Climate change agreement: Parliament moves ahead, debate on U.S. withdrawal
U.S. President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change will be discussed on Wednesday. Parliament will vote on legislation implementing its 2030 emissions-reduction targets the same day.
The cuts will help deliver on the EU’s overall target for 2030 - a 30% cut from 2005 levels, in line with the Paris Agreement.
The legislation will make it possible to break down the EU target into binding, national ones, for sectors not covered by the EU carbon market - i.e. agriculture, transport, building and waste, which together account for about 60% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Procedure: Ordinary legislative procedure 2016/0231(COD)
Debate: Wednesday 14 June Vote: Wednesday 14 June
#EUESR #ParisAgreement
Simplifying energy labels for home appliances to A to G
Household appliances will be labelled with A to G ratings to indicate their energy consumption rather than with A+/A++/A+++.
MEPs will debate and vote on Tuesday on a deal concluded with the Council, enabling customers to have a simpler tool for choosing more efficient products to reduce energy consumption and their energy bills, thus encouraging manufacturers to innovate and invest in more energy-efficient products.
Customers should be able to see the first new labels with the new scale indications in shops at the earliest at the end of 2019.
Procedure: Ordinary legislative procedure 2015/0149(COD)
Debate/vote: Tuesday, 13 June
Press conference: Wednesday, 14 June, 16.30 with Rapporteur Dario Tamburrano (EFDD, IT)
#energyefficiency
30 years of Erasmus+ celebrated at the European Parliament in Strasbourg
The European Parliament will celebrate the Erasmus programme, which has helped more than nine million people to study, work, or volunteer abroad over the last 30 years.
President Tajani and President Juncker will host an award ceremony on Tuesday in the hemicycle for 33 Erasmus participants - one for each participant country.
Education and Culture Committee Chair Petra Kammerevert and Commissioner Tibor Navracsics will join in the ceremony. The celebrations include an exhibition on Erasmus+, as well as debates with Erasmus participants and representatives of national Erasmus agencies, on the future of the programme.
Erasmus is one of the most successful European programmes, with more than nine million beneficiaries. It started as a student exchange programme in 1987 and now includes several education and exchange programmes, from secondary school to apprenticeship, teacher exchanges or volunteering.
A press conference with President Antonio Tajani, CULT Chair Petra Kammerevert, Milan Zver (EPP, SL), EP rapporteur for Erasmus+, and Commissioner Tibor Navracsics will be held on Tuesday at 10.30.
Award ceremony
Debate: Tuesday, 13 June
Press conference: Tuesday, at 10.30 with EP President Antonio Tajani, Culture Committee Chair Petra Kammerevert (S&D, DE), Milan Zver (EPP, SL), EP rapporteur for Eramus+ and Commissioner Tibor Navracsics
Gender gap in pensions of 40% needs to be tackled
Gender inequality in employment and pay need to be tackled better, also to prevent pension gaps, which are nearly 40% in the EU.
The gender gap in pensions stood at 39.4 % in 2014 in the EU and has increased in half of the Member States over the past five years. The lowest gender gap in pensions is 3.7% in Estonia and the highest is 48.8% in Cyprus.
The gender gap in pensions is mainly the result of differences in the labour market: a higher proportion of women working part-time, lower hourly wages, and women with fewer years in employment due to caring responsibilities.
MEPs outlined a number of proposals to tackle the gender gap in pensions:
- reducing inequalities by tackling discrimination and stereotypes which block access to the labour market,
- respecting the principle of equal pay for equal work and offering women incentives to work longer and with shorter career breaks,
- flexible working arrangements and care credits for maternity, paternity and parental leave or care for other family members and generally improving the work-life balance,
- corrective measures in pension systems to aid the most vulnerable groups,
- more accurate assessment and awareness-raising, including better data collection and
Procedure: Non-binding resolution 2016/2061(INI)
Debate: Monday, 12 June Vote: Wednesday, 14 June
#GenderEquality #pensiongap #paygap
MEPs’ priorities for upcoming European Council
MEPs will give their input ahead of the 22-23 June European Council, which will deal with migration, security and defence. The Brexit negotiations will most likely be addressed as well in the debate with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Maltese Presidency of the Council on Wednesday at 09.00.
Back in May, the European Parliament urged EU countries to fulfil their obligations and speed up the relocation of refugees, giving priority to children travelling alone. They also seek ambitious reform of the common European asylum system.
MEPs also consistently support more cooperation on defence between EU countries, calling on Member States to show political commitment, increase investment, share information, pool resources and create synergies at EU level in order to better protect Europeans.
Procedure: Council and Commission statements followed by a debate 2017/2652(RSP)
Debate: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
#EUCO #Brexit #migrationEU #refugeecrisis #EUdefence @JunckeEU
European Capitals of Culture 2020-2033
The list of countries hosting the European Capitals of Culture for 2020-2033 is up for a decision by the Parliament on Tuesday.
