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Economic security has become crucial for the EU. Both the Letta Report on the future of the single market and the Draghi Report on the future of European competitiveness emphasise the need to intensify efforts to secure the EU's supply of critical raw materials (CRM). Europe is vulnerable to both coercion and geo-economic fragmentation because of its high dependency on strategic raw materials from countries with which the EU is not strategically aligned. Diversifying imports of strategic raw materials ...

To keep up with the constant shifts in labour markets and societies caused by major developments such as globalisation and technological advances, people need to develop their knowledge, skills and competences continuously. A varied and future-oriented skill set unlocks opportunities for individuals, promotes inclusion, social mobility and civic participation, and supplies the economy with the workforce needed for growth and innovation, not least in the context of the green and digital transitions ...

Drawing attention to migrants' human rights and highlighting their contribution to society, International Migrants' Day is observed every year on 18 December. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 December 2000 in response to growing migration numbers around the world.

During its December 2024 plenary session, Parliament is expected to vote on a draft recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). The UNCSW's annual session, due to take place in March 2025 in New York, will evaluate progress made on implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted 30 years ago.

In response to recurring disasters, the European Commission is proposing exceptional measures to quickly mobilise structural funds for crisis relief and reconstruction, enabling Member States to re-programme up to €17.7 billion of the cohesion policy funds for disaster relief. The EU would be able to finance selected reconstruction work by up to 100 %, with 30 % pre-financing available for immediate liquidity. Parliament is due to vote on the proposal in December, after voting to apply the urgent ...

Ethical concerns, transparency and accountability are the main issues raised in the European Ombudsman's 2023 report, which also gives an overview of complaints and inquiries dealt with and other achievements. The Committee on Petitions (PETI) has discussed and approved the Ombudsman's report in its own report. Parliament is expected to vote on the PETI committee report during its December 2024 plenary session.

Under the EU's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), large social media platforms have pledged to take greater responsibility for curbing harmful and deceptive content. Despite this, information manipulation campaigns continue to unfold. On 6 December, Romania became the first EU country to cancel an election over foreign interference, following reports about information manipulation on TikTok. During the December 2024 plenary session, the Commission is due to make a statement on mis- and disinformation ...

The UNCITRAL Mauritius Convention aims to improve transparency in treaty-based investor-state arbitration. Parliament is due to vote on giving consent to the Council's conclusion of the Mauritius Convention on transparency, on behalf of the EU, which will also allow EU Member States to ratify on their own behalf.

In December, after a public hearing of the candidates in the Committee on Petitions (PETI), the European Parliament is set to elect the European Ombudsman for the new parliamentary term. Six candidates are running: Teresa Anjinho (Portugal), a former Deputy Portuguese Ombudsman; Emilio De Capitani (Italy), a former European Parliament official; Marino Fardelli (Italy), Ombudsman of the Lazio region; Julia Laffranque (Estonia), a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights; Claudia Mahler ( ...

Provision of clean drinking water, a vital resource and a public good, is considered a matter of public health. Many Europeans already have access to clean and safe drinking water at an affordable price. However, emerging issues such as water scarcity, droughts and the presence of chemical substances or microplastics in water are crystallising societal and environmental concerns. The European Commission is due to make a statement on the right to clean drinking water in the EU during the Parliament's ...