Agenda
EU leaders talk Ukraine candidacy This WEEK
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EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen last week said "we're taking a huge step today," as the executive proposed candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova (Photo: European Commission)
By Eszter Zalan
EU leaders will debate granting candidate status to Ukraine and how to tackle the energy scarcity and food shortage as they gather in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (23 and 24 June) for an EU summit.
The debate is expected to be tense, as leaders from France, Germany and Italy said last week on a visit to Kyiv that they support "immediately" granting Ukraine candidate status, while others, mainly the Netherlands remain reluctant.
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Before the summit, MEPs will discuss the EU Commission's proposals from last week that Ukraine and Moldova should be granted EU candidate status, and linked Georgia's candidate status to conditions.
MEPs will vote on their position on the issue on Thursday (23 June).
European lawmakers on Thursday will debate and vote on an agreement with EU governments to refill Europe's strategic gas reserves quickly before the winter.
Zooming in on the euro
On Monday (20 June), MEPs in the economic committee is expected to quiz European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde on the implications of the war in Ukraine on monetary policy and the ECB, and rising inflation in Europe.
On the same day, MEPs will also vote on a report on Croatia's progress on fulfilling the technical criteria to join the euro.
Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković is expected to give a speech on Wednesday (22 June) to MEPs on where he sees Europe going.
Fit again
MEPs will vote again on Wednesday (22 June) on the three draft legislations that are part of the commission'sflagship climate package , the "Fit for 55", the revision of the Emissions Trading System, the Social Climate Fund and the Carbon Border Adjustment Fund.
The package is aimed at achieving to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 in Europe.
The EU Commission is set to present new rules on Wednesday (22 June) on the sustainable use of pesticides and on nature restoration.
It is expected to suggest legally-binding action to reduce pesticide use and risks by 50 percent by 2030 in every EU country.
Rules first
Senior representatives of the Israeli NSO group, the developers of the controversial Pegasus spyware will on Tuesday (21 June) be quizzed by MEPs on the special inquiry committee launched in April to investigate the abuse of the surveillance technology.
The committee was set up after revelations that EU governments used Pegasus to spy on journalists, opposition politicians, lawyers and activists.
On Thursday, MEPs will debate the Russian government's relations with EU parties on the extreme right and left, especially taking into account the context of the war in Ukraine.
