European elections represent a crucial moment: they give EU citizens a say in the political direction of the European Union. After declining ever since the first European direct elections in 1979, electoral turn out increased in the 2019 elections to reach 50.6 % largely due to youth participation (according to a post-election Eurobarometer survey). Echoing the 2019 motto 'This time I'm voting', the 2024 one might be: 'I did it again!' The 2024 European elections could be a turning point for youth engagement for several reasons

EPRS Policy Podcast - Young Europeans go to the polls: Issues to watch in 2024

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in EU countries after cardiovascular diseases. Every year, nearly 3 million people are diagnosed with the disease, and 1.2 million lose their lives to it. Even though responsibility for health policies lies primarily with EU countries, fighting cancer is one of the priorities of the European Union.

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

Today: a new plenary session is getting under way in Strasbourg. Topics on the agenda include the results of the latest EU summit and Russia’s war against Ukraine. Last week, Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on a stronger right to repair for consumers.

News in Brief – 05/02/2024 – English

News in Brief – 02/02/2024 – English

Today: the deal on the ‘breakfast directives’; the bids to host the headquarters of the EU’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority; and the 2024 Charlemagne Youth Prize.

News in Brief – 01/02/2024 – English

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states, but a number of countries have applied to join the Union. Currently there are nine candidate countries. However, the process to finally become a member state is long and not straightforward.

The enlargement of the European Union: how does it work

Europaparlamentet och dess folkvalda ledamöter är medborgarnas röst i EU. Därför vill vi göra parlamentet tillgängligt för alla. Nyheter i korthet ger dig en snabb överblick över dagens viktigaste händelser på alla officiella EU-språk. Sändningen kommer till dig från Europaparlamentet. Du hittar fler program här:

Nyheter i korthet – 31/01/2024 – svenska

Європарламент та його депутати є голосом громадян Європейського Союзу. Саме тому ми хочемо, щоб Європарламент став доступним для всіх. Короткі новини - це огляд головних новин дня на всіх офіційних мовах ЄС. Ця трансляція надається Європарламентом. Більше доступних програм тут:

Короткі новини – 31/01/2024 – укрaïнською

Evropski parlament in izvoljeni poslanci so glas državljanov Evropske unije. Zato želimo, da bi bil Parlament ljudem res blizu. V kratkih novicah vam v vseh uradnih jezikih Unije na kratko predstavljamo najpomembnejše dnevne teme. Oddajo pripravlja Evropski parlament. Več prispevkov in vsebin najdete na naslednjih spletnih mestih:

Kratka poročila – 31/01/2024 – slovenščina

Parlamentul European și deputații săi aleși sunt vocea cetățenilor în Uniunea Europeană. De aceea, dorim ca Parlamentul să fie accesibil pentru toți. Știrile pe scurt vă prezintă succint principalele subiecte ale zilei în toate limbile oficiale ale Uniunii. Acest program vă este prezentat de Parlamentul European. Puteți găsi mai multe programe aici:

Scurt Buletin de Știri – 31/01/2024 – română

V Európskej únii je Európsky parlament a jeho volení poslanci hlasom občanov a chce byť dostupný pre všetkých. Krátke správy vám ponúkajú stručný prehľad hlavných tém dňa vo všetkých úradných jazykoch Únie. Toto vysielanie vám prináša Európsky parlament. Ďalšie programy nájdete na našich webových stránkach:

Krátke správy – 31/01/2024 – slovenčina

O Parlamento Europeu e os respetivos deputados eleitos são a voz dos cidadãos na União Europeia. É por este motivo que pretendemos que o Parlamento seja acessível a todos. As notícias breves oferecem uma visão rápida dos temas principais do dia em todas as línguas oficiais da União. Esta transmissão é disponibilizada pelo Parlamento Europeu. Para mais programas, vá a:

Destaques do dia – 31/01/2024 – português

Parlament Europejski i europosłowie to głos obywateli w Unii Europejskiej. Dlatego chcemy, żeby informacje o pracy Parlamentu były dostępne dla każdego. Wiadomości w skrócie to najważniejsze tematy dnia we wszystkich językach urzędowych Unii. Parlament Europejski przygotował je specjalnie dla Ciebie. Więcej programów znajdziesz tutaj:

