The Week Ahead 07 – 13 June 2021
Plenary Session, Strasbourg
EU Digital COVID Certificate. MEPs are set to give their final approval to the EU Digital COVID Certificate, to facilitate travel within the EU during the pandemic and contribute to the economic recovery. The certificate will prove that a holder has been vaccinated, recovered from the virus or recently had a negative test (debate and vote Tuesday, results Wednesday). A press conference will take place on Tuesday at 13:15, after the debate.
Waiver for COVID-19 vaccine patents. MEPs will vote on whether the EU should ask the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, following a debate during the May session (vote Wednesday, results Thursday).
EU reaction to Belarusian actions. After a Ryanair flight was forced to land in Minsk and Belarussian journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were arrested by Belarusian authorities, MEPs will debate the EU’s response to this unprecedented incident with Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday. A resolution will be put to the vote on Thursday.
Rule of law. In a debate on Wednesday afternoon, MEPs are set to raise the issue of declining respect for the rule of law in several member states, and insist on the urgent need to apply the new rule of law conditionality rules to protect the EU budget. MEPs will vote on a resolution on Thursday.
Special EU summit. Parliament will debate the conclusions of the special meeting of the European Council that took place on 24 and 25 May covering issues such as the COVID-19 vaccination efforts across Europe and foreign policy topics, including Mali and EU relations with the UK (Wednesday).
G7 and EU-US Summits. MEPs will discuss their expectations for the G7 and EU-US summits that will tackle issues like COVID-19, climate change, Russia and Belarus (Wednesday).
National recovery plans. MEPs will discuss with Council and Commission whether the national recovery plans submitted by member states so far effectively focus on the six agreed policy areas: the green transition, digital transformation, competitiveness, social cohesion, institutional crisis-reaction and preparedness, and the next generation including education and skills (debate Tuesday, vote Thursday).
Biodiversity/Protecting wildlife and humans. MEPs will debate and vote on the new 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy. They are set to call for 30% of the EU’s land and sea to be protected areas, for binding targets on urban biodiversity such as green roofs on new buildings, and for urgent action to stop the population decline of bees and other pollinators (debate Monday, vote Tuesday, results Wednesday).
Phasing out cages in animal farming. In response to the European citizens’ initiative “End the Cage Age”, MEPs will debate and vote on a resolution asking to gradually end the use of cages in animal farming, based on a species-by-species approach that would take into account the characteristics of different animals (debate and vote Thursday).
LUX Audience Film award. EP President Sassoli will reveal the LUX European Audience Film Award 2021 winner during a ceremony in the chamber on Wednesday at noon. Representatives of the three films shortlisted for the LUX Award will be present in Strasbourg.
President’s Diary. EP President David Sassoli will be in Strasbourg from Monday to Thursday for the plenary session. On Tuesday, he will meet France’s State Secretary for European Affairs Clément Beaune, the President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Rik Daems, and EU High Representative Josep Borrell. Still on Tuesday, President Sassoli will have a video meeting with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons Anthony Rota. The President will have a remote meeting with Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev on Wednesday.
Last-minute briefing. On Monday at 16.30, Parliament’s Spokesperson will hold a press briefing on the plenary session, which starts at 17:00.
