancialFramework (MFF), with which the 2017 budget procedure will coincide. Note to editors The budget guidelines are the first document that Parliament produces during the annualbudget procedure. It sets out the line that Parliament expects the Commission to takewhen drawing up its budget proposal. The Commission usually presents its proposal inlate May. Next year's budget has to be agreed between the Council and the Parliament bythe end of December this year. Procedure: Budgetary 2016/2004(BUD) Debate: Tuesday, 8 March Vote: Wednesday, 9 March #refugeecrisis #EUBudget2017
Vote on draft deal to upgrade and clarify EUlawmaking
Further information• Procedure file• Press release after vote in ECON (16.02.2016)• Profile of rapporteur Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT)
Further information• Draft resolution on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2017 budget, Section III – Commission• Press release on committee vote (18.02.2016)• Profile of rapporteur Jens Geier (S&D, DE)• Procedure file• Background information: EP Budgetary powers• Fact sheet: The budgetary procedure
A draft deal among key EU institutions to improve the planning, quality andtransparency of their law-making will be debated on Tuesday and put to a vote onWednesday. It provides for more democratic long-term planning, a new database ofplanned EU laws, and more information for the press and public on negotiationsamong EU institutions. The draft deal aims both to enhance public understanding of how the EU makes its lawsand to improve the quality of new and updated EU legislation. The institutions would agreeto make more thorough and balanced assessments of the likely impact of proposed laws,including estimates of the costs of having 28 differing national laws instead of a commonEU one. MEPs and ministers would also be involved earlier in framing the EU's long-term prioritiesand EU governments would have to make clear which parts of new laws they agreed uponwith their EU partners and which parts they later added themselves. Procedure: Inter-institutional agreement Procedure Code: 2016/2005(ACI) Debate: Tuesday 8 March Vote: Wednesday 9 March #BetterLlawmaking
Ending EU citizens' bank secrecy in Andorra The European Parliament is set to endorse an EU deal with Andorra, which willmake it harder for EU citizens to hide cash from the tax man in bank accounts there,in a vote on Wednesday. Under the deal, the EU and Andorra will automaticallyexchange information on the bank accounts of each other's residents, starting in2017, starting in 2018 for information collected since 1 January 2017. The agreement ensures that Andorra will apply stricter measures, equivalent to those inplace within the EU since March 2014. The agreement also complies with the 2014 globalstandard on the automatic exchange of financial account information promoted by theOECD. Similar agreements have already been approved with Switzerland, Liechtenstein and SanMarino. Procedure: Consultation 2015/0285(NLE) Vote: Wednesday 9 March #Andorra #taxation
Further information• Draft report on an Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making• Press release on committee vote (23-02-2016)• Profile of rapporteur Danuta Hübner (EPP, PL)• Procedure file
Thalidomide victims: debate with EuropeanCommission Over fifty years after the thalidomide tragedy, in which a morning sickness medicinefor pregnant women caused malformations in their babies, victims are still fightingfor fair compensation in several EU countries. MEPs and the European Commissionwill discuss possible EU support measures on Wednesday. Thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness, headaches, insomnia, and colds in thelate 1950 and early 1960s. It was sold in various European countries for several years,and turned out to have severe side-effects for pregnant women as well as their babiesborn with malformations. The victims are still trying to find a solution to enable them tocover costs linked to their medical and physical condition. Procedure: Commission statement followed by debate (no resolution) 2016/2659(RSP) Debate: Wednesday 9 March 2016 #Thalidomide
Montenegro and former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia: 2015 progress reports on EUintegration Parliament will debate the 2015 reform efforts of Montenegro and former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn onWednesday. It is likely to welcome progress made by both countries towards EUmembership, and to urge them to implement the relevant strategies and agreementsin full. MEPs are also likely to flag areas that are lagging behind in the reformprocess, such as the rule of law, freedom of expression and fighting corruption. The House will vote on the two separate resolutions on Thursday. Procedure: Council and Commission statements (with resolution) Debate: Wednesday, 9 March Vote: Thursday, 10 March
Further information• Draft resolution• Profile of rapporteur Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL, PT)• Procedure file
Syria: will the ceasefire hold? Recent developments in Syria, including the Russia-US brokered ceasefire whichcame into force on 27 February, will be debated by MEPs on Tuesday afternoon.This ceasefire, widely seen as fragile, is meant to ease humanitarian access andbuild confidence before peace talks resume in Geneva on 7 March. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad pledged on 1 March to do his part to ensure that theceasefire holds and offered a “full amnesty” to rebels. Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has cost more than 250,000 lives and over 4 millionSyrians have been forced to seek shelter in neighbouring countries. Statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union forForeign Affairs and Security Policy Debate: Tuesday, 8 March #Syria
Debate on Eritrea MEPs will debate the deteriorating political, rule of law and human rights situation inEritrea on Wednesday and vote a resolution on Thursday. Eritrean refugees areamongst the largest groups of asylum seekers arriving in Europe. MEPs might alsotouch upon the issue of political prisoners, some of whom have been detainedwithout charge in Eritrea for more than a decade. Back in 2011 the European Parliament called on the EU High Representative for ForeignAffairs and Security Policy to step up efforts to secure the release of political prisoners inEritrea. These include Swedish citizen Dawit Isaak, a former reporter for an independentnewspaper in Eritrea, detained since 2001.
Further information• EP rapporteur on Montenegro, Charles Tannock (ECR, UK)• EP rapporteur on former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, SL)• Procedure file on Montenegro• Procedure file on former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Further information• EP Research note on conflict in Syria (January 2016)• EP Research note on Russia in Syria (January 2016)
"It is not law that rules Eritreans - but fear", said a UN commission of inquiry in 2015. Statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union forForeign Affairs and Security Policy (with resolution) 2016/2568(RSP) Debate: Wednesday, 9 March Vote: Thursday, 10 March #Eritrea
Human rights and democracy resolutions Parliament will hold urgent debates on the following human rights and democracytopics, on Thursday 10 March at 10.30, with the votes following at 12.00.
Freedom of expression in Kazakhstan. Egypt, notably the case of Giulio Regeni Democratic Republic of the Congo
Other topics on the agenda Other topics for debate and vote include the following:
Fight against Fraud - Annual report 2014 on the protection of the EU's financialinterests (INI), rapporteur Benedek Jávor (Greens/EFA, HU) - debate Mon, voteTuesday Towards a thriving data-driven economy, Oral Question (OQ) to theCommission, debate Tuesday, vote Wednesday What is Social triple A? OQ to the Commission, debate Tuesday Debate on pig prices, OQ to the Commission, debate Thursday
Further information• EP resolution on Eritrea: case of Dawit Isaak (15.06.2011)• UN inquiry on Eritrea (08.06.2015)• Procedure file• EU-Eritrea relations (EEAS website)
• Debate on Zika, OQ to the Commission, debate Thursday, ENVI resolution to bevoted in April I plenary
Further information• OQ - What is a 'social triple-A' rating?• Annual Report 2014 on the Protection of the EU’s Financial Interests – Fight against fraud• OQ - Zika virus outbreak
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