Wiadomości w skrócie – 31/01/2024 – polski

Het Europees Parlement en de verkozen parlementsleden zijn de stem van de burgers in de Europese Unie. Daarom willen wij het Parlement voor iedereen begrijpelijk maken. Nieuws in het kort biedt een snel overzicht van de belangrijkste onderwerpen van de dag, in alle officiële EU-talen. Deze uitzending wordt u gebracht door het Europees Parlement. Hier kan u nog meer programma’s van ons vinden:

Nieuwsflits – 31/01/2024 – Nederlands

Il-Parlament Ewropew u l-Membri eletti tiegħu huma l-vuċi taċ-ċittadini fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Huwa għalhekk li rridu li l-Parlament ikun aċċessibbli għal kulħadd. L-aħbarijiet fil-qosor jagħtuk ħarsa fil-qosor tas-suġġetti ewlenin tal-ġurnata fil-lingwi uffiċjali kollha tal-Unjoni. Din ix-xandira titwassallek mill-Parlament Ewropew. Tista' ssib aktar programmi hawnhekk:

L-Aħbarijiet fil-Qosor – 31/01/2024 - Malti

Europos Parlamentas ir išrinkti jo nariai yra Europos Sąjungos piliečių balsas. Todėl norime, kad Parlamentas būtų prieinamas visiems. Visomis oficialiomis Sąjungos kalbomis pateikiamose žiniose trumpai apžvelgiamos svarbiausios dienos naujienos. Šias transliacijas rengia Europos Parlamentas. Daugiau programų rasite čia:

Trumposios žinios – 31/01/2024 – lietùvių kalba

Lithuania is a parliamentary republic with a head of government - the Prime Minister - and a head of state - the President - who appoints the Prime Minister.

The Parliament is a single-chamber legislative body. The country is divided into 60 municipalities, with directly-elected mayors.

There are 11 members of the European Parliament from Lithuania.

Lithuania joined the EU on 1 May 2004 - and the euro area on 1 January 2015.

EU - Lithuania

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When the Treaty of Rome established the common market in 1958, State intervention was a major feature of agriculture in the six founding Member States. The foundations of the common agricultural policy (CAP) have remained unchanged since then, with the exception of rules relating to the decision-making procedure.

The Lisbon Treaty recognised codecision as the ‘ordinary legislative procedure’ for the CAP, in place of the consultation procedure. 
If the principle of the free movement of goods was to apply to agricultural produce, ongoing State intervention notwithstanding, national intervention mechanisms which were incompatible with the common market had to be transferred to Community level: this is the basic rationale behind the establishment of the CAP.
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Common Agricultural Policy - 8th parliamentary term

Latvia joined the European Union on 1 May&nbsp;2004 and has been a member of the Schengen area since 21 December 2007. It became a member of the Euro area on 1 January 2014.

Latvia is a parliamentary republic with a head of government - the Prime Minister - who chooses the council of ministers and a head of state - the President - who has a largely ceremonial role and nominates the Prime Minister.

The government is subject to Parliament's approval throughout each term.

The country is subdivided into 110 one-level municipalities and 9 cities. These each have their own city councils and municipal administrations.

There are 8 Members of the European Parliament from Latvia.

EU - Latvia

A Digital Single Market (DSM) is one in which the free movement of persons, services and capital is ensured and where the individuals and businesses can seamlessly access and engage in online activities under conditions of fair competition, and a high level of consumer and personal data protection, irrespective of their nationality or place of residence.

Digital single market

The Presidential Debate - EU Elections 2019 takes place on 15 May at 21.00 CET. It is an opportunity to discover where the lead candidates stand on a range of issues.

Political parties put forward candidates for the post of president of the European Commission ahead of the European elections. The lead candidate nominated by the Council, and able to command a majority in Parliament, will be elected President of the European Commission by a vote of Parliament.

