European Parliamentary Research Service Blog

Written by Clare Ferguson with Gemma Patterson.

The agenda for the Parliament’s February plenary session reflects gathering impetus to face the challenges of the current geopolitical upheaval affecting both international relations more widely and people’s human rights and aspirations both at home and overseas.

Members are due to hear the Commission’s long-awaited plans for this year’s legislative work on Wednesday morning, with a debate following Ursula von der Leyen’s presentation of the 2025 Commission work programme, due to be adopted the previous afternoon. Many of the planned initiatives – some 47 legislative and non-legislative proposals to come by the end of 2026 – have already been included in the Commission’s ‘competitiveness compass’, which focuses on boosting productivity through innovation, accelerating the green transition while maintaining industrial competitiveness, and reducing foreign dependencies in sectors such as raw materials. Later on Wednesday, Members are expected to debate a Commission statement on the work set out in the compass, including on simplifying legislation, improving access to venture capital, and introducing a competitiveness fund.

Tackling labour shortages in the EU is a cornerstone of efforts to increase competitiveness. Parliament has long sounded the alarm regarding worsening shortages in the healthcare sector, with an estimated deficit of 1.2 million healthcare workers in 2022, driven by an ageing population and frequent burnout. Members are due to hold a debate on Tuesday afternoon on urgent labour shortages in the healthcare sector following a Commission statement. The Commission is expected to propose solutions to ensure quality healthcare jobs, including improved retention strategies, better working conditions, a focus on attracting third-country nationals and digital transformation for healthcare efficiency. To tackle labour market shortages more generally, the Council and Commission are due to make statements in plenary on Tuesday afternoon on boosting vocational education and training (VET). Parliament had already called for VET to be modernised to help people match their skills to new developments, especially in technology, in 2022.

The EU currently depends on foreign providers for some key elements of its communications infrastructure. Rising concern over foreign influence, particularly from China and Russia, have led Parliament to call for greater technological sovereignty, stricter ICT supply chain security and reduced reliance on high-risk vendors. On Thursday morning, Members are set to debate a Commission statement on threats to EU sovereignty in communications infrastructure, focusing on strategic dependencies in submarine cables, 5G networks, and satellite connectivity, among other things.

Geopolitical tensions abound in 2025 – and feature widely on the plenary agenda. The Council and Commission are expected to make statements on Tuesday morning on continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, as we approach three full years of Russia’s war of aggression. On the EU’s own doorstep, regions bordering Russia face economic decline, job losses, and migration challenges due to Russia’s war on Ukraine and border closures. Following Council and Commission statements on Wednesday, Members are set to debate the need to extend critical targeted support to EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Parliament is monitoring the implications for transatlantic relations of Donald Trump’s second term as US President. On Wednesday, Members are due to debate a Commission statement on the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the WHO, and the suspension of US aid. The Council and Commission are also expected to make statements on preparedness for a new trade era for a debate on Tuesday.

Members are set to debate the EU’s need for a wider comprehensive strategy towards the Middle East on Tuesday evening. With ongoing instability in the region, including fragile ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, the Commission has announced a stronger, more coherent approach. Parliament has acknowledged the complexity facing such a strategy, given the multidimensional challenge.

Finally, on Tuesday morning, Members are expected to vote on giving consent to the conclusion of a new protocol to the EU fisheries agreement with Cabo Verde, ensuring continued tuna fishing access for EU vessels while supporting Cabo Verde’s fisheries sector. The agreement provides fishing opportunities for 56 vessels from Spain, Portugal, and France, alongside an annual €780 000 financial contribution for access rights and to support the sector.

• A competitiveness compass for the EU
• Healthcare in the EU: Addressing urgent labour shortages and ensuring quality jobs
• Boosting vocational education and training in a changing labour market
• Strategic dependencies: Threats to EU sovereignty in communication infrastructure
• EU regions bordering Russia: Targeted support
• US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and from the WHO
• Wider comprehensive EU Middle East strategy
• EU fisheries agreement with Cabo Verde: Conclusion of a new protocol (2024-2029)

Written by Guillaume Ragonnaud.

Batteries, widely used in the transport and energy sectors, are central to the global energy system. They will be key to the EU’s clean energy transition, industrial future and strategic autonomy. Boosting the industrial base for battery production is therefore a key task for the EU.

While the EU battery sector enjoys strong support for its research and development activities, it also faces significant challenges such as dependencies on third countries and high energy and labour costs. Developing battery recycling or implementing more sustainable value chains could help address some of these challenges. However, significant threats, such as competition from countries with lower environmental standards, may hinder progress and require strategic action.

Projections around battery manufacturing in the EU remain highly uncertain. Many reports claim that the EU is on track to meet its future battery needs, yet also highlight significant risks that could prevent this from happening. Factors such as rising energy and labour costs, incentives offered by third countries, slower-than-expected market developments, or difficult access to critical raw materials, could undermine the sector’s competitiveness. Mastering the complexities of battery manufacturing technologies remains another major challenge. Delays or cancellations of gigafactory projects have already been announced across Europe. The recent collapse of Northvolt, once hailed as Europe’s flagship home-grown battery manufacturer, has raised serious concerns about the future of batteries ‘made in Europe’.

The EU has long recognised batteries as one of its strategic technological sectors. To make its battery supply chains secure, resilient and sustainable, the EU uses three approaches. First, it seeks to inject strategic impetus into the sector, using its convening power to improve cooperation among stakeholders. Second, it is working on a comprehensive regulatory framework. Third, it provides the sector with funding. The development of the battery sector provides an instructive case study for shaping an effective EU industrial policy.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Powering the EU’s future: Strengthening the battery industry‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Jérôme Saulnier, Aleksandra Heflich and Lenka Jančová with Iulia-Maria Florea and Karla Grosse Kohorst.

As highlighted by the recent Letta and Draghi reports, it is now imperative for the European Union (EU) to boost investment and to start acting more strategically and collectively to compete on global markets. This requires clear political priorities, budgetary means, lower rates of waste in public spending at Member State level, and crucially a transnational pro-innovation perspective. Although largely elusive at this point, such an agenda could bring substantial economic benefit. Compared with Member States acting alone, an EPRS study finds a coordinated approach at EU level could add 0.9 % gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. A more ambitious integrated approach would be of even higher benefit, estimated at 2.6 % of GDP by 2035.

What could be done?

Thanks to the visionary compromises achieved by generations of previous leaders, the EU was in a good position to compete in an open and rules-based global arena. However, geopolitical considerations are now challenging this status quo. The return of protectionist tendencies and the action of large and dominant global players, some with strong ties to government, are a reality test for the future of the level playing field.

