European Parliamentary Week 2017: how to fight unemployment and ensure recovery benefits all

Although investment has picked up and the economy has created new jobs, not everybody is yet sharing equally in the benefits of growth. During the annual European Parliamentary Week in Brussels from 30 January to 1 February, MEPs meet their counterparts from the member states and other high-level policy makers to debate how to boost growth and employment and increase fairness.

"Employees, Innovation, Income" on a chart ©AP Images/European Union-EP
MEPs will discuss how to improve the economy with their counterparts from national parliaments this week ©AP Images/European Union-EP

European Parliamentary week 2017 official poster
Official poster of the European Parliamentary week 2017

The conference kicks off on Monday with a debate about this year's economic policy priorities - structural reforms, investment, responsible fiscal policies - and continues with an exchange of views on how to make European economic and monetary union stronger and more efficient. Participants include among others Parliament President Antonio Tajani, economic affairs committee chair Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, Italy), budget committee chair Jean Arthuis, (ALDE, France) and commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Pierre Moscovici.

Fair taxation, social rights and the EU budget


On Tuesday MEPs and their colleagues from national parliaments focus on measures to combat tax fraud and tax evasion in the light of the Panama papers leaks. Check out our top story and read the interview with Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz on why Europe should take the lead on this issue.


Parliamentarians are also to discuss social rights. MEP Maria João Rodrigues, who wrote a report on the EU's social pillar, said in our interview, the EU should not be just a project of economic integration; if it wants to meet future challenges, it needs to strengthen its social cohesion.


A debate on financing the EU budget also takes place on Tuesday. MEPs want to go back to a system of own resources instead of having to rely mainly on contributions from member states. Read our interview with Alain Lamassoure who represented Parliament in a high-level group on the EU’s own resources.


European Semester


Monday's conference takes place in the context of the European Semester, which is the EU coordination of member states's economic policies. It starts every year with the Commission publishing its annual growth survey. This is a growth forecast setting up a framework, which EU countries can use to evaluate their budgetary plans. While strong growth means more revenue, weak growth leads to less revenue.


The document also identifies countries that could find themselves in financial difficulties and spells out general priorities and country-specific recommendations. Once these recommendations have been adopted at the EU level, member states have to include them in their national budgets. However, the recommendations can have far-reaching implications for the countries involves as they can affect taxes, the labour market, unemployment benefits and pensions.



Watch the video document
Stiglitz: Tax havens are the dark side of globalisation
(Video duration: )
Former advisor for the Panama government and Nobel Prize-winning economist Prof. Joseph E. Stiglitz called for “zero tolerance” against secret tax structures when appearing before the Panama papers committee

European Parliamentary Week 2017

Cycle of European Semester

  • The European Commission publishes the annual growth survey setting out the EU's priorities (November)
  • EU heads of state adopt the EU's economic priorities (March)
  • EU countries submit their action and reform plans to the Commission (April)
  • Commission produces country-specific recommendations (May)
  • European Council endorses the country-specific recommendations (June)
  • EU countries use recommendations when drafting next year's budget
  • The European Parliament plays an advisory role in the process

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