Parliament to debate the corruption allegations involving certain MEPs 

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President Metsola opened the 12-15 December plenary session in Strasbourg © European Union 2022  

President Metsola stated that the European Parliament and European democracy are under attack, at the opening of the session in Strasbourg.

You can read her full statement on the ongoing investigations by Belgian authorities here.

MEPs agreed to hold a debate on Tuesday on the suspicions of corruption from Qatar and the broader need for transparency and accountability in the European institutions, to be followed by the vote on a resolution on Thursday.

In light of the investigations, MEPs also voted to send the report on visa exemptions for Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Ecuador back to the Civil Liberties Committee for further discussion, rather than to start negotiations. You can read a statement from the rapporteur here.

Incoming MEPs

Beatrice Covassi (S&D, Italy) as of 6 December 2022

Changes to the agenda

Tuesday

The President has received a request for urgent procedure from the Council, pursuant to Rule 163, on the following legislative file:

  • 'Macro-Financial Assistance+' instrument for providing support to Ukraine for 2023

The vote on this request will be taken on Tuesday. If adopted, the vote will be held on Thursday. Since this is a second reading procedure, should no proposal to reject the Council's position and no amendments be tabled, the proposed act will be announced as adopted, pursuant to Rule 69.

A Commission statement on “Suspicions of corruption from Qatar and the broader need for transparency and accountability in the European institutions” is added as the second point in the afternoon after the Question time to the Commission. The statement will be wound up with a resolution to be put to the vote on Thursday.

Council and Commission statements on “The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession” are added as the third point in the afternoon. As a consequence, the sitting is extended until 23:00.

Wednesday

Council and Commission statements on “Defending the European Union against the abuse of national vetoes” are added as the second point in the afternoon. As a consequence, the sitting is extended until 23:00.

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


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.