European Union

As part of the revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation, the European Commission presented in December 2023 a proposal for new rules on the protection of animals during transport.

The text almost mirrors the draft first reported by Euractiv earlier this month.

In today’s edition of The Capitals, read about Germany showing signs of ending its anti-nuclear stance, Spain's Sánchez turning to the Arab world for a UN Gaza push, and so much more.

Slovakia’s silence on rejecting an EU tribunal for Russian aggression, despite championing international law, draws criticism from experts and opposition.

PiS-backed candidate Karol Nawrocki signed a far-right pledge by Sławomir Mentzen to secure his second-round support.

Two landmark Italian court rulings have reignited the LGBTQ+ parenthood debate, clashing with Meloni’s hardline stance and restrictive laws.

Kushner's mission extends beyond diplomacy – and his past is nearly impossible to ignore.

Spain leans into its long-held mediator role in the Middle East as Sánchez turns to Erdoğan for support on Gaza at the UN.

Constitutional experts doubt that conditionality will be effective in the long term, especially if richer member states begin to violate EU values.

The next meeting of the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 3 June 2025 from 9:00 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 18:30 in Brussels (ANTALL 4Q2).

Further information about the meeting can be found here.

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SEDE missions 2025:

• Moldova and Ukraine - 14-17 April 2025
  
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - 24-27 February 2025
• Israel and Palestine - 5-8 February 2025

SEDE missions 2024:

• United Kingdom - 28-30 October 2024
• Ukraine - 25-26 October 2024

SEDE Committee meetings' calendar 2025
EP calendar 2025
SEDE meetings' calendar 2nd half of 2024 - 10th legislature
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Political leaders continue to pour public money and political capital into carbon capture and storage. But major doubts surround this much-touted climate-fix technology.

Deals under the EU's soon-to-launch 'SAFE' joint defence procurement deal could move at high speed for Brussels.

While the hotel CEO says they will not host events promoting “far-right ideas,” the organisers say they look forward to coming back.

For Lithuania, the deployment offers reassurance. For Germany, it’s a litmus test for its military.

Ukrainian MP Natalukha said that while the Commission promised last year to replace the ATMs with a long-term framework, no such structure has materialised.

A new pharma sector report reveals that Ireland initiated just 75 industry-sponsored trials over 2023 and 2024, compared to 229 in Denmark.

An Employment and Social Affairs Committee delegation is travelling to Germany’s Ruhr area to visit chemical and steel plants and educational facilities.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

An Employment and Social Affairs Committee delegation is travelling to Germany’s Ruhr area to visit chemical and steel plants and educational facilities.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Sanctioned Russian “shadow fleet” ship caught lurking near the Poland-Sweden power cable, prompting swift Polish military intervention and renewed NATO warnings.

Parliament has endorsed a proposal to raise tariffs on Russian fertilisers, rejecting efforts to weaken the measure and clearing the way for final adoption by July.