Minutes of the sitting of 18 January 2021

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Published date: 28 January 2022
• Celex Number: C2022/045/01

28.1.2022 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 45/1

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18 January 2021
MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF 18 JANUARY 2021

(2022/C 45/01)

Contents

1. Resumption of the session 3

2. Opening of the sitting 3

3. Statements by the President 3

4. Approval of the minutes of the previous sittings 3

5. Formation of political groups 3

6. Composition of Parliament 3

7. Composition of committees and delegations 4

8. Announcement by the President 4

9. Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading (Rule 71) 5

10. Corrigendum (Rule 241) 5

11. Delegated acts (Rule 111(6)) 5

12. Signing of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 79) 6

13. Action taken on Parliament's positions and resolutions 6

14. Questions for oral answer (submission) 6

15. Documents received 6

16. Order of business 9

17. European Arrest Warrant and surrender procedures between Member States (debate) 10

18. Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report — 2019 (debate) 10

19. Strengthening the single market: the future of free movement of services (debate) 11

20. Achieving an effective policy legacy for the European Year of Cultural Heritage (debate) 11

21. Technical Support Instrument ***I (debate) 12

22. Measures to promote the recovery of fish stock above MSY (debate) 12

23. Exercise of the Union's rights for the application and enforcement of international trade rules ***I (debate) 13

24. Agenda of the next sitting 13

25. Closure of the sitting 13

ATTENDANCE REGISTER 14

Minutes of the sitting of 18 January 2021

IN THE CHAIR: David Maria SASSOLI

President

1. Resumption of the session

The session suspended on Friday 18 December 2020 was resumed.

2. Opening of the sitting

The sitting opened at 17.00.

3. Statements by the President

The President made a statement marking the 30th anniversary of the events of 13 January 1991 in Vilnius during which 14 people died and several hundreds were wounded after the Soviet army moved against demonstrators from the Lithuanian independence movement. He paid tribute to all those Lithuanians who had defended their freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

He also denounced the arrest of the Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny on his arrival in Moscow the previous day, Sunday, 17 January 2021. He thanked the German authorities for the medical care and assistance they had given Aleksei Navalny and called on the Russian authorities to release him.

4. Approval of the minutes of the previous sittings

The minutes of the sittings of 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 December 2020 were approved.

5. Formation of political groups

The name of the political group ‘Group of the United European Left — Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)’ had been changed to ‘The Left Group in the European Parliament — GUE/NGL’ with effect from 18 December 2020.

The statement by the political group provided for under Rule 33 had been forwarded to the President.

6. Composition of Parliament

Fredrick Federley had given notice in writing of his resignation as Member of Parliament, with effect from 13 December 2020.

Pursuant to Rule 4(1), Parliament had established the vacancy of his seat as from that date and informed the national authority concerned.

Cristian Ghinea had been appointed Minister for Investments and European Projects in the Romanian Government with effect from 23 December 2020.

Kris Peeters had been appointed Vice-President of the European Investment Bank with effect from 12 January 2021.

Parliament noted that, in accordance with Article 7(1) of the Act concerning the election of members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, these offices were incompatible with those of Members of the European Parliament and, in accordance with Rule 4(1) and (4) of the Rules of Procedure, declared their seats to be vacant as of 23 December 2020 and 12 January 2021 respectively.

The Romanian authorities had given notice of the election of Alin-Cristian Mituța to replace Cristian Ghinea as Member of Parliament with effect from 28 December 2020.

The Hungarian authorities had given notice of the election of Ernö Schaller-Baross to replace József Szájer as Member of Parliament with effect from 10 January 2021.

Parliament took note of their election.

Under Rule 3(2), until such time as their credentials had been verified or a ruling had been given on any dispute, and provided that they had previously made a written declaration stating that they did not hold any office incompatible with that of Member of the European Parliament, Alin-Cristian Mituța et Ernő Schaller-Baross would take their seats in Parliament and on its bodies and would enjoy all the rights attaching thereto.

7. Composition of committees and delegations

The President had received from the PPE and Renew groups the following decisions changing the composition of the committees and delegations:

— CONT Committee: Ádám Kósa to replace Tamás Deutsch, Alin-Cristian Mituța

— EMPL Committee: Ernő Schaller-Baross to replace Andrea Bocskor

— REGI Committee: Vlad-Marius Botoș

— AGRI Committee: Alin-Cristian Mituța

— JURI Committee: Pascal Durand to replace Liesje Schreinemacher, Ernő Schaller-Baross

— Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport: Billy Kelleher

— Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee: Alin-Cristian Mituța

The decisions took effect as of that day.

8. Announcement by the President

The President announced that he had decided, based on the conclusions of the Advisory Committee dealing with harassment complaints between Accredited Parliamentary Assistants and Members of the European Parliament and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, to impose a penalty on Monica Semedo, pursuant to Rule 10(6) and Rule 176, as a result of her behaviour towards her accredited parliamentary assistants, which constituted psychological harassment. The penalty consisted of:

— Loss of entitlement to the daily subsistence allowance for a period of 15 days; and

— Temporary suspension from participation in some or all of the activities of Parliament for a period of 15 consecutive days on which Parliament or any of its bodies, committees or delegations met, without prejudice to the right to vote in plenary and subject to strict compliance with the Members' standards of conduct.

The Member concerned had been notified of the decision on 15 January 2021 and was entitled to lodge an internal appeal with the Bureau under Rule 177. The penalty would be suspended for the duration of any such appeal.

9. Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading (Rule 71)

The President announced, in accordance with Rule 71, the decision of the ECON Committee to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on the basis of the report on:

— ECON Committee: report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on credit servicers, credit purchasers and the recovery of collateral (COM(2018)0135 — C8-0115/2018 — 2018/0063A(COD)). Rapporteurs: Esther de Lange and Irene Tinagli (A9-0003/2021).

Under Rule 71(2), if, before midnight on the following day, Tuesday 19 January 2021, a request had been received from a number of Members or one or more political groups reaching at least the medium threshold, the decision to enter into negotiations would be put to the vote.

Negotiations may start at any time after that deadline has expired if no request for a vote in Parliament on the decision to enter into negotiations has been made.

10. Corrigendum (Rule 241)

The committee responsible had forwarded the following corrigendum to a text adopted by Parliament:

— Corrigendum P8_TA(2019)0369(COR01) to Regulation (EU) 2019/876 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 amending Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 as regards the leverage ratio, the net stable funding ratio, requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities, counterparty credit risk, market risk, exposures to central counterparties, exposures to collective investment undertakings, large exposures, reporting and disclosure requirements, and Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 (OJ L 150, 7.6.2019, p. 1.) — (position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 16 April 2019 with a view to the adoption of the above regulation P8_TA(2019)0369) — (COM(2016)0850 — C8-0480/2016 — 2016/0360A(COD)) — ECON Committee.

Pursuant to Rule 241 (4), this corrigendum would be deemed to have been approved unless, within 24 hours, a request was made by a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold that it be put to the vote.

11. Delegated acts (Rule 111(6))

The Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs had informed the President of Parliament, under Rule 111(6), that no objections had been raised to:

— The recommendation by the AGRI Committee to raise no objections to Commission delegated regulation of 4 December 2020 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/427 as regards the date of...