THIS WEEK: Moldova pushes EU membership talks as Zelensky–Poland row clouds Gdańsk Ukraine summit

After a solid week of summitry in France and Brussels there is no immediate let up for EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen who hosts an EU-Moldova summit on Monday (22 June) as the two sides seek to keep the momentum of Chișinău’s plans to join the EU. 

Last week, EU officials opened formal negotiations with Moldovan counterparts on accession, with a view to Moldova putting the EU’s legal framework into their own national law. 

In a statement, the European Council said that the meeting would “assess Moldova’s progress on reforms, in particular, on the rule of law and fundamental rights, and the fight against organised crime.”

Also on Monday, EU lawmakers are hoping to secure an agreement on the proposed child sexual abuse directive that is part of a broader push to guarantee child safety online. 

Trade will also be on the agenda next week.

Trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is due to hold crunch talks with Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao in the last week of June amid EU threats to impose new trade defence measures to curb Chinese imports. At last week’s EU summit, leaders requested the Commission assess the EU’s trade defense tools and “eventually” come up with new instruments. 

First, however, Šefčovič will host Suphajee Suthumpun, Thailand’s deputy prime minister and minister of commerce, on Wednesday for talks on a trade deal which Brussels and Bangkok are hoping to conclude in the coming months.