Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 5 May 2025 laying down the Rules on the European Order of Merit
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
General principles
1. The European Order of Merit (‘the Order’) is hereby established to honour the achievements of individuals who have made a significant contribution to European integration or to the promotion and defence of the values enshrined in the Treaties. 2. The Order shall consist of three levels of increasing distinction: — Member of the Order; — Honourable Member of the Order; and — Distinguished Member of the Order.
Eligibility and exclusion criteria
1. Only individuals may be appointed to the Order. Groups, associations and organisations with legal personality shall not be eligible. 2. Members and staff of institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union shall not be eligible for appointment to the Order, at any level of distinction, during their mandate or while in service.
Form of the distinction
1. Appointment to the Order at each level of distinction shall be attested by a certificate signed by the President of the European Parliament. 2. On appointment to the Order, laureates shall receive a badge and a ribbon bar, as referred to in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5, corresponding to the level of distinction at which they were appointed. 3. The badge awarded to a Member of the Order shall be made of silver. It shall be 40 mm in diameter and attached by a 37 mm blue moiré ribbon with one yellow stripe. The corresponding ribbon bar shall be blue with one yellow stripe. 4. The badge awarded to an Honourable Member of the Order shall be made of gilded silver. It shall be 40 mm in diameter and attached by a 37 mm blue moiré ribbon with two yellow stripes. The corresponding ribbon bar shall be blue with two yellow stripes. 5. The badge awarded to a Distinguished Member of the Order shall be made of gilded silver. It shall be 50 mm in diameter and attached by a 40 mm blue moiré ribbon with three yellow stripes. The corresponding ribbon bar shall be blue with three yellow stripes. 6. Badges and ribbon bars shall be worn on the left side of the chest, with the exception of the badge referred to in paragraph 5, which shall be worn round the neck. Badges and ribbon bars shall not be worn simultaneously.
Rights and obligations
1. Membership of the Order at any level of distinction, and the right to wear the badge or the ribbon bar corresponding to a specific level of distinction, shall be conditional upon the conferral of the distinction in accordance with Article 8. No one may claim membership to the Order or a specific level of distinction within the Order until it has been formally conferred upon the person concerned. 2. The badge and the ribbon bar shall be worn respectfully and in accordance with Article 3. 3. Membership of the Order shall confer the right to access the Chamber’s official gallery during Parliament’s plenary sittings, in accordance with the Bureau Decision of 3 May 2004 on the Rules governing access to and attendance in the Chamber and the conduct of debates.
Proposals for appointment
1. Proposals for appointment to the Order may be made by: — The President of the European Parliament; — The President of the European Council; — The President of the European Commission; — Heads of State or Government of the Member States who are members of the European Council; or — The Speakers of the national parliaments of the Member States. 2. Proposals shall include biographical information highlighting the achievements of the person proposed and that person’s contact details, as appropriate. They shall be submitted in an official language of the Union to the selection committee established pursuant to Article 7.
Decision to confer a distinction
1. A selection committee, supported by a secretariat, shall assess the proposals received pursuant to Article 5 and shall appoint individuals to the Order. 2. Initial appointment to the Order shall, as a general rule, be made at the first level of distinction. Appointment to one of the other levels of distinction may be decided by the selection committee in the case of achievements of particular significance or on the basis of new achievements, as appropriate. 3. The total number of laureates appointed shall be limited to a maximum of 20 per year. 4. The decision to confer a distinction shall be notified to the laureates concerned and shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Selection committee
1. The selection committee shall consist of seven members, namely: — the President of the European Parliament ( ex-officio ); — two Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament ( ex-officio ); and — four eminent European personalities. 2. The Bureau of the European Parliament shall appoint the members of the selection committee for a renewable term of four years. 3. The term of office of the ex-officio members shall end automatically when they no longer hold their respective office. 4. In the event of a vacancy for one of those positions before the completion of the member’s term, the newly appointed member shall serve only for the remainder of that member’s predecessor’s term of office. 5. On presentation of supporting documents, members of the selection committee shall, where appropriate, be entitled to the reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses incurred in participating in the meetings of the selection committee. 6. The selection committee shall establish its rules of procedure.
Ceremony of conferral
1. An annual ceremony shall be held during one of Parliament’s part-sessions. Additional ceremonies may be organised when deemed appropriate. 2. During the ceremony, the President of the European Parliament shall confer the distinction upon the laureates. 3. On presentation of supporting documents, laureates and members of the selection committee shall be entitled to the reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses incurred in attending the ceremony.
Revocation and withdrawal
1. The selection committee may revoke the appointment to the Order in the event that a Member of the Order, regardless of the level of distinction, or a laureate has been found guilty of a criminal offence by a final judgment, has shown disrespect for the values on which the Union is founded, as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, or has used the badge or the ribbon bar in an improper manner. The selection committee may withdraw a distinction if it has been granted on the basis of incorrect information concerning the eligibility or exclusion criteria or the achievements of the Member of the Order, regardless of the level of distinction, or the laureate concerned. The revocation or the withdrawal of the appointment to the Order shall entail the loss of all rights under Article 4. 2. The selection committee may delegate the adoption of a decision pursuant to paragraph 1 to the President of the European Parliament. 3. The Member of the Order, regardless of the level of distinction, or the laureate concerned shall be given the opportunity to present written observations before a decision pursuant to paragraph 1 is taken. 4. The decision shall be notified to the person concerned and shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Entry into force and publication
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.