At a glance: preparations for the new plenary session are in full swing; MEPs in Strasbourg will discuss the priorities of the Danish Council Presidency, the Middle East and Ukraine; and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is coming to an end in Spain.

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 03/07/2025 - Malti

At a glance: Parliament committees tackle faster approval for eco-friendly pest control; MEPs address affordable and social housing  in a public hearing; and Parliament launches the European Capitals of Small Retail competition for 2026.

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 02/07/2025 - Malti

At a glance: Denmark assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union; Parliament President Metsola chairs a meeting with the European Council President and the NATO Secretary General; and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is taking place in Spain.  

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 01/07/2025 - Malti

Illum il-ġurnata, l-Ewropa qed tqis l-indħil barrani bħala theddida sistemika. Għalhekk, il-Parlament Ewropew qed iwieġeb għal din it-theddida billi jistabbilixxi strutturi tal-kumitati, liġijiet u strateġiji ġodda biex jiżgura li l-vuċi demokratika tal-Ewropej tibqa’ b’saħħitha, ċara u awtentika.

L-indħil barrani: kif il-Parlament qed jiġġieled it-theddida għad-demokrazija tal-Unjoni Ewropea

At a glance: a deal to make it easier and cheaper for consumers and businesses to resolve issues out of court; the EU’s list of high-risk third countries with weak anti-money laundering regimes; the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development is taking place in Spain.

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 28/06/2025 - Malti

At a glance: Parliament’s Regional Development Committee backs new priorities for EU cohesion funding; the 2025 report on gender equality in the EU; and President Roberta Metsola attends a summit on investment in global health.

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 27/06/2025 - Malti

At a glance: new gas storage rules for EU countries; MEPs seek to strengthen air passenger rights; and Bill Gates exchanges views with MEPs on key drivers for health and living standards in the Global South.

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 26/06/2025 - Malti

At a glance: the EU continues its diplomatic efforts concerning the situation in the Middle East; ECB President Christine Lagarde meets with Parliament’s Committee of the Economic and Monetary Affairs for the second monetary dialogue; and new rules to better protect travellers purchasing package holidays.

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 25/06/2025 - Malti

The European Union has paused its countermeasures on unjustified US trade tariffs to allow time and space for EU-US negotiations.&nbsp;

The decision – which puts on hold for up to 90 days the EU's&nbsp;planned countermeasures&nbsp;against US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium imports - was made in response to the US delaying by 90 days its so-called reciprocal tariffs.&nbsp; In total, the suspended EU countermeasures cover €21 billion of US exports.&nbsp;

As part of the EU's push to find a negotiated outcome with the US, EU Trade Commissioner&nbsp;Maroš&nbsp;Šefčovič was&nbsp;in Washington DC to hold meetings with his US counterparts in order to explore the ground for a negotiated solution.&nbsp;&nbsp; According to the Commission, the EU has a €154 billion trade surplus in goods with the US, while the US maintains a €104 billion surplus in services with the EU, resulting in an overall EU trade surplus of three percent from a total €1.5 trillion trade flow. In 2023, the US was the largest partner for EU exports of goods and the second largest partner for EU imports of goods.

EU - USA

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

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

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 EP’s Press Service holds a press briefing with Parliament’s political group spokespersons 

Plenary preparations. Political groups will prepare for the 7 - 10 July plenary session, where MEPs will review the June European Council and look ahead at the upcoming EU-China summit. They will debate the priorities of the Danish Council Presidency which starts on 1 July with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. MEPs will also discuss the situation in the Middle East, in particular developments in Iran, the security of energy supply in the EU, as well as the EU’s preparedness in light of the upcoming wildfire season. They will debate and vote on the EU accession progress of Georgia, Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina and North Macedonia. There will also be votes on Bulgaria’s adoption of the Euro on 1 January 2026, and on the human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression.

Pre-session briefing on July Plenary session

EP President Roberta Metsola presides over a Conference of Presidents meeting with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte.

Conference of Presidents with Antonio Costa and Mark Rutte

The Budapest Pride march 2025 takes place in Budapest (Hungary) on Saturday 28 June 2025 

The Budapest Pride March takes place with the participation of Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ, EP Vice-President, and EP Members

Budapest Pride march 2025

The Marisa Bellisario Award, often called the "Oscar for Women" in Italy, is a prestigious Italian award presented annually to women who have excelled in various fields like management, science, the economy, and social life, both nationally and internationally. It was established in 1989 in memory of Marisa Bellisario, a pioneering female manager. The award ceremony takes place in Rome. 
The award is given by the Marisa Bellisario Foundation and Confindustria, and it recognizes women who have made significant contributions and achievements in their respective fields.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President receives the ‘Mela d’Oro’ award during the 37th Edition of the Marisa Bellisario Foundation Award Ceremony

Civil Society Europe - State of Union 2025

Civil Society Europe - State of Union 2025.

