The Week ahead

The leaders of the EU Member States will meet for a special summit in Brussels on 1-2 October to debate the situation of the internal market as well as foreign affairs, including EU relations with Turkey and Belarus. "We want to maintain the good relations with Turkey but for this to happen, Turkey must immediately stop the repeated violations of Greek and Cypriot airspace and territorial waters, and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all of its neighbours", says Kris Peeters MEP, the EPP Group Spokesman on Turkey. For Belarus, Sandra Kalniete MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chairwoman, reiterated that we do not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the re-elected President and called for the EU to impose sanctions to bring to justice those responsible for the electoral fraud and brutal repressions of peaceful protests that followed the presidential elections on 9 August. "Sanctions against the Lukashenko regime must be adopted immediately. Failing to agree to do so will be proof that the Kremlin has a final say in the EU neighbourhood and also within the EU."

After the resignation of Irish Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reshuffled her team. Two members of the EPP family have been appointed with important economic portfolios: European Parliament Vice-President Mairead McGuinness MEP from Ireland is designated to become the new Commissioner for Financial Services. European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis from Latvia will take over the Trade portfolio. The European Parliament will examine their candidatures and perform the usual hearings. The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee will question Mairead McGuinness on Friday 2 October from 09:00 hrs, and the International Trade Committee will hear Valdis Dombrovskis at 13:00 hrs.

The next round of negotiations on a post-Brexit agreement starts next week. Christophe Hansen MEP, the European Parliament's Trade Committee negotiator, says “it is time for the UK to restore confidence to advance in the negotiations. We particularly expect Boris Johnson to withdraw the international law breaching provisions of the internal market bill.  We recall that the European Parliament will, under no circumstances, ratify any agreement between the EU and the UK should the UK authorities breach – or threaten to breach – the Withdrawal Agreement.”

On Monday, the nominees for this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be presented at a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees and the Subcommittee on Human Rights.The EPP Group nominates the democratic opposition of Belarus represented by the Coordination Council, an initiative of brave women and political and civil society.

Internal Market Committee Members will vote on Monday 28 September on the report 'Digital Services Act (DSA): Improving the functioning of the Single Market'. Pablo Arias Echeverría MEP is responsible for the file on behalf of the EPP Group. “The DSA will address crucial challenges for our economy. The European Union must set the proper rules of the game to create a proper environment for our digital SMEs to grow and be able to compete globally. In our Report, we have tried to provide the guidelines for the Commission to address such a challenge.” Also on Monday, the Internal Market Committee Members will have an exchange of views with the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, on addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis.

Thursday @ 14.30 Axel Voss MEP, Rapporteur and others on 'Making AI European - presentation of AI reports after final vote in the Legal Affairs Committee'

Friday @ 11.00 Pre-session briefing