Finally tonight MEPs are debating how the EU should ensure that sustainable development measures in its trade deals are properly enforced.

However that’s it for our coverage from the European Parliament this evening.

MEPs will be back tomorrow from 08.00 GMT, when Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will be in town to preview his country’s EU presidency, which began this month.

After this, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will speak during a speech on the future of Europe.

In the afternoon, MEPs will debate the EU Commission’s new plan to reduce plastic waste.

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German Christian democrat Godelieve Quisthoutdt-Rowohl says the new regulation must be crafted "in such a way that it can be applied".

Additional restrictions should only apply to "critical exports", she says - exporting "less risky" items should be made easier, she adds.

Labour's David Martin says human rights have been put in danger because of a current "gap" in legislation in this area, and calls on colleagues to support the revision.

The UK, he says, should "keep up co-operation" with the EU on this matter after Brexit.

Image source, EBS

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Image source, EBS

Swedish centre-right MEP Christofer Fjellner says the new rules "must not be complicated" if they are to work properly, noting that the title of the legislation indicates "it is rather bureaucratic".

The software that would be subject to additional restrictions is responsible for economic growth and very good, highly-paid jobs in Europe, he adds.

German social democrat Bernd Lange, who chairs the international trade committee, says it is clear that additional restrictions are needed.

"We need to ensure that these kinds of technologies cannot be used to undermine human rights", he adds.

He notes that the European Commission will be producing guidelines for companies to help them comply with new restrictions.

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MEPs are now debating proposals to add a number of cyber-surveillance tools to a list of products subject to EU export controls.

Products on the list of “dual-use” items need to be approved by national authorities before they can be exported.

MEPs on the international trade committee have suggested adding devices to intercept mobile phones and hack into computers to the list as part of a scheduled review.

They say the products could be used to violate privacy rights if they fell into the hands of authoritarian regimes.

MEPs will vote on the proposals tomorrow, before they begin negotiations on the matter with national ministers.

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Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake, who led the EU observation mission, says they did not hold Kenya to lower standards of democracy.

"We should never hold Kenya to lower standards, including on human rights", she adds.

The team's job was to note the respect for Kenyan constitutional law - and she notes that rights "were not always upheld".

She says she hopes the "mud-slinging" that has occurred in reaction to the report will not distract from its recommendations.

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EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom says that the EU observation report detailed that the election was marked by "irregularities", as well as some violence.

However, she adds that the country has also made "substantial progress" in improving its electoral system, which she adds was also reflected in the EU's report.

The criticism the report has received from both sides in Kenya is "totally unjustified", she says - adding that it is not up to the EU team to pronounce a winner.

The EU has observed elections in the country since 2002, she tells MEPs, and the bloc will continue to support the Kenyan people's desire for "free and fair elections".

Image source, Reuters

The next external relations debate is on Kenya, a week after EU electoral observers published a report into last year's disputed presidential election in the country.

A Dutch MEP has accused the Kenyan government of trying to block the presentation of the report in the country, meaning it had to be presented in Europe.

Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term as president in late November after the poll was re-run.

Mr Kenyatta was officially re-elected with 98% of the vote on 26 October but just under 39% of voters turned out.

The original election on 8 August was held again after being annulled by the Supreme Court on the grounds of irregularities.

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Conservative MEP David Campbell Bannerman says the EU's silence over the Iranian government's reaction to the protests in Iran "staggering".

He adds that the statement, external issued by EU external affairs chief Federica Mogherini - which called on "all concerned" to refrain from violence - is "shameful".

He says it proved the EU is more interested in protecting trade with the country and protecting the "deeply flawed" nuclear deal than standing up for human rights.

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Belgian Libeal Gerard Deprez says the EU was right to defend the increase in Iran's access to European markets in recent years.

However, he adds that the bloc "cannot be weak" when it comes to defending human rights.

Spanish Podemos MEP Miguel Urban Crespo says the EU should "clearly denounce" the government's "repression" of the protests.

The protests should not be "intrumentalised" by President Trump, he adds.

The European Parliament votes for a ban on fleets using the controversial method of pulse fishing.

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Polish MEP Anna Fotyga, from the ruling Law and Justice party, says that the EU needs to send a "strong message to condemn" the Iranian government amid the current protests.

"Our message is too weak", she adds.

Czech Liberal Pavel Telicka says the EU stands "firmly" behind the current nuclear deal.

This is "very different" to the attitude across the Atlantic, he adds.

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That’s the debate on Colombia’s peace process finished – MEPs are now debating EU relations with Iran.

It comes after anti-government protests hit Iran last month, and as the EU tries to persuade the United States not to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with the country.

Last week President Donald Trump decided to continue to suspend key sanctions on Iran, but is expected to set a deadline for European allies to improve the deal.

Image source, Getty Images

The ELN guerrilla group was founded in 1964 to fight against Colombia's unequal distribution of land and riches, inspired by the Cuban revolution of 1959.

Over the decades, the group has attacked large landholders and multinational companies, and repeatedly blown up oil pipelines.

The ELN first announced its intention to start formal peace talks in March 2016 but they did not start until February last year.

President Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his efforts to reach peace with Colombian's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).

He has spoken of his hope to also achieve a peace deal with the ELN but government negotiators have warned that the diffuse command structure of the ELN makes it harder to negotiate with.

Hello and welcome back to coverage of this plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

MEPs will shortly be joined by Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides to debate the EU’s role in the peace talks in Colombia between the government and Marxist rebels.

Fresh peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN) were due to start last week but were suspended after rebels attacked an oil pipeline and a navy base hours after a temporary ceasefire expired.

The EU is trying to assist the peacebuilding process by funding development projects in rural areas.

That's the voting session finished - MEPs will return at 14.00 GMT with a debate on EU support for peace talks in Colombia between the government and Marxist rebels.

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MEPs vote to reject a proposal from the European Commission to legalise the controversial practice of electro pulse fishing under certain circumstances.

Commissioners had suggested a revision of the EU fisheries rulebook to allow the technique in an area if an EU body rules it won't harm sensitive species.

However, at the vote MEPs backed an amendment which would remove this provision, instead leaving the practice on a list of banned fishing methods.

The practice is nominally illegal at the moment, although the EU authorities have allowed certain boats to conduct pulse fishing on an experimental basis.

They later decided not to put the change to a first reading vote at this stage but to enter into negotiations with national fishing ministers on the basis of their amendments.

The final shape of the new rules will be determined during the negotiations.

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Strasbourg

The votes continue....with MEPs approving a report from the regional development committee into the EU’s “macro-regional” strategies, which pair EU states with non-EU countries to try to foster co-operation on certain issues.

A total of 19 EU countries are currently taking part in such a strategy, along with eight countries outside the bloc.

There are currently strategies for the Baltic and Adriatic-Ionian sea regions, the Danube and the Alps.

The report says the EU should rethink rules which mean that currently, the strategies cannot get new EU funds or involve creating new legislation.

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First up MEPs adopt their position on new rules for EU fishing boats operating in the South Pacific.

They later vote to enter into negotiations with national fisheries ministers on the basis of their amendments, without putting them to a "first reading" vote.

Currently trawlers from the Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania and Poland are fishing mainly for a kind of mackerel within the fishing waters of Chile.

The new rules will cover areas such as authorisation of using trawler nets across the sea floor and using newer fishing techniques.

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Strasbourg

That’s the debate on last month’s EU summit finished.

MEPs are taking their seats for today’s voting session, which will start at 11.00 GMT.