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

Euroscola

Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Extraordinary meeting 107th High-level Rose-Roth Seminar co-organised by the EP (DNAT/SEDE) and the NATO PA

DNAT

Meeting of the EP Conference of Presidents in the presence of Mark RUTTE, Secretary General of NATO and António COSTA, European Council President

Invest in What Matter - Exchange of views on the EU long-term budget with the co-rapporteurs and presentation of the EP campaign

Speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the Seminar European Architecture of Defense

Citizen Garden's Garden summer readings - Michaela Mihokova

EPRS book talk : If you want peace, prepare for war

Speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President at ‘L’Europa in dialogo a pordenonelegge 2025’ event

High Level Policy Debate - A New Lifelong Learning Manifesto (EU Memorandum)

Citizen Garden's Garden summer readings - Paul Lynch

Roberta METSOLA, EP President and the political group Chairs invite Mark RUTTE, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Antonio COSTA, European Council President to participate in the EP Conference of Presidents (CoP), in Brussels.

Meeting of the EP Conference of Presidents in the presence of Mark RUTTE, Secretary General of NATO and Antonio COSTA, European Council President: extracts from the arrivals and roundtable

Is it ever too early to want to relive the magic of EYE2025? If you're feeling nostalgic already, we've got something special for you! Take a trip down memory lane with our after movie.

EYE2025 – Aftermovie

Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and other Members of the European Parliament, participate in the Budapest Pride March 2025. On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021, which prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country. However the Budapest city hall organises the Budapest Pride march as a local event. Extracts from the event.

Budapest Pride March 2025 with the participation of Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ, EP Vice-President, and MEPs: extracts from the event

Gergely KARÁCSONY, Mayor of Budapest, Hadja LAHBIB, Commissioner responsible for equality, preparedness and crisis management, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ, Vice President of the European Parliament, and Máté HEGEDÚS, Spokesperson on behalf of Budapest Pride, give an international press conference during the Budapest Pride March 2025. On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021, which prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country. However the Budapest city hall organises the Budapest Pride march as a local event.This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Budapest Pride March 2025 international press conference: Q&A

Gergely KARÁCSONY, Mayor of Budapest, Hadja LAHBIB, Commissioner responsible for equality, preparedness and crisis management, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ, Vice President of the European Parliament and Máté HEGEDÚS, Spokeperson on behalf of Budapest Pride, give an international press conference during the Budapest Pride March 2025. On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021, which prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country. However the Budapest city hall organises the Budapest Pride march as a local event.This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Budapest Pride March 2025, international press conference: opening statements by Gergely KARÁCSONY, Hadja LAHBIB, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ Vice President of the EP and Máté HEGEDÚS

This news item shows extracts from the International Press Conference on the Budapest Pride March 2025 with EP Vice President Nicolae Ştefănuţă, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, Mayor Gergely Karácsony, and Budapest Pride organization spokesperson Máté Hegedűs. The press conference underscored the EU's strong defense of human rights, freedom of expression, and the rule of law. Speakers reacted to a Hungarian law adopted on 18 March 2025 restricting freedom of assembly, tied to a 2021 ban on exposing children to 'divergence from self identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country.

Budapest Pride March 2025 with the participation of Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUŢĂ, EP Vice-President: extracts from the international press conference

The Marisa Bellisario Award, often called the "Oscar for Women" in Italy, is a prestigious Italian award presented annually to women who have excelled in various fields like management, science, the economy, and social life, both nationally and internationally. Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Sergio MATTARELLA, President of the Italian Republic with all the laureates of the Marisa Bellisario Award at Quirinale in Rome. The video shows also extracts from the ceremony including the acceptance speech and the award ceremony at the archeological park of the Colliseum in Rome.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President receives the Marisa Bellisario Award in Rome (Italy): extracts from the meeting with Sergio MATTARELLA, President of the Italian Republic and from the ceremony

Roberta METSOLA, EP President makes a statement before entering the European summit to discuss situation in Middle East, defence and outcome of NATO summit, and discussions on simplification in European legislation. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, European Council, 26 June 2025

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, answers questions from journalists during a Q&A session following her participation at the European Council meeting.

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