CALENDAR / Main activities of european institutions
Until 26 March 2021
Monday 22 March
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘Agriculture and Fisheries’ Council (and 23/03). *Fisheries: – Fisheries opportunities: seeking agreement on the fishing opportunities regulation for 2021 and for deep sea stocks, for 2021 and 2022, for stocks shared with the UK. *Agriculture: – Protection against plant pests: exchange of views on the preparation of plant protection measures against plant pests that threaten agriculture. – Biological agents against plant pests: discussion on the use of living macro-organisms such as insects against plant pests as an alternative to chemical pesticides in the framework of the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy. – CAP reform package: preparation of strategic plans for the CAP and related regulation, regulation on financing, management and control of the CAP, regulation on the common market organisation for agricultural products. – Miscellaneous: preparation of the post-2020 strategy for forests (briefing note from Austria, also on behalf of other delegations); extraordinary measures to mitigate the effects of the pandemic crisis in the wine sector.
Brussels. Council of the EU. ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council. – Current issues and recent and upcoming events (Myanmar). – Exchange of views on the southern neighbourhood and Turkey and on relations with Russia. – Human rights: adoption of sanctions against those responsible for violations in various countries (China, Russia, Eritrea, North Korea, Libya and South Sudan). – Informal exchange with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Informal videoconference of Ministers responsible for Competitiveness (Internal Market and Industry). – Debate on the idea of “strategic autonomy in a globally open Europe” to promote greater resilience and competitiveness of the European economy (strengthening the single market, value chains, diversification of supply, strategic and vulnerable areas, ensuring a level playing field and openness to the rest of the world). – Debate on the Commission’s Communication “Europe’s Digital Decade” presented on 9 March.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Security Committee, Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CivCom).
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. – CONT: vote on the 2019 budget discharge (agenda: https://bit.ly/3vFEGUx ). – FISC: exchange of views with the Portuguese Finance Minister, João Leão, on tax issues; exchange of views on the report on a sustainable European tax system post-Covid-19 (agenda: https://bit.ly/3eWl0Wx ). – LIBE-DROI: exchange of views on the situation of migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and at the border with Croatia and discussion of the report on new pathways for legal economic migration (rapp. S. Guillaume) (agenda: https://bit.ly/3vDxloE ). – PETI: Workshop on LGBTI+ rights in the EU and examination of different petitions (agenda: https://bit.ly/30UmCrz ).
Tuesday 23 March
Brussels. Council of the EU. Informal video conference of the Ministers for European Affairs. – Preparation of the European Council on 25 and 26 March (see below): the EU’s digital sovereignty, a revised industrial strategy to make the EU autonomous in its supply of strategic goods, an update on the epidemiological situation, an exchange of views on the summary report on the EU Council’s contributions to the 2021 ‘European Semester’ and the preparation of the draft recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area. Presentation by the Portuguese Presidency of an updated roadmap on the European Semester 2021. – Information by the Portuguese Presidency on the preparation of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Political and Security Committee (PSC).
Brussels. Council of the EU, European Parliament, European Commission. Transport: trilogue meeting to negotiate the ‘Eurovignette’ directive (taxation of heavy goods vehicles).
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. – CONT-ENVI-BUDG: discussion of the Court of Auditors’ 02/2021 analysis paper on the EU’s public health response to Covid-19 (agenda: https://bit.ly/3c0jH6X ). – CONT: update with the Commission on the advance purchase contract for Covid-19 vaccines (agenda: https://bit.ly/3lB0fAX ) – ENVI: interview with EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke on the state of play of the assessment and authorisation of Covid-19 vaccines (agenda: https://bit.ly/30ZHldO ). – LIBE: presentation of Eurojust’s annual report; presentation and exchange of views on the Commission’s communication ‘Enhancing cooperation on return and readmission’ and state of play of the negotiations on this issue; assessment with the Commission on the PNR agreements with the US and Australia (agenda: https://bit.ly/3vDxloE ). – AIDA: online hearing on artificial intelligence and competitiveness (agenda: https://bit.ly/3eSL6cQ ). – DROI: exchange of views on the communication ‘Renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood. A new agenda for the Mediterranean’; debate on the fight against impunity for serious human rights violations 10 years after the uprising in Syria (agenda: https://bit.ly/38XZ1um ). – FEMM-JURI: presentation of the report on the consequences of domestic violence and custody rights on women and children (agenda: https://bit.ly/3tDX5iU ). – FEMM-DEVE: discussion on strengthening gender equality in the post-Covid-19 recovery, in parallel with the 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (agenda: http://bit.ly/3lvz2j6 ). – FISC: exchange of views with Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager (Competition and Digital Economy) on taxation of the digital economy and state aid in the tax field (agenda: https://bit.ly/30XgdMv ). – PETI: examination of various petitions and votes (agenda: https://bit.ly/30UmCrz ). – ECON: Public hearing with Elke König, President of the SRB, vote on the own-initiative report on digital taxation (agenda: https://bit.ly/3s4tpL8 ). – ECON-JURI: public hearing on the Wirecard scandal (agenda: https://bit.ly/3s4tpL8 ). – AFET: online workshop on how the EU can achieve strategic sovereignty (http://bit.ly/38Tn8e2 )
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. #Judgments: 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 24 March
Brussels. Council of the EU, European Commission, European Parliament. Tripartite Social Summit 2021. Summit with the social partners by videoconference on ‘How to achieve a fair and sustainable recovery’ (management of the health, economic and social crisis by maintaining emergency measures; contribution of the social partners at EU and national level to economic and social recovery; preparation of the social summit in Porto).
Brussels. European Commission. Weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners. – EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child (Šuica). – European Child Guarantee (Šuica). – Development plan for organic production: on the road to 2030 (Timmermans).
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Coreper I, EU Military Committee (EUMC), PSC, Trade Policy Committee.
Brussels. European Parliament. Plenary session (and 25/03). Agenda of the session: https://bit.ly/3c4RAns
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. #Judgments: – joint cases C-870/19 and C-871/19 (Prefettura Ufficio territoriale del governo di Firenze – are lorry, coach and bus drivers who, during a check, fail to produce the tachograph record sheets for the day of the check and the previous 28 days liable to a single penalty, regardless of the number of missing record sheets?) – C-603/20 PPU (MCP – can the jurisdiction of the court of a Member State seised with an action for parental responsibility be established on the basis of Article 10 of the Brussels IIa Regulation in the case of abduction of a child to a third State?) – C-771/19 (NAMA et al – in its application for suspension of operation of the decision admitting the tender of another tenderer, may a candidate excluded from a public procurement procedure rely on all the pleas in law alleging infringement of EU law on public procurement or of the national rules transposing that law?) * General Court of the European Union: #Judgment: – T-515/19 (Lego/EUIPO – Delta Sport Handelskontor (Building block for toy construction set - should the exception protecting modular systems be applied to LEGO bricks?)
Thursday 25 March
Brussels. European Council. Summit of Heads of State or Government by videoconference (and 26/03). – Covid-19: update on the deployment of vaccines, the epidemiological situation and efforts to improve coordination between Member States to combat the pandemic. – Single Market, Industrial Policy, Digital Transformation and Economy: debate on priorities and review of the ‘Digital Compass’ (targets for 2030 and state of play on taxation of the digital economy); priorities for the 2021 ‘European Semester’ and recommendation on Eurozone economic policy. – Eastern Mediterranean: debate on the basis of the High Representative’s report on the situation in the area and the report on relations with Turkey. – Russia: strategic debate on relations with Russia.
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. – ITRE: public hearing on ‘Data Governance Act: how to enable data-driven innovation for the benefit of businesses and society?’. – INGE-FEMM: public hearing on ‘Foreign interference on the financing of anti-choice organisations in the EU’ (agenda: http://bit.ly/3lwASAv ).
Luxembourg. * Court of Justice of the EU. #Judgments: – joint cases C-586/16 P (Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Ranbaxy v Commission), C-588/16 P (Generics v Commission), C-591/16 P (Lundbeck v Commission), C-601/16 P (Arrow Group and Arrow Generics v Commission), C-611/16 P (Xellia Pharmaceuticals and Alpharma v Commission) and C-614/16 P (Merck v Commission – do agreements between several producers of generic medicines to enter the market for antidepressants (citalopram) constitute a restriction of competition ‘by object’ within the meaning of EU law?) – joint cases C-152/19 P (Deutsche Telekom v Commission) and C-165/19 P (Slovak Telekom v Commission – should the appeals brought by Slovak Telekom and Deutsche Telekom against the judgment of the General Court concerning anti-competitive practices on the Slovak telecommunications market be upheld?) – C-565/19 P (Carvalho et al v Parliament and Council of the EU – is the action brought by families from the European Union, Kenya and Fiji against the EU’s 2018 climate package admissible?).
Friday 26 March
Brussels. European Council. Summit of the Heads of State or Government of the Eurozone countries. – International role of the euro. – Banking Union.
Brussels. Council of the EU, European Parliament, European Commission. Agriculture: ‘super trilogue’ on CAP reform.
