EU - European Parliament - Committees - Latest news

1. Highlights - EU Digital Rules: Discussion with US Lawmaker on Misleading Narratives - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

   

   The European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee (IMCO) is stepping up discussions about criticism of EU digital rules coming from the United States. The committee invited Mr Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the US House Judiciary Committee, for a discussion scheduled for 24 March 2026. The discussion follows a recent report from the same committee criticising EU digital legislation and raising concerns about its impact on American companies and free speech.

   
   

   On 3 February 2026, the US House Judiciary Committee released a report titled "The Foreign Censorship Threat, Part II: Europe's Decade-Long Campaign to Censor the Global Internet and How it Harms American Speech in the United States." The report argues that EU digital legislation acts as a censorship tool targeting U.S. technology companies. It lists the names of around twenty European Commission officials involved in digital policy. Some EU policymakers view the report as an attack on Europe's democratic rule of law and its approach to regulating the digital space.

   This discussion follows the one held in IMCO last February with former Commissioner Thierry Breton and other targeted individuals currently subject to a U.S. travel ban preventing them from entering the country. The exchange with Mr Jamie Raskin aims to provide further insight into the debate.

   
   Report of the US House Judiciary Committee
   Paper published by Mr Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the US House Judiciary Committee
   IMCO discussion with former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton on 25 February 2026

   
   Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

2. Highlights - Workshop on Rare diseases - Committee on Public Health

   

   On 18 March 2026, in the context of the SANT legislative own-initiative report on the EU Rare Disease Action Plan, a workshop on rare diseases took place, where experts presented key insights on the situation of rare diseases in the European Union, the main challenges faced by patients, and recommendations for EU action, which was followed by a discussion with Members of the SANT Committee.

   
   Workshop draft programme
   Poster
   Rare diseases infographics
   Experts biographies

   
   Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

3. Highlights - Consideration of proposals amending the European Biotechnology Act (Directive) - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

   

   On 24 March 2026, in a joint meeting, ENVI and SANT will consider the Commission proposal amending Directives 2001/18/EC (GMOs Directive) and 2010/53/EU (Human Organs Directive) as part of the EU Biotechnology Act. The proposal aims to modernise EU biotechnology rules by creating a more tailored regulatory framework for genetically modified micro-organisms (GMMs) and clarifying oversight of organ processing technologies used prior to transplantation.

   
   

   With regard to the GMO Directive, the proposal introduces targeted amendments to reflect the specific characteristics and applications of GMMs. It adapts risk-assessment requirements, allows the consent for placing GMMs on the market to remain valid for an unlimited period and adjusts detection method obligations where technical limitations exist. The proposal also introduces the concept of "low-risk GMMs", accompanied by scientific criteria and a simplified authorisation procedure for eligible products. As regards the Human Organs Directive, the proposal aims to clarify the regulatory framework for organ processing prior to transplantation. It formally recognises processing activities and establishes authorisation, risk-assessment and oversight requirements.

   
   Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

4. Highlights - Consideration of draft report on the reform of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

   

   On 24 March 2026, ENVI Members will consider the draft report on the proposal to reform the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). The proposal aims to strengthen EU preparedness and response to increasingly frequent and complex crises, including natural disasters, hybrid threats and cross-border health emergencies.

   
   

   Building on lessons from recent crises - such as large-scale floods and the COVID-19 pandemic - the Commission proposes replacing the current Decision with a directly applicable Regulation to reinforce EU-level coordination and operational capacity. Key elements include strengthening the EU's strategic emergency reserve (rescEU), integrating health emergency preparedness into the civil protection framework, and establishing an EU Crisis Coordination Hub to improve cross-sectoral risk monitoring, situational awareness and crisis management support for Member States. The initiative forms part of the broader "European Preparedness Union" agenda, which seeks to align civil protection, health security and resilience policies and promote a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to crisis preparedness and response.

   
   Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

5. Highlights - Vote on Proposals for Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions for the 2027 EU Budget - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

   

   On 17 March 2026, ENVI Members voted on proposals for Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions (PPPAs) to be submitted to the Commission for preliminary assessment. Each year, the EU budgetary procedure allows Members to propose PPPAs. This year, ENVI Members tabled two pilot projects and one preparatory action covering a range of environmental issues.

   
   

   One pilot project aims to support municipalities in improving coexistence with urban wild animals by promoting information sharing, best practices, and humane management approaches. Another pilot project aims to strengthen a "culture of preparedness" by developing a methodology to assess citizens' awareness of risks and hazards, helping authorities design more targeted preparedness policies. The preparatory action, BESTBelt Connect, builds on previous initiatives along the European Green Belt - a 12,500 km ecological corridor spanning much of the European continent. It aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation for biodiversity protection and contribute to the development of a Trans-European Network for Nature (TEN-N) to support resilient rural economies. If approved, the ENVI PPPAs will be submitted to the Commission for preliminary assessment. After this evaluation (expected by mid-June 2026), these proposals may be tabled as budgetary amendments for final approval in July 2026.

   
   Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP