The speech by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso on the ‘State of the Union’ will be the highlight of the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, from 6 to 9 September.

The essence of the work programme for 2011 is expected to be distilled in the address by the Commission chief, on 7 September at the EP in Strasbourg. The address is a first and results from the new framework agreement between the Commission and Parliament. Barroso, who will speak from the central rostrum and not from his usual position, will then take questions from the heads of the political groups. The EP is expecting a “politically strong address” that presents projects rather than a list of past successes.

During the afternoon, after hearing statements by the Council and Commission, MEPs will debate the situation of Roma in Europe following the recent expulsions in France (see separate article). The debate will be followed by a vote on a resolution, on 8 September. The subject of aid for flood victims in Pakistan and the lack of visibility and coordination of the EU’s response will also be addressed in plenary, on 7 September.

Economic and financial questions will also be at the heart of this plenary session. On 8 September, the Belgian Council Presidency will present the conclusions of the previous day’s Ecofin Council. The debate will focus on the financial supervision package, on which the EP and Council reached an agreement, on 2 September. The package is set to be put to the vote in the EP, on 22 September.

The Council is awaiting Parliament’s opinion before formally adopting the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy. Csaba Ory (EPP, Hungary) has drafted a resolution on guidelines for employment policies. There is broad agreement to propose an increase in the employment rate to 75% by 2020. The matter will be debated on 7 September and put to the vote the following day.

Industrial stakeholders, particularly from the automotive sector, will be paying close attention to the outcome of the vote on the free trade agreement between the EU and South Korea. The co-decision report by Pablo Zalba Bidegain (EPP, Spain), which aims to introduce a safeguard clause to allow the suspension of a further reduction customs duties (or an increase) will be debated on 8 September. The vote the same day will only concern the amendments, not the legislative proposal. The EP and the Council are negotiating with a view to working out an agreement at first reading.

Following an agreement with the Council in July, a legislative text under co-decision aimed at adding further restrictions to animal testing will be debated in plenary on 8 September and put to the vote at second reading the next day. The report by Elisabeth Jeggle (EPP, Germany), backed by the majority of the political groups, will be applied within two years if endorsed by MEPs.

The President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, will address the EP at a formal session, at 12 noon on 7 September.

See Agenda for the EP’s full programme.