În prim-plan
16 March – 19 March: Work in Parliamentary Committees
In the week of 16 March, a large part of Members' work will be in Parliamentary Committees. This week's topics include debate with Afghan women MPs in exile on human rights situation in Afghanistan; discussions on Ukraine; votes on support for displaced Belgian workers, on Simplifying EU AI Rules, and on the Digital Omnibus on AI; an exchange of views with EVP Mînzatu, a Structured dialogue with Commissioners Várhelyi and Hansen, exchange with Commissioner Brunner on the revision of Europol's mandate, and discussion on priorities of Commission Work Programme for 2026 with Commissioners Síkela and Lahbib. Members will hold a joint public hearing on "Democracy and elections in the AI era", and exchange with UN Under-Secretary-General A. S. Gill on UN Digital Initiatives. Follow the links below to discover this week's highlights.
- Human Rights: Debate with Afghan women MPs in exile on human rights situation in Afghanistan
- Security and Defence: Discussion on Ukraine and exchange of views with new PSC Chair Mandel Vensild
- Development: Commissioners Síkela and Lahbib: priorities of Commission Work Programme for 2026
- International Trade: Critical Minerals, Ukraine, Dual Use, Overcapacity, Switzerland
- Budgets: Vote on support for displaced Belgian workers
- Employment and Social Affairs: Exchange of views with EVP Mînzatu
- Internal Market and Consumer Protection: Vote on Simplifying EU AI Rules
- Transport and Tourism: Vote on the Digital Omnibus on AI
- Agriculture and Rural Development: Structured dialogue with Commissioners Várhelyi and Hansen
- Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs: Exchange with Commissioner Brunner on the revision of Europol's mandate
- European Democracy Shield: Exchange with UN Under-Secretary-General A. S. Gill on UN Digital Initiatives
- AFCO-LIBE-EUDS: joint public hearing "Democracy and elections in the AI era"
- CONT-LIBE – Presentation of EPPO Annual Report 2025
A number of events will take place this week, in particular, public hearings on Water in EU Development Cooperation and on Sovereignty of EU transport infrastructure, an exchange of views with Commissioner Jørgensen, EU-Moldova parliamentary dialogue on security and democratic resilience, and a workshop on What Europeans Think about Immigration and Why It Matters.
On 16 and 17 March 2026, the European Parliament and the European Commission will co-host the fourth edition of the EU Tax Symposium in the Autoworld (Parc du Cinquantenaire) and the Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels, with the participation of National Parliaments. This year, the event will take place under the theme: The future of taxation: Inequality and growth in the global economy.
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.