Highlights

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will discuss the report on the proposed directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU, establishing a framework to improve the adequacy of minimum wages and to increase the access of workers to minimum wage protection. It is designed to achieve these objectives while taking into account and respecting the specificities of national systems, national competencies, social partners' autonomy and contractual freedom. The meeting will be held on 22 April.

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will hold a public hearing with experts on the Commission proposal for a Pay Transparency Directive. The proposal aims to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms. The hearing will take place on 22 April.

The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will hold a Structured Dialogue will Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, on 22 April. The aim of the debate is to go over various issues pertaining to health and food safety in the EU, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Farm to Fork Strategy on sustainable food.

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will vote on the report on promoting gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, on 22 April. The report focuses on an unparalleled shortage of women in STEM careers and education, on reasons why women are less likely than their male counterparts to enter STEM education and occupations or remain in them, and on the consequences of this shortage.

The Committee on Agriculture and Regional Development will go over the state of play of the revision of the EU geographical indications scheme for food and drink, with European Commission representatives. This debate will take place on 22 April, following the public consultation launched by the Commission to assess how to strengthen this system. The aim of the public consultation was to gather views on the major challenges that would need to be addressed, policy options and related impacts.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a debate with Mohammad Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of Palestine, on 22 April. The debate comes ahead of the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections of 22 May and subsequent presidential elections of 31 July.