EU Agenda: Week Ahead - 25-30 September 2023
This week, industry ministers aim to reach a general approach on design protection and the Euro 7 regulation; justice ministers discuss asylum and organised crime; the Commission holds the EU Organic Awards 2023; ECB President Christine Lagarde holds her quarterly meeting with MEPs; and we have a European Day of Languages. The week's events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 25 to 30 September 2023.
Monday 25 September
Council of the EU | Conferences and summits | Internal market | Industry
Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry)
Brussels
Review of the EU legislation on design protection
Ministers are expected to reach a general approach on the two legislative texts of the designs protection review: the Directive on the legal protection of designs (recast of Directive 98/71/EC) and the Regulation on Community designs (amending Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002).
The proposals, presented on 28 November 2022 as a package, will update the 20-year-old existing rules, to make it easier and cheaper to protect designs in the single market.
Euro7
Ministers will aim to reach a general approach on Euro 7 regulation, which establishes standards on emissions or battery durability for motor vehicles, engines and components.
The Euro 7 Regulation replaces the Euro 6 (for cars, vans and light vehicles) and Euro VI (for lorries and heavy duty vehicles) regulations with a single legal act that covers both kinds of vehicles (Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 595/2009).
Other topics on the agenda
Ministers will discuss the role of competitiveness checks in the formulation of legislative proposals. The policy debate, based on a paper prepared by the Spanish presidency, continues the discussions of March and June European Councils on the issue of competitiveness, following the Commission's communications 'The Single market at 30' and 'Long-term competitiveness of the EU'.
Any other business
- directive on empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and better information
- report from the Ibero-American Forum of Governmental Consumer Protection Agencies, that took place in Madrid on 13-14 September 2023 (information point)
- EU pharmaceutical legislation from a competitiveness perspective (information point)
Monday 25 September
Other bodies and agencies | Competitions and award ceremonies | Agriculture
EU Organic Awards 2023
Brussels | Live streaming available
The EU Organic Awards acknowledge excellence in the organic value chain. They comprise 7 categories and 8 individual awards.
The EU organic awards are an opportunity to recognise the work of various actors along the organic value chain that have developed an excellent, innovative, sustainable and inspiring project producing real added value for organic production and consumption.
On 18 July 2023, the finalists for the second edition of the awards were announced for each category.
Monday 25 September
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Committee and political group meetings
European Parliament, Brussels
Lagarde/ECB: the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, will return to Parliament for her quarterly meeting with MEPs on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Inflation, the economic governance review, public debt, and high levels of bank liquidity will be the topics expected to attract most attention.
Plenary preparations: political groups will prepare for the 2-5 October plenary session, where MEPs will debate and vote on the Media Freedom Act, which aims to strengthen the independence of media and protect editorial decisions from political interference. They will also vote on a new trade policy tool to respond to countries seeking to coerce the EU or member states, on fighting greenwashing in the bond markets, and on the protection of workers from asbestos. They will also debate and vote on the revision of the EU 2021-2027 long-term budget, on a new strategy for a better internet for children, and on Moldova's path to the EU. They will host a formal sitting with Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic.
Monday 26 September
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Finance
Annual European Semester Group Conference - European Economic and Social Committee
Brussels
The annual ESG Conference 2023 - A more democratic and participatory European Semester, in the context of the review of the EU economic governance framework.
Enhancing the resilience and sustainability of the EU economy has become more important than ever, given the challenges that the EU is currently facing: recovering from the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating the effects on the EU economy of the war in Ukraine, while tackling inflation, addressing the energy crisis and implementing the digital and green transitions.
The European Semester continues to play a key role in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), since progress in carrying out the national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) is closely linked to the follow-up given to the European Semester's country-specific recommendations.
Monday 25 - Tuesday 26 September
Council of the EU | Informal meetings |Culture
Informal meeting of culture ministers
Caceres, Spain
The working sessions will focus on further progress towards sustainable management of cultural heritage, universal access to culture and its role as the territory's backbone.
The informal ministerial meeting on culture will be held at the San Francisco Cultural Complex in Cáceres on September 26.
The aim of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU is for European ministers to sign the Cáceres Declaration, which represents a commitment to the defence of culture as a whole within the European project.
Tuesday 26 September
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Committee and political group meetings
European Parliament, Brussels
Media seminar on Media Freedom Act: the EP Press Service organises a seminar for journalists entitled: "European Media Freedom Act and Digital Services Act: protecting media freedom in a safe online world" At the seminar, organised together with the EuropeanNewsRoom, the lead MEPs on these two files will answer questions. If interested, register here.
Tuesday 26 September
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Multilingualism
European Day of Languages 2023
Brussels
The European Day of Languages (EDL) on 26 September is a well-established opportunity to raise awareness about language learning and linguistic diversity. Many language and cultural institutes, associations, universities and schools take part in various events and activities organised throughout the EU.
The main event will be an online conference "Teaching language skills at the heart of the European Education Area"
Wednesday 28 September
Council of the EU | Conferences and summits | Home Affairs
Justice and Home Affairs Council (Home Affairs)
Brussels
Home affairs
Asylum and migration
The Council will be informed about the state-of-play about ongoing legislative discussions to reform EU asylum legislation. Ministers will also exchange views about the external dimension of migration – including on cooperation with external partners to manage migratory pressures.
Fighting organised crime and drug trafficking
Another agenda item is the cooperation with Latin America on internal security aspects, following the working lunch on this topic. The objective of the lunch – which will bring together EU ministers and 14 ministers participating in the Latin American Committee for Internal Security (CLASI) – is to promote and strengthen the operational cooperation between the EU and Latin America in the fight against drug trafficking and against transnational organised crime.
Consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine
The implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine on the EU's internal security also feature on the agenda.
Ministers will also discuss the extension of the temporary protection for persons having fled from Ukraine after the start of the war. This mechanism – which was activated on 4 March 2022 – allows displaced persons from Ukraine to enjoy harmonised rights related to for instance residence and medical assistance across the EU. It was initially granted for one year and has already been extended once until 4 March 2024. The Commission proposal is to extend it with another year until 4 March 2025.
Wednesday 28 September
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | European citizenship
Webinar 'Engaging Young People in Your European citizens' initiative - What You Need to Know'
Online only
This webinar, organised within the ECI Forum, will provide practical information and guidance on how to get young people to sign European citizens' initiatives,how young people can be active volunteers in ECIs, and how they can launch a new ECI.
It will feature a young European citizens' initiative organiser, a representative of Young European Federalists and an expert of the European citizens' initiative.
Thursday 29 September
European Commission | Conferences and summits | Baltics | Environment
Our Baltic Conference
Palanga, Lithuania
This high-level event will bring together ministers from the 8 EU countries surrounding the Baltic Sea (Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Sweden).
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius and ministers will look at what has been achieved since the first Our Baltic Conference in 2020, and what still needs to be done.
There will be a special focus on unexploded munitions from World Wars. Some 300,000 tonnes of unexploded munitions still lie at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, causing pollution and preventing the development of economic activities at sea.
Thursday 29 September
Council of the EU | Informal meetings |Culture
Informal meeting of ministers responsible for cohesion policy
Murcia, Spain