At a glance: the update to EU legislation on child sexual abuse crimes; the Schengen Agreement’s 40th anniversary; and the agreement on suspending short-stay visa-free travel.

News in Brief – 18/06/2025 - English

At a glance: MEPs are set to lay out their expectations for next week’s NATO summit; freedom of assembly in Hungary and the rule of law in Spain are also on the plenary agenda.

News in Brief – 17/06/2025 - English

Sracfhéachaint: cuirtear tús leis an suí iomlánach in Strasbourg inniu. Pléifidh na Feisirí an Comhshocrú Eorpach nua um an Aigéan; tá an Pharlaimint chun síneadh a chur leis an gcomhaontú idir an tAontas agus an Úcráin faoi chúrsaí iompar ar bhóithre; beidh plé ag na Feisirí leis an gComhairle agus an Coimisiún faoi athbhreithniú ar an gcomhaontú idir an tAontas Eorpach agus Iosrael.

News in Brief – 16/06/2025 - English

At a glance: Parliament opens its doors in Strasbourg for the EYE event; a new plenary session kicks off on Monday; and the multilingualism student competition.

News in Brief – 13/06/2025 - English

At a glance: Parliament’s political groups are preparing for next week’s plenary session in Strasbourg; MEPs attend the UN Ocean Conference; and the 2025 edition of the European Youth Event kicks off tomorrow.

News in Brief – 12/06/2025 - English

At a glance: Parliament’s political groups are preparing for the next plenary session, which will start on Monday in Strasbourg; a public hearing on media freedom and journalist protection will take place; and the European Youth Event 2025 is just around the corner.

News in Brief – 11/06/2025 - English

At a glance: a public hearing on media freedom and the protection of journalists at Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; a workshop on generative AI and copyright; and the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council to tackle non-sustainable fishing by non-EU countries.

News in Brief – 10/06/2025 - English

Despite growing awareness and efforts to recycle, a significant amount of plastic waste in the EU still isn’t recycled. Over the past few years, the EU has been moving towards a circular economy for plastics. But the journey towards a plastic-free future is a long one, and we all need to do our bit.

How the EU is fighting plastic pollution: from single-use bans to microplastics

At a glance: the new EU Preparedness Union Strategy; the first-ever EU Soil Monitoring Law; and MEPs deplore continued democratic backsliding and repression in Georgia.

News in Brief – 06/06/2025 - English

At a glance: EU Parliament leaders visited Copenhagen to discuss priorities for the next Danish EU Council Presidency; MEPs approved and extension of  the EU-Ukraine road transport deal to support trade and aid; Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture backed the first-ever EU rules on dog and cat welfare and traceability.

News in Brief – 05/06/2025 - English

At a glance: President Metsola and Parliament’s political group leaders were in Copenhagen to prepare for the upcoming Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union; Yulia Navalnaya and leading members of Russia’s opposition will address MEPs; and a public hearing on artificial intelligence at the workplace.

News in Brief – 04/06/2025 - English

At a glance: the Foreign Affairs Committee will assess reform efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, and Georgia; a delegation of the Civil Liberties Committee concludes its visit in Slovakia; at the EuroLat in Peru, MEPs push for stronger EU-Latin American ties.

News in Brief – 03/06/2025 - English

At a glance: the vote on the first-ever Soil Monitoring Law; The Hungarian Forum Europaeum wins the 2025 European Charlemagne Youth Prize; an exchange of views on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

News in Brief – 02/06/2025 - English

Mercosur is a regional alliance of countries in Latin America and one of the European Union’s major trading partners. The EU has been trying to forge closer ties with Mercosur, but not everybody agrees this is a good idea.

Mercosur: opportunities and challenges for the European Union

At a glance: a Security and Defence Committee delegation is in Norway for talks on Russian security threats; MEPs from the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield conclude their visit to Moldova today; a Culture and Education Committee delegation will be in Los Angeles until tomorrow to meet various film industry associations.

News in Brief – 28/05/2025 - English

At a glance: a delegation of the International Trade Committee is in Washington DC to discuss EU-US political, trade and investment relations; a delegation of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee is in the Canary Islands to learn about the island’s challenges in managing increased arrivals of migrants; MEPs from the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU are in Barcelona to gather information on how the city is addressing its housing issues.

News in Brief – 27/05/2025 - English

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

<center>Image: © Dragoș Asaftei | Adobe Stock</center>

On Wednesday morning, MEPs will lay out their expectations for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission.

