Parliament Sets Key Agenda

The European Parliament will focus on wildfire preparedness, workplace mental health, childhood cancer and Greenland during committee meetings in Brussels from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, 2026. Members of the European Parliament will also address Afghanistan, asylum policy and Ireland’s priorities for its presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On Tuesday, lawmakers on the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety are scheduled to question Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib about the EU’s response to summer wildfires and measures to improve preparedness.

The Employment and Social Affairs Committee is expected to vote Wednesday on a call for legislation addressing workers’ mental and physical health, including the prevention and reduction of psychosocial risks. The Public Health Committee will also hold a discussion on childhood cancer, with a focus on innovation, public investment and policy recommendations. Parliament President Roberta Metsola is scheduled to open the debate.

Greenland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Business and Minerals, Múte Bourup Egede, will meet members of the Development and Foreign Affairs committees on Wednesday. Discussions are expected to cover the EU’s relationship with Greenland and other overseas countries and territories, as well as future financial support under the bloc’s next long-term budget.

On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Human Rights will examine the return of refugees and asylum seekers from the EU to Afghanistan amid ongoing concerns about the country’s human rights situation. Irish ministers will also continue presenting their government’s priorities to parliamentary committees, as Ireland holds the Council presidency through the end of 2026.