After Esch-sur-Alzette in 2022 and Luxembourg City in 2023 and 2024, Europe Day will be held in Echternach. From 12 noon to 6pm on Saturday 10 May, a European village with numerous stands will be open to the public free of charge.
It’s a busy week at the Chamber of Deputies. Among the highlights on the agenda of the various parliamentary committees are the appearances of the heads of Spuerkeess and BGL BNP Paribas before the special Caritas commission, the continuation of the debate on thoughts on a reform of the electoral law, the monitoring of budgetary developments and major infrastructure projects and the presentation of a reform concerning affordable housing.
At the European Parliament, it’s a week of plenary sessions in Strasbourg. They will mainly be discussing the effects of the new American trade policy initiated by Donald Trump, developments in the situation in Ukraine and the future of the European budget. This will be the central topic of the debates. The text to be debated on this subject, prepared by the budget committee, stresses that the growing disengagement of the United States from the international scene means that EU spending will now have to cope with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as a very difficult economic and social context, a competitiveness deficit and a worsening climate and biodiversity crisis. Is the current ceiling of 1% of the gross national income (GNI) of the EU-27 appropriate to respond adequately to the multiplication of crises and challenges? This will be the focus of the debate.
This week will also see the opening of the Assises de la Coopération luxembourgeoise 2025. The event will bring together experts from international organisations, research, the private sector and civil society, as well as project beneficiaries, around the theme: "development aid in a world in polycrisis.”
Monday 5 May
Government. Prime minister (CSV) is on a working visit to the Republic of Finland from 5 to 6 May. In Helsinki, the prime minister will be received by the president of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, for a bilateral meeting on the geopolitical situation and transatlantic relations. Frieden will also have a working meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Petteri Orpo, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and opportunities for cooperation in areas such as the economy, cyber security, and security. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to discuss the main current European and international issues, as well as preparedness and resilience. As part of the visit, the prime minister will also meet a number of key players in the world of technology and resilience.
Government. Finance minister (CSV) is travelling to Milan to attend the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The annual meeting will be an opportunity for the governors of the 69 members to examine the development issues and challenges facing Asia and the Pacific. The minister will also meet with ADB president Masato Kanda.
Government. Meeting of the ammonia task force chaired by the minister for agriculture, food, and viticulture (CSV). She will present the work carried out and the avenues developed to achieve the objectives of reducing ammonia emissions in agriculture.
Chamber of Deputies The members of the foreign affairs committee will look at the extension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The European Union’s national parliaments can issue opinions on the European Commission’s legislative and political initiatives and on its policies. Several agreements concerning residence permits with Mongolia and the exchange of classified information with Greece are also on the agenda.
Chamber of Deputies. Members of the Institutions Committee continue their work on the reform of the Electoral Law.
Chamber of Deputies. The budget implementation, mobility and defence committees will provide regular financial monitoring of the CFL’s major infrastructure projects and the Belval Fund. They will also look at the project to extend the WSA site at Sanem.
Chamber of Deputies. The Caritas commission receives a delegation from Banque et Caisse d’Épargne de l’Etat led by its CEO, .
European Court of Auditors. The ECA will publish a report on its activities in 2024, a year in which the institution and its 950 staff continued to scrutinise EU policies and programmes, evaluate the financial management of EU funds and assess the value for money provided by EU action.
Tuesday 6 May
European Commission. Commissioner Teresa Ribera presents the roadmap for the commission’s RepowerEU programme.
European Parliament. MEPs will discuss with the European Commission and Council an EU response to US trade measures as well as international trade opportunities for the EU.
Government. Working visit to Luxembourg by Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the assembly and council of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an international organisation that promotes green growth in developing countries. The former secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon, will be paying a working visit to Luxembourg from 6 to 7 May 2025. On 6 May, he will meet the minister for the environment, climate, and biodiversity, (CSV), and then the minister for finance, Gilles Roth. Together, they will then take part in Luxembourg’s official commitment ceremony with a view to joining the GGGI. On 7 May, Ban Ki-moon will be welcomed by the deputy prime minister, minister for foreign affairs and foreign trade, minister for cooperation and humanitarian action, (DP). They will take part in the opening of the Assises de la Coopération luxembourgeoise 2025, which will be held at Luxexpo. He will also be received by Frieden for an interview at the ministry of state.
