The Week Ahead 11 – 17 July 2022

Fit for 55/Renewables and Energy efficiency. The Industry, Research and Energy Committee will adopt its positions on two draft bills that are part of the “Fit for 55” package to fight climate change. MEPs will vote on new EU targets to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and increase energy efficiency. The measures would also support the EU’s energy sovereignty and security in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Wednesday).

Global deforestation. The Environment Committee will vote on draft legislation to halt EU-driven global deforestation, a key contributor to global warming. The new law will make it obligatory for companies to verify (so-called “due diligence”) that goods sold in the EU do not contribute to the destruction of forests outside the EU (Tuesday).

Fit for 55: talks with member states. Negotiations are scheduled to start with the Czech Council Presidency on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), after Parliament and member states agreed on their respective positions in June (Monday).

Protection of consumer credit. The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee will vote to update EU online rules protecting consumers from over-indebtedness, e.g. as a result of loans, overdrafts and credit cards (Tuesday).

Hungary/EU values. The Civil Liberties Committee will adopt a report detailing the Hungarian government’s systemic threats to EU values in the country. MEPs are likely to say that member states should have already acted to address this situation and that any further delay would amount to a breach of the rule of law by the Council itself (Wednesday).

NATO/Stoltenberg. The Foreign Affairs Committee, the Security and Defence Subcommittee and the Delegation for relations with NATO will discuss EU-NATO cooperation and the outcome of the 28-30 June NATO summit with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Wednesday).

COVID-19. The EP’s Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic will hold a debate with the director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority’s (HERA) Director-General, and chief epidemiologists from several EU countries (Wednesday).

Rights of Ukrainian women fleeing war. MEPs will discuss with national parliamentarians on the rights of Ukrainian women fleeing the war, particularly reception conditions and access to social protection, the labour market, housing, childcare and education (Tuesday).

EU survey on citizens’ media views and habits. Parliament will publish a Eurobarometer survey on EU citizens’ media habits, their trust in different media sources, and attitudes to the threat of disinformation (Tuesday).

President’s diary. EP President Roberta Metsola will deliver the opening address at the European Parliament’s Article 17 dialogue (with churches, religious associations or communities, and philosophical and non-confessional organisations) on the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine, on Tuesday.