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European Parliament
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What is said in the sittings, update by update, the latest first. Each update opens the video at the second it was said.
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
The chair resolves technical issues and conducts roll-call votes on allocating the democratic accountability file and on the 2026 report on European political parties and foundations, before informally closing the voting block and preparing the move to the next agenda item.
In this chapter
In a final consolidated round, MEPs probe the scope of Parliament’s right of inquiry, governance of a new ethics body, the legal basis and institutional balance in the EU–UK Gibraltar arrangement, and concrete enlargement scenarios, before the Chair closes the structured dialogue and AFCO meeting after Commissioner Šefčovič’s responses on ongoing trilateral talks, ethics architecture, Gibraltar’s EU-only agreement framework and the need for Council follow‑up on reform and enlargement files.
In this chapter
MEPs from EPP, S&D, Patriots/ID, Renew and Greens question the Commission on financing of European political foundations, ECI effectiveness, unfinished special procedures, the stalled treaty reform initiative, subsidiarity and Mercosur, deregulation and QMV, delayed enlargement reforms and passerelles, as well as models and timing for Ukraine’s accession and defence integration, with Šefčovič detailing ongoing evaluations, legal and political constraints, and planned pre‑enlargement review packages.
In this chapter
The Chair opens the structured dialogue with Commissioner Šefčovič under the EP–Commission Framework Agreement, posing questions on revising the Better Law-Making agreement, RPS alignment, the right of inquiry and pre‑enlargement reforms, followed by the Commissioner’s comprehensive presentation of the revised framework agreement, treatment of Article 225 resolutions, inquiry right, inter‑institutional ethics body, RPS alignment strategy and forthcoming enlargement-related policy reviews.
In this chapter
The Vice-Chair opens the extraordinary AFCO meeting, adopts the agenda and minutes, then proceeds to the targeted reform of the European Electoral Act to allow proxy voting for MEPs in late pregnancy and early motherhood, including the explanation of the special Article 223(1) TFEU procedure and formal electronic vote resulting in adoption of the AFCO recommendation for plenary.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting ICM
Bischoff synthesises key lessons on understanding and governing AI, underlines its immediate impact on elections and democratic processes, stresses the need for timely, smart regulation and democratic renewal, and sets out amendment deadlines, upcoming AFCO work and logistical information.
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting ICM
Bischoff, Sikkut, López Aguilar and other speakers explore AI’s dual role in democracy, from deepfakes, bots and Russian interference to opportunities for participatory ‘civic AI’, discuss adapting the European Electoral Act under Article 223 TFEU, and weigh platform duties, DSA enforcement, literacy campaigns and concrete tools like identity verification to protect electoral integrity.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting ICM
Gabriele Bischoff and 1 other
Vice‑Chair Bischoff and MPs from France, Italy, Serbia and the Inter‑Parliamentary Union examine how AI changes law‑making and scrutiny, call for harmonised inter‑parliamentary tools, share national and minority AI strategies, and present global parliamentary initiatives, stressing early involvement of parliaments and potential contributions to an EP AI Observatory.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting ICM
Céline Calvez and 2 others
MEPs and national MPs discuss AI as a constitutional and innovation issue, the mandate and limits of a Parliamentary AI Observatory, risks of overregulation, AI’s impact on elections, disinformation and copyright, and insist on human‑centred oversight, AI literacy and structured EU–national parliamentary scrutiny to avoid fragmentation and preserve democratic legitimacy.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting ICM
The chair links the ICM to AFCO’s own‑initiative report on AI’s institutional aspects; the rapporteur, IMCO opinion, and political groups define the report’s four axes (values, oversight, global convention, democracy/elections), debate an EP AI Observatory, treaty change and technological sovereignty, while the Commission urges use of the Council of Europe Vilnius Convention and coordinates on AI Act implementation.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting ICM
The chair, EP President Metsola, UN Under‑Secretary‑General Gill and Commission EVP Virkonen set the agenda and frame AI as a strategic, institutional and economic challenge, outlining Europe’s risk‑based AI model, global governance efforts at UN level, and the Commission’s ‘AI Continent’ action plan and AI Act implementation, including the new AI Office.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
Following closure of the Electoral Act item, the committee turns to the monitoring report on European political parties and foundations, with co‑rapporteurs and groups debating amendments on financial viability, bureaucracy, funding caps, Article 2 TEU references, legal certainty and ideological neutrality, before the co‑rapporteur narrows the scope to foundations’ financing needs and outlines the path towards a targeted future Commission recast as the Chair closes the sitting.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
The Chair opens the AFCO meeting, adopts the agenda and explains missions and planned oral questions, then introduces the targeted reform of the European Electoral Act to enable proxy voting for MEPs around childbirth, with the rapporteur and political groups outlining the special Article 223 TFEU consent procedure, implementation conditions and broad cross‑group support, including calls to extend similar arrangements to fathers and ensure rapid rule changes.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
Final AFCO votes on pilot projects and preparatory actions are held before the Chair closes the first part of the meeting and announces the timing and location of upcoming sessions.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
The committee conducts its main voting block, first adopting amendments and the final report on Rule 135 regarding appointments to EU agencies and bodies, then setting up and carrying out a complex series of compromise and individual votes on the report on implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is ultimately rejected in the final roll‑call vote.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
EP Vice‑President, Commission services, DG FINS and the Authority debate the 5% own‑resources rule, revenue diversification, corrective measures, value‑compliance and national law frictions, while stressing simplification and political feasibility, after which MEPs request clearer figures and less red tape and the co‑rapporteur closes by underlining broad support, defending the values clause, and urging swift, realistic reforms and national‑level advocacy.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
Representatives from multiple European political foundations outline converging demands for up to 100% EU financing, highlight inflation and structural costs, question the broad and politically sensitive Article 2 values test, criticise heavy and lengthy audits and IFRS requirements, and call for clearer rules on joint activities, indirect funding bans, and tendering, particularly to protect smaller and newly‑created foundations.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
AFCO opens the meeting, adopts its agenda and minutes, presents the Article 47(2) monitoring report on European political parties and foundations, and hears co‑rapporteurs and MEPs on early implementation challenges, funding levels, legal certainty, and the need to strengthen a transnational European political space before launching the formal exchange of views with foundations.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
Members review the Copenhagen–Greenland mission’s feasibility and focus, debate petitions on EU constitutional issues and the use of sincere cooperation regarding unanimity in Council, decide against an AFCO follow-up debate, raise concerns over limits on AFCO missions, and formally close the meeting.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
AFCO agrees a shortlist of experts for the joint hearing on democracy and elections in the AI era, then consolidates political group proposals for the European Court of Auditors’ 2027+ work programme and decides which audit topics to transmit.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
After closing the public sitting, coordinators in camera discuss rapporteurship allocation for own-initiative and implementation reports, debate the points-based distribution table and COP authorisation, and postpone final decisions pending clarification of the points situation.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
The committee conducts the second voting session on the 2028–2034 MFF interim report, going through all amendment blocks, split votes and electronic checks before adopting the interim report in a final roll-call vote.
In this chapter
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
The Chair opens the AFCO meeting and budget pilot projects item, then the rapporteur presents the revised EP–Commission framework agreement and members vote on amendments and the final report adopting the text.
In this chapter
The search covers the sittings held more than two weeks ago. A Polyfact subscription searches every sitting as soon as it is transcribed.
Céline Calvez 1 sitting European Parliament broadcasts the sittings of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). Polyfact shows each one live, keeps it as a replay with its transcript and links its key moments to the second they were said.
25 sittings on Polyfact since 14 May 2025
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