Libya | Western Balkans | Trade

This week, the Commission is sending Commissioner Avramopoulos and Commissioner Jourová to North Macedonia for the EU-Western Balkans ministerial forum on Justice and Home Affairs. Meanwhile, Members of the European Parliament are meeting in their committees this week, to work on key issues such as migration, the elimination of violence against women and the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy being high on the agenda. Various Council meetings are also scheduled for the coming days, keeping ministers with discussions on the EU’s multi-annual budget, EU-US trade relations, the rule of law as well as environmental and climate-related aspects of the post 2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform package.

European Commission

To start off the week, Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship and Vera Jourová, Commissioner for Justice to Skopje, are heading to Skopje, North Macedonia, for the EU-Western Balkans ministerial forum on Justice and Home Affairs. On the agenda: The rule of law and judicial reforms as well as cooperation on migration and border management, including between the European Border and Coast Guard and Western Balkan partners.

Council of the EU

EU ministers will meet in the different council configurations, including the General Affairs Council which takes place on Tuesday and gathers European affairs ministers of all EU member states. The Finnish presidency will inform the Council on progress in the work on the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027. Ministers will also discuss how to enhance the respect for the rule of law in the EU after an exchange of views with Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. Ministers will also start preparations for the European Council meeting December.

On Thursday, EU trade ministers will discuss the state of play of the World Trade Organisation reform before sharing views on recent developments in EU-US trade relations. Over lunch, ministers will discuss the EU’s trade relations with China and the state of play of other bilateral trade negotiations.

European Parliament

Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the European Parliament Committee for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) will hold a hearing on the state of play of violence against women in the EU. Meanwhile, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) is holding an exchange of views on Monday with President of the Eurogroup, Mário Centeno. Then, on Thursday, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) will take stock of the situation of migrants in Libya, the general state of affairs in the country and the specific circumstances of migrants in detention centres.