Highlights of the coming week include:
The session will open on Monday afternoon with a commemoration ceremony honouring the late Jacques Delors.
Ozone depleting substances,
Fluorinated gases regulation
Markets in financial instruments regulations
The role of social award criteria in public procurement in strengthening social rights, good
working conditions and inclusive labour markets.
On Tuesday morning (09.00) the Key Debate will be on Council and Commission statements and a Presentation of the programme of activities of the Belgian Presidency of the European Council.
Following, at 10.30, there will be a lengthy debate following on keeping commitments and delivering EU military aid to Ukraine. This will likely be the most contentious, and therefore interesting, item on the day’s agenda.
Other key items on the agenda will be:
Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation (vote on Thursday);
EU-India relations;
Role of preventive diplomacy in tackling frozen conflicts around the world – missed opportunity or change for the
future?
Implementation of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA);
Wednesday kicks off in the morning with a Key Debate on the results of the December EU summit, the 1st February Special European Council and the somewhat contentious situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds with Presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen.
This promises to be very interesting indeed.
Other key items on Wednesday’s agenda will be:
Debate on the programme for Belgium’s six-month Council Presidency with Prime Minister Alexander De Croo;
Humanitarian situation in Gaza and the need to reach a ceasefire;
Security and defence implications of China’s influence on critical infrastructure in the European Union;
In the human rights field, generally voted on a Thursday, the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China, notably the case of Mr Ding Yuande, will be discussed before MEPs vote on a Motion for a Resolution (MoR).
An MoR on the persecution of journalists in Tajikistan will also be debated.
On Thursday the morning debates will focus on environmental and human rights issues.
The session will conclude with voting on MoRs on:
Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation;
Revision of the European Labour Authority mandate;
Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds.
Full briefings on specific items on the agenda can be ordered (48 hours notice required) from enquiries@questcomms.eu
The entire session will be live-streamed here: https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en
The full schedule for the January session can be found here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sedcms/documents/PRIORITY_INFO/1205/SYN_PDOJ_January I_STR_EN.pdf
Main image
Photographer: Mathieu CUGNOT
Copyright: ©️ European Union 2020 – Source : EP
