News > Weekly European Agenda | 06/12/2021
Weekly European Agenda | 06/12/2021
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6-12 December 2021
Monday 6 December
- EP: ENVI, ECON, SEDE, CONT, REGI, DROI, DEVE
- CoM: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
- EC: Schmit participates in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
- EC: Várhelyi participates in a Dialogue on the Future of Europe entitled ‘Is enlargement a key to the future?’
- EC: Simson delivers an opening speech at the European Economic Social Committee Conference on Geopolitics of the European Green Deal
- EESC: Geopolitics of the European Green Deal
- CoR: Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogue: Emission Trading System
- EDPS: Wiewiórowski meets Europol Executive Director and Director General at DG HOME
Tuesday 7 December
- CoM: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
- CoM: Economic and Financial Affairs Council
- CoM: EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Council
- EC: Borrell delivers a speech at the Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency
- EC: Jourová speaks at the event ‘Strengthening the rule of law in the face of social and economic change‘
Wednesday 8 December
- EC: College meeting
- EC: Jourová speaks at the event ‘The European Democracy Action Plan: Has the Action Plan Delivered a More Democratic Europe and More Democratic World? A One-Year Bilan’ event
- EC: Kyriakides holds a videoconference call with the EU Scientific Advice Platform on COVID-19
- EESC: Plenary session
Thursday 9 December
- EP: BECA, AFCO, JURI, EMPL
- CoM: Justice and Home Affairs Council
- EC: von der Leyen participates in the Summit for Democracy, hosted by Joe Biden
- EC: Reynders opens via videoconference the International Conference on Rule of Law
- EESC: Plenary session
- EDPS: ‘Pseudonymous data: processing personal data while mitigating risks‘
- EIB: Fourth European Education Summit
Friday 10 December
- EP: Third High-level Conference on Migration and Asylum
- CoM: Justice and Home Affairs Council
- EC: Timmermans participates in a roundtable discussion on the Green Deal and racial justice Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
- EESC: Setting out a New Vision for the Future of Europe
- CoR: 11th COTER commission meeting
- ECB: Euro area securities issues statistics
- CoE: Plenary session
Saturday 11 December
Sunday 12 December
Institutional Agendas
European Parliament
Monday 6 December
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)
Debates: exchange of views with the Commission on “EU Soil Strategy for 2030 : Reaping the benefits of healthy soils for people, food, nature and climate”; the outcome of the World Health Assembly and on the preparations of a new International Treaty on Pandemics; on the global climate and environmental milestones in 2022.
Votes: maximum residue levels for flonicamid in or on certain products.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)
Votes: European Central Bank – annual report 2021; the impact of national tax reforms on the EU economy.
Committee on Regional Development (REGI)
Debates: EU instruments and recovery from Covid-19, a view from towns and cities; Islands and cohesion policy: current situation and future challenges.
Votes: challenges for urban areas in the post-COVID-19 era.
Committee on Development (DEVE)
Debates: sustainable forestry in developing countries: challenges and way forward in the light of new EU forestry initiatives.
Thursday 9 December
Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)
Debates: exchange of views in the context of the structured dialogue between the European Parliament and the European Commission; the conference on the Future of Europe and the role of the European Parliament and Parliament’s right of initiative.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
Votes: empowering European Youth: post-pandemic employment and social recovery.
Debates: hearing on importance of lifelong learning, digital education and active ageing as tools to increase employability; European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and Social Aspects in the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy; exchange of views: European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 25/21: ESF support to combat long-term unemployment.
Friday 10 December
Third High-level Conference on Migration and Asylum
MEPs and national parliamentarians will discuss cooperation with third countries through tailored made migration partnerships as well as take stock of the Migration and Asylum Pact, one year after it has been tabled.
Find an overview of the parliamentary agenda here.
Council of Ministers
Monday 6 December
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
EU ministers responsible for employment and social affairs will aim to adopt the Council position on a directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU and will also aim to adopt the Council position on a directive on binding pay transparency measures; they are expected to approve conclusions on sustainable work over the life course and on the impact of artificial intelligence on gender equality in the labour market.
Tuesday 7 December
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
Health ministers will exchange views on the state of play of the current and future EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic; ministers are also expected to approve conclusions on strengthening the European Health Union.
