Friday

29th Mar 2024

Agenda

EU to propose public prosecutor this WEEK

  • The European Public Prosecutor's Office will look at offences affecting the EU's budget (Photo: Images_of_Money)

The European Commission will outline its plans for a European Public Prosecutor's Office next week.

EU commissioner for justice Viviane Reding, along with EU tax and anti-fraud commissioner Aldiras Semeta, will present the proposal on Wednesday.

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The office will be in charge of investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to justice those suspected of defrauding EU money.

Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen said it would be set up using existing resources.

The proposal is part of a larger package to expand the EU's joint judicial authority, Eurojust.

Meanwhile, Wednesday will see a commission proposal to tackle poverty and ensure development after the Millennium Development Goals reach their target date in 2015.

The commission also plans to present its vision on how to “enhance the efficiency of Europe's defence and security sector.”

Industry commissioner, Antonio Tajani, and financial services commissioner Michel Barnier, will outline their ideas on European defence on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will meet with Iceland’s Prime Minister to discuss future EU-Iceland relations.

Iceland’s new government, voted into office in April elections, says it has no plans for further discussions on possible EU membership.

Iceland has instead opted to strengthen existing EU bilateral agreements, to be discussed on Tuesday in Brussels.

Barroso will then head to South Africa for the sixth EU-South Africa summit on Thursday, along with trade commissioner Karel De Gucht and development commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

The European Parliament, for its part, is sending teams of delegates abroad.

On Monday, a delegation of MEPs from the economic and monetary affairs committee, will meet with members of the US congress in Washington.

The two sides will discuss financial regulatory reforms and economic governance.

A separate parliament delegation from the civil liberties committee will also be on tour.

The MEPs on Monday travel to Spain to assess how the EU’s border police agency Frontex conducts its operations against irregular migration and organised crime groups from North Africa.

The head of the delegation, Portuguese centre-right Carlos Coelho, says the aerial and maritime surveillance operations by Frontex operation allows it to quickly identify migrant boats in distress.

Environment, Ukraine imports, fish and Easter this WEEK

This week, expect no more than talks on environment, agriculture and fisheries, including discussions between the Polish and Ukrainian governments over angry protests by Polish farmers objecting to cheap grain imports from Ukraine.

EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK

This week, EU leaders come together in Brussels for their usual two-day summit to discuss defence, enlargement, migration and foreign affairs. EU ministers for foreign affairs and EU affairs will meet earlier in the week to prepare the European Council.

EU summit prep work and von der Leyen's Egypt visit This WEEK

MEPs will hold a debate with EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the next European Council on Tuesday. Later this week, on Sunday, von der Leyen will be in Egypt for talks regarding a potential 'cash-for-migrant-control' deal.

Defence, von der Leyen, women's rights, in focus This WEEK

Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be confirmed as the EPP candidate for president of the next EU Commission. A new defence strategy will be unveiled this week, while the ECB is expected to maintain interest rates.

More farmers, Ukraine aid, Yulia Navalnaya in focus This WEEK

EU agriculture ministers meet in Brussels amid new farmers' protests. MEPs will hear from Alexei Navalny's widow and give the final green light to the €50bn Ukraine facility, while the CBAM proposal faces a formal challenge at a WTO meeting.

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

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