The first laureates of the European Order of Merit were honoured for their significant contribution to EU integration and values in a ceremony at the European Parliament. 13 of the inaugural 20 European Order of Merit laureates attended the ceremony in Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg and addressed the Chamber, following their receipt of the distinction from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Members of the Order’s selection committee were present, as was the deputy minister for European affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna, on behalf of the EU Council Presidency. “Europe was not handed to us. It was built treaty by treaty, crisis by crisis and by people who chose solidarity over division and cooperation over self-interest. With the European Order of Merit, we honour those who, across every walk of life, choose to build Europe – those who led when it was difficult and kept our Union moving forward. Because Europe endures only as long as each generation chooses to defend it”, President Metsola said at the opening of the ceremony.

Angela Merkel, former Federal Chancellor of Germany, and Lech Wałęsa, former leader of Solidarność and former President of Poland, admitted as distinguished members of the Order, were present in Strasbourg.

European Order of Merit

In July 2024&nbsp; MEPs re-elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) as President of the European Parliament until 2027, with 562 votes in the first round. Roberta Metsola won the election in the first round of voting, where she received an absolute majority of 562 votes cast out of 699 by secret paper ballot, among two candidates. She will continue to lead Parliament for the first two and a half years of the 10th legislative term.

Born in Malta in 1979, Roberta Metsola has been an MEP since 2013.&nbsp;She was elected First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament’s acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022. On 18 January 2022,&nbsp;she was elected President&nbsp;for the second half of the 9th legislative term. She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after&nbsp;Simone Veil&nbsp;(1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999-2002).

Addressing the House after she was elected, President Metsola said: “Together, we must stand up for the politics of hope, for the dream that is Europe. I want people to recapture a sense of belief and enthusiasm for our project. A belief to make our shared space safer, fairer, more just and more equal. A belief that together we are stronger and we are better. A belief that ours is a Europe for all.”

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament 2024-2027

Situation in the Middle East remain complex. On Iran, the EU is advocating de-escalation, while considering a revision of the mandate of its naval&nbsp;operation Aspides&nbsp;to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Regarding Israel, EU ministers agreed on Monday 11 May to impose&nbsp;sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The EU is also working&nbsp;to advance the normalisation of relations with Syria&nbsp;and to support Syria’s transitional authorities in their political reform and reconstruction efforts.

The European Parliament debated in April recent US-Israel military operation targeting the Iranian regime, examining its geopolitical and humanitarian consequences. The discussion focused&nbsp;on the impact of these actions on regional stability and the situation of the Iranian people, as well as the European Union’s role in addressing the crisis and supporting those affected by the escalating tensions in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Situation in the Middle East

&nbsp;MEPs adopted their position on two proposals implementing the tariff aspects of the EU-US Turnberry trade deal.

The texts, if agreed with EU member states, will eliminate most tariffs on US industrial goods and provide preferential market access for a wide range of US seafood and agricultural goods, in line with the commitments made in summer 2025 between the EU and the US.

MEPs strengthened the proposed suspension clause, which would allow the tariff preferences with the US to be suspended under a number of conditions. For instance, the Commission would be able to propose suspending all or some trade preferences if the US were to impose additional tariffs exceeding the agreed 15% ceiling, or any new duties on EU goods. The suspension clause could also be activated if the US, for example, undermined the objectives of the deal, discriminated against EU economic operators, threatened member states’ territorial integrity, foreign and defence policies, or engaged in economic coercion.

MEPs have introduced a “sunrise clause” that would mean that the new tariffs would only become effective if the US respects its commitments. These conditions include the US lowering its tariffs on EU products with a steel and aluminium content below 50%, to a tariff of maximum 15%.

On 27 July 2025,&nbsp;European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen&nbsp;and&nbsp;US President Donald J. Trump&nbsp;agreed a&nbsp;deal on tariffs and trade.&nbsp;The&nbsp;key commitments&nbsp;of both sides include: establishing a single, all-inclusive US tariff ceiling of 15% for EU goods, providing special treatment for strategic products, liberalising certain trade&nbsp;sectors, aimed at strengthening transatlantic economic cooperation and boosting mutual market access.

EU - United States of America (T)

presidential elections in the United States (T)

BIDEN, Joe

9th parliamentary term

EU - USA

On May 9th, the European Parliament Open Days in Brussels offered free access to buildings, featuring guided hemicycle tours, multilingual workshops, political group meet-and-greets, and family-friendly activities to explore democracy, EU legislation, and European culture. Europe Day was also organised on17 th May in Strasbourg.

Europe days 2026

Have a look at stockshots (from 2021 onwards) with illustrative pre-edited broadcast quality video footage. These editable stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), produced to illustrate priority EU dossiers and parliamentary work. They are intended to help audiovisual media produce their own programs, for example, editing of news reports or documentaries.

Stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), pre-edited videos

Infoclips (T)

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

Montenegro is one of the Western Balkan countries.

In 2008, Montenegro applied for EU membership, and accession negotiations began in 2012. Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiation chapters, three of which have been provisionally closed. Public opinion surveys show that 75 % of the population support the country’s accession to the European Union.

EU - Montenegro

MEPs elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) on January 2022 as President of the European Parliament until 2024.

Roberta Metsola won the election in the first voting round, where she received an absolute majority of 458 votes out of 690 cast in the remote secret vote, among three candidates.&nbsp;

President Metsola is leading the Parliament in the second half of the current legislative term, until a new Parliament is constituted following the 2024 European Elections.

Born in Malta in 1979,&nbsp; Roberta Metsola who has been an MEP since 2013, is the youngest EP President ever elected. She became First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament’s acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022.

She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999- 2002).

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament 2022-2024

Candidate countries include Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are considered potential candidates.

In order to apply for EU membership a country has to be European and respect the EU’s democratic values. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to take on and carry out the obligations of EU membership.

EU Enlargement - Western Balkans (2019-2020)

The EU has developed a policy to support the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries with the Union. The EU aims to promote peace, stability and economic development in the region&nbsp;and open up the prospect of EU integration.

In order to apply for EU membership a country has to be European and respect the EU’s democratic values. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to take on and carry out the obligations of EU membership.

Parliament is fully involved in the Stabilisation and Association Process &nbsp;and must also consent to any new accession to the EU. In addition, through its budgetary powers, it has direct influence over the amounts allocated to the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs appoints standing rapporteurs for all candidate and potential candidate countries. Parliament expresses its positions on enlargement in the form of annual resolutions responding to the Commission’s latest annual country reports.

On 1&nbsp;July&nbsp;2013, Croatia became the first of the seven countries to join, and Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania are official candidates. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro and Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

EU Enlargement - Western Balkans

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on the week from 27th to 31st january 2025. During the meetings, each committee and subcommittee will elect its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate.

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