The lead candidates are sometimes referred to by the German term spitzenkandidaten. This system was first used in 2014 to select current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Presidency of the European Commission/Eurovision Debate - EU elections 2019

The European elections of 22-25 May 2014 gave voters the chance to influence the future political course of the European Union when they elected the 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to represent their interests for the next five years.

One major new development introduced by the Treaty was that, when the EU Member States have nominated the next president of the European Commission in autumn 2014, they had for the first time - have to take account of the European election results. The new Parliament endorses this candidate: it 'elects' the Commission president, in the words of the Treaty. This means voters now have a clear say in who takes over at the helm of EU government.

European elections 2014

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Each nominee must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee. Signed nominations accompanied by supporting evidence are then assessed in a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Development (DEVE). A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up through a vote by AFET and DEVE committees, and then submitted to the Conference of Presidents for a final vote. The winner is announced in October, and the award ceremony takes place in December at the plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

The nominations for the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought are:

The democratic opposition in Belarus, represented by the Coordination Council, initiative of brave women and political and civil society figures, nominated by EPP, S&amp;D, Renew Europe 
Mgr Najeeb Moussa Michaeel, Archbishop of Mosul, Iraq nominated by ID 
Guapinol activists and Berta Caceres in Honduras, nominated by Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL 
The democratic opposition in Belarus, represented by Sviatlana Tsikhanouska, nominated by ECR 
Polish LGBTI activists Jakub Gawron, Paulina Pajak, Paweł Preneta and Kamil Maczuga, founders of the website Atlas of Hate, nominated by Malin Björk, Terry Reintke, Marc Angel, Rasmus Andresen and 39 other MEPs.

The democratic opposition in Belarus has been awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Democratic Opposition in Belarus, Sakharov Prize 2020

The brave people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society, are the&nbsp;2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought laureate.

The&nbsp;finalists for the European Parliament’s 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought were WikiLeaks activist Julian Assange, the Ukrainian people and their representatives and the Colombian Truth Commission for the 2022 Sakharov Prize.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded every&nbsp;year by the European Parliament.

The&nbsp;prize was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Each nominee must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee.

Signed nominations accompanied by supporting evidence are then assessed in a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Development (DEVE). A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up through a vote by AFET and DEVE committees, and then submitted to the Conference of Presidents for a final vote.

The winner is always announced in October, and the award ceremony takes place in December during plenary in Strasbourg. In 2021, the prize went to&nbsp;the Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Sakharov Prize 2022

On 23/5/2024 the Eurovision debate between the lead candidates for the presidency of the European Commission took place in the European Parliament.

Walter Baier (Austria, European Left), Sandro Gozi (Italy, Renew Europe Now), Ursula von der Leyen (Germany, European People’s Party), Terry Reintke (Germany, European Greens) and Nicolas Schmit (Luxembourg, Party of European Socialists) participated in the debate, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in collaboration with the European political parties and the European Parliament.

The debate focussed on Economy and Jobs, Defence and Security, Climate and Environment, Democracy and Leadership, Migration and Borders and on Innovation and Technology.

Questions were asked by the audience in the plenary chamber, by viewers watching from events organised by Parliament’s Liaison Offices in EU member states, submitted via social media, and by the two moderators. Candidates also faced one-on-one questioning by the moderators in so-called “Spotlight” segments.

Election debate 2024

Every five years EU citizens choose who represents them in the European Parliament, the directly-elected institution that defends their interests in the EU decision-making process. The next European elections will take place in 2019.

 
From 23 to 26 May 2019, people in the EU vote for the next European Parliament. By voting in the European elections, people living in the EU get to choose the 705 members that will represent them in the European Parliament until 2024.

European elections 2019

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Each nominee must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee. Signed nominations accompanied by supporting evidence are then assessed in a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Development (DEVE). A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up through a vote by AFET and DEVE committees, and then submitted to the Conference of Presidents for a final vote. The winner is announced in October, and the award ceremony takes place in December at plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

Ilham Tohti, an Uyghur economist fighting for the rights of China’s Uyghur minority, is the winner of the Sakharov Prize 2019.

