Plenary round-up – December 2025

Written by Clare Ferguson and Katarzyna Sochacka.

The key debate of the last plenary session of 2025 was on the preparation of the European Council meeting of 18-19 December 2025, particularly the need to support Ukraine, the EU’s strategic autonomy, and transatlantic relations. Members condemned the terrorist attack on the Hanukkah celebrations in Sydney and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. Several debates were held following Commission presentations of its political and legislative initiatives, such as the European affordable housing plan, EU cardiovascular health plan, the 2030 consumer agenda, the automotive and power grids packages, and plans to tackle rising energy prices through robust infrastructure. Further debates on external policy covered recent developments in Palestine and Lebanon, the deepening democratic crisis in Georgia, and the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton–Paris Peace Agreement.

Members also debated Commission statements on: the need to tackle drug trafficking; breeders’ protests following a lumpy-skin-disease outbreak in France; the geopolitical situation’s impact on access to medicines; preventing sexual harassment in public institutions; Belarusian hybrid attacks against Lithuania; pro-Russian espionage in the European Parliament; and the global rise in violence against humanitarian workers and journalists.

Sakharov Prize

President Roberta Metsola awarded the 2025 Sakharov prize to representatives of Andrzej Poczobut, of Belarus, and Mzia Amaglobeli, of Georgia, journalists fighting for democracy in their home countries. Both journalists were jailed for defending freedom of expression and democracy, and Parliament called for their immediate release. The Sakharov Prize is the EU’s highest tribute to human rights work, recognising those that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought.

EU defence investment

Amid rising geopolitical pressure, the EU aims to redirect budget resources to defence through the ReArm Europe plan/Readiness 2030 initiative. Members debated and approved a provisional agreement amending five programmes’ regulations to facilitate defence funding. The amendments concern the scope of the Digital Europe programme, European Defence Fund, Connecting Europe Facility, strategic technologies for Europe platform (STEP) and Horizon Europe. They also cover funding for dual-use defence technologies and infrastructure across these programmes. The amendments also aim at supporting defence research and development and strengthening European value chains. The agreement extends the EDF to Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian entities to participate in collaborative defence research and development.

Military mobility

Military mobility – the ability to move troops, weapons and equipment quickly and efficiently across the EU – is essential for European security and defence and for EU support to Ukraine. Parliament debated and adopted a joint own-initiative report from the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), calling for a significantly increased budget for military mobility. The report recognises the urgent need to improve military mobility in the EU, including for fast deployment of troops and military equipment to the EU’s eastern flank.

Common agricultural policy simplification agreement

Members considered and adopted a provisional agreement on amendments to the common agricultural policy (CAP). The agreement aims to simplify CAP requirements for farmers, including on ‘good agricultural and environmental conditions of land’ (GAECs), by exempting farms partially certified as organic from certain GAECs and providing farmers with additional support for compliance with some GAEC requirements. It increases the maximum payment amount for small farmers and includes new support for small-farm business development. The agreement advises Member States to avoid conducting more than one on-the-spot check per year on the same farm.

Compulsory licensing of patents for crisis management

Innovation is a top EU priority, and Members adopted at second reading a provisional agreement on a compulsory patent licensing scheme. The scheme aims at facilitating rapid use of patents during crises while preserving innovation incentives through patent protection. Parliament’s negotiators succeeded in excluding crises relating to semiconductors, gas supply security and defence-related products from the scope, as well as maintaining the confidentiality of protected knowledge, and lowering maximum fines and penalties.

Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime

The Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation allows the EU to suspend or reduce funds to Member States that violate the rule of law in a way that directly threatens the Union’s financial interests. Members are concerned that the mechanism has only been triggered once to date, against Hungary in December 2022. Parliament debated and adopted an own-initiative report assessing the regulation’s implementation. The joint report from the Committees on Budget (BUDG) and Budgetary Control (CONT) calls for improvements to increase transparency through a public portal tracking breaches, a simpler complaint procedure, and a stronger role for parliamentary scrutiny.

Citizens’ Initiative – ‘My voice, my choice: For safe and accessible abortion’

Parliament debated and adopted a resolution drafted by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) regarding the EU’s plans to follow up on the European Citizens’ Initiative, ‘My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion’. The initiative proposes creating an EU-funded, voluntary opt-in system to support EU countries that offer safe and legal abortion services to people from EU countries where access is limited. Members condemned anti-gender movements that seek to undermine equality and human rights, and called on Member States to reform their abortion laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

Two decisions to enter into interinstitutional negotiations – from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF): support to workers affected by imminent job displacement in enterprises undergoing restructuring; and from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), on the application for the electronic submission of travel data (‘EU Digital Travel application’), use of digital travel credentials – were approved. Two other decisions, from the LIBE committee on the application of the ‘safe third country’ concept and the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level, were approved by vote.

Read this ‘at a glance note’ on ‘Plenary round-up – December II 2025‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.