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: the agenda of the next European Council meeting; the 2023 ECB Annual Report on supervisory activities presented to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs; and MEPs from the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee attending the 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women.

News in Brief – 20/03/2024 - English

In November 2023, the European Commission presented its annual enlargement reports. Its strategic orientations and recommendations include accelerating the accession process with the Western Balkan countries, opening accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and granting candidate status to Georgia. According to the European Parliament's 2022 recommendation on the new EU strategy, enlargement policy is 'the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and one of the Union's most successful policies'.

EPRS Policy Podcast: Enlargement policy - Reforms and challenges ahead

Recent events have multiplied concerns about potential fragmentation of the internet into a multitude of non-interoperable and disconnected 'splinternets'. Composed of thousands of compatible autonomous systems, the internet is by definition technically divided. Yet, the internet was also designed to be an open and global technical infrastructure. The unity and openness of the internet appear to be under great pressure from political, commercial and technological developments. This report explores the implications of the EU's recent policies in this field as well as the opportunities and challenges for EU Member States and institutions in addressing internet fragmentation. It underlines how recent EU legislative proposals – on the digital services act, digital markets act, artificial intelligence act, and NIS 2 Directive – could help to address patterns of fragmentation, but also have limitations and potentially unintended consequences.

EPRS Science and Technology Podcast - 'Splinternets': Addressing the renewed debate on internet fragmentation

Road transport is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for over a quarter of road transport CO2 emissions. The European Commission proposes to revise the legislation setting CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles in the EU. The proposed revision would expand the scope of the existing regulation to include urban buses, coaches, trailers and other types of lorries. It will also require that the average CO2 emissions of heavy-duty vehicles, would have to fall by 45 % from 2030, by 65 % from 2035, and by 90 % from 2040 onwards, compared with 2019 levels.

EPRS policy podcast - CO₂ emission performance standards and reporting obligations for new heavy-duty vehicles

The volume of online child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and frequency of grooming activities, increasingly targeting younger children, is rising sharply. Reporting of suspected online child sexual abuse increased by 35 % in 2021 compared with 2020, representing a historical peak. The proposed regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse would require interpersonal communication services and others to search proactively for CSAM materials and grooming activities targeting children. However, this poses many concerns regarding privacy, security and law enforcement investigations.

EPRS podcast policy - Combating child sexual abuse online

The final report of the Conference on the Future of Europe has now been prepared, after a process spanning a year. The European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission have promised to listen to the people of the EU. They have also committed to following up, wherever they can, on the proposals, which are the result of a series of debates that gave people from across the EU the chance to share their ideas.

Conference on the future of Europe

Racial and ethnic minorities face discrimination and its consequences on a daily basis. The exact scale of the problem is hard to gauge owing to a lack of data and general under-reporting of racist incidents.The pandemic has seen a major increase in reports of racist and xenophobic incidents, however, while racial and ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately affected by the crisis, with higher death and infection rates.Although since 2000 the European Union has introduced legislation to combat racial and xenophobic discrimination, the problem persists, with the need for new measures recently highlighted by the global Black Lives Matter protests.

EPRS podcast - Policy: EU legislation and policies to fight racial and ethnic discrimination

Despite significant medical progress over the last centuries, infectious diseases such as influenza or malaria still represent a considerable threat to society. While some are endemic to specific geographical regions, others can spread, becoming epidemics or pandemics. While the first and most crucial aspect of an epidemic is, and will always remain, the loss of human life, the spread of a virus can also have important repercussions for national or regional economies. The evidence reported in various studies indicates that epidemic disease impacts on a country's economy through several channels, including the health, transportation, agricultural and tourism sectors. At the same time, trade with other countries may also be impacted, while the interconnectedness of modern economies means that an epidemic can also implicate international supply chains....

Economic impact of epidemics and pandemics

You might like a drink every now and then, but one in five people have reported drinking heavily at least once a month. Too much alcohol can cause a great deal of harm, both to yourself and to society, and alcohol is a causal factor in over 60 diseases, including cancer. Here are a few examples of how the EU gets involved:

This is what Europe does for people who drink alcohol

People often choose to live in the countryside so as to enjoy the benefits of nature. However, living near a river can be far from beneficial when that river is polluted. Here are three things the EU does to ensure that is not the case

This is what the EU does for people living near polluted rivers

In 2015, it was reported that several million European adults had consumed cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis. Here’s how the EU is helping them.

