The names of the first laureates of the European Order of Merit, who have made significant contributions to European integration were announced on&nbsp;10 March 2026&nbsp;in Strasbourg.

“Europe has always been built by people. Bridging divides, breaking barriers, overthrowing dictatorships and overcoming crises for a better future for our continent. This European commitment deserves to be celebrated. With the European Order of Merit, we honour those who did not simply believe in Europe, but who helped build it”,&nbsp;President Metsola said when announcing the first laureates.

The European Parliament announced in May 2025 the creation of the European Order of Merit, a new distinction to be awarded starting in 2026 to honor individuals for exceptional contributions to European integration, democracy, and values. This initiative marks the first such EU-level honor, celebrating efforts that strengthen unity, with up to 20 laureates selected annually across three levels.

European Order of Merit

On May 9th, the European Parliament Open Days in Brussels offer free access to buildings, featuring guided hemicycle tours, multilingual workshops, political group meet-and-greets, and family-friendly activities to explore democracy, EU legislation, and European culture.

Europe days 2026

The eighth meeting of the European Political Community brought&nbsp;together&nbsp;leaders from across the continent&nbsp;in Yerevan, Armenia, under the motto 'Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe'. At a time of profound geopolitical transformation, leaders&nbsp;discuss how to cooperate more closely and coordinate action to strengthen&nbsp;democratic resilience, advance&nbsp;connectivity&nbsp;and reinforce&nbsp;economic and energy security.

The European Political Community (EPC) is a new platform for political coordination. Initially proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron and supported by EU institutions, the inaugural meeting of the EPC was held in Prague on 6 October. The 'EU+ summit' was hosted by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU and&nbsp;43 national delegations from the EU-27, Western Balkans and other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Turkey attended.

European Political Community

MEPs&nbsp;debate the current energy outlook amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the disruption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The US and Israeli bombings of Iran and Tehran’s attacks on shipping crossing the Strait of Hormuz as well as on energy infrastructure in the Gulf have led to a sharp increase in hydrocarbon prices, highlighting the persistent vulnerabilities within international energy markets.

Against this backdrop, MEPs&nbsp;quiz Council and Commission representatives on possible measures to enhance the EU’s energy security while maintaining market stability and affordability. Parliament is currently working on the grids package legislative proposals aiming to lower electricity prices via boosting grid infrastructure and on an update of the Trans-European networks for Energy (TEN-E) guidelines.

The European Council conclusions of 19 March 2026 underscored the urgency of advancing Europe’s energy transition as the primary strategy for enhancing strategic autonomy, resilience, and long-term affordability.

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renewable energy

Energy prices

&nbsp;MEPs adopted their position on two proposals implementing the tariff aspects of the EU-US Turnberry trade deal.

The texts, if agreed with EU member states, will eliminate most tariffs on US industrial goods and provide preferential market access for a wide range of US seafood and agricultural goods, in line with the commitments made in summer 2025 between the EU and the US.

MEPs strengthened the proposed suspension clause, which would allow the tariff preferences with the US to be suspended under a number of conditions. For instance, the Commission would be able to propose suspending all or some trade preferences if the US were to impose additional tariffs exceeding the agreed 15% ceiling, or any new duties on EU goods. The suspension clause could also be activated if the US, for example, undermined the objectives of the deal, discriminated against EU economic operators, threatened member states’ territorial integrity, foreign and defence policies, or engaged in economic coercion.

MEPs have introduced a “sunrise clause” that would mean that the new tariffs would only become effective if the US respects its commitments. These conditions include the US lowering its tariffs on EU products with a steel and aluminium content below 50%, to a tariff of maximum 15%.

On 27 July 2025,&nbsp;European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen&nbsp;and&nbsp;US President Donald J. Trump&nbsp;agreed a&nbsp;deal on tariffs and trade.&nbsp;The&nbsp;key commitments&nbsp;of both sides include: establishing a single, all-inclusive US tariff ceiling of 15% for EU goods, providing special treatment for strategic products, liberalising certain trade&nbsp;sectors, aimed at strengthening transatlantic economic cooperation and boosting mutual market access.

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EU - USA

Have a look at stockshots (from 2021 onwards) 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.

Stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), pre-edited videos

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Infoclips - Illustrative footage

Clean energy is energy produced and consumed with a minimum of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

The transition to clean energy requires large investments in all areas of energy use: electricity generation, transport, heating and cooling, and also industrial activities. Reducing energy demand by means of energy efficiency measures also helps to lower the emissions associated with energy use.

Clean energy

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. 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 voted a resolution describing 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.

On 17 November 2025 the European Citizens Initiative&nbsp; “Ban on conversion practices in the European Union” was submitted to the European Commission, after having gathered 1,128,063 verified statements of support.

The ECI asks for the European Commission to propose a binding legal ban on conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ citizens in the European Union.

The LIBE Committee hosts a Public Hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative&nbsp; in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on the ECI, which provides citizens with a formal mechanism to bring policy proposals directly to EU institutions.

LGBTIQ freedom in the EU

Italy is a parliamentary republic with a head of government - the prime minister - appointed by the president and a head of state - the president. The Parliament is composed of 2 houses: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic.

Italy is a member of the eurozone since 1 January 1999 and of the Schengen area since 26 October 1997. There are 75&nbsp;members of the European Parliament from Italy.

EU - Italy

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.”

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