European Parliamentary Research Service

Today in plenary, MEPs will debate: 📌 Using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine (following statements by the Council and the Commission) 📌 Accelerating the phase-out of Russian gas and other Russian energy commodities (following statement by the Commission)n) 📥 Read our two #EPlenary notes (available in six languages) ↓ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!F6fGM8 🔗 https://europa.eu/!XF8r3B

Last week, the European Commission presented its new initiative, the Union of skills, to address the existing shortages in terms of both occupations and skills in the EU. 📍 Tomorrow, MEPs will discuss this initiative in plenary session, following a statement from the Commission. 📥 Read more in our #EPlenary note ↓ https://europa.eu/!wwgpd9

🗺️ Greenland is a focus of geopolitical competition and growing confrontation between major powers – the United States, Russia and China. 🔎 The island has high strategic importance, due to: - its proximity to the emerging Arctic shipping routes, - its strategic location in relation to security and defence activities, - its vast untapped natural resources, including mineral reserves. 🛳️ As Greenland lies near emerging shipping routes, the island plays an important role in the future of international navigation and shipping. Curious to know more? Explore our briefing 'Greenland: Caught in the Arctic geopolitical contest'. 🔗 https://europa.eu/!xDNr7g

⏰ The European Parliament's plenary session starts today. Among other topics this week, MEPs are set to discuss the future of European defence. 📥 Read our #EPlenary note ↓ https://europa.eu/!gdbhxF

On 11 March, MEPs are expected to debate a proposal from the European Commission for the Critical Medicines Act, a new regulation aimed to 💊 address the severe shortages of medicines, 💊 reduce dependencies, 💊 and ensure the supply of affordable medicines. 📥 Read our #EPlenary note ↓ Available in six languages: https://europa.eu/!VTqyFg

📍 Today is International Women's Day. Did you know that women tend to be paid less, participate less in the labour market, and are more likely to work part-time because they often take on caregiving responsibilities at home? That’s what gender inequality in the workplace looks like. 📊 Addressing such inequalities is key to strengthening EU action on fundamental rights. 🔎 Our EPRS study on mapping the cost of non-Europe explores the potential benefits of more EU action through key policy proposals → https://europa.eu/!nJWX4Q Want to know more on gender equality across policy areas?  Check our topical digest → https://europa.eu/!8FKQ6X #IWD2025 #ForAllWomenAndGirls

What's on the agenda of the March plenary session at the European Parliament? Here are some of the key topics: 🔹 Europe's security architecture 🔸 White paper on European defence 🔹 Support for Ukraine 🔸 European Semester 🔹 Critical Medicines Act 📬 Get ready with our article ⤵️ 📥 Download our #EPlenary notes in EN, DE, ES, FR, IT, or PL. 

🔎 How many women currently hold foreign and defence ministerial positions in the EU? 📍 On the occasion of International Women's Day, the European Parliament is holding an inter-parliamentary committee meeting today to discuss how to ensure the full participation of women in decision-making, particularly in defence, security, and peacebuilding. To learn more about this topic, read our latest briefing ↓ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!gwmqj6 #IWD2025 #ForAllWomenAndGirls 

Today, the European Commission is expected to present its Action Plan for the automotive industry. The sector is currently at a crossroads: the green transition, digitalisation and global competition (in particular China's emergence as a leading global auto exporter) have fundamentally altered the competitive environment. 📌 What are the major trends reshaping the automotive industry? 📌 Can European companies thrive in the new competitive landscape? Read our short note ↓ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!vCW7wD

💡 How can the EU boost its digital competitiveness and strategic autonomy? As the Letta and Draghi reports highlight, individual EU countries face limited prospects for rapid development in key future technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum. 📈 By accelerating its efforts, the EU could boost its strategic competitiveness and achieve its 2030 digital transformation objectives. 🔎 Our EPRS study finds that a strategic joint EU action could lead to increases in GDP. Read more ↓ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!bpBm6p