The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
The 14th round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the EU and the U.S. will take place from July 11 to 15 in Brussels. The negotiators will discuss all three pillars of the TTIP: market access for EU and U.S. firms, regulatory cooperation, and rules of trade. The EU will submit various proposals on a number of areas, such as regulatory cooperation, digital trade and energy and raw materials. The focus of the round will be on the more technical work of consolidating as many texts as possible and bringing positions closer together.
-Eurozone budget
Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem and finance ministers Luis de Guindos (Spain), Michel Sapin (France) Euclid Tsakalotos (Greece) Pier Carlo Padoan (Italy) Pierre Gramegna (Luxembourg), Peter Kazimir (Slovakia) and Edward Scicluna (Malta) will join the committees on Budgets and Economic and Monetary Affairs in the European Parliament to discuss fiscal issues for the Eurozone on Monday.
-Slovak Presidency
Several committees will meet with government ministers from Slovakia from Monday to Thursday to discuss the priorities of the Slovak presidency over the next six months.
-Eurogroup
The Eurogroup will gather in Brussels on Monday to exchange views on the economic and financial situation in the euro area. Ministers will also be briefed on the developments in financial markets following the outcome of the U.K. referendum on EU membership on June 23. The Eurogroup will be informed about the main outcomes of the fifth post-program surveillance review in Ireland and the fourth post-program surveillance review in Portugal.
-ECOFIN
Economic and Financial Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday. During the meeting, the working schedule of the Slovak Presidency will be discussed. The council is expected to adopt decisions on high budget deficits in Spain and Portugal. In addition, the council is expected to formally adopt the anti tax avoidance directive, containing rules against corporate tax avoidance. The council agreed on the draft directive on June 21, 2016.
-EU-China Summit
The 18th bilateral summit between the EU and China will take place on July 12 and 13 in Beijing. Discussions will focus on political and economic relations as well as global and regional issues. Leaders are expected to discuss China's market economy status.
-Car emissions
The parliament's inquiry committee on Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) will hold hearings with Volkswagen, Renault and Mitsubishi as well as the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) with former Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas on Wednesday and Thursday.
-Gun control:
The EU firearms directive is up for a vote in the Internal Market Committee on Wednesday. MEPs will vote on draft amendments to the proposed revision of the directive, setting out conditions under which private persons can acquire and possess weapons, to prevent them falling into the hands of terrorists.
-External border checks on EU citizens
Parliament and council negotiators will try to strike a deal on plans to make mandatory checks on EU citizens entering and leaving the EU, similar to non-EU nationals. Checks against national databases of lost and stolen documents would be made at all external air, sea and land borders.
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
On July 15 to 16, Mongolia will host the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and High Representative Federica Mogherini will represent the European Union at the summit. This year is the 20th anniversary of the ASEM, which was created in 1996 as a forum for dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Asia.