The European Parliament’s weekly agenda for 15 – 21 December 2025 focuses on a dense series of plenary debates, committee votes and high-level political events in Strasbourg and Brussels. On Monday 15-12-2025, the plenary session runs from 17:00 – 23:00 with debates on the murder of Mehdi Kessaci and the urgent need for ambitious European action against drug trafficking, as well as a proposal incentivising defence-related investments in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan and amendments to common agricultural policy regulations covering conditionality, direct payments, sectoral interventions, rural development, performance reporting, data governance and controls. The session also tackles breeders’ protests following a lumpy-skin-disease outbreak in France, the impact of the geopolitical situation on European patients’ access to medicines and EU relations with Saudi Arabia, followed by one-minute speeches under Rule 179.
President Roberta Metsola’s agenda on Monday centres on the Strasbourg plenary, including meetings with the Ambassador of the United States to the European Union, Andrew Puzder, at 15:00, with Amine Kessaci at 16:00, presiding over the opening of the plenary session at 17:00, addressing the ‘Peace Light Ceremony’ at 17:30 and chairing the European Parliament’s Bureau at 18:00. Committees hold evening votes, including the environment committee on amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 concerning obligations for operators and traders, and on maximum residue levels for several pesticides through a motion for a resolution. Joint meetings of the economic and employment committees examine the Economic Dialogue on the European Semester 2026, while security and defence, environment and industry committees vote on regulatory changes to strengthen defence readiness and facilitate defence investments and industry conditions. Other joint sessions address phasing out Russian natural gas imports by amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1938, accelerating permit-granting for defence readiness projects, simplifying intra-EU transfers and procurement of defence-related products, and establishing a framework to strengthen the availability and security of supply of critical medicinal products by amending Regulation (EU) 2024/795.
On Tuesday 16-12-2025, the plenary in Strasbourg from 09:00 – 11:50 debates phasing out Russian natural gas imports and improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies, as well as a grids package aimed at tackling raising energy prices through robust infrastructure, before the 12:00 – 12:30 Award of the Sakharov Prize. From 12:30 – 13:30, MEPs vote on files including the bilateral safeguard clause of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement for agricultural products, requests for the waiver of parliamentary immunity for Elisabetta Gualmini and Alessandra Moretti, reforms to the directive on alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes, compulsory licensing of patents in crisis situations, defence-related investments in the EU budget under the ReArm Europe Plan, amendments to CAP regulations, macro-financial assistance to Jordan, the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence, mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers, and EU-Saudi Arabia relations, as well as objections concerning genetically modified maize NK603 and sugar beet KWS20-1.
Later on Tuesday, a joint debate on EU defence readiness from 13:30 – 15:00 covers military mobility and the “European Defence Readiness 2030” needs assessment. From 15:00 – 23:00, plenary debates include the presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan, the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, an automotive package, the European Citizens’ Initiative “My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion”, condemnation of the terrorist attack against Hanukkah celebrations in Sydney and related solidarity, recent developments in Palestine and Lebanon, continuous Belarusian hybrid attacks against Lithuania, and a legislative initiative on “Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management in the workplace – shaping the future of work.” President Metsola’s Tuesday schedule features meetings with representatives of Sakharov Prize laureates at 11:00, a press conference with them at 11:30 and presiding over the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Award Ceremony at 12:00, alongside multiple party briefings and press events on key reports, including the EU-Mercosur safeguard clause and updated sustainability rules for companies.
On Wednesday 17-12-2025, the plenary’s key debate from 09:00 – 11:50 prepares the European Council meeting of 18-19 December 2025, with a focus on supporting Ukraine, transatlantic relations and the EU’s strategic autonomy. From 12:00 – 13:00, MEPs vote on the application of the “safe third country” concept, the establishment of an EU-level list of safe countries of origin, the file on phasing out Russian natural gas imports and energy dependency monitoring, adjustments to the deforestation regulation on obligations of operators and traders, the EU/Jordan scientific and technological cooperation agreement linked to the PRIMA partnership, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, the appointment of the executive director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, an objection on the simplification of disclosures on environmentally sustainable activities and technical screening criteria, and reports on military mobility, European Defence Readiness 2030, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management in the workplace, and the European Citizens’ Initiative on abortion rights.
From 13:00 – 22:00 on Wednesday, debates address the urgent need to combat discrimination in the EU through the Horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive, implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime, preventing sexual harassment in public institutions in light of developments in Spain, the deepening democratic crisis in Georgia, the 2030 Consumer Agenda and cases of pro-Russian espionage in the European Parliament. Under Rule 150, MEPs also debate human rights breaches including the arbitrary arrest and sentencing of academics Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov in Azerbaijan, mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria including from St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri, and the grave political situation in Guinea-Bissau after the coup of 26 November. President Metsola presides over the plenary session at 09:00 in Strasbourg and later, in Brussels, meets European Council president Antonio Costa at 15:30, the chair of SDP Finland Antti Lindtman at 16:30, and participates in the EU-Western Balkans summit at 18:00, while press conferences highlight files on phasing-out Russian gas, rule of law conditionality and tech platforms’ role in foreign interference and disinformation.
On Thursday 18-12-2025, the Strasbourg plenary debates from 09:00 – 11:50 the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement and the European Democracy Shield, focusing on very large online platform algorithms, foreign interference and the spread of disinformation. From 12:00 – 14:00, votes include an objection on maximum residue levels for acetamiprid, resolutions on the arbitrary arrest of Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov, mass kidnappings in Nigeria and the situation in Guinea-Bissau, the appointment of a member of the executive board of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority, the implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime, decarbonisation and modernisation of EU fisheries and the development and deployment of fishing gear, and continuous Belarusian hybrid attacks against Lithuania. From 15:00 – 16:00, debates turn to the dramatic global rise in violent attacks against humanitarian workers and journalists, followed by explanations of votes, as President Metsola participates in the EPP summit at 07:30, the European Council at 10:00, a press conference and the signature of the Joint Declaration on EU legislative priorities for 2026.
