EU Advocacy Toolbox
The EU Advocacy Toolbox provides easy access to online tools that will help advocates access information on EU decision-making and deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time. Search the toolbox or filter it by institution and purpose to access documents, identify decision-makers, track decision-making and more.
Find the tool you need easily: filter by institution & purpose, search titles & descriptions. Click title to select.
Ways of working of the second von der Leyen Commission: collegial decision-making process, structure, inter-institutional & external relations, relations with the services of the Commission, ethics, transparency, communication etc.
Find out who the Members are of the European Council, their political affiliation and understand the balance of power within the European Council.
Know the political groups of the European Parliament, their role and the rules governing them. See also Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations.
Identify the European political parties and political foundations recognised and funded by the EU and understand the rules governing them. These parties and foundations are linked to the political groups in the European Parliament but are distinct legal entities. MEPs from the same political group may be affiliated to different European political parties. See also EP Political Groups.
Map stakeholders and interest groups, the human and financial resources they allocate to influencing the EU institutions, who they are meeting and their responses to Commission public consultations. Review the outside activities and sources of income of Members of the European Parliament. Access national transparency websites shedding light on interest groups in several Member States. See also Transparency Register and LobbyFacts.eu.
Map stakeholders and interest groups, the human and financial resources they allocate to influencing the EU institutions, who they are meeting and their responses to Commission public consultations. See also Transparency Register and EU Integrity Watch.
Get an overview of the relative strength of national delegations within each political group in the European Parliament. Identify MEPs from your country in each group.
Use this tool to simulate votes in the European Parliament's plenary and check if a majority is achievable.
Projection of the results of the June 2029 European Parliament elections based on the results of polls in all EU Member States. Updated periodically.
Access briefings tracking the commitments made by Commissioners of the von der Leyen I Commission (2019-2024) to the European Parliament in their written answers to Parliament's questions, in their confirmation hearings and, in some cases, in subsequent appearances before Parliament's committees.
Detailed calendar of the European Parliament hearings of the Commissioners-designate of the von der Leyen II Commission taking place in November 2024.
Calendar of EP plenaries, committee meeting weeks, group meeting weeks and constituency weeks in 2025
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) is the EU's external auditor. The ECA audits the EU's finances and produces special reports auditing EU policies. The ECA’s special reports set out the results of its audits of EU policies of significant political and public interest. Read these reports to get an independent of the effectiveness, efficiency and integrity of important EU policies.
Read the biography and mission letters of the Commissioners nominated by Ursula von der Leyen for scrutiny by the European Parliament's committees before a formal vote of approval by the plenary of the Parliament and the Council.
Understand the rules governing the conduct of MEPs and former MEPs, in particular on conflicts of interests and financial interests, to ensure the integrity, transparency and accountability of their political activities. Access the register of gifts to MEPs.
Understand the division of competences and balance of power between the EU and its Member States set out in the treaties for the different policy areas in which the EU is active.
Access to summaries and easy-to-understand explanations of the main legislation adopted by the EU and of some international agreements in 32 thematic areas, such as agriculture, environment and climate change, development, external action and single market.
Find the results of regular cross-national opinion polls carried out on behalf of the EU institutions and agencies to monitor public opinion and attitudes in Europe on EU-related issues.
Independent online media outlet supporting independent European journalism run by a European press cooperative, with journalists, editors, translators and media partners from over 30 countries. Read news and investigative articles about climate, inequalities, democracy, migration and more in nine languages.
Access the resources of the knowledge sharing platform created by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) for development professionals around the world including: articles, projects and events by topic or country; Team Europe Initiative and Joint Programming tracker; communication products...
Access live streams, recordings, photos and infographics of the European Parliament.
Access news, press briefings and live streams of the European Parliament.
Rules and measures adopted by the European Parliament to promote integrity, transparency and accountability of MEPs' political activities: access to documents, lobby groups, appropriate behaviour, expenditure of MEPs.
Find information about the plenary sessions of the European Parliament including: agendas; reports and resolutions tabled and adopted; tabling deadlines for amendments, motions, separate or split votes; voting lists and results; speakers' list, live streams and recordings of debates and votes.
Find information about EU legislation with European Economic Area (EEA) relevance and is likely to apply to EEA members (Iceland, Liechtensteing and Norway). Track its incorporation into the EEA Agreement.
Access information on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Economic Area (EEA). EFTA is the organisation set up to promote free trade and economic integration between the EU and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The EEA brings together EU Member States and three of the four EFTA members (Iceland, Liechtensteing and Norway) in the European single market, also called the Internal Market.
Policy priorities of the European Council for the 2024-2029 institutional cycle focusing on three pillars: a free and democratic Europe; a strong and secure Europe; a prosperous and competitive Europe
Political guidelines of the Commission for 2024-2029 presented by Ursula von der Leyen to the European Parliament in July 2024.
European Parliament website of the 2019 hearings of the Commissioners-designate. Understand the process and access the recordings and documents for the hearing of each Commissioner, including the questions and answers, verbatim report and the final assessment of the Committees.
European Parliament Research Service website on the hearings of Commissioners-designate carried out by the EP before their investiture as part of its scrutiny powers. Find recordings and records of previous hearings, the planning of future hearings and an explanation of the procedure and role of the EP.