Until 5 September 2021

Monday 30 August

Brussels. European Parliament. Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of Presidents to discuss developments in Afghanistan with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and to discuss the situation of the Rule of law in the EU and the application of the conditionality regulation.

Tuesday 31 August

Brussels. Council of the EU. Justice and Home Affairs Council. Extraordinary meeting of Interior Ministers to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and its potential consequences, including a possible mass exodus of refugees.
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. - BUDG: exchange of views with Commissioner Hahn on the future of the own resources roadmap and the role of the EU budget in the framework of the ‘Fit for 55’ package; presentation of the working document on the EU Council’s position on the draft general budget of the EU 2022 (rapp. K. Kessler and D. Boeselager) (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/2Wwjovj ). - CULT: examination of the report on sports policy in the EU (rapp. T. Frankowski) (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3yiGLWt ). - FEMM : European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) Experts’ Forum (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3mBCoDV ).

Wednesday 1 September

Kranj (SLO). Council of the EU. Informal meeting of Defence Ministers (and 02/09). - Strategic Compass: discussion on the ‘resilience’ basket of the Presidency paper (tools to deal with hybrid threats and to provide access to global strategic areas such as cyberspace, the maritime dimension or space. - EU operational activities: discussion on operations in the Sahel, Libya, Mozambique and the Western Balkans. - Working lunch discussion on common geostrategic challenges and opportunities for future cooperation with partner countries in NATO and the UN in the presence of NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană and Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
Brussels. Council of the EU. Preparatory proceedings: Coreper II.
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. - AFET-DEVE: meeting with representatives of the EEAS and the EU Delegation for relations with Afghanistan to discuss the situation in the country. - INTA: different approaches to WTO reform; presentation of the analysis on the Customs Union and trade relations with Turkey (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3DosbAE ). - CONT: presentation of the Court of Auditors’ special reports n.11/2021 (exceptional support to milk producers in 2014-2016) with the AGRI Committee and n.16/2021 (CAP and climate) with the AGRI and ENVI Committees (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3sSlLom ). - ECON: Economic dialogue and exchange of views with Chrístos Staïkoúras, Greek Minister of Finance; Debate with Gary Gensler, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on transatlantic cooperation in the field of financial services (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3BnegJn ). - TRAN: Commission presentation of the package: ‘Fit for 55’ (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3jmoJhR ). - LIBE: presentation by Commissioner Didier Reynders (Justice) of the Commission’s 2021 report on the Rule of law and discussion with the Commissioner and a representative of the Slovenian Presidency on the state of play of ‘Article 7’ procedures (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3yiLJm5 ). - IMCO: votes on various draft opinions (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3BitQGa ). - AGRI: progress of negotiations in trilogue CAP strategic plans; presentation by Commissioner Wojciechowski (Agriculture) of the new communication on the new EU forest strategy (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/2WuffrU ). - PECH: adoption of the opinion on the draft EU 2022 draft budget; exchange of views with the FAO representative on the blue transformation in view of the UN Food Systems Summit (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3zngIPp ). - PETI: examination of various draft petitions. Luxembourg. *Court of the EU: #Ruling: T-517/19 (Homoki v. Commission - must OLAF’s decision not to grant partial access to the final report of its investigation into street lighting projects carried out by Elios in Hungary with EU financial participation be annulled?)

Thursday 2 September

Kranj (SLO). Council of the EU. Informal meeting of Foreign Ministers (and 03/09). ‘Gymnich’ format. Strategic discussion on the different dimensions of the European Union’s role and place in the world.
Brussels. European Parliament. Committee activities. - INTA: presentation of the annual report on trade defence activities; Exchange of views on the trade dimension of the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood; Blockchain solutions for international trade (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3Ds2FdY ). - CONT: Public Hearing on the digitalisation of European money oversight (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3Bkkf1k ). - TRAN: Presentation by the Commission of the 2021-2023 work programme for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3gDL2xE ). - LIBE: Presentation of the EESC and CoR reports on the Pact on Migration and Asylum; Fundamental Rights Report 2021 of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (draft agenda: https://bit.ly/3yoVW0z ). - INGE: Hearing on the European Action Plan for Democracy and other EU instruments related to the protection of EU democratic processes against foreign interference. - PETI: examination of various draft petitions. Luxembourg. *Court of Justice of the EU. #C-932/19 OTP (Jelzálogbank and others - is Hungarian legislation prohibiting the cancellation of a loan contract denominated in a foreign currency on the grounds that it contains an unfair exchange rate differential clause compatible with EU law?) - C-854/19 and C-5/20 (Vodafone) and C-34/20 (Telekom Deutschland - are ‘zero tariff’ options contrary to the Open Internet Regulation?). - C-169/20 (Commission vs Portugal - Vehicle tax - do the methods of calculating the registration tax on second-hand vehicles imported into Portugal infringe the principle of the free movement of goods?) - C-930/19 (Belgian State - Right of residence in the event of domestic violence - is the situation of a third-country national who is the victim of domestic violence committed by his or her spouse, a Union citizen, comparable to that of a third-country national who is the victim of domestic violence committed by his or her spouse, a third-country national?) - C-350/20 (INPS - Childbirth and maternity allowances for holders of single permits - are third-country nationals holding a single work permit obtained under Italian legislation transposing a Union directive entitled to a childbirth allowance and a maternity allowance as provided for by Italian legislation). - C-647/19 P (Ja zum Nürburgring vs Commission) and C-665/19 P (NeXovation vs Commission - did the sale of the Nürburgring in 2014 involve the granting of State Aid?) - C-570/19 (Irish Ferries - do certain provisions of the Regulation concerning the rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterway need to be clarified?) - C-928/19 P (EPSU vs Commission - is the Commission obliged to comply with the request of the social partners to implement at Union level the agreement they have concluded?) - C-180/20 (Commission/EU Council - Agreement with Armenia - should the EU Council decisions on the implementation of the Partnership Agreement with Armenia be annulled?). #Conclusions : - C-117/20 (bpost) and C-151/20 (Nordzucker and others - can a national competition authority, in the light of the ne bis in idem principle, prosecute and punish an infringement of competition law where the undertaking concerned has already been definitively fined by another administrative authority, responsible for the application of sectoral rules, on the grounds that the rules applied by the two authorities fall within different legal fields and aim to protect a distinct legal interest?)

Friday 3 September