The European Parliament opens a plenary session in Strasbourg today, with security in the Black Sea as the main topic after attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria and Romania. MEPs will vote on a resolution on Thursday, 22 October, the parliament's agenda shows.
The Black Sea debate is on Tuesday morning. The agenda says MEPs will discuss growing Russian strikes on shipping and the danger they pose to human life, to stability in the region and to food supplies.
On 13 October, the cargo ship HS Dignity, which sails under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, sank off the Bulgarian coast after a drone strike. The fate of 11 sailors is unknown. The Malta-flagged Chelsea 3 was also hit, but its crew survived. On 15 October, new attacks on two tankers off Romania were reported.
MEPs will talk about these attacks and about the dangers to civilian ships in the area.
The agenda describes the strikes on shipping as Russian. Russia has been waging a full-scale war on Ukraine since February 2022. The Russian embassy in Bulgaria nevertheless said it had no information about the attacks on the ships. Bulgaria has not officially blamed Moscow for the incidents, but it has asked NATO for fighter jets and anti-drone systems.
Also on Tuesday, MEPs will discuss stepped-up Houthi attacks and what they mean for security in the Middle East. The debate covers threats to ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and the effect of the attacks on international trade. The vote on this text is also on Thursday.
On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss the conclusions of the European Council, which met on 15 and 16 October. EU leaders looked at the bloc's competitiveness, support for Ukraine and Moldova, European defence, migration, enlargement and the EU's next long-term budget, known as the multiannual financial framework.
In their conclusions, the leaders again backed Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. They wrote that a just and lasting peace is needed, with credible security guarantees.
The leaders want the EU to be better prepared to defend itself and to guard its external borders better. They call for faster work on anti-drone systems, less strategic dependence for Europe and a stronger European defence industry.
The European Council welcomed progress by Ukraine and Moldova towards EU membership. The leaders said the two countries should keep moving forward, based on the reforms they have already made. The conclusions also cover the Middle East, international law and preparations for the COP31 climate conference.
The debate is expected to let the political groups in parliament state their views on the EU's main decisions.
Also on Wednesday, parliament will present the 2026 Daphne Caruana Galizia prize. It was set up with the support of the European Parliament in memory of the Maltese investigative journalist and blogger who was murdered in October 2017. The prize goes to outstanding journalism that defends the basic principles and values of the EU.
On Thursday, MEPs will discuss how cohesion policy money reaches the EU's eastern border regions. They will also look at how these regions can cope better with crises, and at cross-border cooperation between neighbouring countries.
The session's programme also includes EU support for the International Criminal Court and relations between the EU and the UK. MEPs will also prepare for the EU-Canada summit. The future of Europe's ties with Mediterranean countries is on the agenda too. MEPs will also vote on legislative texts, through which parliament sets its position on European and international issues.
The session ends on Thursday, after the votes on the resolutions on the Black Sea and the Houthis, with debates on international topics. They include relations with Canada and preparations for COP31.