Very few of our ex-students (those who are looking for airline jobs or who are about to start a type rating) renew their MEP, they just renew their IR. You do not need a current MEP to renew your IR (you just can't use the privileges of the IR in an MEP aircraft).
The only ones who renew their MEP are those who actually want to fly MEP aircraft.
So one-day-soon, all you need to do is to renew your IR which you can do in an FNPT2, providing you do so before the expiry date.
Linda Mollison