EU Agenda: Week Ahead - 16-21 July 2018
This week, the new Austrian presidency presents its work programme to agriculture ministers, who discuss the post 2020 CAP reform package; the Foreign Affairs Council discusses North Korea; Japan and the EU sign their economic partnership agreement; the EU-China summit take place in Beijing; EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier informs the Council about the Brexit talks with the UK; the Commission outlines the EU's revamped approach to trade and sustainability; European Parliament delegations visit China, the USA, Thailand, Tunisia and Algeria. The week's events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings and other EU-related conferences and events. Events for the week of 16 to 21 July 2018.
Monday 16 July
Presidency of the Council of the EU, Events/Conf/Fairs, Business, Economy and the euro, Research and innovation
Finance 5.0: a challenge for cybersecurity?
Brussels
The Austrian Federal Chancellery and the Austrian National Bank are jointly organising a conference in the framework of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Experts of the European Commission, the European Central Bank, commercial banks and payment providers will discuss new technologies and the regulatory challenges they entail.
A white-hat hacker will challenge Europol and the European Commission on their take on the impact of cyber-attacks, cyber-intelligence and cyber-hygiene on our banking and financial systems, democracies and societies.
High-level speakers from EU institutions, businesses, central banks and national governments will debate strategic policy aspects of cyber-resilience in the financial sector and explore what can be done at EU and Member State levels to ensure critical infrastructures, innovation and competitiveness in Europe.
Monday 16 July
Council of the EU and European Council, European Council, Political Meetings, Food, farming and fisheries
Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Brussels
The Austrian presidency will present to the Council its priorities and work programme for the second half of 2018 in the field of agriculture and fisheries.
Ministers will then discuss the post 2020 CAP reform package, focusing in particular on simplification and subsidiarity. There are three legislative proposals on the table:
- a regulation on the CAP strategic plans
- a regulation single common market organisation (CMO)
- a horizontal regulation on financing, managing and monitoring the CAP
These proposals give shape to the ideas for the future of the CAP, as outlined in the Communication on the Future of Food and Farming.
The Council will also be informed about drought in Poland.
Monday 16 July
Council of the EU and European Council, European Council, Political Meetings, Enlargement, external relations and trade, International aid, development and cooperation, Security and defence
Foreign Affairs Council
Brussels
Current affairs
The Foreign Affairs Council will start with a discussion on current affairs, allowing ministers to review pressing issues on the international agenda.
This will include the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) following the JCPOA Joint Commission meeting on 6 July.
The High Representative and foreign ministers may also refer to the Western Balkan Summit taking place in London on 10 July.
Eastern Partnership
Foreign ministers will exchange views on the Eastern Partnership. They will prepare for the Eastern Partnership ministerial meeting foreseen in October.
Ministers will discuss the implementation of the 20 deliverables for 2020. This framework aims to achieve stronger economy, governance, connectivity and society in the six Eastern partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Libya
The Council will discuss Libya and it will focus on the political process, in particular the upcoming elections. It will be the opportunity to reiterate the EU's support to UN Secretary General's Special Representative Ghassan Salamé.
Ministers may also touch upon the country's economic situation.The discussion also takes place in the context of the follow-up to the European Council conclusions on migration.
North Korea
Foreign ministers will discuss the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over lunch following:
- the summit between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in in April
- the summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in June
- the recent visit by US Secretary of State Pompeo to the DPRK on 7-8 July
Ministers will also look at the ways to support intra-Korean talks and efforts towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the DPRK.
Monday 16 July
Council of the EU and European Council, Political Meetings, external relations and trade
EU-China summit
Beijing, China
President Donald Tusk and President Jean-Claude Juncker will represent the EU at the 20th EU-China summit.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will host the summit. EU leaders will also have talks with President Xi Jinping.
EU and Chinese leaders will discuss bilateral trade and investment relations. They are expected to express their joint support for rules-based trade. They are also expected to confirm their mutual engagement for the modernisation of the World Trade Organisation.
Foreign and security policy issues will be on the agenda, including:
- the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula
- the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)
- the situation in Syria
- Afghanistan
- the Rohingya crisis
Leaders will focus on EU-China cooperation to safeguard international peace and security and to strengthen the rules-based order.
Europe-Asia connectivity and China's belt and road initiative will also be on the agenda.
