The Week Ahead 19 – 25 December 2022

No parliamentary meetings are foreseen in Brussels, as the week is set aside for committee delegations/visits in relation to topics falling under their responsibility.

“Fit for 55”/legislative negotiations. This weekend, Parliament and Council negotiators will try to find an agreement on the reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and on the Social Climate Fund, part of the “Fit for 55” initiative to make the EU climate neutral by 2050. If there is a deal, Peter Liese, ETS rapporteur, and Pascal Canfin, Chair of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee will hold a press conference on the outcome of the talks on Monday at 10:30.

International Trade/Taiwan. A delegation of the Committee on International Trade travels to Taipei to discuss trade and investment relations. MEPs will meet with representatives of the government, the Legislative Yuan, civil society and the private sector (Monday to Wednesday).

President’s diary. EP President Roberta Metsola will be in Bucharest on Monday, where she will meet Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, after which they will host a joint press conference. President Metsola will also meet Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Senate President Alina Gorghiu and Chamber of Deputies President Marcel Ciolacu, and will address a joint session of the Romanian Parliament and receive the ‘Mihnea Constantinescu’ Values-Based Leadership Award of the Aspen Institute. On Tuesday President Metsola will remain in Bucharest to participate in a town hall discussion with Romanian young people, at the University of Bucharest. On Wednesday, President Metsola will be in Rome to address the XV Conference of Ambassadors of Italy in the world.