Plenary round-up – March I 2026

Written by Katarzyna Sochacka.

New framework agreement on relations between Parliament and Commission

The revised framework agreement on relations between Parliament and the European Commission aims at strengthening Parliament’s prerogatives as regards the Commission’s duties to inform Parliament of its plans. The Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) Committee report emphasises that the new framework agreement retains the institutional balance intended in the Treaties, while also creating a clearer and more accountable relationship between the institutions working in EU citizens’ interests. Members adopted the revised agreement, which will enter into force following a signing ceremony with Presidents Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen, planned during the March II plenary session (25‑26 March).

Package travel

The EU rules on package travel date back to 2015 and need to be updated to improve passenger protection. Members considered amendments to the Package Travel Directive, following an agreement reached between the co-legislators in December 2025. Parliament’s negotiators succeeded in improving the complaints procedure and consumer information provided on what is included in the ‘package’ they purchase. Parliament adopted the report concluding its first reading on the legislation to amend the Package Travel Directive.

Establishing EU talent pool

A shortage of qualified workers continues to be an issue in many EU countries. While the EU has already provided a platform to match EU jobseekers with employers, the Commission proposed legislation to create an EU talent pool open to non-EU citizens. Faced with international competition for talent, the proposal would allow EU countries to attract workers, without creating an alternative pathway to legal migration. Parliament is keen to ensure that the system is fair, protects against discrimination and is rolled out in all EU countries. Members adopted the text agreed in interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal to establish an EU talent pool.

Guidelines for the 2027 budget – Section III – European Commission

The 2027 annual EU budget will be the last under the current multiannual financial framework (MFF), and Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) is calling for a strong focus on delivery for people, the economy, the planet and providing investment for competitiveness. Members debated the committee’s report, which emphasises the EU budget’s role in strengthening the bloc’s cohesion in the face of a difficult geopolitical landscape. BUDG also calls to uphold a strong external policy and underlines the agreement between EU institutions that expenditure covering the financing costs of Next Generation EU must not reduce funding for EU programmes. The vote on the guidelines for the 2027 EU budget sets Parliament’s position for interinstitutional negotiations ahead of the Commission’s draft budget.

Addressing the housing crisis in the EU

Closer to home, many citizens are personally concerned about the EU’s housing crisis. While housing policy remains a national competence, Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU (HOUS) tabled a report recommending action to improve housing affordability. The committee proposes to help tackle the issue through EU rules on short-term rentals, aiming to strike a balance between promoting urban local communities and tourism income. The HOUS committee also proposes action to improve quality in the construction and energy-efficiency sectors and calls on EU governments to support people trying to get into the housing market through tax breaks. Members held a debate and later adopted the recommendations on solutions for affordable housing.

Copyright and generative AI

When using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate text, images or code, many people are unaware of the legal implications of the AI tool’s use of copyrighted material as training data. This can mean that content creators, artists and other rights-holders are neither acknowledged nor paid for their input. Members adopted an own-initiative report from the Legal Affairs (JURI) Committee calling for clarification of the legal situation as regards copyright and generative AI.

EU enlargement strategy

Members debated and adopted a Foreign Affairs (AFET) Committee report on the European Union’s enlargement strategy. With nine candidate countries and one potential candidate awaiting EU membership, Parliament’s own-initiative report on EU enlargement strategy underlines its support for the process and for reform of the current procedure for admitting new members. The report also emphasises enlargement’s strategic potential to strengthen the wider region in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. Finally, the report underlines the need for a strong merit-based process where alignment with the EU’s core values is an unconditional principle of membership.

2026 World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference

Ahead of the 2026 World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, taking place in Cameroon at the end of the month, Members debated and voted a resolution setting out Parliament’s position on the multilateral negotiations. Global instability and the retreat from global trade rules mean the need to reform the WTO is urgent, not least to replace the long-broken dispute settlement system, promote a global level playing field and make the rules more flexible. Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) underscored Parliament’s support for the multilateral trading system and emphasised the need for greater flexibility. A delegation from the INTA committee is due to attend the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

Five decisions to enter into interinstitutional negotiations – from the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), on ‘Amending certain Regulations as regards digitalisation and common specifications’ and ‘Amending certain Directives as regards digitalisation and common specifications’; from the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) on ‘Implementation into Union law of measures adopted by several Regional Fisheries Management Organisations’, from the Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) and Civil Liberties, Justice, Home Affairs (LIBE) committees on ‘Omnibus IV: Amending certain regulations as regards the extension of certain mitigating measures available for small and medium-sized enterprises to small mid-cap enterprises and further simplification measures’, and from the ECON and LIBE committees on ‘Omnibus IV: Amending Directives 2014/65/EU and (EU) 2022/2557 as regards the extension of certain mitigating measures available for small and medium-sized enterprises to small mid-cap enterprises and further simplifying measures’, were approved without a vote.

Read this ‘at a glance note’ on ‘Plenary round-up – March I 2026‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.