The Chair introduces the own‑initiative report on banking competitiveness, with the rapporteur’s statement highlighting five priorities on Banking Union, ESAs, regulatory simplification, consolidation and innovation, followed by political groups setting out differing views on how to reduce fragmentation and duplication without eroding prudential standards or host‑state protections, and announcing a postponement of the ECON vote.
National parliamentarians, MEPs, HERA and experts engage in a joint debate on governance of emergency powers, civil liberties, proportionality of COVID‑19 measures, misinformation, industrial policy and joint procurement, leading to calls for stronger EU‑level coordination, permanent solidarity mechanisms, extended joint procurement, and interoperable data and pathogen‑surveillance infrastructures.
MEPs Bullmann and Gosiewska press for defending the 10% education share within Global Europe and Global Gateway, request stronger governance and oversight tools, and question how EU funding reaches small local and faith‑based providers amid domestic reform needs and corruption risks. An African minister explains mutual accountability structures (sector groups, annual reviews, decentralised management), Father Kitima reiterates the need to support pro‑poor religious schools, and the Commission details the role of CSOs and faith‑based actors within Global Gateway and country‑level cooperation frameworks.
Doherty, Ecke, Droese, Niedermayer and Regner raise issues around the impact of trilogue delays on launch and strategic autonomy, scope of merchant‑acceptance exemptions, ECB governance and leadership changes, interaction with US sanctions, lessons from Pontes and the ESM tokenisation pilot, and disinformation; ECB representatives stress the minimum implementation lead‑time, argue for broad but proportionate legal tender coverage, reiterate political backing, link wholesale projects to capital markets integration, and call for a post‑legislation information campaign.
The Chair introduces Father Kitima, who describes the Catholic Church’s complementary education role in Tanzania, post‑nationalisation evolution, current school and university provision, and support for poor students and skills development, while valuing EU academic exchanges. He calls for human‑rights‑based partnerships, anti‑corruption conditionality and support for democracy, after which DG ECHO presents education‑in‑emergencies funding in Sub‑Saharan Africa and its nexus with longer‑term development efforts.
Ódor, Boeselager and Tridico probe how the digital euro will ensure a competitive user experience, incentivise PSP participation, remain accessible to those excluded or affected by sanctions, and protect EU actors from extraterritorial US measures; ECB officials describe an ECB app and rulebook‑based UX, co‑badging incentives, inclusiveness goals, preferred DMA/Article 33 solutions, and limits of the digital euro in offsetting dollar‑system dominance, while highlighting potential via a European PSP network and offline functionality.
Commission adviser Lorenzo details EU financial commitments to education via Global Gateway, GPE and other initiatives, emphasising domestic revenue mobilisation and a strong post-2027 budget, while Hölvényi highlights implementation down to school level and Father Kitima illustrates the Tanzanian Catholic Church’s substantial and complementary role in providing values-based education and higher education access.
The EESC, Committee of the Regions, European Ombudsman and EDPS present 2025 budget execution, reforms and new mandates, then face intense questioning on OLAF investigations, corruption and conflict‑of‑interest allegations at the EESC, whistleblower and harassment protection, transparency of meetings and travel costs, and the Ombudsman’s complaint‑prioritisation rules, leading to institutional clarifications on anti‑fraud strategies, reporting channels, added value and the limits of disclosure, before rapporteurs close this discharge block and criticise the Council’s continued absence.
He announces the Electrify Now finance coalition with Türkiye, Australia, the UK, Ethiopia, Norway and the Netherlands, explaining its role in de‑risking projects, addressing regulatory barriers and mobilising practical capital, welcomes key financial and development partners, previews the Electrify Cities launch at the EU Pavilion, and invites governments, financiers, businesses and cities to join and bring concrete priorities and solutions.
The rapporteur reacts by underlining education as a long‑term investment before the Commission outlines DG INTPA’s current education allocations, priorities and Global Gateway linkages, including focus on teachers, governance, inclusion and employability. The Commission further details multilevel initiatives (GPE, Education Cannot Wait, regional teacher schemes, country programmes) and stresses domestic revenue mobilisation, fair tax systems and Parliament’s role in securing a strong external budget for education in the next MFF.
The Commissioner points to ASEAN’s growing demand, the potential of electric mobility, efficient cooling and industrial electrification, and regional power grids, then stresses that realizing these opportunities depends on affordable finance for clean power, grids and end‑use equipment, introducing Electrify Now as a response.
He frames electrification as indispensable for climate, competitiveness and security, describes Europe’s ambition to become an “electro-continent,” and emphasizes that emerging markets and developing economies need reliable, clean power for clinics, farmers and small businesses, highlighting the transformative impact of universal access.
The Commissioner links current disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the war in Ukraine to higher energy and food costs and underlines how dependence on imported fossil fuels undermines energy security, climate goals and competitiveness, stressing the need to secure current supplies while reducing exposure to future shocks.
Minister Thiam presents Africa’s demographic pressures and inclusion challenges, explains national choices to prioritise and domestically finance education (with GPE pledges and the Senegal example), and calls on the EU to back more effective, equitable education financing and maintain at least 10% of development spending for education, which Hölvényi frames as a long-term stability investment.
