Who will succeed the current ombudsman, Claudia Monti, whose non-renewable eight-year term ends in April? MPs will make their choice known on 6 March between three candidates: , director of the Centre for Civil and Commercial Mediation; ,  government councillor 1st class, in charge of the Paperless Justice project at the justice ministry and (HUT); and , director of the National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD).

European defence and Ukraine will take centre stage on the national and European political agendas. The issue will be discussed in committee in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday 3 March. It will be raised at European level on 6 March when a special European Council meets in Brussels to follow up the meeting of European heads of state and government on defence on 3 February. The president of the European Council, António Costa, wants to see “the first decisions adopted in the short term, so that Europe becomes more sovereign, more capable and better able to face the immediate and future challenges to its security.”

Following its , the European Commission on 5 March unveils its industrial action plan for the automotive industry. The flagship measure is the launch of a “European Alliance for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles” and the development of a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles. The plan also provides for the encouragement of social leasing mechanisms to support the purchase of new and used electric vehicles, the possibility of exempting zero-emission heavy goods vehicles from road charges (the Eurovignette) and the creation of clean transport corridors. The commission has also announced its intention to set European content requirements for the battery cells and components of electric vehicles sold in the EU.

On 5 March, the European Council will attempt to reach agreement on the regulation on the gradual introduction of the European entry-exit system (EES). The EES records the entry, exit and refusal of entry of third-country nationals crossing the EU’s external borders for a short-term stay. Under the new system, border guards will take fingerprints or photos of people crossing the border for the first time and record this data in a digital file. Once this has been done, the ministers will approve a new roadmap for the implementation of ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation system. This travel authorisation system, intended for nationals of visa-exempt countries, will be introduced gradually after the EES system is activated in 2025.

At the end of its monetary policy committee meeting on 6 March, the ECB will announce its new key rates. Analysts are . At present, the deposit facility rate is 2.75%, the main refinancing rate 2.90% and the marginal lending facility 3.15%.

Monday 3 March

Government.  (DP), minister for the economy, SMEs, energy and tourism, , president of the GIE Observatoire national des PME and CEO of Luxembourg Confederation, and , director-general of the Chamber of Commerce present the “Retail Report 2025,” a tool for observing and analysing retail trade in Luxembourg. This report provides information on national development trends in the retail sector and also gives an overview of other sectors such as hotels and restaurants. Baumert will present the results of a survey on consumers in Luxembourg and Thelen will present the results of the Chamber of Commerce’s economic barometer.

Chamber of Deputies. Meeting of the committee on foreign and European affairs, cooperation, foreign trade and the Greater Region. Its members will hear from prime minister  (CSV) on the informal brainstorming session of EU leaders held on 3 February. At the request of the LSAP group, they will debate the conclusions of the meeting of European heads of government in Paris concerning the development of a common position on Ukraine and collective defence. They will then discuss the European defence industrial strategy and the defence industry programme of the subcommittee on European affairs of the committee on foreign and European affairs, cooperation, external trade and the Greater Region (parliamentary dossier 8466).

Adem. The national employment agency is organising a jobday dedicated to the hotel and catering sector, bringing together 40 companies active in hotels, restaurants, caterers, collective catering and cafés looking for new employees.

Tuesday 4 March

Chamber of Deputies. Public session 69 will be held in the plenary chamber. It will also be broadcast on the Chamber’s website. On the agenda is a debate on the extended parliamentary question tabled by (DP) on village development. Bill 8225 aimed at adapting existing provisions on workers’ rights in the context of cross-border mergers, in particular as regards the information, consultation and participation of workers in the event of transformations and divisions of a cross-border nature. MPs will then adopt the new rules on petitions. The number of valid signatures, in all forms, required for a public debate is now set at 5,500, compared with 4,500 at present. This threshold will be assessed at the beginning of each legislature. Another new feature is the introduction of electronic authentication via Luxtrust or EIDAS for electronic filing and signature. Finally, MPs will choose the new ombudsman.

European Council. Informal meeting of digital ministers in Warsaw on 4 and 5 March. A meeting devoted to cybersecurity challenges, including, among other things, the question of how to respond to large-scale incidents and crises.

European Court of Auditors. The ECA publishes a special report on EU action to combat marine pollution caused by ships. According to United Nations (UN) estimates, normal ship operations discharge more than one million tonnes of oil into the sea each year, with a further 200 tonnes discharged in incidents around the world. Ships also discharge sewage, waste, hazardous or toxic substances, plastic and many other pollutants. Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear also has disastrous effects on the environment. The EU, with its 22 coastal member states, is determined to protect the marine environment from pollution caused by ships. Its Eighth Environmental Action Programme has set zero water pollution by 2030 as a priority objective. It is also committed to contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, target 14.1, which aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all types by 2025. In its report, the court assesses the actions taken by the EU to combat pollution caused by ships during the period from January 2014 to September 2024.

Wednesday 5 March

European Council. Meeting of the justice and home affairs council in Brussels. Home affairs ministers will attempt to adopt a common position on the regulation on the phasing-in of the SEA system.

The ministers will also discuss the interoperability of the IT infrastructure of EU law enforcement agencies and approve a new roadmap for the implementation of ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation system. The ministers will then discuss improving the efficiency of return systems in the Schengen area and the impact of regime change in Syria on migration.

European Commission. The European executive presents its industrial action plan for the automotive industry.

Thursday 6 March

European Council. A special European Council meets in Brussels to discuss European defence and Ukraine. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in the debates.

European Central Bank. End of the ECB monetary policy committee meeting. A further rate cut is expected.

Court of Justice of the EU. The court delivers its judgment in Case C-150/23 European Commission v Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. On 13 March 2023, the commission brought an action against Luxembourg for failing to transpose in time Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report violations of union law. On the same grounds, the commission took Germany, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Hungary to court. The directive was due to be transposed on 17 December 2021. It will be transposed in Luxembourg on 17 May 2023. The grand duchy faces a fine of €464,400. This sum is equal to €900 multiplied by the number of days between the day following expiry of the transposition deadline set in the directive and the day on which the infringement is remedied, i.e., 516 in this case.

Friday 7 March

European Council. Meeting of the justice and home affairs council in Brussels. Justice ministers will examine a proposal for a directive aimed at harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law. This directive is part of the 2020 Action Plan for the Capital Markets Union. It aims to encourage cross-border investment within the single market through targeted harmonisation of insolvency procedures. The rule of law will be the theme of the working lunch. The council session will also provide an opportunity to take stock of the fight against impunity for crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Chamber of Deputies. The committee on foreign and European affairs, cooperation, foreign trade and the Greater Region will precede an exchange of views with a parliamentary delegation from the Great Hural of the State of Mongolia.

This article was originally published in .