Language
European Union
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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.
She praises Bulgaria’s contribution to a stronger and safer Europe, notably on south‑eastern border security and defence industry support to Ukraine, and looks ahead to returning for a connectivity summit on the Middle and Southern Corridors covering transport, trade, energy and digital links.
Von der Leyen links recent Black Sea incidents to the need to strengthen EU external border crisis response, offers condolences, announces €10 million in immediate EU funding for Bulgarian search and rescue capacities, and commits €50 million plus fast‑tracking for the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub with Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye.
She announces cooperation with Bulgaria via the European Centre for Democratic Resilience to detect and counter foreign information manipulation, and explains the EU’s massive investments in defence, including joint projects and the SAFE and SAFE 2 programmes from which Bulgaria is set to benefit.
Von der Leyen outlines the need to restore and preserve freedom of navigation in the Black Sea for EU trade, Ukraine and global food security, and highlights reinforced maritime surveillance, including intensified use of Copernicus satellite imagery.
She details drone attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea, their impact on civilian lives, trade, navigation and insurance costs, and stresses that the EU understands this intimidation strategy and will respond in a united and resilient manner.
Von der Leyen thanks Bulgaria for the invitation to Varna, underlines that the EU stands firmly by Bulgaria, and frames Black Sea security as integral to European security in the current crisis context.
President von der Leyen expresses condolences for the victims of the tragic incident in Bulgaria, pays tribute to rescue teams, and agrees with the Bulgarian Prime Minister to adapt the day’s programme accordingly.
The Prime Minister thanks von der Leyen for accepting a shortened programme due to the Trakia highway tragedy, details immediate government and military-medical response measures, casualty figures, evacuation logistics, and his planned travel with the Defence Minister to affected cities, again acknowledging EU understanding and solidarity.
Building on security, the Prime Minister stresses connectivity as a condition for economic growth, calls for stronger EU links with Central Asia, the Caucasus and Gulf states, announces a first‑of‑its‑kind EU connectivity summit in Varna with von der Leyen’s support, and frames peace, security and prosperity as shared European responsibilities.
Radev and von der Leyen situate Bulgaria within the EU’s defence‑industrial base and south‑eastern border security, mark nearly 20 years of EU membership, and point to the upcoming EU connectivity summit in Varna on transport, trade, energy and digital corridors.
In this chapter
The Prime Minister endorses the EU plan for a Maritime Security Hub in Bulgaria and Romania, outlining Bulgaria’s role on hybrid, cyber and environmental security, and links European security to a stronger industrial, research and defence‑technology base in which Bulgaria aims to play an increasingly confident role ahead of its 20th anniversary of EU accession.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
Professor de la Porte analyses the directive’s earmarked leave and compensation benchmarks and shows how national design choices affect fathers’ uptake, while Italian social workers and Polish academics add frontline and country‑specific perspectives on access to leave, integrated care services and Poland’s 2023 reform. Research findings on Polish fathers’ leave uptake and an EPP rapporteur’s call to reinforce the directive close the expert input phase.
In this chapter
Committee on Development (DEVE)
The committee adopts its agenda and votes on opinions and reports before holding a substantial debate with the Commission on the draft own-initiative report about tackling child poverty through EU development cooperation, focusing on rights-based approaches, conflict contexts and amendment timelines.
In this chapter
The Prime Minister describes Bulgaria’s diplomatic coordination with von der Leyen and EU leaders, the joint Bulgarian‑Romanian moratorium proposal on attacks against civilian ships, national search‑and‑rescue efforts, the full mobilisation of surveillance and military assets with US and French support, the role of the Black Sea as an EU external border, and the €600 million EU package that reinforced land border control, now effectively closing the “green border.”
Speaking from the Naval Academy, the Prime Minister outlines the rapidly deteriorating security in the Black Sea, highlights unprecedented sailor casualties compared to the Strait of Hormuz, condemns attacks on merchant vessels, and calls for ceasefire and active diplomacy to restore respect for international maritime law.
Speakers describe the Black Sea security crisis and its links to Russia’s war, stress the Black Sea as an EU external border, present EU support for Bulgarian border protection, outline measures on freedom of navigation, surveillance and information resilience, and announce EU funding to strengthen defence procurement and Bulgaria’s search and rescue capabilities.
In this chapter
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)
Members report on ITRE missions and the Critical Raw Materials Act trilogue before an institutional exchange with BEREC on its mandate, 2027 work programme and the proposed Digital Networks Act, where MEPs scrutinise DNA governance, numbering, satellite connectivity and sovereignty while BEREC and the Commission set out diverging views on centralisation, NRA powers, copper switch-off, satellite competition and treatment of high-risk vendors.
In this chapter
Bulgarian Prime Minister welcomes European Commission President von der Leyen in Varna, links the visit to a critical national moment, and expresses condolences for the deadly Trakia highway accident while underlining the symbolism of EU solidarity.
The Prime Minister and Commission President frame the visit around condolences for the motorway tragedy, outline Bulgaria’s immediate emergency response, and underline European solidarity with Bulgaria in this crisis context.
Final three points underlining that the EU now has enforceable AI rules via the AI Act, the need to complement regulation with bold investment in strategic technologies and EU AI capacity, and a call for Portugal’s participation in building safe, trusted and competitive AI made and deployed in Europe, before opening the floor to members’ priorities and questions.
Overview of Europe’s and Portugal’s strengths in AI and digital ecosystems, presentation of the European AI strategy, AI Factories and planned AI Gigafactories, Cloud and AI Development Act, and emphasis on developing EU frontier AI models, scaling European startups and combining public and private investment, including the Scale-up Europe Fund.
Introductory greetings, institutional context of the joint session in the Portuguese Parliament, and framing of artificial intelligence as a strategic political, economic and sovereignty choice for Europe and Portugal, including its impact on competitiveness, public services and dependence on foreign technologies.
Committee on Public Health (SANT)
Professor Forte and patient advocate Drachmann call for a pan‑European framework on funding, GMO rules, EMA expertise and centres of excellence, illustrate systemic delays through a rare‑disease gene‑therapy case, and link needs to the Biotech Act, followed by an MEP debate on market fragmentation, regulatory obstacles, Council resistance and EU–US–China cooperation, with replies stressing a unified market, risk‑adapted regulation and cross‑border trial networks.
In this chapter
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
MEPs from several groups question experts on late or weak transposition, cultural barriers to fathers’ leave, telework overtime, subsidiarity, SMEs’ constraints, demographic priorities, minimum payment levels and carers’ rights, with replies highlighting telework overtime data, company agreements, workplace norms, tax disincentives and Danish experience. This block surfaces political divides on EU versus national roles, the burden on small firms and the adequacy of compensation, concluding with the Chair moving to Panel 2.
In this chapter
Committee on Public Health (SANT)
Rapporteur and MEPs question experts on the impact of SPCs on hospital ATMP development, the limits of joint clinical assessment and early access schemes, barriers to scaling hospital exemption models and cross‑border CAR‑T, and reimbursement bottlenecks, while experts respond on SmPC constraints, hospital–industry collaboration, IITs and cross‑border legal use of hospital exemption.
In this chapter
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)
Javier Zarzalejos and 12 others
National and European parliamentarians question the scope of Europol’s powers, data protection and AI safeguards, handling of hybrid threats, subsidiarity and national sovereignty, information‑sharing incentives and the role of national units, while the Commission and Europol explain the non‑executive mandate, innovation flexibility, governance reforms and operational coordination with customs, EPPO and migration hotspot actors.
In this chapter
EFCA presents its mission, work programme and operational constraints for implementing the CFP control framework, followed by MEP questions on control burdens, REM, drones, proportionality, IUU and third‑country competition, and EFCA’s and the Commission’s replies on harmonised implementation, international cooperation and the revised control regulation, including the landing obligation.
In this chapter
Šuica explains the six‑monthly cycle for updating the Pact under senior officials and foreign ministers, emphasising that it is now translating into concrete reality. She outlines plans to broaden cooperation to Gulf partners and Mauritania on security, energy, connectivity and migration, invites dissemination and feedback, and notes the upcoming UfM Ministerial Meeting in Barcelona as a political stock‑taking moment before closing the session.
Šuica announces the Partnership for Clean Transition, Sustainable Growth and Resilience to support green, climate-resilient transitions and cooperation on climate, environment, water and biodiversity, alongside the From Water to Market initiative for aquatic producers and a new action on modernising trade and investment frameworks. She links these to UfM’s work on water and previews her participation at COP31 in Antalya for the launch of the UfM Climate Action Plan, stressing UfM and ARLEM’s roles in implementation.
The Commissioner introduces the second version of the Pact’s Action Plan, updating existing actions and adding nine new ones for a total of 30, backed by over €300 million under NDICI. She previews new components under Pillar 1, including the Mediterranean Science Diplomacy Center and expanded sports-related youth engagement via the BeActive campaign and European Week of Sport.
Plenary Session
College read-out / Press conference (with international sign language) by European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna VIRKKUNEN and Commissioner Michael McGRATH on the Digital Fairness Act and a Consumer enforcement initiative
College read-out / Press conference by European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna VIRKKUNEN and Commissioner Michael McGRATH on the Digital Fairness Act and a Consumer enforcement initiative
European Commission President Ursula von der LEYEN in Antalya, Türkiye for the COP31
European Commissioner Dan JØRGENSEN in Antalya, Türkiye for the COP31
European flags at half-mast following the dramatic accident on the Trakia motorway in the area of Yambol, in Bulgaria
European Commissioner Andrius KUBILIUS at the UARM Hub Launch: From Frontline Innovation to European Defence Readiness
Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
Committee on Security and Defence Ordinary meeting
Committee on Development Ordinary meeting HEARING
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs Ordinary meeting
SANT – ICM on Lessons Learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Strengthening EU Health Resilience and Preparedness for Future Global Health Crises
Committee on Budgetary Control Ordinary meeting CONT Committee meeting
Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield Ordinary meeting
Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union Ordinary meeting
7th Inter-Parliamentary Committee Meeting On Evaluation Of The European Union Agency For Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) Activities
Issues raised by bot farming and social media anonymity in elections
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