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The highlight of the first plenary session of 2026 was the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Spain and Portugal's accession to the European Union, marked with a formal sitting addressed by His Majesty Felipe VI, King of Spain, and His Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic of Portugal. Members debated with the European Council and European Commission on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 18 December 2025 and the geopolitical tensions currently facing Europe ...

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative body of the European Union, based in Brussels. It is composed of 329 members. Its opinions are required on the basis of a mandatory consultation in the fields established by the Treaties or a voluntary consultation by the Commission, the Council or Parliament. It may also issue opinions on its own initiative. Its members are not bound by any instructions. They must be completely independent in the performance of their duties, in ...

The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). To ensure that these values are respected, Article 7 TEU provides for an EU mechanism to determine the existence of, and possibly sanction, serious and persistent breaches of EU values by a Member State. The EU is further bound by ...

A number of stakeholders have warned that civic space in Europe is shrinking, with civil society organisations (CSOs) facing a growing range of threats, from attacks on their staff to smear and disinformation campaigns. Against this backdrop, the Commission proposes a strategy to protect CSOs, focusing on three main pillars: strengthening effective engagement with CSOs as partners in governance; supporting and protecting CSOs; and ensuring long-term, predictable and sufficient financing. The strategy ...

The need for effective communication has a legal basis in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter), which guarantees the right to be informed about EU issues for all citizens. The EU institutions have developed several tools and services to stay in contact with and inform the public. Since its formal launch in 2012, the European Citizens’ Initiative has allowed citizens to become more directly involved in new legislation and EU issues.

The European Committee of the Regions is made up of 329 members representing the regional and local authorities of the 27 Member States of the European Union. It issues opinions sought on the basis of mandatory (as required by the Treaties) and voluntary consultation and, where appropriate, own-initiative opinions. Its members are not bound by any mandatory instructions. They are independent in the performance of their duties, in the European Union’s general interest.

On 25 November 2021, the European Commission submitted a proposal to modify Directive 93/109/EC on the right of mobile European Union (EU) citizens – those residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals – to vote and stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament. Directive 93/109/EC gave EU citizens the same rights to vote and to be elected to the European Parliament as the citizens of the Member State in which they reside. However, Member States have varying rules on the ...

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) is in charge of auditing EU finances. As the EU’s external auditor, it contributes to improving EU financial management and acts as the independent guardian of EU citizens’ financial interests.

Portugal became a Member of the European Communities (EC) in January 1986, alongside Spain, in the third enlargement of the European Union. It has since played an active role in European integration. In its 40 years of membership, Portugal has experienced profound political, economic, and institutional changes. On 21 January 2026, Parliament marks the 40th anniversary of the country's accession to the EU, with an address by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, in plenary.

This year marks four decades since Spain and Portugal joined the European Union. For Spain, it represented the culmination of its democratic transition following General Franco's dictatorship, anchoring the country within the Western liberal democracies. It brought the consolidation of democracy, modernisation and unprecedented economic and social development. A ceremony in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 21 January, with an address to plenary by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain, celebrates ...