La Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas aprobó la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos el 10 de diciembre de 1948 en París. Es un documento que marca un hito en la historia de los derechos humanos porque, por primera vez, establece los derechos humanos fundamentales que deben protegerse universalmente. La Declaración consta de un preámbulo seguido de treinta artículos. La Unión Europea la ha adoptado plenamente, utilizándola para establecer normas en su legislación y acuerdos internacionales, así como para orientar su política exterior.

La Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos - español

Am 10. Dezember 1948 verkündete die Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen in Paris die Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte. Diese Erklärung ist ein Meilenstein in der Geschichte der Menschenrechte, da in ihr zum ersten Mal die weltweit zu schützenden grundlegenden Menschenrechte festgelegt wurden. Sie wurde von einer Gruppe von Visionären mit unterschiedlichem beruflichem, kulturellem und religiösem Hintergrund verfasst. Sie arbeiteten in der kurz zuvor gegründeten Menschenrechtskommission der Vereinten Nationen zusammen. Die Erklärung wurde in mehr als 500 Sprachen übersetzt. Sie diente außerdem als Inspiration und Wegbereiterin für mehr als 70 Menschenrechtsabkommen, die weltweit oder regional dauerhaft gelten.

Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte - Deutsch

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948 in Paris. The Declaration is a milestone document in the history of human rights because, for the first time, it set out fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The document is composed of a preamble followed by thirty articles. The EU has fully embraced the Declaration's significance, using it to set standards in its legislation and international agreements, and to guide its external policy.

The Universal declaration of Human Rights - English

Il 10 dicembre 1948, a Parigi, l'Assemblea Generale delle Nazioni Unite adotta la Dichiarazione universale dei diritti umani. Si tratta di un passo decisivo, perché, per la prima volta in assoluto, questo documento definisce i diritti umani fondamentali che godono di una protezione universale. L'UE ha fatto sua la Dichiarazione, che si compone di un preambolo e trenta articoli, prendendola come riferimento per stabilire norme nella sua legislazione e negli accordi internazionali e per orientare la sua politica estera.

La Dichiarazione universale dei diritti umani - italiano

Generalna skupščina Združenih narodov je 10. decembra 1948 v Parizu sprejela Splošno deklaracijo človekovih pravic. Deklaracija je v zgodovini človekovih pravic pomemben mejnik, saj so bile v njej prvič določene temeljne človekove pravice, ki jih je treba vedno varovati. Dokument je sestavljen iz preambule in tridesetih členov. Evropska unija je deklaracijo v celoti sprejela in jo uporablja za določanje standardov v evropski zakonodaji in mednarodnih sporazumih ter za usmerjanje svoje zunanje politike.

Splošna deklaracija človekovih pravic - slovenščina

L’Assemblée générale des Nations unies a adopté la déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme à Paris le 10 décembre 1948. Cette déclaration est un document fondateur dans l’histoire des droits humains, car, pour la toute première fois, elle définit des droits fondamentaux qui doivent être protégés universellement. Le document se compose d’un préambule et de trente articles. L’Union européenne adhère pleinement à la déclaration: elle l’utilise pour fixer des normes dans sa législation et ses accords internationaux ainsi que pour orienter sa politique extérieure.

La déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme - Français

El Parlamento Europeo y sus diputados electos son la voz de los ciudadanos en la Unión Europea. Por eso queremos que el Parlamento sea accesible a todos. «Noticias breves» ofrece un rápido repaso general de los principales temas del día en todas las lenguas oficiales de la Unión. Es una emisión ofrecida por el Parlamento Europeo. Puedes encontrar más programas en:

Noticias breves – 22/09/2023 – español

The European Parliament and its elected Members are the citizens’ voice in the European Union. That’s why we want to make Parliament accessible to everyone. News in Brief gives you a quick overview of the day’s main topics in all official Union languages. This broadcast is brought to you by the European Parliament. You can find more programmes here:

News in Brief – 22/09/2023 – English

Euroopa Parlament ja selle liikmed esindavad Euroopa Liidu kodanike häält. Seetõttu peab parlament olema kõigile kodanikele ka kättesaadav. Lühiuudistes antakse kõigis ELi ametlikes keeltes kiire ülevaade päeva peamistest teemadest. Uudised toob teieni Euroopa Parlament. Tutvuge ka järgmiste veebisaitidega:

Lühiuudised – 22/09/2023 – eesti keel

Европейският парламент и неговите членове са гласът на гражданите в Европейския съюз. Ето защо искаме Парламентът да бъде достъпен за всички. Новините накратко Ви дават поглед към основните теми за деня на всички официални езици на Съюза. Това предаване се осъществява от Европейския парламент. Тук можете да намерите повече програми:

Кратки новини – 22/09/2023 – български

Il-Parlament Ewropew u l-Membri eletti tiegħu huma l-vuċi taċ-ċittadini fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Huwa għalhekk li rridu li l-Parlament ikun aċċessibbli għal kulħadd. L-aħbarijiet fil-qosor jagħtuk ħarsa fil-qosor tas-suġġetti ewlenin tal-ġurnata fil-lingwi uffiċjali kollha tal-Unjoni. Din ix-xandira titwassallek mill-Parlament Ewropew. Tista' ssib aktar programmi hawnhekk:

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 22/09/2023 - Malti

Evropský parlament a zvolení poslanci a poslankyně, kteří v něm zasedají, jsou hlasem občanů Evropské unie. Proto nám záleží na tom, aby byl Parlament lidem skutečně nablízku. Krátké zprávy vám přinášejí letmý přehled hlavních témat dne. Vysílání připravuje Evropský parlament a je dostupné ve všech úředních jazycích Unie. Více programů naleznete zde:

Krátké zprávy – 22/09/2023 – čeština

Das Europäische Parlament und seine gewählten Mitglieder sind die Stimme der Unionsbürger. Deshalb wollen wir das Parlament allen zugänglich machen. Unsere Kurznachrichten bieten Ihnen einen raschen Überblick über die wichtigsten Tagesthemen, und zwar in allen 24 Amtssprachen der EU. Diese Sendung wird Ihnen präsentiert vom Europäischen Parlament. Mehr finden Sie hier:

Kurznachrichten – 22/09/2023– Deutsch

Europski parlament i njegovi zastupnici glas su građana u Europskoj uniji. Želimo da taj glas bude svima dostupan. „Kratke vijesti” sažet je pregled glavnih dnevnih tema na svim službenim jezicima Unije. Ovaj sadržaj omogućio vam je Europski parlament. Saznajte više na našim stranicama:

Kratke vijesti – 22/09/2023 - hrvatski

Європарламент та його депутати є голосом громадян Європейського Союзу. Саме тому ми хочемо, щоб Європарламент став доступним для всіх. Короткі новини - це огляд головних новин дня на всіх офіційних мовах ЄС. Ця трансляція надається Європарламентом. Більше доступних програм тут:

Короткі новини – 22/09/2023 – укрaïнською

Το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο και οι εκλεγμένοι βουλευτές του είναι η φωνή των πολιτών στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Γι’ αυτό θέλουμε να κάνουμε το Κοινοβούλιο προσιτό σε όλους.

Σύντομο δελτίο ειδήσεων – 22/09/2023 – ελληνικά

Az Európai Unióban a polgárok az Európai Parlamenten és választott képviselőiken keresztül hallathatják hangjukat. Ezért szeretnénk a Parlamentet mindenki számára elérhetővé tenni. A „Hírek röviden” gyors áttekintést nyújt a nap fő témáiról az Unió valamennyi hivatalos nyelvén. Ezt az adást az Európai Parlament készítette. További műsorokat itt talál:

Hírek röviden – 22/09/2023 – magyar

Evropski parlament in izvoljeni poslanci so glas državljanov Evropske unije. Zato želimo, da bi bil Parlament ljudem res blizu. V kratkih novicah vam v vseh uradnih jezikih Unije na kratko predstavljamo najpomembnejše dnevne teme. Oddajo pripravlja Evropski parlament. Več prispevkov in vsebin najdete na naslednjih spletnih mestih:

Kratka poročila – 22/09/2023 – slovenščina

Hearing of Wopke HOEKSTRA 2023

Hearing of Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ 2023

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.

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

Have a look at the 2021 and 2022&nbsp;stockshots with illustrative pre-edited broadcast quality video footage. These editable stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), produced to illustrate priority EU dossiers and parliamentary work. They are intended to help audiovisual media produce their own programs, for example, editing of news reports or documentaries.

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

Pollution harms our health and our environment. It is the largest environmental cause of multiple mental and physical diseases and of premature deaths, especially among children, people with certain medical conditions and the elderly. It&nbsp;is also one of the main reasons for the loss of biodiversity.

The&nbsp;zero pollution vision for 2050&nbsp;is for air, water and soil pollution to be reduced to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems. It includes a series of 2030 targets to speed up reducing pollution at source.

On 12 May 2021, the European Commission adopted the&nbsp;Zero Pollution Action Plan: "Towards a Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil"&nbsp;- a key deliverable of the European Green Deal.&nbsp;

Air pollution

Since October 2020, the EU has&nbsp;progressively imposed restrictive measures&nbsp;against Belarus in response to the fraudulent nature&nbsp; presidential elections in&nbsp;2020, and the&nbsp;intimidation and violent repression&nbsp;of peaceful protesters, opposition members and journalists.&nbsp;

The democratic opposition, including the opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was awarded the&nbsp;2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The Belarusian regime has became an ally&nbsp;with Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine. This includes the so-called referendum reinstating the country’s nuclear status, but also that Belarus has allowed Russian troops and weapons to move through its territory, use its airspace, refuel and store military ammunition.

Therefore, the EU has extended the sanctios package against Russia to Belarus. The EP has recently called that "all EU sanctions issued against Russia must be strictly mirrored for Belarus and implemented appropriately".

EU - Belarus

The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, also known as the Istanbul Convention, is the first legally binding international instrument on this issue. It establishes a comprehensive framework of measures for preventing such violence, supporting victims and punishing perpetrators.&nbsp;

MEPs have voted during May 2023 plenary to approve the European Union’s accession to the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, concluding Parliament’s role in the process. Six years after the EU signed the Istanbul Convention - it has still not been ratified because of the refusal of a few member states, despite&nbsp;Parliament’s multiple calls to this end.

However, the EU&nbsp;Court of Justice’s opinion of 6 October 2021&nbsp;confirmed that the European Union can ratify the Istanbul Convention without having the agreement of all member states. The Court found that the appropriate scope for the EU’s accession is asylum, judicial cooperation in criminal matters, and obligations of the EU institutions and public administration.

The EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention does not exempt member states from ratifying it themselves, MEPs have repeatedly said, urging the remaining six countries - Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia - to ratify the Convention without delay, so that it can protect women to the full extent of the Convention’s intended scope

Violence against women

Spain holds the presidency of the Council of the EU for the fifth time since 1 st of July.&nbsp;The motto: 'Europe, closer' highlights Spain's commitment to advancing in European unity, bringing citizens closer to the decisions present in our day-to-day lives.

Spain has identified four priorities for the work under its presidency of the Council: reindustrialise&nbsp;the EU, advance in the&nbsp;green transition, promote&nbsp;social and economic justice and strengthen&nbsp;European unity.

The presidency of the Council rotates among the EU member states every 6 months. During this 6-month period, the presidency chairs meetings at every level in the Council, helping to ensure the continuity of the EU's work in the Council.&nbsp;

Spanish Presidency

In the annual State of the European Union debate, MEPs quizzed President von der Leyen on the Commission’s work in the past and its plans until the June 2024 elections.



Opening the debate, EP President, Roberta Metsola&nbsp;said: “The European Union today is stronger, and more united than ever before. The world is changing and Europe must adapt and change with it too. We must keep striving to make our Europe a place of equality of opportunity, of access, of prosperity - where everyone can reach their potential. We must keep reforming. We should always keep people’s concerns at the centre of all our actions.“



Commission President von der Leyen said that the EU has undergone a substantial transformation since she first presented her programme in 2019, adding: ”We have delivered over 90% of the political guidelines I presented” back then. 



On the Green Deal, the decarbonisation of Europe’s industry while maintaining its competitiveness, she announced an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles. ”We must defend ourselves against unfair practices” she said. 



President von der Leyen stressed the importance of a fair transition for farmers, families and industry and that “Europe will do ’whatever it takes’ to keep its competitive edge.” She announced a competitiveness check by an independent board for every new legislation.



With regard to Artificial Intelligence, Ms von der Leyen said that AI will improve healthcare, boost productivity and help to address climate change. The Commission’s “number one priority is to ensure AI develops in a human-centric, transparent and responsible way” she said, also calling for an international panel of experts similar to the IPCC on climate change to steer its development. 



On Ukraine, she announced that the Commission will propose the extension of the EU’s temporary protection to Ukrainians and an additional 50 billion euros over four years for investment and reforms. “Our support to Ukraine will endure.” 



The Commission President also referred to the rule of law, enlargement, migration, EU-Africa relations, the Global Gateway initiative, climate change, food security, and an upcoming Social Partner Summit.

State of the European Union 2023

The alleged attempts to influence MEPs unveiled loopholes in Parliament’s internal rules, alongside other issues, says&nbsp;Special Committee on Foreign Interference. Interference attempts are a “widespread phenomenon that must be countered as vigorously as possible”, warn MEPs, expressing their “deep shock and condemnation of the allegations of corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation” by three MEPs, one former MEP and one parliamentary assistant.

The committee has identified “numerous loopholes in Parliament’s integrity and transparency rules” and calls for President Metsola’s&nbsp;14-point proposal to&nbsp;reform Parliament’s rules to be put into concrete actions as soon as possible.

MEPs demand also that compliance with the six-month cooling-off period for former MEPs should be monitored by the new&nbsp;EU ethics body. Parliament should introduce a monitoring system and rules for revoking access for former MEPs who lobby on behalf of high-risk countries beyond the cooling-off period.

Parliament has also reacted to corruption&nbsp;allegations &nbsp;with immediate changes and demands for measures to close loopholes in existing transparency rules. In&nbsp;&nbsp;December 2022,&nbsp;Parliament&nbsp;adopted a resolution on the suspicions of corruption by Qatar and the broader need for more transparency in the EU institutions.

Fight against corruption

As part of the European Green Deal, with the European Climate Law, the EU has set itself a binding target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This requires current greenhouse gas emission levels to drop substantially in the next decades. As an intermediate step towards climate neutrality, the EU has raised its 2030 climate ambition, committing to cutting emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

On 18 April 2023, MEPs&nbsp; adopted the reform of EU´s Emissions Trading System including for aviation and the maritime sector, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a new Social Climate fund. The&nbsp;deal on the reform of the Emissions Trading System (ETS)&nbsp;increases the ambition for 2030, phases out free allowances to companies and creates a separate new ETS II for fuel for road transport and buildings that will put a price on emissions from these sectors by 2027.

According to the&nbsp;agreement with EU countries, an EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will be set up to ensure that importers of goods covered by the EU ETS would have to pay any price difference between the price paid for carbon in the country of production and the price of carbon allowances in the EU ETS. This will incentivise non-EU countries to increase their climate ambition and ensure that EU and global climate efforts are not undermined by production being relocated from the EU to countries with less ambitious policies.

A separate deal with member states&nbsp;sets up an EU Social Climate Fund to ensure that the climate transition will be fair and socially inclusive. Vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users who are particularly affected by energy and transport poverty will benefit from the fund. When fully in place, it will be funded from auctioning ETS II allowances up to an amount of €65 billion, with an additional 25% covered by national resources (amounting to an estimated total of €86.7 billion).

Fit for 55

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

Each nominee must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee. Signed nominations accompanied by supporting evidence are then assessed in a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Development (DEVE). A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up through a vote by AFET and DEVE committees, and then submitted to the Conference of Presidents for a final vote. The winner is usually announced in October, and the award ceremony takes place in November/December at plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

Sakharov Prize 2023

Malta joined the European Union 1st May 2004 and it has been a member of the Schengen area since 21st December 2007.

Malta is a single-chamber parliamentary republic with a head of government - the prime minister - and a head of state - the president - whose role is largely ceremonial. The country is divided into 5 regions. Each has its own regional committee, which serves as the intermediary between local and national government.

There are 6 members of the European Parliament from Malta.

EU - Malta

Climate change remains a key challenge. The EU and the European Parliament are working to ensure a more sustainable society and economy through ambitious policies at home and close cooperation with international partners. It is already on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2020, and has put forward a plan to further cut emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

By 2050, Europe aims to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent. Alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the EU is also taking action to adapt to the impacts of climate change. By 2050, Europe aims to be a climate-resilient society. Climate action is at the heart of the European Green Deal – an ambitious package of measures ranging from drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment.

Climate change

The Industry, Research and Energy, and Culture and Education committees questioned Iliana Ivanova, Bulgarian candidate for innovation, research, culture, education and youth. Ms Ivanova was nominated to replace Mariya Gabriel, who resigned on 15 May to become Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Bulgaria. During her introductory speech, Commissioner-designate Iliana Ivanova presented her priorities to invest in research and innovation in the EU, boosting skills, promoting the cohesive role of culture and empowering youth.

The EU is a scientific powerhouse, she underlined, however the landscape remains “fragmented” and investments are below the target of 3% of GDP and behind global competitors. She vowed to do the utmost to support the Horizon Europe programme as a tool to ensure that Europe can be “a trailblazer at global level” and attract more resources, including through partnerships, and to facilitate access to funding for SMEs.

The European Parliament during its September session&nbsp;approved the appointment of Iliana Ivanova&nbsp;as Commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth.

Hearing of Iliana IVANOVA, Bulgarian Commissioner-designate

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. Therefore in December 2019 the Commission presented a communication on a European Green Deal that sets out a detailed vision to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, safeguard biodiversity, establish a circular economy and eliminate pollution, while boosting the competitiveness of European industry and ensuring a just transition for the regions and workers affected.

Parliament has played an important role in pushing for more ambitious EU climate legislation and declared a climate emergency on 28 November 2019.&nbsp;

The European Climate Law writes&nbsp;into law the goal to become climate neutral by 2050 and attain the intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels).&nbsp;After 2050 the EU will aim for negative emissions. In July&nbsp;2021 the European Commission presented its “Fit for 55 in 2030” package-the legislative tool to deliver on the targets agreed in the European Climate law.

The Commission proposed in&nbsp;June 2022 a regulation on nature restoration to contribute to the long-term and sustained recovery of damaged nature across the EU’s land and sea areas and to achieve EU climate and biodiversity objectives.&nbsp; Parliament &nbsp;adopted its position on the&nbsp;EU nature restoration law in July 2023&nbsp; with 336 votes in favour, 300 against and 13 abstentions. A vote to reject the Commission’s proposal did not pass (312 votes to 324 and 12 abstentions).&nbsp;

The EU must have restoration measures in place by 2030 covering at least 20% of its land and sea areas, accprding to the vote. MEPs underline that restoring the ecosystem is key to combating climate change and biodiversity loss, and reduces risks to food security. They stress that the draft law does not impose the creation of new protected areas in the EU nor block new renewable energy infrastructure as they added a new article underlining that such installations are overwhelmingly in the public interest.

European Green Deal

Multilingualism Day 2023

Participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President, to the Laying of wreath on the Independence Monument (Floriana)

AFET - Presentation of the Study on 'Qualified majority voting in foreign and security policy'

LIBE - 13th meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol -Exchange of views with Mr. Alfredo NUNZI, Head of the Institutional and Legal Affairs Department of Europol

D-CL Joint Parliamentary Committee - Meeting with Isabel ALLENDE BUSSI

AFET DEVE SEDE joint Committee - Exchange of views demining actions in Ukraine as a consequence of Russia's war of aggression

AFET DEVE DROI joint Committee - Sakharov Prize 2023: Presentation of candidates

ECON -  Economic Dialogue and exchange of views with Nadia CALVINO, ECOFIN President and First Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for the Economy and Digital Transformation

