A packed programme for MEPs in Strasbourg has been opened by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.
The centre right Maltese MEP official opened the 19-22 October plenary session in the French city on Monday.
She updated MEPs on progress with ratification in the member states of the revision to the European electoral law needed to allow women MEPs to vote by proxy in the months preceding and following childbirth.
While a number of countries have completed the process, and others are advancing in that direction, the president called on members to “continue to put pressure” on their national governments to act swiftly.
The president said she would be announcing the laureate of the 2026 Sakharov Prize on Thursday immediately after the meeting of the Conference of Presidents and before the votes.
Elsewhere this week, the Parliament will debate (Wednesday) the need to strengthen relations between the EU and Canada ahead of the bilateral summit scheduled for the end of October.
On this, centre right member Sebastião Bugalho said, “Europe and Canada have demonstrated that free trade works and can deliver prosperity for all.”
The Portuguese deputy said, “But our partnership extends far beyond economic interests. Canada has stood firmly alongside Ukraine and continues to contribute to European security by leading NATO operations in Latvia.”
The EPP member added, “At a time when sovereignty is increasingly under threat and the international order is undergoing profound change, we must take our partnership to a new level.”
He said, “The Alliance for the Future offers an opportunity to deepen cooperation on trade, investment, defence and security, while strengthening our ability to safeguard our shared interests,” says Bugalho.
Meanwhile, nine years after the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the EPP Group is demanding “full justice” and the implementation of the public inquiry’s recommendations.
Parliament will debate the rule of law in Malta on Wednesday, with particular attention to what the EPP call the “continued lack of justice and unfinished reforms.”
David Casa MEP, head of the Maltese delegation in the EPP Group, said, “Malta cannot move on while full justice remains elusive.
“The Maltese Government must complete the reforms, strengthen its institutions and ensure that everyone responsible is held accountable. Until then, the European Parliament will continue to demand answers and action,” says Casa.
Further reaction comes from Michał Wawrykiewicz MEP, EPP Group vice-coordinator in Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee.
He said, “The rule of law means independent institutions, free media and genuine accountability.
“Malta deserves the same scrutiny and European standards as every other Member State. Where serious concerns persist, Europe must act,” adds Wawrykiewicz.
Looking ahead, preparations are being made for the key EU–UK Summit on 20 November, which builds on the cooperation agenda agreed last year.
The Renew Europe group argue that “closer ties serve shared interests in the face of Russian aggression and economic pressure.”
It welcomes UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s “openness to all options, including rejoining the EU, a choice for the British people to which Europe should respond with ambition.”
It says, “Citizens, especially young people, should gain tangible benefits.
“The summit must deliver on agricultural trade, youth mobility, linked emissions trading, electricity market access and Erasmus+.
“Greater single market access requires matching obligations and full implementation of existing agreements. Renew also calls for options for deeper association under Article 217, stronger security cooperation and full parliamentary scrutiny,” says the RE group.
Meantime, ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye (9-20 November), Renew Europe has also urges turning climate commitments into “immediate action” to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach.
Parliament’s resolution, voted next week, must give EU negotiators a “strong and ambitious” mandate, it says.
Renew calls on the Commission to propose an EU-wide electrification target alongside “ambitious” renewable energy and efficiency targets, and to speed up permitting for grids and interconnectors. It also demands what it calls credible climate finance for adaptation and loss and damage in vulnerable countries, with all major emitters contributing.
On Thursday in Strasbourg, MEPs will debate and vote on the provisional agreement reached by Parliament and Council in June on the Omnibus VI package, which introduces targeted amendments to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP), Cosmetics and Fertilising Products Regulations.
The agreement responds to concerns about the administrative burden and practical implementation of existing EU rules at a time when European companies face high energy costs, weak demand and increasing global competition.
It aims to simplify requirements for chemical labelling, cosmetics and fertilising products, reduce unnecessary compliance costs and give businesses greater flexibility and time to adapt, while maintaining safeguards for human health and the environment.
ECR rapporteur in IMCO Piotr Müller and ECR shadow rapporteur in ENVI Pietro Fiocchi, working in close coordination, played a key role in shaping the outcome of the deal.
The ECR group says that, for chemicals, the agreement introduces more flexible and workable requirements under the CLP Regulation.
For cosmetics, it establishes a more practical derogation procedure for substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR), it adds.
For fertilising products, it streamlines registration requirements, removes duplicative obligations and provides greater legal clarity for manufacturers and market operators.
ECR says the final compromise “delivers on key priorities by reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and promoting a more proportionate, predictable and business-friendly framework.”