Economic and Financial Affairs Council
Economic and financial affairs ministers will be invited to adopt a general approach on updating rules for reduced value-added-tax rates, and will discuss the 2022 European Semester cycle. The presidency will present a progress report on the Fit for 55 legislative package.
EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Council
This meeting will review the state of relations between the EU and Kosovo. The participants will discuss about political criteria, economic criteria, financial cooperation and the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
Thursday 8 – Friday 9 December
Justice and Home Affairs Council
Home Affairs ministers will hold a debate on migration as a hybrid attack tool, in light of the instrumentalisation of human beings carried out by the Belarus regime for political purposes. Ministers will assess progress on the proposed Council regulation on a Schengen evaluation and monitoring mechanism.
Justice ministers will take stock of progress on the ongoing negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament regarding the e-evidence regulation, they will also exchange views on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for the functioning of courts and for the judicial review and scrutiny of emergency measures.
An overview of planned Council meetings can be found here.
European Commission and High Representative
Monday 6 December
Schmit participates in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
Commissioner Nicolas Schmit will participate in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO).
Várhelyi participates in a Dialogue on the Future of Europe titled ‘Is enlargement a key to the future?’
Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi will participate in a Dialogue on the Future of Europe titled ‘Is enlargement a key to the future?‘, in Budapest.
Simson delivers an opening speech at the European Economic Social Committee Conference on Geopolitics of the European Green Deal
Commissioner Kadri Simson will deliver an opening speech at the European Economic Social Committee Conference on Geopolitics of the European Green Deal, via videoconference.
Tuesday 7 December
Borrell delivers a speech at the Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency
High Representative Josep Borrell will deliver a speech at the Annual Conference of the European Defence Agency.
Jourová speaks at the event ‘Strengthening the rule of law in the face of social and economic change‘
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová will speak via videoconference at the event ‘Strengthening the rule of law in the face of social and economic change’, organised by the Council of the Notariats of the European Union (CNUE).
Wednesday 8 December
College meeting
The College of Commissioners will discuss improving the working conditions in platform work. They will also talk about an action plan for the social economy, presided by Valdis Dombrovskis. Commissioner Margaritis Schinas will present the Schengen package, which includes a revision of the Schengen Borders Code, proposals to modernise existing rules on data exchange and intra-EU law enforcement cooperation and create an EU police cooperation code, and a proposal for a “Prüm II” Regulation.
Jourová speaks at ‘The European Democracy Action Plan: Has the Action Plan Delivered a More Democratic Europe and More Democratic World? A One-Year Bilan’ event
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová speaks via videoconference at the Lisbon Council event titled ‘The European Democracy Action Plan: Has the Action Plan Delivered a More Democratic Europe and More Democratic World? A One-Year Bilan’.
Kyriakides holds a videoconference call with the EU Scientific Advice Platform on COVID-19
Stella Kyriakides will hold a videoconference call with the EU Scientific Advice Platform on COVID-19.
Thursday 8 December
von der Leyen participates in the Summit for Democracy, hosted by Joe Biden
President Ursula von der Leyen will participate in the Summit for Democracy, hosted by Mr Joe Biden, President of the United States, via videoconference.
Reynders opens via videoconference the International Conference on Rule of Law
Commissioner Didier Reynders will open via videoconference the International Conference on Rule of Law organised by MEDEL.
Friday 10 December
Timmermans participates in a roundtable discussion on the Green Deal and racial justice Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
Commissioner Frans Timmermans will participate in a roundtable discussion on the Green Deal and racial justice Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice, via videoconference.
Sunday 12 December
Borrell receives representatives of the Belarusian civil society
High Representative Josep Borrell will receive representatives of the Belarusian civil society.
An overview of the Commission College can be found here; the Commissioners’ weekly activities can be found here; the agenda of upcoming College meetings can be found here; Commission events can be found here.
European Economic and Social Committee
Monday 6 December
Geopolitics of the European Green Deal
This hybrid meeting, co-organised with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), will look into the effects of the Green Deal on the position of the EU in the world. The conference will be organised in 4 panels: leading climate change efforts; ensuring the green energy transition and heading towards open strategic autonomy; ensuring that the EGD leaves no one behind; maintaining the EU industry’s global competitiveness and directing financing to support the green transition.
