EU Agenda: Week Ahead - 23-28 April 2018
This week, the Commission holds TEN-T Days 2018, a conference on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, and workshops on Intelligent Transport Systems and Copernicus uptake by public authorities; while MEPs in committee vote on the EU asylum system and debate the challenge of the digital revolution, the Enlargement Package, anti-terrorism and Tunisia. 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 23 to 28 April 2018.
Monday 23 April
European Commission, Other bodies and agencies, Events/Conf/Fairs, Economy and the euro, Research and innovation
European Research Council grant information session
Brussels
This European Research Council (ERC) info session is organised by the ERC national contact points (NCPs) in Belgium to help applicants in the preparation of their ERC advanced grant proposal.
The ERC advanced grant has yearly calls. The opening of the call 2018 is expected in May 2018 with a deadline in August 2018. The call will be open to established, leading researchers of any nationality and from any field of research, with a track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years.
The ERC presentation will be delivered by the ERC advanced grant call coordinator, Iliana Nikolova.
Monday 23 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Institutional affairs, Research and innovation
Workshop on Copernicus uptake by public authorities
Brussels
The workshop is expected to highlight the most effective measures or strategies existing at national/regional level, including new methodologies for engaging the users and encouraging public authorities to use Copernicus.
Various previous workshops, studies and public consultations raised the point that the potential of the programme is not being fully exploited by public authorities. Therefore, this workshop aims to:
- identify areas with potential
- exchange best practices between participants to aid the uptake of Copernicus by public authorities
- discuss what the main obstacles are and how best to overcome them
Monday 23 April
European Committee of the Regions, European Economic and Social Committee, Events/Conf/Fairs, Energy, environment and climate, EU regional and urban development
European dialogue on non-state climate action
Brussels
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Climate Chance association would like to invite you to an event on 23 April to launch the 'European dialogue on non-state climate action'. The purpose of this event will be to put forward an action plan aiming at assessing, recognising, accelerating and supporting climate actions, as well as improving governance. The event seeks to promote the common voice of non-state actors.
The event will take the form of a regional Talanoa dialogue, designed to take stock of the collective efforts of Parties to the Paris agreement on climate change, and will include both plenary sessions and participatory workshops focusing on turning the dialogue into an actionable agenda. It will bring together experts from national and subnational governments, the private sector, financial institutions and leading international and civil society organisations.
Monday 23 April
European Parliament, Political Meetings, Institutional affairs
European Parliament Committee Meetings
Brussels
Enlargement: European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn is expected to present and discuss the 2018 Enlargement Package with the Foreign Affairs Committee. The paper assesses reforms in the Western Balkans and Turkey as well as whether these countries are closer to EU membership.
Monday 23 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Research and innovation, Transport and travel
Stakeholder workshop: Evaluation of the Intelligent Transport Systems Directive
Brussels
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) apply information and communication technologies (ICT) to transport. The ITS Directive establishes a framework in support of the coordinated and coherent deployment and use of ITS within the EU.
The purpose of the evaluation of the ITS Directive is to assess to which extent it contributed to the faster and more coordinated deployment of ITS, as well as the better functioning of the road transport system and its interfaces with other modes. The evaluation will provide an up-to-date overview of the implementation the Directive and of the benefits and costs created. It will also assess if the current scope is still relevant and in line with technological developments and other EU policies.
This dedicated stakeholder workshop will present and discuss the preliminary findings of the evaluation with experts and other stakeholders.
Tuesday 24 - Thursday 26 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Food, farming and fisheries
European Commission events at the Seafood Expo Global 2018
Brussels
European Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and other high-level speakers will discuss the future of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, at both EU and global scale. The special report 'Food from the oceans' will be presented and all seafood companies will be called to join the global movement of the 'Our Ocean' conference, hosted last year by the EU.
25 April - The EU and the social dimension of fisheries
Key speakers from the fishing industry (employers, trade unions), the civil society and international organisations will exchange on the social dimension of fisheries, including international conventions, working conditions, security, training and fight against slavery.
