Hungary officially joined the EU on 1 March 2004 and the Schengen Area in December 2007.

The Hungarian EU accession negotiations started on 31 March 1998. Hungary had successfully concluded negotiations on its accession at the Copenhagen European Council in December 2002. Hungary has 22 MEPs, 12 votes in the Council and has chaired the Council of the European Union from January to June 2011.

The Hungarian parliamentary elections on&nbsp;Sunday 12 April 2026 are already coined as Europe’s&nbsp;most important elections this year.

EU - Hungary (T)

EU - Hungary

The Conference of Presidents – political group leaders as well as the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola – were in Dublin on 23 June 2026 to discuss priorities ahead of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union.

From July to December 2026, Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union – a central leadership role at the heart of EU decision-making.

For six months, Ireland guides negotiations, broker agreement between Member States, and help deliver EU laws and policies that affect the daily lives of more than 450 million people.

This is the eighth time Ireland has held the rotating Presidency – a responsibility that reflects our enduring commitment to partnership, cooperation and progress in Europe. Ireland last held the role in 2013, and previously in 1975, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2004.

Irish Presidency

&nbsp;On 15 June 2026&nbsp;, a provisional agreement on a review of air passenger rights rules reached by Parliament and Council negotiators secured unanimous backing from the EP delegation to the so-called Conciliation Committee. The deal seeks to protect passengers against travel disruption, such as denied boarding and delayed or cancelled flights. MEPs have secured an air passenger rules deal that maintains compensation for three-hour delays, ensures faster reimbursement, fee-free child seating and flight price transparency.

Compensation and duty of care Parliament’s negotiators resisted a push to weaken air passenger rights. Under the deal, air travellers maintain the right to be reimbursed or re-routed and to claim compensation if a flight is delayed by more than three hours, if it is cancelled less than 14 days before a flight, or if they are denied boarding.

Compensation for delayed or cancelled flights will depend on flight distance: €250 for journeys up to 1,500 km, €400 for journeys between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, and €600 for all other longer journeys. Air carriers will have the possibility to reduce compensation by 50% for their longest journeys if passengers are offered re-routing to their final destination following travel disruption, or if the delay at arrival does not last more than four hours.

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air transport package (T)

consumers' protection (T)

railway package (T)

9th parliamentary term

2021 European Year of Rail (T)

Passenger rights

Climate change remains a key challenge. The EU and the European Parliament are working to ensure a more sustainable society and economy through ambitious policies at home and close cooperation with international partners. It is already on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2020, and has put forward a plan to further cut emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

By 2050, Europe aims to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent. Alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the EU is also taking action to adapt to the impacts of climate change. By 2050, Europe aims to be a climate-resilient society. Climate action is at the heart of the European Green Deal – an ambitious package of measures ranging from drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment.

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Climate change

Situation in the Middle East remain complex. On Iran, the EU is advocating de-escalation, while considering a revision of the mandate of its naval&nbsp;operation Aspides&nbsp;to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Regarding Israel, EU ministers agreed on Monday 11 May to impose&nbsp;sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The EU is also working&nbsp;to advance the normalisation of relations with Syria&nbsp;and to support Syria’s transitional authorities in their political reform and reconstruction efforts.

The European Parliament debated in April recent US-Israel military operation targeting the Iranian regime, examining its geopolitical and humanitarian consequences. The discussion focused&nbsp;on the impact of these actions on regional stability and the situation of the Iranian people, as well as the European Union’s role in addressing the crisis and supporting those affected by the escalating tensions in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Situation in the Middle East

Have a look at stockshots (from 2021 onwards) with illustrative pre-edited broadcast quality video footage. These editable stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), produced to illustrate priority EU dossiers and parliamentary work. They are intended to help audiovisual media produce their own programs, for example, editing of news reports or documentaries.

Stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), pre-edited videos

Infoclips (T)

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

After a series of special committees and a committee of inquiry, created to delve into the various tax leaks and scandals of recent years, Parliament established a more permanent setup to shed light on the matter.

The Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) subcommittee on tax matters, FISC, will be composed of 30 members. It will deal particularly with the fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax avoidance, as well as financial transparency for taxation purposes.

The constituent meeting will take place on Wednesday, 23 September 2020.

FISC - Subcommittee on Tax Matters

Ireland’s relationship with the European Union has been a defining force in its economic and social progress since joining in 1973. This partnership&nbsp;reaches a new milestone,&nbsp;Ireland takes on the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2026,&nbsp;its eighth time in the role and the first since 2013.

The Irish Presidency will focus on three interconnected priorities to help Europe navigate a period of global change. First, it will push to boost Europe’s competitiveness and prosperity, building on the "One Europe, One Market" roadmap to&nbsp;deepen the Single Market, and drive innovation in digital and clean technologies; all while shaping the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028–2034.

Second, Ireland will work to strengthen the EU’s role as a principled global actor. This includes firm support for multilateralism and the international legal order, protecting shared European values, reinforcing the rule of law across member states and laying the groundwork for future EU enlargement.

Finally, Ireland wants to heavily upgrade Europe’s security. In response to global conflicts like the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East, Ireland will guide new defense plans, including the European Security Strategy and a roadmap for future defense readiness. This priority also covers modern challenges, meaning the Presidency will work on protecting critical infrastructure and cybersecurity, boosting climate and food security, fighting organized cross-border crime, and putting the EU’s new migration and asylum laws into practices.<button aria-label="Read aloud" data-state="closed" type="button"></button>

EU - Ireland

David McAllister (EPP, DE) will continue as the Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee for the coming two and a half years. He was re-elected by acclamation on Wednesday, 10 July. During its constituent meeting, the Committee also elected Witold Waszczykowski (ECR, PL) as the Committee’s First Vice-Chair. The remaining three Vice-Chairs will be elected at a future meeting. Together, the Chair and Vice-Chairs will form the Bureau of the Committee.

AFET - Committee on Foreign Affairs

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on the week from 27th to 31st january 2025. During the meetings, each committee and subcommittee will elect its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate.

SEDE - Committee on Security and Defence

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on the week from 27th to 31st january 2025. During the meetings, each committee and subcommittee will elect its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate.

ENVI - Committee on Environment, Climate and Food Safety

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) ensures the smooth functioning of the European Single Market by removing barriers to the free movement of goods, services, and professionals. It works to modernize the regulatory framework for the digital era, focusing on fair competition and the safety of products entering the EU from global online marketplaces.&nbsp;

This includes addressing the systemic challenges posed by third-country ultra-fast fashion platforms, which face ongoing scrutiny regarding the compliance of goods with strict EU health, environmental, and labor standards.

The committee protects European consumers from deceptive digital practices and hazardous products while ensuring that all companies operating within the Union adhere to the same standards of sustainability and transparency.

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