At a glance: the European Parliament backs a 90% emissions cut by 2040 to keep the EU on track for climate neutrality; MEPs demand a strong 2026–2030 EU gender equality strategy and EU-wide action on gender-based violence; Parliament approves over €1 billion in EU aid for Spain and France after severe floods and cyclones.

News in Brief – 17/11/2025 - English

What is the Court of Justice of the EU, and why does it matter to your daily life? In this episode, we explore how the CJEU ensures that EU law is applied fairly and equally across all Member States — from landmark rulings to its role in defending citizens’ rights.

The Court of Justice of the European Union

At a glance: the European Parliament remembers the victims of the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris ten years ago; plenary debate on the EU’s next long-term budget; MEPs discuss the outcome of October European Council meeting.

News in Brief – 14/11/2025 - English

At a glance: President Metsola is in Paris to honour terror attack victims and discuss Europe’s economic and digital future; safer toys for children; MEPs call for new EU rules to ensure human oversight of AI in the workplace.

News in Brief – 13/11/2025 - English

News in Brief – 12/11/2025 - English

At a glance: MEPs debate future EU budget and warn against cuts to key programmes; Parliament outlines priorities for new EU gender equality strategy and calls for tougher action on violence and pay gaps; a new European Parliament office opens in Moldova, reaffirming support for country’s EU accession.

News in Brief – 11/11/2025 - English

Alcide De Gasperi, born in 1881 in a predominantly Italian area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was a staunch opponent of fascism. In 1943, he founded the Christian Democracy Party and became the first Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, leading the country until 1953. Together with Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman, he played a key role in promoting European integration.

Alcide De Gasperi, a founding father of the EU

At a glance: Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs reviews progress made on Work-Life Balance Directive; MEPs debate youth and fairness priorities with Commissioner Micallef; and a public hearing takes place on the human rights situation in Sudan.

News in Brief – 10/11/2025 - English

France is a semi-presidential republic with a head of government - the prime minister - appointed by the president who is the directly elected head of state.

France has been a member of the eurozone since 1 January 1999 and part of the Schengen area since 26 March 1995

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EU  - France

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

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

The European Parliament&nbsp;plays&nbsp;a central role in shaping the EU’s migration and asylum policy by&nbsp;scrutinising&nbsp;legislation,&nbsp;monitoring&nbsp;implementation of existing rules, and&nbsp;holding&nbsp;the European Commission and Member States accountable. Parliament&nbsp;emphasises&nbsp;the need for a fair, efficient, and humane system that&nbsp;ensures&nbsp;solidarity and responsibility-sharing among Member States,&nbsp;protects&nbsp;fundamental rights, and&nbsp;supports&nbsp;vulnerable people. MEPs&nbsp;engage&nbsp;in debates, propose amendments, and&nbsp;oversee&nbsp;cooperation with third countries, focusing on safe and legal migration pathways, effective asylum procedures, and the management of returns. Through these actions, the European Parliament&nbsp;guides&nbsp;the development and implementation of EU migration and asylum policies across the Union.

During the Mini-Plenary Session, MEPs&nbsp;discuss&nbsp;the&nbsp;first European Annual Asylum and Migration Report&nbsp;and the establishment of the&nbsp;Annual Solidarity Pool, key elements of the implementation phase of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The debate&nbsp;allows&nbsp;Members to&nbsp;assess&nbsp;current trends in asylum applications, migration flows, and returns, as well as Member States’ preparedness for the full application of the new Pact in 2026. Parliament&nbsp;emphasises&nbsp;the need for&nbsp;fair responsibility-sharing among Member States, stronger&nbsp;solidarity mechanisms&nbsp;to support countries under migratory pressure, and closer&nbsp;cooperation with third countries&nbsp;on migration management, including readmission and legal pathways. MEPs also&nbsp;call&nbsp;for enhanced protection of fundamental rights at borders and transparent monitoring of the new EU return and screening procedures.

Migration

A Parliament delegation attends the 30th United Nations climate conference taking place in Belém, Brazil. MEPs will stress that all sectors must play a part in reducing emissions and achieving climate neutrality, and will push for all countries to contribute their fair share towards providing adequate climate finance. MEPs will also advocate in favour of ending fossil fuel dependence, phasing out related subsidies and accelerating the energy transition.

COP30 in Bélem, Brazil

Antonio COSTA, President of the European Council participates in  the CoP

Conference of Presidents (CoP) with Antonio COSTA, President of the European Council

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French Republic

As many women and girls continue to face barriers in accessing affordable menstrual products, menstrual poverty remains a significant socioeconomic issue. To combat it, the EU Value Added Tax (VAT) Directive now allows Member States to apply reduced or zero VAT rates to sanitary products. On 4 November 2025, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) will hold a public hearing on this issue in light of the Parliament's Gender Equality Week.

VAT rates on tampons across the EU

This briefing provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in the current 10th parliamentary term (2024-2029) who had held public office at local, regional and/or national level before taking up their mandates (or, in some cases, continue to hold sub-national level public posts).

MEPs' public-office experience before being elected in 2024

Attracting young people to agriculture has been a goal of the European Union's (EU) common agricultural policy (CAP) since the 1980s. However, EU farmers are getting older – 57 % of farm managers are over 55 years of age, while only 12 % are under 40. Young farmers ensure continuity of agricultural production and bring vitality to rural areas.

Generational renewal in EU agriculture

Maternity leave and voting procedures for Members of parliaments differ widely across the European Union (EU). Maternity-related absences are considered justified for Members of the European Parliament, but the current rules do not permit remote voting, proxy voting or temporary substitution. Maternity leave for parliamentarians is generally permitted across the EU's Member States, although legal frameworks and practical arrangements differ.

Maternity leave and voting procedures in EU national parliaments

This infographics summarises the results of integrated assessments of Baltic Sea's pressures and status. It illustrates the proportion of the Baltic Sea, based on square kilometers, in different assessment status categories. The assessment was carried out during the period 2016-2021.

State of the Baltic Sea environment

Care work, whether provided in institutional settings such as childcare centres and healthcare facilities, or in home settings, is largely invisible, undervalued and carried out by women. The resulting gender care gap has profound consequences for the European Union's (EU) labour market and competitiveness as well as the well-being and cohesion of society. This briefing seeks to support the European Parliament's committees on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) in their preparation of an own-initiative report on addressing the gender care gap.

Addressing the gender care gap: Potential European added value

With the growing weaponisation of trade, the EU's trade defence toolbox is increasingly relevant. The importance of the EU's trade defence arsenal is underscored, among other factors, by persistent global overcapacity in a range of sectors, which has significant distorting effects on international markets, and by the weaponisation of trade, including through economic coercion amid growing geopolitical tensions.

Understanding the EU trade defence toolbox

Military mobility, defined as the capacity of armed forces to swiftly move troops and equipment across the European Union (EU), is a crucial but long-overlooked aspect of European defence. After decades of underinvestment and unresolved obstacles, there is a need to intensify coordinated and integrated efforts at EU, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Member State level to increase resources and address physical, legislative, and regulatory barriers that continue to cause delays and disruptions for military forces. Failure to act would leave armed forces unprepared in the face of threats, and undermine the security of citizens. This briefing looks within and beyond the current framework and explores the potential impact of additional investment of between €75 billion and €100 billion until 2035 to improve the current state of infrastructure. Our analysis finds that the added value associated with a larger amount of funds invested collectively leads to benefits which are almost three times higher (€21 billion additional GDP per year in 2035) than when Member States invest separately and in an uncoordinated way.

