Brexit talks inch forward in Brussels This WEEK

Progress will also need to be made on the other two key issues - citizens' rights and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - for EU leaders to give the go-ahead to begin discussing trade and future relations when they meet in December.

Bulgaria in the house

On Wednesday (8 November) the European Commission will host the Bulgarian government in preparation for the upcoming Bulgarian presidency of the EU's council.

The commissioners will sit down for a plenary meeting with government members, and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker will meet with prime minister Boyko Borrisov.

Bulgaria's presidency will kick off in January with a full cabinet of files – including the asylum system's reform, the next seven-year EU budget, the closer integration of the Western Balkans – to move forward.

New CO2 targets

On Monday (6 November) technical talks will being in Bonn at the annual UN climate change summit.

It is the second such gathering after the landmark Paris agreement, and will be a platform for countries and regions to promote what they are doing at home to limit climate change.

With this backdrop, the European Commission will present a legislative proposal on Wednesday (8 November) that will set new CO2 reduction targets for cars.

The same day negotiators from the Commission, the European Parliament and national governments will meet to discuss a reform of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), the EU's flagship climate tool.

A key sticking point in the ETS file revolves around a new Modernisation Fund, which would help poorer countries make the transition to cleaner energy.

Some however fear that coal-dependent countries like Poland will use it to prolong the life of the coal industry.

Troublemakers

The Catalan crisis will also remain in the spotlight.

On Wednesday (8 November) European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will receive an honorary doctorate by the University of Salamanca, north west Spain, where he will deliver a keynote speech and is nearly certain to have to address again the ongoing Catalonia crisis.

As eight ministers from Catalan government are now in jail in Spain, a Spanish court was widely expected to issue a European arrest warrant on Friday for the Catalan ex-leader Carles Puigdemont, who remains in Brussels.

Malta will continue to be in the eye of the storm next week both because of money laundering allegations, and the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Directors of eight European and American media publications have called on the European Commission to use "all powers" to push for a full and independent investigation into the journalist's killing.

Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans in his reply said last Thursday (2 November) that the EU executive wanted the Maltese investigations to run their full course.

Justice commissioner Vera Jourova will receive Malta's finance minister Eduard Scicluna on Tuesday (7 November), Later in the week she will also meet with justice minister Owen Bonnici, and European affairs minister Helena Dalli.

Jourova said earlier that the commission had requested more information from Malta on alleged money laundering involving Keith Allen Schembri, chief of staff of Prime minister Joseph Muscat.

Poland will be on the European Parliament's agenda on Monday (6 November) as European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans will brief the civil liberties committee on the latest developments.

The Commission has put Poland under a rule of law probe in concerns over the independence of the constitutional tribunal and the judiciary system.

During the summer Poland's president Andrzej Duda unexpectedly vetoed two of three controversial judicial overhaul bills drafted by his political allies in the ruling Justice and Law party (PiS).

In September, Duda unveiled his own proposals, which continue to put the judiciary under political control.

On Monday and Tuesday (6 and 7 November), the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will visit Washington to discuss EU-US bilateral relations as well as the latest developments the Iran nuclear deal.

Mogherini condemned US president Donald Trump for his decision to disavowal the Iran nuclear deal, saying it is "working and delivering."

In DC, she will meet with the vice president, Mike Pence, and leading members of Congress. It is up to the legislators now to decide if the the United States will reimpose sanctions on Iran.

Talking trade

Next week in Brasilia negotiators will sit down for a new round of trade talks between the EU and Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Commission vice president Jyrki Katainen will join the high-level political meetings in the second half of the week.

On Friday (10 November) trade and foreign affair ministers will meet in Brussels.

On Monday (6 November) the Eurogroup meeting of finance ministers of eurozone countries will focus on the banking union, and preparing for the December euro summit.