MLex: Nominees for top jobs at the European Commission for the next five years will be quizzed by lawmakers in the European Parliament between 4 and 12 November 2024, the European Parliament has announced. The Parliament will first check that the Commissioner-designates have no conflict of interests and then question them in committee hearings to decide if candidates are qualified for the job. The new Commission needs the Parliament's backing to start the new mandate, and during the hearings, some candidates may be pushed to resign.

The European Parliament has released its plenary agenda for its sittings between 11–14 March 2024. Accordingly, the vote of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) is scheduled on 13 March 2024.

The European Parliament has published an update on the Wirecard case ahead of a public hearing on 23 March 2021. It updates and summarises earlier briefings on the case, and describes the most recent developments on the basis of information available in the public domain.

The European Parliament has voted to use an urgent procedure for considering the proposed ‘stop-the-clock’ Directive on postponements to corporate sustainability requirements. On 1 April 2025, the European Parliament voted with 427 votes in favour, 221 against, and 14 abstentions. The Parliament will vote on 3 April 2025 on delaying implementation of social and environmental reporting, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive or CSRD, by two years for second and third wave companies, and due diligence measures, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive or CS3D, by one year for the largest companies. The Council of the EU has already endorsed the Commission's proposal, meaning 3 April 2025's parliamentary vote would be the final step before formal adoption by the Council.

The European Parliament has endorsed the Commission’s proposal to simplify the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism. MEPs backed a new de minimis mass threshold of 50 tonnes, which would exempt 90% of importers, most of whom are small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals, from the mechanism’s stringent rules. The amendments also clarify and simplify the authorisation process for declarants, the method for calculating emissions, and the management of financial liability, while fortifying anti-abuse measures. These modifications ensure that 99% of CO₂ emissions from imports of iron, steel, aluminum, cement, and fertilisers remain covered, thereby preserving the environmental objectives. Rapporteur Antonio Decaro emphasised the importance of the CBAM in preventing carbon leakage and promoting global climate action, a view reflected in the parliamentary vote of 564 in favour, 20 against, and 12 abstentions.Parliament is now prepared to initiate negotiations with the Council to finalise the legislative framework.

The European Parliament has voted to postpone the application of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) for certain companies, as originally proposed by the Commission in the omnibus package published on 26 February 2025. On 3 April 2025, the Parliament voted with 531 votes in favour, 69 against, and 17 abstentions.  The CS3D, which requires companies to mitigate their negative impact on people and the planet, will be postponed by one year for the largest companies. Member States will now have until 26 July 2027 to transpose the CS3D into national legislation. The first wave of companies affected, including EU companies with over 5,000 employees and non-EU companies with significant turnover in the EU, will apply the rules from 2028. The CSRD will also be delayed by two years for the second and third waves of companies within its scope. The omnibus package also contained another directive, which proposes significant alterations to the scope and content of the sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements, which will be reviewed by the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee. The delays approved on 3 April 2025 (which now just remain subject to formal approval by the Council) are designed to allow time for this second legislative process.

The European Parliament voted 402 to 250 to simplify the EU Deforestation Regulation, granting companies an additional year to comply with rules preventing sale of products sourced from deforested land. Large operators must comply by 30 December 2026, with micro and small enterprises following by 30 June 2027. The changes reduce due diligence obligations for smaller operators and require only businesses first introducing products to EU markets to submit due diligence statements. Parliament will now negotiate with member states on final terms, which must be published in the EU Official Journal before end-2025 for the delay to take effect.

The European Parliament has approved a Commission proposal to update the list of money-laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CTF) high-risk third countries. The following jurisdictions will be added to the list: Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, Venezuela. Conversely, Barbados, Gibraltar, Jamaica, Panama, the Philippines, Senegal, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates will be removed.

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) voted on 23 April 2025 to amend the European Commission's Entry-Exit System implementation proposal. The amendments give member states discretion to choose between gradual or immediate system rollout. For gradual implementation, the Committee proposed extending initial compliance deadlines, requiring 10% of border crossings to be registered by day 30 rather than day one, and reducing the 90-day target from 50% to 35% of crossings.

The European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee has adopted a report proposing changes to the draft EU Traineeship Directive. The report, passed by 42 votes to nine, introduces a clear definition of traineeship, requires mandatory written contracts, six-month duration limits and social protection coverage for trainees. The proposals aim to prevent companies from using traineeships to disguise regular employment relationships. The Committee voted to begin interinstitutional negotiations, with talks with the Council set to commence following the upcoming plenary session if no objections are raised.

The European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs has published a study calling for urgent investment in traceability and attribution mechanisms for generative AI (GenAI) systems, following concerns that current models trained on copyright-protected content lack transparency. Published in July 2025, the study outlines technical and legal risks, and recommends shared responsibility among developers, rightsholders, and regulators to ensure legal compliance and fair remuneration.

The European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee has adopted proposed reforms to the EU Package Travel Directive, aiming to strengthen traveller protections in response to organiser insolvencies and crises like COVID-19. The updated rules clarify refund and cancellation rights, tighten voucher conditions, and require greater transparency. The draft will go to plenary for a vote, expected in September 2025.