This week, EU finance ministers look to agree revision of the energy taxation directive, and aim to reach agreement with the European Parliament on the EU’s annual budget for 2026; the 2nd EU-Ukraine Investment conference takes place in Warsaw, and the European Public Health Conference in Helsinki; and MEPs in committee adopt their position on a 2040 EU target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction; and in plenary vote on the EU’s 2026-2030 gender equality strategy. The week’s events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 10 – 15 November 2025.
Monday 10 November
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
EU climate law – 2040 target: the Environment, Climate and Food Safety Committee will adopt its position on a 2040 EU target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The target will be included in the EU climate law, which underpins the EU’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.
Monday 10 – Friday 21 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | International negotiations | Climate change | UN Framework Convention on Climate Change | Paris Agreement on Climate Change
COP30
Belém, Brazil
The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Representing 27 Member States and more than 440 million citizens, a team of EU negotiators will be on the ground at the conference pushing the international community to strive for bolder action to cut emissions and adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis.
Monday 10 November
Other bodies and agencies | Expert meetings | Climate change
Carbon Removal Expert Group meeting on permanent removals
Brussels | Live streaming available
The Expert Group meeting will take place about the Delegated Act establishing the certification methodologies for direct air capture and storage (DACCS), biogenic emission capture and storage (BioCCS) and biochar carbon removal (BCR). Updates on the carbon farming and carbon storage in buildings methodologies will be provided alongside developments in financing permanent carbon removals and carbon farming.
Monday 10 November
Other bodies and agencies | Public debates | Organic farming
Implementation dialogue on the EU organic policy
Brussels
The second Implementation Dialogue will take place with stakeholders from different parts of the organic supply chain such as organic farmers, processors, control bodies and retailers. The dialogue will focus on the implementation of the organic production and labelling rules as well as the Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production.
The dialogue will touch upon different areas such as: production rules, demand for organic products and international trade, and explore potential for simplification in the implementation without watering down the EU organic standards.
Wednesday 12 November
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Employment and social rights
Eurogroup
Brussels
Ministers will debate fiscal policy coordination in the Eurogroup and the future of digital finance.
Wednesday 12 November
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
EU long-term budget: MEPs and Commission and Council representatives will discuss the architecture and governance of the EU’s 2028-2034 long-term budget (multiannual financial framework – MFF). Lead MEPs have warned that setting the spending ceiling at 1.26% of the EU-27’s gross national income, as proposed by the Commission in July, will force cuts to flagship programmes. The proposal also falls short of Parliament’s expectations regarding democratic oversight and scrutiny, the EU’s agriculture and cohesion policy, and the need for more regional and local authority involvement.
Gender equality strategy: MEPs will debate on Wednesday and vote on Thursday on their demands for the EU’s 2026-2030 gender equality strategy. They are expected to stress that gender-based violence should be a crime under EU law, that EU equality legislation must be implemented in full, and that the gender employment, pay and pension gaps must be bridged.
Wednesday 12 – Thursday 13 November
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Nuclear industry | Nuclear research
European Foresight Workshop on Nuclear Workforce and Skills
Brussels
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) organises a two-day workshop focusing on fostering collaboration and foresight in the regional nuclear ecosystem, engaging regional/urban authorities and stakeholders.
Wednesday 12 – Friday 14 November
Other bodies and agencies | Partner meetings | Health policy
European Public Health Conference
Helsinki, Finland
The European Public Health (EPH) Conference Foundation and the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) are pleased to invite you to the 18th EPH Conference in Helsinki, Finland. Chairs of the Conference are Ilmo Keskimaki and Tea Lallukka.
Wednesday 12 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | EU financing
Innovation Fund: Reality Check with stakeholders
Brussels
The objective of this event is to discuss the draft conclusions and lessons learned from the Innovation Fund evaluation through a direct exchange with selected practitioners. The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for the demonstration and commercialisation of innovative net-zero and low-carbon technologies. The Innovation Fund aims to bring industrial solutions to decarbonise Europe to the market and is funded with revenues from the auctioning of allowances from the EU Emissions Trading System..
Thursday 13 November
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Taxation
Economic and Financial Affairs Council
Brussels
EU finance ministers will be invited to agree on the revision of the energy taxation directive. The Council will also aim to reach political agreement on the elimination of the customs duty relief threshold for goods entering the EU.
Thursday 13 November
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
Key debate/October European Council: MEPs will assess the outcome of the October European Council meeting, in a debate with Presidents Costa and von der Leyen. During their meeting, EU leaders focused on Ukraine, the Middle East, security and defence, competitiveness, housing and migration.
Sustainability simplification package: following the rejection of the committee position in plenary on 22 October, MEPs have an opportunity to amend the Commission’s original proposal for simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies, ahead of negotiations with EU ministers.
Proxy voting rights: a proposal to allow MEPs to confer their voting rights to trusted colleagues during pregnancy and in the months following birth will be put to a plenary vote on Thursday.
Thursday 13 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Democracy | Politics | Artificial intelligence
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) – annual conference 2025
Online only
At a time of global uncertainty, the 12th annual ESPAS conference will focus on the future of Europe and the strategic choices the EU must make to navigate the coming decades.
Thursday 13 – Friday 14 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Ukraine
2nd EU-Ukraine Investment conference
Warsaw, Poland
The second EU-Ukraine Investment Conference will mobilise private investment towards Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and modernisation. After a high-level opening and topical panel discussions, the focus will be on interactive workshops with the business community, financial institutions, municipalities and international partners.
Friday 14 November
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Budget
Budget Council
Brussels
The Council will meet to prepare the same-day’s meeting of the conciliation committee for the EU budget, with the aim of reaching an agreement with the European Parliament on the EU’s annual budget for 2026.
Friday 14 November
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament plenary session and committee meetings
Brussels
2026 EU budget: negotiators from the Parliament and the Council’s Danish presidency will try to reach an agreement on the EU’s 2026 budget. Parliament’s position, adopted in October, restored the cuts made by the Council to the Commission’s draft budget and proposed top-ups to key programmes. If negotiators agree on a compromise and once the Council formally adopts it, a vote is expected at the November plenary session in Strasbourg.
Friday 14 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Export policy | Trade policy
Export Control Forum 2025
Brussels
The Forum will provide an opportunity for experts from EU Member States, the European Parliament, industry, academia and civil society to join the Commission in reviewing and discussing the latest export control developments in the EU and globally.
