Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany, played a pivotal role in rebuilding Germany after WWII and fostering European unity. He prioritized reconciliation with France and supported European integration through initiatives like the European Coal and Steel Community. Despite challenges like the Berlin Wall, he remained committed to European peace and unity.

Konrad Adenauer, a symbol of unity and peace

Sport is beneficial for our health and brings people from all walks of life together. Find out how the EU is promoting sport and making it more accessible to everyone.

Championing development and peace in Europe through sport

Safer Internet Day is celebrated around the world each year in February. It started back in 2004 as part of the EU’s first safer internet action plan and has become a global initiative to raise awareness of online safety. Under the theme, ‘Together for a better internet’, this annual event inspires people to join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all.

Safer Internet Day: protecting people’s digital identity

Two out of three young people in Europe wish to contribute to the green transition through their jobs. However, 45 % of young Europeans lack the green skills to do so. Young people should be equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge to act on environmental and climate change challenges. The idea of an ‘Erasmus green cities’ scheme would be to provide young people with volunteering and paid traineeships in local green projects.

Towards a 'climate action corps' for young people in Europe

Everyone should be free to be themselves and love who they want to love without fear. 
Yet lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people still face discrimination in many parts of the world, including Europe. 
The EU is strongly committed to fighting against discrimination. Listen to find out more about how the EU is trying to build a more inclusive society where everyone can feel safe.

Fighting discrimination against LGBTIQ people

Getting involved in political life: standing for elected office, joining a political party, or following the news; is at the heart of what it means to live in a democracy. People with disabilities are active citizens, keen to participate given the right opportunities. However, they face legal, administrative, institutional and accessibility barriers to taking part. Several EU initiatives encourage people with disabilities to participate in politics. With the 2024 European elections on the horizon, the European Parliament is committed to helping them take part.

EPRS Policy Podcast - People with disabilities and the European elections

Parlamentul European și deputații săi aleși sunt vocea cetățenilor în Uniunea Europeană. De aceea, dorim ca Parlamentul să fie accesibil pentru toți. Știrile pe scurt vă prezintă succint principalele subiecte ale zilei în toate limbile oficiale ale Uniunii. Acest program vă este prezentat de Parlamentul European. Puteți găsi mai multe programe aici:

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 31/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 30/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 29/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 26/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 25/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 24/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 23/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 22/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 19/01/2024 – română

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 18/01/2024 – română

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on 10 July 2019, following the appointment of their members in the plenary sitting of 3-4 July. 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. The newly set up committees will then start holding their regular meetings during the week of 22 July.

PECH - Committee on Fisheries

The Roma are Europe's largest ethnic minority. Out of an estimated total of 10-12 million in Europe, some 6 million live in the EU, and most of them are citizens of an EU country. &nbsp;The estimated share of the Roma in EU countries in 2012 ranges from 10.3% in Bulgaria, 9.1% in Slovakia, 8.3% in Romania, 7% in Hungary, 2.5% in Greece, 2% in Czechia and 1.6% in Spain, to less than 1% in most of the other countries.

Excessive force, police brutality and misconduct against Romani people continue to be reported across the EU, in line with the&nbsp;2020 findings&nbsp;of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

The FRA report also revealed that Romani people are subject to widespread poverty, inadequate living conditions, poor health, exclusion from the labour market and harassment.&nbsp;

Romani people in the EU

The European Parliament has adopted the mandate of a special committee to look into the EU’s authorisation procedure for pesticides.

The special committee is a response to concerns raised about the risk posed by the herbicide substance glyphosate. The herbicide had its marketing licence renewed by EU member states for five years in November 2017.

Use of pesticides

On May 25, 2014 a debate was organised at EP in Brussels between the five candidates to EC Presidency: Jean-Claude JUNCKER (EPP), Martin SCHULZ (PES), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE), Ska KELLER (Green Party) and Alexis TSIPRAS (Party of the European Left). The debate was moderated by Monica MAGGIONI.

