Next, the newsletter of Europa Today which every Sunday morning tells you what will happen in the European week to come
Top of the agenda
The European defense package – The publication of the Defense Package by the European Commission is expected on Wednesday 19 November. A proposal that includes two elements: the military mobility package – which concerns dual-use infrastructure – and the industrial transformation plan – to prepare public and private companies for times of crisis. The two proposals complete an autumn season dedicated to the European security and defense strategy.
Every centimeter – “Recent threats have shown that Europe is in danger. We must protect every citizen and every square centimeter of our territory”, explained the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presenting the first part of the defense strategy. “Europe must respond with unity, solidarity and determination.”
From Rearm to Readiness – The RearmEU plan presented in March had cost von der Leyen consensus within Parliament and European public opinion precisely because of his choice to aim for massive rearmament to ensure the defense of the bloc. Also for this reason the Commission immediately decided to favor the other label, ‘Readiness 2030’ (preparation/readiness), which seems more reassuring. Today the references to rearmament in the name have disappeared, but the contents have not changed.
Ready? – Last October 16, the ‘Preserving Peace – Readiness 2030’ roadmap was presented, with the stages and objectives for developing a European defense strategy. Four initiatives will be put on the ground between 2026 and 2030: the so-called ‘wall of drones’, the Eastern Flank Watch (surveillance of the eastern flank), the European air shield and the European space shield. With the package that includes military mobility and industrial transformation, the Commission’s proposal phase ends and the discussion phase between the Council and Parliament begins.
Will EU cohesion funds be used to buy weapons?
Other hot topics
EU budget – European Affairs ministers will meet on Monday 17 November to discuss the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, the next seven-year EU budget. After the first exchange of views at the General Affairs Council in October, the discussion will this time focus on the revolution proposed by the Commission in the management of the most important European policies on the territories of the Union – including that of the cohesion funds – through the new National and regional partnership plans.
A dense meeting – Preparations for the agenda of the European Council on 18-19 December will begin at the same General Affairs Council. A point will be made on the situation of relations between the EU and the United Kingdom, in particular afterwards the latest difficulties on the 150 billion euro fund for joint arms procurement. The Commission will present its work program for 2026 to the 27 ministers and, finally, the rule of law situation in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Germany will be analyzed in the context of the annual dialogue.
Speaking of the EU budget – Not only the ministers of European Affairs, but also those responsible for agriculture will take stock on Monday 17 November on what will happen to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027 with the changes proposed by the Commission to the management of European funds, with particular attention to food security, destination of direct aid and relations with Ukraine.
Autumn forecast – On Monday 17 November, the Commissioner for Economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, will present the autumn economic forecasts, the half-yearly report of the European Commission which provides macroeconomic outlook for the EU and its member states, including forecasts for GDP growth, inflation and unemployment.
Ukraine and beyond – A Foreign Affairs Council will be held in Brussels on Thursday 20 November, the main agenda item of which concerns developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, with an informal exchange of views with the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha. But the meeting between the 27 ministers will also be an opportunity to discuss the situation in the Middle East, the Sahel and Sudan, as well as Belarus’ hybrid attacks against EU member states.
Before and after the Foreign Affairs Council – The EU-Tajikistan Cooperation Council will be held in the afternoon on Wednesday 19 November, while an informal dinner on the Western Balkans is planned for the evening. The 27 foreign affairs ministers will hold an informal lunch with ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries on Thursday 20 November and the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum will take place in the evening, followed by a ministerial meeting on Friday 21 November.
Albania advances – The seventh meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania will take place on Monday 17 November. A meeting that will serve to start negotiations on the last group of negotiating chapters still to be opened, namely number 5 ‘Resources, agriculture and cohesion’, which includes chapters 11 (agriculture and rural development), 12 (food, veterinary and phytosanitary safety), 13 (fisheries and aquaculture), 22 (regional policy and coordination of structural instruments) and 33 (financial and budgetary provisions).
Von der Leyen in South Africa – On Thursday 20 November, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, António Costa, will meet the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, in Johannesburg on the occasion of the meeting of EU-South Africa leaders. Ramaphosa and von der Leyen will host the final event of the ‘Raising Renewable Energy in Africa’ campaign on Friday 21 November, before attending the G20 summit. Finally, the EU-African Union summit will follow in Luanda between 24 and 25 November.
Between digital and savings – On Wednesday 19 November, the European Commission will present, in addition to the Defense Package, a series of digital initiatives – which include a European business portfolio, a simplification proposal and a 2030 data strategy – and in the area of savings and investments, which includes a Regulation on the disclosure of information on sustainable finance and a package on supplementary pensions.
From the European Parliament
Simplification of defense – A joint meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (Envi), the Committee on Security and Defense (Headquarters) and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (Itre) will take place on Monday 17 November, where the so-called ‘Omnibus Defence’ will be discussed, the proposal which aims to eliminate regulatory obstacles – particularly in the field of chemicals – to facilitate industrial strengthening and preparedness in the field of security and defence.
Cop30 – From Monday 17 to Friday 21 November, a delegation from Parliament will participate in the 30th United Nations Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil. MEPs will underline that all sectors must contribute to reducing emissions and achieving climate neutrality and will urge all countries to contribute equally to the adequate financing of climate measures. They will also advocate ending dependence on fossil fuels, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and accelerating the energy transition.
Housing crisis – On Monday 17 November the members of the special commission on the housing crisis in the EU (Hous) will meet the executive vice-president of the European Commission responsible for the Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, for a discussion on the issue of the housing crisis in the member countries of the Union. Also on the agenda is feedback from the missions in Milan, Palermo and Paris.
Democracy Forum – Parliament hosts the first European Parliamentary Forum on Democracy on Wednesday 19 November, bringing together members of national and EU parliaments to discuss ways to strengthen democratic systems, including the recent European Shield for Democracy project, designed to counter electoral interference. President Roberta Metsola will open the event together with the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, Søren Gade, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa.
Protection of the rule of law – On Thursday 20 November, members of the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) will consider the report by Jean-Marc Germain (S&D) and Monika Hohlmeier (EPP) on how the EU’s rule of law conditionality mechanism has been applied since its adoption in 2020 under the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), ahead of discussions on the next post-2027 EU budget.
Enlargement strategy – Starting from the draft report by Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe), a debate will be held on Thursday 20 November in the Committee on Foreign Affairs (Afet) on how Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the major geopolitical changes underway have given new impetus to the Union’s enlargement process. The report will evaluate the suitability and relevance of the current EU enlargement methodology applied by the Commission to prepare the Union to achieve its enlargement objectives.
Pre-plenary preparations – The political groups will prepare for the plenary session on 24-27 November, with several topics on the agenda: rare earth export restrictions imposed by China, toy safety, child and online protection, Union budget for 2026, post-2024 strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities, violations of EU values by Hungary, simplification of reporting obligations for the InvestEU programme, strengthening Europol’s capacity to combat trafficking of migrant people.
