Von besonderem Interesse

The committees on Budgets and Budgetary Control invited Gert-Jan Koopman, the Commission's Director-General for Budget, to present the proposals to revise the Financial Regulation on 16 May. The Financial Regulation sets the principles and procedures governing the establishment, implementation and control of the EU budget. The Committees have set high expectations for this revision in a resolution that set out a series of requirements for democratic accountability for a modern budget.

Committee on International Trade will vote on temporary suspension of tariffs on Ukrainian industrial and agricultural products, anti-dumping duties, and safeguard measures on steel imports, among others, on 16 May. The Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis will debrief the Committee on the second meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council. The Members also will discuss with EVP Dombrovskis the preparations for the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO.

The Committees on Budgets and on Economic and Monetary Affairs jointly will hold for the first time an exchange of views with Elena Flores, Chair of the InvestEU Steering Board, on 16 May. The InvestEU Programme provides long-term funding to companies and supports sustainable investment, innovation and job creation in Europe. About a year after the implementation of the InvestEU Regulation, this exchange of views will enable the Members to take stock of progress so far.

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will vote on a number of proposals underpinning the Union’s increased climate ambition towards 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050, on 16 and 17 May. The Committee will vote on the amendments to the Effort Sharing and LULUCF Regulation, to ETS Aviation, on the revision of the EU Emission Trading System, on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism proposal, and to the opinion of the Renewable Energy Directive II.

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs will hold a hearing with Stefan Ingves, the Governor of the Bank of Sweden, who will appear in his capacity as First Vice-Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) on 16 May. The relevant legislation provides for the holder of this position to explain how (s)he will carry out their functions, and the hearing will provide the Members with an opportunity to ask questions about the work of the ESRB.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy will debate on Agency’s Final Assessment of the EU Wholesale Electricity Market Design, on May 16. It will be presented by Christian Zinglersen, the ACER Director. ACER finds that the current electricity market design is worth keeping; however, it suggest improvements are necessary for it to deliver on important challenges, and puts forward a set of measures to future proof the market design.

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will send a delegation to Poland on 11-13 May. Poland has welcomed more than half of more than 5 million Ukrainian war refugees. Delegates will examine the actions addressing of the refugees’ crisis, focusing on the integration of refugees in the labour market, access to housing, education, childcare facilities and social assistance. Members will meet national government and parliament representatives, social partners, and NGOs.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy will hold a public hearing on ' Creative Start-ups and Innovation' on 16 May. The aim of this hearing is to learn from the invited speakers about the novel innovation in their Start-ups, and about the innovation that they have set up in the creative sector.

The Subcommittee on Human Rights will hold a hearing on the next steps towards universal abolition of the death penalty on 16 May. It aims to engage in a debate with policy-makers and scholars on progress and challenges towards the universal abolition of the death penalty and to discuss how to strengthen strategies and international cooperation. The EU pursues universal abolition of the death penalty in the world as a matter of utmost priority in its human rights foreign policy.