This is what Europe does for people with substance abuse issues

What is a whistle-blower? If you see something unlawful happening at your work and report it, then you’re a whistle-blower. This is what the EU does for you.

This is what Europe does for whistle-blowers

Are you lonely? 6% of Europeans report having no one to ask for help and nobody to discuss personal matters with. Although it may seem a personal misfortune, the EU tries to help lonely people through its social, health and regional policies. Here are some examples.

This is what Europe does for people suffering from loneliness

Rule of law is laid down in the EU treaties as one of the values on which the Union is based. It means that governments should be bound by law&nbsp;not to take arbitrary decisions, and that citizens should be able to challenge their actions in independent courts.

It also enshrines the fight against corruption, which unfairly favours some to the detriment of others, and the safeguarding of media freedom, thus ensuring that the public is properly informed about the work of government.

The EU has existing tools at its disposal to protect the rule of law. In&nbsp;September 2020, the European Commission published the first annual rule of law&nbsp;report monitoring both positive and negative developments with regard to the rule of law in all member states. In July 2021 the second edition of the report was published.

There is also&nbsp;dialogue on the rule of law in the Council.

If the Commission deems that a member state is violating EU law, it can start infringement proceedings that may lead to financial sanctions determined by the European Court of Justice. Another procedure, under Article 7 of the Treaty of the European Union, allows the Council to make recommendations or decide by unanimity on sanctions against a member state, including the suspension of membership rights.&nbsp;MEPs have argued that existing tools are insufficient.

​Under the new regulation, effective from January 2021, EU budget payments can be witheld from countries where established breaches of the rule of law compromise management of EU funds. At the same time, the EU ensures that final beneficiaries do not end up paying the bill.

Rule of law

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

Have a look at the 2021 and 2022&nbsp;stockshots 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.

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

The European Parliament supports media professionals reporting on parliamentary activities, providing both content and technical facilities for video, radio, multimedia and photo production. The EP Audiovisual teams coordinate state of the art studios for TV broadcast, multimedia, and radio in Strasbourg and in Brussels.

EP Audiovisual Services

On 24 February 2022,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;began a&nbsp;military invasion&nbsp;of Ukraine, in a major escalation of the conflict that had begun in 2014. Shortly before, on 21 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.&nbsp;

The Russian aggression has brought destruction to Ukraine and its people, but also a wide range of economic and social consequences across Europe and the European Union. MEPs regularly debate on how to respond to the current cost of living crisis,&nbsp;bolstered by&nbsp;inflation and&nbsp;hikes in energy prices.

In the annual&nbsp;&nbsp;2022 report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy, MEPs called the EU and its member states need to increase their military, political and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and strengthen their defence in countering Russian threats to European security.

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Consequences of the war in Ukraine on the EU

The EU institutions deem&nbsp;the transparency and quality of the Hungarian legislative system a source of concern.&nbsp;In several&nbsp;Rule of Law reports, the European Commission highlighted the worsening situation in the country. It was noted that, among other issues,&nbsp;the risks posed to media pluralism&nbsp;and the pressure faced by those civil society organisations critical of the government.

MEPs have repeatedly expressed concerns over the state of EU values in Hungary, which have&nbsp;further deteriorated&nbsp;due to the “deliberate and systematic efforts of the government” and despite Parliament’s&nbsp;activation of the Article 7 mechanism.

Their latest concerns relate to laws being adopted without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation, as well as the abusive invocation of the ‘state of danger’, the misuse of whistleblower protection to undermine LGBTIQ+ rights and freedom of expression, and the infringement of teachers’ social and labour rights.

Parliament underlined&nbsp;the important role the Presidency of the Council has in driving forward legislation, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda and representing the Council in relations with the other institutions. It questions how Hungary will be able to fulfil this task credibly in 2024, given its lack of compliance with EU law and&nbsp;values, and the principle of sincere cooperation.

