At a glance: Parliament wants to make the right to abortion an EU fundamental right; the ECB Annual Report for 2023; and European Youth Week 2024.

News in Brief – 15/04/2024 - English

At a glance: in Brussels, Parliament adopted ten legislative texts to reform European migration and asylum policy; King Philippe of the Belgians addressed MEPs; and Parliament adopted an EU certification framework for carbon removals.

News in Brief – 12/04/2024 - English

At a glance: the plenary session is ongoing in Brussels. MEPs have voted on revising the pharmaceutical legislation and adopted their position on new rules to improve the health of European soils and to increase CO2 emission reduction targets for trucks, buses and trailers.

News in Brief – 11/04/2024 - English

At a glance: in Brussels, the plenary session is ongoing; MEPs will vote on the reform of the EU electricity market; the agreement on the extension of temporary trade measures for Ukraine; and approximately EUR 5 million in EU aid for displaced workers in Germany and Denmark.

News in Brief – 10/04/2024 - English

It’s time to vote! Between 6 and 9 June this year, millions of EU citizens will help shape the future of the European Union by voting in the European elections. The European Parliament is the only directly elected EU body and the European elections are one of the biggest democratic events in the world. Join us in this episode as we take a closer look at how the voting system works. Don’t miss this chance to find out how your vote counts!

The European elections explained: how does the voting system work?

At a glance: the plenary session starts tomorrow in Brussels. MEPs will vote on the reform of the EU’s asylum and migration rules, a revision of the ‘breakfast directives’ and new rules on the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water.

News in Brief – 09/04/2024 - English

At a glance: the Committee on Development will take stock of the progress made on the UN Sustainable Development Goals; the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy will look at the main achievements during this legislative term; and the signing of the European Declaration on Cycling.

News in Brief – 08/04/2024 - English

At a glance: the political groups are preparing for the next plenary session, which will take place in Brussels on 10 and 11 April; proposed mandatory training for MEPs to prevent conflict and harassment in the European Parliament; and just 60 days to go until the European elections.

News in Brief – 05/04/2024 - English

At a glance: the political groups are preparing for the next plenary session, which will take place in Brussels on 10 and 11 April, and the Committee on Development is set to take stock of the progress made on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

News in Brief – 04/04/2024 - English

At a glance: the meeting between European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection; the Committee on Constitutional Affairs is  proposing amendments to Parliament’s internal rules to strengthen its way of working; and EP President Metsola’s visit to Cyprus.

News in Brief – 03/04/2024 - English

At a glance: a plan has been developed to improve trainees’ working conditions, the European Chief Prosecutor will attend the next meetings of the committees on Budgetary Control and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the European elections are just 65 days away.

News in Brief – 02/04/2024 - English

At a glance: just 70 days to the European Elections; the presentation of a European Commission action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages; and the 2024 Charlemagne Youth Prize.

News in Brief – 27/03/2024 - English

At a glance: MEPs discussed the follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe; new rules on bank failures and a workshop on the EU as a Union of Equality.

News in Brief – 26/03/2024 - English

At a glance: European Parliament President Roberta Mestola addressed the Heads of State and Government before the European Council meeting; the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade; and the upcoming ceremony for the 2024 LUX Audience Award.

News in Brief – 25/03/2024 - English

At a glance: first green light for new EU rules on the employment status of platform workers; an exchange of views with European Commissioner Thierry Breton on the European Defence Industrial Strategy; and support for displaced German and Danish workers.

News in Brief – 22/03/2024 - English

At a glance: extension of trade liberalisation measures for Ukraine, initial green light for new bill on firms’ impact on human rights and the environment, and MEP support for comprehensive reform of EU pharmaceutical policy.

News in Brief – 21/03/2024 - English

Full gender equality is far from being achieved, and this has implications for the lives and life chances of individual women, girls, boys and men, the communities they live in and the EU as a whole. The European Parliament has consistently taken a strong, proactive stance on advancing gender equality, stressing the need to deliver on EU commitments.

The EP´s Committee of Women´s rights and Gender equality (FEMM) is in the heart of these discussions.

