At a glance: Parliament’s July plenary session is under way. MEPs will debate and vote on distributing EUR 280 million of flood relief to Austria, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Moldova; controlling the influx of parcels from outside the EU; and stepping up preparations for the wildfire season.

News in Brief – 08/07/2025 - English

The European Parliament’s delegations are official groups of MEPs that work to deepen relations with parliaments, regions and organisations outside the EU. They maintain and further develop Parliament’s international contacts and help to enhance the EU’s role and visibility around the world.

The role of the European Parliament’s delegations

Outside of the European Parliament’s plenary sessions, MEPs also sit on parliamentary committees. There are many of these committees and each one specialises in a particular field. But how do they work?

The role of parliamentary committees

Being a Member of the European Parliament is much more than just voting and taking part in plenary debates. Some MEPs will be involved in putting together reports about Parliament’s opinions on proposals and all sorts of other subjects: welcome to the work of the rapporteurs.

The role of the rapporteur

In 1989, Jozef Mad’ar and his TV crew from what was then Yugoslavia were sent to film civil protests for freedom and democracy in the former Czechoslovakia. Let us listen to his recollections as he takes us on a journey through the streets of Bratislava.

The keys to freedom - memories of a cameraman from the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia

At a glance: Parliament’s July plenary session starts today. MEPs assess the latest developments in the Middle East; a debate on the Commission’s proposal for a new 2040 EU climate target; and the Parliament and Commission Presidents discuss the next long-term EU budget.

News in Brief – 07/07/2025 - English

Article 7 is a legal tool designed to protect the European Union’s founding values. This article, enshrined in the Treaty on European Union, allows the EU to take action when a Member State seriously violates or is at risk of seriously violating these core values.

Safeguarding EU values: a look at Article 7

At a glance: Parliament’s plenary session kicks off on Monday. On the agenda: the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union presents its programme; Parliament President Metsola commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide; and the Working Group on the European Child Guarantee resumes its work.

News in Brief – 04/07/2025 - English

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

ENVI - Committee on Environment, Climate and Food Safety

The 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.

AGRI - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

A propososal for a regulation adopted by the Commission on 19 December 2017 aims to strenghten controls by nationals market surveillance and customs authorities to ensure that products are safe and comply with the Union rules.

The legislation covers a large proportion of products marketed in the EU in more than 20 industrial sectors, including electro-technical products, machinery, radio/telecoms equipment, toys, medical devices, construction products and high speed rail systems.

The package consists of two regulations and a decision designed to remove barriers to the free movement of goods while improving consumer safety.

Goods package and safer products

EU rules on product safety are defined in the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD). Under the directive a product is safe if it meets all statutory safety requirements under European or national law. If there are no regulations or EU standards referenced in the Official Journal of the European Union, the product's compliance is determined according to other reference documents such as other European standards, national or international standards, Commission recommendations, or codes of practice. The General Product Safety Directive applies to consumer products when there are no specific provisions with the same objective in the rules of EU Law governing the safety of the products concerned. That means it applies totally to products such as child care articles or certain COVID-19 related products, such as sanitising gels and certain type of face masks and only residually to products where sectorial legislation exists such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Businesses must: only place products which are safe on the market, inform consumers of any risks associated with the products they supply, make sure any dangerous products present on the market can be traced so they can be removed to avoid any risks to consumers. MEPs want more stringent EU rules to protect children Existing rules and market surveillance activities should be strengthened to ensure the safety of all toys sold on the EU market, including from non-EU countries and online.

In March 2023 MEPs, also endorsed the revised rules on product safety of non-food consumer products. The new regulation aligns the existing General Product Safety Directive with the latest developments in digitalisation and the surge in online shopping.

In this Plenary MEPs are set to vote on their position on a proposal to revamp EU legislation on toy safety. The update of the current directive aims to respond to the increase in online shopping and the use of digital technologies, among other challenges. The proposed regulation extends EU bans on harmful chemicals in toys to include endocrine disruptors and makes it easier for consumers to access safety information, for example via a QR code.

Consumer product safety

In two debates on Wednesday morning, MEPs assess the outcome of June’s EU summit with Presidents Costa and von der Leyen. On Tuesday morning, they will  and look ahead to the EU-China summit.

At their meeting in Brussels, EU heads of state or government focussed on ways to bolster EU competitiveness. They also discussed how the EU can continue supporting Kyiv against Russia’s aggression, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, how to strengthen the EU’s defence capabilities, and the EU’s response to the escalation in the Middle East. Leaders also discussed migration and the situation in the Western Balkans.

Plenary debate on the outcome of June’s EU summit with Presidents Costa and von der Leyen

MEPs assess the latest developments in the Middle East, in particular in Iran, and what the EU can do to help restore peace.

