CALENDAR / Main activities of european institutions
Until 19 March 2021
Monday 15 March
Brussels. Council of the EU. Eurogroup video conference. – Ordinary meeting of the 19: – Covid-19: Sectoral impacts and structural changes in the euro area. – State of play on fiscal support measures in response to the crisis. – International role of the euro: discussion on how to use the euro to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy at international level on the basis of the relevant Commission Communication. – Greece: 9th post-bailout enhanced surveillance report. – Preparation of international meetings, including exchange rate developments. – Miscellaneous. – Open meeting of the 27: – Preparation of the Eurozone summit in March. – Miscellaneous.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council: *Social Affairs: – European pillar of social rights: orientation debate on the action plan (measures to be taken at national level and strengthening of active labour market policies). – Equality, non-discrimination and diversity in the EU: policy debate on measures to achieve further progress in this area. – Recovery and resilience plans: exchange of views on the role of employment and social policies in the European Semester and their importance in national recovery and resilience plans. – Other business: information on the Council conclusions on mainstreaming ageing in public policies to be adopted by written procedure; information on the forthcoming Tripartite Social Summit (online 24/03) and the state of play on various proposals and measures as well as on the EU Council recommendation on equality, inclusion and participation of the Romani, which is expected to be adopted by written procedure.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Informal videoconference of Foreign and Home Affairs Ministers (‘Jumbo’ Council). – Debate on external aspects of migration policy: migration in bilateral relations with non-Member States; ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination between countries, institutions and agencies of the EU. – Retail payments: procedure for the adoption of conclusions on the Commission’s retail payments strategy in September 2020. – International meetings: report on the G20 meeting of ministers and central bank governors (26/02); Preparation of the G20 and IMF spring meetings (7-10/04). – Financial services: state of play of proposals in this area and state of implementation of existing directives.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CivCom), Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), Security Committee, Working Committee on the UK.
Brussels. European Parliament. Commission activities. – ENVI: discussion on Covid-19 variants and vaccine efficacy with representatives from EMA, ECDC and WHO (agenda: https://bit.ly/30FfOxO ) – AGRI: exchange of views on retail alliances with Mr Grégory Besson-Moreau, Member of the National Assembly (France): state of play of the trilogue on strategic plans under the CAP (agenda: https://bit.ly/3rLwAY7 ). – LIBE: progress of negotiations on the exchange of personal data between Europol and various non-Member States to combat terrorism and crime (agenda: https://bit.ly/3qIEssb ). – FEMM: Gender Mainstreaming Network; exchange of views with Vice-President Věra Jourová (Values and Transparency) and Commissioner Helena Dalli (Equality) on the application of the principle of equal pay for men and women (agenda: https://bit.ly/2OQzsUR ). – TRAN: presentation of a research project on the recovery of transport and tourism in the EU after Covid-19 (agenda: https://bit.ly/2ONiXsO ). – AFET-SEDE: exchange of views with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (agenda: https://bit.ly/2NfpU5C ). – TRAN-SEDE: EU military concerns in relation to the Single European Sky Regulation (SES II+): exchange of views with the EDA Director and the EUMC President (agenda: https://bit.ly/3rH9tOx ). – CULT: vote on the report on artificial intelligence in education, culture and audiovisual media and the report on improving the use of AI by consumers (rapp. S Verheyen) (agenda: https://bit.ly/3tguSP0 ).
Tuesday 16 March
Brussels. Council of the EU. Informal videoconference of Economics and Finance Ministers. – Taxation of the digital economy: the state of play and how to address the challenges of digital transformation (ongoing negotiations in the OECD/G20 format). – Economic recovery: perspectives in Europe on the Covid-19 crisis; exchange of views on the basis of the Commission Communication “One year after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic: the fiscal policy response”; update by the Portuguese Presidency on the state of play on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (priorities of national plans).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Informal video conference of health ministers. – Covid-19: discussion on non-pharmaceutical measures against the virus; possible lifting of restrictions; status of vaccination campaigns and equitable distribution of vaccines. – Health technologies: status of work on their assessment. – Cancer plan: first discussion. – Health Union: update on the draft regulation on cross-border health threats, strengthening the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and extending the mandate of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Brussels. Council of the EU. EU-Georgia Association Council. – Update on mediation between the parties with Commission envoy C Danielsson.
Lisbon. Council of the EU. Informal videoconference meeting of Consumer Protection Ministers in conjunction with the Consumer Summit 2021.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Political and Security Committee (PSC)
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. – AGRI: exchange of views with Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič (Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight) on the Communication on Strategic Foresight; public hearing ‘Fostering innovation for sustainable agriculture’ (agenda: https://bit.ly/3bHBQ9O ); information by the Commission on the state of play of the review of the standards on marketing of products – LIBE: exchange of views with Commissioner Didier Reynders on the rule of law in Poland; exchange of views on FRONTEX (agenda: https://bit.ly/3exvb3N ). – FEMM: Workshop on ‘Integrating Gender Issues in the Recovery Plan’ (agenda: https://bit.ly/3qCSY4t ). – TRAN: debate with Matthew Baldwin, European Road Safety Coordinator; workshop on the use of hydrogen in transport; final vote on the report on rail passengers’ rights and obligations (rapp. B Liberadzki) (agenda: https://bit.ly/3vir29A ). – EEAS: exchange of views with the EEAS and the Head of Mission of EUAM Iraq on the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM); hearing on EU defence planning and procurement; exchange of views on CSDP action with the G5 Sahel with the EU Special Representative in the Sahel (agenda: https://bit.ly/2Ohg57P ). – CULT: presentation of the study on ‘Making the European Education Area a reality: state of play, challenges and perspectives’, discussion of the reports on the European Education Area (rapp. M Šojdrová) and the situation of artists and cultural recovery (rapp. M Semedo) (agenda: https://bit.ly/3bINz82 ). – DROI: exchange of views with Eamon Gilmore, EU Special Representative for Human Rights, exchange of views on the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi (agenda: https://bit.ly/3qHqiaz ). – REGI: debate on the creation of the Brexit adjustment reserve (rapp. P Arimont); public hearing on the Covid-19 crisis and the implementation of CRII and CRII+ in the regions (agenda: https://bit.ly/3rIfYk4 ).
