Newsletter

Commission President José Manuel Barroso will give his first-ever State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The ensuing debate will enable MEPs to review with Mr Barroso the developments in the European Union since the EP elections of June 2009 and the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009.

The floods in Pakistan and the EU's response to the ensuing humanitarian crisis will be debated by MEPs with the Commission in Strasbourg on Tuesday afternoon.

Parliament will discuss with the Commission whether the deportation of hundreds of Roma people this summer from France to Romania and Bulgaria breached EU provisions on freedom of movement and fundamental rights.

The use of animals in scientific experiments will soon be scaled down if Parliament backs an agreement reached with Council in July on new EU legislation.

The President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, will address the European Parliament in a formal sitting at 12 noon on Tuesday.

The ongoing negotiations on the multilateral Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) will be discussed with the Commission on Wednesday in the wake of the tenth round of talks, held in Washington from 16 to 20 August.

Curbs on freedom of expression and information as well as government control of the media in several Member States will come under the spotlight in a debate with the Commission on Tuesday.

MEPs will ask the Commission on Tuesday about its plans to combat discrimination encountered by same-sex couples.

Parliament will hold a debate on human rights in Iran, focusing on the cases of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and Zahra Bahrami.