1) Stevi and The New York Times v European Commission
On 14 May 2025, the General Court (Grand Chamber) annulled the European Commission’s decision to deny access to text messages exchanged between President von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer. The Court found that the Commission’s claim of non-possession was inconsistent and lacked plausible explanation, stressing that public access to documents must be given the “fullest possible effect” when credible evidence exists of their existence.
More information at the following links:
https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=299492&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=298144
https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-05/cp250060en.pdf
2) Institutional Reforms – AFCO Committee Meeting
On 14 May 2025, the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) hosted EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to discuss institutional reforms. Members of the Spinelli Group strongly urged accelerated reform ahead of the next EU enlargement.
More information at the following link:
3) Citizens’ Panel on the EU Long-Term Budget
A Citizens’ Panel, involving 150 randomly selected participants from all 27 EU Member States, discussed the new long-term EU budget. The Panel ran in three sessions: late March (Brussels), late April (online), and mid-May 2025 (Brussels). Final recommendations were submitted in mid-May.
4) European Democracy Shield – Call for Evidence
The European Commission launched a call for evidence to gather input on strengthening the resilience of democratic systems in the EU, targeting challenges such as disinformation, foreign interference, and election integrity.
More information at the following link:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14587-European-Democracy-Shield_en
5) Guidance on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising
On 14 July 2025, the European Commission published guidance to support the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/900 on political advertising. The guidance clarifies the Commission’s understanding of key provisions (Chapters I and II) and is without prejudice to the Court of Justice’s interpretation.
More information at the following link:
6) Report on the 2024 European Parliament Elections
On 6 June 2025, the Commission released COM(2025) 287 final, its official assessment of the June 2024 European Parliament elections. The report evaluates the elections’ democratic quality, security, and inclusiveness, and outlines next steps to strengthen EU democratic processes.
7) 2025 Rule of Law Report
On 8 July 2025, the Commission published COM(2025) 900 final, the 2025 Rule of Law Report, assessing the state of the rule of law across the European Union.
More information at the following link:
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-communication-and-country-chapters_en
8) Updated Framework Agreement on Interinstitutional Relations
The European Commission and European Parliament representatives finalized negotiations on an updated Framework Agreement to enhance interinstitutional relations, trust, transparency, and dialogue.
More information at the following link:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_25_2059/IP_25_2059_IT.pdf
9) European Ombudsman launches inquiry on Commission’s handling of Mercosur negotiation messages
On 23 September 2025, the European Ombudsman opened an inquiry into how the European Commission handled a request for access to documents concerning text messages exchanged between President von der Leyen and the Commissioner for Trade during the Mercosur negotiations. The inquiry focuses on transparency and the proper administration of access to institutional documents.
More information at the following link:
https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/news-document/en/211910
10) Motions of Censure against the European Commission.
In July 2025, the European Parliament rejected a motion of censure against the European Commission. More information can be found at the following link:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20250704IPR29455/meps-reject-motion-of-censure-against-the-european-commission
Additionally, two new motions of censure have recently been submitted and are pending a vote. These initiatives are part of the parliamentary oversight mechanism designed to ensure accountability of the European Commission. More information on the first motion is available here:
https://dorie.ec.europa.eu/en/details/-/card/8018310
And on the second motion here:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-10-2025-0400_EN.pdf