Opening: 11-14 March plenary session | News

Sham elections in Belarus

On 25 February, Belarus held another round of sham parliamentary and local elections amid ongoing repression and worsening human rights abuses, the President said. This house will never turn a blind eye on Lukashenka’s relentless crackdown on dissent and on people being arrested, tortured and imprisoned on politically motivated charges, she added. To demonstrate Parliament’s support for more than 1500 political prisoners in Belarus, President Metsola invited all MEPs to sign a postcard addressed to them in front of the hemicycle, as part of the day of solidarity with Belarus.

20-year anniversary of terrorist attacks in Madrid

On 11 March 20 years ago today, said the President, coordinated terror attacks targeting commuter trains packed with innocent people devastated Madrid, killing 192 people and injuring nearly two thousand. This was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever seen in Europe; the shock and profound grief in aftermath of ten bombs detonated by Al Qaeda left a scar on all of Europe. We mourn the loss of loved ones taken from us too soon, remember the victims, and reiterate our commitment to fighting extremism and terrorism, concluded the President.

Changes to the agenda

The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee has sent one request for urgent procedure, under Parliament’s Rule 163, for the following legislative file: Subscription by the Union to additional shares in the capital of the EBRD and amendment of the Agreement establishing the EBRD. The vote on the request will be taken on Tuesday.

Tuesday

A Commission statement on Pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews scheduled for Tuesday afternoon is removed from the agenda.

The debate on the oral question of the Foreign Affairs and Development committees on The adoption of the Special Measure in favour of Tunisia for 2023 (with resolution) is added in the afternoon after the debate on Council and Commission statements on State of play of the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. As a consequence, the sitting is extended to 23:00.

A Commission statement on the Need to impose sanctions on the import of Russian and Belarusian food and agricultural products to the EU and to ensure stability of EU agricultural production is added in the afternoon before the report by Mr Lagodinsky on European cross-border associations. As a consequence, the sitting is extended to 23:00.

Wednesday

The following reports are advanced to the first voting session:

1. The reports by Mr Oetjen on Reporting requirements in the fields of road transport and aviation: Regulation and on Reporting requirements in the fields of road transport and aviation: Decision;
2. Report by Ms Virkkunen on Minimum requirements on minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector;
3. Report by Ms Clune on Establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013;
4. Report by Van Overtveldt on Amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics.

The reports by Ms Kalniete on Temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to Ukrainian products under the EU/Euratom/Ukraine Association Agreement and by Ms Gregorová on Temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to Moldovan products under the EU/Euratom/Moldova Association Agreement are added to the second voting session.

The Commission statement on Rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence: recent attacks in Thessaloniki is added in the evening before the debate on The time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents. As a consequence, the sitting is extended to 23:00.

Thursday

Council and Commission statements on the Inclusion of the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights are added as the first point in the morning. The debate will be wound up by a resolution, to be put to a vote in the April I part-session.

Council and Commission statements on the Deterioration of living conditions in the EU are added in the morning.

Information concerning the distribution of votes is available under the section “Priority information”.