Uusimmat asiakirjat

Esittäjät : SANDERSKI ANDRZEJ, SERPIERI Margherita

Esittäjät : SANDERSKI ANDRZEJ, SERPIERI Margherita

Yhteenveto : On 21 October 2025, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen's second mandate adopted its work programme for 2026 (2026 CWP). In line with the Commission President's political guidelines and letter of intent and highlighting the need for full implementation of Mario Draghi's competitiveness report, the 2026 CWP places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, innovation and collective security. In parallel, the Commission commits to advancing simplification, implementation, and this year, also to strengthening enforcement. These three areas will remain key horizontal priorities for the entire Commission mandate. Just like last year's CWP, the 2026 CWP adheres to the seven headline ambitions put forward in the political guidelines. It is accompanied by a report on implementation, simplification and enforcement, the first of its kind. This new annual report is set to replace the annual burden survey. Annex I of the 2026 CWP puts forward 70 major new legislative and non-legislative initiatives, 44 % of which fall under the competitiveness headline ambition. (Up to) 48 of the new initiatives are legislative, including three sector-specific omnibus packages (on energy product legislation, taxation and citizens). Of the forthcoming legislative initiatives, 67 % are likely revisions of existing legislation, while more than half have a strong simplification dimension. Unlike previous CWPs, the 2026 CWP does not indicate whether a legislative initiative will be accompanied by an impact assessment; this lack of transparency runs counter to the spirit of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making. Information on the Commission's 'Have your say' portal shows that, at the time of writing, two thirds of the up to 48 legislative initiatives were expected to be accompanied by an impact assessment (though the final number may be higher). The annual evaluation plan presented in Annex II of the CWP, comprising 20 evaluations, does not appear exhaustive. Finally, the communication on Better Regulation, expected in Q2 2026, may entail a revision of the Better Regulation Guidelines, the first since 2021.

Esittäjät : ANGLMAYER Irmgard, DALLI HUBERT, IOANNIDES Isabelle

Yhteenveto : The EU institutions are required to take into account the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the design and implementation of legislation or of policies, both within law- and policymaking internal to the Union and in the external relations of the EU. This study was commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament, to examine how they discharge this duty: it looks into the role of the Charter in the legislative process; in the economic governance of the Union; in the work of EU agencies; in the implementation of EU law by EU Member States; and, in the external relations of the Union, both in trade and investment policies and in the Common Foreign and Security Policy. It also analyses certain gaps in the judicial protection of the Charter and identifies measures through which the potential of the Charter could be further realised

Ulkopuolinen laatija : Olivier De Schutter

Yhteenveto : In this paper, we propose a multistep algorithmic method that enables us to determine the seat allocation for the European Parliament on a permanent basis applicable across various scenarios, including different numbers of Member States and their population sizes. According to the Lisbon Treaty, the allocation of seats must take into account a number of constraints regarding the minimum and maximum number of seats allocated to each Member State, the maximum size of the European Parliament, and degressive proportionality.

Ulkopuolinen laatija : Szilárd-Károly András

Yhteenveto : The European Parliament is vested with powers of democratic oversight and political scrutiny vis-à-vis the European Commission. These powers of Parliament enhance the democratic legitimacy of the EU as a whole, and help increase the transparency and accountability of the Commission as the EU's executive body. This study examines Parliament's oversight and scrutiny powers over the Commission. It focuses mainly, but not exclusively, on the powers that are enshrined in specific provisions of the EU Treaties. This includes Parliament's role in the Commission's investiture, in motions of censure, parliamentary questions, committees of inquiry and special committees, and in the Commission's obligations to report, consult and inform. It also looks into Parliament's scrutiny over budgetary issues, of delegated acts, in the context of the EU legislative procedure and agenda-setting, of legal proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union, and of the EU's external relations. The study builds on a previous EPRS study on parliamentary scrutiny of the Commission, originally requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) in 2018. The data presented in this edition focus on the ninth term parliamentary term (2019 to 2024).

Esittäjät : TENHUNEN Susanna, EISELE Katharina, AHAMAD MADATALI HANNAH NAFIZE, JANSEN Talander Hugo

Yhteenveto : Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty (2009), the EU national parliaments have had the right to control the principle of subsidiarity through the Early Warning System (EWS). This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs at the request of the AFCO Committee, examines how the EWS has worked over the past 15 years. It also looks into the interaction of Parliament, the European Commission, local and regional entities, the Committee of the Regions, the Court of Justice of the EU and the Council with national parliaments to this end. Moreover, it considers the principle of proportionality and the EU institutions’ relationship with it.

Ulkopuolinen laatija : Diane FROMAGE

Yhteenveto : In the 2024 European Parliament elections turnout varied significantly across EU Member States, influenced by institutional factors such as compulsory voting and concurrent elections. Socioeconomic disparities persisted; older, higher-educated, and wealthier citizens were more likely to vote, while economically disadvantaged and unemployed individuals participated less. Gender and age gaps in turnout reaffirmed the importance of role models and political efficacy in mobilization. Vote choice reflected both ideological convictions and protest voting, with established pro-EU parties retaining support while Euroskeptic and far-right parties made gains. The elections confirmed the enduring importance of economic redistribution, European integration, and climate policy as key axes of political contestation. While high-quality representation fosters legitimacy and political engagement, turnout and ideological representation disparities highlight ongoing challenges for democratic inclusivity in the EU. Key recommendations for higher quality of representation include: (1) strengthening political efficacy among women; (2) encouraging youth political engagement; (3) balancing age representation in politics; (4) simplifying electoral processes; (5) strengthening social safety nets to sustain political engagement; (6) addressing political disengagement stemming from economic dissatisfaction; (7) enhancing representation for disadvantaged groups; (8) considering candidate age in party strategies; (9) bridging climate policy divides; and (10) leveraging EU defense cooperation for political consensus.

Ulkopuolinen laatija : Alexia KATSANIDOU

Yhteenveto : The European Electoral Act decrees that the Members of the European Parliament shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation, using the list system or the single transferable vote. There is much leeway for a Member State to turn terms like “proportional representation” or “the list system” into executable rules. As a result, Member States differ considerably as to their electoral provisions. The briefing presents an overview of the vote patterns used by the Member States, of the apportionment methods to convert the votes of a domestic electorate into seats for the competing parties, and of the ways in which the seats of a party are assigned to this party's candidates.

Ulkopuolinen laatija : Friedrich Pukelsheim

Yhteenveto : Commitments made at the confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate 2024-2029

Yhteenveto : This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the AFCO Committee, considers the legal space for an EU Climate and Energy Union. It assesses the major limits at the EU and national level, as well as the question if (informal) Treaty change is possible and necessary to create the space needed. It also assesses if an individual right to clean energy exists, or can and should be legally construed. It pays special attention to the challenge of funding and the role that the emerging principle of solidarity might play.

Ulkopuolinen laatija : CUVYERS Armin, DELHOMME Vincent, KUKOVICA Elena, MULCAHY Sinead, PIQANI Darinka, REIJGWART Corlijn