At their gathering in the Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take greater responsibility for their defence.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently warned that Russia could be ready to use military force against the Western alliance within five years and said that NATO allies must have a credible defence. Ahead of the summit, he has urged NATO members to commit to spending 5% of their national income on defence, a call that is expected to feature prominently in the summit deliberations.

The EU and NATO have founded their long-standing partnership, in an environment shaped by common principles and values. The European Parliament and NATO engage frequently in active dialogue in order to deepen mutual understanding and consolidate cooperation. In an increasingly volatile and unstable geopolitical context, the dynamic of cooperation has intensified to face new threats ranging from terrorism to climate change to hybrid warfare.&nbsp;

EU - NATO relations

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

Hungary officially joined the EU on 1 March 2004 and the Schengen Area in December 2007.

The Hungarian EU accession negotiations started on 31 March 1998. Hungary had successfully concluded negotiations on its accession at the Copenhagen European Council in December 2002. Hungary has 22 MEPs, 12 votes in the Council and has chaired the Council of the European Union from January to June 2011.

EU - Hungary

In September 2018, the Article 7(1) TEU procedure was triggered. In this case, the European Parliament voted a resolution calling the Council to determine the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values in relation to Hungary. This resolution was preceded by numerous others adopted by the Parliament between March 2011 and May 2017, and it made reference to concerns related mainly to judicial independence, freedom of expression, corruption, rights of minorities, and the situation of migrants and refugees in Hungary.

Under Article 2 TEU, the EU is founded on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights (DRF). Article 7 TEU establishes two mechanisms (preventive and sanctions) to enforce EU values in cases of systemic violations and to sanction Member States departing from them.

See also the previous <a href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/rule-of-law-in-hungary-8th-parliamentary-term_5702_pk">package</a> on the rule of law in Hungary.

Rule of law in Hungary (2019-2020)

Equality and non-discrimination are core EU values and fundamental rights, enshrined in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, research by the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) shows that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people persists across the EU.

The Commission presented the 'LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025' on 12 November 2020. This was&nbsp;the first ever full EU strategy in this area and is intended to build on the lessons learned from the European Commission's previous actions to advance LGBTI equality from 2015-2019.

In recent years, social acceptance of LGBTIQ people has declined in some Member States. Gaps remain in the EU's legislative framework for combating discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. Combating discrimination has become part of EU internal and external policies, and is the subject of numerous resolutions of the European Parliament. In response to the backsliding of LGBTIQ rights in some EU countries, notably Poland and Hungary, MEPs&nbsp;declared the EU an “LGBTIQ Freedom Zone”.

In 2021 Parliament “condemned&nbsp;in the strongest possible terms” the anti-LGBTIQ legislation and denounced&nbsp;the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary.&nbsp;In a resolution&nbsp;MEPs described the Hungarian law as being in clear breach of fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter of fundamental rights, the Treaties and EU internal market legislation.

LGBTIQ freedom in the EU

During their last visit to Budapest (Monday 14 - Wednesday 16 April), MEPs looked into topics related to the state of <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20210325STO00802/eu-values-explained-in-one-minute" rel="noopener" target="_blank">EU values</a>, including the rule of law and fundamental rights - such as independence of the judiciary, checks and balances, media freedom, academic freedom, transparency and anti-corruption measures, the situation of civil society, the rights of LGBTIQ persons and the freedom of peaceful assembly. They met with government representatives, members of the Hungarian National Assembly, representatives of the judiciary, independent and local authorities, unions, liberal professions and stakeholders from civil society across all areas of concern.

Representatives of five political groups representing different political views, managed to receive a first-hand account of the latest developments. It will help to formulate the Parliament’s stance and communicate it to the Council in the ongoing Article 7 TEU procedure. While the delegation is thankful to the participants of the meetings, it expressed regret that several meetings the delegation requested, with the Government (Prime Minister, Ministers of Justice and of the Interior), the judiciary (Constitutional Court, Curia) and the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, did not take place.

Rule of law in Hungary

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

Israel is a key and strategic ally of the European Union. Political, economic and social cooperation - as well as trade, cultural and scientific exchanges - with Israel date almost to the origins of the EU itself.&nbsp;

President of the EP Roberta Metsola reacted to the attacks launched by Hamas on Israel&nbsp;during the first weekend of October by stressing that the EP condemned&nbsp;&nbsp;the terror and violence waged against innocent people.

