September Plenary session

Welcome to the European Parliament’s plenary newsletter. Each month, we bring you a round-up of the top stories from the last plenary session. The most recent one took place last week in Strasbourg from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 September. 

Kicking off the week, the European Parliament heard from Mario Draghi, former president of the European Central Bank, as he presented the report he had authored on Europe’s competitiveness and innovation. 

Meanwhile, on the margins of the session, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented her proposed new college of Commissioners. The presentation of the 26-member team means that Parliament can soon begin the hearings process with each candidate. 

Members discussed extreme weather conditions in light of the recent devastating floods across Central and Eastern Europe and called for measures to increase the EU’s crisis preparedness such as a European Climate Adaptation Plan. 

And finally, Parliament backed resolutions on key issues such as increasing EU support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia and calling for an end to the political turmoil in Venezuela. 

These are just a few of the top stories from last week’s plenary. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp, X, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat and Flickr as well as here on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest news from the European Parliament. 

Read on to find out more ↓ 

Draghi to MEPs: “Europe faces a choice between exit, paralysis, or integration”

On Tuesday, Mario Draghi outlined a blueprint for improving Europe’s competitiveness through closer cooperation in core areas and massive investment in shared objectives.

Mr Draghi, author of the report requested by the Commission President, said that the EU needs to focus on three crucial issues: 

1. Closing the innovation gap with the US and China.  
2. Developing a joint plan to link the goal of decarbonisation with increased competitiveness. 
3. Boosting Europe’s security and reducing its dependence on foreign economic powers. 

Maintaining the European way of life will rely on improving competitiveness, however improving competitiveness will require closer cooperation and integration between Europe’s nations, said Mr Draghi. 

A fit-for-purpose competitiveness agenda would require annual funding of between €750 - €800 billion for projects with previously agreed upon EU objectives.

Some of this money could come from private sources, but some would also need to be secured through public investment, including by new common debt issued specifically to fund key joint projects, Mr Draghi said. 

In a debate following Mr Draghi’s address, many MEPs agreed with his analysis that the EU economy must urgently change course.

Draghi to MEPs: “Europe faces a choice between exit, paralysis, or integration” (press release)

Full report of Mario Draghi on the future of European competitiveness (report)

Address by Mario DRAGHI, Special Advisor to Ursula von der Leyen, EC President, introduced by Roberta METSOLA, EP President (video)

Presentation of the new college of European Commissioners 

Leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups held an exchange of views with the President-elect of the Commission on her outline for the new College of Commissioners on Tuesday.

At the invitation of Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen discussed the structure and portfolios of the proposed new College of Commissioners with political group leaders.

The presentation of the new College of Commissioners paves the way for the start of the confirmation hearing process, once Parliament receives all the necessary documentation.

As part of the wider reform of Parliament's internal working methods approved in April 2024, the current Rules of Procedures, in force as of July 2024, foresee a strengthened role for the Parliament in the process of establishment of the new College of Commissioners to make it more transparent.

This will also allow Parliament to simplify and speed up the allocation of responsibilities for committees in the context of the confirmation hearings by clarifying their role.

Rule 129 of the EP Rules of Procedure on election of the Commission (document)

New College of Commissioners (poster)

Future Commission discussed by EP leaders (press release)

Parliament reacts to recent extreme weather events in Europe

Parliament calls for sufficient and upgraded funding to increase preparedness and improve capacity building, with a particular view to the next multi-annual EU budget. 

In a resolution on the devastating floods in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, approved on Thursday by a show of hands, members of Parliament expressed dissatisfaction with recent budget cuts to the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism.  

In the long-term, the resolution calls for more EU investment in regional and local resilience and demands the future EU cohesion policy focus even more on climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

In the past 30 years alone, floods in Europe have affected 5.5 million people, taking almost 3,000 lives and causing more than €170 billion in economic damage. The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record globally and in Europe.

European Parliament resolution of 19 September 2024 on the devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change (2024/2817(RSP)) (resolution)

Parliament reacts to recent extreme weather events in Europe (press release)

MEPs: Ukraine must be able to strike legitimate military targets in Russia

In a resolution, MEPs want EU countries to lift current restrictions hindering Ukraine from using Western weapons systems against legitimate military targets in Russia.

The text, adopted on Thursday 19 September with 425 votes in favour, 131 against and 63 abstentions, states that without lifting current restrictions, Ukraine cannot fully exercise its right to self-defence and remains exposed to attacks on its population and infrastructure.

Parliament underlines that insufficient deliveries of ammunition and restrictions on their use risks offsetting the impact of efforts made to date and deplores the declining volume of bilateral military aid to Ukraine by EU countries.

MEPs reiterate their call for member states to fulfil their March 2023 commitment to deliver one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, and to accelerate the delivery of weapons, air defence systems and ammunition, including TAURUS missiles.

They also restate their position that all EU countries and NATO allies should collectively and individually commit to annual military support for Ukraine militarily of no less than 0.25% of their GDP.

European Parliament resolution of 19 September 2024 on continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States (2024/2799(RSP) (resolution)

Watch the debate (video)

MEPs: Ukraine must be able to strike legitimate military targets in Russia (press release)

Venezuela: MEPs recognise Edmundo González as president

The EU should do its utmost to ensure that Edmundo González Urrutia, the legitimate and democratically elected President of Venezuela, can take office on 10 January 2025.

In a resolution adopted on Thursday 19 September by 309 votes in favour, 201 against and 12 abstentions, Parliament “strongly condemns and fully rejects the electoral fraud orchestrated by the regime-controlled National Electoral Council, which refused to make public the official result.”

MEPs recognise Edmundo González Urrutia as the country’s legitimate and democratically elected president, and María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela. They also strongly condemn the Venezuelan Government’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Mr González.

European Parliament resolution of 19 September 2024 on the situation in Venezuela (2024/2810(RSP)) (resolution)

Venezuela: MEPs recognise Edmundo González as President (press release)