This week, get ready to dive into another plenary session of the European Parliament and an agenda packed with economic and financial issues, ahead of a special EU summit in Brussels (17-18 April) that will focus on competitiveness and the economy.
First up, MEPs will meet in the Belgian capital on Wednesday and Thursday (10-11 April) for the penultimate plenary session before the European elections in June — the last being in Strasbourg later this month.
On the agenda are final votes on the migration and asylum package and the reform of the energy and electricity markets, as well as a royal address by His Majesty King Philippe, King of the Belgians.
Another vote is scheduled for Wednesday, when the Parliament is expected to adopt its position on the landmark pharmaceutical package, which aims to ensure better access, availability and affordability of medicines in the EU, in particular through measures to tackle medicine shortages.
Also on MEPs’ agenda are a quiz for Council and Commission representatives on the early release of frozen EU funds for Hungary and the lack of progress in the Article 7 rule of law procedure, a discussion on Chinese police activity in Europe and another on the outcome of the Russian presidential election.
On Wednesday, the commission will discuss the future of the single market with former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta, ahead of his long-awaited report on the subject to EU leaders which will be presented on 17 April.
The report was requested by EU capitals at the Brussels summit last June and aims to propose concrete and ambitious recommendations to revamp the single market.
Another report, with proposals on how to revitalise the EU economy in the face of competition from China and the United States to be drafted by former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi, has been commissioned by EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen — but is not expected until the end of June.
On Thursday the focus shifts to Luxembourg, where the Eurogroup will examine euro area competitiveness, trade performance and the risks of trade fragmentation.
The state of play on the digital euro is expected to be addressed by euro area ministers as well.
In Luxembourg the following day, finance ministers will seek to adopt conclusions on the implementation of the post-pandemic Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and exchange views on the economic impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Similarly, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group will meet on Tuesday to assess the impact of EU sanctions against Russia and their circumvention, in the presence of EU commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis.
On the same day, the liberal Renew Europe group in the parliament is organising an event on the progress made in the digital field during the last mandate.
EU commissioners Thierry Breton and Margrethe Vestager will be present to discuss the remaining challenges and opportunities after the June elections.
And last but not least, on Tuesday, the commission and the EU’s agriculture ministers will hold an informal meeting in Genk, Belgium, where they’ll look in more detail at strategic autonomy in the protein sector, among other things.
