Terrorism, refugee crisis overshadow EP session

The European Parliament (EP) opened its plenary session on Monday during which the fight against terrorism and the stalemate in the handling of the refugee crisis is at the heart of the debates.

"March 22 was a black day for Belgium and for all of Europe," declared Martin Schulz, president of the EP. "Via Brussels, it is the heart of the European Union which was targeted by the pitiless killers of Daesh."

The president asked the Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to observe a minute of silence in memory of all victims of terrorism.

The parliamentarians must vote on Thursday regarding the creation of European Passenger Name Record (PNR).

Following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, French president Francois Hollande had underlined "the absolute urgency" of the "immediate adoption" of the PNR, while his Prime Minister Manuel Valls had already sent to MEPs a "call to responsibility."

The PNR directive - which will oblige airlines to hand over data on their passengers (such as the dates of their trips, itineraries or contact information) to European countries concerned by a flight to or from a third country - remains nevertheless the subject of certain controversies related to data protection and the protection of privacy.

On the migration front, the Turkish "dossier" promises to cause noise in the hemicycle.

The terms of the agreement, reached during a meeting between European heads of state and government on March 18 in Brussels, and with the goal of returning to Turkey migrants and asylum seekers from the Greek islands, has received fierce criticism.

The MEPs will debate the agreement Wednesday morning with the president of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. Enditem