The Week Ahead 10 – 16 September 2018
Plenary
State of the Union. Eight months before the European elections are held in May 2019, MEPs will take stock of the Juncker Commission’s achievements to date. The EU Commission President will kick off the debate in his fourth and last “State of the Union” speech on Wednesday at 09.00.
Rule of law in Hungary. MEPs will debate the rule of law in Hungary with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday before deciding on Wednesday whether the EU must act to counter the risk of a serious breach of EU values. If backed by MEPs, this would be the first time that Parliament takes the initiative of recommending that Article 7 be activated. A press conference by the rapporteur is scheduled for 14.00 after the vote.
Greek Prime Minister/Future of Europe. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will be the ninth EU leader to debate the future of Europe with MEPs and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday morning at 9.00. EP President Antonio Tajani and Prime Minster Tispras will hold a press point after the debate, at 12:45
New copyright rules. MEPs will debate and vote on Parliament’s position on copyright rules for the digital sphere on Wednesday, after the House decided in July to reopen the proposal made by the Legal Affairs Committee. Its text and the ensuing amendments will be put to a vote on Wednesday. A press conference is scheduled for 14.30.
European Solidarity Corps. MEPs will vote on Tuesday on establishing the EU Solidarity Corps, which will offer volunteering opportunities for young people around the EU for activities relating to education, health, protecting the environment, disaster prevention, provision of food and non-food items, reception and integration of migrants and asylum seekers.
Committees
CO2 emissions from new cars and vans. Legislation setting stricter CO2 emission limits will be put to a vote in the Environment Committee on Monday. The draft legislation proposes a 30% cut in emissions for new cars by 2030. The draft text by the leading MEP advocates raising the target to 50%, and boosting the market uptake of electric cars.
President’s Diary. EP President Tajani will have bilateral meetings on Tuesday morning with Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, and with Michel Aoun, President of the Lebanese Republic, before the latter addresses the House in a formal sitting at noon.
Media Roundtable/State of the Union: On Tuesday at 16.00, Parliament’s media directorate will hold a high-level roundtable entitled “State of the Union – EU Elections 2019: Act in the present to shape the future”, discussing the achievements of this mandate, why it is important to vote in the next election and how to get people more involved in the European project. EP President Tajani will give remarks and take part in a Q&A session.