MEPs will hold hearings with three candidate commissioners, commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall and mark 30 years of the Convention of the Rights of the Child this week.

Hearings

On Thursday 14 November the public hearings of the three new Commissioners-designate take place: Olivér Várhelyi (Neighbourhood and Enlargement), Adina-Ioana Vălean (Transport) and Thierry Breton (Internal Market). This follows the examination of their declarations of financial interest by Parliament's legal affairs committee. During the hearings, MEPs will examine their competencies and abilities to deliver the programme that President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented to MEPs in July.

Berlin Wall

On Wednesday, at the beginning of the plenary session, members will mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall on 9 November 1989, an event that helped unite Europe.

Children’s rights

MEPs will also mark another anniversary on Wednesday. On 20 November, it will be 30 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted and members will discuss what progress has been made as well as the challenges young people face today.

Migration hotspots

Migration is on the agenda on Thursday, when MEPs debate migration hotspots, notably the situation in Greece and Bosnia.

Turkish drilling

Turkey is back on the agenda on Wednesday, when members will discuss recent drilling in EU waters in the Eastern Mediterranean, which have triggered tensions. Recently, during their discussion on the country's military operation in Syria, MEPs expressed their concerns and called for the measures against Turkey.

Sex education in Poland

On Thursday, MEPs will vote on a resolution calling on the Polish government to rescind a law criminalising sex education.

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Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis sent a letter to the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki supporting the initiative to fight against tax avoidance in the European Union.

The Seimas adopted amendments to Article 79 of the Criminal Code (draft No. XIIIP-3991), hereby establishing legal measures for a wider scope of protection for the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who are subject to criminal prosecution abroad.

400 retail workers from Wallonia dismissed by the supermarket chain Carrefour should receive EU aid worth €1,632,028 to help find new jobs, the EP’s budget committee has decided.

On November 7-8, President Gitanas Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė are leaving for a visit to Italy. The President and the First Lady will visit the Holy See and meet with Pope Francis. During the visit, bilateral meetings with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti are also scheduled.

On November 6 Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas spoke at the 13th annual Georgia Defence & Security Conference and underscored that Georgia had to continue doing the homework: to complete democratic reforms, to strengthen institutions and public resilience to emerging security threats.

On 4 November 2019, Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, had a meeting with Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, who was on her visit to Lithuania. During their meeting, the Speaker of the Seimas talked about the security situation in the region and presented Lithuania’s position concerning the nuclear power plant in Astravyets and Russia’s return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Vice Minister of National Defence Edvinas Kerza is conducting a visit to Washington on November 4 – 8. He will meet for U.S. officials responsible for cybersecurity: discuss bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity and international cybersecurity issues at meetings with representatives of the Department of Defence, Department of State, Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy.

President Gitanas Nausėda attended the Lithuanian-Japanese business forum where he delivered an opening speech to an abundant audience.

On October 23–24 Vice Minister of National Defence Edvinas Kerza met with Undersecretary of State for Defence Angelo Tofalo during a formal visit to Italy and discussed cooperation on development of cyber rapid response force. Italy is planned to sign a political declaration and join the Lithuanian-led PESCO project in the nearest future.