CEF military mobility funding by transport mode

One of the first, and boldest, measures taken by Western countries as a response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the immobilisation of the Russian central bank assets held under their jurisdictions, the value of which could be around €300 billion worldwide, according to recent estimations. As the war is well into its fourth year, the debate on how to use the immobilised assets to sustain Ukraine's reconstruction efforts – a cost estimated at US$524 billion – has evolved.

Frozen Russian assets: where are they immobilised?

Euroscola

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Visit of the  Station F and meeting with startups

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Arthur MENSCH, CEO of Mistral AI

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Gérard LARCHER, President of the French Senate

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with business learders organised by MEDEF

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Jean-Noël BARROT, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Ceremony for the victims of November 13th attacks

Press conference on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements

Photo action by pregnant women after voting in plenary for Members during pregnancy and after giving birth

During her official visit to Paris, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, meets with Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. The video shows her arrival at the Élysée Palace, a formal handshake and family photo with President Macron.

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French Republic: arrival, welcome and family photo

On the occasion of her official visit to Paris, EP President Roberta METSOLA visits Station F and meets with Startups and with Benjamin HADDAD, Minister attached to the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Europe.

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - visit to Station F: meeting with startups and with meeting with Benjamin HADDAD, Minister attached to the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs with resposibility for Europe

During her official visit to Paris, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets with Gérard Larcher, President of the French Senate. The video shows her arrival at the Senate, a formal greeting and handshake with Larcher at the French Senate.

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Gérard LARCHER, President of the French Senate: arrival and meeting

On the occasion of her official visit to Paris, EP President Roberta METSOLA attends the meeting with business leaders organised by MEDEF (Movement of the Enterprises of France). MEDEF is the largest employer federation in France. It has more than 750,000 member firms, 90 percent of them being small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees. MEDEF is engaged in lobbying at local, regional, national, and EU-wide levels.

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with business leaders organised by MEDEF: extracts

During her official visit to Paris, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets with Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The video shows her arrival at the ministry, a handshake greeting with Barrot, and their bilateral meeting at the Quai d'Orsay, the French Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Paris (France) - Meeting with Jean-Noël BARROT, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs: arrival and meeting

Jörgen WARBORN (EPP, SE), Rapporteur, holds a press conference on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements. Parliament endorsed reduced reporting duties and due diligence requirements for companies. With 382 votes in favour, 249 against, and with 13 abstentions, Parliament adopted its negotiating position on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence duties for businesses. MEPs consider that only businesses employing on average over 1750 employees and with a net annual turnover of over €450 million should have to carry out social and environmental reporting. Only businesses within this scope would also be required to provide sustainability reporting under taxonomy rules (i.e. a classification of sustainable investments). This transcription isa result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Jörgen WARBORN (EPP, SE), Rapporteur, on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements

Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, and Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Rapporteur, hold a press point on proxy vote during pregnancy. Parliament is seeking to improve gender equality and ensure mothers can participate fully in political life. The targeted change to the electoral rules would confer proxy voting rights to MEPs three months before their estimated due date and six months after childbirth.This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press point by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Rapporteur on proxy vote during pregnancy

MEPs vote on the following items: EU/Andorra agreement: automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance; EU/Monaco agreement: exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance; EU/San Marino agreement: automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance; EU/Liechtenstein agreement: automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance; EU/Switzerland agreement: automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance; Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Spain and France in relation to natural disasters in 2024 and 2025; Appointment of Maria Berger to the panel set up under Article 255 of the TFEU; Partial renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors; Gender Equality Strategy 2025.

Voting Session - Gender Equality Strategy

MEPs vote on the following items: Van Dijck (A10-0188/2025) - Exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the Stabilisation and Association Process; Opinion from the Court of Justice on the compatibility with the Treaties of the proposed Agreement on Digital Trade between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore; Hahn (A10-0187/2025) - Digital Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore; Hahn (A10-0190/2025) - Digital Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Singapore (Resolution); Regner (A10-0194/2025) - Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT)

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