2025/0085(COD) Ordinary legislative procedure First reading

Amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund + (ESF+) as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges

A proposed EU law. Parliament and the Council must agree on the same text: Parliament adopts its position, then negotiates with the Council.

Where it stands: Completed: published in the Official Journal on 19 September 2025 and now EU law.

  1. Referred to committee 5 May 2025
  2. Committee work Report adopted 25 June 2025
  3. Tabled for plenary 30 June 2025
  4. Plenary vote Adopted 10 September 2025
  5. Negotiations with the Council Trilogue 15 July 2025
  6. Published as law 19 September 2025
How a file moves through Parliament

A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. For a law, Parliament’s adopted text is its first-reading position; Parliament and the Council then negotiate a common text (trilogues) which both must approve before it is published as law.

Who is working on it

Lead committee
EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs
Rapporteur
Marit MAIJ S&D
Shadow rapporteurs
Maravillas ABADÍA JOVER PPESéverine WERBROUCK PfEElena DONAZZAN ECRBrigitte VAN DEN BERG RenewVilly SØVNDAL Verts/ALEEstrella GALÁN The Left
For opinion
REGI — Regional Development · rapporteur Sandro GOZI RenewITRE — Industry, Research and Energy SEDE — Security and Defence · rapporteur Urmas PAET Renew

The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.

The text, version by version

Committee opinions: Opinion (BUDG),Opinion (SEDE),Draft opinion (BUDG)

Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph.

Timeline

  1. Outcome
  2. 19 September 2025 Published in the Official Journal

    The act is now EU law.

  3. 18 September 2025 Signature
  4. Plenary stage
  5. 10 September 2025 30 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

    Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.

  6. 10 September 2025 Plenary decision
  7. Plenary stage
  8. Adopted Adopted by a large majority
    For 453 Against 149 Abstained 59

    Final vote on the provisional agreement at 14:17 · 69% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →

    How the vote unfolded · 9 ballots

    adopted rejected lapsed square = amendment circle = part of the text decisive vote Solid = roll call (click for every MEP’s vote); faded = no individual positions

    Show all 9 ballots in voting order
    1. Rejection
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    2. Proposal to vote on amendments
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Rejected
    3. Final vote on the provisional agreement 14:17 A10-0122/2025 - Marit Maij - Accord provisoire - Am 32
    Adopted
    4. Commission statement
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Adopted
    5. Final vote Text as a whole
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Lapsed
    6. Separate vote: title Title
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Lapsed
    7. Separate vote: after Article 1 After Article 1
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Lapsed
    8. Separate vote: after recital 9 After recital 9
    show of hands — no individual positions recorded
    Lapsed
    9. Final vote Commission proposal
    Lapsed
  9. 9 September 2025 Debated in plenary

    MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.

  10. 5 September 2025 6 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

    Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.

  11. 4 September 2025 Committee approve provisional agreement
  12. Negotiations with the Council
  13. 15 July 2025 Trilogue meeting

    Negotiation between Parliament, Council and Commission on a common text.

  14. 9 July 2025 Plenary endorsed the mandate to negotiate with the Council

    Parliament’s negotiators can now seek a compromise text with the Council (a "trilogue").

  15. Plenary stage
  16. 30 June 2025 Report tabled for plenary

    This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.

  17. Committee stage
  18. 25 June 2025 Committee vote: report adopted

    EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.

  19. 25 June 2025 Committee opinion adopted

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

  20. 16 June 2025 SEDE (Security and Defence) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

  21. 16 June 2025 BUDG (Budgets) adopted its opinion

    The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

  22. 21 May 2025 Draft opinion from BUDG (Budgets)

    An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.

  23. 20 May 2025 Amendments tabled in committee

    Members of EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) proposed changes to the draft.

  24. Plenary stage
  25. 7 May 2025 Plenary vote
  26. Committee stage
  27. 5 May 2025 Referred to the EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) committee

    The lead committee prepares the report; REGI (Regional Development), ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), SEDE (Security and Defence) give an opinion.