Figure 1 – Share of international patents (most challenging areas – % in 2022)

To remain competitive while continuing to ensure progress on environmental, social and fundamental rights, it is now imperative for the EU to update and upgrade its strategic approach. Considerable investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, scaling up and in research and development could boost high-tech digital and low-carbon innovation. EU businesses could then harness the full potential of the single market and economic and monetary union and challenge competitors in fast-growing and future-oriented fields.

One of the most pressing challenges is that, while the EU’s focus on tackling the green and digital transformation might be correct, the EU lacks key elements, in particular sufficient common budgetary resources and fiscal tools. Reinforced EU action could help EU legislation to become harder-hitting, more credible and effective. Without such incentives, the opportunity to become an innovation leader in some high added-value areas might never materialise.

The need to increase support and investment for research development and innovation (RDI) substantially is well-documented, particularly as the EU’s self-imposed 25-year-old key priority target of spending 3 % of GDP on RDI is still far from being achieved (RDI expenditure currently stands at around 2.2 % of GDP in the EU). Public expenditure on RDI is also of particular concern, as the EU increasingly falls behind. A gap of more than €30 billion per year has now widened with the United States and China. The EU also needs to address inefficiency and duplication in research, while complementary top-down investment is almost non‑existent.

The EU could encourage greater private investment, public-private partnerships and provide public investment in manufacturing, scaling-up and infrastructure, to ensure modernisation and adaptation to rapid ongoing transformation. Public investment would be more efficient at EU level, as public finances in Member States face significant consolidation challenges.

Recent studies highlight how acting together could help Member States here, while also helping to reduce inefficiency and the budgetary waste rate. The 2015 Juncker investment plan and 2020 Next Generation EU, provide examples to build on, as they have already had a positive, albeit insufficient, impact.

As the Draghi report recommends, moving towards a strategic pro-innovation EU agenda is therefore necessary. The EU’s current institutions are under-resourced compared to global competitors and sometimes entangled in complex inter-related organisational structures that focus primarily on administrative and governance reform rather than on innovation. This situation is of particular concern as the EU is increasingly ranked at best as a marginal player in key fast-growing technologies of the future (see Figure 1).

What is the potential economic benefit?

Ambitious and strategic EU-level action is essential to the EU’s position as a global actor. This is especially true given geopolitical shifts and the breakthrough technologies that are reshaping the distribution of added value.

Figure 2 – Strategic action in HTDI and LCI – Cost of non-Europe in three scenarios (GDP difference in percent relative to Member State-led action)

The EPRS study finds that were Member States to act alone, this could add +1.4 % of GDP in 2035, compared to the baseline (Scenario 1).

Reinforced coordination and cooperation and embryonic EU complementary action could add 2.2 % of GDP in 2035, compared to the baseline (Scenario 2).

A more ambitious integrated approach (Scenario 3) could add an estimated 4 % of GDP in 2035 compared to the baseline.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the cost of non-Europe, which compares the results of the three scenarios, is therefore estimated at between +0.9 % and +2.6 % of GDP in 2035.

Read the complete study on ‘Benefit of an EU strategic innovation agenda – Cost of non Europe‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Rosamund Shreeves.

As part of broader efforts to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, the European Union (EU) is committed to working collectively to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) and to supporting its Member States’ efforts in this field. The European Commission assesses EU measures to combat FGM every year, on or around 6 February – the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

Facts and figures

Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical purposes. FGM is carried out for cultural, religious and social reasons, mostly on young girls between infancy and the age of 15. It has no health benefits and can result in serious effects on health and wellbeing, even death, while generating considerable healthcare costs.

The exact number of girls and women affected by FGM is not known, but the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, worldwide, at least 200 million women and girls have been ‘cut’, while around 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year. The practice, most common in 28 African countries, is also prevalent in parts of the Middle East and Asia, and reported to a lesser extent elsewhere. Analysis by UNICEF and the UN Population Fund shows that it has declined strongly in some countries over the past decade, but stagnated in others. Population growth in high-risk areas, multiple crises and pushbacks against efforts to combat FGM threaten progress. FGM performed by health professionals is gaining traction in some countries. This does not reduce harm and is contrary to medical ethics.

FGM is not covered in the EU-wide survey on violence against women. Data on FGM prevalence in Europe are lacking. Four studies conducted by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) between 2012 and 2020, found that there are victims (or potential victims) in at least 16 EU countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland and Sweden. The European End FGM network estimates that there are over 600 000 FGM survivors living in Europe and that 180 000 girls are at risk in 13 European countries alone. Around 20 000 women and girls from FGM-practising countries seek asylum in the EU every year, with an estimated 1 000 asylum claims relating directly to FGM. This number has grown steadily since 2008.

Commitments and action to combat FGM

FGM is a form of child abuse and gender-based violence, and is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and the right to life in cases where the procedure results in death. Measures have been adopted at international, EU and national level to prevent FGM and to protect FGM victims.

Instruments and action at international level

At international level, United Nations (UN), African Union and Council of Europe standards are benchmarks for work to combat FGM. Key treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Geneva Convention, all cover FGM indirectly, with specific guidance on protection and asylum for victims. In Africa, the 15 parties to the Maputo Protocol have committed to eliminate FGM (Article V). The Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) is the first treaty to recognise that FGM exists in Europe (Article 38). It sets out specific obligations on preventing and combating the practice and providing support for victims and those at risk.

The UN’s longstanding efforts to end the practice culminated in its first specific resolution on FGM in 2012. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development identifies FGM as a harmful practice, to be eliminated by 2030 (SDG 5, target 5.3). The UN has named 6 February the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. The European Commission takes stock annually, around that day, of EU efforts to combat FGM.

EU legislation, policy and funding

The EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights affirm the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination, guaranteeing the right to dignity and including provisions on the right to physical and mental integrity. In 2024, the EU adopted a Directive on combating violence against women, to be transposed into national law by June 2027. It requires Member States to criminalise FGM as a specific offence, sets a maximum prison sentence of no less than five years for perpetrators and improves support for victims. It also aims to implement the Istanbul Convention in areas of EU competence, including judicial cooperation in criminal matters and asylum policy. EU asylum law is relevant for asylum-seekers affected by or at risk of FGM. The current legislation recognises FGM victims as vulnerable asylum applicants requiring specific support. New legislation on reception conditions and qualification for international protection, due to enter into application in 2026, also recognises FGM victims as asylum applicants with special needs, and stipulates that specific forms of support should be provided. The proposed revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive would also strengthen support for victims of FGM.

