BRUSSELS, Sept. 9 — The European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU will hear from Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen this week as he unveils the bloc’s Affordable Housing Act, part of a dense calendar of institutional activity running through 12 September. MEPs are expected to press Jorgensen on how the EU intends to assist member states, regions and local authorities in relieving housing market pressure, unaffordability and shortages. The hearing is one of several political set-pieces ahead of the 14–17 September plenary session.
That session will see MEPs debate the state of the European Union with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and receive Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. Lawmakers are also slated to debate and vote on a report from the special committee on the European Democracy Shield, proposals to bolster Europe’s defence readiness, and enhancements to the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism.
Votes are additionally scheduled on advancing EU efforts against hybrid threats, the impact of social media and the online environment on young people, the EU youth strategy, and an assessment of the common fisheries policy. Political groups are using the intervening days to prepare their positions. In committee, MEPs will vote this week on a proposal to halt the automatic cancellation of excess carbon allowances in the market stability reserve of the EU Emissions Trading System.
Separate votes cover a review of the rules governing trans-European energy networks and recommendations for the future of EU-China relations. On the intergovernmental track, lawmakers from the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Legal Affairs, and Industry, Research and Energy committees will discuss the priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council with the responsible Irish ministers on Monday and Thursday.
Beyond the legislative grind, the Commission is hosting a workshop for applicants to the European Natura 2000 Awards. International Product Safety Week 2026, themed “Product safety in motion,” brings regulators, international organisations, industry representatives, consumer organisations and academics to Brussels to discuss enforcement cooperation, digital tools for market surveillance, child safety and the evolving e-commerce landscape.
The Commission will also run a webinar on the draft terms and conditions for the Innovation Fund’s upcoming IF26 Hydrogen Auction, offering an overview of feedback from a six-week public consultation that closed on 24 August. The session is to be held online via Webex and recorded. The week sets the table for a plenary that will test the Parliament’s appetite on defence readiness and democracy shield files, with the housing initiative giving the executive a visible social policy banner ahead of the autumn session.
