European Council

President António Costa travelled to Dublin (Ireland) to attend the opening ceremony of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, where he delivered a speech.

On Wednesday 1 July, President Costa travelled to Dublin to attend the official opening of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Ahead of the ceremony he met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

The EU Law Tracker wins the 2026 Ombudsman Award for Good Administration in the “excellence in open administration” category, recognising its role in making EU law-making more transparent, accessible and easier to follow.

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on targeted amendments to the Eurovignette directive.

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on bolstering the management and funding of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

The Council has approved the resolution on the second cycle of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area (2026-2030), which sets out the work programme for cooperation at EU level in the areas of education and training over the next five years.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1363 of 15 June 2026 amending Decision (CFSP) 2024/1484 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Russia.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1351 of 15 June 2026 amending Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities.

The Council has approved conclusions calling on member states to take into account the interplay between housing needs and demographic trends when developing housing policies.

President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Dublin (1 July) for the opening ceremony of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU, and to Aix-en-Provence (2-3 July) to participate in the “Rencontres Économiques”. On 4 July, President Costa will visit Marseille, Avignon and the ITER Headquarters in Saint Paul-lez-Durance.

Council gives its final approval to the package to reform the research fund for coal and steel

The Council today appointed two new prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office. European prosecutors supervise investigations and prosecutions and, together with the European Chief Prosecutor, form the EPPO College.

The Council today reached positions on the cohesion-related parts of the next long-term EU budget (MFF): the regulations on the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund. 

The Council gave its final green light on a new regulation aiming to streamline and simplify certain rules regarding artificial intelligence (AI). 

The Council adopted recommendations on integrated wildfire risk management to help member states better prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from wildfires.

The Council formally adopted the regulation concerning circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles.

Council adopts new rules to improve farmers’ position in the EU food supply chain, ensuring they receive a fairer share of value by strengthening their negotiating power.

The Council has approved conclusions calling on EU countries and the Commission to improve protection for girls and young women in the digital sphere. 

Weekly schedule of President António Costa, 29 June - 5 July 2026.

Today, the Council decided to temporarily restrict visa provision for Somali nationals after the Commission assessed cooperation on readmission as insufficient.