Rule of law in Hungary

Diplomatic relations between the EU and the U.S. date back to 1953. Many important questions between EU and the U.S. are being discussed at the moment, such as withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, the need to strenghten EU's strategic autonomy and defence capabilities or economic cooperation.

In a resolution on future EU-US relations adopted in the plenary in October, MEPs advocate the EU’s strategic autonomy and call for better EU-US coordination on China to avoid tensions. MEPs welcome the US’s support for rules-based multilateralism, as this provides an important opportunity to re-engage, as an equal partner.

The report stresses that, in deepening transatlantic cooperation, the EU should strive to lead alongside the US, while fostering its strategic autonomy in defence and economic relations as a means to pursue its own legitimate diplomatic, security and economic interests. MEPs also called for reflection on the lessons learnt from the situation in Afghanistan.

A new EU-US agenda for global change adopted by the Commission in December 2020 identified scope for cooperation on the pandemic,the climate, trade,security and democracy.

But progress in some areas has been slow: a US travel ban on foreign visitors was lifted only on 20 September 2021, months after the EU eased restrictions on US travellers; tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on EU steel and aluminium exports on national security grounds remain in place; and talks on a new cross-border data agreement have not yet concluded. Moreover, the US has appeared not to consult the EU on major foreign policy decisions: such as support for a proposal to waive intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines. The exodus of NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 also drew criticism from some European US allies.

EU - USA

The EU has developed a policy to support the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries with the Union. The EU aims to promote peace, stability and economic development in the region&nbsp;and open up the prospect of EU integration.

In order to apply for EU membership a country has to be European and respect the EU’s democratic values. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to take on and carry out the obligations of EU membership.

Parliament is fully involved in the Stabilisation and Association Process &nbsp;and must also consent to any new accession to the EU. In addition, through its budgetary powers, it has direct influence over the amounts allocated to the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs appoints standing rapporteurs for all candidate and potential candidate countries. Parliament expresses its positions on enlargement in the form of annual resolutions responding to the Commission’s latest annual country reports.

On 1&nbsp;July&nbsp;2013, Croatia became the first of the seven countries to join, and Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania are official candidates. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro and Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

EU Enlargement - Western Balkans

In a November plenary vote Parliament demanded&nbsp;a robust and multifaceted approach to combat all forms of racism and discrimination, including structural and institutional racism, in the EU.

In a resolution&nbsp;Parliament strongly condemned&nbsp;that minorities and migrants, including LGBTQI persons, face structural racism, discrimination, hate, sustained inequalities, difficulties in accessing the justice system, and violence by the police.

As reported by the 2019 Eurobarometer, over half of Europeans believe that racial discrimination is widespread in their country, with “Being Roma” (61% of respondents), “Ethnic origin” (59%) and “Skin colour” (59%) being the top three grounds for discrimination.

On 18 September 2020, the European Commission published its communication “A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025”. Concretely, the Action Plan calls for better enforcement of EU law; closer coordination, including through the appointment of a Coordinator for Anti-racism; the adoption of national action plans against racism and racial discrimination; more efforts in preventing discriminatory attitudes by law enforcement authorities; and increased diversity of staff in the EU institutions. Equality is one of the fundamental values on which the EU is founded.

It is duly reflected in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. International agreements, such as the European Convention on Human Rights also prohibit discrimination on various grounds, with limited exceptions in justified cases. With regard to the fight against racism and xenophobia, the main EU instrument is the Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law. This framework decision harmonises criminal definitions and sanctions.&nbsp;

Fight against racism and xenophobia

The progress of&nbsp;digital transformation&nbsp;has inevitably led to new cybersecurity threats.&nbsp;Also the COVID19 crisis has again exposed the cyber vulnerabilities of some critical sectors, in particular healthcare, while teleworking and social distance has increased our dependency on digital technologies and connectivity.

As&nbsp; a consequence, in December 2020 the European Commission launched a new EU Cybersecurity Strategy&nbsp;to make physical and digital critical entities more resilient.

The European Parliament and the Coucil reached a deal on&nbsp;May 2022 on the new rules to&nbsp;strengthen EU-wide resilience

The agreed text&nbsp;sets tighter cybersecurity obligations in terms of risk management, reporting obligations and information sharing. The requirements include incident response, supply chain security, encryption and vulnerability disclosure, among other provisions.