In addition, EU and Chinese leaders will discuss how to tackle global challenges such as:
- climate change and clean energy
- ocean governance and environmental protection
- migration
Monday 16 July
European Parliament, Political Meetings
European Parliament delegations
Security and data protection/USA: a Civil Liberties Committee delegation will travel to Washington to discuss data protection, cyber security and immigration with representatives from the US government, Congress and different stakeholders. Topics to be discussed include the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, Privacy Shield and visa reciprocity. (Monday to Thursday)
Security/Tunisia and Algeria: the Foreign Affairs Committee is sending a delegation to Tunisia and Algeria to strengthen EU-Tunisia and EU-Algeria partnership and dialogue on foreign policy issues as well as on regional security and stability. (Monday to Friday)
Financial crimes/USA: a delegation from the Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance Committee (TAX3) will go to Washington to meet representatives from the Treasury Department, Congress and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, among others. The delegation will discuss transatlantic cooperation in the fight against financial crimes and tax evasion as well as how to improve transparency on tax and beneficial ownership at international and OECD level. (Monday to Wednesday)
Financial markets and taxation/USA: an Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee delegation will also travel to the USA, Washington and New York City, to discuss recent developments in the field of financial market regulations and taxation, the impact of US tax reform on financial institutions and regulatory challenges for EU banks in the US. They will meet, among others, representatives from the Treasury Department (with TAX3), the Institute of International Bankers (IIB) and the Federal Reserve Board (FRB). (Monday and Tuesday)
Trade and Human rights/Thailand: MEPs from the Human Rights Sub-Committee will travel to Thailand to assess the human rights situation in the country, ahead of planned general elections in 2019, whilst the Trade committee will also be visiting the country in view of the possible resumption of talks on a future EU-Thailand free trade agreement. Members will meet representatives of government and political parties as well as members of parliamentary committees and civil society organisations. (Monday to Thursday)
Tuesday 17 July
Council of the EU and European Council, Political Meetings, external relations and trade
EU-Japan summit
Tokyo, Japan
The EU-Japan summit has been rescheduled to 17 July and it will take place in Tokyo, Japan. Prime Minister Abe cancelled his trip to Brussels due to torrential rains in western Japan.
Trade
EU and Japan leaders are expected to reaffirm their commitment to the rules-based international order and to free trade.
On this occasion leaders will sign the EU-Japan economic partnership agreement and the EU-Japan strategic partnership agreement.
The free trade agreement will remove most of the duties that EU companies pay annually to export to Japan as well as several regulatory barriers.
The strategic partnership agreement will take the EU's long-standing partnership with Japan to a new level with deeper and more strategic cooperation.
The Council adopted a decision on the signature of the economic partnership agreement on 6 July 2018. The previous week, on 26 June 2018, the Council adopted a decision on the signature and provisional application of a strategic partnership agreement.
Strategic cooperation
In addition to trade matters, EU and Japan leaders are expected to discuss closer cooperation in several areas, including:
- security and defence issues
- data protection
- education and research
- climate change
International relations
Leaders are also expected to address regional and international issues such as:
- the situation in Ukraine
- the Middle East
- the South China sea
- the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula
- the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)
Tuesday 17 July
European Parliament, Political Meetings
European Parliament delegations
Security and migration/Niger: EP President Antonio Tajani will visit Niger to strengthen political ties and focus on tackling shared challenges such as security and stability, migration and the need for investment. President Tajani will meet the speakers of the national assemblies of the G5 Sahel countries (Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad) and hold meetings with Niger's National Assembly President Ousseini Tini, Prime Minister Brigi Rafini and President Mahamadou Issoufou. (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Consumer protection/China: delegates from the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee will go to Shanghai and Guangzhou to discuss product safety and standards, market surveillance, consumer protection, customs, and public procurement, among other topics, with Chinese authorities and organisations. The delegation will also look into Digital Single Market initiatives, such as on the digital environment and e-commerce. (Tuesday to Thursday)
Wednesday 18 July
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Employment and social rights, Energy, environment and climate, Enlargement, external relations and trade
Civil society dialogue on trade and sustainable development
Brussels
As the culmination of over seven months of debate in the EU institutions, and with a broad range of interested parties, the Commission outlined the EU's revamped approach to trade and sustainability in its trade agreements with 15 concrete and practicable actions.
The aim of this meeting with civil society organisations will be to explain the approach, outline the ongoing work to have it implemented, and exchange views on the way forward.
Friday 20 July
Council of the EU and European Council, European Council, Political Meetings, Institutional affairs
General Affairs Council (Art. 50)
Brussels
The Commission's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, will inform the Council, meeting in an EU 27 format, about the Brexit talks with the UK.
The ministers will discuss the state of play of the negotiations, focusing on:
- completion of work on withdrawal issues
- issues related to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland
- discussions on the framework for the future relationship with the UK
In particular, the Council will discuss the white paper that the UK government published on 12 July, setting out its position on the future EU-UK relationship. The EU27 position on this matter was established in the European Council (Art. 50) guidelines of 23 March 2018, and reconfirmed in the European Council (Art. 50) conclusions of 29 June 2018. Negotiations on the framework for the future relationship should lead to an overall understanding, which will be set out in a political declaration accompanying and referred to in the withdrawal agreement. The withdrawal agreement should be agreed well in time to be ratified before the withdrawal date of 29 March 2019.