BRUSSELS (REUTERS) - The European Parliament will hold an emergency meeting on Monday (March 9) to consider calling off this week's plenary session of the EU assembly due to the coronavirus outbreak, two officials said.

The Parliament had been due to sit in Strasbourg, France, for the plenary but last week it was decided that the members of the assembly should meet in Brussels to avoid unnecessary travel.

The EU officials said the meeting at 2.30 p.m. (1330 GMT) would consider whether the assembly should have a stripped-down agenda or postpone the entire plenary session.

"Many of the non-essential agenda items will be dumped, at a minimum," one official said.