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National parliaments' active participation in EU affairs and enhanced scrutiny of their national governments are instrumental in ensuring the democratic accountability and legitimacy of the EU institutional system. However, despite the inclusion of national parliaments in the text of the Treaties, their ability to impact EU affairs remains generally limited. Nevertheless, national parliaments are willing to play a more active role in EU affairs by being more closely involved in the substance of EU ...

This document provides an overview of public hearings and exchange of views with the Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) in the ECON Committee since July 2019. It also provides an overview of all external papers requested by the ECON Committee by a standing panel of banking experts. Lastly, the annex contains an overview of the respective legal bases for these hearings as part of the accountability framework of the SRB. For an overview of public hearings during the 8th parliamentary term, ...

During the September plenary session, Members heard the annual State of the Union speech from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Other highlights included exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's address to a formal sitting of Parliament. Members debated disaster resilience in the EU, the EU-Tunisia memorandum of understanding, combating the normalisation of extremist discourse, a relief package for smaller businesses, and violence and discrimination ...

In May 2023, the Council of the EU confirmed that the next elections to the European Parliament – the tenth since the first direct elections in 1979 – will take place from 6 to 9 June 2024. Ahead of Election Day, candidates and political parties will carry out electoral activities throughout the European Union (EU) to explain their political programmes and vision for the future of the EU to the electorate. In the same context, debates will take place on national platforms and media. Currently, election ...

The practice of European Commission presidents to deliver, each year in September, an EU State of the Union address, during a plenary session of the European Parliament, dates back to 2010. The address takes stock of the achievements of the past year and presents priorities for the year ahead. It is an important tool when it comes to the Commission's ex-ante accountability vis-à-vis Parliament and is also aimed at rendering the definition of priorities at EU level more transparent and at communicating ...

This EPRS paper analyses progress made in carrying through the policy agenda set by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and her College of Commissioners when they took office in December 2019. It looks in particular at the state of play with respect to delivery of the agenda's six key priorities, as we enter the final months running up to the 2024 European elections. The von der Leyen Commission – either on taking office or more recently – has announced a total of 610 planned ...

National provisions regarding the right to vote of citizens living abroad are far from being uniform in Europe. However, developments in legislation seem to underline a favourable trend with regard to out-of-country voting in most European Union (EU) Member States. Concerning voting from abroad, countries need to carefully assess and address several issues. These include: the identification of potential voters; how to inform them about their right to vote and stand as a candidate from abroad; the ...

During the July 2023 plenary session, Members will vote on the own-initiative report of the ING2 special committee laying down recommendations to strengthen Parliament's rules on transparency, integrity, accountability and countering corruption, in the context of protecting it from foreign interference.

This paper provides and overview of the role of the European Parliament in scrutinising the application and implementation of the EU economic governance framework, notably by holding Economic Dialogues with the EU executive institutions and, when applicable, with Member States’ governments. We also assess the envisaged role for EU parliaments in the European Commission’s economic governance reform proposals, notably as regards transparency and parliamentary involvement at EU and national level.

This briefing paper provides an overview of the role and mandate of the Eurogroup and the role and accountability of its President, including the procedures for his/her appointment. In addition, this note refers to the debate around the transparency of Eurogroup proceedings. The paper is an update of a previous version and will be updated in light of relevant developments.