The Week Ahead 06 – 12 March 2023

Rule of law/Greece. A delegation of the Civil Liberties Committee will travel to Athens to assess the situation of rule of law, the fight against corruption and media freedom. MEPs plan to meet members of the Government, the judiciary and the intelligence agency. Meetings are also scheduled with companies involved in producing and selling spyware, journalists, NGOs and civil society, as well as with the Border Police and the EU border agency Frontex. There will be a press conference on Wednesday around noon. (Monday to Wednesday)

Security and defence/Rapid deployment capacity. The Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on a report calling for the establishment of a “European Union rapid deployment capacity”, equipped with up to 5 000 troops to respond to crises. (Thursday)

Energy outlook. MEPs from the Industry, Research and Energy Committee will take stock of the situation on the energy market one year after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and discuss future perspectives with Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and the International Energy Agency’s Executive Director Fatih Birol. A press conference is scheduled at 12.30. (Thursday)

Pollinators. The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee will debate the recent Court of Justice ruling concerning derogations from bans on marketing and using seeds treated with plant protection products containing neonicotinoids (insecticides). MEPs will also discuss the revision of the EU pollinators’ initiative, which aims to tackle the decline of wild pollinators. (Monday)

Women’s Rights. A delegation of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee will be in New York to participate in the UN Commission on the Status of Women focussing on innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age. In Washington DC, they will meet with representatives of civil society, government and members of parliament to discuss the backlash against women’s rights in the US and Europe. (Monday – Thursday)

Plenary preparations. Political groups will prepare for the 13-16 March session, where MEPs will debate and vote on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to increase the rate of renovations and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions, on “Fit for 55” laws laying down stricter rules for member states’ greenhouse gas emissions and improving natural carbon sinks to make the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, on new rules for fair access and use of industrial data as well as on EU-relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan. They will also outline their demands for the 23-24 March summit, mark International Women’s Day, discuss how to ensure energy security in the EU in 2023 and hold a “This is Europe” debate with Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda.

President’s diary. EP President Roberta Metsola will give the keynote address at the opening of the “Prominent and Promising Women in the EU” exhibition (Netherlands Permanent Representation to the EU) on Wednesday, International Women’s Day.Pre-session press briefing. The EP 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).