The finalists were:

°Murdered Brazilian political activist and human rights defender Marielle Franco, Native Brazilian leader and environmentalist Chief Raoni and Brazilian environmentalist and human rights defender Claudelice Silva dos Santos °The Restorers, a group of five students from Kenya - Stacy Owino, Cynthia Otieno, Purity Achieng, Mascrine Atieno and Ivy Akinyi - who have developed i-Cut, an app to help girls deal with female genital mutilation (FGM) °Ilham Tohti, an Uyghur economist fighting for the rights of China’s Uyghur minority

Sakharov Prize 2019

Infographics on EU Elections of 6 to 9 June 2024 on the results and explainer videos

Infographics and explainers

In December 2023 , MEPs and national governments reached a long-sought agreement to revamp the EU’s asylum and migration legislation. Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on the final form of five separate EU regulations, establishing how to share the management of asylum and migration flows among member states and what to do in cases of sudden migratory crisis.

The rules also regulate how to deal with people arriving at the EU’s external borders, the processing of asylum claims, and the identification of those arriving. Following the deal, EP President Roberta Metsola said: “”Today is a truly historic day, as we have delivered on the Migration and Asylum Pact, possibly the most important legislative package of this mandate. Europe will now get a robust legislative framework that is the same in all Member States.

That functions and that protects, an approach that is humane and fair with those seeking protection, that is firm with those who are not eligible, and that is strong with those who exploit the most vulnerable

Refugee movements and migration are at the centre of global attention. &nbsp;The European Parliament is actively involved, in the adoption of new laws on irregular and regular immigration. It is a full co-legislator together with the Council representing member states on these matters since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009.

Asylum

The EU strategy related to food security aims to build resilience to food crises in the production chain. The EU is working towards increasing the resilience of individuals, communities and countries to cope with, adapt and recover quickly from the impact of a disaster, violence or conflict.

The EP has recently called for an urgent EU action plan to ensure food security in and outside the EU following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;MEPs asked for immediate help in the form of food supplies for Ukraine, and for a reboot of the EU’s food production strategy. Given the severe impact the Russian attack on Ukraine will have on food security for Ukrainians, Parliament called&nbsp;for robust long-term humanitarian food aid for Ukraine from both the EU and at the international level. MEPs say the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have made it apparent that the EU needs to reduce its dependence on imports from too few suppliers. They call for a diversification of supply from third countries, and demand in the short term that the Commission assess how to cushion the impact of high fertiliser prices on farmers. To reduce the dependence on fertiliser imports in the long term, Parliament proposes a switch to alternative organic sources of nutrients for agriculture and support for agricultural innovation.

Food security

On May 1, 2004, ten&nbsp;new member states joined the European Union, marking the&nbsp;largest enlargement in terms of people and number of countries in the EU's history. Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the Union, growing from 15 to 25 members.

The European Parliament celebrates the 20th anniversary of these ten nations joining the European Union&nbsp;and engaging in the EP's democratic process to defend the interests of European citizens.

20th anniversary of the 2004 enlargement of the European Union

The rapid development of social media and the rise of geopolitical tensions turn the EU into a target for foreign interference and disinformation. 

In 2024, the EU and many other democracies around the world will elect their next leaders. Malicious entities or states try to take advantage of this to undermine trust in elections or democracy.

The European Parliament has adopted a number of legislative acts to protect EU citizens and societies from disinformation and foreign interference. It has also been working to strengthen cooperation between&nbsp;elections authorities,&nbsp;public disinformation specialists,&nbsp;European fact-checkers&nbsp;and independent disinformation specialists, and has developed closer ties with&nbsp;Nato, in order to step up the efforts on fighting disinformation. 
 
This series of videos is part of an effort to raise awareness among EU citizens about disinformation ahead of the European elections, in June. Parliament’s communication team explains the most commonly used tactics and give tips to spot and avoid them.

