European Order of Merit
Honour awarded by the European Union
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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 Bureau of 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 first inductees were awarded at a ceremony in Strasbourg at the 18–21 May plenary session.[4][5]
Recipients
The first recipients of the order were announced on 10 March 2026.[6][7][8][9]
Distinguished members
| Name | Known for | Year of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Angela Merkel | Chancellor of Germany | 2026 |
| Lech Wałęsa | President of Poland | 2026 |
| Volodymyr Zelensky | President of Ukraine | 2026 |
Honourable members
Members
| Name | Known for | Year of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| José Andrés | Founder of World Central Kitchen | 2026 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball player | 2026 |
| Marc Gjidara | Professor | 2026 |
| Sandra Lejniece | Professor | 2026 |
| Oleksandra Matviichuk | Lawyer and human rights activist | 2026 |
| Viviane Reding | Luxembourgish politician, member of the Chamber of Deputies | 2026 |
| Paul David Hewson | Musician, lyricist, philanthropist | 2026 |
Insignia and rights
The 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
Recipients 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 Vice-President of the European Commission
- Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy