EU

Weekly

Weekly European Agenda 13/05/2024

13-17 May 2024

Monday 13 May

Tuesday 14 May

Wednesday 15 May

Thursday 16 May

Friday 17 May

Institutional Agendas

Council of Ministers


Monday 13 May 

Eurogroup
The Eurogroup president and the institutions will provide their assessment of the latest macroeconomic developments and outlook, including a briefing on recent international meetings. The Commission is also expected to share its views on recent budgetary developments in the euro area.

Monday 13 May – Tuesday 14 May

Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council
Ministers from EU member states responsible for education, youth, culture and sport will meet in Brussels to discuss a range of topics. Ministers for youth will seek to approve conclusions on inclusive societies for young people, European and international policy agendas for children, youth and children’s rights, and the legacy of the European Year of Youth 2022. Education ministers are expected to adopt a Council recommendation on learning mobility opportunities for everyone. Ministers will also seek to approve conclusions on the rise of influencers as a part of the EU’s media ecosystem, as well as on ways to empower the cultural and creative sectors through data-driven audience development. Sport ministers are expected to approve a resolution on the EU’s Work Plan for Sport, and conclusions on the contribution of self-organised sport to supporting active and healthy lifestyles. 

Tuesday 14 May

Economic and Financial Affairs Council
The Council will seek a political agreement on a proposal to make the relief of excess withholding taxes faster and safer (FASTER). This initiative aims to help fight tax abuse and to contribute to completing the EU capital markets union by encouraging cross-border investment. The Council will seek a political agreement on the value added tax (VAT) in the digital age package. Ministers will also exchange views on the state of play of the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and on the state of play of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

An overview of planned Council meetings can be found here.

European Commission and High Representative


Monday 13 May

Schinas meets with Balazs Hanko
Vice-President Margaritis Schinas will meet with Balazs Hanko, Minister of State for Innovation and Higher Education of Hungary.

Gentiloni meets with Lyudmila Petkova
Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni will meet with Lyudmila Petkova, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Tuesday 14 May 

Jourová meets via video conference with Hugo de Jonge
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová will meet via video conference with Hugo de Jonge, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands.

Gentiloni meets with H.E. Mehmet Şimşek
Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni will meet with H.E. Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Treasury and Finance of Türkiye.

Wojciechowski takes part in field visits to the port of Constanta, Rasova Winery, and EU-funded projects
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski will take part in field visits to the port of Constanta, Rasova Winery, and EU-funded projects in Romania.

Wednesday 15 May

College meeting
EU Commissioners will gather in Brussels to discuss the state of play of the Health Union and the Security Union Report.

Jourová speaks via video conference at Copenhagen Democracy Summit
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová will speak via video conference at Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

Wojciechowski receives representatives of the European Milk Board
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski will receive representatives of the European Milk Board.

Thursday 16 May

Schinas participates to the 133rd session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Vice-President Margaritis Schinas will participate to the 133rd session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Gentiloni participates in the Brussels Economic Forum (BEF) debate: The green transition in election times
Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni will participate in the Brussels Economic Forum (BEF) debate: The green transition in election times: fair policies for people and the climate.

Jourová meets with Alar Karis, representatives of stakeholders and civil society organisations
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová will meet with Alar Karis, President of Estonia, representatives of stakeholders and civil society organisations and speak at a women’s luncheon and at Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn.

Friday 17 May

Jourová meets with Kaja Kallas and Madis Timpson
Commissioner Vĕra Jourová will meet with Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia and Madis Timpson, Minister of Justice of Estonia and speak at Lennart Meri Conference.

Wojciechowski participates in roundtable meeting of the China-Europe Association for Technical & Economic Cooperation Constitution
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski will participate in the roundtable meeting of the China-Europe Association for Technical & Economic Cooperation Constitution.

An overview of the Commission College can be found here; the Commissioners’ weekly activities can be found here; the agenda of upcoming College meetings can be found here; Commission events can be found here.

