The Week Ahead 24 – 30 January 2022

Holocaust Remembrance Day. Parliament organises a special plenary meeting in Brussels on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, 77 years after the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp was liberated on 27 January 1945. Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer will address MEPs. EP President Roberta Metsola will open the event (Thursday).

Election of EP committees’ chairs and vice-chairs. Parliament’s 20 standing committees and 3 subcommittees will each elect a chair and up to four vice-chairs for two and a half years, for the rest of the legislative term. Committees deal with legislative proposals, appoint negotiating teams to conduct talks with EU ministers, adopt reports, organise hearings and scrutinise other EU bodies and institutions (Monday to Thursday).

Foreign interference and disinformation. Parliament’s Special Committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU including disinformation finalises 18 months of work by adopting recommendations on how to make the EU more resistant to foreign interference (Tuesday).

Recovery Plans. MEPs in the Economic Affairs and Employment and Social Affairs committees will quiz Commissioners Dombrovskis, Gentiloni and Schmit on the 2022 European Semester Autumn Package. MEPs are likely to focus their questions on the upcoming country-specific recommendations and the implementation of recovery and resilience national plans, as well as on their social aspects, including the need to combat youth unemployment and ensure a just transition(Tuesday).

Artificial Intelligence. The legislative process of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act kicks off as the Internal Market and Civil Liberties committees hold their first debate on the proposed regulation. The draft bill aims to ensure that any AI improvements are based on rules that safeguard people’s safety and fundamental rights as well as the functioning of markets and the public sector (Tuesday).

Ukraine. Members from the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Security and Defence Subcommittee will travel to Ukraine, where they will go to Kyiv and the administrative boundary line with illegally occupied Crimea, to gather information on the ground on the current security crisis and show their support to Ukraine (Sunday 30 January to Tuesday 1 February).

French Presidency priorities. France’s ministers will present their priorities in a series of meetings with parliamentary committees. France holds the Presidency of the EU Council until the end of June 2022 (Monday to Thursday).

Eurobarometer on the Future of Europe. Parliament and Commission will publish a special Eurobarometer survey on citizens’ views and attitudes towards the Conference on the Future of Europe, and the key challenges facing the European Union (Tuesday).