The European Order of Merit is an order of merit awarded by the European Parliament. The order was founded on the 75th Anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in May 2025, the first appointment were in March 2026.[1][2][3] The selections are made by a selection committee appointed by the Bureau of the European Parliament.[1]
European Order of Merit
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| Awarded by The European Parliament | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Order of merit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 5 May 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | European Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seat | Strasbourg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eligibility | Individuals recognised for their significant contributions to European integration or for promoting and defending the values established in the European Union treaties. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Extant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founder | Bureau of the European Parliament | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classes |
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| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First induction | 10 March 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last induction | 10 March 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total inductees | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Only 20 people can be awarded the order each year. Elected members and civil servants of the institutions of the European Union cannot be awarded for the duration of their term or employment.
The European Order of Merit feature three classes.
The first inductees were awarded at a ceremony in Strasbourg on the 19 May 2026.[4][5]
Recipients
editThe first recipients of the order were announced on 10 March 2026.[6][7][8][9]
Distinguished members
edit| Name | Known for | Year of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Angela Merkel | Chancellor of Germany | 2026 |
| Lech Wałęsa | President of Poland | 2026 |
| Volodymyr Zelenskyy | President of Ukraine | 2026 |
Honourable members
editMembers
edit| Name | Known for | Year of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| José Andrés | Founder of World Central Kitchen | 2026 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball player | 2026 |
| Marc Gjidara | Professor, lawyer | 2026 |
| Sandra Lejniece | Latvian hematology professor | 2026 |
| Oleksandra Matviichuk | Lawyer and human rights activist | 2026 |
| Viviane Reding | Member of the European Commission | 2026 |
| Paul David Hewson | Musician, lyricist, philanthropist | 2026 |
Insignia and rights
editThe laureates of the order were awarded, in Strasbourg, at a ceremony in May where they were conferred a ribbon bar and badge.[10] For Distinguished Members they will wear the badge from a collar.[1]
Members are granted access to the gallery in the European Parliament.[1]
Members may be degraded by the Selection Committee if found to have committed a criminal offence, shown the Union disrespect, or inappropriately used the order's insignia. Otherwise, Members may be withdrawn if appointed under a false pretense.[1]
| Ribbon bars | ||
 Distinguished Member |
 Honourable Member |
 Member |
Selection committee
editRecipients are appointed by a selection committee. The committee sits for four years and is appointed by the Bureau of the European Parliament. There are seven members on the committee, being the President of the European Parliament, two Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, and 4 prominent European public figures.[1]
The incumbent committee:
- Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
- Ewa Kopacz, Vice-President of the European Parliament
- Sophie Wilmès, Vice-President of the European Parliament
- Michel Barnier, French deputy and former French Prime Minister
- José Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission
- Josep Borrell, former President of the European Parliament and Vice-President of the European Commission
- Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "European Order of Merit". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ Landy, David (2026-03-10). "Mary Robinson and U2 to receive European Order of Merit". www.rte.ie.
- ↑ "Mary Robinson and U2 awarded inaugural European Order of Merit". extra.ie. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ "President Metsola announces first laureates of the European Order of Merit | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ↑ "The European Parliament awards the 'European Order of Merit' to Cardinal Pietro Parolin". INFOVATICANA. 2026-03-11. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ↑ "President Metsola announces first laureates of the European Order of Merit | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ "Antetokounmpo named among first European Order of Merit laureates | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ Kokkinidis, Tasos (2026-03-10). "Giannis Antetokounmpo Honored by the European Parliament". GreekReporter.com. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ "Zelensky, Merkel, Walesa first laureates of European Order of Merit". Yahoo News. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ "Zelenskyy, Merkel and Bono get top EU prize". POLITICO. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-16.