European Economic and Social Committee


Monday 13 May 

Fit for ensuring human rights due diligence in cross-border operating companies
The corporate world might undergo some changes with the two Commission proposals on European Works Councils and on corporate sustainability due diligence. During the category meeting “Workers’ Voice for more democratic participation”, the Workers’ Group will discuss the role European Works Councils (EWCs) will play in ensuring the necessary corporate due diligence, with a focus on human rights along the supply chain. The event will include presentations of the two proposals by Commission representatives as well as a deeper look into existing legislation and the role of EWCs in the human rights due diligence processes. 

Tuesday 14 May 

The promotion of innovation as a key driver for Europe’s competitiveness
The extraordinary Employers’ Group meeting that will take place during the Belgian Presidency will focus on the promotion of innovation as a key driver for Europe’s competitiveness. The conference will be officially opened by the Federal Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, who will comment on the ongoing Belgian Presidency of the Council.

Friday 17 May 

The involvement of youth in the work of the ECO section – Recent experience and way forward
The EU Youth Test was created by organisations of the civil society who considered that there was a pressing need for the inclusion of young people in policy making. In 2023, the EESC was the first EU institution to implement it, starting with a pilot project. With this public hearing, EESC aim at taking stock of the implementation of the EU Youth Test so far, and discuss on the importance of integrating youth people’s view in decision making and the economic policy areas in which they have the greatest interest.

 More information about EESC events can be found here.
The agendas of the different EESC meetings can be found here.

Committee of the Regions


Monday 13 May

Interreg: developing a vision for the future
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stands firm behind a robust Cohesion Policy and strong European Territorial Cooperation (ETC). To influence the debate on the future of EU policies after 2027, the CoR is organising a conference in cooperation with INTERACT and the Croatian EUSAIR Presidency to bring the attention of decision-makers to the new challenges that regions and cities are facing and to debate the role of ETC in helping to address these challenges, today and in the future.

Tuesday 14 May 

Stakeholder consultation on “Shock-proofing European regions: Strengthening local and regional economic resilience in the strategic evolution of the Single Market”
​​​On 14 May 2024, the ECON secretariat organises a stakeholder consultation for the opinion of rapporteur, Ilpo Heltimoinen (FI/ECR) on “Shock-proofing European regions: Strengthening local and regional economic resilience in the strategic evolution of the Single Market”. As the EU continues to cope with the consequences of recent economic shocks and crises, which often have an asymmetrical regional impact, economic resilience is high on the agenda. It refers to the ability of an economy to withstand and recover from various shocks, stresses, and disturbances, as well as the ability to adjust to changing circumstances in general.

Wednesday 15 May

22nd ECON Commission Meeting
​​The 22nd meeting of the CoR Commission for Economic Policy will take place on 15 May 2024. Members of ECON will adopt the opinion on “Enhancing the European Administrative Space (ComPAct)” and will exchange views on the “Mid-term review of the post-COVID European recovery plan” , the “Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector” and on “Strengthening local and regional economic resilience in the strategic evolution of the Single Market”.

Friday 17 May

Whole-COMM-CoR conference “Empowering small localities in the governance of asylum. From crisis to community integration”
The conference is the final dissemination event of the H2020 Whole-COMM project, ‘Exploring the Integration of post-2014 Migrants from a Whole-of-Community Perspective’, coordinated by the Collegio Carlo Alberto in Turin. The conference will aim to connect researchers and policymakers operating at different governance levels who have an interest in strengthening inclusive responses to migrant integration in small localities. The conference will also promote the key policy-oriented tools elaborated by the project.

More information about Committee of the Regions events can be found here. The agendas of the different Committee of the Regions meetings can be found here.

