The week of March 17-21 is set to be particularly eventful for the European institutions. On the digital and energy fronts, the IMCO, ITRE and ENVI Committees will meet with an agenda covering a vast range of topics, from AI, DSA and DMA, to energy supply and efficiency. Additionally, the European Commission is expected to release its Communication on the Savings and Investments Union. Finally, the EU leaders will gather in Brussels for a European Council meeting where European defense and the Multiannual Financial Framework are at stake.
DIGITAL
Monday 17 March and Tuesday 18 March. The Working Group on the implementation and enforcement of the AI Act, co-chaired by Brando Benifei (S&D), will present a report on the regulation’s state of the art to the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).
Moreover, on the digital side, during the two-day meeting of the IMCO Committee, representatives from the Commission will update the MEPs on the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
On Tuesday, the agenda will be equally packed. A discussion about the legislative framework for products that support the digital and sustainable transition, led by rapporteur David Cormand (Verts/ALE), will take place. Then, the Committee will also evaluate the amendments to the Artificial Intelligence Liability Directive, following the rejection of the text during the previous IMCO meeting. Finally, the session will conclude with a hearing on the implementation and enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Tuesday 18 March. Sarah Knafo (ESN), as rapporteur, will submit to the Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (ITRE) the initiative on European technological sovereignty and digital infrastructures for assessment.
On the same day, in ITRE, the Commission will present the delegated act establishing the list of specific components used in net-zero emissions technologies, as well as the implementing act on the assessment of the contribution to the resilience of final products in net-zero emissions technologies and their key specific components.
SUSTAINABILITY
Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 March. The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) will meet in Brussels. The agenda for the first day includes presentations to MEPs on the European Maritime Transport Environmental Report 2025 and the European Aviation Environment Report 2025 by the respective European agencies, as well as a discussion with Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency.
The following day will open with a structured dialogue with Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera regarding the Clean Industrial Deal. Additionally, amendments to Regulation 2023/956 will be discussed, focusing on the simplification and strengthening of the carbon border adjustment mechanism. On the voting agenda, MEPs will cast their votes on the provisional agreement on amendments to the Waste Directive resulting from the interinstitutional negotiations, as well as on the adoption of the draft opinion on the Implementation Report of the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Monday 17 March. The Commission will present to the IMCO Committee the new joint roadmap for decarbonization and competitiveness, followed by a debate with the MEPs.
Tuesday 18 March. During the ITRE Committee meeting, the approval of a question with a request for an oral answer and the approval of a resolution proposal regarding high-intensity industries will be voted on, led by the rapporteur Giorgio Gori (S&D).
On the energy sector, the ITRE Committee will also review the draft reports on the security of energy supply in the EU, with rapporteur Beata Szydło (ECR), and on electricity grids, with rapporteur Anna Stürgkh (Renew), ahead of the amendment submission deadline set for March 20.
Following the debate on electricity grids, the Committee will hear a presentation of the study “Increasing Flexibility in the EU Energy System,” prepared by the Policy Department.
Finally, with regards to interinstitutional meetings, ITRE will host a discussion with Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy at the European Commission, on developments in energy policy, followed by a structured dialogue with Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
OTHER EVENTS
Wednesday 18 March. The Commission is set to publish a series of plans, strategies, and communications. Specifically, the following are expected: the White Paper on the Future of European Defense, the REARM Plan, the Steel and Metals Action Plan, and the Communication on the Savings and Investments Union. The latter, as outlined in the Competitiveness Compass, aims at completing the action plans for the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union, increasing European venture capital and mobilizing funding for European projects.
Thursday 19 and Friday 20 March. The Heads of State will convene in Brussels for the European Council meeting. The agenda will begin with the latest developments regarding the war in Ukraine and European defense, in light of last week’s discussions and votes in the Plenary on the White Paper on the Future of European Defense and the REARM Plan. Additionally, the Council will discuss the three priorities identified by European Council President António Costa – simplification, energy and the Savings and Investments Union. Specifically, on the internal market, the discussion will cover the Action Plans for the automotive, steel and metal sectors, as well as an initial exchange of views on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The question of how to allocate the European budget to achieve the goals set by the Commission, while also addressing the emerging defense and security crisis, remains an open issue.
