The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) period after 2020, with the aim of simplifying and modernizing the EU's farm policy.
Foreign Affairs Council will gather in Brussels on Monday to discuss issues on the international agenda. The U.K. is expected to raise the poisoning of Sergey and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury through the use of nerve agent Novichok.
Foreign ministers will have an exchange of views on Ukraine and discuss the latest development in Syria with Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria. EU foreign ministers will hold an informal lunch with the South Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung- to focus on developments on the Korean peninsula.
Cecilia , the European commissioner for trade, and H.E. Eng. Yarub Qudah, the Jordanian minister of trade, industry supply in their capacity as Union for the Mediterranean co-presidencies are hosting the 10th Union for the Mediterranean trade ministerial conference in Brussels on Monday. The conference will gather the union’s 43 trade ministers in the Mediterranean’s member states. The conference is expected to develop initiatives to facilitate and increase trade and investment flows, in order to enhance and strengthen the mutually beneficial economic integration process in the Mediterranean region.
The General Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday. The Council, which will meet in an EU27 format, will discuss the draft guidelines for a future relationship with the U.K. after Brexit. Ministers will look at the text ahead of the European Council (Article 50) meeting later in the week, where the EU27 leaders will adopt the guidelines. The Commission's Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, will update ministers on the state of play on Brexit negotiations.
In preparation for the European Council on March 22 and 23, the Council will discuss the draft conclusions.
European Parliament Committee Meetings will take place in Brussels this week. The Transport and Tourism Committee will vote to step up EU measures to protect EU air carriers against unfair competition by non-EU countries on Tuesday. The regulation would give the EU Commission more effective tools for investigating alleged unfair practices, such as subsidies to third country carriers or discriminatory access conditions for EU ones, and propose countermeasures, including financial duties.
The Environment and Public Health Committee will call for measures on Tuesday to address vaccine “hesitancy” in the EU, where growing numbers of people are choosing to delay or refuse vaccines. Recent data from EU member states show a significant drop in the use of vaccines.
Members of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Tuesday will put questions to Elke Konig, chair of the Single Resolution Board - the European Banking Union's authority tasked with ensuring an orderly resolution of failing banks.
The Tripartite Social Summit will meet in Brussels on Wednesday. The main theme of the spring social summit is 'Delivering on the European Pillar of Social Rights', in order to strengthen the social acquis and deliver more effective rights to citizens. The summit will be co-chaired by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the Head of State or Government of the rotating presidency – currently the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
The Industry and Energy Committee on Wednesday will vote on a law to enforce EU gas market rules; unbundling, independent supervision, etc. on suppliers from non-EU countries. This law would apply to all future gas pipelines to the EU from non-EU countries, e.g. Russia, including the Nord Stream II, Norway, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia Morocco. Later in the day, the committee will debate the latest developments on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine with Commission Vice-President for the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic.
The European Council, also known as EU Leaders Summit, will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. The European Council will focus on economic affairs. Heads of state or government will also look at a number of other pressing issues, including taxation and foreign affairs.
Finally, EU leaders will also discuss Brexit, in an EU 27 format, and Eurozone in a Euro Summit format. EU leaders will adopt conclusions on several issues relevant to jobs, growth competitiveness. Heads of state or government will also address trade issues.
Under the leaders' agenda, EU leaders will hold a debate on taxation, in particular in the digital economy. Leaders will also discuss recent developments in relations with Turkey, as well as the recent attack in the U.K. on Sergei and Yulia Skripal.
The European Council (Art. 50), in an EU 27 format, will review the state of negotiations following the United Kingdom's notification of its intention to leave the EU and adopt additional guidelines. The 19 Euro Area members will discuss the long-term development of the economic and monetary union, including on more ambitious proposal in the fiscal and economic dimension. Leaders of the 19 Eurozone countries will have a broad discussion on the long-term reforms of the economic and monetary union, including proposals such as the creation of a budgetary capacity for the Eurozone.