European Parliament 2019-2024 Committee on Constitutional Affairs AFCO_PV(2020)1119_1 MINUTES Meeting of 19 November 2020, 13.45 – 15.45 and 16.45 – 18.45 BRUSSELS Participation of AFCO Members only via the remote interactio meeting tool The meeting opened at 13.46 on Thursday, 19 November 2020, with Antonio Tajani (Chair) presiding. For legal reasons (right to privacy) the Chair informed the participants that the meeting would be filmed and streamed live on the Internet. 1. Adoption of agenda AFCO_OJ PE660.298v01-00 The Chair proposed the following changes to the draft agenda: • point 6 of the draft agenda on the draft opinion on 2019 discharge: General budget of the EU - Council and European Council (2020/2142(DEC) – COM(2020)0288[03] – C9-0222/2020) scheduled to take place at 15.20 to be transferred to the second session of the meeting starting at 16:45; • point 9 of the draft agenda on the draft report on the Proposal for an Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (2018/2070(ACI) – COM(2018)0323 – C8-0189/2018) to be postponed to the next meeting at the request of the rapporteur Esteban González Pons; • the discussion on point 10 of the draft agenda on the draft report on Parliament’s PV\1219491EN.docx PE661.879v01-00 EN United in diversityEN right of initiative (2020/2132(INI) to be postponed to the next meeting at the request of the rapporteur Paulo Rangel. The agenda thus amended was adopted. 2. Chair's announcements The Chair made the following announcements: • Interpretation is available in 9 languages: FR DE IT NL EN ES PT FI RO. • Social distance measures are in force and the use of masks is mandatory during this meeting. 3. Chair's announcements concerning coordinators’ recommendations The Chair informed Members about the recommendations made by the Coordinators at their meeting of 16 November 2020: • European Electoral Law: the rapporteur for the legislative own initiative report on the modification of the European electoral law (2020/2220(INL)) will be Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D). • Opinion to JURI on the European Union regulatory fitness and subsidiarity and proportionality - report on Better Law Making covering the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 (2020/2262(INI)): awaiting the conclusion of a written consultation of coordinators on expressions of interest for the rapporteurship. So far, the only candidacy was submitted by Gerolf Annemans (ID). In the absence of any objection, these recommendations were deemed adopted by the Committee. 4. Approval of minutes of meetings of 14 July 2020 PV – PE657.295v01-00 27 August 2020 PV – PE658.990v01-00 1 September 2020 PV – PE659.007v01-00 Joint Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) PE661.879v01-00 2/10 PV\1219491EN.docx EN study presentation organised by the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs 5. Strengthening transparency and integrity in the EU institutions by setting up an independent EU ethics body AFCO/9/03618 2020/2133(INI) Rapporteur Daniel Freund (Verts/ALE) Opinions : CONT Mikuláš Peksa (Verts/ALE) ECON Derk Jan Eppink (ECR) PA – PE657.256v01-00 AM – PE658.867v01-00 JURI* Stéphane Séjourné (Renew) PA – PE657.482v01-00 PETI Radan Kanev (PPE) ● Presentation by experts of two Studies commissioned by the Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs: - "Conflict of interest policies: effectiveness and best practice in Europe" by Dr. Christoph DEMMKE, Professor of Public Management, University of Vaasa (Finland) (Study requested by the JURI committee) - "Strengthening transparency and integrity in the EU institutions by setting up an independent EU ethics body" by Dr. Markus FRISCHHUT, Professor, Jean Monnet Chair “EU Values & DIGitalization for our CommuNITY (DIGNITY)”, MCI | THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SCHOOL®, Innsbruck, Austria (Study requested by the AFCO committee) The experts Dr. Christoph Demmke and Dr. Markus Frischhut took the floor to give their presentations. In addition to the AFCO Chair, Antonio Tajani, the following Members took the floor: Daniel Freund (AFCO rapporteur), Stéphane Séjourné (JURI rapporteur for opinion), Rainer Wieland, Giuliano Pisapia (3rd Vice-Chair), Lara Wolters, Pascal Durand, Leila Chaibi, Manon Aubry, Adrián Vázquez Lázara (Chair of JURI), Paulo Rangel, Domènec Ruiz Devesa. Adrián Vázquez Lázara (Chair of JURI) took the chair at 15.08. Dr. Christoph Demmke and Dr. Markus Frischhut took the floor to answer the questions. Adrián Vázquez Lázara (Chair of JURI) closed the debate. The meeting adjourned at 15.24 and resumed at 16.46 with Antonio Tajani (Chair) presiding. PV\1219491EN.docx 3/10 PE661.879v01-00 EN 6. Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 AFCO/9/00303 *** 2018/0166(APP) – COM(2018)0322 Rapporteur for the opinion: Antonio Tajani (PPE) Responsible: BUDG Jan Olbrycht (PPE) DV – PE660.278v01-00 Margarida Marques (S&D) The Chair and rapporteur for the opinion, Antonio Tajani, presented the draft opinion in the form of a letter. The following Members took the floor: Danuta Maria Hübner, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Sandro Gozi, Laura Huhtasaari, Damian Boeselager, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, Helmut Scholz. * * * *** Remote voting procedure *** Opening of the remote voting procedure for a Single Vote from 17:17 to 18:15 7. Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 AFCO/9/00303 *** 2018/0166(APP) – COM(2018)0322 Rapporteur for the opinion: Antonio Tajani (PPE) Responsible: BUDG Jan Olbrycht (PPE) DV – PE660.278v01-00 Margarida Marques (S&D) The opinion in the form of a letter was adopted with 21 votes in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention. * * * (in parallel with the remote voting procedure for the final vote) 8. 2019 discharge: General budget of the EU - Council and European Council AFCO/9/03746 2020/2142(DEC) – COM(2020)0288[03] – C9-0222/2020 Rapporteur for the opinion: Antonio Tajani (PPE) PA – PE660.215v01-00 Responsible: CONT Pascal Durand (Renew) PE661.879v01-00 4/10 PV\1219491EN.docx EN The Chair and rapporteur for the opinion, Antonio Tajani, presented the draft opinion. The following Members took the floor: Danuta Maria Hübner, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Pascal Durand, Daniel Freund, Gerolf Annemans. The deadline for amendments was set for 16 December at 12.00. 9. Other business AFCO’s role in the conclusion of the partnership agreement with the UK: Danuta Maria Hübner, Chair of the AFCO’s Monitoring Group on the implementation of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, took the floor. 10. Date and place of next meeting 2 December 2020, 9.00 – 12.00 (Brussels) 3 December 2020, 13.45 – 15.45 (Brussels) The meeting closed at 17.40. PV\1219491EN.docx 5/10 PE661.879v01-00 EN Results of roll-call votes Contents AFCO/9/00303. Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (2018/0166(APP) – COM(2018)0322), rapporteur for the opinion: Antonio Tajani ............................................................................................................................7 AFCO/9/00303.1. Final vote by roll call in committee for opinion..................................7 Key to symbols: + : in favour - : against 0 : abstention PE661.879v01-00 6/10 PV\1219491EN.docx EN AFCO/9/00303. Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (2018/0166(APP) – COM(2018)0322), rapporteur for the opinion: Antonio Tajani AFCO/9/00303.1. Final vote by roll call in committee for opinion 21 + GUE/NGL Helmut Scholz NI Fabio Massimo Castaldo PPE Esteban González Pons, Brice Hortefeux, Paulo Rangel, Antonio Tajani, Loránt Vincze, Rainer Wieland RENEW Gilles Boyer, Pascal Durand, Sandro Gozi, Maite Pagazaurtundúa Gabriele Bischoff, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Giuliano Pisapia, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Pedro Silva Pereira, S&D Mihai Tudose Verts/ALE Damian Boeselager, Gwendoline Delbos Corfield, Daniel Freund 6 - ECR Geert Bourgeois, Jacek Saryusz Wolski ID Gerolf Annemans, Laura Huhtasaari, Antonio Maria Rinaldi PPE László Trócsányi 1 0 GUE/NGL Leila Chaibi PV\1219491EN.docx 7/10 PE661.879v01-00 EN ПРИСЪСТВЕН ЛИСТ/LISTA DE ASISTENCIA/PREZENČNÍ LISTINA/DELTAGERLISTE/ ANWESENHEITSLISTE/KOHALOLIJATE NIMEKIRI/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/RECORD OF ATTENDANCE/ LISTE DE PRÉSENCE/POPIS NAZOČNIH/ELENCO DI PRESENZA/APMEKLĒJUMU REĢISTRS/DALYVIŲ SĄRAŠAS/ JELENLÉTI ÍV/REĠISTRU TA' ATTENDENZA/PRESENTIELIJST/LISTA OBECNOŚCI/LISTA DE PRESENÇAS/ LISTĂ DE PREZENŢĂ/PREZENČNÁ LISTINA/SEZNAM NAVZOČIH/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/NÄRVAROLISTA Бюро/Mesa/Předsednictvo/Formandskabet/Vorstand/Juhatus/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Predsjedništvo/Ufficio di presidenza/Prezidijs/ Biuras/Elnökség/Prezydium/Birou/Predsedníctvo/Predsedstvo/Puheenjohtajisto/Presidiet (*) Antonio Tajani (P), Gabriele Bischoff (VP), Giuliano Pisapia (VP) Членове/Diputados/Poslanci/Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Parlamendiliikmed/Βουλευτές/Members/Députés/Zastupnici/Deputati/Deputāti/ Nariai/Képviselõk/Membri/Leden/Posłowie/Deputados/Deputaţi/Jäsenet/Ledamöter Gerolf Annemans, Damian Boeselager, Geert Bourgeois, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Leila Chaibi, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Gwendoline Delbos Corfield, Pascal Durand, Daniel Freund, Esteban González Pons, Sandro Gozi, Brice Hortefeux, Laura Huhtasaari, Paulo Rangel, Antonio Maria Rinaldi, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Jacek Saryusz Wolski, Helmut Scholz, Pedro Silva Pereira,