Brexit not among five main issues for 2017 highlighted by European Parliament
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Version 0 of 1. All eyes in Britain may be on the impending Brexit negotiations but European policymakers have more pressing matters to deal with, according to a list of priorities for 2017 released by the European Parliament. The EU highlights five main legislative proposals for the coming 12 months that will take up the bulk of MEPs’ time. Combating terrorism and addressing the migration crisis will sit at the top of the agenda when Europe’s representatives return from their Christmas break for a parliamentary session later this month. Tackling tax evasion, extending the principle of the single market to online purchases and taking steps to reduce carbon emissions are also on the list of priorities for MEPs in the coming 12 months. But Brexit – hailed in Britain as the biggest political upheaval for decades – does not make the cut. On migration, later this year MEPs will vote on the new Dublin regulation, which sets out which country is responsible for processing asylum applications. The European Commission has proposed legislation that would see temporary border controls triggered automatically if a country faces a high number of asylum seekers. Europe suffered a number of deadly terror attacks in 2016 and dealing with the threat from militant groups will also feature highly on ME’'s to-do list for the next 12 months. Parliamentarians will be asked to vote on legislation drafted last year that would make preparing terrorist acts an offence all over the EU, including travelling for terrorist purposes, training for terrorists acts or financing terrorist activities. Green issues also trump Brexit when it comes to MEPs priorities in 2017, with proposals to change how EU states "trade" carbon emissions set to be decided later this year. The vote will be the EU's “first concrete steps” to comply with the carbon limits agreed at the COP21 conference in Paris in 2015. Up for discussion will be the Clean Energy for all Europeans proposals, which would set a target to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by the end of the next decade. The wide-ranging legislation will cover issues such as renewable energy as well as the creation of an energy union, which would allow EU countries to transport clean energy easily across borders. In the spring, MEPs will get a chance to debate the findings of an inquiry into tax evasion which was carried out in the wake of the Panama Papers leak. Subsequent legislation pushed through by the European Parliament could toughen up rules on evasion as well as money laundering across the continent. Starting in January, MEPs will also vote on a draft resolution regarding the digital single market, which is aimed at ensuring consumers across the EU enjoy the same rights when buying products and services in another member state online. Parliament will also consider copyright rules that could make it easier to access services like BBC iPlayer from abroad. The plan would ease the process for broadcasters to get authorisation to transmit programmes online in other EU member states so that when Europeans travel to other parts of the EU they can continue to watch TV shows from their home country. But nowhere on that list is Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, the formal process for which is expected to begin by the end of March if Theresa May triggers Article 50 by then. It suggests British negotiators may have a battle on their hands to win the full attention of EU lawmakers as the UK attempts to leave the bloc. |