Disinformation explained

EP Plenary session - UN Climate Change Conference 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29)

EP Plenary session - EU-US relations in the light of the outcome of the US presidential elections

Briefing S&D by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D,ES), President

Continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States

Global measures towards social media platforms - Strengthening the role of DSA and protecting democracy and freedom in the online sphere (debate)

Resumption of the sitting

Welcome

Address by Mario Draghi - Presentation of the report on the Future of European competitiveness

The future of European competitiveness

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

State of the Energy union

Corrigenda (Rule 251) (action taken)

War in the Gaza Strip and the situation in the Middle-East

Situation in Venezuela (debate)

Outcome of G20 ministerial meeting in Rio-de-Janeiro and fighting inequality (debate)

Agenda of the next sitting

Approval of the minutes of the sitting

Plenary session

CJ16 - Joint committee on Budgets and committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

BUDG

ECON

Resumption of the session

Opening of the sitting

Statements by the President

Approval of the minutes of the previous sittings

Composition of Parliament

Requests for waiver of immunity

Composition of committees and delegations

Order of business

Outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture

Need to prevent security threats like the Solingen attack through addressing illegal migration and effective return

Persistent problems of anti-Semitism in Europe and of other forms of hate speech and hate crimes

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Last minute session briefing

Pre-session briefing

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

ITRE

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

ENVI

Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

IMCO

European Parliament Welcome Briefing for EU Correspondents

Subcommittee meeting on Public Health

SANT

Committee meeting on Regional Development

REGI

Committee meeting on International Trade

INTA

G7 Speakers conference in Verona (Italy) - Opening address by Roberta METSOLA, EP President ( Recorded )

Joint Committee on Budgetary Control and Committee on Employment and Social Affairs - Meeting with DG REGIO on Control and Assurance in Cohesion policy with the Joint Audit Directorate of DG REGIO and DG EMPL

EMPL

CONT

Committee on Legal Affairs

JURI

Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

FEMM

Delegations for relations with Mercosur Constitutive meeting

Delegations for relations with Iran Constitutive meeting

Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee Constitutive meeting

REGI - Presentation of the ECA Review 03/2024: An overview of the assurance framework and the key factors contributing to errors in 2014-2020 cohesion spending

Thomas BAJADA in the EP in Strasbourg

Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee Constitutive meeting

Delegations for relations with the People’s Republic of China Constitutive meeting

Delegations for relations with the countries of the Andean Community Constitutive meeting

Delegations for relations with the Arab Peninsula Constitutive meeting

Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association  Parliamentary Committee Constitutive meeting

AGRI - Workshop on ' The cost of food and food price inflation '

Delegations for relations with the countries of Central America, including the EU-Central America Parliamentary Association Committee Constitutive meeting

Delegation to the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee Constitutive meeting

Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Constitutive meeting

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Keir STARMER, British Prime Minister

Meeting of the Conference of Presidents

Debate on the Future of Cohesion Policy

DG PERS Annual Inter-Parliamentary Seminar on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Between 2017 and 2018, more than 14,000 victims of human trafficking were reported in the EU. The actual number of victims of sexual or labour exploitation is likely to be much higher. EU citizens accounted for nearly half of all registered victims in the EU. Members of the European Parliament are calling for more transnational cooperation and an update of the 2011 anti-trafficking directive.

Human trafficking  is still a reality in the EU

Members of Parliament discussed the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in the EU with the Commission president and approved an economic support programme to help EU countries recover from the crisis while also making progress on climate goals. Members also debated the political turmoil in Russia and Alexei Navalny’s recent sentencing. Parliament voted on more relief measures for the aviation sector and backed the proposal of an adequate minimum wage.

Plenary highlights: The EU vaccine strategy, economic recovery and relations with Russia

Parliament will vote on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the main part of the €750 billion Covid-19 recovery package. MEPs will also discuss shortfalls in vaccines, call for targets in recycling, better regulation of social media and for more to be done to fight human trafficking. All that and more, coming up in plenary.

Coming up in plenary: Covid-19 recovery, vaccines and recycling

MEPs called for more openness on the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines. They suggested a law enforcing the right to disconnect for European workers and want access to adequate housing to be considered a fundamental right. In terms of foreign policy, members welcomed the start of a new era in EU-US relations with Joe Biden’s inauguration and urged extending sanctions on Russian officials involved in the jailing of Alexei Navalny.