In the statement by MEPs David McAllister and Antonio López-Istúriz White declared:

“We follow with utmost concern the news of terrible violence in Israel. We strongly condemn the heinous attack launched against Israel by Hamas terrorists on this Sabbath morning. We affirm the right of Israel to defend itself, and express our solidarity with Israel in these difficult moments.

We must not let opponents of peace ruin the chances of reconciliation and peaceful co-existence in Israel and Palestine. We call on all partners for peace to be present and active in order to bring the peace process back on track.”

EU - Israel

In a&nbsp;joint statement&nbsp;on 10 May, the leaders of the EPP, S&amp;D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and The Left political groups in the European Parliament, expressed serious concern over the threat of further military escalation by the Israeli government in the Gaza Strip. They also denounced all violations of international law in the conflict, including statements pointing towards forced territorial or demographic changes in the area.

Thousands have died since Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza on 18 March, following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire. The UN has warned that the 10-month-long Israeli blockade of food and medicine deliveries into Gaza has exposed around 2.1 million Palestinians to a&nbsp;"critical risk"&nbsp;of famine. On Sunday, 18 May, Israel announced it would allow a "basic amount of food" to enter Gaza.

It is estimated that Israel has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians since October 2023, in response to the attack by Hamas in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and around 250 people abducted.&nbsp; MEPs have adopted a number of resolutions since the October 2023 Hamas attack, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and expressing serious concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.&nbsp;Some 58 hostages remain in Gaza, up to 23 of whom are believed to be alive.

Situation in Israel and Gaza

In July 2024&nbsp; MEPs re-elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) as President of the European Parliament until 2027, with 562 votes in the first round. Roberta Metsola won the election in the first round of voting, where she received an absolute majority of 562 votes cast out of 699 by secret paper ballot, among two candidates. She will continue to lead Parliament for the first two and a half years of the 10th legislative term.

Born in Malta in 1979, Roberta Metsola has been an MEP since 2013.&nbsp;She was elected First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament’s acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022. On 18 January 2022,&nbsp;she was elected President&nbsp;for the second half of the 9th legislative term. She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after&nbsp;Simone Veil&nbsp;(1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999-2002).

Addressing the House after she was elected, President Metsola said: “Together, we must stand up for the politics of hope, for the dream that is Europe. I want people to recapture a sense of belief and enthusiasm for our project. A belief to make our shared space safer, fairer, more just and more equal. A belief that together we are stronger and we are better. A belief that ours is a Europe for all.”

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament 2024-2027

&nbsp;EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Polish EU Affairs Minister Adam Szłapka for the Council presidency discussed&nbsp;the situation in the Middle East with MEPs.&nbsp;This debate&nbsp;focused on the risk of further instability in the Middle East following the Israel-Iran military escalation, the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Situation in the Middle East

The obectives of the air transport's market rules are to set up a single air transport market in Europe, ensure its proper functioning, and extend it to certain third countries as far as possible.

More than twenty years after the entry into force of the ‘third package’ (in 1992), the functioning of the Single Aviation Market is, of course, still perfectible, as is illustrated by such factors as: the flaws in the slot allocation system; the fact that the vast majority (80%) of routes departing from EU airports are still served by only one (60%) or two carriers (20%); the financial difficulties that several airlines and secondary airports are facing; or the complicated oversight of air carriers now operating in several Member States. Nevertheless, the primary objective has been fully reached: from 1995 to 2014, while the number of passenger-kilometres within the EU-28 increased by around 23%, for air transport it jumped by about 74%. Over the same period, aviation’s share of total passenger transport increased from 6.5% to 9.2%, which is by far the strongest growth of all modes of transport in the EU. Source: <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/131/air-transport-market-rules">Air transport: market rules</a>.

See more on this topic by visiting our <a href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/air-transport_5203_pk">package</a> for the 8th parliamentary term.

