Sittings · Document
Follow-up to the European Parliament non-legislative resolution on the outcome of the Committee on Petitions’ deliberations during 2024
Rapporteur: Fredis BELERIS (EPP / EL)
References: 2025/2114(INI) / A10-0170/2025 / P10_TA-(2025)0228
Date of adoption of the resolution: 9 October 2025
Competent Parliamentary Committee: Committee on Petitions (PETI)
Brief analysis/ assessment of the resolution and requests made in it:
This is a regular own-initiative report prepared by the Committee on Petitions on the work of the committee and the petitions handled during the previous year, namely 2024.
The report stresses the pivotal importance of petitions in promoting the principles of direct democracy and improving the active participation of EU citizens. The European Parliament received 1 518 petitions in 2024, which represents an increase by 4.3 % compared to the number of petitions submitted in 2023 (1 452) and by 19.8 % compared to the 1 217 petitions registered in 2022. Almost a quarter of the petitions declared admissible were sent to the Commission for observations, namely 377.
Most petitions submitted in 2024 concerned Spain. Italy, Germany, Romania and Greece followed in terms of numbers of petitions. Slovenia, Latvia and Ireland were the least concerned Member States in 2024. The number of petitions concerning non-EU countries continued decreasing in 2024, with 125 petitions compared to 176 petitions submitted in 2023.
In 2024, for the third year in a row, environment was the most frequent issue raised by petitioners (20.1% of all petitions) followed by personal matters (13.2%), fundamental rights (11.4%), the internal market (11.2%) and justice (9.1%).
In addition to the statistics, the report takes stock of all other parliamentary activities such as the adoption of reports and opinions, the organisation of hearings and the committee’s relations with other EU institutions. The Committee on Petitions organised a public hearing, on 14 February 2024 on ‘The responsibilities of fossil fuel companies in the cost-of-living crisis’. The aim was to analyse the impact of the Ukraine war on energy prices and the EU’s response to the energy crisis to secure energy supply and ensure affordable prices for consumers. In April 2024, the committee called the Council to swiftly grant Romania and Bulgaria full Schengen membership to ease border delays for heavy goods vehicles.
The report notes that the Commission remains the natural partner of the Committee on Petitions in processing petitions as the responsible EU institution for ensuring the implementation of and compliance with EU law. The committee and the Commission have a well-established and consistently maintained level of cooperation. The committee participated in the confirmation hearing of Commissioner-designate for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, as invited committee.
The report concludes that, while the Commission has stepped up its efforts to provide timely responses to requests for information made by the Committee on Petitions, the Commission should be more actively involved in the work of the Committee on Petitions to ensure that petitioners receive a precise response to their requests and complaints regarding the implementation of EU law.
Response to requests and overview of action taken, or intended to be taken, by the Commission:
Paragraph 6: Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the exercise of the Commission’s role as the guardian of the Treaties by providing citizens with an additional tool to report alleged breaches of EU law; stresses that constructive cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission through timely and detailed answers from the Commission, which are based on thorough examinations of the issues raised in petitions, is essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; reiterates that these answers, which are forwarded to petitioners, should be clear, simple and empathic in order to convey better understanding;
The Commission has already replied to this call in its reply to the Parliament resolution on the deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 as adopted by plenary in 2025 SP(2025)08. The Commission recognises that engaging with citizens is of paramount importance, and petitions provide an effective channel for the kind of direct contact and open dialogue this requires. The Commission remains committed to provide timely and quality information to all petitions received from the European Parliament, outlining possible solutions at EU or national level.
Paragraph 7. Welcomes the creation of a new Commission web page on infringement cases, the transposition of directives and the EU Pilot dialogue; reiterates, however, its call on the Commission to regularly update the Committee on Petitions on developments in infringement proceedings and to ensure that the Committee on Petitions gets access to the relevant information on infringement proceedings and EU Pilot procedures that relate to open petitions; reiterates the need to improve the transparency of infringement procedures as well as communication with petitioners on the state of play of such procedures and stresses that this would benefit the petition process; welcomes the Commission’s initiative to include petitions in the Commission’s public register of infringement decisions, as well as the inclusion of a link to the Commission’s public register in the Petitions Portal; welcomes Commissioner Šefčovič’s commitment to further interlink the Commission’s public register and Parliament’s petitions portal; reiterates its call on the Commission to include all these requirements in the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission.
The Commission agrees that it is important to ensure transparency on its enforcement activities and welcomes Parliament’s appreciation of the new webpage on the Europa site related to infringement cases, pre-infringement dialogues (‘EU Pilot’) and transposition of directives. The website offers more user-friendly and complete information to the public and is constantly updated. Furthermore, the Commission’s public register of infringement decisions makes it possible to search for petitions and provides, in the export of the search results, hyperlinks to the specific petition in the European Parliament’s petitions portal.
These publications have been complemented by a new yearly reporting cycle on simplification, implementation and enforcement. Each Commissioner has submitted an annual progress report covering implementation, enforcement, and simplification to the responsible parliamentary committee and Council configuration, who may invite the responsible Commissioner to present his or her report. In addition, on 21 October 2025 the Commission adopted an overview report on simplification, implementation and enforcement, outlining the Commission’s main actions and achievements in these areas in the first seven months of 2025. These initiatives provide more opportunities for exchanging views with the European Parliament and make information on implementation and enforcement more readily available, user-friendly and up to date, replacing the previous annual report on monitoring the application of EU law.
Concerning access to documents related to pre-infringement dialogues and infringement procedures exchanged with national authorities, the Commission has already replied to this call in its responses to the resolutions adopted in 2020 (SP(2021)190), 2021(SP(2022)123), in 2022 (SP(2023)153), 2023 (SP(2024)79) and in 2025 SP(2025)08.
