This briefing provides an assessment of the ECB Annual Report 2025 and the ECB’s feedback statement responding to the issues raised and requests made by the European Parliament in its resolution on the “European Central Bank – annual report 2025”, which relates to the ECB Annual Report for the previous year. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This paper evaluates technical aspects of the Directives on periodic roadworthiness testing (2014/45/EU) and roadside inspection of commercial vehicles (2014/47/EU). Key findings focus on harmonising minimum content for Periodic Technical Inspection and Roadside Inspection requirements across Member States and establishing a cross-border data-exchange platform for registration, driver licence and inspection data. For remote sensing, comparative campaigns across Member States are recommended, noting its benefits while zero-emission vehicle uptake remains low. This document was provided by Policy Department B at the request of the TRAN Committee. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

According to Directive 2008/115/EC, third-country nationals staying illegally on the territory of a European Union (EU) Member State should, as a general rule, be issued a return decision obliging them to leave the EU. However, available data suggest that, among those who receive such a decision, only about a quarter actually leave the EU. The limited effectiveness of the return policy is due to several challenges that the EU and Member States face when carrying out return procedures, including difficulties related to implementation at national level. To increase the effectiveness of the EU return policy, the European Commission announced in its 2025 work programme that it would develop a new common approach to returns, including a new legislative proposal on the subject. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

European Union countries will be able to set up return hubs in third countries once the return regulation enters into force. These facilities in non-EU countries would be used to host irregular migrants who do not have the right to remain in the EU. The EU has been trying for decades to get more irregular migrants to leave. They would have to conclude an agreement with a third country that is safe and recognises human rights. The examples of non-EU countries that have done something similar suggest this could prove expensive and involve only small numbers of migrants. The plans have been criticised by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who worry how the human rights of the migrants involved will be affected. There are likely to be many legal challenges. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) commits the European Union and its Member States to eliminating inequalities and promoting the principle of equality between women and men in all their actions. As set out in the EU gender equality strategy 2026-2030, achieving gender equality in the European Union is a joint responsibility, requiring action by all EU institutions, Member States and EU agencies, in partnership with civil society and women's organisations, social partners and the private sector. Since 2003, when the European Parliament formally launched gender mainstreaming activities within the institution, the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM Committee) has been regularly preparing monitoring reports on the state of gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament. The subsequent resolutions, adopted in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2019 and 2022, are part of a sustained series of activities implemented over the past two decades to support and intensify gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament. This effort was significantly reinforced by the adoption of a gender action plan and a roadmap for its implementation in July 2020 and April 2021 respectively, and their renewal in October 2025 and April 2026. This study, which updates a previous edition of September 2021, examines the current state of play of gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament in support of the forthcoming own-initiative report on gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament, to be drawn up by the FEMM committee. It provides an updated overview of the concept of gender mainstreaming and the tools available to implement it; analyses Parliament's current gender mainstreaming policy, with particular focus on the 2022 resolution on the issue, Parliament's 2020 and 2025 gender action plans and their accompanying roadmaps, as well as committee gender action plans; and examines gender mainstreaming both in European Parliament policymaking and in terms of representation, institutional culture and working environment within the institution. It further reviews gender mainstreaming practices in other EU institutions and national parliaments to place the European Parliament's efforts in a broader comparative context. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