Air transport

The energy union strategy aims at building an energy union that gives EU consumers - households and businesses - secure, sustainable, competitive and affordable energy.&nbsp;The five pillars of the Energy Union are:&nbsp;accelerating decarbonisation with the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) and renewables at is core; scaling up energy efficiency; enhancing energy security and safety; strengthening the internal market; research, innovation and competitiveness.&nbsp; Since 2021, Europe has experienced a hike in energy prices that is part of a global surge. The&nbsp;Russian invasion of Ukraine&nbsp;in 2022 has further affected the energy markets, causing new increases of energy prices and concerns over the EU’s ability to secure its energy supply. &nbsp;

Energy union

On 24 February Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Shortly before&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized&nbsp;two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine&nbsp; as independent.&nbsp;The Conference of Presidents of the EP condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. "Ukraine is an independent and sovereign nation and its territorial integrity is non-negotiable. The invasion is unjustified and illegal. It is a threat to European and regional stability, as well as to the rules-based world order. The attack targets our model of democratic society. It cannot go unanswered, " says declaration of the COP.

"The Russian invasion into Ukraine is part of President Putin’s destabilisation agenda. It is a path that will bring the Kremlin in direct confrontation with Europe and the rule-based world-order. It is a path that pits authoritarianism against democracy. It is a path that we cannot allow him to walk unchallenged," said EP President Roberta Metsola.

European Union leaders met for a special European Council in Brussels on 24 February&nbsp;and adopted a set of sanctions related to the the financial sector, the energy and transport sectors,dual-use goods, exports, Russian individuals etc.&nbsp;

Ukraine is a priority partner for the European Union (EU). The EU supports Ukraine in ensuring a stable, prosperous and democratic future for its citizens and is unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Association Agreement (AA), including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) signed in 2014, is the main tool for bringing Ukraine and the EU closer together. Since 2014, the EU and the Financial Institutions have mobilised more than €15 billion in grants and loans to support the reform process in the country, with strong conditionality on continued progress.

As a result of the cooperation with Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada in the field of democracy support, European Parliament launched on 11 March the website “<a href="https://ukraine.europarl.europa.eu/en/home.html" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">The EU stands with Ukraine</a>” (in English and Ukrainian) provides the latest news, videos and podcasts, relevant legislation and resolutions to show how the EU is helping Ukraine. Content from the Ukrainian Parliament could also be shared on the site. Actively supporting EU efforts to promote democracy and human rights in the world is one of Parliament's core responsibilities.

EU - Ukraine

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;

Since then, the EU and its international allies have rallied firmly behind the Kyiv government. This support has resulted in unprecedented levels of financial aid, assistance, weapons deliveries to Ukraine, sweeping sanctions against Moscow, and the granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.

On 1&nbsp;March&nbsp;the European Parliament held an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels to assess Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&nbsp;and the Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Ruslan Stefanchuk spoke live from Kiev.&nbsp;The European Parliament President Roberta Metsola was in Kyiv on 1 April&nbsp;to express the European Union´s support of&nbsp;the Ukrainian people and to condemn the Russian attack. On&nbsp;8 June&nbsp;Stefanchuk adressed Parliament in the Strasbourg hemicycle.

Following the atrocities carried out by Vladimir Putin’s regime against Ukrainian civilians, the European Parliament has&nbsp;recognised Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism in a resolution on November 2022.

On 9th February 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy&nbsp;addressed the European Parliament during an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels.

In March 2024, &nbsp;MEPs voted to to amend the Commission’s proposal to suspend import duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU for another year, from 6 June 2024 to 5 June 2025.&nbsp;

Russian aggression against Ukraine

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, official visit to Warsaw and Lodz (Poland)

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Council and the Commission.

At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. 

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently warned that Russia could be ready to use military force against the Western alliance within five years and said that NATO allies must have a creditable defence. Ahead of the summit, he has urged NATO members to commit to spending 5% of their national income on defence, a call that is expected to feature prominently in the summit deliberations.

Debate on the upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025

Joint Debate - Situation in the Middle East
Risk of further instability in the Middle East following the Israel-Iran military escalation
Review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Joint Debate - Situation in the Middle East

The King of Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, addresses MEPs during a formal sitting in Strasbourg

This will be King Abdullah II’s sixth visit to the European Parliament, following his previous visits in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2020. In his address, he is expected to focus on a range of issues, including the devastating war in Gaza and its consequences.

Formal sitting with Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola receives His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the European Parliament in Strasbourg (France). Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, born on 30 January 1962, is the King of Jordan. He took the throne on 7 February 1999. Belonging to the Hashemite family, which has ruled Jordan since 1921, he is regarded as a 41st-generation direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President receives His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the European Parliament in Strasbourg

Last minute briefing on June EP Plenary session

The EP’s Press Service holds a press briefing with Parliament’s political group spokespersons

Pre-session briefing on June Plenary session

Parliament welcomes around 8,500 young people to Strasbourg for EYE2025 (the European Youth Event). Young citizens are able to engage in discussions with MEPs, Commissioners and other EU decision-makers as well as with experts, activists, and content creators.

