Hearings
A committee is permitted to organise a hearing with experts, where this is considered essential to its work on a particular subject. Hearings can also be held jointly by two or more committees. Most committees organise regular hearings, as they allow them to hear from experts and hold discussions on the key issues. On this page you will find all the available information relating to committee hearings, including programmes and contributions from speakers.
On 7 December 2023, the FEMM committee will hold a hearing on "Gender Mainstreaming and EU climate policy".
The aim of multilevel governance is to ensure that decisions are made collectively, with the participation of all levels of government and stakeholders, while strengthening both democratic representation and public trust in decision-making processes. The purpose of this hearing is to look into the role of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and to provide inputs on how to improve multilevel governance.
An IMCO hearing on the performance of the Package Travel Directive and Consumer Protection provided a platform for a discussion between Members, the Commission, and experts on the performance of the Package Travel Directive. It shed light on the weaknesses exposed by the Covid pandemic and provided insights into this evolving landscape.
The hearing looks at the rise of artificial intelligence on the work floor, including through automated monitoring and decision making and human-machine interaction.
The Committee on Fisheries held a public hearing entitled "Improving the Labelling Legislation of Vegetarian and Vegan Imitations of Fish Products". As consumer interest for vegetarian and vegan options continues to rise, ensuring accurate and transparent labelling is essential for consumer trust and informed choices. This panel discussion aims to address the regulatory framework surrounding the labelling of plant-based substitutes of fish products and its impacts on the fisheries sector.
The hearing aims to show which targeted solutions and policy measures should be applied to eradicate any obstacles in specific sectors, in order to ensure the equal opportunities of women and girls with disabilities for independent living, and in particular in the open labour market.
On 29 November the FEMM Committee will organise a hearing on Municipalism and Gender Equality policies in the EU.
On Tuesday 28 November 2023, from 14:30 to 16:30, the ECON Committee held a public hearing on the Digital Euro. This public hearing took place in light of the legislative proposal on the establishment of a digital euro put forward by the European Commission on 28 June 2023 as part of the Single Currency Package, which also includes a proposal on the legal tender of euro cash.
The revised mandatory EU Transparency Register is in force since July 2021. It was set up by an interinstitutional agreement by the Parliament, the Council and the Commission. Transparency concerning interest representation ("lobbying") is particularly important in order to allow citizens to follow the activities and be aware of the potential influence of interest representatives.
On 28 November 2023, the Committee on Development held a public hearing on the EU-Africa Strategy. Members discussed how it delivered against the background of geopolitical tensions and changes that development cooperation has undergone recently. Moderators: Mr Carlos Zorrinho and Mr Karsten Lucke
On 27 November 2023, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on “EU sanctions regime - implementation, expansion, efficiency and deterring impact”. Sanctions have become a prominent foreign policy tool for both governments and international organisations, including the EU.
On 27 Novembrer, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development held a public hearing on a new legal framework for seeds