The Week Ahead 30 October – 05 November 2023
No parliamentary meetings are scheduled in Brussels, as the week is set aside for committee delegations conducting visits linked to topics falling under their responsibility.
Digital agenda/USA. A delegation of MEPs from the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee will travel to Washington DC to assess the possibilities for cooperation and the alignment of laws in place in the digital sector, political advertising and artificial intelligence. Members are expected to hold meetings with members of Congress, federal government officials, NGOs and think tanks. (Monday to Thursday).
International trade/USA. A delegation from the International Trade Committee will travel to San Francisco and the Bay Area to gather information on the impact of trade limitations in strategic sectors like semi-conductors, the automotive industry and critical infrastructure. MEPs will meet representatives from high-tech and semiconductors businesses and trade unions, and will visit an automotive manufacturing’ site (Monday to Wednesday).
Foreign Affairs/Mexico and Costa Rica. A Foreign Affairs Committee delegation will go to Mexico and Costa Rica to discuss cooperation with parliamentary counterparts, officials and government representatives of both countries. Specifically, MEPs in Mexico will discuss the ongoing work on the country’s “Global Agreement” with the EU, while in Costa Rica they will tackle bilateral and multilateral cooperation, geopolitical security and migration challenges as well as meet representatives of the exiled Nicaraguan opposition (Tuesday to Thursday).
Transport and tourism/ Japan. A delegation from the Transport and Tourism Committee will travel to Japan to examine its major transport infrastructure projects, urban mobility services, drones and sustainable aviation fuels as well as explore post-pandemic tourism policies. MEPs will meet high-level transport officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, members of the national Diet committee on transport, private transport companies, Kamakura local authorities, and tourism organisations (Tuesday to Thursday).
President’s diary. EP President Roberta Metsola will be in Paris on Monday, where she will meet Senate President Gérard Larcher and deliver a keynote speech at Sorbonne University. On Tuesday, still in Paris, President Metsola will inaugurate the Europa Experience, meet Assemblée Nationale President Yaël Braun-Pivet and make a joint press statement with the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, followed by a bilateral meeting with him. The President will then travel to Malta, where on Wednesday she will meet students at G.F. Abela Junior College, and on Friday students at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology.
