Brussels Bulletin No. 526: 6 January 2017 NATIONAL PARLIAMENT OFFICE HOUSE OF COMMONS BRUSSELS BULLETIN NO. 526 6 January 2017 Contents Page 2017 LOOK AHEAD .............................................................................................................................. 2 A YEAR OF CHANGE FOR THE EU INSTITUTIONS ........................................................................................ 2 POLAND ................................................................................................................................................. 5 MEPS DEBATE DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN POLAND ............................................................... 5 OTHER NEWS ....................................................................................................................................... 8 BIRDS AND HABITATS DIRECTIVES TO REMAIN UNCHANGED .................................................................... 8 AFCO GIVES FINAL APPROVAL TO CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM REPORTS .................................................... 8 COUNCIL AGREES POSITION ON PACKAGE OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES LEGISLATION ......................... 9 COMMISSION TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST UK IN LIGHT OF EMISSIONS SCANDAL ............................. 9 EP’S EMPL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS VOTING DOWN CETA ............................................................... 10 JHA COUNCIL AGREES ON PIF DIRECTIVE BUT EPPO TALKS CONTINUE ................................................ 10 EP AGREES REVISION OF ITS RULES OF PROCEDURE ................................................................................ 10 JOINT DECLARATION OF 2017 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES SIGNED IN STRASBOURG ................................... 11 COMMISSION PROPOSES CHANGES TO SOCIAL SECURITY LEGISLATION .................................................... 11 ENVIRONMENTAL MEPS VOTE TO ALIGN ETS TARGETS WITH PARIS AGREEMENT ................................. 11 MEPS BACK VISA SUSPENSION MECHANISM ............................................................................................ 12 EU AND DENMARK REACH AGREEMENT ON ACCESS TO EUROPOL........................................................... 12 FINAL EUROPEAN COUNCIL SUMMIT OF 2016 TAKES PLACE .................................................................... 12 ECJ RULES THAT EU-SINGAPORE FTA IS A MIXED COMPETENCE AGREEMENT ...................................... 13 SIR IVAN ROGERS TO STAND DOWN AS UK AMBASSADOR TO THE EU .................................................... 13 CALENDAR ......................................................................................................................................... 14 MALTESE PRESIDENCY: FORTHCOMING FORMAL AND INFORMAL COUNCIL MEETINGS (JANUARY TO JUNE 2017) ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 MALTESE PRESIDENCY: FORTHCOMING INTER-PARLIAMENTARY MEETINGS IN VALLETTA AND BRUSSELS (JANUARY TO JUNE 2017) ........................................................................................................................ 14 FORTHCOMING INTER-PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS (ICMS) IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT14 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Track national parliament scrutiny at www.ipex.eu 1 Brussels Bulletin No. 526: 6 January 2017 2017 look ahead A year of change for the EU institutions European Parliament January 2017 marks the half-way point of the current five-year legislature, with the posts of European Parliament President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Chairs all up for re-election. EP President Following the 2014 EP elections, the two largest political groups, the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), made an informal agreement to share the Presidency. Under the agreement, current EP President Martin Schulz (S&D, Germany) would stand down in January 2017 and be replaced by an EPP MEP until the next elections in May 2019. In autumn 2016, there were reports that Schulz could seek a third term as President (he also served as EP President in the second half of the previous legislature). The reasons put forward ranged from maintaining stability at a time of crisis to not having the three main EU institutions headed by centre-right politicians. On Thursday 24 November, Schulz announced that he would stand down as EP President and run for a seat in the German Bundestag.1 The whole EP will vote by secret ballot on 17 January in Strasbourg to elect the new President. To be elected President, a candidate must win an absolute majority of the votes cast. With 751 MEPs, this means 376 votes or more. The candidates From the EPP, Italian Antonio Tajani was elected by the Group on Tuesday 13 December, beating Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness, Alain Lamassoure of France, and Slovenian Alojz Peterle. Belgian MEP Helga Stevens is the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) candidate. From the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Group, Sylvie Goulard (France) initially put her name forward, but withdrew her candidacy when Group Leader and EP Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt (Belgium) announced that he would stand. For the GUE/NGL Group, Eleonora Forenza (Italy) is the candidate, whilst the Greens/EFA Group has nominated the UK’s Jean Lambert. None of these Groups are expected to secure the position, but their MEPs will carry influential votes and they can lobby to keep or add to their current Vice-President and Committee Chair posts. The EFDD Group has proposed Piernicola Pedicini of Italy as their candidate, with Romanian Laurențiu Rebega reported to be standing for the ENF Group. On 30 November, S&D Group Leader Gianni Pittella (Italy) threw his hat into the ring. In a press conference, Pittella said that one of the reasons for his candidacy was “political principle”; to ensure equal representation across the Presidencies of the three main EU institutions. In response to a question on the future of the so-called “grand coalition”, Pittella said that “the grand coalition has never existed as such in the European Parliament...for us, we had legislative cooperation with another group...it was essential for us to be able to take forward the work of the European Parliament.” The so-called “grand coalition” between the EPP and S&D Groups, with 217 and 189 MEPs respectively (totalling 403, therefore surpassing the 376 MEPs required for an absolute majority in the EP) was seen as a way of ensuring the smooth and timely passage of the 1 See Brussels Bulletin No. 524 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Track national parliament scrutiny at www.ipex.eu 2 Brussels Bulletin No. 526: 6 January 2017 Commission’s legislative priorities. The agreement was made on 24 June 2014, with the ALDE Group, totalling 69 MEPs, joining two days later. The three Groups agreed to: ...work to create a stable, pro-European majority in the House to defend the values and principles of European integration whilst striving, jointly, for reforms that will strengthen and improve the workings and transparency of the institutions and their effectiveness in delivering economic growth and meeting the EU's future challenges.2 Despite ALDE signing up to the arrangement, the “grand coalition” is usually used in reference to the EPP and S&D Groups only. EU-focused publication Politico reported that Schulz’s resignation and Pittella’s candidature amounts to a breakdown, likely to result in uncertainty and “legislative paralysis”. Schulz’s departure also brings to an end the “G5”; regular dinner meetings of Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, EP President Schulz, EPP Group Leader Manfred Weber and S&D Group Leader Pittella. It has been reported that the dinners were used to discuss policies and agree upon strategies; Weber has previously described it as “keeping a stable coalition that can legislate effectively”.3 Schulz and Juncker are known to be old friends; with his departure, Pittella has said that “for now, there won’t be any G5.” The UK posts up for re-election The UK holds no Vice-President positions. Catherine Bearder (ALDE) is a Quaestor of the EP, a post focusing on the organisation’s administration and one also up for re-election in January 2017. The UK also holds the Chairmanship of three EP Committees: Vicky Ford (ECR) chairs the EP’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee; Claude Moraes (S&D) chairs the EP’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee; and Linda McAvan (S&D) chairs the EP’s Development (DEVE) Committee. It is unclear as of yet if any of the three MEPs will retain their posts. European Council and European Commission In the other two main EU institutions, the post of European Council President, Donald Tusk (Poland) is up for renewal in mid-2017. Heads of State or Government elect the President of the European Council by a qualified majority. It has been reported that the Polish Government will not support Tusk for a second term, and it remains unclear if he will keep the position. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has a five-year term, which runs until summer 2019. 2017 elections in Member States The Netherlands, France and Germany will hold elections in 2017, with voters also going to the polls in the Czech Republic and possibly Greece, Italy and Bulgaria. Other events The next informal meeting of the