Union européenne

Une longue année électorale a commencé, dimanche 8 mars, en Allemagne. Le premier scrutin était très attendu car le Bade-Wurtemberg, région prospère du sud-ouest, est dirigée depuis 15 ans par un écologiste qui ne se représentait pas. Les chrétiens-démocrates du chancelier Friedrich Merz espéraient reprendre enfin ce fief traditionnel des conservateurs. Mais les écologistes l'ont emporté. La coalition au pouvoir dans la région entre Verts et chrétiens-démocrates devrait être reconduite.

Written by Ionel Zamfir.

The EU has made closing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) a priority in its education, research and employment policies. This answers to legal requirements to pursue gender equality through any EU action, as well as to practical imperatives to address a shortage of specialists that limits the EU’s ability to compete in the global technological race. Moreover, existing data show that many young women today have strong maths and science skills but are still largely absent from careers in engineering and information and communications technology (ICT).

Research shows that the under-representation of women in STEM has many causes, including: unwelcoming work environments in STEM jobs, family caring responsibilities, and social norms that discourage girls from pursuing these fields. Tackling these issues requires a combined approach including: challenging rigid gender stereotypes, using gender-sensitive teaching methods in schools, encouraging girls to choose STEM careers, and removing barriers to employment.

The EU pursues gender equality as a cross-cutting priority in various policies that cover STEM, and has adopted specific initiatives to promote women in STEM. In education, it uses a range of measures to support women at all levels, from schools to universities. In research, EU funding now depends on programmes promoting gender equality. In employment, EU laws help remove obstacles that might put women off STEM careers.

The EU also funds projects that support women’s innovation, entrepreneurship, networking and mentoring. The European Parliament strongly backs these efforts, and has called for wider action by the EU and its Member States.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Women in STEM in the EU: How to close the gender gap‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Un troisième vol de rapatriement de Français du Moyen-Orient devait arriver ce dimanche matin à 5h à Paris. Comme beaucoup de pays européens, la Belgique s'organise pour rapatrier ses citoyens bloqués au Moyen-Orient, plus d'une semaine après le début de la guerre et des bombardements israélo-américains sur l'Iran. Le royaume doit gérer plus de 900 demandes de rapatriement dans un contexte sécuritaire très difficile sur place, rendant la mise en place et le décollage des vols complexe, provoquant même parfois la colère de ceux restant bloqués sur place.

En Autriche, les « Omas gegen Rechts », les mamies contre la droitisation, est un mouvement lancé fin 2017, lorsque l’extrême droite est arrivée au pouvoir. Ce mouvement rassemble des femmes âgées de plus de 60 ans et même de plus de 70 ans pour la plupart. Elles revendiquent leur engagement, descendent dans la rue et donnent de la voix dans l’espoir de laisser un monde meilleur aux jeunes générations. Elles sont devenues des icônes en Autriche et ont même fait des émules dans d’autres pays. 

Les Suisses se rendent aux urnes ce dimanche 8 mars. Alors que cet hiver s’annonce comme l’un des plus chauds jamais enregistrés, les Suisses doivent décider s’ils acceptent de consacrer quasiment 1% de leur PIB à la transition énergétique. Un passage obligé pour respecter les engagements de neutralité carbone. Mais en plein conflit ukrainien et maintenant au Moyen-Orient, le texte a très peu de chances de passer. 

Le racisme touche tous les secteurs et tous les pays. En Catalogne, en Espagne, alors que la crise du logement fait rage plusieurs associations dénoncent un racisme presque systématique dans le secteur de l’immobilier et pour la première fois en Catalogne une agence immobilière vient d’être condamnée par le gouvernement à une amende.

La guerre russe à grande échelle contre l’Ukraine entre dans sa cinquième année et l'Estonie, la Lettonie ainsi que la Lituanie, pays limitrophes de la Russie, ne relâchent en rien leur vigilance face à un voisin menaçant. Que représente justement cette menace en 2026 ? Le général de division Ivan Martin, ancien attaché militaire français en Russie et en Ukraine, désormais à la tête de la cellule Anticipation, Stratégie, Orientation à l’état-major des armées, répond aux questions de RFI*.