Options for further EU involvement could include better implementation and enforcement of existing legislation, moves to modernise it, fill gaps in protection and address emerging issues, and non-legislative measures such as data collection and monitoring, awareness-raising, and support for national and grassroots initiatives.

Promoting equal economic independence for women and men, closing the gender pay gap, advancing gender balance in decision making, ending gender based violence and promoting gender equality beyond the EU are the concrete areas of interest for the EU.

Gender balance

Every year around 9 May, ‘Europe Day’, the European Parliament&nbsp;organizes events in the three places of work as well as in the Member States. These open door events (in the case of the EP, taking place in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg) are an opportunity for the institutions to open their doors to citizens, invite them in and showcase what they are, what they do and what they stand for.

This year the EP opens to citizens on the 6th May in Brussels and 9th May in Strasbourg.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Europe Days 2023

Every year around 9 May, ‘Europe Day’, the European Parliament&nbsp;organizes events in the three places of work as well as in the Member States. These open door events (in the case of the EP, taking place in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg) are an opportunity for the institutions to open their doors to citizens, invite them in and showcase what they are, what they do and what they stand for.

This year the EP opens to citizens on the 27th April in Strasbourg, 4th May in Brussels and 9th May in Luxembourg.

Europe days 2024

Situated in the north-eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and to the south of Turkey, Cyprus is the largest island in the eastern Mediterranean as well as being the third smallest country in the EU, after Malta and Luxembourg. 

Cyprus’s main export partners are Greece, the UK and Israel, while its main import partners are Greece, Israel and the UK. 
There are 6 members of the European Parliament from Cyprus.

EU - Cyprus

Poland is a member of the EU since 1st of May 2004 and member of the Schengen area since 21st December 2007.

Poland is a parliamentary republic with a Head of government - the Prime Minister - and a Head of state - the President. The government structure is centred on the council of Ministers. The country is divided into 16 provinces, largely based on the country’s historic regions. Administrative authority at provincial level is shared between a government-appointed Governor, an elected regional Assembly and an executive elected by the regional Assembly.

There are 51 members of the European Parliament from Poland.

EU - Poland

Latvia joined the European Union on 1 May&nbsp;2004 and has been a member of the Schengen area since 21 December 2007. It became a member of the Euro area on 1 January 2014.

Latvia is a parliamentary republic with a head of government - the Prime Minister - who chooses the council of ministers and a head of state - the President - who has a largely ceremonial role and nominates the Prime Minister.

The government is subject to Parliament's approval throughout each term.

The country is subdivided into 110 one-level municipalities and 9 cities. These each have their own city councils and municipal administrations.

There are 8 Members of the European Parliament from Latvia.

EU - Latvia

Worldwide, forests are being lost at the alarming rate of 800 football fields per hour. With deforestation being a critical contributor to climate change and a leading cause of biodiversity loss, it is becoming increasingly clear that a sustainable future cannot be achieved without tackling deforestation and taking measures to protect- and sustainably manage forests.&nbsp; The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)&nbsp;estimates&nbsp;that 420 million hectares of forest — an area larger than the EU — were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. It is estimated that&nbsp;EU consumption represents around 10% of global deforestation.

&nbsp;In October 2020, Parliament made use of its&nbsp;prerogative in the Treaty&nbsp;to ask the Commission to&nbsp;come forward with legislation to halt EU-driven global deforestation.

MEPs have already called for strengthening the overall climate benefits from forests and the forest-based value chain, namely CO2 absorption and carbon storage in wood-based products. Parliament also emphasises the need to increase funding for research into the substitution of fossil fuels and fossil-fuel materials. Forests and the entire forest-based value chain are fundamental to further develop of the circular bio-economy, which delivers important climate change mitigation and adaptation services.Parliament wants binding targets to protect and restore forest ecosystems, especially primary forests (those that have not been been affected by people's actions in recent times).

Forest protection

The Euroscola programme in Strasbourg brings together pupils aged 14 and over from the 27 EU Member States, candidate countries and former Member States to simulate the work of the European Parliament by debating, taking sides, negotiating, amending and voting on real European issues. Pupils get an opportunity to exchange views with Members of the European Parliament and experts from this institution, to familiarise themselves with the workings of the European Union, to discuss democracy, fundamental rights, European values and to express their personal opinions on the decisions taken at the European Union level.

