The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) opens a two-day plenary session in Brussels today. Members will discuss the EU's tech sovereignty, the fight against poverty and access to housing.

The session starts at 2:30pm local time (3:30pm Bulgarian time) in the European Parliament's Paul-Henri Spaak building. The main debate on day one is on European tech sovereignty and the place of people in the digital transition.

Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president of the European Commission for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, is expected to take part. So is Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, director general of the European tech industry group DIGITALEUROPE.

The debate comes ahead of the adoption of opinions on the second European law on chips. Other opinions cover cutting the EU's reliance on foreign suppliers of cloud services, artificial intelligence and digital platforms. The proposals include investment in European digital infrastructure, support for open-source solutions, and better protection of data and workers' rights.

Tomorrow, 22 October, a high-level debate called "Eradicating poverty by 2050: delivering on our collective responsibility" will start at 10am local time (11am Bulgarian time).

EESC president Séamus Boland, Roxana Mînzatu and Carlos Susías will speak. Mînzatu is the European Commission's executive vice-president for social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness. Susías is president of the European Anti-Poverty Network.

Dara Calleary and Li Andersson will join by video message. Calleary is Ireland's minister for social protection and for rural and community development, and speaks for the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU. Andersson chairs the European Parliament's committee on employment and social affairs.

The European Commission and the EESC are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on joint work on the EU's anti-poverty strategy. The committee will also present a study it commissioned. The study looks at European policies through the lens of poverty and seeks ways to break the cycle of social inequality.

The talks will cover poverty passed down between generations, gaps between town and countryside, prevention and social protection. Maria Petkova takes part as vice-president of AGE Platform Europe, a European platform of organisations for older people.

The committee will also look at opinions on strengthening the European Child Guarantee, on homelessness and housing exclusion, on electricity bills and on consumer protection online.

Bulgarians take part in several items. Milena Angelova is among the rapporteurs on the opinion on water diplomacy and restoring the global water cycle. Ina Agafonova is rapporteur on OceanEye, the European ocean monitoring initiative. Maria Petkova will take part in the talks on poverty.