Plenary highlights: Vaccines, EU-US relations and the right to disconnect

As Europe embarks on its biggest mass vaccination campaign ever, Parliament emphasises the need for solidarity and unity. MEPs are calling on the European Commission to dispel uncertainty with more open information on Covid-19 vaccines.

MEPs demand more transparency on Covid-19 vaccines

MEPs will look at Portugal’s priorities as it begins its presidency of the Council of the EU, new rules on the right to switch off from work and the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. Plus, with the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden as US president, Parliament will discuss how to strengthen transatlantic relations. All that and more, coming up in plenary.

Coming up in plenary: Covid-19 vaccines, the right to disconnect and gender equality

With a new administration in Washington and an EU-US summit scheduled later this year, the European Parliament says it's time to renew the transatlantic partnership – from tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery, to building a sustainable, climate-neutral economy, and strengthening democracy around the world.

EU-US relations – a new beginning

The European Parliament wants to make ‘the right to disconnect’ a legal right in the EU. MEPs say workers, when off the clock, should not feel the pressure to answer work-related communication. The need for this bill was increased by the pandemic and the rise of telework.

The right to disconnect from work

2021 is the European Year of Rail, but what does that mean? To reach climate-neutrality by 2050, the EU needs to cut its transport CO2 emissions drastically. Investing in railway and promoting trains as a sustainable, safe and modern mode of transport, is one of the goals of this year.

2021: European Year of Rail

Parliament looked at the distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine and voted on a financial package that includes the long-term budget and a recovery fund to support EU economies from next year. MEPs discussed the future partnership between the UK and the EU, and also adopted new rules on access to safe drinking water in the EU. The 2020 Sakharov Prize was awarded to the democratic opposition in Belarus.

Plenary highlights: From the long-term budget to the Sakharov Prize and Brexit

After a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, Parliament will begin work on the recovery. The next seven-year budget and the recovery fund are set to come into play. MEPs will examine key environmental legislation, put Europe on track to becoming a pioneer in technology and AI, and help prepare the continent for future health crises. All that and more coming up in 2021.

What's in store for 2021?

The democratic opposition in Belarus has been awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for their peaceful involvement in their country’s future. They are asking for new, free and fair elections after rigged results indicated Lukashenka had been elected president for the 6th time.

Democratic opposition in Belarus awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize

The average person in the EU consumes up to 106 litres of bottled water every year. That comes with an economic and environmental cost. The European Parliament is updating rules on drinking water to further improve its quality and accessibility so that Europeans can ditch the plastic.

Safe and clean drinking water for everyone

The European Parliament and the European Film Academy have announced the three nominated films for the 2021 LUX European Audience Film Award. In the running are ‘Another Round’ by Thomas Vinterberg, ‘Collective’ by Alexander Nanau and ‘Corpus Christi’ by Jan Komasa. The revamped film prize gives European audiences the opportunity to vote for their favourite online and determine the winner together with MEPs, for the first time.

Cover-ups and leaps of faith in the 2021 LUX European Audience Film Award

The 2020 Sakharov Prize will be awarded to the democratic opposition in Belarus, Parliament will consider the outcome of the latest EU summit, vote on REACT-EU, a new €47.5 billion recovery programme and look at updating drinking water regulations. All that and more, coming up in plenary.

Coming up in plenary: REACT-EU, drinking water and the Sakharov Prize.

After 26 years under an authoritarian president, the people of Belarus are calling for democracy and freedom. Peaceful weekly demonstrations since the election have been met with brutal repression. The European Parliament awards the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the democratic opposition of Belarus.

Sakharov Prize 2020 – The democratic opposition of Belarus, marching for freedom

Turkey is a neighbour, a trading partner and a candidate for EU accession. But as EU-Turkey relations become increasingly strained, MEPs are calling for de-escalation and dialogue.

The future of EU-Turkey relations

There are no official figures for homelessness in the EU but is estimated there are some 700,000 people sleeping rough in Europe, 70% more than a decade ago. The European Parliament is calling for an EU-wide strategy to help people off the streets and into decent housing by 2030.

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