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. Judgments: joint cases C-562/19 P (Commission v Poland) and C-596/19 P (Commission v Hungary – do the Polish retail tax and the Hungarian advertising tax infringe EU State Aid law?) #Conclusions: C-28/20 (Airhelp – does a strike organised by pilots’ unions constitute, in principle, an extraordinary circumstance which can relieve the airline of its obligation to pay compensation for cancellation or long delay of the flights concerned?)
Wednesday 17 March
Brussels. European Commission. Weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners. – Communication on Covid-19 (Schinas). – Digital green certificate (Jourova).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Coreper I, Coreper II, Trade Policy Committee (Experts (ATSI)), EU Military Committee (EUMC), Political and Security Committee, Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CivCom), Financial Services Committee (FSC).
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. – AFET: exchange of views with the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro; exchange of views with the EEAS on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear issue (agenda: http://bit.ly/30Aa1JZ ). – BUDG: guidelines for the 2022 budget (rapp. K Ressler); public hearing ‘Financing the EU budget: new own resources and possible other revenue’ (agenda: http://bit.ly/2OKHWNo ). – AFCO: 2021 report on European political parties (agenda: https://bit.ly/3l9sMNX ). – INTA: public hearing on ‘Trade related aspects and implications of Covid-19’ (agenda: https://bit.ly/30EcfrS ). – PECH: exchange of views with the Commission on the fisheries agreement with Mauritania (agenda: http://bit.ly/3tcgAPk ). – INGE: discussion on foreign interference in the EU’s overall democratic processes (foreign donors) (rapp. S Kalniete), exchanges of views with experts (agenda: https://bit.ly/3qGqgQv ). – IMCO: report on ongoing interinstitutional negotiations (Europe’s digital future and the use of AI and the batteries and waste regulation) (agenda: https://bit.ly/3bHXBGi ). – ANIT: Public hearing on the responsibilities of transport operators and other private actors (agenda: https://bit.ly/3vlUgV2 ). – EMPL: exchange of views with Commissioner Helena Dalli (Equality) (agenda: https://bit.ly/30FZqx4 ).
Brussels. European Committee of the Regions (CoR). 143rd Plenary Session (online). Information and agenda: http://bit.ly/3l5qrmU
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. #Judgments: – C-900/19 (One Voice and Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux – to what extent can hunting with birdlime, a traditional method widely used in France, be considered to be of considerable cultural importance such as to justify the existence of derogations from the prohibition on this method of hunting?) – C-585/19 (Academia de Studii Economice din Bucureşti – where a worker has concluded several contracts of employment with the same employer, does the minimum daily rest period provided for by Directive 2003/88/EC concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time apply to those contracts of employment taken as a whole or to each of those contracts taken separately?) – C-64/20 (An tAire Talmhaíochta Bia agus Mara, Éire agus an tArd-Aighne – can a court which referred the case disregard the obligation of its Member State to transpose a directive on the ground that the transposition is allegedly disproportionate?)
Thursday 18 March
Brussels. Council of the EU. Informal video conference of environment ministers. – Climate change adaptation strategy: exchange of views. – European Semester: discussion on the role of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in the context of the greening of the European Semester. – Batteries and their waste: discussion on the Commission’s proposal to align the current EU legislation on batteries with the European Green Deal. – Miscellaneous: chemicals strategy and 8th Environmental Action Programme; state of play in the trilogue negotiations on the ‘Climate Law’; future EU strategy on forests; EU trade policy review in relation to the environment; report on the 5th meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (22-23/02).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Coreper II
Brussels. Council of the EU, European Commission, European Parliament. Interinstitutional negotiations. Trilogue meeting on the Commission’s proposals on electronic evidence.
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. – ECON: monetary dialogue with ECB President Christine Lagarde (agenda: https://bit.ly/3tduxMG ). – AFET: vote on the Interinstitutional Agreement on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (rapp. M Gahler, M Arena, C Goerens and R Juknevičienė) (agenda: https://bit.ly/38yy00v ). – INTA: exchange of views on strengthening the implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions (agenda: https://bit.ly/3qERmqT ). – IMCO: exchange of views with Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders (agenda: https://bit.ly/3laV0Yw ). – PECH: exchange of views with the Commission on the implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the UK (agenda: http://bit.ly/3tcgAPk ). – BECA: public hearing ‘Saving lives and improving patient outcomes: Why screening and early detection of cancer matter’ (agenda: https://bit.ly/3cpbdW3 ). – EMPL: hearing ‘The future policy framework on health and safety at work, including asbestos’ (agenda: https://bit.ly/3crzTx3 ).
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. #Conclusions: – joint cases C-848/19 P (Germany v Poland – did the General Court of the European Union properly consider that the principle of energy solidarity entails rights and obligations for both the Union and the Member States?)
Friday 19 March
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Coreper II, Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CivCom), Trade Policy Committee (Alternate Members).
