CALENDAR / Main activities of the european institutions
11/12 - 17/12
Monday 11 December
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘Agriculture and Fisheries’ Council (and 12/12). *Fisheries: - exchange of views on the Commission’s proposals establishing fishing possibilities for 2018 for the principal fish stocks, applicable in the Atlantic and North Sea. *Agriculture – presentation by the Commission of the communication ‘The future of food and agriculture’ and exchange of views. – Results of the conference ‘Modern biotechnologies in the agriculture sector’ and of that on African swine fever. – Progress in the fight against unfair commercial practices.
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘Foreign Affairs’ and ‘Development’ Council. *Foreign Affairs: – Debate on topical international questions (Middle East, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Kurdistan, USA/North Korea, etc.). – Middle East: limiting escalations and maintaining stability or consolidating it in countries such as Lebanon or Iraq; informal lunch with the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. – Iraq: debate on the situation in the country and preparations for the work on the new strategy for EU/Iraq relations (to be presented in January by the Commission and the HR). – Adoption of the decision establishing Permanent Structured Cooperation (PSC). - G5 Sahel: debate on EU/G5 Sahel cooperation with the ministers of these countries. – Africa: debate of the foreign affairs ministers with the development ministers on next steps from the EU/African Union summit of Abidjan of 29-30/11. *Development: - Adoption conclusions on how trade and investments can contribute to development strategies.
Buenos Aires (RA) (10-13/12). Council of Ministers. International meetings. 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO – meeting of the Home Affairs Ministers on 10/12 to approve the negotiating texts of the WTO on behalf of the EU and at the end of the conference to assess the results. Other meetings may be held in the meantime.
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session (to 14/12). *Debates: the amendments to several regulations in the field of agriculture and rural development (Deß – AGRI). - Sustainable management of external fishing fleets (Engström – PECH). - European Union’s emissions quota trading system; preparations for a global market system from 2021 (Girling – ENVI). - 2017 EU report on citizenship (Becerra Basterrechea – PETI). – Approval and resolution on EU-Kazakhstan reinforced partnership and cooperation agreements (Jaakonsaari – AFET). - Digital trade strategy (Schaake – INTA).
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Activities of the committees (to 31/08). – LIBE: vote on the legislative report on the fight against money laundering through criminal sanctions. – AFET-DEVE-DROI: meeting with the Venezuelan opposition, which has won the Sakharov Prize, to be awarded on 13/12. – INTA: dispatch of a delegation to the WTO conference in Buenos Aires.
Tuesday 12 December
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘Agriculture and Fisheries’ Council. *Fisheries: - Progress in the risk of limited-quota stock related to the landing obligation. - Results of the conferences ‘Beyond 2020: Supporting Europe’s coastal communities’ and Are Ocean’. – Political agreement on fishing opportunities for the main fish stocks applicable in 2018 in the Atlantic and North Sea.
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘General Affairs’ Council. – Preparations for the European Council of 14-15/12. – Stock-take on the implementation of the conclusions of the European Council of 19-20/10. – Approval of a joint declaration of the three institutions on the legislative priorities of the EU for the current legislative period. – Presentation by the Commission of the annual growth review 2018 and economic and social priorities ahead of the launch of the European Semester 2018. *‘Article 50’ formation: - Progress in Brexit negotiations ahead of the European Council in ‘Article 50’ formation.
