How to watch the European Parliament plenary session

Plenary Session 11 hr ago

Institutional business: Vice-President election and Members’ statute

Sabine Verheyen and 1 other

After resuming the sitting, Parliament elects a new Vice-President and adjusts the order of precedence, then addresses Members’ legal status by lifting immunities in specific cases and adopting amendments to the Statute of Members to introduce proxy voting for maternity leave.

In this chapter

1. Resumption of sitting and election of Parliament Vice-PresidentSabine Verheyen
2. Immunity waivers and Statute of Members: maternity proxy votingSabine Verheyen

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Plenary Session 13 hr ago

Russia sanctions debate: framework, impact and next steps

Christel Schaldemose and 53 others

From the opening of the sitting through group interventions and detailed exchanges, Parliament and the Council/Commission review the current Russia sanctions regime, its effectiveness, circumvention issues, frozen assets and energy dependence, leading to closing statements announcing a 22nd package and clarifying legal limits on using Russian assets.

In this chapter

1. Opening of sitting and Russia sanctions debateChristel Schaldemose
2. Political groups’ main positions on Russia sanctionsAndrzej Halicki
3. Debate: sanctions effectiveness, circumvention and frozen assetsChristel Schaldemose

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Plenary Session

Health, cancer prevention and cyber‑security of critical infrastructure

Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu and 35 others

Parliament reviews the implementation and regulatory aspects of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, then turns to cyber and hybrid threats to critical infrastructure and supply chains, focusing on existing and planned EU instruments, ENISA’s role and strategic resilience.

In this chapter

1. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: implementation, prevention and regulatory competencesVlad Vasile-Voiculescu
2. Cyber and hybrid threats to critical infrastructure and supply chainsSabine Verheyen

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Plenary Session

Commission Work Programme 2027 and civil protection reform

Katarina Barley and 67 others

Members assess the Commission’s 2027 work programme across economic, social, climate and migration priorities, followed by a legislative debate on strengthening the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and integrated crisis preparedness, including funding, subsidiarity and EU‑level assets.

In this chapter

1. Commission Work Programme 2027: presentation, economic, social and migration axesKatarina Barley
2. Reform of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and integrated crisis preparednessLeire Pajín

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Plenary Session

Opening of sitting and Ukraine children debate

Roberta Metsola and 9 others

The sitting opens with institutional and procedural items, then moves to a major debate on the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, its legal qualification, and the EU’s political, legal and humanitarian response options.

In this chapter

1. Opening of sitting, commemorations and agenda settingRoberta Metsola
2. Deportation of Ukrainian children: scale, legal framing and political responsesKaja Kallas

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Plenary session

Sakharov Prize announcement and extensive voting session

Roberta Metsola and 7 others

On resumption the Chair announces the 2026 Sakharov Prize for the ICC, followed by a long block of roll‑call votes on methane emissions, Erasmus+, the chemicals omnibus, ETS benchmarks, cohesion and several foreign‑policy resolutions, after which MEPs raise points of order on budget flexibility, EPPO investigations and explain parliamentary working methods to visitors.

In this chapter

1. 2026 Sakharov Prize announced for International Criminal CourtRoberta Metsola
2. Voting session: methane, Erasmus+, chemicals omnibus and multiple resolutionsKatarina Barley
3. Points of order, political statements and explanation of EP procedureKatarina Barley

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Plenary session

Chemicals omnibus legislation: simplification, competitiveness and health protection

Dimitris Tsiodras and 27 others

The plenary shifts to the sixth chemicals omnibus file, with rapporteurs and the Commission presenting targeted simplification under the Chemicals Industry Action Plan; political groups then set out contrasting positions on easing burdens versus protecting consumers and workers, detail implications for PFAS, fertilisers and SMEs, and finally confirm that the compromise seeks predictability and risk‑based transitions without weakening safety before suspending the sitting.

In this chapter

1. Chemicals omnibus file introduced: focus on simplificationDimitris Tsiodras
2. Commission: chemicals industry action plan and omnibus simplificationJozef Síkela
3. Political group positions on chemicals rules vs health protectionEsteban González Pons

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Plenary session

Global AI governance frameworks, UN role and AI as systemic risk

Sandro Gozi and 50 others

Members call for IAEA‑style or treaty‑based global rules on advanced AI, debate EU technological sovereignty and dependence on US/Chinese platforms, and frame AI as a transboundary security and democratic threat, while others focus on GDPR, the AI Omnibus and data‑access for training, then broaden to AI’s impact on rights, work and democracy before closing with clashes over Europe’s regulatory model and the Commission’s explanation of its AI liability approach and multilateral agenda.

In this chapter

1. Global AI governance architecture and EU sovereigntySandro Gozi
2. External partners, UN role and AI as transboundary riskRada Laykova
3. Data protection, AI Omnibus and EU innovation vs deregulationKristian Vigenin

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Plenary session

Parliamentary debate on AI Act, regulation intensity and competitiveness

Pina Picierno and 11 others

MEPs first defend the AI Act’s risk‑based tools, liability needs and data‑protection safeguards, then opposing voices warn about over‑regulation, energy costs and loss of competitiveness versus the US and China, before centre‑left groups insist on strong AI Act implementation, an empowered AI Office and reinforced liability and whistle‑blower rules.

In this chapter

1. AI Act rapporteur & pro‑regulation voices: safety, liability, data protectionPina Picierno
2. AI, energy and competitiveness: critiques of over‑regulationPiotr Müller
3. Strengthening AI Act implementation, AI Office and liability rulesBrando Benifei

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Plenary session

Opening of sitting and Commission statement on global AI governance

Pina Picierno and 1 other

The Vice‑President opens the plenary, adopts the agenda and gives Commissioner Síkela the floor to present the EU’s external AI strategy, including the role of the AI Act and planned cooperation in G7, G20, UN and other fora on safety, model evaluation and research partnerships.

In this chapter

1. Opening of sitting: agenda set on global AI governancePina Picierno
2. Commission: EU external AI strategy and role of AI ActJozef Síkela

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Plenary session

Internal EU policies: rule of law, Erasmus+, circular economy

Michael McGrath and 79 others

The House debates rule of law and media freedom in Malta nine years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, defines Parliament’s stance for the 2028–2034 Erasmus+ regulation and budget, and previews the forthcoming Circular Economy Act on extended producer responsibility, secondary raw materials and single-market harmonisation.

In this chapter

1. Rule of law in Malta – nine years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassinationMichael McGrath
2. Erasmus+ 2028–2034 – scope, budget and inclusiveness of the next programmeBogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
3. Forthcoming Circular Economy Act – single market, extended producer responsibility, secondary raw materialsRoberts Zīle

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Plenary session

EU finances: 2027 budget votes, regulatory burden, audit findings

Roberta Metsola and 62 others

MEPs adopt Parliament’s position on the 2027 EU general budget and trigger MFF conciliation, then hold a topical debate on cutting regulatory and reporting burdens for SMEs, before examining the European Court of Auditors’ 2025 annual report on EU accounts, error rates and control systems in cohesion, CAP and the RRF.

In this chapter

1. 2027 EU general budget – long series of amendment votes and MFF conciliationRoberta Metsola
2. Topical debate – cutting regulatory costs and reporting burdens for EU entrepreneursJavi López
3. European Court of Auditors annual report 2025 – reliability of accounts and rising error ratesJavi López

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Plenary session

European Council outcomes: Libya–Turkey MoU, Ukraine, migration, Green Deal

Roberta Metsola and 75 others

The sitting opens with a point of order on the Libya–Turkey maritime memorandum before the European Council and Commission Presidents set out leaders’ conclusions on competitiveness, the MFF, Ukraine and migration, followed by political group leaders and later nationalist speakers clashing over Ukraine aid, energy prices, ETS2, the Green Deal and migration policy.

In this chapter

1. Opening of sitting – agenda and Libya–Turkey maritime MoURoberta Metsola
2. European Council President Costa – competitiveness, MFF, Ukraine, migrationAntónio Costa
3. Commission President von der Leyen – follow‑up on Council prioritiesUrsula von der Leyen

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Plenary session

Neighbourhood and social policy: Mediterranean Pact and VET agenda

Younous Omarjee and 70 others

Rapporteur, Commission and MEPs debate the proposed ‘Pact for the Mediterranean’ around youth, education, energy, trade, migration management and member‑state sovereignty, then address raising vocational education’s status via EU mobility, diploma recognition and skills portability in response to labour shortages, wages and job‑quality concerns.

In this chapter

1. Pact for the Mediterranean: framework, sovereignty and migrationYounous Omarjee
2. EU vocational education and skills agendaAntonella Sberna

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Plenary session

External action: ICC support, Red Sea security and US Russia waiver

Martin Hojsík and 58 others

Council, HR/VP Kallas and MEPs reaffirm support for the ICC against US sanctions and discuss EU blocking statute tools, then examine Houthi attacks and Operation Aspides’ escort mandate in the Red Sea, before debating President Trump’s waiver of US sanctions on Russian diesel, its impact on EU sanctions policy, frozen assets use and calls for greater EU strategic autonomy.

In this chapter

1. EU support for the ICC under external pressureMartin Hojsík
2. Escalation of Houthi attacks and Operation AspidesKaja Kallas
3. US sanctions waiver for Russia and EU autonomous responseKaja Kallas

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Plenary session

Economic files: urgent procedures, 2027 budget and competition policy

Younous Omarjee and 86 others

MEPs vote on urgent procedures for methane, critical raw materials and single‑use plastics rules before turning to opposing Council‑Commission‑Parliament stances on the 2027 EU budget, then Question Time with EVP Ribera on merger control, killer acquisitions, DMA enforcement, state aid for high energy prices and balancing industrial policy with consumer welfare and rule of law.

In this chapter

1. Urgency votes on methane, critical raw materials and SUP rulesYounous Omarjee
2. 2027 EU budget: overall positions and sector demandsNils Ušakovs
3. Question Time: EVP Ribera on competition and mergersMartin Hojsík

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Plenary session

Morning debates: Black Sea security and EU‑UK summit

Antonella Sberna and 81 others

The sitting opens with HR/VP Kallas and political groups assessing Russian attacks on Black Sea shipping, food security risks, proposed EU maritime security instruments and sanctions, followed by Council, Commission and MEPs setting lines for the upcoming EU‑UK summit on Windsor Framework implementation, sectoral cooperation, single‑market safeguards, migration and sovereignty issues.

In this chapter

1. Black Sea security, food routes and EU responseAntonella Sberna
2. EU‑UK summit preparation and political group linesThomas Byrne

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Plenary session

Report on cohesion policy as driver of the EU urban agenda

Denis Nesci and 5 others

Plenary item on the report by Mr Nemec regarding cohesion policy as a key driver for implementing the EU’s urban agenda.

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Plenary session

Plenary session of 19 October 2026

Roberta Metsola and 46 others

Overall proceedings of the European Parliament plenary sitting held on 19 October 2026.

In this chapter

1. Opening announcements by the PresidentRoberta Metsola
2. Order of business – request for debate on riots and protests in FranceRoberta Metsola
3. Points of orderRoberta Metsola

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Plenary session

Midday voting session and post‑vote points of order

Christel Schaldemose and 8 others

Parliament holds an extensive roll‑call and show‑of‑hands voting block on multiple resolutions and objections across health, foreign policy, trade and anti‑corruption, followed by points of order contesting procedural decisions, as well as political tributes and reactions to external events, before suspension until the afternoon sitting.

In this chapter

1. Midday voting session on multiple resolutions and objectionsChristel Schaldemose
2. Points of order and tributes after votes (procedural powers, housing, figures)Marc Botenga

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Plenary session

Debate: EU strategies for islands, coasts and outermost regions

Raffaele Fitto and 53 others

Commissioner Fitto outlines new territorial strategies and related regulatory tools, followed by group speakers on funding, POSEI, ETS/FuelEU adaptations and cohesion policy, catch‑the‑eye interventions on concrete insularity challenges, and Commission conclusions on implementation through partnership plans and the MFF framework, before the sitting is suspended for votes.

In this chapter

1. New agenda item: EU strategies for islands, coasts and outermost regionsRaffaele Fitto
2. Political groups: insularity, POSEI, ETS and funding in cohesion policyFredis Beleris
3. Catch‑the‑eye: practical needs of island, coastal and outermost communitiesŽeljana Zovko
4. Commission: implementation of territorial strategies and MFF linkRaffaele Fitto

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Plenary session

Debate: Turkish provocations and EU–Turkey relations

Raffaele Fitto and 31 others

Commissioner Fitto presents the Commission’s line on Türkiye, Greece, Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, followed by political groups’ positions on sanctions, security guarantees and dialogue, a hate‑speech point of order, further interventions on Turkey’s regional strategy and EU leverage, and the Commission’s closing remarks linking de‑escalation and the Cyprus settlement to any deepening of EU–Turkey relations.

In this chapter

1. Commission: stance on Türkiye, Greece, Cyprus and Eastern MediterraneanRaffaele Fitto
2. Political groups: demands on Turkey, sanctions and EU solidarityElissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi
3. Hate speech point of order and Presidency responseVictor Negrescu

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Plenary session

Opening of sitting and agenda setting

Victor Negrescu S&D

The Chair opens the plenary, announces Council first‑reading positions and corresponding deadlines, then sets the agenda by introducing the first debate on Turkish provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In this chapter

1. Opening of sitting and Council first‑reading positionsVictor Negrescu
2. Agenda item introduced: Turkish provocations in Eastern Mediterranean

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