Cybersecurity

The Constitutional Affairs Committee proposes a reform of the European Electoral Act defining common minimum electoral standards and a Union-wide constituency.

With 19 votes to 9 and without any abstentions, the EP Committee on Constitutional Affairs backed on 29 March a legislative initiative to replace the current European Electoral Act that defines how Members are elected to the European Parliament.

European political parties were established before the first direct European elections and have since gradually developed their infrastructure and influence. They represent transnational political federations of national political parties from several Member States sharing a political affiliation.

Since 2004, European parties have been entitled to funding from the EU general budget&nbsp;to finance their activities, albeit under strict conditions.

In September 2020, the Commission&nbsp;announced the revision of the Regulation on the statute and funding of the European political parties and European political foundations as one of the key initiatives in 2021.&nbsp;

According to&nbsp;its Communication&nbsp;on the European democracy action plan, Commission will propose a review of the legislation on the funding of European political parties with a&nbsp;view to addressing the financing of European political parties from outside the EU, revising the audit requirements, strengthening the links between European financing and national&nbsp;campaigns, and facilitating transparency and auditing. The goal is to have the new rules in&nbsp;place in sufficient time ahead of the May 2024 European Parliament elections.

In November Parliament proposed several ways to strengthen European democracy in a report assessing the existing rules on the statute and funding of European political parties.&nbsp;MEPs suggest improved donation monitoring, withholding funds when member parties do not comply with EU values, and reducing unnecessary administrative obstacles.

Funding of European political parties

Every year the European Central Bank publishes an annual report on how it has carried out its supervisory responsibilities, it describes the tasks and activities of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and reports on the Eurosystem’s monetary policy. The report is usually published in April of the following year. The Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB presents the report to the European Parliament at a public hearing and then during a debate in plenary.

See more on this topic by visiting our <a href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/european-central-bank-annual-report-8th-parliamentary-term_4003_pk">package</a> for the 8th parliamentary term.

European Central Bank - annual report

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB) takes part four times a year in a monetary dialogue with Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) to report on monetary policy and answer question from MEPs.&nbsp;Although guaranteed independence under the Treaty, the ECB is accountable for its actions towards the European Parliament, and more precisely the ECON Committee.

The European Central Bank is the central institution of the Economic and Monetary Union and has been responsible for conducting monetary policy for the euro area since 1 January 1999 The ECB and the national central banks of all EU Member States constitute the European System of Central Banks.

Monetary dialogue

Raif Badawi is a Saudi writer, dissident and activist, and creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals, He has been awarded the laureate of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2015

Badawi was arrested in 2012 on a charge of "insulting Islam through electronic channels" and brought to court on several charges, including apostasy. In 2013, he was convicted on several charges and sentenced to seven years in prison, torture and 600 lashes. In 2014 his sentence was increased to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes, and a fine.

On 11 March 2022, his family had reported that he had been released from prison after 10 years.&nbsp;However, he is still subject to a 10-year-travel ban.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.&nbsp;

Raif Badawi, Sakharov Prize laureate 2015

Unlike the traditional linear economic model based on a 'take-make-consume-throw away' pattern, a circular economy is based on reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling, in an (almost) closed loop.

Although waste management in the European Union (EU) has improved considerably in the past decades, almost a third of municipal waste is still landfilled and less than half is recycled or composted, with wide variations between Member States. Improving waste management could deliver positive effects for the environment, climate, human health and the economy. As part of a shift in EU policy towards a circular economy, the European Commission made four legislative proposals introducing new waste-management targets regarding reuse, recycling and landfilling. The proposals also strengthen provisions on waste prevention and extended producer responsibility, and streamline definitions, reporting obligations and calculation methods for targets.

Circular economy - 8th parliamentary term

The setting up of the Single Aviation Market in the late 1990s has profoundly transformed the air transport industry and has greatly contributed to the strong growth in air transport in Europe over the past twenty years.

In numerous reports, and also particularly in its resolution of 14 February 1995 entitled ‘The way forward for civil aviation in Europe’, Parliament has emphasised the need for a common policy on air transport providing for greater and fairer competition among airlines. Parliament’s support for the establishment and proper functioning of the Single Aviation Market has therefore been constant. In so doing, however, Parliament has continuously stressed that the liberalisation of air transport must be implemented cautiously and gradually and must balance the interests of both consumersand the industry.