Az olasz haditengerészet fő támaszpontja elleni légitámadás gondolata egyáltalán nem volt új keletű. Az angol oldalon már az etióp válság idején, 1935-ben felmerült az ötlet, hogy az olasz flottát torpedóvető repülőgépek Taranto elleni légitámadásával kellene semlegesíteni, ha háborúra kerülne sor Olaszországgal. (Az elképzelés eredete talán még ennél is régebbre nyúlik vissza, 1918-ra, amikor az angolok a német kikötők ellen terveztek hasonló, anyahajókról indított légitámadásokat.) A háború első hónapjaiban az Egyiptomban állomásozó angol légierő egy sor eredményes támadást intézett a líbiai olasz kikötők ellen, és alighanem ezek sikerét látva jutott eszébe ismét valakinek a Taranto elleni légitámadás ötlete. A helyzet különösen kedvező volt, hiszen ekkortájt érkezett meg Alexandriába az Illustrious, tehát Cunningham-nek egy ideig egyszerre két anyahajó is rendelkezésére állt. A pilóták már szeptembertől gyakorolni kezdték a sekély vízben végrehajtott torpedóvetést. A támadás eredetileg tervezett időpontja október 21-e volt, Trafalgar napja. Az Illustrious fedélzetén kitört tűz miatt azonban az akciót el kellett napolni, majd meg kellett várni a következő holdtöltét, miután az éjjeli támadást teliholdnál, jó látási viszonyok között akarták lebonyolítani. Nem sokkal indulás előtt aztán az Eagle sérült meg egy közelben becsapódó bombától, ám az angolok már nem akartak tovább várni, és megindították a hadműveletet, bár Cunningham is kételkedett benne, egyetlen anyahajóval képesek lesznek e elérni a várt eredményeket.

[...] Bővebben!

Written by Sarah Sheil.

More than one year into the second von der Leyen Commission and six months after her first State of the Union address in this mandate, the Members’ Research Service of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) presents its twice-yearly monitoring of the Commission’s delivery. This paper analyses in which areas the Commission has focused its efforts, how much it has achieved against its commitments – primarily set out in the State of the Union address and the 2026 Commission work programme – and how its priorities are articulated.

In terms of announcements, initiatives tabled, and texts adopted, the Commission’s main focus has been on competitiveness. To meet the objectives of the Letta and Draghi reports – quoted as the foundations of this policy – much effort will still be needed, as was confirmed by Mario Draghi soon after the 2025 State of the Union address. This priority underpinned the European Council’s 12 February 2026 competitiveness retreat.

The ‘new era for European defence and security‘ comes next. The mainly non-legislative nature of the second Commission priority translates differently, with initiatives far fewer in number but of high political prominence. This policy area is at the forefront in the interinstitutional joint declaration on the EU’s legislative priorities for 2026.

Read the complete Study on ‘The policy priorities of the von der Leyen II Commission: State of play in March 2026‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Au moins douze personnes ont été tuées, dans la nuit du vendredi 6 au samedi 7 mars, en Ukraine, dont plusieurs régions ont été ciblées par des frappes russes, selon les autorités.

Cette semaine, nous recevons Arancha González Laya, ancienne ministre des Affaires étrangères espagnole et actuelle doyenne de la Paris School of International Affairs à Sciences Po. Elle revient sur le conflit au Moyen-Orient et le risque d’embrasement de la région ainsi que sur la brouille diplomatique entre les États-Unis et l’Espagne, seul pays européen à avoir ouvertement condamné les frappes américaines et israéliennes comme une violation du droit international.

Une revue de presse préparée en partenariat avec Le Courrier des Balkans. 

Le gouvernement islandais a annoncé vendredi 6 mars qu'il proposait d'organiser le 29 août un référendum sur la reprise des négociations d'adhésion à l'Union européenne, officiellement interrompues depuis 2015.

Les différends autour du projet d'avion de combat SCAF de nouvelle génération ont tendu les relations franco-allemandes.

The post La Bavière soutient Airbus dans sa volonté de proposer deux solutions SCAF pour les avions de combat appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Les eurodéputés ont également convenu de restreindre l'utilisation des termes liés à la viande pour les aliments cultivés en laboratoire.

The post L’UE conclut un accord sur la dénomination des aliments à base végétale appeared first on Euractiv FR.

La mobilisation de la Grèce pour soutenir Chypre a suscité des interrogations à Ankara.

The post Les pays de l’UE protègent Chypre alors que les tensions entre la Grèce et la Turquie reprennent appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Ce vendredi 6 mars, après une journée de tensions entre Ukraine et Hongrie, Kiev a annoncé que ses employés de banque qui étaient détenus à Budapest ont été libérés. Plus tôt, le gouvernement hongrois a annoncé l’arrestation puis l’expulsion de sept Ukrainiens pour blanchiment d’argent. Kiev a dénoncé des arrestations arbitraires et convoqué le chargé d'affaires hongrois.

« Nous ne pouvons plus partir du principe que les solutions d'hier sont adaptées aux problèmes d'aujourd'hui », a déclaré Maria Luís Albuquerque.

The post La commissaire européenne aux finances préconise une refonte du cadre bancaire post-2008 appeared first on Euractiv FR.

La Hongrie a voté contre, tandis que l'Autriche et la Belgique se sont abstenues.

The post Les pays de l’UE soutiennent les mesures de sauvegarde agricoles liées à l’accord commercial avec le Mercosur appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Written by Clare Ferguson

The following debate will see Commission and Council statements on the situation in Iran following the US-Israel military operation, including the need to support the Iranian people. On Tuesday lunchtime, Parliament will celebrate International Women’s Day, with the focus this year on gender stereotypes, disinformation and violence, all of which weaken women’s participation in democracy. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, is expected to address Parliament in a formal sitting on Wednesday.

