This week, COP29, the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, begins in Azerbaijan; finance ministers discuss the EU’s annual budget for 2025; the Commission holds a seminar on supporting companies in applying the European sustainability reporting standards; and MEPs continue the hearings of the new Commissioners-designate, and hold a plenary session on EU-US relations, EU summits, deforestation and COP 29. The week’s events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 11 to 16 November 2024.
Monday 11 – Friday 22 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | International negotiations | Climate change | UN Framework Convention on Climate Change | Paris Agreement on Climate Change | Climate change policy
COP29
Baku, Azerbaijan
The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, will be the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference. COP29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024.
Tuesday 12 November
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Commission hearings, plenary and committee meetings
Brussels
Hearings: Executive Vice-Presidents and EU Foreign Policy Chief
Having scrutinised 20 Commissioners-designate, MEPs will now question the five proposed Executive Vice-Presidents and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission on Tuesday, to evaluate whether they are qualified both to be members of the College of Commissioners and to carry out the particular duties they have been assigned.
The Chair(s) and group representatives (coordinators) of the responsible committees will meet after each hearing to evaluate the performance of the Commissioner-designate. Based on the committee recommendations, the Conference of Presidents (EP President Metsola and leaders of the political groups) is set to conduct the final evaluation on 21 November.
The vote by MEPs on the full college of Commissioners (by a majority of votes cast, by roll-call) is currently scheduled to take place during the 25-28 November plenary session in Strasbourg.
Tuesday 12 – Thursday 14 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Tourism | Tourism policy | Livelihood | Climate change policy | Artificial intelligence
23rd European Tourism Forum
Budapest, Hungary
Held in collaboration with the Hungarian Council Presidency, the 2024 European Tourism Forum will feature presentations and panel discussions on: using AI to map trends and market destinations; how data can be used to support sustainability; ongoing skills initatives to tackle the current staff shortages across Europe; the tourism stakeholder support platform.
Tuesday 12 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Bioeconomy | Biotechnology | Small and medium-sized enterprises | Food industry
Advancing bio-based innovations in the food industry: Focus on fermentation
Brussels
For this hybrid workshop ,you can choose to attend in person or participate online by following on Webex. Please note that registration is mandatory for both options.
The workshop will focus on the industrial applications of fermentation technologies by highlighting SMEs that are using biomass, precision and gas fermentation. Their innovative technologies will be presented, along with ways to promote scaling up production. These presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.
Tuesday 12 November
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Consumer policy | Right to repair | Consumer law
Stakeholder workshop – Right to Repair
Brussels
The Directorate General for Justice and Consumers is organising an online workshop to explain and discuss the Directive promoting the repair of goods, and the repair platform.
On 13 June 2024, the Directive promoting the repair of goods was adopted. It is applicable from 31 July 2026.
The Directive sets out an obligation to repair for manufacturers of goods for which repairability requirements exist in EU law and which are listed in Annex II of the Directive (e.g. TVs, smartphones, washing machines).
Wednesday, 13 – Thursday 14 November
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
Commission hearings, plenary and committee meetings
Brussels
On Wednesday and Thursday, Parliament will hold a plenary session in Brussels, during which MEPs will debate the outcomes of the October and November European Council meetings, assess EU-US relations after the election of Donald Trump as US President, and discuss the EU’s civilian and defence preparedness.
They will also vote on postponing the application of the deforestation regulation and debate and vote on Parliament’s demands for the COP29 in Baku. The fight against money laundering and terrorist financing will also be discussed, and MEPs will vote on EU actions against Russia’s shadow fleet so that sanctions against Russia are properly enforced.
COP 29/EP delegation: a Parliament delegation will attend COP29 in Baku (Azerbaijan) between 18 and 22 November. This year’s climate talks aim to define a new collective goal for providing financial support to global climate action as countries develop new national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, which have to be communicated in early 2025.
Friday 15 November
Council of the EU | Political Meetings | Budget
Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Budget)
Brussels
The Council will meet to prepare the second meeting of the Conciliation Committee, with the aim of reaching an agreement with the European Parliament on the EU’s annual budget for 2025.
The Council will start at 09:30 in public deliberation and prepare the meeting of the Conciliation Committee. The meeting of the Conciliation Committee with the European Parliament will start at 11.00.
After the conciliation committee meeting, the Council will resume its session. It will either endorse an agreement or, failing an agreement with the European Parliament, decide on the next steps.
The conciliation procedure started on 29 October 2024 and will end on Monday 18 November 2024. If the two branches of the budgetary authority don’t succeed in finding an agreement on next year’s budget by then, the budgetary process will restart.
Friday 15 November
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Financial services
Supporting companies in applying the European sustainability reporting standards
Brussels
The European Commission is hosting a one-day seminar entitled ‘Supporting companies in applying the European sustainability reporting standards (ESRS)’.
The seminar will bring together experts and practitioners from Member State representations, business and trade associations, companies, consultancies, auditors and other stakeholders. The event will further explore the key challenges and opportunities for companies as they begin to apply the ESRS.
