This WEEK in the European Union

A verdict on the Microsoft antitrust case, Brussels' plan for a major energy shake-up and the Schengen zone enlargement, as well as the interim report on the European Parliament's reform are the highlights of this week's agenda.

It starts with an informal meeting by agriculture ministers on Sunday in a Portuguese city of Porto, with a controversial overhaul of the EU's wine sector likely to come up during the discussions in the famous winery resort.

Greek participants at the gathering are likely to be anticipating the results of Sunday's parliamentary elections. According to the most recent pre-election polls, the government conservative party slightly leads the opposition socialists.

The other ministerial session will take place in Brussels on Tuesday, with interior ministers due to hear and debate on the state of play of Schengen border-free zone's enlargement, planned for early next year.

In the margins of the meeting, ministers will sign the visa facilitation agreements with the Western Balkans countries, designed to simplify their citizens' travel to the EU.

Commission to top EU headlines

But it will primarily be the EU executive's activities and statements that are likely to hit the headlines this week.

On Monday, Brussels' reaction to the verdict by the EU's second highest court on Microsoft will be keenly awaited. The Luxembourg judges will rule on a challenge by the US software giant against the record fine of almost half a billion euros imposed on the company by the bloc's regulators for exploiting its dominant position.

Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso will on the same day set out for a politically challenging visit to the UK. During the visit he plans to speak at the liberal democrat party conference in Brighton.

UK Liberal leader Menzies Campbell on Friday said that there should be a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU, but not on the EU reform treaty alone.

Unlike his French and German counterparts who rushed to Brussels shortly after being elected, the UK leader has so far shied away from the EU quarters after taking over at 10 Downing this summer.

Energy package to see the light of day

Back in Brussels, Mr Barroso will on Wednesday join energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs to unveil a controversial legislative package on completing the liberalisation of the EU's energy sector.

In a bid to make sure the plan to enforce a separation of production and distribution channels in energy companies has some chance of success, the EU executive is due to suggest provisions aimed at protecting European firms from politically directed competition from outside - particularly from Russia.

Other topics on the commission's agenda include a strategy for the EU's animal health policy, a paper on efforts to boost links with developing countries on climate change and on the state of play for Galileo, the EU's satellite project.

MEPs head for change in rules of the House

MEPs will dedicate most of their time for a preparation of the next week plenary in Strasbourg.

Other than that, political group leaders gathered in the so called ‘conference of presidents' will on Thursday be presented with an interim report on the parliament's reform, drawn up by a special working group tackling the issue.

Between Tuesday and Friday, a delegation of five deputies from the development committee will visit the Palestinian territories starting on Tuesday, particularly for talks about the humanitarian situation in Gaza - still under the control of the Islamist Hamas group.