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session. *Debates: - Report of the Panama Papers investigation (Ježek, Kofod – PANA). - Extension of EFSI (Bullmann – BUDG, Fernandes – ECON). *Votes: - Rules on copyright and neighbouring rights applicable to certain online radio/TV transactions (Wölken – JURI). – Use of various chemicals in frozen vertical meat spits (Objection). - Customs duty on imports of certain products from the United States (Maštálka – INTA) - EU/USA air transport agreement (Griffin – TRAN). - EU/Switzerland agreement on the coupling of their greenhouse gas emissions quota trading systems (Fjellner – ENVI). – Renewal of the mandate of the Chair of the Single Resolution Board (Gualtieri – ECON). – Reports discussed the day before or in the morning (see above). *Debates: - Situation in Afghanistan and situation of the Rohingya (HR Mogherini, vote on Thursday). – Implementation of the CFSP (Gahler and McAllister – AFET). – Statements: permanent structured cooperation (PSC); Agreement on Iranian nuclear; Announcement of the recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel by Donald Trump; Situation of migrants in Libya (HR Mogherini). - 2016 report on human rights and democracy in the world and EU policy in this area (Quisthoudt-Rowohl – AFET). - Hong Kong, 20 years after handover (Smith – AFET).
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Activities of the committees. – REGI: vote on the results of the trilogue on the ‘omnibus’ regulation.
Strasbourg. European Commission. Weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners. - Achieving the European security agenda (including legislative proposals to allow interoperability between the EU information systems on security, borders and the management of migration flows) (Timmermans). - 12th progress report on the Security Union (Timmermans). - Communication on the European citizens’ initiative ‘Ban glyphosate and protect people and the environment from toxic pesticides’ (Timmermans). - Towards a new partnership between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific post-2020 (Mogherini).
Luxembourg. *Court of Justice of the EU. #Conclusions: C-15/12 (Baumeister - does information concerning a company under surveillance, received or drafted by national financial supervisory authority, constitute confidential information protected by professional secrecy?).
Wednesday 13 December
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session. *Priority debate: Preparations for the European Council and state of discussions on Brexit. *Award of the Sakharov Prize. *Votes: - Resolution on the state of progress in negotiations on Brexit. – Recommendations following the Panama Papers investigation. – Reports discussed on the evening of the day before (see above). *Debates: enlargement and reinforcement of the Schengen zone: Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. – Statements: implementation of the social pillar; 2030 Programme and Eurostat report on progress in achieving the SDGs; EU civil protection mechanism; prohibition on Nazi and fascist symbols and slogans (Council and Commission). – Application of the directive on the fight against sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and images of the sexual abuse of children (Corazza Bildt – LIBE). – EP’s right of investigation (QO Hübner – AFCO).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Coreper I.
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. *General Court of the EU: #judgment: - joined cases T712/15 and T-52/16 (Crédit Mutuel Arkéa – prudential supervision by the ECB of the Groupe Crédit Mutuel through the Confédération nationale du Crédit Mutuel).
Thursday 14 December
Brussels. European Council (and 15/12). #Defence: - Launch of the permanent structured cooperation (PSC). – Progress in EU/NATO cooperation. #Social, education and culture questions: - Adoption of conclusions on a social, education and culture questions on the basis of the work of the social summit of Gothenburg. – External relations: a few themes may be discussed, depending on current affairs (Palestine, Yemen, North Korea, Iraq, Syria, etc.). – Migration: thematic debate on the next steps concerning the external and internal dimensions of the migration policy.
Strasbourg. European Parliament. Plenary session. *Debates: - Petitions in 2016 (Marias – PETI). - European strategy for low-emissions mobility (Eickhout – TRAN). – Infringements of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Vietnam, Cambodia, El Salvador). *Votes: - Reports debated the day before or that morning (see above). – Interpellations (article 130b of the regulation).
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. #Conclusions: - joined cases C-331/16 and C-366/16 (K and L – restriction of the freedom of movement and residence of an EU citizen suspected of war crimes and the individual’s family following rejection of the asylum application). – C-13/17 (Federation of Beauty Businesses – legality of the definition by a member state of disciplines “similar” to medicine, pharmacy or toxicology in the framework of the equivalence of qualifications of individuals tasked with assessing the safety of cosmetic products).
Friday 15 December
Brussels. European Council. *‘Article 50’ formation: - Latest developments in Brexit negotiations; state of progress in negotiations on citizens’ rights, Ireland and financial obligations. *Eurozone summit of 27: discussions on the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union and on Banking Union.
