The Week Ahead 16 – 22 February 2026
Defence/Poland and Czechia. A delegation from the Security and Defence Committee is visiting Poland and Czechia to assess how their defence industries are adapting to the ongoing war in Ukraine. MEPs will also investigate how the sector is responding to new EU initiatives on strengthening Europe’s defence, technological, and industrial base and their cooperation with their Ukrainian counterparts (Monday to Wednesday).
International Trade/Philippines. Members of the International Trade Committee will go to Manila to discuss economic, trade and investment relations between the EU and Philippines. MEPs will meet representatives of the government, lawmakers and other relevant partners and focus on the recent progress made in negotiations on a free trade agreement (Monday to Wednesday).
European Democracy Shield/USA. Members of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield will travel to Washington D. C. and New York, to discuss how to address hybrid threats, cybersecurity, espionage, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), among other topics, with representatives of the Department of Justice, the US Congress, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), non-governmental organisations, and media organisations (Monday to Wednesday).
Enlargement/Montenegro and Albania. A Committee on Foreign Affairs delegation will travel to Montenegro and Albania, the two most advanced EU candidate countries, to assess progress made and remaining reforms on their respective paths to EU membership. The visit will also feed into the committee’s work on forthcoming reports on the two countries (Monday to Wednesday).
Rule of Law/Spain. MEPs from the Civil Liberties Committee will travel to Madrid to meet members of the country’s parliament, the judiciary and civil society organisations to assess the state of European values, with a focus on judicial independence and anti-corruption efforts. The delegation was organised on the recommendation of Parliament’s Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (Monday and Tuesday).
Erasmus+ and Creative Europe/UK. A delegation of the Culture and Education Committee will travel to London to review the ongoing re-integration of the UK into EU programmes, particularly Erasmus+ and Creative Europe. MEPs will also discuss youth mobility and touring artists with, among others, representatives of the UK government, Parliament, cultural institutions and creators (Monday to Wednesday).
Illegal streaming of live events/Spain. MEPs from the Legal Affairs Committee will travel to Madrid to gather information on how the country is tackling the illegal streaming of live events, including sports. MEPs will meet representatives from the government, Senate and National Court as well as the national police and sports and broadcasters’ organisations. Spain is the first EU country to set a judicial precedent for blocking illegal live streams (Monday to Wednesday).
President’s diary. On Monday, EP President Roberta Metsola will be in Vilnius (Lithuania) to meet Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė and speak at the celebrations of Lithuania’s Independence Day in the morning; in the afternoon she will meet President Gitanas Nausėda, after which she will join a press point.