GPE representative Serigne Mbaye Thiam presents Sub‑Saharan demographic pressures, GPE’s strategy to strengthen inclusive education systems and domestic financing, and the Senegal model of state–religious provider partnership. He details partner country pledges, emphasises aid quality and alignment with national priorities, and calls on the EU to maintain at least 10% of development spending for education and support partner‑led reforms and multilateral mechanisms.
MEPs Aftias, Papandreou and Maląg question the ECB on tax evasion, merchant fee reductions, holding and withdrawal limits, bank‑run risks, and whether mandatory acceptance undermines confidence, while Cipollone argues the ECB is not a tax authority, explains the co‑legislators’ role on compensation and caps, defends legal tender status, and stresses expected cost savings and support from merchant organisations.
Rapporteurs and MEPs engage the Court of Auditors on performance audits, media financing, cybersecurity and stakeholder contacts, and the EPPO on Hungary’s accession, OLAF cooperation, fraud damage estimates, recovery of EU funds and chronic under-resourcing, with the EPPO defending its methodology and legal mandate while warning that large, complex fraud cases cannot be properly pursued without significantly increased and more stable funding.
The Chair and standing rapporteur open the DEVE hearing on domestic resource mobilisation for education in Sub‑Saharan Africa, set its objectives, link it to the committee’s report, and frame key political issues including limits of EU aid, data gaps and the central role of faith‑based providers. They stress African ownership, domestic commitments and the need to integrate major non‑state education actors into EU development cooperation.
The Chair and rapporteur Hölvényi open the hearing on domestic resource mobilisation for education in Sub-Saharan Africa, link it to the DEVE own-initiative report, describe severe but varied system challenges, and stress political will, reliable data, African budgetary commitment and the under-recognised role of faith-based providers.
The ECON Chair opens the meeting, reports on trilogues on the single currency package and introduces ECB Executive Board member Cipollone, who outlines the need for a swift legal framework, the DLT project Pontes, and the planned 2027–2029 pilot for a retail digital euro alongside future banknote redesign and cash‑acceptance rules.
Introductory statements frame the interparliamentary meeting’s objectives on COVID‑19 lessons and future preparedness, followed by HERA’s presentation of the reinforced EU health security architecture, national experiences from Sweden and Italy, scientific warnings on denialism, AI‑driven biothreats and pathogen data governance, and hospital‑level reforms for organisational resilience.
MEPs question the Court of Justice on travel and mission expenses, the impact of jurisdictional reforms, post‑mandate and lobbying transparency rules, and potential conflicts of interest in judges’ financial holdings, prompting detailed replies defending existing declarations, internal controls and judicial independence while rejecting calls for external verification, before the Chair closes this item and shifts the agenda back to the Court of Auditors.
DG INTPA and DG ECHO outline EU education support within Global Gateway and humanitarian policy, including innovative financing, domestic resource mobilisation and a 10% humanitarian EiE commitment, after which Hölvényi and the Chair conclude with the need for compromises, coordination with CULT and the amendment deadline.
Shadow rapporteurs from EPP, S&D, ECR, Renew and ENS set out their priorities on teacher investment, geographic focus, gender equality, fragile contexts, domestic resource mobilisation, the role of faith-based and NGO providers, ideological red lines and the use and monitoring of existing EU instruments.
The Chair opens the item on long-term EU education cooperation and rapporteur Hölvényi presents the strategic context, funding figures and gravity of the education crisis, warning of systemic risks and calling for clearer benchmarks, domestic financing and sustained EU budget commitments.
The Chair opens the 2025 discharge hearings for other institutions, presents the ECA’s findings on administrative expenditure, and hears institutional statements from the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors’ own administration and the EPPO, highlighting workload trends, digital and AI initiatives, HR and building issues, and EPPO’s growing caseload alongside structural underfunding and IT autonomy risks.
After technical and interpretation checks, the committee resumes to debate the long-term EU development cooperation strategy on education and then holds a public hearing on domestic resource mobilisation for education in Sub-Saharan Africa, examining EU instruments, Global Gateway links and the role of local and faith-based actors.
The Commission describes potential use of remaining SAFE programme funds for Ukraine, promises to follow up on a specific Italian olive oil sterol‑content issue, clarifies member state responsibilities and new EU support structures for enforcing Russia sanctions including a case on alleged vodka re‑exports, and confirms Reddit’s designation as a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act with forthcoming compliance obligations.
Commission spokesperson for trade recalls the US Section 301 investigation on Germany’s pharma pricing, stresses the importance of tariff‑free, barrier‑free EU‑US trade in pharmaceuticals under the August joint statement, urges the US not to impose additional tariffs linked to pharma pricing, and notes the EU will continue engaging with Washington while having no further details to share before the press room moves on to other questions.
Danish TV journalist asks about the US Section 301 investigation into European (notably German) pharmaceutical pricing, the planned visit of US officials to Germany, reports of an EU task force response, and Belgian calls to consider using the EU anti-coercion instrument to protect consumers from potential drug price hikes.
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
Committee on Budgetary Control Ordinary meeting CONT Committee meeting
Upcoming
Committee on European Democracy Shield (special committee) (EUDS)
Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield Ordinary meeting
Upcoming
Committee on Housing Crisis (special committee) (HOUS)
Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union Ordinary meeting
Upcoming
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)
7th Inter-Parliamentary Committee Meeting On Evaluation Of The European Union Agency For Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) Activities
Upcoming
Committee on European Democracy Shield (special committee) (EUDS)
Issues raised by bot farming and social media anonymity in elections
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