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The Week Ahead 02 – 08 March 2015
Agenda
Political group and committee meetings, Brussels
European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). Plans for setting up the EFSI, a
European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) and a European Investment Project Pipeline,
the three pillars of the so called “Juncker plan”, will be debated with experts by the
Economic and Monetary Affairs and Budgets committees. (Monday)
UNRWA. Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA) Pierre Krähenbühl will debate the situation in the region, and
UNWRA’s funding shortage, with the Foreign Affairs Committee, on Monday. Mr
Krähenbühl will also meet EP President Martin Schulz on Tuesday.
International Women’s Day (IWD). The Women’s Rights Committee will hold a meeting
with members of EU and enlargement countries’ national parliaments on "Empowering
Women and Girls through Education". EP Vice-President Dimitrios Papadimoulis will open
the debate. Women’s Rights Committee chair Iratxe García-Pérez and Commissioner for
Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová will hold a press conference at
12:30. (Thursday)
Plenary preparations. Political groups will prepare for the 9 – 12 March plenary session
in Strasbourg, where MEPs are to vote on the European Long Term Investment Funds
designed to boost infrastructure investments, a cap on card payment fees, money market
funds, equality of men and women, the 2016 EU budget and the annual report on the EU
foreign policy. MEPs will also debate preparations for the March European Council.
President’s diary. EP President Martin Schulz will meet Italy’s President Sergio
Mattarella and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, His Holiness
Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mr Schulz will meet
Slovakia’sPresident Andrej Kiska, followed by a press point (Paul-Henri Spaak Building,
Protocol entrance), Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Loreta Graužinienė, General
Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Bernadette Ségol and
Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Finally, the President will travel to Madrid
(Spain), to meet the His Majesty the King of Spain Felipe VI, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
and Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez.
Seminar for journalists. To mark this year's International Women's Day (8 March), the
EP Press Service will hold a seminar on Empowering women and girls through education,
where journalists can meet MEPs and invited experts to discuss women's right to
education and possible EU measures to protect it (Wednesday)
Pre-session press briefing. The EP Press Service will hold a press briefing with the EP
political groups’ spokespersons at 11.00 on Friday. (“Anna Politkovskaya” EP Press
conference room, Brussels)
EN
Press Service
Directorate for the Media
Director - Spokesperson : Jaume DUCH GUILLOT
Reference No:20150223APR24610
Press switchboard number (32-2) 28 33000
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Agenda
Monday 02/03/2015
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
15:00-18:30 Brussels, Jòzsef Antall, 2Q2
Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Discussion with Pierre KRÄHENBÜHL, Commissioner-General of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
• Presentation of the study "Ramifications of the 'Islamic State' in Maghreb and
Mashreq Countries" - in the framework of the own-initiative report "The security
challenges in the MENA region and the prospects for political stability" Rapporteur: Vincent PEILLON (S&D, FR)
• Public hearing on the European Neighbourhood - in the framework of the owninitiative report "The review of the European Neighbourhood policy" Rapporteur: Eduard KUKAN (EPP, SK) - see Public Hearings
15:30-18:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 3C050
Committee on Budgets
Joint meeting with ECON committee
• Public Hearing on the European Fund for Strategic Investments
15:30-18:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 3C50
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Joint meeting with Budgets Committee
• European Fund for Strategic Investments - See Public Hearings
PUBLIC HEARINGS
17:00-18:30 Brussels, Jòzsef Antall, 2Q2
The review of the european neighbourhood policy
Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs will debate the review of the European Neighbourhood
Policy with experts on Monday 2 March from 17.00 in room 2Q2. Grzegorz Gromadski
from the Institute of Public Affairs, Poland, and Hassan Mazen from Cairo University will
take part in the hearing, organised in the framework of the preparatory work for the
forthcoming report on the review of the ENP steered by Eduard KUKAN (EPP, SK).
SPECIAL EVENTS
16:00-19:00 Brussels, Altiero Spinelli, 5G2
Workshop on tax evasion in developing countries
Development Committee will debate with NGOs, representatives from international
organisations, and the European Commission the issue of tax avoidance and tax evasion
in developing countries in a workshop organised on 2 March in the European Parliament.
The workshop will feed in the debate in light of the adoption of the report on 'Tax
avoidance and tax evasion as challenges for governance, social protection and
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Agenda
development in developing countries' (rapporteur: Elly Schlein (S&D, IT)). The workshop
takes place in room 5G2 in Altiero Spinelli Building at 16.00.
