The European Parliament votes on key files regarding trade with the United States, migrant returns, artificial intelligence, and expansion.

The plenary session of the European Parliament from June 15-18 in Strasbourg will focus on several files with direct political impact, from the tariff agreement with the United States and the reform of the return policy for migrants without residence rights, to the expansion of the European Union, eastern border security, artificial intelligence, new genomic techniques for plants, and child protection on social networks. The agenda also includes debates on the June European Council, economic relations with China, the Middle East, digital sovereignty, and support for laid-off workers in Belgium.

The European Parliament will gather in plenary session from June 15-18 in Strasbourg some of the most sensitive files on the European Union's agenda, from trade with the United States and the return policy for migrants, to enlargement, eastern border security, and the enforcement of rules regarding artificial intelligence. The week's program shows a plenary dominated by themes with a direct impact on the economy, security, migration, agriculture, and fundamental rights.

In short, MEPs are expected to give the final vote on legislation that implements the EU's tariff commitments in relation to the United States, following the EU-US joint declaration from August 2025. The reform of the return policy for migrants without residence rights will be voted on Wednesday and includes cooperation obligations for nationals of third countries, detention for up to 24 months, and the possibility of return centers in third countries. The European Parliament will vote on annual reports regarding Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey, in a week in which the President of Montenegro will address the plenary. Artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty, child protection on social networks, the eastern border of the Union, and tensions in the Middle East will be discussed in plenary with representatives of the European Commission, the Council, and European diplomacy.

One of the important economic votes concerns the EU-US trade relationship. On Tuesday, MEPs are expected to approve two legislative acts that implement the tariff commitments made through the joint declaration from August 2025. The texts would eliminate most tariffs on industrial and agricultural goods from the United States but include an expiration clause on December 31, 2029, safeguard mechanisms for the industrial and agricultural sectors of the Union, and conditions for tariff reductions applied to derivatives from oil and aluminum.

Migration will again take center stage through the vote on the return policy reform. The provisional agreement between Parliament and the Council introduces new obligations for people from third countries who do not have residence rights, strengthens mutual recognition of return decisions, and allows the use of "return hubs" outside the Union. The reform provides for detention for up to 24 months, with the possibility of a longer duration under certain conditions.

The session will also prepare for the European Council on June 18-19. In a joint debate, MEPs will discuss with representatives of the Commission and the Presidency of the Council about the EU leaders' summit, support for Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, the future multiannual budget, European defense, migration, illicit drugs, and economic coordination through the European Semester. The second part of the debate will be dedicated to EU-China economic relations, in a context marked by criticism regarding asymmetric market access, export controls for critical raw materials, and Beijing's distorting industrial policies.

Enlargement will have a consistent presence in plenary. The Parliament is set to vote on annual reports regarding the progress of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey. The drafts adopted in the Foreign Affairs Committee present Montenegro and Albania as the most advanced states in the process, regret the lack of progress in North Macedonia, signal institutional difficulties in Kosovo, and indicate serious democratic backsliding in Georgia and Turkey.

Montenegro will also be in the spotlight with a speech by President Jakov Milatović in plenary on Tuesday afternoon. Montenegro's accession negotiations began in 2012, all 33 negotiation chapters have been opened, and seven have been provisionally closed. The negotiating team in Podgorica has set the goal of closing negotiations by the end of 2026.

The security of the Union's eastern border will be debated on Tuesday, against the backdrop of threats and drone incursions attributed to Russia. The debate will focus on European air defense and recent incidents that have affected several member states, including Romania, the Baltic states, and Finland. The Parliament will conclude the file with a vote on a resolution on Thursday.

The Middle East will be discussed on Tuesday with Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The agenda mentions the intensification of military confrontations in the region, Israel's operations in Lebanon, Iran's attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait in response to American strikes, and the failure of US-Iran negotiations to resume transport through the Strait of Hormuz.

Artificial intelligence will come to a vote through a file simplifying the application of the AI Act. The Parliament will vote on the postponement of certain provisions for high-risk artificial intelligence systems, so that obligations for these systems will apply from December 2, 2027, and those for systems used as safety components from August 2, 2028. The text also includes a ban on "nudifier AI" systems that create sexual abuse materials against children or non-consensual intimate images.

Digital sovereignty will be discussed on Tuesday, after the European Commission presented on June 3 the strategy regarding European technological sovereignty and the Union's open-source strategy. The debate will focus on the Union's ability to develop, control, and scale technologies, infrastructures, services, and critical data for the economy, security, and society, as well as reducing strategic dependencies on countries outside the Union.

Child protection on social networks will be discussed on Wednesday. The Parliament will address the negative effects of platforms on young people and possible responses, including age limits and greater responsibility for platforms. MEPs have previously called for the introduction of a minimum age of 16 for access to social networks and stricter measures against online harassment and bullying.

Agriculture will appear in two different files. On Wednesday, MEPs are expected to adopt new rules regarding genomic techniques for plants, aimed at facilitating access to varieties more resistant to climate and pests, with higher yields or lower needs for pesticides and fertilizers. On Tuesday, the Parliament is set to give the final vote on measures aimed at strengthening the position of farmers in the food chain, including through online indicators for contracts, mandatory written contracts in the dairy sector, and rules regarding the use of names such as "steak" or "liver" for products containing meat.

The automotive sector will receive the final vote on new circularity rules on Thursday. The legislation covers the entire life cycle of the vehicle, from design to the final treatment of end-of-life vehicles, with requirements regarding recycled materials, producer responsibility, and export rules for second-hand vehicles. The file comes in a sector where, according to the Parliament's document, there are 285.6 million vehicles in the Union, and approximately 6.5 million reach the end of their life each year.

The Parliament will also vote on 2 million euros in support for 803 laid-off workers in Belgium following the bankruptcy of the auto glass manufacturer Soliver, through the European Globalization Adjustment Fund for displaced workers. The measures include professional counseling, job search support, training, and recruitment events.

The agenda also includes a vote on combating transnational repression, a control session on the Commission regarding the reduction of reporting burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises, a resolution regarding Cuba, proposals regarding the recruitment of children by organized crime, and urgent debates regarding political prisoners in Nicaragua, the situation of political prisoners in Belarus, and the shrinking civic space in Burkina Faso.

https://2eu.brussels/en/news/hot-week-in-strasbourg-european-parliament-votes-on-key-files-regarding-trade-with-the-united-states-migrant-returns-artificial-intelligence-and-enlargement