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News > Weekly European Agenda | 21/03/2022

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Weekly European Agenda

Weekly European Agenda | 21/03/2022

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21 – 27 March 2022

Monday 21 March

Tuesday 22 March

Wednesday 23 March

Thursday 24 March

Friday 25 March

Institutional Agendas

European Parliament

Monday 21 March – Wednesday 23 March – Thursday 24 March

Ukraine solidarity days
With the objective to express Parliament’s support to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU) in defending freedom, peace and democracy, this event aims to address the VRU’s capacity to cope with the unprecedented circumstances and to assess its urgent needs to preserve its political as well as institutional functioning.

Monday 21 March

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Debates: Ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational groups in the Union.

Committee on Foreign Affairs
Debates: Exchange of views with Bujar OSMANI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia; In association with the Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly: Exchange of views with João VALE DE ALMEIDA, EU Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Presentation of the 2021 Annual Report of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) by Jerzy POMIANOWSKI, Executive Director of the EED.

Committee on International Trade
Debates: Joint debate: Feedback on the EU-Africa trade relations after the EU-AU Summit (17-18 February) – exchange of views with the Commission; The future of EU-Africa trade relations; EU-India future trade and investment cooperation; Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and amending Directive – presentation by the Commission; Trade and investment aspects of the Global Gateway plan.

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Debates: Exchange of views with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the situation in Ukraine; Implementation of the Updated New Industrial Strategy for Europe: aligning spending to policy.

Joint meeting of Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Hearing: Harmonised rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union Legislative Acts.

Tuesday 22 March

Joint meeting of Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Debates: Exchange of views with Mairead McGUINNESS, Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union on the complementary Taxonomy Delegated Act.

Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age
Vote: Report on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age.

Committee on Development
Debates: Inclusive and sustainable industrial development – Exchange of views with Gerd MÜLLER, UNIDO Director General; The EU-African Union Summit 2022 – Exchange of views on the outcome of the Summit (Jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament (DPAP)); Hearing on food security and nutrition as keys to human development; commitments of the 2021 International Year of Nutrition.

Votes: Better regulation: Joining forces to make better laws; The future of EU international investment policy; Establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism; Amending Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union.

Committee on International Trade
Debates: Indo-Pacific strategy in the area of trade and investment; The future of EU international investment policy; Exchange of views on recent developments in the work of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council with Commission’s Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe VESTAGER and Valdis DOMBROVSKIS; Review of the 15-Point Action Plan on Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters – Exchange of views with the Commission on the review of the non-paper on improving the implementation and enforcement of Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters in EU Free Trade Agreements.

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Debates: Amending Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union, Decision (EU) 2015/1814 concerning the establishment and operation of a market stability reserve for the Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme and Regulation (EU) 2015/757; Establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism; Exchange of views with Dr Andrea AMMON, Director of European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC); Exchange of views with the Commission on the Communication “REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy”.

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Debates: Structured dialogue with Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, with particular focus on the Commission’s proposals on the Secure Connectivity Programme and the Chips Act; Presentation of the Council Presidency’s programme: exchange of views with Cédric O, Minister of State for the Digital Transition and Electronic Communication (telecommunications, ICT); Establishing the 2030 Policy Programme “Path to the Digital Decade” (2021/0293(COD)).

Joint meeting of Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Hearing: The new Anti-Money Laundering Package.

Joing meeting of Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Committee on Budgetary Control
Debates: Presentation by Joëlle ELVINGER, Member of the European Court of Auditors, of the Special Report No 20/2021 on “Sustainable water use in agriculture: CAP funds more likely to promote greater rather than more efficient water use”; Presentation by Samo JEREB, Member of the European Court of Auditors, of the Special Report No 21/2021 on “EU funding for biodiversity and climate change in EU forests: positive but limited results”.