A review of institutional aspects of budgetary control which describes the roles of the main actors and the changes introduced by the Treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This study, prepared for the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Transport, Employment and Social Affairs and commissioned by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), describes support for large families and single parents across the European Union. It analyses the vulnerability of these households and provides recommendations to improve support at both EU and Member State level. Attention is paid to the implementation of large family cards across EU Member States, and the feasibility of a European large family card.      Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Amidst increasing political pressure to adopt a stricter approach to migration, certain EU Member States have begun calling for reform of the protections available to migrants under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The calls have centred around Article 3 and Article 8 of the ECHR.Article 3 prohibits torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. It blocks states from deporting individuals to places where they would be at risk of such treatment. It is absolute and cannot be restricted in any circumstances. Article 8 protects the right to respect for private and family life. It is a qualified right, meaning that it can be subject to limitations: it must be in accordance with the law, in pursuit of a legitimate aim and proportionate to the aim pursued.Calls for reform have intensified since June 2025, culminating in the Council of Europe's adoption of a political declaration on migration and the ECHR on 15 May 2026 in Chișinău, Moldova. While the declaration has no binding legal effect and does not amend the ECHR or any other legal instrument, it carries significant political weight and may influence the approach taken by both the ECtHR and national authorities when applying the ECHR in the future. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The IA underpins the revision of ENISA's mandate to adapt it to the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape and the main stakeholder needs. It also supports: the revision of the ECCF to expand and clarify its scope and improve its governance and procedures; targeted amendments to the NIS2 Directive to facilitate and align compliance across the internal market; the filling of regulatory gaps by setting up an EU-level framework to enhance ICT supply chain security against non-technical risks. The IA effectively substantiates the need for a revision of the Cybersecurity Act. It presents a well-evidenced problem definition and identifies the initiative's general and specific objectives, which broadly meet the S.M.A.R.T. criteria (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound), though not fully, and it does not include operational objectives. The IA provides a well-structured intervention logic linking the specific objectives with the identified problems, drivers, proposed policy options and key measures. The need for EU action is sufficiently justified, but, despite the initiative's political significance, the IA is not supported by a subsidiarity grid, and it does include a distinct section on proportionality. The IA considers four areas of intervention, each with a set of three policy options considered in view of the specific objectives. Each policy option consists of a set of key measures linked to the identified problems, their underlying drivers, and the specific objectives. However, the design and description of options and the choice of the preferred package raise some questions, which are presented in the dedicated section of this analysis. The IA considers, qualitatively and quantitatively, economic, social, and environmental impacts, although it analyses economic impacts more than the others. The analysis includes an SME test to examine the initiative's direct and indirect impacts on SMEs, and the IA addresses impacts on competitiveness systematically. Overall, the IA presents its key methodological considerations and is transparent about the evidence and analytical methods used, including limitations and underlying assumptions. The feedback from stakeholder consultation activities could have been given more consideration in the IA, particularly regarding the available policy options and their potential impacts. The IA presents a non-exhaustive list of monitoring indicators linked to each specific objective and suggests carrying out an evaluation to assess the initiative's effectiveness. The Regulatory Scrutiny Board issued a positive opinion with reservations on the draft IA after initially issuing a negative opinion due to serious shortcomings. The Board's recommendations have largely been addressed in the final IA, with some issues remaining. Finally, it appears that both proposals are mostly in line with the preferred option of the IA, with a couple of issues remaining. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

During the June 2026 plenary session, the European Parliament is due to vote on an own-initiative resolution on the European Commission's 2025 report on North Macedonia. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) report, adopted on 3 June, recalls its full support for the country's EU integration and reiterates the European Council's call from its 2024 conclusions on North Macedonia to accelerate the completion of the constitutional changes needed to open the first negotiating cluster as soon as possible, in line with the negotiating framework. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Students and young people in training across the EU are seriously affected by the housing crisis, facing high housing costs, shortages, and insecurity to varying degrees across Member States. This negatively affects students’ wellbeing, educational outcomes, and even regional competitiveness. Building on the Commission’s European Affordable Housing Plan (EAHP), this study proposes six policy actions focused on increasing dedicated student housing, integrating student housing into broader policy strategies, and investing in innovation, research, and knowledge exchange. This document was prepared at the request of the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union (HOUS). Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This fact sheet explains how EU regulations on maritime transport focus on the application of the principle of free movement of services and proper enforcement of competition rules, while at the same time ensuring high safety levels and good working conditions and environmental standards. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This fact sheet outlines how the European Union adapted its founding Treaties to reflect environmental concerns and help tackle the complex challenges of climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and the use of natural resources. The four principles underlying EU environmental policy are introduced and the most significant aspects of the policy framework are presented. The fact sheet concludes by addressing the role of the European Parliament in shaping environmental laws and policies. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This fact sheet explains EU passenger rights – the common rules that protect travellers by air, rail, ship, bus and coach across the EU. It covers the core rights (information, assistance, compensation and equal access for passengers with reduced mobility) for each mode of transport. It describes ongoing legislative developments, including proposals on multimodal journeys and enforcement, and outlines Parliament’s role in shaping and strengthening these protections. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This fact sheet explains the EU’s energy efficiency policy, including its legal framework, primary targets and most important laws. The policy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy bills and improve energy security while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. The fact sheet highlights the European Parliament’s role in shaping this policy. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This fact sheet outlines the right to petition in the EU, including its legal basis, objectives, eligibility criteria and procedures. It explains how petitions are submitted and examined, the role of the European Parliament and its Committee on Petitions in handling them, and the main follow-up actions available. It also highlights the importance of petitions as a tool for participatory democracy and for monitoring the application of EU law. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This at a glance paper, prepared ahead of the Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President on Monday 22 June 2026, compares three recent external papers commissioned by the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs exploring the main features of the current energy shock and its implications for euro area inflation and ECB’s monetary policy. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The inflation surge of 2022–2023, and the risk of recurrence following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East in early 2026, raises fundamental questions about the appropriate monetary policy response to supply-driven inflation. We examine the anatomy of both inflationary episodes, the challenges in distinguishing between supply and demand shocks in real time, the adequacy of the ECB's response to the 2022–2023 energy crisis, and the lessons that can be drawn for responding to the current inflationary pressures. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

In absolute figures, Italy's national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) is the largest national plan under the Next Generation EU (NGEU) instrument. It is endowed with EU resources worth €71.8 billion in grants and €122.6 billion in loans, jointly representing 26.1 % of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), or 10.8 % of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 (the RRF being 5.2 % of EU 27 GDP in 2019). Launched in 2021, the plan underwent seven revisions, of which the second in December 2023 added an energy-focused REPowerEU chapter and the latest was adopted in March 2026. The €194.4 billion allocation finances a vast programme of reforms and investment that aims to promote economic recovery, while addressing several structural weaknesses and pursuing major objectives such as the green and digital transitions. Italy has so far received 85.4 % of the resources (€166 billion in pre-financing and nine payments for both grants and loans); this is above the EU average (73.8 %). The payments were linked to the achievement of 72 % of all the milestones and targets in the plan (the EU average is 58 %). Aimed at streamlining and simplifying the plan, the latest two revisions of November 2025 and March 2026 have introduced many changes to measures included in the ninth and the tenth instalments, such as removing 10 measures that cannot be completed by the August 2026 deadline, introducing 10 new measures, scaling up seven existing measures, increasing the use of financial instruments (through which almost €24 billion will now be channelled), and modifying the distribution of milestones and targets. As a result of the changes, the NRRP contribution to the green transition has decreased to 37.1 %, while the expenditure linked to the digital target has been strengthened, reaching 26.5 % of the plan excluding the REPowerEU chapter. On 4 June 2026, Italy announced the request for a further technical revision concerning 90 measures and shifting resources worth €2.1 billion. By 28 February 2026, Italy had spent 58.4 % of the EU resources of its NRRP (€113.5 billion). A major advocate of creating a common EU recovery instrument, the European Parliament participates in interinstitutional forums for cooperation and discussion on its implementation and scrutinises the European Commission's work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Ninth edition. The 'NGEU delivery' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

On 5 March 2026, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the proposal for a regulation on strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain. The regulation aims to make written contracts a general rule, reinforce the bargaining power of producer organisations, simplify their recognition, and establish an incentive framework for voluntary schemes and social sustainability initiatives. During the June 2026 plenary session, Parliament is due to vote on the agreed text. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Georgia applied to join the EU in March 2022 and received candidate status on 14 December 2023, under certain conditions. Since then, democratic backsliding under the ruling Georgian Dream party has stalled Georgia's EU accession process. Following the contested parliamentary elections in October 2024, the country plunged into a deep political crisis. Parliament's AFET committee adopted its report on the 2025 Commission enlargement report on Georgia on 5 May 2026. The report is scheduled for a plenary vote in June. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

During the June plenary session, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the provisional agreement reached with the Council on the European Commission's proposal on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques. The proposal aims to align existing EU legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with new scientific developments. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

During the June 2026 plenary session, the European Parliament is due to vote on an own-initiative resolution on the European Commission's 2025 report on Montenegro. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) report on Montenegro, adopted on 4 May, encourages all Montenegrin political actors to maintain the momentum towards successfully concluding the accession negotiations, and underlines the need for political stability and constructive cross-party cooperation in this regard. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

During the June 2026 plenary session, the European Parliament is due to vote on an own-initiative resolution on the European Commission's 2025 report on Türkiye. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) report regrets that, despite the Turkish government's repeated statements recommitting to the EU membership goal, persistent and serious concerns raised in its previous reports regarding shortcomings affecting the accession process remain unaddressed. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

On 7 April 2026, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on the European Union Space Services Agency. The proposal aims to provide the current European Union Agency for the Space Programme, established in 2004, with a specific legal basis, to ensure the continuity of operations beyond the current (2021-2027) EU multiannual financial framework. It includes proposed provisions on the agency's governance and tasks in relation to the operation of EU space infrastructure and services. Nevertheless, these proposed tasks are not exhaustive, and could be complemented by a set of additional tasks as included in the proposal for a regulation on an EU space act, currently under examination. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This digest provides a collection of documents prepared by the academia, think tanks, other EU institutions and bodies, as well as stakeholders that can be useful for Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets to stay informed about the debate concerning the next Multiannual Financial Framework, starting in 2028. The document is produced monthly by the Budgetary Support Unit of DG BUDG and the European Parliamentary Research Service. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This briefing is intended to provide background information for the public hearing organised by BUDG on ‘NRPPs and lessons from the RRF delivery model: long-term EU resilience and social cohesion in the context of demographic challenges’. The structure of the briefing mirrors the three distinct thematic panels of the hearing: conditionalities and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF): lessons for the NRPP delivery model; flexibility versus predictability: how to guarantee long-term investments with the new flexibility; demographic challenges as an example of the need for predictability. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

While the retail digital euro project receives much political attention, the parallel process to develop a wholesale digital euro for use among financial market participants should not be overlooked. This briefing outlines and explains the European Central Bank’s projects Pontes and Appia and discusses their utility and potential for strengthening EU financial market integration. Pontes aims at establishing an interface between central bank money and tradable assets in the form of digital tokens. Appia is a more long-term project exploring the overall ecosystem and governance around such tokenised assets. Our briefing concludes that Pontes and Appia are a necessary condition for the EU to benefit from the promises of this technology, which can help addressing the inefficiencies of fragmented market infrastructures and thus support the Savings and Investment Union. By themselves, however, these projects might not be sufficient to overcome national silos. Doing so is likely to require harmonisation efforts at the level of securities and company laws. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The Commission has included two legislative initiatives in its 2026 work programme, both aimed at reviving EU competitiveness through innovation: the EU innovation act and the EU research act. While the first initiative is expected to enhance the framework conditions for the creation and scale-up of innovation, the second would focus on encouraging further public and private investment in research and innovation. Given their complementarity in the same policy domain of EU research and innovation, this briefing provides a combined analysis of their expected objectives and provisions, as well as the relevant positions expressed by the other EU institutions and stakeholders. These initiatives would address several key challenges to enhance Europe’s competitiveness. These include: - Strengthening investment in research and innovation across the public and private sectors to match the target of an annual volume of investment in R&D equivalent to 3 % of GDP; - Facilitating access to finance for innovative companies, including small and medium-sized businesses; - Pooling the research and innovation agenda across Member States, harnessing the relevant EU programmes Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund; - Improving the framework conditions for the diffusion of innovation across the single market, including through the development of regulatory schemes supporting the testing of innovative solutions (regulatory sandboxes). Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This study examines the historical evolution of the Erasmus+ programme and assesses the legislative proposal currently discussed for the 2028–2034 programme period. It identifies structural challenges related to linking broader ambitions to budgetary realities; balancing flexibility with governance and oversight in Erasmus+; the adequacy of support; inclusion and unequal access; and administrative complexity. The study also evaluates whether the proposed changes correspond to the problems identified in programme evaluations and studies. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

In recent years, concerns over the impact of social media on minors have increased, prompting governments around the world, including in several EU Member States, to consider restricting children's access to social media. In March 2026, UNICEF reported that nearly 40 countries worldwide are discussing, proposing, adopting or implementing age-based restrictions. This marks a clear acceleration compared with previous years, when only a few countries were considering such measures. Early implementation, notably in Australia, suggests that these restrictions are not yet very effective. Although social media platforms have removed and deactivated millions of accounts belonging to users under 16, many children continue to access social media. Many experts caution that various age assurance technologies remain imperfect. Some methods may infringe privacy or wrongly exclude certain people, while others are ineffective when borrowed or bought accounts or various techniques are used to alter children's appearance. Within the EU, the proliferation of national initiatives restricting children's access to social media also raises the risk of regulatory fragmentation across Member States. National rules vary in terms of the minimum age proposed, terminology used and the scope of restrictions imposed. At the same time, the feasibility of national restrictions is constrained by the existing EU legal framework. Member States must act in compliance with EU law, including legislation on digital services and data protection, as well as fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and access to information. To avoid fragmentation of laws across the EU, several Member States and the European Parliament have called for the exploration of a common EU approach, including the introduction of an EU-wide minimum age for social media, or a broader digital majority age. The European Commission has launched a special panel on child safety online to advise it on this issue. It is also advancing work on a harmonised age verification framework. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This fact sheet explains how EU directives and regulations have progressively strengthened maritime transport safety standards, largely through the three legislative packages introduced in response to the Erika and Prestige oil tanker disasters. It lays out the objectives and achievements of EU maritime safety policy and the European Parliament’s role in shaping it. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Interinstitutional agreements (IIAs) have existed in various forms since the beginning of EU integration. Only with the Lisbon Treaty, however, did they become formally recognised as potentially legally binding instruments. IIAs' main role has been to facilitate cooperation among the EU's three main political institutions: the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union. Some scholars regard them as essential for interinstitutional cooperation, while others criticise them for frequently exceeding the institutions' enumerated powers and violating institutional balance. A specific category of IIAs, framework agreements, has governed relations between Parliament and the Commission since 2010. The most recent iteration of the framework agreement, updated in 2026, reflects post-Lisbon institutional developments, parliamentary reforms and increasing demands for transparency, accountability, and parliamentary scrutiny of the Commission. It reinforces the European Parliament's position vis-à-vis the Commission and further operationalises the principles of institutional balance and sincere cooperation under Article 13(2) TEU. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The IA underpins the proposed legislation that aims to strengthen EU manufacturing and strategic autonomy while ensuring decarbonisation, by boosting demand for low-carbon and EU made products and net zero technologies, promoting foreign investment and simplifying permitting procedures. It provides three policy option packages linked to specific objectives, and explains the need for EU action. However, the IA does not properly set out the reasoning for all the objectives chosen. The policy measures could have been presented in a clearer way, with an explanation of the cumulative effect of combining them. The IA assesses economic impacts in detail but lacks an in-depth analysis of the social and environmental impacts or the implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Stakeholders' views on measures are integrated throughout the IA, and the consultation activities are adequately described. The IA offers both qualitative and quantitative analysis, but on several occasions the sources are partial or even questionable. Most Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) recommendations have been taken on board, improving the quality of the IA. The Commission's legislative proposal differs from the preferred policy option, which is clarified in the explanatory memorandum. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP