The Week Ahead 22-28 March 2010

ECB/Eurozone.  MEPs will debate the performance of the European Central Bank with its President Jean-Claude Trichet, ahead of their annual vote on the ECB (debate and vote Thursday). Earlier, Mr Trichet and Eurogroup chair Jean-Claude Juncker both make their regular appearances before the Economics Committee (Monday).  ECB Vice-President-designate Vitor Constancio will answer the committee’s questions (Tuesday), ahead of a vote by the full Parliament on his candidature (Thursday).

EU summit.  MEPs will debate plans for the Spring European Council meeting devoted to economic issues (Wednesday).  At the summit itself, EP President Jerzy Buzek will address EU leaders before holding a press conference (Justus Lipsius building, Thursday).

Budget 2011.  Parliament debates and votes on its priorities for the EU’s 2011 budget (debate Wednesday, vote Thursday).

Catherine Ashton/External Action Service.  The High Representative/Commission Vice-President will discuss the setting up of the EU’s new External Action Service with the Foreign Affairs Committee.  The committee will also hear from Vygaudas Ušackas, recently chosen to head the EU’s Kabul delegation and as EU special representative to Afghanistan (Tuesday).

Tony Blair/Palestinian territories.  The Quartet Special Envoy will be among the participants in a Development Committee hearing on the Palestinian territories  (Monday).

Budget Discharge.  The Budgetary Control Committee is set to vote on whether to approve the EU institutions’ financial management in 2008 (Monday-Tuesday).

EP President’s activities. Jerzy Buzek makes an official visit to Germany, including meetings with President Horst Köhler, Chancellor Angela Merkel and other political leaders (Monday-Tuesday). In Brussels he will meet Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Wednesday), Vlad Filat, Prime Minister of Moldova, Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank (both Friday) and Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Foreign Minister of Ukraine (Saturday).