Combating gender-based violence, including FGM, is one of the priorities of the EU’s external action and its internal strategies on children’s rights and gender equality. The EU has recognised the need for a coordinated approach to combating FGM. In 2013, it set a framework for action across the fields of justice, police, health, social services, child protection, education, immigration and asylum and external relations. The objectives include: developing reliable EU-level data, improving access to support and justice for victims, raising awareness among relevant professionals and communities, ensuring that EU asylum and victim protection legislation is implemented effectively, and promoting the elimination of FGM worldwide. To complement this framework and the Directive on combating violence against women, the Commission has committed to tabling a recommendation on preventing and combating FGM and other harmful practices.

Funding for tackling FGM is provided through the joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and EU funding programmes, notably the longstanding Daphne strand, which continues under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme for 2021 to 2027. In 2023, the Commission accepted the need for more effective tracking of Spotlight Initiative funding allocated to fighting FGM. It also recognised the need for further action to raise awareness in the communities concerned within the EU.

National-level instruments against FGM

Many of the actions needed to end FGM lie within the competences of the Member States. FGM is a prosecutable offence under national law in all Member States, either as a specific criminal act or as an act of bodily harm or injury. However, very few cases are brought to court. Some Member States have developed national action plans on FGM. Continuing issues of concern include barriers to reporting and successful prosecution, victim support, and ways to ensure long-term, sustainable cultural change. Civil society organisations urge the Member States and the EU institutions to use the Directive on violence against women, the reform of asylum legislation and the next multiannual EU budget as a spur to improve FGM prevention and support for survivors. They also call on the Commission to adopt the recommendation on harmful practices in 2025.

European Parliament position

The European Parliament has played an important role in raising awareness and pushing for firm action on FGM, including through the work of its Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Parliament adopted resolutions on FGM in 2001, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2018, calling on the Commission and Member States to provide the legal and other means required to raise awareness, protect and support victims and ensure that offenders are prosecuted. Parliament has called for appropriate protection for women and girls seeking asylum on grounds of FGM. In 2020, it set out its own recommendations for an EU strategy to put an end to FGM around the world and, in 2021, called for coordination of external and internal action. In 2024, Parliament pledged its support for efforts to eradicate FGM where progress was at risk. It pushed for strong provisions on accessible specialist support for FGM victims in the Directive on combating violence against women. Parliament has also welcomed the Commission’s plan to table a recommendation on preventing and combating harmful practices.

This publication is a further update of an ‘at a glance’ note originally published in January 2015.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Pieter Baert.

Value added tax (VAT) is a crucial revenue stream for both EU and national budgets. However, substantial losses resulting from domestic and cross-border VAT fraud make its enforcement an essential priority amid growing financial demands. Fraudsters, who are regularly part of organised criminal networks, exploit weaknesses in the VAT system, causing government revenue losses worth billions of euros.

Over the years, the EU and its Member States have taken a variety of measures to close VAT loopholes, adopting innovative digital tools to facilitate exchange of information and detect and stop fraudulent transactions as fast as possible. Member States have also committed to cooperating more closely, through bodies such as the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and Eurofisc; this has led to the successful dismantling of major VAT fraud networks responsible for billions of euros of damage. While progress has been made, the involvement of multiple actors in combating VAT fraud has raised questions about how to optimise cooperation between these bodies.

European Commissioner for Taxation, Wopke Hoekstra, has been tasked with maintaining ambitious efforts to combat tax fraud in the EU, while the Commissioner for Budget, Piotr Serafin, is leading a review of the EU’s anti-fraud structures with a view to enhancing efficiency and cooperation.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Filling the gap: The EU’s fight against VAT fraud‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Example of MTIC fraud

Citizens are calling on the European Union to curtail the influence of the platform X on the federal election in Germany. Many citizens have written to the President of the European Parliament on this subject since January 2025, asking her to act now to ensure that X meets its obligations concerning transparency, content moderation and risk mitigation during elections.

We replied to citizens who took the time to write to the President:

Main elements of our reply Enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA)

The European Commission is responsible for overseeing the enforcement of the Digital Services Act. In December 2023, the Commission opened formal proceedings against X to assess whether it is meeting its obligations concerning transparency, content moderation and risk mitigation during elections.

Further action may also be taken at national level by the German Digital Services Coordinator.

What is the European Parliament doing?

The European Parliament is committed to safeguarding democracy and ensuring that online platforms operate responsibly.

In December 2024, the European Parliament set up a Special committee on the European Democracy Shield. The committee will assess policies aimed at preserving the fairness and integrity of elections. It will focus on interference in democracy and elections through very large online platforms, such as X.

On 21 January 2025, the European Parliament held a debate on the need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms, including against foreign interference and biased algorithms. You can watch the debate in all official EU languages and access the full text of the debate in the original language of the speakers.

Background

Citizens often send messages to the President of the European Parliament expressing their views and/or requesting action. The Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (AskEP) within the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) replies to these messages, which may sometimes be identical as part of wider public campaigns.

Citizens are calling on the European Union to sanction Iceland for its whaling practices. Many citizens have written to the President of the European Parliament on this subject since January 2025 to express their concerns regarding the impact of whaling in the environment. They are also calling on the EU to impose sanctions on Iceland, push for sustainable alternatives like ecotourism, and encourage Iceland to prioritize marine conservation.

We replied to citizens who took the time to write to the President:

Main elements of our reply EU laws protecting whales

Iceland’s decision to allow the hunting of whales falls outside the EU’s jurisdiction. However, whalesare protected from hunting within EU waters. The EU has always defended the full implementation of the moratorium on commercial whaling, in place since 1986.

Parliamentary debate

As mentioned in your message, on 22 January 2025 the European Parliament held a debate on stepping up international action to protect whales following Iceland’s decision to extend commercial whaling until 2029.

Members of the European Parliament raised concern about Iceland’s decision. They underlined the vital role that whales play in maintaining the marine ecosystem and the need for stronger, enforceable action under updated international frameworks. Members also highlighted that ecotourism such as whale watching can protect tradition, ecosystems and the economy.

You can read the full text of the debate in the original language of the speakers.

European Parliament position on whaling

In its October 2022 resolution, the European Parliament strongly supports the continuation of the global moratorium on commercial whaling as well as the ban on international trade in whale products. Parliament calls on Japan, Norway and Iceland to cease their whaling operations. The European Parliament also notes the critical importance of whale populations to marine ecosystems and carbon sequestration.