Wednesday 23 March

Plenary session
Debates: Debriefing of the European Council meeting in Paris on 10 March 2022; Preparation of the European Council meeting 24-25 March 2022; Need for an urgent EU action plan to ensure food security inside and outside the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; Pilot regime for market infrastructures based on distributed ledger technology; Roaming Regulation; Suisse Secrets – How to implement anti-money laundering standards in third countries; Macro-financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova; MFF 2021-2027: fight against oligarch structures, protection of EU funds from fraud and conflict of interest.

Thursday 24 March

Plenary session
Debates: The Power of the EU – Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy; Update from the Commission and Council on the state of play of the Energy Charter Treaty modernisation exercise.
Votes: Announcement of the appointments to committees; Parliament’s calendar of part-sessions – 2023; Computerised system for the cross-border electronic exchange of data in the area of judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters (e-CODEX system); Automated data exchange with regard to DNA data in Italy; Automated data exchange with regard to dactyloscopic data in Italy; Automated data exchange with regard to vehicle registration data in Italy; Automated data exchange with regard to vehicle registration data in Greece; EU-Brazil Agreement on short-stay visa waiver for holders of ordinary passports; EU-Brazil Agreement on short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic, service or official passports; Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund; Implementation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy.

Joint meeting of Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Hearing: A European Care Strategy: How to improve the lives of carers and their dependants: with the participation of Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Nicolas SCHMIT, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights and Helena DALLI, Commissioner for Equality.

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
Debates: Presentation by the Commission on ongoing pilot projects and preparatory actions in the area of employment and social affairs.

Find an overview of the parliamentary agenda here.

European Council

Thursday 24 March – Friday 25 March

Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine
The European Council will assess the latest developments on the ground, including the humanitarian situation and refugees. The EU is working to provide coordinated political, financial, material and humanitarian support, as well as support for the reconstruction of a democratic Ukraine.

Security and defence
The European Council will discuss security and defence, building on the Versailles declaration and taking into account the new security situation in Europe. In this context, EU leaders will discuss how to enable the EU to act more quickly and decisively when facing crises, while also securing its interests and protecting citizens. They will also discuss defence investment and funding instruments. The European Council is expected to endorse the Strategic Compass, an initiative aiming at strengthening the Union’s security and defence policies around the themes of crisis management, defence capabilities, resilience and partnerships.

Energy
At the informal meeting in Versailles, EU leaders agreed to phase out dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible. The European Council will discuss sustained high energy prices and its impact on citizens and businesses, also in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The European Commission will provide a basis for the discussion by putting forward options for ensuring affordable energy prices and security of supply.

Economic issues
The European Council will continue its discussion on how to build a more robust economic base, as laid out in the Versailles declaration, notably by reducing strategic dependencies in sensitive areas like critical raw materials, semi-conductors, health, digital and food. The European Council will address how to further strengthen the single market to accelerate the green and digital transitions, as well as how to strengthen the resilience of the EU economy. The European Council will be invited to endorse the policy priority areas for the European Semester in 2022.

COVID-19
The European Council will discuss coordination efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and take stock of international cooperation on global health governance and solidarity, including through roll-out of vaccines. The European Council will also discuss the work, under the guidance of the WHO, on a future instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

External relations
In the light of events, the European Council may address specific foreign policy issues.

Euro Summit
The Euro Summit, in inclusive format, will discuss the economic situation and review progress on the banking union and capital markets union.

Tripartite Social Summit
The agenda for the Tripartite Social Summit is yet to be confirmed.

An overview of planned European Council meetings can be found here.

Council of Ministers

Monday 21 March

Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Following on from the extraordinary video conference held on 2 March, EU agriculture ministers will once again exchange views on the current situation of the agri-food market in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The discussion is likely to focus on identifying measures to guarantee food security in the EU, both in the immediate aftermath of the invasion and from a longer-term perspective. The likely impact of the war on food supplies in non-EU countries may also be considered. The Commission will also present information to ministers about the approval of the strategic plans foreseen in the new common agricultural policy. National delegations will inform ministers about a number of matters: production of plant proteins in the EU, CAP strategic plans and sustainable agriculture, revision of geographical indications, G7 agriculture ministers meeting, revision of the pesticide directive, impact on fisheries of energy price rise, use of bio fertilisers, alternatives to phytosanitary products.

