The political and legislative initiatives that the European Commission will undertake for 2025 will be presented by President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, in the framework of the plenary session of the European Parliament, which begins today, Monday, in Strasbourg.
Also, during the February Plenary Session (10-13), a discussion is expected to take place, among other things, on the “steadfast support from the EP towards Ukraine,” three years after the start of the war, on the EU’s response to the “Trump administration’s threats” regarding the imposition of tariffs on European products, on the “future of the EU’s Middle East strategy,” and on the “threats to the communication infrastructure against the EU’s sovereignty,” with a separate discussion on the under-construction EU satellite system, IRIS², a multi-orbital formation of 290 satellites.
Particularly interesting is expected to be the discussion on the European and global economy with the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, the discussion on the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement and the concerns expressed regarding its impact on European agriculture, and the one concerning the “US export controls on AI microchips.” As well as discussions on tackling staff shortages and improving working conditions in the Health sector, and on threats against journalists in the EU, seven years after the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia.
Furthermore, the increase in gang violence in Sweden will be discussed, while the European Commission is expected to make statements regarding the “cross-border recognition of family status documents of same-sex couples and their children within the EU territory.”
Discussion on the “Trump administration’s threats”
On Tuesday, the EP will examine the state of EU-US trade relations, multilateral international relations and the EU’s response if the US imposes tariffs on European products. According to the European Commission, the EU has a trade surplus of 154 billion euros in goods with the US, while the US maintains a 104 billion euros surplus in the services balance, resulting in an overall EU trade surplus of about 3% of the total transaction value of 1.5 trillion euros. In 2023, the US was the largest partner for EU exports of goods and the second largest partner for imports of goods from the EU.
On Wednesday, the MEPs will discuss the recent decision of the new US administration to withdraw from the WHO and the Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as the suspension of development aid (with very limited exceptions) for three months and the moves regarding the US International Aid Agency (USAID). Along with the Commission’s representatives, the MEPs will discuss the impact of these decisions on an international level and the future EU participation in these global initiatives.
Additionally, the EP will discuss “how to address the US decision to restrict the export of microcircuits used for artificial intelligence models to certain EU member states.” According to the official updates, the export quotas, approved by the outgoing Biden administration, in January 2025, for “security reasons,” will affect 120 countries worldwide, including China, as well as 17 EU member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia).
In an oral question to the European Commission, the MEPs state that “the decision poses a significant challenge to the functioning of the EU’s single market, as it divides member states into different tiers and jeopardizes the EU’s common approach regarding artificial intelligence.” In 2023, the EP approved legislation “to strengthen the EU’s domestic microchip industry to enhance Europe’s strategic autonomy and security.” It is noted that “artificial intelligence and machine learning require large amounts of computing power and specialized hardware, such as graphics processing units. These specialized computer chips are faster than regular processors for machine learning tasks.”
European Commission’s work programme for 2025
On Wednesday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will present the Commission’s work programme for 2025, namely, the key political and legislative initiatives planned for that year.
In a separate discussion on the same day (Wednesday), MEPs will discuss with representatives of the Council and the European Commission the “EU strategy for restoring competitiveness and ensuring sustainable prosperity,” which was recently presented. The “Competitiveness Compass,” as it is called, includes three main areas of action: innovation, decarbonization and security. It also identifies five horizontal enablers of competitiveness: regulatory framework simplification, reducing barriers in the single market, funding competitiveness, skills and quality job promotion, and better coordination of policies at the EU and national level.
The work programme will detail how the European Commission intends to implement its political guidelines, which Ursula von der Leyen presented to the European Parliament in July 2024. These focus on sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, defence and security, strengthening the EU social model, quality of life, democracy protection, and defending the EU’s values, in a global Europe and future-proofing the EU.
Discussion on the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement
On Thursday, the EP will review the EU-Mercosur agreement “in the context of rising protectionism and concerns about the agreement’s impact on European agriculture.” It is recalled that on December 6, 2024, the European Commission and the founding countries of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) reached a political agreement for an EU-Mercosur partnership (free trade). Concerned MEPs welcomed the agreement, which was concluded after years of negotiations, while others expressed concerns. The agreement is in a legal review phase, and once translated into all EU official languages, the European Commission will submit it for approval to the EP and EU member state governments. As is the case with any trade agreement, the EP must give its consent before its conclusion and entry into force.
If eventually ratified, it will gradually eliminate tariffs on 91% of EU exports to Mercosur and 92% of Mercosur exports to the EU. “Sensitive agricultural imports will be controlled through quotas, in-quota tariffs, extended phased-in periods, and safeguards to address potential market disruptions,” according to official announcements.
Discussions on the situation in Ukraine, Middle East, Georgia and Serbia
According to a post by EP President Roberta Metsola, the President of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, accepted the challenge and will address the “Chamber and the world,” as she notes. Immediately afterwards, in the discussion with representatives of the Council (of the EU) and the European Commission, on Tuesday, MEPs will commemorate the three years since the start of Moscow’s “brutal military invasion of Ukraine,” while a related resolution is expected to be submitted to the March plenary session.
In a separate discussion, on Wednesday morning, MEPs will examine the “continued Kremlin repression of the Russian opposition,” one year after the murder of Alexei Navalny, while on the same day, in the afternoon, they will discuss “the need for targeted support for EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine with representatives of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council and the European Commission.” It is recalled that MEPs, in a previous resolution, expressed, among other things, their staunch support for Ukraine.
On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs will discuss the evolving EU strategy for the Middle East with representatives of the European Commission and the Polish presidency of the EU Council. On Thursday, the EP is expected to discuss the situation in Georgia, and to condemn “the violent crackdown by the Georgian authorities on anti-government protests,” while MEPs will discuss (on Tuesday) the developments in Serbia following the “anti-corruption movement” that has emerged and the demonstrations of students and citizens on the streets of the country. In an open letter published on February 5, 2025, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos called for a full, impartial, and prompt investigation of incidents of violence against protesters.
Discussion with Lagarde, communication infrastructure against EU sovereignty and Health sector shortages
Furthermore, during the February plenary session, discussions are expected to take place, with interventions and statements from the EU Council and the European Commission:
On the EU economy and ECB activities with Christine Lagarde: On Monday, the ECB President will inform MEPs about the European and global economy and the activities of the European Central Bank, while on Tuesday, MEPs will approve their annual recommendations to the ECB on the issues that should be prioritized (e.g., the need to tackle inflation and address rising geoeconomic tensions), as well as the secondary objectives that the ECB should actively pursue to maintain price stability.
On threats to communication infrastructure against EU sovereignty: On Thursday, progress on the EU’s efforts to reduce its strategic dependence on vital communication infrastructure is to be evaluated. MEPs are expected to express “their concerns that member states could resort to alternative suppliers of government communication infrastructure before the EU system IRIS² is operational in 2030.” The EP had declared its support for the development of IRIS² in February 2023, and in December 2024, the European Commission signed a contract for IRIS², a multi-orbital formation of 290 satellites, with the SpaceRISE consortium. This partnership will develop, launch, and operate the new EU satellite system, marking “a major step forward in ensuring Europe’s communication sovereignty and secure connectivity.”
On threats against journalists in the EU, seven years after the Kuciak-Kušnírová murders: On Wednesday, the European Parliament, in discussion with the Council and the European Commission, will evaluate the state of media freedom in the EU and discuss ways to protect journalists, and the progress concerning recent EU legislation (e.g., Media Freedom Act, anti-SLAPP directive, legislation on digital services). It is recalled that Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were murdered on February 21, 2018, in their home in Slovakia. At that time, Kuciak had published articles on large-scale tax evasion, tax fraud, corruption, and money laundering, while investigating several businessmen connected with high-level politicians. Investigations and court cases against the perpetrators are still ongoing.
To address staff shortages and improve working conditions in the Health sector: On Tuesday, MEPs and the European Commission will discuss the EU’s labor needs for the healthcare sector and ways to ensure quality employment. The WHO forecasts a shortage of 4.1 million workers in the EU healthcare sector by 2030, despite the fact that “there are more workers than ever in this sector.” Given the personnel shortages that may intensify in the coming years due to the aging of the current workforce, MEPs are expected to call for measures. According to a recent Eurofound study, health and social care is one of the EU sectors with the most apparent structural staff shortages. The shortages result from the COVID-19 pandemic, supply-demand discrepancies and a lack of planning and forecasting. In a separate discussion on Wednesday evening, MEPs and the Commission will discuss the mental health of Europe’s youth.
During the plenary session, other topics will also be discussed, such as the increase of gang violence in Sweden, the cross-border recognition of family status documents of same-sex couples and their children within the EU territory (statements from the Commission), administrative cooperation in taxation, the protection of the international justice system and its institutions, especially the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (statements from the Council and the Commission), while resolutions will be tabled on, among other things, the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Turkey and the repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, especially of human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities.
