Tuesday

3rd Oct 2023

Agenda

MEPs put troika in spotlight this WEEK

  • EU building in Ireland - troika officials engineered and oversaw several bailout schemes (Photo: Valentina Pop)

MEPs gathering in Strasbourg this week will hold hearings with key officials from the so-called troika of international lenders (European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) about their activities in Greece, Portugal, Cyprus and Ireland.

EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn will appear Monday evening in front of MEPs dealing with economic affairs to defend the commission's actions as part of the troika.

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The next day, the series of hearings continues with Jean-Claude Trichet - the former head of the European Central Bank who is accused of having overstepped his mandate when he sent secret letters to the Irish, Italian and Spanish governments demanding reforms.

Eurozone bailout fund chief Klaus Regling will appear in front of the economics committee on Wednesday, also as part of the troika inquiry. The two MEPs tasked with drafting a report by March - Othmar Karas and Liem Hoang Ngoc - will give a state of play of their work on Wednesday, after having travelled to Cyprus and Portugal in recent weeks.

The controversial role of private consultancies in supplying the troika with "independent" assessments despite potential conflicts of interest, as reported by EUobserver, is among the issues MEPs are seeking to raise.

EU employment and social affairs commissioner Laszlo Andor will present a "practical guide" on Monday outlining what member states are allowed to do under EU law to prevent welfare abuse. The move comes amid a heated debate in the UK on the issue.

MEPs in Strasbourg will also debate the right to freedom of movement within the EU after restrictions applying to Romanian and Bulgarian workers expired on 1 January.

On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the sale of EU citizenship as planned by Malta to boost its revenues.

Draft legislation capping CO2 emissions for commercial vehicles will be put to a vote on Thursday.

Meanwhile, officials at the European Central Bank on Monday will unveil the new 10 euro banknote.

Also this week EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, is touring the Gulf countries - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

European Political Community and key media vote This WEEK

A major meeting of leaders from all over Europe will take place this week, with security and enlargement as key topics for discussion. In the Parliament, MEPs are expected to vote on the European Media Freedom Act.

China trade tension and migration deal This WEEK

An EU-China high-level economic is scheduled on Monday amid renewed tensions. Later this week, EU home affairs ministers will discuss the EU-Tunisia deal and the state of play of the EU pact on asylum and migration.

Spain's EU-language bid and UN summit This WEEK

While the heads of EU institutions are in New York for the UN high level meeting, Spain's EU presidency will try to convince ministers to make Catalan, Basque, and Galician official EU languages.

Von der Leyen's State of the Union address This WEEK

The EU's political season is back in full swing after the summer break, with the EU Commission president's State of the Union address on Wednesday. Meanwhile, exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will also address the European Parliament.

Opinion

Why EU Commission dumped Google's favourite consultant

This should be a wake-up call to ensure consultancy firms with a vested interest are permanently excluded from public tenders. The close relationship between the EU's competition authority and economic consultants poses a serious risk to its independence.

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