The Week Ahead 23 – 29 October 2017 – Strasbourg plenary session

Plenary

Future of Europe/October summit. On Tuesday morning, MEPs will discuss the outcome of the 19-20 October European summit with Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and start the debate on a roadmap for the future of Europe.

Posting of workers. Parliament will be ready to start talks with EU governments on the revised rules on the posting of workers, as MEPs are expected to back the negotiating mandate in plenary. The amended rules should enshrine the principle of the same remuneration for the same work in the same place, to ensure fair competition between companies and better protection of workers.

Protecting journalists and whistle blowers. Political groups will discuss media freedom and protection for journalists, following the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist noted for her work on the Panama papers and corruption on Tuesday evening. In a separate debate and vote, Parliament will recommend measures to protect whistle blowers acting in the public interest. (Debate Monday, vote Tuesday)

Sexual harassment. MEPs are to discuss actions taken in the EU to combat sexual harassment and abuse, in the wake of recent revelations in the US film industry and the worldwide #MeToo campaign.

External border checks. MEPs are set to vote on the introduction of an electronic entry/exit system to replace manual passport checks at the Schengen area’s external borders. The new system will register various data on incoming persons from countries outside the EU, admitted for a short stay of 90 days, and share the information with all external border control points to stop illegal entry and track over-stays. (Debate and vote Wednesday)

Glyphosate. MEPs will vote on a draft resolution calling for a phasing out of the herbicide glyphosate and its total ban by 2020. (VoteTuesday)

Fertilisers. To boost the use of organic and more environment-friendly fertilisers by European farmers, MEPs will vote on revised internal market access rules, which would also help to reduce the dependence on imported phosphates. Limits for cadmium, a heavy metal which could pose health and environmental risks, will also be introduced. (Debate Monday, vote Tuesday)

Sakharov Prize 2017. The winner of the 2017 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be decided by President Antonio Tajani and political group leaders on Thursday and announced by Mr Tajani in plenary at noon.

President’s diary. EP President Antonio Tajani will meet with Dragan Čović, Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, on Monday. On Tuesday, he will chair the plenary debate on the EU summit outcome and the future of Europe in the morning and attend the inauguration of the Alsace-Moselle Memorial in Schirmeck in the afternoon.

Pre-session press briefing. The EP Press Service will hold a press briefing with political groups’ spokes persons at 16.00 on Monday. (EP Press conference room, Strasbourg)