Ahead of the autumn 2024 Commissioners-designate hearings, Parliament has adapted the rules for the process, which will apply for the members of the second von der Leyen College. Since the 2004 investiture, Parliament has used its role in appointing the Commission to replace certain controversial candidates and force adjustments to certain portfolios, although according to the Treaties Parliament can only reject or accept the College as a whole. Confirmation hearings have become critical for Parliament to hold the Commission accountable, and have gained prominence as a tool for Parliament to take a greater role in EU agenda-setting.

EPRS policy podcast - Confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate

EPRS policy podcast - European Parliament's scrutiny of the European Council: The use of Parliament resolutions

Although the European defence industry is generally competitive, more than a decade of underinvestment has kept it from reaching its full potential. The significant under-investment in European defence is demonstrated by the severe difficulties the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB) has in obtaining finance. Member States' defence budgets will continue to be the EDTIB's main source of funding; however, more collaborative actions and spending would enhance output and efficiency.

EPRS policy podcast - Financing the European defence industry

How does the EU regulate the post term activities of members of the EU institutions, as for example, Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament, as opposed to staff members? The European Ombudsman has looked the phenomenon, also called ‘revolving doors’ in the context of several individual cases; on a few occasions this has ended in an unsatisfactory outcome for the institution or body under investigation and prompted the European Ombudsman to make specific recommendations to avoid a repeat of maladministration in future cases.

EPRS policy podcast - Rules on 'revolving doors' in the EU

On Its first and constituent plenary sitting of the new parliamentary term (16-19 July 2024), the European Parliament will elect its 32nd President, to hold office for the first half of the 10th parliamentary term, until January 2026. The President has an important and increasingly visible function in the EU institutional and international setting, mirroring Parliament's influential role as shaper of EU policies and as co-legislator.

EPRS policy podcast - How is the European Parliament's President elected?

The world is not on track to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C. Even under the most optimistic scenarios, the temperature rise is expected to overshoot 1.5°C for a while, before falling back below 1.5°C thanks to large-scale carbon removals. While action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and scale up carbon dioxide removal remains crucial, there is an urgent need to reinforce efforts to adapt to climate change, in order to avoid losses and build resilience.

EPRS Policy Podcast - Climate overshoot and adaptation: Issues to watch in 2024

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

Robot applications, including 'collaborative robots' – cobots – designed to collaborate with humans, are in high demand, with sales and installation figures constantly on the rise. However, it is necessary to analyse the risks and opportunities of this technology and its possible social, economic, and ethical impacts. The following study presents the current state of collaborative robotics, its benefits, and its disadvantages, with a special emphasis on key aspects such as safety. It presents possible policy options to enable the EU to remain at the forefront of this technology by taking advantage of the opportunities and avoiding the potential risks.

EPRS Science and Technology Podcast: Analysis exploring risks and opportunities linked to the use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe

EPRS Policy roundtable - EU finances: Is Next Generation EU delivering?

EPRS Policy roundtable - Towards a European democracy shield in our digital world: The role of information integrity

EPRS event - How speeches can bring trust in democracy

EPRS - Conference on Foresight and Better Law-Making

EPRS Policy Talks - What the EU is doing on critical raw materials?

EPRS History and politics roundtable : President Jose Maria Gil-Robles: A Historical Appraisal

EPRS event ' The European Elections and beyond: What to expect after June 2024? '

Each year, the European Union decides how to allocate billions of euros to key areas like the digital and green transitions, agriculture or regional development. How does this budget get approved? Who checks whether the money is well spent? That’s where the European Parliament steps in! In this video, we explain how this process works in a nutshell. We also take a closer look at the discharge of the European Commission.

EPRS - The European Parliament’s role in the annual EU budget and its discharge

One of the European Parliament's most important roles, beside legislating and deciding on the EU budget, is to hold the European Commission to account. How does that work? It starts with the election of the European Commission President, followed by the investiture of the entire College of Commissioners. In addition to its role in the appointment of the Commission, one of Parliament's strongest scrutiny tools is a motion of censure.

EPRS - The European Parliament’s role in the appointment of the Commission

With the COVID-19 pandemic, war returning to Europe and the accompanying energy crisis, and a worsening economic outlook, all on top of a climate crisis, today's young Europeans are growing up in a volatile and difficult world. Concerns about economic prosperity, increasing competition for jobs, rising inflation and property prices make it difficult for young people to get ahead in life, to afford housing, to attain economic stability and to achieve a sense of satisfaction in society. Furthermore, underpinning many of these changes is digitalisation, which is also changing the way we socialise, work and live, with emerging consequences for mental health. Dive deeper:

Mental health among young European

Health is essential for a fulfilling life—and a strong health sector is vital for both our well-being and our economy. In the EU, the health sector contributes 11% of GDP and provides one in ten jobs. But did you know that Europe is falling behind in health innovation compared to global competitors? Investing in EU-wide health innovation could unlock ground-breaking treatments, boost our competitiveness, and create new economic opportunities. By pooling resources and sharing risks, we can achieve more together—transforming lives while fostering growth. Discover more in our EPRS study on the Cost of Non-Europe in Health Policy

Unlocking health innovation

In the EU, 1.8 million people under 75 died in 2021. 72 % of these deaths could have been avoided: 3 in 10 with timely, effective medical treatment; 7 in 10 with better preventive measures. In that same year, the leading causes of avoidable deaths were COVID-19, ischaemic heart diseases and lung cancer. These three diseases mostly affected men. The death rate from avoidable diseases also varies widely across the EU. Learn more about how the EU can turn the tide on preventable losses and create a healthier EU for everyone

Turning the tide on avoidable deaths in the EU

Misleading information can throw any of us off course. Both misinformation – mistakes without ill intent – and disinformation – created and spread with the aim of fooling people – can make it hard to take informed decisions. Fast evolving technologies – including deepfake video and audio – make it too easy to produce and spread deceptive content very rapidly. Many of us worry about the effect: some 85 % of people worldwide are concerned about the impact of disinformation on their fellow citizens; 87 % think disinformation has already affected political life in their country (Unesco/Ipsos 2023); and 38 % of EU citizens list false and/or misleading information as a threat to democracy (Eurobarometer 2023). These tips will help you steer around falsehoods.

EPRS - Fact-checking compass: how to spot information manipulation

Following the recent conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) organised an event that will explore 70 years of European Parliament activism to reform the EU.

EPRS history and politics event: Seventy years of the European Parliament and EU democratic reform

EPRS identifies and frames some of the top key issues that might feature prominently in public debate and on the political agenda of the European Union this year. In times of crises and war, what are the challenges we must face and choices we have to make? Restrictions: ©The material may not be edited and must be shown entirely.

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