European Parliament Plenary Session – November III 2024
European Parliamentary Research Service
Facts. Analysis. Insight. Foresight. We (EPRS) are the in-house research service of the European Parliament.
Written by Clare Ferguson with Gemma Patterson.
For the third plenary session of this month (an extraordinary meeting took place on 19 November to mark 1 000 days of Russia’s war on Ukraine), Members’ agenda includes important debates on the election of the European Commission and next year’s EU budget.
Members are set to take the penultimate step in the investiture process for the second von der Leyen Commission on Wednesday morning. Following the confirmation hearings for Commissioners-designate, after discussions in Parliament’s Conference of Presidents on 20 November, the committees concluded their evaluations of the remaining candidates that evening. A further meeting of the Conference of Presidents early on Wednesday morning is set to clear the way for a key debate and vote later that day. Parliament’s consent would allow the European Council to formally appoint the new Commission by qualified majority, enabling it to assume office on 1 December 2024. If approved, the new European Commission will serve until 2029.
Parliament has insisted on a people-centred approach to the 2025 budget, which prioritises social, economic, and environmental goals. During negotiations, it secured over €230 million in additional funding for key areas. These increases include €50 million for humanitarian aid, €25 million for Horizon Europe and €10 million for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as funding for security-focused programmes such as Europol and border management. It has enhanced funding for research, health, and education, including an additional €180 million for research, using unspent funds. Following extensive negotiations, the Conciliation Committee (composed of a delegation of 27 Members of Parliament and 27 Member State representatives), reached a provisional agreement on 16 November 2024. Parliament plans to vote on the agreed text on Wednesday, after which President Metsola would then sign the budget into law, with the 2025 EU budget to enter into force on 1 January 2025.
The first day of this plenary week coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and Parliament plans to open the session with a statement on this issue. Violence against women remains widespread, with one in three women worldwide experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Parliament has called repeatedly for the EU to combat violence against women.
Members are expected to debate the rising trend of anti-LGBTI propaganda laws on Wednesday afternoon. The discussion follows Bulgaria’s controversial August 2024 amendments to its education law, prohibiting the promotion of ‘non-traditional sexual orientation’ in schools. Earlier anti-LGBTI laws in Hungary are now under review by the EU Court of Justice in a landmark case. Parliament has long opposed such measures, declaring the EU an LGBTIQ Freedom Zone in 2021. This debate underscores Parliament’s unwavering commitment to equality, tolerance, and a discrimination-free EU.
On Thursday morning, Members are due to hear a Commission statement on strengthening children’s rights, marking 35 years since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Recent EU achievements on children’s rights include the Temporary Protection Directive, aiding Ukrainian childre; enhanced measures against child sexual abuse and online risks; and the European Child Guarantee, to combat child poverty.
Aiming to better protect young people in particular against second-hand smoke and aerosols from new products such as heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, Members are set to debate a proposed Council Recommendation on Wednesday afternoon. The non-binding text would aim to create a Tobacco-Free Generation by 2040, where less than 5 % of the population uses tobacco. It recommends expanding smoke-free policies to outside areas in playgrounds, schools, hospitals, and public transport stops.
On Monday evening, Members are due to hear Commission statements on the outcomes of two important recent international meetings: the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro and the 16th conference of parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), held in Cali, Colombia. In a tense geopolitical environment, the G20 Summit adopted a declaration addressing the current conflicts, combating hunger and climate change, as well as reforming international institutions. At COP16, the EU played a significant role, highlighting its biodiversity strategy for 2030, committing €7 billion in external biodiversity funding, and launching €160 million in new initiatives to support global biodiversity efforts. Parliament has previously called for an ambitious global biodiversity framework.
Grazie Stefano!