EPRS event ' EU long-term budget: Does the EU have enough resources to finance its priorities? '

AFET - Debate on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

REGI -  Presentation of the Spanish Presidency of the Council programme

DEVE Workshop - Developing countries’ energy needs and priorities under a sustainable development perspective

LIBE- Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders

ECON - Appointment of the Chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank

PETI Commitee - Cooperation with the Committees on petitions in National Parliaments Exchanging Best Practices and Reflecting on New Approaches

BUDG - Revision of the EU's long-term budget (MFF)

IMCO trilogue on Empowering consumers

FISC - Exchange of views with Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner responsible for Economy, on Tax Matters

Euroscola

European Citizen's Prize 2023 award ceremony

Pre-session briefing

Panel for the Future of Science and Technology

Press seminar on European Media Freedom Act and Digital Services Act: protecting media freedom in a safe online world

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs - Interparliamentary Committee Meeting

Committee on Budgetary Control

Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America

Committee on Foreign Affairs

AFET - DEVE

Once elected, Members of the European Parliament have an important job to do. They are the eyes, ears and voices of Europeans in the Parliament. You vote for them, then they vote for you!

Sitting in parliamentary groups, a bit like parties in national parliaments, MEPs listen to people’s concerns, debate, consult with interested parties and vote on laws.

Find out more about the role of MEPs!

The role of Members of the European Parliament

The rule of law is a keystone of democracy and a core EU value.    
   
MEPs have consistently warned it is under threat in some member states, amid concerns corruption and compromised judicial systems could lead to the misuse of EU funds.    
   
The European Parliament has created a tool to protect the EU’s money and values.    
   
The rule of law conditionality mechanism lets the EU suspend payments that may be spent in ways that flout democratic standards and fundamental rights.   
   
Find out more in our short explainer video.

The Rule of law conditionality mechanism decrypted

The European Parliament has acted to protect and promote the EU's regional crafts and industries.   
   
The Geographical Indications system already provides a seal of quality for some of the EU’s best-known food and drink products.    
   
Now, it will be extended to industries like textiles, jewellery, glass, porcelain and cutlery.   
   
The new framework will benefit smaller businesses, boost jobs and tourism and help fight counterfeiting.

Geographical Indications: traditional crafts get EU quality seal

The environment and climate change, cost-of-living crisis, migration, Russia’s war on Ukraine, EU enlargement…  

Members of the European Parliament questioned Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the final State of the Union debate before the 2024 European elections.  
 
Has the von der Leyen Commission done enough this past year? And how will it deliver for EU citizens in the coming months? 

Watch this video to learn more on how Parliament scrutinised the Commission’s track-record and programme before next year's vote.

State of the EU: MEPs press Commission President ahead of elections

Every five years European voters are called to the ballot box to choose Members of the European Parliament. The vote has a direct impact on EU policy over the following parliamentary term. 

The European elections are the biggest transnational vote on the planet and they shape not only Europe but also the EU’s place in the world.

Find out more about European elections!

Voting in European Elections

Members of the European Parliament will question the president of the European Commission in the annual State of the European Union debate (SOTEU) in September.
 
The debate is traditionally the occasion when the European Parliament gets to hold the Commission to account on its track record over the past year and scrutinise its policy priorities.
 
This SOTEU is the final such debate before European elections in June 2024, so MEPs will be keen to look back at the track record of Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission since the last elections in 2019.

MEPs to scrutinise Commission in State of EU debate

The European Parliament has given the green light to a new framework to regulate the volatile world of crypto-currency.   
    
MEPs approved a ground-breaking set of rules around crypto-assets, which aim to combat money laundering and market manipulation.  
 
The EU wants to detect and stop illicit flows of crypto-assets, while making it safer for people to hold and trade them.

Protecting consumers with new rules on crypto-assets

The European Parliament, the only directly elected EU institution, is the beating heart of European democracy! 

It represents the interests of EU citizens.  

MEPs debate, amend and pass laws which have a direct impact on the lives of some 450 million Europeans.  

Find out more about how the European Parliament works!

How the European Parliament works

From messaging apps to online marketplaces, digital services are central to our daily lives.  