Euroscola

The European Parliament has repeatedly advocated press freedom and media pluralism in the EU and abroad.&nbsp; World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the&nbsp;Declaration of Windhoek&nbsp;is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

Already in 2018 the EP adopted a resolution on media pluralism and media freedom in the EU, noting the political developments in various members states, that have led to increased pressures on and threats against journalists.&nbsp; The European Parliament has also&nbsp;launched the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism.&nbsp;

The prize commends outstanding journalism revolving around the principles and values of the European Union. On the field of legislation, Parliament wants to reinforce protection of journalists and activists in the EU against unfounded and abusive lawsuits aimed to silence them.&nbsp;

MEPs also gave their final green light to new legislation to protect EU journalists and media from political or economic interference during the March Plenary session.

Under the new law, adopted by 464 votes in favour to 92 against and 65 abstentions, member states will be obliged to protect media independence and all forms of interventions in editorial decisions will be banned.

More info:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240308IPR19014/media-freedom-act-a-new-bill-to-protect-eu-journalists-and-press-freedom">https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240308IPR19014/media-freedom-act-a-new-bill-to-protect-eu-journalists-and-press-freedom</a>

Press freedom

Finland joined the EU on 1st January 1995. 

Finland is one of the most sparsely-populated countries in the EU and is bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to the east. Finland has 13 seats in the European Parliament.

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EU - Finland

The European Parliament has its seat in Strasbourg in France where the 12 monthly part-sessions, including the session at which the decision on the annual EU budget is taken, should be held.

Find in this package, audiovisual content of the activities of the European Parliament in Strasbourg such as atmosphere inside and outside the buildings and parliamentary work..

The European Parliament in Strasbourg

The EU’s 2021-2027 long-term budget, together with NextGenerationEU, amounts to €1.8 trillion. This unprecedented response will help repair the economic and social damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and aid the transition towards a modern, more sustainable Europe.

The package consists of the long-term budget (the 2021-2027 MFF multiannual financial framework) of €1.074 trillion, combined with the temporary recovery instrument NextGenerationEU of €750 billion.

It was adopted by the European Parliament on 16 December 2020.

MEPs negotiated major top-ups for EU flagship programmes like Health, Horizon (Research), Erasmus+ and supported also a roadmap introducing new sources of EU revenue. This roadmap is part of the ‘Interinstitutional Agreement’, a legally binding text. In addition to the contribution made as of 2021, based on how much unrecycled plastic a country has, the roadmap includes an ETS (Emissions Trading System)-based Own Resource (from 2023, possibly linked with a carbon border adjustment mechanism). It also includes a digital levy (from 2023) and a Financial Transaction Tax-based Own Resource, as well as a financial contribution that the corporate sector must make or a new common corporate tax base (from 2026).

Parliament also approved in its February 2024 session, the revision of the EU’s long-term budget.

This includes the €50 billion Ukraine Facility and the “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform” (STEP), which aims to make the EU more strategically independent and to foster innovation. It also enables the EU budget to respond more effectively to evolving needs and unforeseen circumstances. In particular, it bolsters the EU’s budget to deal with migration and external challenges as well as the EU's crisis preparedness and budgetary flexibility. In line with Parliament’s demands, the revision introduces a mechanism to tackle escalating costs linked to the repayment of the NextGenerationEU recovery plan amid rising interest rates.

EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027

Parliament has condemned Hamas’&nbsp; attacks against Israel while expressing serious concern over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. In the resolution adopted in October 2023 with 500 votes in favour, 21 against and 24 abstentions, MEPs strongly condemn the brutal attacks, express their support to Israel and its people and underline the need to “eliminate the terrorist organisation Hamas” .

They also call for the immediate release of all hostages kidnapped by Hamas and recognise Israel’s right to self-defence “as enshrined in and constrained by international law” . As such, any actions by Israel must strictly comply with international humanitarian law, the text states.

