EP TODAY

Wednesday 19 January

Live coverage of debates and votes can be found on Parliament's webstreaming and on EbS+.

For detailed information on the session, please also see our newsletter.

All information regarding plenary, including speakers' lists and voting schedules, can be found here.

The debate on the results of the December European Council, scheduled to start at 14.30, has been cancelled, following the announcement by President Charles Michel that he will not be able to attend

Priorities of the French Presidency: debate with President Macron

Starting at 11.30, French President Emmanuel Macron will outline the political strategy and aims of France's six-month presidency of the Council of the EU to MEPs. A debate with the European Commission and the political groups will then follow.

A press conference with Emmanuel Macron and EP President Roberta Metsola is planned afterwards at 14.45 in Daphne Caruana Galizia EP press room.

Estefania NARRILLOS
(+32) 498 98 39 85

EuroParlPress

Digital Services Act: EP to confirm its position ahead of talks with Council

Starting at 15.00, plenary will discuss with Commission Executive Vice-President Vestager and Commissioner Breton the proposal for a Digital Services Act, which sets out rules to tackle illegal content online and make platforms accountable for their algorithms. MEPs will adopt Parliament's negotiating mandate for talks with the French Council presidency. The final vote results will be announced on Thursday afternoon.

Isabel NADKARNI
(+32) 498 98 33 36
EP_SingleMarket

Increased powers for the European Medicines Agency: final vote

MEPs are expected to confirm the deal with the Council to increase the powers of the European Medicines Agency. The legislative changes, set to apply from 1 March, should better equip the EU in the event of health crises, by tackling shortages of medicines and medical devices more effectively and by increasing the transparency of clinical trials and marketing authorisations for pharmaceutical products.

Dana POPP
(+32) 470 95 17 07
EP_Environment

In brief:

Election of the Quaestors. Following the election of the new President and 14 Vice-Presidents, plenary will choose five Quaestors to complete Parliament's Bureau. Quaestors deal with administrative matters directly affecting MEPs. They are elected the same way as the Vice-Presidents, in a single secret ballot - remote due to the pandemic - of up to three rounds, based on an absolute majority of votes cast.

Human rights and democracy urgent resolutions. Parliament will assess the situation of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, the situation in Kazakhstan and the political crisis in Sudan, and will then vote on three separate resolutions (results announced on Thursday).

Vote on four candidates to the Court of Auditors. MEPs will vote on whether to extend the existing mandates of the Czech, Latvian and Polish members of the European Court of Auditors and whether to endorse the new Slovenian candidate.

Votes

Once the election of the new Parliament's bureau is completed, plenary will hold another voting session, between 14.30 and 15.45, with announcement of results at 17.30. MEPs will vote on:

• the numerical strength of the standing committees;
• four candidates to the Court of Auditors, and
• the reinforcement of the European Medicines Agency.

• Press room

  Coordonnées:

  • Numéro de téléphone: (+32) 228 33 000 (BXL)