Plenary Insights – February 2026 

Selection of Eurobarometer data in relation to the key topics of the plenary session:

• Revive EU competitiveness and reduce cost of living: Increasing the EU’s competitiveness and tackling inflation and high prices are top priorities for EU citizens according to the latest EP Eurobarometer survey. To strengthen its position in the world, the EU should focus primarily on defence and security (40%), competitiveness, economy and industry (32%), and energy independence (29%), according to citizens. Domestically, rising prices and the cost of living (41%) are the most important priority that Europeans want the European Parliament to address. The economy and job creation follow closely (35%).
• New EU anti-poverty strategy: 28% of citizens want the European Parliament to address the issue of poverty and social exclusion as a priority. (EP Autumn 2025 Eurobarometer survey) While over half of Europeans (54%) believe that there will be a more social Europe in 2030, this figure has declined by eight percentage points in the past five (Eurobarometer survey on Social Europe)
• Framework for achieving climate neutrality: Overall, 81% of Europeans support the EU's climate neutrality goal. (Eurobarometer survey on Climate Change) Environment and climate change are cited by over a quarter of respondents (26%) as a priority for action by the European Parliament, which is an increase of five percentage points since May 2025. (EP Autumn 2025 Eurobarometer Survey)
• Extreme weather events in the EU: As the Eurobarometer survey on Disaster risk awareness and preparedness of the EU population shows, extreme weather events are perceived to be the highest risk for their country by 50% of the people in the EU, followed by floods (44%). Wildfires and forest fires are in sixth position with 31%. In the European Union, 85% of citizens say they trust their national emergency services and authorities to handle disasters or emergency situations properly.
• Action Plan against cyberbullying: Around two-thirds of Europeans (68%) say that they are highly worried about hate speech online and offline, with an additional 19% reporting moderate worry. (EP Autumn 2025 Eurobarometer Survey)