2014 Eurovision debate between candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission

Following the alleged use of the Pegasus surveillance spyware against journalists, politicians, law enforcement officials, diplomats, lawyers, business people, civil society actors and other citizens, the European Parliament decided in March to establish a new committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and other surveillance spyware, and whether this use has breached EU law and fundamental rights.

PEGA committee chair Jeroen Lenaers&nbsp;said: “We have seen many cases where innocent people such as journalists and lawyers have been targeted by spyware, and this is a huge problem for democracy and the rule of law. We will now gather information about the use of Pegasus and other equivalent software, and channel these findings into useful recommendations.”

The Committee is scheduled to submit a final report after 12 months.

PEGA - Committee to investigate the use of Pegasus surveillance spyware

The European Parliament is strongly opposed to the death penalty, a position it has expressed repeatedly in various resolutions, for example in its December 2018 resolution on the annual EU report on human rights and democracy in the world in 2017.

While most countries in the world have abolished capital punishment, death sentences continue to be handed down and carried out in a number of countries. The Union uses its diplomatic and political weight to encourage these countries to join the abolitionist ranks, or at the very least to respect international minimum standards. It funds campaigns to increase awareness of the need to end capital punishment, and restricts trade in substances that could be used for executions.

Death penalty

Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, is the fifteenth EU leader to debate the future of Europe with MEPs, in plenary session in Strasbourg.

The Europeans want the EU to change. This is why the European Parliament is taking the leadership over a reform of the EU.

Parliament set out its vision for the future of Europe in three resolutions voted in plenary session on 16 February 2017. MEPs suggested, among other things: turning the Council of Ministers into a genuine second legislative chamber, and its configurations into preparatory bodies similar to Parliament’s committees, appointing an EU finance minister and giving the EU Commission the power to formulate and give effect to a common EU economic policy, backed up by a euro-area budget, and creating a fiscal capacity consisting of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and specific additional budgetary capacity for the euro area, funded by its members as a part of the EU budget.

Debate on the Future of Europe with Pedro SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister

The values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights are fundamental to the European Union. These values are shared by the Nobel Peace Prize.

The European Parliament had the honour of welcoming and receiving several laureates of Nobel Peace Prize within its walls. Moreover four laureates of the European Parliament’s Sakharov prize for freedom of thought also won the Nobel Prize, and in 2012 the EU was awarded the Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.

In 2022, the Nobel Peace Prize committee awarded&nbsp;the russian human rights organisation Memorial, European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2009. In 2018, Nobel Peace prize was awarded to Denis Mukwege, European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2014, and Nadia Murad, European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2016.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and the EP

Northern Ireland was affected by inter-community violence for several decades, known as the ‘Troubles’. The ‘Good Friday Agreement’ or Belfast Agreement of 1998 set a path towards peace, where the British and Irish governments and society north and south overwhelmingly agreed upon a power-sharing arrangement that would put an end to violence and segregation.

Following the signing of the ‘Good Friday Agreement’, the European Union has played an increased role in supporting the peace process in Northern Ireland. This support has taken two main forms. Firstly, the European Union forms the general political framework for relations between the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Secondly, the European Union’s cohesion policy has given special attention to Northern Ireland over the years in order to support economic and social development in the context of the peace process.

In 1998, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to John Hume (PES, UK) and to David Trimble who are the architects of the Northern Ireland peace process.

John Hume (1937-2020)

The lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Frans Timmermans, 57, was nominated by the members’ congress in Lisbon on 7-8 December 2018.

Frans TIMMERMANS (PvdA, Netherlands) currently serves as First Vice-President of the European Commission. He was first elected to the second chamber of the Dutch Parliament in 1998. From 2007 to 2010 he served as Secretary of State for European Affairs, and from 2012 to 2014 as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mark Rutte’s cabinet. Mr Timmermans holds a degree in French language and literature from Radboud University.

