EU Agenda: Week Ahead - 22-28 February 2021
This week, EU leaders meet in videoconference to discuss the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic; foreign affairs ministers discuss the situation in Myanmar; the Commission holds webinars on the EU taxonomy, and on integrated home renovation services in Europe; MEPs in committee debate COVID-19 vaccines production, the threats to abortion rights and rule of law in Poland, and an EU strategy for tourism; and we have EU Industry Days 2021. The week's events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings and other EU-related conferences and events. Events for the week of 22-27 February 2021.
Monday 22 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament committee meetings
European Parliament, Brussels
European Parliamentary Week/High-level event on EU recovery: national and EU parliamentarians will discuss the economic, budgetary, social and environmental challenges that hamper the path to a full recovery following the pandemic, during the Parliamentary Week event. EP President David Sassoli, President of the Portuguese Parliament Ferro Rodrigues, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, European Council President Charles Michel, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and ECB President Christine Lagarde, are among the invited speakers.
Monday 22 February
European Committee of the Regions | Events/Conf/Fairs | Enlargement, external relations and trade
12th ARLEM plenary session and 2021 ARLEM Award ceremony
Online
The 12th plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean regional and local assembly (ARLEM) will take place on Monday 22 February 2021.
On the agenda is a debate on the path towards a renewed partnership between the EU and its Southern neighbours in the context of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Members will also discuss:
- a new Green Deal for the Mediterranean: the Agenda 2030 for a greener Mediterranean
- digitalisation as a key factor to boost business around the Mediterranean.
The plenary session will be followed in the afternoon by the ceremony of the 2021 ARLEM Award: young local entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean.
With this award, ARLEM focuses on stimulating local business, supporting young entrepreneurs and encouraging collaboration between local public authorities and the private sector. This year the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limits of the globalisation and the crucial importance of the local economy. More than ever young local entrepreneurs need support to develop their businesses and address local communities' needs.
More information on the plenary session
Monday 22 February
Council of the EU and European Council | Political Meetings | Enlargement, external relations and trade
Foreign Affairs Council
Brussels
The meeting will be chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
EU ministers will be briefed about current affairs, thereby reviewing a number of recent issues and upcoming events, including the situation in Myanmar - with conclusions to be adopted. Ministers will also discuss about Ethiopia and the G5 Sahel Summit, and receive updates on Iran and Belarus.
They will then have a strategic discussion on the latest developments concerning EU-Russia relations.
Ministers will also exchange views on the Strategic Compass - the EU initiative which aims to strengthen a common European security and defence culture. The EU is facing new and increasing threats and challenges, and ministers will take stock of the evolving situation and debate whether existing policy and instruments need to be enhanced.
The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is expected to join the meeting by video conference in the afternoon, for an exchange of views on EU-US relations.
Lastly, the meeting will review the latest developments regarding Hong Kong and discuss the next steps for the EU.
Monday 22 February
Council of the EU and European Council | Political Meetings | Food, farming and fisheries
Informal video conference of fisheries ministers
Online
EU fisheries ministers will hold an informal video conference hosted by the Portuguese presidency. The only item on the agenda concerns the consultations with the United Kingdom on fishing opportunities.
Fishing opportunities
Ministers will be briefed on the state of play of the bilateral consultations between the EU and the UK on fishing opportunities. The fish quotas concerned are:
- jointly managed stocks for the year 2021
- deep-sea shared stocks for the year 2021 and 2022
The Commission is leading the consultations with the UK. At their previous meeting in January, ministers highlighted the need for them to be fully informed and involved in the process.
Tuesday 23 - Friday 26 February
European Commission | Events/Conf/Fairs | Business - Energy, environment and climate - Research and innovation
EU Industry Days 2021
Online
EU Industry Days is Europe's flagship annual event on industry. It serves as the main platform to discuss industrial challenges and co-develop opportunities and policy responses in an inclusive dialogue with a wide range of partners.
It also helps to ensure that our policies at European, national, regional and local levels work together to enable European industry to deliver jobs, growth and innovation in Europe.
EU Industry Days 2021 will take place as a virtual event from 23 - 26 February.
Tuesday 23 February
Council of the EU and European Council | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Informal video conference of European affairs ministers
Online
Ministers will prepare for the upcoming video conference of members of the European Council on 25 and 26 February 2021.
The Portuguese presidency will inform ministers about the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Ministers will exchange views on the European Democracy Action Plan.
They will also assess the state of play in EU-UK relations.
Tuesday 23 February
European Commission - European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights - Other bodies and agencies | Events/Conf/Fairs | Culture, education and youth - Justice and citizens' rights
Fundamental rights citizens' dialogue with Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for fundamental rights (FRA)
Online
Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for fundamental rights (FRA) will hold a virtual citizens' dialogue to give young people a chance to voice and discuss their fundamental rights concerns.
Main themes:
- How to make sure that everyone can enjoy fair and equal access to education, jobs and healthcare?
- How to tackle hate speech, racism and disinformation, especially online?
- How to reduce divisions and help everyone take part in society?
Tuesday 23 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament committee meetings
European Parliament, Brussels
Abortion rights and rule of law in Poland: the Civil Liberties and Women's Rights committees will debate the threats to abortion rights and rule of law in Poland, in a public hearing. Invited speakers include Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli, a representative of Polish authorities as well as the leader of the Polish Women on Strike movement, Marta Lempart, and Chair of the Family Council in Poland's Ministry of Family and Social Policy Dorota Bojemska.