But the online world is also home to fake news, harmful content and dubious business practices and has become dominated by big tech companies.  

The European Parliament has passed new rules to regulate them and ensure a fairer and safer environment for businesses and consumers. 

Find out more about the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act in our short Q&A.

The Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts decrypted

The European Parliament has passed new rules to make it easier to top up green vehicles.      
      
The EU wants to help create a network of electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling points that are as practical and accessible as petrol stations.      
      
Meanwhile, airports and big ports will have to provide electricity to planes and ships.     
      
The rules are part of Fit for 55 measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and build a carbon-neutral EU.

Expanding the EU’s alternative fuels infrastructure

This summer, many people will be heading to beaches, rivers and lakes for their holidays!  
   
The EU sets minimum standards for bathing water and more than 95% of the 22,000 sites tested meet the minimum requirements. 9 in 10 of Europe’s beaches are rated excellent according to the European Environment Agency’s 2022 Bathing Water report.  
  
The European Parliament supports high standards for EU bathing waters.

Summer fun! Europe’s waters cleaner than ever

As a European Union citizen, you are free to live, work and travel across 27 EU countries. The EU supports the economy and protects your rights, ensuring fairer workplaces, safer products and a clean environment.   
   
The EU promotes values like equality, peace and democracy at home and abroad.    
   
Find out more about the benefits the EU brings.

The benefits of the European Union

‘Close’ by Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont has won the 2023 LUX Audience award.  
  
The coming-of-age drama chronicles the unraveling of a close friendship between two 13-year-old boys.   
  
Drawing inspiration from his own youth, Dhont examines the way society discourages young men from engaging with their emotions and forming close relationships with their peers.  
  
Organised by the European Parliament, the LUX Audience Award promotes cultural diversity, raises awareness about current political and social issues and provides support to European cinema.  
  
2023’s other nominees were ‘Alcarràs’, ‘Burning Days’, ‘Triangle of Sadness’ and ‘Will-o’-the-wisp’

Belgian movie ‘Close’ wins 2023 LUX Audience Award

What if your phone turned into a spying device: giving malevolent actors access to your location, photos, contacts, camera and microphone? This is exactly what spyware such as Pegasus and Predator have done to the phones of some journalists, opposition politicians and civil activists.  
On top of being illegal, this practice is dangerous to democracy and human rights. MEPs want to set ground rules on when and how such spyware should be used.  
Your questions on the dangers of spyware, answered by MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld.

Parliament wants to end the illegal use of spyware

Phones, computers, electric cars… they all use batteries. And demand is increasing rapidly.    
 
The European Parliament has approved new rules to reduce the impact on the environment, ensuring minimum standards for recycling batteries and their component materials.

Circular economy: getting more life from batteries

Members of the European Parliament have roundly condemned the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, attributed to occupying Russian forces. The resulting flooding has caused deaths, placed dozens of settlements under water and left thousands of people homeless.   
    
The floods are also an ecological catastrophe: ravaging farmland and habitats, destroying aquatic life and releasing pollution into the Black Sea.  

Parliament also discussed how to help Ukraine sustainably rebuild after the damage inflicted nearly 500 days after Russia’s full-scale invasion. MEPs are calling for international efforts to support and rebuild Ukraine.

Ukraine: Parliament condemns dam destruction

As the EU moves towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the European Parliament wants to ensure no one is left behind.   
    
That is why MEPs have approved an ambitious Social Climate Fund, designed to support vulnerable households, small businesses and transport users.      
      
The fund will be financed by the Emissions Trading System, which makes big polluters pay for the damage they cause.    
          
Discover how the fund will work in our short Q&A.

Energy transition: A fund to support the most vulnerable

What is ‘carbon leakage’ and how will the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism tackle it? 
Industries in the EU face strict limits on the CO2 emissions they produce. To get around these rules, companies may move production to non-EU countries with weaker regulations. 
The European Parliament has approved new rules to encourage responsible behaviour by EU companies and discourage the import of cheap carbon-intensive products made in non-EU countries.
Find out more in our short Q&A.

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