Plenary Flash

Recovery Plan & Multiannual Financial Framework

Debate and Vote Wednesday & Thursday (on amendments to New MFF, own resources and Recovery Plan)

The Parliament will debate and vote on the Coronavirus Recovery Plan, as part of the debate on the Multiannual Financial and own resources. At the last European Council summit European leaders were unable to reach an agreement and instructed the European Commission to make a proposal for the recovery plan that would come under the framework of the EU's multi-annual budget (MFF) and as part of the community method. The Recovery Plan resolution, if passed, will be the first plan put on the table by one of the EU institutions and now the Commission and Council will need to agree on the next steps.

Discharge 2018

Debate (and possibly final vote on where amendments are tabled) Wednesday

The plenary will vote on the discharge procedure, an annual budgetary control exercise looking at how the EU's money was spent across 52 separate budgets for the year 2018. Although there were some slight improvements in previous years, the Greens/EFA group has tabled amendments to push the European Parliament towards more performance-based budgeting, to improve the transparency & democracy in spending as well as functioning of the EU institutions, and to improve people and staff management to make the EU Institutions more gender-balanced, safe and an attractive place of employment. The discharge procedure is the Parliament’s main opportunity to scrutinise the budgets of all the EU institutions and agencies.

Hungary: Emergency Legislation in Hungary and its impact on the Rule of Law and fundamental rights

Debate Thursday 09.00-10.00

This Wednesday, following the call of the Greens/EFA group, the Parliament will debate the Emergency Legislation in Hungary and its impact on the Rule of Law and fundamental rights. The Hungarian Parliament passed a controversial Coronavirus emergency law on 30 March, which enables the government to rule by decree, without a ‘sunset clause’ and with limited parliamentary oversight.'Greens/EFA MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield is the European Parliament rapporteur on the rule of law in Hungary in the LIBE committee.

Transitional CAP Mandate Vote

Notification of mandate voted on Friday

The Commission’s proposed legislation for the transitional period of the Common Agricultural Policy follows the ‘old rules, new budget’ approach to one of the most important areas of EU policies that need reform in order to meet the aims of the Green Deal. The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee has proposed a mandate to continue with the current CAP for the next two years, only correcting a few shortcomings and offering nothing new in terms of farming practices or structural changes in the distribution of CAP funds, nor does it address the unequal direct payments between Member States. Allowing and extension of the failed policies of the past risks losing significant time for biodiversity and climate protection. The Greens/EFA Group opposes this mandate ahead of the first reading in plenary.

Asylum Paper

Release this week

Ahead of the European Commission’s proposal for a new Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Greens/EFA Group released its new paper this week calling for increased support for the willingness of cities and municipalities to receive refugees and asylum-seekers in order to embrace the potential for solidarity in Europe. Hundreds of cities and municipalities in Europe are willing to welcome asylum seekers and this should be supported with EU funding. The overcrowded border camps must be closed. Refugee protection in Europe need to be organised in the spirit of solidarity, which our Group proposes to strengthen via a system based on positive incentives. Our group is calling for those who wish to help should have the ability to do so, with the support of EU funds, if necessary.

The paper “Proposal for a Fair and Efficient European Asylum System.” can be found here: https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/document/for-a-fair-and-efficient-asylum-system-in-europe/

Debate on vaccines

Thursday 14.30-15.30

On Thursday, there will be a debate on vaccines and therapeutics in the context of COVID-19 with Council and Commission statements.

Greens/EFA Press contacts
Alex Johnson (EN): Alex.Johnson@europarl.europa.eu
Pia Kohorst (DE): pia.kohorst@europarl.europa.eu
Guendalina De Sario (FR): guendalina.desario@europarl.europa.eu
Steven Cornelius EFA: steven.cornelius@europarl.europa.eu