The Week Ahead 15 – 21 May 2023
Delegations
EU budget/Hungary. A delegation from the Budgetary Control Committee will go to Budapest to assess ongoing issues with the protection of the EU budget in the country, and particularly the control systems and procedures the government has in place to manage the recovery and resilience funding. MEPs will meet members of the Hungarian National Assembly, Hungary’s regional development minister, the State Secretary for EU affairs, the President of the State Audit Office, and investigative journalists, NGOs and businesses (Monday to Wednesday).
Academic and cultural freedom/Poland. A delegation of MEPs from the Culture and Education Committee will travel to Warsaw to meet representatives of the Polish government and media as well representatives from the cultural industry and the academic community. They will discuss recent developments in education, cultural and media policies in Poland, including academic and artistic freedom. MEPs will also visit Lublin, the 2023 European Youth Capital (Monday to Wednesday).
Foreign Affairs/USA. A delegation from the Foreign Affairs Committee will visit Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. MEPs will discuss a wide range of issues, including Ukraine, Russia, China, Indo-Pacific, Iran, EU-U.S. energy security cooperation, cybersecurity and fighting false narratives. They will meet representatives of the U.S. Department of State, House of Representatives, Senate, think tanks, and non-profit organisations (Monday to Thursday).
Civil Liberties/USA. A Civil Liberties Committee delegation will travel to Washington D.C. to meet members of Congress, representatives from the departments of State and Justice, the Data Protection Review Court, National Intelligence, as well as of tech companies and NGOs. MEPs focus on priorities like transatlantic data flows, children safety, counter-terrorism, antitrust policy and women’s rights (Monday to Thursday).
President’s Diary. President Metsola will give the introductory remarks at the Beyond Growth 2023 Conference in Brussels on Monday. On Tuesday, she will be in Malta, where she will speak at the Inter Action Council Conference in Malta’s Presidential Palace, and visit the University of Malta to meet with researches and students.