Wednesday 8 – Thursday 9 December
565th Plenary session
Debate on the EU Priorities and Recovery, with VDL; on the Fit for 55 package, with Commissioner Kadri Simson; on the New Sustainable Finance Strategy and on the Taxonomy Green Bond Standard, with Commissioner Mairead McGuiness; on the Forest Strategy, with Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius and on the Adoption of the new EESC Rules of Procedure, with the European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly.
Friday 10 December
Setting out a New Vision for the Future of Europe
Europe’s future is closely linked to the future of its industry this is why the Employers’ Group decided to organise its flagship event in the context of the ongoing CoFoE.
More information about EESC events can be found here.
The agendas of the different EESC meetings can be found here.
Committee of the Regions
Monday 6 December
Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogue: Emission Trading System
In partnership with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is organising the Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogue on the Emission Trading System. The online event aims to bring together all levels of government in order to provide concrete and relevant feedback on this topic. The main issues to be tackled are: Is carbon pricing an adequate instrument to drive the European Union towards its medium and long-term climate goals?; Is the proposed revision of the ETS consistent and coherent with the rest of the ‘Fit for 55’ package and other EU priorities, such as ensuring a just transition, preserving the European natural capital, promoting sustainable mobility etc.?; What are the main challenges of the reinforced ETS and how can they be overcome?; Are the principles of active subsidiarity and multi-level governance adequately represented within the revision of the ETS?.
Friday 10 December
11th COTER commission meeting
The 11th COTER commission meeting will take place in hybrid mode on Friday, 10 December 2021 from 11:00 to 18:00 (Brussels time).COTER members will be invited to discuss and vote on the following opinion. Towards zero emission road transport: Deploying alternative fuels infrastructure and strengthening CO2 emission performance standards, by rapporteur Mr Adrian Teban (RO/EPP).
More information about Committee of the Regions events can be found here. The agendas of the different Committee of the Regions meetings can be found here.
European Data Protection Supervisor
Monday 6 December
Wiewiórowski meets Europol Executive Director and Director General at DG HOME
European Data Protection Supervisor, Wojciech Wiewiórowski, will meet with representatives of the Europol Management Board, Mrs Catherine de Bolle, the Europol Executive Director and Mrs Monique Pariat, Director General at DG HOME, European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
Thursday 9 December
“Pseudonymous data: processing personal data while mitigating risks”
The online workshop will focus on the guidance on and practical use of “pseudonymisation techniques” to mitigate data protection risks when processing personal data. The aim of the webinar is to give an opportunity to increase awareness on existing guidance, explore options and challenges and offer organisations an understanding of what tools and advice are available to implement pseudonymisation effectively and avoid major pitfalls. Wojciech Wiewiórowski, European Data Protection Supervisor, will give a keynote speech at the beginning of the webinar.
Find more information on EDPS events here.
European Central Bank
Friday 10 December
Euro area securities issues statistics: September 2021
The next statistical release on euro area securities issues will be published and will incorporate minor revisions to the data for previous periods.
More information about ECB events can be found here.
European Investment Bank
Thursday 9 December
Fourth European Education Summit
At this year’s European Education Summit, participants from across the EU will discuss ideas and best practices to search for answers to these questions and more: How can the education sector be improved to the benefit of all?; How can education be made more inclusive and fair – from early childhood education and care to higher education and adult learning?; How can the well-being of teachers and pupils be improved?; How can smart investment lead to high-quality education and training?; What can be done to progress the green and digital transformations of the sector?. EIB, Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova will participate in the Education Summit and will join the panel: Future education trends and developments together with several ministers of education. The summit can be watched via live web streaming.
The agenda of the EIB can be found here.
Council of Europe
Friday 10 – Saturday 11 December
129th Plenary session- Venice Commission
The election of the President of the Venice Commission will take place on Friday morning. The Group of Wise Persons will inform the Commission on its proposals for the elections to the Commission’s other positions, to take place on Saturday 11 December 2021.
Find an overview of Council of Europe events here; the PACE diary here; the Congress calendar of events here; information on forthcoming judgments here; the calendar of hearings here; information on Venice Commission events here; the agenda of the Commissioner of Human Rights here; and the Chairmanship agenda here.