24-26 April - Sessions with European Commission experts
Visit the European Commission stand where you'll be able to meet European Commission experts from several Directorates-General and agencies and take part in short daily information sessions on various topics.
Tuesday 24 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Energy, environment and climate, EU regional and urban development
Biodiver-City: Enhancing urban biodiversity and ecosystem services to make cities more resilient
Sofia, Bulgaria
This conference, organised by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the EnRoute project, aims to deliver a set of key messages and principles on how cities can contribute to regional, national and European biodiversity policy, goals and targets.
The conference will address the following key questions:
- What is our present knowledge of urban biodiversity? What indicators are used and what are the current patterns and trends reveal about urban biodiversity?
- Why is urban biodiversity important? What are the links between urban biodiversity and urban ecosystem services and with wellbeing?
- Is a high urban biodiversity important for citizens and other stakeholders? How can citizens monitor biodiversity?
- How can urban green infrastructure be designed and managed to maintain and enhance urban biodiversity and ecosystem services?
Tuesday 24 April
Other bodies and agencies, Events/Conf/Fairs, Research and innovation, Security and defence
ENISA industry event - Certification, Internet of Things and collaboration
Brussels
The EU Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) industry event will provide the participants with an overview of the proposed EU Certification framework and how this relates to the EU cybersecurity industry, whilst focusing on the proposed outline and scope of the proposed legislation.
The discussion will continue with key topics such as the Internet of Things (IoT), in relation to the Industry 4.0 concept and its effect on end users.
With this event ENISA aims to increase the interconnectivity among members.
The objectives of the industry event are:
- to commonly define clear and accessible actions and/or possible next steps that will contribute to developing the full potential of SMEs representing EU cyber-industry
- to translate these actions or next steps into a common position to be actively communicated with relevant strategic stakeholders
Tuesday 24 April
European Parliament, Political Meetings, Institutional affairs
European Parliament Committee Meetings
Brussels
Anti-terrorism: the reasons behind radicalisation and the phenomenon of foreign fighters, particularly radicalisation online and in prisons, will be addressed by the Special Committee on Terrorism with experts and those working in the field. MEPs will also discuss the way forward to prevent and counter radicalisation.
EU/Tunisia: Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed will debate with the Foreign Affairs Committee on EU support for the democratic transition, readmission of migrants and visa facilitation as well as Tunisian products' access to EU markets and the EU Commission's black list of countries exposed to money laundering. Mr Chahed will also meet EP President Tajani. Negotiations with Tunisia on a Comprehensive and Deep Free Trade Agreement (ALECA) will resume on 23 April.
Jobs/Caterpillar: the Budget Committee will vote on €4.6 million of aid from the Globalisation Adjustment Fund for former Caterpillar workers in Belgium. This should facilitate the re-integration into the labour market of 2.287 employees who were made redundant by the construction machine producer's Belgian factory and by several suppliers in the course of 2017.
Tuesday 24 - Wednesday 25 April
European Food Safety Authority, Other bodies and agencies, Events/Conf/Fairs, Food, farming and fisheries, Research and innovation
EFSA scientific colloquium 'OMICS in risk assessment: state-of-the-art and next steps'
Berlin, Germany
In recent years, the development of innovative tools in Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics (designated collectively as OMICS technologies) has opened up new possibilities for applications in scientific research and led to the availability of vast amounts of analytical data.
The 24th scientific colloquium of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 'OMICS in risk assessment: state-of-the-art and next steps' will explore the opportunities for integration of datasets produced via specific OMICS tools within the remit of EFSA's risk assessment approaches.
International experts will gather for an open scientific debate on the integration of data produced by OMICS in the risk assessment of food and feed products.
Tuesday 24 April
Other bodies and agencies, Events/Conf/Fairs, Consumer affairs and public health, Employment and social rights
Launch of the Healthy Workplaces campaign 2018-2019
Brussels
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) launches its 2018-2019 Healthy Workplaces campaign 'Manage dangerous substances' jointly with the European Commission and the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency.
The press conference will include the presentation of the campaign, a Q&A session with journalists, photo opportunity and a visit of the exhibition.
