Opening - December plenary session
Parliament held a minute of silence in memory of former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, at the opening of the session in the Strasbourg Chamber.
Symbolically opening the December part-session in Strasbourg, the official seat of the European Parliament, President Sassoli expressed his solidarity with the citizens of Strasbourg and the French authorities and committed to holding the Parliament’s plenary sessions in the Strasbourg hemicycle again in the near future.
Former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who passed away on 2 December, was also an MEP and “a passionate European”, said the president. The Parliament will hold a special ceremony in his honour in Strasbourg, on 2 February 2021 which will be attended by President Macron and other heads of state or government.
President Sassoli expressed his condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack on the City of Strasbourg on 11 December 2018, as well as to their families and their friends.
Outgoing MEPs
József Szájer (EPP, Hungary) as of 2 January 2021.
Changes to the agenda
The following proposed act is deemed adopted:
- Framework for the recovery and resolution of central counterparties.
Tuesday
The following legislative files are added for adoption under Rule 63 (urgency procedure). Final votes are scheduled for Friday.
- Common rules ensuring basic road freight and road passenger connectivity following the end of the transition period mentioned in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union,
- Common rules ensuring basic air connectivity following the end of the transition period mentioned in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union,
- Certain aspects of aviation safety with regard to the end of the transition period mentioned in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, and
- Fishing authorisations for Union fishing vessels in United Kingdom waters and fishing operations of United Kingdom fishing vessels in Union waters.
Friday
The first voting session will be open from 09.30 to 10.45, with results announced at 13.00.
The second voting session will be open from 13.30 to 14.45, with results announced at 17.00.
The information concerning the distribution of votes is available on the website of the European Parliament under the section “Priority information”.
The changes to the agenda with timing of votes can be found here.
Requests by committees to start negotiations with Council and Commission
Decisions by committees to enter into inter-institutional negotiations (Rule 71) are published on the plenary website.
If no request for a vote in Parliament on the decision to enter into negotiations is made by Tuesday 12.00 midnight, the committees may start negotiations.
Information on the extraordinary remote participation procedure is available here.
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Natalie Kate KONTOULIS
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