The presidency of the Council rotates among the EU member states every six months. During this six-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.

The Polish government has declared that its second EU Presidency arrives "at a time of uncertainty and concern," highlighting the ongoing repercussions of Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine, escalating geopolitical tensions, migration pressure, and weakening European competitiveness. Under the slogan "Security, Europe!" Poland aims to strengthen European security across multiple dimensions, including external, internal, informational, economic, energy, food, health and security.

From January to June 2025, Poland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the second time since the country joined the Union in 2004.

Polish Presidency

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

After election of Donald Trump as the US President, there are many challenges and questions in EU-US mutual relations, including future EU-US cooperation, on Russia, China, the Middle East and climate change.

On security and military cooperation, Members of the Republican Party have been calling for a reduction in US military assistance to Ukraine and the future US president has criticised Europe for not spending enough on defence. Trade between the US and EU is also expected to be debated as the president-elect has indicated his intention to impose new tariffs on certain products from Europe.

EU - USA (T)

presidential elections in the United States (T)

BIDEN, Joe

9th parliamentary term

EU - USA

The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) have two main goals: to create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected and to establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.

The&nbsp;Digital Services Act (DSA)&nbsp;aims to create a safer digital space in which users rights are protected, including rules to tackle illegal content online, enhance the accountability and transparency of algorithms, and dealing with content moderation and targeted advertising.

Digital Markets Act&nbsp; (DMA) sets rules on what big online platforms will be allowed to do and not do in the EU. It&nbsp;blacklists certain practices of large platforms acting as “gatekeepers” and enables the Commission to carry out market investigations and sanction non-compliant behaviour.

digital single market (T)

digital services act (T)

Digital Services and Digital Markets Act

The European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (President and political groups’ leaders) welcomed&nbsp;the recent ceasefire in Gaza and the progress it represents for the phased release of hostages. This development is a significant step in reducing the immense suffering endured by civilians on both sides over the past months.

US and Qatari mediators announced that Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, which began&nbsp;on 19 January. The deal includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Palestinians that have fled&nbsp;parts of Gaza will also be able to return home.

It is estimated that Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since October 2023, in response to the attack by Hamas in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and around 250 people abducted.&nbsp; MEPs have adopted a number of resolutions since the October 2023 Hamas attack, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and expressing serious concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Commission President von der Leyen has also said that EU should actively engage with all actors in the Middle East region to work towards a two-state solution to the conflict.

EU - Israel (T)

Situation in the Middle East (T)

Situation in Israel and Gaza

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

Infoclips (T)

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on 10 July 2019, following the appointment of their members in the plenary sitting of 3-4 July. During the meetings, each committee and subcommittee will elect its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate. The newly set up committees will then start holding their regular meetings during the week of 22 July.

AGRI - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

CULT - Committee on Culture and Education

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on the week from 27th to 31st january 2025. During the meetings, each committee and subcommittee will elect its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate.

HOUS - Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union

JURI - Committee on Legal Affairs

January 27 has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Every year, the European Parliament holds a commemoration ceremony to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, along with the millions of other victims of Nazism.

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