Brussels briefing, Sept. 9


European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will meet with Ursula Von der Leyen, president-elect of the European Commission, on Monday in Brussels.

Von der Leyen will announce the new cabinet for the next commission term on Tuesday. The new commissioners will begin their posts on Nov. 1.  

The EU-Cuba Joint Council will meet on Monday in Havana, Cuba. Led by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, the delegation will discuss progress, maintaining political dialogue momentum, and the cooperation agreement.


European Parliament’s (EP) political groups will prepare this week for the upcoming Sept. 16-19 session in Strasbourg. MEPs will debate the Council’s proposal for the EU budget for 2020 and vote on whether to recommend Christine Lagarde, the former International Monetary Fund chief, as the new President of the European Central Bank (ECB). They will also vote on the mobilization of €293.5 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for natural disaster aid in Italy, Romania and Austria. Political groups will also draft their written questions to commissioner-designates, in the run-up to the parliamentary hearings.

The EP Conference of Committee Chairs will hold an exchange of views on Wednesday with the Romanian and Estonian Commissioners-designate, who have been put forward to join the outgoing Juncker Commission for the remainder of its term that will run until the end of October.

On Thursday, the EP President and political group leaders will discuss the state of play of the Brexit process with EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier.

The Eurogroup will meet on Friday in Helsinki where finance ministers will set the six-month work program for the Eurogroup.