CALENDAR / Main activities of the european institutions
13/11 - 19/11
Monday 13 November
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council. *Foreign Affairs format. – Current affairs: situation in Burma, developments in the application of the agreement on Iranian nuclear, situation in Venezuela. – EU/Africa relations ahead of the EU/Africa summit (Abidjan, 29-30/11). – Strategic communications in the EU: progress of the working group on strategic communications to the East, but also the South and Balkans. *Joint Foreign Affairs/Defence format. – Security/Defence: exchange of views and adoption of conclusions in the matter in the context of the implementation of the EU’s global strategy. – Permanent structured cooperation (PESCO): signature of a letter of notification to the Council and High Representative by the member states wishing to join the PESCO. *Defence format: discussions on EU/NATO cooperation with the Secretary General of the organisation, Jens Stoltenberg. – Meeting of the ministers with the steering committee of the European Defence Agency (EDA).
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session (to 16/11). *Debates: territorial typologies (Mihaylova – REGI); - Recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation (Meissner – TRAN); - Safety of vehicles in the EU (Koch – TRAN). - Persecution of Christians in the world (HR Mogherini); – Oral question: Protection of coastal marine habitats (Cadec, Valéan – PECH) - Cohesion policy instruments for regions to tackle demographic change (Garcia Pérez – REGI); - Action plan on retail financial services (Ludvigsson – ECON).
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Activities of the committees (to 16/11). – LIBE: vote on the non-legislative report on the directive on tackling the sexual exploitation of minors and images of child abuse. – CONT: debate on actions in Italy to help protect the financial interests of the EU.
Tuesday 14 November
Strasbourg. European Commission. Weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners. – Report on progress on the Migration agenda (including on resettlement and relocation, the operational nature of the European border guard and coastguard agency, the implementation of the EU/Turkey declaration and the partnership framework on migration). (Timmermans/Mogherini).
Brussels. Council of the EU. 48th meeting of the Council of the European Economic Area (EEA). – Functioning of the EEA agreement: cooperation of the EU with the states of the European Free Trade Association that are also members of the EEA. – Debate on developing the digital economy in Europe. – Informal political dialogue with EFTA states that are also in the EEA: implications of Brexit for the EEA agreement; Eastern Partnership.
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session. *Debates: - Paradise Papers scandal; (Council and Commission) - Cooperation between national authorities on consumer protection (Sehnalová – IMCO). *Award of the Lux Prize. *Votes: - Mobilisation of the EGF for Almaviva (Viotti – BUDG). – Reports discussed on Monday and on Tuesday morning (see above). *Debates: - rule of law in Malta (Council and Commission); - negotiations ahead of the 11th ministerial conference of the WTO (Commission); - November 2000 summit of the Eastern Partnership (Andrikiené, Fleckensein – AFET); - Defence against dumping or subsidised imports (Cicu – INTA); - EU/Africa strategy (Ponga – DEVE). Action plan for the natural environment, the population and the economy (oral question ENVI – Commission).
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Activities of the committees. – ENVI: dispatch of a delegation to COP 23 in Bonn (to 18/11). – IMCO: plenary vote on legislative report on cooperation between the national consumer protection authorities.
Luxembourg. *Court of Justice of the EU. #Possibility of cartels between agricultural organisations and associations, contrary to EU law); - C-165/16 (Lounes - Possibility for a non-EU national who is a family member of an EU citizen to benefit from a residence permit in the member state in which the family member resided before taking its nationality and developing a family life). #Conclusions: C-498/16 (Schrems – Possibility for a citizen to take collective action, invoking his or her status as a consumer, against Facebook Ireland before the courts of his or her place of residence over a violation of rights to privacy and protection of personal data).
Wednesday 15 November
Brussels. Council of the EU. General Affairs Council (and 15/11). *Cohesion policy: - Debate on the future of the cohesion policy post-2020 on the basis of the recent Commission report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. – Adoption without debate of conclusions on synergies and simplification for the cohesion policy post-2020. *Structural and investment funds: - progress of work on the provisions concerning the European Structural and Investment Funds featuring in the ‘omnibus’ proposal of the Commission (streamlining and simplification of the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the EU).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Coreper II.
Brussels. Council of the EU. EU/Albania stabilisation and association council. – State of relationship in the framework of the pre-accession strategy and stabilisation and association agreement. – Situation in the Western Balkans.
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session. *Debates: - Rule of law situation in Poland (Council, Commission). – Winter plan for asylum seekers (Council, Commission). *Speech by the Slovak president, Andrej Kiska. *Votes: - Election of two vice-presidents of the European Parliament; - Period provided for the adoption of delegated acts (Meissner – TRAN); - Appointment of several members of the Court of Auditors (Tarand – CONT). – Reports discussed on Tuesday: Cicu, Andrikiené/Fleckensein; Action plan for the natural environment; - Rule of law situation in Poland (see above). *Debates: - legacy of the Russian Revolution of 1917; - Decision on the second mobility package; - Activities of the European Ombudsman in 2016 (Mizzi – PETI); - Examination of the implementation of the environment policy (oral question ENVI – Council and Commission); - Tackling inequality as a way to stimulate growth and jobs (López – EMPL). – Russian embargo on fruit and vegetables (oral question AGRI – Commission).
Thursday 16 November
Brussels. Council of the EU. EU/Serbia stabilisation and association council. Process of stabilisation and association: Serbia’s progress in coming into line with the EU acquis and pre-accession assistance, bilateral relations, exchange of views with Serbian representatives on developments in the Western Balkans.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Coreper I.
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session. *Debates: - EU/New Zealand partnership agreement (2 reports) (Tannock – AFET). – Cases of violations of human rights and the rule of law - Sudan, Somalia, Madagascar (and vote). *Votes: - reports discussed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Ponga, Mizzi, López, Tannock); - Implementation of environment policy. *Debate – EU/China year of tourism (oral question CULT – Commission).
Friday 17 November
Gothenburg (S). European Council. Informal meeting of the 28 heads of state or government. – Debate on education and culture on the basis of the document presented ahead of the meeting in the run-up to the European Council of 14-15/12. This meeting will be held on the sidelines of the European Social Summit (see below).
Gothenburg (S). European Council and European Commission. European Social Summit under the aegis of the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and of the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven. It will allow the heads of state or government of the European Union, the social partners and other principal players to hold an open debate on ways of promoting growth, fair jobs and a broader debate on the social dimension of the EU and its member states (info: http://bit.ly/2xgwVcY ).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Economic and Financial Affairs Council. – Budget 2018.
Brussels. Council of the EU. EU/Kosovo stabilisation and association council. State of EU/Kosovo relations and the country’s progress in its preparations to join the EU.