Dangerous substances continue to be a major safety and health issue, affecting millions of workers across Europe. But the extent of this exposure and the associated risks are often underestimated or ignored. The campaign challenges common misconceptions, raises awareness of the risks and disseminates good practice and resources for effective management of dangerous substances in the workplace.
Wednesday 25 - Friday 27 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Business, Energy, environment and climate, Research and innovation, Transport and travel
TEN-T Days 2018
Ljubljana, Slovenia
European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, is inviting Ministers, members of the European Parliament and key stakeholders to Ljubljana to discuss how to contribute to smart, sustainable and safe mobility, relying on the trans-European transport network and investments in transport connectivity.
The TEN-T Days will also host an idea accelerator and futuristic lab, to allow young European entrepreneurs and companies to showcase innovative mobility solutions. There will be a high-level inter-institutional meeting to discuss further synergies between transport, energy and digital connectivity, and the investment support with highest EU value-added in the post-2020 framework, leading to a Ljubljana declaration by all relevant stakeholders on key principles for investment in smart, sustainable and safe mobility. Among the high-level events, there will be ministerial sessions with Western Balkans and Turkey, and with Southern Mediterranean countries.
Wednesday 25 April
European Parliament, Political Meetings, Institutional affairs
European Parliament Committee Meetings
Brussels
EU asylum system: new rules establishing an EU single procedure for asylum claims, with the aim of avoiding so-called asylum-shopping, will be voted on by the Civil Liberties Committee. It should simplify and shorten asylum procedures as well as include guarantees for asylum seekers. It would also introduce an EU-wide definition of the concept of safe third (non-EU) countries.
Conference on digital society: a high-level conference on "Shaping our digital future: the challenge of the digital revolution" will address the challenges and opportunities for Europeans in a digital society and how to mobilise investments, foster innovation and ensure benefits for businesses and consumers. President Tajani and Digital Society Commissioner Mariya Gabriel will kick off the debates between MEPs, experts, political leaders, as well as representatives from industry, including Google and Facebook. Mr Tajani will hold a press conference at 15.30 and join a Facebook Live on the conference's topics at 17:30.
Wednesday 25 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Energy, environment and climate
EU Refining Forum
Brussels
The overarching topic of the 8th high-level meeting of the EU Refining Forum will be the clean energy transition and how the refining industry can contribute to it.
Participants will exchange views on the national energy and climate plans, on the future of oil in the energy mix and the implications this will have on the car industry and the refining sector. The programme includes interventions by representatives from Member States, the Commission, the International Energy Agency, the refining and car industry and trade unions. The event will conclude with a keynote speech delivered by Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete.
The EU Refining Forum was established in 2013. It aims at providing an opportunity for the industry, EU countries, Members of the European Parliament, the Commission and other stakeholders to discuss planned and future regulatory proposals with potentially significant impacts on the EU oil refining industry and on the EU's security of supply of petroleum products.
Thursday 26 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Enlargement, external relations and trade, Research and innovation
Indo-European conference on standards and emerging technology
New Delhi, India
The conference will be an effective platform to showcase and present the most up-to-date developments on standards, policies and legislation around emerging technologies.
The conference is organised by the European standards organisations (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) with the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in the framework of the 'Seconded European standardisation expert in India' project and in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Thursday 26 - Friday 27 April
Other bodies and agencies, Events/Conf/Fairs, Employment and social rights, Research and innovation
The role of survey data for evidence-based policy-making on working time in the EU: experiences and ways forward
Brussels
The European Agency for the improvement of living and working conditions (Eurofound) and the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) are jointly organising a workshop on 'The role of survey data for evidence based policy making on working time in the EU: experiences and ways forward'.
The main objective of the workshop is to bring together actors of survey research and policymaking in the field of working time duration and organisation in order to:
- discuss the role of survey data for evidence-based policy-making in the EU
- increase and multiply the awareness about the use of different sources of survey data in policy-making
- develop courses of action fostering better use of available data and improving communication of findings contributing to better informed decision making
- identify current and future relevant issues and topics from both a research and policy-making point of view
Thursday 26 April
European Committee of the Regions, Events/Conf/Fairs, Business, Employment and social rights, EU regional and urban development
Productivity and jobs in a globalised world: (How) can all regions benefit?
Brussels
The report 'Rethinking lagging regions: using cohesion policy to deliver on the potential of Europe's regions' by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) focuses on productivity growth and jobs in regions and discusses how policy can support them. Regions that narrowed productivity gaps tended to benefit from economically vibrant tradable sectors and integration with well-functioning cities.
The report considers in detail the role of the tradable sector as a driver of productivity growth and its relationship with employment. It addresses the possible risks that a growing tradable sector might entail and how diversification is central in strengthening regional economic resilience. It considers how regions integrate in global value chains and highlights the role of regional and policy links in fostering productivity growth and job creation.
After the briefing hosted by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), journalists will be welcome to approach the speakers for interviews.
Thursday 26 - Friday 27 April
European Commission, Presidency of the Council of the EU, Events/Conf/Fairs, International aid, development and cooperation, Research and innovation
3rd annual seminar of the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre
Sofia, Bulgaria
The Disaster Risk Management Knowledge (DRMKC) aims at enhancing the EU and the Member States' resilience to disasters and their capacity to prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies through the joint work of scientific groups, policy-makers, practitioners and other relevant stakeholders. The principal activities of the DRMKC are to improve the science-based services and analysis; to enhance the use and uptake of research and operational knowledge; and to advance science and technology in Disaster Risk Management (DRM).
Following the previous seminars in London and Rome, the 3rd DRMKC seminar is an opportunity to meet actors engaged in DRM to jointly discuss about the progress made in up to now and which new areas could be explored in the next year.
Friday 27 April
European Commission, Other bodies and agencies, Events/Conf/Fairs, Energy, environment and climate, Research and innovation, Transport and travel
Workshop: Disruptive aircraft configurations (towards FlightPath 2050 environmental goals)
Berlin, Germany
In the high-level international setting of the ILA Air Show Berlin 2018, the European Commission and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) are organising a workshop on disruptive aircraft configurations, which will be crucial to achieve the FlightPath 2050 environmental objectives, as well as to ensure and maintain the global competitiveness of the EU aviation industry.
Friday 27 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, Employment and social rights
Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2018
Brussels
Now in its third edition, the Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth (ACIG) is an action-oriented platform bringing together civil society organisations and policymakers to discuss how to achieve truly inclusive growth.
This year, the one-day event will focus on the implementation of the Social Pillar. The Social Pillar established a series of principles and rights to improve people's lives, and all actors now have a joint responsibility to deliver. The plenary debate and the workshops will tackle specific issues and lead to conclusions and policy recommendations pointing to concrete ways forward.
The convention will be closed by Valdis Dombrovskis, Commission Vice-President for the euro and social dialogue and will be opened by Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for employment, social affairs, skills and labour mobility.
Friday 27 April
European Committee of the Regions, Events/Conf/Fairs, Justice and citizens' rights
EuropCom series – Workshop: Facing up fake news
Brussels
The aim is to identify potential disruptive impacts of fake news on political campaigning, communication around the EU, and democratic discourse in general, and share examples of practical methods and techniques to tackle this threat, using the experience and research from selected experts. The focus of the workshop is on communication rather than policy.
Target audience includes communication experts from EU institutions and Member States and the format will be one of a workshop based on case studies, followed by a Q&A.
Friday 27 April
European Commission, Events/Conf/Fairs, EU regional and urban development
Webinar on the renovation of public buildings in Europe
Online
This webinar, organised in partnership with the UN Environment Finance Initiative, will discuss in particular the renovation of public buildings and tackle the different barriers hindering the financing for energy efficiency investments in this sector. This webinar will hear 4 presentations and there will be time allowed for questions and answers with each presenter.
The webinar will be of particular interest to public authorities, energy agencies, renovation supply chain companies, and social enterprises engaging with households on energy issues.
The event is organised by the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EASME), as part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums initiative, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the EU.