The European Parliament debates the EU budget, defence, the cost-of-living crisis and efforts to combat counterfeit medicines

The European Parliament begins its plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday evening, 5 October, with the EU’s long-term budget, support for defence and Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis, and protecting patients from illegal and counterfeit medicines on the agenda.

MEPs will discuss with representatives of the European Commission the measures needed to combat the online sale of counterfeit medicines by strengthening cross-border cooperation and law enforcement. The situation in Ukraine will be analysed on Monday, while on Tuesday Parliament is expected to condemn the elections in Russia.

MEPs will debate the priorities of the EU summit on 15–16 October, including Europe’s competitiveness, support for Ukraine, the EU budget for 2028–2034, and the situation in the Middle East. Parliament is also expected to approve the AGILE programme, worth €115 million, aimed at rapidly financing defence innovation, particularly for small businesses and startups.

On Wednesday, discussions will focus on housing and the cost of living. Housing prices have risen by 60% since 2013, while transport has become 30% more expensive since 2015. MEPs will also examine the Social Climate Action Fund, worth €86.7 billion for the 2026–2032 period.

Regarding the 2028–2034 EU budget, Parliament is calling for an increase of approximately 10% compared with the European Commission’s proposal and is proposing new sources of revenue, including taxes on digital services, online gambling, and capital gains from crypto-assets. Adoption of the budget requires the approval of the European Parliament.