The 2027 annual EU budget will be the last one under the current multiannual financial framework (MFF), and Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) is calling for a strong focus on delivery for people, the economy, the planet and providing investments for competitiveness. On Tuesday, Members are set to debate the committee’s report, which emphasises the EU budget’s role in strengthening the bloc’s cohesion in the face of a difficult geopolitical landscape. BUDG also calls to uphold a strong external policy and underlines the agreement between EU institutions that expenditure covering the financing costs of Next Generation EU must not reduce funding for EU programmes. The vote on the guidelines for the 2027 EU budget will set Parliament’s position for the forthcoming interinstitutional negotiations.

On Tuesday, Members are due to debate a Foreign Affairs (AFET) Committee report on the European Union’s enlargement strategy. To date, merit-based EU enlargement has had a largely positive effect, bringing peace and prosperity to countries joining the bloc. With nine candidate countries and one potential candidate awaiting EU membership, Parliament’s own-initiative report on EU enlargement strategy underlines its support for the process and for reform of the current procedure for admitting new members. The report also emphasises enlargement’s strategic potential to strengthen the wider region in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. Finally, the report underlines the need for a strong merit-based process where alignment with the EU’s core values is an unconditional principle of membership.

Under the Treaties, Parliament’s role is to scrutinise proposed EU legislation – and also international agreements – on behalf of European citizens. The revised framework agreement on relations between Parliament and the European Commission aims at strengthening Parliament’s prerogatives as regards the Commission’s duties to inform Parliament of its plans. On Monday, Members will discuss a report prepared by the Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) Committee. The report emphasises that the new framework agreement retains the institutional balance intended in the Treaties, while also creating a clearer and more accountable relationship between the institutions, working in EU citizens’ interests.

Ahead of the 2026 World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, taking place in Cameroon at the end of the month, Members are due to debate a resolution setting out Parliament’s position on the multilateral negotiations, on Wednesday afternoon. Here again, global instability and the retreat from global trade rules mean the need to reform the WTO is urgent, not least to replace the long-broken dispute settlement system, promote a global level playing field and make the rules more flexible. Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) has tabled a motion for a resolution underscoring Parliament’s support for the multilateral trading system and emphasising the need for greater flexibility. A delegation from the INTA committee is due to attend the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference.

Closer to home, many citizens are personally concerned about the EU’s housing crisis. While housing policy remains a national competence, Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU (HOUS) has tabled a report recommending action to improve housing affordability. The committee proposes to help tackle the issue through EU rules on short-term rentals, aiming to strike a balance between promoting urban local communities and tourism income. The HOUS committee also proposes action to improve quality in the construction and energy-efficiency sectors and calls on EU governments to support people trying to get into the housing market through tax breaks. Members are due to debate the recommendations on solutions for affordable housing on Tuesday morning.

A shortage of qualified workers in various sectors continues to be an issue in many EU countries. While the EU has already provided a platform to match EU jobseekers with employers, the European Commission is proposing to introduce legislation to create an EU talent pool which would be open to non-EU citizens. Faced with international competition for talent, the proposal would allow EU countries to attract workers, while guarding against creating an alternative pathway to legal migration. Parliament is keen to ensure that the system is fair, protects against discrimination and is rolled out in all EU countries. On Tuesday, Members are set to vote on a text agreed in interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal to establish an EU talent pool.

When using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate text, images or code, many people are unaware of the legal implications of the AI tool’s use of copyrighted material as training data. This can mean that content creators, artists and other rights-holders are neither acknowledged nor paid for their input. On Tuesday, Members are therefore due to vote on an own-initiative report from the Legal Affairs Committee calling for clarification of the legal situation as regards copyright and generative AI.

The EU rules on package travel date back to 2015 and need to be updated to improve passenger protection. Members are therefore due to consider amendments to the Package Travel Directive, following an agreement reached between the co-legislators in December 2025. Parliament’s negotiators succeeded in improving the complaints procedure and consumer information provided on what is included in the ‘package’ they purchase. Parliament is scheduled to vote to conclude its first reading on the legislation to amend the Package Travel Directive on Wednesday.

Quick links to all our publications for this plenary session:

European Parliament Plenary Session March 2026 – agenda

• Parliament’s guidelines for the 2027 EU budget: Section III – European Commission
• Parliament’s own-initiative report on EU enlargement strategy
• New framework agreement on relations between Parliament and Commission
• Towards the 2026 WTO Ministerial Conference
• Addressing the housing crisis in the EU
• Proposal for a regulation establishing an EU talent pool
• Copyright and generative artificial intelligence – Opportunities and challenges
• Package travel: Improved protection for travellers