Belgian Presidency


Monday 13 May 

Informal high-level meeting of EU culture ministers on ‘Culture and European Identity’
On the eve of the Culture Council, the Flemish Minister for Culture is inviting European Ministers for Culture to an informal working dinner on 13 May 2024 in Antwerp. At this meeting, they will build on the conversations that emerged from the conference ‘Unity in Diversity? Culture, Heritage and Identity in Europe’ on 15 and 16 April. The main objective of this dinner is to have an open debate on the role and contribution of culture and heritage in the European identity discourse.

Thursday 16 May – Friday 17 May 

Informal Meeting Trade Policy Committee Services & Investment
Agenda to be released at a later date.

Pride Alliances and Policy : Towards a Union of Equality
This high-level conference will focus on: a review of the European Commission’s strategy for promoting the rights of LGBTIQ+ people and the future commitment of Member States, the European Commission itself and the European Parliament on this issue. The aim of the conference is to result in the signing of a declaration encouraging member states and the Commission to continue their commitment to LGBTIQ+ people.

The agenda of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU can be found here.

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights


Monday 13 May

Racism and discrimination of people of African descent to be discussed at an EU Council Working Party
FRA will speak to the Council of the EU’s Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP) on 13 May in Brussels. The meeting will be dedicated to the end of the International Decade for People of African Descent. It aims to foster an exchange with Member States on progress, gaps and ways to foster inclusion of people of African Descent. FRA will present key findings with respect to people’s experiences of racism and racial discrimination from its Being Black in the EU – Experiences of people of African descent.

Tuesday 14 May

FRA and Council of Europe discuss ongoing cooperation
FRA Director Sirpa Rautio and the Council of Europe’s President of the Parliamentary Assembly Theodorous Rousopoulos will meet on 14 May in Vienna. They will exchange views on current challenges to human rights in Europe and the importance of respecting fundamental rights standards.

Information on upcoming FRA events can be found here.

European Central Bank


Monday 13 May

Participation by Cipollone in Eurogroup meeting
Piero Cipollone will participate in the Eurogroup meeting in Brussels. 

Tuesday 14 May

Participation by de Guindos in ECOFIN meeting
Luis de Guindos will participate in the ECOFIN meeting in Brussels.

Friday 17 May

Remarks by de Guindos at Banking Sector Industry Meeting organised by IESE Business School
Luis de Guindos will give remarks at Banking Sector Industry Meeting organised by IESE Business School in Madrid.

More information about ECB events can be found here

European Investment Bank


Monday 13 May

EIB AdVenture Debt Summit
This year’s EIB Venture Debt Summit welcomes EIB Advisory Services stakeholders, building on the success of their pre-pandemic events. The day-long summit will bring together leading figures in venture capital and finance, as well as European Commission representatives, to discuss market trends, investment needs and challenges for innovative companies. They will develop strategies to navigate the European market’s fragmentation and capitalise on opportunities, as well as learn how EIB Advisory Services empower businesses with expert financial and technical assistance.

The agenda of the EIB can be found here.

Council of Europe


Tuesday 14 May – Thursday 16 May

Confidence in Tomorrow
An event on “Confidence in Tomorrow” will be organised in the framework of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe under the Presidency of Liechtenstein. Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein Domenik Wanger will deliver opening speeches.
The event seeks to further renew and strengthen the close relationship between the mission of the Council of Europe and the current and future generations of young people.

Thursday 16 May – Friday 17 May

Foreign ministers of the 46 Member States meet a year after the Reykjavik Summit
The Foreign Ministers of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe will hold their annual session on 17 May, against the background of the Organisation’s 75th anniversary. The agenda will include the measures which the Council of Europe is continuing to take in response to the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, implementation of the Reykjavik Declaration (adopted at the Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2023) and the adoption of a Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.

Find an overview of Council of Europe events here; the PACE diary here; the Congress calendar of events here; information on forthcoming judgments here; the calendar of hearings here; information on Venice Commission events here; the agenda of the Commissioner of Human Rights here; and the Chairmanship agenda here.

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