G7, Nato, gas anxiety and Ukraine top This WEEK

Leaders of the G7 nations on Monday (27 June) will focus on the war in Ukraine with president Volodymyr Zelensky joining the discussion remotely.

Ukraine was granted EU candidate status last week, along with Moldova, in a historic response to Russia's war on Europe's eastern flank.

Spain will host the Nato summit in Madrid on 28-30 June, with applications from Finland and Sweden to join the alliance on top of the agenda, but at the moment held up by Turkey.

Boosting Nato presence and personnel on the alliance's eastern flank is also on the agenda.

European lawmakers will on Monday debate the future of EU enlargement with parliamentarians from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine in the foreign affairs committee.

Fighting emissions

Europe's energy concerns will also be on everybody's mind this week, as the bloc is facing shortages and steeply rising prices as a result of the war.

In Luxembourg, on Monday, EU energy ministers are expected to focus on Europe's green policies as they try to reach a common position on proposals to amend the renewable energies and the energy efficiency directives as part of the Fit for 55 package.

Ministers are also set to adopt an earlier EU Commission proposal aiming at filling the EU's gas storage reserves before the winter and sharing them.

The next day, EU environment ministers are expected to meet with the aim of reaching a position on the part of the Fit for 55 package that is related to the carbon market, CO2 emission performance standards for cars and vans and a social climate fund.

The Fit for 55 package aims to put in place legislation that helps to reach the EU's goal of reducing emissions in the EU by at least 55 percent by 2030.

In the European Parliament, MEPs will on Monday vote on the new rules to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels by aircraft operators and EU airports, in order to cut emissions from aviation.

Still on Monday, MEPs in the civil liberties committee are expected to debate how Greece is coping with migration with Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi.