The Week Ahead: 25–29 June 2018
This week ALDE will be very active hosting and participating many seminars and conferences of the interest of all citizens and our MEPs will cover many topics as the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the unstable situation in Hungary and the trade relations between the EU and the USA. See the agenda below:
MONDAY
Following up on the 22 May meeting between Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Parliament’s political leadership, MEPs will hold a second public hearing with Facebook representatives to look into ensuring data protection and preventing illegal use of data with the participation of MEP Sophie in’t Veld, First Vice-President of the ALDE Group.
ALDE Presents the public hearing ‘The injustice of Marital Captivity’, hosted by MEPs Hilde Vautmans, Marietje Schaake, Sophie In’t Veld and Charles Goerens, explaining the phenomenon of marital captivity and traditions and how to go towards tangible solutions. The hearing will also count with the participation of representatives of the Commission. To register click HERE.
The Civil Liberties Committee will vote on whether to propose that EU ministers activate the so-called Article 7 mechanism against Hungary, due to a risk of a serious breach of EU values. Article 7 of the EU Treaty provides for a procedure to enforce EU values and can go as far as imposing sanctions, including the suspension of voting rights to any Member State.
Financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance Committee (TAX3) hosts an exchange of views with Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová on the follow-up given by the Commission to the PANA recommendations concerning the fight against money laundering; the roadmap and methodology towards the establishment of an EU list of high-risk third countries, and the future action of the Commission concerning Golden visas or citizenships programmes aiming at providing tax privileges to foreigners. The event will be livestreamed from 17h00 HERE.
TUESDAY
Sophie in’t Veld MEP organizes and hearing about ‘Transparency in the EU institutions: which way forward?’ with participation of representatives of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
MEP Dita Charanzová, Vice-Chair of the IMCO Committee hosts the seminar ‘Online Marketplaces: A Gateway to Global Sales’ offering small and medium-size businesses convenient opportunities to sell their products and services globally, online marketplaces are a successful and growing part of the eCommerce sector, with the the participation of policy-makers, business representatives of eBay and stakeholders. To register click HERE.
Teresa Giménez Barbat MEP hosts the seminar ‘Five Centuries of Fake News: The Black Legend and Europe’ as the phenomenon of “fake news” has become more and more evident globally and is considered to be a recent invention with the participation of several experts. Interpretation in English and Spanish will also be provided.
WEDNESDAY
ALDE presents the hearing ‘5 Years After’ to discuss the situation over the last five years since the Croatia became a member of the European Union. The intention of the roundtable discussion is to evaluate whether Croatia has successfully taken advantage of all possibilities that EU membership brings. Event hosted by MEPs Jozo Radoš and Ivan Jakovčić with the participation of Pavel Telička and Hans Van Baalen.
THURSDAY
After recent unilateral decisions by the US administration to pull out of various international deals and organisations, Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs will assess the state of EU-US relations and particularly the “America first” policy and disagreements on trade, the Iran deal and the Middle East peace process.
TAX3 Committee hosts a public hearing on ‘VAT Fraud’. Member States in the EU are yearly losing around 150 billions of euros in value-added tax (VAT) revenues because of fraud, mainly cross-border fraud, and inadequate tax collection systems. For more information click HERE.
Along with TERR Committee, TAX3 will also hold a joint public hearing of ‘The use of tax frauds to finance terrorism’ co-hosted by MEPs Petr Ježek and Nathalie Griesbeck. Click HERE for more information.
ALDE Prime Ministers, European Commissioners, leaders of parties and delegation leaders from all over Europe will join in Brussels for an informal gathering to discuss the Future of Europe and prepare for next year’s European elections.
