The plenary session of the European Parliament, that convenes this week in Strasbourg, is expected to vote on prolonging top-up in EU funding for projects in Cyprus.
The members of the European Parliament are expected to vote on Tuesday on a special provision whereby the EU would pay up to 85% of project costs in Cyprus until the closure of the 2014-2020 programmes.
They will also vote on plans to prolong a 10% increase in the EU contribution towards project costs in Greece until 30 June of the year following the end of its economic adjustment programme.
Moreover, there will be a presentation of the report of MEP Andrαs Gyόrk on the EU strategy for liquefied natural gas and gas storage. In the motion for a EP resolution, on which MEPs will vote on Tuesday, the EP calls for the prioritisation of gas production in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Caspian regions, as well as for interconnecting landlocked countries in Central and South-East Europe to these new capacities in order to diversify supply sources in those regions.
It notes that this will allow for competition between gas from multiple sources and will replace imports of natural gas volumes under oil-indexed contracts, thus increasing Member States’ bargaining power and stresses that no single energy source will ever fulfill the EU`s energy needs and that diversity in the case of both domestic and foreign markets is essential.
It considers, therefore, that the development of the domestic conventional gas resources discovered in Cyprus should be actively pursued.
It also stresses that significant gas reserves in the North African countries and recent discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean provide the region with an opportunity to emerge as a vibrant centre for transporting gas into Europe and believes that new LNG capacity being developed in the Mediterranean could form the basis of an infrastructure hub.
The EP is also to adopt its position on next year’s EU budget, ahead of negotiations with the Council. MEPs will demand more funds to help young people into jobs, boost economic growth and help third countries with a view to mitigating the migration crisis.
They will also discuss the Commission’s proposal to revise the multiannual financial framework (MFF).
In addition, MEPs will assess the outcome of the European Council meeting of 20-21 October with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk on Wednesday morning.
The EU Commission will present its to-do list for 2017 and join MEPs in debating common objectives and priorities to feed into the first-ever joint declaration on EU priorities for the following year, to be signed by the Presidents of Parliament, Council and Commission in December.
Moreover, MEPs are expected to call on the Commission to set up a new EU mechanism to monitor the state of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights on a regular basis in all EU member states. A legislative resolution to this end will be discussed and voted on Tuesday.
They will discuss with the Council and the Commission the progress in implementing security measures agreed at EU level and the challenges ahead.
MEPs will ask the EU to place mandatory limits on industrially-produced trans-fatty acids which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, infertility, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and obesity.
They will also hold a debate on the situation of human rights in Turkey.
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