MEPs will speak on Wednesday about the initiative launched by India and South Africa in October 2020 at the World Trade Organization (WTO), which aims to suspend patents for the covid-19 vaccine, for which the President of the United States, Joe Biden, has offered his support. May 5.
The discussion comes next, at the last plenary session of the European Parliament – which took place between 26-29 April – members of the European Parliament voted against a series of amendments supporting patent liberalization that were proposed in the context of the European United Group’s digital green certification vote. Left / Nordic Green Left (GUE / NGL).
This time, however, MEPs will only debate the issue, and a vote on the patent suspension is scheduled to take place at the next plenary session, from June 7-10.
During the European Parliament plenary session, members of the European Parliament will also vote in favor of the Erasmus + program, which sees its budget nearly doubled (26 billion euros) compared to the funds allocated to it between 2014 and 2020 (14.7 billion euros).
Introduced by the European Commission in March, the Erasmus + 2021-2027 program needs approval by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (EU) – which represents all member states and which Portugal currently chairs – in order to take effect.
On the voting list for EU programs, in addition to Erasmus +, MEPs will also vote for Creative Europe (with a budget of 2.2 billion euros, the largest since the program was launched) and the Corps volunteer program. European Solidarity Council.
On the agenda, a vote has also been planned by members of the European Parliament for the Equitable Transition Fund, which consists of 17.5 billion euros, which aims to support the regions most affected by the “ green ” and digital transformation, such as those of Poles whose economy depends on the economy. It is based on coal mining.
On foreign policy, the European Parliament will discuss the current conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, China’s sanctions on European officials – including the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli – and data protection in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The plenary will be held in mixed mode – with some members of the European Parliament in the European Parliament building in Brussels, nearly others joining – and it will start Monday at 17:00 in Brussels (16:00 in Lisbon)), and end on Thursday at 16:30 Brussels (15:30 in Lisbon).
