European Union

This is the second time that the ruling Social Democrats have lost ground in an election since the 2022 legislative elections

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Science has never been more vulnerable to (mis)interpretation. Accurate research understanding through evidence hierarchy, study design, and bias awareness can help prevent misinformation. Science evolves, but disciplined communication must remain constant to protect public trust and enable evidence-based decisions.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Sikorski said the sabotage amounted to “an act of state terrorism”

The EU measures violate the spirit of the EEA agreement, according to Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir

The ecommerce giant had appealed the Commission's 2023 decision to designate its marketplace under the Digital Services Act's rules for very large platforms

In today's edition: Tobacco, wastewater and incontinence

Amazon EU v Commission
Approximation of laws
DSA: Amazon’s action against the Commission's decision designating the platform Amazon Store as a 'very large online platform' is dismissed

PAN Europe v Commission
Agriculture
Plant protection products: the temporary extension of the approval of active substances may not be applied on an automatic or systematic basis

Days after its first wartime evacuation, Romania scrambled German and Romanian jets after a drone briefly crossed eight kilometres into its airspace during Russian strikes

Plus FCAS, SAFE, EU Space Act, and the sovereign cloud

In today's edition: CAP budget, drones, low alcohol

In today's edition: Cloud sovereignty, consumer digital fairness, DMA probes

In today's edition: Electricity grid, melamine ban, Chinese solar, wastewater fight

Written by Martina Prpic, Ioannis Stefanou, Ingeborg Odink.

Adopted in 1989, the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was the first international instrument to explicitly recognise children as human beings with innate rights. As of 2025, it has been ratified by 196 countries, including all EU Member States, and it has become the landmark treaty on children’s rights, outlining universal standards for the care, treatment, survival, development, protection and participation of all children.

The promotion and protection of children’s rights is one of the key objectives embedded in Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Moreover, Article 24 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU recognises that children are entitled to ‘protection and care as is necessary for their well-being’. The same article recognises that the child’s best interests should be the primary consideration for public authorities and private institutions.

Over the years, the EU has moved from a sectoral approach towards a more coherent policy approach. Whereas initially, children’s rights were developed in relation to specific areas – such as the free movement of persons – since 2000 the EU has taken a more coordinated line. The European Parliament has been especially vocal in advocating for children. This briefing offers an overview of the most relevant actions at European level to address and promote children’s rights before looking at upcoming challenges.

This briefing is an update of a 2022 briefing written by Rosamund Shreeves.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Children’s rights in the EU in the light of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The global development architecture is under the spotlight. This refers to the broad architecture of actors, norms, instruments and institutions that mobilise and coordinate resources, knowledge and political support for development goals. Within this system, Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a core financial instrument, primarily provided by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) DAC (Development Assistance Committee) members. It functions alongside other modalities such as South–South cooperation, climate finance, philanthropic aid and private-sector engagement.

In today’s edition: Brussels unveils its digital omnibus as a privacy fight looms over plans to narrow the definition of personal data, the European Ombudsman comes under fire for promoting a close aide to secretary general, and Friedrich Merz takes heat for his Brazil-bashing

Europe likes to call itself a peace project, but the numbers tell a different story