#EUelections2019 - Frans TIMMERMANS, lead candidate for the PES

Plans to boost trust in the EU approval procedure of pesticides, by making it more transparent and accountable, were put forward by Parliament on 16 January 2019.

The European Parliament, on 6 February 2018, set up a special committee on the European Union’s authorization procedure for pesticides (PEST). MEPs want the public to be granted access to the studies used in the procedure to authorize a pesticide, including all the supporting data and information relating to the applications.&nbsp; Parliament is of the opinion that vulnerable groups should be more protected.

#EUelections2019 - Use of pesticides in the EU

MEPs discuss with the Council and the Commission how the EU can contribute to achieving a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace deal for Ukraine.

The debate focuses on the EU’s political, financial and military support for Ukraine, and its role in efforts to secure a peace settlement that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is based on international law. MEPs aunderline the importance of long-term commitment to Ukraine and the need for international coordination in building a lasting peace.

EU support for peace in Ukraine

Parliament debate and vote on a targeted change to CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans.

Plenary decides on Tuesday whether to apply its “urgent procedure” to proposed draft legislation that would allow car manufacturers comply with emissions obligations for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027 by averaging their performance over the whole three-year period, rather than being assessed on each year’s emissions individually. Ahead of the vote, political groups’ representatives will hold one round of short interventions.

If approved, MEPs are expected to vote on the substance of the proposal on Thursday. The aim of the proposed change is intended to provide support for Europe’s automotive sector, which is experiencing rapid technological changes and increasing competition.

The proposal is part of the Commission's industrial action plan for the European automotive sector, announced on 5 March 2025. It followed the strategic dialogue on the future of the automotive industry launched by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 30 January 2025, which involved an open public consultation and discussions with the industry and other stakeholders to address the most pressing challenges facing the sector.

CO2 emission performance standards

High-Level Conference - Standing with the People of Belarus

Roxana Mînzatu was Romanian Minister for European Funds in 2019. From January 2022 until July 2024, she served as Secretary of State coordinating the Department for Integrated Evaluation and Monitoring of Public Funded Programs. She is Member of the European Parliament since July 2024 but now, she is Executive Vice-President-designate of the European Commission for People, Skills and Preparedness, for the von der Leyen Commission II.

Confirmation hearing of Roxana MÎNZATU, Executive Vice-President designate, People, Skills and Preparedness

The Parliament discusses China’s military provocations close to Taiwan, and vote on a resolution. China’s military exercises around Taiwan have become increasingly frequent in recent years. MEPs criticise the recent manoeuvres in the Taiwan Strait and express their solidarity with Taiwan as a regular victim of foreign information manipulation and interference by China. 

In a resolution adopted in December 2023, MEPs said the EU’s ‘One China policy’ has not changed and that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by means of force or coercion, is not acceptable. They also opposed China’s constant distortion of UN Resolution 2758 by demanding that Taiwanese passport holders, including journalists, NGO workers and political activists be barred from accessing tours and events in the UN. Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971 to address the issue of China's representation at the UN.

People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan

Press conference by Ciarán CUFFE (Greens/EFA, IE), rapporteur on the energy performance of buildings directive

Press conference: Energy performance of buildings

Plans to reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions from the buildings sector are debated by plenary. 

The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, agreed with the Council in December, aims to substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption in the EU building sector by 2030, and have it achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The new rules also mean more of the worst-performing buildings will undergo renovation, and information-sharing on energy performance will be improved.
New buildings must be zero-emission as of 2030, and new buildings occupied or owned by public authorities must be zero-emission as of 2028. For residential buildings, member states have to put in place measures to ensure a reduction in the average level of primary energy used of at least 16% by 2030 and at least 20-22% by 2035.

Member states also have to adopt measures to decarbonise heating systems and phase out fossil fuels in heating and cooling with fossil fuel boilers being completely phased e out by 2040.

