[Agenda] Women fighting Covid-19 in focus This WEEK

At the current pace of improvement, women will reach complete equality with men in 2080 in the EU, according to a report published by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) last October.

The Covid-19 pandemic risks slowing down progress on gender equality and even potentially send the EU backwards, EIGE director Carlien Scheele said at the time.

The run-up to International Women’s Day (8 March) is the pretext for several events organised on women’s rights this week in the EU.

MEPs will gather for a high-level event organised by the European Parliament’s women’s rights and gender equality committee focusing on women fighting the pandemic.

On Thursday (4 March), the event will feature EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament president David Sassoli, Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou and frontline workers.

To help bridge the enduring gender pay gap, the commission on Wednesday (3 March) will present pay transparency measures so that differences in salaries or wages do not remain in the hidden from employees.

Last year, the commission spelt out that it wants “binding measures on pay transparency”.

On Wednesday, MEPs will hear from women scientists and carers at the frontline on the fight against Covid-19.

Speakers will include professor Dr Katalin Karikó, the Hungarian-born biochemist credited with leading the development of the mRNA technique used by the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.

Dr Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, who led the Italian team that first isolated the Covid-19 virus, will also be at the online event.

Foreign affairs

The parliament’s foreign affairs committee will vote on Thursday on the commission’s report on Albania and North Macedonia – two countries that want to join the EU but have been blocked so far by some member states.

MEPs are expected to stay that the two countries still have outstanding issues with fighting corruption and organised crime, as well as with the judicial system.

On Monday, the 11th EU-Albania association council will focus on the pre-accession strategy.

Also on Monday, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell will be in the parliament’s committee on foreign interference to discuss the EU’s strategy to battle such attacks.

On Thursday, MEPs on the economy committee will hear the latest update on the EU’s Covid-19 response from commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis, and economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni.

Justice served

On Tuesday (2 March), the European Court of Justice will issue a ruling on a case that once again raises questions over judicial independence in Poland.

The case relates to the nomination of judges to the Polish Supreme Court and recent changes to the right to appeal such decisions.

On Monday, the civil liberties committee will discuss the migratory situation in the western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. Sea arrivals to the archipelago surged in the second half of 2020, where there is limited reception capacity.

Home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson and president of the Canary Islands government, Ángel Víctor Torres, plus a representative of the NGO Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) will present their views to MEPs.

On Tuesday, the civil liberties committee will vote on the parliament’s input to the commission’s upcoming 2021-2024 strategy for the protection of children’s rights. The EP proposes better prevention of violence, improving education and mental health, digital inclusion and LGBTI issues.