EU enlargement/Kosovo and Serbia: the reforms undertaken by Serbia and Kosovo on their path to EU membership will be assessed, in two separate reports, by the Foreign Affairs Committee. The reports focus in particular on democracy and rule of law, freedom of expression and the independence of the media, fighting corruption and organised crime, and normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
Wednesday 24 February
European Economic and Social Committee | Political Meetings | Covid-19 - Economy and the euro - Employment and social rights
558th plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee
Brussels
Members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will meet for their 558th plenary session on 24-25 February 2021.
The plenary session will include the following events:
- a debate on the Conference on the future of Europe with Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission for democracy and demography
- a debate with Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for budget and administration on the theme 'Resolution on the involvement of organised civil society in the national recovery and resilience plan: What works and what does not'
- the award ceremony for the EESC Civil Solidarity Prize: Civil society against COVID-19
Wednesday 24 February
European Committee of the Regions | Events/Conf/Fairs | Business - Energy, environment and climate - EU regional and urban development
Fostering resilient regional ecosystems to decarbonise industry: Strengthening cross-sectoral and cross-border value-chain cooperation
Online
Several challenges need to be addressed in order to reach climate neutrality in Europe's industry. This workshop, jointly organised by the European Committee of the Regions and Eurochambres, aims to identify these barriers and give a way forward for industry to successfully lead this transition.
One of these challenges is to diminish the innovation gaps from research and development investments to the deployment of new technologies in industrial ecosystems. Leveraging and exploiting the synergies between manufacturing companies and sectors in order to optimise resource and energy management on a regional level and beyond will be one of the most important drivers for decarbonisation.
Increased cost efficiency and resource productivity as well as technological and process-related innovation resulting from industrial sector coupling are also particularly critical in the context of the current economic crisis. Stimulating a circular and materials efficient economy is also one of the main challenges.
Wednesday 24 February
European Commission | Events/Conf/Fairs | Economy and the euro - Energy, environment and climate
Series of webinars on the EU taxonomy – Discussion on future developments with the Platform on sustainable finance
Online
This event is an opportunity to explore and discuss key concepts and possible future policy solutions related to the Platform on sustainable finance's work on the EU taxonomy. Interested stakeholders will be able to engage on the approaches and key concepts developed by the platform so far and get an insight in its work process.
The event will be organised as 5 separate livestreamed webinars, each exploring a different aspect of the EU taxonomy:
- Role of the EU taxonomy in stimulating and mobilising finance for transition to environmental sustainability
- Possible ways of extending the EU taxonomy framework beyond green activities
- Main challenges and possible solutions with regard to taxonomy-linked data and corporate reporting and disclosure
- Insight into the work process of the platform in developing the EU taxonomy criteria for the remaining 4 environmental objectives (water, circular economy, pollution and biodiversity)
- Potential development of a social taxonomy and its possible structure
The series of events will be opened by the European Commission and the Chair of the Platform on sustainable finance.
Thursday 25 February
European Committee of the Regions | Events/Conf/Fairs | EU regional and urban development - International aid, development and cooperation
Online stakeholder consultation on delivering the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030
Online
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is drafting a new opinion on the sustainable development goals (SDGs), scheduled for adoption at the plenary session of 30 June 2021.
It has been over a year since the entry into function of the new European Commission college and the decision to implement the SDGs with the European Green Deal and their integration in the European Semester. The CoR is now calling on EU regions and cities to express their views on the work done so far, considering that the engagement on the SDGs at EU level has a real impact on action at local and regional level.
Thursday 25 - Friday 26 February
Council of the EU and European Council - European Council | Political Meetings | Covid-19 - Institutional affairs - Security and defence
Video conference of the members of the European Council
Online
On 25 and 26 February, the members of the European Council will meet via video conference to discuss the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, preparedness for health threats, security and defence, and relations with the Southern Neighbourhood.
COVID-19
EU leaders will take stock of the epidemiological situation. They will continue working to coordinate the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing in particular on the production and rollout of vaccines and the movement of persons.
Thursday 25 February
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament committee meetings
European Parliament, Brussels
COVID-19 vaccines production: "How to increase the capacity of COVID-19 vaccine production and improve delivery" will be debated in a public hearing organised by the Environment and Public Health, and the Industry and Research committees. MEPs have invited the CEOs of vaccine production companies and the Commission to take part in the discussion.
EU strategy for tourism: the Transport and Tourism Committee will put forward a series of suggestions to help the EU's tourism sector, which employs 22.6 million people (9.5% EU GDP), with 6 million jobs currently at risk. MEPs are likely to call for a pandemic response plan with common national measures, including a single vaccination certificate, criteria for intra-EU travel, tracking forms and testing on departure to avoid quarantine, as well as for the "Re-open EU" portal to be constantly updated.
Friday 26 February
European Commission | Events/Conf/Fairs | Business - Energy, environment and climate
Webinar on integrated home renovation services in Europe
Online
Integrated home renovation services help home-owners navigate the complex process of home renovation by centralising a range of services, such as technical and social diagnosis, coordination of suppliers and contractors, structuring and provision of finance, and the monitoring of works and quality assurance.
This webinar, organised by the European Commission, will present findings on how to set up these types of services and take a close look at some prominent examples established by local authorities and the financial sector in Europe.
Discussions will be of interest to local and regional authorities, financial institutions, investors, and service providers looking to set up their own integrated home renovation services for their clients or residents.