When we think of the European Parliament, we usually imagine MEPs voting in the debating chamber. In reality, though, voting only takes place once a month, during plenary part-sessions. But what actually are these part-sessions, and how do they work?

What are plenary sessions?

Have you ever heard of the Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament?
From their job title, it’s clear that they play a crucial role in Parliament and must be important political figures. 
But do you know what the Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament really do, who they are and how they are elected?

Jargon Jungle: the Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament

Out of the jargon jungle. The role of the European Parliament President?

The role of the European Parliament President?

It’s time to vote! Between 6 and 9 June this year, millions of EU citizens will help shape the future of the European Union by voting in the European elections. The European Parliament is the only directly elected EU body and the European elections are one of the biggest democratic events in the world. Join us in this episode as we take a closer look at how the voting system works. Don’t miss this chance to find out how your vote counts!

The European elections explained: how does the voting system work?

AFET Committee - Votes

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

EP Plenary session - Voting session

EP Plenary session - Voting session - General Budget 2025

AFET - Votes on Turkiye, Belarus and Switzerland

JURI Committee -  Vote on  its position on a draft bill on the protection of the environment through criminal law

TRAN Committee - Vote on Amending Directive 2010/40/EU on the framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport

EP Plenary session - Voting session.

ENVI Committee - Vote on a Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe - Statement by Dolors MONTSERRAT

EP plenary session - Announcement of the results of the second voting session

EP Plenary session - Announcement of the results of the first voting session

With 175 votes in favour, 360 against, and 18 abstentions, the European Parliament rejected a motion of censure against the European Commission. The vote on the motion took place by roll call. To be adopted, a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of component Members of Parliament, would have been needed.

Voting Session: motion of censure on the European Commission

MEPs vote on the following items: the case of Ryan Cornelius in Dubai; the arbitrary arrest and torture of Belgian-Portuguese researcher Joseph Figueira Martin in the Central African Republic; the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria following the recent terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus; Decaro (A10-0134/2025) - Amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 as regards obligations of economic operators concerning battery due diligence policies; Bentele (A10-0123/2025) - Future of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing sector: leveraging research, boosting innovation and enhancing competitiveness, and Tackling China’s critical raw materials export restrictions.

Voting Session

Parliament vote on a proposal to allocate €280 million of EU aid for European countries affected by devastating floods in 2024. The European Commission has proposed using money from the EU Solidarity Fund to support Austria, Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Moldova, and Poland to address damage caused by floods in September and October 2024. The Parliament’s Budgets Committee already endorsed the measure on 24 June. The proposed distribution of aid would be: • Austria: €42.8 million • Czechia: €114 million • Poland: €76 million • Slovakia: €2.1 million • Bosnia and Herzegovina: €45.7 million • Moldova: €195,200 This will finance a wide range of recovery initiatives, including infrastructure repair, improvements to disaster-prevention mechanisms, temporary accommodation, the protection of cultural heritage sites, and clean-up operations.

3. Borys Budka (ITRE A10-0079/2025) - The role of gas storage for securing gas supplies ahead of the winter season (Vote: 08/05/2025) 4. Assita Kanko (LIBE A10-0082/2025) - Temporary derogation from certain provisions of Regulations (EU) 2017/2226 and (EU) 2016/399 5. Ľudovít Ódor (ECON A10-0119/2025) - VAT: taxable persons, special scheme and special arrangements for declaration and payment, relating to distance sales of imported goods (Vote: 22/11/2023) 6. Emma Fourreau (PECH A10-0099/2025) - EU-Greenland and Denmark Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement: Implementing Protocol 2025-2030 7. Emma Fourreau - EU-Greenland and Denmark Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement: Implementing Protocol 2025-2030 (Resolution) 8. Beata Szydło - Security of energy supply in the EU

The Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) votes on the draft reports of two proposals of the Passengers Rights Package: the enforcement/omnibus proposal and passenger rights in the context of Multi-modal journeys. Both proposals aim to improve the experience of passengers and travelers by strengthening their rights. The enforcement/omnibus proposal, aims at strengthening the enforcement mechanisms and introduces rules for air passengers who have booked their flights through an intermediary, including on reimbursement. Extracts from the vote and statements by Matteo RICCI (S&D, IT), Andrey NOVAKOV (EPP, BG), and by Jens GIESEKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs.

EU Passenger rights rules: extracts from the vote and statements by Matteo RICCI (S&D, IT), Andrey NOVAKOV (EPP, BG), and by Jens GIESEKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs

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 vote on its position on the first EU standards for the breeding, housing, and handling of dogs and cats, report by Veronika Vrecionová (AGRI 14/05) - Welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability ; Media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobel ; The case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran ; Dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali ; Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system ; Clean Industrial Deal ; The United Kingdom accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters

MEPs vote on several reports and amendments: outermost regions affected by severe natural disasters and in the context of cyclone Chido devastating Mayotte; amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning the declaration of input; electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in European Parliament elections; agreement between the EU and Ukraine; termination of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the EU and Cameroon on forest law enforcement governance; and financing for development – ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville.

MEPs vote during the plenary session on several reports/amendments: Inese Vaidere (INTA 15/05) - Modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus / Veronika Vrecionová (AGRI A10-0043/2025) - Granting equivalence with EU requirements to Moldova and Ukraine as regards field inspections and production of seed/ Amendments to the Capital Requirements Regulation as regards securities financing transactions under the net stable funding ratio/ Borys Budka (ITRE A10-0083/2025) - Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for the period 2026-2027 complementing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and repealing Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765/ Ondřej Knotek (CONT 14/05) - Partial renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors - HR nominee

MEPs vote on the following files: Arrest and risk of execution of Tundu Lissu, Chair of Chadema, the main opposition party in Tanzania, Return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred and deported by Russia, Violations of religious freedom in Tibet, Ninth report on economic and social cohesion, CO2 emission performance standards, The protection status of the wolf (Canis lupus), The role of gas storage for securing gas supplies ahead of the winter season, The screening of foreign investments in the Union and repealing Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Suspending certain parts of Regulation (EU) 2015/478 as regards imports of Ukrainian products into the European Union, Competition policy – annual report 2024, Banking Union – annual report 2024, Objection (ENVI) Genetically modified soybean, Old challenges and new commercial practices in the internal market.

Voting session

Votes on the following reports: Mureşan, Tavares (A10-0076/2025) - A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world; Bajada (A10-0073/2025) - The European Water Resilience Strategy; Sánchez Amor (A10-0067/2025) - 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Türkiye; Picula (A10-0072/2025) - 2023 and 2024 reports on Serbia; and Terras (A10-0075/2025) - 2023 and 2024 reports on Kosovo

Votes on reports

2023 discharge: EU general budget – Commission, executive agencies and European Development Funds / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - European Parliament / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - European Council and Council / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - Court of Justice of the European Union / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - Court of Auditors / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - European Economic and Social Committee / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - Committee of the Regions / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - European Ombudsman / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - European Data Protection Supervisor / 2023 discharge: EU general budget - European External Action Service / 2023 discharge: European Public Prosecutor's Office / 2023 discharge: Agencies / 2023 discharge: Joint Undertakings

Votes on 2023 discharge

This news item presents highlights from the debate and vote on the European Parliament’s recommendations for the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy, along with a statement by Rapporteur Thomas Bajada (S&D, MT). The Parliament adopted its recommendations—expected to guide the European Commission's strategy due before summer 2025—with 470 votes in favour, 81 against, and 92 abstentions. In their report, MEPs call for a bold and comprehensive approach to water management across the EU, aiming to address growing water-related challenges. Key proposals include setting water efficiency targets, enhancing climate adaptation efforts, ensuring sufficient funding for vital water resilience measures, and promoting digitalisation and innovation in the sector.

European Water Resilience Strategy: extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Thomas BAJADA (S&D, MT), Rapporteur

Votes on requests for urgent procedure (Rule 170): CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2025 to 2027 / The protection status of the wolf (Canis lupus) / Amendments to the Capital Requirements Regulation as regards securities financing transactions under the net stable funding ratio / Pascale Piera (JURI A10-0077/2025) - Request for waiver of the immunity of Petr Bystron / Pascale Piera (JURI A10-0078/2025) - Request for waiver of the immunity of Petras Gražulis / Dainius Žalimas (JURI A10-0081/2025) - Request for waiver of the immunity of Grzegorz Braun

MEPs vote on the following topics : Estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026 ; Energy-intensive industries ; Targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – defending religious freedom and security

MEPs vote on the following topics : Guidelines for the 2026 budget (A10-0042/2025) Andrzej HALICKI.

Voting session - part 1

MEPs vote on the following topics: Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2024 ; Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2024 ; Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter

Voting session - part 3

MEPs vote on the following topics: the Agreement on a Norwegian Financial Mechanism for the period May 2021 - April 2028 ; Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ; Cooperation between the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) and the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina competent for judicial cooperation in criminal matters ; Strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement

911 results