Contact
Kristina-Antigoni ELEFTERIE
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32798
STR: (+33) 3 881 74651
PORT: (+32) 498 98 32 83
EMAIL: deve-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_Development
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Agenda
Tuesday 03/03/2015
THE PRESIDENT'S DIARY
The President's diary
Brussels
9:55
Welcome of Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic - Paul-Henri
Spaak Building, Protocol entrance
10:00
Meeting with Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic - Paul-Henri
Spaak Building, 9th floor, Grand Salon Protocolaire
12:30
Meeting with His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Supreme
Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church - Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor,
President´s Office
14:00
Meeting with Fleur Pellerin, French Minister of Culture and Communications Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, President´s Office
14:30
Meeting with Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, President´s Office
16:15
Meeting with Stephan Weil, leader of the Social Democratic Party in Lower
Saxony - Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, Salon Protocolaire A
18:15
Opening speech at the "One hundred Books on Europe to Remember" event
- Altiero Spinelli Building, 5th floor, EPRS library reading room
PRESS CONFERENCES
12:00-12:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
"The impunity of crimes against humanity in the Spanish State"
Marina ALBIOL (GUE/NGL, ES),Ernest URTASUN (Greens/EFA, ES), Josu JUARISTI
ABAUNZ (GUE/NGL, ES), Izaskun BILBAO (ALDE, ES),Carlos SLEPOY (abogado) and
Chato GALANTE (CeAqua)
15:00-15:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
Creation of the working group against the interference of the tobacco
industry
Gilles PARGNEAUX (S&D, FR), Vice Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public
Health and Food Safety
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Agenda
Wednesday 04/03/2015
THE PRESIDENT'S DIARY
The President's diary
Brussels
10:25
Welcome of Andrej Kiska, President of Slovakia - Paul-Henri Spaak Building,
Protocol entrance
10:30
Meeting with Andrej Kiska, President of Slovakia, followed by Press Point Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, Grand Salon Protocolaire
15:30
Meeting with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , President of Liberia
16:30
Meeting with Rızanur Meral, President of the Turkish Confederation of
Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) - Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, Salon
Protocolaire A
17:15
Meeting with Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade
Union Confederation (ETUC) - Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, President´s Office
18:15
Meeting with Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of
Lithuania - Paul-Henri Spaak Building, 9th floor, Grand Salon Protocolaire
18:30
Opening speech at the "Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Restoration of
Independence of Lithuania" - Yehudi Menuhin Hall
PRESS CONFERENCES
11:30-12:00 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
"Human rights and penitentiary policy in the EU"
Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ (GUE/NGL, ES)
13:30-14:00 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
The launch of MEP Group against Wildlife Crime
Catherine BEARDER (ALDE, UK), EP Quaestor, Stefan ECK (GUE/NGL, DE), Jacqueline
FOSTER (ECR, UK), Benedek JÁVOR (Greens/EFA, HU), Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN (EPP, FI),
Pavel POC (S&D, CZ and Daniel TURNER
DELEGATIONS
09:00-19:00
6th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on CFSP and CSDP
Riga, Latvia
4-6 March 2015
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Agenda
Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, will lead the EP
delegation to the 6th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and
Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy to Riga from 4 to 6
March. He will be joined by Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP,
FR), Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), Bogdan ZDROJEWSKI (EPP, PL), Richard
HOWITT (S&D, UK), Ioan Mircea PASCU (S&D, RO), Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&D, IT),
Ana GOMES (S&D, PT), Tonino PICULA (S&D, HR), Anna FOTYGA (ECR, PL), Petras
AUŠTREVIČIUS (ALDE, LT), Sabine LÖSING (GUE/NGL, DE), Bodil CEBALLOS
(Greens/EFA, SE), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT) and Iveta GRIGULE (NI,
LV).
The state of play of the European Neighbourhood Policy, with the focus on redefining of
the Eastern Partnership and the EU’s answer to the instability and threats in the Southern
Mediterranean and the Middle East, the cooperation between the EU and the NATO, the
hybrid war as a new security challenge for Europe, and the challenges of the EU
battlegroups’ deployment will top MEPs’ discussions with their counterparts from the
national parliaments of the EU member states, the EU foreign policy chief Federica
Mogherini, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for
Defence, as well as Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General of the NATO.
Contact
Václav LEBEDA
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32971
STR: (+33) 3 881 73839
PORT: (+32) 498 98 33 27
EMAIL: foreign-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_Defence
SPECIAL EVENTS
Conference: “Political participation of women in the Western Balkans and
Turkey”
To celebrate International Women’s Day (8 March) on 4 March from 14.45 to 18.45h an
inter-parliamentary conference on the “Political participation of women in the Western
Balkans and Turkey” will take place in the European Parliament in Altiero Spinelli Building
5G2.
