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

At a glance: preparations for the new plenary session are in full swing; MEPs in Strasbourg will discuss the priorities of the Danish Council Presidency, the Middle East and Ukraine; and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is coming to an end in Spain.

News in Brief – 03/07/2025 - English

The European Parliament has a range of supervisory and control powers. These allow it to exercise oversight over other institutions, to monitor the proper use of the EU budget and to ensure the correct implementation of EU law.

Interinstitutional relations

MEPs elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) on January 2022 as President of the European Parliament until 2024.

Roberta Metsola won the election in the first voting round, where she received an absolute majority of 458 votes out of 690 cast in the remote secret vote, among three candidates.&nbsp;

President Metsola is leading the Parliament in the second half of the current legislative term, until a new Parliament is constituted following the 2024 European Elections.

Born in Malta in 1979,&nbsp; Roberta Metsola who has been an MEP since 2013, is the youngest EP President ever elected. She became First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament’s acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022.

She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999- 2002).

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament 2022-2024

Following the tabling of a motion of censure against the European Commission, plenary will hold a debate on Monday 7th July and the subsequent vote on Thursday 10th July.&nbsp; According to&nbsp;<a data-analytics-event-attached="true" href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RULES-10-2025-01-20-RULE-131_EN.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Parliament’s Rules of Procedure</a>, 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.

President Metsola announced to the Conference of Presidents (a meeting of the European Parliament President and political group leaders) that an&nbsp;<a data-analytics-event-attached="true" href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-10-2025-0319_EN.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">admissible motion</a>&nbsp;had been filed, and asked group leaders to inform their members. The plenary debate – one round of political group speakers – is scheduled for Monday, and the vote, by roll call, will take place on Thursday. To be adopted, a motion must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament.

&nbsp;MEPs elected the College of Commissioners as a whole by roll-call vote. 370 MEPs voted in favour, 282 against, and 36 abstained.&nbsp;

This is Ursula von der Leyen’s second term as Commission President, following the approval of her&nbsp;first Commission by MEPs in November 2019.

2024-2029 Commission

With 401 votes in favour, the European Parliament elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission in a secret ballot on 18 July.

This will be Ursula von der Leyen’s second term as Commission President. She was first elected by MEPs in July 2019.

Parliament is currently composed of 719 MEPs, so the necessary majority was 360 votes. The vote was held by secret paper ballot. 401 MEPs voted in favour, 284 against, and 22 cast blank or invalid votes.

Ursula von der Leyen outlined her priorities ahead of the vote.&nbsp;Ursula von der Leyen put forward her vision for a stronger and more prosperous Europe. Key initiatives include a new Clean Industrial Deal to drive decarbonisation and industrial growth, and a European Competitiveness Fund to boost innovation.

She announced that she would boost security by doubling Europol’s staff and tripling the number of European Border and Coast Guards to 30 000. She proposed a European Democracy Shield for countering foreign information manipulation and interference, and a European Affordable Housing Plan.

Ms von der Leyen also suggested a plan for agriculture to address the need to adapt to climate change and a Roadmap for Women’s Rights. Saying that “we must enable young people to make the most of Europe’s freedoms”, she highlighted the importance of the Erasmus+ programme, mental health, and tackling issues related to screen time and social media, including addictive practices. She put significant focus on defence, proposing to create a new post of Commissioner for Defence to drive the European Defence Union and calling for a comprehensive aerial defence system – a European Air Shield – to protect EU airspace and “as a strong symbol of European unity in defence matters”.

Election of the 2024-2029 European Commission President

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 - Motion of censure on the Commission B10-0319/2025

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 - Resumption of session and order of business

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

Last-minute briefing

Pre-session briefing

PETI - European Capitals of Small Retail (ECSR) Award

Citizen Garden's Garden summer readings - Jesper Brygger

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with the Schuman trainees

Inauguration Danish presidency artwork

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

Following the tabling of a motion of censure against the European Commission, plenary holds a debate. 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. President Metsola announced to the Conference of Presidents (a meeting of the European Parliament President and political group leaders) that an admissible motion had been filed, and asked group leaders to inform their members. To be adopted, a motion must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament.

Motion of Censure on the Commission B10-0319/2025: opening statement by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission

Motion of Censure on the Commission B10-0319/2025: one round of political group speakers

Following the tabling of a motion of censure against the European Commission, plenary holds a debate. 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. President Metsola announced to the Conference of Presidents (a meeting of the European Parliament President and political group leaders) that an admissible motion had been filed, and asked group leaders to inform their members. To be adopted, a motion must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament. 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. 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

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

Roberta METSOLA, EP President and the political group Chairs invite Mark RUTTE, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Antonio COSTA, European Council President to participate in the EP Conference of Presidents (CoP), in Brussels.

Meeting of the EP Conference of Presidents in the presence of Mark RUTTE, Secretary General of NATO and Antonio COSTA, European Council President: extracts from the arrivals and roundtable

Is it ever too early to want to relive the magic of EYE2025? If you're feeling nostalgic already, we've got something special for you! Take a trip down memory lane with our after movie.

EYE2025 – Aftermovie

Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and other Members of the European Parliament, participate in the Budapest Pride March 2025. On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021, which prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country. However the Budapest city hall organises the Budapest Pride march as a local event. Extracts from the event.

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