MEPs vote on measures to make foreign gas suppliers comply with EU rules, discuss how to protect terrorism victims and raise concerns about a drop in vaccinations.

On 14 March, the Political Director Asta Skaisgirytė took part in political consultations in Rome. Skaisgirytė met with the Italian Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome Luca Giansanti and discussed issues of security and defence, the Eastern Partnership initiative, Russia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Western Balkans.

Firms would be taxed where they earn their profits under a proposed harmonised corporate tax system which uses the online activities of digital firms to calculate their tax bills.

In a busy week in Strasbourg MEPs called for an ambitious EU budget, voted in favour of increasing transparency on parcel delivery prices and condemned new US tariffs on steel.

On 14 March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius congratulated the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Heiko Maas on his appointment as the head of diplomacy. In his letter, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister highlighted the partnership between the two countries, as well as cooperation at the European level and within NATO.

The EU might spend money on defence for the first time ever. MEPs are ready to start talks with member states on plans to support the joint development and acquisition of military equipment.

On 12 March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with the Chairman of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence of the National Parliament of Ireland (Oireachtas) Brendan Smith, and discussed the key bilateral issues, as well as items on the agenda of the European Union and Eastern Neighbourhood initiative.

On 14 March MEPs vote on Parliament’s official negotiating position for the EU’s next long-term budget starting in 2021.

At its meeting on 7 March 2018, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, with the participation of Darius Skusevičius, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, unanimously regretted that Serbia was increasingly failing to align its foreign and security policy with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The three Baltic prime ministers said in Vilnius on Friday that they are against EU sanctions on Poland over its judicial reform.