This week, foreign affairs ministers focus on EU-US trade relations and the state of play of EU-China trade relations; the Commission holds the Cleantech Conference 2025, conferences on how to build a successful start-up from research to business, and on the potential of permissionless blockchains in finance; and MEPs in committee discuss EU protection against risks from foreign investments, the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy and use of intrusive spyware in Italy. The week’s events in the European Union including EU Council, Commission and Parliament meetings from 7 to 12 April 2025.
Monday 7 April
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament committee meetings
Brussels
New EU approach on migrant returns: the Civil Liberties Committee will hold a first debate with Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Brunner on proposed changes to EU legislation on the returns of people who have no legal right to remain in Europe. Immediately following the debate, MEPs and the Commissioner will discuss possible future migration partnerships with Jordan and Morocco, as well as the EU’s Facility for Refugees in Türkiye.
Monday 7 April
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Trade
Foreign Affairs Council
Brussels
The Foreign Affairs Council, in its trade configuration, will hold an exchange of views on EU-US trade relations and will be debriefed on the state of play of the EU-China trade relation.
Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 April
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Culture
Informal meeting of culture and media ministers
Warsaw, Poland
During the meeting, the Polish presidency will present, among other things, the results of an analysis commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Culture on the situation of young artists on the labour market in EU countries and will hold a discussion on the protection of cultural heritage from the effects of natural and anthropogenic disasters, including the perspective of the reconstruction of Ukraine’s heritage.
Tuesday 8 April
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament committee meetings
Brussels
EU protection against risks from foreign investments: a proposal to boost EU screening system of foreign direct investments (FDIs) to identify and mitigate potential risks to EU security is up for a vote by the International Trade Committee. Issues potentially of relevance include access to sensitive information, the supply of critical materials, and control over crucial technologies such as AI, navigation technologies, connectivity, energy and biotechnologies. In 2024, non-EU investors owned over 35% of EU assets.
Water resilience: MEPs in the Environment, Climate and Food Safety Committee will adopt draft recommendations for the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy, including on water efficiency, pollution mitigation, climate adaptation, funding, digitalisation and innovation, and cross-border cooperation.
Use of intrusive spyware: MEPs in the Civil Liberties Committee will discuss the use in Italy of a spyware via the WhatsApp application, against members of civil society organisations, with Commission and Meta representatives as well as with one person targeted by the spyware.
Tuesday 8 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Industry | Environment
2025 Cleantech Conference: Advancing Europe’s Clean Industrial Transformation
Brussels
This year’s Cleantech Conference will explore the Clean Industrial Deal and how Europe is going to navigate the much-needed investment for decarbonisation. Notably, the conference will discuss how decarbonisation through innovation, thanks to initiatives like the Innovation Fund, can give the EU the upper hand in the race to climate neutrality.
Tuesday 8 April
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Research | Innovation | Knowledge management | Business start-up
From research to business: how to build a successful start-up
Online only
Turning research into a thriving business is no easy task. Science-based spin-offs and startups need support mechanisms to embark on an entrepreneurial path and use the intellectual assets as the basis for a successful company. What structures, programmes and services help them turn ideas into market-ready products and solutions useful for society?
As the EU prepares its Startup and Scaleup Strategy, we will learn in this webinar from a panel of practitioners who are supporting researchers in turning their ideas into innovative solutions that deliver for citizens and succeed in global markets. We will explore effective practices to guide and help science-based spin-offs and start-ups to be launched and grow.
Tuesday 8 April
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Financial services | Digital finance strategy
Webinar on the potential of permissionless blockchains in finance
Online only
The Commission’s Directorate General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) is hosting a webinar to present a recent report about permissionless blockchains in finance.
Wednesday 9 April
European Parliament | Political Meetings | Institutional affairs
European Parliament committee meetings
Brussels
EU-US relations: the Chair and Vice-Chair of Parliament’s delegation for relations with the United States, together with the chairs of the committees on foreign affairs and international trade, will travel to Washington DC to meet with counterparts in the US Congress. They will discuss the situation in Ukraine and its impact on transatlantic relations, EU-US trade, and relations with China (Wednesday to Friday).
Ukraine/energy: the Industry, Research and Energy Committee will meet with the Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada to discuss the state of Ukraine’s energy sector after three years of war, and particularly the reconstruction and recovery of energy infrastructure.
Enlargement/Kosovo, Serbia and Türkiye: the Foreign Affairs Committee will evaluate reforms by Kosovo and Serbia on their path to EU membership, and EU-Türkiye relations.
Wednesday 9 April
Other bodies and agencies | International ministerial meetings | Ukraine
EU-Ukraine Association Council
Brussels
During a restricted session the EU and Ukraine will exchange views on the situation following Russia’s war of aggression, focusing on the military, economic and humanitarian situation on the ground and the response to Russia’s war.
They will then touch on wider global and regional issues.
Wednesday 9 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Intellectual property | Designation of origin
Conference on ‘Tradition and National Identity – Protection of Geographical Indications for Craft and Industrial Products’
Zagreb, Croatia
The conference will present the potential economic benefits of the new European Union system for protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products, as well as the legal and practical issues.
Wednesday 9 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | The EU’s international role | International cooperation
InfoPoint conference: Cultivating change – Advancing gender equality in food systems
Brussels
The Infopoint conference focuses on managing the knowledge needed to analyse issues, to identify, design and implement solutions that help advancing gender equality in food systems.
Wednesday 9 April
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Energy policy | Financing
Investors Dialogues on Energy webinar: Affordable Energy Action Plan
Online only
The Investors Dialogue on Energy will host its ninth webinar on the topic of the Affordable Energy Action Plan.
The Investors Dialogue on Energy (ID-E) is a multi-level stakeholder platform that brings together experts from the energy and finance sectors in all EU countries. Their aim is to assess and upgrade financing schemes to mobilise financing in the context of the European Green Deal and REPowerEU.
Thursday 10 – Friday 11 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Ukraine’s economic recovery
EU-Ukraine Business Summit 2025
Brussels
Following Ukraine’s Future Summit’s success last year, the EU-Ukraine Business Summit will serve as a platform for deepening Ukraine’s economic integration with the European Union and fostering stronger cooperation and opportunities for European businesses.
Thursday 10 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Single market | Research
Research Conference on the Single Market
Online
The European Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs organises a third edition of the Research Conference on the EU single market. The conference will bring together top researchers to present their findings and policy insights related to the EU single market. All papers presented at the conference will be posted on the websites of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs in the Single Market Economy Papers series.
Thursday 10 April
Other bodies and agencies | Training and workshops | Apprenticeship
Webinar: Shaping the future of apprenticeships in the EU – ensuring quality and fairness
Online
The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) is organising a webinar to discuss the future of apprenticeships in Europe, focusing on quality and fair working conditions.
Thursday 10 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Research | Innovation | Economic analysis | Business start-up
How to go from startup to scaleup? Experiences and future perspectives
Brussels
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation and the OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate will co-host the joint conference “How to go from startup to scaleup? Experiences and Future Perspectives”.
This hybrid event will bring together key stakeholders to explore challenges and policy solutions for fostering Europe’s startup ecosystem.
Thursday 10 April
Other bodies and agencies | Partner meetings | Trade relations
Civil Society Dialogue on trade relations with India
Online only
The purpose of this meeting is to inform and discuss with civil society recent developments in the EU’s trade relations and negotiations with India, and to exchange views on the EU’s trade policy with India.
Friday 11 April
Council of the EU | Political meetings | Employment and social rights
Eurogroup
Brussels
The agenda for the meeting of finance ministers includes economic developments and euro area policy coordination and preparation of international meetings.
Friday 11 April
Other bodies and agencies | Conferences and summits | Disability | Social inclusion
Conference on the social inclusion and independent functioning of people with disabilities in the EU
Warsaw, Poland
The conference will be attended by counterparts of the Secretary of State and Government Plenipotentiary for Disabled Persons, Lukasz Krason – including Secretaries of State from EU countries and representatives of the European Commission. Thematic discussion blocks will focus on two main issues: raising public awareness of the lives of people with disabilities, and the challenges faced by this group.
Topics covered will include labour market and employment issues, image building, accessibility and independent living.
