Highlights
09-13 December: Committees and Political Groups
In the week of 09 December, Members' work is split between meetings in Parliamentary Committees and political groups.
One of the important highlights include the European Parliament's Gender Equality Week with various events organised by the committees to talk about issues faced by women in the European Union.
- Human Rights: Defenders Day and Human Rights Day
- Budgets: Debate on gender budgeting best practices
- Budgetary Control: Commission Discharge: Hearing with Piotr Serafin, Commissioner responsible for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration
- Employment and Social Affairs: Exchange of views on "Ensuring gender equality in the labour market: addressing the gender pay gap and the ‘sticky floor’
- Regional Development: Annual joint meeting of the REGI Committee and the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER)
- Agriculture and Rural Development: Exchanges on topical issues
- Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs: Inter-parliamentary Committee Meeting on ‘The situation of the Rule of Law in the EU
- Women’s Rights and Gender Equality: Gender Equality Week: advancing women’s rights
Every year Parliament holds a Gender Equality Week to take stock of the achievements and identify new measures to advance girls' and women's rights and ensure gender equality. Events are organised by Parliament's committees, delegations, political groups and administration. The first edition was held in 2020, on the initiative of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee.
The Fact Sheets on the EU provide an overview of European integration and of Parliament's contribution to that process. They present a brief summary of the EU's institutions and policies, and of Parliament's role in their development. Available in 24 languages, they cover five main areas: how the EU works; economy, science and quality of life; cohesion, growth and jobs; fundamental rights, security and justice; and the EU's external relations. The online version is updated regularly.
Parliament's committees deal with EU legislative proposals by adopting reports, which then are referred to plenary for voting by all Members, and appoint negotiation teams to conduct talks with Council. They adopt non-legislative reports, organise hearings with experts and scrutinise other EU bodies and institutions. Parliament can set up sub-committees and special committees to deal with specific issues. Each committee elects a chair and up to four vice-chairs for a two and a half year mandate.