The requirements specified under paragraph 7 fell outside the scope of the revision of the Framework Agreement (FA) on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission as defined by the nine guiding political principles agreed between European Parliament President Metsola and European Commission President von der Leyen on 21 October 2024. Subsequently, these issues were not discussed during the bilateral negotiations on the revision of the FA and, hence, not included in the text provisionally agreed on 9 September 2025.
Paragraph 11: Recalls the Commission’s commitment to create an interinstitutional IT tool between the Commission and Parliament, aiming to share information and documents on all follow-up actions taken on petitions, such as infringement procedures, legislative proposals or replies by national authorities, thus enhancing the transparency and efficiency of the treatment of petitions, which, in a wider context, would contribute to increasing citizens’ trust in the EU institutions and the European project; calls for the swift deployment of such an interinstitutional IT tool.
The Commission has already replied to this request in its responses to the resolutions adopted in 2022 SP(2023)153, in 2023 SP(2024)79 and in 2025 SP(2025)08.
The Commission remains open to examine concrete proposals from the European Parliament for a tool to improve the interface between the Commission and the Parliament’s platforms. This requires careful assessment of feasibility and budgetary implications.
Paragraph 14. Takes note that the environment remained the main area of concern for petitioners in 2024, with more than 20 % of petitions raising environmental issues; notes the significant number of petitions denouncing violations of EU environmental legislation in several Member States; notes that issues reported by petitioners and discussed in committee include wolf protection in the EU, the long-term toxic effects of pesticides and the breach of the Industrial Emissions Directive arising from the management of a steel plant; stresses the importance of delivering on EU citizens’ expectations regarding the protection of the environment and urges the Commission, together with the Member States, to ensure the correct implementation of EU legislation in the environmental field;
Enforcement and implementation of EU law is a Commission priority as emphasised in the Political Priorities 2024-2029. The Commission recalls that the correct implementation of the EU law is a shared responsibility between the Commission and the Member States.
The 2022 Communication on enforcement recalls that the Commission takes compliance seriously and uses all necessary tools in that respect. The Communication explains how the Commission uses enforcement action in a strategic way. In addition, the 2025 Communication on a ‘Simpler and Faster Europe’ recalls the importance of a swift and resolute enforcement action and the need for the Commission to continue to pursue its strategic approach, prioritising breaches that have the most significant impact on public and business interests.
Thanks to the strategic approach followed by the Commission as regards enforcement, the results are visible on the ground. In 2014, 50% of the Natura 2000 sites had no appropriate legal protection; at the end of 2024, less than 3% of Natura 2000 lack such protection. The number of air quality zones which violate the EU rules are down to 25 for PM10 and 20 for NO2, from 120 and 96 respectively in 2014 (based on the latest data from 2023).
Furthermore, as explained by the abovementioned 2022 Communication, the Commission assists Member States and promotes correct implementation of EU environmental law. For instance, the Commission has introduced environmental enabling conditions to access EU co-financing. It also makes available targeted technical assistance to Member States (through EIR TAIEX peer-to-peer) and project promoters (through a new tool called GreenAssist) and it offers training for environmental judges and published numerous guidance documents explaining the provisions of EU environmental law.
In addition, the Commission assesses periodically the implementation of environmental law and policy by the Member States, both in terms of successes and areas where improvements are necessary, in the Environmental Implementation Review (EIR). The latest EIR from 2025 is accompanied by 27 country reports. It identifies priority actions that Member States should take to improve implementation on the ground.
Finally, each Commissioner has prepared an Annual Progress Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement, which is shared with the Council and European Parliament, covering progress made under the area of his or her direct responsibilities. The reports covering the period from 1st January – 31 July 2025 have been published. They focus on progress made on delivering results and cover three parts on: simplification and stress testing, implementation support, and enforcement as well as concrete ways forward. Concerning environment, more information can be found in the report of Commissioner Roswall.
Paragraph 15: Takes note that other subject matters were dealt with by the Committee on Petitions […]; expects a due follow-up and updated information from the Commission on all these petitions;
The Commission takes note of all issues raised by petitioners. As already said, the Commission provides information to all petitions received from the Parliament. According to the report, in 2024 Parliament sent the Commission 377 new petitions for opinion. In total, the Commission provided opinions to 521 petitions in 2024 (including updates to older petitions). These numbers testify the efforts and resources deployed by the Commission to ensure that all petitions sent by Parliament are being addressed.
Paragraph 21: Notes the growing number of petitions relating to education policy, particularly the recognition of teaching qualifications across Member States; highlights, in this regard, the Committee on Petition’s Oral Question to the Commission on the working conditions of teachers in the EU; is alarmed by the Commission’s oral reply confirming that teacher shortages are a serious challenge, which is also reflected in the recent PISA results, with not even one Member State managing to improve their performance in basic skills; calls, in this respect, on the Commission and the Member States to significantly increase their efforts towards improving their school education systems while also increasing the attractiveness of the teaching profession, including through funding and programmes.
The Commission has followed this situation closely. The Union of Skills includes key initiatives, such as an Action Plan on Basic Skills to improve basic skills: literacy, math, science, digital and citizenship skills. As part of the Union of skills and the Action plan on basic skills, the Commission is working on an EU teacher and trainers agenda to help Member States improve teachers’ working conditions, training and career prospects. Enhancing the attractiveness of the teaching profession is a key concern. In the context of the European Semester, the Council of the EU adopted recommendations on the economic, social, employment, structural and budgetary policies of each member state in July 2025, including recommendations linked to the teaching profession addressed to 12 Member States. New results from the teaching and learning international survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provide rich evidence which will feed into the future EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda.