State of the European Union is just around the corner, here is how to follow it

The EU Commission will have to defend their work during the last 12 months in front of Parliament, while presenting a vision for the future

On 15 September, the European Parliament will hold the State of the European Union debate, where members of the only elected body of the block will take a close look and scrutinise the work done by the EU Commission during the last 12 months.

EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen will begin the session with the State of the EU address, outlining the most pressing challenges and priorities for lawmakers.

Every EU citizen can follow the debate closely via a live stream available in 24 languages or through the EU’s social media presence. The broadcast will start at 9:00 CET.

The EU Commission will defend its past decisions and vision for the future

The State of the European Union debate takes place every September and is designed to give the EU’s only directly-elected institution, the European Parliament, a chance to hold the EU Commission to account. During the debate, Parliament will scrutinise the European Commission’s work during the past year and their plans for the future. The aim is to make sure policy, priorities and past decisions are in the interest of Europeans, addressing key concerns across the continent.

EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed priorities from last year are, unfortunately, still quite relevant. During the State of the EU address on 16 September 2020, she focused on the Union's plans to tackle climate change, racism, heath threats and migration. Now, the European Union continues the fight against the coronavirus pandemic while trying to weather the economic turmoil and ensure a strong social and economic recovery.

Furthermore, the flagship programmes like the European Green Deal and the push towards digitalisation, through the Digital Strategy set out long-term goals for the next five to 10, to 30 years. Certainly, they will continue to dominate the agenda.