Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) - European Parliament

REPORT ‘Towards an EU strategy to protect and strengthen the international justice system and its institutions, mechanisms and partners’
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Mounir Satouri

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

REPORT on EU-Syria political relations
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nathalie Loiseau

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has brought enlargement back to the top of the European Union’s (EU) political and strategic agendas. Yet current debate increasingly focuses on how to reconcile a credible accession perspective with expanding forms of gradual integration. This paper examines how the EU can sustain an effective enlargement policy in this changing geopolitical environment, using Albania and Montenegro, the Western Balkans’ two frontrunners, as test cases. It combines historical and comparative analyses of previous enlargement rounds with an assessment of current accession dynamics, original comparative data, governance indicators and 12 semi-structured interviews. It is argued in this paper that the key challenge is not to choose between geopolitical and merit-based enlargement but to ensure that gradual integration reinforces rather than substitutes for a credible path to full membership. Comparative analysis shows that enlargement has always combined geopolitical objectives with merit-based conditionality, while its transformative impact has depended primarily on the accession perspective’s credibility. The cases of Albania and Montenegro demonstrate that renewed political commitment since 2022 has restored reform momentum, albeit significant challenges remain, particularly in areas such as the rule of law, democratic governance and administrative capacity. Looking ahead, this paper finds that the principal obstacles to enlargement are increasingly political rather than technical. Furthermore, the next phase of EU enlargement will require balancing credible accession, differentiated integration and stronger support for long-term socio-economic convergence.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 150'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 120'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 150'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 90'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 300 - Draft report Human Rights and Democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2026
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

AMENDMENTS 601 - 838 - Draft report Human Rights and Democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2026
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

AMENDMENTS 301 - 600 - Draft report Human Rights and Democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2026
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 90'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on EU engagement in the Horn of Africa – challenges and strategic priorities
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Marta Temido

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

MEPs strongly condemn the unprecedented missile and drone attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia, and their military offensive in Yemen.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Following the latest deadly attacks against civilian merchant vessels, Parliament calls on the EU to consider deploying a naval operation in the Black Sea.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Length of video : 60'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP