WEEK FROM 16 TO 22 JULY.

• Position: Conference news

Monday 16 July

European Parliament

Parliamentary committees

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on Development

* Meeting Global Challenges on the Front Lines of Hunger - Discussion with Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN's World Food Programme

* Effectiveness of European Aid - Presentation of a study by Andrew Lawson and Alina Rocha Menocal (Overseas Development Institute - ODI) - Discussion

Committee on International Trade

Committee on Budgetary Control

* OLAF investigation into EU assistance to the Palestinian Authority budget - Discussion with Franz-Hermann Bruner, Director of OLAF (in camera from 16:00-16:45)

* Possibly, election of a new Member of the Bureau of the CONT committee, to replace Mr Silaghi (4th Vice-President)

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

* Discussion with Antonio Correia de Campos, Portuguese Minister for Health, President-in-Office of the Council (from 15:10-16:00)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

* Mini-hearing on A European Space Policy - A new approach to Industrial Policy ? (from 15:00-16:30)

* Discussion with Mariano Gago, Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education and with Mario Lino, Portuguese Minister for Public Works, Transport and Communications, Presidents-in-Office of the Council (from 16:30)

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

* Discussion with Manuel Pinho, Portuguese Minister for Economy and Innovation, President-in-Office of the Council (16:30-17:45)

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

* Exports of meat from Brazil to the EU - Discussion with the Scottish Beef Cattle Association and the Irish Farmers' Association

Committee on Fisheries

* No-fishing zones and marine protected areas - Discussion with the North Sea Commission

Committee on Culture and Education

* Presentation of the Portuguese Presidency's Programme - Joint discussion with Isabel Pires De Lima, Minister of Culture; Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues, Minister of Education; Mariano Gago, Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education and Pedro Silva Pereira, Minister of the Presidency (from 15:05-18:00)

* i2010: Towards a European digital library - Vote on report by Marie-Helene Descamps (EPP-ED, FR)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

* Parliamentary scrutiny of the European Policy on Security and Defense - Discussion with J-P Masseret, Member of the Senate of the French Republic (15:00-16:30)

* Development of the framework for the activities of interest representatives (lobbyists) in the European institutions - Discussion with Siim Kallas, Commissioner for the Transparency initiative (from 16:30-17:30)

Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

* Presentation of the Portuguese Presidency's Programme - Discussion with Pedro Silva Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Portuguese Council of Ministers

* Equality between women and men - 2007 - Vote on report by Piia-Noora Kauppi (EPP-ED, FI)

Committee on Petitions

Public hearings

The Reform of the Community Trade Defence Instruments

As part of preparations for a report being drafted by Christofer Fjellner (EPP-ED, SE), the International Trade Committee is holding a hearing on the proposal by the European Commission to overhaul the Community's trade defence instruments (notably anti-dumping measures).

Speakers include : Peter Balas, Deputy Director General DG Trade, European Commission; Professor Brian Hindley, Senior fellow, ECIPE Brussels; Professor Jacques Bourgeois, College of Europe; Monique Jones, Secretary General, Eurometaux; Stuart Newman, Legal Advisor, Foreign Trade Association; H.E. Guillermo Valles Galmes, Ambassador to the WTO for Uruguay; Professor Claudio Dordi, Bocconi University - Milan.

Contact: Thomas Dudrap, Press Service, (33-3) 881 72850 (BXL), (32) 0498.98.32.84, inta-press@europarl.europa.eu

Council of Ministers

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

The following points will be discussed at this session:

* Presidency Work Programme

* Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the placing on the market of a potato product (Solanum tuberosum L. line EH92-527-1) genetically modified for enhanced content of the amylopectin component of starch

* Proposal for a Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine and amending certain Regulations

* Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 320/2006 establishing a temporary scheme for the restructuring of the sugar industry in the Community

* Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 318/2006 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector

First Meeting of the Innovative Public Service Group

Informal Workshop of the European Council Working Party on International Issues on Climate Change

Second Conference on Explosives Security

Seminar on Early-Warning Systems

European Commission

Travel and visits

* Presentation by Vice-President Mrs Margaret Wallstrom of the Commission proposal on European political Foundations and political parties to the Constitutional Affairs Committee

* Speech and participation by Mr Janez Potocnik in the signing of the agreement to continue the successful S&T cooperation with "Israel" into FP7, with Mr Jose Mariano GAGO, Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, and Mr Ghaleb Majadele, Israeli Minister for Science, Technology, Culture and Sport (Council)

* Mr Janez Potocnik meets with ISE ("Initiative for Science in Europe") members (BERL)

* Mr Leonard Orban meets Mr Jean-Pierre Jouyet, State Secretary in charge of European Affairs

* Mr Franco Frattini in Italy (16-18). Participation in the conference "Conclusioni annuali laboratorio Euromediterraneo". (16) (Milan). Participation in the "Audizione Commissioni riunite Affari Costituzionali della Presidenza del Consiglio ed Interni e Politiche dell'UE" (17) (Rome). Participation in the conference "Convegno sui costi della criminalita" (18) (Rome)

* Mr Louis Michel and Mr Peter Mandelson in Yaounde, Cameroon (15-16) for Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with Central Africa

* Participation by Mr Laszlo Kovacs in the Europe roundtable: "After enlargement: is Europe still divided?"

* Mr Gunter Verheugen to visit Russia to discuss closer economic cooperation

* Participation of Mr Stavros Dimas in the NGO FORUM with pre-candidate countries and potential candidates

* Mr Stavros Dimas meets Mr Hilary Benn, UK Secretary of State for the Environment

* Mr Joaquin Almunia in Madrid. Opening speech at the conference on "The new actors of the global economy" organised by the UAM School of Journalism, El Pais and the Fundacion BBVA. Closing speech at the conference on the reform of European financial markets, organised by the Fundacion de Estudios Financieros

* Mr Almunia in Bratislava (16-17). Meetings with Dr Robert Fico, Prime Minister, Mr Jan Pociatek, Finance Minister, Mr Ivan Sramko, Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia and Mr Marcos Sefcovic, Permanent Representative to the EU. Speech "EMU: preparing for a second decade" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Meetings with Messrs. Franitsek Palko and Peter Kazimis, State Secretaries

* Mrs Viviane Reding in Lisbon (16-17). Speech on "ICT towards improved economy and quality of life: European action for sustainability" at the Round Table on "ICT and the Sustainability Challenge"; meets Mr Francisco Pinto Balsemao, CEO of Impresa Media Group (16). Meets Prof. Jose Manuel Amado Da Silva, Anacom; speech "Towards next generation media for the digital age?" and participation in the conference on the Future of the Media organised by The Impresa Group and Radio Renascenca; meets Mr Henrique Granadeiro, CEO of Portugal Telecom; meets the Portuguese Minister for Public Works, Transport and Communications, Mr Mario Lino (17)

* Mrs Meglena Kuneva at a lunch/roundtable discussion on the proposed Energy Charter with The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)

* Official visit by Mrs Danuta Hubner to Lower Normandy (France): meetings with the President of the Regional Council, Mr Philippe Duron and the Prefect of the Lower Normandy Region, Mr Michel Bart; visit of projects supported by regional policy

Economic and Social Committee

* Meeting of the Section for External Relations (REX)

Tuesday 17 July

European Parliament

Parliamentary committees

Joint meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Human Rights

* Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) report on secret detentions and illegal transfers of detainees involving Council of Europe member states - Discussion with Dick Marty, rapporteur

Committee on Foreign Affairs

* Towards a common European foreign policy on energy - Vote on report by Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP-ED, PL)

* The functionning of the Human Rights Dialogues and consultations on Human Rights with Third countries - Vote on report by Elena Valenciano Martinez-Orozco (PES, ES)

* Discussion with Luis Amado, Minister of State and for Foreign Affairs of Portugal, President-in-Office of the Council

Committee on Development

* Meeting with Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany), President-in-Office of the Council from 1 January to 30 June 2007

* Meeting with Joao Gomes Cravinho, Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, President-in-Office of the Council from 1 July to 31 December 2007

* Meeting with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy

Committee on International Trade

* The priorities of the Portuguese Presidency in the area of international trade policy - Presentation by State Secretary of European Affairs, Manuel Lobo Antunes and State Secretary of Trade, Fernando Serrasqueiro, Presidents-in-Office of the Council (10:00-11:00)

Committee on Budgets

* BUDGET 2008: Outcome of the...