Written by Tessa Tumbrägel
With climate and energy policy, TTIP, gender equality and more on the agenda, MEPs will have a variety of topics to debate during Parliament’s next plenary session, taking place from 8-11 June in Strasbourg.
The debate starts on Monday, when Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) tables a report on the EU’s new strategy on gender equality post-2015. Despite evidence of progress, full gender equality is far from being achieved in the EU, with significant variations between the Member States, and many challenges remain. The report advocates for more clearly defined actions in areas such as the situation of women in the labour market and decision-making structures, violence, health issues and discrimination.
Regarding economic affairs, on Wednesday, the Parliament updates its position on the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), debating draft recommendations for the current negotiations, which were adopted in the International Trade (INTA) Committee after lengthy negotiations to find compromise between the political groups. The recommendations reaffirm that while the EU-US trade deal should be ambitious and comprehensive, it must not undermine existing European standards or the right to regulate in the public interest, considering sensitive issues such as investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses and data protection as well as environmental, labour and consumer laws. Early on Tuesday, Parliament will also discuss rules to give major companies’ shareholders more say on director’s pay and new corporate tax disclosure rules.
Also on Tuesday, the Commission will update MEPs on the Smart Borders Package, which aims to make border control procedures faster and more reliable through applying interconnected advanced technologies within the Schengen area. Later that day, following a formal address by Tsakhia Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia, focus moves to climate and energy policies. Parliament is due to vote on consenting to the EU’s ratification of two climate-related agreements: the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and an agreement between the EU and Iceland concerning the joint fulfilment of commitments under the Protocol. Looking to speed up the process of fighting climate change, the Doha Amendment establishes a second commitment period (2013–2020) for the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Turning to energy policy, MEPs will then discuss a report from the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee on Europe’s Energy Security Strategy, released in May 2014 by the Commission, mainly in response to the political crisis in Ukraine. The report reaffirms the Commission approach towards energy security as a strategic issue that cuts across policy areas and stresses the importance of smart grids, local energy production and better energy infrastructure projects. It also considers that Russia can no longer be seen as a reliable partner for energy supplies.
The state of EU-Russia relations continues to be a subject of debate on Wednesday, in the course of which MEPs will also address the military situation in the Black Sea Basin. Other items on the agenda include neighbourhood policy, human rights, sport, and and the situation in Hungary.
| A list of all material prepared for this Plenary Session: |
| European Energy Security Strategy : DE – EN – ES – FR – IT – PL |
| Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol : DE – EN – ES – FR – IT – PL |
| Smart Borders package : DE – EN – ES – FR – IT – PL |
| Towards a new EU gender equality strategy : DE – EN – ES – FR – IT – PL |
| Parliament’s recommendations on TTIP talks : DE – EN – ES – FR – IT – PL |
