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

The European Parliament&nbsp;plays&nbsp;a central role in shaping the EU’s migration and asylum policy by&nbsp;scrutinising&nbsp;legislation,&nbsp;monitoring&nbsp;implementation of existing rules, and&nbsp;holding&nbsp;the European Commission and Member States accountable. Parliament&nbsp;emphasises&nbsp;the need for a fair, efficient, and humane system that&nbsp;ensures&nbsp;solidarity and responsibility-sharing among Member States,&nbsp;protects&nbsp;fundamental rights, and&nbsp;supports&nbsp;vulnerable people. MEPs&nbsp;engage&nbsp;in debates, propose amendments, and&nbsp;oversee&nbsp;cooperation with third countries, focusing on safe and legal migration pathways, effective asylum procedures, and the management of returns. Through these actions, the European Parliament&nbsp;guides&nbsp;the development and implementation of EU migration and asylum policies across the Union.

Under new EU return rules, non-EU nationals subject to a return decision must cooperate with authorities. They may be detained for up to 24 months (extendable by 6 months) if they pose a flight or security risk, or fail to cooperate. Detention requires a judicial or administrative order and can include alternatives like reporting obligations or electronic monitoring. For unaccompanied minors and families, detention is a last resort and must be as short as possible, prioritizing the child’s best interests.

Additionally, EU member states can transfer returnees (except unaccompanied minors) to third countries that agree to accept them, provided those countries respect human rights and non-refoulement. Member states must notify the EU Commission and other members before such agreements take effect.

The regulation will enter into force after its publication. Several provisions, including on return hubs, age assessment of minors and external dimension of returns, will apply immediately. Other provisions that require preparatory steps would enter into application 12 months after entry into force.

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9th parliamentary term

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Migration

The EU long-term budget (MFF) drives investment in Europe’s future, improving citizens’ lives. It funds common projects and delivers on priorities from economic competitiveness to agriculture.

It is time for the EU to decide on a long-term budget from 2028 onwards. Europeans expect clear action in several key areas: economy and social issues, defence and security, climate change, and agriculture. The European Parliament is working together with the other EU institutions to address these expectations.

Over the last few years, the political, economic and social context has changed significantly. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as the need for the EU to stay competitive, support businesses in the digital transformation and tackle climate change pose major challenges.

During the plenary session in April 2026, the European Parliament set out its position for negotiations with member states on the 2028-2034 EU budget.

The 2028-2034 EU budget should be set at 1.27% of EU GNI (+ 10% compared to the Commission’s July 2025 proposal).

MEPs stress that the next long-term EU budget must remain an investment tool supporting EU policies, citizens, regions, businesses and small and SMEs, while securing EU added value compared to national spending. They firmly oppose any re-nationalisation that risks to weaken EU policies, reduce transparency and create competition between beneficiaries.

MEPs want strong and adequately funded policies, with distinct allocations for policies under the national and regional partnership plans, including the common agricultural policy and fisheries policy, also for the outermost regions, cohesion policy, the European Social Fund and home affairs.&nbsp;

Simplification must not undermine transparency, accountability or democratic oversight. The report also underlines that respect for EU values and the rule of law is a precondition for accessing EU funds, while avoiding penalising final recipients for breaches of the rule of law by their governments.

EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034

Situation in the Middle East remain complex. On Iran, the EU is advocating de-escalation, while considering a revision of the mandate of its naval&nbsp;operation Aspides&nbsp;to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Regarding Israel, EU ministers agreed on Monday 11 May to impose&nbsp;sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The EU is also working&nbsp;to advance the normalisation of relations with Syria&nbsp;and to support Syria’s transitional authorities in their political reform and reconstruction efforts.

The European Parliament debated in April recent US-Israel military operation targeting the Iranian regime, examining its geopolitical and humanitarian consequences. The discussion focused&nbsp;on the impact of these actions on regional stability and the situation of the Iranian people, as well as the European Union’s role in addressing the crisis and supporting those affected by the escalating tensions in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Situation in the Middle East

&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

Infoclips (T)

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

The global economy is changing rapidly, requiring decisive action to safeguard and strengthen Europe's competitiveness, prosperity, and fairness, including in relation to other global actors. The recently-proposed&nbsp;Automotive Industry Plan, announced on 5 March 2025, it is intended to support the European automotive sector as it deals with high manufacturing costs, the low-carbon transition, and increased competition from China.&nbsp;

In April 2026, the EU institutions have agreed to launch the One Europe, One Market Roadmap that will help advance the EU’s competitiveness agenda.

Signed by the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission, the roadmap sets out concrete actions and targets for agreements, at the latest by end 2027, that will boost Europe’s economic growth. In particular, the roadmap sets targets for legislative proposals and agreement by co-legislators, and quarterly reviews to monitor progress.

European competitiveness

In 2004 Slovakia joined the European Union as a Member State. It is a member of&nbsp;the Schengen area&nbsp;since 21 December 2007.&nbsp;It is a member of the&nbsp;Eurozone, when the Euro was introduced to replace the Slovak Crown as the national currency.

There are more than 5.4 million people in Slovakia. The country has 14 Members of European Parliament (MEPs). Slovakia has presided the EU between July and December 2016. Slovakia is a parliamentary democratic republic with a head of government - the Prime Minister - who holds the most executive power and a head of state - the President - who is the formal head of the executive, but with&nbsp;limited powers. The country is subdivided into 8 regions, each named after its principal city.&nbsp;

The country was in the centre of attention nad underwent huge political turbulences in&nbsp;2018 when the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée were murdered.&nbsp;

Previous decisions by the Slovak government have also raised concern in Brussels due to their potentially negative consequences for EU values and the country’s ability to fight corruption and protect EU funds.

EU - Slovakia

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).

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