“Schools must remain safe spaces of learning and growth – never of fear”

MEPs observed a minute’s silence for the victims of the school killings in Austria and the stabbing of a school assistant in France

• Statement by President Metsola on 40 years of the Schengen area

MEPs remembered the school killing victims in Austria and France and marked the Schengen area’s fortieth anniversary, after opening the 16 19 June plenary session in Strasbourg.

School killings in Austria and France

At the very start of the sitting, President Metsola expressed her deep sadness at the shocking events of Tuesday 10 June, when a school boy stabbed and killed a school assistant in Nogent, France, and a former pupil shot and killed nine students and a teacher and injured many more in Graz, Austria.

Violence and hatred have no place in Europe, and no place in our schools, she said, concluding that “schools must remain safe spaces of learning and growth – never of fear”. President Metsola invited MEPs to join her in a minute’s silence in memory of those killed.

Forty years of the Schengen area

Immediately after opening the June 2025 plenary session, President Metsola led celebrations to mark the Schengen Agreement’s 40th birthday. “Around the world, the Schengen area is looked at with admiration as a clear and very tangible example of what European cooperation can achieve, she said. But we should never take it for granted, she continued, preserving and strengthening Schengen takes constant commitment and effort from all of us”, she said.

The President’s speech was followed by a round of statements by the political group leaders. You can watch a recording of the proceedings on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre website.

Changes to the agenda

President Metsola announced the following changes to the Tuesday’s agenda.

The Council and Commission statements on the assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe and the threat to the democratic process and peace in Colombia will be replaced by a statement by the Vice-President/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

A joint debate with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the Polish Council Presidency on the situation in the Middle East including the risk of further instability in the Middle East following the Israel-Iran military escalation, the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza is added as the ninth point in the afternoon following the debate on the revision of air passenger rights.

Parliamentary immunity

The President announced that Polish authorities have asked for the parliamentary immunity of Grzegorz Braun (NA, Poland) to be waived and the authorities of Belgium have asked for the parliamentary immunity of Giusi Princi (EPP, Italy) to be waived. These requests will be referred to the Legal Affairs Committee.

The Legal Affairs Committee has found the request to waive the parliamentary immunity of Helmut Geuking (EPP, Germany) to be inadmissible.

Requests by the LIBE and SANT committees to start negotiations with Council and Commission