Decision on EU sanctions

The European Parliament is not involved in the process of adopting sanctions against non-EU countries. Following a proposal from the Head of EU diplomacy, decisions on EU sanctions are taken in a unanimity at the Council.

Background

Citizens often send messages to the President of the European Parliament expressing their views and/or requesting action. The Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (AskEP) within the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) replies to these messages, which may sometimes be identical as part of wider public campaigns.

Written by Laurence Amand-Eeckhout.

Three years after its launch, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is positively impacting lives by fostering collaboration and advancing prevention, early detection, treatment and care while enhancing the quality of life for cancer patients. Nevertheless, cancer remains a major public health challenge, with cancer cases continuing to rise, reflecting population ageing as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors.

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000 at the ‘World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium’, on the initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control. The three-year ‘United by unique’ campaign (2025-2027) aims to raise awareness about the need for people-centred care. Behind every cancer diagnosis, there is a unique human story, but people touched by cancer are united in a shared ambition to see cancer treated successfully and lead better lives with cancer.

Background

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs (metastasis). Cancer arises from the transformation of normal cells into tumour cells in a multistage process that generally progresses from a pre-cancerous lesion to a malignant tumour.

According to the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), at least 40 % of all cancer cases could be prevented with effective primary prevention measures. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of physical activity, hormones, environmental exposures, occupational exposures, ultraviolet radiation exposure, infections (e.g. hepatitis B and C viruses and some types of human papillomavirus) are the main risk factors for cancer. The impact of cancer can also be reduced through early detection and appropriate treatment.

Facts and figures

The European Cancer Information System (ECIS) provides indicators on cancer across the EU. Mainly driven by an ageing population, the burden of cancer is increasing: in 2022, 2.7 million people in the EU were diagnosed with cancer; cancer deaths also went up and were estimated to be at 1.3 million. Cancer is currently the second leading cause of mortality in the EU on average (after cardiovascular diseases), although it is already the leading cause of death in five Member States (Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Spain). Cancer diagnoses are expected to increase by 19 % by 2040 in EU countries; in the same period, cancer deaths are expected to increase by 27 %, making cancer the leading cause of death in the EU. The four most common cancer causes of death in the EU are estimated to be lung (19.5 % of all cancer deaths), followed by colorectal (12.3 %), breast (7.5 %), and pancreatic cancer (7.4 %). Among men, the main diagnoses are prostate cancer, followed by lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Among women, breast cancer is the main diagnosis. As underlined in the 2024 report on ‘Beating Cancer Inequalities in the EU‘, published jointly by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), not everyone has the same risk of dying from cancer, even within the same country.

The economic burden of cancer across the EU is difficult to calculate. In 2021, the Commission estimated the overall economic impact of cancer to exceed €100 billion annually. In its November 2024 report on ‘Tackling the impact of cancer on health, the economy and society‘, the OECD estimates that – assuming that the incidence and survival rates of cancer per age group remain unchanged – per capita cancer health expenditure would grow by 67 % between 2023 and 2050 on average across the OECD.

EU action on cancer

EU Member States are responsible for their own healthcare policies. However, according to Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EU can complement and add value to national actions by encouraging the sharing of information and best practices and by fostering cooperation.

As far back as 1985, the EU has been fighting cancer alongside Member States, in collaboration with the WHO, the Joint Research Centre and the IARC. The EU focuses on prevention, research and information while also fostering cooperation between Member States. It also complements Member States’ efforts by adopting legislation to address cancer risk factors (such as exposure to environmental pollution or hazardous substances and radiation, obesity, alcohol-related harm, tobacco consumption and smoke- and aerosol-free environments) and ensuring specific policy rules reflect cancer-related concerns.

In February 2021, as part of the European Health Union, the European Commission adopted the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to address cancer-related inequalities and help improve prevention, treatment and care. The plan is structured around four key action areas (prevention; early detection; diagnosis and treatment; and quality of life) and supported by 10 flagship initiatives, currently under implementation:

1. The Knowledge Centre on Cancer
2. The European Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (which, by 2028, should link 100 multidisciplinary structures that manage all aspects of cancer care, research and specialised medical training)
3. Cancer diagnosis and treatment for all
4. The European Cancer Inequalities Registry
5. The EU Cancer Screening Scheme (a Council recommendation was adopted in 2022)
6. The European Initiative to Understand Cancer
7. Better quality of life for cancer patients (smart card application)
8. Eliminate cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (a Council recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers was adopted in 2024)
9. The European Cancer Imaging Initiative (to create digital infrastructure linking cancer imaging data resources across the EU)
10. Helping children with cancer

The EU has invested continuously in cancer research through successive framework programmes for research and innovation. Under Horizon Europe (2021-2027), the EU Mission on Cancer aims to offer a comprehensive approach by bringing together research, innovation and policy development.

European Parliament

In June 2020, the European Parliament set up a Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA), which completed its mandate in December 2021. The final report (‘Strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer – towards a comprehensive and coordinated strategy‘) was adopted by Parliament in February 2022. The recommendations focus on cancer prevention, equal access to cancer care across borders, and a European approach addressing medicine shortages.

In its resolution of 13 December 2023 on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Parliament pointed out that many people living with NCDs (including cancer) are undiagnosed and unaware of their illness, and thus fail to get proper, timely treatment. It invited the Commission to collect examples of best practices regarding screening for and early detection of NCDs.

Since the start of the current legislature, Parliament has submitted several written questions to the Commission regarding cancer-related issues. They include questions on the reintegration of cancer patients into the workplace (E-002497/2024), addressing ageism in cancer-related healthcare (E-001125/2024), and providing support to Member States lagging behind in screening programmes (E-002125/2024). Additional questions have focused on the Commission’s efforts to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2040 (E-001618/2024), tackling unequal access to medicinal products (E-002559/2024), introducing labelling on all alcoholic beverages (E-002418/2024), and abolishing taxes on domestic fruit and vegetable production as a measure to tackle child obesity, cancer and diabetes (E-002474/2024). The new standing Committee on Public Health (SANT) – succeeding the SANT subcommittee – will continue to monitor the implementation of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘World Cancer Day 2025 – 4 FebruaryThe burden of cancer is increasing‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by David Ashton.