Parliament also stresses that both the attacks by Hamas and the Israeli response risk reinforcing a cycle of violence in the region. MEPs therefore call for a “humanitarian pause” of the fighting and stress that attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, including UN workers, medical workers and journalists, is a serious violation of international law.

Following Hamas’ deadly attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, which claimed the lives of around 1 200 people and resulted in more than 200 people being taken hostage, Israel declared war against the terrorist group. It began striking the Gaza Strip from the air, later sending ground forces into the sealed-off coastal enclave. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 14&nbsp;000 Palestinians have so far been killed.

EP President Metsola visited&nbsp;Israel on Friday 13 October to express solidarity with the victims of the Hamas terrorist attacks, and meet with Israeli leadership. The EP held&nbsp;a solemn ceremony on 11 October in solidarity with victims of the attacks.

Situation in Israel and Gaza

Minimum wages in all EU countries should allow for decent living and working standards, and member states should promote collective bargaining for pay.&nbsp; With 505 votes in favour, 92 against and 44 abstentions, Parliament adopted&nbsp;new legislation&nbsp;on adequate minimum wages in the EU during September plenary.

The EU law, agreed with the Council in June, aims to improve working and living conditions for all workers in the EU, as well as promoting economic and social progress. To this end, it establishes minimum requirements for the adequacy of statutory minimum&nbsp;wages as provided by national law and/or collective agreements, and enhances the effective access of workers to minimum wage protection.

The new directive will apply to all EU workers who have an employment contract or employment relationship. The EU countries in which the minimum wage is already protected exclusively via collective agreements will not be obliged to introduce these rules nor to make these agreements universally applicable.

EU wants to improve workers’ rights and working conditions across Europe, from working hours and parental leave to health and safety at work. The EU has put in place a set of labour rules to ensure strong social protection. They include minimum requirements on working conditions - such as working time, part-time work, workers’ rights - to information about important aspects of their employment and the posting of workers. They have become one of the cornerstones of Europe's social policies.&nbsp;

Working conditions

Between 1991 and 2017, and especially after 2000, the EU witnessed substantial improvements in terms of road safety, whether measured in terms of fatalities, accidents or injuries.&nbsp; Over a shorter period, between 2001 and 2010, the number of deaths on EU roads decreased by 43 %, and by around another 20 % since 2010.The most recent figures, however, show that progress in reducing the fatality rate is stagnating.

Specific road users or demographic groups are not witnessing the same improvements as the rest of the population.&nbsp;Despite being the safest region in the world, and despite sustained efforts to tackle road safety,&nbsp;around 22 700 people die on EU roads annually, with around 120 000 seriously injured.&nbsp;

Road safety is a shared competence, implying that many measures are primarily dealt with by Member States. However, the EU, has&nbsp;significantly developed the acquis in this area, with the Commission adopting several policy frameworks on road safety.

In 2003, the EU set itself a target in terms of reducing road fatalities, and regularly monitors progress towards this goal. In June 2017, the Council endorsed the Valletta Declaration, which reasserted commitments and targets in the area of road safety. In May 2018, within the context of the third and last 'mobility package', the Commission presented a common framework for road safety for the 2021-2030 period, recalling the EU’s long-term goal of moving as close as possible to zero fatalities in road transport by 2050 ('Vision Zero').

The European Parliament has adopted numerous resolutions regarding or covering road safety, calling notably for more detailed and measurable targets, more account taken of vulnerable users as well as of the safety challenges emerging from the development of connected and automated mobility.

Road safety

In June 2023 Parliament adopted its position for negotiations with member states on rules to integrate human rights and environmental impact into companies’ governance. Companies will be required to identify, and where necessary prevent, end or mitigate the negative impact of their activities on human rights and the environment such as on child labour, slavery, labour exploitation, pollution, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.

They will also have to monitor and assess the impact of their value-chain partners including not only suppliers but also sale, distribution, transport, storage, waste-management and other areas.

The European Parliament has consistently called for more corporate accountability and mandatory due diligence legislation. The European Commission proposal was introduced on 23 February 2022. It complements other existing and upcoming legislative acts, such as the deforestation regulation, conflict minerals regulation and draft regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour.

