During the week of Monday 24 November – Friday 28 November, the European Parliament will meet in Strasbourg for its plenary session. The agenda will feature extensive voting sessions and debates focusing on industry, strategic autonomy, and innovation. With regard to digital domain, Parliament will turn its attention to online platforms and the protection of consumers and minors, while the Commission will present to MEPs the Digital Package released last Wednesday. Finally, Tuesday 25 November will open with remarks from the political group spokespersons dedicated to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
COMPETITIVENESS, INNOVATION AND INDUSTRY
Tuesday 25 November. The rapporteurs from the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) will present the EDIP – the European Defence Industry Programme, which establishes a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products. The final text, agreed during the interinstitutional negotiations, will be submitted for a first reading and vote in Plenary, following the Commission’s proposal for a regulation published last March.
On the same day, Brando Benifei (S&D) will present the final text of the own initiative report on institutional aspects of the report on the future of European competitiveness (Draghi Report), which will be subsequently put to a vote. During the early drafting phase in April, I-Com President Stefano da Empoli provided input to support the work of the rapporteur.
Lastly, the Commission will present the European Semester Autumn Package, consisting of documents and analyses on the macroeconomic outlook of the EU and its Member States. The package will include: the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey, opinions on the draft budgetary plans, the draft recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area, the Alert Mechanism Report, and the proposal for the Joint Employment Report.
Wednesday 26 November. The plenary day will open with statements from the Commission and the Council on how the EU can make effective use of its trade and industrial policy to respond to China’s export restrictions.
The agenda will also include a debate – starting from the Commission’s position – concerning a potential EU response to ongoing violations of European airspace and acts of sabotage against critical infrastructure carried out by Russia and Belarus.
Regarding EU funding, the Plenary will hold a first-reading vote under the ordinary legislative procedure on the draft regulation presented by rapporteurs Irene Tinagli (S&D) and Aura Salla (EPP) which aims at increasing the efficiency of the EU guarantee under the InvestEU Regulation and simplifying reporting requirements. This proposal will amend the regulations governing the European Fund for Strategic Investments, Horizon Europe and InvestEU.
DIGITAL
Tuesday 25 November. The European Commission will present to MEPs the long-awaited and widely debated Digital Package, developed under the leadership of Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen. The package includes:
- The European Business Wallet, a key initiative to enhance interoperability of services and support the development of a European digital infrastructure;
- The European Data Union Strategy, designed to simplify access, circulation and storage of data essential for the development and training of AI;
- The Digital Omnibus, a regulation proposal to streamline the EU digital regulatory framework, revising the Cybersecurity Act, the AI Act and the data aquis.
On the same day, MEPs will also vote on the own-initiative report examining the impact of artificial intelligence on the financial sector. In addition, Christel Schaldemose (S&D), rapporteur for the own-initiative report on protecting minors online, will present the draft during the Plenary for a debate, with a vote scheduled for the following day.
Wednesday 26 November. MEPs will be vote on the motion for resolution on rotecting EU consumers against the practices of certain e-commerce platforms: the case of child-like sex dolls, weapons and other illegal products and material.
SUSTAINABILITY
Thursday 27 November. The Commission will present a report on the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), held in Belém, Brazil, which concluded on 21 November.
OTHER EVENTS
Tuesday 25 November. The Commission will present to MEPs the European Democracy Shield, published on 12 November, a strategy setting out concrete measures to strengthen, protect and promote strong and resilient democracies across the EU in areas such as information, media independence, free and fair elections.
