Week ahead in the European Parliament

This week's plenary sitting in Strasbourg is sure to be livened up by the latest set of offshore tax leaks.

The revelations from the so-called Paradise Papers will no doubt be greeted with a sense of outrage from a number of MEPs during a debate on Tuesday.

The timing of the latest disclosures is uncanny, with an inquiry committee set up after the previous Panama Papers leak agreeing its draft report only last month.

That document, along with a lengthy list of recommendations, will be put to a final vote in December.

It criticises EU states for a "lack of political will" in reforming tax rules, adding that current tax evasion laws contain "many loopholes".

The UK is named as having the largest number of offshore entities in the Panama leaks, and even suggests the matter should come up in Brexit trade talks.

The headline recommendation is that firms wanting to set up offshore structures should have to give the authorities a "legitimate reason" for doing so.

Ultimate beneficial owners of companies should be publicly listed in regularly-updated registers, they say.

Whether recommendations become a reality is, however, a different question.

Here's what else is coming up this week...

The day begins with a debate on a legal change to the way the EU's statistics agency, Eurostat collects information about towns and cities.

The proposed tweak would introduce a legal definition for different categories of urban area, in a bid to harmonise statistical analysis across the EU.

The uncontroversial measure should be nodded through at a vote on Tuesday.

Then they will discuss legislation setting up a common system for authorising people to work in canal and river transport.

At the moment there is a separate certification process for workers in the Rhine region, and mutual recognition of certificates only applies to boatmasters.

During the drafting process, MEPs also pushed for the boatmaster exam to include a test of "elementary English" to ensure good communication between vessels.

It is not immediately apparent how this chimes with Jean-Claude Juncker's claim earlier this year that "English is losing importance in Europe".

After this, they will debate a report from the transport committee with a number of advisory recommendations for improving road safety.

The draft suggests that member states should build more dedicated cycle lanes to separate cyclists from road traffic.

It also recommends that certain types of driver assistance systems should become mandatory for new vehicles.

This should include emergency braking displays, lane-keeping assistance, seatbelt reminders for rear seats and cameras for lorries, it says.

During the evening there will be debates on the worldwide persecution of Christians and the decline in a type of Mediterranean sea grass.

The debate on the Paradise Papers leaks kicks off the session from 08.00 GMT.

After this, MEPs will debate a new set of rules to boost co-operation between national authorities on cross-border cases of EU consumer law infringement.

Under the changes, authorities will be required to issue an alert if they believe an infringement might affect consumers in other EU countries.

There will also be minimum legal right for authorities to engage in so-called "mystery shopping" when investigating companies.

Before the voting session, the winner of this year's LUX film prize will be announced.

The European Parliament pays for the three films that make it to the final round to be subtitled into the EU's 24 official languages.

The afternoon session begins with a debate on corruption and money laundering in Malta.

Last month leaders of the Parliament's political groups agreed that a group of MEPs should visit the country to investigate the situation on the ground.

It comes after the killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was known for her blog accusing top politicians of corruption.

In the afternoon MEPs will discuss another advisory report, this time on ways the EU could create closer ties with non-EU eastern European countries.

The draft suggests countries making progress on EU-requested reforms might be allowed to join the EU's customs union or passport-free Schengen area.

They will also discuss changes to the EU rulebook for putting exceptional tariffs on imported goods that have been significantly subsidised by a non-EU government.

The additional duties are meant to protect European producers from unfair competition.

The change was proposed last year in response to China's demands to be classed as a market economy, ten years after a protocol in its WTO membership lapsed.

The new regime will introduce a new way of calculating whether goods entering the EU market have been unfairly "dumped" through state interference.

MEPs have reached a deal on the changes with national ministers that will be put to a vote on Wednesday.

The morning begins with a debate on the EU's ongoing probe into respect for the rule of law in Poland.

The unprecedented inquiry was launched last year after Poland's government announced changes to the Constitutional Court and media laws.

MEPs will set out their thoughts on the inquiry in a motion vote at lunchtime.

They will then debate conditions in migrant camps as the winter approaches.

Last month several NGOs wrote to the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras to express concern at the "deteriorating conditions" in the Aegean islands.

Before the votes, they will hear a speech from businessman-turned-Slovak President Andrej Kiska.

The afternoon session begins with an anniversary debate on the "legacy" of the Russian revolution in 1917.

Expect verbal clashes between the small group of communist MEPs and former dissidents from ex-Eastern bloc countries.

After this they will debate a new carbon emissions reduction target for cars and vans announced by the European Commission last week.

Under the plans, carbon dioxide emissions should be 30 per cent lower by 2030 compared to their level in 2021.

They will also debate the implementation of EU environmental laws and a 7,000 word motion on alleviating inequality.

In an oral question, members of the agriculture committee will also ask about EU help for farmers affected by Russia's ban on food imports.

The ban was first introduced in 2014 in response to EU sanctions over Ukraine.

The final day begins with a debate on the EU's partnership agreement with New Zealand.

The agreement increases co-operation between the two in areas such as trade, security and science.

MEPs will decide whether to ratify it in a vote later in the morning. The EU is of course due to start talks on a fully-fledged trade deal with the country soon.

After this will come short debates on this month's crop of topical human rights motions.

This month the spotlight falls on Sudan, Madagascar and the recent terror attack in Somalia.

After the voting session, the afternoon's sole debate is on a scheme to boost tourism between the EU and China.

Please note: This agenda is subject to modification at the opening of the session on Monday afternoon.

A guide to the European Parliament's plenary sessions can be found here.