Reforms for a modern and efficient European Parliament

Parliament has embarked on a series of reforms to strengthen its integrity and accountability and to modernise its working methods and procedures.

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European Parliament President Roberta Metsola speaks in the plenary chamber in Strasbourg

The ongoing reforms were introduced through a series of proposals put forward by Parliament President Roberta Metsola since 2022.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “The reforms we have put in place boost the integrity of Parliament's systems, make decision-making faster, more efficient and transparent, while strengthening the Parliament as a whole. We want to re-affirm that the European Parliament is an open, effective and modern institution.”

Modernising Parliament’s ways of working


A broader update of the European Parliament’s working methods began in early 2023, covering its legislative, budgetary, scrutiny, plenary and external activities.

The Conference of Presidents agreed on a reform package that introduced changes to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure as of the start of the 2024-2029 parliamentary term on 16 July 2024.

The reforms simplify how Commission proposals are assigned to committees, allowing files to be sent directly to one committee or to a small group of up to three, reducing disputes and enabling work to begin earlier.

For wide-ranging or complex dossiers, Parliament may now establish temporary legislative committees, while faster procedures can be used to prioritise specific files.

Clearer rules for resolving conflicts about which committee should deal with a piece of legislation aim to prevent delays caused by overlapping responsibilities, streamlining internal workflows and strengthening scrutiny within the EU’s democratic process.

Cooperation between the Parliament and the Commission

On 27 April 2026, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed a revised framework agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation, dialogue, transparency and mutual trust between the two institutions.


The agreement builds on the nine political principles agreed by both Presidents in October 2024. It strengthens the principle of equal treatment of Parliament and Council, clarifies the Commission’s role as an honest broker, and ensures Parliament receives full and timely information to perform its legislative, budgetary and scrutiny duties.

The revised framework agreement also introduces firmer commitments for the Commissioners responsible to attend plenary and committee meetings when needed, and to take part more regularly in wider parliamentary work, while supporting Parliament’s own efforts to improve MEPs’ attendance.

The agreement increases interinstitutional coordination and democratic oversight. It therefore supports more effective and seamless legislative work and reinforces the European Parliament’s role in shaping EU policies and priorities. This new text reflects more than a decade of practice under the previous version of the agreement and adapts to the changes in institutional needs.

Modernising maternity rules for MEPs

The European Parliament has taken a significant step toward gender equality and work-life balance by pushing for a revision to the EU Electoral Act that would allow MEPs to delegate their voting rights towards the end of their pregnancy and after childbirth.

The change, which won broad political support at all stages, would introduce a temporary exception to in-person voting. MEPs would be able to assign their vote to a trusted colleague for up to three months before and six months after giving birth.

Why this matters

As Parliament's President Roberta Metsola noted, “No member should lose her right to vote because of becoming a mother.” Parliament initiated the reform to address the gap in maternity support for MEPs, so they can fulfil their mandates without compromising health or family responsibilities. The measure aligns with Parliament’s broader commitment to gender equality and inclusive representation. 

Reform timeline


EU countries are now ratifying the reform. You can track their progress on the Council’s dedicated webpage. Meanwhile, Parliament has started working on the requisite changes to the MEPs’ statute and its rules of procedure to make the new rules operational without undue delay.

Closing loopholes and increasing transparency


Following Parliament’s resolutions calling for more transparency and accountability as well as a stronger culture of security regarding foreign interference attempts, measures were taken in several areas.

Parliament’s Bureau, which takes decisions on administrative, organisational and staff matters, approved revised rules on former Members (new revolving door policy), new rules on access to the Parliament, and transparency obligations on interest representatives’ participation in events held on Parliament’s premises.

Parliament adopted further changes to its rules of procedure, including:

  • tighter rules on all MEP activities that would constitute lobbying
  • more transparency on input from external actors
  • harsher penalties for breaches of the Code of Conduct
  • a wider scope for mandatory declarations by MEPs about meetings with third parties
  • clearer rules to help avoid conflicts of interest
  • more details required in the declarations of private interests by members
  • mandatory declarations of assets at the beginning and end of every term of office.


Rules have also been reinforced on MEPs accepting gifts and declaring travel and subsistence costs for third parties as well as a ban on engagement with former MEPs in the six months after they leave the Parliament. The role of the Advisory Committee on the Code of Conduct has been strengthened and its composition has been expanded.

Parliament has also boosted its cooperation with national judicial and law enforcement authorities.

Political group leaders clarified the rules regarding human rights urgency debates in plenary to protect the procedure from undue interference.

MEPs and managers in Parliament’s administration are required to disclose publicly their meetings with interest representatives and representatives of public authorities of non-EU countries.

Whistleblowers


The Bureau has adopted updated internal rules on whistleblowers. The rules clarify how someone working in Parliament can report serious irregularities (including anonymously). The rules indicate what potential whistleblowers should do, what they can expect to happen after they report something, and what information they should expect to receive.

Mandatory whistleblowing training has been introduced for managerial staff, with proposals to extend training to accredited assistants.

Advances in anti-harassment policies


The Bureau decided to establish a mediation service and gave its political backing to the introduction of mandatory training for MEPs. It also agreed to improve the existing procedures used by the Advisory Committee dealing with harassment complaints concerning MEPs. The new rules aim to streamline and shorten procedures as well as to protect complainants.

Awareness raising and training


To ensure that all changes are being properly implemented, Parliament runs regular awareness-raising campaigns. It offers dedicated training for staff and Members on ethics, transparency and accountability requirements.

Easily accessible information


Parliament’s website has been updated to provide centralised and easily accessible information related to the integrity of parliamentary work under a new Transparency and Ethics tab.

Further recommendations and actions


An agreement was reached in 2024 between the EU institutions and advisory bodies to establish an independent EU ethics body, entrusted to set up common ethical standards.

Other medium and long-term recommendations have been proposed by the special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation. These recommendations were debated and approved in July 2023. In December 2024, the European Parliament established a special committee on the European Democracy Shield to assess and develop further proposals on how the EU can counter malicious interference by foreign actors.

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