Chamber of Deputies. Finance minister Roth presents the development of public finances at 31 March.
Chamber of Deputies. The members of the committee on higher education, research and digitalisation will finalise their examination of the draft law on the electronic signature of acts in administrative matters and amending the law of 25 July 2015 on electronic archiving. A draft report will be put to the vote as a prelude to adoption of the text in plenary.
Chamber of Deputies. The Caritas commission receives a delegation from BGL-BNP Paribas for an exchange of views.
European Court of Auditors. The court publishes a report on the lessons learned from the weaknesses of the Recovery and Resilience Financing Facility (RRFF). Created in February 2021, it finances measures taken by Member States in six predefined areas, including green and digital transitions, between the start of the pandemic in February 2020 and August 2026, the year it ends. Its initial budget was €724bn, but countries have signed up for €650bn (€359bn in grants and €291bn in loans).
Central banks. The Fed meets its monetary committee. Could Chairman Jerome Powell announce a cut in US key rates? He faces a dilemma: on the one hand, inflation is slowing and could justify a cut in key rates, but on the other, trade tensions between the US and China are creating uncertainty for the global economy. Analysts are divided.
Wednesday 7 May
Council of the European Union. Informal meeting of foreign ministers from 7 to 8 May in Warsaw as part of the Gymnich programme. Introduced in 1974, the purpose of these meetings is to enable ministers to discuss strategic issues informally and openly.
European Parliament. MEPs will debate with the European Council and Commission how the EU can help secure a just, lasting and comprehensive peace deal for Ukraine and set out their priorities for the EU's long-term budget post-2027.
Government. Opening of the Assises de la Coopération luxembourgeoise 2025
Chamber of Deputies. Members of the environment and foreign and European affairs committees will discuss a motion by MP (déi Gréng) concerning the inclusion of a right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment in the European Convention on Human Rights. Members of the environment committee will draw up an opinion on a grand-ducal regulation concerning the installation and operation of heat pumps (parliamentary dossier 8439) and will look into bill 8525, which aims to extend the period during which municipalities can compensate for ecological damage caused by construction projects via the “eco-points” system by taking responsibility for the creation and management of compensatory pools.
Chamber of Deputies. Members of the labour committee continue their examination of bills 8234 amending the labour code with a view to introducing a forward-looking employment and skills management programme and 8437 on the transposition of Directive (EU) 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages in the European Union.
Chamber of Deputies. The members of parliament will regularly monitor military or civilian missions abroad in which Luxembourg officials are involved. During a closed-door session, MPs will also continue to monitor the Nato Defence and Planning Process.
Thursday 8 May
Government. The minister for home affairs (CSV), the minister for justice (CSV), the minister for family affairs, solidarity, living together and reception of refugees (DP), the minister for health and social security, (CSV) and the mayor of the City of Luxembourg (DP) present the “Drogendësch 2.0” action plan.
Chamber of Deputies. The committee on housing and planning continues its examination of bill 8535 reforming legislation on affordable housing.
Chamber of Deputies. The members of the economic affairs committee are continuing their examination of parliamentary dossier 8314 on the renewal of aid schemes for research, development and innovation and dossier 8495 on pre-packaging.
Chamber of Deputies. Members of the budget execution and mobility committees are looking at the financial monitoring of major infrastructure projects by examining the projects of the Public Buildings Administration and the National Roads Administration. They also analyse bill 8335 aimed at establishing a new framework for security, safety, order and video surveillance in public transport.
Chamber of Deputies. Presentation to the deputies of the interministerial action plan “Drogendësch 2.0” to tackle drug trafficking in the capital.
Friday 9 May
Europe Day.
Saturday 10 May
Europe Day. The Chamber of Deputies will have its stand at the Europe Day festivities organised in Echternach. National and European MPs will be on hand to meet the public.
This article in French.