Enlargement | World Cancer Day | Irish election

This week, MEPs will meet in their respective committees and political groups, while EP President David Sassoli travels to Albania, one of the the EU accession candidates for which negotiations talks have yet to be opened.

On Tuesday, on the occasion of World Cancer Day, the European Commission will start its outreach on Europe’s Cancer Plan at an event in the European Parliament in Brussels, supported by the MEPs Against Cancer Interest Group. During their weekly College meeting, Commissioners take the time on Wednesday to discuss the EU’s enlargement strategy and the bloc’s so-called Economic Governance Framework Review.

On Saturday, Irish voters head to the polls to elect their new government, following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s request to dissolve the Irish Parliament, the Dáil. This will be the first Saturday general election since 1918, as polling days in Ireland have usually taken place on a weekday.

European Parliament

While parliamentary committee meetings take place this week, the political groups will prepare their input on the Commission’s negotiation mandate on the future relationship with the U.K. EP President David Sassoli starts off his week with a trip to Albania to meet with the Prime Minister and to address the Parliament. The visit, initially planned for December but postponed due to an earthquake, aims to reconfirm the EU’s support for the country’s accession to the EU. Sassoli already met with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia and other government officials back in November.

On Thursday, MEPs of the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) will meet with the EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi who will present the state of play on establishing the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Meanwhile, the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) will hold a hearing with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde to discuss monetary policy in a slowing economy, amid trade tensions and in the face of an increasingly urgent climate crisis.

European Commission

This week, DG Environment of the European Commission is organising an ‘International Conference on Forests for Biodiversity and Climate Change’ to discuss how to protect EU forest ecosystems by addressing climate change and unsustainable forest management. On Tuesday, World Cancer Day, the European Commission will start its outreach on Europe’s Cancer Plan at an event in the European Parliament in Brussels. On Wednesday, the Commission’s High Representative Josep Borrell will present the EU’s Enlargement methodology, while Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will lay out the EU’s Economic Governance Framework Review.

Council of the EU

Within Croatia’s EU Presidency, an Informal Meeting of Ministers for Competitiveness (Research) will take place on Monday and Tuesday at the National and University Library in Zagreb. Ministers will discuss the future European Research Area and the issue of “brain circulation” – as opposed to “brain drain” – and how the mobility of scientists and researchers can contribute to the diffusion of existing knowledge and the absorption of new knowledge. The focus is on attracting talent from around the world and sharing knowledge in the Member States.