European Youth Event 2025

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visits Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital on International Day of Play

President Metsola participates in a Fireside Chat with Business Representatives at the European American Chamber of Commerce. She then delivers a Keynote Speech at the US Council on Foreign Relations. Then the President meets with the Clinton Foundation and then with  the leadership of the NY Stock Exchange.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, official visit to New York (United States)

Roberta METSOLA, EP President delivers a speech at the Commemoration of the Victims of the Soviet Mass Deportations

Roberta METSOLA, EP President receives the Prime Minister of Moldova, Dorin Recean

The European Parliament's Conference of Presidents visit to Copenhagen ahead of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The EP group leaders and its President are the political body in Parliament and, among other things, are responsible for the organisation of Parliament’s business and legislative planning, deciding the responsibilities and membership of committees and delegations, relations with other EU institutions, the national parliaments and non-EU countries.

Conference of Presidents in Copenhagen (Denmark)

A delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) visits Bratislava, Slovakia, from 2-3 of June in order to discuss and gain insight into the latest developments as regards the situation of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights in Slovakia. This is a follow up on two sessions which the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG) of the LIBE Committee held recently on the situation in Slovakia. The delegation is composed of five political groups in the European Parliament. The LIBE delegation aims to hold meetings with representatives from the Slovak Government, representatives of the Slovak National Assembly, representatives of the judiciary and of other relevant authorities, organisations and stakeholders.

LIBE/DRFMG delegation in Slovakia

During her official visit to Italy, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola engages with key economic, scientific and civic institutions, underlining the European Union’s connection to local innovation, industry, and cultural heritage.

In Bologna, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola delivers a keynote address at a Confindustria event, highlighting the importance of European support for Italy’s industrial base. Confindustria, representing over 150,000 businesses and 5.3 million workers, plays a crucial role in aligning national enterprise with the EU’s competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation agenda. Metsola’s participation reaffirms the need for ongoing dialogue between political institutions and industry. At the Tecnopolo Bologna CNR, she visits one of Italy’s most advanced research hubs, co-funded by EU regional development resources. Home to the Leonardo supercomputer, the centre showcases Europe’s digital and scientific ambition and its impact on sectors like automation, medical tech, agri-food and environmental monitoring. In Lesignana, Metsola tours the 4 Madonne Cheese Factory, a leading Parmigiano Reggiano cooperative producing over 40,000 wheels annually. Her visit recognises the economic and cultural importance of traditional food production and highlights the link between EU quality standards and regional excellence. Finally, at the Collegio Europeo di Parma, the President of the European Parliament delivers a speech titled “L’Europa è nelle mani degli Europei” and receives the Pico della Mirandola Prize, an award celebrating civic, cultural, and democratic leadership. Her recognition affirms her commitment to European unity and democratic values in a time of evolving global challenges.

In Parma, President Metsola meets local industry leaders. In Turin, she visits the Aerospace District Piemonte, addresses an event at Politecnico di Torino and also addresses the Obama Leadership Network’s inaugural ‘Europe Regional Reunion virtual event’. In Milan EP President participates in a discussion at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. In Bergamo, she visits the Kilometro Rosso innovation distric

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Italy

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta METSOLA, visits Dayton, Ohio (USA) on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May to participate in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting. On Saturday she delivers a high-level speech at the Dayton Dialogues followed by a Q&A moderated by the CEO and President of the Atlantic Council, Fred Kempe; while on Sunday she gives a high-level speech at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

EP President Roberta METSOLA participates in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

The president of the European Parliament Roberta METSOLA has been named the 2025 laureate of the Timișoara Award for European Values, an honor established by the Municipality of Timișoara, western Romania. She will receive the award during a gala ceremony on May 22. The jury also praised Metsola's unwavering support for Romania’s Schengen accession, consistently stating that the country belongs in the EU’s free movement zone. Metsola also meets Romanian students during a town hall discussion.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, official visit to Timisoara (Romania)

Israel/Gaza. On Wednesday, MEPs will debate with Council and Commission representatives the EU’s response to the Israeli government's plan to seize the Gaza Strip, and how to provide effective humanitarian support and secure the hostages’ release.