Corporate Responsibility

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Luxembourg - Bilateral with Claude WISELER, Speaker of the Luxembourgish Parliament

Quaestors' handover ceremony

Meeting of the European Parliament's Bureau

European flags at half-mast in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels and Strasbourg in honour of former European Commission President Jacques Delors

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion with the human rights activists

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion withfinalists -  Colleen McNicholas (US)

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion with finalists -  Monseñor Rolando Álvarez and Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia represented by Padre Uriel Vallejos and Sara Henríquez

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Human rights as a pillar in the upcoming European elections

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion laureates’  ‘’Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life Freedom Movement in Iran’’  representatives and MEP Abir Al-Sahlani

European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Interview

Quaestors family  photo

EP Plenary session - Commission statement - Parliament's call for the Right to Disconnect – 3 years after

Media Seminar - European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Meeting with finalists

Media Seminar - European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Meeting with laureates

Former Members Association Management Committee meeting

20240115-0900-PLENARY

Statements by the President

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

Composition of Parliament

Composition of Parliament's political bodies

Request for waiver of immunity

Composition of committees and delegations

Negotiations ahead of Parliament’s first reading (Rule 71)

Proposal for a Union act: see Minutes

Order of business

Resumption of the sitting

Ozone depleting substances - Fluorinated gases regulation

Amendments to the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) - Amendments to the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR) (joint debate - Markets in financial instruments regulations

The need for an EU and international response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and for continued support to the Yemeni peace process (debate)

Revision of the European Labour Authority mandate (debate)

The role of social award criteria in public procurement in strengthening social rights, good working conditions and inclusive labour markets (debate)

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Agenda of the next sitting

Approval of the minutes of the sitting

Closure of the sitting

Plenary session

Official visit to Riga (Latvia) - Press point by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Daiga MIERINA, Speaker of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament)

Delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee

Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

DACP

Opening of the sitting

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

Ensuring proper functioning of EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes (debate)

Non-objection mechanisms in international conventions to which the European Union is a party (debate)

Voting time

Improving the strategic approach to the enforcement of EU Law (debate)

Explanations of vote

Approval of the minutes of the sitting and forwarding of texts adopted

Dates of forthcoming sittings

Adjournment of the session

Composition of political groups

Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading (Rule 71) (action taken)

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 (debate)

Review of the Spanish Presidency of the Council (debate)

Appointments to delegations

Voting time (continuation)

EU strategy to assist young people facing the housing and cost of living crisis (topical debate)

One year after Morocco and QatarGate – stocktaking of measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in the European institutions (debate)

Jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition of decisions and acceptance of authentic instruments in matters of parenthood and creation of a European Certificate of Parenthood (debate)

Planned dissolution of key anti-corruption structures in Slovakia and its implications on the Rule of Law (debate)

Planned dissolution of key anti-corruption structures in Slovakia and its implications on the Rule of Law (continuation of debate)

European Defence investment programme (EDIP) (debate)

The unknown status of Mikalai Statkevich and the recent attacks on Belarusian politicians’ and activists’ family members

The Maasai Communities in Tanzania

The abduction of Tibetan children and forced assimilation practices through Chinese boarding schools in Tibet

Frontex, building on the fact-finding investigation of the LIBE Working Group for Frontex Scrutiny (debate)

Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (debate)

EU-Taiwan trade and investment relations (debate)

Award of the Sakharov Prize (formal sitting)

European Health Data Space (debate)

Parliament’s call for the Right to Disconnect - 3 years after (debate)

Defence of democracy package (debate)

Need to release all hostages, to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire and prospect of the two-state solution (debate)

Attempted coup d’état in Guatemala (debate)

Situation in Venezuela (debate)

European Economic Security Strategy (debate)

Environmental consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the need for accountability (debate)

EU-US relations (debate)

EU-China relations (debate)

Verification of credentials

Signing of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 79)

The European Elections 2024 (debate)

Role of tax policy in times of crisis (debate)

Small modular reactors (debate)

Minimum requirements on minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector (short presentation)

Foodstuffs for human consumption: amending certain 'Breakfast' Directives (short presentation)

Mental health (short presentation)

European Parliament Side Event at COP28 - Methane Pledge two years on - working together to pick the low hanging fruit of mitigation

Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee

Press conference by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada)

Committee on Foreign Affairs In association with the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly

AFET

DLAT

Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee

Press conference by Guy VERHOFSTADT, Sven SIMON, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Daniel FREUND and  Helmut SCHOLZ co-rapporteurs on Proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties

Amendment of the agenda

Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need for the release of hostages and for an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire and the prospects for peace and security in the Middle East (debate)

This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Nikolay Denkov (debate)

Reducing regulatory burden to unleash entrepreneurship and competitiveness (topical debate)

Threat to rule of law as a consequence of the governmental agreement in Spain (debate)

Destruction of judicial independence and the persecution of democrats in Hong Kong (debate)

Cyprus confidential - need to curb enablers of sanctions evasion and money laundering rules in the EU (debate)

30 years of Copenhagen criteria - giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy (debate)

The lack of legislative follow-up by the Commission to the PEGA resolution (debate)

Revised pollinators initiative -  a new deal for pollinators (debate)

Latest attacks against women and women's rights defenders in Iran, and Iran's arbitrary detention of EU nationals

The unlawful detention of President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger

The killing of Tamaz Ginturi, a Georgian citizen, by Russia’s occupying forces in Georgia

Aerial view of the European Parliament in Brussels

Aerial view of the European Parliament in BrusselsAerial view of the European Parliament in Brussels

In the European Union, democracy may seem obvious to us today. But this has not always been the case. Not so long ago, millions of Europeans lived through times when they could not vote or even speak up freely. When their very lives could be in danger simply for being different, for holding different beliefs or for wanting a different life. Democracy is a precious gift passed on to us from previous generations. They aspired towards it and fought for it. Now it is up to us to maintain it, to make it stronger and pass it on to the generations to come. The most effective way to do so is by voting - because the more people vote, the stronger democracy becomes. On June 6-9 2024: Use your vote or others will decide for you.

© ANDCO A/S, 2024. All rights reserved. Licensed to the European Parliament under conditions. Use or reproduction is prohibited without prior explicit permission from the respective right holders.

Use your vote – European elections 2024 video – Trailer 2 OV 16:9 - Turkish

"In the European Union, democracy may seem obvious to us today. But this has not always been the case. Not so long ago, millions of Europeans lived through times when they could not vote or even speak up freely. When their very lives could be in danger simply for being different, for holding different beliefs or for wanting a different life. Democracy is a precious gift passed on to us from previous generations. They aspired towards it and fought for it. Now it is up to us to maintain it, to make it stronger and pass it on to the generations to come. The most effective way to do so is by voting - because the more people vote, the stronger democracy becomes. On June 6-9 2024: Use your vote or others will decide for you.

© ANDCO A/S, 2024. All rights reserved. Licensed to the European Parliament under conditions. Use or reproduction is prohibited without prior explicit permission from the respective right holders."

7,228 results

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Luxembourg - Bilateral with Claude WISELER, Speaker of the Luxembourgish Parliament

Quaestors' handover ceremony

Meeting of the European Parliament's Bureau

European flags at half-mast in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels and Strasbourg in honour of former European Commission President Jacques Delors

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion with the human rights activists

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion withfinalists - Colleen McNicholas (US)

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion with finalists - Monseñor Rolando Álvarez and Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia represented by Padre Uriel Vallejos and Sara Henríquez

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Human rights as a pillar in the upcoming European elections

Civil society organisations meet with the European Parliament’s 2023 Sakharov Prize laureate and finalists - Discussion laureates’ ‘’Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life Freedom Movement in Iran’’ representatives and MEP Abir Al-Sahlani

European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Interview

Quaestors family photo

EP Plenary session - Commission statement - Parliament's call for the Right to Disconnect – 3 years after

European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Interview

Media Seminar - European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Meeting with finalists

Media Seminar - European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Meeting with laureates

European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - Interview

Meeting of the European Parliament's Bureau

Former Members Association Management Committee meeting