Foreign Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council (Defence)
EU ministers for foreign affairs will talk about Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and the situation in Mali. They will also be informed about current affairs. They will hold an informal exchange of views with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu. The Council will meet in an enlarged configuration bringing together EU foreign affairs ministers and defence ministers to discuss the Strategic Compass. The Strategic Compass will provide clear political and strategic guidance on the EU approach to security and defence over the next 5 to 10 years and step up the EU’s role as a provider of security for its citizens. It will allow the EU to act faster and more decisively to protect its values and interests and contribute to international peace and security. EU defence ministers will discuss defence-related questions regarding the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and informally exchange views (via videoconference) with Ukraine’s Minister for Defence, Oleksii Reznikov.

Tuesday 22 March

General Affairs Council
Ministers will hold a public debate on the revision of the Regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations. Ministers will exchange views on the synthesis report on the Council’s contribution to the 2022 European Semester. The French presidency will present the updated roadmap for the European Semester 2022. Ministers will also agree to the transmission to the European Council of the draft recommendations on the economic policy of the euro area.

An overview of planned Council meetings can be found here.

European Commission and High Representative

Monday 21 March

Reynders participates in Round Table “Shaping judicial councils to meet contemporary challenges”
Commissioner Didier Reynders will participate via videoconference in the International Round Table “Shaping judicial councils to meet contemporary challenges”.

Schinas participates in the EPP Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting
Commissioner Margaritis Schinas will participate in the EPP Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting.

Várhelyi receives Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova
Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi will receive Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, H.E. Mr Nicu Popescu.

Tuesday 22 March

Jourová receives Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová will receive Marian Jurečka, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Šuica delivers a speech for “CoFoE:opportunity for perspectives on the future of Europe from the centre of European Societies”
Vice-President Dubravka Šuica will deliver a speech via pre-recorded video message for an event: “CoFoE:opportunity for perspectives on the future of Europe from the centre of European Societies” organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Egmont Institute.

Gabriel delivers a Speech at the “Digital Education Stakeholder Forum 2022”
Commissioner Mariya Gabriel will deliver an opening Speech, in Brussels, at the “Digital Education Stakeholder Forum 2022” and participate in the Panel discussion ‘Key enablers for digital education in Europe’.

Wednesday 23 March

College meeting
Commissioners will meet for the weekly College meeting. Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans will present the Nature protection package, while Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will present a communication on Affordable food and fair farm income: reinforcing the resilience of the EU food system.

Gentiloni participates via videoconference in the Italy Capital Markets Forum 2022
Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni will participate via videoconference in the Italy Capital Markets Forum 2022 organised by Bloomberg.

Johansson hosts a call with the Italian Parliament
Commissioner Ylva Johansson will host a videoconference call with the Italian Parliament on Schengen reform.

Thursday 24 March

Schinas delivers a speech at the European Cyber Security Conference
Vice-President Margaritis Schinas will deliver a keynote speech at the 9th edition of the annual European Cyber Security Conference.

Johansson gives an address at the ‘Permanent Conference of Interior Ministers and Senators of the Federal States’
Commissioner Yvla Johansson will give an address at the ‘Permanent Conference of Interior Ministers and Senators of the Federal States’ hosted by the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, Sport and Integration at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Lenarčič participates in a visit of ERCC with the German Interior Minister
Commissioner Janez Lenarčič will participate in a visit of ERCC with the German Interior Minister, Mr. Boris Pistorius.

Friday 25 March

Gabriel participates in the panel “Innovation and Digital Europe to create opportunities for young generations”
Commissioner Mariya Gabriel will participate, in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the panel “Innovation and Digital Europe to create opportunities for young generations” at the “EDS Winter University 2022”.