Air Transport - 8th parliamentary term

Parliament publishes its last Eurobarometer survey before the 6-9 June elections, covering, among other issues, citizens’ interest in and awareness of the elections as well as their likelihood to vote. The survey will also report on the image citizens have of the EU and Parliament, their priorities for the electoral campaign, and the core values they want to defend (Wednesday at 7.00).

European Parliament Eurobarometer - Spring 2024

MEPs discuss with the Council and Commission how to address the urgent concerns surrounding Ukrainian children being forcibly deported to Russia. 

Since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022, international organisations have documented a wide range of serious human rights violations affecting children. Reports of children forcibly deported or displaced by Russian authorities, combined in many cases with them being subjected to re-education programmes and forced adoption, have raised concern. According to the Children of War initiative of the Ukrainian National Information Bureau (NIB), more than 19 500 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, and only 388 have been returned. 

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against President Putin, and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights. Both have been charged with the unlawful deportation of children and the unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

Plenary Debate - Concerns surrounding Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia

MEPs debate with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde inflation, efforts to curb it, and possible interest rate cuts. During the annual plenary debate, MEPs concentrate on what happens next once inflation settles at the ECB’s 2% target and pay particular attention to the continuing significant divergences in inflation rates between member states. This is the last debate in the European Parliament for Ms Lagarde before the 6-9 June  European elections.

Plenary debate - European Central Bank: annual report 2023

European Ombudsman Annual Report 2023 Handover

ECON - European Central Bank - annual report 2024

Launch of the 2024 ESPAS Global Trends report

REGI - Exchange of views with Commissioner Elisa Ferreira on the achievements for the cohesion policy during 2019-2024 legislative term and on the 9th Cohesion report

EP Plenary session - Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report

EP Plenary session - Financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2023 - In the presence of Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank

Press conference on The Annual Report 2023 on Human Rights and Democracy

Press conference on The Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law Report

EP Plenary session - Debate - Human rights and democracy in the world and the EU’s policy on the matter – annual report 2023

EP Plenary session - European Central Bank – annual report 2023

IMCO - Report on the Future of the Single Market

AFET CONT joint committee - Presentation of the ECA Special Report 2/2024 – The coordination role of the European External Action Service (EEAS)

EP Plenary session - Implementation report on the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025

INTA - Exchange of views with former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta on the preparation of the High Level Report on the Future of the Single Market

EP Plenary session - Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2022 - In the presence of Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman

Press conference on the European Elections 2024 report

CONT - EU anti-fraud report 2022

EP Plenary session - Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2022 - in the presence of Tony Murphy, President of the Court of Auditors

Press conference by Manu PINEDA, Chair of the Delegation for relations with Palestine on the “Anatomy of a Genocide”, a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories

Press conference by Nacho SÁNCHEZ AMOR, rapporteur on The Annual Report 2023 on Human Rights and Democracy

Press conference by Sophie IN 'T VELD, rapporteur on The Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law Report

Opening of the sitting

Announcement by the President


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

Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2023 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2023

Resumption of the sitting

Address by Yulia Navalnaya

Voting time

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

The murder of Alexei Navalny and the need for EU action in support of political prisoners and oppressed civil society in Russia (debate)

Regaining our competitive edge - a prosperous EU in a fragmented global economy (topical debate)

Financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2023 (debate)

Composition of committees and delegations

Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report (debate)

Preventing work-related deaths following the Florence tragedy (debate)

Deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement (debate)

Data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services (debate)

Need for an urgent Council decision in favour of amending the protection status of wolves in the Bern Convention (debate)

Improving the Union’s protection against market manipulation on the wholesale energy market (debate)

European Digital Identity framework (debate)

The extradition and prosecution of Julian Assange and implications on freedom of the press  (debate)

Explanations of vote

Agenda of the next sitting

Approval of the minutes of the sitting

Plenary session

20240227-0900-PLENARY

Driving licences (debate)

Composition of Parliament

Geographical Indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (debate)

War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Corrigendum (Rule 241)(action taken)

Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2023 (debate)

