David SASSOLI, EP President, opens the plenary session (9-12 March 2020) in Brussels. Exceptionally, the plenary takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the Coronavirus and due to these circumstances, the President announces the new agenda of this plenary session decided by the EP Conference of the Presidents.

Brussels

plenary session

speech

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

Coronavirus outbreak (T)

Introductory remarks by David SASSOLI, EP President, on the new agenda of the plenary session of March 2020

Arrival of David SASSOLI EP President in the plenary chamber

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, I declare the session of the European Parliament open and suspended on the 13th of February. I would like to invite MEPs to sit far apart from each other. So please put one seat between each member. I see there's not too many of us, so I am sure you'll understand. That's very evident fo public health reasons.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, It's a difficult moment, a difficult moment for our institution. And all parliamentarians and political groups should be committed to protecting the integrity of this parliament's work so that our democratic life can continue our governments and the European Union itself is asking sacrifices of its citizens.  And we have to set a good example. We have to do everything possible to ensure continuity of legislative functions and budgetary work.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,  Today I held an extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of Presidents, and I'd like to thank those involved for their cooperation and all of the efforts that they have made in dealing with the situation. We've decided to change the final draft at Agenda for this plenary session as follows. The March part-session will consist of only tomorrow, Tuesday, the 10th of March, and we'll be structured as follows from 9 o'clock until noon, council and commission statements on the Corona Corona virus outbreak.  And of course, we would like to ensure that we have some of the important people involved in this battle from 3 o'clock until 6 o'clock and we'll have a European Council and Commission statements on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting on the Multiannual Financial Framework.  The parliament, of course, is a major stakeholder in this whole process. Then there will be the council and commission statements on the migration situation at the Greek Turkish border and the EU's common response to it.

But of course, at the same time, we need to take all of the necessary precautions and reduce to the minimum the activities taking place in the House. So for that reason, the session is now suspended and work will resume tomorrow at 9:00. Thank you very much.