Parliamentarians from across Europe discuss economic, social and budgetary issues

The conference, which will end on Tuesday, was opened by EP President Roberta Metsola on Monday afternoon who told participants that Europe must remain united in the face of global challenges such as that of a belligerent Russia. “Our way of doing things works, which is why Europe continues setting global standards”, President Metsola said, urging parliamentarians to avoid the temptation of a protectionist race when confronted with the economic difficulties currently facing all countries. Instead, Ms Metsola called for a bold, coordinated response, also by using the fora such as this conference, to identify the best solutions to be emulated.

The Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag, Andreas Norlén reminded participants that, despite the war in Ukraine having negatively affected all European economies, the highest price was being paid by the Ukrainian people. “The future of Europe is being fought in the cities of Ukraine”, Mr Norlén said. Economic adaptations would be necessary, due to geo-politics but also due to the need to better address climate change and tax fairness, Mr Norlén said, adding that constructive discussion on how to enact these adaptations was key.

Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis outlined the next policy steps the Commission would be taking in the months ahead, notably regarding the revision of the EU’s economic governance and initiatives linked to the green transition.

You can watch the opening session of the conference again here.

All information about this year’s meeting can be found here, including webstreaming links to follow the various meetings.

Background

The European Parliamentary Week brings together Parliamentarians from the EU, candidate and observer countries to discuss economic, budgetary and social matters. It consists of the Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the European Union and the European Semester Conference.

The Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance provides a platform for debate and sharing best practices in implementing the provisions of the Treaty and aims to strengthen cooperation between national Parliaments and the European Parliament.

The European Semester Conference provides an opportunity to exchange information on best practices in implementing the Semester cycles, and to strengthen cooperation in order to scrutinise the actions of the executives at national and European levels.