The Week ahead

On Monday and Tuesday, US President Joe Biden will meet European leaders at the NATO and EU-US Summits. “Let us give a warm welcome to Joe Biden, a noble man and an ally who can be relied upon. We do not need to agree on everything, but we can do things together. Jointly, we must strengthen our democracies including through sensible regulation of social media, complete the deal to eliminate tax havens and develop a common position on  China,” says Radosław Sikorski MEP, Chair of Parliament’s delegation for the relations with the USA. On the meeting between President Biden and President Putin, set for Wednesday in Geneva, Sikorski says: “Please tell him from us that if he blackmails countries by gas, NordStream sanctions will return. If he attacks a neighbour again, we will respond by deeds, not just words. And every time he, or Mr Lukashenko, murders or kidnaps an opponent in the West, we will double our assistance to Russian or Belarussian opponents”.

Social media and the digital environment must be a safe place for everyone. One in 10 women have experienced some kind of cyber violence since the age of 15. A growing problem that perpetuates and exacerbates gender inequality. The EU must use all its corrective power to tackle this situation. On Tuesday at 13h00, Roberta Metsola MEP and Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP will be discussing with leading experts how to put an end to hate speech online against women! Tune into our online event here: https://fb.me/e/OY3mEeLy

The European Parliament on Monday is to give its final nod to the agreement (Public Country-by-Country Reporting) that is designed to open the tax books of companies to the public. It marks an important leap towards a better and more durable way of taxing companies in the future. From now on, the spotlight is brightly and clearly on those companies who systematically avoid taxes.

On Monday, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs will discuss with Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira how to use EU Cohesion Funds to implement reforms in Member States. On Tuesday, Parliament's Employment Committee will debate with Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. On Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Development Committee will discuss the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - "Global Europe" with Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission, as well as with Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement. On Wednesday, in Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee, Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs, will present the EU Strategy on Voluntary Return and Reintegration.