Nearly 100 texts to be voted at European Parliament's final plenary session

A total of 89 legislative bills and half a dozen resolutions will be put to the vote at the European Parliament's final plenary session of the ninth legislature in Strasbourg this week.

This significant mass of legislation, considerably more than five years ago, is due to a series of crises over the past five years, such as the coronavirus, energy policy and regional conflicts, MEPs said on Friday.

These emergencies have required swift responses, pushing other legislative proposals down the priority list. Negotiations between co-legislators on Commission proposals have also contributed to the backlog, they added.

Sign of 'good democratic health'

The political groups agreed that this wasn't ideal for maintaining legislative oversight. They suggested that legislative planning should be prioritised in the EU's future strategic programme for 2024-2029.

"It demonstrates that elected individuals work tirelessly from day one to fulfil their responsibilities, even if it means voting for hours on end," they said. Progress and results were stressed as key.

The Greens/EFA group regretted that some legislation was rushed through, "sometimes without proper debate or opinion", but argued that Parliament's activity remains a sign of "good democratic health".

Fiscal discipline

Among the key regulations to be voted on is a revision of the rules on fiscal discipline imposed on member states. Other regulations to be tackled include new air quality standards, more sustainable packaging and the right to repair electronic devices.

In response to recent farmers' protests, a weakening of the common agricultural policy (CAP) is also up for a vote, as is a restriction on trade privileges for Ukrainian agricultural exports.

Other items on the agenda include corporate accountability for child labour, slavery, pollution and biodiversity loss, a ban on products made using forced labour, social protection for digital platform workers and anti-money laundering measures. The Parliament will also adopt the EU's first law against violence against women.

^{© PHOTO JOHN THYS / AFP}