Closer ties between the EU and Armenia and the need for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia (debate)

Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the situation in Syria (debate)

Critical situation in Cuba (debate)

The current situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (debate)

Rising inequalities in the world (debate)

Recent revelations of spying on Members of the European Parliament and the lack of follow up on the PEGA committee recommendations (debate)

Closure of the sitting

Resumption of the session

Statements by the President

Follow-up to a request for the defence of immunity

Composition of political groups

Corrigendum (Rule 241)

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

Order of business

European Central Bank – annual report 2023 (debate)

Transparency and targeting of political advertising (debate)

Need to overcome the Council deadlock on the platform workers directive (debate)

Tackling the inflation in food prices and its social consequences and root causes (debate)

Detergents and surfactants (debate)

Amending Decision (EU) 2017/1324: continuation of the Union’s participation in PRIMA under Horizon Europe (short presentation)

Protection of the environment through criminal law (short presentation)

20240226-0900-PLENARY

20240207-0900-PLENARY

Empowering farmers and rural communities - a dialogue towards sustainable and fairly rewarded EU agriculture (debate)

This is Europe - Debate with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis (debate)

The fight against hate speech and disinformation: responsibility of social platforms within the Digital Services Act (topical debate)

Need to fight the increase of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred (debate)

Automated data exchange for police cooperation (“Prüm II”) (debate)

The EU priorities for the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (debate)

Implementation report on the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 (debate)

Implementation report on the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 (debate) (continuation of debate)

New wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members

Increased number of executions in Iran, in particular the case of Mohammad Ghobadlou

Recent attacks on Christmas Eve in Plateau State in Nigeria

Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Abbé Pierre's appeal on addressing homelessness in the context of persisting poverty and social exclusion (debate)

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Belgian Presidency (debate)

Keeping commitments and delivering military assistance to Ukraine (debate)

Announcement

Empowering consumers for the green transition (debate)

Transparency and accountability of non-governmental organisations funded from the EU budget (debate)

Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation (debate)

EU-India relations (debate)

Role of preventive diplomacy in tackling frozen conflicts around the world – missed opportunity or change for the future? (debate)

Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2022 (debate)

Implementation of the Treaty provisions on national parliaments – Implementation of the Treaty provisions on EU citizenship (joint debate – Implementation of the Treaty provisions)

Fight against the resurgence of neo-fascism in Europe, also based on the parade that took place in Rome on 7 January (debate)

State of emergency in Ecuador (debate)

Building a comprehensive European port strategy (short presentation)

Implementation of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (short presentation)

Press conference by Sven SIMON and Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, rapporteurs on the European Elections 2024 report

Address by Cate Blanchett, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

Statement by the President

Verification of credentials

Composition of Parliament's political bodies

Urgent need for immediate measures against the rise of antisemitism (statement by the President)

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 26-27 October 2023 - Humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause (joint debate - Conclusions of the European Council and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause)

EU enlargement policy 2023 (debate)

State of the Energy Union (debate)

Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7) (debate)

Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes (debate)

Report: Nacho Sánchez Amor (A9-0323/2023) - Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia (debate)

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (debate)

Formal sitting - Address by Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - all sections (debate)

Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure - Schengen area: amending the Visa Sticker Regulation (Joint debate – Schengen area)

Commission Work Programme 2024 (debate)

Question Time with Commissioners - European measures to prevent and to fight the rise of organised crime

Composition of the Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members

Corrigenda (Rule 241)(action taken)

Water scarcity and structural investments in access to water in the EU (debate)

Urgent need for a coordinated European response and legislative framework on intrusive spyware, based on the PEGA inquiry committee recommendations (debate)

Situation of Ukrainian women refugees, including access to SRHR support (debate)

2022 Report on Montenegro (debate)

Report: Clara Aguilera (A9-0016/2021) - Fisheries control

Corrigenda (Rule 241)

Announcement by the President - Sakharov Prize

Establishing the Ukraine Facility (debate)

Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) (debate)

Fisheries control (debate)

Implications of Chinese fishing operations for EU fisheries and the way forward (short presentation)

Report: Pierre Karleskind (A9-0282/2023) - Implications of Chinese fishing operations for EU fisheries and the way forward

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