The week ahead 26 Feb –02 March 2018

This week will be quite busy in Brussels with the so-called Mini Plenary Sessions, where several committees will vote on important reports.

TUESDAY 27

The Committee on Constitutional Affairs keeps on Brexit negotiations with the participation of Guy Verhofstadt, Parliament’s coordinator for the negotiations on the UK withdrawal from the EU, and Danuta Maria Hübner, member of the Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group.

WEDNESDAY 28

Conference ‘Perspectives for EU-Russia Relations’, hosted by Guy Verhofstadt and Hans Van Baalen. ALDE Group is going to present and discuss its “Blueprint for an EU Strategy towards Russia”, which outlines how a more active EU should engage to get Moscow to respect international law and also its human rights obligations laid down in the Russian Constitution.

MEPs will debate on this day ways to better protect bee health, intensify the fight against honey counterfeiting, increase support for EU beekeepers and promote the benefits of honey consumption in the EU.

THURSDAY 01

The Committee of Foreign Affairs will debate cutting the sources of income for Jihadists, a report by ALDE MEP Javier Nart and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will get on the EU priorities for the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, by ALDE MEP Izaskun Bilbao Barandica.

In a response to the Paradise Papers revelations and the work of Parliament’s PANA committee, MEPs will vote on the setting up of a special committee which will examine financial crime, tax evasion and tax avoidance.

EP is set to back the European Commission’s call for EU governments to determine whether Poland is at a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values. MEPs are likely to express their concerns regarding the rule of law in Poland, the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary and fundamental rights. A resolution on the Commission’s decision to activate Article 7 (1) of the EU Treaty will be put to the vote this day.