European Union

Negotiators from the 27 national EU governments agreed a common position on a plan to cut red tape for defence companies, with a view to helping Europe quickly scale up its military production. In June, the European Commission presented its Defence Readiness package to alleviate administrative bottlenecks for Europe’s defence industry and simplify defence procurement. […]

Berlin’s refusal to address its dysfunctional power market comes at the cost of Europe’s entire electrical grid

Health advocates say ‘sin taxes’ have huge potential but warn there is no silver bullet

Czech President Petr Pavel will begin interviewing ministerial candidates on Friday and aims to wrap consultations within two weeks

Poland has chosen Sweden to build new submarines to boost its navy’s capabilities in the context of the war in Ukraine and fears of Russian threats, its defence minister announced Wednesday. The deal is part of Poland’s “Orka” (Orca) initiative, which aims to replace its Navy’s sole outdated Soviet-era submarine with three brand-new, higher-tech models. […]

The Western Balkans region stands at a critical crossroads for democracy, challenged by rising disinformation campaigns that exploit social divisions and fuel political polarisation, ultimately undermining democratic institutions and sowing scepticism toward European integration.

In the morning of 2 December, the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) will hold a joint public hearing and discuss ways to effectively counter disinformation and FIMI in the Western Balkans, strengthen its democratic institutions, build public trust, and focus on the role the EU can play in this process.

Location : Brussels
Programme
Poster
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The award ceremony for 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought laureates Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli will be held on Tuesday 16 December.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Development
Subcommittee on Human Rights

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The award ceremony for 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought laureates Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli will be held on Tuesday 16 December.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Development
Subcommittee on Human Rights

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The award ceremony for 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought laureates Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli will be held on Tuesday 16 December.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Development
Subcommittee on Human Rights

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The proposal sets the stage for tough quota negotiations with EU countries next month

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on the EU strategy to face the new theories against democracy
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Bernard Guetta

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A US-backed peace plan for Ukraine includes a contentious provision to cap the total size of Kyiv's armed forces

On 7 November in Brussels, European postal operators and EU institutions met to explore how innovation in AI, green mobility, circular logistics and digital customer platforms is shaping the postal industry’s response to the European Union’s policy priorities. The discussions highlighted how postal networks can accelerate the Green Deal, the Digital Europe agenda and social cohesion efforts, strengthening structured cooperation with the European Commission.

Microchipping is already mandatory for dogs in most EU countries, but rarely for cats

More time is needed to figure out financing for the latest space programme to be managed by the EU

An internal council document reveals a bitter fight between richer and poorer countries over the industrial fund's design

Next AFET committee meeting will be held on:

• Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 December, room ANTALL 2Q2, Brussels
• Tuesday 9 December, room SPINELLI 1E2, Brussels - extraordinary meeting

Meetings are webstreamed with the exception of agenda items held "in camera".

AFET - DROI calendar of meetings 2025
AFET - DROI calendar of meetings 2026
Meeting documents
Webstreaming
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

MEPs miss the chance to rebuke the Commission's fast-tracked Morocco trade measure

This marks Sarkozy’s second final criminal conviction