Wednesday

6th Dec 2023

Agenda

EU to discuss summer travel This WEEK

  • Schengen borders were slammed shut in March for all but essential goods to contain the pandemic (Photo: Paolo Margari)

Reopening of internal borders after the pandemic abates will take centre stage in talks by EU home affairs ministers on Tuesday (28 April).

They will "share views on the future easing or lifting of internal border controls in a coordinated manner," the EU Council said, with Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, which take part in the EU's so-called Schengen free-travel zone, also joining Tuesday's virtual meeting.

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Free-travel is a pillar of European normality.

But political symbolism aside, people are wondering when they can be reunited with relatives abroad or go on holiday, amid tentatively positive news on flattening infection curves.

Ministers will also discuss future use of "tracing apps" to monitor disease outbreaks.

And they will discuss "the state of play and current challenges with regard to migration", as well as the "shift in criminal activities caused by the pandemic situation", the council noted.

EU transport ministers will follow up on Wednesday with video-talks on "how to coordinate the relaxation of measures currently in place in the sector in the context of the EU's exit strategy".

And as summer comes around the corner, EU tourism ministers will, on Monday, discuss "future action at national and EU level for the quick recovery of the tourism industry", which, the council said, had suffered a "sharp drop in demand and a surge in unemployment".

For their part, the heads of the European Commission, EU Council, and EU external action service will hold an Africa video-summit on Tuesday.

The event will see Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, and Josep Borrell discuss coronavirus, security, and migration with the leaders of the so-called 'G5 Sahel' countries - Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

Individual commissioners will hold video-talks with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (Tuesday), the president of Microsoft (Thursday), and with pharmaceutical giants (Tuesday).

The FAO has issued dire warnings of pandemic-linked food shortages in Africa.

And the tech and pharma industries are on the front line of fighting the current and future viral outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament's economic affairs committee will hear from finance and economy commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Paolo Gentiloni on Monday, as infighting continues between EU states on pandemic bailouts.

MEPs on the civil liberties committee will discuss Libya migration the same day.

And the fisheries committee will discuss post-Brexit fishing rights on Thursday, in an always-lively subplot of the British-EU divorce drama.

But the only people meeting in reality in Brussels will be ambassadors and their aides from EU member states' permanent representations.

They still keep walking back and forth to committee meetings in the cavernous chambers of the council building, with about half a dozen such events planned this week, as the Belgian lockdown goes on, albeit with plans to relax measures later in May.

WHO urges caution as EU states soften lockdowns

Even though some countries in Europe are considering to ease lockdowns and restrictive measures, the European branch of the World Health Organization warns that the number of infections and death for coronavirus keeps growing in the region.

EU-China summit and migration files in focus This WEEK

This week, EU and Chinese leaders will meet in Beijing to discuss how to cooperate in the international area despite their rivalry. Meanwhile, a marathon trilogue on the five migration files takes place on Thursday.

UN climate talks and passengers' right in focus This WEEK

The two-week UN climate talks (#COP28) will kick off on Thursday. Earlier this week, the EU Commission will unveil a proposal to improve passengers' rights and Nato foreign affairs ministers will meet in Brussels.

'Foreign talent' and child-abuse bill vote in focus This WEEK

The controversial 'mass surveillance' bill aimed at preventing online child sexual abuse will be voted on by the parliament's civil liberties committee on Tuesday. A day later, the EU Commission is expected to unveil its Talent Mobility Package.

Opinion

Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence

What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.

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