Online commerce is a defining feature of the modern world. It opens up opportunities for consumers and businesses alike. For consumers, it can mean a wider choice of goods and services at cheaper prices. For business, it offers new ways to reach larger markets. The borderless nature of online commerce means that, today, such opportunities within the EU are also open to businesses from elsewhere, and this phenomenon has been on the rise in recent years. Many consumers are familiar now with the advantages of being able to purchase goods at low prices from all corners of the globe.

However, along with these opportunities come risks. Goods imported from outside the EU do not always conform to EU product standards or comply with EU consumer law. It can be extremely challenging for customs and other public authorities to check the increasingly large numbers of imports of often very low value.

These challenges have been identified by a wide variety of stakeholders across the EU. The issue is on the radar of various actors in the EU institutions, with the promise of action already from the new Commission, concerns expressed by Member States and attention in Parliament. The consensus seems to be that the time has come for action to be taken.

The issues are technically challenging. They sit at the centre of a web of legislation, some of which has only recently been adopted. To get to grips with the problem, policymakers and lawmakers will need to examine that legal framework systematically, and work out what gaps have to be filled, and how best to fill them. They will also need to bear in mind that similar concerns have already been raised in other jurisdictions, and some solutions proposed. The way in which these issues are addressed will put wider trading and diplomatic relations between large global actors to the test.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Problems presented by third-country e-commerce‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Vasilis Margaras and Emmanuel Alvarez.

Discussions on the next EU multiannual financial framework are expected to begin soon. These talks on the allocation of future budget resources have a direct impact on all European Union policies, including EU cohesion policy. A reflection on the future of cohesion policy is underway, engaging EU institutions and advisory bodies, EU Member States, regional and local authorities, and stakeholders. The European Commission set up a high-level group of specialists to examine the direction of cohesion policy, which came up with a number of conclusions in March 2024. These conclusions fed into the ninth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion, which acts as a compass for the Commission’s reform options for the future design of cohesion policy. Nevertheless, there are still some crucial decisions ahead.

This reflection process not only entails technical matters, but also touches upon many other policy issues, some of which have highly political content. Negative scenarios for the cohesion budget, competing thematic priority allocations, a possible recentralisation of funds, or the future relationship with the Recovery and Resilience Facility, all have the potential for political friction. Issues requiring discussion include simplification and flexibility, better coordination of European Structural and Investment Funds with other instruments, and a more focused ‘place-based’ approach to cohesion policy. Local and regional authorities across all EU Member States highly value and support EU cohesion policy. However, political division between budget net-recipient Member States and net contributors could lead to cohesion policy being contested, especially in the light of new emerging priorities for the EU (e.g. in immigration, security and defence, or enlargement).

The appointment of a new College of Commissioners on 1 December 2024 and the beginning of a new legislative process provide a unique opportunity for regional and local stakeholders to influence national positions and those of the European institutions at an early stage.

This is an update of an October 2023 briefing by Balazs Szechy.

Read the complete briefing on ‘The future of cohesion policy: Current state of the debate‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

GDP per head (PPS) 2021 Population change in EU NUTS3 regions (2010-2021)

Written by Anja Radjenovic.

Over the past decade, the EU’s asylum and migration systems have been severely tested by several major events, including the 2015-2016 migrant crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and recent tensions at the EU’s eastern border. To address these challenges, in 2020 the European Commission proposed a pact on migration and asylum, a comprehensive legislative framework designed to streamline and harmonise the reception of asylum seekers in the EU. The pact was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2023 and published in May 2024. This landmark agreement, heralding significant reforms, consists of 10 legislative acts that bring together policies on migration, asylum, integration, and border management. Its core objectives are to foster greater responsibility sharing, solidarity and effective border management among the EU Member States.

To facilitate the pact’s rollout, the Commission has developed a common implementation plan categorising the various obligations stemming from the pact into 10 distinct building blocks. The plan also identifies key milestones on the way to establishing the necessary legal and operational frameworks that would allow Member States to start applying the pact by mid-2026.

Despite the adoption of the 10 legislative acts, support for them is not homogeneous across the Member States. Additionally, there is pressure for further changes, and the migration debate has been increasingly politicised. Experts and stakeholders have highlighted key challenges and potential scenarios for the implementation of the pact and raised doubts as to whether the new rules will be able to tackle the complexities of migration while also protecting fundamental rights.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Implementation of the EU pact on migration and asylum‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Read also ‘EU response to the migrant challenge‘ on Europarl.

Written by Elena Lazarou with Panagiotis Politis Lamprou.

The Strategic Compass, adopted by the 27 EU Member States in March 2022 – only weeks after the onset of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression on Ukraine –emphasised the need for robust partnerships, for the EU to be able to achieve its objectives in the area of security and defence. Alongside ‘acting’ (operations), ‘securing’ (resilience) and ‘investing’, ‘partnering’ is one of the four main pillars of the Compass. The document itself outlines specific targets and deadlines to measure progress in this area.

While the EU has partnered with other security and defence actors (essentially states and international organisations) in the past, a new model of tailored security and defence partnership was launched shortly after the adoption of the Compass, as a reinforced framework for enhanced partnership. To date, the EU has signed six such partnerships – with (by date of signature) Norway, Moldova, South Korea, Japan, Albania and North Macedonia, and more are envisaged. While the partnerships vary in content, depending on the assessed mutual interests of the EU and each individual partner, some ten areas of cooperation are common to all six.

The European Parliament has highlighted the significance of the Strategic Compass’s partnership dimension and, in particular, the value of security and defence dialogues with partners from the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, as well as with key partners in strategic maritime areas such as the Southern Neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific. Parliament has underlined that cooperation with countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Ukraine, Georgia, the Western Balkans, Japan, Australia and certain African countries serves as a key element of the common security and defence policy. In 2023, it called for deeper military and defence cooperation with Japan and South Korea, and for closer cooperation with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Read the complete briefing on ‘The EU’s new bilateral security and defence partnerships‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Hendrik Mildebrath.

The ‘datafication’ of everyday life and data scandals have made the protection of personal information an increasingly important social, legal and political matter for the EU. In recent years, awareness of data rights has grown considerably.

The right to privacy and the right to protection of personal data are both enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and in the EU Treaties. The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 gave the Charter the same legal value as the Treaties and abolished the pillar structure, providing a stronger basis for a more effective and comprehensive EU data protection regime.

In 2012, the European Commission launched an ambitious reform to modernise the EU data protection framework. In 2016, the European Parliament and the Council, as co-legislators, adopted the EU’s most prominent data protection legislation yet – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – and the Law Enforcement Directive. The framework overhaul also included adopting an updated Regulation on Data Protection in the EU institutions and reforming the e-Privacy Directive.

The European Parliament played a key role in these reforms, both as co-legislator and author of own‑initiative reports and resolutions, seeking to guarantee a high level of data protection for EU citizens. The European Court of Justice plays a crucial role in developing the EU data protection framework through case law.

In the coming years, challenges in the area of data protection will include rectifying GDPR enforcement deficits, balancing the compliance and data needs of emerging technologies, granting data access for security purposes without excessively compromising privacy and data protection, and mitigating compliance burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This is a further updated edition of a briefing originally written in 2020 by Sofija Voronova and updated in 2023.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Understanding EU data protection policy‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Alina-Alexandra Georgescu.

It is now 80 years since the liberation of Nazi Germany’s concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz‑Birkenau, in Poland. A major commemoration event is taking place at the former camp on International Holocaust Remembrance Day; it will be attended by numerous Heads of State or Government, and other dignitaries, in a context of growing antisemitism across Europe.

Commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz

On Monday 27 January 2025 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day – a memorial event will take place at Auschwitz-Birkenau to mark 80 years since the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp was liberated. All remaining Auschwitz survivors have been invited to the event and some 50 are expected to attend. The main event will take place in front of the gate to the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. To symbolise this moment of remembrance, a goods train wagon will stand in front of the gate. The German Nazis used this type of goods wagon to bring deported Jews to the camp. The wagons were manufactured in Germany and connected ghettos and hiding places with the ‘place of death‘. This particular wagon is dedicated to the memory of approximately 420 000 Hungarian Jews who were deported to Auschwitz between May and July 1944.

By the time the camp was liberated on 27 January 1945 by Red Army soldiers, the Nazis had murdered approximately 1.1 million people in Auschwitz. These people were mostly Jews, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and people of other nationalities. There were only 7 000 prisoners left at the camp by the time of its liberation.

A number of survivors will be speaking at the ceremony. In addition, numerous public figures from the European Union (EU) and the Member States will attend, including the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the president of the European Council, António Costa. The events around 27 January in Poland are being organised under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Many memorial events will be taking place across Europe around this date.

Importance of Holocaust Remembrance Day in the current context

For the whole world, Auschwitz – a place tragically inscribed in the history of Poland and of Europe – is the most potent symbol of the Holocaust and the atrocities of the Second World War. This 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp is an opportunity for a collective commemoration of the victims, and a global reflection on the significance of the Nazi genocide of Jews and Roma in Europe. The annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a reminder of the danger of indifference and the need for constant vigilance to overcome stereotypes and prejudice. The refrain of ‘never again’ is one that had a direct bearing on the creation of what has become the European Union today, at its origin a project of peace and reconciliation after World War II.

These efforts to remember the Holocaust and learn from history are critically important in the current context, characterised by antisemitism and Holocaust denial, and distortion and trivialisation of history, caused or amplified by digital technology, social media, and foreign interference and propaganda. In July 2024, the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published the results of its latest survey of Jewish people’s experiences and perceptions of antisemitism. It covered 13 EU Member States, accounting for around 96 % of the EU’s Jewish population. This survey, conducted even before the Hamas attacks in October 2023 and the war in Gaza, found persistent high rates of antisemitism. Confronted with prejudice and hostilities, most Jewish people do not feel able to live openly Jewish lives.

European Union action to counter intolerance and antisemitism

In line with its fundamental values of respect for human dignity and freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the EU has stepped up its efforts to counter these worrying trends. According to his mission letter, the Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, is responsible for leading both the European Commission’s fight against antisemitism and the dialogue with religious and philosophical organisations under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. Since 2015, the Commission has had a Coordinator on combating antisemitism and in 2021 it adopted an EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030). This strategy envisages numerous measures in the sphere of education, research and remembrance of the Holocaust (Shoah). The EU has been a permanent international partner of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) since 2018, working closely with other IHRA members to combat Holocaust denial and prevent racism, xenophobia and antisemitism.

Role of the European Parliament

In 1995, Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of a European Holocaust Remembrance Day in all Member States. In January 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Parliament adopted a resolution proposing 27 January as European Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust in the EU. In November the same year, the United Nations General Assembly designated 27 January as an annual international day of commemoration to honour Holocaust victims. Since 2005, the European Parliament has marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day every year. This year, Parliament is holding a formal Holocaust commemoration ceremony during a plenary session on 29 January, with a formal address by Holocaust survivor Corrie Hermann.

Simone Veil, who was elected European Parliament President following the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979 – and who was the first woman to hold that office – was herself a survivor of Auschwitz. She expressed her firm conviction that teaching about the Holocaust was essential for Holocaust remembrance. The European Parliament’s current Vice-President responsible for Holocaust Remembrance Day and the fight against antisemitism is Pina Picierno (S&D, Italy). The House of European History, a European Parliament initiative in Brussels, has devoted part of its permanent exhibition to the Holocaust.

In an October 2017 resolution, Parliament called on the Member States to mark 2 August as the date to remember the victims of the Roma Holocaust and to include this community in the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January. The same year, in a resolution on antisemitism adopted on 1 June, Parliament called on the Member States to adopt and apply the working definition of antisemitism employed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, in order to identify and prosecute antisemitic attacks more efficiently and effectively. An October 2018 resolution on the rise of neo-fascist violence in Europe drew attention to growing violence against Jews and called on the Member States to counter Holocaust denial and trivialisation, and to mainstream the issue in education.

Parliament regularly adopts resolutions on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union, focusing on a wide range of issues pertaining to respect for human dignity, freedom, minority rights and antisemitism. Parliament’s September 2022 resolution on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2020 and 2021, for instance, gave a general overview of antisemitism, racism, anti‑LGBTIQ, anti Gypsyism and xenophobia.

In 2023, Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs began work to extend the list of EU crimes in Article 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to include hate speech and hate crime. Its report was a reaction to the 2021 Commission communication ‘A more inclusive and protective Europe: extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime‘, ‘whether because of race, religion, gender or sexuality’. In this framework, Parliament and the Council may establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions, to be applicable in all EU Member States. Parliament voted in support of the report in plenary on 18 January 2024. The European Parliament’s Working Group against Antisemitism, composed of more than 80 Members from across the political groups, cooperates with all EU institutions, other European Parliament intergroups, national parliaments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It is active in countering and preventing antisemitic acts and behaviours, and protecting those affected.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025: 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Clare Ferguson and Katarzyna Sochacka.

The first plenary session of 2025 featured a debate on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 19 December 2024, with António Costa participating for the first time in his new capacity of President of the European Council. A debate on the programme of the Polish Council Presidency followed, with the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, who underlined the Presidency’s focus on prioritising EU security and defence.

Parliament’s President and political group leaders adopted a statement on the ceasefire in Gaza. Members also debated the consequences for Europe of US President Donald Trump’s second mandate. Members debated the need to counter the Russian shadow fleet’s sabotage of critical undersea infrastructure; the critical political situation in Venezuela and in Georgia; and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. They also debated 2024’s record-breaking heat and the need for climate action; EU energy independence and innovation; the failed negotiations on a United Nations plastic treaty; the need to set global standards for cryptocurrencies; EU funding transparency; and the Hungarian government’s illegal espionage of EU institutions.

Belarus: Continued oppression and fake elections

Parliament has long criticised President Lukashenka’s regime and expressed concern about the human rights situation. As the situation in Belarus has deteriorated, Parliament has also called for the release of political prisoners, and accountability for human rights issues. Following a statement from the Commission, Members held a debate on the continued oppression and fake elections in Belarus, and adopted a resolution calling the presidential ‘elections’ (due to take place on 26 January) a sham.

Addressing EU demographic challenges: Implementing the Demography Toolbox

As the EU’s population ages, increasing mismatch between workers and jobs is beginning to stretch public budgets. Demographic change also has consequences for competitiveness, environmental and technological progress, and communities. Parliament has urged the use of cohesion policy instruments and EU funds to address these challenges. Members debated a Commission statement on the EU’s demographic challenge.

Facilitation of irregular migration by criminal networks

Over 90 % of irregular migrants to the EU pay for the assistance of smugglers. The migrant smuggling business brings considerable profits to the violent criminal groups involved – at great risk to the lives of those who use them. Parliament has consistently called for more cooperation and data-sharing to combat this challenge. Members debated EU measures to tackle criminal networks’ facilitation of irregular migration.

COP 16 desertification conference: Outcomes

Members debated a Commission statement on combating desertification, which follows the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention. While COP16 agreed financial support for land restoration and drought resilience initiatives, no legally binding framework was established to tackle drought.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

One decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations ahead of Council’s first reading was announced, from the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee on a proposal for a regulation on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution.

This ‘at a glance’ note is intended to review some of the highlights of the plenary part-session, and notably to follow up on key dossiers identified by EPRS. It does not aim to be exhaustive. For more detailed information on specific files, please see other EPRS products, notably our ‘EU legislation in progress’ briefings, and the plenary minutes.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Plenary round-up – January 2025‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Anita Orav.

In recent years, the European Union has faced a significant number of asylum applications, with over 513 000 applications received in the first half of 2024 alone. Women and girls make up a substantial proportion of asylum seekers, with one in three asylum-seekers being female.

In international law, the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention is the main instrument regulating asylum. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Istanbul Convention provide a framework for protecting the rights of women who seek protection.

The EU has developed a common European asylum system that has gradually incorporated gender-sensitive elements in legal texts such as the Qualification Directive, the Asylum Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. These directives offer special protection to vulnerable individuals, including women and children.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has played a crucial role in advancing a gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law, acknowledging the specific experiences and circumstances of women and other vulnerable individuals seeking protection in the EU. The CJEU has recognised gender-based violence as a form of persecution and grounds for asylum or subsidiary protection. It has also acknowledged the importance of considering the individual circumstances and experiences of asylum seekers, particularly women and girls, who may face persecution or harm owing to their adherence to certain values or lifestyles. This aligns with a more gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law and policy in recent years. Nevertheless continued progress is needed to address the human rights challenges faced by women and girls in asylum procedures.

Read the complete briefing on ‘The gender dimension of asylum claims‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

First-time asylum applicants in the EU by age and sex (non-EU citizens), 2023, (%)

Written by Gabija Leclerc.

Natural hazards, armed conflicts, human-induced or amplified disasters, and often, complex crises – a combination of these may result in humanitarian emergencies. Meeting complex humanitarian needs, especially in resource-scarce environments, requires intervention beyond national capacities. Therefore, broader humanitarian action is essential to save lives, preserve the health and dignity of victims, assist recovery, and improve prevention, preparedness and resilience. This action encompasses humanitarian assistance, its financing, advocacy, policy and legal frameworks, coordination, monitoring and evaluation efforts.

The main international humanitarian efforts are run by the United Nations, facilitating resource mobilisation, coordination and consistency of humanitarian action. However, regional and bilateral actions are equally important, especially given that, due to growing humanitarian needs and scarce financial resources, the humanitarian system is facing a severe funding crisis, compromising the delivery of assistance.

The EU is an important humanitarian donor and actor, with its toolbox consisting of humanitarian assistance, both through financing and operational means; international advocacy for more coordinated, efficient and prominent humanitarian assistance and increased resource mobilisation; support for the respect of international humanitarian law; and policy measures, most notably humanitarian exceptions to sanctions.

Since the creation of its humanitarian office in 1992, the EU has provided needs-based humanitarian assistance to more than 110 countries and territories, in line with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence and with a focus on gender-, age- and environment-sensitive approaches, among other things.

The European Parliament is significantly involved in the EU’s humanitarian action. As a co-legislator and a budgetary authority, as well as through its resolutions, diplomacy, outreach and numerous other activities, the Parliament shapes EU humanitarian policy, decides on the financing, and brings important issues into the spotlight.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Understanding EU humanitarian action‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Agnieszka Widuto.

Clean technologies are at the forefront of the EU’s ambition to pursue both decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness. The global clean tech market is expected to triple by 2035, covering sectors such as solar, wind, batteries, heat pumps and electrolysers for the production of hydrogen. While the roll-out of clean technologies is increasing in the EU, its global market share is falling and manufacturing is lagging behind. This is due to a combination of factors, such as high energy prices, import dependency on raw materials and key components, skills shortages and fierce international competition, fuelled by robust public support policies adopted by the EU’s main global competitors, such as China and the United States.

The EU has already taken some steps to boost manufacturing of clean technologies. The Net-Zero Industry Act of June 2024 seeks to enhance the manufacturing capacity of strategic net-zero technologies by streamlining administrative procedures, boosting investment and improving skills. It sets a target for domestic manufacturing capacity of strategic net-zero technologies to reach 40 % of EU annual deployment needs by 2030 and 15 % of global production by 2040. The Critical Raw Materials Act of April 2024 addresses the issue of import dependencies by seeking to diversify supplies and boost domestic capacity in mining, processing and recycling of critical raw materials.

However, some challenges remain for EU clean tech. These include ensuring adequate private and public funding, swiftly implementing the recently adopted legislative framework and reinforcing a favourable regulatory environment for investment. The Clean Industrial Deal to be announced in February 2025 by the new European Commission, together with the Competitiveness Fund under the future multiannual EU budget, are expected to provide an additional boost to clean technologies in Europe.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Clean tech in the energy sector‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

In 2024, people from across the European Union (EU) and all over the world turned to the European Parliament and its President, Roberta Metsola to request information, call for action to be taken, express their opinions, or suggest ideas on a wide range of topics.

The Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (Ask EP) replied in the 24 official EU languages. It was indeed a special year for the European Parliament with the European elections taking place in June 2024 across the 27 EU countries.

People wrote to us on many topics, notably on how to visit the European Parliament, the European elections, the war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, seasonal time changes, or the political situation in Hungary. Ask EP also received questions related to the European Parliament and its Members, its traineeship offers and how to visit Parliament. In 2024, we received 10 578 individual messages and 90 709 campaign enquiries.

Most frequent topics in individual enquiries in 2024

The most frequently addressed topic in 2024 was issues concerning EU democracy, institutional and parliamentary law – followed by questions on migration and justice. Citizens expressed interest in the Members of the European Parliament and their activities, enquired about traineeship and job opportunities and the possibilities to visit Parliament. They also requested information on topics such as parliamentary questions, committee meetings and the right to petition the Parliament.

Many citizens also contacted Ask EP in 2024 on issues related to foreign affairs. In particular, people voiced their concerns about conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and their consequences.

Finally, the European Parliament received many enquiries about citizens’ personal situations, with requests for assistance to help them solve problems (financial support, legal aid, cross-border administrative issues, cases of discrimination, etc.). Although neither the European Parliament nor its President are able to resolve many of these types of requests directly, the Ask EP service provided citizens with a contact point and sources of information whenever possible.

Campaign messages sent to the European Parliament in 2024

As a response to political, humanitarian and economic events, citizens often send messages to the President of the European Parliament, expressing their views on current issues and/or requesting action from the Parliament.

In the largest campaign ever received by Ask EP, citizens wrote to the European Parliament to encourage Members to vote against including the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Over 59 000 citizens wrote on the issue. A resolution adopted in April 2024 by the European Parliament calls on the European Council (heads of state or government) to launch a procedure to include the right to safe and legal abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, altering the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is a complex process, which would need modification of the Treaties and subsequent ratification in all EU countries.

Back in early 2024, Parliament received almost 16 000 messages in German, from citizens concerned about a proposal to regulate the recognition of parenthood across EU countries. Citizens urged Members to vote against the European Commission’s proposal. In their messages, citizens claimed that the proposal interferes with the legislative powers of EU countries.

The third largest campaign of 2024 was on climate targets, with Ask EP receiving almost 6 000 messages. Citizens wrote calling on the European Union to set a strict EU 2040 climate target to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C and to phase out fossil fuels. On fossil fuels, the Parliament calls for an end to all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies, at national and EU level, as soon as possible. The European Parliament also supports a global target to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030, together with a swift halt to all new investment in fossil fuel extraction.

Parliament received several campaigns on the arrest of Captain Paul Watson, an anti-whaling activist, in Greenland. Around 1 250 citizens wrote to the President of the European Parliament, asking her to intervene with the Danish authorities to stop Captain Watson from being extradited to Japan. In December 2024, Paul Watson was released from detention in Greenland.

Over 2 500 citizens wrote to the European Parliament President about animal welfare and the use of cages. They supported prioritising the ‘End the Cage Age’ European citizens’ initiative in its legislative work. In a 2021 resolution, Parliament called on the European Commission to propose a law to phase out the use of cages on EU farms, with the aim of ending cage-farming by 2027, following up the ‘End the Cage Age’ European citizens’ initiative. Parliament also set up a committee of inquiry on protecting animals during transport. Following on from the committee of inquiry, in January 2022, Parliament then called on the Council of the EU and the Commission to strengthen the protection of animals during transport both within and outside the EU.

Are you curious about our answers to other campaign messages in 2024? You can find replies to campaigns on the EPRS blog. A selection of answers to questions frequently posed to the European Parliament can also be found on the blog.

If you wish, you can put your questions and/or comments to the Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (Ask EP), using our contact form, the Citizens’ app, or by post. We reply in the EU language that you use to write to us.

We look forward to your enquiries in 2025 and beyond!

Your Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (Ask EP)

Written by Isabelle Gaudeul-Ehrhart.

At the beginning of a new year and, from an institutional perspective, of a new mandate, what should we focus on and understand to navigate the coming months? Out of so many competing issues on Parliament’s agenda, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) selected 10 for closer examination.

The event was introduced by Jutta Schulze-Hollmen, Director at EPRS. She highlighted that if there is a tendency to consider every year as a special year, it is certainly not less the case in 2025. In these challenging times, she pointed to some notes of hope in the publication. Lasse Boehm, Head of the Economic Policies Unit, EPRS, moderated the event. He guided the audience through a 10-stage journey, starting with economic issues, zooming in on a few sectoral issues, and then zooming out again to look at the financial means to address the challenges, ending with the overarching issue of trust.

Martin Hoflmayr introduced the challenge of balancing scale with innovation for productivity. Liselotte Jensen explained what is as stake when it comes to setting the 2040 climate target. Marcin Szczepanski helped the audience understand what is behind the emerging concept of ‘European economic security’ – an issue complemented by Sebastian Clapp‘s talk on strengthening the European defence industry.

With the scene now set, the event focused on three sectoral policies: Maria Niestadt on helping the EU compete on artificial intelligence, Mathias Gullentops on European electric cars, and Costica Dumbrava on speeding up the return of irregular migrants.

The question of how to finance these challenges was addressed by Marianna Pari, who explored what it takes to shape the EU’s future finances. Alessandro D’Alfonso then discussed the need to strengthen capacity to invest in the future.

Naja Bentzen concluded the series of issues by addressing the all-important issue of trust.

After a time for audience questions and policy analysts’ answers and comments, Vice-President Victor Negrescu closed the event. He started by paying tribute to the work of EPRS policy analysts, pleased that such an event could give their back-stage work more visibility. Commenting on various issues from the publication, he concluded with thoughts on the growing need for democracy and on Europe’s potential to rise to the challenges.

The recording will be available soon.

Read the complete in-depth analysis on ‘Ten issues to watch in 2025‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.