Plenary Debate - Energy performance of buildings

EPRS book talk : If you want peace, prepare for war

With war having returned to the European continent, measuring the level of threats to peace, security and democracy around the world – as the 'Normandy Index' does – is more important than ever. The annual Index was presented for the first time at the Normandy Peace Forum in June 2019, as a result of a partnership between the European Parliament and the Region of Normandy. The Index has been designed and prepared by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), in conjunction with and on the basis of data provided by the Institute for Economics and Peace. This paper sets out the findings of the 2023 exercise, which draws on data compiled in 2022, and explains how the Index can be used to compare peace – defined on the basis of a given country's performance against a range of predetermined threats – across countries and regions. It is complemented by 61 individual country case studies, derived from the Index. The paper forms part of the EPRS contribution to the 2023 Normandy World Peace Foru

Mapping threats to peace and democracy worldwide: Normandy Index 2023

Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula Ordinary meeting Exchange of views following the 3 June elections in RoK and the implications for the relations with the EU

DKOR

Briefing S&D by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, President

Press conference by Valérie HAYER (RE, FR), President and Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (RE, LT) on the Liberation of Ukrainian prisoners of war and peace talks

Press conference by Hilde VAUTMANS (RE, BE), chair of UE/ACP delegation and Denis MUKWEGE, 2014 Sakharov Prize and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on combating sexual violence in the DRC and beyond

Briefing S&D by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, (S&D,ES), President

Media Seminar – Upholding women rights in Defence, Security and Peace building

Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China Ordinary meeting Exchange of views on EU-China trade relations in the context of geopolitical changes

Press conference by Andreas SCHIEDER (S&D, AT), Evin INCIR (S&D, SE), Per CLAUSEN (The Left, DK) and Leoluca ORLANDO (Greens/EFA, IT) on the Current situation in Syria and Rojava.

Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

Joint press conference with Lídia PEREIRA (EPP, PT), EP delegation Chair and Wopke HOEKSTRA, European Commissioner for Climate Action and acting Commissioner for Transport - 
EU @ UN Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

Press point by Nela RIEHL (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of CULT,and Li ANDERSSON (The Left, Finland), Chair of EMPL, following the confirmation hearing of Roxana MÎNZATU, Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness

Confirmation hearing of Roxana MÎNZATU, Commissioner-designate, People, Skills and Preparedness

Danish Presidency - The Danish Permanent Representative Carsten GRONBECH JENSEN meets with LIBE chair Javier ZARZALEJOS

Danish Permanent Representative Carsten GRONBECH JENSEN meets with JURI Chair Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Danish Permanent Representative Carsten GRONBECH JENSEN meets with ECON Chair Aurore LALUCQ

Danish Permanent Representative Carsten GRONBECH JENSEN meet with INTA Chair Bernd LANGE

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, official visit to Warsaw and Lodz (Poland) - Speech at the Grand European Picnic & Public Performance of the ‘Ode de Joy’

EP Plenary session - Assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe and the threat to the democratic process and peace in Colombia

EP Plenary session - State of play and follow-up two years after the PEGA recommendations and the illegal use of spyware

Tsvetelina PENKOVA in the EP in Strasbourg

ENVI PECH DEVE  Delegation the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice

Article 17 dialogue on Housing in the EU: Strategies for a Europe that Supports People, Families and Younger GenerationsArticle

Press conference on the Liberation of Ukrainian prisoners of war and peace talks

REGI Committee meeting - Presentation of the ECA Special report 13/2024: Absorption of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and of the ECA Special Report 26/2023: Recovery and Resilience Facility’s performance monitoring framework, by Ivana Maletić

EP Plenary session - EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine

EP Plenary session - CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2025 to 2027

DG PERS event - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

International Women’s Day 2025 - FEMM Inter-parliamentary Committee ' Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – Upholding Women’s Rights in Defence, Security and Peace Building '

International Women's Day - Media Seminar – Upholding women rights in Defence, Security and Peace building

Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, holds a press conference. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press briefing by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader

&lt;p>Carmen CRESPO DÍAZ (EPP, ES), Chair of PECH Committee of the European Parliament, reacts to the adoption by the European Commission of the European Ocean Pact today. The European Ocean Pact is a comprehensive strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The Pact brings together EU ocean policies under one single reference framework, addressing the significant threats facing our ocean, our coastal communities, islands and outermost regions.&lt;/p>

European Oceans Pact: statement by Carmen CRESPO DÍAZ (EPP, ES), Chair of PECH Committee

Valérie HAYER (RE, FR), Renew Group Leader, and Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (RE, LT) give a joint press conference on the Liberation of Ukrainian prisoners of war and peace talks. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Valérie HAYER (RE, FR), Renew Group Leader, and Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (RE, LT) on the Liberation of Ukrainian prisoners of war and peace talks

MEPs debate Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs, and Dan JØRGENSEN, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, on the resilience and the need to improve the interconnection of energy grid infrastructure in the EU and the first lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Resilience and need to improve the interconnection of energy grid infrastructure, lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula: opening statements by Adam SZŁAPKA Polish Minister for European Affairs and Dan JØRGENSEN Commissioner for Energy

In light of the recent widespread blackouts that affected Spain, Portugal, and southern France, MEPs debate on assessing the resilience of the EU’s energy infrastructure and the critical need to strengthen cross-border interconnections within the internal energy market with Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs, and Dan JØRGENSEN, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing. MEPs raised concerns about the vulnerability of national power grids to extreme weather events, technical failures, emphasizing that the recent outages serve as a wake-up call for accelerating investment in a more integrated and robust European electricity network. Discussions also touched on the role of renewable energy, energy storage, and smart grid technologies in enhancing energy security and meeting the EU’s climate goals.

The first lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula: extracts from the debate

MEPs debate on the resilience and the need to improve the interconnection of energy grid infrastructure in the EU and the first lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula.

Resilience and the need to improve the interconnection of energy grid infrastructure in the EU: the first lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula: MEPs debate

Resilience and interconnection of energy grid infrastructure in EU, lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula: closing statements by Dan JØRGENSEN European Commissioner for Energy and Adam SZŁAPKA Polish Minister for European Affairs

Hilde VAUTMANS (RE, BE), Chair of UE/ACP delegation and Denis MUKWEGE, 2014 Sakharov Prize and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, hold a press conference on combating sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and beyond. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Hilde VAUTMANS (RE, BE), Chair of UE/ACP delegation and Denis MUKWEGE, 2014 Sakharov Prize and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on combating sexual violence in the DRC and beyond

MEPs discuss with the Council and the Commission how the EU can contribute to achieving a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace deal for Ukraine. The debate focus on the EU’s political, financial and military support for Ukraine, and its role in efforts to secure a peace settlement that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is based on international law. MEPs underline the importance of long-term commitment to Ukraine and the need for international coordination in building a lasting peace.

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: One round of political group speakers

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: MEPs debate (part 2)

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: closing statements by Valdis DOMBROVSKIS, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, and by Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: opening statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission

MEPs discuss with the President of the Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, and Council's representatives how the EU can contribute to achieving a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace deal for Ukraine. The debate focuses on the EU’s political, financial and military support for Ukraine, and its role in efforts to secure a peace settlement that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is based on international law. In particular, the plenary debate is centered on the plan presented by the Commission, which paves the way to ensure the EU's energy independence from Russia.

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: extracts from the debate

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: MEPs debate (part 1)

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine: opening statement by Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs

MEPs decide whether to apply its “urgent procedure” to proposed draft legislation that would allow car manufacturers comply with emissions obligations for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027 by averaging their performance over the whole three-year period, rather than being assessed on each year’s emissions individually. Ahead of the vote, political groups’ representatives hold one round of short interventions.

CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2025 to 2027: one round of political group speakers

Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader holds a press conference. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Iratxe GARCIA PEREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, holds a press conference. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

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