Parliament reviews the latest events in the region, including the US airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities at the end of June 2025, and Israel’s earlier attacks on Iranian targets, which led to Iran launching missiles at Israeli cities. In a plenary debate on 16 June, the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, said that Iran, as the main source of regional instability, must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. She also defended diplomacy as the best way to address Iran's nuclear programme in the long run.

MEPs are also expected to repeat their calls for an end to the deplorable humanitarian situation in Gaza, for a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and for a hostage release agreement.

Plenary debate on the situation in Middle East

Confeence of Presidents: 

Exchange of views with Ms VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework

Conference of Presidents: Exchange of views with Ursula VON DER LEYEN, EC President on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework

On Tuesday, MEPs adopt their opinion on Bulgaria’s bid to become the newest member of the euro area from 1 January 2026.

The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee adopted a favourable opinion on 24 June, with 46 votes in favour, 3 against and 5 abstentions. This opinion has now been tabled for a vote in plenary.

With Bulgaria joining the euro area, 21 of the EU’s 27 member countries will have the euro as their currency.

A press conference with the rapporteur Eva Maydell (EPP, Bulgaria) is held at 14:00 CET on Tuesday in the European Parliament’s Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room in Strasbourg.

Vote on the adoption by Bulgaria of the euro on 1st January 2025

EP Plenary session - Arbitrary sentencing of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal and journalist Christophe Gleizes

The widespread use of military drones spans reconnaissance, strikes, logistics and naval operations, with both state and non-state players increasingly relying on unmanned systems. The European Union (EU) has prioritised drone development and countermeasures, funding and coordinating research and capability development through the European Defence Fund and Permanent Structured Cooperation. The EU is also fostering synergies between the civilian and the defence sectors, addressing strategic dependencies and collaborating with NATO. Meanwhile, drone regulation remains fragmented: civilian drones are subject to comprehensive EU rules, while military drone use falls under international law. The European Parliament has called for transparency, adherence to international law and a ban on LAWS, while supporting defence innovation and proposing an EU drone package to stimulate joint procurement and industry participation.

Most common drone uses

Enforcement of the Digital Markets Act is under way. The European Commission has launched formal proceedings against three major providers of core platform services. The Commission's preliminary findings suggest breaches of EU rules. To date, two of these preliminary findings have been confirmed, resulting in non-compliance decisions and fines for the companies in April 2025.

Digital Markets Act enforcement: Gatekeeper designation

Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems and ultimately, of our planet. Nearly 90 % of the world's wild flowering plant species depend on pollination, along with more than 75 % of the world's food crops and 35 % of global agricultural land. Without pollination, many interconnected species and processes functioning within the ecosystem would collapse.

Bees and pollinators

EU competence does not extend to recognition of marital or family status. In this area, national regulations vary, with some Member States offering same-sex couples the right to marry, some allowing alternative forms of registration, and others not providing any legal status for same-sex couples. Same-sex couples may or may not have the right to adopt children and to access assisted reproduction. Combating discrimination has become part of EU internal and external policies, and is the subject of numerous resolutions of the European Parliament.

Same sex unions and adoption rights

Russia's war on Ukraine has been a wake-up call for many EU Member States' defence budgets. Rising from €218 billion in 2021 to €326 billion in 2024, a further increase of at least €100 billion is projected by 2027. Despite these significant increases, most experts note that current geopolitical developments will require much more.

EU Member State defence expenditure

For the European Union to compete globally while continuing to ensure progress in environmental, social and fundamental rights, more strategic and collective action is imperative. EU businesses could harness the full potential of the single market and economic and monetary union and challenge competitors in fast-growing and future-oriented economic activities such as digital and clean energy production. This study finds that, compared to a situation where Member States act alone, a coordinated approach at EU level could bring an additional 0.9 % of GDP in 2035. A more ambitious integrated approach could be even more positive, with a benefit estimated at 2.6 % of additional GDP in 2035.

Cost of non-Europe in strategic innovation

Poverty has many dimensions. Following recent crises, not least the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, some of poverty's known dimensions have evolved while new forms have emerged. Addressing poverty remains mainly the responsibility of EU countries' governments acting in complex national social settings. The EU meanwhile seeks to coordinate Member States' efforts and offers support in the form of funding and data. The new European Commission is stepping up efforts to meet the EU's poverty reduction targets.

EU action against poverty

Rare diseases, though seldom recognised and frequently misdiagnosed, affect approximately 36 million people in the EU. Despite their significant collective prevalence, patients with rare diseases are often overlooked by healthcare systems, facing challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and access to advances in research. Researchers are increasingly using networks to share their findings and make better progress, giving new hope to patients.

Rare Diseases: Advances in research give patients new hope

Batteries are vital to the EU’s clean energy transition, industrial future, and strategic autonomy. While the sector benefits from strong R&D support, it faces challenges such as reliance on third countries, high costs, and competition from regions with lower environmental standards. Sustainable value chains and recycling could help, but uncertainty remains over the EU’s ability to meet future demand. Rising costs, market slowdowns, and gigafactory setbacks, including Northvolt’s collapse, raise concerns. To secure a resilient battery supply chain, the EU focuses on strategic coordination, regulatory frameworks, and funding, offering key lessons for industrial policy.

Battery supply chain

Euroscola

Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Extraordinary meeting 107th High-level Rose-Roth Seminar co-organised by the EP (DNAT/SEDE) and the NATO PA

DNAT

EP Plenary session.- EU action plan for deinstitutionalisation, family- and community-based care

ENVI - Exchange of views with Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and presentation of the Water Resilience Strategy

EP Plenary session - Product safety and regulatory compliance in e-commerce and non-EU imports

AGRI - The future of agriculture and the post-2027 common agricultural policy

EP Plenary session - Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2024

Meeting of the European Parliament's Bureau

EP Plenary session - Motion of censure on the Commission B10-0319/2025

EP Plenary session - Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide

This infoclip illustrates how the heatwaves impact the daily-life of Europeans. It stages people hiding in the shade in a public park, eating ice-creams, buying bottles of water, sipping cold-drinks and playing with water fountains on a public place.

Infoclip: Heatwave

MEPs hold a debate on the motion of censure against the European Commission. According to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, a motion of censure in respect of the Commission is submitted to the President by one 10th of the component Members of Parliament, i.e. 72 MEPs. To be adopted, a motion must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament. One round of political group speakers

Motion of censure on the European Commission: one round of political group speakers

A motion of censure against the European Commission, requiring support from at least 72 MEPs, has been filed, prompting a plenary debate. President Metsola confirmed the motion's admissibility and notified group leaders. For the motion to pass, it needs a two-thirds majority of votes cast, representing most MEPs. During the debate, Ursula von der Leyen defended her leadership, emphasizing the Commission's achievements and addressing transparency allegations. She urged MEPs to vote against the motion to ensure continuity and stability for Europe's future. This news item shows extracts from the motion of censure on the Commission, including cutaways during the session.

Motion of Censure on the Commission: extracts from the debate

MEPs hold a debate on the motion of censure against the European Commission. According to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, a motion of censure in respect of the Commission may be submitted to the President by one 10th of the component Members of Parliament, i.e. 72 MEPs. . To be adopted, a motion must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament. Opening statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Motion of Censure on the Commission: opening statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission

MEPs hold a debate on the motion of censure against the European Commission. According to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, a motion of censure in respect of the Commission may be submitted to the President by one 10th of the component Members of Parliament, i.e. 72 MEPs. . To be adopted, a motion must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament. Opening statement by Gheorghe PIPEREA (ECR, RO). This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Motion of censure on the European Commission: opening statement by Gheorghe PIPEREA (ECR, RO)

Parliament President Roberta Metsola makes a statement on the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II. Her speech ie followed by interventions from a speaker from each political group. The massacre in Srebrenica took place in July 1995, when around 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were murdered by the Bosnian-Serb army . The victims were mostly men, ranging from teenagers to the elderly. In 2007, the International Court of Justice ruled that the atrocities at Srebrenica constituted genocide. Bosnian-Serb army commander Ratko Mladić was given a life sentence after UN courts convicted him of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in 2017.

30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: one round of political group speakers

Parliament President Roberta Metsola makes a statement on the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II. Her speech ie followed by interventions from a speaker from each political group. The massacre in Srebrenica took place in July 1995, when around 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were murdered by the Bosnian-Serb army . The victims were mostly men, ranging from teenagers to the elderly. In 2007, the International Court of Justice ruled that the atrocities at Srebrenica constituted genocide. Bosnian-Serb army commander Ratko Mladić was given a life sentence after UN courts convicted him of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in 2017. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: statement by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

&lt;p>After opening the session, President Metsola led members in commemorating the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, where thousands of Bosnian Muslims were murdered or disappeared, and tens of thousands more were forcibly expelled from the enclave. Tragically many victims remain unidentified. MEPs paid homage to two survivors of the massacre, Lamasa and Almir Salihović, who were present in the hemicycle. “This House honours you and all survivors, just as we continue to keep the memories of the victims alive”, Metsola said. This news item shows extracts from the Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.&lt;/p>

Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: extracts from the debate

Exterior and interior shots of the EP during the plenary session (07-10/07) in Strasbourg.

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