The Week Ahead 20 – 26 April 2026
Committee and political group meetings, Brussels
Coordination of social security systems. Parliament and Council negotiators will try to reach a deal on the revision of the regulation on social security coordination, which seeks to set fairer and clearer rules on social benefits for EU mobile workers (Wednesday).
Defence. MEPs in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee will quiz Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on a range of issues, including the recently published proposal for an agile and rapid defence innovation programme (AGILE), as well as the overall EU defence readiness agenda (Monday).
Enlargement. The Foreign Affairs Committee will discuss with Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos the current state of the enlargement process and the outlook for the coming six months, including the state of preparations for the pre-enlargement policy reviews (Monday).
Plenary preparations. Political groups will be preparing for the 27-30 April plenary session in Strasbourg, where MEPs will debate and vote on their position for negotiations with the EU member states on the EU’s next long-term budget (2028-2034 multiannual financial framework). They will also vote on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability, on the need for EU legislation to define rape based on absence of consent, on revised rules for the EU’s preferential trade arrangement with developing countries, and on the fundamental rights situation in the EU in 2024 and 2025. Plenary will also debate and vote on whether to approve the way the Commission and other EU bodies managed the EU budget in 2024.
Pre-session press briefing. Parliament’s Press Service will hold a press briefing with the political group spokespersons at 11.00 on Friday (Anna Politkovskaya room, press centre, Brussels).
President’s diary. On Monday, President Roberta Metsola will participate in the conciliation committee meeting on the air passenger rights regulation. On Thursday and Friday, she will be in Nicosia for the informal European Council. She will address heads of state or government on Friday morning.
