The Week Ahead 28 November – 04 December 2016

Plenary

2017 EU budget: better support for SMEs, transport and youth. Parliament will take its final vote on the EU budget for 2017, following the 17 November agreement with national governments. MEPs have won better support for unemployed youngsters and additional funds to boost key initiatives supporting SMEs, transport infrastructure projects, research and Erasmus+ student mobility. MEPs will also discuss the long-term budget revision with the Council and Commission. (Debate Wednesday, vote Thursday)

Data protection/EU-US. MEPs will vote on new rules to protect people’s privacy when personal data is transferred between the EU and the US for law enforcement purposes. The so-called Umbrella Agreement will cover transfers of all personal data for the prosecution of criminal offenses, including terrorism. (Debate Wednesday, vote Thursday)

Commissioners’ declarations of interest. MEPs will discuss transparency guidelines for European Commissioners’ declarations of interest. (Debate Wednesday, vote Thursday)

President of the Republic of Tunisia. Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi will address the plenary in a formal sitting at 11.00. (Thursday)

Committees

End of roaming charges. A proposal to cap wholesale roaming charges, i.e. what operators charge each other for using their networks, is up for a vote in the Industry Committee. Wholesale prices will have an impact on the end of roaming charges for users scheduled for 15 June 2017. (Tuesday)

Cross-border portability of online content. People buying online content such has movies, music, books and TV shows, would be able to use these services even when temporarily in another EU member state, under a draft law to be voted by the Legal Affairs Committee. (Tuesday)

EU support for national reforms. A new EU programme to help national governments with institutional, administrative and economic reforms, including a better deployment of EU funds, will be put to a vote in the Regional Development Committee. This new instrument would have a €142.8 million budget and run from 2017 to 2020. (Tuesday)

UK negotiations. An extraordinary Conference of Presidents (EP President and political groups’ leaders) will meet European Commission negotiator on talks with the UK Michel Barnier. (Wednesday)

President’s diary. President Martin Schulz will meet Moldova’s Prime Minister Pavel Filip, followed by press statement, and United Nations and Arab League Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, on Tuesday. Mr Schulz will meet former Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the latter followed by a press statement, on Wednesday. On Thursday, he will meet Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi and hold a press point with him following his address to plenary.

Press briefing. The EP Press Service will hold a press briefing at 11.00 on Monday. (“Anna Politkovskaya” press conference room, Brussels) Ask #EPressbriefing #EPressbriefing EPressbriefing @EuroParlPress