Agenda plenary session from 1st-2nd February 2017, Brussels

Agenda briefing plenary session from the 1st to the 2nd of February 2017 in Brussels

• US travel ban on the agenda for debate

  Political group leaders will debate the “travel restrictions following US President executive orders”. The item will be added to the plenary agenda at the opening of the session.

• Debate: next steps in shaping the Energy Union

  The second State of the Energy Union report will be debated with Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič on Wednesday at 15.00.

• MEPs set to call for automatic cross-border recognition of adoptions

  To protect adopted children’s best interests, MEPs want the EU Commission to require all EU countries to recognise each other’s adoption certificates automatically. Their draft resolution proposes a European Certificate of Adoption to speed up automatic recognition process. The debate and vote will take place on Thursday.

• Visa-free EU access for Georgians: final vote in Parliament

  A draft law giving Georgian citizens the right to travel to the EU without a visa will be put to a plenary vote on Thursday at noon. Biometric passport holders will be able to enter the Schengen area for 90 days within any 180-day period for a holiday, business or any other purpose, except working.

• MEPs to vote on import surge safeguards for EU banana growers

  Rules to protect EU banana growers against any surge in imports from Ecuador after its accession to the EU-Colombia/Peru trade deal will be debated on Wednesday and put to a vote on Thursday.

• Debate to be added: migration flows in the central Mediterranean

  MEPs are expected to add an item to the agenda to debate the current growing migratory pressure in the central Mediterranean on Wednesday afternoon at around 17.00.

• Crisis in South Sudan up for a debate

  MEPs will debate the spread of violence, including mass atrocities, and the resulting urgent humanitarian needs of South Sudan on Wednesday afternoon.

• Rule of law crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Gabon

  MEPs are set to call for independent investigations into election-related violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Gabon late on Wednesday afternoon, and a resolution to be voted on Thursday.

• MEPs to call for Erasmus+ funding for youth organisations and apprenticeships

  The EU Erasmus+ programme should give all young people a chance to learn abroad, not just university students, say MEPs in a draft resolution to be voted on Thursday. Erasmus+ budgeting needs to be made more flexible to offer equal opportunities to all and accommodate an increase in project submissions for youth organisations, they add. MEPs are also concerned that few apprentices take part.

• Vote on clarifying licensing rules for EU vessels fishing outside EU waters

  Rules for authorising EU vessels to fish outside EU waters will be clarified by a new regulation to be debated on Wednesday and put to a vote on Thursday. This regulation would also extend the current licensing system to include private agreements between EU companies and third countries.

• Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation

  MEPs will quiz the Commission on progress made towards eradicating female genital mutilation (FGM) in the EU, and protecting young girls against this violent practice, in a debate on Wednesday evening.

  Link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/agenda/briefing/2017-02-01