The Week Ahead 10 – 16 October 2016

Energy Union/security of gas supply. Plans to strengthen cooperation among member states so that they help each other in the event of a gas crisis, thus ensuring gas supply to households and essential services, and also share information about national energy supply deals reached with third parties, are up for a vote and amendments by the Energy Committee in two separate draft legislative resolutions. (Thursday)

2017 EU budget. Budgets Committee Members will vote their starting position for talks with the Council on next year’s EU budget, following last week’s vote on amendments to the draft budget. They will call for enough funds to tackle the migration crisis and slow economic growth, fight youth unemployment and step up spending on research and infrastructure projects. (Tuesday)

Countering foreign disinformation. Faced with aggressive disinformation campaigns from countries such as Russia, and by non-state actors, such as ISIS, which incite fear and hatred, Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs will vote on proposals to counteract such propaganda. Awareness raising, supporting independent media resilience, but also increasing information literacy amongst EU citizens, are some of the examples. (Monday)

CETA. MEPs will debate the pros and cons of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada with farmers, businesses and trade union representatives. CETA cannot enter into force without European Parliament approval. (Wednesday)

2016 Sakharov Prize. The three final nominees for the 2016 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be revealed following a vote by the Foreign Affairs and Development committees. (Tuesday)

Plant health. New EU rules to curb an increased influx of plant pests such as Xylella Fastidiosa are up for a vote in the Agriculture Committee. They would include new mechanisms to identify and deal with dangerous plants quickly, make a plant health certificate mandatory for all but private travellers importing low-risk ones and better equip member states to tackle outbreaks. (Thursday)

Wildlife trafficking. Environment MEPs’ proposals to step up the fight against wildlife trafficking and trading in products such as ivory, rhinoceros horns and pangolins, will be up for a vote. Draft actions include introducing EU-wide penalties for convicted wildlife traffickers and legislation to prohibit the import, trade and re-export of species that are protected in their countries of origin. (Thursday)

LUX Prize 10th anniversary. To mark the 10th anniversary of the European Parliament LUX Film Prize, awarded annually to movies that foster debate on Europe and its future, British director Ken Loach will discuss the “Role for European Cinema in tomorrow’s Europe” with Culture Committee Members. (Monday)

President’s diary. EP President Martin Schulz will participate to the debate on “Can the great idea of Europe persist?” with European Council President Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in Passau (Germany) on Monday. On Tuesday, he will meet Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti in Brussels. President Schulz will meet Melkite Greek Catholic Church Patriarch Gregorios III Laham, Universal Syriac Orthodox Church Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II and Antioch Greek Orthodox Church Patriarch John X Yazigi on Wednesday. On Thursday, President Schulz will meet Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.