Next week’s plenary session to take place in hybrid format

Due to rising COVID-19 cases, the Conference of Presidents decided to approve the President’s proposal to reintroduce remote participation and voting for MEPs as of 22 November.

To ensure Parliament remains operational, and in particular its legislative and budgetary activity, while avoiding additional risks to public health, members with allocated speaking time will be able to speak from the hemicycle or, as was the case until October, from dedicated meeting rooms in Parliament’s liaison offices in the member states.

All the votes, regardless of where MEPs are located, will take place remotely. The agenda and voting times of next week’s plenary have been modified accordingly.

Remote participation does not allow the President to apply the catch the eye-procedure or the blue card procedure, both of which grant speaking time to MEPs who have not been scheduled to speak.

This decision also concerns committees meetings and votes in committees and will lapse on 24 December.