Gentiloni receives CEO of Caisse des Dépôts
Paolo Gentiloni will receive Eric Lombard, CEO of Caisse des Dépôts.

Lenarčič participates in Grand Bargain
Commissioner Janez Lenarčič will participate in Grand Bargain : EP and Facilitation Group Principals meeting.

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

Wednesday 23 March

Debate on the situation in Ukraine
Debate on the situation in Ukraine with participation of Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Anna Derevyanko, Executive Director of the European Business Association Ukraine; Niclas Poitiers, Research Fellow at Bruegel (TBC).

Wednesday 23 March – Thursday 24 March

568th Plenary session
Debate on the Resolution “War in Ukraine and its economic and social impact”, with Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Debate on the New European Bauhaus initiative, with Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth; Presentation of the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment”, with Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, PhD, representative of the ECI, Biochemist, GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria; Adoption of the revised Rules of Procedure of the European Economic and Social Committee.

More information about EESC events can be found here.
The agendas of the different EESC meetings can be found here.

Committee of the Regions

Tuesday 22 March

Hybrid Stakeholder Consultation on Ecological transition
The Committee of the Regions will hold an Hybrid Stakeholder Consultation on Ecological transition – Which balance between social acceptability and environmental imperatives to build resilient communities from the point of view of cities and regions?

Wednesday 23 March

Europe: let’s do it together! Vol. 2 – European Year of Youth 2022  
“Pomorskie in the European Union” Association is organising a conference on the 23rd of March in order to mark the European Year of Youth 2022 and engage young people from the Pomorskie region in the current discussion on the future of Europe. The event will be a chance to exchange views about the current challenges facing our European common values and posing a threat to democracies, such as disinformation. At the same time, it will present the opportunities for young people to get involved in the process of shaping the future of the EU and will encourage their active participation through volunteering and political engagement.

More information about Committee of the Regions events can be found here.

French Presidency

Monday 21 March – Wednesday 23 March

European Humanitarian Forum
The first European Humanitarian Forum, co-chaired by France and the European Commission, aims to mobilize the European Union, the 27 Member States and like-minded States to address the main humanitarian challenges. Participants will include United Nations humanitarian agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and prominent figures from civil society.

Monday 21 March

High-level Conference on Citizen Engagement in EU Missions
The EU Missions of the Horizon Europe programme foster the emergence of solutions and initiatives to address major contemporary challenges such as adaptation to climate change, protection of the oceans, the fight against cancer, carbon neutral cities and soil health. They coordinate efforts across Europe, building on cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary cooperation, and involving citizens and all local stakeholders. These efforts will further stimulate innovation and attract investment. The Missions, whose innovative approach focuses on tackling current and future challenges, are a new element of the Horizon Europe programme. This conference will be the first dedicated to the Missions since the European Commission launched them in September 2021. It will take the form of plenary sessions, workshops and a civil society and research forum. In addition to ministers, it will bring together high-level experts and stakeholders in various fields, and will also be open to the public. This will allow stakeholders, citizens and leaders to come together to discuss tangible solutions to current challenges.

Wednesday 23 March – Thursday 24 March

Forum of Army Chiefs of Staff: Cooperation and integration for a stronger Europe
The forum will gather the Army Chiefs of Staff of the European Union. It will take place both in the Headquarters of the Eurocorps (CCR-E) and in the European Parliament. The “Cooperation and integration for a stronger Europe” forum will be organised in three different panels and will set the scene for several round tables, debates, workshops and demonstrations from industry professionals, as well as a “serious game”. This event is part of a series of ministerial operations in pursuit of strategic autonomy, in order to facilitate discussions on the role of armed forces in European defence. The participants will be made aware of how the training of foreign troops plays a key role in the security of Southern Europe. Participants will also discuss the technical interoperability of the armed forces of the 27 EU Member States via Permanent Structural Cooperation (PESCO) projects, such as the EU Collaborative Warfare Capabilities (ECoWAR) and the European Secure Software Defined Radio (ESSOR) project.

The agenda of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU can be found here.

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

Monday 21 March

European Anti-Racism Summit
The FRA Director will participate in a panel on national action plans against racism and racial discrimination. FRA will also join a breakout session on racialised communities and law enforcement. The European Commission is hosting the summit in cooperation with the European Parliament Anti-racism and Diversity Intergroup and the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism.

Information on upcoming FRA events can be found here.

European Central Bank

Tuesday 22 March

de Guindos participates in panel “The project of post-pandemic recovery”
Luis de Guindos will participate in the panel “The project of post-pandemic recovery” at the Banking Summit organised by Money Review.

Thursday 24 March

Publication of the Economic Bulletin
The ECB will publish on Thursday the Economic Bulletin (Issue 2/2022).

Participation by Elderson in panel discussion “Central Banking and Supervision in the Biosphere”
Mr Frank Elderson will participate in panel discussion “Central Banking and Supervision in the Biosphere” on the occasion of the launch of the Report of the NGFS-INSPIRE Study Group on Biodiversity and Financial Stability hosted by the LSE.

More information about ECB events can be found here. 

European Investment Bank

Monday 21 March

Business Finance & Investment
The Central Bank of Ireland, the European Investment Bank and the Economic and Social Research Institute are organising a joint event on the financing and investment position of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger corporates in Ireland. The event will feature four presentations based on firm-level and survey data on business finance and investment in Ireland. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, T.D. will be the keynote speaker and there will be a panel discussion featuring global experts from academia, policymaking and the private sector to discuss a range of issues facing businesses in their recovery from the financial effects of the pandemic, and their investment to face future challenges such as climate change.

Thursday 24 March

Financing the green transition in Austria
The Oesterreichische Nationalbank and the European Investment Bank are hosting the hybrid conference Financing the green transition in Austria. The conference will focus on investment needs and priorities for Austria, bringing together a group of economists, policymakers, as well as representatives from financial institutions and the business community. After the opening remarks, the results of the EIB Investment survey for Austria will be presented, followed by a presentation of the investment situation. A high-level panel will follow, focusing on Financing the investment demand for a greener economy: where does Austria stand.

Friday 25 March

InvestEU, EIB and new EU instruments: boosting investment in the Czech Republic
The Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic and the EIB Group local office are holding an event about InvestEU, the new European flagship programme to support investments in the EU. The event will give the opportunity to present the range of financing options proposed by the EIB Group and other promotional institutions. Speakers will also highlight the new opportunities brought by InvestEU and other new EU programmes.

The agenda of the EIB can be found here.

Council of Europe

Tuesday 22 March – Thursday 24 March

Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities will hold its session in which a debate on the situation in Ukraine will take place. Reports on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government by Germany, Luxembourg, Turkey and United Kingdom, as well as reports on the observation of the elections in Armenia, Georgia, Denmark, and Morocco. Other topics of discussion include: the participation of children in the sustainable development of their cities, regions and diaspora; rural youth and the role of local and regional authorities; and on pressures on mayors generated by fake news, threats and violence.

Wednesday 23 March

Presentation of the conclusions 2021 of the European Committee of Social Rights 
The European Committee of Social Right will present its conclusions and findings for 2021 via an online press conference. In 2021, in the framework of the reporting procedure, the Committee examined 33 state reports on the provisions of the European Social Charter relating to health, social security and social protection: the right to safe and healthy working conditions (Article 3), the right to protection of health (Article 11), the right to social security (Article 12), the right to social and medical assistance (Article 13), the right to benefit from social welfare services (Article 14), the right of elderly persons to social protection (Article 23/ Article 4 of the 1988 Additional Protocol), the right to protection against poverty and social exclusion (Article 30). Furthermore, the Committee will make public its Findings 2021 in respect of the Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, Slovenia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic (in the framework of collective complaints).

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