The Week Ahead 03 – 09 March 2025

Committee and political groups’ meetings

Women in defence, security and peace building. A special meeting of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality with members of national parliaments and invited panellists – including women in leadership roles in the military, academics, and activists – is scheduled in the run-up to the International Women’s Day (8 March). The meeting will include introductory remarks by the European Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, and will focus on ‘Strengthening the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda – Upholding Women’s Rights in Defence, Security, and Peacebuilding. (Thursday) A media seminar is organised on Wednesday afternoon, with EP President Roberta Metsola, MEPs, and guests from Ukraine, Israel, Palestine and international organisations.

Plenary preparations. Political groups will prepare for the 10-13 March session, where MEPs will mark International Women’s Day, debate the future of European defence, and draw their conclusions from the special European Council meeting of 6 March while outlining their demands and expectations ahead of the 20-21 March EU summit. MEPs will also discuss new Commission proposals on the return of third country nationals with no right to stay in the EU and the Critical Medicines Act. They will debate accelerating the phase-out of Russian gas and dealing with Russian frozen assets. Political groups will prepare a resolution on the EU’s continued support for Ukraine, discuss the European Semester for economic, employment and social policy coordination, and explore ways to support the reconstruction of Syria.

Pre-session press briefing. The EP’s Press Service will hold a press briefing with the Parliament’s political group spokespersons at 11.00 on Friday (Anna Politkovskaya room, press centre, Brussels).

President’s diary. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will meet the President of the European Research Council, Maria Leptin, on Monday afternoon, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at 19.00 the same day. On Tuesday President Metsola will address the EPC Thought Leadership Forum. She will preside over the Conference of Presidents on Wednesday and participate in the special European Council meeting on Thursday.