Digital, energy and health: this week’s Brussels agenda in a nutshell
The week of 16-20 May is packed with ministerial meetings of interest for the Council. These include, the Foreign Affairs Council and the EU-Canada Joint Ministerial Committee. The Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) and the Affairs Council (Development) will also take place respectively on Tuesday 17 and Friday 20 May. The work of the EU-US Council for Trade and Technology will continue on Monday 16 May, and members of the committee responsible for International Trade (INTA) will be updated on its outcome on Tuesday 17 by the executive vice-presidents of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis.
As for the European, MEPs will meet for a plenary session in Brussels on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 May. But that is not all. During the week, the committees responsible for Economic and Monetary Problems (ECON), for the Internal Market (IMCO) and those responsible for Social Affairs (EMPL) and for the Environment (ENVI) will also be meeting.
Finally, the European Commission is expected to present its REPowerEU plan on Wednesday along with new measures included in the “International Partnerships and Energy Package” initiative.
Following are the main European appointments for the upcoming week regarding the digital, energy and health fields, and further important meetings.
DIGITAL
- Monday 16 June 2022: During the meeting of the committee responsible for the Internal Market (IMCO), MEPs will vote on the compromise text – reached after the last trialogue held on 24 March – of the Digital Markets Act. As well as, MEPs will have the opportunity to hear from Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose (S&D) about the report on inter-institutional negotiations on the Digital Services Act.
- Tuesday 17 May 2022: Members of the committee responsible for International Trade (INTA) will exchange views with Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice-presidents of the European Commission, on the work of the EU-US Council for Trade and Technology (held on 15 and 16 May 2022).
ENERGY
- Monday 16 May 2022: During the meeting of the Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), MEPs will vote on the draft report by Dutch MEP Paul Tang (S&D) on European green bonds and on the decision to start inter-institutional negotiations on the dossier.
- Wednesday 18 May 2022: The European Commission will present its REPowerEU plan. The plan, intended to allow the Union to break away from Russian fossil fuels, should include an updated directive on renewable energy (with a higher target for 2030) and a strategy that could make solar energy panels on roofs mandatory for all buildings. On Wednesday, the Commission is also expected to present a new “international partnership and energy package”, entailing a new strategy for international energy use and a joint communication on a partnership with the Gulf countries. Furthermore, on Wednesday the parliamentary committees for Social Affairs (EMPL) and for the Environment (ENVI) will vote on the joint report on the Social Climate Fund (SCF). Rapporteurs for the project, which will offset the potential social impacts of the increased climate ambitions of the Union, are the Maltese MEP Casa David (PPE) and the Dutch MEP Esther De Lange (PPE).
OTHER APPOINTMENTS
- Monday 16 May 2022: The Foreign Affairs Council will be held, and ministers will meet with the foreign ministers of western Balkan countries to discuss among other things the latest developments in Ukraine. The third meeting of the EU-Canada Joint Ministerial Committee will also take place on Monday in Brussels. On the agenda there will be the situation in Ukraine as well as security and defence issues. The committee will be chaired by Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Mélanie Joly, the Canadian Foreign Minister. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet again on Tuesday 17 for Defence and Friday 20 May for Development). While the first summit will focus on defence-related matters, the second will delve into the implications of the Ukrainian war in terms of food security.
