European Union

Concerned about relentless cuts to 24/7 acute care in small Swedish hospitals, doctors are voicing opposition to the government’s haphazard approach.

Despite delays and limited outreach, Bulgaria’s EU-funded assistive technology programme offers life-changing support to people with disabilities. NGOs are calling for broader access and long-term sustainability.

The European Commission is focusing on building a strong European Health Union with the aim of improving the resilience of Europe’s health systems and better protecting the health of its citizens. A key component will be equipping the EU and its Member States to better prevent and address health crises, as well as the harmonisation of health services across the EU.

Written by Marie Lecerf.

Menstrual poverty, defined as insufficient access to menstrual hygiene products and facilities, affects an estimated 10 % of the half of the EU population who menstruate, with a higher prevalence among people with a low income, refugees, young people, and people with disabilities. Studies from Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain highlight the economic burden menstruation imposes, particularly on vulnerable persons. The COVID‑19 pandemic exacerbated this issue by disrupting supply chains and intensifying financial strains.

To address menstrual poverty, the European Union has facilitated access to menstrual hygiene products primarily through fiscal reform. The revision of the EU VAT Directive introduced greater flexibility for Member States to apply reduced or zero VAT rates to female sanitary products, shifting their classification from luxury to essential goods. Practices remain quite divergent, with some Member States, such as Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, adopting a zero rate, while others, such as Hungary, Sweden and Denmark, maintain standard rates.

EU funding programmes such as Erasmus+ and ESF+ have indirectly supported menstrual health initiatives through education, social inclusion, and material assistance projects. Partnerships with non-governmental organisations, such as the Red Cross, have helped distribute products to marginalised groups. Likewise, numerous local initiatives in Member States increasingly provide free menstrual products in schools, universities, and public spaces.

The European Parliament recognises menstrual poverty as a gender equality issue and calls for greater access to free menstrual products. Members continue to urge Member States and the European Commission to introduce concrete initiatives to combat period poverty.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Addressing menstrual poverty in the EU‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

"Our current budget was designed for a world which no longer exists," von der Leyen said.

The step is seen as another attempt to give the country a chance at economic recovery after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in January.

Supporters of Comté argue that its production standards are already among the most environmentally ambitious in Europe and view the criticism as part of a broader attack on livestock farming.

It aims to better equip the world for the next pandemic, but further negotiations are expected to last another year.

David Lammy told Euractiv and other outlets that the deal only "begins to arrest the decline" in relations with EU capitals.

Written by Clare Ferguson with Olga Dunderberg.

Members participate in the second plenary session of May this week, with an agenda featuring a number of the current hot topics in Europe, including Council and European Commission statements on the situation in Gaza. The session opens on Wednesday, with Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia, to address Parliament in a formal sitting.

Continued single market fragmentation constrains EU companies’ ability to scale up and compete internationally, and many of the issues remain the same as they were 20 years ago. Following a Commission statement on Wednesday, Members are due to debate the new strategy, which should bring new impetus to the single market. While reaffirming Parliament’s role in the process, Parliament has emphasised Member States must play their part in implementing and enforcing existing single market legislation. It also demands renewed commitment from Member States and other EU institutions to strengthen and further develop the single market, particularly in the services, digital and energy sectors.

As tackling climate change remains an urgent priority, the EU has set stringent rules on greenhouse gas emissions. As the rules make carbon-intensive activities more costly, this leads to a risk that some companies try to increase their profits by moving their carbon-heavy activity outside the EU. To level the playing field for businesses, the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) ensures prices fairly reflect the carbon emitted during production of imported goods such as cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers and electricity. Before it comes into full operation in 2026, the Commission is proposing to simplify the CBAM. On Wednesday, Members are set to debate a report from Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety that largely endorses the Commission proposal to simplify and strengthen the CBAM, pending clarifications on electricity generation and embedded emissions. If approved, the vote will set Parliament’s position for negotiations with the Council on the proposal.

Following Council and Commission statements on Wednesday on ending Europe’s dependency on Russian energy by phasing out imports, Members are due to debate plans to increase the EU’s energy sovereignty. The Commission’s recent roadmap – addressing the security and economic risks of continued reliance on Russian energy – is expected to provide an answer to Parliament’s repeated calls for measures to provide alternatives to imported Russian energy, to abandon Nord Stream 1 and 2, and to secure a reliable supply of medical radioisotopes.

Academic freedom is increasingly coming under attack in many parts of the world. Following Council and Commission statements on attracting scientists, researchers and academics to Europe, particularly to contribute to the development of new, cutting-edge technologies, Members are set to debate the Commission’s ‘Choose Europe for Science‘ initiative on Thursday. Parliament already called for increased Horizon Europe funding for researchers in its resolution on the 2026 budget guidelines

With estimates suggesting that more than 84 million people struggle with mental health problems, mental health issues have a considerable impact on society and the economy across the EU. Parliament strongly supports the promotion of good mental health and its inclusion in EU policymaking. It has called for an EU strategy for mental health and legislation on the use of artificial intelligence at work. Parliament also urged the Commission to propose minimum requirements for telework; legislation on psychosocial risks and wellbeing at work; and a ‘long-term, comprehensive and integrated European mental health strategy’.  On Wednesday afternoon, Members are due to debate EU initiatives to improve mental health at work.

• European Parliament Plenary Session agenda
• Single market strategy
• Russian energy phase-out, Nord Stream and EU energy sovereignty
• Simplifying and strengthening CBAM
• Improving mental health at work
• Choose Europe for Science

Written by Ivana Katsarova.

Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems and ultimately, of our planet. Nearly 90 % of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend on pollination, along with more than 75 % of the world’s food crops and 35 % of global agricultural land. Without pollination, many interconnected species and processes functioning within the ecosystem would collapse. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity. There are different pollinator species – such as bees, birds and bats. Most of the over 20 000 species of bees are pollinators, and together with moths, flies, wasps, beetles, and butterflies, they make up the majority of pollinating species. However, close to 35 % of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, face extinction globally. If this trend continues, staple crops like rice, corn and potatoes will increasingly be substituted for nutritious crops, such as fruits, nuts and vegetables, eventually resulting in an imbalanced diet.

Read this infographic on ‘World Bee Day 2025: We all depend on pollinators‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

In today’s edition of The Capitals, read about a Spanish court ordering Airbnb to delist over 65,000 illegal tourist rentals, Borissov highlighting Erdogan ties as key to protecting the EU’s external border, and so much more.

After Sunday’s surprise win, Nicuşor Dan faces no honeymoon – just economic woes, a fragile government, and a populist-packed Parliament.

Borissov said his and Bulgaria’s “good neighbourly relations” with Turkey and ties to President Erdoğan guarantee border security and curb illegal migration.

Slovakia’s government faces backlash after PM Fico and an ally rejected a WHO pandemic accord despite broad support from health minister and president among others.

Poland 2050’s Szymon Hołownia and Third Way partner PSL back Rafał Trzaskowski from PM Tusk’s Civic Platform in 1 June runoff.

Commission sources and EU diplomats say Kostelac often interferes in political matters beyond her job description.

The upswing shocked analysts who predicted a weaker euro would partially soften the impact of Trump's levies.

So far three MEPs have confirmed that the Belgians want Parliament to lift their immunity.

On Monday night, Parliament and Council negotiators reached an agreement on a financial aid package for Egypt worth up to €4 billion in loans.
Committee on International Trade

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