Wednesday 11 March
Situation in the Middle East and March European Council
Starting at 9.00, this session’s key debate, with Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for European Affairs, and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will focus on the US-Israeli military operation against the Iranian regime, its consequences, and the need to support the people of Iran.
MEPs will also outline their demands for the upcoming EU summit, with salient topics likely to be the single market and competitiveness, the next long-term budget, Ukraine, defence and security, and migration.
Snjezana KOBESCAK SMODIS
(+32) 470 96 08 19
@EP_ForeignAff
Andreas KLEINER
(+32) 498 98 33 22
Estefania NARRILLOS
(+32) 498 98 39 85
@EuroParlPress
The fight against child sexual abuse online
Parliament will vote at 12.30 on prolonging an exemption to privacy legislation allowing the voluntary detection of child sexual abuse material online before it expires on 3 April. Talks with the Council on a permanent law are ongoing.
The need to protect children from online sexual abuse is also the subject of this session’s topical debate, proposed by the EPP group, with Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, which starts at 13.30.
Janne OJAMO
(+32) 470 89 21 92
@EP_Justice
New package travel rules
Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath will join MEPs to discuss an update of the Package Travel Directive from around 16.00. The update, intended to clarify holidaymakers’ rights to assistance and compensation in cases of travel disruption, builds on lessons learned during the pandemic and several high-profile bankruptcies. Parliament will vote tomorrow on the text agreed with the Council in interinstitutional negotiations.
Maris KURME
(+32) 477 99 06 65
@EP_SingleMarket
In brief
Prime minister of Armenia. In a formal sitting at noon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will address Parliament, ahead of parliamentary elections in the country on 7 June 2026.
Relations with the European Commission. MEPs will vote at 12.30 on a new framework agreement for relations between Parliament and the Commission. It will replace the existing agreement, which dates back to 2010.
2027 EU budget. Following a debate yesterday, MEPs will vote at 12.30 on their priorities for next year’s EU budget, due to be unveiled during the summer.
Rule of law in Greece. From around 19.00, MEPs and Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra will debate the rule of law situation in Greece, after sentences were handed down over the “Predatorgate” spyware scandal.
Rise of political violence. A debate starting at around 18.00 with Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra will focus on the rise in political violence in the EU, notably that attributed to far-left organisations.
Breaches of human rights. In the evening, MEPs will look into human trafficking and human rights violations linked to the recruitment of non-Russian nationals, in particular from African countries, for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine; the arbitrary detention of President Mohamed Bazoum by the junta in Niger; and the case of Elene Khoshtaria and political prisoners under the Georgian Dream regime in Georgia. Parliament will vote on the related motions for resolutions tomorrow at noon.
Votes
At 12.30, MEPs will also vote, among others, on:
- two reports on barriers to the single market for defence and on European defence projects of common interest;
- an own-initiative report on the gender pay and pension gaps;
- two own-initiative reports on European Semester coordination of economic, social and employment policies;
- the EU’s enlargement strategy;
- enhanced EU-Canada cooperation in the light of the current geopolitical context, and
- mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers for workers made redundant following the closure of Tupperware Belgium.
Live coverage of the plenary session can be found on Parliament’s webstreaming site and on EbS+.
For detailed information on the session, please also see our newsletter.
Find more information regarding plenary.