EP Plenary debate on the EU's response to the Israeli government's plan to seize the Gaza Strip

EP Plenary session - Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system

EP Plenary session - Clean Industrial Deal

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

The digital information sphere has become the main space for public debate, shaping opinions and access to information. In the past decade, it has also become a geostrategic battleground, with authoritarian states manipulating public opinion to weaken democracies. At the same time, corporate rivalry over emerging technologies, particularly AI, has intensified. AI-driven disinformation poses growing risks to democratic information ecosystems. Strengthening information integrity is crucial to safeguarding human rights and freedom of expression. Multilateral efforts to enhance resilience align with the EU’s planned European Democracy Shield, building on existing measures and fostering new partnerships.

Information Manipulation and the EU response

The European elections are the largest transnational elections in the world. There are some common rules that apply in all EU countries but many details vary by country.


Election days range from Thursday 6 June to Sunday 9 June and it is up to each country to decide when and how they organise the vote.


The number of MEPs elected varies between countries: bigger countries get more seats than smaller ones. Due to changes in the size of the population, some EU countries will get extra seats in the upcoming elections compared to the outgoing Parliament. In total 15 seats will be added.


There are also differences in other aspects of voting, for example regarding the minimum voting age or the rules about voting from abroad.

EU Elections 2024

The European elections are the largest transnational elections in the world. There are some common rules that apply in all EU countries but many details vary by country.


Election days range from Thursday 6 June to Sunday 9 June and it is up to each country to decide when and how they organise the vote.

Map European elections 2024

Online shopping, take-away food, coffee to go... Packaging waste is growing. Find out how much is being produced and how the EU wants to reverse the trend

How to reduce packaging waste in the EU

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

Discover key figures about the repatriation of migrants and proposed changes to EU law.
The EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum includes new rules and the revision of existing legislation, such as the Return Directive.
In a draft resolution on the Return Directive adopted in December 2020, MEPs stressed the importance of protecting individual fundamental rights as well as respect for procedural safeguards.

Repatriation: how many migrants in the EU are sent back?

Over the past 30 years the single market has brought unity and opportunities to Europeans.

30 years of EU single market: benefits and challenges

Find out about the top cyber threats in 2022, the most affected sectors and the impact of the war in Ukraine.

The digital transformation has inevitably led to new cybersecurity threats. During the coronavirus pandemic, companies had to adapt to remote working and this created more possibilities for cybercriminals. The war in Ukraine has also affected cybersecurity.

In response to the evolution of cybersecurity threats, Parliament adopted a new EU directive introducing harmonised measures across the EU, including on the protection of essential sectors.

Cybersecurity: main and emerging threats

With fast fashion, the quantity of clothes produced and thrown away has boomed. Find out more about the environmental impact and what the EU is doing about it.

Fast fashion is the constant provision of new styles at very low prices.

To tackle the impact on the environment, the EU wants to reduce textile waste and increase the life cycle and recycling of textiles. This is part of the plan to achieve a circular economy by 2050.

The impact of textile production and waste on the environment

Euroscola

DG FINANCE REUNION D'INFORMATION MEMBERS' TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES

Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America, including the EU-Central America Association Parliamentary Committee Ordinary meeting EU-Central America APC preparatory meeting

DCAM

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Ordinary meeting

EMPL

Committee on Budgetary Control Ordinary meeting

CONT

Delegation to the Pacific-EU Parliamentary Assembly Ordinary Meeting – Election of 2nd Vice-Chair

DPAC

Delegation to the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee Ordinary Meeting

DSCA

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Ordinary meeting CJ52 EMPL-IMCO Joint Committee Meeting

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Ordinary meeting

FEMM

Committee on Security and Defence Ordinary meeting

SEDE

Committee on Budgetary Control HEARING CONT Committee meeting

DNAT

Subcommittee on Human Rights Ordinary meeting - Jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs

DROI

Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ordinary meeting

EP Plenary session - Safeguarding the rule of law in Spain, ensuring an independent and autonomous prosecutor`s office to fight crime and corruption

Press conference on the Commission's 2024 Rule of Law report

ENVI - Trilogue on the CBAM Omnibus

Press briefing Patriots for Europe

Press conference on the Implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility

EP Plenary session.- Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act

EP Plenary session - Stopping the genocide in Gaza: time for EU sanctions

EP Plenary session - Voting session

EP Plenary session - Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025

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

EP Plenary session - Joint Debate - Situation in the Middle East

SEDE extraordinary meeting -  Presentation of the “Defence Omnibus” with Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space

SANT trilogue on the Pharma package

EP Plenary session - Latest developments on the revision of the air passenger rights and airline liability regulations

EP Plenary session - EU framework conditions for competitive, efficient and sustainable public transport services at all levels

EP Plenary session - Two years since the devastating Tempi rail accident

Ana Catarina MENDES (S&D, PT), rapporteur on the Commission's 2024 Rule of Law report, holds a press conference. The report prepared in the Committee in Civil Liberties (LIBE) takes stock of the Commission’s findings in its 2024 Rule of Law Report, as well as recent developments in EU Member States. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Ana Catarina MENDES (S&D, PT), rapporteur on the Commission's 2024 Rule of Law report﻿

Jordan BARDELLA (PfE, FR), Group Leader of Patriots for Europe, and Kinga GÁL (PfE, HU), Vice-President of Patriots for Europe (PfE) hold a press conference. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press briefing by Jordan BARDELLA, Group Leader of Patriots for Europe, and Kinga GÁL, Vice-President of Patriots for Europe

MEPs quiz the Commission on its stance on respect for European values in Hungary in light of the government’s ban of the Budapest Pride march. During the debate, MEPs are set to demand that the Commission apply for interim measures as part of the ongoing trial, so that the Court of Justice of the EU can order the suspension of the legislation. They are also expected to point to the recent opinion of the EU Court of Justice’s Advocate General, who considers Hungary’s Child Protection Act incompatible with EU law. Closing statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act: closing statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

Political group speakers quiz the Commission on its stance on respect for European values in Hungary in light of the government’s ban of the Budapest Pride march. During the debate, MEPs are set to demand that the Commission apply for interim measures as part of the ongoing trial, so that the Court of Justice of the EU can order the suspension of the legislation. They are also expected to point to the recent opinion of the EU Court of Justice’s Advocate General, who considers Hungary’s Child Protection Act incompatible with EU law.

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act: MEPs debate (part 2)

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act: MEPs debate (part 1)

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act: one round of political group speakers

Victor NEGRESCU (S&D, RO) and Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP, RO), co-rapporteurs, give a press conference on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. On 17 and 18 June, MEPs debate and vote on whether Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) funding should be extended to allow the completion of key investment projects. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Victor NEGRESCU (S&D, RO) and Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP, RO), co-rapporteurs, on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility

MEPs quiz the Commission on its stance on respect for European values in Hungary in light of the government’s ban of the Budapest Pride march. During the debate, MEPs are set to demand that the Commission apply for interim measures as part of the ongoing trial, so that the Court of Justice of the EU can order the suspension of the legislation. They are also expected to point to the recent opinion of the EU Court of Justice’s Advocate General, who considers Hungary’s Child Protection Act incompatible with EU law. Opening statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act: opening statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

MEPs vote on the following reports: Céline Imart (INTA 16/06) - Macro-financial assistance to the Arab Republic of Egypt; Anna Cavazzini, Borys Budka (INTA/ITRE A10-0009/2025) - Adoption by the Union of the Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty; and Borys Budka (INTA A10-0008/2025) - EU/Euratom Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty: adoption by Euratom.

Votes

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission. At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. MEPs 4th part of the debate.

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025: MEPs debate (part 4)

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission. At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. MEPs 3rd part of the debate.

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025: MEPs debate (part 3)

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission. At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. Closing statements Kaja KALLAS, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025: closing statements by Kaja KALLAS, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission. At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. MEPs 2nd part of the debate.

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025: MEPs debate (part 2)

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission. At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. MEPs debate.

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025: MEPs debate (part 1)

In a debate held today ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague (24–26 June), Members of the European Parliament and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the urgent need to reinforce Europe’s defence. With NATO leaders expected to discuss increased military spending amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and renewed calls from former US President Donald Trump for Europe to take greater responsibility, Kallas warned of Russia’s global threat and underscored the importance of unity and shared commitment. MEPs echoed calls for stepped-up support to Ukraine and a stronger European role within NATO. This news item features key excerpts from the plenary debate in Strasbourg.

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025: extracts from the debate

MEPs lay out their expectations for the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24-26 June, in a debate with the Commission. At their gathering in The Netherlands, leaders from NATO countries are expected to discuss how to ramp up defence spending in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine and calls from US President Donald Trump for European countries to invest more and take a greater responsibility for their defence. Opening statements by Kaja KALLAS, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

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