The focus of the EU institutions’ last week of April shifts to Strasbourg for the European Parliament’s plenary session. In parallel, under the Cyprus Presidency, an informal meeting of EU Telecommunications ministers will take place in Lefkosia.
DIGITAL
Monday 27 April. In Strasbourg, plenary will hold a debate on the role of ocean diplomacy for the competitiveness of EU fisheries and aquaculture, on the basis of a report by Željana Zovko (Croatia, EPP). The vote is scheduled for the following day.
Tuesday 28 April. Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen will present a Commission Recommendation on online age verification. On the same day, plenary will debate the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, following an initiative by Anna Cavazzini (Germany, Greens/EFA) and Andreas Schwab (Germany, EPP), with the vote scheduled for Thursday.
Wednesday 29 April – Thursday 30 April. In Lefkosia, Cyprus, the informal meeting of EU Telecommunications ministers will bring together EU digital ministers and the European Commission to coordinate on emerging priorities in the digital and cyber domains. Discussions will focus on accelerating the uptake of trustworthy AI, strengthening the protection of minors online, and enhancing the resilience of Europe’s critical infrastructures. The meeting will conclude with a joint press conference by Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy to the President of the Republic of Cyprus Dr Nicodemos Damianou and Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen.
SUSTAINABILITY
Tuesday 28 April. Plenary is expected to vote on the accounting of greenhouse gas emissions of transport services, on the basis of the second-reading recommendation by the Chair of the ENVI Committee Pierfrancesco Maran (Italy, S&D) and Norbert Lins (Germany, EPP). On the same day, plenary will also vote on amendments to the Biocidal Products Regulation extending certain data protection periods, based on a report also led by Pierfrancesco Maran.
Wednesday 29 April. A key debate is scheduled on the EU strategy in response to the ongoing Middle East crisis and its implications for energy prices and the availability of fertilisers, with statements by the Council and the Commission. In the same plenary sitting, a vote is also expected on the simplification of certain requirements and procedures for chemical products, on the basis of a report by Dimitris Tsiodras (Greece, EPP) and Piotr Müller (Poland, ECR).
OTHER EVENTS
Tuesday 28 April. Plenary will examine the interim report on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), on the basis of the recommendation by Siegfried Mureşan (Romania, EPP) and Carla Tavares (Portugal, S&D). In the early afternoon, a joint debate will take place on Discharge 2024 (EU general budget – Commission), based on reports by Daniel Freund (Germany, Greens/EFA), Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Netherlands, Renew) and Pasquale Tridico (Italy, The Left). Also on Tuesday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification Valdis Dombrovskis will present in plenary a Communication on better regulation and strengthened enforcement.
