With a global and growing dissatisfaction with democracy, the European Parliament advocates a strong defence of democratic values and champions citizens contributing to policymaking.
Upholding democracy
Protecting democracy from threat, which is of particular importance in an era of disinformation, is a shared responsibility within the EU. Parliament voted in December 2024 to set up a Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS). This committee was established to propose solutions to challenges such as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). In April 2026, the EUDS committee's mandate was extended by six months to February 2027. The committee adopted findings and recommendations in June 2026.
One of the pillars of a democratic system is freedom of speech and of the press. The rising number of attacks and threats against journalists in Europe and across the globe. Parliament has called for increased protection for journalists and awards its Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism every year since 2021. The award is given to those who promote core EU values such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights. The prize is a tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese anti-corruption investigative journalist assassinated in 2017.
In 2021, Parliament proposed an independent ethics body (with preventative, advisory, and enforcement competencies) to hold all the EU institutions to account. Most EU institutions have agreed to a Commission proposal for an interinstitutional body for ethical standards for members of EU institutions.
Defence of human rights
Parliament has long focused on the defence of fundamental human rights – both within the EU and elsewhere in the world. In addition to regular debates and resolutions on the subject, the Parliament awards the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after the eminent Soviet Russian scientist, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Andrei Sakharov. The prize is awarded to individuals or organisations for their defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms (and is regularly a precursor to the award of a Nobel Prize to the same laureate). The most recent prize was awarded to Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, journalists fighting for democracy in Belarus and Georgia.
Boosting citizen engagement
Parliament has stressed the need to strengthen participatory democracy and promote innovative forms of citizen involvement in EU decision-making. All citizens legally resident in the EU have the right to petition the European Parliament. The Committee on Petitions (PETI) handles these petitions, and can draft an own-initiative report, submit a motion for resolution to plenary, and request the President to forward its opinion to the Commission. PETI action following petitions from citizens has influenced several Commission legislative proposals, for example, regarding the rights of same-sex parents and on standardised luggage dimensions.
The PETI committee is also involved in the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), where if the organisers of an ECI succeed in collecting one million signatures within 12 months, the Commission is obliged to publish a response. PETI invites the organisers to Parliament to present their initiative at a public hearing. Members also hold a debate on successful ECIs in plenary before the Commission publishes its decision.
As one of the 'four freedoms' of EU citizenship is the right to move to live and work in another Member State, mobile EU citizens – EU citizens who live in a Member State of which they are not a national – are a priority for citizen engagement. Mobile EU citizens can stand as candidates in both national and European Parliament elections in their country of residence. In 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that mobile EU citizens also have the right to join a political party.
Promoting equality
Parliament has long advocated inclusion for people with disabilities. It established a Disability Intergroup in 1980 – an informal group for Members from all political persuasions who wish to focus on policy affecting disability. It is one of the oldest and largest such 'intergroup' in the Parliament.
Parliament is equally active in advocating for children's rights, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) specifically play a key role in Parliament's action in this area. Parliament also has a Coordinator on Children's Rights and a Child Rights Intergroup.
Parliament awarded the European Order of Merit for the first time in May 2026. This accolade was established in 2025 (on the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration) to honour EU and non-EU citizens who have 'made a significant contribution to European integration or to the promotion and defence of European values'. There are three levels to the Order of Merit, and each year, up to 20 individuals will receive an award.
