Plenary round-up – November III 2024

Written by Clare Ferguson and Katarzyna Sochacka.

The highlight of the November III 2024 plenary session was the election of the European Commission, following the Commission President-elect’s presentation of the College of Commissioners and a debate in the chamber.

Members held debates on Commission statements on the outcomes of the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the COP29 climate change conference. Members also debated Commission and Council statements on reinforcing the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine; continued escalation in the Middle East; and the political and humanitarian situation in Mozambique.

Other debates on Commission statements addressed, inter alia, Bulgaria and Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area; prevention of the recruitment of minors for criminal acts; the need to adopt an ambitious international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution; the Commission’s Autumn 2024 economic forecast; venture capital financing and safe foreign direct investments in the EU; energy prices and fighting energy poverty; the gender pay gap; critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and hybrid threats in the Baltic Sea; foreign interference and espionage by third-country actors in European universities; condemning the unilateral declaration of independence of the secessionist entity in Cyprus and efforts to legitimise it, 41 years on; and the repression of freedom of speech in Algeria.

Members also posed questions to Commissioner Elisa Ferreira on challenges in the implementation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy.

Vote of investiture of the European Commission  

Following the confirmation hearings of Commissioners-designate earlier in November, and the decisions by committee coordinators in all cases of the suitability of the candidates for their proposed roles, the Conference of Presidents agreed to close the process and to hold the vote in plenary on the proposed College of Commissioners. Members therefore took the penultimate step in the investiture process for the second von der Leyen Commission on Wednesday, giving their consent to the appointment by 370 votes for, 282 against, and 36 abstentions. This allowed the European Council to formally appoint the new Commission the following day. The new Commission will therefore assume office on 1 December 2024, and serve until 31 October 2029.

Adoption of the European Union’s 2025 budget

Insisting on a people-centred approach to the 2025 budget, Parliament secured an additional €230 million in funding for key areas aimed at improving people’s lives during negotiations between the co-legislators. The Conciliation Committee reached a provisional agreement on 16 November 2024. Following the Council’s adoption of the agreed text, Parliament then adopted it during the plenary session, after which President Roberta Metsola signed the budget into law, with the 2025 EU budget to enter into force on 1 January 2025.

Outcome of the COP16 biodiversity conference

Members heard a Commission statement on the outcome the 16th Conference of parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), held in Cali, Colombia. Parliament has previously called for an ambitious global biodiversity framework, and the EU played a significant role at COP16, 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.

Smoke- and aerosol-free environments

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 held a debate on a proposed Council recommendation on the matter. 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.

Elimination of violence against women

The first day of the plenary week coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and Parliament opened the session with a statement on the 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.

Recent legislation targeting LGBTI persons

Members debated the rising trend of anti-LGBTI propaganda laws following a Commission statement. 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.

Convention on the Rights of the Child: 35th anniversary

Members heard and debated a Commission statement on strengthening children’s rights, marking 35 years of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Recent EU achievements on children’s rights include the Temporary Protection Directive; aiding Ukrainian children; enhanced measures against child sexual abuse and online risks; and the European Child Guarantee to combat child poverty.

Corrigenda

Following committee approval of corrigenda on six more legislative files voted in plenary before the end of last term, these were deemed approved after announcement in plenary, under Rule 251 of the Rules of Procedure.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Plenary round-up – November III 2024‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.