What's coming up in Parliament

MFF: the EU’s vision for the world must be more than border management
Commission proposals, Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 June

The European Commission will publish the final batch of MFF sectoral proposals throughout the week. The European Commission’s plans to merge 12 external finance instruments into one “External Action” instrument is unacceptable. We want to see separate instruments for human rights, civilian conflict prevention and development to make sure the EU remains active in these crucial fields and that funds are not diverted into migration control. The next MFF is an opportunity to correct the trend of foreign and development policy being driven by short-term interests, particularly on migration control.

Brexit: UK’s “temporary” backstop is not fit for purpose
Debate on Tuesday 12 June

MEPs will hold a debate in preparation of the June 28-29 Council meeting, which will seek to make progress on Britain's future customs relationship with the EU and the issue of the Irish border. The UK’s latest proposals on the backstop are seriously flawed - a temporary solution is in contradiction with the concept of a backstop solution.

Iran: EU must ensure future of nuclear deal
Debate on Tuesday 12 June

The European Parliament will hold a debate in the presence of Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. President Trump's decision has seriously endangered the future of the Iran deal. To avoid escalation in this unstable region, the European Union must re-double its efforts to make sure that deal is maintained.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, on the Future of Europe
Wednesday 13 June

Next up in the series of debates on the Future of Europe is Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte. Greens/EFA co-president Ska Keller will speak for the group in the debate where she will raise the Netherlands’ role as a tax haven for major corporations.

Poland: the independence of the judiciary must be re-established
Debate on Wednesday 13 June

On a Greens/EFA initiative, the Parliament will hear Council and Commission statements on the independence of the judiciary in Poland. The Polish government has repeatedly undermined rule of law, showing little respect for the fundamental values that bind Europe together, and needs to urgently change direction.

Circular economy needs to be at the heart of cohesion policy
Debate on Tuesday 12, vote on Thursday 14 June

The European Parliament will vote on an initiative report from Greens/EFA rapporteur Davor Škrlec on how cohesion policy can be aligned with the Circular Economy. The report calls for conditionalities related to the achievement of circular economy objectives and for greater spending in circular economy and climate-related investments in post-2020 cohesion policy.

Renewable Energy Directive: breakthrough hoped for on palm oil
Trilogue negotiations, Wednesday 13 June

The trilogue negotiations on the Renewable Energy Directive are entering their final phase, with hopes that Wednesday could see a final deal. The European Parliament voted on its position in January, calling for palm oil fuels to no longer be counted as renewable as of 2021. While the negotiations with the Council have been contentious on this point, the new Spanish and Italian governments may mean an end to the deadlock.

Tax justice: government experts to discuss transparency of big companies' tax activities
Thursday 14 June

On 14th June, corporate transparency experts from Member States will meet in Brussels to discuss Public Country-by-Country reporting, a crucial tool to ensure companies disclose where they pay taxes and for fighting injustice in the tax system. The Greens/EFA group is concerned that, if there is no agreement this week, we will lose crucial months and the reform may never see the light of day at all. The Austrian Presidency starting in July has already made it clear that this is not one of its priorities. We are calling on Member States to stop blocking this much needed reform and take a big step forward for tax justice.

Photo exhibition shows effects of climate change on our lives
Monday 11 to Thursday 14 June, North Gallery, European Parliament

Greens/EFA MEPs Marco Affronte, Pascal Durand and Yannick Jadot will host an exhibition on audio-visual and photography exhibition Humans and Climate Change Stories. The project follows 12 families from around the world who are directly impacted by the effects of climate change. Through their stories and an analysis of the social, economic and political dynamics, the exhibition gives a better understanding of the effects of climate change on our daily lives, and our capacities of resilience and adaptation. For more information on the project, see www.humansclimatechange.com

Co-presidents press briefing
Tuesday 12 June at 10.30-10.50, EP press room LOW N -1/201

Press briefing with Greens/EFA co-presidents Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts on the key issues of the session for the Greens/EFA group. Also live-streamed on our website.