Changes to EU rules on banks’ capital requirements to facilitate their ability to support households and businesses in the EU, were backed via remote vote by the EP Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) on Tuesday. With 41 votes to 16 and 2 abstentions, MEPs adopted the report authored by Jonas Fernandez, (S&D, Spain) for temporarily amending the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) as to respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The new EU proposals concerning the recovery plan, REACT-EU and the common budget for the next seven-year period were the main focus during the exchange of views of the Regional Development Committee (REGI) MEPs with Elisa Ferreira, EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms. 

At the end of November the EU will have very strong Consumer Agenda and the Commission is now actively working on it, EU  Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders told MEPs from the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) during their discussion on strengthening of consumer protection, led by the Committee Chair Petra De Sutter (Greens/EFA, BE). 

In a remote vote on Monday MEPs from TRAN Committee rejected all tabled amendments, overall about 100, for the three social and market access files of Mobility Package I and adopted at second reading the recommendations of the rapporteurs on the dossiers. The set covers legislative texts concerning posting of drivers, driving time and rest periods, and market access and cabotage.

In a resolution, adopted on Thursday with an overwhelming majority, the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) demanded for a swift return to a fully functional Schengen area as to safeguard freedom of movement and ensure the EU’s economic recovery after the pandemic.

The EP Agriculture and Rural Development Committee members broadly welcomed the Commission's recovery package proposals and said it complies with the requests of the Parliament, but they opposed any cuts to the CAP money. Following the presentation of the EU recovery package by EC President Ursula von der Leyen in the Parliament on 27 May, MEPs from the Committee debated with EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn on Tuesday the future EU farm policy funding and ways to help agrifood sectors recover after the Covid-19 crisis.

The most pressing task now for the EU lawmakers is to assess quickly the Commission's revised proposal for the next EU long-term budget and the recovery plan as a whole, and to vote on its position as soon as possible. On this occasion, on Tuesday, EP President David Sassoli met via videoconference with the Parliament's Contact Group on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to discuss the upcoming talks on the new long-term budget.

Mitigating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and support the recovery, building on the Green Deal and digital transformation should be next year’s EU budget priorities, MEPs from the Committee on Budgets said in a resolution, adopted with overwhelming majority. The plenary will vote on the file during the June session.

Following the presentation of the renewed 2021-2017 MFF and recovery plan that EC President Ursula von der Leyen made at the extraordinary plenary on Wednesday, MEPs held a debate on the proposed package with the Commission and the Council.  

The Covid-19 crisis spotlighted precarious working conditions for hundreds of thousands of cross-border and seasonal workers in the EU, said the Employment and Social Affairs Committee MEPs and urged that the breaches of EU law on employment rights and health and safety of cross-border workers need to be addressed urgently.