Economy, refugees, asylum seekers, energy as well as the Zacharof Prize, are among the highlights of this week`s European Parliament`s plenary session in Strasbourg.
With a view to the 17-18 December European Council, MEPs will debate the fight against terrorism, and EU responses to current and future migration challenges, on Wednesday with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council. Economic and Monetary Union, strengthening the single market and UK Prime Minister David Cameron`s reform demands to all his European partners ahead of the UK`s EU membership referendum will also be on the agenda.
Plans to strengthen the EU border agency Frontex and take steps towards setting up a European border and coast guard will be presented by Commission First Vice- President Frans Timmermans and debated by MEPs.
Parliament is set to debate its recommendations for legislation to improve corporate tax transparency, coordination and EU-wide tax policy convergence on Tuesday afternoon, followed by a vote on Wednesday. Once they are adopted, the Commission will have to respond to any recommendation Parliament makes for legislation, even if it does not submit a formal legislative proposal.
Parliament’s vision for a resilient EU energy union and forward-looking climate change policy will be set out in a non-legislative resolution to be debated on Monday evening and voted on Tuesday. This text replies to a Commission communication tabled in February. In a separate resolution also to be voted on Tuesday, MEPs will also address interconnecting electricity supplies across the EU.
In addition, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem will take part in a plenary debate for the first time, on Tuesday morning, when he joins MEPs and Commission and Council representatives to discuss the EU`s economic and social priorities for 2016, set out
by the Commission in the Annual Growth Survey, and specific recommendations for the euro area as a whole, all presented by the Commission on 26 November.
The outcome of the Paris climate talks will be debated by MEPs, the Council and the European Commission on Tuesday. A delegation of 15 MEPs from the Environment and Industry committees attended the conference during its final week.
The EP will also award the Sakharov Prize to Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger arrested in 2012 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes and a hefty fine, accused of insulting Islamic values on his website. Badawi`s wife, Ensaf Haidar, will receive his prize on his behalf at a ceremony in Strasbourg.
CNA/AAR/GCH 2015
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY