The Week Ahead 23 – 29 May 2022
© European Union 2019 - Source : EP, Christian CREUTZNo parliamentary meetings are scheduled in Brussels, as the week is set aside for committee delegations/visits linked to topics falling under their responsibility.
US/EU digital acts. An Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee delegation will go to the Silicon Valley where MEPs will meet with tech companies, local authorities and academia and discuss the EU’s digital policy agenda, including the recently agreed Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). The new rules aim to defend European values and fundamental rights online and could reshape the online world dominated by so-called “gatekeepers” (Monday to Friday).
Latvia/NATO StratCom Dialogue. Members from the Special Committee on Foreign Interference will go to Riga to meet officials from the NATO Strategic Communication Centre, ahead of the Riga StratCom Dialogue, taking place on 25 and 26 May. The event will gather the strategic communications community in the aftermath of Russian aggression (Tuesday and Wednesday).
Rule of law in Malta/Daphne Caruana Galizia. A Civil Liberties Committee delegation will take stock of the latest developments on the situation of the rule of law, recent judicial reforms, safety of journalists, anti-corruption measures, and citizenship and residence by investment schemes. MEPs are planning to meet representatives of the government, the police, the judiciary, and other relevant authorities, as well as NGOs, civil society and the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia (Monday to Wednesday).
US/Civil Liberties. A delegation of the Civil Liberties Committee will travel to Washington, D.C., to discuss current issues in data protection, asylum, migration, security co-operation and counter-terrorism efforts. MEPs will meet with officials from the US Departments of State, Commerce, Justice, and Homeland Security, the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) officials, as well as experts on privacy and artificial intelligence (Monday to Thursday).
Turkey/Refugees. A Budgets Committee delegation will travel to Turkey to gather information on how EU funds from the Facility for Refugees are being spent. MEPs will visit refugees’ facilities in the Ankara region and in Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, as well as meeting government members and beneficiaries of the funds (Monday to Thursday).
Chile/International Trade. A delegation of the International Trade Committee will go to Chile to discuss the pending update of the EU-Chile Association Agreement as well as human rights, gender and women’s rights issues. MEPs will meet with ministers, Senate members, trade unions, business associations and civil society (Monday to Wednesday).
President’s diary. EP President Roberta Metsola will be making an official visit to Israel from Sunday to Tuesday, where she has been invited to address the Knesset. The trip will also include a visit to Ramallah. On Wednesday, President Metsola will be in Davos, participating in the World Economic Forum. On Wednesday and Thursday, President Metsola will attend the International Charlemagne Prize award ceremony in Aachen.
