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European Union

European Parliament Votes to Censure Commission Over Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance Concerns

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The European Parliament, in a vote on 19th May 2025, decided to censure the European Commission led by President Ursula von der Leyen over concerns regarding transparency, accountability, and good governance. The motion of censure was adopted with a significant majority, following a series of high-profile controversies and disputes between the Commission and Parliament.

The European Parliament's decision comes in response to multiple reports of the Commission's failure to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability, including the recent judgment of the General Court of the European Union, which annulled the Commission's decision to deny access to text messages exchanged between President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. The Parliament has also expressed deep concern over the Commission's handling of the COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts, the lack of transparency in the use of public funds, and the serious shortcomings in the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Parliament has voted to censure the European Commission led by President Ursula von der Leyen over concerns regarding transparency, accountability, and good governance.
  • The Commission has been accused of failing to uphold the principles of transparency, particularly with regards to its dealings with Pfizer and the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.
  • The European Parliament has expressed deep concern over the Commission's handling of public funds, with EUR 4 billion worth of vaccine doses remaining unused.
  • The Commission has been criticized for its misuse of Article 122 TFEU as the legal basis for the proposal for a Regulation establishing the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a EUR 150 billion defence financing initiative.
  • The Commission has also been accused of interfering in elections in Member States, such as Romania and Germany, through a distorted application of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on a Single Market For Digital Services.
  • The motion of censure was adopted with a significant majority, with the European Parliament instructing its President to forward the motion to the President of the Council and the President of the Commission.

Statistics:

  • EUR 35 billion allocated for COVID-19 vaccines
  • EUR 4 billion worth of unused vaccine doses
  • EUR 150 billion defence financing initiative under the SAFE Regulation
  • Serious shortcomings in the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) identified by the Court of Auditors
  • 100% success of the General Court's judgment in annulled the Commission's decision to deny access to text messages exchanged between President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Sources:

  • European Parliament, Motion of censure on the Commission by the European Parliament (2025/2140(RSP))
  • European Parliament, Committee on Legal Affairs, Non-binding opinion on the proposal for a Regulation establishing the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) (2025/0319/2025)
  • European Court of Auditors, Special Report No. 22/2024: Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - Recovery and Resilience Facility: significant shortcomings in implementation (26 September 2024)
  • European Court of Justice, Judgment in Case T-36/23 Stevi -- The New York Times / Commission (14 May 2025)

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