Every year, two Member States can designate a city to be the European Capital of Culture. EU countries, candidate countries and potential candidate countries participate as well and for the first time, EFTA/EEA countries can have a Culture Capital once every three years.
The full list of countries hosting the European Capitals of Culture for the next period 2020- 2033 has been agreed with the Council and will now be endorsed formally. The European Capitals of Culture aim to promote the richness and diversity of cultures and encourage citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area. A European Culture Capital also benefits from a cultural programme and cultural investments, which should contribute to its long-term sustainable development.
The 2017 European Capitals of Culture are:
- Aarhus (Denmark)
- Pafos (Cyprus)
European Capitals of Culture have already been designated until 2021:
- 2018 – Leeuwarden (Netherlands) and Valletta (Malta)
- 2019 – Plovdiv (Bulgaria) and Matera (Italy)
- 2020 - Galway (Ireland) and Rijeka (Croatia)
- 2021 - Timișoara (Romania), Elefsina (Greece) and Novi Sad (Serbia, Candidate country)
Procedure: Co-decision (Ordinary Legislative Procedure), 1st reading 2016/0186(COD)
Vote: Tuesday, 13 June
Glyphosate: EU Commission questioned
The EU’s executive body is to say whether it will investigate allegations of undue influence from Monsanto over the EU approval of herbicide substance glyphosate.
Monsanto is owner and producer of Roundup®, a herbicide which contains glyphosate.
In an oral question to be debated on Tuesday with the European Commission, MEPs say that correspondence from the company, which was recently disclosed, has shed doubt on the credibility of a number of Monsanto-sponsored studies. The studies were part of the evidence used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to evaluate the safety of glyphosate.
Procedure: oral question to the Commission 2017/2695(RSP)
Specialist: Baptiste Debate: Tuesday 13 June
#Glyphosate
Shaping EU’s post-2020 cohesion policy
An adequate budget, synergies between funds and simplification could improve EU’s post-2020 cohesion policy aimed at reducing regional disparities.
MEPs will stress that, although the existing cohesion policy has mitigated the impact of the recent economic crisis and that of the austerity measures, regional disparities and social inequalities remain high. They will call for consolidated action in the post2020 cohesion policy to reduce these disparities, and to prevent new ones from developing in all types of regions.
In a separate resolution to be jointly debated on Monday and put to the vote on Tuesday, MEPs will propose ways to increase the visibility of EU cohesion policy, as one of the most recent Eurobarometer studies revealed that only one third of EU citizens are aware of the positive impact of EU investments in the regions where they live.
For more information on the funds received by each member state click on theinteractive map (EU Commission website)
Find all projects funded by regional policy in your country here.
Procedure: non-legislative resolutions
2016/2326(INI), 2016/2304(INI)
2016/2326(INI) - Building blocks for a post-2020 EU cohesion policy 2016/2304(INI)- European Structural and Investment Funds Debate: Monday 12 June
Vote: Tuesday 13 June
#CohesionPolicy #ESIFunds
Western Balkans: 2016 progress reports
Parliament holds its annual review of the reform efforts made by Serbia and Kosovo with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn on Tuesday and votes on two separate resolutions and one on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Wednesday.
In their 2016 reports, MEPs welcome progress in normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina. They call for additional efforts to be made to put the relevant agreements into effect, in full and on time, as a condition for EU accession.
Skopje should stay on its EU integration path and fully commit to robust reforms in the areas of rule of law, justice, corruption, fundamental rights, home affairs and good neighbourly relations.
Procedure:Own-initiative resolutions 2016/2311(INI), 2016/2314(INI), 2016/2310(INI)
Debates: Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Votes: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
#Serbia #Kosovo #fYRoM #EUenlargement @JHahnEU
Côte d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara to address Parliament
Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, will address MEPs at
12.00 on Wednesday in the Strasbourg Chamber.
Alassane Ouattara has been in power since May 2011 when his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, was forcibly removed from office after refusing to accept Mr Ouattara's internationally recognised victory in the November 2010 presidential election. In 2015, Mr Ouattara won a second five-year term, with nearly 84% of the vote.
The recent election of Côte d'Ivoire to the UN Security Council, as a non-permanent member for a two-year term starting in 2018, has increased the country’s influence on the international scene.
Formal Sitting
Debate: Wednesday, 14 June
Press conference: (with EP President Tajani - to be confirmed)
Digital Europe: Sharing economy and the role of online platforms
The challenges of the “collaborative” or “sharing” economy, including fair competition, workers’ rights and tax compliance, and the role of online platforms in fighting the spread of fake news, are addressed in two separate, non-binding resolutions to be discussed on Wednesday and put to the vote on Thursday.
Ensuring fair competition between traditional business sectors and the new collaborative business models (e.g. Uber, Airbnb), a high level of consumer protection, workers’ rights and tax compliance are among the recommendations made to improve the collaborative economy.
In a separate resolution, MEPs address the role of online platforms in fighting fake news, defending citizens’ privacy rights and ensuring fair competition, among other topics.
Procedure: Non-legislative resolutions 2017/2003(INI) / 2016/2276(INI)
Debate: Wednesday, 14 June Vote: Thursday 15 June
#collaborativeeconomy #sharingeconomy #DSM #DigitalSingleMarket
Instability in Democratic Republic of Congo to be denounced in plenary
MEPs are deeply concerned about the escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the Kasaï region.
MEPs deplore the growing lack of security in Kasaï provinces, at the centre of the country, where at least 400 people have died, including two UN experts who were killed in March, in a resolution to be put to the vote on Wednesday after a debate on Tuesday afternoon.
Statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (with resolution)
2017/2703(RSP)
Debate: Tuesday 13 June Vote: Wednesday 14 June
More future-oriented investments in neediest EU economies
The EU investment plan should work better for weaker EU regions and focus more on riskier future-oriented investments, which would not otherwise be supported, MEPs say in a resolution to be voted on Thursday.
In their assessment of how the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) has been applied, MEPs are concerned that the EU-15, where the investment gap was already below the EU average, had received 91% of EFSI funding. In the future, they want to ensure a geographical balance across the EU, greater support for riskier innovative investments and that the final beneficiaries are aware of EFSI support, when they conclude the ongoing three-way negotiations with the member states and the Commission on the EFSI extension.
Procedure: non legislative resolution Procedure Code: 2016/2064(INI) Debate: Wednesday, 14 June
Vote: Thursday, 15 June
#EFSI #investEU
Change in funding rules for European political parties
MEPs urge the European Commission to join forces with Parliament in reviewing the funding rules for European political parties and foundations.
The change to funding rules will be debated with Commission representatives on Wednesday.
MEPs will vote on a resolution on Thursday - after a debate the day before - inter alia seeking a guarantee that European political parties respect EU fundamental values..
On 15 March 2017, members debated an oral question on the same subject.
Procedure: non-legislative resolution Debate: Wednesday, 14 June
Vote: Thursday, 15 June
Malta’s Prime Minister quizzed on Panama Papers and rule of law
Joseph Muscat, recently re-elected as Prime Minister of Malta, will discuss the rule of law in his country and the leaks from the Panama Papers linked to his administration.
Malta’s Prime Minister will attend the plenary sitting on Wednesday afternoon, where he will field questions on what actions he plans to take to address issues emerging from the Panama Papers, in an attempt to assuage doubts regarding the rule of law in the country.
Procedure: Council and Commission statements on Panama Papers follow-up and the rule of law in Malta
2017/2694(RSP)
Debate: Wednesday, 14 June PanamaPapers @JosephMuscat_JM
Beefing up the Eurozone
How to bring the euro area economies closer together and make them more resilient to outside shocks is the topic of a debate on Tuesday.
MEPs will propose ways to stabilise the Eurozone and make it stronger and to boost economic and social convergence between and within the Eurozone member states, in a discussion about the European Commission’s reflection paper on deepening and completing the Economic and Monetary Union. The reflection paper and Parliament’s take on it are part of a wider discussion about the future of the EU.
Commission statement (no resolution) Debate: Tuesday, 13 June
#EMU #eurozone
Human rights
Parliament will hold urgent debates on the following human rights and democracy topics on Thursday 15 June, at around 10.00, with the votes following at 12.00.
- Azerbaijan - the case of Afgan Mukhtarli and situation of media in Azerbaijan
- Pakistan, notably the situation of human rights defenders and the death penalty
- Indonesia, situation of human rights
Procedure: non-legislative resolutions Debates/votes: Thursday, 15 June
#humanrights #democracy
Other topics on the agenda
Other topics for debate and vote include the following:
- Statelessness South and South East Asia, debate Mon, vote Tue, Amjad Bashir. INI
- State of play Sustainability Compact in Bangladesh, vote Wed
- Refoundation Europa based on values, etc, topical, debate Wed
- Taxation of ports, Debate Wed, Commission statement
- Cross-border mergers and divisions, vote Tue, Gasbarra, INI
- Status of fish stocks and socio-economic situation of the fishing sector in the Mediterranean, debate Mon, vote Tue, Affronte
- Cost effectiveness 7th research programme, debate Mon, vote Tue, Dlabajová, Ayala Sender
- Assessment Horizon 2020 (INI)/ PRIMA - innovation in Med (COD), debate Mon, vote Tue, Cabezón Ruiz
