European Union

In today’s edition: the Commission unveils its defence “readiness” plan amid fresh power struggles in Brussels, Dolors Montserrat admits to pocketing a €350 daily allowance from her EPP side job, and Euractiv scoops the Commission’s 2026 policy programme, revealing big ambitions – and a blank annex

Ursula von der Leyen’s plan to radically overhaul the EU’s seven-year budget has already sparked backlash from farmers, regions, governments and MEPs

Montenegro’s full integration into Europe’s payment system shows that enlargement can advance through delivery and discipline, bringing citizens and businesses tangible benefits long before accession

It is not only Babiš who is facing legal troubles; his allies in Parliament are too

Banned or restricted in 23 EU countries, fur farming continues in Finland, Poland, and Greece

The future of Les Républicains hangs in the balance, as high-profile defections and talk of a “coalition of goodwill” with the far right stir turmoil ahead of next spring’s municipal elections

“We have a lot of different names for a lot of different formats. I wish we'd have as much money. That would be much more helpful,” said Lithuania's defence minister

Centre-left MEPs hope to win more funding for social spending in exchange for shielding besieged CO2 price on fuels

‘The current draft of the EU budget satisfies no one and must be rewritten,’ said Siegfried Mureșan, EPP vice-chair and Parliament negotiator

AI, quantum and digital fairness laws headline next year’s agenda

The Spanish politician says she claims travel expenses and €350 per day of work for the European People's Party, when not in the European Parliament

Draft work plan reveals shifting biotech and health priorities

The populist leader also expressed his “astonishment” that Kyiv’s war effort is “being treated as the top priority topic” at next week’s EU summit

Brussels has a well-known money problem. But unless someone fixes the city's broken political system, it will be the ruin of many more finance ministers

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A first look at the EU executive’s plan for 2026 which will set the ground for the bloc’s energy and climate landscape through 2030

One planned programme, the Qualitative Military Edge programme, intends to deliver on promises made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September

The paper proposes introducing EU-wide age verification mechanisms, built on the European Digital Identity Wallet

Authorities say one of the world’s largest grain traders abused its power

96% of allocated funds have been awarded either directly to Spanish defence giant Indra or to other entities connected to it