Unrest in Libya, female poverty, Turkey-EU relations and strengthening the eurozone will concentrate MEPs’ minds during next week’s plenary session.

Coming Up in Strasbourg

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15472852/N001-110303-002-EN.srt

Libya looks set to dominate  Wednesday’s agenda

at the Parliament in Strasbourg  with an emergency debate.

International Women’s Day  will be marked with a debate

that will focus on obstacles to promotion  and the poverty many women face.

There’s unemployment, low pay,  but also the lack of job security,

the lack of social support  and low pensions.

On his recent visit to Turkey,  French President Sarkozy

spoke of a relationship with the EU  that fell short of membership,

but MEPs will examine Turkey’s progress  towards meeting the criteria.

I see it as the German Chancellor,  Mrs Merkel, calls a privileged partnership

that is, a special  neighbourhood relationship.

Turkey's accession and membership of  the EU will not be possible.

There’ll be discussion of  a new version of the stability pact

to protect the euro  because it requires a treaty change.

Estonia only adopted the euro this year  and some of its MEPs believe

it’s pointless to change rules  that would work if applied.

We promised to meet the criteria  and we met them in June 2010,

but right now we have almost twice  the permitted level of inflation.

And again, the rules are there  but nobody wants to exploit them.

MEPs will also debate integration of  the Roma people, industrial policy

and relations with Iran, among other  items on the Strasbourg agenda.