Lagarde and Brexit centre stage This WEEK

The European Parliament will start its work by finalising the composition of committees, with the election of the remaining vice-chairs in the civil liberties and constitutional affairs committees.

Christine Lagarde, the EU leaders' candidate to run the European Central Bank (ECB), will appear before the parliament's economic committee on Wednesday (4 September).

Her hearing will be followed by a vote on her appointment later that day.

On Thursday (5 September), the parliament's civil liberties committee will hold a discussion with commission vice-president Frans Timmermans on strengthening the rule of law in the EU.

Timmermans, who will remain vice-president in the next commission, is unlikely to hold onto the rule of law portfolio, however.

London will also see another week of drama in the Brexit saga.

The British parliament will hold its last debates before their work will be suspended ahead of the Queen's speech on 14 October.

If opposition and rebel MPs want to mount an effort to oust premier Boris Johnson through a no-confidence vote, or to force his hand to ask for an extension of the Brexit deadline from EU leaders, they will have to do so this coming week.

The UK's Brexit top man David Frost will also travel to Brussels this week for more talks, although the UK has so far not presented concrete alternatives to the so-called backstop - an arrangement to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

The Brexit working groups, with diplomats from the EU-27 member states, will also meet to discuss the latest developments and review the bloc's preparedness for a no-deal Brexit.