Belgium, (Brussels Morning) This week, MEPs will discuss the common charger policy, the EU minimum age and gender balance at work. During the plenary session, MEPs will vote on eight key legislative files that are part of the Fit for 55 package, assess the situation in Ukraine and review the latest report on Turkey. A final green light to the new international procurement instrument is expected. There will be the prize-giving ceremony for this year’s cinema LUX audience award, and a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the Common Agriculture Policy.
Common charger
On Monday and Tuesday, Parliament and Council negotiators will attempt to reach agreements on the introduction of a single common charger for electronic devices, on an EU minimum wage and to increase gender balance on corporate boards.
Fit for 55
On Wednesday, Parliament will adopt its position on eight proposals that are part of the Fit for 55 in 2030 package. This is the EU’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The texts approved will be Parliament’s mandate for negotiations with EU governments on the final legislation.
EU summit conclusions
On Wednesday morning, MEPs will debate with Presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen the results of the latest European Council, in which leaders of EU countries agreed on further sanctions against Russia for its intervention in Ukraine.
Call for Treaty change
Parliament will discuss and vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that asks for a first set of specific changes to the EU’s founding documents, in light of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE). Based on the 178 proposals filed at the Citizen Panel stage, following the conclusion of the CoFoE , between 10% and 50% could require changes to EU treaties. The prospect of a Treaty change is something the Commission has been hesitant to commit to, potentially spelling trouble for the implementation stage.
LUX Audience award
On Wednesday at noon, the LUX European Audience Film Award 2022 winner will be announced. Representatives of the three films shortlisted for the award will be in Strasbourg and will address MEPs. On Tuesday afternoon, the Parliament is organising a press seminar on the stories told in the three movies and looking at the role cinema plays in fighting discrimination, as well as the importance of portraying the reality of war.
Ending discrimination against EU companies
On Thursday, MEPs are set to greenlight the new international procurement instrument set up to push for global procurement markets to open up and to end the discrimination against EU companies in third countries. Public procurement, according to the Commission, accounts for 10-to-20% of a country’s GDP on average, representing business opportunities worth more than 8 trillion euro worldwide.
Rule of law in PolandOn Tuesday afternoon, MEPs plan to quiz President von der Leyen on the Commission’s support for the release of recovery funds to Poland while threats to the rule of law persist.
