The European Parliament's term is coming to an end: five key themes from the past years
The five-year term of the European Parliament, which took office in 2019, has been marked by unexpected crises, which is naturally also reflected in the more central themes of the term ending in June. We have compiled a list of the most prominent topics of the European Parliament's term of office and briefly reflect on what the coming term will bring.
1. Environment and changing attitudes
The environment can be considered the main theme throughout the period, the most significant factor being the European Climate Change Act adopted in 2021, which aims not only to reduce emissions but also to protect and restore biodiversity. The objectives of the Act have included achieving climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions ('Fit for 55') by at least 55% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
The period has also seen significant changes in attitudes towards climate issues: whereas at the beginning of the period there was a fairly unanimous attitude towards prioritising environmental issues, various unexpected crises have changed the general atmosphere and attitudes towards environmental issues as well. The level of ambition of environmental bills (e.g. the Nature Restoration Law) has also been lowered towards the end of the period.
2. Digitalisation and ethics
The digital transition has been one of the major objectives of the European Parliament's term of office, and significant progress has been made, notably with the Digital Services Act. The DSA aims to ensure a fair digital environment for its users and to protect consumers' fundamental rights.
Artificial intelligence and especially its ethics have also been on the agenda during the past period. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act was completed in March 2024 with the aim of setting common ethical rules for the use of AI. The EU law on AI also demonstrates Europe's ambition to be a global frontrunner in the regulation of AI technologies.
3. The war in Ukraine and energy independence
Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, launched in February 2022, has had an impact at EU level not only from a defence but also from an energy perspective. In particular, efforts have been made to raise the level of energy self-sufficiency after the end of Russian energy imports. Similarly, attitudes towards nuclear power have changed in several Member States. Nuclear power, which was once highly stigmatised in Europe, is now seen as a necessity and as a clean form of energy that has a critical link with the energy security of the EU as a whole.
4. Coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus outbreak, declared a pandemic in March 2020, triggered unprecedented support and recovery packages and plans in the EU. In response to the pandemic, NextGenerationEU, a temporary financial instrument to boost the recovery, was launched to help Member States recover from the multiple economic and social impacts of the pandemic.
5. Brexit
The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU entered into force at the beginning of 2020, and an agreement on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement was reached at the end of the same year. The chain of events that started with the UK's consultative EU referendum in 2016 was strongly visible in the EU throughout its process.
The effects were also clearly visible in the everyday life of Finns, companies operating in Finland and trading with the UK. The important topic of discussion at the beginning of the period has since been overshadowed by other crises that have acutely affected the EU.
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Environmental and climate issues are likely to fall out of the focus in the coming period – the assumption is that right-wing groups will gain more support than the Greens, which will be directly reflected in the visibility of environmental and climate issues, including ambitious climate targets for 2040. Instead, the focus will probably be on legislative initiatives on the state of industry and competitiveness.
Similarly, themes dealing with energy security and energy self-sufficiency are presumably on the surface.
As the geopolitical situation continues to be fragile, the debate on defence is likely to remain on the agenda, especially from the perspective of the EU's common defence.
Themes that are particularly interesting, and even challenging, from Finland's point of view are likely to be biodiversity themes and forest policy issues, on which Finland has a different approach to many other Member States.