This conference is organised in the framework of the European Parliament Support
Programme for the Parliaments of the Western Balkans and Turkey by Directorate of
democracy support. The main objective of the programme is to strengthen democracy and
facilitate these countries' European integration process in line with the European
Parliament priorities.
Members of the European Parliament, Members of Parliament from the Western Balkans
and Turkey and relevant NGO representatives will among others discuss the situation of
under – representation of women in political positions in the enlargement countries.
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Agenda
Contact
Maja OREL SCHWARZ
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32357
PORT: (+32) 473 86 49 74
Nikos SALLIARELIS
BXL: +32 2 28 32017
10:00-18:00 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 4B1
Seminar for journalists: Empowering women and girls through education
To mark this year's International Women's Day (8 March), the European Parliament's
press service is organising a seminar for journalists titled Empowering women and girls
through education, which will be held in Brussels on 4 March. The aim of this event is to
enable Members of the European Parliament, invited experts and journalists to discuss
women's right to education as well as measures that might be taken on this front at
European level.
The event will be webstreamed.
The Interparliamentary Meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Gender
Equality and Women's Rights will take place on Thursday, 5 March in the Plenary
Chamber(9.00-12.30).
Contact
Damián CASTAÑO
BXL: (+32) 2 28 48643
STR: (+33) 3 881 73479
PORT: (+32) 498 983 335
Iris WALTER
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Agenda
Thursday 05/03/2015
THE PRESIDENT'S DIARY
The President's diary
Brussels
9:30
Introductory remarks at the High Level Conference "A new start for social
dialogue" - European Commission, Charlemagne Building, Rue de la Loi 170, 1000
Brussels
PRESS CONFERENCES
10:30-11:00 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
"TTIP: Benefits and costs"
Gabriele ZIMMER (DE), GUE/NGL, Chair, and Jeronim CAPALDO
12:30-13:00 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
International Women Day
Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), Chair of the Gender Equality and Women's Rights
Committee, and Vĕra JOUROVÁ, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and
Gender Equality
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
09:00-12:30 Brussels, Jòzsef Antall, 4Q2
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
• European Fund for Strategic Investments - discussion on an opinion Rapporteur: Danuta JAZŁOWIECKA (EPP, PL)
• Votes on opinions: EGF/2014/016 IE/Lufthansa Technik and EGF/2014/017
FR/Mory-Ducros – France
• Investment for jobs and growth - discussion on an opinion - Rapporteur: Danuta
JAZŁOWIECKA (EPP, PL)
• TTIP - discussion on an opinion - Rapporteur: Marian HARKIN (ALDE, IE)
09:00-12:30 Brussels, Jòzsef Antall, 6Q2
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
10.45 – 11.30
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
Presentation of the annual work programme for 2015 and follow-up to the evaluation
conducted in 2013, by the Director, Morten KJAERUM and the Chair of the Management
Board, Maija Kaarina SAKSLIN
Presentation of the conclusion of his term of office by Morten KJAERUM
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Agenda
09:00-12:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, Plenary Chamber
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
• Interparliamentary committee meeting with national parliaments on empowering
women and girls through education - see Special events
DELEGATIONS
09:00-19:00
6th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on CFSP and CSDP
Riga, Latvia
4-6 March 2015
Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, will lead the EP
delegation to the 6th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and
Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy to Riga from 4 to 6
March. He will be joined by Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP,
FR), Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), Bogdan ZDROJEWSKI (EPP, PL), Richard
HOWITT (S&D, UK), Ioan Mircea PASCU (S&D, RO), Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&D, IT),
Ana GOMES (S&D, PT), Tonino PICULA (S&D, HR), Anna FOTYGA (ECR, PL), Petras
AUŠTREVIČIUS (ALDE, LT), Sabine LÖSING (GUE/NGL, DE), Bodil CEBALLOS
(Greens/EFA, SE), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT) and Iveta GRIGULE (NI,
LV).
The state of play of the European Neighbourhood Policy, with the focus on redefining of
the Eastern Partnership and the EU’s answer to the instability and threats in the Southern
Mediterranean and the Middle East, the cooperation between the EU and the NATO, the
hybrid war as a new security challenge for Europe, and the challenges of the EU
battlegroups’ deployment will top MEPs’ discussions with their counterparts from the
national parliaments of the EU member states, the EU foreign policy chief Federica
Mogherini, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for
Defence, as well as Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General of the NATO.
Contact
Václav LEBEDA
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32971
STR: (+33) 3 881 73839
PORT: (+32) 498 98 33 27
EMAIL: foreign-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_Defence
SPECIAL EVENTS
09:00-12:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, Plenary Chamber
Interparliamentary committee meeting on "empowering women and girls
through education"
Joint meeting with national parliaments
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2015 (8 March), the Women’s Rights and
Gender Equality Committee, in collaboration with the Directorate for Relations with
National Parliaments and the Directorate for Democracy Support will hold an
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Agenda
interparliamentary committee meeting on “Empowering women and girls through
education."
Members from both national parliaments and the EU member states will discuss the
importance of eliminating gender disparity in education and training; challenges for equal
access to continuous and quality education and moving towards the empowerment of
women and girls through education in the EU.
The event will be opened by Martin SCHULZ (S&D, DE), President of the European
Parliament (to be confirmed).
Chair: Iratxe GARCIA PÉREZ (S&D, ES) - chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and
Gender Equality
Co-Chair: Silvia COSTA (S&D, IT) - Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education
Press Conference: 12.30 with Iratxe GARCIA PÉREZ (S&D, ES) - Chair of the
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and Věra JOUROVÁ, European
Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality
Further information:
Seminar for journalists will take place on Wednesday, 4 March 2015. Please see
separate article in Special Events
Contact
Maja OREL SCHWARZ
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32357
PORT: (+32) 473 86 49 74
EMAIL: femm-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_GenderEqual
10:00-12:30 Brussels, Altiero Spinelli, 5G2
Workshop on the role of private sector in sustainable development
Development Committee will debate with experts the role of private sector in fostering
sustainable development in a workshop organised on 5 March in the European
Parliament. The workshop takes place in room 5G2 in Altiero Spinelli Building at 10.00
and will be chaired by the Committee's Vice-Chair Mr Nirj Deva (ECR, UK).
Contact
Kristina-Antigoni ELEFTERIE
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32798
STR: (+33) 3 881 74651
PORT: (+32) 498 98 32 83
EMAIL: deve-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_Development
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Agenda
Friday 06/03/2015
THE PRESIDENT'S DIARY
The President's diary
Madrid
11:00
Meeting with His Majesty Felipe VI, King of Spain, Prime Minister Mariano
Rajoy and Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez - Palacio de
Zarzuela
14:15
Lunch conference at the Foro de la Nueva Economía - Hotel Ritz,
Plaza de la Lealtad 5, 28014 Madrid
PRESS CONFERENCES
11:00-11:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A050
Pre-session briefing
DELEGATIONS
09:00-19:00
6th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on CFSP and CSDP
Riga, Latvia
4-6 March 2015
Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, will lead the EP
delegation to the 6th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and
Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy to Riga from 4 to 6
March. He will be joined by Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP,
FR), Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), Bogdan ZDROJEWSKI (EPP, PL), Richard
HOWITT (S&D, UK), Ioan Mircea PASCU (S&D, RO), Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&D, IT),
Ana GOMES (S&D, PT), Tonino PICULA (S&D, HR), Anna FOTYGA (ECR, PL), Petras
AUŠTREVIČIUS (ALDE, LT), Sabine LÖSING (GUE/NGL, DE), Bodil CEBALLOS
(Greens/EFA, SE), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT) and Iveta GRIGULE (NI,
LV).
The state of play of the European Neighbourhood Policy, with the focus on redefining of
the Eastern Partnership and the EU’s answer to the instability and threats in the Southern
Mediterranean and the Middle East, the cooperation between the EU and the NATO, the
hybrid war as a new security challenge for Europe, and the challenges of the EU
battlegroups’ deployment will top MEPs’ discussions with their counterparts from the
national parliaments of the EU member states, the EU foreign policy chief Federica
Mogherini, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for
Defence, as well as Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General of the NATO.
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Agenda
Contact
Václav LEBEDA
BXL: (+32) 2 28 32971
STR: (+33) 3 881 73839
PORT: (+32) 498 98 33 27
EMAIL: foreign-press@europarl.europa.eu
TWITTER: EP_Defence
SPECIAL EVENTS
09:30-12:30 Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak, 0A50
Seminar for new journalists in Brussels
The Press service will hold a half-day seminar on 06 March for journalists new to Brussels
to explain how the EU legislative process works (with particular attention to co-decision),
why the European Parliament matters in it (and hence why it makes sense to cover its
work), and what services Parliament's DG COMM provides to make journalists' work
easier. We shall explain what services journalists can expect from the press unit and how
to use the EP studios or book a cameraman for interviews. The seminar will close with a
guided tour of the EP audiovisual facilities.
Contact
Constanze BECKERHOFF
BXL: (+32) 2 28 44302
STR: (+33) 3 881 73780
PORT: (+32) 498 98 35 50
EMAIL: presse-de@europarl.europa.eu
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