On 30–31 May 2013, the delegation of members of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament will visit Lithuania. This is the most important delegation of the European Parliament to visit the incoming Presidency of the Council of the EU.

 

On Friday, 31 May 2013, the delegation of the European Parliament will visit the Seimas.

At 9.00–9.15, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz will meet with Speaker of the Seimas Vydas Gedvilas in the Speaker’s Office. After the meeting, the Speaker and the EP President will take part in a brief press conference (near the Speaker’s Office);

 

At 9.15–10.30, a meeting between members of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament and members of the Board of the Seimas, chairs of the political groups, as well as chairs and deputy chairs of parliamentary committees will take place in the Plenary Chamber of the Seimas.

 

During the meeting, the programme and the priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, inter-parliamentary cooperation and readiness for the elections to the European Parliament in 2014 will be discussed. The topics of the meeting will also include key political issues regarding the European Semester, the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014–2020 and energy policy of the EU.

 

The meeting will be broadcast live on the website of the Seimas at http://whttp://media3.lrs.lt/_16_84_8223 and on the television programme titled Seimas – tiesiogiai (en. Seimas Live). The meeting will also be broadcast live on the TV channel LRT Kultūra.

 

In addition, the agenda of the EP delegation of 30 May 2013 includes a meeting between President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, meeting of the members of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament with the Lithuanian President and Members of the Government. On 31 May 2013, the President of the European Parliament will participate in the official opening of the Europe House.

 

The delegation of the European Parliament consists of President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and chairs of eight political groups of the European Parliament, namely: Joseph Daul, Chair, Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats); Enrique Guerrero Salom, Vice-Chair, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament; Guy Verhofstadt, Chair, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe; Jill Evans, Vice-Chair, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance; Martin Callanan, Chair, European Conservatives and Reformists Group; Rolandas Paksas, Vice-Chair, Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group; Gabriele Zimmer, Chair, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left; and Francisco Sosa Wagner, representing Non-attached Members. The delegation will be accompanied by representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European External Action Service.

 

The Conference of Presidents is a political body of the European Parliament responsible for the organisation of Parliament’s work and legislative planning, the composition and competence of committees and delegations, and relations with other institutions of the European Union, other parliaments and third countries.

 

Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, tel: +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]