The countdown has started to the annual State of the European Union debate which will be held in the European Parliament on September 12, looking back at what has been achieved and what still needs to be done.

The debate is a chance for MEPs to scrutinise the work and the plans of the European Commission and help set the future direction for the EU.
This year’s debate is especially important because it will be the last before the European election in May 2019 and a new European Commission takes over.

This debate will not only review what has been delivered in the past years to EU citizens, but could also set the tone for the next five years by discussing future challenges and how to tackle them. 

The event starts with a speech by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, evaluating the past year and outlining plans for the coming year.
This is followed by a debate with MEPs, who will set out what they believe should be the EU’s priorities.

Among the issues discussed in last year’s debate were plans on defence, security, legal migration, international trade, social equality and how to strengthen the EU’s budgetary capacity and democratic decision-making process.

The debate can be watched on line in of the EU’s official 24 languages while on September 11, EP President Antonio Tajani will answer questions on the debate during a live session on Parliament’s Facebook page. The State of the EU debate will be streamed live on Facebook on 12 September.

To find out what MEPs have to say about the State of the EU on social media visit the  EP Newshub. 
In addition you can get live updates in your own language thanks to EP’s Twitter accounts. Join the online discussion using the hashtag #SOTEU.

The State of the Union is about ensuring transparency as well as accountability. The debate takes place every year during the first plenary session of September.

As the EU’s only directly-elected body, the European Parliament acts as the people’s voice at the European level.

During the 2014 European elections voters enjoyed for the first time the opportunity to influence who would become the new president of the European Commission. This change resulted in a greater role for the Parliament in setting the EU’s political agenda.

In less than a year, hundreds of millions of Europeans will elect a new European Parliament and decide who will lead the next European Commission.